Variety (Jan 1937)

."1 • .•'wjnmirwryr^^fffn Wednesday, Janhi^lT^ 6,19^7 LE SQUE--LE€ I T VARIETY Burtesque-lf You're Interesfed Burlesque has . been. ehjoying, a sizable business Increase during the Lst «x months. Not that there are thore goofs around; it's just that there are mpr.e,;,gopfe around ■ .with ihoney to spend on tickets. But burlesque, except ih a few in- tvidual instances, did little or noth- inft to bring this impiroyeroent about. It adhered tp the same shoAy lormula that prevailed ih the WSh .days, it ex- ■ erted no effort to ieally enharice its pr^sentatibhs^^ ^et 1 managed , to ' retiin its appeal fPr a certaih, sec- tion of public, was lutky, enough tP get iii pn thfe prosperity • wave that covered; practically all aTntfsements.., . .\ With stripping .still the basis of all ; burlesque liayputs, busi ness was iiest yrhere cbnditions and the attitude of vthe authorities permitted liripre strip- ing* Where there .wasihp stri inie,. there was ..no ibusiness, and iisuially no burlesque. A few stout-hearted gents attempted to. buck , the dry; spots ahyway With ~ ' shows, but they didn't last. Th^ better ; conditions :vvere* tefliected both stock and • wheel theatres, with the lattier look- . ing better .this, time than in. Several seasons , piast.: There was cpnsider- ihie pre^sfeaispn W'heel talk by rhbst of the lhanagers,- bixt the; only .trav- eling show project of .big; prppor- tipns was created by Issy Hirst, the Philadelphia manager, \yhp had diab-! .bled .with wheel' stuff the: previous twb seasPps-with fair ' At .the start of the current son in the early fall, Hirst's Indepen dent. Wheel cdniprised 19'/^ .weeks, including full weeks in Minneapolis, Ghicago,' Buffalo,. Phillyj Union City, WJiterbury, Bbstph, Newark, Wash- ihgtorti Baltihipre, Cleyeland,,.Toledo, Oetfoiti ■ AktPil; -Stf L(pu^y,; Kaiisas City, Pittsburgh artd WorcestetV^ days in Yoiingstown, aiid a six-day /Penhisylvania route conisisting of Allentpwn and Readings both two days, and 'Harrisbuirg ahd. Williams port,, one'day each, \. The Indie Wheel . Indi . Wheel- apparently has survived. better than recent prece dent would indicate it might; for after.three: months it; has.'Pnly. lost Week in tptal. playing time ititSe. the start of the seasoin; .Buffalo, Akron, Kansas City and Worcester have dropped outi biit the wheeli has iqked up Torbnto, Bridgepprt rahd . rooklyn. to replace all but one of • theln. Cahton came Jn;'aiter the sea son started but didn't stick. , Hirst prpduces his. shows in the ■'•east, and- they're booked by the the aires oh guarBntees ing[ .about $1,306 per'' show for -pebple coasts, ■with the theatres .paying. Hirst a bbbking fee^ Transportatipni is in .eluded in the" guarantee psiid by the theatres., individual . ^managers playing . wheel shows (Consult with each other.