Variety (Sep 1939)

Wednesdajv September 27, 1939 VAUDE—NIGHT CLUBS VARIETY 4S Majestic, Bidyn, CastLeftHolding Bag for Salaries Performers at the Majestic, Brook- lyn, which had a quickie vaude ca- reer week before last, claim to be still waiting for their coin. None of them was paid off after the house unveiled on Sept. 15, played through to the following evening and failed io relight thereafter. Forty-eight actors, singers and ehowgirls and eight men in the pit orch are out almost $1,000. Produ- cer, stage manager and press agent rrc also unpaid, although ushers, pro- jectionists and other house employes were taken care of by the house manager from proceeds of the box- oflice for the two days of operation. Promoter of the show was John Head, who informed members of the company he was from Ohio, where he produced similar shows, but is said by Tom Phillips, biz agent of the Brother (burlesque) Artists As- sociation, in New York, to be a mem- ber of that organization. He got the bouse on a split with the owners. With their week not tip and pay- day not scheduled until last Thurs- day (21), members of the cast re- ported for work on the preceding Monday only to be told by Head there would be a slight delay be- cause the American Federation of Musicians and the lATSE were de- manding ' that a bond be posted. Head said he was going into Man- hattan to get the coin for the bond .jnd would ie.xight back. As far as is known, that is the last time most ' members of the company saw him. Most of the cast in the combina- tion vaude, musical revue and burley .show were non-union. Three mem- bers of the BAA, who inquired at the org's office before entering the show, were told to take the jobs at their own risk. Rose Gordon pro- duced the chorus numbers. Unit Review LORD& TaUors of Today — And Tomorrow LOND ON: 19 Albemarle Street PICCADILLY, W. I NEW YORK: 660 FIFTH AVENUE Treasure Island Follies (SOXT, Si ^LT LA KE CITY) Salt Lake City, Sept. 24. Helen Werhle, Harry Savoy, Miles & Durne, Two Rover Boys, Treas- ure Island Girls (6), BiU Floor's hoiise band (5); 'Navy Secrets' (Mono) and 'Gatetuav* (20th), dual. A gagman-m.c, not new to regular patrons of this vaudfllmer, shares topflight honors with a semi-nude hoofer at the Roxy this week. Cur- rent flesher introduces line of six chorines Avho click in their precision stepping. Harry Savoy, Coast comedian, who handled similar m.c. duties here about six months ago, returns with a new routine, yet depends on his unique conversation style and pet lingo to sell his solo act and all in- troductions effectively. Bill Floor's house band c stage opens with a pop tune which paves the way for the chorus. Each mem- ber of the sextet works hard and the result is a pleasing array of soft shoe terping, aided in appearance by attractive costumes. Savoy's, initial showing is marked by a few . glib gags. Briefle sesh with his pins .serves as a buildup for the Two Rover Boys, . a Mutt and Jeff combo. Youthful hokesters dis- play enough talent in gag falls and gymnastics to earn a call. Smaller member also takes-a-stab at-cloggery and is well received. Helen Werhle, impressionistic dancer, has her inning next, front- ing the chorus with fast-steppin« hoofing a la barefoot. Miss Wehrle's talent lies in her acile-execution of intricate routines. Her costume, too, is okay, and she goes over big. Savoy on next with an unnamed gal foil. Stint is nearly all gagging and the balance devoted to the zany expression of the femme. Regular customers instantly recognize several 'Old situations which Savoy uses, but the greater portion of his nine-min- ute appearance is oredominantly new to honietowners. Choicest smile- developer is his gag about how an Indian lost his color while continual- ly fading in a crap game. Two husky-voiced femmes. Miles and Durne, on next with several old pops.. Relying on tricky licks and wa-da-da. gals' treatment of 'I've Got Rhythm' smacks interestingly of unique choral rhythm. In only one department do they falter—mike technique. Mi.ss Werhle's second appearance results in some torrid hip-slineing in a number tabbed 'Persian Fan- la.";v.' To the accompaniment of 'In a Persian Market' dancer gives out -,solidly;-ending-"the- board-pounding in semi-nude. Savoy next fronts chorines with more banter, leading up to the finale during which each act struts briefly. Lower floor of house nearly filled at show caught. Weather, rain. Guss. Hale Girls Due Back Italy Is the only country In Eu- rope running normally, according to Jim Witteried, director of a troupe of Chester Hale Girls who closed at the Lido-Venice Sept 17. Both he and the girls are eh route to New York, due in next Monday (2). Mathea Merryfleld, featured American act who appeared at the Lido, elected to stay in order to star in a new revue which opened at the Olympia, Milan, Sept. 17. Orpheum, Mpls., Cattiag Mat Scale to 35c Top Despite Indies' Squawks Minneapolis, Sept. 26. With Chester Morris and the 'Bon- Air' show, starting Friday, the Or- pheiim here is reducing its vaudfllm matinee prices to 25c; to 1 p.m. and 35c. from 1 to 5 p.m. Scale for past several years has been 35 and 40c., respectively- Admission after 5 p.m. remains at 55c. Action is getting a rl.se out of inde- pendent exhibitors' organization, which previously had waged a suc- cessful fight to get vaudfilm prices boosted from 25-35-40c. to 35-40-55c. The fight involved a boycott of HKO product. Ina.smuch, however, as the Minne- sota theatre has a 15-25-30c. scale for its' vaudlilm shows, Orpheum feels justified in making the slight mati- nee cuts. Protesting indie nabe ex- hibitors, who have claimed they couldn't exist with straight subse- quent-run