Variety (Sep 1936)

63 VARIETY OUI DOORS-^BURLESQUE Wednesdaft Septeinber 1(5, 1936, OBITUARIES IRVING G. XHAIiBERG Irving G. Th'alberg, 37, production. head, of Metro-Goldwyn'Mayer, died in S^anta Monica Sept. 14 of lobular pneumonia, complicated by a car- diac condition. ■ ,. . ^-f. ■ .Detailed, news account will be found on page 1 and 2. OSSIP GABitlLOTm'SCH ■ Ossip .Gabrilowitsch, 58; .conductor ot the Betroit Symphony orchestra, died pt.his home there Sept.-14, fol- lowing a long illness, Ife is survived by hiB wife, the former Clara Clem- ens, daughter of Mark Twain, and a daughter, Nina.- v He wefit to DetroiVin 1918 to take chiirge of the •orchestra, and is credited with having brought it tQ. such: a stage of ef£icien6y. as tp gain for'it .tr(jpt Wulli in musical circles, helped to- a definite degree by the . establishment' of - .a. -. «ivic choral gi:oi(p. ... .■• He. gaye hi? ^I'st public recital as- a'piatiiat'-in; lt|B6 -and' came to. this country-in ;i«(K>. In W05 he took a coinrse ift-..«6n.ductinfr from Arthur iNikish. ahd made" his Jdebttt as a con-, ductorti^ year later. He cbnducfed- in Pa^is; Berlin, Munich and Vienna and for'a time led the philadelpihia orcbestra." • ,-JHe kept, -up his -piano practice and: was regarded as one of the'handful of great pianists. ' CBABI4ES H: CAMTBELI. . Charle^- '-Howard ' CampbeU, 66, former draiida tritic pf 6I4 Philadel- phia Evening •t^legrjiph, died Sept. 6-at hIS' Hpme in. Haverford, Pa. Campbelii -v^orked on, various Phil- adel'i)hia- pat)^ris; beginning with old TimiiS; - Xlster he- joined Associated Press/rem^ifaing-eight yfear^. He covered' - sUmiher White House at ' Capfe' iway, j;, during President • Harison's -tfe'iin; ' - ' He was "d.rama editor and editorial writer-fiJt..'Evening;' T^egraph for nine.,'ye'arS,-;HiSn went to. Philadel- phla'^VenJKg^ -BuUetin: editorial de- pairtmenjt'fii'ldll.'He retired several yeats%^6';.,'His y^ldow, Mrs. EUeir McCoft -dampbeli,. siuryives..' . JO$EyH:,.M.\KliftBr Jospph ivi. kirby, 48; president 61 the- Mcissiachv;setl$. Sro^casting- Co,, • operatbrs - pf ytpOP, Baston, dftd •. suddenly, from, heart attack - in his summer home at Hull,,^lass., Sept.' 6. He was .president of ttie Nantasket Amuseiineh^T'Co;* pWsidw't\-of ■ the liincoln - tRttional ti^iiife;"'^hfelsek, • Mas?., Aftijk ..^!^9s '|!)f^!s|dellt and tre&s- •• uret ofi'w^'^^^ .'In. the.radio flelci he^.temained in -..'thfe 'bankgrbund;'and bis entrance ■ llito; th6'_ WCOP.; projKict iMt season' . was'his 'first ventuf e .in .that 'llnp. > / He is jsurvix»i|!!d bj' a .wife iind fljW "hildren'r* • .' ' . ,-' -v" widow, mother, four brothers and a sister. EDDIE POWELL Eddie Powell, 4S, dancer and vaiide performer, died Sept. 7, in U. S, Vet- erans's hosjpital at Tucson, Ariz. He. spent most of his life in the theatre,'playing many years on Mid- dle West circuits. , He had been in Tucson a year and a half, where he went for his health. ■ - Surviving are his widow, daughter and mother. Burial-in Kansas City. BEV. WILUAM KOEPCHEN Rev. William Koepchen, 72; for the past 36 years rector of St Luke's Lutheran church, died'Sept. 8; of a heart attack. Known as 'the Protestant Bishop'^ of Times .Square,' he -was Well liked' by theatrical people, his . church be- ing located at 308 Wfest'46th. street He had ' been connected - with St Lulce's for the past-36 years. . LOtnSf LINKER . Loui^. LiipJter, 55, owner of two theatres'in Bridgetdn,*N. J.', and one ,ih