Variety (May 1946)

Wednesday, M«y 1, 1946 VA1 BEV11XB S7 Vaude Producers Unable to Knit Road Units, Can't Get line Girls At $55 Per Inability lo ■secure line girls willing* to travel precipitated the cancelling , o( n ew vaude units in process of pro- I auction by » trio of producers iit j New York last week. Units involved i were 'Greenwich Village Nights,".! which Joe Wright was producing; j •■Echoes of Broadway," by Bobby | Conklin, and "Pim-Americah Fol- ■■ ••]:«« which Sammy Rosen content- • plated. When unable to sign chorine.-; , U-io had to camphor the idea. Producers assert there iSMio acute : shortage of chorus gals, but the hitch I is they don't want to travel at the ; union rate of $55 and budgets do not , usually permit tipping this flgure'ancl : at the same time allow a profit. Gals : claim that wiMi current inflated liv- i ii)5 expenses still obtaining through- ; out the country they'd do little more : than break even at that salary. | Additional Hy in' ointment seems ; lo be allowable layoff period in.con- '. liacts which calls lor six weeks work out of each eight and permits a two . week layolV sans salary when con- secutive bookings are not available. Gals argue they can live''better.'in stationary spots-, such as jhileries. and i therefore frown upon unprofitable louring treks. GORDON BOSTOCK BACK i INTO AGENTING BIZ; Gordon Boslock, former Keith | agent, who lias been out of show biz j for some years, has returned to the agency field and will set up oflices . in New. York upon his return from ' London. He left for the latter city r by boat last Friday (26). '■■ Boslock look willi him a list of | acts available for London and other European dales and while abroad expects lo sign foreign acts for I American appearances. He is e.\- ' pected back latter part of June. j Prior to Ihc foldo of the Keith- Albee vaude circuit, Bostock and his brother. Claude, handled many of the topflight acLs booked on that circuit. Blackstone Angles B'way Theatre for His Magic Blackstone, magician, is angling to lease an intimate theatre in New York as permanent stand for his magic shows. George Alabama Flor- ida, business manager for the niagico, has had feelers out on several, the- atre deals including the Vanderbilt, N: Y., but Mike Todd' has first call on it. Thealre recently was vacated by'American BroadcAsling Co. Bid has also been made for Presi- dent theatre. N. Y., currently ten- anted by Utile theatre group. If and when a Hpal is closed it would be first theatre to be devoted exclusive- ly to the hocus-pocus. Chas. Trend's Inability To Talk English Costs Him Unpleasant Publicity Charles Trciiet, French- singing importation., at the Embassy club. N. Y;, could, have avoided some un- pleasant publicity.'if he whs able to talk English. Singer walked off the floor at Saturday's 1271 midnight show afler two numbers, and a col- umnist reported thai it was a dis- play ot Oa.llic temperament. According to Bill Miller it was a case of indigestion and Trenet had lo gel off the floor pronto. At the next show, the singer staved on for a half-hour. Miller claims llial the first week of Trenet will produce a record- braking take for the club. First four nights-, ending Sunday (28) grossed $24,000. as against spot's pre- vious week's high of $23,000. St. Regit Bows May 8 St. Regis Roof, N. Y.,; opens May 8; Paul Sparr orchestra is set, alter- nating with Theodora Brooks' Ham- oiond' Organ ensemble. Peggy Nor- man, vocalist, completes entertain- ment. On May 7, benefit is scheduled for the Emergency Fund of N. Y. Local 802 of the AFM's hospitalized veterans.. '■' Sinatra Agrees To Chi, Detroit Dates Frank Sinatra,, after resting a week at Palm Springs, will play 'he two theatre dates in Detroit and Chicago, which he had first con- firmed and then cancelled two weeks ago creating an uproar of. no little proportions. He had signed to work the Downtown, Detroit, week of May 9, 'and Chicago, Chicago,. week of May 17. for