Variety (Apr 1939)

RADIO Publlshsa Wesklj at lE.I Wast 46tli Btraet, New Turk, N. T, by Varlaty, Inc. ' Annual BUbacrlptlon, Blnsla coplea. 2S centa. Entered u Mcond-olaaa matter Daoambar Si, at th.a Post ORIca at New York, N. under th* aot of March t. IITK COFTBIGHT, ISSe, BT TABIETX. IKO. BIOBTS BBSEBTED. Vol. 134 No. 6 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1939 64 PAGES BLAST HOODLUM PK-RADIO Anyway, It s Great (or A.T.&T. . French.government telephoned across the Atlantic last Trldaj (14) afteif.President Roosevelt's speech.' France requested A.T.&T. to ask ■M^.to. arrange telephone translations In French, German and Italian so-tiiat the French radio ministry in Pads could make transcriptions and lie'htoadoast to Europeans later in day. . . - Mattel was xeferred to the NBC shortwave department, which has r. full coknplemeht ot linguistic spielers. ' Because of the question of Presld^tlal courtesy Involved, NBC believed it .should first, ascertain the White House's opinion. With France waiting and the A.T.&T. holding an ocean circuit open, Guy Hlckok of . NBC callM the - WUite ' House but could not contact any of the secretariat He then asked for President Roosevelt himseU. A moment later F.DJt. was on the line In person and gave per- mission. ■ ' . Teel of a live Audience a Bonanza For Coast Niteries'Free Names Hollywood, April 1& Theatre • Authority may have knocked' the gimmicks out of bene- fits'but'It also gave the acting gen- try out here a ham-hypo that is de- feating the purpose of the TA setup. Where the bow-stealers once per- formed free gratis' so that this or that causiB might pick up a few needed simoleons, they now do the same thing, only work at it mugb. harder, for a cafe' owner—^with no philanthropy attached. Ask thie big timers who jump at the chance to be called to atage cen- ter from their tables, 'How come?', and they'll lay you out with, 'Gotta have that feel of an audience.' Stick around long enough and ' they'll put on the act for you. But you gotta applaud so's they can take the bows going away. Yet, their reasoning Isn't as far-fetched and fatuous as may seem at first tumble. Blame It on dat 01' mechanical debbil, microphone. Here's a sample of what you get: 'How'd you like to talk into a Uttle rctmd metal gadget day in and day out without knowing how you're get- ting along and whether you're click- ing or not You can lay eggs all day Without knowing it It's the same OS sound stages as it Is in radio. It's • Uttle dlilereht in radio; you get (Continued on page 60) European War Scare Puts a Production Hiatus on Costly Fix Hollywood, April 18. • • Major studio pictures carrying heavy budgets are being set back on production schedules pending Eu- 'opean developments. Front offices xeel that unnecesisary financial risks jrould be taken hi turning out big ™nis In. the event armies start marching and the markets of af- fected, nations would be lost for revenue. Shift will not affect plant person' as films of lesser cost are being njoved up. Gigantlcs will mark time (Continued on page 62) THEATRE, PLUS TOWN, T0BEENTU(EYMOYED St .Louis, AprU 18. The Greenville, a 200-seater op- erated by K. H. Wilkinson, at Green- ville, Mo., a town of 800, will be moved with the rest of the com- munity to one of the hills overlook- ing the Francois river when the new $15,000,000 Wappapello Dam Is built The present site of Greenville will be submerged 40 feet more than was estimated by th'e construction of the dam, and there is n^j other recourse for the Inhabitants than to seek an- other location. $20,000-A-WEEK FRED WARING DEAL What may develop Into the biggest time and talent expenditure of its kind is Chesterfield's engagement of Fred Waring for the across-the- board spot which Amos 'n' Andy for- merly flUed on the NBC-red (WEAF) link. Should the contracts with NBC and the bandman go 52 weeks the cig account will have spent around $1,- 800,000 for time and $1,090,000 for talent Warlng's weekly stipend for the series of five quarter-hours a week is reported to be $20,000. It's the first time that a name band has been sponsored on such basis. Warlng's competition besides A 8c A will be 'Easy Aces' (Anacin). It's also the first time that the three networks, CBS, the NBC-blue (WJZ) and the red, have had commercials pitted against one a. .other In this 7-7:15 p. m. E3T niche. Waring could have commenced May 29 for the clg account but he elected" to wait until he had com- pleted his run at the Strand, N. Y., which begins April 28. PULPIT, PIIBENT5 AnACK GRIMERS 'Dead End Kids' Type of Films and 'Gangbiisters' . Air Show* .Charged with Contributing to Juvenile Delinquency 'ANTI-CRIME' By WALT BASCHICK St Paul, AprU 18. Front page hullaballoo—argu- ments pro and coq regarding de- moralizing effect of hoodlum films and sensational radio