Variety (Aug 1941)

46 VAUDEVILLE UBIETY Wednesday, August 27, lO'll This is the most in- triguing' ad ever writ- ten, because it never mentions the person, product nor produc- tion it advertises. It will bo commented upon by every great advertising agency in America. I have a show playing in Chi- cago this week. At the State Lake Theatre. It's the same show that played for thirteen months at my theatre in Hollywood.- Well, not exactly the same show—we had to condense it to about sev- enty minutes—so it could play the picture houses as a unit. It doesn't matter what its name is but it does carry a fine, well established boxoftice trade mark—and it the first three days' business at the State Lake is any criterion, well hang up a boxof- flce record by the finish of the week. When I originally staged this musical it was my fifty-third legitimate production. That's a long time producing. Fifty-three major operations. Yes, most of them were successful, but a few of them were not very strong, and some of them died on the operating table. But this one was a howling hit from the day of its birth. Some shows are like that. They have that intangible something that makes them different. It means that the producer has pulled every string properly, mixed every ingredient to the right amount—cast, material, mu- sic, costumes, scenery, direction, etc., and had all the luck in the world besides. The cast must be great. This cast is. F'rst, The Slate Brothers. A new kind of Slate Brothers. Working now with more ease and polish, but with that same dy- naiAic pounding for laughs that make an audience spontaneously applaud a gag or a piece of busi- ness. And by the way Fay Car- roll, who sings with them, is more beautiful than ever. A gold gown for her opening number makes her an "Ah Girl" from then on. Next is the Weire Brothers (only two of them, Sylvester is still quite ill on the Coast). Herbert and Harry, with their fast pantomime and quiet comedy, they make ■ a perfect laugh bal- ance against the raucous Slates. Then there's Buster Shaver with Olive and George. Well, you all know the act—but now Olive does a Carmen Miranda with the Weire Brothers and Al Norman (By the way, I'm signing Al up for the new Hollywood show in December, that's how !;ood he is). Buster with Little George work thru the entire show, so does Zerbe and Weire—all acts do. That's what makes the unit different from the usual vaude- ville bookings. From the girl angle there's Jean Devereaux, with her exact- ing dancing technique, Charlene Kimberland, Anna Lee, Beverly Carroll, Lois Morrissey, em- bellished by twenty of the pretti- est picture girls I could find- in Hollywood. I truly believe it is one of the best units ever produced for pic- ture houses. If the weather is favorable, it will establish B.O. records for every theatre that books it. And it's booked solid until next January. Miles Ingalls represents us In the East. He's at the Hotel Astor in New York; Hogan Hancock, of M.C.A., arranged the State Texas Pair in Dallas as well as the other fair dates in the South Nilery Notes Jean Tiee replaced Ann Harriett in the vocal spot at Bill Jordan's Bar of Music, Hollywood. Tom Harty, comic dancer, import- ed from Boston by Rudy Vallce, opened at the Pirate's Den, Holly- wood. Note: Any eommenta or crlU- ebms of the eopy In this ad irlll.be appreciated. BoK 251, Variety 154 Vr. 48tti St., New Tofk. Jalna. recently with Clifford Fisch- ers 'Folics Bergere,' moved into the floor show at Hollywood's It Cafe. Bob Fisher. Jack LeMaire and Jerry Kruger have been adde(l._to the floor show at the Grace Hayes Lodge in Hollywood. Defence Employment Splorge Gi?ing Niteries Strictly Weekend Play Buffalo, Aug. 26. Bustling defense industries, work- ing their men two and three shifts, have spawned strictly weekend spenders. Plants in this vital steel and plane centre keep their work- ers so busy the men either have no time or are too tired to spend their coin on week-nights, which means all take one huge spaee on Friday, Saturday and Sundays nights. Ops*^aren't displeased at it, but It leaves them with empty floors and tables on rest of week. Resort spots outside of city are enjoying the biggest trade boost, since they allow a respite from torrid city streets. Crystal Beach amuse- ment park, across the Niagara river in Canada, is having its biggest sea- son in years despite 20% tax socked by Canadian authorities on almost everything. But the rush comes only in latter part of the week, Harold Austin, who runs dancery, explaining a truck could be run through dance hall in early part of week and scarcely touch a shuffler. Same situation forced Beaver Island Casino on Grand Island to whittle Bob Armstrong band from original five days to last three nights of week. CHORINE SHORTAGE UPS PAY FOR MPI^. GHtLS JIM CROW LAWS EVEN IN CAMP THEATRES Spartanburg, S. C. Aug. 26. Jim Crow law, which separates blacks and whites in theatres, ho- tels, restaurants, etc., and on trains and buses all over Dixie, popped into spotlight unexpectedly here when Wilby-Kincey opened its new $65,000 Palmetto. City fathers vis- ited house after being iiresented with petition bearing 500 names and protesting use of theatre balcony by Negro patrons. They directed Rob- ert Talbert, city manager, to pre- sent at early meeting of council specifications for alterations to bal- cony, Talbert said agitation against use of balcony by Negroes was caused by misuse of one word, 'alongside,' in newspapers, and that 1,500 Ne- goes attended the theatre the week it was opened with no trouble. Newspapermen, visiting the theatre, report Negroes and whites are sealed 10 feet apart in the balcony. Talbert also stated that Negroes had been sold separate section bal- cony seats at Carolina, chain's top local house, several years, with no trouble. State and Strand have no seats for Negroes. At Camp Croft here and other Dixie area military posts separate theatres are provided for white and Negro soldiers—although most of them come from the north. 