Variety (May 1937)

60 VARIETY CHATTER Wednesdair* May 19, 1937 Broadway Ward Morehouse planed to Coast for short visit. , Bill Stein, brother of MCA's J. tein is in town.; Jack Blue plans new talent theatre at MacDowell Club. -Emibassy newsreel theatre got new igns on. its marquee. Mike Jacobs will install Ice rink at Hippodrome. Cost around $40,000; . Alice Faye, 20th-Fox actress, .is due in from the Coast within 10. days. Joe y?ii, World Teily sports' editor, it by auto, abed with fractured ribs, Staridish O'Neill is readying a rixusical for June called 'Cross My ttieart.' Jean Travers, singer, is rhaking a Mentone short,! opposite J. Harold Murray. Eleanor Roth, of the United Artists traffic department, is on the Coast for a couple of weeks. Equity staff gave party. Friday night (14) on the occasion of Frank Gillmbre's 70th birthday. Ham Fi$her installed 75-£pot swimming pool at Deal, N. J., place gift to his eight months' bride. Ronald King, fohnerly of King, King and King, vauders, has opened ' a dancing schobl in Montclair, N. J. .Emanuel Eisenberg and James: Proctor, ruralizing on a Bucks coun- ty (Pa.) farm while they collab oh a play. Eleahoir Hunt in. town to appear in location shots to be. taken aboatd an ocean liner. For a . Grand National picture. .Irving Jacobs of Holly Wood sailed for Scotland to sell distilleries there ScotchyWhisky which, he: has under bond therei.- Grand National home office goes on . a five-day week beginning this Saturday (22). Expect it to be car- ried over into a permanent policy. Eatdry on Broadway has. gone in for some miacabre showmanship with display of framework remnant of the ill-fated. Hindenburg in its Window .Theatrical'. Democratic League closes its offices thiis week for-the summer. Will reopen in fall and elect a heiw prexy to . replace late Gus Hill. Sheila Barrett cancelled engager m0nt: at: Earle! theatre,. Washington, last week to take a month's rest oh 'doctor's, orders. Throat troubled her after quitting, the Savoy-Plaza hotel. Those 'Wake Up and Live' safety first placards on blisses, subways and surface cars are indirect bally for pictuire of same title. Twentieth- Fox publicity lads spotted 'em. ,Fox Movietone giving a special showing of Coronation reels to Asso- ciation of Foreign Press Correspond- ents tonight (Wednesday) at home office. Sir Gerald Campbell, British consul, attending also. London a last ihinute booking as. Jackson had planned to return .to N.- Y. on Hindenbeirg, Warners has . acquired stage rights of 'Wise 'Tomorrow,' onie of current season's successesi also op- tion on world film rights. Stage show planned for. N. Y. in fall. Jack Hylton ini Bud Flanagan took Rudy Vallee to see the Football Gup Final, the biggest sporting event in London, outside of the Derby; Vallee cried 'ehoUgh' after the first half, and walked. Jack Swinburhie, stage director of Gaumont-British deluxe houses, will put on this year's' Radio Exhibition at the Olympia. Starts Aiig^ 4, and promoters, are looking aTound for a big American name baiid. George Black, Jr., now a fiUl- fledged film director. First effort is an indie production being miade at Highbury Studios starring Douglas Wiakefield, Gracie Field's brother-in- law. Title is 'Penny Pools.* Oscar Deutsch served with a writ by H. S. Swift, latter claiming com- mission on several picture theatre deals, including $110,000 oh the . Sir Oswald StoU Alhambra deal, Total amount involved is $280,000. 'Moonlight. Sonata,', Lothar Meiidess' first pic since he formed, his Own production company, Pall-Mall Pic-, tures, Ltd., is breaking records in Warsaw. Picture gets premiere at the London Pavilion, . May 19, with Mendes sailihg for America inime- diately after. 