Variety (Apr 1939)

B4 OUT] Wednesday, April 12, 1939 R($eared Rmgfing Circiis Makes Seasonal Debut; Names Misang Br JACK PULASKI With labor trouble that highlighted the debut of John RlngUng North and his brother Buddy as directors of the largest of big tops last season ad- Justed, the circus season got Its an- nual indoor start at Madison Square Garden Wednesday (5) for a 25-day date of 49 consecutive performances of the RlngUngs, Bamum tt Bailey Circus. There Is considerable change in the performer lineup. Some acts re- garded as fixtures are out, supplanted by new faces, doubtless at the in- stance of the young management There Is added emphasis in costum- ing, even down to the wortanen, and gay colors in ground cloths, treated in two tints of blue. Similar color scheme will be followed when the show goes under canvas, the Interior being blue and be-starred. Impression is that the lUngllng outfit has been geared for a lower operating nut than last-season. This Is indicated by the replacement of name^tiuns. Circus fans may wel- come the changes, for the show, in strengOi of performance, seems to be up to form, with lapses here and there which should be corrected when the routining Is c<Hnpleted and tightened. Premiere started at 8:30, and the blowofl cam* exaettly at midnight. Oargantu's 'British Aeeent^ Gargantua, the gorilla, whom press agents humorously claimed picked up an English accent while being exhibited over there this winter, is Dot toted around the ring this sea- ion. He's with the moiagerie and Is the show's second feature. Gargle Is ferocious all right, but in the large barred, glass cage he didn't look the big bad monk, espe- cially to people at a distance, or looking down on him from the hl^er locations. Frank Buck, who featured the spec last year and epleled anent the gorilla, Is occupied otherwise this season. Most of the new features are aerlallsts, topper being Rosello, an import, who fell and went out after fhe second night On audience reac- tion, he did not' obtain the results •f the Wallendos of the high wire, who-are showing abroad, but he got the best plaudits at the caning. Bosello works on a crescent-like burnished trap, which accounts for bis 'Man in the Moon' billing. De- vice Is at the top of the Garden, most of the stunts, accomplished while, he reclines on his back. There are rls- ley bits, with a head balance the concluding trick. Converging the tpotiights and the. Haoon' revolving, it proves decidedly effective. FrcHtt overseas, too, are the Four Queens, girl quartet also working up near the girders. It's a combi- nation ladder and high trap turn at-' tractlng some attention. - The -Great Arturo (Trbtsl) Is another performer specializing ia the aerial zone. He the clown who did' stew stuff with one of the Wallendo turns last sea' son and scored distinctly. Arturo now dressed In tux and has a girl assistant While his antics are like . his previous appearance, he does not get over as well, probably because a weak finish. Tlghtwlre Soloist Hal Silver, billed as Hubert Castle, is the tightwlre'soloist ■o{)enlng with a stew bit too. Castle sometimes works without a balancing aid but uses one for his back somersault Announcement that he Is the only artist' to accomplish that feat goes for those who forget but It Is claimed he can duplicate Con CoUeano's forward. Wild anlmat display has Terrell Jacobs working with 38 tigers and lions, claimed the largest number ever over here. A 60-f6ot cage is used, as against 42 feet last season, Some of the cats are from. Mabel Stark's act Turn, which rims 17 minutes, has the trainer completely encircled when the pets are in posi- tion. Making a dozen lions lay side by side is his most effective feat Dolly Jacobs precedes the big act with a horse-rlding lion, while Diane handles an elephant with a tiger aboard. Elephant lineup around the track provides a punch as for- merly, with a shagging single mam- mdth concluding that display. . Show promised to be more horsey than before and has new equine fea- tures. Wild West Is out and not missed. On tour there will be an added tent for a 'horse fair* and various equipages not familiar to the younger generation will be exhibited. flock of Kentucky breds are used the center for the liberty horse display. Announced as showing for the first time, and although fine looking animals, that's the way they performed despite William Heyer's handling. "They are not numbered and became mixed up, some jumping the ring bank. Heyer Is much better astride Yo Yo, a high-stepper. His