* oh policies. But the ,',N.ew Yprk..ri7anagers con- tinued to. be stock-Thihdedr.yith .only orie bf the dozen or. so metrbpblitah spotSi and that one in Brpoklyn, lik ing . the wheel shbws well ehipugh to join :Up. The NeW York burlesque ■stands ihciude fiye in the Times Square- area. Three of the latter bear the Minsky ' label: .daiety,' pp : erated jointly by 1. H. Herk and Abe ~ iVIinsky;: Republic"; operated ..by Joe Weinstock and .using the iraame' by royalty, payments, to Billy Mihsky's Widow, and thfe liewly opened Qri- ehtal, formerly Wairnef/ straight picture hpUse, ieh H. Kay Morton Mirisky for What Talent talent; Was ho more improvement in . quality' than Oh thie mahageri . end, Ohcie again burlesque failed to revert to its for- mer position as a deyeloping ground No hew people of real Tnerit. werif at- ■; tracted\to burlesque, dorihg t^^^ sea- - and few. of: the ,v.eterahs man- aged to go bn to better things, Gypsy Rose Lee made' the bijggest juriip—from the Irving I^lace to the Shuberts' '2^iegfeld ■ Foil ies': at . the Winter Garden,, but in the latter, as in the fbtmer, Miss Eiee rbrriaihs • .Chiefly Her graduatipn, however, Vwas. reigarded iis good copy by. the newspaper^,, arid Miss tee has received more free .space ' two hjonths than the rest, pf the burlesque busi ; includjhg.veverybody in;, it Usually gets in two years,.;/; ., .Ada Leonard was. another 'to die part from buflesq ue 'for. a time,; going ihto and. heading; a vaudeVille .unit, but she's back ,in burlesque.;agai 4nn'. Cori might have, quit had she cared to accept sohie prppositibns niade to her; as burlesque's outstahd ing perspnality/but.Miss Cbtib's spe cialty is stri ing slso, vbur- lesque income is larger than any'' hing offered bn the outside. She re-., mained the best .known and^ ighest salaried burlesque name for another year.-;-. ,: For. the bladder, boys "and- the ■rest of the male cbntihgent it .was just another ' spasPn,- artistically. The strip ,was whiat the; geofs . came in tb sebi. and ; the ebmedians ; again- •Were Walking stage waits. They .. accepted 1 ;heir fate as . they;. have .:becpme ac- customed .to . doi ' and .made; no valipht effprt 'at\irripi^ovi them- selves by getting some new material. The 5.ianagers didn!t try help either, and let the coniedy. end drift along. Oddly eiibugh,^: biE ;aU branbhes' of show business, burlesque's ' employ- ment rate was the ; highest. No cprtiT petent talent was but bf work, and the: demand for even /iecpnd-grade people was. in , excess ■^ of thb supply. The /failure of burlesque attract hew faces of;merit to ite; talent ranks Was .largely i-esponsibie^^f^^ , Along with the bbost; ; the box office and the first, sight Pf profits fbr many nlanagers -in' several years, salaries, for the talent, aiso tobk a rise. Ii;! some cases; the cbi jurnped 25!%. ; The shortage of good pieopie"; and thift activities , of the actprs' union; Burlesque: Artists Associatipn^; Were. cbhtribUting factbirs. ISSYHIRST^EStii PHiUlfeONtONTRAGT . r . Isadore Hirst, ' chain of burlesque houses iii Easterh Pehh sylyani filed suit in the Federal District;. ,; Ny Thursday (i31),- agaihst Thomas J., Phillips, president bf the Burlesque Artists' Associatibn. Hirst claims Phillips -induced ' a troupe of actors.and chorines to run put on ah agreement to appear on jiis circuit for a period Pf 10 weeks beginning laist Feb. .The troupe disappearjed;iast April» Hirst claims, at the .instigation!; of Phillips, leaving him holding thb bag! foi:^4i000v Hailie Fiftnagan in Chi Chicago, '": "' Hailie Flanagan was in tbWii foria. cbUpile of days, last" week!; . ' Came in with her husband;, who had: tp read