Variety (Jun 1939)

SCREEN STAGE Putjllshed WaakiT at 1(4 West 46th Btraat, Naw York, N. T., by Variety, Inc. Annual subscription, 110. Slncla coplea it cants. Entarad as Mcond-class matter December ti, ItOi. at tbe Post ORIce at Nrw York. N. T., under the act ot March I, 187(, PRICE 25^ COPYRIGHT, 1»3S, BT VARIETY. INO. ALL BKIHTS RESERVEn. Vol. 134 No. 13 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1939 48 PAGES BmY WANTS irWOOD COIN Dramatic Critics Box Score Season of 1938-39 (Sept. 14. 1938-Mav 25, 1939) Key to •bbrevIaUoiis: SB (^lows reviewed), B (rlsht), W <wrons), O (no oplnjou •xpreised). Pet. (peroentare). SB B W O Pet. ANDEBSON (Joutul-American) 73 62 11 0 .84* WATTS (HendA XrU>une) 74 ftl 13 0 .824 COLEMAN (Miirov)^ 45 B7 « » .822' WHIPPLE (Wodd-Telegrain). 6a . 66 12 1 .n2 WINCHELL (Mirror) 20 23 6 0 . .ttH BBOWN (Post), 63 49 13 1 .778 MANTLE (News) 69 53 IS 1 .768 LOCKBIDGE (Sun) 74 56 18 0 .757 ATKINSON (Times) 74 55 18 1 .743 (Score based on 76 new shows oovcred by flrst stringers) VABIETT (Combined) 76 64 12 0 .842 John Anderson 1st Time Winner Of N. Y. Drama Critics Boxscore John-Anderson, of the New York Journal-American, is the winner of the Variety boxscore of daily news- paper drama critics for the Broad- yray season of 1938-39. It's his flrst Win, although he has generally been ^ell up In the.ratings and last year yua runner-up to John Mason Brown, Of the New Yorlt Post, who copped. Anderson's average was .849, the lowest percentage to win top honors in the last eight years and well be- low his i)18 score In placing second last year. Brown set a high record In winning last year with an average of ,935, Runner-up this year is Richard Watts, Jr., of the Herald Tribune, with an average of .824. Others and their scores were as follows: Robert Coleman (Mirror), .822; Sidney B. Whipple (World-Telegram), .812; Walter Winch ell, (Mirror), .793; Brown, .778; Burns Mantle (News), .788; Richard Lockridge (Sun), .757, and J. Brooks Atkinson (Times), .743. Outstanding feature of this season's tabulation is the slump taken by nearly all the reviewers. Only Whipple, with a climb of nine points over his 1937-38 ratings, bettered his previous percentage. All the others dropped. Combifted average for all the. critics was .793, compared to the .853 figure last year, bearing out the evidence that the recent season was (Continued on page 42) CLASSY CHASSIS LASSIES ENJOYING A FAIR BOOM It's a flgleaf bonanza for the nudie performers these days. The N. Y. ' Fair is the direct answer. So many Undraped shows that the lassies with the classy chassis are getting above par wages. The entrepreneurs realize this by frankly Stating that if they strip most of 'em can't do anything heyond the epidermis display. If can dance, they may be shy on we streamlining, etc. Chester, Boy From Good Family, in the Band Biz Detroit, June '6. Bob Chester, son of Mrs. Albert Fisher and scion of the Fisher Body manufacturers, debuts as a band leader soon. Currently rehearsing a 14-piece outfit in New York com- prised of five brass, four rhythm and five sax, including his own. Not tied to any booking agency and has no recording affiliations so far. HGHT TELECAST SHOWS UP rrs PROBLEMS By HOBE MOBBISON Telecast of the Max Baer-Lou Nova' heavyweight fight last Thurs- day night (1) from the Yankee Sta- dium, N, Y, by NBC offered one of the best tests of television in the U. S. so far. Reports from England have been favorable regarding tele- vision for covering fights, but this is the first to be televised in this country. The U. S. preem was by no means as auspicious. Experiment was nardly a com- plete success, but it did demonstrate the possibilities. It also brought out a number ot problems that will have to be met. It was evident that in its present state television fails to show suffici- ent detail. Although Sam Taub, who was at a special mike for the tele- cast, spoke repeatedly of Max Baer's facial injuries, not a trace of a mark was visible in the picture on the re- ceiver lid. Furthermore, nothing could be distinguished of the flght- (Continued on page 28) SEE LUTE STIIRT FOrmO LEGIT General Uncertainty of Cur- rent Plays, Due to the Fair, Etc, Pitches. Broad way Interest Anew, on Film Bankrolling Next Season LOOKS FAVORABLE Start of the 1939-40 production sea- son will probably again be late, such being the Indications despite the fact that the summer has only just start- ed. Managers are undecided about their future activities because of the uncertainty about business, none be- ing confident that the slump, which started with the debut.of the World's Fair, will soon end. Some have scripts In finished form but are holding back casting until some line can be obtained ' on whether Fair visitors during July will patronize theatres. Some ob- servers are confident ot an upturn, but most showmen appear to be skeptical and figure that if the Fair continues to be a deterrent during the summer, the same conditions may apply to early fall. Hollywood participation in legit shows is seen upping production. The Coast coin has been absent for more than two years, but Broadway managers now would welcome a slice ot It. An agreement between picture interests and the Dramatists Guild has been In the making for eight months. Both sides basically concur on the new contract and a final draft Is being drawn up. Stated that in about two weeks the factions will confer, and