Variety (Dec 1942)

44 ▼AUDBVILLB Wediiesdaj, December 9, 1942 Boston Opens Night Clubs Contlniird from pace ijts, under Henry Dunn (of Cross and Dunn). who came to Boston for just such a purpose, has been wcil- publicizcd, and all entertainers i-.eed- ine relief need only . identify them- selves. Stars and loaturc-billcd entertain- er working on contracts are in a dilTicult position, for all of them, it is presumed, had conventional con- tracu> which stipulate that events over which the contracting parlies have no control nullify the contract. The Cocoanut Grove fire is such an event. Those with contractual agree- ments were to be paid in any case tKrough Monday night (7), with liv- ing expenses supplied until such time as the club reopened. As it regarded motion picture ex- | ccutivos and entertainers, the death I toll remained as announced in last { weeks 'V.-.riety' the one addition being that of Mrs. Charles Stern, whose husband, eastern district man- ager for UA, died in the fire, and tl. one correctioi being that of the non-existent 'Mrs. Lawrence Stone.' The Mono salesman waj a bachelor. Scott Dunlap's condition was re- ported unchanged, which is taken ^0 mean that his chances are 50-50. The condition of Barney Welansky, ore of the owners of the Grove, if not the owner, (much vital informa- tion concerning ihe club's ownership and operation remains to be threshed out and many of its records are completely and singularly miss- ing), was described as precarious. Hp has been hospitalized for three weeks and was not on the club's premises when the fire broke out. Ban ReToIvlnr Doors While virtually every inflammable decoration and geegaw was ofl the walls of Boston's entertainment spots and even film houses subjected themselves to careful scrutiny of detail, the first practical application of the lessons learned was the ban on revolving doors. Other measures of an even stricter nature are ex- pected before the week is out. In addition to the investigations by the Bushnell-Foley forces and the Are department, the FBI has been active, inasmuch as nearly 50 serv- icemen lost their lives In the fire. Much Interest in the investigation centers around the club's 'free list,' consisting of a trunk load of Annie Oakleys bearing the names of local officials and politicians 'whose names we won't have to spell for you.' said one detective. Evidence of criminal negligence is already in the hands of investigators, it is claimed:' The opening of all but the larger night clubs on Saturday night brought out large crowds. Even public singing had been banned along with entertainment, music, ra- dios, dancing and jukeboxes, and the lifting of the order was accompanied by a swarming into those places open. Managers reported that all displayed a lively curiosity In the spot's gen- eral layout, many requesting to see the exits before settling down to celebrate. Dancing by patrons was out, but many spots put on their regular dance routines. No permits were issued for Sun- day entertainment, however, and It is not likely they will be issued for some time. It was not generally known that such permits were is^ sued weekly. The lifting of the ban affected all but 35 night spots, and all major ones are cloi^ed but the Silver Dollar and the first noor of the Casa Manana. New Year'.s Eve reservations with the provL-o tluil nuss'i.'i arc not to cxpoct or to brin;: paper hats, con- fetti, nui.su niakui:,. ur anything else adjudged inflammable. While we live up to the letter of the law as re- g:«rds flrcprooflng condition.-;, the use of these flimsy objects deftnilely con- slitule a fire liaz.ird. There is no law that can possibly control panic which would be incurred by the slightest blaze. These dubiou.<i adjuncts to an evening's fun can be done away with ] at all night spots, tliereby safeguard- i ing New Year's Eve celebrants and the night spots. We are enforcing the same rofiulation at the Ringside. , the other establishment operated by U.S." he wrote. More Lucky Escapes MErtin J. Mullin and Sam Pinanski. widely known and prominent theatre operators, who run the M. & P. cir- cuit, which blankets New England, escaped the Boston fire because of the necessity to leave Boston Satur- day afternoon, Nov. 28. to atlend the Paramount thealre convention in Hot Springs, Ark. They and their wives had been invited to the Buck Jones- Monogram party, and- in alt prob- ability would have gone. Alec Moss, exploitation director for Par, who was in Boston the night of the blaze, would have gone but for the fact he had put in a long day and wanted to go to bed. Likewise, Harry Reiners, in charge of exploitation for RKO, who says he might have gone also if h« hadn't been called to N. Y. over the weekend. Another who missed the Jones- Mono party, though invited, was George West, who is interested In the Cincinnati and Kansas City fran- chises op Mono product. Suddenly called back to the Coast, where he now headquarters, he left on the day of the Arc for Chicago to pick up Mrs. West there. Douglas Netter, son of Leon Netter, Par theatre executive, who's at Holy Cross college, was in Boston