Phil£idelphia,;di.ed Sept- 11. from a heart-attack-while-visiting the.Cri- teirion, one of ;^his houses in Bridge- ton. Linker was on an inspection tour to ■ prepare' for. a ^tage production when he becanie ilL' Leave$ a wtf^ and four daughters. ROBERTO VAR0AS Prof. Roberto Vargas^ 60, veteran .Mexican musician, who -Was musical arranger, and director for Caruso and a player at tho Spanish yoyal court, died, in a charity hospital at Tiajuana; Following Caruso's death, Vargas U^ught opera juveniles in ■Mexico for .some years. He was des titute for some months before" his Qleath. GEORCES^^ ERCOLE Georges Ercole, British Paramount .Newsreel cameraman, died in Lon- xion, Sept 2, following six months illness'. . •" ' ■ .Well known in" U. S,. and Europe deceased claimed to be the first newsreel man to fly over the Alps, bne. of his biggest' scoops was the 'pictures of the burning of Smyrna . ;GrsicS VietiiSi Idnheji" soprano -solo- ist with .' thfe; New iYork Symphony •GrcnfeStra-^aihd ,r«ide»t- df'-; N^^ wa^' imtanUy. killed. when>' tl^e &ut6-" mohile.in.Ayhieh :she VWa^'ftding- with heJ^. .brother . arid .n^hfew.. honipror: fessiona1s;';wa$ -Jn .collision with ,n 'bus. niear," Wjijiiainsbtt^^ Va'.V- Sept!' 17 ■ Howard -J.v-Kerns.-.and Howard ,J. Kerns-,^Jr.. ■Blso'"bf Norfolk, died of, liijutii^s;-'receiyedi Triple fimeral rites hel4 in-Norfdllc. HENRY REDFIELD "~ : .Henrjr^ Rcdfield,, 3,6. conductor and .arranger tot the Natipnal. Broa&cast- ,irig Co... died, in Polyclinic .hospital. ■New York,-Sert -.0, of." bums re ceived;,, iu" i room at the Hotel Chesterfield? Believed .that he fell; asleep in his ichair..and hi.r clothing: caught fife Trpm his lighted cigarette; Just That - : Ft Worth, Sept 15.: ' BUly Rose and Amon° G, Car<« ter, generalissimo of Frontiei? Centennial, see eye-to-eye on at least one aspect of show biz, according to story current here. In an argument over Frontier's financial status, Car* ter. wa» approached with rou>- tine question; ?But what about the bond holders?' ; • 'The bond holders are bond holders,- and they will-stay bond holders. That's .what they are ■for.V • , • .- Burlesque Reviews lllinsky Cast ill ... Los Angela, Sept 15.. Samuel Herzig, mitmager, and members of the . 'Hollywood Goes Minsky' burlesque' trodpe ivfire found guilty of indecentperformance here, Hertzig. gb't 180 days, Alicie Kennedy,' Floyd HaUicy, Mike S^Chs and Brownie Sicks, $300 or ISO days 'eaoh;'Nadja Grinko and Marie Vpe,. $250 or 125 days each; -Pat Paree, . Benjamin Moore; and "Sonja Slane, $200 or 100 days each;. Carrie FiJd-, nell, $150 . or: 75 days; Dagihar Blair- and Marie Bra-wner, $100 or 50 daya each. , '.. '- Show closed Saturday (12). after seven -weeks at the Hollywood Play- house. .Until the .first .raid, biz flourished. After that it ..dropped 30%. Hollywood crowd figured raid was an exploitation stunt, but troupe was cpnyicted on evidence taken, in that pinch. . • . Fines have been paid, but Herzig's, sentence is. being appealed. Princi-' pals head for New York this week Minn. Takes Profit Minneapolis, Sept. I5. ; With attendance just' under 700, :0Q0 lor the eight-days,-the-Minnesota State Fair broke records this year A profit- of. $50,000 is indicated. I Outdoor Revievir^ ApELE.vBLOQD HOPE '.. Adele Blood -ilope, 50, once a suc- cess on the stage .apd .^w.ho toured the wp0,d,..