Variety (Sep 1942)

Wedneedajt September 2, 1942 VAUDEVILLE ss 40 Traveling Burlesque Units This Season, Compared to 35 Last Yr. Buffalo, Sept 1. Traveling burlesque will see 40 companies this season as compared with last year's 32. In addition to the Hirst and Midwest circuits, this season's roster will also Include the Empire Wheel, operated largely in the middle west New circuit stands include Roch- ester, Akron, Canton, Toledo, Pitts- burgh, Milwaukee, Norfolk and In- dianapolis. K. C. Folly Set Kansas City, Sept. 1. Folly, which brought standard burlesque back here the latter haU of last season, will reopen Sept 4. Warren Irons again will handle managerial reins. Shows will feature traveling prin- cipals from the Midwest circuit, and house will maintain its own line of 16. Orchestra in pit will be directed by Judy Conrad, same as last season. Opening bill -will be 'Scanties of 1943,' with Kenny Brenna, comic, and Darlene, dancer. The vaude acts for olio wiU include Frankie Belasco, Clair Bros., and Joe & Joey March. Boehesier Back Again Rochester, N. V., Sept. 1. Edward Ryan of New York re- lights the Embassy Friday (4) with 'musical' shows at 65c top. Prin- cipals from the Izzy Hirst burlesque wheel will be augmented by local chorus of 16. Burley name, stripping and smut, which shuttered -house three years ago, are banned under city license issued. A. H. Gallacher is house manager. Hotel Dixie, N.Y., to Open Nitery for First Time Hotel Dixie, New York, will, Join the nitery parade for the first time with a spot that will use a semi- name orch and five acts. The hotel, one of the Carter chain, is replacing Its bar and dining room with a 650- seater that will include a terrace. Nitery is being remodeled pres- ently, with the opening set for the week of Sept 14. DROPS SUIT VS. SUNBROaiN Schenectady's Barley Return SchenecUdy, N. Y., Sept. 1. The boom which Schenectady is enjoying due to war-industry em- ployment has brought the return of burlesque. The Erie, which for sev- 9 eral seasons booked legitimate show:, and also played pictures for a time this year, is now presenting bur- lesque twice daily, with midnight shows Wednesday and Friday. Ro- sita Royce, who appeared at the World's Fair, is current headliner. A new show is offered every Fri* day. Prices are: SSc top matinees, Monday to B'riday; $1.10 boxes eve- nings and midnight performances. The tap at Saturday matinees is 75c. Toledo Barley to Reopen Toledo, O., Sept 1. The Capitol, dark all summer, will -nsumC' its burlesque ,<veasQn Friday (4). Bill Collins is manager. Philadelphia, Sept. 1. Oscar Neufeld, director of the 'Miss Philadelphia' beauty contest yesterday (Monday) announced that he had dropped his planned suit against Larry Sunbrock, promoter of the so-called 'Hollywood Thrill Show,' and his associates, for al- legedly falsely planting stories in the newspapers that the finals of the contest would be held at Sun- brock's show. Latter recently played here. ' 'I've come to the conclusion that it would be more trouble than it's worth,' said Neufeld, an official of the Highway Express, which de- livers film in the Eastern States area. 'Although there Is no question that the false stories about the contest hurt us, we've decided to drop the matter. Catching up to Sunbrock and his associates, who left town a couple of weeks ago, would be a tough job,' Neufeld said. He re- vealed that Mark Wilson, who press agented Sunbrock's show and planted the story, had ap9logized. 'Wilson was only the dupe of Sun brock and the rest of the outfit in this matter,' Neufeld said. 'ONCE A FRAUD—' Phoney 'Steinbeck' Falls Another Fast One In PiUsbnrch ADAMS, NEW% BACK TO BAND-FDJH POLICY EARL CARROLL wants new acts and novelties for Chicago* Hollywood, and the road tour of the "Vanities." For infor- mation, for auditions, for bookings, com- municate with . . . MILES INGALLS Hotel Aetor, New York City (Independent Booker) PHIL REGAN OPENING SEPT. 7 BEACON THEATRE VANCOUVER, B. C. Pertenal Representative) FRANK VINCENT Beverly Hilla. Calif. The Adams, Newark, operated by Ben Griefer, for the Paramount- Adams Bros, partnership, reopens Friday (4) under the same policy as inaugurated last season with con- siderable success, that of name bands and first-run films. Reopener will be 'Joan of Ozarks' (Rep), while on the stage will be the 'Teddy Powell orchestra and Judy Canova. House will play shows on a weekly basis, as last season. Pittsburgh, Sept. 1. Pros as well as the amateurs look just alike to Harry Dankert, the former carnival barker who came here a month ago, told the gang at Jane Ellen Ball's Studio of the Theatre that, he was the author, John