Variety (Apr 1939)

Wednesday, April 26, 1939 TAUDE ANIGHT CLUBS VARIETY SS AFA FIGHTS BENEFIT EVILS ■ ^ ♦ . f— : ■ : . Wincheil as Arbiter, Settles Rose s Aqnacade-AFA M Over Salaries Hitler s Address on Friday Seen Affecting S, Africa'Hotel'Dates; Howard in N. Y. to Stage New Unit ■ f — , — Dispute between Billy. Rose, oper- ator ot the Aquacade, and the Amer- jcan Federation ot Actors, which tot a time early this week threatened to bold up that show's opening Sunday (30) at the New York World's Fair, was settled yesterday morning (Tuesday), both sides agreeing to abide by the decision of Walter Wincheil, who sat in as sole arbiter. (Columnist's verdict gave the actors' union a victory on the salary ques- tion, and Rose a break on the re- hearsal coin angle. According to Winchell's decision, around 220 performers in Aquacade will have their salaries raised from ^0 to $35 weekly, the wages com- mencing with the opening show. So tat as coin for the rehearsals to date, that's being held in abeyance until the termination of the Fair season, when an audit of Rose's books will be made for private scrutiny by Wincheil, who will then determine whether Rose's profits are so large as to warrant the extra costs. It was agreed that Rose is entitled to a fair measure of profit on his in- vestment with Windiell to be the judge as to what that amount should be, and, if there's an overage, the cast will benefit - ■According to Rose his investment in the Aquacade wiU total $325,000 by the time the show opens Sunday. The rehearsal coin will total $22,000, Rose stated. ' AH Get $39 Weekly With the exception of the princi- pals, Eleanor Holm, Morton Downey, Johnny WeismuUer and numerous specialties, everybody in Aquacade Is getting the same salary, namely $35. The show holds nearly 300 in its cast, but only 220 odd are affected by the salary increase. AFA's rehearsal demands entail $15 weekly for the second, third and fourth weeks, $20 for the next two weeks and full pay thereafter. Some of the swimmers have been in re- hewsal for around aSjt weeks. The situation came to a head Sun- day (23), when around 150 perform- ers in the $35 class voted not to con- tinue with rehearsals unless their .salary and rehearsal-coin demands were met Sophie Tucker, v.p. of the AFA, backed their stand, stating, 'I receive rehearsal pay'and so should you.' She also said she had given Rose Oiell' for oSering non-union contracts. On Monday, when the situation appeared to be at an impasse, Win- chdl, honorary member of the AFA, offered to act as arbiter. He was agreeable to both sides and a meet- ing was held yesterday (Tuesday) in Miss Tucker's apartment at the St Moritz hotel, from which the final agreement eventuated. The cast returned to rehearsals immediately after the decision was effected. RAMON NOVARRO SET FOR TOUR OF CANADA Alex Chemiavsky has signed Ra- mon Navarro for a tour of personals through Canada next falL Manager is fUso looking for nantM to tour in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa this summer. Gherhiavsky is currently In New York rfter eight months in Aus- tralia. ~ Set Names for Atianta Atlanta, April 25. (^ntinuing name booking policy for stage, the Roxy, Atlanta's newest vaudfllmer, is bringing in fielen Morgan for show starting Thursday (27), to be followed by Jane Pickens, May 4. Bruce Cabot, of the films, will be featured starting May 11. WB, UNION W SOLUTION TO PHULY BAND SNARL Philadelphia, April 25. Compromise has-been reached be- tween Warner Bros, and the musi- cians local on a dispute which would have forced the circtilt to shift vaude from the Fox to the Earle for the summer. Change of policy switched flesh from the Earle to the Fox last February. Disagreement arose from Warners' request to be allowed to move the orchestra from the Earle to the Fox during the hot spell. Earle contract with the tooters is for 52 weeks, while the Fox calls fOr only 37 weeks. WB wanted to fill in the 15 weeks, while the Fox crew was out with the Earle band. When the American Federation of Musicians nixed the plan, the circuit decided to reverse the flesh policy. Under the compr<»nlse the pres- ent Fox band will be retained for eight of the 15 weeks and the Earle combo will be shifted over for the remaining seven. VAUDEraVAL' EYED IN NEW ORLEANS New Orleans, April 25. Prospects ot vaudeville 'revi^' here is visualized-^though somewhat dimly—with the reception 'accorded the Strand theatre's experiments of twice-weekly stage presentations. Show presented every Thursday night is 'Variety Hour, composed of amateur talent vying for round trip to the New York World's Fair. On Tuesday nights, tor two i>erform- ances,' winners of previous week's elimination appear on salary basis as part of their prize. Last Tuesday night (18), \^en pre- vious week's three winners appeaired, it marked the first time in two years that the large second balcony of the Strand had to be opened on a week day in