Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 28, 1941 VAUDKmUE 45 Units Playing Southern Army Camps Having Coin Trouble; Kemp s Solution Charlotte, N. C, May 27. The booking of stage shows in southern army camps has become a headache to post officials, It was disclosed by a survey made of at- tempts by the various posts to- pro- vide entertainment for soldiers. The Inexperience of army officials in lin- ' ing up professional entertainment, coupled with the entrance of shoe-' string promoters Into this newly- opened field, has resulted not only in ' mediocre performances but in hard- ships on members of the troupes. One show, iMoked oiit of N. Y. to play in a tent near Fort Bragg, FayettevlUe, N. C, was left stranded by producers, and army officers had to take up a collection to send the troupe back to N. Y. Another ex- ample of Inefficient handling of army shows cited was that of a linit booked _tq_ jlay Camp McClellan in Annis- ~ ton, Ala. TJnir"<5H' poor Tjuslhess there and, after two weeks' layoff, was booked for a week at Fort Ben- ning in Columbus, Ga. Many units booked for army posts are drawing more layoffs than playing time and several .have had difficulty in get- ting out of town. T. D. Kemp, Jr., manager of South- ern Attractions, stated that he had been booking shows at Tullahoma, Tenn., for the army post there, but was discontinuing after this week because of poor business. There is as yet no army post or . ..camp, able to support a troupe of 20 to 26 worthwhile performers for a full week stand,' Kemp said. 'With a salary of only $21 a month in most cases, the expenditure of 20 to 25c for entertainment Is proving to be a lot of money to the avferage re- cruit.' Kemp's Plan Kemp stated that, although the problein of providing entertainment at the army posts had been bungled up to now, there was a solution. He cited the manner In which enter- tainment is being handled at Lang- ley Field, Va. There officers and en- listed men contributed something like 50c a month to the entertain- ment fund and two shows monthly ' are provided for the' entire post. Kemp has been booking two-hour shows for this post. "The boys want name talent along with girls In scanty costumes,' Kemp said. Last show booked at Langley Field on May 7 was Clyde McCoy's band, a 10-girl line, six show girls, and five acts of vaudeville.- Vincent Lo- pez played the show before Mc- Coy. , 'The solution,' said Kemp, 'is in- stead of booking units in for an en- tire week, is to book them for two' days. The units could draw as much business in two days as they could in an entire week. They could be routed through the territory so as to prevent layoffs.' Kemp suggested that a- unit be booked at Fort Bragg for Monday and Tuesday, jumped to Fort Jack- son, "S. C, for Wednesday and Thursday, to Fort Benning for Fri- day and Saturday, to Camp Mc- Clellan for Monday and Tuesday, and so on. Such an arrangement, he said, would be profitable for both the post and the unit 'Tobacco Road' sContlnned from page 3s ly improved when the 20th-Fox film version of 'Road' was released, up- turn also going for the road show. Play often operated in the red at the Forrest, but profits were continuous out of . town. Estimated that an operating loss was registered around 70 weeks during the run on B'way. Modest BudKet Number of factors figured in the run. House was rented at a nominal sum and the salaries of the cast were modest, so that the show netted a slender profit even when the gross was around $3,000. Lately the pace dropped under $2,500, al- though quoted at a somewhat higher level. 'Hoad' originally played the Golden (then called the Masque) and was moved to the 48th Street (now the Windsor) operated by the Joe Leblang estate. House partici- pated In the profits, but about four years ago called off the deal because the I^eBIang end figured the show was washing up, Kirkland and Oshrin, however, took over the For- rest and proved otherwise, also get- ting themselves all the profit. Tony Brown Is In for a small percentage for staging the play. 