Variety (Dec 1940)

Wednesda^f Dieceniber 11, 1940 P^niETY LE6ITIMATB 49 In Memoriam. Whtn the New ■ Vprlr stdte ticket law becomes fully operative on Jan, 1, ilhcler the directibn in N. Y. City of Paul' Moss, comrnissioner. of . licehs^sy it is probable that there will be a shakeup in the ticket field; thdt will eliminate a: • goodly number; of persons. wlio . have;, been:, eMning a livelihood as brokers. Moss has the power to iact, and it is just a matter , of how Strictly he can enforce the . hew statute. in 'No Time for. Comedy; the- S, :N. Behfman, play which Katharine Cornell was stairred over here, is. due to \ be presented in toi^don this mohth, according to advices received . last Week. Diana Wyhyardvand/Rex Harrison. vnamed' for: the part^ originated by Miss Corheii - khd ^}^J& i I^U'^eric^; Olivier, With; k. -M.;T^n:^ nent producing. ; Stated- that . the ,the effect of the Mi;tcheiriaw, which limits the premium on all tickets id 75c over the bbxoffice price, declined to. be quoted. .Known.;that he be- lieves. Uiere are far; too . rhany. sbr ; called .ticket , agencies; ■particuljatly/ . Hests of speculat6i:s of the gyp tjrpe. Larger agencies'havb.irpwned-.oh ittt. growth of such: ticket handlers, who art more numerous .than those in-, eluded in the EqUity-managers code, Which has a sirhilar premium limit on legit shows. ' • . . .\ ' '■. Besjdc.s the suspension br revbca-- tibn of. licenses, the law provides for ptiff penalties for-yiplatbrs/' ,La are. subject. toMines . not, exceeding ^250 or imprisphmerit up to. one year; Regulations put forth by. Mos.<; do; not mention the. punishment, possibilities. .One.objective aimed fqr by ihe com- ihissibner is to . eliminate sidewalk ticket speculation. Fpriner employees of the better- known agencies have s-'t . up shop for themselves, pbtaihihg qun-ters. in stores and other places, of business. That explains how so many spots .have mushroomeid in N^.Y. • Most of •such ticket people are Wbhderihg hbw' they can continue, because the. hbw regulations prohibit agencies being quartered in any other places of busi- ness. Solution would be for solo specs to. combine and: share other quarters.; . Code Didn't Curb: Specs'. . When the code went into eflect the same conditicil was anticipated.. It. was plainly ihtimated that, a flock of small agencies would be forced out of the ticket business, wh'ch wbuld be generally beneficial in holding down high prices. The little specs may have dropped put for a time, but just as many appear io be;on hand now. .■■ . What is regarded as a . hardship in .the matter of restricting the sale of premiiim tickets to a place not shared by other busineisses hnay fall upon those brokets who have. been, bperatr ihg that way for years along sup- posedly legitimate lines. It has not been directly charged that. some brokers have been slipping .tickets to (Cohtihued on page 50) atithor: .Will donate .the. ■ EngliBh royalties, to British war relief,.; Newest Behrman play,; tentatively called 'The Talley :Method,Vis in: re- hearsal under the. ditectipn of the Playwrights, istarred, It was exactly 15' years ago . this Week that'Sunny,' starring Marilyn Miller, at the New Am- sterdam, chalked , up a. hew .Brbadway boxpflfice record of $52,660 for nine performaihces.. , "That mark; still stands, . •.. Incidentally; ' there. were ' 60 sho.ws ph the Main Stem then; today; ther . are; 2Q current. .. iWarray Anderson Fixing Tun/fekerOutW NX Debut Is Uncertain 'Hi-Ya Gentlemen', arid. 'All: in Fun,' tWo musifc.als. .trying out in Bbstpn, are in.' varying stages Of readiness,, but -the latter show is dated for the Majestic, N; Y., Frir day (2Q). next .week.. vPh'il Baker^ who piroducedl the reVue with Leon-. ^ ard Sillmari,: aippears to be definiteiy^^ Ina Claire is ' to be i'P'?