Variety (Dec 1942)

Wedneedaf, December 30t 1942 TAUDEVIIXB ST Boston Imfictments Near Boston, Dac. 39. First indictments in connection with probe of Cocoanut Grove dis- aster which took 488 Uvea Nov. 28 expected early next weeli. District Attorney William J. Foley said Suffolk county grand jury was continuing hearings this week and that court will probably re- ceive indictments next Monday. Indiana Tightens Fnre Restrictions h Niteries; [^ttsbur^ Curbs Set Indianapolis, Dec. 29. With holiday crowds and decora- tions complicating Are hazards, state and local Are prevention officials have worked out an agreement with the Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission whereby the ofAce of Clem Smith, stale Are marshal, must approve all permits for dancing in places where liquor is sold. In past, the liquor control board has issued the permits, relying on local authorities alone to check Are hazards. It also has arranged with the Are marshal to investigate places already holding permits. They are probing especially on building exits,, aisle space, wiring, heating systems and 'poor housekeeping'—the accu- mulation of Irash and inAammable material. Many operators of liquor- dance spo:s are removing hazards voluntarily, Pat Hyland, chief Inves- tigator for the Are marshal's ofAce, said. Chief Bernard Lynch, of Indian- apolis division of Are prevention, has di.stributed 1,500 bulletins giving de- tailed Are prevention measures in all public gathering places of the city. Fire Chief Harry Fulmcr called on citizens to keep their heads in ca.-ie of danger, saying 'one person screaming 'Are' can cause a panic resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives that might be saved otherwise.' St. Joseph county officials clo.sed the Whilescll dancchall on U. S. 20, i>car South Bend, when an inspector termed it a 'Are trap.' Two skating rinks in St. Joseph county also have been closed smce the Boston night club Are. Pill's Yacht Club Adjusts Pittsburgh, Dec. 29. Town's leading night spot, the Yacht Club, which is owned jointly by Sol Heller and his brother. Lit- tle Jackie Heller, vaude and radio singer, was ordered last week by Safety Director George E. A. Fair- ley to cut its 800 seating capacity in half until a second gangplank exit is built. Action of Fairley irt limiting cafe to 300 customers until added safety precaution is built came as an outgrowth of Fairley's investigations folloTvinf Boston's Cocoanut Grove fire. Yacht Club over weekend was trying to rush work on the new gangplank in order to get its full capacity for New Year's Eve, but there was some doubt as to whether management could make it. Fairley announced in conjunction with the order that a list of many more smaller clubs, cafes and res- taurants would be submitted to city eomci\ immediately, and that the majority of the complaints were against 'dirty housekeeping' which blocked doors and exits. had Lima, O., NIterles Cited Lima, O., Dec^ 29. Serious Are hazards were found in each of the 20 or more night clubs and taverns in Lima, O., inspected "cently, a report to Mayor Frank McClain revealed. In a majority of the places, emergency exits are equipped improperly. In no place were emergency exits marked prop- erly. Hazardous heating facilities also were found, the report said. Rappaport Honored For Aiding Soldier Morale Izzy Rappaport, operator of the nippodrome. Baltimore, was paid signal honor Sunday i27) at Fort Meade. Baltimore, when the recruit "■eception center figured in a 'Hippo- tirome Day' dedication. Colonel Ed- ward J. Redmann, commanding of- ncer, paid tribute to Rappaport for contributing greatly to the morale 01 new soldiers by sending bands «nd shows to the fort. A plaque was presented Rappa- Port by Col. Redmann. Interstate Sets Tab 'Scandals/ Rose Unit Fort Worth, Texas, Dec. 29. The tabloid edition of George White's Scandals will play cities on the Interstate Circuit beginning March 12, the opening date being in Fort Worth. Next stop will be Dallas on March 18. Included in the unit will be the Slate Brothers, Nan Rae, Si Mr.-:. Waterfall. Interstate ha-s* also booked the Billy Rose nilery show, 'Mrs. Astor's Pet Horse.' for the cites on its route, with Fort Worth on the opening date for Jan. 8. Doubling on the Hoof For Inkspots, Millinder In Detroit 'Eve' Shows Detroit, Dfc. 29. The .same policy as last New Year's, which found the stage show bicycling between two loop hou.ses here, will be followed again this year. Catching a double-header stage show or what might be called double-featuring at two houses will be the 4,000-seat Michigan and the 2,800-seat Broadway Capitol. The former has booked in for the week The Ink Spots and Lucky Millinder's band. They will provide the mid- night show at both the houses, one oddity being that the bigger theatre will not follow a reserved seat policy while the smaller house of the chain will use reserved seats. It won't be as tough for the acts as it sounds since the Michigan will not start its stage show until 7 p.m. and there will only be three shows there for the day—the fourth be- ing half a mile away when the acts start their marathon. John Steinberg Veteran Pre • Prohibitionist Hot! Takes Us **From Reisenweber's to Post-Volsteadism" ■n .tiMcd Feature In 'Show Busitiess At War* them* of th* 37th Annivertary Number of 'Blackouts' Backer Enjoys Dividends Of Show Biz, Gives Up Law Practice 4 A'S SHOWDOWN WIRTZ The Associated Actors and Artistes of America, according to a member of its international board, regards Arthur Wirtz's insistence on nego- tiating a contract only with Kenneth Thomson as 'diliatory tactics' and is determined to have a showdown this week. A committee composed of Paul Dullzell, Florence Marston, Paul Turner and Walter Greaza will meet this week with Thomson in New York and decide on final action against Wirtz's standoff on contracts for ice shows being produced by him and Sonja Henie. Dullzell is executive secretary of Actors Equity, Turner is the Four A's counsel, Miss Marston is New York representative of the Screen Actors Guild, Greaza is acting