Variety (Mar 1941)

Weilnesday, Mardi 12, 1941 FORUM 55 ;CQDtJriued from paf• 1; act fatigue, and his Paciflo Coast re- hroadcast \yilt be made by a ifecoxd-: jng instead: of in: person, RebroM- cast. has long veifjed Benny Awho has. felt' it was Both an added straiin and aii inferior performance due to a tendency of the ckst to relax at the repeat.. . Benniy ■ agreed tp .Stay - on wi^^^ Jeli-b for another year pjily -bri the condition th^t Generial Foods, whibh distributes, this product, will cede the cbrtiic. current., pferiod on .the i^BC-i-ed . (Sunday ' 7-7:30 p.m.) 'to 'his- next sponsor^ ; VAs the result of thlis cpmrnitmerit, jR Qeneral Foods- executive ex- plained Monday .(10)/ Benny, will: reniain In this ippt. after the li941- 42 season. tegai"dless of whether th^ Jiell-O divisipn . elects to .. continue .\vith himi. : Jell.-O' diyiislph decided lait week-, that', It. wanted to carry; on with Benny- fpr lust.'another year but Benny refused to consider this proposition until the product came through with the time con- cessipn; The Eetiny" act'S: salary for ■ the'. coming year .'rema is , is, ■-$17,500 a-wieelc; '■ ■ 'Eitds^picbierlnK : ' .General Fppd's: deeisipn tp .yield tp the time-cpntrpl prpvlsp Insisted upon .by Benny as :jii.art of his new cpntract was transmitted late :Sat-: urday night (8) in a .t^blejphdne. call frprri Ybung & RUbicani, agency pn ■the Jell-d accpurit* tp the A . & ;S ,i.ypns pffice in HpllywpPd, ■which agents the cpmic. .The break canie. at the' end'Pf . a heiqtic week pf :lis- ieiiing by the .Lypns pfllce tp pffers froni other, accpunts and agencies. The Lypns: pflFicei hpweyer, did take the predautrpn pf urging the inter- ested ageigicies not tp start revamp- . Ing their- clients' budgets sp as -to take ;care of a Benny deal A\r\t\\ ; they had received a. clear go .ahead from the' agent;. .Ward Wheelpck agency,. It Is re- ported, was so anXibxis to line iip . Benny fpr .. Campbell Spup that it got Amps 'n*^ Andy tp put in a word for It with Benny. .Latter, It is said, was assured by the bliackfa<:e comics that .'Ward Wheelock hImseU wa.s a great guy to work fpi*. .Others that Ip'pked. Virite the availability,; of Benny were LtJver Brps., Prpcter & Gamble, .and. the Maxvvell Hpu^e Coffee ,divisipn pf General: Fbpds. : Jpckeyihg that;,>/vent pn between Benny, the client CGenieral FPods) and' Yoyrig & Rubicam^ befpre he .signed up would have made an iriter- eslirig. thenie fpr. one of the CPniic's scripts. GB.S clainii^d that It had an acCPunt Ipr him, and Benny advised General: Fppds -that, under the cir-: cunistiahce;s he would have tP accept the Sunday 7 pi.rri. s'ppt on that het- work> Y&R cqngratulated itself on this turn oi. affiiirs, since the switch^ over,: pf ■ Behijy tp, CBS wpuld indir rectly diiJ. much tp bPlster the. ratings pf three other of its Sunday: night ; .shows on CBS, namely, the Silver Theatri, the Gulf-Guild shpw and' the .liiptP.n's Tea-Helen Hayes'.prP- ■grara.'.v :/:■."' , ■ :.■ V v' ■ .;. General. Fbods cpuntered 'with a statement thait it wouldn't let Be'nny get away .with this. It advised B6nny that if he did gp Columbia it wpuld mpve 'The Aldrich Family' directly ppposite him: ph the. NBC- red (7|:t:30 .p.m.);- .'The Aldrich Fam-^ ily* is npw the secpttd . highest rating dramatic .shPw - pn the air.