two years. Theatre normally seats 1,800, but SRO sign was out almost an hour before- stage pres- entation last Thursday night (20). The Strand is a subsequent-run house. The Strand is the only bouse in New Orleans with any kind of flesh presentation. Patron Charges Cafe Op Beat Him; Sues for 106 Rochester, N. "V., AprU 25. Albert Michaels, operator of the Chateau, nite club here, has been named defendant in a $10,000 Su- preme (3ourt suit charging assault Edward S. Swazey claims that after a drink at the bar he went to the dining room with his wife and an- other couple to see the floor show, and was 'violently assaulted' by Mi- chaels. Michael's answer charges Sw^ey hurled 'vile and instilting names' at him and maliciously struck and In- jured him, causing Michaels to de- fend himself. Swazey states he was knocked unconscious, suffered a brain concussion, a cut lip that re- quired several stitches, and head lacerations. The John Perona assault case at his El Morocco, swank N. Y. nitery, was widely played up in the metro- politan dailies as result of his row with a. patron. A suspension of his cabaret license resulted temporarily. Mayor t-aGuardia took umbrage at several recent and widely publicized fisticuffs in the classier- spots, and opined that, regardless of the estab- lishment, the brawling must stop. URGES CARE IN Omi SHOWS Whitehead ta Demand Rept^ Use Greater Restraint to Eliminate Existent Abuses That Mulct Performers Out of Rightful Pay JUST A RACKET Ralph. Whitehead, executive sec- retary of the American Federation of Actors, who conceived the Theatre Authority, is reported ready to de- mand that- that body's representa- tives exercise greater care in pass- ing on shows as 'benefits.' The TA now functions as an adjunct of,all member unions of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, as well as the different theatrical guilds. The TA was originally formed to end the 'benefit' racket and .afford performers more work. Idea is for the TA to pass on all shows asking for griatis performers. If the shows are found to be for legtimate char- ity purposes, performers are per- mitted to Work 'em without pay, but the TA collects a percentage of the gross, which Is divided -among all the theatrical charities. Those shows not passed must pay the actors,- with the latter fined and censored by the Four A's if found playing a tabooed 'benefit' gratis. According to Whitehead, too many shows that obviously aren't benefits are being passed by TA reps na- tionally. The result, he states, is that actors are being mulcted out of legitimate paying jobs, besides having to donate their services at distinctly non-charitable affairs where admissions are charged. Tliere's a TA rep in nearly every key city. Their findings are usually final. Adams Takes Oycf Slmbert in Newark Newark, April 22. Adam A. Adams, operator of the Paramount here, has bought the Shubert theatre, Newark's only legit house, from the Prudential Life In- surance Co., at a figure not made public. House will be entirely reho. vated and reopened in the fall with a policy to be decided upon later'. Shubert, this past season, was in opposlsh to Adams' Par with a vaudfllm policy, both houses going In heavily for name bands. ATLANTA'S HULBULT VAUSE AUanta, April 25. The Cameo, downtown Indie, in- augurated stage shows Sunday (23). Manager Walt Meier will draw his talent from hillbilly crews on local radio programs. Frank Fay's outfit which dropped the billing of vaudeville for 'Show,' abruptly closed at the 44th SUeet, N. Y., Wednesday (19) last week, considerably in the red. It is slated toreopenMonday (1) at the Shubert, Boston, another legit house, with the Shuberts said to have made certain financial guarantees in support of Fay. There were reports of salaries due the leading acts, but no com- plaints were made and, with a few changes, the complement is said to have agreed to ride along with Fay, who has promised to settle pay claims with the actors. Arrangement with the 44th Street called (or the house taking the first $4,000 weekly. Gross was around $9,000 in the opening weeks, then slippy to the $6,000 level. Theatre's LOEW% CLEVE^ HEADS FOR A1TENDANCE MARK Loew's first stage show current at the State, Cleveland, In around three years appears likely to crack the theatre's attendance record, set by Jack Benny. Headlining Judy Garland, coupled with 'Midnight' (Par), house Is looking for a $31,000 gross on the week. Benny, who played there three years ago, grossed arojnd $38,000, but the admission scale was con- siderably hi^er at that time. Up to Sunday (23), the (Garland 'Midnight' combination had played to more people than did Benny in the same number of days (3). The State will not play stage shows as a regular policy, booking only names when available. House, booked by Sidney Plermont out of New York, will play only top screen and radio personalities. Next show comes in the week of May 12, head- lining Eleanor Powell at 'lier studio (M-G) salary (around $5,700). AFA ASKS 100% UNIONIZATION IN CHI Chicago, April 26. American Federation of Actors here last week sent notices to <J1 vaude and nitery bookers to operate closed shops. So far, it's reported, an bookers have ignored the notice, probably pending any further nego-' tlations that may come. A similar notice is known to have been sent the New York bookers some time ago, but nothing came of it Notices were received here by such offices as the RKO, Balaban & Katz, Billy Diamond, Music Corp. of Amer- ica and the William Morris agency. 