Variety (March 1944)

RADIO MUSIC STAGE ^niETY ' Publisned WeakljF at> let West 46th Street, New Tork, 19, M: T.v by A'arlety, Inc;; Annual nubscriittion, $10. Slnslv <so|ilatr, 25 cants, finlered aa aetiotidrCjUHS: matter December -22,.. li)06r at the Poat Office, .at Now. aforlc,' -Yi; 'under the' act ot March . 3, 18^79.' COPYRIGHT, 1944, BY VARIKTY, INC. ALI, BIGHTS HESEHVJBD. VOL. 153 No. 12 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1944 PRICE 25 CENTS SMmSCROLLMNOR Circuit Exemption From Withheld Tax Temporarily Includes All Variety Acts Ruling exempting circuit theatres-f- from collection of withholding and //social ;s(5cu.ri.ty ta'xe.«' fro'i'n p.erfoihTi'- .'ei's . arid .n^i'SWi . ploy.ecl'.undor a form B. contract, .lias : ■tjeeri extehded: specifically: to all tli'e- aires, nightclubs and restaurants in a n«w temporary ruling made last week by Acting Commissioner ot In- ternal Revenue Harold N. Graves. Under terms of the new ukase, vtheatrfrand Hitery ops will- no longer 1)6 required to deduct the pay-as- ; you-go hick arid social security tajcife.s 'itpni sets and musicians \vlio. do. iipt ..■cdiiie.. tuider' the Form : B contract. '. This ruling f ollows :the findings, in tho Radio City Munc Hrill, K, Y., case, which provided that act's aie independent conlraotors and, tlicre- ioi e. not subject to social security 'iijip()slg^:;;/.''/. ;':V'- ,■. ' ' .:/'■ .Graves in the rulirig.sfated: "It "is the- ppsitioii. d£ the Bureau that an ':<)perat6r. for . whom rhusicians ' .per- ^^.plili'.<jervices .pursivaiit to a Forijl.:B; contiact IS the employer of such mu- sicians, including the leader, for pur- poses of employment taxes and in- come tax withholding. The operator, as employer, is required, to collect ■ f.r.om,:. the musiciahs both thi em- . ployees' tax under.the Federal Insur- .' auoe. .Cpntril^utions Act arid iftcoriae tax undoi the Cuirciil Tax Payment ; . (Continued ;pn.' page 22) , B'way Legit at War Front To See Troupes Staying 6 Months; 12-14 in Company , ■StopK legii performances in Naples or Algiers, or both, to be financed.by tlie American Theatre Wing; have exceeded the planning stage. Lawrence Phillips, head of USO- Camp S hows, Inc., through which all overseas entertainment for service" men clear, has indicated to Antoin- et'.e Perry, secretary of the wing, that tlie War Department wishes in- tormation on a number of. details, Message to Miss Perry from Phillips revealed that the USO and the War Department are appreciative of the Wing's "generous and helpful oflEer" to give stage shows to the Army overseas. ■ '.: Waslaitigton, asked how mahy. P'eo-. pie would be required for the stock .showjhgs, and how long tliey would stay, in addition to the materials re- quired. Estimated that the company expected to go overseas would re- : main six nionthf. The compariy may ba cpnfined to between 12 and 14 . playerss:: That group 'would:.include- (Continued on pa^e 22) Marlene Has Ideas Marlena Dietrich, who has heeti released \xy Metro from a picture commitment tp go overseas to enter- tain troops, also .will go . into the occupied countries, after the war is oveij,to entertain the''a.rmi,6s. Pi .oCGU-. pation and the liberated peoples. She is fluent in several languages, and believes that these people will need entertainment in the post-war era even more than they do now. Blanket Ins. For Overseas Actors After months of effort, USO- Camp Shows, Inc, has secured blanket .insurance policies covering deaths" of all actors -who go over- seas to ' entertaiil men in ■ uniform. Nearly every well-known insurance firm'/declined, to issue such policies On the. ground that persons going to the: ifiglitilv^. fronts are not attractive risks and