Steinbeck, and then had the time of his life for a week being wined and dined by the literati around town. It was easy getting away with it among the celebrity hounds but Dankert found show- wise Al Mercur, owner of the Nut House here and a veteran of nearly 25 years in the night club field, just as gullible. After hoax had been exposed, and Post-Ga2etle made Dankert a celeb, in his own right by running a threc- in^Ument story on him under the title of They Call Me an Amusing Fraud,' Mercur" figured to cash in on the publicity by signing Dankert for a two-week engagement at his Nut Club. Dankert okayed the deal and immediately tagged Mercur for a $S0 advance, insisting he needed the money to move to a better hotel since the cheap flop house wl»re he was staying didn't become a man of 'my. distinction.* Came Monday night (24); when the Great Dankert' was to have opened at Nut Hous» on heels of plenty of advertising, hoopla and publicity—but no Dankert At his hotel they said he checked out Fri- day (21). That was the day Mercur gave him the advance. Nobody's heard from him since. Mercur's one consolation is that the runout gave his Nut House front-page spreads he couldn't have bought for 10 times $50. TIVOU, FRISCO, QUITS VAUDE FOR PK ONLY San Franci.sco.'Sept. 1. Vaudeville took a setback here when the Tivoli was unable to make the grade as the city's second vaud- film theatre, and so the Blumenfeld circuit was forced to change its policy to a moveover house. Theatre failed to make its $7,000 nut for any of the three weeks of the stage bill—'B' pix policy. Gross hovered around $6,000 for two weeks, then drooped to $5,000 for last stanza. Nut was considered a little high for 1,590 seating capacity and the house's SOc top. The Golden Gate, second combo house, did good business during Tivoli's three sad weeks, but had much stronger bills for 15c addi- tional. Reopened by the Blumenfeld cir- cuit the Tivoli, somewhat .off the beaten track of the Market Street first-run theatre district has been unable to cash in on the war-boom dollars here. Boston Stuffed to the Codfish ds With Cash, and So Ae Cafes Rejoice R.R. Skeds, No Line Boys ChUl Henie's Ice Tour Transportation difficulties and problem in getting chorus boys for her ice show may keep Sonja Henlc out of the arenas this year, the star having decided against making her annual fall skating tour. Miss Henie stands to lose some $300,000, her average for the past few years from the ice shows. If her plans remain as they are, the Henie picture at 20th-Fox, 'Quota Girl,' may be moved up to cut short her idling time. Saranac Lake By Happy Benway Saranac, N. Y., Sept. 1. Henry 'Hank' Hearn, who did the trick here, later going to United Ai'tisls, reports he's in good health. Corp. John DeGras of the U. S. Marine Corps, in to bedside his wife at the Rogers. She's the former Ronny Ryan, a linegirl at the Earle theatre, Washington. After a tour in South America, pianist Leah EfTenbach took time out to give recital at the Rogers. Ann Comerford, Margie Regan. Lee Klemmic, Patricia Wallace and William Matthews now upping for an meals at the Rogers. Oscar Price, who mastered that rib operation and licked a siege in bed, now on the mend. The Will Rogers library is now under the care of Eddie Vogt. Pa- tricia Edwards, Muriel Eddy, Colin Tracy and Harry Clifton. Harry T. Cross back in circula- tion again with mild exercise. Rodie McLean is one of the out- standing comebacks of the Rogers. Some of the night spots are not waiting for L^bor Day to close. Alex's Grove and Harvey's road- house have already shuttered. Thanks to Alfred Smythe, Brook- lyn; Brownie Brown, New York; Nate Mulroy, Chicago; Bobby Gra- ham, Toronto, for their gifts to this colony. Benny 'The Gent' Ressler, oldtime vaudevillian and a native of this col- ony, is sporting good reports and expects a Broadway job soon. (Write t« (hose who are III.) Walter Greaza Stays Until Dec 1 With AGVA W.alter Greaza's continuance as acting executive-secretary of the American Guild of Variety Artists has been granted until Dec. 1. The action was taken yesterday (TueS' day) by the council of Actors Equity at its regular meeting. The Associated Actors 8c Artistes of America, parent organization of the various performer unions, had requested the extension. Greaza, the regular assistant executive-secretary of Equity, was drafted months ago to untangle the involved affairs of AGVA. Sptit Week Vaudfilm For Palace, Columbus Columbus. O., Sept. 1. A new policy which will bring a split week of pictures and stage shows, the films playing four days and the stage shows the latter three, will be inaugurated at the Palace here