^ : Once Benny and General Fcpds had V - haustcd their pawns the «hfess game was called off and the twp'$pme gPt dpwn .to discussing concessions. V; - Rebroadcasi'Cbncesslpn f . Hoilywppd, March; ij. . ' in signing with Jello-O for anot year, eifective Oct. 5; ■ Jack B'enny. has also obtained the piriyiliege pf nPt having. to make i Sunday night re^, broadcast in person. The priiginal brpadcast will be taken pff the line onthe wiest cpast and . rebrpadcast bjr. riecprd pvet NBC's . Pacific blue link. Benny's regular put is . the NBC-red, but; the NBC. prganizatipn ■ refused .tP budge from its policy against using a transcription pver the Pacific red link. . Benny takeis a 15-^week layoff after his seasonal signing June 1. . Tpm Harringtpn, directcr cf YitKs tadip department, whp wprked pn the new cphtract aniid spirited bidding by other agencies, left tpday (Tuesday) for Florida to resume his vacation. Miami Season Okay continued from pa.'g(t 2; Inn, it would Have been a terrific click. As it waSi the operating unit, and initial construction expense, made it tough-going. Since the heavy spenders have been (ionspicupus by thjsir absence this year, MafZTen had to . take it where, it pained. There was spme question too, as io the . wis- dom of keeping. JPe'E. tewis-SophiiE Tucker,;Harry Richman combine tOr 'get.her. To some extent they dimmed each other's b.o.. / Whether or : not the Cblpniai Inn will reopen ' next year is prcblematical. Sources, dose, to Marden say it may never open again. Marden won't, comment. On the positive side of .the ledger, the Royal Palm, after a late start, is feeling 'jio pain.; Since its opening five years ago it has been Miami's No. 1 spot, and the present outlook would indicate it will continue under this billing.. .Its operating niit ain't hayi. either, but aside fi;om a few minor, losses, the gaming rooms have . been carrying the; burden '.quitis ■•easily..^ ; .\. : ; : , Laiin ,Qua^rter> Bliir click Lew Walters, with his Latin Quar- vier, is another who has dPhfe very all rightr This former Bbstort pperatpr hasn't had a . tired '. hite since he opened,, and ; the ropes are still up early,.iEvery.. eV.enih|5, Mpnte Proser; Walter Batchelbr; Bess GiiineSi et al, likewise will ' Jceep theit Beach- cpmber ppen .;until May. Biz. hais beeii gopd after a slbw JEtairt. Another spbt pperated by; this cpmbiiie, the Pagp-Pagp, rbpin of the . .Dcrtips'ey- ; Vanderbilt hptfel; has don^ sp well, it will remain ppeh summer, i§am and jpe Barken are still giriniiihg as tliey turn 'em away at the. Five : b'Clpck Club-, nightly : .and. Bieh Brpoks- Carrousel is " still /Whirling "WiUiput any noticeable letup; while Kiity Davis' can't even, circulate, in : her.; own Airliner jbiht, it'?: so ■ C^bwdcd;.'.'.i,'-' ■ . On the Miaii^i side pf the bay; the Ipcal syndicate's Esquire Club cpn- tinues tP pack theriri in and will riin, ■all /siiniiner.' jpe ' Moss has just brpught' dpwn • Bert Fifbhman tP headline the; spring: reviie at his Mayfair • Club, after Benny Diavis gave it a bpff tcepff, .and Jimmie's, Jeff's and all ; thib other bush league bistrps report good biz. . Another retrekt not 'to be" over- looked is the Brook Club, which, has enjoyed its best season. . . One factor contributing to the Im- pression that a nuinber of joints are folding or are on the verge, Is the rapid turnover of acts. It's. getting so a two-week booking here Is a career. Turns shuttle between dubs, so. fast, ;tliat the Royal Mounted Por lice and .a kennel of blppdhpunds are required, to keep track :Pi thein. ; A careful checkup, though, reveals that with all the wailing