Variety (Oct 1938)

42 VARIETY VAUDE--NITE CLUBS Wednesday, October 12, 1938 Theatre Authority Asks Pohtico Aid In Chicago to Protect Acts at BeneHts Self-Regulation~\ • 15 YEARS AGO • > (From Variety end Clipper) Chicago, Oct. 11. Theatre Authority offices here have sent letters to leading political figures and to many acts booked into nite clubs and theatres for the coming season; stating the TA stand on benefits. Notification to the political lead- ers,* who have used acts for all types of political benefits in the past, explained that no member of the American Federation of Actors, Actors Equity Assn., Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Radio Artists or the American Guild of Musical Artists is permitted to par- ticipate in any benefit performance without the authorization of the TA. Letter asked the co-operation of po- litical chieftains. Performers were also told of the arrangement, which is submitted as a general plan for the protection of the performer and to see that he's not unfairly exploited. AIXENTOWN'S DISTINCTION AUentown, Pa., Oct. 11. With the opening here of the Lyric, Jack Beck, presents flesh shows three times a week. It's split between Izzy Hirst burlesque and eight acts of vaudeville booked by Hairy Biben; out of Philadelphia. As far as known, the Lyric is the only theatre in the U. S. presenting a 100% straight vaudeville bill, sans pictures. (Continued from page 3) Irene Castle lost tached in Baltimore cert agent for failur tract the previous I out and headed for the train was held and arrived too latie to refund $3,482. two dates. At- by a local con- e to keep a con- scason. Bonded Washington, but up by a wreck , Theatre forced ENRICA NOVELLO LOEWS STATE. NEW y6rK W eek October 6 th NETHERLANDS PLAZA CINCINNATI October 20th (Four -Weeka £ng;ageinent) Thnnks to KOCKtVELL-O'EKEFE Interpretations have created about the law? 4. If regulation of the busines."! practices-in distribution and exhibi- tion by criminal statute is inevitable, what sort of laws will be acceptable to the responsible independent ex- hibitors? .5. Should the responsible inde- pendent exhibitors and the country town theatre owois have any voice in Federal and state legislation to regulate business practices? 6. What is required of exhi itors by the new Federal Wages and Hours Law? 7. Will there be new Federal and State admission taxes for relief and social security? 8. Will the unions force a closed shop on small town theatres through unionized film' exchanges? 9. Was the national advertising campaign worth the cost and effort? Should it be I repeated next year? 10. What can exhibitors do to curb unfair competition between theatres, to increase boxoffice receipts, to im- prove theatre operation? 11. What should local exhibitors do to curb and restrain (rather than encourage and inflame) public preju- dice and hostility towards our busi- ness and towards motion pictures? 12. What pictures will be released the rest of the season that have box office possibilities? 13. What does the public want in entertainment? What is being done around the vfjuntry to develop new audiences? One -niters clamoring for more road shows.' Only 40 troupes out and 350 dates. Eddie Leonard back at the Palace, N. Y., with E^nother new act, using a banjo, band. Old act had too much' kind-applause talk. Nellie V. Nichols-had been resting in Los Angeles for several months. Found time to create a new act, which she broke in at the Hillstreet. Julius Tannen one of the hits at the N. Y. Palace. Was getting his joke material from, the-newspapers, and keeping it right up to date. Powers elephants; new to this house, scored strongly with their dancing. Five of the nine acts at the Alham- bra, N. Y., were full stage and three of them had three or more scenes each. Plenty work for the grips. Unit Reviews Hollywood Surprises (DENIIAIVf, DENVER) Denver, Oct. 8. El Brendel tend Flo Bert, Ray and Virginia Coldtwell, Caprino Sisters, Darrell Payne, Vic and LaMar with Keene Twins, Samrny Laschel house orch (10); 'Campus -Confessions' (Par.) Jack Benny doing a single at the Broadway, N. Y., and getting