a tec!hhical paper! at scholars' cohvehti !here,' .iand dropped in to watch *0 .Say Can :Ybu Sing?' WPA show. Also cphfabbed .with George liondolf,. head of the local federar'theatre . project Boyes Out Agaili chick Boyes, tent showhian, an-^ hpunced here this week: that he'll set up tent stock again fbr the season bf 1937, to start airpuhd May 15.! ; Boyeis is. prt a circle in the mid- states how, on a string bf 14 houses. ENGAGEMENTS Russell Hardi , Alfrbd White, .'Hey, Diddle, Diddle.' Lebh Ames, oy^ Gordon, Elmer Brown^ Louise Campbell, Teddy Bergman, Frederica Siemens, Will Geer, 'House in th.e Country;' Basil Rathbbhe,' Edith Barfett, ,Ian Keith,'Richard H.' Richard . Ling, Hilda , Ipwright, Horace Sinclairi "Ruth Vivian, Eda Heineriianh, 'And Now Goodbye-.' Peggy Q!'Donnell; Tom Padden; Joaquin Sputhei:, Scott-Mbbjre,. 'Tide Rising,'' : Maida Reed, George Lew.i , Rich^ ard Sterling, Edgar Mason,. Eileen Wenzel, Marion. Cirbssoh, Ruth Edell, !Blahche Gladstone, 'Behind Red Lights.'' -. , ;;-.. ■ . Edmund George, .'Reflected Glory.' Independent Burlesque (Week of .■rll)-; Tarls by NlBhtr-rG?!i>'el.v,. S'llnneiipoliH. 'Alohtia Carlo Glrls'-frJllnUt); CliKnt'.d.: ■'Merry M(i;i'(leri.s,—Casino,'•.y'oronio,. 'Scan-DoJis'-^Opeji. ,'BecX Trust'—Lyrltf; Allenipwn, Tues.;: "Majestic,' ■Ha.rrlHb.iir ,; Ciipltol, , IleaainB, Thui-.-Jb'rl.; ; W^IUanlSport, Bat; .< , . : •; 'Modes i Models'—Troo, t*hll«dtlphla. 'J/ld ;,Ijlfter8"^:—Hudson, . llnlon Clt.v. 'Tenses *hd Wce-/it's'—Jnc:(|ues,- Watef- ' bury-.' k' '.SwlnK iris':-—Howard, ■.-Bo.stoh. 'H,tt-Ch.V^Enlplre, Newiirk. 'Hl-l'Myers'-^Gayety; AVashinfrtr, .. 'Twinkle. 'roGB''-TGaycty,., BBirijrior 'Red RhyUim,—Rdxy, Cleveland. 'Jlozp.'Snydet's Show'^-^CaplKd, Toledo. 'Ufibes' ,of .-B',\vay'-r-^Gjiyeiy, U(-.trolt. .■ 'Too Hot tov Parls'--!«arrl<-k, H. I^ouIk. 'Ijcauty Parade-T—Casino, rii.tsburjth. •SleppInV Sta,ifl'—T>yrlr. Brldjfjiprr, '.\lalds of Manhattun'—Cen'turjr, B'klyn, Road Shows (Week of Jan. 4) •Bpy Meets Girl,' Shubert, Ne^ya^k. 'Children's National, Washingtbh. ^End of Summer' (Ini Claire),, Chestnut, Philadelphia. . Ballet .Russe,'Ellis .Aude, Mem-, iphisi; Muny Audej! New Or!, leans. City Aude, Beaumont. Tex.. , City AUdei HbUstoii, Mu . Aude, Antonio, .McFarlin Aude, , Chicago. 'Blossom Time,' Opera House, Boston. 'B6y Meets Girl,' Aude,! Fresno,. 3; Aude, Oakland, 4-6; New Aude, San Jose, 7; Saiita Barbara, 8r9. 'Chiidreh^s Hoiir/ Englewood, N. X ^ 'GU Along Little, bogie,; Mary- land, Baltimpre. 'panci Mpntbliiir, Montclaiir, N"; 'Dead End,' Erlah^e'r, ila- deiphi : D'Oyiy Cairte rest, Philadelphi 'First Lady' (Jane Harris, Chicagb. '^Fpliiesi'; rahdj. icagoi Trederika;' Shubert/Boston. 'Fulton of Oak Falls' (Gep. M; • Cohan), Plymouth, Bostoti. 'Great Waltz,' Curran, rancisco. 'Hamlet' . (LeSli Howar' , iPetrpit; „ 'Jane.; (!K. Hepburn), ' Colonial,^ Boston. 'ttSLiAni , CPbst-- ,Rbad'), Seiwyh, ♦May Wine,' ton Beach. ^^Mobn Oyer . Mulberry ■ Worcester, Worcester, Mass, Court Sq., iSpfingfield, 7-9; '!MuIatto,' Studebaker, Chicago. Naieimpva jRepertory^ Erlanger,. Chicago.. 'Pride Frejadicb,' , Alexandra, Tbrpnto, 4-6; Masonic Aude, Rochester," ;;Erlanger, Buffalp,. 8-9. 