and scream- ing,, this hasn't been quite as nega- tive a. season as beefs emanating from this locality would Indicate. . FOR .BUFFALO RODEO . . Buffalo, March 11.: ; Dick Ryan's Wild .Wjest Rodeo CiO-spohsored, ■canrie in for "its ::share of headaches. Over;,: the jpast; .week- end. ■. > Starting with .a fire that brpke; put in the;Municipal AuSifbriiim. locale pf the; rodep, the shbw was further snagged yesterday (Monday) just prior to the opening when the audir tbriuni's managemeht refused to open, the dpors to spectators until the CIO sponsors, posted a $350 debosit for the^ opening performance and $5,000 bo;id covering possible ' damagie to the .building. The, v^aiting; crowd theri bebame unruly and when the doors were finally cpened many crashed the gates for free admissiPns. ., Earlier the rbdep rah' into trbiible with the- Society for thb Preveiitioh of Cruelty; to Animals', because; the show's animals vvere fbrced tb remain in the .icPlcJ .streets, allegedly, since Sunday; dub tb. the shovv's manage-: ment'S; 'ihability. to, find stables. Auditorium authorities finally con- sented. to allow the stabling of the animals in the auditorium cellar, al'' though contract prohibited iany: ani- mals in the hall e.xcept for/perform- ances. :,' ■•■ "The fire .caused $1,000 damage and equipment for .. the; rodeo narrbWly escaped destruction. : :■ -CpritinHed from page '4; what hie was expected to. dp proved disapFibinting, as he continued tb niugg/;. Much .of the music , lay high for :hlm.; Tito Schiga, returning tp the cpmpahy after a six year lapse, sang, with a minimum pf effort and s^eemed heartily bored with the pro- ceiiidihgs.. All : the , women,. the Mesdaimes Milanov, Nbvotha bnd Sayap were. adequaite, but hardly sensationali Friday evening' (7) 'Der Rosen-, kavalier' again proved a managerial headache with a $7,000 lake, iand a $5,000:lbss. Saturday afternoon; (8). 'Alceste' was the first of the broadcast operas to return a. loss, with a $9,000 take and $3(000 Ibss, Saturday . evening (10) "Boheme' sold out at $4 top to $10,000, $1,000 proiRt. Monday (10) The Bartered Bride* ■with, Walter rolled up $14,000, $2,000 profit. . ' ; Gerrnaii Fr^emeif j^fCpntlnued from pace ^isSmi the group, which is 'determihed. no longer to leave propagjaoda for Ger- man culture to those whp have cor-; rupted it so long, but tp place ;tt In the hands pf the men. .and Wpmen whP haye prpved they have the right to represent the real Germiany in \yOi-d and letters before America and thus:. t|t)e / world.''; ■ /;' - ■ ■ . 'iilembership: drjve is being ..con- ducted: . under.. the; leadership bf. S.. Aufhaeuseri: . First perfopniarice is. tentatively scheduled, foi: sPriie time in , April. Leading German, play- ■wrights, dirjectPrSr actprs and techni- cians, nbwr in /the .U. S. Will; cooperate in/the presentations. ,brgani;;atioii is in line/ with" the group of Gerrtian liberals fprined last Week, with tJ. S./ ..Gbyernment apprpVal, tp ccnibat Nazi prppagand^ and bxppse Jffstz'y espionage 'in this ^cbuntry.: ,. . : Viehntose/Benellt Cone . Cprn'thittee for, the Preservation, pf Austrian Art knd . Cuiture /In :U. S. has set anpther benefl^t / cbhcett at Carnegie Hall, jj. :X,;Marth ai,/ with 65 members of , the /'Phllharmbhic Symphony/ oriihestra .Ibatured. It|s to be oailed .'Miasters pif Viennese Music' concert. Numerous name Austrian . com- posers and stars, currently living in this cbuhtry, are cOntribijting. their services, / . " ' College