Variety (Dec 1944)

Wednesday, December SO, 1944 VAUDEVILLE IS License of Gayety, Monti Vauder. Lifted for Giving Suniby Shows Quebec City, Dec. 19. Highlight of t general warning issued to all clubs, cabarets, and other places of entertainment in this province was tha cancellation Fri- day (15) by Premier Maurice Dup- lessi3 of the license of the Gayety theatre, Montreal, last remaining outpost of vaudeville in this country. Cause of the decision, said the pre- mier, was that the Gayety had per- sisted In breaking the law in giving siiows on Sundays. In the course of the last se.ssion of the Quebec legislature answers given in the House of Assembly showed .that the Gayety had been prosecuted and fined a number of .times. The government was then under Premier Adelard Godbbut who has since been defeated by tlve parly headed by Maurice Duples.sis. "These people cannot mock the )bw «s they did with the previous government," said Premier Duples- kIs. "If the laws we have do not meet (he interests of the province, it is a mailer of amending them, but while they exi.st they will be re- spected." HUB NITERY OPS WANT TO MAKE UP WITH AGVA Cafe Operators Guild bi New Eng- land, operating out of Boston, which had dropped floor shows two weeks ago as.a retaliatory measure against American Cuiild of Variety Artists having declared four of its member- spots unfair, were making overtures to the lalent union this week for a truce, lipping willingness to sign basic minimum agreements. Some 17 spots in Boston and vicinity were involved and have since done an about face to - have talent restored under AGVA terms. Probably the predicted bolJf holiday biz had something to do with their change of heart. Matt Shelvey, national adminis- trator of AGVA, has instructed Fred Nerret, Hub representative, not to permit talent to return to involved niteries until operators actually sign basic minimum contracts. DIokey Jonea' N. T. Date Dickey Jones, radio counterpart of Henry Aldrich, is sighed for a p.a. ■t Loew's State, N. Y., week starting Jan. 26. Wife Sues 'Street Singer' In N. Y. for Separation Arthur Tracy, known as the "Street Singer," was named as a defendant in a suit for separation on Monday (18) In N. Y. Supreme Court. Suit was disclosed when Jus- tice Denniis O'Leary Cohalan re- served decision on the move by Valerie Tracy, for $500 a week tem- porary alimony and $5,000 counsel fees. > Mrs, Tracy is represented by Joseph E. Weil. All papers in the suit are scaled in accordance with Supreme Court rules relating to matrimonial suits. 4 If wood Spots Lose Court Pleas Hollywood, Dec. 19. Quartet of Giro's, Clover Club, Moeanibo and Trocadero, Sunset Strip niteries, had their plea for in- junction against state board equal- ization denied yesterday (18); by Judge Emmet H. Wilson of state Supreme court. At same time Judge Wilson sustained board's demurrers to complaint of night spots. ' De- ihiirrers based on fact that clubs had not appealed their original hearing before board, which they were entitled to do. Also club.s' licenses were sus- pended last Thursday prior to entry into court asking injunction. There- fore, plea was out of order. Judge Wilson allowed niteries ten days in which to amend their plea. Under- stood that suspension of licenses for serving liquor* after ihidnight, al- though passed' in Sacramento, will be delayed until aft«r first of year for all saloons in this area, in order they may serve through holiday season. KOSEN TO STAN ZUKOK Jerry Rosen, who split with the Frederick Bros, agency several weeks ago, shifted over to the Stan Zukor agency as head of the act department. . He joined Zukor Monday (18), but will not become active until Jan. 1. Lawrence Schwab . 9lv«i the lowdowR on . moMNa-land : In *Lo, the Poor Tourist' an •dlterial featar* In 39th. Anniversary Edition) Mrs. Joe tonis Preems NewCliiNitery(22)As Part-Owner, Heaillmer Chicago; Dec. 19. El Cirotto, new nitery featuring all-Negro floorshows and patterned after New • York's Zanzibar, is skedded to open Friday (22) with Marva Louis, Sgt. Joe's spouse, heading a stanza including Tiny Bradshaw's orch, nut for which is more than $3,000 a week. Champ, due from the East for the opener, is headed overseas, according to Mrs. Louis, for a iSouth Pacific boxing tour. One-third proprietor of the new 500-seater, Mrs. Louis, also spotted as .singing star, isljlits a $30,000 in- vestment three ways with Harry Fields and Charles Cole, longtime nitery operators here. Club