'Let's Go Gay,' Frank RubinsrCecil Landeau musical, which had a hectic career when produced at the Shaftes- bury two. years ago, is being re- written for a West-End. revival. Erte, French, desigiiier, will ".. devise new scenes and sets. ,.Will be . re- titled 'Let's Go Gay Again.' Archie Pairnell, booker of legit attractions at (irolder's Green and Streatham, has been haying diffi- culties in getting Weist-End attrac- tions, as nibst are holding on to see if they can cash in on Coronation feistivities. He thblight he might run. a vatideviUe season, and when he looked arouiicl he found he could not get .enough attractions for thC' first week's biU. Sydney By Eric Gorrlck J'ohn Mock down with flu. Composer Leo Ascher over from Vienria. T, H,. ostock has gone to Austria for a cure. Harry Ham off to Hollywood to isit his family. Herbert Farjeon's 'Honi Soit,' postponed. Guy Bolton adapting comedy 'Ger aldihe' by Hans Jaray. Owen Nares talking of doing new comedy by Gilbert Wakefield. Ritz hotel being modernized.. Even introducing a real American bar. Frank Lassiter (Lassiter BrO.) do Ing three-a-day with torn ligament. Maurice Browne has offer to write his .meinoirs—and is thinki of doing so. Margaret Kennedy adapting Bus sian cdmedyi 'Autumn Violins,', for Basil Dean. Helen Morgah series bi transcri lo Luxembourg. Harry. Richman makes his air debut for the British Broadcasting Corpbrafion last week in May. Midnight' show at the. Empire in aid. of the. Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund^ May 6, realized $55,000. Frances Day to appear in a new revue by Beverley Nichols, titled •Floodlight,' at the Saville some time in June. 'Tobacco Road' being staged pri- vately at the Gate theatre, May 19; Censor has refused license for pub.lic exhibition. Rene Blum's Monte Carlo Ballet comes to the:. Coliseum, May 31, headed: by Nana GpUner, young American daiicer. Lise Ephrairh one of three man- agers negotiating for, American aiid picture rights of 'Melbdy That Got Lost,' by Kjeld Abell. Merle Oberon to. south of France for final stages of recuperation.afte]r double shock of her auto srriaiih, f ol^ lowed by; her mother's death. Will; Mahbney retired ffom the Victoria Palace revue after one per- formance and taken to a sanitarium suffering from nervous breakdown, Margaret "Lane (daughter-in-law of Edgar Wallace) won the Femiha Vie Heuren'-a nrize for 1935-36 with hei' nov^^l■-Faith. Hooe, No Cimritv,' Joe Jackc^n added to the new edi- tion of the Dorchester hotel cabaret. Cool weather sends biis along nice pace. Frank Leighton and Mari Le Varre to London. Wirth's Circus leaves on road tour after Sydney run-: Harry Hunter, Par boss, settling down in new spot; Jack Musgrove has the danc6 mob lining up. now for the Trocaidero. Herbie Hayward, G.U.T. publicity chief, undergoies minor operation. Members of the 47 (Tlub throw a feed, to officially welcome Harry Hunter of Par. Williamson-Tait jiyill send a legit company . to New Zealand soon headed by Gladys Moncricff. Expected thai. Williamson-Tait will produce 'Swing . Time' in Melboiume next August as legit attraction. ' Graham Mitchell; Melbourne revue operator, underwent a major opera-, tion recently and is slowly improv- ing. Qrrie Perry, besides managing the State, Sydney, produces the stage shows as well for Greater Union Theatres. Ivor Novellb play, 'House Full,' clicked in Adelaide In conjunction with Brett Randall and Williamson- Tait. Show will tour Tasmania and New Zealand; State of Mass, (Continued from page 1) man, investigator of contraband publications for' the American So- ciety of Composers,. Authors and Publishers, tate legislature has al ready -adjourned, so that there isn' any chance of putting through a re peal of the measure ;until .after the summer vacation has ended. Mean- while the music industry will have to decide on one of two courses of action; the' bringing of injunction proceedings or effecting a test case by . arresting .one of the schoolboy peddlers. Act which refers specifically to songsheets; is, ah amendment to i law involving the granting of ped dler badges to boys under 16 and girls under .18, after each applica- tion