Variety (May 1946)

86 LEGITIMATE Wednesday, May 8, 1946 Strawhat Squires See Sun Shine; Plenty Plays, Talent, Money Too Willi 05 ov more theatres in oper-* ■tion this summer majority of them reopening for first time in four or Jive years, it's expected thai etrawhnts will flourish. There is a lot of money around, with a limited number of places yet where one cun go lo spend it. There won't be much European travel, while domestic travel will be difficult. Autos will be available, and gas plentiful for 'first time in years. People will be eager to enjoy a nor- mal summer again, riding out in their cars, dining out rustically and catching a barn-theatre show. From point of view of strawhat operators, conditions will be better than prevailed during the war, when some of them tried, to continue op- erations. Theatres that operated then had a tough time for -talent;, now young actors who were off to war are back on the scene; Names Available With the reopening of so many theatres this summer, even the big names are interested, in that there is a sufficient number of houses to play in if they want to devote the summer to acting.. And many of them now prefer summer to winter engagements. Names that will be. available (who have expressed Interest) for straw- hats include Jane Cowl, Dennis King, Diana Barrymorc, Phil Baker, Ed.- wavd Everett Horton, Leo Carillo, Luella Gear, Sheila Barrett. Florence Reed, Blanche Yurka. Fred Bai'r tholomew, Ernest Truex and Elissa Landi. Helen Hayes will devote two weeks to strawhats in "Alice Sit By The Fire.", one at New Hope, Pa., the other at Suffern, N. Y. Ger- trude Lawrence will do "Pygmalion" one week at Dermis. Mass. I Theatres which have been closed during the war. and which normally had trouble finding plays to do, now have a backlog of scripts. On the reverse side of the straw- hat picture, managers are finding their cost of operation will be much higher than pre-war, in some cases as much as 100'%, on the average about one-third more. All kinds of supplies—lumber, canvas, paints, etc. —are scarce and high-priced. Actors' salaries are higher. Theatres that were dark, have to be put in shape, thus adding to the expense.. Equip- ment is rusty: some of it has disap- peared. But none of these handi- j caps are • stopping the strawhat gentry. Muriel Rak's Charges Against Actors Dropped; Draws SRO Equity House Equity was thronged with around three dozen colored actors at last week's council session when charges by Muriel Rahn against Harold Nicholas and Rex Ingram of "St. Louis Woman" were heard. Al- though (he hearing lasted over three hours the case was not disposed, of. It was the most loquacious pro- ceeding of its kind, in years, much extraneous testimony being intro- duced. Council leaned backward in permitting witnesses to talk as much as theyiwanted, thereby indi- cating to the Negroes that they are | just as important as any other part of the membership. Miss Rahn was engaged to replace Ruby Hill in the title part of "Wom- an" during rehearsals but the latter went back in the cast at the N. Y. premiere. The disappointed song- stress alleged that Nicholas and In- gram headed, a "revolt" which caused her deep humiliation when supplanted. Whether that will count should her charge of unprofessional conduct be sustained, is a question. She is being paid $G50 weekly as per contract and will get $750 June 3 to July 6, so the displaced actress has not been financially harmed. Clarence Derwent. nominated as Equity's new president, announced to. the council yesterday (7) that charges had been withdrawn. He interceded and convinced . the fac- tions that as the show opened on schedule, no one had really been harmed. PHILLY B.O. MEN BURN AT SHUBERT INSULT' -Philadelphia, May 7. The Philly local of the Treasurers and Ticket Sellers Union serit a pro- test to Lee Shubert over the week- end following the latter's statement that the treasurer of the Shubert was responsible for the ticket "scan- dal" exposed by the Philly Record last week. Leo Carlin, president of the local, declared that. Shubert's * statement that tickets were given to specula- tors by the treasurer "implicates every treasurer in the business." "Our union contract with the Shu- bert theatres specifically forbids treasurers from alloting tickets to agencies' or anyone else," said Car- lin. "Why should the treasurers be made the scapegoat of a situation that has existed for the past 35 years?" Following a story printed in the Record that choice seats for "Annie Get Your Gun" were being withheld from