Variety (Feb 1938)

VARIEfr ot International Theatricial Corp., : subsid of the defunct Fr;ench Casinoj ' N; Y., has been restrained fr.om 's6- ciirihg a license for his dwji .ag^cy tiii cbniiplaint of Three. ■Swifts. Act • charges: ingalls^ G^ -G. Fischei: and the pperatbrs of late G.'. Sha- . pirp and Blumenthal, with .npt^.'sup- plying ihemi: with .return :fi^ir^s; ■ tp. -Eurppe.; as promised after they cpnr ciuied- an engagernerit in September. . Act \vas-signed by •Fischer.".-. At •^reviPiis hearing: beifp^^^^ Llc^ris^ ' Gommissipneri'.: op'eratprs ; prPmised ;, an adjustmerit. • Shortly . thereafter. the' Paris. in'.New York CPrp. went' into; bankruptcy,^ rneant djEspIution .. io'f ;tbe ;: subsid- ■ aigiency. and cdnseiquerttly tto '.r^^^ • Louis P.: P the ■;jSw.ifts;-■■•■..'.■ ". ■ ■ :■ - .^ : > Late'yesterday., sXTuiesday X^^^ staled : he Would pf^rspriaU.y defray; the Swifts' passage.'. Fischer has also .taken' over the International fTheat- ridal Gprp. .as a\ personal venture, but this Is apart.from Ihgalls- deal. : v Cliffbrd Fischer/and' Loui?; F* Biumenthal-jrack. Shapifp last weeH eettlced their legal, differences but of CPurt after liiuch nianieuv^ring;. Fpr--. m6rly partnered: in the French' easihp, ;N» Yi, feacH: vhad - clainis ; agkinst the other. Matter wjenV tP arbitratipn, but -was settled by - " spectiye .'attprheys .before the heatr •irigs %^ ■concluded..' Part -of thie, settlement; calls fpr. Fisclieir : td;^9^ quire the Jn^rnational agehdy^ ■ • . Fischjer returris.: ;tp, Lbndpii.' and , .taris this Fridiay (4), having a new ' London Gasiiip; show in prospect; for A^ril debut; .and theri^^has. in mind tp; resume on tirpadway.^.He has beeh negotiaiting ibr . inew- N. Y. spot;' .! ■ i : It will Hot be:: the proposed site on West 52d street, fprmerly I^^^^ Ldiiis J. Breckeir,. owner of Rbseland ballrdpm, N, Y., aind cp-6whCT of the Ihternatidnial Giasihd, has taken an bptidh pri this spp^ planning, a big . dancery. , - .: -•>;.■■■ ■' -.vCleyelandi ^Feb. I, -■: ' ,Gleveland nitery • pplefators are lending a hahd to the city's auto safety- driye by ihaugurat-;, >:ing a', hew service. desfi ned, tci. "alleviate drunkein.driving.. Three .placeis. h iave ■ cdme up' "with the .nbviel.^ S;SjS;-^'spec|al ■ ' stew servic:e'.'.. Service'- calls for applicatroh of , ammPnia arid pther .qiiick , restoratives. ; '■: lios AASeles,- Ffeb.'1.^ . Group of - iFanchohettes^ L; A. Par imouht theatre's^^^^ With the American-Federation pf Ac ;> tprs* preliminary; tp submitting for- mal • demands ph Fanchph ■ Mafcd fpr ;ihpre::pay and shprter houi-.s. Girls '' claim thiey are now wprkihg as, mariy : ;as<iT'-hdUris.a. day. ■'.: ' ■ F & admitted that; b ; niaiture. of their, wdrk it Was neces sary. for - thcni ;to put /in; additipnal hours of rehearsal pti top pf .their -fpUr ;daily Shows, but ipdinted put that their :niinimMrn' weekly, wage is $35,;' With . the , more: iexpterienced . dancers drawing down i $42.50 arid ::^$4T.6b. ;:>:v; v.; .-'-^;^ ■'■. - ■,; ,> Executives also said :thjB girls were danceris drawing ddWh $4^^ •;."'»^,day;v ■..:;\■■;^■^.