Variety (May 1937)

62 VARIETY Wednesday, May 5, 1937 OBITUARIES DANIEL L. WEAVER Daniel L, Weaver, 66, who as reip- resentatlve o£ Klaw, & Erlanger brought grieat actors, and artists to lie, died April 25 at Spokane from septic poisoning.. He was so adept at handling temperamental stars that he was sent to. Paris by Erlanger to bring Galve, the great French opera star, io this country and. cpnd.uct her tour. Weaver, in cbninection with John ConsLdine, obtained the first rights on the basic patents of the original talking pictures from Dr. Kitsie, the inventor, and spent several years in Kcw York ipromotirig them, but had ho success. SNitZ EDWARDS Edwarc^s, for more than half century oh . stagje ; and in. ic- tures, died May 1 ih Los Angeles, of; arthritis after long illness. Crema- tion followed service Monday (3). Deceased. I came to this country after years of stage work abroad 7 landed in Frofman productions, gen- erally playing .German dialect. He went to: Holly wood in 191S arid did character and. co me<^ parts in: films until forced out by illness. Survived by his widow, Eleanor Edwards, who appeared with him ih many Coast plays, and three daughters, for operatic career, but retired from this stage on her marri J. WALTER GUETTER Walter Guetter, 42, first bassoon-' ist Tiyith, Philly 6rch for past 1,2 yeiars, died at his home ih Phiily Saturday He suryiyed by his wid6^y, former Isie VV. Goepel; daughter, Marie, and his parents. His father^ Juli is a well-knoiwn Philiy violin-maker. gustaV schuetzendorf Gustav Schuetzendorf, 53, foirmer baritone of the Metropolitan Opera and husband of Grete Stueckgold, died in Berli .April 27 of a heart attack. He \yas best known for is. per- formances in the; Wagnerian operas. GEORGE FREDERICK llEtiJESDELL George' redericfc Truesdell, 64, legit actor, iied. Monday (3) at' his home i New York. Under .the name of ' Frederick Truesdell he. piayed leading roles in many Broadway productions, including 'Tlie College Wido^w,' 'Our Betters' and 'East Is W^st.' Lasif rofe ih N. 'Y. was in. Shaw's The Apple Cart,* produced by the Theatre Guild in 1930,^ just before his retirement. His wife, Helerie Michellier Trues- dell, arid his mother, . Mrs., ranees P. Truesdell of Washington, PERCY HUNTING Hunting, (80) old-time actor, who went west many years aigo with John Drew, died last April 29,- in Seattle, following, an aUto ac- cident. In recent years he; had beeh' emV ployed in county clerk's . off ice, but was retired with the Democratic landslide. For years he Vas. active ih Seattle helping put oh home.talent shows. FRED KETTLER red Kettler,.*78, lor many years an advance agent for circuses be- fore, the turn. of the cehtury, died April 22 at his home, Wooster, O. He . had been identified with many of the pioneer wagon shows and later with major rail circuses. JEAN THOMAS jean- Welsh,, known: in theatrical circles as Jean ThOmas, 'died April 20 ait Easton, Pa.; after an illness of about two months. She was a na- tive of Philadelphia and made her home in Atlantic City. For a haimber of years she worked as vaude artist on different circuits and aiso as a night club entertainer. She went to Allentowh sik months iago io visit friehds and contracted a cold which developed, into :pneu- mOhi GEORGIE; WRIGHT Georgie Wright, 79; premiere dan- seuae in 1900, idow of George le Clerq, 'co'medi died April 20--in Mitcham, Eng.