Variety (Dec 1944)

S4 VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, December 20, 1944 Trial of Multiple Inkspots Smts Off Until Jan. 2 After 3-Day Start Afior being In session three da.vs + la^l week, the trial involving the juils and countersuits between members of the Inkspots and their nanaycr. Moe Gale, was adjoiirped lost week until Jan. 2. Case isOif- iiiS tried in Supreme court. NTT., beCore Justice CariroU G.^altcr. Trial opened last week with Ivory (Deke) Watson on the stand. He te.-tliHod re his p.art in starling lluv Inkspots quartet on its way to prom- inento (he. along with Charlis Fuqiia. also an ex-member, is suini; Billv Kcnn.v, now in comlnand of the quartet, for $250,0001. Under. cro.s.s-examiuation by I. Gainiburi;. Kenny's attorney, Watson, who claimed Kenny refused to . let him return to the act, admitted that he originally quit the turn in a huff after a dispute. Fuqua testified that when he went into the Army in 1943 an ai i aiigemcnt was made whereby he v:3i~ to get $65 weekly froni the 1 act's earnings, but never got more . than. $50. . ! Anotlicr action by Gale again.<;t Kenny, for an injunction to prevent the l;utcr from representing himself a.s the owner nf the act, is being tried at the same time. A third siiii. Kenny against Gale, ask.s for an accounting of the earnings of the grou;) since its rise to promincnce. AGVA Settles Vernon, Rogers Commish Snarl Controver:;y between Wally Ver- \mi\. vaiide and hilery comic, and lliury Rojicvs, lii.« agent, over coiiv mi.'ision!; oj\ a foiu'-week date played l)y Vernon at Ihe Latin Quar- ter. Cliicaso. was amicably adjusted via arbitration by American Guild of Variety Artists. Rogers, who has an exclusive agcnl contract with Vernon, claimed the comic failed to pay hiiii custom- ary commissions on the Ciii date. Vernon claimed Rogers was not en- titled to anything inasmuch as he had booked the date himself. Acting upon the premise of the exclusive representation pact, AGVA ruled in favor of Rogers and Verfton agreed to liquidate sum involved.' Mack Cordon -writing English ly- ric for Ary Barra£0 tune sung by Carmen Miranda in 20th's "Three Little Girls in Blue." Annual Friars Frolics At Imperial, N. Y., Grosses 18G Approximately $18,000 was grossed at the annual Friars Frolic Sunday night 8' the Imperial theatre, N. y. About $12,000 was realized from sale oiT tickets,. the rest from advertising in the program, which was distributed free. . Mill.on Bcric, who eiT>ceed the en- tire threc-and-a-half-hour show, headed the large list ot name per- forrrters. MAURICE ROCCO and his ROCKIN' RHYTHM liow appearing CAFE ZANZIRAR New York "VARIETY" SAYS: "Show couW b« playH for bctttr voiuet, wi}h Maurice Recco, iirtt of the acts to . follow tho openlBg Louii Armstrong bamt tpoclal- tin, too peteBt to b«v spotted to early. He ratet next to doling, smaihlng ever with hit (tandep planttHc*. . Old five number* epening light and' hadn't wem out hli welcome when he finlihed. He'i a terrif showman and a hey pauiider par eicell«nc«. Merr. Ptrtonol Mgf.: PHIL SHELLEY «4 E. Lali* SK Chicago Gloria Lee's Shuttling Job as Dancer, Producer Pittsburgh, Dec. 18. Gloria Lee, Chi' dancer who has had her own night olub line for last two years, has Just been named pro- ducer at the ' Lookout . House in Covington, K-y. She'll continue her original 'ensemble, however, shut- tling between Cincinnati and wherever chorus bearing her name i." playing. Lcc li!>c is currently"-at-^ Nixou Cafe here, closing lO-wcck engage- ment Jan. 7 for engagement at Sak's Show Bar in Detroit. Freak Show Ordered To Scram Pitt After Tinhead'Custody Scrap Pittsburgh, Dec. 19, Fist fight over custody of a couple of "pinhends" appearing here iii a downtown Freaks Show not only landed several of the participants in jail but also later resulted in police ordering the exhibit to leave town. According to stories at a court hearing, the "pinheads," Clar- ence Solomon, 50, billed as Bono; his sister, Helen Ward, 48, and another pinhead known only as Kiki, were talking to Mrs. Rose Lcwiston, owner ot the show, when Joseph Ward. 5.7. of Laredo, Texas, and his wife. Julia Ward, 50, walked in. The Wards announced they had come to Pittsburgh to claim, the custody of the "pinheads,". whom they said they had loaned to the Lewistons a year ago. ' Mrs. Ward said she and her hus- band had '-found" the "pinheads" 12 years ago in Kansas City, and had been named the freaks' legal guardians. Later at. a hearing before Magis- trate W. H, K. McDiarmind, the pinheads and the Wards were re- leased, but.Mrs. Lewlston was fined $50 or 30 days in jail on a charge of fortune telling and her show was ordered out of the city within 48 hours. It had been in Pittsburgh for the last 10 weeks and Mrs. Lew iston and her attorney protested that the exhibit had a permit to stay until Dec, 24, 'Under city regula- tions, permits can be revoked for violation of ordinances, Captain of Detectives Peter \yecht said. Cynda Glenn Plays Paris GI Date Despite Illness Cynda Glenn, although taken ill as head of her own USO unit, got to her fave Paris, via London, and did shows up-front with the First Amer- ican Army, starting last September. She flew back to New 'York over the weekend where, she's mulling a number of other