2 Detroit Night Clubs Fold for the Summer Detroit, April 25. Club Plantation and the Hotel Statier'g Terrace Room have shut- tered for the summer. Plantation wiU convert to a Har- lem-type nitery before early fall re- opening. The Statier, although clos- ing earlier than vsaii, plans io re- sume name band policy in the fall. end was sliced to $3,400 during the final weeks of Lent, but with oper- ating expenses to be defrayed, there was little left for the pay-off. Remaining with the show are Elsie Janis, Eva Le Galllenne and Smith and Dale. The Merry Macs are out. Aunt Jemima replacing. Fiy claims he will return to Broadway with a new bill after playing several east- em keys. (Halm of $550 was handled by the Theatrical Agents and . Treasurers union on behalf of Nat Dorfman, who was press agent and Al Lee, mana- ger. Part of the coin was collected on a bond ^led with TMAT, with the Shuberts said to haye guaranteed salaries of Sam Weller and Charles Emerson Cook, who are now ahead and back. Along with the diplomatic factions all over the world. Hitler's q>eech before the German Reichstag sched> uled for Friday (28) will also have its effect on the bookings of at least one stage show. Hairy Howard's 'Hollywood Hotel Revue,' currently in New Zealand, is tentatively set for a tour of South Africa, but the deal with the Schleslngers, theatre opera- tors there, will not be finally signa- tured unless he Fuehrer's speech is more paciflsUc than expected. If a war is indicated, the deal is cold. Howard returned to New York from Australia late last wee^ leav- ing the 'Hollywood Hotel Revue' on its own for the time being. Show, 'which is currenUy at Her Majesty's, in Dtmedon. N. Z., is playing its 32d week since going to the Anzac btilt 10 months, ago It has been in Aus- tralia and New Zealand 35 weeks^ laying off only three weeks in that period because of time constuned in making jumps. - Besides the purpose of arranging the South Africad booking, Howard is also in N. Y. to line up another show for an Australian tour. Hell stage the same type of revue as is 'Hollywood Hotel,' using a couple ot film, players as marquee names. Most of the production will be set in N. Y., but the chorus and showgirls will be recrtilted on . the Coast Howard's Befleetlons Howard's'reflections on the Axis- trallan playing time are Interesting. Touring with 'Hotel,' he got a con^ plete plctiure of the coimtry and its show tastes. According to the iojb mer comic now turned manager-pro- ducer, Australia is mndi I(ke Amer- ica in its theatre desires. Sydney,' he states, is a counterpart of N. Y., the natives there evidencing the same hustte and bustle as the Ameri- can metropolis. Melbourne, the cap- ital, on the other hand, is quite se- date.. They're fyat on the take so far as humor is concerned, but there's a distinct absence of a middle class. Either you're rich in Australia ($40 weekly salary is very high there), or you're poor, but, from the grosses on 'Hotel,' Howard indicated a plenitude of coin Down Under. 'Hotel,' for instance, despite re^ ord heat and other unhappy condi- tions at times, hasn't had a losing week in Austrlalla. Show, which is playing the time on a guarantee fgahist a eo% split, has averaged aroiud $9,000 weekly grosses in tbs Sir Ben Fuller theatres, which How- ard claims, has been distinctly prof> (Continued on page 37) L A. NITERY IN LABOR PEACE, RESIDES MAY 8 Los Angeles, April 25. The Ambassador hotel made peacs with the union'over the past week- end and its Coeoanut Grove resumes its dance policy May 8. Last wetsk the hotel management stated that the Grove woiild be transfom>ed into an ice rink and that transcription musle would replace name bands, due io labor disagreements. The Grove's reopening show will have Veloz and Yolanda plus An- son Week's orchestra. Decision not yet reached whether to re-heat deal with Benny Good- man, recently cancelled. Toronto Cafe Denied OK To Reopen; Gambling Toronto, April 25. With police heads last week re- jecting permission to reopen the Club Esquire after William Beasley, owner, had been charged with keep- ing a gaming house, the town's swankiest nitery is still shuttered. Shutdown came when Inspector Herb Bolton and ' seven officers raided the club recently and con- fiscated wheels and liquor. Fay Show Quits N. Y. Deeply in Red; To Tour East with Shubert Backing