-with' h Shalcespearean stock conijiany, killed herself iij her home in Yonliers,.N. Y.. Sept 13. in a fit ,of ,dj^re>si.Qn-. over the: failure or a. swmmer'theatre .jv'enture. . .She, i4 .syryivedrby.'Jier dfiughter, Ca-wn,. Hope,, who" made her pr.ofes-^ sionail .de^)ut .^n:.one *pf the summer productions,..- . : .BitARTY SEMON ; . .Marty Semon, brother of Prim- ro|e aDd Maxine.Semon;. died Sept.. 13 • at^^etroit Mich., where he was appeirinsjn a-.local night-club. -Death attri$uted to heart attack. He was known jri burlesque and vaude.- His last pastern; appearance • was lyith'Music in the Aui' ' Eeside.S' his sisters ■ he . leaves- • it brother,' Cy Semon, with the Clyde Beatty Circus. . FREDDIE ROSS- . Freddie Ross; 30, vaudevillian and one-time-partner intact,of Ross^nd Leddy. died .at: his. home in Dor- , Chester, • Mass., - Sept; 8 after a brief illness".' . On-.retiring fr.wti vaude- six i years ago; Robs Jbecame -bssbciated. with a New Y<>rfcjTiolel arid later moved to . Massachusetts.;,. .gu'rviylnB are hi* ... Hit. Je Grisman , ;^WUliani Castle, . 36^ who had been >n the stagfe for^ dozejn years, died in New York, Sept. 13,-,:of l)eart "at- .tack. He.: had ^beert . -ior a time a inentber .of the team of Romaine and .Castle, biut',in ifiore recent years', had ,%vbrked alo.ne. - . Funeral.services In .New York and •interment jri Hudson, Mass. : I •- ROBERT COOK :. Robert Cook, 34, -Golumbu$, 6., .manager one of ride , units, Gooding (Rides Corporation, also of Columbus, .diedt in Aultmah iospital, Canton. 0.i .Sept "9, from a self inflicted bullet wound. " Body .was returned to Columbus forbiii-ial. LO HILDEBRAND Lo -Hildebrand, 42, cowboy actor in films,, died Sept.- 11. in the Los Angeles General Hospital of" a heart attack.' • . His widow stirvives.. VICTOR BARiftO SO Victor Manufel Diez Barroso, young Mexican dramatist and founder- oi the Mexican Comedy Co.; died al his home . in Mexico^ City after a 5hort illness; EDGAR HYAIAN Edgar Hyman, vaude pioneer in south. Afi'ica,. died, in Johannesburg Sept 15, More details in foreign show news depai-tment ROBERT. CURTIS. Robert Curtis, for'mferly secretary to the late'Edgar Wallace'., died in Surrey, Eng., Sept^; V of a rare disease. " - * . JHother of Matjrie I^ipSey. vice- president of .Music Cbrpbratiori ol America, died In Chicago onl Sepli 7, WJte of Clinton M. White, GB Rubih & Chierry JBxpo ■ Toronto, SepfA Morality-squad-on opening day^/of the Canadian National Exhibition de- manded that the Carney artist paint brassieres on. the" recumbent .nudes decorating the fronts and then, as an •afterthought" ordered the girls in. the' 'Miss America', show .to. also don -the bras, at least during-peiibrmances; all of which isn't a bust, for Rubin Gtuberg, Biz Is up 20%'over ISst lyear, the local yokels are spendihg more money on midway attractions since .1929, and the twdnWeeks' stay here 'will admittedly ring up a gross .ihlat w^l:equal the.fiveiweeks' take at the usual Rubin and Cherry stands,' Midway is "largest this year than evetf; before., at the .C.N.E. and marks the ninth consecutive booking of the Gruberg enterprise by officials of the world's - largest annual' expo. In previous years, show was split for the present season, both have b?en consolidated into one unit Air of; prosperity is evident in nev/ canvas, all a-unifprm shade of green' new fronts or the freshening up of- old by a lavish use of bright paint new .banners,'etc. Show is carried' m forty 72-foot cars and has a per- sonnel of 456. Attractions include; Rumba Revue with Don- Ricardo's marimba orch; Simplicio