Variety (Dec 1940)

Wednesdajr December 25, 1940 Milw.flaiaVaudeB ■ , Milwaukee/ bee. 24/ Most ..arnbitlouii comeback - for vaudeyllie that this town htis seen is being tried out in locsil Fox nabels, ' eight of their houses pirtting on ai weekend stage show In addition to dual features, in some cases with Hmarkabiy gratifying returns. Some of the indies are doing likewise, giv- ing work to a lot of acts, and its bontinusiiice will depend (entirely upon results , over a reasonably period of time, Fox houses hjow putting on vauOe Include the Veh^tiahv Paradise, Var-- slty* Shorewbod, Zenith,: Riviera, State Snd Plaza, and ahywhcre from . thre$ to six; acts, and ah orchestra. ..make -up the bills,.'dCperidirig'.upo.n the capacities of. the various theatres;' ' Each show plays, two houses a night, • busses beihg used to ;triansp6rt. the troupes in haste ffdni one house to another. The shovf that goes ph at . the Paradise at 8;20i iot .instance, goes on at the. Venetian at iB:25, and - jp on throughout .the group. . : . Patrons seem' to. like the Innova- ' tlon aiid tile acts, among whom are occasional oldtimers, .are .6f..course, optimistic. Stagehands, too, are :ju- •;bilant.OY^^ thei extra work th^y are ■ getting for the first time in a niimbe'r. ■ of years. Downtown houses,; too, are nib- . Ijlihg at live entertainment io bol- . ster pictui'e grosses. Fox has booked 'Streets of Paris' for the week of jan. 1.0 - and " Ray .Noble for the Mveek , of Jtsin. 24 at the Wisconsin theatre, providihg a little opposish for the Riveirside, .which through" out the years, has held to Its vaude- film policy, and prbfltaijlyi ' Fox's Miller, downto'Wn grind, is also cbh- sidering stage shows. . Roy Pierce, downtown district manager for the Fox houses, who for. isCveral years , past has, been pfllced with .other executives In the elab- orate though rather reniote Varsity . theatre sanctums, is moving down- town Jan. 1 to be in closer touch' with activities and Will occupy head- quarters now being outfitted in the Wisconsin theatre buUding. WHITE'S PREEM SHOW SET; TO USE POP SCALE George White's new Gay White Way oh the site of the. old Cotton .Glub, N. Y., opens tomorrow (Thursr day) With a former White 'Scandals' star, Ann Pennington'; among the features. Joan Edwards, Harris and Shore, Bob Shea, Al Norman^ Carol King,. Geraldine. and Joe, Gloria. Blake;' Marion Miller, Jorge Ne-. gretem, juanitja.Rios, Mimi Keller-' man, Coley Worth and Marcia Ray, Kay Penton, Estella. Johansen, Fran- ces Glendenning round out the show, along with Shep Fields and Fausto Gorbelp's bands. Herb :Magidson and Ben Oakland did the. times. ■WTiite will* emulate the Billy Rose Diamond Horse Shoe id(6a of fl minimum for dinner and supper, .with graduating scales, according to; locations, naturally tiUing it up. , ■ Corbelo shifts oyer from Monte Prbser*s Copacabaha, wher.e. .Nat Bjandwynne's band and a rhiumba cpmibo headed by Juanita Juarez ■ open -■ Friday (27), Whien Adelaide MofCett; Jane peering and the Samba Sirens come in. Detroit, Dec. 24. ; Detroit,:which ■ year ago this tlnrie was getting n6 vaudeville, wili; have plenty iof It downtown this. New Year's Day. Besides the Cbloniat the Michigan . ahd . Fox; tw©:! biggest downtown' houses which since sum- mb r have been a ltematihg on vaudie; "both wUl haVtt showSi .'PhriaiiSrigair will shire its show with the" Palms State,;the performers bicycling from one .house to the. .other . bii New. Year's Eve. One of the secondTiruns In the doWntown sector, Broadway-Capitbl, win toss;m 10 acts .of: vaudeville and Herb Straub orchestra New Year's Eve. •Michigan and Fox will vault their prices $1 for the New Vear's Eve stage shows. ;The scale moves from a .65c top to $1.65 for downstairs and $1.10 for, the . baicony; . Last year both houses ran off double.. picture bills for top. .' •. ; Chicago; Dec. 24. With Jack IrVihg taking over the activie direction of the .local Anieri- can Guild of Variety Artists ofifice, there, has been a concerted effort of all members here to aet the wheels humming once more. living's new broom has evidently swept clean, giving the'office a transfusibn of new life. ; New local executive secretary held a general discussion with Baldban .