on Nov. 28, but a check revealed he had not gone to the Cocoanut Grove, though some classmates had. Netter at the time was on his way to Hot Springs. town room, the main entrance and a kitchen exit, were sufficient since the basement club is of concrete construction. Authorities were busy checking rooms all over town and several of the imaller boozerie.s, where there's enteriainnienl, were ordered to put in emergency exits immediately and fireproof decorations. Couple of spots generally believed to have been flre-lraps inasmuch as they hsd only one cxil and IhLs up a flight of .slaiiK gol an okay from police because of tlieir fireproof construction. Theatres likewise got a thorough going-over from the city father*. OfFicials Study Fire Pix for Blitz Lessons The uncut newsreel prints of the Cocoanut Grove nltery holocaust in Boston were screened for Army, Navy and civilian defense officials in New York last Thursday (3). Showing was not for censorship reasons but for an analytical study of what unfortunately was a fair sample of what might ensue if enemy planes came over on a bomb- ing raid. Newsreel companies had a thorough Job on coverage of disaster since It was hours before things were under control. By studying prints the officials responsible for civilian defense hoped to pick up a few pointers ' on cro^d _ handling and rescue work luidef^ actual, not simu- lated, conditions. No New Tear's Paper Rate Harry Finkelstein, proprietor of the 51 Club, N. Y.. has written Mayor LaGuardla a suggestion for a 'safe and sane New Year's Eve.' The re- cent .Boston holocaust li • primacy reason for making this suggestion. 'At the 91 Club we are accepting Prov. Removes Revolving Doors, K.O. Cellar Spots Providence, R. I., Dec. 8. City Building Inspector Alexander Addeo has announced that an Inves- tigation being conducted by his de- partment would lead to recommenda- tions to police and other municipal agenciA here for regulaticns to elim- inate fire hazards in night clubs, dine and dance places and similar estab- lishments. Addeo said he and his assistants were making a rigid inspection of all Providence night spots for the two- fold purpose of removing fire hazards and providing a permanent record of floor plans of all such places. Meanwhile, the City Bureau of Po- lice and Fire ordered that no liquor should be sold in any rooms below street level, and also ordered imme- diate removal of revolving doors from the entrances to three down- town Providence establishments. Throughout the city many club owners were stripping their estab- lishments of artificial palm trees and other decorations which proved to be highly inflammable after tests by City Fire Chief Thomas H. Cotter. In other instances owners were pre- paring to cut new doorways nnd other exits; to straighten out confus- ing corridors and to install exit lights. Repercussions of the disastrous Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston ulso were noted in numerous other com- munities throughout the state. In Newport. Mayor Herbert E. Maccauley directed an inspection of all dine and dance places, as well as other places of public entertainment. Chi OK Says Fire Chief Chicago, Dec. 8. Coninunling on the Cocoanut Grove disa.slcr in Boaton, Fire Com- missioner Michael J. Corrigan said lh<-.l Chicago's nighi clubs and similar places of amu.sement are in- spected twice each week. Papcr- mache decorations are taboo. Theatres are inspccled riaily by 35 firemen as-signed to the fire preven- tion bureau and are also visited by battalion chiefs, the commis- sioner said. The bureau tests and passes on all so-called fireproof ma- terial before permitting its u.se for decorative purposes. This rule ap- plies to whether it is a piece of .scenery, a drape or anything u.sed for decorating, such as flags, fes- toons, etc. Outside of the city. Chief High McCarthy, of the county highway police, issued orders for the strict inspection of the estimated 900 clubs and roadhouses in the Chicago area. The last disastrous fire that swept a roadhouse outside of the Chicago city limits was in March. 1935, when flames spreading from flimsy deco- rations destroyed the Rendezvous in Morton Grove, killing seven patrons and injuring 21 others. Pa. Stricter, Says Offlclal Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 8. State Secretary of Labor and In- dustry Lewis G. Hines. as a result of Boston's disastrous night club fire, has instructed department inspectors to warn night club proprietors and others concerned with public gather, ings, against use of flammable mate- rial in holiday decoration. Declaring he didn't think 'it would be sensible to sit back in a catastro- phe of this kind and take it for granted everything is safe.' Hines pointed out his department has a force of 75 men charged with making periodic inspections of some 45,000 public gathering buildings. Had the Boston fire been in Penn- sylvania, Hines said, state law would have required..tliat., t)ier£ be five .qt six exists, plainly marked, with un- obstructed aisles leading to doors equipped with panic bolts that auto- matically permit opening under