Variety (Sep 1942)

Wednesday, September 2, 1942 VAUDEVILLE 51 Camp Shows Seen Having Tough Time Getting By This Season With $4,000,000 With an appropriation limited to $4,000,000, 540 days of playing time to be filled, and an expanded pro- duction schedule, USO-Camp Shows, Inc., will be hard pressed to make ends meet for the coming season teeing off Oct 1, according to USO- CSI officials. Big problem Is the additional units that will have to be produced it CSI sticks to its policy of a new show each two weeks. Aside from the vaude units, which will adhere to the current budgets of $2,600 for tfie 'A's' (with line of girls) and $1,100 for the 'B's,' the ad- ditional coin will go for still smaller units to play isolated ppsts unable to handle a regular show. Latter is now a minor effort but slated to be expanded. Money will also go for legit shows, of which there were only two last year, with about 10 contemplated for the coming season; overseas units ala the Al Jolson troupe, where transportation expen- ditures are as big a problem as ob- taining permission to send the troupes; and shows to troops in this hemisphere, now limited to periodic units into Newfoundland plus spot jaunts into Alaska, with the future calling for expanded service. USO-CSI execs will huddle with the Army and Navy In Washing ton later this week on the numljer of camps to be serviced and the frequency with which they are to be sent shows. If these requirements run as high as CSI expects, the future'will call for tight belts all along the line since additional funds, which were requested, will not" be available from USO. Camp Shows now has $4,000,000 of the $32,000,- 000 USO collected this year; with the next allotment not due for an- other six mbnths. 3d Hub Hotel to Army Boston, Sept. 1. Boston's third hotel has been taken over by Uncle Sam, with the Ajmy moving into the Hotel Buckmlnster. Previously the Navy had annexed the Somerset and the Brunswick going to the Coast Guard. Many oldtime guests were forced to move, with an exception made for the WNAC radio offices on the top floor and penthouse. PROSER, KELLY CITED BY AGYA Latest additions to the American Guild of Variety Artists'unfair Ust are Monte Proser's Copacabana Club in New York, Mother Kelly's in Saratoga and the Chez Maurice, Montreal. 'Unfair' list includes all spots operated by Proser, Kelly and the Chez management. Proser is listed for salaries due Toy and Wing and Carmen D'Antonio from his former Beach comber nitery on Broadway (now Mother Kelly's; Mother KeUy's for breach of contract—nitery cancelled a floor show after one performance— and the Montreal spot went into bankruptcy owing money to Hal Le Roy, Sims and Bailey, Don Tannen and Colette and Barry. Meanwhile, Joe Morello put him self and the Club Moderne in Frisco in the clear for performer salaries by paying $200 on account, with the balance of $100 due within 10 days. Dan Healy Okay Dan Healy, who's been treated for stomach ulcers, continues to improve at the Physicians hospital, Jackson Heights, N. Y., and may be dU charged next week. He was con' siderably strengthened by a number of transfusions supervised by Dr. Alexander Kaye. The transfusion donors were Sgt. Dave Wurzell, Corp. Sid Tauber, Pvt. Arthur Shettle and Pvt. Mur- ray Deutsch, all of This Is the Army,' and around the show they now caU him Dan 'Abe' Healy. Casualty of the War Fostorla, O., Sept. The Black Cat, Fostoria night club, has been shuttered for the duration Cecil H. Burkhart, owner manager, reports for military this week. and duty mGS BIG FOR CHI CAFES Sid Page Opens Agency Chicago, Sept. 1. Sidney F. Page, former vaude comic, has opened a booking agency here. Associates are Marvin Welt, di- rector, and Al Marney, music. Madge Fox Dies at 68 h N.Y4 Alimony Rows With Max Hart RecaUed AGVA Receives More Complaints From Dismissed Camp Shows Acts Chicago, Sept. 1. Season's opening brings a wide variety of headline acts and orches- tras into Chicago's nite spots. Con- gress, Stevens and Auditorium hotels are now in the Army's hands, with probably more to follow, but other spots have opened. Large number of service men in Chicago have swelled biz at these haunts. 