public sale, Lee Shubert ordered more than 7,000 tickets re- GOLDEN SETS PLAY SCHEDULE FOR FALL John Golden has two plays slated for the fall and is looking to Holly- wood for talent. "The Lady FiUr gerald" will probably be done first, depending on whether the script's revision is completed. Play, which was tried out in Eng- lish provinces, and written by W. P. Lop'scomb, British author, was first called "The Woman I Love." Golden has been in frequent contact with the writer by : airmail, suggesting changes in a number of scenes. Also due is "The Goldbergs" by Gertrude Berg, author of the radio serial of same title. Max Siegel. of the Golden staff has gone to Holly- wood seeking desired players, in- chiding Edward Everett Horton for whom a third play is planned by the producer. AYC Legiters Starting Action Vs. Theatre Bias . One of the strongest actions to date on discrimination in the theatre has been taken by theatre chapter of the American .Veterans Commit- tee, which appointed a group at its meeting, Monday (0) to study the question, with the ultimate aim of asking Actors Equity to forbid - its membership from playing houses in which Negro theatregoers are segre- gated. Full, committee to work on this question- hasn't been selected, but study will proceed immediately after its appointment. 'Roots' to Receive Award Of Chicago U. Students Chicago, May 7. Special award for being- the "most significant play of the year" in its handling of race relations will be presented to the James Gow-Arnaud d'Usseau play, "Deep Are the Roots," at a student assembly at the Univer- sity of Chicago Thursday (0V. Idea behind the affair is to get the show some much-needed publicity, in view of mostly weak notices and re- sulting flabby grosses. Representing approximately 1,000 students in presenting the award will be officers of four campus groups: Hillel Foundation. Negro Students Club, Anti-Discrimination Committee, and American Youth for Democracy. Horace Cay ton. au Ihor of "Black Metropolis," is sked Bucks County To Reopen With /Blithe Spirit' Bucks. County Playhouse, New Hope, Pa., closed since 1941, will re- •pen June 7 with Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," starring • Dennis King. Valerie Cossari will play Elvira, and Viola Roache, Madame Arcari. Play will run eight days, strawhat then running weekly plays six nights a.week,and two matinees, for a 15- wcek season. Theron Bamberger is producer, with Richard Skinner as fen. mgr.- ded to speak, and members, of the turned from agencies and sold at j cast will do a scene from the play. the boxofl'ice. first time this has ever ,'■ • <-r-.'■ — been done here. p n. I . i» apa Mrawhat Reopening Saratoga Springs. May 7. The Saratoga Springs Authority and the Saratoga Springs Commis- sion have approved a contract with Jewel. Stevens Productions for use of the .Spa theatre between June 15 and Sept. 1, The small theatre, one of the finest equipped strawjiattcrs, •has been dark since the war'. , It originally was Under manage- ment of Hope Lawder, with a resi- dent company and guest , stars. Ted Hammcrstein was operating it at time of closing in 1941. The Spa is situated on the famed Saratoga Springs Reservation, visited by many theatre people. City Investing, Shuberts Tangle On Chi Legher Chicago, May 7. The Shuberts and City Investing Co. of N. Y. are in a tangle here over the Blackstone theatre, .which is skedded to go to the highest bidder on May 28. A week ago the proposed tax sale of the house for $40,220 was being scrutinized by Superior judge Robert E. Crowe, who brought up fact that there was an accumulation of taxes and penalties of $149,512 against the property, up to and including 1940, which would be compromised by the sale. Since 1940, operators Harry Rossnagle and George Rochford, who are theatre treasurers here, and the Shuberts, wKo recently bought a 50% operating interest, have paid taxes approximating $20,000. These taxes and the bid of $40,220, it was claimed by Samuel B. Epstein, counsel for the Select Operating Co:. N. Y..- Shubert subsidiary, represent the "full value of the property," adding that it's usable only as a theatre and that even with almost' constant - use last year it operated at a deficit. Nonetheless, the ops want to buy it. he said. Few days later, however, attorney Lee Samuels, representing CIC, ap- peared before Judge Crowe and said he was ready to bid at least $50,000— $10,000 more than the Shuberts. Rossnagle and Rochford—and "might even go to $150,000." He tendered a certified check for $10,000 to show good faith, and said his clients "de- sire the theatre as a. Chicago out- let." CIC's 'Spite Bid'? Epstein objected, charging it was mechanical checkup, a "spite bid" for refusal of Ross- 1 nagle and Rochford to let CIC in— also that, the move was an effort to make the present ops pay a high redemption price. Judge-Crowe then ordered that the property be re-advertised for sale on May 28, at which time Samuels agreed to start the bidding at a minimum , of $50,000. Decision ended many weeks of L A. Legit Proves Lush Gold Coast; 570G in Till for Summer Advances 'Annie' Gets On the Beam At N.Y.'s Imperial May 16; Show Set for 47G Weekly Thursday, May 16 is set for the Broadway premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Annie Get Your Gun." Musical is currently in Phila- delphia where it was sent when the original N. Y, opening date was set back after a fly loft defect was dis- cerned when the production was be- ing hung at the Imperial two -weeks ago. Required steel beam was de- livered at the theatre late last week and it's stated the gridiron struc- ture will be stronger than when the house was originally built, Pressure on the .boxoffice was re- lieved last week, because the actual opening' date was. not definite and requests for refunds were slight. Up to the time- the advance sale stopped, $120,000 in' cash had been taken in by the treasurer and re- mains virtually intact, it being esti- mated that the . advance sale will mount to $200,000 before the debut. All tickets except those for the first night which are undated must be exchanged, and. patrons who bought in advance have been ad- vised to select dates subsequent to the debut. Fresh agency allotments are being made, those originally' sent out having been returned. "Annie" is predicted to be a ca- pacity draw, house being scaled to gross $47,000 weekly at $0.60 top. After the show opens the matter of shouldering the loss caused by the abrupt postponement will be dis- cussed by the producers and the Shuberts who operate the house. Understood that despite the great grosses drawn in Phila. by "Annie" the date can hardly be profitable because of the expense entailed in sending the show there/bringing it back, with additional backstage costs and salaries and including the I amount chargeable to repairs. Claimed that the weight of the production was exaggerated, scene designer . Jo Mielziner fixing the total 24,000 pounds inclusive of electrical equipment with house rigged to carry 37,000 pounds. How- ver, it appears that equal poundage in counterweights is required^to fly the "Annie"-settings. Designer said that his craft is not impractical, 1 using one sixth of the time in de- vising settings and Ave sixths in Los Angeles, May 7. When pre-eurtain time sales of $570,000 are registered within three days of each other iot two sets of productions, there is hardly any ex- pectancy of a squawk that "Los Angeles is not a good legit town " Yet, with gross records being smashed here for the last three years, some producers are still cry- ing, the blues, even as far away as N. Y. , Tremendous volume of advance sales mentioned above was for the opening of the Civic Light Opera Assn.'s ninth season and the start of Theatre Guild's "Oklahoma." Lat- ter hit the boards at thp Biltmore last night with $225,000 worth of tickets sold for the three-month stand. "Vagabond King" 'took over as the first offering of the Civic at the Philharmonic Friday (3) night and patrons had laid down $345,000 be- fore the curtain rose on the frst of the four shows. With such scores as those for ad- vances, it is. pretty indicative that "the play's the thing"'in L. A: None- of the five productions responsible for such astronomical sums is . laden with star names. On the other hand they have capable perform- ers. This should be an indicaton to. Broadway producers with an eye to Coast runs that good shows will pay off here. 'Harvey's' Cllckeroo Most recent example, of. likely coin was the staging of "Harvey" at the Biltmore. Joe E. Brown headed the second: company and combina- tion of show and name made $18B.- 300 roll into the Biltmore boxof- fice in seven weeks. Standing now as an established community project rather than just a show, Ken Murray's "Blackouts" continue to ramble along at $17,000 per week. True, Murray|s produc- tion isn't straight legit, but It is on the boards in the flesh and has plenty of everything in the way of stage showmanship, including a one- acter, "The Valiant." 'Windy City' to Brave Chi Blasts in Run Next Week • Windy City," the Dick Kollmar musical that was abruptly switched from Philadelphia to Boston for one week to make way for "Annie Get „. OI .„ ,, ...... , Youi ' G "y." and then cancelled De- ^tLSZ <J W f, S be, " e ,roit which was another swift book- sold too cheaply. Slates attorney's ing . jumped over , ne weckend lo office had recommended that it be Chicago, where it Is due to open StatS «m P l 0PS ,',?t JUd6C,{U thc Great Northern Monday U3 pomted out. however, that he was Revision of the musical's mclodra interested only in getting more money for the taxing bodies, adding that Epstein will be held in contempt of court if his $50,000 bid isn't forth- coming as promised. He then instructed that an order be prepared for the resale, and di- rected that Samuels' $10,000 check be placed in escrow with the county treasurer. Epstein, meanwhile, In- dicated that his clients will outbid CIC or any other, competitors. Play current at the theatre is "Stale of the Union." . Inflationary values of Chi real estate, incidentally, are indicated in the fact that full valuation of the theatre for 1945 was fixed by the county assessor recently at $144,000 malic book has been made and the company is rehearsing the new ver- sion. Chi's officials are supposed not to view "Windy's" story with any cordiality because it has to do with that town's seamy side. That may explain why the show's management has embarked on a ra- dio campaign over local stations there, $2,000. to be expended for time up to the time of opening. Jones Bows Out Of Pitt LOUISVILLE MUSICAL STOCK SEASON SET Open air musical stock season for Iroquois Park. Louisville, has been set by Denis Du-For, in phargc of production. Opening July. 1 with New Moon"' the attractions to fol- low arc "Girl Crazy," "Sally," Des- ert Song," "Rosalie" and "Babes in Toyland." " Players engaged include Willie Howard, Gil Lamb, Walter Cnssell, Joan Merrill, Hal Le Roy, Evelyn WycofT, Marita Farrell, Andria Ku- zak, Georgie Tapps, William Sully, Marjorie Bell, Donald Burr, Earl Oxford, Dorothy Kellen, Helen Ray- mond, Virginia Bolen, Tobert.Pitkin, Jackie Blair, John Kane, Robert Eckles. Gail Manners, Swaync Gor- don, Nan Shannon. Howard is slated to appear in a Broadway revival of "Girl Crazy" in the fall. Edward Clarke Lillie will slage the dialog in Louisville, Theodore Adolphus to direct dances, William Parsons is musical director and Rudy Brooks stage manager.. Rollo Wayne is scene designer. Bois 'Polonaise' Award Put On Record For Keeps Pittsburgh. May 7. Allan Jones isn't coming on to . . „ , . °l )cn Pittsburgh's first season of -as against Samuels promise: to b.d summer light opera in "Nauahtv as high as $150,000 and Epstein's Marietta." Singing stai and S vow to outbid him. . City Investing Co. lias loomed in recent seasons in N. Y. as a Shubert, so Jones . _ realty threat, now owning Ove legit I C.C. near Cincinnati at 5 G's'insTead houses in Broadway sector.' Firm recently also purchased RKO, Cin- cinnati, but hot for legit. that week. AHhough opera sponsors never said definitely that Jones was com- ing, they had dropped hints that ho Manrice SchwartzV'Dnieper' ^Z^^jf^; Maurice Schwartz's Yiddish Art .'here. It also got coact-to-coast pub- Theatre will open its 27th season licity when Jimmy Fidler stated in Oct. 21 with dramatization of Zal man Shneotir's novel, "Song of the Dnieper." Schwartz will play the lead. Chicago, May 7. Suil on behalf of Curt Bois and . Actors Equity against Harry Bloom- Operetta On Coin Tiflf'' icld ' pl ° duccl of ''P°<°» aisc -'' 10 have thc recent award of arbitrator Olio Eisenschiml of $2,500 in favor of Bois docketed as a judgment, was filed in U. S. district court here last week. • . By entering it as a judgment in : that court, where il's skedded for hearing Monday (13), award can be ' enforced any place in the U. S. in- case there's any difficulty in culU-d- ing. it was pointed out by Phil Davis, attorney lor Bois and Equity. In other .•words,, it "puts teeth" in the ' award . of American Arbitration ■Assn. here, to which both parties submitted the case. Only way il can be upset is by proving it was se- cured in some illegal manner, and. Bloomfleld's attorney, Arthur Morse, has indicated he'll, seek to appeal it Bois charged he was disregarded ■ in the musical's publicity. ■ agemcnt couldn't get together on dough. He wanted $.>.000, and locals would go only, as high as four grand, is taking Beverly Hills his network broadcast that Jones was coming. Local season opens at Pitt Stadium, whose seating capacity is 8.000, on June 1 with "Marietta."