Variety (Dec 1939)

Wedoesda^f Dejcember 6« 1939 VAUDE—NIGHT CLUBS VARIETY 4S Desire to Cooperate With Talent Unions Stressed at N.Y. Agent Mass Meeting Artists Representatives Assn., the new organization of New York the- atrical agents, got underway last Thursday (30) with a mass meeting at the Edison hotel and a foUowup executive comflKttee confab Monday (4). Around 80 agents and associ- ates attended the Thursday meeting, with more than half immediately pledging themselves to membership. Meeting on Monday, in the offices of Attorney I. Robert Broder, was tor the purpose of outlining by-laws and setting up a temporary schedule of dues. Committee members chosen at the mass meeting include Charles J. Freeman, of Consolidated Radio Artists; Miles Ingalls, of Music Corp. of America; Jesse Kaye, of Fanchon & Marco; Bill Liebling, Herman Cit- ron, Herman Bernie, Billy Kent, Joe Flaum, Mark Leddy, Phil Offin, Harry Kilby and Bill Shilling. Keynoting the Thursday meeting was Bernie's warning to the agents , present. that if they don't organize now for self-protection and preser- vation they probably wouldn't get another opportunity. He pointed out that every other branch of show biz is now represented by some sort of association or union, while the New York agents were still shifting by thernselves, come what may. Only strong agents organization in. the country at the present time is the Coast group, which recently negoti- ated a deal with the Screen Actors' Giiild. It was also stressed at the mass meeting that the association of agents was not for the purpose of 'fighting' any of the talent unions, but rather to cooperate under the terms of an equitable agreement. The agency li- cence of the American Guild of Va- riety Artists was pointed out as one of the examples of alleged inequit- able union legislation. Broder, who chairmanned the get-'.jgether, stated that a confab with AGVA on a new licensing agreement would be the agents' first official business. That the ARA will be open to talent representatives in all fields is indicated by the membership of the executive committee, as well as the cross-section present at the'Edison hotel. Liebling, for instance, is al- most strictly a legit agent and caster. It had been presumed in the trade that the agents association would be restricted to the varieties. Another general meeting has been called for Friday (8) afternoon at the Edison hotel hall, but this will be restricted to only those agents who have already pledged them- selves' as members. Latter, at that time, will select board of governors which will decide on a slate of of- ficers and submit it for immediate election. Matter of dues and by- laws will also be determined at the meeting. 'ICE FOLLIES' BREAKS CLEVE. ARENA RECORD Worcester Yande Try Via Son. Night Shows Worcester, Dec. 5. First attempt was made Sunday night (3) to bring name bands with supporting radio and vaude per- formers here. Musical Enterprises, Inc., of Hartford, Conn., has obtained Municipal Auditorium, city's largest house, for three successive Sundays. With less than week's publicity, b.o. was only a few hundred under the nut. Bob Crosby and band head- lined bill, supported by Radio Rogues, Nan Wynn and others. Dol Brissette's WTAG band was in the pit. Will Osborne's orch Is set for next Sunday (10). Gus Van, Willie Shore Fined for Gratis Work On Complaint from TA Chicago, Dec. 5. Through complaint of Theatre Authority, charges were entered by the American Guild of Variety Ar- tists and allied show business talent unions against Willie Shore and Gus Van, now at the Hi-Hat Club, for ap- pearing at a benefit without ah okay from TA. , Both Van and Shore were fovmd guilty and fined, but the fines were suspended with a warning issued to both performers. Today (Tuesday) a hearing will be held on complaint of the TA against Billy Carr and Joan Woods, of the 606 Club, and Helen Morgan, Ada Leonard, Slate Bros, and Stan Kav- anaugh of the 'Moulin Rouge' road show, for appearing without TA authorization at a neighborhood po- litical charity. Pantages, Birmingham, Going to Yaudfilms Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 5. Pantage theatre, dark for eight weeks, will reopen Dec. 24 under a vaudfilm policy. Opening stage show for house will be Karston's 'Follies Unusual.' Other units to appear in near future will be Evelyn Brent's 'Streets de Paree,' and 