Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 21^ 1941 S7 FROWN ON BAND FINANCIERS Instant Recogphion of Arrangements Tunes Familiar Through Phonograph Hailed on First Strain—-A Visit to Jimmy Dorsey on a Road Date By BEBNIE WOODS Youngsters who frequent one- nigbt ballroonu apparently come more to stand around the bandstand and gape at their idols than to dance, Out of the 4,570 teen-age dancers lured to Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, Pa„ last Saturday (17) by Jimmy Dorsey, no more than 1,000 of them were dancing at any one time. Rest were pressed as close to the bandstand as they could get An hour before the band started tun- ing up a group of 100 or more had hooked their elbows over the edge of the stand, few of whom gave way to others during the entire four-hour xtretch the band gave out How much the record hits of any one band influence the likes and dis- likes of the fans who make or break an outflt is clearly indicated by the kids. Each time Dorsey teed-ofl an arrangement that bad sold heavily on wax,- a wave of whistling, yelps and applause greeted the first few bars, and then everything stilled to drink it all im-'Those who were sit- ting it out in the back immediately drifted toward the stand or stood on chairs to get a better view, and some of those dancing did likewise. Dor- sey's Bob Eberly and Helen O'Con- nel, singly and In duo, which this band first started, halted dancing re- peatedly in that manner. Of the above mentioned number of dancers which packed the spot owner Ray HartensteLn estimated that no more than 10% came from Potts- town's population of 20,000. Remain- der come from all directions, as far as 60-70 miles away and in all kinds of transportation. However, to come any great distance Such as that the transportation has to be of fairly solid timber,' which explains why the major portion of this particular mob was well dressed and with an air of moderate prosperity. Oanoing and Flshlnc Kartenstein tells of the quartet which greeted him at the door a few weeks ago with the crack 'I guess you think we're crazy to drive 153 miles one way from Salisbury, Md., to dance four hours.' He soothed 'em with the logical retort that they might think him just as crazy to -drive 50 miles' farther than their Maryland town to ^et in four hours of fishing, which he does quite often. Sunnybrook itself Is an Imposing layout, tastefully decorated and in an area about a mile outside the town. It is equipped with a fairly large swimming pool and numerous soft drink and Ught food concessions. No liquor is served and none is al- lowed in the haU'at any time. There are few chairs for sitting 'em out the few that are provided being ranged along walls and in a recessed alcove on one side of the room. He spot has no trouble with Penn- sylvania blue laws, which demand a Saturday midnight closing. Impacted Teeth Bed Tooter Jimmy Maxwell Jimmy Maxwell, trumpeter with the Benny Goodman band, is recov- ering in Murray Hill Hospital, N. Y., from an Infection which set In after he had two impacted wisdom teeth extracted. He was admitted to the hospital last'Friday {16) with a fever of 104. Goodman band is currently on va- cation. LANZILOTTI FAR FROM BIZ Spends Four Monlhs' Army Pay Chcokinc His Private Affairs St Louis, May 20. Guy Lanzilotti, a juke-box opera- tor from Washington, D. C, a draftee at the Jefferson Barracks, just south of St Louis, hopes Uncle Sam will move him nearer to his home town because he's spent $150 In coin phones keeping in touch with his business during the past six weeks. Private Lanzilotti cheerfully de- posited his nickels, dimes and quar- ters in the coin phone during the first few weeks of his training period, but last week when he cast his ac- counts he found that he had spent ■more than four months' pay in tele- phone calls.' Lanzilotti then sought out the RC' ception center chaplain, Rev. Her- bert J. Meiles, St. Loius, for aid in affecting a transfer to a post nearer his home town and where the phone toll charges will, be cheaper. The chaplain said he'd submit the propo- sition to the. biggies in the army. HORVATH'S JAM WITH CLERGY ' Cleveland, May 20. Charlie Horvath's plans of turning his Trianon ballroom Into a super- duper bowling emporium are still in dicker-and-talk stage, but he has already got one ironic kick-back. It came when a local columnist who didn't check with him on the rumor, wrote that a de luxe cocktail lounge and restaurant would .be built into the dance hall with bowling alleys. An hour after the story rolled off the presses, two clergymen of neigh- boring churches phoned Horvath to tell him that there >vas an ordinance not permitting Ilkker joints being built so close to churches. Besides threatening to fight it out in court they said they would have the place boycotted if even a. nip of booze was sold. Restaurant owners nearby also called and yipped about the unfair competish he planned. Ballroom operator patiently ex- plained that it was a uncoiiflrroed and untrue rumor, that he. never in- tended to install a cocktail room in the first place and that even the bowling project is not yet definite. It depends upon