Variety (Dec 1944)

Wedneediiy, December 17, 1944 VAUDEYILLB as Cugat-Jane Froman N. Y. Copa Layout To Cost 15G, One of Top Cafe Budgets Xlie Jan. 26- show at Monte Pioser's Copacabana, N.Y., will le- qiiiie one of the lainest budfiels ever .spent in a local nllery. In a surprise move, Prosei' sifincd Xavier Cugat's orch for an indefinite run at $6,500 weekly. In addition, Proser plans to u.se a rejjular headline show with Jane Froman ayain probably topping at over $3,000 wtickly. Total jjiidgct is expected to. roach around $15,000 weekly. Cugat's Copa. dale is unprece- dented in a.s much as Ihe Holol Vfaldorl-Astoria wa.s uiKlei;.>;to6d to have an exclusive on GuRal'.s nitery ippearances in N.Y. Iji previous years. Lucius Boomer. Waldorf- Astoria topper, has refu.scd to okay Cugat's working in N.Y.. liilorics when he didn't have a Waldorf commitment, but finally acquiesced on the Copa booking. Miss Froman, who opens there Thurs. i28), \vas ori.viiiially sched- uled to appear in the current show, but was forced out on account of iUnes.s, with Carol tti-uce replacing diirlng her absence. Jorry Le.stcr may hold, over with Mi.ss Fromaii. Copa has been using name bands, in addition to top perfor.mers, in the .last year only. Sliep Fields, Abe Lyman, Enric Madrigucia and '/George OLsen having previously oc- cupied the podium. ■ Olson continues until Cugat's advent. ChlcogA't VaUroM Heit Ernest Byfield Otvct Soma littaraitlnq Sldallghti In Hii SpMl^l Story "40 Years of KiglUcluhs" An Edttcrlol Special for 39lh Aiittiver»ury EdUion (Out Next Week) SHgh-Tyrrell, Chi, Set Garra for Music Chicago, Dec. 26. • In line with their expansion policy, Sligh and Tyrrell, Chi book- ers, who recently rejoined as part- ners after a five-year split, have named Don Garra, who moves over | from Consolidated Radio Arlisl.s. ' head of their new music dept. i Agency, which recently opened, an | office in Detroit, also plans one in | N.Y., with Eddie Sligh going east • to take over and Phil Tyrrell 're- ' maining here. New England Niteries AGVA Dispute Under Control With Arbitration Rule Saranac Lake By Happy Benway Saranac Lake. N. Y.. Dee. 26. . Clarence K. Bowdcu. of the N. Y. Philharmonic, gave piaiio recital for the gang at the Trudeau sanatorium lust week. Monroe and Ha/.el • Coloninn, who cured at the old N.V.A. sanatorium, now doin.u defense work in Cali- fornia. Harry Clililon upped for meals and light exercise. Circus Saints Sc Sinners donated $100 to the "We The Patients'' fimd. Arsene Okum cheered up plenty by .surpri.se visit from his frau. Margaret Dauphcrly all agog when ber husband shot in al the no,wrs. He just returned from Soiilh Africa and .she had not scon him for four years. Write to Ihose who arc ill. NEW INVASION On All LafF Fronts Started by Sale of 100 GAGS FOR $1.00 Stire-FIre Material f«r All Theatrical . Entortolners Fun-Matter Gag-Fllei Nef,i-2-3-4-S $1.00 EACH Mnkti Clieckii Pioalils lo PAULA SMITH .. "Fllil-.MBnlfr" (V. t4th St., Salte 10-<i, N. V. C. to TITO GUIZAR MEXICO'. GR[flTeST SrAP XAVIER CUGAT DOLORES & ORCHESTRA ' 3 ■■ 3 3 ; U ^ S S ■ 5 IV D Wayne end mtrlln >|«<1 trMb'.WnierUir !'., ^* '"f O"" i.u. " t "''•Inn Enur- tilMri bullttlai cMililn- brfim new pirodlit. rll'.W ™»n«l«liiei, bind ««; IIm, (reih logi. net. rivj tiflcrtnl luuei, SI. "nn''.'!''- Ou«r> me. -DON FRANKEL O"* V. 3623 Olckene, Chlcioa. 47 OK Discretionary ISfo Agent Split Despite decision of Arti.sts Rep- rcijentatives Assn., N. Y. agent group, not to recede on commission- split clause ii) its contract with American .Guild of Variety Arti.sts, the talent union will i.ssue contract to i^ational Assn. of Theatrical, Agents with a new clause which will permit the-western agent group to .slice the overall 15'',' maximum its own way rather than be held to the 10-5^; split which ARA has been working under, as per contract.' Malt Shelvey, national administra- tor of AGVA, has instructed iWor- tinier H. Rosenthal, head of-lho imion's legal department, lo draft the new contract, only change in which will be. incorporation of iule giyiiVg agents discretionary power on cut- ting up the 15% overall commis- sioi)S. ARA is currently operating on" a basis of lO'n for agent and an ad- ditional 5*";. for booker. According to Shelvey. the' contro- versy has militated against perfonn- er