sister, Tam- ara, is In menage, as is Dorothy Her- bert who Is back with the outfit Dashing Miss Herbert Is also riding in the jumps, blindfolded for the high leap. Others astride leapers are Estelle Clark, Norma Humes, Anne Hamilton, Bobbie Warrhier, Hilda Voorhees and Bobbie Cropper. Races at the finale Include a fiat race with riders in jockey dress, pacers draw- ing sulkies and girl riders in sev- eral events, including the chariots. CrlstUnb CUck The Cristlani troupe Is the sole riding act in the show and it is a crack exhibition by the men. Their precision leaps from tanbark to bareback, four and five ensemble, are standout stimts. Minus the Loyal Lepehskls, the girl end Is secondary, in fact the femmes here are more concerned in other turns, particu- larly the Faludys, an acrobatic acton the platform, one girl going four- high by means of the teeterboard. The other acrobatic acts have the Ortans, Zerblnls and Demnatis. The feats are virtually the same as the top turns heretofore in the show, per haps minus the same 'selling.'. Same tnay apply to the trained small ani' mal di^Iay, with Alf Lyal and his dogs in the center. Latter canines are In need of further practicing, the act being quite under standard, Trained seals go through the stand- ard routines and Impress as average. Pallenberg's bears, however, are up to snuff, Platform acts In another dis- play are more diverting, as for in- stance, the Sidneys, plus Will Morris and Bobby cycling routines, remind ful of the crack wheel turns In vaudeville. Alcardls, an . Import, specializing In club bwinglng lu the middle ^^Ing, are supposed to toss torches, but there were none. There are but two perch acts In the show, with the Walkmlr Trio the outstand (Continued on page fS) Detroit Votes $26,000 For Summer Concerts ' Detroit AprU 11 Common council has assured re- sumption of open-air concerts this summer on Belle Isle, voting to re- store a 1939-40 budget of $26,000. Latter are given by Detroit Symph. There's no admish charge. RINGUNG CIRCUS' TOP FEATURE HURT IN FiOl Ringlings, Bamum & Bailey cir- cus* top feature, Rosello, fell during the show's second night (6) at Madi- son Square Garden and was severely injured. Both wrists and one heel were fractured. it>was thought that he would be out of the show In- definitely, but doctors at the Poly- clinic hospital, where Rosello was moved, said he would be able to go on within eight weeks. Rosello is an Imported act as are the Four Queens, an aerial, turn which will be given first billing dur- ing his absence. Performer worked the highest up of any act in the out- and is billed "The Man In the Moon.' Rosello's performance Is classed as a high trapeze exhibition and, upon finishing, he makes the fastest descent ever accomplished, sliding down a rope with a one-hand hold. Rosello uses a rubber grip to do the stunt .Examination later dis- closed the inside of the grip was frayed, causing it to become stuck. Artist fell about 20 feet striking the platform like a plummet and it was feared he was also internally In- jured. By Sunday his condition was reported favorable, however. Per- former hails from Germany, his wife helping by manipulating cords which revolve the crescent-like device he works on. Couple had expressed re- lief that they could appear over here rather than in troublous countries overseas. His right name Is Fred- erick Kostis. Circus management sent out a hurry call for another feature! to replace the Injured aerlallst No decision was made on stripping lithographs and ads anent Rosello, Show has about $16,000 worth of paper on the . act which will not be further used until he reappears. OBITUARIES ] Pix-Broadway (Continued from page 1) Sidney Kingsley's fall production of his, 'The Outward Room,' and sev- eral other imrevealed plays, RKO, Columbia, 20th Century-Fox, Sam- uel Cioldwyn, Paramount and Selz- nick are all considering scripts for Broadway presentation. . John By ram, of Paramount's stoiy depart- ment will probably go to London in mid-May to look over the current plays there for New York stage possibilities as weU as sereen adapta tlon. Although most film execs expect no resumption of legit financing be- fore :next"fall,-some- hope the Whar- ton-Wilk plan will be okayed the next, few weeks, permitting pro ductloa of Broadway - plays during the World's Fair period. Latter of- ficials claim the present dearth of incoming plays is directly the result of uncertainty over the fate of the new plan. Publication last week of the Guild's new basic