himself over to a big hand with the aid of his fiddle. Next to closing and earning the place. The El Brendel unit, 'Hollywood Surprises,' is getting a stiff tryput here, with heavy competition from two- other - local stage shows and strong films. But it's getting across and -with a Ititle polish will do even better. Darrell Payne, who also m. c.'s, opens well with Impersonations of Popeye, Olive Oyl and Stepin Fetch- it. His airplane gag is a little too long, however. Ray and Virginia Caldwell do dead pan stuff. She starts by getting into all sorts of shapes while reading the ' funnies, and Ray tries to straighten her out— and all the while she's reading the comics. A little less deadpan for the start of the act would help. The Caprino Sisters (3) sing, with the older one being eye-filling brunet. Brendel and his wife, Flo Bert, have no trouble getting over. He starts with his dummy ventriloqOist and with his mate also sings a couple of songs that click. The two also put on a Garbo-Stokowski love scene hat has punch. Brendel finishes with a hula in a grass skirt. Vic and LaMar and the Keene Twins, acrobatic teams, are an effi- cient quartet. House fair at the opening Saturday show. Rose. Houdini was headlined at the Chi Palace, doing his straight jacket es- cape. Backer-up was Anatole Fried- land's 'Affairs of 1923.' Both over big. ARREN and BRODERICK UresBed by SIDNEY FISHER 75/77,. Shaftesbury Avenue PICCADILLY. LONDON, ENG. JACK and JUNE BLAIR On Tour Fullcir Circuit, AuNtmlln %vltli "Hollywood Hotel" Revue Oklahoma City, Oct. 11. Trade practices of the film indus- ;ry as a whole will come up for a big buzz at the national. MPTOA convention starting in the Biltmore hotel Oct. (30). In a letter to gen- eral convention chairman Morris Loewenstein, president .Ed Kuyken- dall states that, 'It looks, as though we are going to have something defi' nite to announce in the way of trade practices during the convention.* Cal. Indies to Attend Meet Los Angeles, Oct. 11. Independent Theatre Owners- of Southern California accepted an in- vitation to send representatives* to the trade conferences between major ] distributors and exhibitors, opening | Oct. 19 in New York. Invitation was' extended by Sidney ' R. Kent in a wire to Albert Galston, ITO prexy. Majestic, Chi ou-ovcd a .iczz baii3 composed entirely of Indians. Leader, Chief Blue Cloud, also con- tributed a rope spin and did a little singing. Claimed to be the only In- dian jazzers in vaude. Herbert Hoover, then Sec. of Com- merce, discontinued the distribution of trade films to foreign countries. Impossible to obtain a sufficient number pf prints from manufactur- ers benefited. New Orleans declared to be the worst town in the country for pic- tures. People just simply didn't like 'em. World series baseball helping the N. Y. theatres. Film producers nixed Maud Adams- offer to produce 'Kim.' She wanted to stipulate for a free hand. Equity put the Winter Garden on an eight show basis. Had been al- lowed nine. Frank Hall to Montreal Frank Hall leaves m.c. post at Vil- lage Barn; Philly, this week to han- dle similar role at th Mount Royal hotel, Montreal. Amplifiers tried out at the State, N. Y. Just what the doctor ordered, TheJHEATRE of the STARS New Acts (Continutd from page 40) what unusual type who puts giant poundage into her singing, screwing her face up into poses at times that are very different and effective. She has a manner of working and diving into her work hard that finally gets under the skin, even if vocally she's I far from' the doors of the Met. Miss Hutton employs a slightly wild, rowdy technique that really sells her. , 'A-Tiskef and 'Old Man Mose' are right up her alley. Char. THE BILTMORETTES (3) I Acrobatics 5 Mins. Casa Manana, N. Y. Very clever trio of tumblers on from the Coast should find the pick I ings easy all over the east. Girls, youthful and personable, open with some fast tumbling, topped by some work through hoops and acrobatics over a tope swung in I the hands of two of the girls. This act will hit anywhere. Char HAYNES and PERRY Dancing 5' Mins. Folly, Brooklyn Pair of male tapsters, one