Variety (Sep 1937)

Wednesday, September 29, 1937 SPORTS VARIETY 19 FdotbaD By Dick Fishell * The first week's games found the dope running just as expected with only a mild upset "here and there to mar the slate. This Saturday every- body, including the Big Three, gets on the touchdown path, and pickin' will be tougher as will the opposi- tion. Corbpll-Colgate! The Big Red Team showed power and ability to rise to heights when necessary in .turning back Penn State. Their forward wall is admit- tedly excellent; Colgate, after a tune-up, gets into action with a vet- eran eleven which, if unable to pene- trate that Cayuga line, will pass their way to a decisive victory, N. Y. U.-Garnegrle Tech New York is a good club, well coached, but lacks the manpower represented in the Skiboes' liheup. Carnegie, with the tried and true ""Jock Sutherland offense, should . make their new coaching staff very happy with an edge over the Violets. Ohio State-Purdue The Buckeyes had little difficulty ■ with Tsxais Christian, and in the mud and rain showed much power. ' The Boilermakers from Purdue, de- , spite .the loss of their touchdown twins of a year ago and the illness they mis.sed Sammy Baugh against Ohio State, They also discovered they lacked the punch. The Razor- backs of Arkansas have that punch, and more, with most of the main cogs of last year's title-winning array back in the moleskins, seek- ing their second southwestern cham- pionship. Wisconsin—Marquette Slowly but surely the Badgers of Wisconsin have been building. Harry Stuhldreher of the famous 'Fout Horsemen' has been rooting his sys- terh, and the time is nearly ripe. An A-1 backfield, graduated from Mar- quette; taking with them whatever potency it had. The front wall is good, but there's nothing behind it— certainly not enough to stop the fighting Badgers. California—Orei:on State Cal certainly looked like the money in romping over St. Mary's. Oregon is not reputed to have too much, and the Golden Bears have waited-too long for just this year to be upset, This will help in develop- ing Cal's reserve. LSU—Texas You never can discount that Louisiana spirit and their desire to Probable Football Winners And Proper Odds (Oct. 2, 1937) By DICK FISHELL (inter-City Network Sports Commentator) GAMES WINNERS ODDS Colcate-Cornell Cornell "., T/^ NTU-Carnegie Tech Carnegie Tech Even Ohio State-Purdue... Purdue 5/6 Texas A & M-Manhattan Texas A & M.: 7/5 Northwestern-Iowa State Northwestern Zy^/l Temple-Mississippi Temple 5/6 Minnesota-Nebraska Minnesota 8/5 Fordhain-F & M Fordham 2><i/I Bostph Coliegre-Kansas State ,. Boston College 9/5 Arkansas-TCli Arkansas 8/5 Wisconsin-Marquette .... ^ Wisconsin Even California-Oregon State..; ....California ...i 9/5 LSU-Texas .LSXJ .........■•«•*.«.•..... 9/5 iNfo. Carolina-No. Carolina State..... North Carolina V5 WaahingtonTSp. California ....So. California .......Even Penn-Maryland Penn 2f4/l Vanderbilt-Chlcago ..Vanderbilfc 2/1 Michigan-Michigan Stat^ Michigan SUte......... : Even (Predictions Based on Fair Weather) COPYRIGHT, 1937, BY VARIETY, INC. cf their mentor, Noble Kiser, will powerhouse their way to a win if they can stop the Schmidt passing game. Texas A- & M.-Manhattan Texas comes to New York reputed to he the best in the southwest with the emphasis on the aerial works. This '37 edition of the Kelly Greens is the b^st since Chick Meehan has taken oyer. They're big and strong, and if the Aggies don't paiss them to death they'll cross them by running that ball for too many touchdowns. Northwestern-Iowa State The Wildcats get off With stiff op- position and tune up for as tough a, schedule as they come. Don Heap and Big Vanzo will lead the parade to down Iowa State. Temple-Mississippi Temple wr.s unimpressive in its opening fraces which is explained by a green line and just fair re- serves. Ole Miss had a bit of diffi- culty, but also, won its opening. Warner has the power and they're playing under the familiar arclights of Temple's own stadium, which gives them a slight shade. Minnccota-Nebraska - This Ncbrr.clia outfit, like all oth- ers, is a bone-crushing squad that puts out all the way. A year ago the Gophers just snatched a victory in this game with a last minute score. • Minnesota, if unable to get Andy . Uram loose, will tally via the air in one of its toughest encounters of the entite season. Fordhani-Frauklin & Marshall. F & M alwayis brings up a good ■ crew of boys with plenty of talent, but the Ram, with a trickier offense . than its ever had, should have no difficulty in lotting the third- stringers finish the gcme. Boston Collesre—Kansas State Gil Dobie grinned last Saturday as a powerful B. C. squad went to town. ■ The Wildcats of Kansas State are the guests this -week, but too many ■ diplomas last June has raised havoc with this squad; The Wildcats may . come along, but they're not quite ready, while Boston College is. Arkansa.s—Texas