because such coverage is lor limited periods, approximately ;Six months, which'does not give the companies a chance for; long-term premium payments with which losses are counterbalanced. There are over .300 'profes.sional entertainers, . giving : performances overseas, each being covered, with ;» policy for $10,000. Annual premium IS $no,000, wliich is paid by USO. Policies- are-, payable to beneficiaries (Continued on page 20) KAUFMAN STARTS NEW I—GFS-REVl^E^PR0JEGT Groundwork for a new phase of. war-front theatrical activity was' launched by the Special Services Division of the U. S. War Dept. laist week; when rehearsals got undpr way at.'Camp. Shanks,. N.. Yj, for a full-length re\'ue winch, when per- fected, will serve as a blueprint for productions to be staged by GI's around the world. . Through efforts initialed by Brig; Gen, Joseph W. Byron, a folio of mu- sicomedics: and ..revues will be pre- pared after experimental tryouts at Camp 'Shanks arid other- military bases in this country and sent over- seas for staging by Yank troops. Ai the War Dept. .steps up its overseas activity in . preparation ■. lor D-Day, (Continued on p,ige 22) PLAN TilBUTE TO BIG 'LITTLE GOYS' Name Performers Point to Unselfish Job Unknowns Are Doing on Far-Flung Battle Fronts—Permanent Record to Tell of Achieve- ments SET UP LEGION POST To perpetuate the role of the '■little man" in show biz who. is emerging as the unsung hero of the Allied Nations nioiaie force?, ."ome of the top personalities pf film, stage and radio Vback. from the . Fighting Fronts- are. recommending a "Scroll of Honor' which will remain as a •.rlbuie in recalling for all time a vital contrib.utioh ;to:. 'the .war'effpit. The name performers, cognizant of CGontiaued on page 20) See 30% Nitery Tax Not Hurting Biz As Much As Cutting Performers That's Bond-Selling! According to estimates from U. S. Treasury officials, it is reported that apprDximately, 10,000,000' seats have been sold for bonds in the picture in - dustry's.Fourth War Ijoan campaign, ' Indications are that with final ac- counting to Feb. 29 tho industry drive will likely top th« goal of a bond for every one of the 11,500,000 seats in some 16,900 theatres in the U. S., Alaska and Hawaii. Detroit Church Fosters Big-Time Discoveries, Paying All Expenses Detroit, Feb. 29. . The Sunday School ot the Metro- politan Methodist Church here .seems intent. on finding star.s for the big: tiirie^^', The.. class now is' r.eady . tO' debut tiie second. of the. warblers whose careers it has backed for sev- eral years ot training. , , Three years ago the Sunday School class, which includes men's clashes, brought. oiit ■ Barbara Scully ; and, launciied her on . a .career in the field of light, opera. The former, protege has hsph appearin g for sfi v eral year^- in lead roles for the Shuboits. The (Continued,on page, 18) Oh, What a Beautiful Morning, Every Morning "Tlie mii^ic '■ bu.sirieSs is so terrific that it's ajn-iost ' embarrag.sing,".; to quote one music publisher. "I'll give you an idea: we had some old saxo- phone folios cluttering up our stock- rooms ■ for years, but suddenly; these have all gone, and they're clarhorin.!,' for more; . l"'-'''~ ■ "What happened is that we ■c.ouMti't*stipply; spn^ie' rd6v^-'Hep' -and. popular item, but the music dealers don't care, they wire us, 'Then ship ' (Continued on page 48) New Show Ties Angel Record, 27 Th.e record nun-.ber of backers; for any one. Broadway show, has been tied at 27—"Tomorrow the World"' (Barrymore, N. Y.) and "Allah Be Praised," new musical opening in Philadelphia tomorrow (2), having the same number - of angels. Latter show was produced by Alfred Bloorn- ingdale. but in line With the now sys- tem