Variety (Feb 1938)

Pultiished Weekly B:t ir.4 \Veat 4Cth Street,: New. York. N. Y.. by. Vai lety; Inc. iinunl subsorlrilloij. IC .SlnBle coprps, rr. cohts. Knlered as aecond-class matter December. 22, tpO!>, at the Post Office at. New;; jU, >!, Y;, un<ler the act of MarcU; 3,' lB<i». cbrYRiciiT, loaa. by vAkietv; rsc. am/ Riciiits kksi51ivici>. Vol; 129 No. 8 NEW YORK; WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1938 64 PAGES : The shag, • big apple, little peach,' the jeepers ;ahd kindred-type,, pres- ; cnt-day. wacky; dance styles are proving, quite a wear and tear dn^ ball room- nianagements all oyer the- country. They've discovered that in short order, after the finale-hoppers get.off, /the. dance floor sags, the ceil- , ■ ings ot . premises';- underneiath start cracking, etc. .,/ -'^ ■ ; ; Those places which can't taboo the screwball type of hoofology are trying to offset the pi'operty damage ■ by tilting; prices or establishing some sort of ah extra tariff, eithei: a -; yert or something else, y Catch'-as-catch-can; hopping ■ arid : leg-swingit>g also has proved a cost- ly element in discouraging the rhore , conservative type! patronage' whichi more .siibstantial,, usually, spells extra . coin- for the fountain service, etc., whereas" the unrestraiiied kids get by. on the' absolute minimum'expendi- .tiires. ..." ■. Tliose . who cart hark back to .the. : Charleston and black bottom. See the ; prevailing Suzy-Q, truckin', peckin', pbsin' ■. and iall other dansapation ..^jnoaqifLbatiticmsias-Sunied^ fads combined into the average big ... apple; routine: The moit recent shag. Which looks to be 1938's more, lasting ; dance phenornenon, even more eccentric. '\''■■'■■ AFL ACTORS IN CIO ANTI-HAGUE BENEFIT . Benefit which the C.I.O. plans to .raise fund.s for its .ahti-tiagiie cam- paign'will be; given in Mayor Hagtiei's (Jei-sey City) oy/n backyard.: and political bailiwick, at the Mosque the- atre.^ Newark, and with American Federation of Labor actors on Fclj. .: 20.-,- .Immediately.- .after, another is planned for Jersey City .proper in defiance of the political.boss.,. . William Carney, head of local C.I.Oi activity iri;Jersey, plans a biis caravan parading through Jersey City to Newark as ballyhoo for the show. How, far he will get is a rrioot question- but plans go on apace with Peter Mdrrell, \ /-^riewspaperrriari, as- si.stin.g. :'. ■'■ ■ ^ ^ y -\ - In .addition .to -skits and ii>dividual perfoimcrs a pohion of International -Ladies, Garment Workers Uniop .(CIO) show, 'Pins and Needles' will • be' presented together ; with AFL-; affiliated actors in the curiously con- stinicfcd event. PecIII iar, .situation finds the C.I.O contributing indirectly; of course, ic the ;AFL;-:which. hrts publicly .stated • that: f he C.I.O. does, -hot" h -n ve so ff i - ■.;elen.t fund.s. to':cnrry pn.- it;.4 a;i'i part pf the drive to a'ltot^.Hasuc s- lilx on . public assembly. 'Apple prchards* Lincoln, Feb. 1. . . So goofy has this area gone on ; the big apple craze, dance spots are making 'alcoves called 'Big Apple Gardens' or 'Big Apple : Orchairds',' where the hoofmania can be ca.rried on without dan- ger toi other less agile dancers' lives and limbs. This is a takeoff o'h the Ford- ham Club, Bronx, N. Y., dance- hall, which inaugurated a 'left field' where the - hot rugcutters CQuld 'get off' in their Lindy Hops , without mayheming any of their neighbors' .shins. PttNEWB.O. Hollywood, Feb. 1. Picture houses will have competi- tion from coclctail lounges- and niteries next spring when a new out- fit markets a complete layout for screening 1;6 mm. sound films. Plan to turn out 20 shorts weekly featur- ing name talent and bands. "Tryout in southern CaViforni spots said to. have; been sudcessful, with patrons paying dime for a three-niinute show. ,.. . Outfit ■ claims z ; $750,000 produc- tion budget with briefies to be .made in Hollywood, / Bbpkings will be ■ (Continuedi on, page 60) Ex -;Boy Prodigy Violinist Will Garhier $250,006 