Variety (Apr 1937)

^ednesaiiy, April 28> 193T FORUM VARIETY 71 MADRID MADNESS (Continued from page 66) and appears ia Madrid representing « Vienna paper. The head of Madrid's Red execu- «hn sauad is Juan Uardo, who Slinks only in terms ol the reyolu- ♦ioiT^He spares no enemy and, after having killed, his own brother, is looking for his father, upon whose head a reward of $50,000 has been "laced. There are indications that ^formation is leaking tp the Franco Rebels through Eddmgton's house, and everyone is under suspicion, but ♦he protection of the British flag keeps^ the Loyalist soldiers from be- cbmihg too impudent. In desperation to learn where the ieak is coming froni, the. soldiers olant the information of an impend-? ine surprise attack. News gets ,to the rebels, and it is revealed to the audience that the executioner^s la- ther is hiding in the house with his daufihtei' and her aged mother. The Gennan betrays the hiding place, and is murdered as his reward. Every- one in the house is up for the Jfiinng sauad, but the Communist, his ideals shattered, helps the foreigners to es^ cape after the father has been shot by his own son's squad. The Russian then strums on a guitar as he awiaits his inevitable fate and while 'Two- Bits' D'Hara takes, the beautiful Spanish girl along with him. In its present shape 'Madrid Madr ness' indicates a need for a general tightehihg up, but this would be an easy yhatter. Because" of its Madrid setting the play, obviously goes jpretty hard =• With the Reds. With the diefir nite aversion to hit on anything showing political favoritisni, it is .not likely that the piece would' pfbVe attractive to kny film pi-oducer. ■ .. ■■ '. , Murf, GOP SAVE THE QUEEN ■■; Pasadena,; April 20. Farce comedy iin Ave scenes, presented, at The Pasadena Community Playhouse, April a), .'37. GUmore-Brown, sutServlsing di- rector; adapted Jjy Frederick Jackson Xrom a play by ^actlslaua Fodor, directed by Lenore .Shaiiewlse. Jean Villardi,. Gaston ValcoUrt Porter fit Hotel....Ferrla Taylor Jeanette Jamea Weaterfleld The Stranger George Phelps Prlhcess Pinatotski.; norence Bates Footman .Barton Booth Lieutenant Slednltskl.;...^..AVllfrld Henry Bi^Toness Dorkinska..;...;; ;.Jahet Scott Countess Ansberg... . .-Mary McNamee Queen's Chamberlain. .Frederick' Blahchard The Queeni......................Ann Peek ,' Grunstatt. ;CharIes Sassoon Olga.'. i.Mildred Young Guards.....;. .Jack Nelson, ^William FuUen THEY THINK Ghost ypcaliiilers Hollywood, teditor, Variety: Your story' last. wieiBk * on Buddy .Ciairk's vocal alter ego ior Jack Haley in: 'Wake Up and Live' re- minds me of the Metro studio which had put Marjorie Lane, singing with iPhii Ohman's band, under con- tract to . protect Eleanor. Powell, it wasn't until a studio attache, pointed but the hazard ,;6f what would hap- pen if Miss PbSyeil were to- 'sing' with another type of voice that ,the Metro execiitives realized the wis- dorn of thus protecting themselves. . And, of course', the vocal. doUbiinig for ichard Barthelmess, Myrna Loy, ,et al. in the 'pionieer soundfilm days is now ite Weil .known. Please use niy initials only. J. J. ^ A variant of the bedroom. farce, decked in regal trappings, is 'God Save the Queen.'. It play's with double entendre and a rather com- plicated doiible masquerade around a situation created iby the court chancellor of a mytiiical kingdom when., for . {>olitical reasons, he un- dertakes to palm off iai ringeir as the young queen's negligent and aloof husband, with ^ suggestive and at times hilarious results. Piece is gay and frothy' and de- velops considerable satiric wit in Frederick Jackson's translation from Ladislaus Fodor's Hungarian play. Play,- well: presented, nicely mounted and capably performed, sets up some uniiecessary false leads of promised intrigue to back up sus- pense of the double masquerade in the familiar mythical .