^ ef/the show; .1^ in. ■ ■ • • New.-York early-this-Week. : At that tiriie Dt.. Rockwell^, arid Smith and Dale Were sent for by Sillman,. while John. MMrray; Ander- son: :was engaged .to -restage *Fun,' proving a fair draw at the boxbffice in. the Hub. .Lee Shubert looked the revue. py^. twice,' but did not : take . [.b.ver and .sTuggested it be Kept out of . l.tbwn for about six weeks, Cpin fpr this was hot in sight ^'Gentlemen': was dated ,for the A1-. l. Vin next Week., date then being put , I back , until Dec/:-23, but latest plan hais. musical laying off ' next weekv I then beng sent to Washngton. Some • cast changes hiay be made, but Max ■Annual .declme; in attendance ; BacT is slated. to stick. /There were Broadway prior/to Chtistmas was ; report^ the ex-heavyweight distinctly reflected, in the grosses last cham^ aimed tp go into training for toWway;Xinas week. • Some shoWs were ; affected, more than, others,' ias' usualj- but the drop in takings, was claimed to be less than last season. . .Dual Thanks- giving days on succeeding Weeks may. explain why business held up someWhat better;,than antici^iate'd; ^ Comparative figures indicate that last year, when the dual turkey holi- days started, grosses Went off 199i, while the dip this season was quoted at 4%. There are not the same ; number. of high grossing straight plays currently as then. A dozen shows are on the v>ay to. Broadway.. Due next week ar.e: ■Retreat tO' -Pleasure,' Belasco: 'Cue for . Passion,', Royale;. 'The Old Foolishness,' Windsor;; 'AH in Fun,' Majestic. 'V^eek of Dec. 23: ; 'Old .Acquiaintahce;' Moi-bscb; 'Pal Joey,' Barrymore; 'Meet the People,' Mansfield; 'My Sister Eileen,' Bilt- mote; , .;Out West . It's Different,' Booth; 'Flying Gerardos,' Playhouse; 'Off the Record,' About "TomorroW,' 'Shookie,' latter three being possi- bilities. 'Flight to. the West,' Hud- HEAVY'ICE'SHOW SKED FOR XMAS AND DEC Jl a • ring contest, but the piroposed. .match is not dated until next June. Bobby^Cohnplly; left: 'Geritlenien' and planed to the Coast, but miay; return late this week and rej.pin the shoW for further dance directipri. Joshua Lbgari replaced Edward Clark ILil- ley as stager. ....;;'". Management of the Alvin, N Y., where 'Gentlemen' is .five Weeks overdue, according to the original booking, was uncertain when and if the show will debut there. There is a . stipulatibn in the .contract whereby 'Gentlemen' must leave the house in .mid-January to make rpbm for'Lady in the Dark.' Syracuse U/ Cavalcade Syracuse; bee. iO; Even the cbllege. shows .iare going in . for the : cavalcade .idea. . Tam- bourine- and Bones, Syracuse Uni^ versify group,' is now rreheiarsirig 'Tambpcia.de' for presentatibn at the Civic theatre Dec. 17. The prbduc- tibn -Wiil.be a muisical cavalcade of the outstanding numbers pflered in the annual shows fpr 40 years, Included among the numbers will sbn, which was on the. Ghristntas be songs by a number of Syracuse card, is due in Dec. 30. . i grads who made their mark, in the 'Romantic Mr. Dickens''stopped at | musical and theatrical realm, includ- :the Playhouse, Saturday (7), after ,ing Harry S, Lee, an eld-timer; one week. 