'Scandals,* itol, . lint, ; • Temple, , Saginaw^ ;! Strand,.. ■ Xiansi Michigan^' Jiickspn, - Keith's, rand Raipids, 8-9. 'Tomorrow We Live/ El Capi- , ; tan, Hbllywood: 'Twip-Mrs. Ni .iVtsbur;gh. By iOBi BIGELOW Truth at Last roadway >office maih prone to exaggeratiph, spotted in a theatre which!'had ihany hits, never iailed ! to ...add . couple of thousand tp; the gross. veri.. when one. show drew .a, record take; pi $26,00(1 > for .the. engagement, he .tpld; other treasurers, that it. was $^8,006!, . Finally, a- real.flopperpb opened i his house: ' Secopd; ight the takings were: exactly eijght bucks. He entered, i gin-, mill where -box off ice.meh./gath- ered, and piped: 'You!, guys always; say .1 don't tell the ..tiruthi Well, last .night, we gbt !a! lousy .$9.' 3 ^ers Draw $2© fines oft Baltimore,. !Wanda;.. PeVpn,. stri MPrris Coheri; comiC|, and .'B Liy- !ihgstoii,; manager. p£ the Cibver ( - lesque), .were each fined $20 ibh i - decerit 'performance charges in ;G.riin- inaj'-CbUrt here last WeeJt. ^■ . Conriplaint,'had. been filed . by the" State!_ Censor .Bpard (filihs-)i .really'has nb .jurisdictipn over stage eni^ertainijient. - At the heai^ing!. last week, two .!;nspectors ■ f tpm - the- ' - sbr.ibbdy testified, '' . ;-MS&"^.MNTB Jiidgment" pi. $'7-i6.'Wag filed - in N. Y. 'j^upreine ,Cbu!r/t- l^st week against Ilerbert K. and Juanita''Minsky ' in favoi: . of ;-, the Manhattan. $quare- Beresford Corp., owners of . the aipartment "hbuse at 211 Centrdf Park .West.' ■■!:;.'" " Claimants sued pn grbuhd .thai the Mihskys owed, rieht for period. •■!of JuheiSeptember, 1936, on apartment : which they haid leased at $2,150 ,a year, '.^ . i-^-- By Iphu :Hurley Although oriigiriated many years, ipuring its life the.ama!teur busi- agb, the idea of exp!loiting ainate^rs^ underwent many transitions, telent in'shbw. business d halls the. igag spreiad - to into its owri. as a big money branch I v!audeville houses, units,, cliibs, the of theatricals until radib recognized j radi ,~ films, etc. When the radio its pbssi iUties. This - came, three yeai:s ago and •with it the- .zenith, After "an Unprecedented pbpj^laritiv j^incej fbr Ihe rbughly figured 1,000 daysj i theatres, hite; clubs: and bn the air; it is how approachinJj the i thi Theatres that aire still using; ' ams'no longer bill !.theni as such j but refer-tp them as. a revue. This is' an illustration.. There was a 'time, says CSreen, when' ams had to sneak out of the- atres. Hie al^o. tells 'bf price having picked it: up. it passed, the egg iri!g. stage to . acquire morej _ ^ Show^ y/ere; jthen called /-Amateur Wihriiers,* . - The next step! was tP .'New Faces.' , it was all the same end. priiy; Maijpr ;Bo,wes maintains: a ^steady pace \yith the; strictly amateur show.. With the, radio bbw bf the tyros and the national craze that; folibwcd,' the -' $25 per show, lineups were too; much a lot of people pounced on thought of getting rich quickly ith ; been attacked: with a knife after con- the simon pui:es. 