the two : weeks work he is drawing higher guarantees than any ever before earned by a per- former. In Detroit, the .singer is getting a $25,000 guarantee against a 50-50 split of.the gross from the'-first dol- lar. At Chicago, his deal calls for a $25,000 guarantee plus a 50-50 split over $60,000. In each case he will work with a house band, paying out of his cut for only the acts work- ing with him. These have Dot been decided, though ' it's probable that one turn will be the Pied Pipers, vocal group which works with, him on the Old Gold commercial.. Others will consist of a. dance act and com- edy turn. When . Sinatra originally con- firmed the two weeks above, then cancelled out on advice of his doc- tor to take a. rest prior to going to work on a new Metro him. the the- atres burned plenty. They did nothing about the cancellations, however, fortunately, the cancella- tions were forwarded, before adver- tising, etc.; had been prepared. Cop-Censor-Critics OK Mpls. Burley But Think Shows 'Lousy' 'Skating Vanities' Sets Upj New Show; French Duo In < The Darescos, an adagio act to be ' imported . from France, has been : signed for the next edition of "'•Skat- ! ing Vanities," rollers show: Team! 'will work sans skates. ■ Other, talent, signed for this show' , includes Joe Jackson. Jr.. tramp bi-! cycle comic: Ernie Whililer, skater. | and the .badminton team of John i Scott and Dave. Drury. with Jimmy | Ross announcing. Gloria Nord and i Mickey Mcehan have been re-signed j for the layout. /r " Outfit goes into rehearsal around July 15. Lenny Kent, comic, set for Strand thealre, N. Y., May 3 for three weeks. Pearl Bailey booked for the Strand theatre, N. Y. Date is open and will probably follow run of cur- rent legiter "St. Louis Woman" in N. Y. - AGVA Arbitration Bd. Has Full Agenda; Kent Vs. GAC Prime Case Question of whether --Lenny Kent can -reneg' on a exclusive contract with-.General Artists Corp. will be decided via arbitration at American Guild of Variety Artists later this week. Comedian-emcee, according to complaint, wants out upon grounds that GAC has not given complete representation and had not worked in best interests of furthering his career which he stales is violation of terms: of the pact. Also.on the agenda when the Ar- bitration Board meets are three other matters ot same nature. The*c in- clude cases of Edith Fellows, song- stress, who wants to part company with Frederick Bros.: Two Zephyrs, sepia dancers, who seek to nullify their deal with Associated Booking Corp.; Marilyn Paul, singer, who claims her agent, Herman Fialkoff. hasn't lived up a contract wilh her. Agreement is said to have guar- anteed four weeks' work in each 90 days, which she asserts hasn't been lived up to. Minneapolis,. April 30. Two policemen, assigned to censor the burlesque show at the Alvin the- atre here after trie city council re- ceived a petition asking for license revocation, turned critics and gave the performance a clean bill of health. But, in their report.to the council, slammed the looks and.abil- ity of the chorus girls and the per- formance's quality. Although the girls. weren't pretty or shapely enough to suit the policemen-censors and the show wasn't good enough in (heir opinion, the council voted 18. to six to renew the theatre's license. In appraising the chorus and show, the policemen-censors became hard- boiled critics. Turning in a regular review, they wrote: "Only two of the chorus girls have any ability in the entertainment IVfld. The rest are just broken down older girls who probably can't gel a job doing any- thing else. Their efforts are so clumsy as to be pathetic. Most of the, rest of the performers also have no talent and the show'was lousy." Newspapers here don't review the Alvin shows, but they ran the police- men's '"review.'' The thealre, how- ever, has been having an exception- ally profitable season and business didn't fall off. after the publication of the policemen-critics' review. ACT