has been passed upon by. the local school committee. ridgeport, Conn,, May 18. ■Charles Robbiris, who gave Phila- delphia as his home, was sentenced to 20 days in jail last week fo.llbW- Ing his arrest while ijeddling con-' Araband songsheets. Local ordinance against peddling ithput a license .was invoked in the. case when, it came up in the local police court. Arrest was made at the instiga- tion of Arthur Hojffman, an investi- gator for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Berlin Richard Fishberg tratns in. Cortet gives brilliant Chopin pro- gram. Garbo's 'Anna (MG) at the Kamera. Schheider-Edenkoben irectihg 'The. Gray Sister,' Wera Engels signed for .a lead in Rudolf Forster pic in Vienna. Fred Angermayer's 'Andreas and His Dog' premiering at Stuttgart. Paul Petras, first vaude performer to be filmed, celebrates 70th birth- day *.: Premiere of 'I Love You* at Komodie, directed by Stahl Nach- baiir. ■Actress,' Roland Schacht's comedy with Agnes Straiib in lOOth perform- 'Sein Letztes .Modeir premiering with .Alexander Sved and Camilla Horn. Otto Gebuhr tcoring big hit in Zwischen-: Abend urid. Morgen' at Reval. Furtwangler back to . Berlin next ^eason for seven symphs arid -ten Operas. Anton Walbrpok: to for Tobis when shooting is over in London. , . Geza directs Anny Oridra's 'Der Unwider- stehliche,' Franz Nicklish takes over part of Laertes in ' Hanilet; production at State theatre. , Francesco , Mignbne of RiO: de Janeiro,.: eh route to Germiany, . being ihvited by the government to baton. Berlin orchestra. Violet Perdue in town, lirvin Marks in from London, Serge Lifar off fOr Casablanca^ Mabel Manning out. of hospitaL Clifford Fischer in from London. Isola Bros, writing their memoirs. George M. Cohan browsing around. Bricktopi adding hew life to Mont- martre.,, Guy Cadenat for; Casino de Paris, Betty Randolph trial getting ride in French press. Hollywood strike making all of town's front pages; IJariy Leasim recovering froni ap- pendicitis operation. Wanda Landbwska giving concerts at Saint Leu La For6t. New York's shutting out burlesque given laugh by French; Eileen. O'DriscoU' offered job as Chez Jean Patou model. Albert signing to return to Res.» taufaht des Ambassadeurs. Mistinguett at A B C, and Cecile SOrel at Empire same week. Lilian Harvey -losing suit in Aix- eh-PrOvence court asking for delsiy on payments due on Riviera cha- teau. Pittsburgh By Hal Cohen 'Press,* flew back over week^rend after six months in Hollywood. George Seibel, former drama crick, head orator at Drama League's last meeting Of season. Mrs. George Lefko, wife oit the RKO chief here, oh her way to Hollywood by boat fot two months. IIS 9y Les Reel National Screen club held its first outing. Joe Vehuti'S band at Nicollet hotel, Minnesota Tbom. Variety club held last luncheon meeting. W. C. Gehring, 20th-Fox diviision manager, in town for a day. Harry Katz of Gayety spending sunimer vacation on golf links. . Little Jack Little's band held over additional ^week at Hotel Lowry. Ted, Aver, Piaramount salesman^ vacatiomng at his home in Philadel- phia. Joe Podoloff, 2,0th-Fbx branch managei:, sprained knee , and pulled tendon playing handball arnd miist lay off game for at least a month. George Thar^, publicity assistant at Minnesota theatre, promoted to Century, as expl.biteer arid Don Alexandier advanced from the lat- ter hoiise to St. Paul as head of PUblix publicity department there, succeeding Martin Kelly, resigned. ON BROADWAY ORCHIDS PREFERRED (Continued .from page 58) Harlem Casino installing cooling plant arid stays open all summer. Eddie Peyton has the frau, Marion MuUer, in his current floor: show. John McGreevey's family in again after five months at St. Petersbxirg. Margaret Daum slated for summer season with St. Louis Muny Opera. Husk O'Hare' in town again to open new roadhouse about six miles out. Jakie Klein has given up Turf Cafe and scouting around for a new spot.. Summer