Variety (Jun 1938)

Wedhefiday, June 1, 1938 OUTDOORS VARIETY 6S CARNEYS WOULD QUIT, BUT DON'T DARE STOP 60 Sirawhais St. IiOuis, ay 31. So far the 1.938 outdoor tienting reason is the poorest since 1032 \yith both circuses arid, carnivals. Bii'si- off 25% ta .50% with good ther, with big and little shows ing.' Many would, like to call it a..day,.but if they closed would never get open again; . Bill'Haines' 15-car carnival folded and wlir reopen for .Fourth of July. Haines paid ' oJt in full and has. inoiiey to reopen. -St; tpuis hiad: three major car- nivals' day and date. Becliman Gerity jumped' in -from the ,San An-, tone Battle of Flowers, where their business was oft 15%, they did busl- ines? first week but'next two on same lot were . a blank. Hennies Bros, contracted for two weeks, but folded at end of six days arid jumped to Bioomington,. in. Had been 0"V iliree weeks, first two bad, poor weather, but at Joplin, , did $12,- 000 gross; no concessions allowed to rat*. They did $24,000 in same spot in 1937; 'DodsOji's ~ orld's . Fair Shows . played 19 days. First 10 was fair biz, biit last nine took all the profits and then some. Royal American Shows, .60' cars, four stands,' starting at Miami, Fla.; Jacksphville, Fla.; At- lanta, Ga., total blanks, and. at Mein- ;phis. Cotton Garriival, ruined by weather. Stayed over Sunday and Monday shidil returns. Zeiger Shows, one of. the best small shows, operating ^in Arizona N.tw Mexico and Colorado playied 10 weeks of bloomers, biit paid oft in full and still going. Western SUte Shows, largest truck show in midr die west,.'out nine weeks. Two win-, nersj Corpus Ghristl and .San An- tonio., Rubiii t Cherry Shows, rebuilt at -.cost «I over $60,000, four weeks, i.n Indiana and Illinois without a win- ner. Jolinny, J. Jones Shqwis out five Weeks, no dice, although Wash- ington, D. C, gave them the best front gate ih years, but customers spent nothing inside. Mighty Sheeley Midway only win- known of this year. Made money at four stiands and blowed with three with bad weather. With railroad rates raised 10% to 15% and tariff walls being placed at ports of entry in many states, high taxes and added sales tax, both city and state, coupled with special auto li<!enses- and the depression makes the outlook a gloomy one, for any 'Show' ^vith canvas. any shows have hot had a pay day this year. Three in a Row (Continued from page 48) l-ears,' 'Stage Door." 'Tfie Road Ho Rome/ with Miss ; 'Ye.<!,. My Darling: Daughter,' with Miss Reed, and 'Parnell,'- ith Miss Barrett and Price. Returning .as members of the per- iritneni' company are Mary Wickes,' Lewis Marti Gage Clarke, Eliisn Hall and Helen' Brooks. New addi- tions will be Sayre Crawley, who appeared with Miss Cowl in 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Pelieas and Meli-; saiide,'.ahd who also served with Eva La Gallie;ine's Civic Repertory The- atre; Reese Alspp, recently in from a tour with 'Biother Hat,; Janet Fox. and Sylvia Weld! jScyen ■ pei'for r ances will take place weekly, mati- nees on Wedne.sday.- Mrs. Fritzy Walker Strarisky 'is again to be bijsine'ss manager, arid Charles Holden,, scenic designer: F. Theodore Clark \yill once rribre direct the dirairia school, cqnducled in cpn- junction with thfe Playhouse. Tough on Tenters May 31. ily council .has cracked down ;6n circuses arid carnivals: Rulin is that all such shbwp must po.'st suar- aritee to clean u rpund.s arid nearby, streets. Lewiston, Ida., May 31. C'ty council, passed a resoUitlon requiring \A1 G. Barries-Sells Floto circus to post $l,000'gu. raiitccing the city against damage.s to streets. Im- mediately, Circus. Fans association and busine.ss men prolestcd,'dairiiirig that restriction .fln circus m.ay force it to avoid town. Couhcii has re- fused to reconsideT decision. WPA