whether he can promote $70,000 this, summer for the work, in addition to a long term lease. Dance hall has about a half-dozen more band bookings for this season, with Woody Herman for May 18 and Raymond Scott for May 25. But despite his denials the anti-likker objections by suspicious local blue- noses are still floating In and hurting his current dance trade, Horvath complains. Kennywood, Pittsburgh, Sets Summer Bands Pittsburgh, May 20. Kennywood Park here has lined up name bands for its summer sea- son, which got under way Friday (16) and will continue through La- bor Day. Opening and current is Bob Chester and he'll be followed Friday (23) by Johnny Messner. Others already set are Lang Thompson, Lawrence Welk, - Ray Herbeck, Mitchell Ayres, Herbie Holmes, Jimmy Joy and Tiny HUL Most of the dates are for two weeks except in one or two cases. J. C. Stein's N. Y. Visit J. C. Stein, president of . Music Corp. of America, returns to the Coast this week after a brief stay in New York supervising installation of the new, enlarged MCA offices. Mrs. Stein also came east to order decorations for their new Beverly HiUs home, making, the shopping trip expressly for that. purpose^ McEenzie Bnilds Baud Jimmy McKenzie, ■ ex-personal manager of Ray Kinney's orchestra, is building a band of his own. Out- it is currently rehearsing and go- ing through audition paces in New York. McKenzie parted with Kinney, who's now at the Lexington hotel, N. y., about two months ago. TOREEOLIITE Seatde Convention of Mu sicians Union Thought Sure to Pasa Resolution Limiting Control of O^' chestras. by Backers .or Other Leaders-r-Other 8 Say Capital Risk. Must Be • Protected or Launching NeMT Bands Will Be Impossible 'SOUL MORTGAGES' Backers of name dance bands may find themselves subject to strict regulation of -the American Federa- tion of Musicians after the latter or- ganization has held its Seattle con- vention the< second week in June. James C. Petrillo, AFM prez, and Jack Rosenberg, head of the New York City local (802) are reported as jointly determinea to get action on this 'soul mortgage' iksae during the convention. The terras of the regu- latory measure, which is to be intro- duced in the form of a resolution, have yet to be completely worked out The union leaders have expressed themselves as fearful of the straits that many members will eventually find thernselves in if steps are not taken to curb band-financing prac- tices. They feel thqj outside of the money they put up many backers contribute nothing to the welfare and advance of an orchestra. The restrictive action will be directed not only at outside money men but at band leaders themselves who by the same lending route obtain pieces ii).xther orchestras. Rosenberg'has expressed^e opin- ion that if there is to be any band financing a ceiling should be im- posed by the international union on the returns due the backer. In dis- cussions on the subject Rosenberg has mentioned ^% as an equitable dividend, but business elements in the trade ^have pointed out to him that such. a limitation would tend to destroy band backing altogether. These ventures, Rosenberg has been told, are highly speculative, and a return of anything like 6% on a band's earnings would make such promotions not worthwhile. ^ Rated as the most active backer of bands, and by a wide margin. Is Si Shribman. He holds a financial interest in the Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Tony Pastor, Charlie Spivak; Gene Krupe, Teddy Powell Juih[e Holds in Paul Whiteman Case Court Cannot Overrule Union Silence for a Jit Ft Worth, Texas, May 20. J. Willard Ridings, professor of joumadiam at Texas Christian University, is circulating a pe- tition asking that at least one blank record be on'each juke- box. - 'If this is accomplished,' sighed Ridings, 'those who don't like jukeboxes can push In a nickel and enjoy 5c worth of golden silence!' SEATTLE PRIMES FOR PETRILLO SeatUe, May 20. Seattle local 76 of American Federation of Musicians are working on final preparations for the national convention here the week of June 9. President James C. Petrillo will arrive a wieek prior to the conclave to confer with local officers on con- vention business. Among speakers for convention's first day will be Governor Arthur B. Langlie and James A. Taylor, presi- dent of the State Federation of Labor. Seattle group handling, convention details is headed by 76's president O. R. McLain: $25,000 AUTO DEATH SUIT VS. WARING K.0;D Vincent A. Lowney, Sr.'s, suit against Fred Waring^ John Hamill and Gordon Goodman was dismissed Friday (16), by Justice Bernard L. Shlentag in N. Y. supreme court. Ac- tion had sought $25,000 damages for death of plaintiff's son In an acci- dent while in Waring's car. Accident occurred with all de- fendants In the car Sept 24, 1930,' at Stroudsburg, Pa. and Claude ThornhiU bands. Among the leaders who hold pieces in other bands are Benn> o Goodman and Miller. Much of the opposition from Petrillo and Rosenberg is due to their hearing that a band leader in lending a newcomer to the orches- tra field $4,500 obtained a contract giving him 33%% of the new band's income for 10 years. An