members lo the exletit thai many have been deprived of employment ii> Chicago and Ihe middle west through inability Of the agent groups to get together on tlie intorchangc- of-acls basis. If the N. Y. agent supplied talent he natuniily wanted his ICv commission; leaving only the 5% booking fee to the wcttern agent. Latter group petilioned Shelvey *t could not operate M'hcn gelling Ihc slim end. It i.s further claimed that -some acts, mostly the topbrackrter.s in vaude and nitery field, have paid lO^i both ways in order to get some western dales. It's -udditionally poinled out that the smaller ."salaried acis can't stand the bite. Judge Dismisses Chi Assault Case Chicago, Dec. 26. Cross-complaints for', assault and battery, filed here by participants in Thank.sgiving Day brawl over merits of Three Swifts' juggling .sot in Blackstone hotel's Mayfair Room, were dismissed Thursday -121) by Municipal' Judge John T. Zuris with sharp rebuke to all concerned. Dismis.sal came a month -lo the day after fracas that began when William P. Carney, railway supply company exec, and his wife,. Ann, guests in the swank nitery, noisily criticized the act. Testimony was introduced in the two-day hearing lhat the Carneys also made anti- Semitic remarks aboiit Nathan Batt, Chi cafe-owjier who was also a giiesl and member of team opposing crili- ci.sms that started the knock-down- drag-oul. . Judge Zuris said he believed Mrs. Carney,- who is 47, started ii all, but that all parties had btfen drjiik- ing and lhat a fine in her case would be a penally on her husband, who, had received ■ punishment enou.^h in form of a broken collarbone When knocked down by Bait. "What I've heard here smells to j high heaven. " he. conchldcd. "It's j deplorable. With a war going on and our boys giving their lives for their country, thai people should act in such a disgusting way." Sherman BUliiigsley who ihould hRow obotit those things details The JSight Clubs' -Future tn on Idltorldl Feature of 'iOlh Anmve.r»ury Miiiiiber (Out Next Week) ROSENBACH FAMILY FROWN ON CAFE IDEA Philadelphia. Dec. 26. Several bigtime nitery opeiators in Philly and New York liave been casting longing eyes at a building on Walnut street near Broad recently vacated by A S. W. Ro.senbach, art collector and bibliophile, with an eye toward remodelmg it into an intinie nitery or musical bar—but they're doomed to disappointment. The Rosehbach family is adamant Ihiil the galleries not be sold to any "pur- veyers of alcoholic beverages." Besides the galleries, the building has many luxuriously panelled rooms which were used to display period furniture, relics, paintings and rare flr.st editions. Night club men say that the lo- cation is one ol the most desirable ones in' Philadelphia and could be converted into a class beile at very littif expense. Jane Pickens Booked For Summer Versaille.s, N. Y. Song.slicss Jane Pickens has becri pacled for the summer show at the Ver.sailles, N. Y., nitery,' starting May 26. Deal made by Music Corp. of America. New York's GiFt to MIAMI DAVY KARR Currently Shangrila, Philadelphia Opening Dec. 29th Hurricane in Miami Ei<elusive Management: Herman Fialkoff, 545 Fifth Ave., New; York HEME OPENS IN CHI TO $400,000 ADVANCE Chicago, Dec. 2C. Sohja Ho:iie's "Hollywood Ice Re-j vue" opened at Chicago Stadiuin I Saturday 1.23) with advance sale.-i. of $400,000. Il's here for 21 perform- ances. Miss Honie drew. S750.000 in 20 days at the Stadium last year, to top all local records lor ire show.-;. Mi.<:s Honie's show is skcddcd for Jan. 17-Feb. 8 al Madison Square. Garden, N. Y.,- with $6 lop. Arthur Fisher Into Booking of Niteries The Arthur Fisher oH'ice. hitherto booking vaude houses only, has braiuhcd ;nlo Ihe nitory field, hav- ing obtained the exclusivcs on the Latin Quarter, Miami, and the Cir- cus Room of the Bradford hotel. Boston. The Latin Quarter is one of the more important Florida boitcs. be- ing operated by E. M. Loow, New England tiicalre operator and, part- ner v,it)v Lou Walters in the N'. Y. spot of the same name. Wallers is not cbiincclcd with the Miami nitery. He will operate the Colonial Jnn, Hollcndale, Fla.; otice run by Ben Maixlen, owner of the now-clo.Kcd Riviera. Ft. Lee, N. J. Comedian Alan Gale Set For La Martihique, N, Y; (Comedian Alan Gale has been booked into