-kindom pat- tern. • But- the swift' and ardent progress of the love affair toward its objective brightly fosses over many of the structural defects. Jean Villard gives an- able and animated perforiAance as the 'king* pro tern. Ann Peek is attractive as the presumable queen, shading her role intelligently, playing with gay vivacity^ Janet Scott is effect- ive as one of the royal entourage. Florence Bates scores, taking many of the play's richest laughs, as the wife of the chancellor. George Phelps handles the chancellor's maneuvering, role with distinction. Charles SaSsoon' farces effectively as the. opera house manager. Wilfrid Henry burlesques the captain of the guards capitally.. Play, with some tightening and polish, would seem to. have definite commercial possibilities, but for pic- tures may have'too much censorable material, to keep it in the essential pattern on which the comedy de pends. Jjino;. Vppthg.: Admissions New York, April -20. Editor, Varuet*: . Am not i the habit of , writing 'letters to the-editor,' but it seems to me about ■ tiine that a voic^ was, raised at the artificial bralce imposed by the goyernitiient upon the recov- ery of the theatre industry. With taxes admissions starting at 40ci a large' number of theatres canhot profitably raise their present evening ;prices. which are at that figr Ure, today. I. IciioW of any nujrnber that coul^ get 45c without the least difficulty,'as. do ypu. But the assinine provision, of the the tax law which provides, .'one Cent for each IQc or fraction thereof . . . where the amount piaid for admis- sion is in excess of 40c . . .' auto- matically prevents any exhibitor from raising his pricies ~ where his top is, , tbdiay, .40c.. If iiis admission were 45c, his tax, would be 5c—cer- tainly out of the question. The only way an exhibitor can reap his share of the present business improvement is to raise his. pirice to 50c, thereby netting a . nickel by - raisirig; 10c. No theatre, to ! , my knowledge, charges an admission price between 40 and 50c today. The government is not in receipt of Ic of taxes from admission prices in this range. Were thie split figure raised to 45c, no one would lose except the customer, and he is ready to pay the raise. Let's have,it! A. T. Kaplan. .(Gontinuied from page I) ight men. .and women dperaitprs were arrested. . Bfi'ns BtniE'6 Cleveland, April 27, ; ingo IS deflniteiy out of habe niteries through a new order by city's safety director Eliot Ness, •de- fining it .as a gambling game with only one exception in its favor. Ghurches and lodges can continue to run bingo for strictly charity purr Poses, otherwise it's taboo. Stop-order, was inspired by a num of complaints claimiiig gamie caused fights in. cafes/ as well as liquor violations, keeping kids up too late in neighborhood spots and breaking curfew.laws. Other squawks were that proprietors were framing the games. He yives U. S. Commercials N^ew Orleans,, April 21. Editor, Variety: I have read interest the ar- ticle publishied April 14, entitled, 'Radio Needs Smart Answers.' Particularly .with rejgard to. the paragraph starting, 'Schools, col- lieges, and club wonien constantly talk about the alleged supierionty of the British system Of broadcasting.' In this regard, I would like to state that my wife, who is English- born and bred, spent several months in London during the summer of last year. During this time, she had ample opportunity (which she used) to listen to British programs. On her return to America, she made the following emphatic statement, Give me the • American system of broadcasting. Put all the advertis- ing on it you want, and I will gladly listen to every word rather than see British system adopted in America.' I would add, that I spent this last Christmas, and part of January, in London myself, and heartily endorse that opinion. I might mention also that a few nights before my return to America; 1 listened to a program on BBC, picked up from a London vaudeville house, Avhich, had it: been broadcast over an American station, would Have cost any pirpgram di- rector his job, and in all probability would: have caused -the station broadcasting it to have, its license revoked, or at leasit suspended.; C. Priichafd, -^ Gen. Mgr. Station WWL. of a comfortable iand pi.rofitable live- lihood. As one who has been guaranteeing and paying .actors iand actresses for 52 and more consecutive weeks of stage work on Broadway, at the Billy Minsky Republic burlesque theatre, I beliie.ye i can say thit the medium with Which I: am identified is tiie only idne ottering an oppor- tunity tq those Who feel that the stage is their destiny. Here we have comedians arid performers who were outstanding plaj^ers .with, the Shii-- bierts, . 