Play :Coiitlnved from p»g» 50; Wolf as being in^ the mood.; Same applies to costumes of Joe FretwelU Lads apparently loosened the .purse, strings in the eye-filling department and results justified this; Story, based on an idea by William H; Schubert. Jr., follows the pattern of the Canterbury Tales. Nine Yale boys are eh route to a coming-out party in Waterbury when their car collapses and they are forced to hoof the remaining distance. To break the monotony' of the trek, they take turns telling tales, , each tale repre- senting a skit. These include a nfew versibrt of 'Amphitryon,' a ballet on 'Penelope,' a Connecticut house party, a collegiate version of "Pyg- maiioh ' a ;Prodigar Son' skit in- volving a patriotic ditty, a takeoff on the 'WOoing of Roxartne,' a 'Dink Stover at Yale" bit dpne in bid-time vaude style, 'The. Pied Piper,' song- and-dance novelty built around the playing of a clarinet; a burlesque pn 'The Lorelei.' Sketches: are by John W. Leggett, William ^1. Schubert, Jr., Max Wilk, John A. ..Kneubuhl and Richard G. Sheehan. bance.s, by Dean Goodelle run from ballet to rug-cuttihjg and .shbw : bri.t;inality.' .plus generally ., .com- peteht: staging although several, rour tines hang/on top long. Songs, as a whole fill the bill but;detectibn bf .hit possibilities. i.s.' .-difficult diiei to. cramped rehditibn via twb. pianos only: (manned by Fraiiklin B. Young .and Dudley P; Felton).. Impressmg, however; aire 'A "Couple Of Greeks,' 'Knight : in : Shining Armor/' 'Hurry About You.!:'T Hear America Sing- ing', and 'When You Hear the Piper Play.'.' Melodies are by Dudley P. Felton. Franklin B. Yoiing (arrange- menls also). Albert W., Selden. Rich- ard L, Brecker, Jack, G. Eisenberg, Lyirics are by Samuel J.. Wabstaff, Jr., John 'W. Leggett and Richard G: Sheehan'/ ' ■■ ■ , - Prbduction uncbvers a / flock of undergfad .talent., the way beihg-lcd by John. b. Fletcher, a. fibwl, in the femhie impersonations of GaTalea^ahd Lor'elei.: George G.; Schreibcr, Jr.,; features- the ,'Penelope';- ballet' Edwarrl L. (Jerman ..<core.s vbcally with .'Knisht in .Shining. Armor.': and Philip Peck/. Jr.; registers solo in; songs/and in the vnude. team takeoff with -.John Vfr Leggett. Cla'ude. Douthit, .Jr., delivers a.s RoXanne and William 'B. Clcary clicks in the/ 'fled PiDer' nitmber.; ■; . . . . Direction by. Burton/G. Shpyelove wa.s top-notch. Bo»i(».- Soiuc 'Tobacco Road' Statistics ' Philadelphia; / Editor, :'VA)u(:ty:. .■.■■.;■/; .■.■ . ■; /' /...;.. HaVihig b'^ert th(t publicity reprei Sehtative on tour fbr/'Tpbaccp Roiad' for .SIX seasons'-.l .was interesttid'. in your account of the play in. the/ctlr-: rent issue/:. There is a slight .crror; in stating; "most of, the time two com- panies operating.' .Since the season of 1935-1936 when Henry Hiill heiaded one troupe and Charles .'rimblin the bther,'/ 'Tpbaccp Road' has had. pnly pne/ ccmp^ny pn the rpad : with, the exceptiprt/Of last seaspn when "rim- blin headed an prganiza.tipn /fpr 10 weeks, thiree -weeks/Pf/. rnijghters and seven . weeks; in Bpstpn/; Taylbr Hplmes was. the Jeeter the seaspn of; 1936-1937 and rsince/ then John .Barton hais played the .part and will; give his 1,412th portrayal of it. 