La Marlinque. N. Y.. siartiiiK Feb. 7, at a salary reported to be SOOO weekly. Gale has been working Philly cafes recently, but occasionally lias worked New York. He once had a long run at the noW-- defunct Hurriranq. Deal wa.s set by Jolly Joyce, Philly ageiil. Pa. Bluenoses Active Again Philadelphia, Dec. 26. The newly-formed Cafe Owners Guild and film interests have a fight on their haiids as .soon as the new LK;;i.slatiii;p goes into session after the New Year.. . An organization, consisting of 12 reform group.s in Pennsylvania, has been formed in Harri.sburg with chief aim to initiate a midnight cur- few at all liquor-dispensing estab- lishments throughput the State and to kill Sunday films. nie group, headed by the Old Seventh Day Alliance leaders and anli-saloon element, form a powerful lobby and have already been suc- cessful in killing.Sunday pictures in upstate communities. They are bank- iiig on the current wave of juvenile (leliiiqueiicy to sell their blue-law and curfew to rural legislators. Under present Penn.sylvania law, liquor may be .sold until 2 a.m. week- days and midnight Saturdays. A midnight curfew every day on night clubs would put them out of busi- ness, local bonifaces say. In their j fight against a 12 o'clock closing they are expected lo have the a.s.sistanee | of the actors, musicians, and other allied unions in the field. Boston, Dec. 26. Flareup between a. group of 4i out-of-town nitery proprietors nod Fred N'errelt, American Guild of Variety Artists local rep, because of what they termed "his high-handed methods,'' appeared well under con- trol here last 'iveek with , what the iiilcries considered a victory for llrern via the insertion in talent con- tracts of a clause guaranteeing suit- able arb-.lration in the case of a (iii- puie between AGVA and niteries. Feud. iong smouldering, came In a head about a month ago \vhen Ihe nitciy owners of New England cities, l'!aimin,^; they found it impos-^ible ib (iiscii.ss in a "business-like, ffishion'' any disputed point with Ncrrett. or- gauined their own "union." whose ob- ject was chiefiy to bring about a cliiuiKC ill the setup of the local .\GVA. which means thej were out U) 1)11X1 .Verrcll if Ihcy could. . Foriy-two nitery proprietors were ill on the organization, with 1/J.y On iis ch,-iirmali. Orl and two others were forthwith placed on ACvX's unfair list, but any connection be- tween Ihc two tjvcnts is denied here. It was first proposed that the "union" .-^eek a S50 minimum salary I'or so- called amateur talent, and aii iid- juslment in the right to cancel. This was not agreed to by the irtajorhy of the group, and the main issue be- ' came the one diealing with arbitra- tion. Strike Not .Strong Enoufrh . No progress was made in . Ihe matter of ousting Nerrett, and a .-trike which Involved 32 of the owners, who booked no talent what- ever for one week, failed lo prove " stroiih eiiough to work, as one . of the Boston niteries joined the or- ganization, Nonethcle.ss, a number of the niteries found that it didn't make any diflference to their cu.s- lomcrs whether they had shows or not. and at least two dozen acts • Continued on page 34) Freddie Dale Named New AGVA Cincy Rep Chicago, Dec. 26. Final plans for reorganization of Cincinnati office of American Guild of Variety Artists were completed last week, with removal of Al Buck- ler, acting exec secretary of office for the past year, announced by Jack Irving. Chi. AGVA head. Freddie Dale, who has been AGVA's Balti- more i-ep. will take over spot. New Cincy boss will be a na- ! tional rep instead of local secretary, | Irving said, with Buckler losing out ' because another job has taken up loo ; much of his time. i LAURETTE and CLYMAS Pantomime Satirltte of the Dance lVij/ii«p j/ou a Merry Christmas nn'd o Happy New Year Sroiii <li« Trrrncc Room ot ir .^IsyHonrr Hotrl, Aknin ACTS! COMICS! We Write for Heodllneri IV.IT.H and HRNNY K L E I N M A 'N 2S-)I.K SOIh Rd.. L«ll| liUnd City 2. N. Y Free Cotaleq of Prepared Malarial Available Nitery Acts to State N. Y. CoiUiuuing IhiB current trend in local vaudcrs lo grab of! healthy slices of nitciy shows. Locw's State has. set Joey Adams, Tony Caiucn- eri and Mark Plant for week of Jan. 28. Trio are now at Leon & Eddie'.s, N. Y. Film thesp Jean Parker will licad- line thai week.