while the terms are not expected to be 100% acceptable, the pact Is virtu- ally sure ot being consummated be- fore the end of summer. As yet no tieups between film execs and legit showmen are known to have been made, but tentative deals are report- ed. Number of picture people have conceded that Broadway contacta for talent and material have been (Continued on page 44) Screen Biogs on Marie Lloyd, Stephen Foster Hollywood, June 6. Male lead in 'Marie Lloyd,' story about the English music hall star, to be produced at RKO by Herbert Wilcox, goes to (iary Grant. Anna Neagle, the British player, has the title role. English producer is still casting around for a title lead in 'Kitchener of Khartoum' to be produced in England. He wanted Grant for the part, but actor was previously committed. Stephen C. Foster's biog Is to be made' by 20th-Fox under the title of 'Swanee River.' Tyrone Power draws the top role and Henry King directs. N.Y. CafesDotf Worlds Fair Buntiiig In Disgust; Expo s 6,000,000 No Help- Star at One Hollywood, June 6. Sandy, year-old moppet, made her debut as a star yesterday (Mon.), sharing top spot with Mischa Auer in 'Sandy Takes a Bow*' at UnlversaL • Milkman's daughter, formerly Sandra Henllne, flrst appeared in BIng Crosby's 'East Side of Heaven' (U). • RENO INTENT ON DOING A COMEBACK Reno, June 6. Hoping to catch tourists' dollars this summer, traveling back and forth between New York and San Francisco fairs, Reno night spots and gamblers have dolled up their establishments, end dusted oft their roulette wheels and crap tables. For a couple ot years pickings have been tough; lots of customers but no dough. Dollar bills piled high in the cashier cages in tiie gam- bling jointa, but it takes bales of them to cover the nut alone, much less show a profit Fair-bound vis- itors, it they wiU only tarry long enough in Reno to see the town, should have money when they get here, the gamblers figure. Dog House night club, owned by Phil Curti, spent $30,000 enlarging and decorating and Is offering seven acts nightly. The tavern, top spot for many years, folded during the win- ter and was taker* over by Board of Trade which does not know what to do with it. Calneva Lodge, Lake Tahoe re- sort, where fine meals are served as come-on for gambling, scheduled to open within next few weelcs, and Stateline (Hub, rival of Calneva on Lake Tahoe, has been reuphol- stered in preparation for expected big. season. Effort to revive the good old days' of 1931-32 when the Reno city ad- ministration was so liberal that the mayor once advocated placing a barrel ot beer on every corner, failed completely at last city elec- tion. Conservative mayor, August Frohlich and four conservative coun- cilmen were elected, leaving the gambling and night club Interests with little or no control over city affairs. Same situation prevailed during the tour years starting in 1935. Council has no Intention ot clamping down on gambling or night clubs, but joints must watch their step at all times and not turn places into honkytonks. While it's been a gag around mid- town that Grover Whalen is giving Broadway two weeks to get out ot town, It's no kidding matter now, with the Times Sq. hotels, nlterles and restaurants, most of which ai« seriously considering dropping any trailerizlng for the N. Y. World's Fair. Some of .the cafes hava frankly stripped the bunting and-of• ficlal Insigniai off their premises in frank spleien against the Fair. So far, not only has the Fair been no biz aide, but contrariwise a vicious detriment to business. Ths moment the I>onItaces read of ths 6,000,000th customer being clocked at the Fair, in less than a month, it was a rude awakening how mucli traffic had detoured to Flushing Meadows. Cafe m.c.'s all over town audibly quip and ad lib that the Fair vlsi- tors have been ruinous to business, these gags being for local consump* tlon, since the natives still are tha prime supports of the noctximal joints. And any native New Yorker now realizes how much 'the Fair has put the town on the bum.' Unless something radical comes to pass in July and August—like May, the locals have given up June as any stimulus—the Broadway bunch would like to blind iUelf almost wholly to what the Fair may or may not mean to the Main Drag. Expe- rtence thus far lias proved that they're Just too tired to bother with Broadway, after getUng a load of what's going on at Whalen's expo. When the summer dog-days ara really here, the heat will be nd added inducement to patroniza (Continued on page 47) DeROSE-BREEN'S 16TH YEAR AS RADIO TEAM Peter DeRose and May Slnghl Breen celebrate their 16th anniver- sary year In radio June 23. They started with WEAF and, when threa years later that station became tha New York key for NBC's initial network, they joined the NBC pay- roll and have been on it ever since. It makes them radio's oldest team in term ot service. Only time they have been off tha air is the two weeks they got for ttieir honeymoon in 1929. On an- other occasion, 1937, they got two weeks off for a trip to Denver, but no sooner were they there than tha duo got tagged for a daily broadcast on KOA. AQUA-CINEMA New opposition to theatres and be- lieved to be the flrst of its kind will be pictures at the Riverside Cascades swimming pool, on Riverside Driva at 131th street, N.Y. Pictures will be thrown on ■ screen at one end of the swimming tank, for free, with the pool admis- sion.