'iFledglin.f;' folding at the ■ Ra]f.h Murphy and Harry Joe Browh. Hudsbn at the same time. I now pf Holly wood. Heaviest perfbrrhance. schedule for any major stage show in midtowh . New York is scheduled for 'It Hap- ' pens on Ice,' Center. Radio City. Rink revue will play three times bri Dec. 31, going on at matinee, regu- larly in the evening and again at midnight (New Year's/eve). . .'Ipe' will, also play matinees .and nights on Christmas and the following day. /Performers will not receive extra: . pay ;fbr' the added performance.s, with the possible/exception of Joe Cook. The comedian, .show's top fea- ..ture, has a ; i5alary. arid percentage . contract, which provides for addi-/; tionpl Earnings./: when ; the ! gi'pss: reaches an agreed upon level; Show bpetates under the: Ariierican Guild Of Variety Artists, the union having flx^d . a limit of 12 performances weekly,; To date 'Ice', has not ex- / ,ceeded.;hirie ji>erfprmarices.. / Equity has an .eight'-performance / limit, with iegit ca.sts getting oner i .eig.hth additional pay fOr all .addi'^. .r tipnal showings. ; ..;.; : Harvard's Farce ;./' • '■. ■: / v. Boston, Dbc/.10/ . Harvard; Dramatic Glub will pro- duce. 'Too Mudh Johnsbh;' by" Wil^ Jiam Gillette, as its 62d production. GiUette wrote this one fbr himself . in 18i94, and it Will be the first farce done by . the Crimson "thesps since the Dramatic Club was organized 32; years ago. ' Theodore Squier, '43; and S. £eoh-i flrd Kent, '43j will dirpct the shoW, which will play the Sanders theatre, Cambridgei Dec. 12-14. oi But ActorSvAuthors^^^^S^ Shows in Rehearsal . The Lady :1Vli6 Caihe to St^y' /—Guthrie McClintic, 'Arsenic an^ Old Lace'—How- ard ^ Lindsay/ aind /Russei M.. ; Crbusie/' *Lady' .In the barJi'-f=Sam H. ;Harris; : ;. ■ '' '• . 'Mr. aiid Mrs. .North'—Alfred .'de Liagr'e.- ./"■ ■' , ;' : 'The .Flying . Gerardos'. --. Ed- .Ward Ghbate^.- ■ . : ; ■•The /Tallcy \MetK«d'^lay- wrights. .'■■;: ''■ •She Bad to Say Yes* (Xet Her 6o')—Dennis King. •My Sister Elleeh'-r^Max Gor- " dori, ' .'.':■ ''-. - 'Battle ' oi . Angels'^ Theatre Gujld:/'.- "■■/ ■■:■. ■■■•. //■ ■ "• ■'■;./■> ■• 'Flight to the West'—Play- wrights; ; ; . 'The Old Follshness'— John Golden. ■ . / 'Eight OlClock TO* s d a y'— ; Green/anil' Stnithers. ~ ; •The. Hard' Way'—Boreti and. iielperiri/- , •. : ^Retreat; to Pleasdre'--Group. ; /*<;ue for ' PasSln'—Aldrich. and . Myers. ;-.- : V/ 'Crazy tirith the HeaV—Kurt ■■ Kraszher; < / . •YokeL:; Boy' > (road)—Brpwni. Henderson, Cra-wfOrd. - B^ay Ijears FiiU 16 Legit productivity is how : at. the peak for . the new season, 16. new shqWis being listed in rehearsal as detailed, That substantiates a recent forecast that Broadway Will not re- ally be |h stride untiV. January and February, Unusually. late. There are but two musicals being readied, but another '■. pair are. trying put arid are aimed/for Broadway, a third of Coast/origin: also coming in. Early in the fall it Was the musicals that had the edge among presentations; / Nine recognized producers are rep- resented in the crop rehearsing. While there, iare six new .managers of the youhger school entering the field. Ofily: two. or three Of the productions being readied are . known to have iiicture backing and then only par- tiaily. Film coin is. expected to be more prominent in productions like- ly to come along later in the winter. National Expe.riniehtal Theatre, re^. ferred .to as N.lE.T- ih im/agreement hetwee^n Eqility and "the Dramatists. Guild, has started to furictiPn in New Yoi:ki .but the ariticipiated rush qf asV firing vauthbi's and actors yearning tb act has been abse;ht so fiar. A joint; committee, has been; in Session, at' Equity's bfifice to- pass on scripts arid - supervise regulations under wliich, N.E.T. is . expected., to operate. N-p.. expeririiehtal presentations have yet been announced.; NiE.T; rules Will be strictly, adhered' to. ; It was figured, that as the rules: halt any chance fpr quick: profits, if/ any, phbney Schemes tb evade Equity.. reqiiiremerits /would be eliminated. Actors' leaders have been suspicious of all commonwealth ' projects, • but. propphents- of the experimental the-/ altr.e, .which Uiby / hope. will, deyeiop albng the lines of such /yenlures in / LPridpn, resulted in the creatibn of N.E.T.