> She appeared at "Toole's theatre, London, in 1894, in 'A Trip to China- town.' MARY BARTON HENDERSON Mrs. Mary Bartoh . Henderson, .6.5, mother of Robert Hendersoh and business manager of his theatrical activities in New York, Detroit and Ann Arbor, died April 26 in Ann Arbor. Until her death she Was business manager of the forthcom- ing eighth annual Ann Arbor dra- matic festival, which she .started eight years ago with her son. . Surviving are the ..husband, rof, William D. Henderson of. the U. of Michigan, and the son, Robert. WALTER M. SMITH Walter M. Smith, 46, trumpeter and bandmaster,' died ' in Quincy, Mass., May 1, follp^ying a long ill- T^as vice-piresident of the American- Bandnnasters' Assn. and had conducted three Bbston bands, including that, of Aleppo Temple, the largest Shrine band in the order. .He is survived by Hi idow, two ^ons and a brother. Pasqual Fabris, , Viblihist with Raymond Paige's orchestra and a former niehiber .of the Detroit, .Philsldelphia and Los Angeles Phil- harmonic symphony orchestras, ended his life in Hollywood April •27 by inhaling monoxide gas. He left several fantastic notes indicating unbalanced mi CHARLES EDWIN FOX Charles EdWih Fox, 54, general counsel and member of board of ' directors of Pennsylvania Bfoadcast- ing Company;'operators of WIP, died at his h.om6 early yesterday (Mon- day) morning. He was former district attorney.; MAIDIE HOPE Maidie Hope, 58, former Gaiety girl, died ih London, April 20, fol- lowing a fall. She appeared in many George £d- Warde^ musical comedies and trained WAYMAN BOYLES Wayman Boyles, sports promoter and director of promotion and pub licity for Luck Teter's Hell rivers, died in Atlanta last week. Burial was in West View Cemetery here. His wife, two children, father and a brother survive. WILLIAM GILLETTE William Gillette, 81, died in Hart- ford, April 29, of a pulmoniary hem- orrhage. Details in the Legitimate merit. E. M. DOERNBECHER Er. M. Doernhecher, 54, president of Station KVI, Tacoma, died April 27. He was ^ broadcast pioneer. Mother, , of S. F. Lindstrom, former Far Eastern mgr. of RKO^ died March 27 at St. Luke's Inter hat: Med. Center, Tokyo. Interment ih Foreign Cemetery at Aoyama. Father, 63, of Clyde Kittell, free lance announcer, formerly of NBC New. York, died recently ,on Lohg Island. Wife of Solomon Kprsak, theatre operating firm parther, died in Chi- cago, April 30. Wife of Frank Giece, operator of : Popeye, show with Ward Carnival;, died of heart diseaise at Pine Bluff, Ark., April 29. Ernest Jafssle^ ,^2bth^Fox studio policeman, ' ril 27 . in Los Angeles. Coronation (Continued from page 1) ago. Both occasions brought in tre- mendous crowds, but the theatres didn't get the breaks/ the peepers wantihg to go around and ogle things, rather than s|t aroiihd and watch shows. Bijt after that fir.<it week, or tWp weeks, there should be, plenty of spending, around. Americans and continentals are expected to, stick around only 10 days or two weeks. Most spots were figuring^ oh • couple or three months pt visiting. Cabarets figure, on boom from the .first minute. Rates herev,have been increased, too, in some, cases as much as 200%. but the claims on all sides^are for reservations to capacity. NcTnew productions are scheduled for the Coronation, although three are quite, a few on the tapis soon after. Those managements who have been lingering along, waiting for the El Dorado, are hdw full of anticipa- tion and there are aroynd 30 shows ready to cash in. Thpse thaf really matter are in, five categories, as follows:; picture Houses , Picture theatres in the West-End have a good fill of supers, which, can only be attributed to the Cor- onation, as generally during the summer the piroduct is very medi- ocre; To, cope with the occasion; four houses are showing English- mades, two of which are released by United Artists. - Of . the Americans, Metro