'Result of this whole vl ducting an 'amateur' show. AH this: sale arid virtually liniitless use of! passed, however, with the glorifica-^ ams in films, theatres, radio, ' tion that ; radi afforded. People writing, burlesque theatres, and' even thought they were . actually getting amateur literary contests has jprb-' ^fon^ething different. .. ducbd the bhly result that can be ,ex- The, headaches o£ the business pected from ah overdose—the killing [. ith i .small return to those in the of the appetite. Belabbred bn all! booking ehd, exclusive, of the radio, sides by evbry cohceiykble. enterr:'s abpther factbr in the drbp. ?cbut- pi-ise bpen to embrybs, the public! ing talent,, taking chances ph has grown ;indiffereht. .This can mean - doubli ith pros, finicky tastes of but one thing;:. J theatre rnaiiagej:s when- using the •. Not .alone .because of saturatibn, its . demise cah also be accounted for in ' to endure for long the growing cbgnizance of. aUdieiTicbs ' ,OnIy One; Met Sh and listeners ot - , : self-earned' ArbUhd New'Ybrk radio am^ 'racket' stignfia. Recurrent jstories .in .. are speedily .g;etting the public goilg. the daily press have', iven the li : The; only hbt\vork prbgraini pt im- tb the 'aniateiir' busi .!Re.peats,. i portance still- reniaining is Bowes', 'mistreatment of telent,/and the u- Fred Allen has dropped the amateur hierpUs gyps: and rackets have all;- angle for professionals, as has Benny had a hand in .Writihg .the deatlv " [Rubin oh WOR!, Three lesser stations tence; Rush on New Yprk, the' I --WNiBW, WINS and WBNX-^are all Mecca, fell pff so that the majority without such' programs.! Locals still of radi shows! were ! of late c;on> i hanging on are Don Kerr's stipt for SciPUsly using prof essibrial! .talent tb; WMC A at - the Fox theatre, Bropk- hpld things up; ■ Negligible result as : 1^^^ Flippep'is cpmnTercijil regards .a later prpfessionaL career.; on!'WHN-. 'WMCA also has a •Weekly for the. as irants hag disproven the i colored am sho.w froin the Harlern bftHyhbb;! j Opera rtpUse. But these are. .siri.ct^^ That it is ail pn the way out is g lobal. ^ ppinibn of. its.oirigihators, small time .(Sbnsen.sus pf opinion, is that the agents !arbund the Strand Iheatrel i^- has fallen Off duri the pa.st buildi Nevf .York, 'Will Grecn,.! year to le.ss than 50.% bf what it wais, bne amateur .shpw pioneers, l and that the end is now hear; .It is has been with it almost since its bird 'and now. seeS: the haridwriting! oh- the wall: . Gnce exclu.siye | bbtker of amateur show.s,. since, he : has given up the business. Others a!i« dbihg-likewise. I beginnihg to !lobk like the business ;'will ibe dUhnpe.d .!backAintp tire, laps of the .unglprifi inator-.s frpni the hands of self-apppiiited champions, ahd .discoverers ,of ahia- teura. Ann Cbrio. Evelyn Myers, Mar ie Hiart., Carrie Finheil. Countess Nadja-, Hinda W^ssaii. ' Geprgi Southern. JaAhhe .Ciarroll.' Betty .Rowland, Toots Brawler. Maxirie De Shon, Gladys Cl^r .the preserii 'dd'y .!6ur-. lesque strippers rate, ih the opinion of the managers, 'as to • nierit and; .their value to the! isho\ys. Theise' 12 d.b. gals are regarded as the stand- outs, among ihe 200 odd prii?|p|>;el worrtbn . the ; nibdern burlesqu business, and; for! the,-follbwin^^ rea- ;sqhs:': Corio.-^Buriesque's !Np. 1 box piftice!namie and draw. Established by seybral yfears Vpf ■ ihtenisiye bUliog, buiid-up: arid smart 'nianagemeht. Most puhlicized burlesque name aiiid highest! salaried player in. the busi- iiess?;, One pf' the first Pf . the. present strippi'' . schpol.: Anibng the; tops in looks and ability. BrUnet^ Evelyn .Myers.