2^iegfeld.. and . other leading. Broadway impresarios.. In addition, we aire presenting headlinbrs of the days when vaudeville was a pros- perous and flourishing entierprise. Still in their prime, these entertain- ers, found themselves deserted, high and dry, with no place to earn a. dollar in an industry which had taken all their time and effort and had left them without ability, and training to successfully compete in Other, fields. Moi'e, we audition young talent each week because,' despite all this talk of strip-t€;ase and raw humor, there are entertaihing, amusing and ciean-cut iacts appearing at each and every one .of ' thei shoWs . at the Rie- public. Singer's..iaind dancers, dance teams and novelty comedy acts are auditioned daily'and . many of these secure long term contracts on the Billy Minsky circuit, Whidh iiicludes theatres in, Brooklyn, Boston, Miami and HollyAvdOd. in addition to our N. Y; spot. The recent attention centeted upon strip-teasing has iovershadowed the fact that the lively stages of thie Re public and other burl<Bsque theatres represent about the; only wide-open opportunity for stage tyros to' gain experience, and actual theatrical training. I will concede that here at the Republic We are not equipped to>de velop Barrymores, Helen Hayses, Katharine- Cornells and Judith An- dersons.- Frankly, I don't know where that typ(6 of stage, star will come from in the future. But I can point out that burlesque has de veloped performers like Bert Lahr, Fanni Brice, James Barton, Jack Pearl, Willie Howard, Joe Penner and. many other musical comedy stars.- Gypsy Rose Lee, , who started with Billy Minsky, has a 20th Cen tury-Fox contraict. In this connection, I believe. 1 cian safely predict, now that the stage is so anaemic in the development 6f talent, that it will have to be bur- lesque with its guarantees of perma nent, steady Syork,. before theatrical crowds, from which the stage stars of the futuire will be trained and developed. Edward WtsinatocJc, Managing Director, illy Minsky Enterprises. Phil Ohman.Explainlg Los Angeles, April 25. Editor, Variety: Item in current Vabiety in the Upbeat column reads, 'Art Crippins orchestra currently at Trbcadero Club, Hollywood, now being man aged by 6. R. A.' Please make corriections as my or- chestra is not under C, R. A. man agement and this is embarrassing to me as its leader for almost three years. ii Ohrnan. and backgrounds. Elaborateness may go. over occasionally, but simply C6n- structed pictures and quality stories and dialog and acting should, and Would, we believe, draw just as well. Musicals... should have their place, but picture dramatizations should be kept off radio. If there were better pictures, there would be^ no neisd for double .billingi A good : picture, a good hewsreel (some, are pretty awful .and .many weeks behind time), and pine or two good shorts (such as Silly Symphony and a- good educational picture) pro- vide a good show. Grade 0 pictures should be boycptted, and even' stopped completely. If better pic- tures wPre made, grade B pictures, together with giveaways, double fea- tures: and poor attendance would be- come pbsolete. Radio isn't the only enemy—it's the industry itselt. One thing more. Sound:,reproduc- tion in many theatres is pretty bad.' 'Nuff Sed; CrcLvipton^ Plur for Majoir "Chicago, Editor, "Variety: ,. : I have been reading from time to time about how tough a time mem- bers of some of Major ' units hayei T anri. 'an amateur and have be^h ing. for Major Bowes, for nearly a yeiar^ off and on.. Once, ihy engagement with, a Bowes show was ended by niy illness, and not only did the Major pay my ex- penses home foi: treatment, but paid for my dpctor bills and other charges until I was able to go home. 