'Copacabana Revels' opened last week at the Latin Quarter, with Jan Murray, Cheena De Simone and her dancers, Billie and Busier Burnell, Six American Tip-Tops, Uoranine and Ellis, Joe Norman's and Vincent Bragale's orchs. At Rainbo Gardens, Sept. 3., are Dean Murphy, Joe FriscOr Deane Janis, Corinne and Tito Valdez, Bal lard and Rae, Ruth Quinn, The Mar- tels & Mignon, chorus of 25 girls, Ame Barnett's and Phil Levant's orchs. Earl Carroll takes over Terrace Gardens of Morrison Hotel, Sept. 24, with Bill Grady, The Bryants, Happy Felton, St. Clair and Day Miss America, Roily Ross, Bob Wil- liams, Red Dust, 48 girls and Bob Strong's orch. Palmer House opening Sept. 17 brings in the Hartmans, Parker and Potthole, Walter Long, the Del Rios, Carlyn Truax, Griff Williams orch. Grade Fields opens the Chez Paree Sept 10, with Buddy Franklin's orch as holdover. Sophie Tucker follows. Mary Nash is next attraction at Camellia House of the Drake Hotel with Ray Benson's and Val Ernie's orchs. Dwight Fiske comes into the Mayfalr Room, Blackstone Hotel Oct. 9. Russ Morgan has opened at Edg- water Beach Hotel for two months, with Five Antaleks, Don Gulien, Jana and Dorben Dancers. Art Kas- sell opens Walnut Room of Bismark on Oct. 2. Lawrence Walk at Trianon until end of November. At Aragon Art Kassell opens Sept. 7, Freddy Nagel, Oct. 3, Dick Jurgen, Oct. 30. Chico Marx replaces Art Jarrett at Black Hawk on Oct. 7. Bands slated for the Panther Room, Sher man, include Jimmy Dorsey, Sept. 11, Sonny Dunham, Sept. 25, Woody Herman, Oct 9, Alvino Rey, Nov. 6. Stan Kenton, Dec 4, and Claued Thornhill, Dec. 31. HARVEST MOON BALL S.0 AT MAD. SQ. GARDEN N.Y. Daily News staged its eighth annual Harvest Moon ball at Madi son Square Garden, N.Y., last week and, per usual, it was SRO at the b.o. This year the net profit, such as it is, is being divided between the USO and the News' Welfare Assn. Ed Sullivan again emceed expert ly and there was one salient high light the servicemen's division to take care of male competitors wear- ing unies. Not so flattering was lack of goodlooking contestants. Prob- able that the draft or war factory work, or both, had something to do with that but the physical appear- ance of the amateur dancers this year was on the whole below par for the event. From a newspaper promotion standpfolnt the Harvest Mcibn Ball remains the No. 1 bally for the rag. which hasn't overlooked some other publicly popular exploitation tricks, such as the Golden Gloves, Silver Skates, etc. (which its companion Chi Tritune also features annually.) Madge Fox, one-time top musical comedy singer and dancer, and also one-time wife of Max Hart, the No. 1 Keith agent for years, died Aug. 22 in the House of Calvary Cancer Hospital, Bronx, N. Y. She was 68 and for the past several years was dependent on the Actors Fund for support. Hart himself is now an ill and broken man, but once one of the most affluent of talent reps. He and Miss Fox separated in 1924. She sued him for divorce and her subse- quent legal actions for alimony were both numerous and public. In the original settlement Hart agreed to pay her $108,000 over a period of years, plus giving her a $28,000 home he had in Douglaston, L. I. As his own business dropped off and he claimed inability to make payments, she recurrently brought him back to court However, Hart though since remarried, visited her In the hospital and was virtually the last to see her alive. He says that he couldn't leave her completely alone during her ill ness, despite the past bitterness be tween them. They had an adopted son, Charles Hart, now 23 and in the U. S. Coast Guard. Hart's litigations with his wife were virtually day and date with his long and unsuccessful attempt to prove that Keith-Albee was a big time trust. Charles Evans Hughes, who recently retired as chief justice of the U. S. Supreme Court was finally retained by K-A as special counsel and, virtually in a few words, had the lengthy case thrown out of court Hughes pointed to Eddie Cantor, among the other head- liners who testified for Hart—who was then a daring exponent of tilt ing stars' salaries from $500 a week to $2,500 and $3,500 a week—and wanted to know whether, if Cantor's blackface was lost in transit could or could he not (Cantor) go on the stage and perform, entertain people, etc. The transportation of theatrical props in interstate commerce was the essence of the anti-trust suit against K-A, but once the interstate commerce angle was deflated the suit was kayoed. 