heads the list jth three; Warners secOhd with two, with RKO and Columbia contributihg one each.. Nothing from the 20th Century-Fox company, which is a surprise. Here is the lineujp; Carlton, .'Mikytime' (M-G). Gaumoht, 'Prince and the Pauper' (WB). iEmpire, ' (M-G). London PaViliph, 'Mponli nata, (Lothar Mendes-UA). Leicester Square, 'History Is Miade at Night' (Wanger-UA). Marble Arch, 'Charge of the Light Brigade* (WB). . New Gallery, -Take My Tip'* (GB). Palace, 'GOod Earth' (M-G). plaza, 'Troop Shi ' (Korda-Pom- mer-UA). Regal, 'Shall We Dance' (RKO). Rialto, 'Street Si ' rit. Nat.- Asso. rit.). Tivoli, 'Lost Horizon' (Col). Revues: . 'Home arid Beauty,' (Charles Coch- ran's), Adelphi, (15th week). 'And Oh We .Go,' (Paul Murray's), Savoy, (4th week). .^Swing Is ih the Air,' (Jack Hyl- tbh), Palladium, (7th week). 'Coronation Revue,' (Robitschek), Victoria. Palace, (2d week). Musicals 'Balalaika,' His Majesty's theatre, .(18th week). 'Big Business,' Hippodi-ome, (13th week). , 'Careless Rapture/ rury Lane, (33rd week). 'On Your Toes,' (revival). Coli- seum, (9th week). 'Swing Along,' Gaiety, (35th week). 'Over She Goes,' Saville, (32rid week). Comed.ies 'Anthony and Anna,' Whitehall, (2hd year). 'Bats in the Belfry,' Ambassadorsi (10th week). . . 'French Without Tears,' riterion, (25th week). 'Geox'ge and Margaret,' Wyridham's, (IQth week). 'Housemaster,' (25 th week). 'London After Apollo, (6th week)., 'Wise Tomorrow,' (iQth week).- Mysteries 'Amazing Clitterhouse,' Hay- market, (39th week). 'Black Limelight,' (4th week). 'Mile Away Murder,'Duchess, (5th week). The Frog,' Princes, (2d year). Strip Shews Ahcrre Chariot's, Vaudeville the- atre. / Vivien Van Damm's, Wi atre. Niieries Cabarets,, yvhieh, like vaudeville houses here, could hot keep open yyithoiit fpreigh: talent, have given themselves a bigger spread than ever, figuring that an occasion like thjs, when Lphdori will ,l}e Jihe .most Cosmbpolitan city jri the World, the programs .should be more interna- tional than ever. Which is just the opposite view taken by. the. Variety Artistes' ' Federation, Who began a .flag-waying canmpaign, lasting for months, which when they came to grips with the so-called oppositions made them look even more foolish than ever, if that's possible. Here's the lineup; Berkeley Hotel: Walsh and Barker (American-Australi Rudi Grasl (Gei:nniari). Cafe de Paris (American). Carieon (English); (American)i Zealander). . Dorchester Hotel:. Revised Editibn of Henry Sherek's flpor show, with several American aCts. including Maurice 8c Cprdpba, and Moore & Revel. Gfpsveripr House: De Marcos (Americans), Paul Gerrits (Amer- icah). Gain Galli (Egyptian)- London Several Continen- tal acts, ree Americans get- News From the Dailies This deportmeht contains rewritten theatrical news items as pub- lished during ihie week in the daily papers of New York, Chicago^ San Francisco, Hollywood arid London. .Variety, tafc^s no credit for these neubs items; each, has been rewritten irom a daily paper. East ichitian Ronald Frankau and Clarkson Wakefield (New Philco Philadelphia plant scene of another strikp, with 8,500 men out. Not a sit-dowh. Work of razing the old Churchill reistauirant, B'way and 49th, begun Saturday. To be replaced by a film house. J. Byron Creamer; whose auto license described him as an actor^ leaped, from the George Washing-" ton bridge last Wednesday (28), breaking his back in the 200-foot drop; Believed the indirect result Of an auto accident ih Florida re- cently in which a woman compahipn was killed and he was' badly hurt. . Musicians' Emergehcy Fund re- pbrts 128 needy - musickers regularly on relief and about 2,(^0 more given a:n . Occasional helping hand. Troupe? 