important decision upholding the rights of a union to settle con- troversies between members, and declaring that once a union has de- cided an issue, the courts may not disturb the ruling obtained, watf ' handed down by the appellate term of the N.Y. supreme court in favor of Paul Whiteman, in dismissing a suit against the-band leader by an employee, William Shulman. In rul- ing as it did. the appellate term re- versed a decision of the municipal court ruling against Whiteman. Both Whiteman and Shulman ara members of Local 802 of the Amer- ican Federation of Musicians. White- man hbred Shulman for 'Jumbo,' and agreed to pay union wages at the rate of $75 weekly plus $15 extra for playing an electric cello. Plaintiff qlaimed the tmion scale was $102,50 and sued to recover $187.50, repre- senting the difference for 15 weeks. Plaintiff then filed his claim with the union local, which gave him judgment against Whiieman. An appeal was taken to the Amer- ican Federation of Musicians, which reversed the decision and granted Whiteman a dismissal of the action.. Then Shulman started the teal con- troversy, by filing suit in the Mu- nicipal court The case was tried before Justice Isidore I. Haber, who granted plaintiff judgment "Justice Haber's ruling was to the effect that the by-laws of the union did not contain any provision for.arbitra- tion of disputes between members; and that there was a provision lit •*' the by-laws to the effect that before any m.emt>er could institute an ac- tion against another member h« must first exhaust his remedies in the union; but that this does not mean that the determlnatton of the union is final, but that It was oni^ a pre-requlsite to suing- in court, after all remedies had been exhaust- ed in the union. Again an appeal was. taken with 'the appellate court ruling that since the union opinion contained no fraud, imposition, invalidity or gross ' injustice, the court will refuse to examine the merlta of the contro- versy. ^ The effect , of the ruling is that hereafter whenever two members of a union submit their disputes the ''' Union, 'and a ruling is made, courts are ousted toward making any' fur- ther ruling OL the .merits of these disputes. Cancel Ted Blake for Incomplete Cast Orchestra Given Ozone By Cleveland Cafe and Union Concuri in 'Misrepresentation' Slant Cleveland. May 20. . Ted Blake and his Pittsburgh Men About Town played the shortest en- gagement at Monaco's Cafe that the' spot has ever given a band. Brought in a week ego Monday (4) to fol- low the Barry Bros, crew, the Blake outfit was given its walking papers on the second night when Frank Monaco, the'cafe owner, accused it as well as the MCA bookers of mis- representation. Irate proprietor declared contract called for a girl organist and a comedy' bass player, both of whom were among the missing in the line- up. Second complaint was that orchestra didn't come up to ■ the standards of his downtown de luxe dancing-dinery, and hurt its prestige. On opening night Monaco was so upset over two omissions and what he termed 'corny comedy' that he told Roy Howard, of the local MCA office, to yank out the band im- mediately. 'When Blake demanded a two weeks notice, owner told him he would have to sue for it Ruckus was pretty'embarrassing to bookers. D'Arve Barton, manager of the Cleveland branch, said .that the booking had been made in good faith and that agency didn't know Blake had dropped his femme Hammond player and bass thumper since leav- ing Pittsburgh's Roosevelt Hotel. When facts were presented to musi- cians' union. Local 4 headed by Lee Repp sided with cafe impresario by ruling that it was an obvious breach of contract, okaying the yank-out After Blake closed what was the town's briefest record run on his second night, MCA rushed in Jimmy Harris' Cleveland orch and breathed a sigh of'relief when Monaco, ap- proved of It. Harris, formerly known here as Jimmy Stipek, had been tak- ing off a layoff rest after doing 20 weeks at West Palm Beach's Dixie Inn In Florida, but his men called off their vacations to take the rush date. PALLADIUM, H'WOOD. GETS DONAHUE, MILLER Hollywood, May 20. General Amusement Corp. bands for Palladium here (via Ralph Wonders) include Al Donahue'f, band and the Andrews Sisters, open- ing Friday (23) and following Glenn Miller, who did.a record-breaking three weeks. Donahue is in for four weeks but the Andrews Sisters check out after a fortnight to keep a film commitment Following at the Palladium are Abe Lyman, four weeks, and Woody Herman, six weeks with a two-week option. Maxine Sullivan Heads Into Soath for One-Niters CBS Artists Bureau has turned over the booking of Maxine Sullivan for the siunmer months to the Moe' Gale agency. Miss Sullivan starts • tour of southern ballrooms July 1 at Norfolk, Va., first time that she haa worked one-nighters in the south. Shell work in company with either Tiny Bradshaw or Benny Carter's orchestras. Singer was out on a similar tour several i^onths ago with the Jcibxt^ Kirby band. It was cut short when Kirby was brought back into New York to st^rt a radio commercial for Schick Razors. She cont&ued then for a short while with Carter.