season at Willows gets under way May 21 with; Artie Shaw's band. ^ ejus A. Schanbel celebrating; silver anniversary with Pitt Cap and Gown Club. r • Phil Regan's . mis.sus accompanied him here for his personal at the Stanley, ' Isham Jones, instead of Ozzie Nel- son, for Duque^ne U's Junior Prorii May 26. When Loper and Hayes quit ixon cafe here, theyll go to Mayfaiir in London; Mike Cullen and the wife have gone to Florida for couple of weeks of fishing; Elmer. Keriyon . corivalescihg at Mercy Hospital frbin bpqfi'ation for gallstpnes. DannyRogers home i seeing , the folks between itery engagements in Manhattan. Vet .Skinny: Dawspn' .hitting the newspaper?; ahead of Gble Bros.- Beatty show, J6rfy S.alisburys (Princess White- wing) kept arrival of a son a secret for five weeks, '. . Harry Feinsteiri and Ben Brown back on job again after., that 18-day West Indies ci-uise. . John Goring'is early scores, stamp him a cinch to snatch gold honors among m.ana.E!erlal clan, Sammy KayeVs band slated for month's stay at William Penn Urban Roof late this' summer, Aleen Wetstein^ columnist for. funny, but isn't. At i close there is.a reverse of the strip-tease with Hilda Knight dressed up sbriiewhat by. two 'attendants. She gives out some lyrics and then goes into the weirdest solo dance in seasons. It may have been her own idea for it, is doubtful if Robert Sanford, the dance director, will admit it was his; Benay Venuta and Vicki Cum- mings have most of the song nurii- bers.. Latter has;'A Million Dollars' and 'A Boy, a Girl, a Mobn,' sung with John Donaldson.. Miss Vienuta has 'What Are; You (Joirig to do About Love' and 'Eddy-Mac,' also" 'Selling a Song.' Not so good is a repbrtediy Tecentlyrforriied male quartet of middle age billed as 'Men of Gotharii' with 'Three R's' and 'Mirisky* descriptive of burlesque managers going into opera. Eddie Fby, Jr.,- as the. capering young broker, Bubbles Wilson, tries to work up the comedy scenes but with the ma;terial ' at hand. ifirids it tough igoing. Jack Clifford teams with hiiri in some iriterludes and also works hard. Both hobf to fair pur- pose, but: Joanne and. Jules Wal- ton are niore effective. Team im- presses ,as a comedy ballroom duo turning square. Though the Waltons draw a good hand their routine seems indecisive. Ibee. (Withdrawn after seven pcr- fofmances; printed for" the record.) A Welcome Stranger Farco In-' three acts by Stanley Page. Btaged by .Reglnt^Id Bach; eettlnprs, Mary Morris Boykln. Presented by alumni ot Feagin School of pramatic Art at school auditorium, N, Y., May 12, '37. Humpy .................. Arthur Zwerllnp Babs Streeter Doriha Ducltworth Gerry Stapleton .........Richard Courtney John Stapleton,......(..'.Douglas Mciyiullen • Mr. Beams .......;'...:.;.....Robert Dryden Bex Alting .,. . . .David Evans Tubby Fenwlck ,.; ..Robert Scott Mrs. Dropley, Elizabeth Duggan Jean Dropley ;..;..Quepnelle Tucker Dr. Melingote .Andipw BllHnj?3 Nurse Fitzgerald ......;Julia Johnston Mrs. Sophie Ar llage.. .Carmnlyn McC'ahh Phlneas Matf. ,;.. Charles Paraons Listed as a tryout, this play -by Stanley Page, not. to he confused with the Broadway success 'Welcome Stranger' of an earlier day, was done by graduates bf the Feagin School of Dramatic Art. N, Y.. Ma- jority of the cast hav6 played on the professiorial stage, either-, on Broad- way, the rbad or in summer stock. As possibility for Broadway or films, 'A Welcome Stranger' is nega- tive. Lacks any definite' central idea and the nothing it has to sky isn't said entertiainingly. Situations and dialog bristle with cliches. Without b e i h g particularly objectionable, play just resembles- one of those stock company standbys. Plot cpnberns yoiing college grad whose grandma will hand him $300.-. 