motion picture royalty contract Applying to the sale of film rights to stage plays simultaneously with the deal for legit production aroused some criticism from Hollywood executives. They claimed the angle involving the price to be based on a royalty of the picture's gross would never be approved by them. However, was pointed out by Guild- members that the new basic contract does not appty to the contemplated Whar- ton-WIlk plan and would not af- fect It BOBEBT COOBTNEIDOB Robert Courtneidge, 69, actor, pro- ducer and manager, whose daughter. Cicely, Is currently starring In the London success. Under Your Haf died of pneumonia In Brighton, Eng- land, April 6. Active hi the English theatre for more than half a century, he made his first stage appearance in a pan- tomhne, 'Babes In the Wood,' at Prince's theatre, Manchester, at 17. Member of a Shakespeare company, he was in 'The Bells of Haslemere' in 1887 and subsequently abandoned his career as an actor to become a manager. Folio-wing seven years as manager at Prince's theatre, Manchester, he went to London and met. consider- able success as a producer. Among his better known productions were 'Paddy the Next Best Thing,' which larny Organizatioii To Be Pushed by AFA Chicago, April 11. With the start of the new outdoor season the carnival division of the American Federation of Actors Is stepping up Its organizational activ- ities. - Paul Sander, head of the AFA car- nival division, journeys to New York this week for consultations with AFA's executlva secretary, Ralph Whitehead. The AFA also Is renewing a drive to clean up carnivals and has .con- tacted officials in towns' where camles stop to be on the watch for any violations. MARRIAGES Elsa Blerring Rains to Boris Radoff, in Des Moines, April 7. He's a Des Moines radio entertainer. Dorothy Lapidus to Fred Waldner, in New York, April 2. He's a radio and pltery singer. Edna Saunders to Bill Forman, In Pittsburgh. April 4. Bridie's a dancer, he's -^th Tommy Carlyn's band. Eleanore Cunliffe to Cam Ritchie hi Detroit AprU 1. Bride is CKLW, Detroit accountant; he's CKLW traffic manager. Curtis L. Roberts to Nora Hol- comb, in Spokane, April 2. He's KHQ (Spokane) staff artist and con tinuitir writer. Elizabeth V. Sahner to Wilbur B; Hulick.Jn Fredericksburg, 'Va,, April 8. He was Budd of the former radio comedy team of Stoopnagle and Budd and more recently has been a radio m.c. Pauline Slocum to Bums Lee, ex- publicity head of Benton & Bowles, April 10, In Los Angeles, CaL Edna O. Tansey, non-pro,- to Joe Schoenfeld (Variety) in New York, recently. It's Scho's second try. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Charles Spaetka, In Mansfield, O., twin daughters, March 26, Father is assistant manager of Warners Sixth Street theatre, Cos hocton, O. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Grey, son. In Hollywood, April 6. Father is asso date producer at Republic. Mr. and Mrs, Buddy Clark, daugh ter, In New York, April 0. He's the radio singer; she's daughter of Ralph Hitz, the hotel man.. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Evans, son. In Boston, AprU 1. Father is special events manager f6r WBZ, Boston, and.WBZA, Sprhigfield, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Erie Hampton, son, in Los Angeles, April 9. Father Is with Metro publicity department last engagement before his break- down was with Ray Noble, as saxo< phonist and clarinetist Surviving are his widow, Marion, now at the Will Rogers hospital. In Saranac Lake, two sons, father, two sisters and two brothers. bterment In Davenport la. JACOB W. CONBAD Jacob W. Conrad, 57, who wrota many popular tunes shortly before the World War, died In a Brooklyn hospital April 7 following a lingering Illness. Among his more prominent compositions were '.Ashes of liove,' Have- a Sweetheart' and 'I'll Change Your Sadness to Gladness.' Surviving are his widow, daughter and son. IN Lorma hemobt of MAURICE Passed April 13, 1931 BELLE BAKER HERBERT ABRAHAMS BAT KAMMEBEB Ray Kammerer, 28, saxophonist with Red Nichols' orchestra for tha past year, succumbed to a heart aU tack Monday night (10) while with his wife, Ardith, In their Cincinnati apartment Orchestra ended Ncther- land-Plaza hotel run Sunday (9). Kammerer's body was shipped to hb home In .Mankota, Minn. he launched In 1920-and accompanied on Its American t6ur,.and The Ar- cadians,' a musical, which played two years in London. American version of the latter was presented by Charles Frohman at the Liberty, New York, 1910 with a cast