Variety (Jul 1946)

Wednesday, July 24, 194US Indie Agents in Mounting Beefs Vs. Big Agencies Denial of 5% Although the question of commis- sion splits was supposed to have been ironed , out by action of the American Guild of Variety Artists in allowing a 15% slice on nitery bookings where an exclusive .booker was involved, beefs on that score me mounting considerably. • The complaints are mainly direct- ed against the major talent agencies by independent bookers who declare that the big offices are unwilling 10 give the customary 5% cut to indies having exclusive franchises on cafes. Situation also applies to vaudeville where the major offices frequently insist ' that their name Iricnt go into vauders on a net basis, which eliminates the usual 5% book- ing fee. However, the indies maintain, when the big agencies handle a spot they insist on their booking fee. Example of extreme agency tactics recently came to light when a major New York cafe booked a $5,000 act after a rep of the agency involved «?reed to the 5% split. The agent making the sale gave a memo that 11 would «split commissions, but ex- ecutives in that organization were unwilling to recognize the memo, staling the agent who made the deal would have to shell out the $250 weekly out of his own pocket. The tale booker relented when he didn't want the agent to suffer by his own act.of good faith. . Another example is seen in the case of a nitery just outside New York which is assigned exclusively. 'Xhe spot's booker has been told by the two of the major offices that they'll put the headliners in direct, or else they don't go. Since the nitery needs attractions desperately, names are being booked net. In. the case of vaude bookers, the 5% fee is often dispensed with where headliners are concerned. This has been going on for some time. Some agents point out that these tactics will eventually give AGVA enough ammunition to eliminate Hhc S'/o fee when the union negotiates a new contract with agency organi- zations. The Guild had originally consented to hike allowable commis- sions up to 15% on the ground it would increase acts' employment. Margaret Whiting's Hub Dale Margaret Whiting is slated to play the RKO, Boston, on bill topped by Dick Haymes. Aug. 22. Miss Whiting will play six days of that date because of her Philip Morris broadcast Tuesday. She'll be replaced for that day by Maurice Rocco. COMEDY PATTER For All ■raicfc** of Theatrical* Fan-Master Gag Files Noi. 1 Thra 13 at 91 .OS Each 13 Different Script* far $13.00 A "MUST" fO* MOUNTAIN AND AU OTHfK BfSORT ENTERTAINERS Hot. 14 Thra 20 READY SOON! ($2.00 Each—Double Script*) (Q « Prapald AfWawe Order ON LY) In preparation: "Fnn-Mn»t*r Book of Blurkoutu, SklU & Bit*," aim "Fnn-Maater Humor-dor for Kni««M." $2.00 Dtpoilt ea C.O.D. Orders FOR ALL MATERIAL PAULA SMITH 200 W. Mth Strn-t New -fork City 19. D'Carlo Out as Rep. For 'Miss Pa,' Contests in A.C. Atlantic City, July 23. Franchise for the "Miss Pennsyl- vania" contest in the Atlantic City beauty pageant has lifted from. Don D'Carlo, Pittsburgh agent, who has sponsored contests since 1939, and has been given to the Wellsborbugh (Pa.) Chamber of Commerce. Lenore Slaughter, Pageant direc- tress, in announcing revocation of franchise (20), declared that she and Pageant officials are hot satisfied with the calibre of girls sent here to represent the Keystone state through the medium of D'Carlo. Soph's May Cue Spa Gaining Situation at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., is still in state of flux, but op- erators are showing optimism by in- quiring about names. So far only one top performer has been booked. Sophie Tucker has been set at $4,500 weekly at the Piping Rock, operated by Max Sellette, assistant manager of the Latin Quarter, N. Y. She'll work for nine days starting Aug. 23. Feeling here is that even if gamb- ling isn't okay for this season, spot has a bigger chance of snagging the racetrack crowd with a marquee lure^ Spot is going after other names and dicker is on for Willie Howard for one of the dates. Other spots in the area will run this season without heavy talent budgets if gaining okay isn't forth- coming. Chi Dip Lifts $600 'RascalV Payroll From Pint-Size Johnny Poleo . Chicago. July 23. Johnny Puleo, 4-foot 5-inch midget hannonicist featured with the Bor- rali Minevitch Rascals at the Latin Quarter here, had a $600 payroll lifted out of his hip pocket last week, as a result of which Chi police are combing the brush for a pick- pocket about Puleo's size. They