pres- sure. Revolving doors, such as im- peded exit in the Boston club, must be in addition to the required outlets under Pennsylvania law. Expressing the opinion that such a disaster could not happen In Penn- sylvania 'unless there would be some violation of the law such as blocking exits,' Hines pointed out that Penn- sylvania law provides for approval by the department before public buildings are erected and the nimiber of exists is determined by the ca- pacity. Pitt Shuts Several for Safety Pittsburgh, Dec. 8. As aftermath of Cocoanut Grove disaster in Boston, Villa Madrid, one of town's leading niteries, was closed by police last week for sev- eral days until a second exit was cut into the wall and a steel door was erected between the kitchen and main dining room. Spot, owned and operated by three veteran cafe men locally, Etzl Covato, John La- zaro and Mike Morra, Immediately hired a crew of workmen to com- ply with city's orders and was open again over the weekend. Technicality on which Villa Ma- drid got the atop order was its failure to obtain a $l-a-day dance permit from the city. Covato told flra Inspectori that ha had always believed thie two exit* at the down- Balto Clamps Down Baltimore, Dec. 8. A three-way probe into safety con- ditions of Baltimore night clubs was broadened to include all theatres, pic- ture houses and restaurants. City Building Engineer Joseph A. Clarke notified at least a dozen night clubs that safely conditions would have to be improved within 10 days or condemnation proceedings would be instituted. Operators of five cabarets and one restaurant were summoned by the City Board of Liquor License Com- missioners to show cause Dec. 14 why their licenses should not be suspend- ed until safety conditions are im- proved. Liquor board summons were issued for operators of the following places: The Oasis, operated by Max A. Co- hen; 2 o'clock Club, operated by Irv- ing Goldberg, Norman Siegel and Jes.se H. Siegel; Stardust Club, oper- ated by Stephen Sastin; Club Orleans, operated by Anna Cohen; Gayety NIte Club, operated by John H. Nickel, and Bitlner's Restaurant, op- erated by Henry C. Rcthschulte. No Fllmiy Xou* DccorT Detroit, Dee. -8. PosHibilily of a statewide Michigan ban on flimsy holiday decorations In night clubs, dancchalU and enter- tainment spots Is under consideration by Governor Van Wagoner at.a safe- guard agalniit flre hazards such as caused Boston*! Cocoanut Grove tragedy. H« said he would confer with Ralph Thomas, State Liquor Commission chairman, on strength- ening rules covering decoration of drinking places. 'We don't want anything like that to happen here.' Van Wagoner said in commenting on the Boston flre. "If it seems desirable to ban hazard- ous decorations during the Christ- mas-New Year's period, we will not hesitate. There may be some bet- ter answer, however.' Commissioner James D. Dotsch as- sured the governor of the liquor commission's desire to cooperate. 'In agreement with State Fire Mar- shal Arnold C. Renner. our rules now permit use of decorative mate- rials that have been flreproofcd,' Dotsch said. A checkup of Detroit's 500 night spots was being conducted under or- ders of Mayor Jeffries and Fire Com- missioner Nate S. Shapero. Clean Bill For Coast Los Angeles, Dec. 8. Blackout preparations, carried out by the Theatre Defense Bureau, have made the theatres and night clubs of Los Angeles safe from a duplication of the Boston tragedy, according to Battalion Chief Henry R. Boone, of the city fire depart- ment, who has been collaborating on safety tactics with the various pha.ses of the show business in this area. Inflammable decorations have been removed from all places of public amusement. Of the 225 houses in the Theatre Defense Bureau's cov- erage, only four have been found lax in regulations, and these are being revamped to comply with the rules. SeatUe'i Law Reaction Seattle, Dec. 8. Night spots of all types were hard hit the past week by news of the Boston disaster. City officials start- ed close inspection as to flre hazards and general safety at clubs and theatres. The Boulder beer hall was ordered closed. Two other cellar beer spots, where there are bands and dancing (but no floor shows), were ordered to improve exits. They are the Al- lah and the Spinning Wheel. Attendance at all places since the Boston tragedy dropped drastically, taking a real Jolt also from gasoline rationing. Patriotic Edict Contlniied from pace • s cated the customers to double bills. One t.ljtTiR. to help him here is gas rationing and inadequate public transportation. They will serve, now that the public is being mighty sparing in the tise of cans, in holding the trade locally until the fans can be educated back to a single fllm diet. But the small operator, basic to the switchover, has to have 'patriotism' to help him make the change, it is argued in the Michigan area. Ed Silverman's WPB Powwow Postponed Washington, Dec. 8. Double feature question confab which is expected to take place this week between the War Production Boa^rd and Edwin Silverman, pres- ident of Essaness Theatres, Chicago, has been