and Lucio .Godino. Siamese twins and their Fili- .pino wives; Royal Russian Midgets; Cleo Hoffman's Flaming' Youth Re- vue With Jean Sandlin. bubble- dancer; DiaiAond Kitty, fat woman: Julien Bros, monkey circus: Zeke Shumway's Hell-drivers; Congress of Freak Oddities;- Harry Coffn's 6m- bryplogical exhibit; Wally Welliver's reo.tiles; Public Enemies crime." ex- hibit Miss America RevUe: Chbng Leen s" Chinese illusions. Also . car- ries 21 rides, 4 Ferris wheels, lobp^- .planes, etc., five baby rides and miniatures. Staff: Rubin Gruberg. pres.: Mrs. Annia^Gruberg. treas.; Joe Reddinc. mgr.; Nate Eagle, asst.; J. C; MpCaf- fery, gen. r20.; Frank Reed, "secre- tly,; Walter Nealand. publicity:.Wm. ,Cain, .chief electrician; Eddie Reiter. master: builder: Eddie Mai?coni, mag" ^J^^^^^i^^i'-yfhitey.Beloit, lot super; P. J.. McLanc.. trainmaster. •• - / assistant salefe manager; N, Y., died Sept ti ?it Glen Ridge, N. J, fol-' Jbvving prolongied illness, . RIALtO, CHI. (I^OpTLIGHT FLASHES') Chicago, Sept 5. After years of sleeping out in the< bam and taking hand-outs at > the back door, burlesque i? beginning to stra:ighten its" tie and amble down the main stem once more. For 9ome years now they have been making various attempts to reestablish the hurley wheels but with no suceessi. There was no coin at the boxofflce and there were little prospects for any particular future; . •This season; however, thlhgs .Iook brighter and the optimists believe that the wheel iahd burlesque -<ire coming back. Izzy Hirst Is notvor-' ganlzing units in the east for. a route of 15-20.-weeks, from-Philadelphia to Kansas City and ba^ck agaln/^ These units are'organizing to-sell.-from a grand to $1,250 for 15 girls, 12- prin- cipals and a company manag^ir. N. S. . Barger, operator of the Rialto, has signatured -with the HJ^^st wheel- and is. u6ing those- unl&'~ as -padding for his regular stock* coni- pany,-combining both into a -90-mih- ute' show which is' a'lot of -J^urle^quie on ^ulkr flash and worth.-' ' Barger gets from 35c to 55c on-jweefc-days for his shows and 65c on. the-holi- days. ■'. V • ■ ■ ■-■-'•;-'■•'• ■■■:':-'■' Units jump in- here froiia Pitts- burgh and lay off for sut days while reheaVsing - with th^ stock coniiMtny for the Combined show.. During .that time the in-cOtnihg comics learn that despite the .fact thai; this, is a hurley spot, the real off-color stuff doesn t go, the strippers learn that stripping is in the best of taste but that grmdr' ing is out. ' For a hurley show. Bar- ger does a clean performance, with, the result that femmes are. a goodly, portion pf his audience. Barger hasr discovered .that, the femmes xeally -Uke and okay danies disrobing on the stage. If it's art. But the spittoon .cros$-fl're riles'em, ' ■ In Barger's stock farm here are .Charles Country and Kenny Brenna who have developed something of a" following here and demonstrated by the hand-clapping they- received when they.-.came on late' in the, show and were-;'welcomed as the 'home team' by the customers,- "There are two premier strippers on the home grounds, .June" St Clair who is .strictly a disrober to swing • time while Maxine" de Shon exposes best to waltzes,. Miss de Shon also stands "out among, body disclosers by her ability- to warble a few notes, - George Kay. fiives the -house one of the-best,straight men'in the h\)Si-' "ness. In the road company were two fine comics also, as far as bur- ley stuff is concerned; Happy Hyatt and Red Marshall, both of whom were-around in the TJifS^^BeginS "gt Minslcy's' imit Hyatt's best sinstle bit is, his bulclesque on a" hurley queen tossing her brassiere while Marshall works to good effect in two blackouts, the dentist's routines and the PuUman bit,"- Murray Leonard, s.traisfht, - handled the situations neatlv,. Specialty women in the ,t.raveling 'linit^wereh't so hot Millie Convey, Dbloyes Da-wn and Edna .Dee with Miss Dawn rating; the best on her shane if -not-on-;her method of ea.