'when 'Tobacco .Road' arrives at- the Locust Street' theatre,. Phfladelphia) March 24 for its eighth v.lsit and 'its ieth week in lihe city; The opening night will be the 2,512th performance given on tour. . . Jn .the six seasons the : play has been . presented- in ,297 cities in, 41 states . with .return engagerhehts of from pne tp seven times in .205 cities. In /the last '30,iyears no pther: staige play, has: piled//up .such ;a -touring record; ; . We. lalayed continubuSly froin: Seiitember,; 1938/ to May;' 1940. 1 Among our. touring records are: / 1.9/weeks in t,os' Angeles (3 en- gagements)./ ' . ■ •' .17 weeks in^- Philadelphia (7 en- gagements), ..!/.../■'■ 14 weeks in; Sah Frat)ciscb;(3 en- gagements). . . • 12 ; weeks ini Bbsipn : (2 engage- ments). •:/'.■,-/■/■';;■•■■/.:• i^''- il: weelts In St/;'Lbuis: (7: engage-, mentsi). ., . 9^ weeks in :Pittsburgh.;(7 engage^ ments). B, weeks each in Washington/and Cincinnati; (7 ehgagbments each); 7'weeks each in ChicagP, Cleve- land .;(& engagements), Buffalp/ (7 engagements), Newark (6 engage- irients)/ 6% weeks In Columbus, Ohio (8 engagements). . 6. weeks each in Detroit (2 engage- ments), Baltimore (6 engagements), Indianapolis (6 engagements). 5 weeks in/ Milwaukee (5 engage- ments)/ ■ A Weeks. each In Minneapolis (3 engagements), Kansas .City '(5 en- gagements). 3 Weeks and one diay in Louisville (4 engagements). ' 3. weeks in New Orleans, Atlantic City. . ' ' . 2 weeks each in Atlanta. Seattle,: Portland, Ore., Syracuse, Memphis, New Haven (4 ehgagemehts), WiK mington (4 engagements), Daven- port, Iowa (4 engagements),/Madison, Wis. (4 engagements). / 5 times in Tbledo, 4 times in Tulsa, 3 times each in Wichita, Kas.;. and bes Moines, 2/ times in / Nashville, Tehn. These are the highlights of tours that have taken us from Savannah, Ga., to Yakima, Wash., and from Bos- ton to Sah Diego, Cail. We have found it an advantage to have only one company on-tour as theatregoers in Goschocton,* O., or Hutchihsp.n, kas., see the sarnie troupe that visits the larger cities. • One of the many phetiomena abbut 'Tpbacco Road' ■ its ability ;'tb in- crease its business on return engage- nients. We have played fbiir; times, for instance, in such moderate-sized cities , as Maribh and Zanesville, O. (Dn our fourth, visits to Akron and; Youngstown we played to standees at both .matinee arid night./. Our fifth and -sixth seasons have.,increased bVer bur third / and fourth , and on recbnt visits to Pittsburgh, Baltimore' and Wishington we Played' tb ca-; piacity at every perfbrnriance/ For the iast three seasons we ;haVe used generally-a;!fl.50 top/ ^ix orie-night stands, ail. :returns and Toledo. the^ fifth visit, played between. Pittsburjgh and Washington yielded $21-68^ : John /Barton is in/his fourth season on tour while three othbr players, Dick • Lee,' Lilliah Ardell and Walter Ayers; are in their sixth seasbns. Sara Perry, Sheila, Brent and Eii- gehia Wilsbn/are in their third, sea- sons, .ou;r newcomers this, year being William pbrme,. Walt Draper,- Flor- 'eiJce-D.unlap -and William Robertson;/ Irving' if/ Becker, our company man- ager, is in his sixth seasbh as is Clay- toh Bell, the electrician. Tb aCcpmplish this, record Richard Lambert, pur bbokihg representative, .has s'ent us hot: only to such legiti- mate theatres as remain thrbughbut the countiny but aI.so to picture.thea- ti'c.s, civic {ind frat<TT:al audltbrium.s', college halls, schoolhpuses and even ill. the ballroom of a hotel in Durham NZ-C; - Thus, far this's we have played 45 bne-hight, stands between return visits tb the key cities. . v /' / Carlton Miles. . ■■ Emily Walters .Found :'. ■ ■;-: • . ; ■ Atlantic City. .'