3 Club- to hold its annual election May 16; ■ ■ Sir Cedric Hardwicke spoke to the West Point cadets last Sunday (2) oh his stage and . >var experiences. He. was a British cavalry officer during the, big scrap. Sani Gumpertz the 'fall guy'at last week's .hieeitng of the N., Y. tent of Circus Saints and Sihners. Urged; support for the. Sarasota home for indigent circus people. ; IthaCa (N.Y.) colliege music library. destroyed by fire last week. More than 2^000 orchestrations destroyed. . Jaihe Pickens quits. 'Ziegfeld Fol< lies' to resume radio work and study in the Juilliard school oh the side, Finals - in the Park:departmeht's opportunity contest forrnusical ama- teurs to be held in • Central Park" June 19. Second year. First wife of David Wark Grif- fith asks N.. Y.- supreme court, for permission to amend; her complaint in a suit to invalidate, his divorce from her. Now would have court declare her still to be the legal wife of the director. Decision reserved. Libby. ,Holmah tp .London for a one-hite date at Grosvenor House May 31. . Fihland the. first tP send a rep to look over the N. Y. World's Fair site.- Jaakko Kahma gave it the o.o. and. the o.k. Saturday. Times Sq. statue to Father Duffy, war: chaplain .of the old 69th un- veiled Sunday. . That project to try:out pliays on Sunday evenings put oyier until hext season by Show Shop. Can't get a director. But John Parrish an- nounces start of Author's theatre, which will try out novelties before managers, actors, backers and agent. First cycle train of the season went out last Sunday with 120 bikes. . Joe Bob, N. Y. auto racer, killed at Lahcaster, Pa., Sunday when he smashed into another car on;, the track. Memorial exhi it to the late Mrs. Charles Coburn in the N. Y. Public library through Sunday (9). Gpvernpr Lehman announced in a radio speech that the State Liquor Authority had brought in $126,094,000 since Dec. 5, '33. Syracuse University refused to permit 'Spain in Flames' to be shown m its auditorium, though a rental had been made before facts were under^ stood. N. Y. Association of Teachers of English finds radio 'one of the great- est evils we have, to face In getting children to read.' Films, on the other hand; particularly the filmed classics, regarded as an aid. Helen Wallenda, of the big show's wire troupe,, fainted, while on . the wire closing night at. the garden. Entire troupe narrowly escaped death,' Theodore reiser telis N. Y. supreme "court, in answer to a question he is riot a 'recognized author;' rTestifying in a suit brought by Liveright Pub. Cprp for advancie ting illing; Cinda (ilenn, BriahtSi and Herman Hyde: & Sally, BtirrilL Mayfair. Hotel: & Tabet (French), Grip Quartet (French), Ffakspn (Spanish). Ritz Hotel: Hildegarde (American), Music Hall. Boys (American), Iride^ fatigable Chairlie ( rench). , Sari Marco: lorcnce Desmond' (English). Savoy Hotel: stelle Leroy (American), Arnaut Bros..- (Amer- ican), Jack Powell .(American); George & Jack IDprmonde (English). .Trocadero GriU: (Tharles CoChran's Supper Show, v/jth several American and Continental novelties. Troc Cabaret: This is a sole book- ing of Charles Tucker and playk straight vaudeville acts: Max Miller (English), Hildegarde (American); Hutch (.West Indies), Harry MoPre (English). Hildegarde is the only American doubling in two Cabarets during Coronation. royalties on a book he has not yet delivered, and for copies of other books oirdered by him. N> Y. Newspaper Women's made a party at 'Miss Quis'.Mori to honor Ward Mbrehpuse. . Cornelia Otis Skihner, in Londbii, gave