Variety (Sep 1939)

RADIO ,Vol. 136 No. 3 ^lETY Pulillsheil Wrekly at 154 Weit 46tli Street, Kevi Tork, N. T„ by Variety, Inc. Annual oubacrlptlon, $10. SInRi* rnpIsM 2S centa Bnisreil ai Second-claaa matter December 22, 1905, at the Post Oniga at Ne\T York, N. Y., under the act of March I, in;*. COPYRIGHT, 193», BS VABIETX, INC. ALL RIGHTS RKSKRVED NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1939 ~ PRICE 25^ 56 PAGES DRAMA AS WAR WEAPON : ♦ > .— _ Moore, Pons, Martini, Swarthout, Tibbett s B.O. Enhanced by H'wood By EDDIE SnnTH Loss than a year ago, with the re- lease by Paramount of Gladys Swarthout's 'Ambush,' Hollywood ended a three-year experiment in the realm of grand opera* During this period five Metropolitan opera sing- ers—Grace Moore, Lily- Pons, Nino Martini, Lawrence Tibbett and Miss Swarthout—were signed, their film successes being few and far between. ■For the most part, in past cases, Hollywood has always been a fair barometer of a personality's success. IC a flop, it indicated box-office ap- peal was gone. But, paradoxically, all five of these singers are today more popular than ever, and at the peak of their careers. The question then arises—did Hol- lywood make these people, or were they stars which the Coast could not handle? An examination of the list •will show that Tibbett had won ac- claim before going to the Coast, but he was no more important than a number of other baritones at the Metropolitan whom the average pub- lic had never heard of, and was tak- ing a back seat to the fading veteran baritone, Antonio Scotti, and to Gui- seppe de Luca. Thus Tibbett's na- tional reputation was tremendously enhanced by the glamour of. a film star. Tibbett first had a brief fling in pictures 10 years ago, as did Miss Moore, both of them at Metro, but neither clicked as expected. Lily Pons also was well established as a coloratura, but her appearances In concert and opera outside of New York were not nearly as lucrative as (Continued on page 22) ITALY CONTINUES PLANS FOR EXPO DESPITE WAR Rome, Sept. IS. Italy is going ahead with prepa- rations for its 1942 exposition as if no state of war existed in Europe. Mussolini has ordered Senator Vit- torio Cini, Italian head of expo preparations, to continue his work, the same as he would in normal times. The new city springing up on the outskirts of Rome will be, according to II Duce, the 'Olympics of Civili- cation.' Normal opera programs will also be held throughout Italy this winter. Kay Kyser's Shrinkage; $750,000 Gross, 120G Net Kay Kyser, whose band got rec- ord high salaries for percentage dates in theatres, is reported, to have grossed $750,000 during 1938 from all appearances. Out of this. It's said, he only netted around $120,- 000 for himself. After pa'ying ofl his musicians, Kyser found himself in the G0% in- come tax brackets. Deductions for the latter left him with the 120G, just about giving him a look-in on Woolworth's. Fishell On Football Dick Fishell is rolling his crystal ball out of the mothballs and again going into a one-man seance calling the major grid tussles this season. Besides call- ing 'em right (we hope) ^o^ Variety, he's continuing his sports commentator stint for WHN and doing the play-by- play on the N. Y. (pro) Giants' games under General Mills (Wheaties). sponsorship over WABC-CBS. Fishell, Syracuse '33, varsity fullback for three years, later playing pro grid with the Brook- lyn Dodgers, will confine him- self to the tough ones and tra- ditional games, passing up the setups. He starts this week on page 53. Cheerful News At Last: N. Y. Cafe Biz Good Whether it's the wartime stimulus, the market or the post-Labor Day season, the New York City niteries are sizzling. Business is slightly terrific these days, and bids fair to ■par the halcyon pre-'29 days. Cafe men ascribe it to a combi- nation of the market and generally improved conditions induced by the European war. Hotels further emphasize that, while the N. Y. fair expectancy was disappointing, the World's Series, football and more business conventions in New York this fall should attract considerable trade for theatres and cafes. Theatre Authority's New Rule Calls For Paid Standby Shows The Theatre Authority today (Wed.) is instituting a national rule on benefits that is the most revolu- tionary step undertaken to create paid employment for performers where paid employment previously did not exist. In essence, the regula- tion requires standby shows to sup- plement gratis entertainment playing bona fide charity promotions. On the face of it, this new rule will work in much the same manner as the standby rule in effect with some musicians' and stagehands' union locals, which forces employers to pay for local extras when engag- ing musicians or stagehands who are (Continued on page 54) r Satire on League of Nations, a 1939 Cavalcade on Dic- tators—Set for Big Trans- Canadian Tour — Stalin Displaces Franco—Hitler, Mussolini As Is Not Enough Legit Shows Around As B way Biz Spurts BuHishly Crossleying the Calorie* LIVING HEADLINES By ROBERT A. McSTAT Toronto, Sept. 26. George Bernard Shaw's 'Geneva,' satirical study on the League of Na- tions, has been entirely revised and brought up to date by the play- wright to include the declaration of war on Hitlerism and the subsequent European complications arising from Soviet Russia's intervention. World premiere of the re-written opus will be presented by the Colbourne-Jones company at the Royal Alexandra, Toronto, Oct. 9, according to cabled advices received here by Ernest