Variety (Dec 1942)

Vtiattdmj, Deceinbcr 16. 1942 TAOinmLB *T Top NiterKs Seen Closed in Boston Until After New Years; Biz Brisk In Less(»r Spots but With Restraint Propose Matt Shehy As New Chief Of AGVA, Denms Facing Induction By Army; 4 A$ Board Mults Choice By BUDOLPH ELIE, Jr. Boston, Dec. 15. Boston's night life was fabulous— until Nov. 28. With hindsight to work with, It now seems inevitable that the break- neck pace of the Hub couldn't have gone on forever and that something would snap. That such a ghastly climax as the Cocoanut Grove dis- aster would take place could not have been dreamed of, of course, but It did take place, an? now Boston's night life can be told'only in the past tense. Although the city has recovered to a certain extent from the holo- caust which claimed nearly 500 lives on that Saturday in November, and although life has to a certain extent resumed after dark, the old hysteria has been replaced with sobriety and the old ^headlong search for diver- sion with discretion. Still closed, and likely to remain closed until the turn of the year are the major night clubs — Mayfair, Latin Quarter, Rio Casino and so on. The Beachcomber may reopen to- night (Tuesday), but it isn't definite. Lesser Spots Open The lesser spots are open, though, and business is brisk enough, but there's something of restraint in the atmosphere, and mad spending has ceased. In any case, although the Silver Dollar, Blinnstrub's, Ort's, Stage Door, Music Box, Village Barn, Vienna Room and half a hundred others have been inspected, ap- proved and opened (with altera- tions), it wasn't until last Saturday night they got rolling, for that was the first night there were signs of any resurgence whatever. Yet no one is deluded that this means busi- ness will resume its pre-Grove pro- portions until the New Year, if then. The hotels have recovered, per- (Continued on page 38) Roadery Owner, Wife, Son Die in Arkansas Cottage of Suffocation Memphis, Dec. 15. The owner of an Arkansas road- house, his wife and small son were suffocated last week at the tourist cottage attached to their night spot, a tragedy of sleeping in an overheat- ed room. Victims of the unusual accident were William Ruston Arnold, 57, owner of the Jungle Inn, 12 miles from West Memphis, Ark.; his wife, Gladys, 47, and their eight-year-old son, Bill. The three apparently had retired In a tightly-sealed room without ventilation and had left a gas heater burning. The room became over- heated while they were sleeping and it was indicated that Arnold had awakened in a dazed condition and had made an effort to effect an es- cape but was unable to do so. The bodies laid undiscovered in the room from Monday night until Friday brought the return of their daughter from school in Memphis. She had to get aid to break into the room. WIRTZAGVA SNARL STILL UP IN THE AIR The dispute between Arthur Wirlz and the American Guild of Variety Artists, over a contract for Wirtz's and Sonja Henie's 'Hollywood Ice Revue of 1943,' is still up in the air due to the lack of any negotiating date between Wirtz and Kenneth Thomson. Wirtz had promised two weeks ago to negotiate with Thomson, exec sec- retary of the Screen Actors Guild, if more than half of his cast were members of either of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America unions. Thomson entered what was originally an AGVA dispute because the troupe was organized on the Coast and many of the cast, includ- ing Miss Henie, held SAG cards. Nick Lucas opens at the Hi Hal Club, St. Louis, Dec. 18. Set for two weeks. Allentuck QuiU USO Max Allentuck has resigned from USO-Camp Shows, where he had been concentrating on procuring tal- ent for cuflo spot bookings. Allentuck checked out to rest from the effects of a recent illness. Owner Shuts Cafe Though Fire Dept. Grants Him Okay Pittsburgh, Dec, 15. Nixon Cafe, which closed down voluntarily to install a couple of ex- tra exits following Cocoanut Grove disaster in Boston, will more than likely lose out completely on the big holiday trade as a result of self- imposed regulation by Tony Con- forti, who operates the spot. Al- though downstairs room was given a clean bill of health by authorities, Conforti acted on his own in.shutter- ing. He expected to be ready by Christmas but on account of priori- lies, etc., has been having a tough time getting materials and may re- main dark until middle of January. Thai's a tremendous loss since it means cancellation of annual New Year's Eve shindig and Nixon has long been the most consistently profitably nitery operation in town. Meantime, Villa Madrid has re- opened after five-day shutdown to put in a new exit and also to install a steel door between kitchen and dining room. City officials in past 10 days have inspected more than 300 rooms and number of violations were reported. So far, however, there have been no closings, with spots making necsssary additions and flre-proofiing immediately. Nixon was the only case where the shutter- ing was voluntary. Even a couple of big hotels were found wanting but their safety de- flections have already been taken care of, and it's believed if any more spots are affected, they will be small ones and not of major importance. Star, B'klyn, Closed By Moss Despite No Stripping m Shows star, Brooklyn, N. Y., oldtime bur- ley house, which tried the comeback trial the past three months via a vaude-revue policy, was shuttered after final show Thursday (10) fol- lowing refusal of License Commis- sioner Paul Moss to renew permit for the house. Tfew show was skedded for Friday (11) but house failed to open. Star's girl show was second to fold in a week, the Central, N. Y., failing to put in a bid for a permit renewal and switching to grind film run be- cause of poor biz. Although Raymond ' Bros., opera- tors of the Star, banned stripping and leaned overboard to avoid any semblance of nudity, Moss nixed the application for renewal upon expira- tion of a temporary three-month license on which house had been operating. Since