-^IUhique. in -style and .i^ltrarsexy. Best bumper ih-bi Mbst!imitated.. latinum blpnde, Marjgi * Hariw^!Mbst ^ 'daring.' When cbriditibns !permit sprnething else bpini taken pfl, Margie will .take - it offi. -Tall and igraceful. Gets more tegitimate than pther stripper, ■Garri Fihneill.-r^pniy ^coiinedy- npyelty^^tripiper ip.burlesique. .Gees back tp the old Gplumbia wheel days; retired: fer several years, ahii returned tecently;; FprmeHy did-.ti mixed piano and si ing a.et. ;Nbw quite plump, p^esh-t stlcip.al!t-the .way,- but ; :- specializes.' V *bust jj.burtcer.- Ibnde,','! Countess Nadja.'^More ; ■ verjsatile than a'verage, and gopd dancer; Ex« cellent seiise -pf ^liowmahship. Box p^^ice'!=ln s^ibts; ''tx6\ic:iyp^^iiii^ '■' Hindi Wassau.—Rates iiext^.vto Corio as ,a draw. ,-Most crbatj^lJ'e. Plenty of shownftahship; !B!Ionde^*; . CJeor^ia Southern..^Speediest stop- per. .'Crazy- style.' Oh and!.'bfl 'fju§tfsirt. than anybody. Strips .co|behes ^i.multanebusly, Redhee>'d, Anne Carrpll,.r-Features stagey" 1j4it. lavish costumes. Knows more vifi^it ojt getting out of a dress than. i^niy- body eise. Best gamis in bur!lei^^e. PlatinUm-blonde. .'s;; ..Betty Rp.wl8»i\d.--rTlniest strii^ici^en MpstV veir^tile dancer; ballet,! i^ttck and buhips. Just a cbuple of Jea«. sons but: of the chorus ranks. Red-- head.." Tpots rawnei-.-r-Midwest's .lead- ing entry; Not!E>articularly talerfb^d, biit aces in general stri jng ability. Saiiby. Rrunet, !Maxine. .De Shpn.—Classiest. Orie of the ;fe-w bapable :singers. • Alv^i^ys lands. Brbwn'et. '•!■; Gladys Clark.-r-Best all, arotii^>-i wonian. Sings, hopfs .and pJaiys eral instruments. Also dpes coniledy and first , rate as bit player. Wheel show vet. One of the few who might have, m'ade the grade' outside bur- lesque, but preferred to sticki -Has ., slipped .lately as a stripper iri ittiw^ agers' estimati couple of years ago would have rated among the first three. Blphdei Gypsy Rose: Lee and Ada Lepnard wpuld be included in this listing, but recently left burlesque. Miss.: Lebn-^ .. ard is jprlayirig vaudeville and night clubs, and Miss Lee is in the •feot- -lies;'' ' ■ CphcentratiPn of . the leading buir- lesqUe strippers on the unpeellng;, phase of their: work is! accentuated by the fact that few of the toppeirs rate highly in pther! branches - of. buirlesque perfbrinance. With !iexf ;ception bf Gladys Clark, none b!f the 12 leadihig ..strippers is much 'of a. •help to : 'the cornics , in Scenes; aiid bi There'is also Very little slirig- ing .taicrtt amorig^ therii,. with Miss De Shoh the best ih that respect, but stilt nb Galli-Curci. Burlesque's' best ,sihgihg .. woman ,' probabiy!.. Spnya DuVal, but the managers don't' rate her ampng" the-fi!rst dq*^ bn stripping. Among strippers singled out foi mention, just in back Jpf the ^^st 12, virere Peaches Strange, t'eg^y Reyn- ,blds, Lillian Murray, Ahn. Nbt-tiji; Dorothy Maye,. Bubbles Yvbnrie,; Sunya Slane, Austin, ;Rpse LaRpse, Mari , Pat .Parce,: Mae Brown. . In offering their ihi consensus, all the burlesque jTian«t iagers pi'efaced their remarks wi0j; • request that hppe 1 won't Tb« qubted/ ■ be blamed :fi»r that .i