offers. Comedienne, when in her early teens, 'was star of the "Folies Bergeres," Paris, hence llv: yen to return with USO unit specially set up for her. Dan Healy Teams Up With Helen Kane (Mrs.) Dan Healy has stepped out of his "Gay Nineties Revue" (Melropole, N.'V.) to form a team combo with Helen Kane (Mrs. Healy). Couple open at the Club Normandie, Cleve- land, Friday (221. Miss Kane had been doing a sing- ing single in vaude while Healy had been, appearing in the old-timer unit in New York. , NAT NAZARRO CLARinES STATUS WITH AGVA Nat Nazarro has straighlcned oiit his status as far as the American Guild of Variety Artists is. con- cerned. Reports from some reportedly dis- gruiilled perforniei-s that Nazarro was agenting without AG'VA fran- chise precipitated his being called in by AGVA for clarification. Nazarro satisfied Matt Shelvey, national ad- ministrator of the talent union, that he was not operating as an agent but more as a producer of acts and personal manager. It was verified that Nazarro never negotiated book- ings for any of the acTs 'hTliad put" together, ahvays placing them through regularly franchlsed agen- cies. SaranacLake By Happy Benway Saranac Lake,. N. Y., Dec. 19, Evoi-y member of the actor.s col- ony was greeted via card by Sophie Tucker. . Inez Liverpool, chorister, at the Will Rogers for rest and checkup. After a four-week bed routine Ben SchafTcr now uppcd for down- town visiting. Harry '?Pop" Barrett furloughcd to Syracuse on a 10-day leave. John "Legit" Eaton^ who was here tour years, got his go-home-paper? and left for his home in Scranton, Pa. Bonnie Clare Richardson allowed one trip to town weekly. Thanks to Karl Krug, Pittsburgh Sun^Telcgraph draina critic, for his timely nod to this columnist and gang of the colony. Ben SchafTer after long siege in bed uppcd for mild exercise. Jimmy Marshall is still ozoning in Gabriel, N. Y. Write to those who art ill. Zanzibar Show Booked Into Roxy, N. Y., in Line With Nitery Talent Policy Roxy theatre, N. Y., policy of booking nitery talent brings the complete Broadway Zanzibar show into the .house following the layout opening today (Wed.). Revue will be headed by Bill Robinson and Louis Armstrong's orch and will in- clude Nicholas Bros., Maurice Rocco, Peters Sisters and the line of Zanzi- beauts. Show which closed yester- day (Tues.) was billed as the Cafe Society Uptown Show with Mildred Bailey and Jimmy Savo topping. Bill Kent. Zanzibar booker, arranged the deal with Sammy Ranch, Roxy book- ing head. Whether the regular Roxy line will work this show is still un- decided. Meanwhile, Joiui Edwards, Hil- Parade sipger, h:)s begged out of the new opus and will leave shortly for a Florida vaentioiv. Rauch plans no replacement as the stage show will be cut to a minimum because of-the length of the film, "Winged Victo'ry" (20th). Realignment of the Roxy's film plans has also been made. "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," skedded to go into time slot allotted to the Zanzi- bar show, has been moved back to an indefinite starting dale. • Victor Borge will head the slagc talent ac- companying "Tree," Hili and Rantre Songs, Inc. char, tered to conduct a music publishing business in New York. Capital slock is 100 shares; no par value. $1,000 REWARD Is Nothing Compared to Yenr Reward When Yen Subscribe to The Fun-Master Gag-Fdes Net. 1-2-3-4.5 $1.00 EACH Itlnkfi riirck* Puyiilil* to PAULA SMITH ' .Mall to "l-'liM-Maillfr" 300 tV. SMh 8t„ Suite 10-4i, N. V. C, II) IVeiv Acts MARCELLA HENDRICKS Singer 12 Mins. Blue Mirror, Newark A stately blonde looker, smartly gowned, Marcella Hendricks has that slick, poised attitude that marks her- as a good bot for the deluxe boitcries. She presents her stuff with warmth and charm, as she proves with the risgay novelty about Broadway wolves, "Everyone Wants to Help Me Oct Someplace " Gal has Metop am- bish. but doesn't let it get in the w'ay of a song, her low' notes being as numerous and pleasing as her high. Selection of songs is varied but only so-so on nitery appeal. Includes •Fine and Dandy," "Always" and, on a callback, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." Ought to have at least one current fave in the lot. Colt. PATRICIA BRIGHT Impressionist 21 Mins, No. 1 Fifth Ave,, N. Y. .Here's a gal with plenty of talent though she's short on good material. Does takeoffs on Hildegarde and Katharine Hepburn that are familiar though not many have done them bet- ter. Opening tune, during which she .150CS through, the paces of a southern belle now up north, followed by an- other on a "lady of the ensemble at the Co^ja," are boff. Miss Bright handles herself as if she's been around, quieting some pa- tron loudness, with several clever remarks. Has a likable personality. When she spruces up the act with more oj'iginal, aprightlier songs afid impressions, she'll be good for better calcs. Ste^i. TOMMY NIP NOW APPKARING IN "Follow IIm' (^IrlM** • ^''l.afflng Room Only" "<»iii' ToiiHi of VeniiM*' • ««$!»a«lio TliompMm" nianiond llorsM^slioe • . Laliii <{iiari(*r Singles, Doubles and Croups Kow Available IIP SpfVintizing in the Development ol ttanreir* Tap and AerobaUe 1659 Broadway, New York Tel. €0. 5-9543 Tommn Nip Bam Arramffed Wtoniiue* lor iMe Top Dmmeera ot Show Bm»lmeiM