ad- ministrator of the American Guild of Variety Artists and Thomson is executive secretary of Screen Actors Guild. Wirtz's insistence on negoti- ating only with Thomson purported- ly stems from his unhappy past ex- periences in negotiating with other Four A's execs. Wirtz's rejection of a call to a con- fab in. Chicago on Jan. 2 with Thomson, Greaza and Turner brought the showdown order. The Four A's-Wirtz situation has, in re- cent weeks, assumed comic-opera proportions with the ice show pro- ducer politely insisting on dealing only with the Screen Actors Guild executive and the Four A's Just as politely reiterating that Greaza and Turner had been assigned to sit with Thomson and negotiate a con- tract. Peoria Sours on Sweet, Used Too Much Paprika Peoria, 111., Dec. 29. Sammy Sweet, former emcee at the Talk of the Town Club here, knows now that the mayor wasn't kidding when he warned him that his work was smelling up the town. Sweet was literally run out of town after a Anal warning that his use of vulgarity at the nitery must cease. Ignoring repeated warnings, the situation got so bad that the mayor dispatched chief of police Worn- bacher to inform the management that Sweet must be cancelled or its license would be revoked. Sweet was further barred from playing any spot in Peoria. Sweet is suing the cafe for breach of contract. He was booked for 10 weeks at $100 a week, but was only allowed to play three weeks. This is the second time his actions have caused trouble. Four months ago the Chicago local of the American Guild of Variety Artists found him guilty of conduct unbecoming a per- former while playing the same club. Latter rebooked him with the cur- rent results. Greaza Stays Awhile With AGVA to Assist Shelvey's Takeover Walter Greaza, recently replaced by Matt Shelvey as prexy of the American Guild of Variety Artists, will remain on the AGVA payroll for the Arst six to eight weeks of Shelvey's tenure. The idea is to facilitate Shelvey'a takeover. No starting date has been set for Shelvey's arrival in New York al- though the Associated Actors and Artistes of America has received his acceptance of the post. Understood he will head for New York Just as soon as his replacement, as national representative of the AGVA Frisco office, is set Paul Flory, former actor, re- elected president of Canton (O.) Showman's Club, Inc. "Show Business At War THEME OF THE 37th ANNIVERSARY NUMBER of OUT NEXT WEEK-JAN. 6 USUAL ADVERTISING RATES PREVAIL Special Exploitation Advantages Reservations and Copy May Be Wired to Any Variety Office NEW YORK 154 W. 46th SL HOLLYWOOD 1708 No. Vine SL CHICAGO LONDON 54 W. Randolph St 8 St Mottin's PL Cleveland, Dec. 29. As the main backer of Ken Mur- ray's 'Blackouts of 1942,' two-a-dayer, now In its 30th week at the El Capl- tan, Hollywood, Dave Siegel's first flyer in the theatrical biz is paying off such juicy dividends that he has given up his Cleveland law practice. Angel of the super-vaude-tune* show hit has been a successful at- torney here for 16 years, but he says that he never hit a bonanza like 'Blackouts' before. Siegel, who sup- plied half the capital, takes care of the legal details, contracts, payrpU and finances. Murray emcees the show, books the acts and splits the profits. It's an Ideal partnership, sail} the lawyer-promoter, who is satisfied to have Murray handle the entire the- atrical end of the deal. Only time he stuck his Anger into it was When he tried to book a couple of acta for the show. But both fiopped in their tryouts to his chagrin.' Siegel offered 'Blackouts' to recreation division of the war de- partment as a unit to entertain soldiers overseas, but he hasn't re- ceived an okay yet. Intention was for Murray, Marie Wilson and Gene Austin to donate their services, while the backer would pay salaried of the rest of the cast. Although he has several nibbles from Broadway bookers, l>oth Siegel and Murray say they haven't any intention of taking show to New York. After closing on the Coast, where' it opened June 24, there's strong possibilities that 'Blackouts' may be condensed for a vaude tour, possibly oh RKO time. Mich. Collegians Most Show Certification Of Age for Cafe Drinking Detroit, Dec. 29. Michigan's college kids, just like those in the draft, are going to have to flash registration cards if they want to get served in the State s night clubs and taverns. The Selective Service principle was applied to the collegians in these parts on ruling of the State Liquor Control Commission after several spots In Ann Arl>or, fre- quented by University of Michigan students, were shuttered for serving to minors. Girls as well as boys are going to have to carry registration cards. The lament ' of the club owners who had a heavy young trade was that they had no way of combing through a horde of young fry trying to figure out which ones were on the safe side. The way the collegians dress—all alike—they couldn't tell a minor from a major. However, the State suspended li- censes of the Pretzel Bell and Clin- ton Starbuck's tavern while it worked out the new regulation on minors' registration cards. All collegians will have to show, when they order, a registration card which contains their age and picture. University of Michigan alumni had joined the nitery men in urging the lifting of the indefinite suspension on the spots with the statement, 'University of Michigan students are known from coast to coast as beer drinkers.' JIMMY RAE ESCAPES DEATH IN PLANE CRASH Pittsburgh, Dec. 29. Jimmy Rae, knockabout acrobatic comedian, had a narrow escape from death last week when his plane cracked up in a Aeld about 15 miles from here. Rae, who was laying off for a few weeks in order to get enough hours in the air to qualify for a private pilot's license, miracu- lously escaped without any injuries although his ship was practically demolished. He planned to remain around here, perhaps picking up a few club dates in the territory, until the plane was sufficiently repaired to fly again. Rao bad just closed a nitery engagement in Boston and only a few Weeks ago played Loew's State In N. Y.