Shortage (Continued from page 49) Rockridge Theatre will pr lice. a new comedy by-<3eorge Sklar, 'Away From It All.' June 27. Aline Mac- Mahon will design the sets. Bslio. koadslde Baltimore, May 31.. Roadsi theatre, will get under way June 13 with revival of a. k. meller, .'Sweeny Todd.' .Repertoire lists ' lot and Passions'; 'Engaged,' by W. S. Gilbert; "The prog,' frohi novel ty Edgar Wallace, and a bi-ac« of .old ones,- 'Alabama' and "The Miner's ibaughler.' (Sroup is i its fifth year. Buffalo, ay 31. B\iffa1o gets more circuses in fbur weeks' this season thaji is usual the entire summer. Following Cole Bros, which showed here May 23, the Hagenbeck-Wailace show played May 30; and the Ringling outfit is ■ underlined for June 16i :dang-up of tent show.<! has the town heavily plastered with circus advertising. Utah Carney Row Salt Lake City. May 31. Carney controversy, gripped the Salt Lake City and Prbvo, Utah, chambers of commerce Monday, (30) with assertions and denials the local chamber is favoring out-of-the-state fun outfits: Provo chaTnber charged ' iscrimi- nation' by the Salt Lake City biz men bpo.sters in refusing to alld\« Schenectady, May 31. Fred Stone will come to Schiiec- lady from 'Hollywood - tp stat. in 'Lightriin'' at the Mohawk Dramia Festival'week of Aug. . This is; said to be' preliminary to the revival, which John Golden plans to present oh Broadway, in the fall with Stone as star. The comedy hit of 1919-1920 will replace one play .originaHjr an- nounced for the Festival, scheduled for' the Union: (ioUege ieampus. . Di rector .Charles 0.' Coburn arranged for Stone's local appearance during the former's recent picture-making engiageriient oh the Coast. Stone has also'been signed to,star i 'Liihtni '' at Raymond Moore's Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Mass., Week of, July 18. Moore aiid Richard-Al -drich will co-produce. while Arthur Sircom will direct. They're Off in Omaka Omaha, Fourth annual Ak-Sar-Ben run- ning race riieel. got under way here last ^Saturday witVi more than; 8jOOO customers passing through the wi.ck- ets., Meet will operate five days pier week this season, being closed' Sun- days- and Mondays,- and wJU close July 4, CIRCUS REVIEW ROBBINS BROS. East Jaffrey, N. ., ay 31. Wo'odbbund theatre, called the Inn last season, will qpen July 6. One new play, 'Tomorrow's Dream,' by Elsie, Sirota, will get-a tryout dur- ing the summer. Opening bill an- nounced. William 6. Partridge, di- rector, and Fritz Eisenmanri, as- sistant director, ill again have charge. 'HIjh Ter' lor Barter Lynchburg, Va., May 31, 'High Tor,' by Maxwell Anderson, Will be Barter, Players' pffering here June 10, when they make their first appearance here. TrpUpe has barn- stbrmed arpund western half of Virginia arid into Tennessee, but never has come this far east. Show is bookjed , into Randolph- Macon Women's College as part pf a s cial 'Alumnae Cpllcgc' Ogunquit, Me., ny 31. Wfllter Hartwig is planning to pro- Monte Young of Provp permission to duce 'Sfoubreltc,' a comedy by operate his car'ney show i .this burg during Covered Wagon Days, ijuly. 21 .10. 24, inclusive, while another outfit, from oiitside the state, was dotlined. Lpcal. chamber: denied the alleged charges and publicly declared that ■ypung didn't get the cpntnact. be; cause he already had signed a cpn- tract to spot part of his show at the bgden, ;Utah, Pioneer Day' celebra- tion, to be held ori the same dates as the Salt Lake outdoor everit Jacques Deval, author of 'Tovarich,' at Ogunquit PlayhouFe, wisek of Aug. 22. Deval ' wrote the comedy for Else A^gal ( rs. Deval), French ni star, Who will have the lead in the premierie.' Miss- Argal is best known for Fcmmes. her film, 'Club dey Circuses Waive CleTeiand TUFF 'SNOW WHITE' Toronto, May 31. | While cur.saged ladies screamed j and top-halted riien either struck heroic poses or suddenly remem- bijred tirgeril apppiritments else- wher , a realOife perfptmance of 'Ferdinand the Bull', was unexpect- edly staged without preliminary fan-, fare at the Toronto -Hpr.se Show in the- Coliseum, when a' rodep -steer Salem, ., ay, ; '.Owned jpintly by Messrs, Jess Ad- kins and Zack "Terrell, Rpbbins Bros.,' or the No. 2 Cole-:°iow.-is 'moving ori 14 cars-With, one ahead and .looks like a 30-car show on .'.''e lo.t Evi- dence of showmanship everywhere with perforniance rating with the best of the present day. Piractically all staff formerly of the Cole: circus, as. Well as many of the feature acts,; Physical equipment is good, show , is doing 'a flashy parade daily, and wardrobe is new and colorful. Should give the other rail outfits a' run for their money and ought to click biecause the 'nut'- is lowest of any now on tou'. .Display!—Tournament; La Argen- tina, to music iarranged by Rodney Harris, bandmas wardrobe by Josephirie McFarlan; dance$>, Betty: Jones; electrical effects, Louis' Scptt; direction, H;: J. McFarlan, equestrian director, a pleasing potpourri of musiCi sorig and dance,- with Colorful aiid novel effiects throughout. Ella Harris does the Vocals. No. 2—Ring 1: Velarde'Trip, com^ edy acrobats.- Ring 2: Comedy jiig-- gling by the'Maccellis. Ring 3: Nip- pon 'Troupe, Jap acrobats No. 3—'Trained seals in Rings 1 and 3, presienled by Albert Fleet and Richard'Entley. No. 4—Aerial bars by the Alpine Brother.^; No. S—rEquilibristic novelty: .Ring 1, Oriental Wongs; Ring 2. the Karl- jos, and Ring 3, Aljos troupe, excel- lent balancing.routine. No. 6-^Lady principal riding act, Juanita Hobson, Rose Wallet and Georgia Sweet; beautifully dressed and pleasing. No. 7—Clowns. No. 8—Aerial number.';: (Tenter ring, Great Moreens, double trapeze; in end rings, Esma ilspn, Ella Hur ris, Jean. Evans and T'Ja Voii^e. single traps, On swinging trApeze, Senorila Velsea and Armita Velarde doing heel catch after .special announce- ment. Eight others on swinging ladders: No. 9— in both end ring.s. No. 10—Bulls in all three rings, five each ring, with all. as.<«mbling on track after a bead carry by Eddie Allen. No. II—Clown band. No. 12—Wire acts. Center ringi boundini; rope rpiitiiie. by a young- ster and light wire, al each end. > No. 13—Mile. Cy.se O'Dell. Kyrn-■ nast clo.iinu with usual phlange. - ' : No. 14-,—Liberty hor.'ic.':.' In renter rinir, 12, presented by John iSmith,. with trained ponies in . end rin.sjs offered by Clarence Canary and Frank Schmidt. No. 15—Iron jaw: Sis r.'; Rita. Sul- livan Si.siers and TacomiT Si.ster.s. No. 16—Hobson f;imilv of riders. usinJ! six people and four heiid of- stock, exrcllently excciitcd bareback 'i-idiri.i'. featuring ' Herbert Hobson uomed.v. No. 17—<;ymna.slic; Preen Family :n eqiiilibristic b.nlancinf,'; (he To- iama troupe, hand bnluhoiu;:. iind cics ampurit pf^le.s^ than $1,000 after checking' up , lor -. several mphlh.s. If that,included the Adelphi shprl- age, the tPtal ampunt is'regarded as relatively trifling,. cpnsidering the niimbier'. of pepple invplvcd, and might be explained as npt being deliberate till-tapplng. .Edwards, hbwever, has said that individuals in WPA handling public funds,- in the fprm pf theatre admissions, 'have an oblig'atlpn pf industry and integrity, superipr, anything,, to their obli- gations to private, industry.' George-Kondolf, director of pro- ductipnr pointed out that th^ ticket people are under the su rvi.sion pf the admiriistrator ;and that .'the reyer lati ,■ it sustained, should' riot re-' fleet upon the project's- activities. Hallie Flanagan, national director,- stated that the ticket - Hers are urider bond and there "would be no loss to the government Stated that 12 ticket sellers had been susperided, nine from the-cir- cus and three at the Lafayette, some formetly connected:! with legit ther atres: Shield if be.determined that the alleged, shortages be mistakes rather than 'petty irregularities,' as Edwards puts ,it, they .will'be reinr stited without loss of pay. 