'Down south we do as the south- erners do, no matter,' one army of- ficer told a V*BiErt correspondent. Takes more theatres but we run less risk of trouble.' Borscht to Pabns Phil Foster, comic, has been set for two weeks at the Wits End, Miami, starting Sept. 1. Foster is an alumnus of Gross- ^nger's, N. Y., mountain resort, where he is current. U. S. Army As Barnum ; Continued from page 1; worry-about-the-cosl' basis. A tre- mendous boom for show biz per- formers of all types is foreshadowed. Army plans now being formulated are for every boy—except in small remote camps—to have the oppor- tunity of seeing a big, live show at least once every two weeks. In ad- dition, there will be a continuous round of singles and small specialty acts, such as magic, in between the big shows. Minor cantonments diffi- cult of transportation will get only the single turns. Idea now being worked on is to have the big shows staged by Broadway producers. George Ab- bott, John Golden, Vinton Freedley, et al., would each get an assignment for the type of show wanted. They'd be allotted a budget and from then on they'd be on their own. They'd employ the writers to provide the material or get it from whatever other source they chose, hire the actors they wanted and in every re- spect—except that budgets will be a lot slimmer—prepare the show just as if it were one of their own. Pro- ducers'- services would be donated. Variety, Army's Morale Branch wants each of the units to be as different as pos- sible. There will be straight Icgit- ers, musicals, minstrel shows, revues and vaude in presentation form. Camps will provide a tremendous circuit and, so far as possible, no post will see the same type show twice in succession. Army feels soldier Interest will hold up better by varying the legit, minstrels, mu- sicals, etc. Kxtrcmely anxious to stay out of the position of having to choose and hire talent. Army is ostensibly turn- ing over details of its venture into show bi2 to the Citizens Committee for the Army and Navy. This or- ganization, financed by the USO, has had a number of small vaude units out this summer, but its activities will be greatly enlarged. No Coin Worry Where the coin is coming from for all this the Morale Branch isn't say- ing, but it appears confident that financing will not be difficuli It is understood a direct appeal will be made to Congress for funds; that is why budgets are now being carefully drawn so that a concrete plan can be presented. Alternate schemes are for getting another big lump, in addi- tion to the $500,000 already pledged, from the USO. Private subscrip- tions may also be sought, if both Congress and the USO prove reti- cent, from such men as Thomas Wat- son, head of International Business Machine, who's president of the Citi- zens Committtee and financed it originally. Theatres on Army reservations will be ready in time and suitable, the Morale Branch feels certain. It has been in conference with War Dept. architects, with the result that there will be good facilities for live entertainment In each of the new field houses, seating 2,500 to 4,500, with which every camp is being pro- vided, there is a substantial portable boxing ring carefully designed for transformation to a stage.^ It will be in sections which makes'it possible to have anything from a 60-foot by 30-foot opening to a 20-foot stage equipped with drops to make it suit- able for a single. Drops and draw curtains are also being provided by the War Dept. for the smaller thea- tres ordinarily used for films. Lashing by Varibtt, Time, Life, Equity and others is said to have had its effect in bringing about a change of administration last week in the Morale Branch, Frederick H. Osborn, who has been active in a Morale Branch civilian subsid, Joint Army and Navy Committee on Welfare and Recreation, was nominated by Presi- dent Roosevelt to succeed Brig. Gen. James Ulio as chief of Morale. Osborn will be temporarily com- missioned with high Army rank. Frisco AGVA on Alert For Unpaid Salaries San Francisco, Aug. 26. Check of American Guild of Va- riety Artists records here reveals that AGVA, during May, June and July, has collected a total of $2,949.73 in salaries which performers might not otherwise have received. During same period local chapter htfs paid out $945.35 to members for relief and transportation. Minneapolis, Aug. 26. Chorus girl shortage is skyrocket- ing salaries for line gals in this ter- ritory. Lennox night-club of Dul- uth, for example. Is paying its chor- isters $45 a week, a record high for hereabouts. cilubs in Minneapolis and St. Paul don't use any lines In their floor shows. Hartford Theatre Gives 1 Show Wkly. to Air Unit Hartford, Aug. 26. State theatre is donating ohe show a week to officers and personnel of nearby Windsor Locks air base. Under arrangement made with Lieu- tenants Colin Kerr, morale officer and Elliott Belson, press relations, shows will be given as long as State is in sesh. Idea for weekly shows, gratis to the newly created pursuit group air base and its personnel, germinated with Rudy Frank, p.a. for the State. Opener was Sunday (24) with Phil Harris troupe. Set for next week are Rochester, Dick Stabile band and Grade Barrie. House has pencilled in the follow- ing: Andrews Sisters, Joe Venuti, Brenda and Cobina, Sept. 5; Cab Callawoy unit, Sept. 19; and Truth and Consequences, Oct. 10. House now operating on a six-day policy. Nudity Charge Holds Dancer in Toledo Toledo, O., Aug. 26. Mc£. Ada Brockett, 23, night club entertainer billed as 'Zorita,' is free under |1,000 bond pending a jury trial on charges of indecent ex- posure in connection with her 'snake' and 'spider' dances at the Kentucky Klub here. Direct result of her arrest was the creation of a night club squad by Edward A. DeAngelo, city safety di- rector, who declared war on night club nudity and lewdity.