'Road' has been a life saver to any number of actors since it opened Dec. 4, 1933. It has been virtually DON CUMMINGS 'PVKE mmsEmE' CURRENTLY AT THE STRAND. New York Thanks, to Wayne King for seven grand weeks . . . and appreciation to Harry Gourfain and Leo Morgan, Direction: WILLIAM MILLER a life-time job for Mike Goldreyer, its press agent, who will be retained Indefinitely, although an advance agent will also operate out of town His count of the number of perform- ances in New York is 3,180 up to Saturday night, as compared to 2,327 for 'Abie's Irish Rose,' former straight play record-holder. Com- pany on tour ended road bookings Saturday, but is due to play six more weeks in subway circuit and stock theatres. During the astonishing B'way stay, 'Road' had 70 losing weeks, with 42 breaking even. It has been 'closing' 389 weeks at different pe- riods. First five weeks the show played were red. In 1934-5, only four weeks were in the red. In 1936 theire were. eight weeks which did not break even, and, in 1938,14 weeks, were on the debit side. During 1939 there were six losers and 11 which broke even, while In 1940 there were 12 losers and 14 even breaks.. From the first of this year there have been 12 weeks in the red and six even, most of the downgrade being re- cently. Red periods each season were mostly In May and early June. AGVA IN PHILLY SETS NEW OFHCERS Philadelphia, May 27. First election since the reorgani- zation of the PhiUy unit of the American Guild of Variety Artists was held'here last week (21), Jimmy Walker, nltery m.c, was elected president over AI Rea, a fbr- mer head of the United Entertain- ers Assn., rival indie union now In- active. The voting was close, with Walker gaining the post by the scant margin of seven votes. Other officers chosen were: Bob Mack, first vice-president; Frank Schluth, 2d v.p.; Dick Thomas; 3d v.p.; Gus Howard, 4th v.p.; Gus Howard, 5th v.p.; sld Raymond, 6th v.p.; Leonora Jaxon, recording sec- retary; Shandor Clark?, treasurer, and Dick Mayo, executive secretary. Members of the board of directors: Joe Altee, Tom Cosmo, BiUy De- Mayo, Bill Elton, Dick Jones, Allen Mayo, Mary Snyder, Eddie Mont- gomery, Tom Osborne, John Patchen, Ben Perry, Dave Stratton and Betty Saunders. Two performers who died last week were given funerals last Thurs. (22) by AGVA, although neither was a member of the union. They died destitute. They were Bert Earle, banjo player, and Patsy Wil- liams, a singer. They were buried in Sunset Memorial Park, Somerton. A luncheon was held today (Tues.) at the Club Bali at which the new officers were introduced to State of- ficials, officers of the Entertainment Managers Assn. (bookers) and the trade press. Ex-Mike Todd's Chi Siipt h Likker-to-Minors Jam Chicago, May 27. Police arrested Harry Feuer, man- ager, and seven other employees of the Theatre-Cabaret, formerly Michael Todd's, early Saturday (24) morning for selling booze to minors. A squad of coppers made the pinch on orders from headquarters. Todd sold out his interest in the Theatre-Cabaret a couple of weeks ago, the deal including the removal of his name from all outside bill- ing and advertisements, to Peter Tremont, a southside auto dealer, and Joe Miller, nltery operator. Besides Feuer, those arrested in- cluded six waiters and a bartender, all held on disorderly conduct charges. 20 Choices to AGMs Natl Boards To Be Made at Group s 1st Meeting Unit Review Whirling Top, N. Y., Says It's Broke; Owes $20,337 The 3 East 52d St. Corp., operators of the Whirling Top, filed sched- iiles in bankruptcy in N. Y. federal ! court,Monday (26), showing assets of $8,759 and liabilities of $20,337. i The bankrupt started business in April, 1937. Among the liabilities, $9,569 is I owed the Government, $33 to Lillian :Dell, $13 to Marion Eddy, and $49 I to Jerry Blanchard, entertainers; I $156 to Allan Cole, a musician, and $66 to Muzak Corp. Assets include liquor, ^ood, furni- ture apd fixture^. .], ' ., ■,. ,• GAGS AND GALS (BBOADWAT CHABLOTTE, N. C.) Charlotte, May 22. Keya and Tuck, Richei/ Carroll & Co., Prince and Princess Selandia, Two Jacks, Adrianna, Trudte Russell Girls (8), Frank Silver's Bond (5); 'The Great Mr. Nobody' (WB). 'Gags end Gals' is a nicely-bal- anced unit that moves at a pleasing pace and holds interest throughout. Top act and brimming with class Is the barrel-balancing of Keye and Tuck, Orientals. Act opens with Miss Keye piping 'Confucius Say* and then shedding Chinese robe to Mck out a sprightly tap. From there on out she merely stooges for Tuck, who juggles barrels on his feet while laying on his back atop a table. Tuck Is a master showman and has house eating out of his hand. Rer ceptlon was terrific. Prince and Princess Selandia of 'Scandanavia,' although their royal heritage Is never made quite clear, make a hit with their dance imita- tions of 'Hollywood stars. Their best turn Is In takeoff on Chaplin and Paulette GOddard in The Great Dic- tator,' and other impersonations