Variety (Apr 1939)

Wednesday, April . 12, 1939, OUTD VARIETY 55 Girl Shows Seen Keynoting Trend Of N. Y. Worlds Fair; NIG. Signs Nils T. Granlund last week sig- natured a pact for twin shows, a ?;ongress ot BeauUM* revue and to outdoor Aztec Sun-Worshlplng GSt S^ow for the New York World's ■ l^lr N. T. G.'s signing keynotes a malor trend expected to be prevalent S tte feJr. the exhlblUon of girl chows. . Besides the "Congress" Aztec shows, the ieSi also pacted the 'Amazons in No-Man's Land,' beauty cultiure unit This will be a walk-through. Ex- hibit is said to be tied up with Bemarr Macfadden healOi enter- prises. The Aztec show will have an In- dian girl baUet and other outdoor activities, a la nude ranch, with vis- itors viewing proceedings from be- hind a glass enclosure. The other N T. G. show will be housed in miniature theatre seating about 1,500. Name lookers ostensibly from all sections of the globe are to be in the revue, which will include 40 people. Granlund early this week planed to the Coast and inter- vening points to pick representative talent from all sections of the U. S. He's being assisted by Busby Berk- eley uid Earl Carroll in m a kin g Hollywood selections. Granlund's twin enterprise is badced by Charles Hertzig of tiie Metropolitan News Co. Ftaith Bacon has been added to the Fair's nudity sweepstakes, signing this week to do a 'Fawn Dance* for N. T. G. Delia Carroll, scheduled to go into The Streets of Paris,' which feU through, will also be a featured N. T. G. nude, Meyer Davis signed yesterday (Tuesday) to put two bands into N. T. G.'s shows at the Fair. He's also supplying music for the Ter- race Club at the Fair. Seek Later Cnrfew Ib^ amusement zone will remain open after 10 p. m. when the re- mainder ot the exposition will shut- ter, it was disclosed this week. Area ' is so arranged that it can be oper- ated as a self-contained imlt even after other exhibits across Horace Harding boulevard, are closed. The amusement zone has its own park- . log area and several separate gates, ' one leading to the Independent sub- way system on the grounds. The ni^t^ fountain-fireworks in the amusement area is scheduled to start at 10 p. m. There also is talk that the zone wUl stay open until 2 or 3 a. in., depending on how biz holds up. Tills sector has room to accom- modate 290,000 at one time. The area's street lighting system is rap- Idly being swung into place with the area expected to be practically completed by the first week of the fair, which opens April 30. Jack Sheridan's Tiiving Magazine Covers,', the model-posing exhibit, promises plenty of undraped girls. The 'Artists Colony,' another new ■how in the amusement zone, is more of a walk-through, with sketching of artists a feature. Sketches wiU be sold. A nude life model is planned as the focal point-of the artists.. 'AxcUc Girl's Temple of Ice' also is set It features a model 'sunk' in a cake of ice. Expo HlKhllEhto Crystal Palace, which is a small . reproduction of the original building that housed N. Y.'s first world's ex- POsiUon in 1853, wUl have highlights of the Philadelphia exposition ot J876, the Chicago lair , of 1893, . the Century of Progress and other fairs, Including the 'Fair of Tomorrow.' These wiU be presented in living tableaux and miniature acts. Advance ticket sale to the expo Indicates a sustaining attendance this summer. Real influx of out-of-town visitors is not expected until late June. Force of exiMsition guards is be- ing Increased and drilled. Estimated tbat at least 1,000,000 persons daily win pass through the gates. . The Visiting Press buUding is scheduled to be opened tor use this week while the Independent subway line is slated to start trial runs on the new extension from Kew Gar- dens to the amusement zone Satur' day (15), Hollywood, April 11 Nils T. Granlund is due here to- morrow (Wednesday) from New York to line up 24 fihn girls, eight specialties and tour old-time picture' names for |iis N. Y. World's Fa^r 'Congress ot Beautipt' Mum's the Word The hometown pride act per- vades the attaches at the New York Fair grounds, according to the initiates now mailing pre^ view tours. Comparisons to Frisco's slMw are deemed odious by the most humble Fair guide, or, as one observed, 'From what I hear that Treasure Island exjpo would make a nice little side- show at our Fair.' Talking about the various states, most ot .which have build- ings at the N. Y. Fair, one minor exec observed that it must be because ot 'sheer jealousy' that California isn't represented with a state iBIdg. at the N. Y. expo. Asked it N. Y. has a building at the Frisco Fair, the same exec dismissed it, 'No,'but why should we.,.didn't they steal the idea from us?' It's a Grover Whalen rule