Variety (Sep 1939)

Wednesday, September 27, 1939 ▼AUDE—NIGHT CLUBS VARIETY 41 Straight Filmers Switch to Vaude; Expansion of Fleshers on Upbeat Further Indication of the growing Inclination towards stage shows by theatre operators is evidenced In the willingness of straight-pic houses to book name shows. Spots that have been operating 100% celluloid for years are currently on the hunt for Jive attractions, j Top example of. this is Loew's ; scheduled relighting of the Metro- ' politan, Brooklyn, stage for the Eddie 1 Cantor 'unit the week of Oct. 19. j Cantor will play the house for a j guarantee against a percentage, ? which Is similar to the arrangement 1 lor the rest of his bookings set i through the Williain Morris office. 'l The week previous to the Brook- ! lyn date, the Cantor name will mean jlhe enlargement of the policy at j Keith's, Boston, which has been 1 playing vaude, at a moderate budget, ; only three or four days weekly. With ii Cantor; house goes on a full-week, i name policy. w For the same show, RKO is re- 3 (liming vaude at the Palace, Colum- ' bus, for three days starting Oct. 6; with the comic then going to the RKO situations in Syracuse and Hochester for onerday dates prior to the Boston opening. Resumption of the stage end at the Met, Brooklyn, is the most Important of all Though it's only for the one week, according to present plan.s, there's the probability that the house will book occasional attractions when they come along. A similar plan has been in line for Loew's Capitol, on Broadway, since the joint personal of Judy Garland and Mickey Booney (later Bert Lahr and Ray Bolger) with 'The Wizard of Oz' a few weeks ago. Thei Metropolitan, once an import- ant link in Loew's vaude chain, has been'straight-fllms for several years. It dropped vaude just about the same time RKO pulled stage shows from the opposish Albee. That was the end of stage shows in the down- town sector of Brooklyn, although there was an abortive attempt to re- instate it last. year at the WB- Fabian Strand. 1 Sophie Tucker Mast Answer Reis' lOOG Suit This Friday (29) 'Paris' Unit'. 9 Weeks Charlotte, N. C, Sept. 26. 'Pleasures of Paris,' unit of 30, featuring Eugene and Louise South- ern, Virginia Manche girls, Pony Sharabba, Memba Sisters, Mason and Johnson, LeVess and Margo opened at the National, Richmond,. Va., on Thursday (21) for three days. Pror duced by Dan Fitch, it carries a five- piece band in the pit and runs an hour. T. D. Kemp, Jr., has set. the unit for nine weeks of Paramount and in- dependent theatres in the south. AFA BRANCHES ORDERED TO CLOSE While the American Guild of Va- riety Arli.<:ts lay claim yesterday to 4.250 members, the American Feder- ation of Actors finally capitulated to events and ordered branch offices in various cities to sell their furniture and close, AGVA organizing office, imder the' direction of Jean Muir, has regis- tered about 2,000 members in New York. 1,000 in Los Angeles, 500 in San Francisco, 250 in Chicago, 100 in Boston and a scattering throughout the country. AFA was reported to have held a meeting Monday (25) to 'dissolve.' No. confirmation could be obtained, how- ever. Office employes refused to comment .and RaIph Whitehead, ex- ecutive secretary, could not be reached, although he has at least partially recuperated from his re- cent illness and is no longer confined to his home. It was admitted, . however, that 'retrenchment' is taking place in the field offices. Most of the former out- of-town AFA reps are now attempt- ing to get similar positions with AGVA. 4 Answer Is due Friday (29) by JSophie Tucker to the $100,000 libel ^|suit filed asainst her in N. Y. su- ^ ■jpreme court by Bernard J. Reis, ac- : •jcountant for the Associated Actors | land Artistes of America. Reis' suit I JKrew out of statements concerning! jhim, printed in the American Fed- ] deration of Actors bulletin, over Miss TTucker's signature, following his fjtestimony in the AFA trial by the IjFour A's. rj Despite the fact that Miss Tucker ■past week joined the American Guild ■jOt Variety_ArtistSj_and_h-as_other^ "I Vvise gTven up her AFA connections, iReis said he will push the claim. Whatever coin he is able to collect, he said, will be turned over to char- ily. Miss Tucker joined AGVA the aft- jernoon of the day she opened at the •> Versailles, N. Y. William Morris. mho agented her into the nitery. phoned AGVA headquarters, stating ■.3nat Miss 'tucker was in his office .and was desirous of jpining. He *>sked an application be sent over, ^which was returned Immediately With her signature. .. Miss Tucker had refused to ink an jfPpUcation the night before when ■«llen Cross and Alan Corelli, prior (Jo a guest appearance on CBS, called her. It would have been impo.';- j i'ole for her to open at the Ver- t:-allies without AGVA membership. Chi Finally Civcs In Chicago, Sept. 26. After two weeks of refusing to recognize the victory of the Ameri- can Guild Variety Artists, the home office of the American Federation of Actors finally capitulated last week and sent a brief note to Guy Mag- ley, AFA rep. telling him to sell the furniture and close the office. This marks finale on the AFA ac- tivities, both official and unofficial LEGIT, VAUDE CONFLICT EXITS ACT FROM STRAND Ray Mayer and Edith Evans were ,sudden-pullouLs from-the Ne.wJiCflrlt. Strand's stage presentation after the first show opening day, Friday (29). Act found the race between the Strand and rehearsals in Max Gor don's production of the Hammer- stein-Kern musical 'Very Warm for May,' too close for comfort. Strand management, on finding the act could just about make the stage shows, if they ran fast, agreed to cancel the Mayer and Evans con- tract. Team, long standard in vaude, only recenlly came east for the Gor don show. Act had been billed in pre-opening ads as 'by courtesy of Max Gordon.' Baito's Top Nitery Out of Circulation itcry Ops Put Up Bond oh Tax Charges . New Orleans, Sept. 26. Four Lake Charles nitery bpera- lO's charged with Income tax cva- '">n in federal grand jury indict- Jients handed down here recently, i 'PPeared before United States Com- missioner Robert L. Knox and put ■"P bonds of $5,000 for their release. ■J*"* defendants are Felix Maggiore "a Bob Dalovisio, owners of Frank iM n'^ ^"^ ^- Mitchen "5 9' ^- Lewis, operators of Mitch "« Louis,' Baltimore, Sept. 26. The Pehthou-se, atop the Stanley theatre, for years town's fop swank nitery, has been taken out of cir- culation by Warner Bros., owners of the properly, with a catering con- cern taking hold of the lease for private function.s. Leaves town without an uptown nocturnal spot except for The Blue Mirror, a cock- tail lounge, featuring brief floor di- vertissement Town's night life is now centered in off the main stem tenderloin sec- tion, previously identified with slum and honky tonk .set-ups, but now .itispping up to mure ambitious ef- fort*. Injury Cancels Dates Jimmy Jones, who works with The Del - Rios, balancing trio, was injured Sunday night (24), while working at the Roosevelt ho- tel, New Orleans. Report to Fanchon & Marco in New York indicated that one of his legs was hurt and that future play- ing time Will have to be cancelled. One date nixed is for the Radio City Music Hall. 5-7 WEEKS IN NEW YORK NOW Growing vaudeville time now af- fords bands and name acts the long- est New York route in years. Bands, especially, are in line for anywhere from five to seven weeks in the metropolitan area. Major portion of this time is the Brandts' four weeks at the Flat- bush, Brooklyn; Audubon, N. Y., Windsor, Bronx, and Carleton, Ja- maica. Inasmuch as these houses have not been declared opposition by the Times Square deluxers, prior or subsequent dates ranging from one week at Loew's State, to two or three weeks at the Paramount or WB's Strand, are procureable! Other possibilities are the Roxy and Music Hall, both of which are usually two- week, or more, bookings for acts. One . instance is the booking of Cass ijaley by the Brandts. She only recently played three weeks at the Paramount on Broadway. Gene Austin Unit Continues Tour As Attachment Is Off Mobile, Sept. 26. The Gene Austin tent show, 'Models and Melodies,' was released from an attachment out of the circuit court when Billy and Marion Wehle, who sued Austin for $8,500, failed to post double that amount.Jn-.bond.to hold the outfit. Austin, who had parked his equipment and some of his helpers at the county fairgrounds and sent the performers to tourist cabins, left Monday (25) noon for Selma, Ala., to fill an engagement. The Wehles claimed in their suit against Austin that he owed them the amount