of That Gross This Sieason--- Tibbett; Martini, Heifetz^ Eddy, Kreislert Ra,china^^^^ inofiF, £linah,^^^M / Qther Sockp Orosserv . PIX-RADIO ANGLES 3y HOBE MORRISON ; Although not yet at the peak of his either ; artisticaily or in'. popiUlar'ity; 21'-yearTold Yehucli Men;- uhin is how figured the No. 1 box- bflice draw of the concert world, Young violinist is making 94 concert appearances this season, for which he'll probably pull a total gross of; Well over. $500,000. His share of the take should reach at least $250,000. . While several other persqrialities^in ^the^Gohcert-biz-r-ater-in--tltc-top^ office bracket, they ; as.sDciatcd with other forms of enter!, inment, .such as radijO, .filinS or op^^'av' hin, on the other hand, is solely .a concert figure. He has never ap- peared in picts and. his few radio, engagements have been incidental to his platform work, and arising from it.. ■? ■■ ■ ■■/■■; Taking the estimated grosses of the top .10 concert names f rom con- cert appearances alone, tlie. 1937-38. season should ring up a total take of well $3,50p,000; Of the leaders, addition to Meiiuhin. Lawrence Tibbelt will ring up about $500,000 in approximately. 90 dates over a . world tour, Nino. Martini ■ is expected to knock off about $300,000, Jascha Heifetz is rated good for ' r other $250,000, Nelson Eddy,aiid Fritz Kreisler are each figured to "rate, aii ' ■ (Continued on page 29) : ; 'Elizabethan Toiich' ; Couple .of male .members of the cast of 'Shoemaker'sHoli'- day' have : Had their costumes padded.. for that 'Eiizabethah touch.' '■■ '•;' Last- play to ' do that was DeloS Chappell's 'Daughters of Atreus,' Where .gals; found lack- ing were improved - upon - arid [ the Grecian costumes of the males were further abbreviated. Chase & Sanborn's Sunday night _hour on NBC zooms t o an-aVl. time C.A.B, popularity rating of 44.9 ih; the. late.st compilation of that c6py- righted; trade barometer. This is., a junrip of around 7 points since the Mae WcstiDon .Ameche skit that caused ; all the uproar, ; censprship threats, apologies, spankings , arid headaches. '/.;';, V:" '■;•.,'.;' v.- . Looks like the, public is ridt' ccriied with the moral aspects.of the much-vaunted case. Or that the front page ; arid pulpit advertising compcrt.sated for all the diliVeUlti.es by stimulating an audience perkup. : By th : standards^, and on the riiatheriiatical logic of C.A.B., figur^^ of 44.9 means that about half the radio sets in tl^o United States. tunie in-. on '.the Fdgar Bergen-Charlie McCarthy gallop. ■ ' Ill the half hour group Jack Benny . romps in With 3G.9:in the latest re- pdrt. '■' :;■. ■ ■ .. ;•;'. Tlie: Rockefellers have pulled Ini. the welcome mat at Radio City as fa.- as theatrical agents are con- cerned. Cold shouldering pertains t» •lessei' lights, particularly, but gen- erally embraces the calling in toto. Traffic problems ■•in the buildings, ■ i5ub-letting (horrbrs!), : crowded lob- bies .and iadmitted cheapening effect •; \yhich the rush of producers, agents, bookers, prortioters,. et al., brought,' has proved. too much for the con- servative- mariagemerit now seeking to reclaim the decorum and the dig-, nity which the project basically • seeks. ■''.■.; Renting office has adopted a weed- ing., process to elim inate 'undesi r- ables' already; tenanting its rooms and politely discouraigirig newcomers with higher rentals, etc. . Prime~ob- ject is to clean.up the. RKO buildirig especially, the first IC fioprj. of which are nogded with; theatrical.Si ..'Nixirig of yearly rental contract renewals is part of the method employed. At first, segregation to the - RKQ •. building of nearly in 11 was consiii-:; ered the sollitlon. Thi.s was taking the lesser of two evils, preferring to concentrate rather "than • spread <igcnts, etc., around the - whoTcTlirijj-rj ect. : Beefs of more aloof .space hold- . or.s on the upper floors of the RKO buildi^ig regarding' jammed elevator service, - appearanees; and crowding ljiou,i?ht an about-face. Newcomers are rrict with sugges- tion- that they take space iri; the more - expensive RCA and ■ Internatipnal buildirigs. Short-term lcasei>, com- ( Continued on page 31) KVOO'S TOAM 'N' HARM' SPAWNS A POLITICIAN cooks OK FOR SOUND - .