that Fair attaches are not to talk to the press. DOWNIE BROS. CIRCUS OPENS SEASON IN GA. Macon, Ga., April It Downie Bros. Circus opened 1930 season Wednesday (6) with two' per- formances in Central City Park, where show winters. Local shoW' ings were sponsored by the Amerl' can Legion. ' Circus was told last month by Charles Sparks to William M. Moore ti. Co., a Georgia corporation, made up of William M. Moore, ot Denison, Texas, who has been In show biz for more than 20 years; H. A. Decker and T. Leo MoofepSlectra, Texas, oilmen, and Paul M. Conaway, Macon attorney and newspaperman. Bamett Bros. Open Spartanburg, S. C, April 11. Bamett Bros, circus has left York, S. C, winter quarters on northward tour. Season opened with) day and night performances In York. Weisgal May Do Palestine Spec on Randall's island Meyer Weisgal, currently readying the Palestine Pavilion tor the New York World's Fair, may also present a Palestine pageant in Randall's Is- land Stadium, N, Y., this summer. Both ventures are plianned to show the progress made by Jews in re- habilitating the Holy Land. Pavilion at the Fair will be an exhibit, with most ot the material imported from Palestine, while the show at Ran- dall's Island would be in the nature of a spectacle. Producer has no plans for reviving 'The Eternal Road' tor the Fair, as had been reported. Soviet's R. C, . (Continued from page 1) cow on a national holiday celebrat- ing the adoption of the Stalin Con- stitution. 'It seemed as though all Moscow was dancing in the great square near the Kremlin and before the Ojpera; loud speakers poured out music and the people danced. Gradu- ally I realized the music was Ameri- can and that the words in tho songs were English. I shall long remem- ber 'Annabelle' and "The Man on the Flying Trapeze.' Minor reported night clubs, with music and dancing, in Moscow hotels—'these did not exist a tew years ago.' He was impressed by the abundance of food, 'especially after noting the shortage in Ger- many.' Russian people are better ted and clothed than five or six years ago, although there is a great short- age ot housing facilities. There has been remarkable progress in the de- velopment of physical things since 1936^ Moscow subway being out- standing. Micor's talk, replete with interest- ing facts and acute observations on economic and political developments in the Soviet would be well re- peated on a. network broadcast Painting both sides ot Ru-ViUn pic- ture. It should offend no fair-minded person. Ringling Circus (Continued from page 54) ing survivors and still among the best ot their type. In this display is still another aerial turn, a single, trapeze with the very blonde Fritzi Bartoni aloft. Girl takes the center and features a halt turn to a heel catch.' From Italy are the Pilades, cousins of the Cristianis, who som- mersault over elephants, using a runway and sort ot springboard. Turn is featured. The fliers again have the Concel- los in the center, act being perhaps the best of its kind extant Featured in Antoinette's two and one-half to a leg catch. She dropped to the net twice opening night but on the third try was caught well up on the legs. The Randolls and Comets are on the ends. The clowns have scrapped the fire engine stunt One replacement Is 'Ferdinand The Bull,' staged in the center ring, designed tor the kids, with a bow to Walt Disney. In the opening spec and In other parts, the jungle motif is introduced by Charles LeMaire and Mme. Andre Sherri, the designers. At the opening two horsemen circle the ring, one carry- ing the stars and stripes' and the other that of New York's World Fair. That is partly hooked into the slo- gan tor the metropolitan engage' ment The World Comes to the World's Fair.' Spec is led by" five girl drum- majors, plenty dressed up. LeMaire has also dolled up the staff—there Is Fred Bradna, show's pacemaking di- rector, 'in scarlet tailcoat something he can brag about A giraffe parades In the starting procession, but the idea ot leading a lioness, too, was skipped, for they found It too much trouble last season: Deal between the circus manage- ment and the American Federation ot Actors calls tor a monthly wage ot $45, plus keep for razorbacks, hostlers and canvasmen. That is the figure reputedly offered by the show to AFA last summer, when the dis- pute with the union ended when the show folded at Scranton, Pa. Pre- vious demands called for $60 month' ly, old wage having been $30. John Ringling North claimed the show could not exist it such wages were paid and also objected to a five- year contract New arrangement calls tor one year and provides that disputes.be placed before the Amer- ican Federation ot Labor. Questioned If as much common la1x>r will be