& Katz executives on an AGVA con- tract, and Is scheduled , to again get together with B. & K. officials, some time this week'for the final details on the Cbntraict, which will call for a Guild shop' sjetup in B. &. K. vaud- fllmers. '■ ■ .Others who have Okayed the AGVA contract as submitted are Ed Weisfeldt, of the Riverside^ Milwau^- kee, and Charlie Hogan, booker;'for Warner and. other theatres in this territory. Also signatured to an AGVA con-, tract is the: Michael Todd Theatre Bar, this contract having been orig- inally set in N. Y., but with final de- tails arranged locally. Equity Ow ACTA? Details; of ; the;Scrieen. Actors Guild's proposal. .that Equity as- sume jurlsdictipn ovefi-AGVA on page 21. This proposal came up at thfe SAG board meeting in Holly^ wool on Monday (22). VAUDEVIUiB 43 — Miami, Decr ^4.— Class n^teHes here ar4 swinging into high geai^, aftei:. week .marked hy most, frenzied bpenings in local- ity's history; S^ged by ;Carl Erbe; Beachcombi er?s opening, Tiiesday (17) provided biggest .splash; ;bo:wing in'a la Holly- wobd with entire block roped off, floodlights, loudspeakers blaring ar- rival of: celebs, and a .broadcast. Show lineup mcludes;;Mary Jaiie Walshj. Maurice and:' Cordoba,; Ti*opi- cal iDanceri, Chavez, and Ernie Hoist prchs. -/. ..:'-■.:'.•: Art Childer's Rpyai .palrh did a re4 take following night; with Ted Lewis reViie and Merriil: Abbott ;girls pro- viding the show.. Same everting saw Kitty. Davis' Airliner take off with Carbl and Billy Vine, Spni Shaw and Samb'a^troupe aboard. .: Tpm Cassara gbt two licks - in Thursday (19) when ; Neal Lang threw a cpckta^ party fbr 600 to christen formbr's.New Raleigh hotel,' and . theh opened ; Rhuniba Casirto with a charity ptreview for (ireater Miami Empty Stocking Fund that evening. Giasirib formally lighted up Friday. (20) with Teirry la Frahconi, Camille de Montes, La Comparsa Dancers, Fantasia's Rumbplerps, and Alex Batkin's band. , Same evening saw debut of Latin Quarter, located In bid Palrii Island club.' Revtie.ls headed by Jiack Cole dancers, and includes; Emile Bore,. Grlsha and : Brona,^ Lela Mbore, Henri Therrien,' Frank Mazzpne arid the Abbott dancers, Yvonne Bou- vier, Clarissa and Piarisian Dreani gals. Dansapatioh is split between Joe Candullo and Lblita Cordpba's bands. ;■: Carbuisel, operated by Ben Brooks, managed to get under way Saturday (21), with the Vclero Sisters rhxmiba band, Patty Oriel and the Pepito and Carmen ti*oupe. ' Negro Burley for i4iiUy Philadelphia, Dec. 24. Plans are now being made for the unshuttering, of the Lincoln, in the Negro Section of Philly, for the showing of colbrfed burlesque.;shows. The house is now under lease to Morris Wax, operator of a string of Negro film-houses. Mpk House Rent-Free for 5 Months BoM Ha^ Busy Nitery W'k,2 Openings;^ Boston, . Dec.; :24. . A new; nitery open^ ah old. one rebpened : under a., new, name arid another burned but here last Week.: The Cave,- Undei" same man^ge- . merit as -the; Vienna Room of. Stieu- ben's, opened, ■with Horacio Zito a>)d his orchestra as the main-draw. The :Ca.v.e. i.s r-lpgOB^ nprincitifjin ffl Monte Proser's: Beachcomber. ;: .. Other. entry is the uptown Cor- cpvadb; laSt year known as ..Zero Hereford, arid: ribw- explpiting, a South American; atmpsphere. Cprr covadb Is, cpnriected with Fbx and Hounds- Club; : The Hurricane, opened early this season, burned out completely last week, with estimated $10,000 loss. 9 . .Cleveland; Dec. .24, ■. Spanish dance team of Manuela Del Rip and Albert Tores, whose work has been restricted; to the Cori- cert stage, is finally rhumba-irig Iritp vaudeville for . debut. at the RKO Palace here Friday; (27). Dancers were corralled by Nat Holt;; RKO zone manager In Ohio; during a sho\y-shopping: trip to New York that netted him nine name stage sho\\rs for the next two months. Daye Bines, house producer, is build- irig a New Year's week ishpw tagged 'Revue Interriatipriale' around the concert, team which will carry It around the circuit Besides lining up-Casa Loma band, Susanna. Foster, ypung Paramount singer,, and Jerry Lester for Jan. 3; Holt has a commitment on George: Raft for Jan. 10 if a new film does not call; him back to the Coast. • After a lean month withi too-many band boolcings. Palace is.. Iboking forward to; hypoed business with several girl shows scheduled. 'In- ternational Casino Revue' comes in Jan, 24, 'Folies Bergere' due Feb. 7, followed by Glenn Miller, Feb. 14. Billy Rosels 'Diamond Horse Shoe' unit, with Fritzi Scheff, is sighed for Feb. 21,. Bobby Byrne's band for March 7, atid Holt is also negotiat- ing With. Humphrey Bpgart for a week in February.. . ' Minneapblls, Dec. 24. ; By. giying . free rent; for; .fiv» . mPriths and permitting the. lessee; to cancel; the . lease bh two wbeks' no- tice any time dbring;; Its duration, and by making the: rent so low for the period: after the initibl. fiv« montha ;that ; It barely; meets, the taxes, trustees in bankruptcy for. the ; Insolvent; Mirinesota* c theatire finally wfere able to obtain. : tenant for the $2,060,006 4,006-seat showsf* •house.'