featured by Frank Moulan and Julia Sander- son. Owner of the Shaftesbury theatre, London, and holder of a part inter- est in the Theatre Royal, Bristol, he -was author of several pantomimes and collaborated on the scripts of several plays. Noted before the war for his hit musical comedies, he came to America several times to nego- tiate for their production here with C3iarles Frohman, his AiAerlcan rep. LCDWIO FCLDA Ludwlg Ftilda, 77, (zerman-Jewlsh dramatist, poet and translator, whose play, 'The Talisman,' won the Schil- ler award in 1893 but failed to gain confirmation from former Kaiser Wilhelm H, who disliked certain por- tions of It died In Berlin AprU 8. Graduating with honors from Heidelberg University In 1884, he soon pursued a writer's career and accounted for such plays as "The Se- cret King,' 'The Pirate,' "Robinson's Island' and 'Master and Servant' among others. Most popular of his works were The IVIn Sisters' and The Boyhood iFrlends,' which achieved considerable German pro- duction around 1900. He was noted for his German translations of Shakespeare's sonnets, Rostand's 'Cy rano de Bergerac' and works of the French dramatist Moliere. Spon. sored by tha Germanlstlc Society of America,. he lectured In the United States hi 1906 arid 1913. BILLIE SHELDON Billle Sheldon, 68, vaudevUllan, minstrel and night club performer, died at his home in Philadelphia AprU 4. Sheldon, whose real- name was WiUiam JL Cnmiley, for 11 years was a member of Dumont's and Welsh's minstrel troupes. His specialties were Irish songs and Irish comedy. Starting In yaude as a boy, Shel- don continued actively -untU demise of the minstrels. He then went to work in a Phllly troUey plant tak- ing night club dates untU recently. Survived by widow. BOSA GBEEN KESSANLT Rosa Green Kessanty, 77, noted contralto of the '90s, died at her home in O'Bannon, Ky., April 3. Bom in Louisville, she studied music In Paris, and concerted In France and England for 10 years. Before the World War she married Telemaque Kessanly, publisher, of London, and lived there imtil 17 years ago. Body was cremated and sent to London. Two sisters survive. JOE HEBBEBT Joe Herbert 36, vaude. and nltery performer, died of a heart attack In Hartford AprU 7. He recently toured with his own imit 'Joe Herbert's Revels.' Widow, the former Mickey Hale, of the Hale Slstbrs, and his father survive. •! JAMtaS C. CANNON James "V. Cannon, 37, a musician, died In Saranac Lake, N. Y., April 3, foUowlng a three-year Illness. His MAX SCHWAbTZ Max Schwartz, 78, former restau- ratexir, who as proprietor of Little Hungary, In N. Y., was host to scores ' of celebrities. Including the lata Theodore Roosevelt in pre-prohlbl- tion days, died at his N. Y. hold home AprU 4. ABTHUB G. CZEBWINSKI Arthur G. Czerwinskl, 53, former opera singer, died AprU 1 In a MU- waukee-hospital of pneumonia after an Illness of two weeks. Surviving are a son, daughter, mother, two brothers and two sis- ters, aU of SlUwaukee. LAWBENCE ANDEBSON Lawrence Anderson, 46, legit play- er, died In a London hospital, March 28, of pneumonia. . Although in bad health, he had until shortty before his death, been in 'Magyar Melody' at His Majesty's^ London. WALKEB EIXIS JANES Walker EUis Janes, 62, stationary engineer at the Grand theatre^ died In I«tIii( Hsmoiy •( Ur Dear WUa ud Utcloiw Fal MAUDIE MALUA Wh» Wai Takw Awar April 1»B7 HENRY MALUA at his home In Columbus, O, AprU 3. Widow, four daughters and two sons, survive. JOE HIXSON Joe Hlxson, 80, for years asso- ciated with theatres In Lima, O,' died AprU 1 In Lima, from injuries suffered In an automobUe accident Services and burial were In Lima. Mrs. Pearl Spandan, 38, died in a Des Moines hospital, April 3, foUow- lng an operation. -She was the wifa of J. J. Spandau, manager of the Universal Exchange, Des Moines. Burial hi Pittsburgh. Bollle J. Slokels. 36, of FUm Service, Inc., film distributor, died March 15 In MUwaukee. Survived by widow, daughter, mother, four brothers and five sisters. Franels Stnart, 80, voice and dic- tion teacher, died AprU 5 In HoUy- wood.. Before moving to California he had tutored opera stars for 30 years. Mother, 80, of Elsie La Mont re- tired partner of the comedy vaude team of Kraft and La Mont <lle<i i'' PhUadelphia AprU 3. Harlan West, 49, head of RKO studio grif) department died AprU 0 in Los Angeles. $160,000 CAiBo ms Cairo, March 25. The laboratories and projection room of Mlsr FUm studios, near Cairo, have been destroyed by fire. Damage, covered by insurance, is estimated at $150,000.