can't figure out how a normal-sized dip could get away with it. Puleo told the cops he and his wife picked up the troupe's weekly wages,wired him by Minevitch from Hollywood;, at a Western Union of- fice in the Loop, and he gave her his salary, putting the remaining $600 in his wallet. Then they went to an ice cream parlor,, but it was crowd- ed, so they settled for iced tea in a Thompson's restaurant. It was there that he missed the wallet. Pair retraced their steps, finally winding up at the Western Union office to check if it had a record of the serial numbers of the bills, then reporting the loss (o the cops. Also, called Minevitch, who sent on an- other $600 to pay the six guys who support Puleo in the act. Guys, in- cidentally, organized a searching party in the Loop that afternoon, but to no avail, and Puleo is out the $600. VAUDEVILLE 89 Joan Roberts' Nitery Bow at Plaza, N. Y. Joan Roberts, recently in the legiter "Are You With It?" will make her nitery bow at the Persian room of the Plaza hotel, N. Y.. July 31, succeeding current run of Rosario and Antonia. She's slated to receive $1,750 weekly, plus 20% of the gross be- yond $16,000. Jackie Miles set for the Riocabana, Chicago. Sept. 6. ♦ ♦♦ ■ ♦♦♦♦♦■*♦♦♦♦♦■»-! IP ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦tt»«»»»» >♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ' ♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦ PANTOMIMIC COMEDIAN JESS RENNA Currently at ROXY, New York SEASONS 1942-M3 and '44 OLSEN and JOHNSON SEASON 1945-'4i "SKATING VANITIES" ♦ M » ♦ ♦»♦♦♦ M ♦♦♦•♦♦♦«♦♦ < ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ M ♦ ♦ » i M »tt! ' Copa Starts Ball Rolling to Slice Lesser Act Coin Nitery salaries are expected to lake a terrific tumble if action of Monte Proser, operator of the Copa- cabana, N.Y., is any criterion. Proser last week notified agencies that he's limiting salaries of supporting acts and will not pay more than $350 for dance-teams and $125-$150 will be tops for song arid/or dance singles., His wage-limit edict applies only to turns oh the lower end of the bill, since headliners will still be able to demand and get top coin. Proser's edict is, as yet, an indi- vidual action, but there's little doubt that his lead will be followed by other bonifaces throughout the country. The cafe owners declare that the industry today cannot sup- port wartime salaries on present day takes which in many cases, are 50% below wartime peaks. Proser, along with other cafe own- ers, declares that the type turns that he's limiting salaries cannot carry higher coin because of the fact that they have no box-office draught. Consequently he feels that $350 should be enough for a dance team whose sole function is to round out a show. His ukase wouldn't apply to top terp twains such as the De Marcos, Veloz^and Yolanda, Raye and Naldi, and others, since their rep draws a certain amount of trade, but only to the run of the mill dancers. As for production singers and dancers, he feels that $150 is ample compensation. Proser's action is indicative of the feeling among most bonifaces. Most striking example is evidenced in Flor- ida where majority of operators next season, will attempt ^to buy one headlincr. and pay short dough for surrounding acts. Another example is to be seen in Philadelphia where the Latin Casino, which last season used names, will attempt 'the run with middle-priced talent. Need for lower salaries has been evident to operators since business started to dip several months 'ago. However, talent prices have been buoyed up by competition and shortage of usable talent. TERP TWAIN'S BOFF 210G ON CONCERT TOUR Veloz and Yolanda in a recently completed conceit tour grossed $210,000 in 74 performances. High- est takes were registered on dates at Ihe Civic Opera House, Chicago, which took $14,600 in two shows; two displays at the Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles, which registered with $13,350. and a show at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House for $5,990. < As a result of profitable take, terp-leam will make two tours next season. They'll play a 12-week sea- son starting Jan. 6 in Portland, Ore., playing north and middlewest, and a second jaunt through the east and south opening Oct. 6. Artists Reps Assn. Set Meet in Sand Trap . New York agents will inaugurate an annual golf tourney next month under auspices of the Artists Rep- resentatives Assn. So far. all that's definite is that il will be run off at the Hampshire Country