■ ;:Ghicagbi-Feb}tt^ . ■Franchise- pjt ihe;Venti]r.e;^^ d^^^ division and brganizatidh of the Wesieirn Vaud'eyiile! M has . been; .taken : oyer by Mort. ;H; Singer, vwiib wil^^ dperatie in 'cpniUnc- t'ion with the. Singer circuit of thear t^es. in; the midwest .ia,ftd, so ..; WVMA here. was. originally.- a part df the OrphCum circuit and was sold later to ftiCO;. ; WVMA lias always beeii tlie booking, office if or the; RKO • circuit ih; this ;territPry. At drte tjmie,: the . WVMA^ p many as 60;weeks of Yaudei:. During, its heydiEiyj; Singer: was g'enieral man-: ager, at which tirrie he '^ivas. also an executive ^f the OrpheUm circuit. it is UhderstdPd, , in relinquish the; WVMA franchise td Singer; that RKO:. wiiil, retain an! interest' in the; organization .aind will, participate, in' its ; prp'fits. At- present; WVMA i^; bppkihg the GolphiaiV Dayton;: Lyric, : tndiahapdlis;; Palace, Ft. Wayne, and the; Mprt Singer houses in Ipwa, in additipn . to . severat independeiit ;va.ude spdts throughout the terri- tory. Warner Jones; who has beeri booking niairiager for several years, c(Dntinues: in that ;capacity.. Takeover of WVMA by Singer in ho way affects the regular RKO the- atre pperating division, headed /by Jiiin Christy. ;Ohly; change will be that of the-physical setup of the of- fices in the State-Lake building; with Ghristy mPying headquaTters in with the Sirigef iayPUt/ while cohtinuirig td be district chief of thie RKO Pal-; ace here, and . the :RKd theatre$^^^i^ Champaign, St. PaUl. Des Mpines arid Kansas City. v^;. ■■ Details on Chorus Equity jurisdic liorial fight will be found pini page 7.; Kalmihe Liiies Up Shows Before Cokst Trek . Pittsburgh, Feb. 1 ' Stanley, WB': deUixer, celebrating lOth. anniversary this" month and has • flesh ;fixed ior*fiye .\\'.eeks ahead, first ;•. time .irt ;years:' house has ever been .■ booked that solid.. :Harry Kalmine; •' zone.- manager for Warners here ''Jihed'.:Up' flock of riaiiie 'bi^^ :ai , trac'tipris before' pulling out for ;. ' Hdlly wood . w i,th;, jyirs. Kalmi ne .on ; s jnbnth's vacation.; r ;.''•;'.' . Ted Weems is current and follow Jrig' him icoriieS :pihky. Tpmlin, last- minute substitution for Jackie Cooper, who had .to cancel when called back to Coast for pic ;.:bill with Califprnia . Collegians, Mi- chph Bros;;' Sybil, Bpwah and Lath • rpp: Bros, and Virginia: Lee.- For week of Feb. . 11, .Stanley gets Duke ;,Ellingtoh's band arid follows up; all-star yaude shoW including Tim ; arid Irerie, Borrah Mir^eyitch and his Harmpnica .Rascals, Helene Derii ;: zpri arid .12 American ;Rockets, Lee Dixon arid Rampria.' ; : Judy. Garland, screen youngster ;: headlines •Feb; 25 andjrrianagemen; will bu ild presentation arounc her, and March 4 brings, on Barney Rapp's .pre for' first visit at thiS :Spo'; in three years.;' er to Operate Chi Booking 3 N. Y. Burleys OK'd , Ne;w: reprieve ; has been granted three of New York's five, existing burlesque" theatres, with; relicensing okayed,; until April 3p, when a new year begins. Those okayed were; the Star, Brooklyn, and the Eltinge arid Republic, N.. Y.,. licenses for which, w^re; Up yiesterday: (Tuesday). , Other two, the Irving, Place and. ipeople's,do; not come, upvfdr. reli'^ censing until March 1. ■;.,;. Cuffa Entertamers Abused by S^^^ citin :. 7' : : • r • Philadelphia, Feb. 1., .. Performers at four riiteri;e.