- ■ p'- ': ' liie iliddle States Corp. of Mil- ^waukeer-operators- of th e . Rivefiidfi: ^ theatire .there;, will reopen; it New Year's Eve; 'with vaudfilm pblicy at 28 and 39c,; irtCludirig ;tax. First.: show will have Ken Murray arid his unit plus ■ Dixie Dunbar, Ruthi Petty, and, on screen, 'Hit; Parade of 1941'; (Rep). - A. . B. Marcus - ShbW: comes . :second:.week. .:. -:^- ';'"■•V : ■ After free five-mbnth period,: if option Is exercised, rental will be $1,000 a week first year and. a riiiril- mum of $1,006 a week against 15% of gross for,:next. four .years. , Taxes,' which inust be paid, from .rental, rim : Bibbut.'$50,000'a yean . . iTieatre's creditbrs: m this week to approve pr reject deal. ; If they reject, tenant ; must give- up hbuse .; after Jam 20; but will have had free ' rent up. to that >; time. Appro'vial, hb'v^ever;is believed a certainty. .. For Middle States Corp.,; Living-. ston Lanning, formerly manager, of the Wiscorisin, Milwaukee,^ ■will be manager, and E. J.: Weisfeldt, River- side managing director;: ;will act .in same capacity fpr Minnesota. Minnesota Amuseriient Co. (Para-^ moiint) and Mort H. Singer pool: has practically all> majbr first-run scireen product sewed, up for-loop and operators of Minnespta will have to look to Republic, Monogram and . btlier independents fbr pix. - . . After . having, house since ; its In- ception in 1927i Paramount, claiming hea^^y 'nut' precluded profitable op> eratiohs; relinquished it twb y;ear3 agbl Owners theriiselves recently, tried cperatirig It with vaudfilm: pol- ; icy during 25-^week period, but took bad financial beating befpre' crying quits and filing bahkruptcy petition. ~ Prior to taking whirl themselves and putting property through wringer, they had tried in vain to find :a ten- ant. They blamed ihabllity to :.se- cure major screen prbduct; pHnci- : pally for their own unsuccessful Op- eration.- DETNntRIESWniGET BREAK THIS NEW YEAR'S Court a Bit Mioas 0^^ Application by the New York local Joint board of the Hptel and Restau-• :rant, Emplbyeeis Interjiational Al- ' ' liarice, and Bartenders Internatibrial ' League of America to restrain regu- lations bf Police Commissibner Lewis Ji" Valentine requirirtg fihgerptinting and the carrying' of identification cards hy night club employees re-^ ..suited in.a reserved'decision by NiY, ' .supreme court Justice- FerdiHaridB| Pecora Friday: (20); Cpiirt granted both sides to'Dec.:27 to submit briefs. 1 - The court remarked before reserv- ; frig decision; that "sbme sor;t of regu- ■ . latipns. .are. necessary for : cabarets, • where, large numbers, pf people • gather iddiscriminately, but there is; 6 rather , serious - question as to Whether some of the regulations con-! trayene fundamental rights.' ' ' Usual Adv^^tM 1^ Sent to Any -^Varjety^-'Offic^^^^^ NEW YORK HOLLYWOOD CHICAGO LONDON 154 W. 46th SL 1708 No. Vine St 54 W. Rdndolph St , 8 St Martin's PL • Detroit, Dec. 24. After having two ruinous " New Year's Eyes here in succession, Michigan'! niteries .will get a break this year,- ; Going beyond the expec- tations of the state's tavern keepers, who had asked to stay open until 5 a.rii., the. State Liquor Cbntrol Com- mission; surprised- everybody by ap- proving drinking around the clock. It is the first time since 1937 that the commission has lifted its ban on the sale of-hard liquors. For the last two years the conjunc- tion of New Year's Eve with Sunday caused .the commission either to for- bid the sale of liquor before mid- night, or put the taboo on sifter mid-; night: and also' made all places close shop at 2 a m; It hit the clubs and. hotels hard, - many dropping their prices to iJew Year's Eve lows try- ing to catch trade. : -s Gambfing Joint Workers Ask Unemployment Pay St. Lpuis, Dec. 24, Approximately 200 employees ' ■ eight East St. Louis ganibling. houses,, who were tossed out of. work last week ; by. - a : sweeping injunctioh against, ail gambling throughout the state, are applying -for 'unemploy- ment compensation at the rate of $18 per week for 16 weeks. Befpre the gaming places shuttered they paid $5; daily for hapdbbok clerks and $12 for dice-table.workers. . ; ',-■ Largest empibyer; ;wa.s Vic": Doyle, who hired about 100 at his Rinjjside. The injunction petition filed, by At-; tbrney-Generai 'John Cassidy charged that .Doyle's annual gro.'?.<! income was. from $450,000 to. $500,000,,with a net profit of 10-12%.