Variety (Feb 1939)

v FuIfUahed :W0Okly at 164 West 46tb Street, NeW ~1tqrk,:Ui T..- br-- V«,i(nlfi Ifac.< 'Annual aiibBcclpUon, Jlfti. (3(ncl» AoMeltt.<tV.centB. , :^nt<;r(iil «|i j(«cond-c](Ui« matter p^ceiabei;. 22, 190$. at th« Povt Q^lcft at Ne,\t York, N. Y.i» Uiid«r< th* |i«t of l((tr6U ItV.tST?. '*' NEW YORK; WEDKESDAY, FEBRITAKY I, X93SI SisPAGES . ditjei Jay-itie a^S)tW of agJjQr, acfi(>r4iiigvt<x, No^l " *i'-TStqppfcd v<>fl lierft last.. dam jive ,^Bi«e ,ifee unions ,itei.ihak- ISah Francisco, Jan. .^1. .Gepijje Wjihlgreni who has%e ricksha concession at the Golden : 'Gate Exposition, f can't .get any Chinie^ft yputl>s', to haul the bug- j^es .at the f«lr»-which "^kMi-jTii^M^^- gay- it vf^vlsv ' '."v" ;'; ••' ' . ;s6 "Wi^i^r^n. h^s sigixed. ' S^me ^WcWR^ ^rom the Uniy.er-*: si^?^Jt C?iUi[<)rniW and Stanford ' Unii^rfiityi '' . • ^::;^QUgW:flr?SS'. iiglancr ott^. can "x$-: liearse. tof foiix or flve-'v/eeks with *cenery.a»d;evift*ytMat^1im"fi6^^^^ ♦I anj aU :iQE/j!;ooft;ttiy''lQr .eyejry:- tiody dOni^fe^ilflel virfth^^ tb^ti?eii'biJit the demaildi;I the" ^tmi^ |t6 toa iny ;ifevu«, "'Set to.Mu^fc,' cost. lirfcO^^ and that 'was vfery liW0!its ':thfiifi^8 go «sti li th6'.'tinilBd; ^tat^B^^ JKnd can b6;aQted In 'iieasr Octopus/ * simple play ^ .with": .(inly thr?e 'changes of n sceneryt It- cogt ftve ^mes idore to put it on iil New Yorfc thaii in England.- . ,„ ; ;., . *Teh.. or 15 yijars, i^^o iisrifr >. would 'nayej..;^^ , iour . or. ^vfe shows pn .. Broadiyay . instead of oWv^'When you •*8fet:4 «aiiv(sci-ipt. that pwwtilses.to be . a iftadeifate^ success^ if liot a hit, you , Pught to be able tb try it'out. Soi^ie- . tinies if you hive chance to nurse. * play; .like that. along -ibr £k lew •^f*s, ittfrpves tp be a success. But wth btislhfeas agents,, lyjaiking in ahd talsing hob bfecanse' a man carries i^a; chairs. in$tead .of jone^ you just pi-V take a (ihance.* VandeOntofClii :f or l$t Tm^^ in History ^i,^^ . Chicago; Jan. 31. ; Palace has . given nPtice to stage- nands arid, musicians, -and will go •Jntp straight picture policy in three ieatiSe possibility ,6i double Thia will eiit loop to three vaude houses , and eliminate RKO Keith yaude from Chicago for the first time *!.n<5e. the Keil^i-Orpheum • circuit Hopes for some sort of a' vaude- VUle 'revival' have dwindled. Pres- ent playing tithe detaU'ed on page 41. iBheqiuatlo .Troiibadonr' _ PhUadelphia,. Jan. .31. . Wenry Pa:trlcfc> billed as 'The Ro- "..Jif^tiP Troubadour* on commercials w.WPIL and WIP, currently has T ^^^^^^ «. 4?? letters recieived addressed him ^ Dear Rheumatic Troubadour.' . Many New York joigM clubs.'have developi^d ft ;wr»i?itlp M espiipe triiriii'^ .miims ■^et':bJ;'tb€) iVn^e^^ F^edera-- tlPii oi Actois. by .having V acts aigii food .and bar.'vio.wchers for afnoimtS Equaling the tilt'in sCfiile Salaty^ "Wi^ scale set by thtf A^^ifl^'is.. psteflsiW^ -'iriaijatalned : thiiough ..'afcta;, cPjUectlflg •iftdli fiaiariPg, ■ mltfus' tab$ hpld^by,^ . mariagemeji^S^, . .,, ; .- . " vif ,Hiethod i& to..^resent- Acts with, i^ifi ' ■tab'lnVmedi$it6ly:.Up.aii being bo0lied» ■fir while bookin^is being Ji'egotlated*' Agents are in many' cases aware ot the cjiissl, but accept It as a neces- sary evl'i, encouraging artists to sign anywayi Voucllers are sometimes good > for food and liquor in ampunt specified.' In that case managements stUl real- ize a profit. • However, in many other instances it is an outright cut whiiiU isn't" returns^ble in any" form. National Anthem's Wide Song Pliig h Public Ainns. Places A; wave of patriotism Is .weeping the'nation's showplaces, though ..not Officially Inspired. "The Star-Spani gled Banner' is growing in popu- larity in theatres and cabarets, re^ mindful of the period just prior to and when America was in the "World War. The, trend has especially taken root bh Broadway, with the Na- tional Anthem now an Important part of several theatrical and caba- ret entertaininehts. 