<? ;he're- who were asked -td:-;c:piitrib. cuffo en- tertainriient,. at ;'i5anquet | of , Philly, Sports. Writers Aissociatibri l£(st Tucs-r day .(25) night are burning plenty over treatment accorded them by' .scribe's'^ri(i.guests..'.■:•■;.; .' ; Although /acts,, were j).ut on; 'very: early, before; dririkirig y tPok ; good hpldyf:enteElainers comiplairied of lack . pi; atteritipri, hand^pattei:, thariks. or other sign of. appreciation; Fact :is some .of the boys .(one of them thic bp of a hitery 'supplying softie of the acts) provided theriiselves with ■ rub- ber arid bands and pap.er;ciip3, Helen; .Jordan* from Fraink PalUmbp's line, was hit in; the .eye and had to leave the; platforim.:' Oth^ black arid biue" marks frorii the; fast-." flying;; Sharp-edged . 'spitballs.''; Sev-: era! ; femme ;perfdrmiers; were^^^^S^ badly riled at raucous reception they came off the podium-in ; tears. .■: ; . Burning as much as the performers were Al Hbrwitz, of the Ledger, prez of;,the iSpprtswriters,\and John Web- ster, of the InqUirerv. chairriiari; of the eiitertaiijment: cbriimittee: Biqith did :their best td quell the disorder arid show their appreciation for Vthe acts:.■;,.,■ ,■'. , .'Onie of principal troubles, ap- parently, was that the performance was .tpQ lorig.: Instead of: trying to cvili best' entertainment, coriiriiittee tried tp give entire .works from Pa-;' lumbo's, Benny the Bum's, Bob Bob HofT's 21 Club,, and 1523 Locust. Re suit; was that there was . only, .'tirii? ■ eribugh for -entire" Pa.lumbo show! and One act: frprii each of the others. Although benefit chiz didri't neces sitate any of the s^btis vskipping shows,. it mearit troublesome re- arrangenierit of skeds.. Frank'ie" Pa- lumbo even' brought up his entire 'bircheslcaV'O'■■.'•■..-■ ;■ 'V-..■ :■;;;'% Waltz Vsv Big Apple ; Reriais.sance- of the waltz theSe days, in the class spots of Man-- hattan, has ■ bobnied cbutbu- .; Tiers' waltz-gown business, ,-p,n'd, also sbryed a-v the defi to the .Big Apple. , / : The '- Rainbow ; Tl.Qioriiv Mon. •.Paris,.. St. ■ Regis' ;"Mais6rietie, Rus'se,, thfe Waldorf s Sert fiobm, , .• and; . in fact, every. class ■spot'; features a .special waltz night,, or; highlights the, 'Waliz;;.sessions . at sbme s'tagc: of '^o;evening.; ;• 3 Tnistees to ; H'wood Restaurant Until Assets Sold MILTON, DAMUR TO#EN(MN:t CAFES Billy Milton, Jack Buchanari-lype songster, comes, from London to open Feb. 23 at the Rainbpw Room,- N.. Y., booked by Richard Krai, rur of LoUis Schurr's office. He's from Lpndon musical comedy, although he Was at EI Morbcco for a spell,; : ,:■ ¥ Another legiter turned riitery Is Hene Damur,who - succeeds Mitzi Mayfair at the Savoy-Piaza, .N". Y., Friday (4), with^ her pi'anplogs a la Marion . Chiase. Grazielle Parrage, ;CUbari.'songstress,"; leai-es' LaRue's, N. Y., for vacation / her native Hayaria, rcturnirig March 1. ;,; NEGRO ORG ROBINSON AND SISSLE Jeanne Deyereaux Set To Sail for iParis Date . Jeanne Devercaux, daricer recent- ;" 1 y at the International Gas-inp,',N,. Y,, sails,- jiest 'webk (12) to fill - an eri- .^,iagemerit at the Bal Tabariiii Paris.- Dat at the French .spot is indefinite, but- iis. fpr ,'"ia- miniriium -bf/.