Variety (Apr 1939)

42 VARIETY LEGITIMATE-CONCERTS Wednesday* AprO 26, 1939 B^way Ticket Situash (Continued from page 39) mezzanines and that there are re- served seats in large arenas for starts, including ball parka One manager, in diatting about the "rush' system of theatre-going, asked if a patron leaving liis seat at intermis- sion would find the same location upon retiuming. GiUmore further theorized that while the non-reserved-seat plan might keep well-to-do patronage out of the theatre, show business- would benefit, by attracting more people- who have found-it hard tt^get'ticlcets. He dismissed as unimportant the patronage from out-of-town- who buy tickets in advance, and his ideas seem to.be reverse to his expressed -views .for attracting suburbanites. Under his plan, such patrons would be forced to readi ;Qie'1heatre earlier than ever. Proposer admitted that his plan may be 'a major Operation.' Bcferee's Beport Referee Morris Cooper, Jr., re- ported to Justice Samuel Hofstadter, in reference to the Acme complaint, that: In light of the attempts of Equity practically since , its organ- ization and of most managers and producers to put into eflect the very reforms embodied in the code, it is impossible to say. that'its'provisions are unreasonable or capricious... The code has not nested an unlaw- ful monopoly, nor are the acts of the defen^dents' in tm^wful restraint of trade.. .Their effect is to prevent an "STARS IN YOUR EYES" HcLt LOD CTLAXTON monopoly by plaintiffs of the best seats for the best shows and effec- tively. ..The effect of the code seems to me clearly to be for the benefit of the theatrical industry aa a whole and of the public' Conceminjg the claims that only a limited number ot tickets were sold at premiums in excess of the code maximum of 75c, the report says: 'I am convinced that the num- ber is sufficiently substantial to .that the code cannot be stamped as un- reasonable on the ground that it deals with an insignificant factor in the industry,..the brokers obtained high premiums... and effectivdiy prevented anyone-who was unable to pay those premiums from obtaining them, thereby causing the public to lose interest in the theatre.. .the actions of the League and Equity do not constitute a boycott.. .members of the industry are entitled to co-op- erate for the purpose of correcting abuses.' Under the procedure. Justice Hof- stadter. may concur in the diismts^l, or order the case to' trial. Right of the agency to appeal may be later dispussed, but the League announced that all agencies on its accredited list would have to conform to the 75c premium limit, or managers would withhold allotments ot tickets. Sttlcter Enforcement League intends making all brokers who are detected violating the rules to file bonds of $500 each, which would be forfeited should -ttiere be further infractions. Originally com- pliance bonds were supposed to be filed by aU agencies signatory to the code, but such requirement -was not insisted upon because of other safe- guards. Louis Cohen agency and Phil Furst, who were recently found haying violated the code, are the first called on to post the-bonds. Generally understood, too, that most of the brokers have been -with- holding the 3%-cent per ticket levy, as required by the League, ever since the Acme action started. Pay- ment of the levy has been a bitter pill for the brokers, the money being used for policing and oUier enforce- ment measures. League -will now call for the ticket people to make CURRENTLY Appearing in LEAVE IT TO ME* At The IMPERIAL THEATRE NEW YORK COMPLETED SEVEN WEEKS At The RAINBOW ROOM MARCH lat Radio City, New York RE-ENGA(^ for Four ~ Weeks Starting May 10th Under Exclusive Management DOLAN & DOJUE^ Inc. C Colton Cronin, Assodate 8905 Sunset Boulevard. Hollywood H. Y. Representative DOROTHY VERNON Under Exduiiv* Contract AHooIated with LAURENCE SCHWAB MARK HANNA good on arrears, though .it Is possible that the levy will be lowered^ or some form of compromise agreed on. Delegation to Poah BUI Delegation ot name stage player? wlU visit City HaH, N. Y., Friday c^':emooa (28) to push the bill pend- ing in city council to limit ticket broker commissions to 75c. Headed by GiUmore, the group is expected to Include Helen Hay'.s, Katharine Cornell, Sophie Tucker, Olsen and Johnson; .Ethel Merman, Ethel Waters, Mary Martin. .William Gax- ton, Victor Moore'and others. Ihances Br^ee For Phifly Dell Concerts Philadelphia,. AprU 18. Prospects of a 10th season of al fresco concerts by men of the Phila- delphia orchestra in Robin Hood Dell this. sununer, which looked practically hopeless a month ago, have now brightened considerably, according to Sam Rosenbaum, v.p. of the Orchestra Assn. and chairman of the Dell eomiftittee. He said a guarantee fund sufficient to insure the musicians their $60-a-week de- mands will be raised. Salaries in the cooperative ven- ture last season were almost negligi- ble because rain drowned out about a third of the conc'eiis. Only five