Club in Mamaroneck, N. Y; Bill Kent, who is the ARA prez when he isn't hooking a ball out of the traps at Hampshire, his home club, heads the committee in charge of arrangements, along with Meyer North, Nat Kalcheinv and Charlie Yates. They will meet this week, CAROLE LAHDIS' VAUDERS Carole Landis is set for the Earle, Philadelphia, Aug. 16, with other vaude dates to follow. little Chance for Added Vaude This Fall, Say Bookers, for Many Reasons Roxy Dickers Hildegarde And 'Can You Top This?' The Roxy, N. Y., is dickering with two radio names for late-sum- mer or early fall, dates. One is the "Can You Top This?" package owned by "Senator" Ed Ford, comprising himself, Joe Laurie, Jr., Harry Hershfield, Peter Donald, Roger Bower, etc.. The other is Hil- degarde and her Penguin Room troupe (Patsy Kelly, 'Jan Murray. Harry Sosnik, et al.) Hildegarde has shifted to the Mark Hopkins hotel, San Francisco, for four' weeks opening July 30. Originally booked for two weeks .the hostelry found pre-opening demands so big it doubled the minimum stay. Only If Known Can U Roll'Em in A C. Atlantic City, July 23. Atlantic City cafe operators who are operating the back rooms with the green-felt tables, will play it safe for majority of the season by admitting only those who are known to the management. Decision followed a visit by the county prosecutor to the offices of Supreme Court Justice William A. Wachenfield in Newark, and as soon as word of the confab became known, nine spots jn operation since July 4, admitted"familiar faces only. Since Monday's (22) opening of the Atlantic City track, crowds ask- ing for admission to the casinos have been considerable. Although police visited some joints, gaming equipment was not destroyed. Operators were warned to get rid of the playthings. Fact that equipment wasn't seized indi- cates that operation will be okay if it's quiet. 7* Despite nationwide b.o. slump, booking offices see no prospect of opening new vaude time this fall, because of the persistent shortage of attractions that will mean any- thing at the cashiers' wickets. There are, however, possibilities that some new houses may buy live shows on a spot basis, but there will be no appreciable increase in consistent full week houses unless more talent becomes available by that time. Bookers declare that most bands and names offered today have passed their b.o. peaks in previous appearances, and consequently most operators prefer not to take a chance on opening vaude time. « Under present price setup, the chance is too hazardous, they de-. clare. With most top orchs offered at guarantee and overages, house chances taking a financial beating. Example of bookers' feelings on ' this matter is seen more by the fact that until now, no plans have been made for weekly shows at the Pal- ace theatres in Cleveland and Co- lumbus.' On many band packages, these houses have taken huge losses, and currently RKO, which operates these houses, prefers to book the spots only when worthwhile attrac- tions present themselves. Feeling of holding back on vaude persists despite the fact that grosses have dropped all over the country, and house operators'need some form of b.o. hypo. Many are still reluc- tant to start up stage shows because it's often a risky proposition, and others are reluctant to start because of high initial overhead demanded by the various unions. Dan Healy's Own Nitery On Site of Old Healy's (No Relative) Glades Deal was finally set this week whereby Dan Healy,_ vaude and nitery comedian, takes over north- west corner of 66th St. and Columbus ave., N. Y., former site of the late Thomas Healy's Golden Glades, for a new nitery lo be known as Dan Healy's Coiner. Lease is for five years with renewal option. Associated with Healy in . the venture are L'loyd Ganger, Harry Rabinovich and Jerry Baker, nitery singer. Place will undergo complete facelifting and is expected to be ready for opening in October, if not sooner. Healy will head his own floorshow. which will be intimate type entertainment. AMA Reelects Allenberg Hollywood, July 23. Artists Managers Guild at its an- nual meeting elected Bert • Allen- berg to succeed himself as president. Other officers are Frank Vincent, first vecpee; Danny Winkler, second veepee; Alan J. Miller, secretary; and Harry Friedman, treasurer. ^^^^ ^ Hal Fisher Itlr.i WILLIAM MOBRI8 AOENCI New York - Chicago - Hollywood <8 Iflaneus LOEW BOOKING AGE N C Y oiNiMi txtcunyt orncii LOEW BUILDINO ANNEX I W. 44* h., N. Y. C • My** t-7M0 41 L ****** KAYS ***Atv