Variety (Dec 1944)

WedncBility, December 27, 1944 LEGITIMATE S7 Inside Stuf-Legit Tiff Iwt wMk between J, J. Shubert and hU ntphew, I«WT«n9* fhukirt Lawrence, the Shuberts' Philadelphia general manafar, Itai broiifht to light I train of squabbles between the produoera and the rhilaotlphla preH, with leveral alleged Instancei of attampta to (w»r lM«i in their JudgmenU ol playR. Last week'i tll waa blamed I* pert en S. J.'a peeve at Phllly reviewers for their cool reception to "A Lad» ia y' muiUal wlilch preemed at Forrest here. Show hu new title In BoatOB, "IMJ fay* Ves." ■■ ■ Shubert ire thii year has centered on one orltio, alread/ la Wiuberta' bad graces, who alone of town'a four reviewera panned Vlotor Payne- Jennings', production of "Hebecca" early thla fall, When Payne-Jennlngi complained to the Shuberts, In whose house the ahow waa preaented, latter are understood to have approached newspaper'a publisher, aaklng !him to remove reviewer from bis job, and If publisher eouldnt let a re- . placement, slating Ihey preferred no reviews of their plays at all In the sheet, being satisfied with a news note on the coverage. Publisher took no action and La wrence Is supposied to. have paclflad hU Ainole, reviewer continuing on job. Same reviewer panned, the Shubert-Bloomlngdale pro-, diictlbn of "Ziegfeld Follies" last year, whereupon producers yanked their ad from the sheet. Critic is said'to haVe hunted up Lawrence to discuss situesh, and over a drink the.pair laughed the matter off, the ads going back into sheet next day. • V Critic on. another Philly sheet was in Shuberts' doj^house a few seasons' ago when he sharply panned a succession of Shubei-t tryouts that -were turkey;. Shuberts are supposed to have made representations to sheet's .editor and business office, which took no oiTclal oognlzance. KoWaVer, word spread around town that critic would be barred from Bhubert open- Ing.s, and when "Philadelphia Story" was premiered, erltlo took precaution to send anbther reporter to cover In case he was refused admlttanoe. No tteps were taken against him subsequently, ho\s^ever. Ironically toough, Although morning sheets panned "Lady," p.m. rags (Including (he Shuberts' pet peeve) were favorable. And one p.m. sheet, the Bulletin, has largest circulation and Influence in town. ' ,. "On the Town, ' musical opening at Adejphl; N.Y., Thursday .(M), after a Boston tryout, marks first producing venture'of Oliver imlth. and Paul. Feigay. Former is set designer ("Rosalinda," "Perfect Marriage," "Hhap- " sdHy''J.\vho is ai.so doing sets for "Town"; Feigay was assistant to director df New Opera Co. and until recently was managing director of International Theatre (now h'ou.'<ing Ballet International) leavmg after a reputed falling' out with Marquis George de Cuevas, Ballet International ''angfl." Cuevas, however, is listed as "Town" backer, with $10,000. Luda Chna, wealthy backer and ballerina, also has a stake lii "Town" vlth $5,000. Others, also mostly socialites, are Marjorie and Sherman Ewlhg, $4,370 eadi; laiil Immerman,. $5,000; Lenore Forsladt, $3,750; B. Lawrence arid'ftorenCe Shaw, $2,500 each- Metro irln for $62,500, with RKO also Interested. "Over 21." IcKit troupe headed by Dorothy (jlish, Avhich was to leave New York for overseas duty last 'Wednesday (20) when Its I'aadlng man, Grnndon Rhodes, took suddenly sick, will not be canoeUd as originally ba^ lieved. USO-Camp Shows unit goes into reheai-sal again with Alexander Clarke and Erin O'Brien-Moore a^ leads, latter subblng.for Miss Qlsh, and. plans lo be ready to go abroad in a fortnight. Miss Qlsh's isvallablUty was running out,.aclre.'is having signed for the three months' tour, "with eom- mitnitfiils back home immediately thereafter. Twoweeks' delay for Rhodes' replacement would ruin hei- plans. Camp Shows did not want to' cancel unit, aiid found sub iii Miss O'Brien-Moore, who had recently returned from a Mi'ililcrrancan tour in an "Over 21" company. . Singer Lucy Monroe attended the premiere of "Lafting Room Only," .Winter Garden, N- Y.,- Saturday (23), armed with those things some people put in their cars to deaden noises. Songstress knew there'd be a lot of shooting in the Olsen and Johnson show. An unusual credit appears in the program of "LalTing Room Only." After the billing of the show's management, players, authors, stagers and, other data, there is a line reading: "production supervised by Marry Kaufman," •the name being In caps. Kaufman died shortly after the revue opened Its tryout engagsnTent In Boston, but for months he attended to n mass of production .details .while in bed at the Doctors hospital, N. Y. Physicians said th* mental •xhilira- tion of accomplishing the task kept him alive longer than they estimated: Mui'icl Rahn, Ncgi'o soprano who dropped out as lead of "Carmen Jones" last June because of salary dispute with produoer Billy Rose, has baen successfully concprli/.ing since. Salary dispute oonoerned Ro««'s top for show then of $250 weekly, producer refusing to go higher. 81ng«1r had concertized before "Jones," at average $150 per date. Since her "carmen" appearance aiid because of it; singer has commanded around $890 P*f concert. She's doing 35 concerts this season, under management of IMck Campbell, hor husband, who is also USO-Camp Shows' Negro, talent head Sirtger al.-io had dramatic role In the Lunts' production of "Tlie Pirate" anil n'liiy uU icail Aww iioxl .n-.i.sun. Wa.shinjjton .so(fioty is planning to turn out in force to welcome Nadlna Davics I billed a.s Diana Merrill) when she arrives with Fanohot 'Tone In -"Hope For the Best" on New Years eve. Nadlna 1» th* stejidaughter cf former Ambas.^ador Joseph E. Davies. "Hope For the Best" was ■written by William McClccry, Sunday editor of PM, N. Y. tab. James Troup, who was manager of "In Bed We Cry," la now ba^ with "Hope For the Best." which tries out; In New Haven Thursdiay (M). It'i the maiden managerial elTort of Jean Dalrympl* and Maro Connellv, with Francliot Tone -starred. The actor thought so well of th* play mat he •■bought a 25'; interest The late James C. O'Neill, an Actors Fimd trustee, had a fetish for writ- ing his will. Understood there were halt a dozen suoh dooumenta wlien he passed on recently. While he was on the Equity ataft he would; not In- frequently show his "last testament" to intimates, mostly for th* purpose of letting them know that he had willed a'Q to this pal or.that. Bvldently .the exhibition of the wills was a gag, for non* of those h* said would benefit has yet heard anything about It from the executor of his estate. , ■ . >, — - — Bertha Bi-lnipre, vet acti-ess who appeared in recent production of "Rhap- ^dy" at Century, N. Y.i*'is-sti41-4Jndei«-doetor's bara from rasult of fall duriiig .rt-hearsal of the short-lived musical. Contrary to prior reports that fall came during a bit of backstage clowning, aocidant occurred. Miss Bclmore vevcal.'!, during rehearsal of a specialty dance, dancer George Zoriich iiiL-undcrstanding instructions and. failing to catch Miss Belmore. Sid Harris, who was on the road managing a "Kiss and Tell" troupe, is now back with "Oil the Town," which opens Thursday (28) at the AdelphI, Y. His brother Charlie, who is general manager for George Abbott, bought in on "Town," but the latter ducked a chance to invest, although he Siaecd (he music-il. Show is touted having a strong chance. Freddie Schadcr is withdrawing from Ihe advance-work for New Opera ."The Merry Widow" upon the advice of bis doctor. He w.ii.«! downed with pneumoni'a in Detroit .-some weeks ago and although In weakened wndilion agentcd the show'in several additional stand.«. Wallace Munro •s replacing. dr^^fV"*^ Caldwell's rep, Maxim Lieber, reports that Jack Kirkland is Cnw „ "Georgia Boy," iiot "Tragic Ground." Both novels are by vIoiTS' Al<^>ta"rler H. Cohen is .said to be the potential producer. Pre- ^^'^siy reported Kirkland was dramatizing "Ground." Rotli Gordon Forced Out of'21'by Illness Iteth aordon, nursing a severe «eld, Is unable to appear In "Over 81" at the Walnut, Philadelphia, where th* play opened a five-week engagament Monday (25). Erin O'Brien-Moore has stepped into the parti rehearsing throughout Sunday (84). Latter has played the lead In Miss (iordon's comedy'overseas, being with th* USO unit that toured th* European war fronts. Miss Gor^don is abed at. her apart- ment In New York. Her physician said that she mu^l remain indoors for at least one w-eek, but the date of her return to "21" Is not definite. Snag Unsettled Squabble between Equity and the American Guild of~-Miisical Artiists over jurisdiction of New Opera Co.'* musical "La 'Vie Paris- iehne" has not been settled. Equity declares that the show (airned for the Clty'tienter) is an operetta, and therefore Its standard contracts and. working conditions should'apply. .' New Opera placed th "Parisienne" under AGMA form of contract, the .union being insistent on that be- cause it 'has an overall agreement with the management. Howevei', that didn't apply when New- Opera revived. "The Merry Widow" last season, show also being operetta. Nevertheless, AGMA demands that the dispute be settled by the board of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, parent talent union. Underslobd that New Opera would prefer producing "Parisienne" under Equity rules and salary mini- n'lurhs. AGMA's scales being higher for the chorus. AGMA also has. stricter rehearsal conditions. Equity permits three days of free rehearsals for the chorus (Ave days for princi- pals) whereas there is no "free time" under .AGMA rules.. Latter stipu- lates $25 weekly, rehearsal pay as against $20 required by Equity, and there are other differences. New Opera is paying its chorines over the AGMA scale, ensemble people getting $75-weekly on the road and $60 in New York. "Parisienne" win play the regtiiatibn legit eight performances weekly rather . than the skip system of grand opera, which is AVithin AGMA's ken. ALAN DINEHART PLAY BOUGHT FOR AUSSU Hollywo(5d, Dec. 28. Mozelle Britton' Dinehart, widow of actor Alan Dinehart, sold' Aus- tralMn stage rights In the Dinehart- Joseph Carole play, "Separate Rooms," to Sir Benjamin Fuller, ohie^ of the Fuller circuit Down Under. Another Dineharl-Carole play, "Salutary Lodge," is expected to be produced by Mrs. Dinehart In the east next itummer. Musicals Drop $10,000 or More On B'way But New Hits Keep Hot Pjice — '■ : —— ■■ — ■♦■ Plent.. of Broadwayiles wei'* T* Wli I n I ■ I °" business last week. Aware lUn. WneiSn UeiSyS j that it was the week before Christ- for RKO Film fgured by tlie second Play Tim Whelan, RKO director \yho had been'marking time in New York with . the production of his - play. "Dinner For Three,' waiting for an. available theatrCi returned to Holly-- wood last week, for holiday.s. Plans pue.s.sers that becavise much of the holiday gift-buying had been (Com- pleted, playgoers would again (urn towards the theatres, but it was quite cjear they didn't. It has been traditional for business lb dive just before Xmas, and it cei- . ■ there were.only trifling drops, which dates have been of-ltrue. The current week postponing producing for 60 day.s to | minly did last week, musicals drop- make a pic uiider his RKO contract, i ping $10,000 or more. Of course, the unless congested theatre situa.sli i new hits wer;. not affected, or if so eases shortly. Out-of-^town — .... , fered, but Whelan dobsn l want I anticipated to be. a harvest, up to to keep play on road beyond llucc- j n"-'luduig New .Year's eve, week break-in, and doe.sn't want lo ! ■go inlb, rehearsal dh gamblin.i;! chance that a New York IheaVre' will be available in sixWcck.s. • Players selected for "Diniie'r" in- clude Harry EUerbe. John lloy.^iadt and Joyce Matthews (Mrs.. iviillon Berle), with Stewart Chancy de- signer. 'NORWAY'CAST TOASTED WITH FIZZ FOR XMAS Edwin Lester and his California associates, in the . production of "Song'of Norway,"' Imperial, N. Y.. on Saturdaay ■ (23) gave to every member of the cast and chorus a quart of champagne, and on Mon- day (25) night the perfol'mers re- ceived orders for $25 worth of merr chandisc at a Fifth Avenue depart- ment store. The "Norway" company said it never had received such liberal Christrnas presents from aiiy niaiv agement—and the show has several veteran actors. Show is the Coast- made operetta that has been selling out since opening late in the sum- mer. Every pcr.son in the Imperial; including the cleaners, wore , gifted by the show management. There were any number of Xmas parties on Broadway, notably that held in . the sumptuous new- rooms of the "Theatre Guild. Theresa Helburn and Lawrence Langner were reticent about their holiday largesse but it was understood that every player in the Guild shows re- ceived gifts, attractions being "Okla- homa" (two companies), "Othello," "Embezzled Heaven," "Jacobowsky and the Colonel" and "Sing Out Sweet Land." Abbott^e Death 'Staged' By Mistaken Patron A patron called the Lyceuiti, N.Y., seeking tickets for the hit there, but referring to it as 'The Late George Abbott," Instead of "Apley." At last reports, George Abbott, who staged "On "The Town," w-hich opens at the Adelphi tomorrow night (98), was In excellent health. Booking Mixup on Belasco, N. Y., Involving Trio,' 'Happy Returns' A mlxup in bookings for th* Be- lasc'o theatre Is something of a laugh on Broadway, biat it's not fiinny to the producers and playera of .:tNyo shows both supposed to go. into' the hou^e. "Trio," 'the drama that's . been kicked; airound after trying out ' In Philadelphia and. couldn't get berthed on the rhain stem, is ad- vertised to open, at the Belasco on Friday (29), after haying laid off for a month wailing a chance for display to metropolitan audiences. But "Many Happy Returns" Is slated to play the .same ."spot beginning Jan. 10. The comedy of errors originated with a reputedly slrahge lease which Max J. Jelin has on the the- atre. He's obligated to pay the. rent on a weekly basis but .';omelimes he doesn't put it on the line promptly enough. Then John Wildberg and S, S; Krellbcr:;, w-ho, with others bought the Bcla.'-co last; .<!ummer, .serve Jclin with a di.spos.sess .notice, and so the, gtiy, from New Jersey pays off in court. It apparently was duriuK one of tho.so interludes that Krellberg booked "Returns" into the spot, but when -"In Bed Wa 'Cry" sud- denly collapsed at the Belasco last week, J*lln booked the stray "Trio,"' which L*e Sabinson, who produced It, says that Lee Shubert promised but refused to place Into the Cort. Shubert alibied by claiming the play's indicated homosexual theme might Imperil the Corfs license. Authors of "Trio" say 'tain't so, that Philly stood for it. Play didn't set that btirg afire by any means and Sabinson alleged that Shubert tried to buy into the show after it had opened out of town: There's another curious angle to the Belasco lease, which Is reported to stipulate th-t if' the house is un- booked, the owners—Wildberg, Krell- berg, et fll.—have the privilege, of picking any new play they clvoo.se for showing there,-unleiis Jelin usc.t the theatre for one of his own produc- tions.' Latter did one play during the fall called "Lower North." It lasted four days and cost Jelin nnd hia bunch an estimated $80,000. Harry Bloomfleld, formerly on Mike Todd's staff, is the'-producer of "Returns." but -ome ot the agencies are rather -kc-plical because of what they call ■.-Jcli lager" lust week. "Harvey," wliich will reach a new high, is (he oiily s(raighi play to give a matinee tiail.v. and the same schedule goes fov -Hats Off 10 Ice" (Center), which w-ill certainly double and. maybe treble last week's gross. Eve Shows Dinging the fall- most managers. Hjdn.'t make up their minds about giving a performance New''Years eve, which falls on a Sunday, but tho.se few who did.hi.ted that night. ..'Vbriiplly within, the past several weeks all the others decided to play on "the Sabbath night, so there, will be 28 legit theatres out of 35 lighted on the ''eve." . Earlier indications about not tilt- ing the prices on that evening were incoricct, and the only attraction that didn't schedule a boost was "In Bed We Cry;" which closed at the Belasco Saturday (23). The rate for "Seven Lively Arts" (Ziegfeld) tops all foi- ihc extra performance, top being $12, which doubles the regular price. Two- other musicals are charging S8.-1U, they being' "Laffing Room Only" (Winter Garden) and —Sadie Thompson" (Alvin), other tuners lifting to $7.20, those shows being —On The "Town" (Adelphi),; "Mexican Hayride" (Majestic), '-'Sing Out; Sweet Land" (International) and "Song of Norway" (Imperial). A few of the straight shows play- ' ing the "eve" hawp boosted to $6 ($S plu.s.ihe admission tax of $1), an in- crca.se of around $2. The others have a $4.80 top, which is a boost of $1 over the normal scale, plus the tax. • The seven exceptions, which will not be given on the 'eve are the .standouts: "A Bell For Adano" (Corl), "Harvey" (48th Street), 'I Remember Mama" (Music Box), "Oklahomar' (St. James), ■'The Voice Of the Turtle" (Morosco), also "Jacobowsky and the Colonel"' (Beck). '-Embezzled Heaven" (Na- tional) and "Snafu" (Biltmore). ROBT. WARWICK (THE LIVE ONE) EXPLAINS Chicago, Dec. 18. Editor, "Vftriety"; No one knows the folly of enter- ing a controversy with a news- paper, especially "Variety," betler than I, but "Variety" seems de- termined to give me the wbrst of it. First my biography is attached to another's obituary; then the cor- rection, which you wrote me would be prominently placed, is tucked away inconspicuously in a coliimn; and the very brief statement is given over almost entirely, to the late lamented. [Also ah actor named Robert Warwick.—Bd.] ■ It's a subject .of great bitterness to me, for .over a'space of .35 years, that has caused me much trouble and embarrasment, • When I first began to attract more attention as a young actor, he published a state- ment that I had been his valet and taken his name, going on the stage, and to the day of his death I had never met the gentleman. Later, when I became a star on the stage and screen, the. literature he sent out about his cheap schools of act- ing, which he had at different times up and down the west coast/ inferred that he was the Warwick of New York stage and screen fame. 'You .state that he appeared in Bel- :iSco niVd Frohman productions! If yo^ " can find a Robert Warwick other than myself in any Belasco or Frob- nrvan company since 1904, I'll offer- you an abject apology. • Robert WarujicJc, ("10 Little Indians," Chi. Co.)