films at 25c. in the face of combined first-run screen and stage shows at low admissions in the loop, have been so informed. Best Coffee in England QUALITY INN Leiceiter Square LONDON, WEST-END Mayris Chaney in Hat Business on the Side Mayris Chaney (and Fox) has opened a millinery store in San Francisco, and says she will open one in each key city the team plays, leaving managers in charge. Team recently closed a date at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, S. F., and hops to the Clover Leaf Club, 40 miles south of S. F. ■ Weiss' Bkptcy, Listing $145,841 Debts at N. Y. H wood, Marks Finale of Lavish Nitery Epoch Max Adkins New Leader At Stanley, Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Sept. 26. Max Adkins, sax player and ar- ranger for WCAE Airliners, staff band at that station, has been named conductor of house orchestra at Stanley theatre, WB deluxer. He replaces veteran Dave Broudy, lat- ter stepping down at his own request after more, than 20 years of batoning for a first violinist's berth. Adkins quit WCAE berth middle of this summer to study and has since been replaced as arranger for Airliners by Joe Schafer. COAST NITERY TRADE SCUTTLED BY HEAT Two Philiy Niteries Newly Refurbished Philadelphia, Sept. 26. Two niteries are displaying brand new fronts this week. Frankie Palumbo's, in Philly's Latin Quarter, unshuttered Monday night (25) with a new cocktail room and a redecorated dining room and new stage. Irvin Wolf's Rendezvous has been retagged..-'Musical.. JBarl. and. reopens- tomorrow night (Wednesday). A 60- foot circular bar has been installed on the site of the dance floor. In- stead of the old policy, Wolf will have a small band and two acts, a continuous show from 9 p.m. to clos- ing. Hollywood, Sept. 26. Night club biz last week passed through its most agonizing period in the memory of the earliest ringsider. Seven straight days of better than 100 degrees temperature, with little relief at nights, just about doomed any chance of a turnover. Few of the spots are air cooled and tourist trade is in-between seasons, the next big influx being for the Santa Anita race season at Yule time. Most of the bistros were operated by skeleton crews and talent costs were shaved to a minimum. Weather respite came with Sunday's (24) storms. 2 Dallas Spots Renew Former Nitery Policies Dallas, Sept. 26. Rapidly booming nitery biz here, which has resulted in opening of several new spots, has drawn two oldies back to original policies. Lou Bo vis, of English Village, has. dropped the strictly dance idea and returned to melodramas. 'Nellie, the Drunkard's Daughter' is the opening opus. Abe Weinstein has opened his 25 Klub, temporarily shuttered, with floor show which includes three femmes from Casa Manana cast, billed as Three Flashes. Hy Stein's orch is playing this spot The voluntary bankruptcy petition by Nicholas A. Weiss, listing $145,- 841 in debts for the Hollywood res- taurant, extinct Broadway nitery, marks the end of an epoch in Main Stem niteries, according to the show bunch. Still current are such spots like the Paradise, International Ca- sino Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe and Cotton Club (latter colored pol- icy), but it's no secret that'the first two haven't been doing too well. The ever-growing dansapation vogue augurs an increasing tendency by the customers to make their own fun while hoofing on the dance floors. Exceptional spots like the Stork, 21, Morocco and Monte Carlo are celebrity and socialite haunts, where the others come to gape and gawk. For the main, therefore, a couple of good bands and some light divertissement seem to have eclipsed the elaborate floor shows. The Hollywood's $1.50 table d'hote with an elaborate revue and three bands didn't click after a couple of reorganizations. The Paradise had one of its best revues this past season, but the N. Y. Fair influx didn't come up to expectations. The International Casino, with Alex Finn and a fresh Boston bankroll, topped all shows with a lavish Georgie Hale revue that cost plenty. Rose alone has a real click at his Horseshoe. The Harlemesque Cotton Club did well, but then eased off and is currently bridging the gap with a vaudeville show until Louie Armstrong, Stepin Fetchit, et al., come in next month. Cab Calloway is taking the current 'Cotton Club on Parade' into the presentation houses, and Bill Robinson is anchored at the Fair In 'Hot Mikado,' from where he had been doubling into the C. C. Weiss, who lists himself as a design- er, formerly in the_ restaurant busl- nessi flled his voluntary petition of bankruptcy in the N. Y. federal court Friday <22), listing $250 in as- sets against $145,841 in liabilities. Among creditors are the Maxwell Co., Inc., and M. Bronner for fixtures and equipment, $19,000; Local 802, American 'Federation of Musicians, $8,000; Phil-Quain, Inc., Hotel Elysee, $20,000 on a note; the Atlas Ad Co., $5,000 on a note, and the Hotel Edi- son, $1,000, for services rendered. TheJHEATRE of the STARS BOOKING AGENCY GENERAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES LOEW BLDG. ANNEX 160 WEST 46^" ST. NEW YORK 9-7600 3. H. L U B I N GENERAl MANAGER SIDNEY H. PIERMONT BOOKING MANAGIER THE REAL THING COMES ALONG! ANDY KIRK and his "CLOUDS OF JOY" featuring MARY LOU WILLIAMS JUNE RICHMOND PHA TERRELL and FLOYD SMITH The greatest array of musical and entertainment talent ever! No wonder they're breaking records everywhere . . . they're coming up like a comet! LOEWS STATE, NEW YORK, WEEK OF SEPT. 28 PERSONAL MANAGEMENT: JOE GLASER DECCA RECORDS Qlaser-Consolidatedf inc. 30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA. RADIO CITY. NEW YORK