'Shoolin' Hish' with Oswald. House will be booked by T. D. Kemp, Jr., of Charlotte, N. C. $2,400 SATURDAY Wertchester Band-Vande Date Switched for One Week Bob Crosby and George Hall or- chestras drew 3,700 patrons for a $2,400 gross at the Westchester Coun- ty Center, White Plains, N. Y., Sat- urday (2). Bands are usually pre- sented Sunday afternoon and eve- nings, but use of the auditorium for ar antique exhibition caused a switch to the preceding night. Only a night show was played and b.o. was under par. Also on the bill were Lorraine & Rognan, Lew Parker, Berry Bros., Bobby May, Four Comets and the Co-Eds. Bus Cos. Ask AGVAtoTag 'Em 1st Class Chicago, Dec. 5. Bus companies will seek an in- terpretation of the clause in the American Guild of Variety Artists contract which calls for first class transportation for performers. In the past this has been inferred as meaning railroad transportjition, but the bus companies, notably the Greyhound Lines, have come up with a di.<;proval of this interpretation and are insisting that bus lines also rate as first-class' and have court de- cisions to back up their claims. ' AGVA offices themselves have not yet been called upon to make any decision on this matter, but it is likely that the Greyhound and other bus companies will be upheld in their claim, particularly in view of the sleeper busses which are now regularly on service by most lines. JANE (& JOE) McKENNA HAS NARROW SQUEAK Jane McKenna, of the comedy team of Joe and Jane McKenna, which wound up an engagement at the Paramount, N. Y., last night (Tuesday), narrowly escaped seri- ous injury on Monday when her car was overturned and completely de- molished near Englewood Cliffs, N. J. Miss McKenna was driving from the Par to her home in Teaneck, N. J., with her sister and mother, when they were sideswiped. None of the three was injured beyond the requirement of first aid and the femme comic made her usual ap- pearance at the Par yesterday. B.B.B. (Bobby Burns Berman) heads new floor show at Dinty's Ter- race Garden, Albany, with Palmer and Forresta, the Five Bugs, the Texas Rockets and Art Manse's orch AGVA s Basic Agreement With Vaude Houses CaOs for Wage Minimums And Rehearsal I Steinherg-Lyman Pay $22,500 for H'wood Troc Hollywood, Dec. 5. Assets of the Trocadero nitery have been bought by John Steinberg and Abe Lyman for $22;500. Inven- tory carried a value over $55,000. Steinberg is to operate the tavern under a 10-year - lease, opening set for Dec. 15. Steinberg recently disposed of his interests in the Victor Hugo. Lyman and his orchestra move in early next spring for an indefinite engagement. Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic Lining Up Initial Show; Leo Reisman Looks Set Leo Reisman looks set for the band berth at the Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic, nee the Paradise, Broadway nitery, when it preems with a new Seymour Felix revue Dec. 28. Harold Adamson and Vernon Duke are writ- ing the new score, and Jack Durant and Everett West most likely will head up the floor show personnel. Nicky Blair is auditioning what he plans will be the top lookers, pay- ing them up to $100 a week, and is culling the girls from the Walter Thornton and John Powers modeling agencies. Looks pretty well set for the re- named room to have legal usage of the Ziegfeld moniker, this detail be- ing worked out at the -moment. EMA Slate Set Philadelphia, Dec. 5. Jack Mazer, of the booking Arm of Lipschutz & Mazer, appears certain to be elected prexy of the Entertain- ment Managers Assn. at elections to be held next week to fill place left vacant by resignation last week of Florence Bernard, who headed the group since its formation. Other pre.^ent officers are expected to be re-elected. They are: Roy Cross, v.p.; Jim Smith, treasurer; Madeline Woods, secretary, and Jo- seph F. Hughes, chairman of the board. Cleveland, Dec. 5. 