EXCHANGE DEAL SET BY EDDIE SMITH Eddie Smilh. New. York agent, has completed a one-year deal with the Hymaii Zahl office, London, for mu- tual exchange of acts. Deal was concluded by Leon Kimberly, Zahl rep. who returned last"-, week to England, after eight weeks here. ■ Dicker will cover Smith's Bets in the British Isles only as he's already made a deal with Kurt Rosner, Milan agent, to cover Italy, Belgium and Scandinavia; and is now nego- tiating with a French talent firm. Thanks Fellas We Like You Too! This One Is On Us . "Joey Adams, clean-cut comedian who broke into New York night life a few years ago at Leon and Eddie's turned La Martinique into a madhouse of fun Wednesday night when he and his partners, Tony Canzoneri and Mark Plant, presented their highly perfected act as a high point in the new revue.. It's the funniest and cleanest comedy program I've seen this season in a night club." ; ROBERT W. DANA. New York World-Telegram, April 6, 1946. "Carole Landls, Frank Sinatra, Xavier Cugat, Maureen Cannon, Renee de Marco, Toots Shw, Rags Ragland, Henny Youngwan and Jerry Cooper cheered <oey Adams as lie clowned with his partners Tony Canzoneri and sniper Mark Plant . . .It was a splendid, most hilarious show—different—net corny." EARL WILSON. New York Post, April 4, 1946. Recommended: "Joey Adams, Tony Canzoneri and Mark Plant at Lft Martinique." ED SULLIVAN. Daily News, April 24, 1946 "To La Martinique for the debut of Joey Adams, Tony Canzoneri and Mark Plant. One fine, hilarious trio —and they keep their comedy pretty clean." LOUIS SOBOL. New York Journal-American. April 6, 1946. Triple A Indorsement: "The good fun—and for most part clean fun— furnished'by the Messrs. Joey Adams, Tony Canzoneri and Mark Plant nightly at La Martinique.' LOUIS SOBOL. New York Journal-American. April 23, 1946. Star of the show, Joey Adams, with Mark Plant and Tony Canzoneri. pad the ringsiders in the palm of their hands. Funny after-bit that really rocked them." THE BILLBOARD. April 13, 1946. SO WHAT'S NEW? JOEY ADAMS MARK PLANT TONY CANZONERI Thank you Dario and Jimmy Vernon for a swell engage- ment at La Martinique. Thanks for everything to our pal and manager Leo Cohen. More thanks to our biggest boosters Marvin Schenck, Joe Vogel, Jesse Kaye, Allan Zee and Lester Isaac. Personal Manager LEO COHEN, 160 West 46th Street, New York City. LOngacre 3-6157. • Joey Adams has gone a long way since I discovered tahemi him at Leon and Eddie's, where he worked for peanuts. He now rates a bagful caked in gold. With Handsome Plant, of the glorious voice, and .little Tony, who Is again a champ as a straight man, Joey has whipped up an act 'that no one ever topped at La Mar- tinique, or many other places." LEE MORTIMER. Daily Mirror, April 10, 1946. "It was a cinch the rest of the type- writer-tappers would take bows for discovering sensational Joey Adams, who shines in the current show at La Martinique." LEE MORTIMER. Daily Mirror, April 7, 1946. "Heading the current La Martinique show is a young performer who in- creasingly becomes synonymous with the sure-fire comedy values with which this spot has become assoc- iated. La Martinique has been a notable springboard for such comics as Danny Kaye, Danny Thomas, Jan Murray and Jackie Miles, and now Joey Adams' is here with a quip, a ready retort and a beguiling manner that must surely manifest themselves whatever the audience. Adams has come a long way. Right now Adams, working with Tony Canzoneri, the former lightweight champ, and Mark Plant, the good-looking giant bari- tone, is certainly among the sockeroo commercial acts, for theatres or Cafes." KAHN, Vorfety, April 10, 1946. "Joey Adams, Mark Plant and Tony Canzoneri are the most cooperative and most entertaining act ever to appear at La Martinique." DARIO end JIMMY VERNON. Recommended: "The Three zany comedians at La Martinique, Joey Adams, Mark Plant and Tony Can- zoneri." DANTON WALKER. Daily News, April 25th.