'That the so-called situation should have been limelighted appears riot to have the approval of department heads in the theatre project Ralph Craig, finance director - of the arts projects, and. Walter Campbell, agent-cashiir of the theatre end, will coriduct 'furi, ther detailed audits' of box office statements. HAAG CIRCUS' m STAND; SHOOTING Loui.svilie, May 31. Two men were killed, and si others were wOunded in a gun batr tie at Beattyville, Ky. (23) in ihe afternoon, on' the grourids of the Haag . Bros. Circus. Some 4 patrons under the big top. fled i panic as at.; least, five pistols were emptied midway between the side- show arid -the' riiain "tent. 'The 'de are Barlow Durbi ' roadhouse kee r, and former Sheriff Charley Blount. The woundied included deputy sheriffs, two bystander.s, arid an unidentified .Negro circus roust-, about. Shooting'was reported to he bccasipried: by a -,, long-standing grudge between the participants.- When circus patrpns: heard, the gunfire, the tent was eriiptied of p&trons,-and perforiners, worked side by side''with roustabouts in . dis- mantling the' show and loading the equipment on. true 'Tpwn.speople were ti'eated tp spme 'heartv cihuck- les,,'as the Werd Was itassed around that the circus landed in their town for only ai minute, after which they packed and were rolli the: next stand, Richmond, Ky: A. D. ZANZIG DIRECI^ JUNE IHISICAL FETE City, ti Salt Lake City, ay. 31. ustus D; S^nzig of New York r of music for the Na* Recreational Associatipn,. to- day inked a cpntract to dir t the Music Festival of. the Mutual Im- provement Association of the Latter- day Saints (Mormon) church June 11 in the Salt' Lake tabernacle, which seats around 10.000. Festival is one of the most auspi-. clous music events sponsored by the Church. More than 1,500 singers will participate. MiX OUT OF SHOW WPA PLAY (Continued from Page 51) Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation, the; Constitution, ef- fect of the Revolutionary, Civil and World Wars on the country's, finan- cial structure, crash of 1929, Dred Scott Decision, Whiskey Rebellion and other historiciil highlights take on new color in this production. Best sequence of all is the Gettys- burg Address, delivered by Frank Thpmas through a p.ii. .set. with two soldiers on stage interposing corn- merits to punctuate the phrases. Staging is coriimendable. Taking a tip from Orson Welles, the produc- tion heads have built a set similar to the 'Julius Caesar' platform. No scenery; just a few props. Among those Who showed to- good advantage, are Frank .Thomas, Jo- seph Thayer. I>oui.se Kirllancl. Erne.st O'Banyori, Willinm Wright, Cordelia McDonald. George Richiird.son. Ar- thur'Barry and: Ramon Gieeiileaf. Fox. Cleveland, May 31. ecaiise of uncmplo.vment con.di- in .Cleveland, which is being Keafdlined as couiitry's hardeft-hit- by-recession. cily. -twtf circuses have- -^^^^ .s^uh „nci a (tny.f 'n olhow. cancelled (hejr datc.« here. | I!)—Clown wiilkriroiiiid. RingliriR Bros, B.Trhum & Bai'ey ] ,Vd 20—Flvin^ net.-: Kl.v! plasteied town with fdur-.shcels two ; er's .and Acriiil Bchc<:-s. weeks a^o, but apparently bccariie | c-civptl, frightened by rumors of bad bui-iness I -Ko. 21—R;ic«;.