'The American Way,' Kaufman-Hart's cavalcade at the Center in Radio City, ends with a flag-draped' casket moved across' stage augmented by a choral rendi- tion, of 'Star-Spangled Banner.' Billy Rose's Casa Manana has the National Anthem, as the blowoff-for- its German Refugee afterpiece. Both, the Paramount and the Strand the- atres on Broadway are throwing' a patriotic reel on their screens at the beginning and end of eaCh day's performances. Newsreel- houses also are flashing the. .nation's .standard, and anthem at the finale of their programs. Warner Bros, made the patriotic (Continued on page 55) levity ||)vtH5^vmvlateft:^ilm , ^ Salarie8-4E4]Mi^krd.Ci Rob* io Radio SeriesWent ^rom |4b;ooq^to fiodr^ooo. Regular affUlatlon'witira commer- cial* prpj^aniVhas^ bPj^iih pJcbv*r a 'rpbt«nt,«s$et fpj^:iliHij;naniPg^c^j!i?heh/ it .tPnxPs to *<^i|asu.r|ngvtheir • v'aiue^ it; '#bft Kffcyjft^rece ^biSfc .#pm; l|olllywp6d«r;ftgcJar^ tl^l.in'ajforlt)'' of tii^i(^[^^i^lu|plnar- ■ ieft iare •» <?Pnvmc^-. tjl^j^ 4ia^(^jt^^;it6wti|^;%^^^ :s^aipg>f • ,wpse'in tb^^ ;ets; biit-• serves as' a jnighty piutshetr ;}ippeir. itor.liight'ung(i(iSs 'wilo h£(ve b^ i^ito ilip, ;or f6r featured playejs. . ' ■ .Varlbti* film: stistfs litera|ly iioHnd their- agents lor Uadio -datis;, . either permanent pr giifist.-' :This is not alPfie for the money Immediately in^ volved, but for the insurance" value in Hollywood. . Stars on the skids notdbly appreciate, what., a;'good break' on radio means in re; viving the enthusiasm of-the-notori- ously fickje film producers, directors and- casting iBxecs. Several female stars have been rescued from ah al- most certain professional washup by the revitalising influence of a radio Connection. • Hollywood's entire attitude toward radio has been drastically ^ changed in- the last' two years so far as the . (Continued-oh'page 35) Up until going to press lAii night (Tuesday), frenzied last- mlnnte efforts to stave off » nationwide performer strike against 'network commercial broadcastinif Continued behind closed doors." After an all-night huddle on Monday (3(lf)\. representatives .from the. American Federation of Radio ArtlsW .Wltj^ the agency ' group (whic^ hsii' spqiosor sanc- ilDtt behind it) again''went into powwow yesferd&y' '('faesday) aftemePn. Site of the get-to- .gether wa» the Biltmore hotels *N. .Y,. though palna luid been taken to keep the meeting place 'strict secret. The »gency group patently (Continued on page 21) Np^ So Fftir for N, iNot • everybne In New York .gleefully, ^anticipates thg cpih- iflgl iW^rld's Fair*^^^ in. th^ \ slbrea think it's pblsopi' .First, '■■ because "it, iiiieai^ % . totjigh sumn nier behind the touhtPrst./ Sec- ten time .ba^^g: fun ,on A sihaltvbudgetr' Hotel .cl6r^ and. other- hliredf hpnda^ "w^ equally .p'ePved'fprllfce-Teasp ' . ' • ^ lAlspit's nblifieabljc ihat^ a surptising. liumber, - pf 'tenants who are ahsdp.utf to sublet! tintjil "OctPber and duck the crowded . city duldhg the sii^gfe' •: . .' - . 'Snow "VThlte* has grossed $^jOOO,- .000 in domestic rentals to date, ac- cording to sales irCfbrniatioh in RKO, while second biggestdistribution business-getter for its-owtier, 20th- Fojc, during th6 past year, 'Alex- ander's Ragtime Band,' is now around !