evenings a week will be skedded this season to allow for postponements. . Carnegie Aids S. C. Sympk Spartanburg, S. C, April 25. Carnegie- Corp, New York, has kicked in with $10,000 toward pro- posed $25,000 South Carolina state ^mphony orchestra. OTHELLO (Continued from page 40) lago during the first week. John Connor, Oihello, and Keith are skedded to alternate roles. Keith brings a fine professional experi- ence and 'qualitr to the Blackstone stage and makes a happy choice as the lead for these plays. Ot the entire cast he's the only one who put over the Shakespeare lines audibly and intelli^bly. Connor is. pleasing as Othello, though not' sumcient^ commandi la statute for the role. Other go -jcrfonnances. are by Margaret Oianna, as Desdemona, wife of OtheBo and victim of lago^s ma- licious tongue, and Peggy Joyce, as EmUia. The rest falter. Costuming and production are fine. Gold. Sunday Labor • (Continued from page 39) Railroads' lasts but slightly more than one hour. That Equity Is Inclined to soften the regulations of Its few attractions at the Fair was seen last week, when the management of 'Railroads' sought an exception for three schedr uled Monday layoffs during thd Fair period, to make up for the Sunday shows. Showmen explained an influx of railroad people will arrive for the premiere of the Fair and next Mon-' day (1) is one of the excepted dates for which regular pay is offered. Equity made a . partial occeptioni allowing the Mondays, sought; but at time and-one half pay. Stipulation was that audi performances would not be In violation of the one day rest statute. Such regulation is not expected to apply to virtually all other concessions, most ot which are under the jurisdiction ot the Ameri- can Federation of Actors, which has no Sunday restrictions in theatres, or otherwise. Tabloid Shake^teare, to be pror sented at Globe theatre, in the Mer- rie England concession, will give seven 46-mInute shows dally on .a- seven-days-a-week schedule. f>lays will include "Comedy of Errors,* Taming of the Shrew,' 'Midsummer Nlghf s Dream' and 'As You Like It' House -will seat 450 and the admlralon will be 40c; OSc in. the 100-seat re- served section. Price -will be In ad- dition to the 7Sc entry fee to the Fair and 25c for the-main conc'-Ian. Audiences -will not be permitted to remain in the house and see all four plays for the single admission, but will have to re-enter for the same price to subsequent shows. In- terval of 15 minutes wiU be allowed to clear the house and admit the next audience, making a total of a full hour for the complete play and in- termission. Margaret Webster, who directed and is currently appearing In 'Fam- ily Portrait,' at the Morosco, N. Y., and who staged the Maurice .Evans Shakespearean productions, is di- recting the brietle shows for the Globe. David Ffolkes has designed the single set and the costumes, while Lehman Engel has composed the spe- cial scores. Rhys Williams, who was in the Evans re-Wvals of Hamlet' and 'Henry IV,' is managing'the venture and playing the Town Crier. JohnT. Schless Is general manager, Thomas Wood Stevens Is producer, Paul Winkler is business nianager. CHORISTER REP DEMEDTO GOCA Grand Opera tlhoral Alliance pe< tiUon for recognition as exclusive hargainhig' agent for choristecs at the-Metropolitan 'Opera Co.,'New Yorli, has been denied by the N. Y, State Ijabor Relations Board. No other .group, has been certified. American Guild of Musical Artists; which Already has a contract cover- ing-principals at the Met, is claloiing the chorus representation. Choral Alliance had already lost a pleavto the N. Y. &iaie Board, of Standards and A^tpeals for a cor- porate chsirter. Previous to that, its charter was revoked by the parent body, the Associated Actors and Art- ists' of America. Charter, Involving affiliation with the American Feder« Btion of Labor, was awarded to AGMA. Latter's contract for prin- cipals at the Met expires Sept 30. Negotiations for .»■ new one are ex- pected to begin as soon as the Met returns from Its current tour. Seeking to extend the new con- tract to include choral representa- tion, AGMA has launched a iwogram to develop young chorus singers to swell its chorister ranks. Unio|i is einploying regular opera conductors for the instructions and those attend- ing will be auditioned for inclusion as regular members. Harlemese Traviata' Detroit, AprU 25. National Negro Opera Assn. I* planning to present 'La Traviata' in a series of outdoor performances during the summer in out-of-town engagements, to be followed by its preem in Masonic aude here next faa ' Opera will te sung In special Eng- lish translation, with Stuart P. Pig- gins as artistic director and conduc- tor. ERNEST C ROLLS Fl»Mnt« VIOLET CARLSON AS THE STAB ot hia Newest Sennltoaal RIt Show The Famova ' . lANDON OASfMO BEVin Molfco aiM O, Aaitfmlla A. & S. LYONS, Inc. ANNOUNCE The removol of dieir New York Offices to 515 Madison Ayenue PLoza 3-5181 Ploy* BICHARD J. MADI^ PLAY CO. HOLLYWOOD LONDON