Thursday (3). Alvino Rey orchestra will be the first stage show, opening Sept. 6 for three dayp. WB Tests Stripper Minneapolis. Sept. 1 As (he result of her first speaking appearance on the stage, with the Old Log theatre, local strawhatter, June March, for several seasons prominent a.s a burlesque and night- club stripteaser, is being tested by Warners, She played Tondeleyo in 'White Cargo' here. PHILLY CAFE 0? CLEARED ON RUM RAP Philadelphia, Sept. 1. Samuel Domsky, operator of Lou's Moravian Bar and two other spots around town, last week won a dis- charge from a magistrate on charges that he sold liquor to minors. Domsky was the first of the local nitery ops to make the net in the State's drive against the sale of liquor to kids in their teens, and his case was looked upon as a test for similar forays. Arraigned before Magistrate John J. O'Malley, Domsky declared that 'in these days the young fellows look so big that it's hard to tell how old they are.' One strapping six-footer, who said he was 24, turned out to be only 17.' said Domsky. 'What was I to do?" The Magistrate agreed, especially after Mrs. Norma D. Carson, super- visor of policewomen, said that if youngsters frequented niteries it was the fault of their parents. When Captain Craig Ellis head of the Vice-Squad, .said that Domsky's place was noisy. Magistrate O'Malley retorted: 'What do you eJfpect. It's a night club, not a church." Domsky also reported that he had instituted a 'foolproof system at his spots to keep 'under-2r kids out of his spots. A private detective is sta- tioned outside each spot. If he's in doubt about the kid's, age, he de- mands a draft card, birth certificate or other proof before the dick allows them to enter. CAP, YAKTMA, GETS VAUDE Seattle, Sept. 1. Len Mantell, manager of Bert Levey agency, Seattle, reports addi- tion of Capital, Yakima, to vaude. House, owned by Mercy interests, will play acts (5) three nights weekly. Boston, Sept 1. As it has been for the past six months, the town is stuffed to the codfish's gills with amusement cash. And business is getting steadily hot- ter as more and more coin gets into more and more hands, particularly into those which haven't dared let a frogskin slip out for anything more frivolous than a picture in years. The nocturnal tempo of the town is terrific from the frosty Ritz Roof to the clambake ovens of Columbus avenue, but it's characterized by a peculiarly new twist for this town: the thirsty hordes are galloping from one spot to another. As one of the headmen put it, 'a lot of 'em don't even load in enough to cover the minimum before they're olt across the street.' Although the turnover is in con- sequence dismaying, the takes aren't and if the customers want a couple of beers here, a couple of dances there and a gonping session some place else, it's distinctly okay by the local entrepreneurs. Always a good night spot town (It a quiet one), wartime Boston is fab- ulous in comparison. Few big names are to be found in any ofthe stalls outside the Ritz, the Copley Plaza and the Fensgate, which have Hilde- garde. Carol Bruce and Elsie Hous- ton, respectively, and are cleaning up with same, but virtually all have at least one something to feature, at least if they claim to be class A. There are a rough dczen hostelrlea and show places'in the A category, each handling from 200 to 500 cus- tomers (and most getting $1 to $2.50 minimum or cover or both). All have bands, some have two, and most have an m.c. and a gal or two. Five or six have the works—floor show and everything. In the class B variety, there are maybe a score. Most of them have a band or what goes for a band, and at least half of them have what Is loosely termed a 'floor show.' Next come the smart cocktail lounges, mostly in hotels, and there are about two dozen of them, each with its own special set and atmosphere, and each dealing out knicknacks ranging from the Lincolnshire's ravishing peanuts to the others' deflated potato chips. Then there are a half a hundred class C joints of the barrelhouse cetch-as-catch-can variety, spread all over town from the black belt to the shillalagh spots in Southie. They look tough and smell likewise, but they're actually pretty harmless, especially since they're watched by Timilty's l>oys like buck privates guarding an ammunition dump. Be- sides, the softest bellow brings a horde of S.P.'s and M.P.'s whose tap on the shoulder Is worth a convoy of Black. Marias. As for the taverns, they take up a couple of pages in the phone book, and one that's empty at midnight is as rare as an original tire tread. And as for the speaks and cellar fox- holes, they're rumored, but that's all.