|^,500,d00, 'Band' has already taken around $2,000,000 out of the foreign market ahd it is estimated- will build to $2,500,000, while 'Snow "White' has al- ready ■ gone ., welt oveir $2,000,000 abroad. It should end at $3,000,000 or better in the foreign mdrkPts and on World gross wiU be the biggest business-getter RKO has ever had.' For 20th-Fox,' 'Band* also will be the top world grosser of that pomjpany. There have been numerous repeats on 'Snow White* "slhce It was first, sent on national release and a fev/ on 'Band,' both of which are ex- pected to be. frequently • re-dated, especially 'White,' around holidays when kids are." out of schPPl. Laemitile Woiila Byacuate His Gerniaii ]Bpjin(^ /rpi^ Carl Laemmle^-Who gave/tnuch to bis home toWn pf ''Laupheim; -Gerr many, prior to thp Hitler regime, Is now attempting to evacuate as' many refugees from that sjppt as possible. The former film tycopn brought over four Thvursday (26), All adults. - Having signed the heee^ry Af- fidavits of responsiblli,ty> hhd piit- ting up the essential''cash bonds, Laemmie ii; not only bringing oiit relatives but otheirs as i«^ell. His ambition assertedly is to bring every refugee out of XAupheim now living there. \7ashlngtPn,yj^.^ 31* Congress WiasquIcktP'jsee poj^. sibaitiesi of leleVisJptf when. WBG last; week set lip' itgTeiperlihehtai platii. ■at .Wiiiibhi^'^ ^;:g^ |^ ■peek, V' Remembe^tnti:^/-Ipi^ , .advantages which radift biiiftugtit-to the political campaign, £ti{^';Uwmakers/,ajt'e how >ipedrdatnlhg - of the daiys whpn fu-i ttire vbteire can bcr; contacted by «Iglit as Well Itir.iJo^tW,. iM(Pr,e thjtft twP^, thirds of the etttitp; Houge.^Jliewfeta^^^ Ship '^if :*35-turned out ttk'.ihe' fifeii. ^ftPW-^With viPveM-; br«rvTn|j;'; snpilr diid raihJAt Jhfe iiidbilp iran$ini»J(tt«iif^^ ^s(te to-be televis(|a tihd introduced ^xi unsefejn: audience ■ by Atttjouncep GOTdoh^ Hifct*iWrtt^ '^:,./ -tjh"u5Uat>ihter«rt'-^^ fir^t: .ielevis|oh,.shPW' .idiap shbi;?^ W. many othei? p.iiblic Agqrca de-> pend on 5pBe0i^w a.©^|;i^tMwP ances' .for.thpijj jobi;' ,. :' , ;to5taH€d; iJi': -jS^ Club/experiittiefet^I. JtCA tecplvinjg: sets gaye appr6>tirtifttely 4,(M)0 gawk-^ era their- ilrst^ 'i!%ip^i6 bt tPlevb^^ between FrS^ay .(28)':? ftnd. Jtohday (30). Shows ran <t>^ery 10 jttlnuteii frpm 11 a: m. ib^ p;'hi. each daj^'^nd guests were whisked <iCree -bf phsttg*! fcoin the Piress: Uliib to, fbe-^Agricta^ ture I)epartmehi ph 'Whose grpunds the two NHG ' mPblle tnjits were parked, for s( githdbr 'aithe cdmer$i» and transmitter^; , v' UnUsUaf ihten'pfiif jjisplayed in the performance ahd almost uhlvprsat surprise at thP clearness of th« Images. Some difficulty in, sbuhd rP* ceptlPh, however, whejt a di^ithermy machine itf thP hpigbbprhopd pf the Press Club spUnded off. Affair w^3,yisjri[d|ly, fldvetti$ftd by NBC> With pwi^aved ife^titgitipw sent out to; Congressmen, ij^Abinet ofnppr5r diplomats,>iew4^ape«bpn, etc Eadb guest received-^ pbUs cflr»atioh With' eompllm^hts of - the' netwbrk ; af^ leaving the 5how. Besides reaping ,rlch reward* Ih publicity, NBC handed several, bufffP ads to pipminent WosbiixgtPli;'jhPi:*^ chants who turned Up pt^ the Agricnt- ture Dept. With approximately 2'6^ persons niugged. over the weekend. Press Club look-and-listeners Were treated t6 sales talks by automobile company offipials, owners of large Washington department stores^ fete., whenever the supply of Cpngcess- men, public dSicials ^pd newspaper* men ran out. Announcers Gordon Hlttemttark, Bill Crago and Bryson Rash handled the broadcasts with Hittentnark and Crago showing the effects of the long vigil by the fourth day. Circiift Men Start Young Owatonna, Minn., Jan, 31* Glenn J, Jarmes & Bailey Brps, railroad cbrcus,; wintering here.) is co-headpd by the world'jf youngest' showmen, aged four and two years, ' Behind that 'Bailey Bros.' bUltof are Jimmy and Jackie Jarmes, sons of Glenn J. Jarmes, prez and g; of the circus outfit