Variety (Nov 1945)

Va r i e t y Oil 1 s WEEK OK NOV.-16 '/ '. / Numeral, to eonnr«Ho» with bill* oelotY inillcnto n»enln< <!•> of •liow , \-. whether full or <|tlit weeL. Loew HK*V VOHK CITY 4-*»u«*( (15) J>i* tfvotVn Hr-nn> Y..lineman Stat* (I.**' 'I'll- Anjdetons An dree Andfe Bun'e IjCO Carrillo ' WASHINGTON i'upitoi (livi Sianlon Sisters Keye liiike Buster Weal Ttmuny Pix . * j»«w Vow* crry Paramount (11) KianU Sinatra Jan Savin Kit ri.k» * l-ufce pied I'lvcvs J.i IIHM« I MM UO < hh :i«o lilt Casa lamin Ore G Miller Suffers Prof Backwards Tucker & Tremnine MIAMI Oly inula (H) Sylvia's PqOdleJH Marion BUrrounha (Vrdatt & Sawyer Cueo. Steve - & HdOy ItOSTON lit KI oil (l.'l) y inti'P 'SisteVR -. Upwrjit* rrtrniive-. V, Poms - Dotlie Saulters Pearl Bailey Moke & Poke , Blue \njtel ' | Kveij U; .Knight I I i n* i n t'or*i> | mwr AHlI liliy I It'h'h (low i* . Chili)sou <.Trio rate Snrtety <l>otviito'vn) .losh While I fib M».i"tln: I ii'iu-Kt'iiri ( 'lira Benny Morton ore till** NM'iely (I jttown) Pa irl'a l.u nrein-e .VI u line l»e Unel Su.-ia ii Reed. MurA I.iin Williams UotiinTV Kraft K<tinuud Hall Ore Gene i'Meld Cm nival Mnriha Hay« T- A -1' HofTma n I "hrisl ia i\l Tii-upc I ten VtiHl SiliRi-rn •Miriam ;'J.ft.Ve').l« tin vnnit. Itosa m iiAtOeUy . Na n Bhi kvUina Tim) 11 llli KM I'Yed K t-at Ins I rtaua Iniln Johnny Kaslman Patricia l.t-'iii (lab I .notion tfeneie Bai Kil.\v-»nlH A \\:t\\ i«»le . ChiH. ('Into ,.Tt*lii>»ort ,l;ul. llairin ore <oo»ea>»:tna Jr..- K i.owls Diane Vlt- Hotel Sty Iti-K W Dorothy tihu.i (ioorj;e KopTi l.a.sKlo Of'e CJeorffO Arnold .Tea nno Sooli Brinliman Si« Woody Spcn rs Paul Spnroo Theodora Jlroolis Hotel l a 11 Vincent Lover. Ore Hotel Wiil.lorr .% Joait. Edwar*l» Marin St. Kloriii n'mll Coleman Ore Miscna Borr^Bd Iceland Royd Heathen JJotty Jane Moore l.rl'.ron & C'amiibeil lireene »*t Dooley Jim "Wonff Tronre Lou Martin Ore Kelly'* Stnblet Matcia Haye )>otty Reitl Xotna Mah' Jia Hetty Maxwell Jerry Green Allan Jacltson Ore . I n MnrlliiHiut Sophie Tucker tjarry Stewn rt , J (lone Baylos EJrnio Siewarl Ore Latin Ounrivi Prances Fa ye Pat Rooney Dick Buckley Noel Toy Ming I.ing Hot) Shee SUiela Bond B Weils 4 Fay» Afarianue A GENCT "T/ic Outstanding Agency" ' t looking for th* Moil Discriminating of Indtpendent Thcatrt Owners ' : >....■■•'. ■• I SOI Iroadway-Paramount lldg. New York ■Ryant 7-6352-3-4 THi* Alljii.s Jlill.s Hvos I'Ol.l'.MKI s SAN FRAMCISro Uolilen linte (141 ESUIe Miller cnu Senator Miirjiliy Merry Macs ,r & B Paysce MKW VIIKK I IT* Ml rami (IA) VaiiRiin Monroe Oi'C Suixira r.Krrett ]''re.l SnuOorn PHII.AHKI.rUIA *i>rle (10) The Herzogs Kadlo Aees ('aifpella & VnU-'n-'iix The Noiic.halaiHa Litnny Kosh > K\\ YOKK CITY .HMSio Hull (IS) rnificia Mowjixan Rudnlt>>< Ki'oelier l.tlcy Brown Boll Kvall» V » S liarVnell Wdw:.i'i HeU'bert Waller «raf ««xy (14) Carl llavay.za' Briiu-lce Kay Arthur .Blajfe (lonif/. Br lieiU'rlce MaiHive Kocro KM.TIM DIM'. HilM*oilronte (IA) Hobby Slii»r\vood Or Hoy Uouxlas iifii Brri Mtn(« (ir.