3 Trials Actually, there were three trials of the suit. Hart lost the first in N. Y., but appealed and won the second. The late Maurice Goodman, then chief counsel of K-A, defended the circuit. FoHcv.-ing tt-.e-dcfeat-in- the appeal, Goodman, at the behest of E. F. Albee, offered Hart a fabu- lous settlement—something like $50,- 000 in cash, 5% of the profits of the United Booking Office (K-A), which was exceptionally profitable because of the 5% booking fee exacted from all acts, and, finally, priority in bookings foi'all acts represented by Hart Hart now claims that his at- torney, Martin Littleton, who felt certain that he could defeat K-A on the issue involved, advised him against accepting, the settlement. K-A then appealed and brought in Hughes. The deal offered Hart was some- what similar to that given the late H. B. Marinelli, foreign agent, who also had brought suit against K-A. Latter gave Marinelli 10% commis- sion on all its foreign bookings, re- gardless of how secured, but Mari- nelli died soon after that agreement was made. Hart insists that his long legal wrangle against K-A cost him noth- ing. He says that his close friend and attorney, Louis Epstein, origi- nally took the case on a contingency basis. Epstein later turned it over to Littleton, also on a contingency. However, even if there were no attorney fees, the suit against K-A cost Hart millions of dollars. Shut out from the K-A booking office, Hart found it impossible to hold on to. his acts, and the latter included virtually every top comedian In show business. Hart also owned 41% of the Feiber & Shea theatre circuit, but he sold this out to the other partners after one of them testified in favor of Madge Fox in one of the several ali- mony suits. 150G Toledo Cafe Shuts Toledo, O., Sept 1. The Hollywood Theatre Cafe, $150,- 000 night club on the Telegraph Road just outside of Toledo, has been closed and Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert C. Dunn has approved the application of D. Scott Hager, receiver, to discontinue operations. Spot has been in financial trouble. UNK BOMBING TO JUKE WAR The American Guild of Variety Artists has received signed com- plaints against USO-Camp Shows, Inc., from Betty Walters, Evers and Dolores, David and June 'Hacker, all of whom were dropped recently from the USI-CSI unit 'Hollywood Follies,' along with Stone and Lee. Al Stone filed a complaint with AGVA last week that charged USO-CSI with 'breach of contract, misuse of USO funds, defamation ot character and malicious influence and discrimination.' Latest com- plaints claim insufficient dismissal notice, with 10 days' pay still due. Canip Shows exec are remaining mum until they see the complaints which are due to be delivered by AGVA later this week. Cleveland, Sept. 1 Second act ot the local jukebox war by racketeers was rung up by another bombing of Sam Pinkus' night club, which was first dynamited Aug. 4, after the operator said he had been warned to remove his auto- matic music box. Pinkus' wife, four children and a roomer, who live in an apartment over the nitery, had their lives en. dangered when dynamite was thrown into the basement stairway last week. Blast ripped down partitions, shower- ing yonugsters with plasterboard. Mrs. Pinkus was almost decapacitated by a flying piece of wood. Club's windows and bottles of llkker on the bar were smashed by the explosion. Another nearby cafe, Mae's Spot which also has been having jukebox trouble, was blasted twice earlier this summer. After the first bombing on Aug.4, Pinkus had Leroy Robinson, partner in the music-box firm of Meckley and Robinson, arrested for intlmlda tion and blackmail. At that time the bistro operator charged Robinson had threatened - that the place would be bombed unless the rival distributor': machine was removed and one of his own boxes installed. Robinson denied the charges, had the court trial postponed twice and was free under $2,500 bond