- v ; Cincinnati, Fob, 1. ■ . . ,Crosicy's.$helvadpr :icc boxes^^^^ ^ have buiIt-in radio receivers, ; Salesmen urge 'em ori-.cn'itQmer'-. with kitchen help to Tkeep . the-, cook feeling amiable. . . Irked; by the fashionable east- sidors. who: wisecraclc tlia^t'they neve brought ;-the Bowery .■ back,' Bob Chrilstenbe'rry, manager of. the Hotel Astpr in .-Tinies; Square, is' fathering a .Believers-in-.Broadway- nrio It's to, be hn., .aij'gres,i5ive cattipkign:, )pdepvi:acnt of .the Broadway Asso- ciation,- vviU c.Jticern itself; with, the . fiiidtown mcrchant.s; theatres. inanaa,LM.;,s; .players... hew etc... .vvlio a I P most d irecUy interested in a renaissance '.nf ;Br;nid\vny,. ... Annoyed, with the nostalgia for yesteryea r'.s , • B road way; '. C IVristen - berry, and others -prominorit in' 'the- 'prelirniriary . campaign will -point up the fac-t that all ■ the Shsjrileys. vRec^ ■tor.-;, ■ ClTu.li'ChiTl.s ..aiid .Jp<^ks;' W other day could :be ;crowdc(i into one Interhati.brial .'Ca.sino. /fur .oxanipl.c, with room. to., spare; Tlial B.rij.adway offers. more for lesi;',. ahd to. mprc people, ;than it e.vpr did in. the. > ealicd halcyon -Clay-s!' Tliai,.: wfioi-eas- .a ./revolving' dance.- floyr .at the old IVIurray's -restaurant', 'on- We.sl.. 42cl street was sornclhing;.t() .vynte homo about 20 years ago, h-iisv docs it com- pare to the t3'pe 01- M11.ory II' 10r shows to. be no'w f')und" . aiiy 'nf ihe major Broadway cabaret-th,eali--c.s?: • " ;■ ' .-.As part of the vi^orou.-; Ij.-illyhoo.. par'ados .of naat.s', constiirit r<'i'dro- bal- lyhoo..- . over .'-sympat;h.c;tic::, station."? (WNEW and .VVMCA af(> incivtioricd .'.n.'■ thi.. -r'n'MibcviOii-.),; .h- '.Bclicve-inv. .Br'pjid'Way' .tHehyo .sori.;; whi'ch Cliri'.s- tenborry ;if; cor la i;n he can. i;ct Gcoi-gc M, 'Cohan to wi'ite, arid; kindred stunts will be essayed. One idea is a harkrbaclc to what the Palace two- a-day. used ' to be,; with a typical .old-fash.iphbd.' vaudeville: shpW,, eV(>n ..unto getting Julius Lcnzberg.-or Mil-; j ton Schwartzwald- to- officiate in the I pit of the Palace for the specia|;'mid- I ni'iht show, The .second half of siich • a Palace bill would be a' •ami)le of' i what ; .'prescnt-diiy .variety' - cnter- '. tainiticnt ■ looks "li'ke, " ■ Almo.st every. Icgit and ■ vaudfilm I hianager, every rcstau.rant.'thc Timbs ';;s.ci,uare hotels; shops, etc!, - are being lined; up for this campaign. . '• The move - to resurrect and per- hap.s ve.sloi'p- the, glamour, of .-Broad--,, way iS: constructive defen.si,ve; .prr^p- aganda to offset two .cslemcht.^ thai '( Cuntinued oh. page 31; "■ Oklahoma City, Feb, 1. . 'Catfish' Jimmy ^yil.son,' who won his nickname a band leader on the KVOO. Tulsa. 'Foam and Harm Hour.' a , parody of the'National Farni and Home Hour,* is .scattering cards Tnnouncing his candidacy for the Democratic nomiriatipri for corigress- rr -at-large. . "'Bigger and better- pensions,'', 'no taxes at all'' and.-anything:, dlse^y w-anl- wCi-e some of the none too bashful phrases coined for^his cam- paign—Ijy hirh. ■ ■ •>:, ' ■.? ■..""■>'■'■■ ' ■: - 'C'llfi.sh' ran sixth in a field of 18 in the ;first primary ..ifor: Gorigre.ssm^^^ at largo in 1936, the race being won b.y .a school teacher with the name ■>f WiU Rogei-s, Cruises Fight Ski Fad ■Where winter cruise's. ih tropical Walni s maide the ,s_imphii-ie; the ..best ballyhoo'for thft '.traVel Imo, ; '. (i.'jys the growth of. winter .sports hn,s. rothrdcd the Winter cruise bUsi-. .MO--.^, '.'' .;. ■' ■ .' -;'. ;■ 'filenm.^hip linc.s-are'advprli.sirig.the ...c'Dniparatiyc merits '"of " froe^irigv in., j Avintf.r .. ;. as agaia,<;t basUintj in' j;':" 11 i 111 (' riv ..sn'risii 1 iVor . a.^i' o i.ic'. explpi ta- ' 'lii.)ii .si.iirit to oiriet the competition.