'AVhen I was able, to, worlc I got my job back'again. My salary with the: units has al- ways been fair one and has abled me. to assist .my parents and to live well on the road. The treatment I have received from the managers of the units I have beien with has dlways been very kind; considerate iand helpful, and the managers saw that all of us lived in respectable hPtels at a rea- sonable price. I .have .been associated with vairi- ous amateurs , for nearly a yiear and I dp ndi know where you will find a -happier or hiore . contented group of peojple anywhere. I hope this will straighten out a lot of people ^yho have forrned thie wrong ideas abpvit how we amateurs are treated. Burly As A i'ralhinff Schbpl New York, April 21. Editor, Variety: What has the drama to offer a youngster seeking, stage success? Where can the theatrically ambitious find a foothold to gain a start lo- wprd 'deveiopihg stage acting talentV: Times Square is the only .logical io- cale for the legitimate stage centec of the U.. . A., but what is hap- pening?- Many of today's legitimate plays are top-heavy, with Him names whp .j use the stage as, a fill-in. part-time assignment. For the actor or actress depending solely on the legitimate stage for a living, all but few plays survive Ipng enough to establish the A Fan on UUiil8> Etc. Saranac Lake; Y;, Editor, Variety; Your editorial ( ilms ys; Radio) is very interesting, I aij^ee to. your point on radio spoiling' picture at^ tendance. But another very im- portant ppiht Which would, ass'iire larger audiences, and do away with all ' iveaways," WPiild be imprpying pictures themselves^ . - Saranac Lake has one theatre. Three days a week are devoted to bank night, etc. The pbpular expression around., here, when going, to a shoNV is, brought up, is: 'Well, the show is Ipusy, but it's bank night and $160,' oir something tp that effect. We'v^ discUs.«!ed-it here and we all feel that we'd go inore often if there were better shows, In fact, With ,a good shovv'; we Would piay mPre. We are not enough interested to bother with two pppr pictures, even with a cheaper admission and a chance'at winning prizes,. , My point is this: The theatre own- ers aire in a position to demand betr ter pictures, not necessarily ,ex- pcn.siye spectacles or musicals, but well acted, 'v/tW directed and well photographed pictures of about any One for the Bard New "Yprk, April 21; Editor; Variety: Isn't it a prfetty sad commPntary on: current dramaturgy that one of the leading organizations of the; the-, atre is unable to fulfill-its commit- ment to its subscribers because it is uiiabie to cast, properly dny of the plays in its library.. 1 ani well aware that most of the good actors are now in Hollywood and difficult to lure back to Broadway, but why should, plays, be written which necessitate particular players or types? In the palmiest day.s of the dramid the play was the thing. If it was a good play, even though indifferently acted, it pleasied. Today the trend seems to be toward specialization. If. ah actor canhot be found who will make an .acceplablie Napoleon or Charlotte Bronte, that play cannot be jroduc^d. Writing good plays 'without partit^ular reference , to his- torical character's types might do muiich toward bringiiig; the theatre, and p^articularly the-road, back to its own. It cannot be done With the draiha aping the iscreen's star ahd type .sys- tem but unable tp. cpmpete with Hol- lywood on a financial parity. We must agai hark back tp Shake- speare's tjmes and make the play the thing. It hasn't been done: lately. James R. Catstaira. legitimate field as one assuring them type which have plausible, stories Summer Shows (CoriLlnuf*<I from group; last year,, but matter will be taken up niore strongly this season. lATSE is anxiou.s to get in but has taken cpgnizahce of the financial difference, aiid has ■ annpunced: -* - tention of making fdcals' wherever possible^ and. ill not abide strictly by the union .rules,, Quet-ies at Vahiety by phone, per- son, and mail,;.so early in season, in- dicate that the interest i.s still grow- ing., and that again a record-buster augurs, Interest, past and present, is not confined to prodiicers or ac- tor,s, but includes newspapers and critics' general Coverage ahd other show big branches. Field grew' so that critics of dailies went out to re« view and look oyer various IpcatiPns. Variety cPvers the tryout barn.s