-. ^ ■/'/'' ■ ^yhi^e. the cost Of operation will, be kept down to absolute/essentials, a ■certain .amount of 'front . riio.ney- -' evidently: necessary, but; no way/to raise the coin is. proyidcd fpr in/the regulations.; N.E.T, expects ,that ;ain' ope'rating fund may come in the: Way : of a . donation ;0r. • Subscriptipji frbrrt the National :Theatre and Academy. . Which ' wa^ chartered by Congress. about eight' years ago. ' Although NTA never functiphed; the organiza-; tiort-is still.' existent and a certaiiv amount of money-was subscribed by. its socialite;; sponsors. Understood there' Is. money idle in ; its treasury arid $20,000 is .meritioned as expected from that source. NTA was .supposed to have raised $1,000,000 by subscrip* tion; but no such sum was. eyef ob- tained. .: .- ;-./;■ . Ys't/to be decided is whether ad- riiissioh is tb; be . charged for N.E.T. perfbrmances, or whether admittance will be by invitation.. Principal ob- jective is to afford a way for prb- diicers tb, see the plays. N.E.T. is to. be: a membership, corporation, yet to be /actually iormed,^'.and such a set up does not. come within: the; scope of the federal tax laWs, which ieyy heavy assessments. against incor- porated business ventures. -No Scenery The shoW case presentation of new plays to managers will be bare, since no scehery isto.be employed. Skele- ton crews will; be rec^uired ■ back stage, light' and heat are necessary, also, front, of the house: staffs; / Ex-- perimenlail shows arc; to be; limited tb three perfbrmahces, that bieing re^^ garded as ample for shoWmen who may be interested. "Theatres are to be obtained gratis, actors getting no pay and authors no royalties: While/ ready to act in an advisory capacityi neither Equity nor the GUild will be (Continued on page. 50) . ; USUAL ADVERTISIN© RATES PREVAIL itatibh Res^rvafibrt$ ind; Cbpy Maiy Be; Sfe^ yanety Office NEW YORK 154 W. 46th St HOLLYWOOD CHICAGO LONDON 1708 No. Vine SL 54 W. Randolph St « St. Martin's PL SAM H. HARRIS BACK FOR EXAM IN LIFT SUIT Sam H. Harris returns from Mi-, i ami tomorrow (Thursday) . for cx- aminatibri before trial in plagiarism ■ suit involving 'Stage Door," Ediia F,erber-George S. Kaufman /• play which he produced.. Action was filed last spring by Madge Christie, Who claims 'Stage; Door- was, lifted. from : 'Through, the Looking Glass,' which she wrote in. collaboration with Reriit^ Randblph in 1930, 'Door* Was produced in 1936. Date .for exam of Harris by Misa Christie's -attorneys, Loria • & Maii- -tinspn, has npt yet beeri set. Ben Pepper, of O'Brien; Driscpll & Rafr; tery, counsel. If or' the . defendants, wrill. next Week continue .examina- tion of Miss Christie, which was started bh Dec. 3, ; EInay Hile Upped • ^ / Chicagp, Dec. 10. Elnay Hile, wihb bas i?een associ- ated with, the Shubert office;; here for some time as assistant; tb Sanri Gerson, has been upped to post press/agent for the Shubert thea- tres here. ., " j'-;'She replaces Gertrude Bromberg, . Who .has gone Juto the inclievprcss i agentiry, field; arid is/now. on .the I iroad ahead of .'Male . Anirtial.' ; ! Wilella. Waldorf, who previously ' referred to John. Van Druten's 'Old ..Acquaintance'■ as the 'Jarie. Cowl J .shb^^r, .with Peggy Wood,' took a' new j-.slantJn her Y. Post colurrin last ' Friday (6)/ mentioning the eo-stars ! as Peggy GOwl and; jane WoOd./