of .si!ov,--finaucing- he invests none of his o\>.n com, baclcers paying, all production costs. Conforming to general procedure in limited partnerships, "Allah" calls for the producer (Bloomingdale) re- taining a 50% intere.st, or that share of4he .profits.. He is allowed office CKpcnse, geiicrally around $150 weekly, but . generally the! rnanager 01'; managers are not on salary. An- gels' in'mostvCases are'paid back.tlie.ir tContinued on page 52) ■f The new 30% federal tax on nitery tabs, now that President RoosevclOs veto has been overridden, may wind up hurling cafe pcrformeis more, than the niteries, so far as grosses are concerned. It's figured that iri •■ this feverish boomtime era the aver-', age cafe spender just doesn't care it his nitery check Is $20 or $35; this is. now too .w.k, among the cafe men' who have noticed how the average'' goer-outer just pays the total, and;, doesn't bother about adding up. So the 5% tax now, or the 25% ad*/, ditional, it is figured, iray not proy«: such a bugaboo as first suspected. . . . But it will create a caution whicli.'; must redound against the hltery tal- ent. It will make tot a greater; awareness of overhead, so far as floor -shows are coHcerned, and $75 acts may not be grabbing that easy- $350 and $400 a week as now. It-, no secret that, in this sellers'' market,, the major booking agencies; hdw call Oil tHe..bushIeague agents'' con.->tantly, inquiring, "Have you jjot a pretty good hoofer," or "we could! use a femmc ^lingle." ' The general wartime prosperity first boomed bands from $7,500 io. ■ $12,500 a week and percentage; and' not only on Broadway and m the.- big keys, but generally the same dis-^V propor,tionatc salary standards havi!' been created, Albany, N, Y„ Feb. 29 ... 'A ':; iState Cohi'missiPri:' of': Music, Drama and Fine Art.^. which . will survey tiie cultural resources of New York State and m.ake rccom- rrieridatib.ns . to . the Legislature and the Governor "for tlie encourage- n,o.-.t a!'.d v.-;;ler d:s.=e;r.inii'.ion of the ■Arts, fhrougiiout the 62 counties-,'''is. proposed in a bill introduced, by .Senator .'Lokter'Balim^ Manhattan ..R pubiican.. .Senator ..Baurii. 'whp rep- resents - the 'Isih;. a . so-called . "silk,I CULTURAL HYPO URGED -FOL-NEW-YORK-ST-ATlS;" «background O'Daniel Presidential Boom Launched Via Texas Hillbilly Airer Houston, Feb, 29, A radio campaign to "draff Sena- lor W, Lee O'Daniel for the Deino- cralic presidential riomination this year has been launched ovei a local tTre-Irri:ll5illy-mTn.ie "wMctr'iTel ped' the 'former Fort JVprth .flbur sales- ... man into . topflight politics. , . ■ 'J'iie slalion. KXYZ, airs the prii- grarn at ,12:45 p.rn.,' Which is Ibo sanie. ii.-;ie the former ;. broadcasts of O'DariiSl' were; aired..; ; According .to 'statiph. Officials,' prograTO. material ik', sub.n-.iited by C. .'V. .Milligan, wlio operat.G:s the ;All-in-.Oi>e 'Man'ufactur-.'.; ing Co., which produced, laundry and 'dry .'cl'e^riing eguipriient ."before thej; Gpverrimeiit;; order'ed'.:.it: . :'' ■ ,, Prosrams feature a string 'uiind - stocking. dislrict,''' enyiiia'ges, .' the'j an.d; the.rne . is .O'Daniel's own compO'*'.' broadening .of Governor i.D'ewey's 'sition ''Beautiful. Te.xas.'"^^'^^ pqst-W?ar reCori'Struction.'.'prograii; tp .'■Annplin.ceir.'s :b^ b'et.w.e.en:..each. include.-t'he'promotion '.'pt;l.'|h9 ge^^^^ era! cultural welfare of the people." Under the Senator's bill, the State (Continued on page 91) selection is to "make dialers join the movement afoot to draft O'Daniel for president—the common oitizen'a chaWl?ipnv'.':^'; ;;;/'■ ^-i.'''"';\' '>'S'\ ' Hi iiiiiiL urn PACES 33 lo 37 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦»♦■»♦♦ ♦♦♦^♦♦♦^♦^■♦-f ♦Of*