«: ot-kcv i-;ice. nnd 'Cii'ciiin.stance? beyond pur ■.riderleys hoi;.se .;iv:iirt'-'l uickey r:dci : Outdoor Swing Fails'to: Appear.in'a Namb.er of 6hl» .Spots—^Bep«r(cd III^ assillon, O,, ay 31. Absence from- the program'for mor^ than a week of Tpm Mi , western film cpwbpy 'star, Ipst .his^ circus miich prestige on ;its recent swing through . Ohio .and. western Pennsylvania; Despite heavy ad- vance' billing.'that Mi in person would poisitively apipear at every perforniance, he wbs not'with the show for its week of Ohio' stands. Mix was npt on; the shnw from the tiriie it left. Columbus, second day in the state, and executives .explained that he was Indisposed. Ruth Mix, daughter of the fli star, yrith her father's show this'sea- son, -proved a litesaver at stantis where ix failed to: put in his jbp- pearance. She is a versatile «er-. former, has lots of personality' and had riiuch more tp dp in the pro- gram and : concert ;than her father's usual routi Takes a Record Montreal, ay 31. -Here seven da^.s. May 21-28,-at the Forum, .seating 11..SO0,- with prices 50-'75-$I,00 and 25c for children Hamid-Mortoh circus grossed $31..')pO and showed tO'25,000 on Vietoria Day 'May 24) alone, with bumper houses on the two Saturdays. No show pn Sunday.- Bob Morton, vice-president. Na- tional Pr ucirig Co. and Hcm.i • Morton Cn.. claims Tuesday's biz-was the biggesl.in the history of the com- pany and ea.sily the bigge.sl .6i the ■four years the circus has been com- ing to this city, with gro.ss this yc.'i bettering la,st year's biz by $10,0 (Continued from page 40) big a cheer with the novelty 'Oh Ma Ma,' as iiny of the swing beaters. Modei'n jitterbug is probably the' best informed of any type of music addict, pak or present. Tliey eat up any and alf literature containing intimate details about- their idol.s. Just One Tenter Hartford. May 31. Hartford will have only one circus presentation this year instead of two. jRinj^ling Bros,, Barnum & Bailey will exhibit here on city-owned circus lot' June 28. Cole Brothers' ircu has cancelled a permit for iisc 6t the lot Jiinc'.'J. City ordinance allows o.nly two circus presentations a year. 100'// American Nasljua, N, H,. M:iy .11. . John T. Ben-son, owner i)l lli-nson's ■Wild Animal Farm here, hit the Candid camera is a favorite weupon, ! ^ p^^^^ ^^ggi^ the news Cop,s had to sift through the mob j^at a .Ti,i-poun(l male chimpanzee ,a,„a ..wuj,. ..-..V. „ on; the huae b.md.sland every hour • bom to hi.s 10.yclir:old .mother, Arcadian Family, fe luring rislcy I asking to see oksiys ofjhe i-i.mcri,-.-uv^., work, j.totcrs to be there. Most of those 1 Bch?,Qn recorded il wo.' < w. Eng- Nn; -]8—Menage number', featuring j to.ssed back into their .scats were ^ or.si-ljorn eliimp, and one of .some fibe stock, Hish jump by Mr,", [equipped with high .speed lenses. /jibPui four to ever sea Uiiiletl .Statt.s* It's iin otl(ly-on bill tliiit. selfclcd ; captivity, ;it Miridom, ,iny one cif 'I'ln could tell i - .„^^-..!. locally. .named Snow While'tossed a Circlcr j control' was onl.v reason given lor i M .cowboy, I canccMatioh of June i:i-14 dates on^j wh;il .size soek Benny Goodm.iri wciir.s. where find h'lw m;iny gro.'.-s at a liinc Gene Kriipii buy.': i.., cliew- ing gum (which he ehew.s ;i mile-a- nomari siahdinjj ;in(l olh« ' minute, on .nnd olf .^-lii;;e •.. mid wh;il Hoot Gibv'Jri .-rrid ).ai-?c b:nid of ; ,n;,(tc in.slnimbnis they li.sc, Tlieir rowboys and (•'iWHirl.'- .'dt tjfrir'rcrl ns -•We then, jumped the five-foot-bar. [ lake front, in Rinpliir«-S oflieial 'hO-j^J^^-^l^fc^r wilir'liirwo^T^'r^MU.^^^' '.'ij^. ■S^ZftZ'^^tT^'T'^ licr. lor an orchid-smelling :expcdi- 'lice to .To.seph E: Ca.ssidy, city liccnf lof bis .show ciMomclf rcfir;.in'>iy foi- ' nhillcrl .senders wniie ...w.ix tion among the box-holders, com is.sioiicr.: i the aftcrshow. Mark. ' t''<-^ ctc„ .p ii.iit;,riM>. CIRCUS ROUTES Week of June 6 Karnes-Sells-Kioto :iii:.(.r,i..,i, .,Miii. 1; I'.•li-,-.. i. :: . ci . II,--. /.••i.iii.ii.i",-. ;i; siii ii.v, in: i.;iiiM...ii; n, i.ii.i,-.. ; ■. Itlnplini; Bros.-Rarn r'j(is)i,i,-Kii, c''' :f..i.l„.liil,', ;,..-... i-'hi i->,