above mentioned as the balance due on the purchase price. Austin claimed that the Wehles handed him a 'nut' in the shape of unpaid Federal amusement tax liens amounting to $3,900. In the mean- time on Wednesday the Internal Revenue Department filed amuse- ment tax liens against the Wehles to the amount of $3,155.85. Austin re sumes his western tour after doing several towns in Mississippi and Louisiana. Flippen Vice Cantor as AGVA s Pro Tem Prez; Dissension Behind Miss Reade Quitting As Exec Sec Shirley Heller's Return Pittsburgh, Sept. 26. Mrs. Richard^ Mills (Shirley Hel- ler), wife of .Irving Mills' lad, join- ing up at Show Boat next week as vocalist with dance band of her brother-in-law, Herman Middleman. Before her marriage, gal was a warbler in niteries and is returning to first love in home town for a spell. She'll be Middleman's first singer since Sally Hughes left outfit couple of years ago for wedding. Mrs. Mills is a sister of Jackie Heller. AGVA SETS UP UCENSING OF AGENTS American Guild of Variety Artists will shortly undertake licensing of all agents. Its members will be al- lowed to work only for agents who have been given certificates after being passed upon . by the AGVA exec board. License forms have already been printed and only the date remains to be set for the certifying of agents to begin. There will be no fee charged the reps for the license. License is expected to do. away with court litigation between agent and actor, for it contains a compul- sory arbitration clause. This clause extends also to 'conflicting claims be- tween licensees.' Arbitration may be before the AGVA national board, if the licensee so elects, or in ac- cordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, V/ith the decision: final and binding upon "both" sides; Licensee must also agree not to act as agent for any AGVA member not in good standing and to make all contracts on forms provided by the union. In addition to the licen.<;es, new forms have been printed this week by AGVA for contracts between the union and vaude and nitery ops and between employers and performers. Both the pacts have a new liability clause figured to strengthen the actors' chances of getting paid off in ca.se of bankruploy. It stipulates that contract mu.st be signed not only by a corporation, but 'by an in- dividual as an individual and not as ; Paol a corporate officer,' which would staff. COMERFORD VAUDE SniWIED BY UNIONS make him personally liable, There is also in the employment Eddie Cantor resigned Monday i25) evening as president of the American Guild of Variety Artists. He was irnmediately succeeded by Jay C. Fiippen,. a member of the AGVA board. Switch took place at a meet- ing of the AGVA exec body on Mon- day (25) after receipt of a letter from Cantor stating that he had only accepted the presidency as an emerg- ency measure during the recent AGVA-AFA crisis. Cantor, in his letter from the Coast, declared that he hadn't worked in the variety field for a con- siderable time and thought that the general membership would favor someone more closely associated with their profession.. [Cantor is just starting out on an extensive vaude- ville tour.] Henry Dunn, of Cross and Dunn, a member of the AGVA board, imme- diately proposed Flippen as the new prez. Latter, who was present, was promptly accepted by acclamation. Flippen will serve until a general election is held within the next three months. Maida Reade's resignation Friday (22) as executive secretary of AGVA Was sudden, but not entirely unex- pected after frequent reports that there was dissension in the manage- ment of the union. Uriderlyiiig fac- tor was Miss Reade's lack of knowl- edge of the vaudeville and nitery fields, which was said to be imped- ing organization of performers by' the newjy chartered union. There has been little doubt that AGVA, because of its too speedy for- mation following the-ousting. pf the American Federation of Attors from the Associated Actors and Artistes of America fFour A's), was in a near- chaotic state. There were apparent- ly too many fingers in the pie, and Miss Reade, who has had an excel- lent rep in leglt as a member of Equity's council, was finding it diffi- cult to coordinate the management in fields that were foreign to her. Her resignation came at a meeting of the executive board of the Four A's Friday. The management of ACiVA was up for discussion, and the board is said to have asked Miss Reade to leave the room while they talked it over. Instead, she said she wanted to quit, and, upon request, put her resignation in writing. Her sal.iry was $6,000 yearly. A committee of three was then formed to handle the affairs of AGVA until another permanent sec- retary is appointed, this time pos- sib'y by a vote of the AGVA's mem- bership. Committee consists of Mrs. Emily Holt, executive secretary of American Federation of Radio Art- i.st.