ordi- nary and the other good, work on a set of stairs after opening rhythm tap, alternating on the breaks. First half, which includes fast up and downstairs stuff, is doiie in. tails. Boys shift to"^ the wings when the going becomes semi-acro for .a quick change to white mess jackets. Well liked here, with speed of the turn helping plenty. Saranac Lake By Happy B«away Harold (Warner Bros.) Rodner here to install Dr. Karl Fischel, who took over the medico-in-chief- job at the Will Rogers. Helen Morrisey, formerly with WB's contract department, is a new arrival at the lodge. Bedders who have improved are: Margaret Newell,, Vera Hanlon, Joan iElton, Rose Honig, Dave Rose, Irving Wilbur, Mickey Schultz, Fred Schrader and Pat Mitchell. Hank (Atlanta) Hearn and his frau took' time oft from the Will Rogers to hold an anniversary blow- out. Those attending were: Evelyn Baker, Alice CJote, Phoebe Gregory, Tena MacGillis, Sally Rooney and Ann Rogers. Dr. Clarence Sharp, from Stony Wold sanitarium, was the'top speaker. Eddie Dowd, ex-vaudevillian, and a Will Rogersite, in bed due to molar trouble. Jimmy Fox allowed to go home, absolutely cured. Also convalescing at the Will Rogers: Syd Grill, Lillian Kohler, Maxine Miller, Buddy Emmett; Josie Barrows, Lee Rinzlow, Arline Vil- lone,. Dolly Davidson and Betty Hessier. Lois Thompson (WillRogers) back to the Rogers after Birmingham air. Actors Colony thanks Mrs. Jes- sica G. Navin, of Schenectady, N. Y., for the reading matter sent to the Will Rogers library. Russ Kelly went to New York for the World's Series. He's Si Cub fan, Write to those who are ill. ELLINGTON REVUE (FALACE, CLEVE.) Cleveland, Oct, 9. Duke Ellington Orch, Bigtime Crip, Chuck and Chuckles, Ivy Anderson, Dolores Brown; 'Youth Takes a Flina^ (Col). While Duke Ellington is okay for • dyed-in-wool jitterbugs here, his band is somewhat of a letdown after sevelrar n^nie shows which opened Palace's flesh season. Mftin Criticism is that Harlem re- vue* doesn't .differ enough from El- lihgton's edition which*^ visited here last spring, including practically the identical talent and set-up. Only change is more dramatic lighting in opener, - spotting maestro playing a piano standing up as he directs. Initial three numbers are familiar, although Dolores Brown gives a Vel- vety-toned, tricky version of 'Music, Maestro.' Band lets oft a lot of jungle steam, hitting a steady tempo that grows a trifle narcotic. Trumpet specialists ride the groove frequently with Intricate, high-pitched solos. 'Boy Meets Horn' impresses cat fans more than regular customers, who are getting tired of straight swing. Single variation is a gusty, clever in- terpretation of 'Prelude in C Sharp Minor.' Ivy Anderson encores with one .song but isn't played up as much as formerly. Bigtime Crip gets house a bit warmer by tearing oft a fast one- legged tap with crutch, dropping it for some scorching, agile acrobatic work. It's a clean-cut act that reg- isters well. Second best assets are Chuck and Chuckles, whose mugging is swell comedy. Terps are even bet- ter, imbued with effective zing. Biz fair. Pullen. Mort Downey to Follow Hartmans in N. Y. Plaza Morton Downey is slated for the Hotel Plaza's Persian Room, N. Y., Nov. 26, for eight weeks, following The Hartmans. Currently ' in Coast vaudfllmer, Downey is also, up for a radio show via Music Corp. of America. WILUE and EUGENE HOWARD "Hollywood Hotel" Revue TOCRINO Fuller Circuit, Australia Per. Address WM. MORRIS AGENCY NEW YORK FRANK PARIS AND HIS MARIONETTES PARADISE CAFE NEW YORK Exclnslve Blanasement SHERWOOD & MATHEWS nireotlont INGAIXS ft DAYIEB ROBINSON TWINS Just Completed 6 Successful Weeks RIVJEBA, N. J. Now—^Beverly Hills Country; Club/ Newport Ey. Beat Coffee in England QUAUTY INN Leicester Square LONDON, WEST-END DeZURIK SISTERS (ALSO KNOWN AS C.\CKLX; «S) CHAMPION YODELERS FROM RADIO STATION WLS THIS WEEK. STATE-LAKE, CHICAGO Msrt.: BART. KUBTZE—WI,8 ARTISTS BUREAU 6 SKATING MARVELS THE FASTEST ALL GIRh ACROIt.VTIO SKATING ENSESI'BLE THIS WEEK, PALACE, CHICAGO East. Rei*.: MAX TISHMAN West. Rep.: JACK KALCHEIM I>er. Address REN'SSELAER* IND.