used on the road as formerly. Big top will be a tour-pole tent as against six poles, but will be higher, reach- ing up 60 feet also wider to provide a more rounded effect Difference In capacity is not expected to be ma- terial. Sidelights They are spraying perfume around the arena back and front during per- formances, a distinct improvement over the strong-smelling disinfectants uesd heretofore. Circus will not play Brooklyn proper this season for the first time, a building on the lot used last year eliminating that booking. Big top will first pitch canvas In Long Is- land City, on a lot near Madison Square Garden bowL The main tent will be cooled throughout the season. Deal with General Electric calls for lowering .the temperature considerably imder that on the outside. Coolihg process is that used in railroad stations when trains are standing still, and at airports when planfes are being readied to go aloft Process is a blower system. Frisco Fair Needs More Coin; Its Roland Butler is general press agent as heretofore, Frank Braden and Gardner Wilson. are ranking story men while Jerome Harriman is contact press agent Bill Conway is contracting agent for New York, with Al Butler having that assignment outside. Joe C. Donahue is general traffic director, while Beverly Kelley is in charge ot radio programs. Outfit rolled into town ahead ot schedule. It started for the Garden from the Mott Haven yards, where it 'was ferried from Jersey City, Sat- urday (1) afternoon, elephants draw- ing the heavy wagons. But there was some doubt about the show opening on the advertised date be- cause ot ttie hockey playoffs. Had the Rangers not dropped the game to Boston at the Garden Saturday, circus would have been compelled to postpone until the latter end ot the week. 1,000 Spent; Demand for Kid Shows and More Free Attractions Twins were born to Terrel and Dolly Jacobs, she being- out ot show tor the first few days. San Francisco, April 11. Financial crisis is . impending at the Golden Gate International Exposi- tion, with execs reported seeking additional cash from oil companies, public utilities and banking interests which have already advanced dough to support the Fair. With practically all of the $20,000,000 raised in ad- vance of the opening already spent the expo needs additional funds now to finance a number ot major attrac- tions necessary to . help draw larger crowds. Conflicting rumors are being heard —one that Uie new money will insist that General Manager Harris D. H. Connick be given absolute authority to carry out his own plans; another that no new cash will be forthcoming unless Connick steps out It is also reported that a big-shot showman from New York^has been offered the top spot at the 'Tz\t at a salary of $100,000. Connick has been accused by some ot thinking in terms ot the 1915 expo, which he also man- aged, and of tailing to keep abreast of modem trends' In showmanship. Management's lack of Interest in showmanship generally is blamed tor the absence ot Gayway attractions drawing repeat trade. Zone is heavy on dame shows, ot which there ere 11, and lacking in features with mop- pet appeaL Leo Singer's Midget Vil- lage, which was shuttered a few- days after the Fair's opening because of financial difficulties, may reopen soon. The midgets and Singer are still In town pending settlement ot contract Henry Clive is still stalling on set- ting an opening date for his Hindu rope trick. Expo put up $20,000 for a building tor the show. Clive wants to charge 50c. and he figures that the crowds on the Gayway are too thin at this time to enable him to meet his nut The Monte Carlo ^ow has closed. Originally Intended to be a bingo parlor, Monte Carlo was turned Into an expose ot gambling, Show was a poor biz getter from the very start A syndicate is said to have offered' the expo brass hats $450,000 tor the bingo concession, but was turned down because if bingo does come to the Fair it will be op- erated by the expo. 'FoUes Bergere' a Big Click Major financial success at the ex- position at the present moment is Tolies Bergere,' currently in its sixth week, playing 23 performances a week, with frequent capacity attend- ance in the 3,300-seat California Au- ditorium. Originally set tor six weeks, 'Folies' will now run tor at least four more stanzas. Show has been getting terrific word-ot-mouth buildup with considerable repeat trade, although newspaper advertis- ing has been kept to a minimum. It is generally conceded the expo has another winner in 'Cavalcade of the Golden West' a mammoth spec- tacle and pageant with a cast ot more than 160 playing 2,000 characters in the 23 scenes, with around 100 horses, a herd ot some 30 cattle, and replicas ot two old-fashioned