-l - .) Si"*e Murray I.evere X- :ilantlman (IX-'! I) T.ew Klvzjrilibons KANSAS <1TV Tower (16) Henry Busac Ore l'attorson & Jaeks"n tOlllSVIl.I-K Nutlnnal (W) jimmy Irtioceford O 4 Step Brothers Tina Jaxou I.eon Collins NKWAKK Adams (1(1) Buss Morgan Ore Hal Stone Bob Dupont Gertrude Briefer NKW ORI.KASS St. Ciiarle* (II) Jean Varlior Hall & Jordan Ballard * Itae .T Ij & 'A Cailes Terry liaFraneoni l'ATKKSON Majestlr (15-1X) Catherine Harris l-'tM-nando Alvares Ma ril.v n lltKlltowei' (•on liennis Clair * Dean liuspo I>0 I'andeiro Vleii^e lliehaids KIiir Cole a .Tori ilerron Ore .Noro Morales Ore IlKitmiiMt llorsesliue ;io« K Howard Waison Sis . l^'rUixi SrlifTf Ann PeilililtKlOJI Willie Solar Mr J'.allantine Jacniieline Hurley Miehael KdlVHVd Kill Acorn JiJiiiioa I**ranets Mitrhell brother iliiMiny Allison Hill Moore l-'oni- I'.osel'lids Vim-em Travers Or Morlv Held Ore 4IM) KesliMirnnt roin'iny I nosey Ore ti'nieli Village Inn Saninir' Walsh Ann .raige .10)1 one Oeorgt Ceniae Bail' 4 llitvaiiH-^l'.idrid lliosa CoidellO' Chili. 1-lr.ar I'auciio & Hians , Varela J'.il llutel Anilntssndot . r.onis Betaneoiirt O J ules l.ande' Ore Hotel: Astor .lose Moui.nd Ore II,.lei ll.lnii.nl ' rln7.it f'diit Marlin Knl.hy Urixler ROCHELLE AND BEERE TARI VANCE 3 RAYS M K rilOVOt.ITAN. SKATXI.E THIS WEEK IVrNiinal Martairement l llllll; SMITH AliKM Y 'a y Ca l i.II Warner Sislers . Al.ilallah eilrls "" ;.' I.A.IUIKN Tawein (HI-IX) Tenner «. Swift Buddy f'laylon The Ala i-l inhales A in lion'. A ltugera 4 MueltS 4'IOiAflO Oriental (IS). .t.dtiWt> .'liihnpion Lionel Ksiye leine A Claire, Monroe & Uritnr II AK TI Oltll Stale Illi-IX) ,T..iies Bros Marry Ali'llul-j-.e ••Ladies He Seated" llStHASAI'OIYIN iralaie <I#-1X) Fire Willys ■ Biirdin A .Ijinet. 3 err.v 1 Cue Yolilijf * Lnelty Siii«lnif WeaMM'fl Dorothy Douglas 3 - Phillips «• .Co Sammy White Hielsory Nuts . (19-I.M) Olympic C.iris Judy Kelly i.evere &.ll:indinan .Stere M.urray Al Gordon's Hogs ROCK FOR I) Palace (Hi-IX) Cliff Wlnehlll Large & Mol'giiei', .lesale Kosella; THKNTON Mem And (17th Only; The Bernards Helen Kane Han Heuly Paulino Alperl Bobby Long Aunt Jemima Chris- Crolis Don Cumniings The r^oniai'nes NEW IOBK CITY BiU'w na.« fO'i pitkei; GUberr Vli.i) h** Sn icUl»nO IHarold Willard Jimmy Burn* Bill Kelpey . Gay W* Quartttt* Ktathryu 1>affy Ocr» Xiiiu Morales Ore t. t -w Ficlilw H^rt Stanley l»avson t:o Ore Ilt.tr| Killmor« Bon Grant Ore l.illlaii I'omril )iiif*sel.1 Stt'anli tilini K Barry if.-.-nh s'ptlv Oreh lit tel < oimiwuh.re t'harlle' Splenic >Jrc HoJel nine AtiA Marsala 7 l>avh! Ivcnt A udy '} I'ainca Uor'in l-'aye* Hotel liliion Gloria Vainer Oi'C K«i**i"< ,11ou»#. I>i. k '(I i n i her^ Ore llidrl l.eiinxlvn Monjl Ka' Tanu Katia Talima Mail© vtokTJiaiia IJarnlel' Atoma Ore Hoirtl l.loriilo An Myoirey Ore llulpl N>u VorUei ?Toan l(yld«rt Terry Brent • Phil IIiHiniync X^ii f-'on1ai"« Al ilf'M Shoda Hinitiy K«ye ,h>hini\ jUtng Ore tlulfl fv«o«vtr»»i: ('•fiinl. i» Cai \f (*VC Hotel l*ltti*rc ri»itd Twj'iim .Mflni * (Vin«uefa M Mert-i Miller Hiaul'-v Alelha Ore Hitlcl ria/a HilVJf«flfOe An bur MitA'el Ore . Mar-U Muule Oi'i' ' Hotel Kno»H«elt Guy Loinbatila C)rc Wangcr Oirla Win! Walsh Marty Beck Ore Leon & Rtltlie'* Rddle Davi« Stah Tjowie Sherry Brilton Tjynn Monaco Ted Lester Sinclair & AUIa Jackie Harvey X.etieia Art Waner Ore Madison ( a Te Diane Courtney ,Aee Goo*lrich , Judith Alien Monte Carlo Dick Gasparre Ore Jean F Murray l.:aly Anne Ru M ""i *tonehlln O Old Roinnnian Jackie I*hilij,.'S Sn.die Banks Mfini Kellcrmnn Clnlr.e Sis Helen