Variety (Dec 1937)

RADIO 8?^ SCREEN Puhllahed Weekly at 1S4 West 46th Street, New York. N. T.. by Variety. Inc. AiitiunI aubicrlptlon, H. ' SlnsI* copies, 15 cents. Kotered as aecond-claiw matter December 22, 1906. at the Post Orrice at New Vork, N Y., under the. act ot Uarcll S. Jviji.. COPTRMiHT. 1937, BY VABIETT, INC. AM. RIGHTS RRSERVKII Vol. 128 No. 12 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1937 64 PAGEd 52d St. Also Has Its Brain-Trust Setup, a Chess 'n Checkers Pitch Fifty-Second Street, which auto- matically summons up visions of hoopla, bistros, niteries and swin? b^nds, has nevertheless, a small, special reservation for the mind. Outlet for ihose who want to blow «iT grey matter steam is in the form of a chess and checker pitch. Visible from the street through the windows of Broadway's Sports Palace, it's one •t two such joints operated under the management of Harold Fisher, •x-telegrapher. And sans gimmicks. Take from both his two brain- corner spots comes to around $10,000 • nnually, which isn't bad coin con^-cj fidering it's all in quarters ar^' dimes. Price of a game is a quarter f )L- a che^is gambit and a dinie for a fidg at tiie checkerboard, with fames cuffo to winners. The^e old standbys are apparently liolding their own. despite evidences of modern mechanization which sur- round them in such forms of auto- matic amusement as pin ball games, shooting galleries, and the rest of the attractions which make up this indoor game salon. And there's al- ways a gallery too, with no charge for just looking. Excluding the machines, shooting jCilieries and Japanese poker tables 'which are currently big grossoys at the Sports Palazzio, among the live talent attractions, chess and checker players are second only to pingpor.g, which must^lso be considered in the flesh attraction class. The 64 square games occasionally draw some name folk, reports stat- ing that Governors Earle of Pa. and Langer of N. D. play there when in town. Olhi»rs who are said visit the checker and chess tables sporadic- wily include Max Rosen, violinist; J. iContinucd on page 20) DafFy Song Titles Titles for sy-'ing compositions continue on their screwball pace, with the writers figuring that the more eccentric the tag the better chance will the tune have in taking with the swing' addicts. With moon, Jime and spoon being severely taboo among this element, here are some of the current swing captions: 'Lullaby to a Lamp Post,' 'The Maid's Night Off,'. 'War Dance to a Wooden Indian,' 'Hobo on Park Avcnitc' and 'Midnight in a I Madhouse.' 0 TIGHTENING UPONAUENS BY WASH. Add: History Repeats Seattle. Nov. 30. Boyliood memories of how young- •tt?rs used to crash theatres by car- ryitig band instruments by the dnor- nian when the minstrel show came to town were brought to the fore h'Me at recent football games when th;? radio biys permitted their fiKMids to pass the gatemcn wi;!i a part of the remote equipment. At the last game here one station helped seven one-eyed Connollys tlirough the gates with pieces of wire, part of the mi!:e. cables, etc. Washington, Nov. 30. Denial of any change in Immigra- tion policies affecting entertainers or actors came from the Labor Depart- ment this week, following recent row which delayed entry of Nancy Va- dasz, a Hungarian dancer, who was temporarily barred upon arrival at Baltimore. Misunderstanding of a general bul- letin to all field officers rather than any tightening on film, stage or caba- ret talent was given as the reason why Mile. Vadasz was detained last weiikcnd by Baltimore port authori- ties. Inere has been no change in the policy afTecting performers who, under the alien actor law, are grant- ed .special treatment. The Balto incident was blamed upon vagueness in a warning notice prompted by attempts of Canadian women to come over the border seeking jobs as nurses, a department iContiniied on page 61) -•ew Brjdie Path Bally, Equestrian Cocktaileries ^^owo,^t kind of sTiow business i-; til'.' ri(Jin<{ club variety where a half •io^.i.'u ass:)rlcd come-ons aie advcr- tuod to lure ecjiieslria^ns into the 111 )<)nli:4lil for nocturnal ridin.u. u illi .'•'!ii);Mli.-ilim(>nt.-,. A Brooklyn ritling academy started '' •! fad with a so-called CocUlail Hi'le. st ilting at \0:?,() p.m. Wiiid. i':> u itli cocktail, sandv.'ichc^. c )n'.'c. ^" ontcrtainmenl nriH (Lmciiiu. Twj-h jur session sell.j for a deuce. Goldblatts Seen Slated For Chi Opera Control C'hica\'o. Nov. .10. .Sl; nn J lepoi ls Iitmc are, that the rioldblatl.--. d>^pailinent store opcr- at us, are steppin;; into the key posi- tic)n a'l t!if.' Ciiica.-^o Civic Opera. If .^o, liu'v uill succeed .Jason F. Whit- iioy. the Opt'ia's toii innn the pa-;! two yi'.u ;. It \< tind','r.s*o.)d Wliitn;'y last year dii4 iiilo his pcM'.