Christian Christian discovered how much Now That Legionnaires Gone, Damage Not Much Resume of what the American Legion convention did for and to New York show that approximately $7,000,000 was expended during last week. This exceeds preliminary es- timate by more than $1,000,000. Considering the occasion, com- paratively little damage was done in hotels and cafes, or so. conven- tion officials aver, emphasizing that no more loss was sustained than at any other big convention when cer- tain irresponsible elements always crop up. There was a drop in department store, biz early in the week, but most of them reported a rise, in trade later on. Retail liquor stores re- ported land office biz, while inex- pensive restaurants credited the Legion' for the exceptionally heavy grcss revenue. There were instances reported wherje hotels, bars, cafes, restau- rants! etc., put a heavy tilt on the price for liquors. In one hostelry, a Le.'^ionnaire was asked $9 for a bottle of Scotch that normally sells foi: $3, but generally speaking, there was no general • price upiping in hotels and cafes. Broadway cafe _ biz was bad and the usual flock of fights and drunken arguments were clocked. Legionnaires, we.re so high that their antics on 45t.h street, in front of the. Booth, N. Y., interfered with the performance of *You Can't Take It with You.' One theatre manager sought to quiet the good-timers, but when several conceived the idea of lifting a manhole cover and lower- ing the showman in, the manager hastily beat a retreat. Performance was held up for 20 minutes, after which the visitors mooched into the Broadway throng. That Boxing 'Carnival of Champs' Turns Out Two-Way Hopperoo runaround and re.solve to drink it c'^, is a light comedy gem. Penelope Dudley Ward clicks nicely as the hot-and-bothered Diana Lake, Who can't live without a man —any man. Marcel Vallee as Mon- siieur Maingot, the tutor, almost steals the show with his bit and helps make the initial stanza tolerable with his authentic and convincing char- acterization. Paramount owns the f^lin rights, reportedly intending it for Marlene Dietrich. Roseii. BYSTANDER Philadelphia, Sept. 15. .A piny In thrpfl qcI.m liy Holior.t Hn'n- nan, Prfrontorl Uy llio Hcil.nrniw thoiUro In i'io'.r Kose Vallfiv-Moylun 'J'henire, Mon- <Uiy, .'■'ibpt. M, ';iT. DlmMcd l)y Jiniper Doetor; yiMtln.iTH by Mi'.lilnn NhIII; coKl.umPs by Konnoth Ifcrr'll; llRhdriK by -Vflohiiel Stunrt. Kb>no>:er Jones .Mnlilln .Miilll Byslandcr. .•• ,. ..r(r.ii) Wulluce i.-(ly .'^iPrnp, , Vlrtrinln Dt-own ""trH. Byfltiin<lt>r. . .. ; . ..Arlt^lB Hrin1l«iy ;'.ir nettlnnlil Storiie, ........... .I'olor UnRle Cblot W'-xrd'N- Krowne. I'^im'< ICollv '.ardei- Sin' l is,-, . DhvI.! MoloaK ■■•oillc;*! Orrl'-er .N'oil Younp: ..'.'inler Xvov.i Tlionmp Huchunnn '.\'ttV(lor i;TlPi--on ItiibPi-t ShacUbHon \V.Tr.>r O'vr-; Gllboi'l' IJprmnn Wnrdcr Wntirln.s ■.Jo.Mcuh I'Kvker .Snoolty.., ,..>....... I'M ward JHart .Tiiok Tl(>l)prt Hnnloy c:onvlct HilH ..Moi'Kun .'imedloy Oonvlctii: John HoRdiiKH, Miuirloo MInnb'k, Hvjfh Grahiun, William Wj'Hflt, KIchmil Dl Gov. OHE-PUNCH PARKER Dan Parker, N. Y. Mirror's sports columnist, smacked Marcus Griffin, columnist on the N. Y. Enquirer, at the Polo Grounds last Thursday (23) during the four-title boxing show.. The punch split Griffin's lips and he was led away by cops With the claret spilling, bat later re- turned. Griffin has a connection with a group of wrestling promoters and their press stuff was barred by Parker in the Mirror. In retaliation Griffin is charged with having planted an unfounded yarn about Parker in a racing sheet and sent the story to out-of-town papers. go out and get. man power in any shape or form. Texas is better than average, but riot quite up to the well-rounded Bengals of LSU. North Carolina—North Carolina State Here is another of those dog-eat- dog affairs where people shoot rela- tives to insure victory. Carolina let down against South Carolina last week and were only able to secure a tie. They'll take it put on State this Saturday and really go to work. Washington—Southern California Washington, a great passing team, looked impressive in that depart- ment in bowling over Iowa. U. S. C, after wallowing in the doldrums for the past few years, is rumoired to have what it takes. Between To- nelli and Schindler, the Trojans will grab this one, and possibly ride the crest until the annual game with Cal. . Pennsylvania—Maryland The Red and Blue have their big boys up front back in uniform, but must develop a quartet off ball han- dlers. Maryland, a good H last fall, will just be average, and will be beaten down by- that fast-charging Pennsylvania line. Vanderbllt—Chicago The circus is back in town! Ray Morrison, the ringmaster at Vandy, again has his boys throwing that ap- ple around. Chicago has too many scholars and not enough money to purchase football beef. Vanderbilt will run wild. Michigan—Michigan