programs—has split this territory wide open. Statements by juvenile court of- ficials, church' leaders. Boy Scout execs, educators and civic leaders have stirred a hornet's nest Of the town's rla^to,' only show-wise IjOu Golden leaped to the films' defense, and landed himself a scad of type spread lavishly tmder a three-col- umn headline. Uproar began when Stanley C. Hedstrom, senior probation officer of the boys' division' of Ramsey County <St Paul) Juvenile court charged that such films as those featuring the 'Dead End Kids,' and radio fare such as 'Gangbusters' are positive factors contributing to juvenile delinquency. Judge of Juvenile Court Carlton McNally, a recognized authority on problems involving delinquent boys, seconded Hedstrom's statements un- der a page-one banner line: 'I have had to deal with boys In court who were emulating the 'Dead End Kids.' When these young actors were first on the screen their plight was de- picted as deplorable. In later movies they have been made to have excit- ing and attractive adventures. Chil- dren want to see them time after Ume. 'If the children had the power to know the right from the wrong this might be all right But these lads (Continued on page 55) President Roosevelt s Frank Plan To Woo S. A. Good-Will Via Screen 6m MAY SEE A 3D SWINGOPATED TOADO' , 'Mikado In Swing* colored vailt, currently at the Orpheum, Minne- apolis, Is being offered to New York bookers by producer Harry Rogers. If a deal is set it will mean three swingopated 'Mlkados' on Broadway, the ottier two being the legits— WPA's 'Swhig Mikado' ($1.10 top) and Michael Todd's 'Hot Mikado' ($3.30 top). Thus, far no deal for "Mikado In Swing' has been set Unit contains 90 people^ including five musicians, and is said to be a copy of the WPA's version, only condensed. Rogers Is asking $7,000 a week for the show, plus a split of Uie grosses. NEW 'JITTERBUG JOINTS^ SOCK B.O.INPA. PhUadelphia, April 18. Latest thing on the nitery front here and in other Pennsy towns, ani spreading speedier than a dic- tator's dreams, are 'jitterbug joints,' selling nothing more potent than ice cream sodas, and providing music via coin machine and an oversize dance floor for the kids to work out on. About a dozen of the spots have mushroomed in the past six weeks, with The Topper the newest and flossiest. Spot has no show in the profes- sional, sense ot the word. It has one team of topnotch jitterbug terpers (Continued on page 51) Washington, April 18. Broader use of motion pictures to promote' friendly relations and strengthened ties between the United States and Latin America Is up to Congress, at the teoment when do- mestic distributors—particularly th» newsreel companies—are working with the State Department to put up a fight against cinema seduction of the Germans and Italians. Plan for bringing the other West- em hemisphere countries closer to the U. S. via films was officially pro- posed last week when President Roosevelt sought $176,000 to carry out a picture project recommended last faU by a special advisory com- mittee. It's part of a $1,000,000 scheme to prevent the European to- talitarlans from luring the South Americans to their way of thinking and from snatching our valuable trade. On several fronts, the Federal Government Is appealing for film in. dustry aid in maintaining cordial re- lations with Latin America. Re- cently, Nathan D. Golden, chief of the Commerce Department's motion picture division, has been pointing to the money which can be made in the South American market, urging U. S. producers to try to recoup (Continued on page 19) Qmnts Most Parlez Anglais for ZO'Fox; Ires Canimck Goy't Toronto, April 18, Stipulation of 20th Century-Fox, that the Dionne quins will have to speak English in the last of the series of films, for which the five youngsters are under cointract has aroused a furore among the federal- appointed guardians, tlJs complicat* ed by the racial action of the French- (Continued on page 01) N. Y. Fair Preem Bnt 10 Days Off; Big Rush On Finishing Touches With the New York World's Fair's April 30 premiere only 10 days off, working force on the Flushing Meadows site was doubled this week as the usual last-minute rush got into full swing. Approximately 16,- 000 are working on the grounds, a big portion of them in the amuse- ment zone, which is 50-75% behind the remainder of the exposition with its building program. The midway Is the furthest retarded. Because of importance In having the bulk of the Fair Operating on the opening day, additional crews probably wiU be added tor the final (Continued on page 62) > April IStb, 19S9 Mr. PhU Spitalny New York Dear Phil: You will be liappy to know you and your all Girl Orchestra have iust broken every record _ever established at this theatre Howard Feigley, Manager Rivoli Theatre, Toledo, Ohio