regularly, as do isfcouts for films and radio. Newspapers devoted whole two-page /spreads to country maps, dotted . With theatres and personnel last year, miniis any iinmediate .rer turn. Use of stars in trybuts and re- vivals with many screen, radio and legit, namps attending and perforrn- ing With barn troujpes, is still ah-, Other indication of the'kudos the biz has acquired. V Ten-Week Season starts around last week of June; and winds up after Labor Day.' Some start earliier and, runi later, but average is about 10 weeks, presenting ah average , of .about 100 tryoiits. Rest are: revival pilays and , past season hits. Which ■ whore the rpyalties come in heavily.' As usUdl the greatest number will be. around N.' Y.; New Eriglahd disttict running second. ' Remainder are sjpotted along the. eastern seaboard frpm Maine to, Nprth. CarPlina. There are more scattered around the country. West Cpast and south see a couple, but the midwest is. almo.*it totally devoid of the species, with exception of. little theatre activity, and even that is limited. A couple in east are advanced to the point where they hfive :already selected their companies and liest stars al- ready. Many. Are Set Those already annibunced for tiie new season ,are MaX^ Liebmcan's Tarn-? iment theatrer; Tamiment, Pa.;, (jeri- tral City Opera Hpuse, Central (iity, Colo., Richard Aldrich: in charge; Charles 0. Carey nas. Harbor theatre^ Governor's Island, N., Y., and plans others 'at Washington,} New Mil^brd and Danbury, Conn., and Litchfield, Mass.; 'Warreri Players, Spring Lake,. N. J,; Mary'Young's Players, Ceriterr ville, Mass.; Robt. Hendersbn's Ann Arboir, Mich., Festival; Cliff Self's. Auditorium; theatre, Peapack. N. J. (new); Jack Stem's. American Giroup. Players, Elmhurst, L. I., N. Y.; Day Tuttle's.and Richard Skinner's West- chester Playhouse, Mt. Kisco, Y., and Country Playhouse,. Westport, Conn.; Robert Elwyn's. Maverick the- atre, Woodstock, N, Y.; Lodewick Vroom's Drone theatre, lalnfleld, N. J., (new); idney Harmon's Thea- tre-by-the-Spa, Matanuck, R. I.; Bon- flls' and Somnes' Red Batn, Locust Valley, L.I., N.Y.; Frank Carrington's Paper Mill theatre,. Short Hills, N.J; (new), iand the Manhattan Players, Mt..Verhon» N. Y..Latter was first tP open and is already in swing, having bowed April 10. Others sure to be in aPtion are, Elitch's Gardens, Den- ver, Colo.; Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Mass.; Vincent Travers Country the- tre, Skobarghe, Me. (new); and, Wal- ter Hartwig at Ogunqult, Me.; Madi- son and Stony Beach, Conn., are two other . possibles. Equity adniits that it still hasn't any kind of list of the set-up, and picture companies are frantically strugglinjg to. get up maps and lists. NPthing complete is yet definite. Added to the projects listed above, are: Roadside theatre, Washington, opening in mid-Jiine, "ith Anton Hardt as director. County theatre, Suffern, N. Y., ill open its fifth season on Jime 28; Nprrls Houghton directing; Joe Hcidt on publicity. Lakewbod theatre, SkoWhegan, Me., will bow in with American premiere of 'The. Lady of La Paz,* which Edith Ellis adapted frpm novel by Elinor Mordaunt; dated July 5; Nance O'Neill starring; Mel- ville Burke directing. Actor-Managers ~ vflil be nt New- port CasinP, starting July 13; third season; opening in late May'; fPr eight-week season. Robert Porterfleld^s Bairtcr theatre starts its fifth season' at Abingdon, Va;,. on .June 10. Mairtin Buirton plans a blocker at Grand Rapids, Mich., opening May 10. Keehe, N. H., Summer theatre starts ia seyen-week', season July 5; Freeman Hammond: in charge. Starlight theatre, operated by Maryverne. Jpnes, Pawling, N.. Y., starts May 3.1 with 'Across the .Blue'; Pauline Frederick starring^ ■ Chapel Playhpuse, GullfoV , ppenis- late in jun« ith Carl ihanCin charge. • Cphnccticut ..Player.s. lymouth Playhouse, .Milford, Conn., sliwts June 28; AVill dp eight reviv.nls and twp trypuits in 10^ weeks. Miircu Merwin directs. Ask George Ford, City Club, N. Y,, Vanderbilt 3-1816, about plans for Berkshire Playhoii.se, Slot:kbric|«e, Mass,;/expects to. start in .Juii William Miles: i rgc. •ith, Hod Williams' band intfi. Westchester, With WCill wir