- tftrefe- ;triorith5i;Fpllowirig; tha^^^^^^^ per will: gP to England, for three- mbnth.s, opening at the Pailadi.um, London, thd.n to South AriieriCa.,.;'* ■ "Since leaving the,; Iriterria.tional Casino, Miss Devereaux has played a (late at the Chicago Theatre, Chi- caio, arid has been on the Coast.. NoWiHe's a Juggler- • Horace .H^idi. has new roUr tine .to .his orchestra; I'directirig at,- Hotel Biltmpi'e Bowman Room, N. "V. Intrbduc'ed as a Caballero, njacs.ti-p does.three jUgglirig- stunts^.\vith three tariribburiries;,- three - balls and three Indian clUbs. ■ '•. -- Strictly as rilpvelty and for laugh, purposes. Heidt is not perfect yet; ; Installation' of officers Of the' new- ly fbrmed Negro Actors Guild took place Sunday (30.) afterridori at the clubhouse ;of the CSrarid Street Boys Assn., N. Y. Ofl'ice.fs inducted were Bill Robirisbn,. honorary pres.; Noble SiSsle, pres.; (Miss):. Fredi Washingr ton, executive sec^; W; C. Handy, tre^s.; Muriel Rahn, recbrdi'ng. sec,, and Lou Lane, repdrteir .fpr the Airi-; sterdarii News/ as'sistarit recording secretary. Cab Calloway and Elnier Carter also were iristalled, former as cha i rman of the executive board, and latter as first v n. of sarrie. Gathering pf;apprbximat,ely 200 of the:fbrenribst -Negroes in shpw busi- ness; was addre.ss'ed .during the. cerc,- mpriies by Dave Fergu.'ion, head of the Jewish Actors Guild; Coh Ar- thur: W. Little^ commander of 6,9th Regiment; .U. S. Army> Negro outfit, of \vhi,ch Sissle :V.'as a member during the War; Marty .Fprkiris;.'Iryihg' Mills,: of Mil 1 s Artists; J udge Gpldstoin,: pf ihe Grand Street Bby.s,. who -installed nuriicrcius perspnalilies Info-leSser .of-; fice.s, ,and Alan C.prelli of - the "The- atre 'Authority;; '-^ ;,--•;'•" . ' in-his .speech;vbf 'ac,qeptance, Robin-; son :sta;te.dL that .he . was [ in..pp.ssessjbn of $3,00.6 from a forriier benefit which he would, split bctwceii the infant org and : another .bcncyPlertt grbup. in Chicago. " '-';/;'-'-" ; ;'initral pla.ns:;pf. .the' outfit call for a widespread iriehiberj^hip d to be . directed./fJ-orii. the offices, .of Sol Feinstcin, ISCO Broadway, N. Yv, who was •elected; cb,Lins,ei for the prganiza:-^. tion. •:■' • ■:, -•■ ' ■ ;-.' ■ After, three weeks of' probirig into ihe affairs :bf the A., St] iU;. Restaurarit Corp., which operated .-the now defunct rHpUy'wpod^ ReStaU^^^ on Broadway, ■ at/ :i5r6iiririi,nary. :cre'di-. tors' hearings, a. board of three per-; marient trustees wias ,elected Mon-' d:ay (31) at a hearing befpre Refieree Harold Coffin; The three selected by the creditors, are Arthur;;Wv^opp: the, trustee in liquidatibri; VArthtir^ N. Asher and. Wiliarii M. Wallace, At the sanie; tinie an ' attbrney ;repre- seritirig . an uriidentified :c,llent, ber. iiieved:tp be in the, catering bUsiriess,' entered an initial bid of $8,500 for the . restaUraht's . equipment.