State Michigan football stock has been at a low ebb since the Benny Fried- man and Harry Newman days. Their kick-pass^and-prayer system has consisted only of the latter. Hunk Anderson has joined the staff, in charge of the line, which should help some. State, however, has 24 letter- winners remaining, and take keen delight in knocking off the Wolver- ines. Michigan will be stronger, but there has been too much shifting of men and positions to warrant a suc- cessful start. The- Spartan season will again be successful by their win over Michigan. Plays Out of Town French Without Tears (Continued from page 56) last-act. curtain that will send them home laughing loud. . It is sophisticated comedy in its lightest sense; the humor and situa- tions are of an obvious type—but there is a certain spontaneity about it that will register with the audi- ence and put it in a gay mood. Not the least credit for this belongs to the players, for Miller has endowed it with a cast that would be diffi- cult to match. Chief weakness of the play's first half lies in the author's sophomoric effort to create humor out of an Eng- lishman's mispronunciation and meager knowledge of the French language. Unless one knows French, much of the intended humor of the fir.st act will be missed completely— a.terrific handicap for any Broadway audience. Title is derived from an old text- book for Engli.sh children learning French and the play deals with a group of young Englishmen, prepar- ing for the diplomatic service by cramming French in a tutor's estab- li.shment in the South of France; Here their studies are disrupted by a flirtatious girl. First to succumb Is Kit Neilan, who in turn is loved by the tutor's daughter. Then Lt. Comm. Rogers finds he cari no. longer resist the amor- ous advances of the villa campus queen and finally Alan Howard, the perfect cynic, who.se mission he felt it was to caution all comers against the promLscuity of the untiring pants-chaser, falls for her with a resounding thud. That's all there is to it- As Alan Howard, son of an ambas- sador who is unwillingly following a family career and would much pre- fer being a novelist, Frank Lawton is his usually capable self. It is he, in fact, who lends whatever merit there is to the duller moments early in the evening. But the chief com- edy lines and situations are entrusted tn Hubert Gregg as Kit Neilan and Cyril Raymond as Rogers, They bqnrile their roles to perfection. Their .second-a'-t .scene, when they discover they are gelling the merry Hedgerow theatre added the 12.'ith play to its repertory last night with a performance of 'Bystander,', by Robert Brennan, produced success- fully in Ireland, but never before seen in this country. The Abbey Players of Dublin first presented it in 1930 and have performed it since. Despite Irish' background, 'By- stander' is not the type of play one a.ssociates with Irish playWrighLs of today. Its locale is an English prison (Blackmoor), the guards and offi- cials, and convicts are Engli.sh and there isn't an Irish brogue in a car- load. Nor is there any reference to Irish politics or anti-English propa- ganda. Whatever propaganda there is may be said to be Socialistic or aimed at the cruelty and-injustice of penal legislation and prison rules. And the prison presented is not made out to be any tougher, because it happens to be English, than any other. Nor is 'Bystander' despite the drabness of its setting, essentially morbid; It is by no means as con- sistently oppressive and depressing as 'The Last Mile' or 'Criminal Code.' Actually it might well be called a comedy since it ends on a fairly happy note and has laughs generous- ly sprinkled throughout its three acts. The plot, such as it is, concerns a screwy prisoner, masquerading un- der the assumed name of Austin Plantaganet Bystander while he serves a life sentence for a murder which he did not commit. It's pretty hard to accept his Quixotic motives, but it''is easy to enjoy him as a character and to be amused by his refusal to abide by prison regula- tions, his champion.ship of unre.st among the convicts and his general unruliness. At the time the play opens, a new Governor has just ar- rived at Blackmoor and proves to be a martinet—a 'Captain Bllgh' on dry land who believes that the 'cat' is the best corrective. His prede- cessor has apparently tolerated By- stander's antics, but Sir Reginald says he won't. Then he discovers that Bystander is really his own brother and he wants to get rid of him. But Bystander won't be trans- ferred, and he makes life mi.serable for Sir Reggie. Here the play be- comes verv confused. It's brought out, vaguely, that the governor has once committed a crime himself (forgery), but ju.st why, in the end, when Bystander has been freed be- cause someone el.sie has confessed his crime, he is able to force his brother to rcsiTn his oo.st is by no means cleor. The f^nple had