Bower Joe La forte Ore Roger;* t ot ii* i Harry Lefeouri Or- Clark's Hawaiian* Harold Green l" reslimen Mars Trio K'orn Kobblera SIff Schat?. Ore Kuban Bleu Monica Boyar Tack Smith Marine Sullivan Jose Melis Aileen C'oor Cedrlc Wallace Trie tone Melis Kuhh Kretelm. Blanka Basil l'*emcen Sari Gorbi .Vtisclia Uzdanon* Irene Fepdoia Dora Birse Karavaefl' Splvy's Roof Splvy Carter & Bowie Jayne Manner*, Stork Club Morales Ore Lirnio Hoist Ore •Tony Pastor Doe Marcurt G Andrews Ore Carolyn Marsh Ploiia Vostoff Versullle* Carl Brlsfion Jimmy Carroll Jjatiene Zilo Jack narwpod Gloria Davis Kendall Kelly Miriam Seabold Joe Uicardel Ore Village Bam Bert St.onc l'atsy T<aue Atlriam Gwinn Slab Carver Village YnnKimril Big Bill : l'aul Villard BHil Ost.erwahl Schinner Trio IVlVei, J^ee Ro}-.m Slit :J la Reynrldi T: e Carrolls lCt/irar ;I;iav+y Hortnr; Ore Zanzibar Duke Islington Oi'r /-bills Jordan Ore Golden Gate 4 Jesse & Jan'»a Clauda Hopkins Or Zlhtnierjntiit'fi W & J Brown AVayne Thompson Adtionne Parker Beta Zslga Gene Kaides Ore Geo. Price Recalls His School Days of Show Biz With Gus Edwards By OEORG1E PRICE Detroit, Nov. 11. ' Woof" is wliat we called Gus Edwards, because I feel that I was closer to fiim than anyone, aside from Mrs. Edwards. Tliey raised mo from tlie time 1 was seven until I was 17. Not because I could sidy good but because they loved me. - . ■ "Woof" and Lillie didn't have any kids of their own. so when I came alons they lavished all the care and att'eelion' on me as though I were a Georgie Edwards. Most people thought I was their son. A few years later 1 had to share their affections Willi Gussie Appel, who came to live with us. Woof nicknamed her "Cud- dles." It was later changed to Lila Lee for the movies. Don't let that name Woof throw you. We called him that because it was a trick-of his to slick his head throuyb the door and" growl like a dog to scare us. I first saw him at Herman Timberg's 18th birthday party, held in his mother's house up in Harlem. Mrs. Timberg heard me sing and invited me to the party.: telling me to bring my mother along. Woof and Lillie took a shine to me; hired me for $10 a week, and the next day I Was visiting them in their apartment at the Croisick on 2(ith street, across from Cafe Martin. They asked my mother to let me stay overnight with them so that they could take me out and buy me some clothes. The next day, outfitted with the best that .DePinna had to otter, f \yas sent home to ask my mother it she would let me live with them permanently. With eight other kids at home and not enough food for three, she agreed readily. I had a new father and mother. One of the Family They took me on just as they were going broke, but they never spared any expense with me. One of the first trips I made with him was to Detroit, where he had to sell his publishing rights to Jerome Remick for $7,500. Lillie told me to hang on to Wool's coattaU or I would get lost. Woof, they say, was a bad busi- nessman. He was. Principally be- cause he was so enthusiastic when he started a venture that lie would forget to protect himself in the clinches. When he needed money he, went out and got it the hard way. Not by promoting some angel, but by writing a great song or producing a great act. One of the few breaks he