\-H bids' aire expected to. be received at the first j pint hearing before Referee Cpffin which is set for Fiiiday (4)1. " Joe MpsSi former head of the A&U Corp., iand present director pf the. International' GaSino, has been ex- amined on; numerous occasions at What. cbnuTiPriiy called .'fishing ekpeditions,' into the firianciai upset pf the former p^ nitery; 'He will be the principal witriess .before, the referee; Moss, , qiieistioned' ,re-, gardirig exchahge of. Checks, between the Hollywood and the Internatiorial- arid other restaurants, explained that such a procedure wa? .Cpmriibn;al,dng. ..Broadway. V^heriiprie, place .was short pf cash.iri meeting; a payroll it wpuld have its check cashed • by anpther restaurant. Over.;$29,000 in A&U checks had been made out to the International Casino, it was;revealed, Moss claims hie personally made all these checks' good from his -own bankiri'g aCCdUnt, Qthfr similar checks aggregating abdut $4,()00 were issued to .the Pavilion Royal at; Val- ley 'Stream, L. I., in which Moss is also interested. :"' ■■ ;■; ■ •,. . . ; Detr^dit, Feb.; l. -V-;- . Fifty percent JjUshiri cafe/n^^ room nitery . licpn^es;^ recomrriended:.. by .conirtjpn .cpunciV and. police at a' legislative; pfpbe- into Detroit's,:^ ; died'.-cpriditiPns here last ; wpek, ' under - corisideratibn: by 'State .jtviiri, : lK)Aid, V $la;sh would .cut' local .<ppts ' . from ;3,00b;tP 1.500, and stricter, rules ; for Obtaining .licerisics w^ ;Sot ' up, - ^''<'■•- '. ■■.:-' "■: : Inquiry, re.sult .of: newspaper arid civic grbup clamor for liquiar;clean- up, .foilow:irig.; series, of , sex crimes , and mvrdei-s, also brought rccopi- mcndatibris ' frpnl several- police in- .. spectprs; that:: dancing, be; abolished; :'-.. from ;all; hocturri spots, to>^^e present deplbrabfe qorid»tibrisi, T*}' sUggeStionv whilC: uriiikeiy to: be car- ,; ried but, at least in the hear future, r ■,}.. unless conditions become wbr.se, would entail the firing bf around 200 barids and abput 500 acts in town's 200 spots having; entertdinment .-arid ;', dariCing. -^■■■;.::v;:- ;■' ' -•:■.';; Musician and actpr unions are pre- pared "to- battle the recphimendatiori to; the;:hiltv:althpUgh :it's extremely : doubtful thiat the ;recoriimondalibri will get farther thari the suggestioriV stage. If the current cleanup: drive fails td tone . down conditions arid public ,clamor, ho^wever, more trouble may be caused later,: . : Hearing alsq brought ' put that po- lice - reCbmmendatidns are ■bften;,ig'!> : : nored in granting licenses^ and case piE heavyweight chariip Jde tdUis's recently opened 'Ghickeri ShaCfc^ was : Cited as example; While police pbint- ed put. that they were , not opposed to Louis finaricirig; suchi. a preject,;. they declared the 'Brown Bprribef's* : nitery was housed in a remodeled dwelling,: violating a state rum board Regulation. '■ .• ■ - No iriimediate" action is expected on .slashing night spots in half, rym board believing that ;it can weed 'iem . out - when anriUar licenses coriiie: up. for reriewal in the spring. Economic cdnditibris, which have played havoc with local sppts in ripcerit lrnonths. is ; expected to be:. another, factor in eliminatirig a gbod percentage: of present licensees." : ' . '■ \. '■ ;: Club ; Continental, :'. of; town's better clia^s niteries, which was :br* ; dered.to close by state rum board oa gambling charges, has been ijlaced Under a state sales tax warrant, with a deputy sheriff in charge to see nothing is sold or taken but until state's bill of $3,000 is satisfied. Rum board, after, finding spot guilty of gambling^ allbwed Prop. Arnold G. Marx to keep spot ppcril uritil today (1), pending his attepipts ; to dispoise of fixtures and pay. a $500 fine. .'