when the club was blitzed again. This time Pinkus declined to comment on the coincident, outside of sayiilfi: guess I'll just have to go outl ot business. The other bombing ^ost me nearly $1,500, and I can't aiSord such heavy expense.' Despite his reluctance to be dragged into the case, both police and newspapers are using It another wedge in their crusade against the 'laxness' ot local magiS' trates who allow Important crime suspects 'to get their cases post' poned so easily.' "City-wide WtfWof hot Indtgnattciri was set off chiefly by a murder scandal revolving around Nathaniel Spruiel, Negro nitery owner, who was killed a fortnight ago In a bat tie with a patrolman whom he fa tally wounded. Spruiel, who had a long record as a drug-addict, pan derer and ex-convict was out on bond at the time. He had been brought to trial early this year in a vice case' as one of a dozen colored men accused of having relations with three white high-school girls. SEE ROXY, N. Y. SETFINGBAND INFEWDAYS Meetings between- the new Roxy, N. Y., operators, A. J. Balaban and Jack Partington, and the leading agencies are being continued this week, and it's probable that at least one deal for a name band will even- tuate in the next few days. Roxy figures on beginning its bandshow policy in December. Sitting in at the confabs, plus Balaban, Partington and the agency reps, is Jesse Kaye, Fanchon & Marco booker, who continues buy- ing the Roxy's shows under 20th- Fox's new operating setup. Most encouraging sign to the Roxy Is that the band agencies are now submitting name orchs—mak- ing the bookings mer^ matters of dates and prices. The Roxy will use three bands under its expanded en- tertainment setup as proposed by Balaban, Plus a name band on the stage, Paul Ash's crew will be re- tained in the pit and a third, prob- ably string, orch, will be spotted In the lobby to entertain the customers going in and out Rest of the theatre's production setup Is not definitely set nor has it been determined whether the de- luxer will retain the Gae Foster line of 24 girls, who have become vir- . tually an institutional at that house as the Rockettes at the nearby Radio City Music HalL Regardless of the final plans, Fanchon & Blarco is mov' ing-out-ot-fta Roxy-theotrc building and back into Radio City shortly. That F&M will -retain a production interest in the house is self-evident via Partington's part-ownership of F&M ^lus his cooperator status with Balaban. 3 MORE A. C. HOTELS TAKEN BY THE ARMY Atlantic City, Sept. 1. Hotels Fredonia, Hersh-Carlton, and Ostend have been added to the list taken by the Army Air Force Training Center here. In addition. Colonel Robert Glass- burn announced the Crane Exhibi- tion Building, on the Boardwalk op- posite Convention Hall, has been taken by the Army, also the Waltz Dream Arena formerly used for boxing. B-r-r-r Timely-themed revue to induct the N. Y. Versailles' fall season is Mar- jery Fielding's 'Life Without Men," which Nick Prounis, and Arnold Rossfleld will present Sept 17. Nitery show will b6 100% femmes, from line (8) to principals. Kadlslas Czettel has done the costumes. WM. MANDE BREAKS IN OLD ACT WITH NEW An)E - The former-tepr.'stch William-and Joe Mandel comedy aero turn re- turned to action last, week, with Alex Emerllng replacing Joe Manet- ta. Aft broke In at the Family theatre, Scranton, Pa., opens for a week in Providence on Friday (4) and plays Wilkes-Barre and Wil- llamsport. Pa., the following week. Routine Is the same as formerly, but the act is now being billed as The Mandels. William Mandel is the only mem- ber of the original turn that started 27 years ago as the Jack Alfred Trio. In those days the act was composed of Will and Dan Mandel and Joe Manetta, being billed later as Wm. Mandel tc Co. After the last war Dan Mandel became a film editor on tht Coast and William started a two- aci with Joe Manetta. About 1930 the billing was changed to William and Joe Mandel and continued as such until the boys split up some 18 months back. Will brok'i in a new man only to have the draft nab him, and he had since been searching for a replacement who was 'dralt- proof.' Benny Burke, William Mandel'S agent for 32 years, is handling the new turn.