-o'ial bankroll to :nn!;e up a d-fK-il of around $00,000. (loldblatt f.imily h.ns become in- f|-easitv;ly active v.llli the Opera. They li )ld four lif ? memberships uilh Ihe socii.'ty liosidcs being rc^u- 1 ir patrons. ["111!! Rodeo Ass*n of America the Target of the Cow- punchers — Steer-Rasslers and Bulldoggers Starting to Worry About Coin— Heretofore It Was a More or Less Amateur Racket, with a $l-Per-Point Pay- off System on ' Literal British London, Nov. 30. The hiartagemem of the St. Regis, where the 'Room Serv- ice' cast is quartered, has been visibly impre.ssed by the play. Hotel is making the perform^i crs pay their bills in advance. TURTLE CROUP BALKY By FRANK SCULLY Ogden, Utah. Nov. 30. With more than 1,000 rodeos be- ing staged throughout'the country during the year and the gross well over $2,000,000, headaches are com- ing in to the Rodeo A.ssociation of America from the talent end. Lone cowhands from the Rio Grande are organized as the Cow- boy Turtle Association and they have aan^d up so successfully at seveijfl shAvs again.st the RAA that the!*'RAA is^ thinking of turning the whole thing back to the Indians or going amateur. Several old line shows have al- ready gone am, and two of the oldest—Pendleton, Ore., and Pres- cott, Ariz.—are on the verge. Rea- (Continued on page 29) Apple-Sluggy Hoofers Invlianapol'is, Nov. 30. Most ^otels and cafes here have agrceij^M with union that parties must iHexinion musicians. Bunch of obscure college fraternities and sororities combined last week to cir- cimvcnt this rule at the Hotel Antlers. Collegians tossed a party charg- ing cither 2r)C or equivalent value in canned goods. Then they u.scd the public address system hooked up to a phonograph and lianced themselves applc-sluggy to canned goods of Goodman, Dorsey and ,/)ther band leaders. Union said it was something to look at, but iiotliin.ii to worry about. U.S. Washington, Nov. 30. Aggregate expenditure for broad- cast service by the American gjublic last year was nearly $900,000,000r>ac- cording to latest Commerce Depart- ment estimates. Chief item was outlay of $440,000,- 000 for receivers, with 1936 sales mounting to 8,000,000 units. Pow^r consumption for the 33,000,000. sct.s. estimated to be in operation involved an expenditure of $150,000,000 for batteries, juice, etc. Program production and station operation accounted f6r the second bill. Talent investment was estimat ed at $36,000,000, while time sales brought broadcasters $114,000,000 from sponsors. Remainder of the total was com- posed of $75,000,000 pocketed by .ser- vice and repair men for set over- hauling and maintenance, $45,000,060 for replacement parts and $31,000,000 for new tubes, of which 46.000,000 were peddled ■-W-ilfeprbidupti^^ beat and feu^ine betWM^^ ahd. 6U1 er; labor'^rdwps getting an, official airinijj; before state, ilegislaitiye^cpniihr mItte V on.-capitaV ah^^^^ HpUy-j . Wood is;^yo^^yihglt liit; won't ■ shoy^\ :the .; strain un4^|f. whicll ili^is being;^ p^ ; Year; ago, Whpn ;the feudi^v^^ bigger .than. Shiriey liand^,. exx5cs..were hop blow-' yfls:all^jiy<di::batUe$ ;the';.past,'' in.. Si^.wi^;,pr: iwoy ;Biiit d^iclv^pa^isihg ntbntii^^ l>rt)ugHt bjgget and=-meanCE-:heai^ ' -^^ - Los.- Angelas,- la^t .;■ strpngh'bld,: bl open. ..shop. ..prlncip^ rious.tcd. : rjrbund: spr badijr iiV t'riscp: carth^tjake a rtitakfiiPatt' .of {thiii?'^ ' fact; that-frpm^lobpr^^ standpoint thc'^ to wn >was back .inV .thiii^mi^^^ and iiY order/ to cij.me: up to thie resl. of thiv rp iintry ■ it:;hftd. tn <;tt»p tw>i<;j as fast. v;Th^t iheant; steipping lot:of;ti60S;,v;;.-:'-\ j'■■ -'^'.■'■■i:'''^^': While ' manj" .of; the sti?ik(?s' .Wei;<>,! ietriote .from-the,;iitudip So in tegr^tedJthatr scarcely .■ ahylhinjf^ can Ijapptn; eyeh .if at San;Pedro, 2"0; rnilc!;,away, withpiiit'.aftecting .s^ ))rod uctipn; . v Qthcr., striksi -were right ;put^ide.:thev$^ ahid; sijvcfral Inside;thie^ '-v^k.'-..!, Ail of ihcm iii one v^^ cipsit^^he.-;'studio^-pl9hty7pf^^^ the end: is .libt yet in sight. With' costs jciimbing far ; beyond , budgcis, and grbssesi, diie^^p-;a:^^ Ipsfr thco^pcasant^^ Wail Strcet^ in the. las^ liibnthij. biggest share of-the-tiatibnfs-radiof- lilccirtbTfalrtar^ahprt^ Krcisler Averts Panic; Tear-Gas Bomb in Mich. Detroit, Nov. 30. Tear gas bomb which drove hun- dreds in SRO audience of-4.000 to cover interrupted fritz Krcislcr's annual U. of Michigan oneerl Mon- day night i29> in Ann Arbor. Con- cert t:ofititiU(>(J after 10 iniiui^e';, however, with Krcisler i!;noriii:; the usual rest and remalnirr^ on .stage j to avert possible panic. ; Routed payees ifturnerl after few I minutes and conci-rl coin.-lu livJ willi- out incident. THE HdlJRfOF MUSIC THAT LINGERS ON producei's arc at a^ loss. tb.:seiB' w;here they;\can.;.cffcpt;sayin6^ :, Chicago, Nov. 30. To cbrnbat, eonsisteht: pickctiiie, ot i ts restaurant, Thaycr's. hiere eiiigage.'i profe.ssibnaI .vaiideyiUerV^^^ who ailract. sueh'crbwds^irt; f^^^ the V WindpNys^ vthati -t^^ .iJtlhbticcd.^:■ ^■V.r vV'.. ; ' m ' m'lz^ii -ill PHIL PARK CENTRAL HOTEL, NEW ,YORK