'Ice Follies of 1940' broke the ice at Al Sulphin's Arena last week, hitting a smash pace through the run and an approximate gross of $70,- 153. Silver-blade show, topped by Evelyn Chandler and Bess Ehrhardt, had a capacity house of 11,020 on final night, with seven-night stand setting a new week's attendance rec- ord of 46,769 for Arena ice spec- tacles. Sonja Henie's skating revue is next booked for mid-January. Henie Blades in Texas Hollywood, Dec. 5. Sonja Henie opens her ice skating tour in Houston, Tex., Friday (8). She's carrying a troupe of 100, headed by Stewart Reburn and Har- rison Thompson, both Canadian blade champs. Skaters may pass up Hollywood on the tour. Pauline Cooke HI Pauline Cooke, agent who took over the late Jenie Jacobs' office, is In Roosevelt hospital. New York, after being stricken Saturday morn- ing (2) with a heart attack in her office. Yesterday (Tuesday), she was re- ported as resting comfortably. The Show Window of Show Business 3 4th Anniversary Number of l^RIETY To he published late in December USUAL ADVpiTISING RATES PREVAIL ADVERTISING COPY MAY BE SENT TO ANY VARIETY OmCE NEW YORK HOLLYWOOD CHICAGO LONDON 154 West 4601 St 1708 No. Vine SL 54 W. Randolph SL 8 St Martins PL American Guild of Variety Art- ists, beginning negotiations for con- tracts with vaudeville circuits, is asking for a basic minimum rate of $S0 a week for principals and $40 a week for chorus members. It also seeks to require three-way responsi- bility on the part o£ employers by forcing the exhibitor, the independ- ent contractor and the booker to sign all contracts. Understood the union also hopes to obtain pay for rehearsals, an innovation in the vaude field, but now the accepted practice in legit, radio and pictures. So tar the only company actually approached is Paramount, but the others will be contacted within a few days. They will indude RKO, War- ners, Loew, Fanchon & Marco and Brandt. Circuit officials who have seen AGVA's proposed 'code of fair practice' claim that it doesn't prop- erly meet conditions in the vaude- ville field and must have been drawn up..,.by .someo.ne not fami-li-ar with vaudeville. But the union's officials explain that the document was drafted by its vaudeville committee, which is composed of vaudeville ac- tors. As for the claim that the pro- posed pact is not applicable to vaude- ville conditions, the union asserts that advertising executives made the same objection to the AFRA code, but after it had been in practice ad- . mitted that it worked satisfactorily. AGVA national board took up most of its Monday (4) rnjeting with the matter of constitutions for the lo- cals. It was decided to hold meet- ings of the locals (New York, Bos- ton, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco) during January, when proposed constitutions may be drawn up and local boards established. After that delegates for a national convention may be chosen. At such a convention, which may pos- sibly not take place until Novem- ber, 1940, a new national board could be.. chosen by the member- ship. Questions of agency licensing Is still hanging fire. AGVA's agency committee has sent notices to the locals asking reports on suggested agency licensing and regulation. But until those reports are received, no final plan of handling the agency situation will be drafted. In the meantime, the union will receive and consider suggestions on the matter from its New Vork members, or from any agents who caie to offer them. Problem of whether to take in non-performing circus and carnival workers, which was slated for de- cision last week by the international board of the Associated Actors & Artistes of America, was temporarily tabled and is now due for settlement today (Wednesday). AGVA com- mittee appointed to study the ques- tion has turned in its report to the Four A's, but iis nature hasn't been disclosed. ARMY-NAVY GAME HYPO TO ALL PHILLY SPOTS Philadelphia, Dec. 5. Philadelphia niterics, hotels, res- taurants and theatres reaped a gold- en harvest over the weekend as a j free-spending crowd, here for the Army-Navy football classic, really ! did the town. Despite the rainy i weather, a record-breaking attend- I ance of 104,000 was chalked up at the big Municip.ll Stadium in South Philly. Before and after the game the crowd thronged eateries, taprooms, theatres and night spots, shelling out I about $1,000,000, according to veteran hotelmen. It was the biggest Friday and Saturday in th# amusement area since the grid classic was moved here from Chicago six .. ears ago. The Ritz Carlton hotel opened Its Empire Room, one-time gathering place of the social register set in pre- P'Ohibition days, on Friday night (1) just in time to get a chunk of th« Army-Navy biz. The room is under- the direction of Gregory, maltre d'hotel. Murray Stewart's orch pro- vides dance music. Fashion shows will be staged by specialty shops every Friday afternoon.