0.00 if he marries.. Since -his pop's business is on the skids, hero decides to elope with the acquisitive looker doWri. the street, ignoring the adoring girl nisxt door; He's prevented by a couple of. college pals and a strange lady who. arrives mysteriously to have a baby upstairs. Plenty bf com- plications without, logic, and a happy-ending e x p 1 a n a t-i o n that doesn't explain, Unirispired direction- has speed but not pace. Players are handi- .capped by'the incredible script, arid have a tendency to overplay, Dortha Duckworth, Elizabeth Duggan and Julia Johnston are occasionally con- vincing. Understood David Evans is nephew bf John Anderson; legit Critic of the New York Journal, Hobe. I Hollywood Sol Lesser siestaed at Corbnadb, Eric Linden off to amble Broad- way., Dorothy Peterson a Catali baisker. ' Fredric March defeated fectibm Henry lanke taking Weeks* vacation. Victor McLagien building a Cata- lina villa. ' Addison Randall to be tagged Jabk hericefbrth. Harold Hurley back from Hawaii hula ogling. Pat di Gicco bowed nick agency. Gertrude Berg back front N. Y. talerit search. Binnie Barries to England iri June for fllrii work. Marlene Dietrich goes for ian. Ar- rowhead aerie. Franciska Gaal returning from Mexico vacash. - Gertrude ..Niesen baqk after three mohths'.;p.. .'ing; Julian Olenick joins Lichtig & Eng- lander as iassociate. Bill. Hice . transferred, to Samuel Goldwyn praisery. Walter Abel back fromi tour with Katharine Cornell. Ralph Wheielwright iriotori On month's vacash. Myron Selznick fled from the heat to Lake Arrowhead. The Irving .Cumriii the briny to Seattle. . .. The Paul Muriis moved from the valley to Palos Verdeis. Eddie Saulpaugh. and Ralph Sari- ford, eyeing Hollywood. Darrel Ware quits his typewriter fOr a nnonth . in Mexico. Beulah Bohdi on ah leave to ogle Broadway. Marcia Remy now assisti Collum,. the ;Roach. caster. Richatd .Arlen's new yacht,; Mary«■ JO, kissed .the' breakers. Snub Pollard and Tex p.a.ing: east, starting June 25. Grady Johrison. moved from L. United Press to Metro flackery.- Wesley Ruggles and William Le- Baron flew in frorh the north. W. P. Lipscomb put i a nine-hole golf course oh his ;valley estate here; ^ Chicago ; Better . Films Council scrolled Darryl :Zariuck for clean pix.. •Herbert Morg^in here for studio talks from Metro's N. Y. publicity h. q. _ Macelellarid Barclay flew in for a part in 'Artists and. Models, ■ at Par- amount. Bert Levey moving his, booking offices to Hollywood after 15 years in dbwntbWn L. A. Clarence Brown was thrown a sur- prise birthday party On the 'Madame Walewska'. set at MG. Dean: Dbrn; Metro publicity, will be at the Mayb clinic, Rochester, Minn., six months longer. Teddy Beck, Chi Trib m.e. and John T. McCutcheon, cartoonist, looking Over the studios. Edwin H. Morris had a mastoid operation here and Sam E. Morris, his father, came from N. Y. to visit him. Boston By Maxwell Fox Sid Pairie off Sick list, Arthur Tarshis in town lor quick visit. Ed Gainer in ahead of Born.' Joyce Dana in hospital eral 0.0. Eileen HarrOld Kearney for New Qrlearis. Helen Eager recuping after being relieved of appendix. - . . Stanley Gosriell haunti the bridle paths Sundays. Lou Strauss paid recent visit connection p.a. job for 'Sea Legs/ Sieriis and Kaye, magic act, back in club work after Siems Was on sick list Red king. Keith Bostbn stage manager, will .be ^tage. manager at ^Dallas Expo this summer. . Kathleen Addison, daughter of, Loew- divisional managier; clicking with poetry program oh WMEX. By Pete Wemhoff • Dog racing bill passes house,- Plaza riabe joins East. End circuit, Zorine, nudist daricer, recupiriii from fall. , Freddi Schader promoting Horizon* (Col) at Cass. New Eastwood Park ballroom holds 8,000 persons; believeid biggest in world. Ralph Holmes, drima crick at Times, wrote book for, 'Friday at Four.' musical opening iri Boston, ,Wally Townserid, staff pianist at CKLW, will direct own band at KingsviUe Casino, near Windsor, Ont;. this "summer,. Following Chicago's step. localitc<^ having Belle Isle's 11-mile drive sur- veyed for possible 'use as road race course this falL