ever got was from Harry Rapf. Harry was manager for one of the school acts and when he got to be a vice president and producer for Metro he signed Gus to a contract. But Gus paid off plenty with his work o.n the \;Hollywood Revue." The only other real break he got was from ASCAP! When he took sick they never figured how much he had coming but made sure he had more than he needed. Woof and Lillie's motto was: "It isn't how long you live, it's how well you live." We' lived like the royal family. Cuddles and I had a governess. We Radio's Salute to Gus Edwards Eddie Cantor as emcee, with Walter Winchcll, Hildegardc and Joan Edwards from New York, and Georgie Jcsscl, Ray Bolger, ■ Mervyn. LcRpy, Larry Adler and Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin from Hollywood paced the ftrtc' memorial tribute to Gus Edward's oucr NBC cdast-to* coast Saturday tlO) night. Wine-hell's eulogy was factual, punchy, not maudlin. The dignity of the Star-Maker, as Edwards was known (Bing Crosby did a film of that name in 1943 ) coupled with the musical heritage he left as a permanent monument, gave the half-hour program highly appealing values so that those to whom Edwards' (and Will D. Cobb's) songs and the vet showman's career were unknown couldn't help but be impressed. . , Edw aids'.sundry kid acts—the Newsboy Sextet, Schooldays unit, the Nine Country Kids, of whom LeRoy was one—cradled a wealth of today's talent.- Besides the above-mentioned, Lila. Lee (Cuddles), Georgie Price (Cantor read the tatter's eulogy, since Price is currently playing in Detroit), Ricaido Cortex, Groucho Marx, Herman Timberg are among other distinguished alumni of Edwards' acts. Winchell epitomized the songwriter-showman's career best when he observed that Edwards' credo seemed to be "Give the kids a break," as lie permitted the youngsters to take the bows. And Price's eulogy, as read by Cantor, paid tribute to the fact that Gus and Lillian Ed- wards 4t\i& widow, who nursed him during all his recent invalid years) were father and mother to the kids from the sidewalks of New York, who were bitten by the stage bug and toured with the sundry Edwards acts in .vaudeville. Of course the late, great songsmith's catalog of hits, fittingly enough, was a salute to the doughty widow. "Goodbye Little Girl Goodbye." which was the song hit of the Spanish-American War, was the signoH. ■ -4l>e|. Gus Edwards Continued from page Z. years, six of which he was bedrid- den, developed more youthful tal- ent that rose to-fame and fortune than any other creator in any phase of show' business.. Gus Edwards—-born Simon—came to this country from Germany as a youngster. The lad had a superb soprano voice, and instead of going into the cigar manufacturing busi- ness, with his brothers, started .hang- ing-around Tony Pastor's on 14th licet, N. If-.