«; Mrs. Florence Mar.ston, eastern I rep of the Screen Actors Guild, and Turner, of the Four A's Icsal They'll supervise Alex McKee, pacts .a-strcngthening-dause-against-f-ganizer. Plans for a resumption of vaude at the Capitol, Binghnmton, N. Y., operated by the Comerford interests, has been stymied by the unions. Musicians and stagehands are re- ported to have insisted on contracts naming, a set number of weeks that shows would be played, but the op- erators balked at thi.<i, claiming they could not guarantee playing time without first getting a line oh the b.o. potentialities of vaude. Comerford circuit is now playing stage shows at Fay's, Providence, full-weeker; Family, Scranlon, Pa., two days, and Irving. Wilkes-Barre, three days. Besides the.se. there are several minor, spots playing Harry Sherman's' $100^a-day shows on a one-day-per-wcek policy. rebates or kickbacks to employers. Forms are all said to be temporary, subject to change by the general AGVA membership when it meets. No date for such a meeting has been set. who is nominally In charge now, with Jean Muir continuing as chief or- BRANDT VAUDE CIRCUIT DICKERING FOR STAGER A. C. Niteries Fold Atlantic City. Scpf. 26. The resort's nite club world is folding fast, with but one or two big places remaining on the go. The 5 o'-clock Bar didn't even wait for the Pageant to fold; Renault's on Boardwalk shut down to- winter size last week; 500 Club likewi.se. Bath and Turf took the dive to cold month proportions. The Paiadi!<« immedi- ately folded after Labor Day. . The Brandts' indie circuit, which, with the opening of the Carleton, Jamaica,.Thursday (28), will have a four-week vaude route in New York, is dickering for a production man to dress up its stages. A deal will be set this week, the operators refusing to name the candidates meanwhile. Other Brandt hou.ses are the Flatbush,. Brooklyn; Audubon, M;in- hatlan, and Windsor, Bronx. Arthur Fisher does the booking. Idea for a production man stems from the Brandts' desirfe to .^iye vaudfe as much of a chance as pn.^- sible to establish itself ^s u b.o. st/m.ulant The producer will con- cern himself with scenpry and li.iihl- ing, probably getting full rein even over those shows which carry their own production help, as for instance j the Music Corp. of America bands. 1 Latter are getting special treatment I from Leo Morgan, former stage pi'o- I duccr for Parampunl's picture thea- tres, especially hired lor the job. In Four A's circles It's being sug- gested that Dorothy Bryant, former head of Chorus Equity, be plac«d in charge of AGVA. She was originally approached for the job, but turned it down. She built up Chorus Equity's trea.'-iiry to the highest point In its hi.itory prior to quitting some time a^o and knows vaude and its prob- [ lc-m.<:. I There are reports that Miss Reade's I resignation also stemmed from a I growing struggle within the Four A's ; for jurisdiction over television. . Equity now has this In limited fash- ' ion. but AFRA is said to claim it be- caii.ve of the jurisdiction it already 1 holds over radio. Miss Reade, it's .said, would have thrown AGVA's vote to Equity's side in. any jurisdic- tional dispute, with the result that AFRA execs and its close ally, SAG, are .sa:d to have been anxious to re- ; place her. it's probable that Miss Reade will , r.ow return to Equity's council, which I .'■•he left to take the AGVA po.st. Equity job is non-salaried. BERBEBICH DIVOBGES WIFE . St. Louis, Sept. 26. . William Berberich, owner of the Mcaclowbrook, class nite .spot in St. Louis County, last week was granted a divorce from Mrs. Mabel Ber- berich, to whom he was married in Cleveland. July 14, 1924. The suit was heard and the decree liranted within two hours after it wai filed.