<!irig it,to- th"e oglerS", • ■ •Plenty of "production numbers slowed up the Pace but gave an aura of flash and nbundftnce, -Barker has 10 house gli-ls besides the 15 .frbm .the JOad,.^nd-.the tob -of costuhvng em -IS a" {problem.-but Barger--mahrr ages it bv usin«? two sets'of costumes for each numbep.." . ..- ,.- . Barger -weht 'to town on this open- inc; and soent ps much coin in news- naner ads as the-regular" first run -picture houses of. the loop. But the results were w-orth the exoensci be- caiTpo he's rettin?. a- niokfel more on each price change w<th the exception nf the evertinr;-tariff, pnd the main floor, was capacity at the la.":* r»-ow oh Friday..Gol^i. IRVING PLACE Max Wilner's and Tony Maccib'S re-entry here .start"? pff like it might be family stuff.. ^Band's violinist is spotted, a -la concert, for the onening. but the -imt)ression Is speedily dis- .•sipated with the help of Georgia Sothc-n and comic Pinky. Ida Rose was. transoorted from Chicago -to nroduce the show. .Opening nieht (Friday) biz was gbodly. Show runs two and onft half hours twice a dav. Chorus division, is well trained. Gals do plenty bf work, whether its backToundinf. military routines" or precision numbers. , Comedy starts with a stooge work- ing from a box. Piriky. who ad- mir'""3ters tl a'.cony humon is as -rood a ortii'i as h's unelevat'"! iria- terial permits,. Assistant, Shorty. rl.np<5 a rood straight i'-'b, -Yiddish dialectician, George Murrav.' and st'-o.Vht Joe Wilton, are also .ok-^y. The cloth?<--mirus gals run the -hoAv ihore' .than 2.0 ir!"uter. over- .'>os.:-d.. Tfs .t:. • oH-fr-'-iioned -t^tas? here; The bombastic G'aftrgiSk wives her fill from -ritart to flnlch. ■■ Other -stardout fb'r";' Jiuditv -^is, Valerine Pavkes. fanner "and bp.llooner.*- Otlier .trndraper"? ^tf. jPat -Paigc It^nf Amtih end *illly Holmesi 'Bi.1T "Elliott, baritbhe, is the shoe's vocalist ... I MINSKY, BROOKLYN Jije Weinstbek's Brooklyn venture differs little from his 42d street Re« public shbppe. As a matter of fact he is doubling some of his N. Y. crew into his Issy Hirst-booked Indie wheel house." More evidence of the- Broadway 'burley influence is the comedy offered in 'S6ati-tees of W36,' current It is for the most part the same verbal garbage that the bor- ro<ved. comedian delivers at the- Re-i public. In this instance, howfev6r, even a little, more dirt is sprinkled around, to .enhance.the. importations. Show is' condensed to one and one- half hours of this film burley, doing four ada>^> It'^ a big house atid in.good con-- dltion. powever, despite the prox- imity of the Navy yard, biz on ni^t caught was very unhealthy. • , Show is plenty undressed and deep blue.. Only, interval of legit enter- tainment is furnished hy a miiced tapping -teaih,"^ Cornish and Dean.' Pair, jig standing ^and sitting and, as a concession- to their- sponsors, ren- der o.mild belly gyration. Joyce Bra-' ielle, .costumed, in the abbreviated mode, sells classical dancing. - Show proper limps through "with- out creating any dents.