. Editor, 'Vabiety: : V. Read in" the Feb. 19 issue the nbtice that Ev K; :Nadel ;w'as IppKing / for JEniUy Walters of the act of Vox, and. Walters. . I' remembered the act biit /that's; as far-as it iwent until 1 came to Atlantic City /tb recuperate / frbm the flu at the hpine pf sbnje friends; . •■ . ' :'- ■ v.; burinig the cpurse pf • cpnversatipn these friends asked me: whether I knew a Mrs. Patterspn "who Was pre- yiPusly Entily Walters. 'She is mar- ried..and settled, in Atlantic: City/ I naturally had'my friends Miss 'VV;alters "tP Ihfprm her pf .the riptice in Variety regarding spme money that was cpming to her/ Eddie (Chaney and) Fox. ' RiNGLING SPENDING 170G FOR COSTUMES : When the. Ringling, Barnum and Bailey circus opens at Madisph Square Garden early next mpnth it will have an. entirely new ppening pageant. Cpntract fPr cpstumes call- inig fpr an expenditure ;bf $170,000 has been :signed;/in Saraspta, Fla., between Jphn Ringling -Nprth and James StfPock, who represented the. Bropks Cbstume Cp.. Fbr a time mpst of the costumes Were made at Winter, quarters, biit only the final Work on the new duds will be done there by a Brooks crew; North is modernizing the big top in a; number of ways, changes having been- designed by Norman Bel Geddes. Among his ideas to be used this season are removable chrbmiuni: exteribrs for the animal wagon cages. Majbr innovation by Greddes pertains tp the tent, Plan calls fpr elimina- tipn Pf pples, the canvas tp be stretched between eantilever-like steel work at the ends and sides.; Figured that .the ^ieW system' will. eventually , be ecpnpmical as a flock of razorbacks will be dispensed with.. New tent plan; wbuld hot become effective until n'ixt season.. . Ringling date at the Garden will be around foUf weeks, opening be- tween April 6 and 8 and extending imtii May 3, Circus Stranded Due To Theft of Animals Mexico City, March il, The Circo Padron, a small but popular circus that has toured Mex- ico for many seasons, is/stranded, in Irapuato, western railroad and indus- trial.center, because all its best show animals, including performing bears, dogs, horses and. monkeys, were stolen. ■ Mystery surrounds the robbery, which was committed at night. The thieves used gas and drugs to cor* Tjfl the animals and /dojie their keepers. The stolen animals were the show's principal attractions. Poulsen Killed continued,from Baker, the Harlem/cOlbred girl, who migrated to Continental stardom in Paris; and Londpn, whp repprtedly received the top pay her flirst engagement there. It was $6,000 fPr one week. . Gf-Pbulseh's cafe operations,; in, which he was partnered; With . the Italian, Stucco, last reported / in- terned as art enemy alien, the Cafe de' Paris was his best-knbwn: spot. Ampng bthers bl.his niteries, at.the time pf his. death pr at varied in- tervals, were the Cafe • Anglais, the Embassy Club, the 400 Club< Kit Kat; and (Jirb's, which, he topk over/frpm- Jack Harris, the American band- leader, whp became repatriated re- cently after being in / Lbhdpn fbr yearis. His cafe investments are said tp have tptaled ;pver ;$l';o6o,000 be- fore the war. ■ . ::'. ■:. ,; ;Frequbhters bf Ppulsen!s / Cafe de Paris Were the. Duke; pf Windspr, at the time' he was Prince pf Wales, I Snd the.buke pf. Kent/: . 1 / Merle' Oberbn . was a hpstess at i. the Cafe de Paris '.at the time .she . was given her first important film vrple in 'The, Private Lives pf Henry j VIII,' a,..Btitish-ma<ie,; . starring Charles .Lajiaghtojnv