in- clude Mae West and Harold Lloyd, Garbo and Stokowski, Snow White and Dopey. The Princess is Impres- sive with her vivacious impersona- tions. Richey CarroU & Co., includ- ing Jack Mossman and Marjorie Rich, supply the comedy in a dance and skit. (TarroU, a miniature Lou Costello (Abbott and Costello), han- dles the comedy situation nicely, his best being i television broadcast skit In which tie, as announcer, getq him- self plastered from drinking 'Guz- zlers' Gin,' the sponsored product The Two Jacks, a perch act, open the show adequately with balances on a high pole. Adrianna is unim- pressive In a- pash dance billed as Mephlsto and the Maiden.' She fails to keep up the illusion that there are two persons dancing' to- gether, and the aance lacks sufficient pash for one Of Its type. Just fair biz on show caught. Just. New national board of the Ameri- can Guild of Variety Artists will hold Its first meeting Monday (2), in New York, when It will fill iu full roster of 45, necessitating 20 ap- pointments plus the 2S already, elected. It's not probable that this meeting will make a choice on who is to b« the national executive secretary to fill the post left vacant by the dis- missal of Hoyt Haddock. Gerald Griffin has been acting as adminis- trator pro tern and Is said to have received a number of proxy votes from out-of-town members of the board for executive secretary. ' There's also a movement under- way to project Tom Phillips, now head of the Burlesque Artists Assn, into the AGVA spot. Phillips was approached by the Associated Ac- tors and Artistes of America for the job when AGVA was first formed after 'the disfranchisement of the American Federation of Actors, to which Ralph Whit^ead was exec sec, but nothing came of it. One of the strongest possibilities is Alan Corelli, executive secretary of Theatre Authority, but Corelli would have to' be ■'drafted. He. has ' often been approached to take the job, but always told the Four A'a' h^'wanted tb hold the TA post and would step Into AGVA only if it was agreed that his AGVA salary woul4 go towards the. hlfing of one or two capable assistants on AGVA affairs, ratlier than to himself. Any one of these three men would be suitable to most AGVA members, but a few AGVA officials believe that Griffin would have to divorce himself from his nltery columnar activities for the N, Y. Sunday In- quirer should he be appointed to the exec sec job.. Whether Griffin would agree to do thls is problemati- cal. He would be asked to maka such a decision only when the AGVA post Is offered him. Emll Coleman set for four weeks at Piping Rock Club, Saratoga Springs, beginning July 28. LOS ANGELES CRITICS RAVE OVER N.T.G.'S NEW SHOW ''Hollywood Hilarities'' N.T.a. (Nils Thor Granlund) making theatrical history in Southern California with aensatlonal auccesa at the Florentine Gardens, opened a. big, new girl show at the Orpheum Theatre, tios Angeles, In aplte of fact that show opened cold, no previous break-in. It caught the fancy of the reviewers, who went overboard in praise. Business great with vaude audiences ga-ga over beautiful girls, gorgeous costumes and terrific numbers. Including "The Boogie Woogle Dance," "March of the West Point Cadets," "Graduation Day at Vasear," and "Memories of Zlegfeld." Ninety coatumee used with the girls overflowing into audience. Eastern and midwestem theatre has nev«r seen girls as beautiful as these, or a combination show as good. Critic Rave Notices 1 L.A. Examiner, By NEIL RAUi "N.T.G. ihow batter -than GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS played here year ago." L.A. Daily News, By- FffAW1t-Mlrt^A Ut.Ri "Hollywood Hilaritias" winner, oredit to N.T.G., producer, and Dave Gould, director." L.A. Herald Express, By GEORGE JACKSON: "N.T.G/t "Hollywood Hilarities" •coop stage hit for Orpheum." L.A. Times, By GRACE KING8LEY: "Show ceiling—girl* prize fea- tures.- - 'Memoriea of Ziegfeld' number which might bs said to be able to give pointer* to that great maestro, were hf still among us, for girls, co«tumea_ and routines, dreamfully jo'r"' geoui impersonations of famous beauties of hii day." N.T.G. starting second year at Florentine Gardens, producing neW show every eight weeks. With his showmanship. It has been made America's most popular cabaret restaurant,- playing to more peo- ple a week than any other cafe In America. Ho will continue there indefinitely, but his production, without ifim, is available for thea- tres and cabarets, wlnnec, Economically'operated. It Is a sure money