locomotives, early San Francisco horse-drawn street cars and other realistic atmos- phere. Staged outdoors in a huge open-air theatre with a seating capacity of some 3,000, 'Cavalcade' employs such novel devices as a 20- toot curtain ot water. Show has plenty ot action and color, but up to the present has not had the proper ballyhoo. However, within the last few days the expo has hired a press agent who will dievote all bis time to selling 'Cavalcade'. Showmen have declared that the expo-financed 'Cavalcade' is a better show than any other the Fair* has had in recent years. Night crowds at -e V Ir haven't been as heavy as expected. Louie Lurie, local showman who has in- vestments on Treasure Island, is said to be on the verge ot inking a deal which may bring more fair- goers to the Island at night Lurie has in mind a big ice show to be st£.ged in the California Coliseum, a 9,000-seater which has been'p white elephant Sally Band's One Bed Week Concessionaires claim that their money is being used to meet current expenses and that the brass hats have been slow in paying off. Con- cession revenue has been big, in spite of the weak midway. There are still some shows doing poor biz, such as 'Musee Mecanique,' the 'Mark Twain' house, 'Hydrosphere' and 'Scotch Village.' Some ot these don't belong on the Gayway. The 'Scotch Village' Is In a bad location and being v 3orly sold. However, its oiferator, William Russell, is a smart showman and it is felt that tliis village will be a comer to be reckoned with this summer. Sally Rand's Nude Ranch Is lagging and Is said to have gone Ir' the red one week recently. New Show Opens Sally Rand got her new show, 'Miss America,' underway on Easter Stmday. Manager Connick wanted the name ot this concession changed because ot a plan he liad to stage a 'Miss America' contest in the 9,000- seat Collseun^ off the Gayway. The appointment of Art Belcher .as temporary chairman of the Con- cessionaires' Association, has started rumors that the restaurant conces- sionaires on the Gay Stem are or- ganizing to take over control ot the association in an effort to dictate the publicity policy on tliC Gayway. Belcher, a local restaurant man, has some eateries on the Island, Concessionaires are still squawk- ing tor more gaiety on tl i Gayway. They would like to have the expo hang out some flags to liven it up, brizig in some, more kid shows and stage some big free attractions with proper ballyhoo. Fair execs realize that something went wrong with the Edwin Franko Goldman publicity and an effort ia being made now to publicize the band to the limit A p.a. has been assigned to concentrate on plugging the outfit One ot the first ^things arranged under the new order ot things for the Goldman band was a series ot . broadcasts. Goldman hasn't been any too cooperative in working with the press on publicity stunta Fact that grounds are getting cluttered up with papers from hot dog stands, etc., throughout tiie Island is undoubtedly due to top drastic a cut in the Jaritrrial staff. Treasure Island was overrun With kids last week, giving the expo one of its I>est weeks from standpoint of the gate. Weather was perfect One ot the largest week days at the Fair since Its opening In February oc- curred on a Thursday, April 8 (Army Day), Break in weather started April 1, when 44,446 went to thj Fair. The following Sunday saw 75,748; Monday. 27,715; Tuesday, 37,- 670; Wednesday, 61,375; Thursday, 53,316; Friday, 36,789; Saturday, 53,- 316; Sunday, 60,257. DALLAS' SHOWMANSHIP TO BUCK FORT WORTH DaUa«, April 10. Backed by the Dallas 'Wholesale Merchants' Association, subsidiary of the Chamber ot Commerce, an at- tempt Is now being made here to form a corporation to finance a sum- mer show to attract tourists who hitherto have sp^nt their coin in Fort Worth. Sponsors : plan two- month run, July and August, ot varied professional talent in some outdoor arena, yet to be picked, with a seating capacity ot at least 5,000. Idea germinated In 1936 during Texas Centennial when Fort Worth plastered this section with signs ad- vising strangers to go to Dallas for education, come to Fort Worth for entertainment Long-time rivalry grew worse last New Year's Day when Fort. Worthians snubbed the Dallas Cotton Bowl game. Abortive attempt to keep the dough at home failed last slimmer when Dallas Park Board tried to build a dance pavilion at White Rock Lake, city resort on outskirts, but was blocked. Saved from Hammer ' Los Angeles, April 11. Payment ot taxes amounting to $1,809, plus costs, averted a tax lien sale ot the Hagenbeck-Wallace cir- cus by the county assessor. Most ot the equipment will be re- moved to Peru, Ind., and the animals to Ringling winter quarters in Sara-< sota, Fia.