M. Rawley, manager of the C-J trans- Canada tour. It is the largest English dramatic company that has ever visited .Can- ada and, significantly, from the standpoint of propaganda in the the- atre, the tour is sponsored by the British Council of which the King is ths patron. John Masefield, poet (Continued on page 6) Marie Wilson, pic player cur- rent at Loew's State, New York, Is credited by Bob Oakley, her straightman, with another zaney- ism. Her first day In town, he claims, she phoned a friend in Hollywood for advice on a good res'taurant In N. Y. SEEK A NEW 'TIPPERARV London, Sept. 19. The music publishers here are in- dustrially reading manuscripts of new war songs in the hope of finding another 'Tipperary.' This recalls a story alleging the original publica- tion of 'Tipperary' was an accident. According to the legend, Bert Feldman, Shaftesbury avenue music publisher, prior to his holidays, put a bunch of compositions on his desk, with instructions to his manager to put them into press. He had another pile that he was unable to pass upon, and shoved them on to a shelf along- side the desk. The charwoman cleaned the oQice that night as usual and, in the process, one of the songs fell to the desk from the shelf above. She placed it on the publisher's desk. It was 'Tipperary.' The song was sung in the Isle of Man, by Florrie Ford, and was a year old when George Gurnock, of the Daily Mail, heard it. He commented on it in the Mail, and Feldman bought the song outright. After it was such a sensational success, he made the composer a weekly allow- ance until the latter'j demise. Jessel Gest Plan to Tour Expo Shows Plans are underway for part of the talent at George Jessel's Little Old New York, at the N. Y. World's Fair, to tour as a vaude unit when the concession folds with the expo Oct. 31. It would ba billed as 'George Jessel's Little Old New York,' but Jessel probably won't be included in the cast. Billy Jackson is lining up the show, figuring on the Chester Hale Girls (12), Bassett and Bailey, Ann Pennington, Sam Kramer, among others. Morris Gest, who operated Miracle Town at the Fair, is also said to be figuring on a theatre tour for his complement of 60 midgets. He's presently trying to get their viijas re- newed, almost all of the lower-case performers having been Imported from Germany, or territory that is now German. At the time Gest did the import- ing, as well as the present, there have been squawks from American showmen that there was a sufficient number of midgets in the U. S. with- out Gest going abroad for 'em. Broadway's ticket brokers ara heartened by the steady upturn in theatre-going, last week seeing an increasing spurt. With September winding up there are far fewer at- tractions than the agency people would like to see operating, but the season is taking form slowly. Aside from a revival, the month'j only two premieres are on this week. October should see between six and 10 new productions, but it will hardly be until November before the real influx begins, which was ap- proximately so last year. What accounts for the current theatre crowds Is not clear, but may be traceable to Wall Street's mount- ing quotations, also the betterment in general business, probably due to the war. Most houses cut their pass lists to the bone, a satisfaction to the agency people, who always were op- posed to free admissions and paper- ing of theatres. Most nights last week, not one attraction could b« had in cut-rates. Agencies' High Prices Known in ticket circles that some agencies have been openly gypping, indicating that attempts at enforce- ment have become lax. Reported that several brokers are trying to get $8.80 for tickets, doubling the box office rate, or more, but a number of would-be patrons refused to pur- chase and shopped in other agencies for locations not as favored, but at a more reasonable rate. Upping of prices above the code premium limit is probably explained (Continued on page 51) Twin Cities' Rivalry Causes St Paul to Go For Show Biz Methods St Paul, Sept. 26. St. Paul, which has been battling Minneapolis for some time to keep the patronage of its own population for its theatres and business, is be- ginning to book heavy draw names to grab ofl the Twin Cities' business. The lures are booked indirectly by local business men themselves, through the Women's Institute or- ganization. Several years ago when the cur- rent St. Paul administration got into power, the town was closed tight as regards night life and other en- tertainment. A survey taken la.it (Continued on page S4) HARK-BACK TO VAUDE'S GOLDEN ERA; UNIT IDEA A reprise of vaudeville as it used to be is being attempted by Charles J. Freeman, of Consolidated Radio Artists and booker of the Interstate (Texas) houses, in a unit to be titled 'The Silver Jubilee.' He's lining up names who were prominent during vaude's golden era and the show will play like a variety bill of old days. Acts Freeman has lined up include Jack Nor worth in a revival of The Nagger' sketch, Avon Comedy Four (Smith and Dale), Rae Samuels, Four Mortons and York and King. According to Freeman, however, the show will not go out unless at least 10 weeks time can be contracted for in advance. Selznick Prowls Yarn For Maude Adams Pic Hollywood, Sept. 28. Maude Adams makes her screen debut in January, according to David O. Selznick, who Is hunting a suit- able story for the former stage star. Selznick planned to start Miss Adams last fall but the play ha picked for her, 'Made for Each Other,' did not meet with her ap- proval.