reopening biz had only been fair, the customers out front heck- ling their displeasure at the lack of stripping. When Moss notified the operators there was no dice on the periViit re- newal and that the house would have to shutter, the Charles F. Noyes realty firm, owners of Star property, reportedly intervened and sought to keep house open, but Moss' decision stood. Moss declined comment when asked why he had rejected the bid for a new permit, considering that 'dirt' and nudity were out. Puppeteer on Skates Pittsburgh, Dec. 15. Latest novelty idea for an ice show is a puppet act. Lester Oman, whose 'little people' is a standard turn in niteries and vaude, was ap- proached here last week while working at Merry-Go-Round by rep- resentatives of Arena Managers Assn. about possibility of his go- ing into 1944 edition of 'Icecapades,' which is owned and operated by AMA. What rep didn't know was that Oman used to be a champ ama- teur skater. He was asked to work up something for the marionets on skates and deal had practically reached the contract stage when Oman's engagement at local cafe ended. 'Icecapades' has consistently grre in for novelties, first introd'icing Joe Jackson, Jr., on ice in his tramp bike turn, then Serge Flash, jug- gler, and this season another jug- gler, but a femme, Trixie. 'Wartime BehaviorUm in Night Cluh»> by Sherman Billingsley (Famed Stork Club Boniface) Will give you an insight of how cafe tcciety ia reacting to Hitlafi Musso and Tojo in 'Show Business at War* theme of the of 37th Anniversary Number Henie leery Nabs $1M Indpls.; Icecapades 70G Indianapolis, Dec. 15. Sonja Henie's 1943 Hollywood Ice Revue grossed almost $135,000 in 11 night performances here Nov. 26- Dec. 6. The take is reported to have topped last year's mark by $22,000. Total attendance was estimated at 100,000. More than 20,000 soldiers from all units in and near Indianapolis were entertained during the run as guests of the show. 'Ice-Capades' 7«G in Montreal Montreal, Dec. 15. Sellout each night of the five It played here, and good house for the Saturday mat, enabled 'Ice-Capades of 1943' at the 9,600-seater Forum to gross strong total estimated at $70,- 000 last week. Fans were standing three deep Saturday and Sunday and there were standees every other night. Price was scaled at $2.50 top, tax inclusive. Stars of the show included Vera Hniba, Lois Dworshak, Donna and Bobby Specht, Joe Jackson, Jr., Dench & Stewart and Markus & Thomas. With Carl Dennis notified that hit draft board has him slated for in- duction, the International board of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America met Monday (14) and con- sidered a rank and file nomination of Matt Sheivy for the post of na- tional executive secretary of the American Guild of Variety Artists. Dennis, executive secretary of th« AGVA local in Detroit, had been nominated for the post at a conven- tion in New York three weeks ago of the AGVA national representa- tives and local executive secretaries. On his return to Detroit Dennis was tabbed for pronto induction by his draft board. He then withdrew his name from consideration in a letter to Walter Greaza, AGVA adminis- trator appointed by the Four A's, copies of which went to all the AGVA locals. The letter was received lite last week which gave the AGVA field staff time to contact each other and decide on Sheivy. Consequently, when the 4A'3 convened Monday a majority of the AGVA locals and na- tional reps were on record, via telegrams and letters, in favor of Sheivy. Four A's board has ad- journed for a week to enable reps of union affiliates to consider the Sheivy nomination. They are due to ballot on the proposal next Mon- day. Sheivy is currently the AGVA na- tional representative in San Fran- cisco and before that had held a similar post in the Florida area. It's understood that at the New York convention of AGVA local {executives Sheivy was a close second to Den- nis in the balloting for a successor to Greaza, who's on loan from and overdue to return to Equity. Sopllie Tucker Extended To 10 Weeks at Chi Chez, Setting New Mark for Spot Sophie Tucker is playing to boill biz at the Chez Paree, Chicago, and instead of winding up on Dec. Zli the singer stays on until Jan. 8, setting a new high run for the Loop nitery. Policy in past years has been for Chez Paree .to bring in new show Christmas eve, but biz has been so terrific, with many of the customers coming back time and again, that the extended engagement was set. After a two-year absence frop Chi, Miss Tucker opened at the Chez Paree on Oct. 30, so that she will have completed 10 weeks at the spot. Last previous mark for the nitery was seven weeks. She'll be followed there Jan. 8 by Joe E. Lewis, after he winds up his stay at the Copacabana, N. Y. Lewis has been a fixture at the N. Y. nitery since Oct. 1. STRIPPER, FAY'5 MGR. FINED IN PHILLY COURT Philadelphia, Dec. 15. Sid Stanley, manager of Fay's, and Catherine Lamphier, stripper billed as 'Cleotoria,' were fined in Quarter Sessions Court here last week as result of raid on the West Philly vaudfilmer during Holy Week last spring. Judge L. Stauffer Oliver assessed Stanley $50 and $25 in costs. Miss Lamphier was fined $25. Two other performers, Jean Carroll and Carol Lord, also strippers, were found not guilty when detectives testified that they were covered by bras and jewel-studded G siring. Miss Lam- phier, the cops said, added suggestive motions to he. act. Stanley told court he has since e.iminated peelers. Houoe policy now is colored acts, featuring sepia- name bands. Fay's was raided along with the Tror, an Izzy Hirst burley house, and Carroll's, a midtown nitery, last spring when churches complained. "Show Business At War" THEME OF THE 37th ANNIVERSARY NUMBER of To Be Published Late In December USUAL ADVERTISING RATES PREVAIL Special Exploitation Advantages Reservations and Copy May Be Sent to Any Variety Office NEW YORK HOLLYWOOD CHICAGO LONDON 154 W. 46lh SL 1708 No. Vine Sl 54 W. Romdolph St. 8 St. Martin's PL