-, at the age of 14. He wanted to sing. He Was too young to sing from the stage so Pastor planted him in one of the balcony boxes, and it was the first'time in the history of the theatre this was done. The start he had there gave him his taste for show biz. and Gus stayed there. He began writing songs, playing the piano to accompany himself; It didn't take long before his songs were successes in those days, so Gus, before he was 20. went into the iriu- sic publishing business. Edwards wrote a song called "School Days" \vhieh started him on I he road to fame and made him the idol of every mother, for he used it those compositions, disposed of his rights to them andVweirt out of this world broke. He was a founder- member of ASCAP, and in its top permanent bracket; but the royalties that came from the Society were ab- sorbed during his final illness in doctors' fees and the maintenance of two nurses for the past six years. Raised As their Own In taking those kids and teaching them how to walk and act, Gus Ed- W'ards and his wife Lillian, were mother and father to the youngsters. Georgie Price was about five years old when Edwards found him. Lila Lee the same. Those kids never went to school. But they were taught to read and write. Their tu- tor in the act was another youngster Jack Weiner. Edwards paid Weiner $3 a week extra for the chore. Ed- wards knew his talent wherever he saw it. He spotted Jessel at 12. look him into the act and . made a great personality of him. He saw Eddie Cantor in Hammerslein's while playing there in his song revue. G.us Edwards-did not confine his activities alone to vaude aets. Me put on floor shows"iiv .cabarets around a theme for his act under the I New York. One of the best he ever ame . title. He had a ' youngster | pr0 ducedwas at Reiseaweber'-x prior to World War I. He also had his named Herman Timberg in the act a great kid comic, and all (he mamas thought their youngsters were too. Then along came, that great parade of liids, Georgie Price. Georgie Jes- sel. Lila Lee I Cuddles). Eddie Can- tor. Walter Winchell. Jack Weiner, Eddie Buzzell. the Duncan Sisters, Ona Munson, Lillian Lorraine, Hat- tie Darling, Mae Murray, Hilde- garde. Ray Bolger. Helen Menken. Charlie King. Jeanie MacPherson, Ruby Norton and Sammy Lee, Bobby Watson, .Bert Wheeler. Ar- thur Freed. Groucho Marx, Mervyn LeRoy. Johnny Hines, Lilyan Tash- man. the three Lane Sisters (Lola, had our schooling on the road. One of the chorus boys would get some extra money for teaching us. One of our teachers was Arthur Freed, now the Metro producer. Another was Jacjt Weiner. the agent. . Gus was a moderate drinker and never gambled but holds some sort of championship for throwing it away. Lillie would give him a blank check and tell him to take it easy, when the funds were low. He would draw $500 on it, and Lillie would laugh, knowing that they didn't have (hat much in the bank. Eddie Cantor joined us in 1913 and only appeared in one act. "The Kid Cabaret." Georgie Jessel and Eddie Buzzell were also in that act. A murderous trio. I remember Lillie reading the complaining wires from the managers of the Orpheum circuit about them breaking up the show. ■ ' Winchell's main stint with Gus was his appearance as the tough kid in the revised "School Boys and Girls" act. Wherever Gus" new route takes him, I'm sure he'll be looking around lor some new kids to help. Rosemary, and Priscilla), Haakon. Eleanor Powell and Lou Silvers, the boy genius musical con- ductor, whom he had directing his music at the age of 17. Millions tor His Proteges And when you add up what these kids have done since, including those who passed on ahead of Edwards, the theatre, radio and piolidn pic- tures, you caii easily figure their financial success brought them a combined income of nearly $100,000.