is located downstairs at the Pershing hotel, in a hall formerly used as American Legion gathering place. Besides Mrs. Louis and Bradshaw, first stint, in for 10 weeks, in- cludes Joe "Ziggie" Johnson, pro- ducer and emcee; Chocolateers (3); Olive Brown, thrush; Johnny Taylor, comedian, formerly with Eddie "Rochester"' Anderson; Rosita Lock- hart, dancer; Claudia Oliver, sou- brette; and Ziggyettes (10). .Mini- mum is $1.50-$2, and Jimmy Asendio is general manager. Burley;-Vaude in Canton : Canton, O., Dec. 19. Wally Schwartz and SoUy Dembs have taken over the Grand Qpcra House, burlesque spot, and have in- augurated a new policy of burley and vaudeville, with stress on vaude. House for the past two years has been operiated by Jack Kane, who also directs bui'Iey houses in Akron and Youngstown. ARA Meeting in N. Y. Agrees Not To Recede From 10%-5% Comm. Rules Renee Slieppard To Reopen Little Club, N.Y. Rence Sheppard has shuffled back- ers and plans to relight her Little Club, Greenwich Village, N.Y., in time to cash in on the New Year's Eve trade. Nitery has been shuttered for past several weeks alter walkout of Misa Sheppard in a disagreement with partners. New partners, reportedly silent, will permit the songstress- operator free rein on operation. Upon reopening, .spot will have a floor show headed by Miss Sheppard and Con Dailey s orch for dancing. Stave Walkout Of Carroll Chorines Threatened walkout of the chorus in Earl Carroll's vaude unit "Van- ities" in Detroit last week didn't come off. From . accounts the tempest in the teapot simmered down and unit moved on to its next stand sans casualties. Gals had threatened to strike unless salaries were upped to $60, which meant a $10 tilt over current scale. National headquarters of American Guild of Variety Artists stepped in and ordered them to' fulfill con- tracts with Carroll or else the talent union would proceed against them.' It was pointed out that they were receiving regular scale of pay for. a traveling unit and any such action as they threatened would amount to breaching their contracts. Some of the gals claimed to have other grievances. These were told to forward their complaints to AGVA, but thus far no such complaints have been filea. Artists Representatives A.ssociation at its annual meeting in N. Y. Mon- day night (.18) unanimously voted not to recede from present commis- sion splits as incorporated in cur- rent pact with American Guild of Variety Artists. Decision means that it will expect AGVA to maintain the 10% and 5% clause, as obtains in their agreement wiih . the talent union in any subsequent deals with other agents' organizations. Prior to the general meeting of the ARA, a committee from the agent group headed by William Kent,, it's president, had attended several con- fabs at AGVA ahent receding on the method of split which, as it stands now allows lO^o to performer's agent and 5'.'o to an accredited booker. ARA had been propositioned to relax on .split, arrangement so that'AGVA could pact the Na tiona l Association of Theatrical Agents, western agent group. Latter is amenSble to the 15% overall split but want to cut It i up their own way and not be gov- , eriied by the 10%-5% regulations. Stance of ARA membership was that since the present deal has worked out okay Jor them in the two years of operation it can see no reason for any change. Monday night's session was a gen- eral membership meeting and elec- tion of new "Doard of governors. Those elected were William Kent, Jack Davies, Charles V. Yates, Nat Lefkowitz, Milton W. Krasny, Miles Ingalls, Edward Smith, Sam Berk, Edward Reilly, Herman Fialkoff, Nat Kalcheim and Leon Newman. New board will meet two weeks hence to nominate officers for the ensuing yeai-, who will be voted upon later. Joe Cohen, Ex-GI Joe Cohen, given an Army medi- cal discharge last week, has rejoined the "Variety" staff. Was in nine months. ICE CAPADES'GROSSES NEW CANADIAN RECORD Ottawa, Dec. 19. After boff four nights at the Audi- torium here, "Ice Capades of 194J'* headed for Boston Sunday (17) where, after usual pre-Cbristmas layoR of a week, show will play its customary Christmas night date at the Boston Garden. Ottawa four-nighter closed "Ice Capades" record Canadian tour, playing in Toronto, Montreal and the Capital to 35% better than any previous b.o. Local gross, at prices scaled to $2.50, was $38,000'ifi 5,600- seater Auditorium. WISHES YOU • • • .• A MERRY XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR