Variety (Jul 1946)

Wednesday, July SI, 1946 P^RiEfr VAUBEVUXB 49 Adams, Newark, May Drop Yaude Due To AFM Dispute; 1st Week Cancelled Vaude shows may be forced out of the Adams theatre, Newark, next season because of a disagreement with the Newark local of the Ameri- can Federation of Musicians. Adam A Adams, who operates the theatre in conjunction with Paramount, has already had to cancel the opening show set for Aug. 22 and unless agreement is- reached soon house may forego vaude for the rest of the season. Andy Russcli was slated to open the season at the house. Situation is further complicated by the fact that Adams may sell out his interest in the house to Para- mount. In the recent divorcement decree, the Federal court ruled that in cases where the • producing Arm owns less than 95% of a theatre, it must either sell out its interest , or buy up partner's share. Paramount has already made Adams an offer. Should Paramount buy out Adams, it's likely that vaude bookings, if continued, will be made through Harry Levine, Paramount's vaude booker, instead of the Eddie Sher- man office, which currently books for Adums. ' CAFE SOCIETY, N.Y., B.O. JUMPS, HIATUS STAYED Business increase at Cufe. Society Uptown, has caused Barney Joseph- son, operator, to change his mind about closing for one month starting Aug. 5. Cafe will continue with the current show topped by David Brooks. The Sept. 9 display, which was to have been a reopening show, will include Brooks, Patricia Bright, Jack Gilford and Dorothy Jarnec. Grace Drysdale to Wed GI She Met Before War Grace Drysdale, tne puppeteer, who survived the Lisbon Clipper crash in 1941 which killed Roy Rogha'n and Tamara, and injured Jane Froman, will be married Sat- urday (3) in New York to John M. Halchak, a non-pro. Couple were to have been married previously, but Miss Drysdalc's USO-Camp Shows tours in the ETO and Pacific theatres, and. groom's term in the Army, interfered. They met pre- war and were briefly reunited at Metz when she played a show there. Miss Drysdale was one of the most consistent USO-Camp Shows performers and played in virtually every theatre of operations. 150G Cafe Blaze Minneapolis, July 30. President, largest and most elab- orate uptown night club here, was almost completely destroyed last week by a fire that did more than $150,000 damage. BJaze was ■ discovered several hours after the establishment had closed for the night. It will be re- built. . FURLETTE That Maqaottc Porsoaollry WITH HER SONGS AND PIANO Still Singing H«r Way into the KUtrti of H»r Liitantri Into the Fifth Month »t th» HOTIL IELLERIVE Kmmi City. Me. Kansas City's Distinctive Entertainment Spot Thanhs to BARNEY GOODMAN • Dmm Parker, Artist Reffete*t«tive 20) N. Wabash Chkaaa. Ill AMA Expands Route By Adding 6 Members, Brown Named Prexy Arena Managers Assn. will expand routes this year with admission of six new arenas to its membership. At a meeting last week AMA ad- mitted representatives of arenas in Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, Kansas : City and Philadelphia. Latter with- drew from the organization some years ago, but is now back in the fold. With expanded playing time AMA willior the first time route three ice shows. In addition to its own pro- duction, "Ice-Capades" and Ship- stad & Johnson's "Ice Follies," with which it has a working agreement, organization will also pilot: its recent acquisition "Ice-Cycles" which it owns in . partnership with "Ice Fol- lies." Shows next season will be routed so that no town will get more than two blades displays in any one season. AMA at its meeting last week elected Walter Brown, of the Boston Gardens, president, succeeding John T. Harris who declined renomination because of pressure of other duties. Al Sutphin, Cleveland, was named veepee, with Allen Loeb, Chicago, treasurer; Nathan Podoloff, New Haven, secretary, and George Eby, Pittsburgh, asst. treasurer; Palestine Has Talent Surplus Tel Aviv, July 18. Palestine is developing enough talent to export to surrounding countries. The number of perform- ers in the Jewish settlements has grown considerably since German, Austrian and Polish, Jews entered and since the end of the war there's a surplus of talent. During the war 15 cafes and many bars were operating profitably, with soldiers comprising around 90% of the patronage. Under these condi- tions, the Union of Musicians was formed with scales ranging from $30-$80 monthly, with a top salary of $150. Performers received a simi- lar scale. In 1933 only two cafes, one in Tel Aviv and the other in Haifa, were in Palestine. Talent shortage encountered dur- ing the war by the 15 spots then operating was overcome by the op- erator? developing their own acts. Hanns Wollsteiner, an agent, trained an all-girl troupe and ballet when commissioned by GHQ to form ci- vilian concert troupes to entertain soldiers. Once conditions in this country are settled to some degree, many of the war-developed entertainers will work cafe circuits in surrounding territories. CARNIVAL, N.Y., NICKED IN HEALTH DEPT. DRIVE Nicky Blair, operator of the Car- nival, N. Y„ was fined $400 last week, for unsanitary kitchen conditions by N. Y. Health Dept. inspectors. Blair pleaded guilty to 11 violations of the sanitation code. New York City Health Commis- sioner Isreal Weinstein Is currently on a drive to clean up conditions in eateries. Currently more than $8,655 has been levied in fines. COPA, N.Y., IN A SPOT AS WELLES BREEZES WEST With Columbia Pics having sum- moned Orson Welles back to the Coast to begin work on his next feature, the Copacabana, N. Y., is on the spot for a comedian. Boniface Monte Proser, with Welles pacted to go in the club for a month be- ginning Sept. 1, released Peter Lind Hayes as of that date. Now, with Joe E. Lewis not slated to return until Oct. 3, Proser must go out and hunt himself another emcee. Desi Arnaz and his band leave the Copa Aug. 13, but Proser has al- ready inked the Lecuona Cuban Boys from Havana to come in on that date. "Around the World," Welles' legiter currently at the Adelphi. N. Y., closes this week when the actor-producer-director leaves for the Coast. Interstate rune To Celebrate 40th Anni Dallas, July 30. Reverting to the vaude policy of the long ago "two-a-day" era, the Interstate Theatres Circuit has booked a seven-act stage show with Barry Wood and Patsy Kelly as headliners as one of its features to celebrate the 40th anni of the cir- cuit, which has houses In 32 Texas cities. Wood-Kelly show will open Thursday (1) at the Majestic, San Antonio. Other acts are Paul Win- chell, ventriloquist; Neilson Twins, singers; Gautier's "Bricklayers"; the Herzogs, Ave girl aerialists, and Lloyd and Willis, dancers. Spike Jones and his City Slickers will headline another stage revue opening at the Majestic Aug. 8. Group plays the Majestic, San An- tonio, week of Aug. 15 for its only other Texas date. , Karl Hoblitzelle is founder of the circuit and its prez today. R. J. O'Donnell is v.p. and general man- ager of the circuit. Bryant, N. Y., Sold Ben Harriman sold ' the . Bryant Cafe, one of a trio of spots operated i by him in the Broadway district, ' to Lou Rudgers, who, will con- tinue with same policy. * Shows are out for the summer, but will resume around Labor Day, with Billy Jack- son continuing to book the spot. Harriman reportedly unloaded the Bryant to give full attention to his other two spots, Aquarium and Mctropolc, N. Y. Former plays name bands, while other has old-timer vaude show, Jackson books the latter. Squeezed Between Talent Coin Demands and Op Beefs Vs. High Salaries, Agencies Eye % Deals Talent agencies are now seeking percentage deals for performers in cafes as against straight salary deals.; Booking offices, in a squeeze between the continued high salary demands by performers and cafe operators' claims that wages must be lowered if they're to stay in Spa's Piping Rock To Play Carl Brisson, With La Tucker in Reserve Carl Brisson has been signed for the opening show at the Piping Rock, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., start- ing Aug. 2. Bill will- include Pierre D'Angelo and Vanya, Radio Aces, Marty Beck and Ovando bands, Glo- ria Gilbert and a Wally Wanger line. Inn has also set Sophie Tucker for the last nine days of the season, starting Aug. 23. Despite . splurge for high-priced names, the gambling ban is still on. Inn's expenditures represent a bid for patronage coining in only for the racing season.. Spot is operated by Max Sellelte, assistant manager of Lou Walters' Latin Quarter, N. Y. business, are developing the idea to take them out of the dilemma they're in between the two factions. They see percentage deals as the only solution. Agencies claim that percentage pacts are equitable for both fac- tions. .If a performer brings in busi- ness then he's entitled to. upped takes, and the operator will not suffer. On the other hand, it's freely admitted that percentage deals will deflate salaries in many instances. Agents say that a large percentage of acts getting four figures would be reduced sharply if salaries were based on actual draw. Several agencies are currently trying to figure out basis of per- centage deals. They've been query- ing bonlfaces on grosses in an at- tempt to arrive at the overage fig- ures. Final wage basis is likely to be based on half the performer's pres- ent salary with percentages to start at a mutually agreeable gross. Thus far, the few percentage deals made have come out okay. Milton Berle, currently at the Car- nival, N. Y., gets $7,500 plus overage after $42,000. Bert Frohman for the first week at the Club 18, N. Y„ got around $1,750. A few percentage deals were worked out during the midnight curfew of last year, but were called off when conditions re- sumed normalcy. IMOGENE COCA WOULD LIKE TO THANK CHICAGO CRITICS FOR: "Tmogene Cora Is a satirist who really rates the ad- jective, '/sophisticated' that Is hung on too many supper rluli performers. . . . She presents a one-woman ahow that Is out of the supper club entertainment rut and utmost what an excitable cafe reporter might call out - of this world!"—WILLIAM, LEONARD, Chicago Joarnal of Commerce. "Star, and most rightfully Is Imogcne Coca, a whimsical little characier with the most magnificent sense ot the- subtly ridiculous. Imogene Coca panicked me years ago In the Drake and did It again lit the Empire Room. Her -Thirty T^ars of Glamor' Is a priceless bit. Her subtle comedy style'ls a high tribute to her ability." WILL DAVIDSON, Chicago Trlboae. "rinngene Cora's sartorical embellishments .coupled with her superb mimicry brought aoud milts. Her impression uf the ifM glamour girl.merited a spontaneous whack and ninny laughs."—'BILLBOARD. "Mies C^ca . gleans most of the honors with her own rloiuus brand of humor and panicking Imitations. . . ." * HOB LOCKK, Chicago Ban. "Imogens Coca Is the feminine Mar of this cafe adven- ture. Ml** t'ocs- as her own amusing self Is a one girl cavalcade. '—GENfi MORGAN, Dally News. "Miss Coca's Sjj^r^c^ygems sre jla_nd;es._ IE DAWN, HERALD AMERICAN. "Miss Coca easily walks off with the show. Anybody with «jf"olt toy find of a revue In mTnd certainly can't overlook Miss coca."—MIKE, Variety. "Imogens Cqcs, a veteran of the New Tork cafe circuit, but new in Chltijto. |i a versatile young lady." EDDIE DEERFIKLD, Chicago Time*. CURRENTLY* EMPIRE ROOM PALMER HOUSE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS THANKS TO MERRIEL ABBOTT FRED JOYCE PRODUCER PUBLICITY