- 000. Gus Edwards, when he checked pat last week, had what he started with—nothing. But Gus Edwards never was en- vious of the success of his "family." It made him happy to hear of their success, and many a night during own theatre on Broadway, pro- duced numerous stage shows, but he never knew coin and its value. His costs were always in the upper brackets, and even if his show was a hit. Edwards never leaped the harvest financially. His wife. Lillian, whom he married Nov. 28. 1905. was his balance wheel wherever she could be. She tried to hold the purse- strings and keep the budget bal- anced but he managed to toss the bankroll around. Walter Winchell played a featured role in one of his acts where Ed- Paul ! ""aids sang "Look Otit for Jimmy Valentine." A safe opened and Winchell was the first of six or seven kids to tumble out on the stage. The Siren Call of Pictures In the early days of sound Ed- wards came-to Metro. He marie a number of talking shorts as well as appearing in features which included "The Doll Shop." "Songwriters Re- vue," and "Hollywood Revue." In 1932-33 he appeared in "Screen Songs" for Paramount. Charlie Rog- ers several years ago made "The Star Maker." based on the life of Edwards, with Bing Crosby starred and released by Paramount. Just before his illness about eight years ago Edwards did his final show 1 the past six years a group of them work, still trying to find talent'This would visit the bedridden Edwards, was on the radio. He had a deal with 2 Back to Morris Agcy. Sammy Weisbord returned to the William Morris agency Friday (9) \ Like Me. immediately upon discharge from the Army, where he had been serving in in his apartment at the Gaylord, in Hollywood, and put on a show for him. singing his many tunes lor him. They would sing "his favorites such as "School. Days." "Sunbonnet Sue." "In My Merry Olclsmobile," "By the Light of'the Silvery Moon," •"I Just Can't Make My Eyes Be- have" ithe song with which Anna Held established her reputation), "Tammany." "Could You Be True to Eyes of Blue?" "He's My Pal," "If Gift Like You Loved a Boy "I'll Be With You Fort Wayne—Hilliard Gates, pro- gram director of WOWO, has been | Special Services, elected to the board of directors of ! Phil Wcltman. also recently dis- the Fort Wayne Junior Charobei of j charged, has returned to the radio Commerce, ' Vj department. when the Roses Bloom Again,' "My Cousin Caruso." "Morning, Noon and Night." "Look Out for Jimmy Valentine." Zanzibar," "It \ Was a Millionaire,." and ' For You a Warners' KFWB and would put en amateur talent shows of kids, as he planned going on tour with them. One of the last of the Edwards pro- teges was Armidas. a dancer with Rose." And the guy who wrote all 1 lawn. whom he appeared in vaudeville. - Besides his wife, Lillian. Gus is survived by two; brothers In the music business. Leo. a soogsmitn. and Ben, a music pub in N. Y.: also two other brothers and a sister. Joan Edwards, the singer, is his niece, Ben's daughter. His body was committed to H«m« of Peace, cemetery, here, after W services and will remain there urn" Mrs. Edwards can accompany it J° New York where burial and final services will take place at Wood-