.:.'. V-' '■ ■ - ■'''-.. ■'•" :• ' ■ 4 DANCE TEAMS, NEW NITERY IDEA IN N. Y. :-:-Ahswor to .What fbllpW.s Big'-Apf pie hotel.s and niteries " the bo;qking' of four dance r tbanris :,foi- simultaneous performances at .. the. New. Yorker hotel, N. Y.; coincident With: the opening of jimriiy ,Dbr.scy's barid Feb,.27, ' to::;succced.Gleri Gray^ Go.sa Loma ereW." Dance tearns must be ' able to - switch frbm tango, to shag,; to :acrobatics;, to waltz, etc., with;each succcsKlye nightly; appear-. arice.•: '-.' , ;.:-■':■-.:■■■; ;., 'Gag- iS; tp;buy ;tour:lc£n7is for", the price of Infitcad of; engaging one .high .powered riariiC .attraction, bopkers hope to catch on with 'rioyelty. \: Ba nd . and teams :'com pri so entire shoW. Rockwell - Q'Ke'efe booked : ;•;■ •,': -::. ;: ; '" e Again : ,.•.-': ' IToUywood, Feb. 1,: Few months ago Bob Murphy, time vauder, took iri Johnny. Marvin,, songster arid tinpanner, :as! a partner ;■ : his chcip .horis^e, ,' . Last week Murphy finished Up eight wieeks iri Metro's 'Girl of the ;Go.lden West,' .indorsed; the check over to hence plenty of mistakes ir. manipu- Marvin and now has the eatery, back latipris. .1 under single ownershijp. Loretta . Lee Leaves Coast for Vaudeville Loretta Lee, ;-.swlng-; sorig.stress, :. i.s- eri .route .frohn.: the: QjasV .for some yaude ' dates. 1 las been in Holly- wood since siimmei' .airing from that end. on GBS while sandwiching iri two riitery engagements. • ; pperis/i'riday.:^^^ trpit. . - Set • for followihg.; stairiza at the Palace^ Cleveland, week of Feb; 18 at the . Palace, iColuinbUs, and March 4 at the Palace, Chicajgo., Mpls. Licehse. Ref uitalfl Minneapolis, Feb. l.; In the wake of the purity, wave that is:;;sweepirig. the city, three of the largest and liveliest of ; the loop night: clubs^Liridy's, -Curly's arid the -. , Paradise—haVe,be license reriewals, Another, Cbcpanut; Grpve,-biggest and riipst elaborate ct them all, is closed temporarily be- cause of poor biz. .: ■ ':'- The; city cduncil turned down the ; three liceri-se renewals by a vote of 14 to 12 after a hot fight. ShorUy bdfore, foilbwirig a raid, it:-had re.r :. yoked the.licenses of the South Side club, an al^night black-sirtd-taji nitery.: ' - :' . \ Liridy's, .:Curly's and' the' paradi.siB: ^ had .been'in :,the limelight bc^'caUsc' tf, -: alle.'^ed liqubr seilirig after. hours and ph. Suridays.r gartiblirig^^^^ ises ..and: ,ptheb^ laW;. yb(it\ there 'was. rip cpurt c.onyiclipri igairist^ any of them'. ;,-■.:• .;--^■'.;■;.:.;'; Utah's: Monopoly Earnlnfrs ■.'■';:.;;.:- Salt Lake Gity, Feb. 1. Major reason why Salt L.altc GW f .. riight Club operators a^ crying over '. rnedipcre biz arid errirHy"reiisH-boxes;, was coritairied in -a report i.s.'aied by the state;treasurer,:showing that the . Utah liquor control - eorrimisSipiii:, earned; $1,020.000 si rice the riionopoly system ■was introduced-June l;; 193.5. V About three years ago there were nine night, spots, of which, foup 'wer in the :chrpihium. decoration ; class.- Today • only ritzy joint. Hotel ;Utah's Empire room, and Club Ren- dezvous; and Heidelberg club take ift cridugh to , v/a^ jflop* shpws and smiail^ bands;