postponed at the theatre operator's request. Request for a conference with WPB officials to consider the matter of eliminating dual features originated from the Chicago operator some time ago. Christopher J. Dunphy, chief of the amusement section. It Is under- stood, offered several dates this week for the meeting but Silver- man asked that the conference be postponed. Whether any action in regard to double features would de- velop from such a meeting is ques- tionable. Matter of dual features has been a problem of the industry for a long time before the WPB was ever heard of. Government agency is con- cerned for one thing with further- ing the war effort through the con- servation of critical materials. It is willing to meet with representa- tives of the industry and discuss dual feature.^, but it has no desire to step into the problem of the industry and resolve it one way or the other unless it is necessary in the furtherance of the war effort, If elimination of double features would aid the war effort, WPB would have to be shown and It ap- pears that the burden of proof would have to be oh those who Wafit dual programs outlawed. One NaflFireAss'BEiec Sees More Stringent Law for AH Niteries As a result of the Boston flre, 'there will doubtless be a wave of state and city legislation regulating night clubs,' It was predicted by Robert S. Moulton, technical secre- tary of the National Fire Protection Association and secretary of its committee on Safety to Life. 'It is indeed high time that these potential death traps are brought into line with the established fire safety requirements that have long applied to theatres and other places of public assembly,' he asserted. 'The Building Exits Code of the National Fire Protection Associa- tion, which dates bock to 1913, is available as a guide, for legislation which will require reasonable flre safeguards involving a minimum of inconvenience and expense to the operators. No legislation, however, will be effective in preventing repe- tition of such tragedies unless it is competently enforced without inter- ference by political or commercial interests.' Contending that the Cocoanut Grove disaster in Boston was 'clearly due to gross violation o^ several of the fundamental principles of flre safely which have been demon- strated by years of experience and' which should be well known to everybody,' Moulton added: *A night club is essentially a place of public assembly in the same life hazard class with a theatre but having greater possibilities of flre.- As a result of the Iroquois theatre Cre in Chicago in 1903, when 602 people were burned to death, thea- tres in the United States are well regulated by flre laws. Automatic sprinklers are required over com- bustible stage scenery, adequate exits are required and regular in- spections are made in accordance with the law to make sure that exits are free and unobstructed and that all flre precautions are ob- served. 'No such safeguards have been ap- plied to night clubs which are far more dangerous than theatres. Night clubs commonly are located in old buildings made over for the purpose and practically every known rule of fire safety is violated. The Cocoa- nut Grove building was certainly no worse than hundreds of other night clubs located throughout the United States.' Hawaii Costlnaed from pofo 4 is still complimenting us on the ac- tion be received from all. I have not lost one hour or day since Dec. 7 last, and intend keeping my rec- ord perfect until we have success- fully rolled them up, and blown them all to bits. Due to the acute labor shortage it's necessary for me-to put In any- where from nine to 15 hours every day. Personally I believe that's why they are letting the booze run out so completely, as there are hundreds of women that prefer being bar buzzards to doing any sort of Gov- ernment work. Compelling regis- tration for all females, due next week. Is for that particular purpose. It's nothing unusual for the most ignorairi girl to be making from $35 per day to $60 and more in tips alone, at the various bars, plus sal- ary of $100 per month, with room and board Included. Domestic help —that's out—no such person here any longer. Laundries, restaurants, hotels, all offering huge bonus checks to help that will remain with them for at least a month. Best news to date — Government has flnally started moving the Japs out, gradually, but out. Senf you a news.oaper with Gen. D. Emmons' report on this serious subject. The Japs have not been so cocky since this movement, and all know when this war is out and over, they arc definitely all going for a long boat ride. Mail, magazines and radio pro- grams are all the entertainment we can have here after nightfall. There is a movement on at present to ask Kate Smith Jf she would accept the honor of being known as the 'mother of the fighting forces.' as was the beloved Madame Schu- mann Heink in the last war. This request came from service lads in Australia. Mabel Thomas. thing appears certain, and that is that before taking ^ny further action WPB would n\ak6'a complete anci thorough survey of tbe situation.