the whole AU^Uence nuzzled. They were puzzled; too, but un- npcessarily so, by the character of Jones, a clerk in the prison office, who appo.TS to be timid and drab and emotii'mless, but who proves, every so often in impassioned solilo- quies, to be burning inwardly with a desire to reform the world and tear down intolerance. He's a 'commy' at heart, but a conventional pen- pusher on the surface. Jones' recital of fiery noetry and the scenes he nlays with imaijinary people elicit lauchs, but won't be accepted by ordinary -audionces. Mahlon Naill gives a vivid per formance of this difficult charac- ter; John Wallace is capital a.s the humorous Bv.slander and Peter Enele first-rate as Sir Reginald. Other per- formances aro acceptable and .T.i.s- ner Deoter's direction first-rate. The single .set is especially effective and a particular word is due for the lifThtin'.'. 'T'-v.^^frender' i.'-.n't meant for Prfirdway. hut it is an ima^^i.native n'"'>'^ of "/ritin" fipH very Hcceptable in this kind of a theatre. Waters. By JACK PULASKI That 'carnival of champions' which Mike Jacobs staged at the Polo Grounds, N. Y., Thursday (23) night was a flopperoo financially and fisti- cally. On paper the idea of present- ing four title contests on one card looked like surefire b.o. but the crowd was 50% under expectations. So Were the matches. The gate was $198,600 and 30 G's more added for picture and radio rights (sustaining), Then came de- ducts. The eight glove throwers in the four main events got $152,000, which is I6ss than the figures given out. The ball park collected its 10%» and the cost of the training camps plus advertising ran the nut up plenty. Also a charity was to get two percent of the profits. The con- tenders got peanuts in comparison to the champ^ end of coin. Biggest winners appeared to be the govern- ment, which got $26,000 in taxes, and the state, which drew down half that sum. It appears, that the show was stated too soon after the Louis-Farr fiCht and had it been dated in Octo- ber the takings might have been up to the expected $375,000. Fact that the American Legion was good- timing in town didn't help either; for the lads of the A.E.F. were intent on other things rather than fights. As a matter of fact the legion staged its own boxing show with amateurs at the Madison Square Garden bowl, nor did that help. The bout between Lou Ambers and Pedro Montanez for the light- weight title was given top billing hut in action rated about fourth. The lightweights went through 15 boresome rounds and long before the final bell the fans started the old razzaroo. Ambers kept hi^ title. Plenty of Action The real fight of the night was between Barney Ross, who also kept his welterweight crown, and Cerfina Garcia. "That too went the limit. They made a mistake in not putting that match on top for it was the best contest, and figured to be so anyhow, what with the Filipino haying Barney on the floor in Frisco last season. Ross proved himself a real fighting champ again. He cut Garcia around the eyes and reddened gore made the chap from the Far East look like an Indian. Champ, too, was mussed up somewhat' but in the latter stages of the bout he proved the best man by outpunching the contender, four or five to one. First event was between the Euro- pean champ, Marcel Thil, and Fred Apostoli of Frisco, who copped the affair when the referee stopped It in the 10th round.. Thil was badly cut over the right eye.' He made no complaint and won the fans by his manner and style. For the blow-oft there was the Sixto Escobar-Harry Jaffra match for the bantamweight crown. Jaflra« from Baltimore, pasted the dickens out of the Porto Rlcan at the Hippodrome last spring and he copped the title without so much excitement. The fans started walking when the show was half over and at the. end the audience had dwindled to half of its disappointing size. Jacobs was not disturbed over his show mis- firing and announced a similar multi- champ card would be staged next June. That's his story and he may be stuck with it. Fight Notes Jacobs served box lunches to tho working press. It was a long ses- sion but not that long. Seat cushions would hav« been more, welcomed. There were no knockouts and no knockdowns except one in the single prelim. Arthur Donovan stopped the Thil-Apostoli fight but the French- man didn't look that much hurt. Montanez lost several rounds by low blows but that made no differ- ence in the actual count. Ambers out-smarted him and once almost tilted the fellow over, much to the surprise of ringsiders, Ross was hurt by Garcia but he fought back the harder and agiain proved a courageous champion. Tyson (Harry Kay) agency lo.st 32 rin-^side tickets. priced at $16.50 each. Whether lost in transit or not, has not been discerned. Locations were checked at the Polo Grounds but none of the pasteboards turne?'- up. Agency pa'd ushers $25 to check up without avail.