-. Blackouts are virtually .that^ colpr running so: deep, ' Good, cleaii fun never heard of Irving Sellg or vice, versa. When- ever the situation calls .for new. depths, Irving ig never lacking.' : Joe.Leavitt brought in the touring" portion. ..Usual ntimber of strippers ,£(nd chorus damsels. Famous for. -disinterest in ^roceedinigs, chorus never disappoints by co-ordinating.. •, Undressers include .Ruth Bums, t»a-wn I)e Lees, Billy Lamont, Billy Harris. Dance team and . special^ terper are also with,the Hirst show, as are Charles McNulty, Frank Perry,. Lou - Devinei comics; Earl - Riith,- straight - and Art Nealy. yodeler. Wen Miller, Jeanne Wade, LUllan 'Harrison and Jean Caton, strippers, and Irvine Selig,-comic, augmented .'from the Weinstock ranks. ATLANTA, ATLANTA Atlanta. Ga., Set)t. 5. . .i Eastern Burlesque Assbciation'd'. second offering of the new season at the Atlanta opened, to capacity busi- '^ nesS, - Considerable improvement, 'noted in show, whicl^ ,was in the hands of same company which., opened the house last "week. Elinore Roberts is the feature thls- week, ahd scores witK strips. Hal' Rathbun and Homer Meachum Show much, improvement ini Selection- of ■ sketches,. •Both real performers,, and: keep the laughs going with aid of Tai McCarty, excellent sttaig'ht nlajL-,: Charlie Blaum's orchestra fiS" pit "works' smbothly and covers -up'sfe-v- -eral-bad spots in the performance. Girls: dancing better theis 'Week "and- Dutf'on ,bne exipeotioriall.v gobd. num- ber, stagied by Frankie Ralston. .Thie' Tiflanys get a- big hand with their" ■dances, .and~ Walter Collins is capa- ble in several songs, Louise Keller,. who,,had' top billing last ,^yeek, ;Shares honors with Miss,, Roberts. iOther strippers .-.not So. f hpt,, New shrtw^and new cast next . week. ■ House, with 1,200 seats, looks nice. :Top is 55c. SAN MEGO HAS HABIT; LOOKS AHEAD T0^42^'50 San Diego. Sefit 15. "While a throng of '60,000 stood- in Impressive silence San Diego's 193G' .ckDbsition closed at midnight ,Sept 9 with the lingering echo of 'Taps' sounded by an army bugler. " Official estimates showed that the 1935-1936 exposition in its 377 days of operation brought about $100,000 a "day into the city. Or a total of ;neafly $30,000,000, Number of -vis- itorsf'was set at 7,220,000, Plans are being made for another exposition here in 1942, marking the: 400th anniversary of CabrlUo's land- ing at San Diego, and still a third fair in 1950 celebrating the' centen- nial of -California's-'.admission into the Union,.- , . Independeat Burlesque Week of Sept-20 •r.'Tiew-IIl Revue'-—Werba'3.' BrfioUlyn,. 'HItiau Belles'—Hownrd, Bofltrtn.- 'Bcd Rli.vthm'T-Onyoty, Washlnprlon. 'Rabea of B'wny'—Oayety, Bnltlmore. 'Garden ot-Olrlei'—Gnvety, Minneapolis. •Jfodcst MoiJplB'—RlaHo. Clilcnijo. . 'Fashion PlaieH'—Republic, Now Tork. '.''cRn-Dalls'-^Eniprepe. KanSns City. ■ 'Bftllyhoo'—Trnp, Phllndelpliln. 'Hl-Flyef'—Jncque?, "WnlerhUry. ■* 'Wine. Woman and Sobs'—Empire, Now.-irlc. •. • ' . ■ .'B»auty 'Prtrailo'—TTi'dFon. Tnlnn CJly. • 'Dlizy Danie.-)'—CJnrUcT;, Sf. Loflc •'Soan-Tfees' — Allentown. Mon,-Tuc.<'.; HnrrlBburff. "iVod.; Hradlnj;, TUui-fi.rFrl.: •WllUainepoi-t, f-at. . fOA.vety Otrlii-—(^ni>lnt>; PittsburBli. 'Rtd.Hpf—CBpltol, T()}cdo- ... , . '."(tonnln' Stiri'—Gnypty. Huffaln.. '••Plratea. of Melody'—V/o'r b""o s.t "WnTcrtcr.,--.-. ..- . . .• . . - •. 'Vannc;<t-era'—iillcB Poiul, Akron, « r.