three broadcasts for British Broadcasting Co* fbllpwing her thea- tre dates. Will go back, next year and posisbly tackle thcconti i. Coast Dpi-othy Sebastian was acquitted of defrauding; an inh keeper at Sari Diego. Sam Hoffman, co-defendant, failed to appear and forfeited $500 bail. Superior Judge Westoyer annulled marriage of Margaret. iShelby Fill- more, sistet vf Mary Miles. Minter, to Emmett Flynn when Mrs. Nita Baker Flynn testified she is still, Flynn's wifev Mary Jacklyh Cudahy, actress and dahcer; won divorce- decree frpnt Michael J. Cudahy. ih L. A. on grpuhds of cruelty. Marie Marks; film kctress,. filed suit for. ahhulmeht' !Df her jriarriage to Cecil SiUman and $200,()0(> dam- ages charging he -wedded heir with- out divorcing, his first -wife. Mrs. Stan Laurel asked court to set aside her decree of diyPrce from comedian granted, last Dec. 24. They're reconciled. ■ Amended ^divorce complaint .filed , in L. A. by Marion Anri Vernon ('Stephanie') against Walter James 'Wally' Vernon charges cruelty. She asks alimony and-custPdy of infant twin boys. . Hugh. Dansey Butler, film writer, and Jean Rouverol, actress, filed no- tice Pf intentiPn to wed. Ceremony set for May "7 in Beverly Hills. Bess Meredyth, leaving for Mexico, indicated reconciliation with her ex-^ husband. Director Michael Cuirtiz, may be' effected. - Separatioh of Joan Bennett and. Gene Markey annouhced with actress admitting plan to suie for divorce aiid custody , of two-children. . Damage siiits totaling $12,450 were filed in Lbs Angeles by Blanche Stewart .and June Earle, actresses, against a liqUor outfit as result of , an automobile accident.' Mary Elizabeth Sterling, film player,, asked annulment in Lbs An-- geles of her miarriage in Yunia last Dec. 6 to Charles Sterlirig: Queenie Smith, actress, won Reno divbrce frbm Robert Garland, New York screen reviewer, bh cruelty grounds. They werie married in 1931. Zeppo Marx , agency filed suit in Los Angeles for agency fees cliinted Uoxn parents of Olympe Bradna, 16- yiear-bld screeri actress. Mary Pickford Won affirmation of her $25,000 verdict against real estate firm in California District Court of Appeals. Greta Garbo v^as subpoenaed to appear in Los Ahgeles Superjor Court as defendant in suit filed by David Shratter, former Berlin film prbduCer, to recover $10,500. asserts edly advanced to her in 1924. MARRIAGES Mary Lombardb to Fred Oliver, April 26, . in Cleveland. . Groom is orch leader at the Statler hotel. Bride is an artists' model. Gladys Cooper to Philip Merivale, April 30, in Chicago,. Bbth legit stars now appearing in 'Close Quar- ters' at Selwyn in Chi. Jule Wallis to Wallace Klei Im Writer, Mey 2, in Los Angeles, ride is brother of Hal Wallis,, Warners studio exec. Margaret Schlinker to Al Posner, May .1, in. Lbs Angeles. Bride iS :a stage dancer. Evi Marti Dayl Hulton; church singer, Yuma, May 1. Bride is a mtusician. rpdm; is for- mer husband of Aimee Semple Mc- pherson. Lucille Thorpe to Elmer Fryer, May 1,' in Las Vegas, N. M- room heads stiil dept. at Warners. ^BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Sherftian, iri Chicago, April 27. Father is y. and advertising manager of the'{Pt*p- sodent Co. Mr. and, Mrs. Kent Taylor, ter, April 27, in Hollywood, is.film actor. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Fawcett, soii, April 28, in Los Anfeeles. Father "' business manager of Fawcett Maga^ ziries West Coast office. Mr. and Mrs; Warren NewcbJnb, daughter, April 28, ait Santa Monfta- Father is in Metro process dept. Mr: and Mrs. Sam Ross, daughter, in Ne\y York, April 29. Father director of ilyertowa Cbi" orchestra.