Variety (Feb 1947)

54 YAUHJBWEIJ WeciEeBday, February 5, 1947 Indie Agents'!® Press for Divorcement Of Agency-Beakers at Next ARA Meet Agitation for divorcement o£ agenting and booking functions of talent agencies is being pressed by indie ■ agents. They feel that situa- tion is reaching thei point where much of their talent can be wooed to the combo offices by the prospects of playing some of the spots and theatres controlled by such offices. Blowoff on the situation is ex- pected to come at the next meeting of the Artists Representatives Assn., date of which is still to be set. "Situation has become especially acute for the indies since the drop in cafe business. With the slack in act employment because" of the slump, their has been a discernible shift in talent affiliations, with the indies reported getting the worst of it. Indie percenters aren't hopeful of getting complete seperation of book- ing and agenting functions, but see the possibility of affecting some re- forms which would permit them to hold on to their acts, as well as set talent into the spots controlled bj> the combo offices. At one time the American Guild of Variety Artists forced a divorce- ment policy oh the agents when AGVA affected its first agreement with ARA. One office, the William Morris agency, had Lawrence Golde give up his headquarters at WM and transfer to the Edward Sherman office. It was also prepared to give up its lucrative cafe booking de- partment, but in a last minute fight by ARA, AGVA dropped that de- mand. The indies' agitation, of late, is especially directed against theatre bookers who have lists of their own. It's contended that a 15bmplete avenue of revenue is being closed to them. They threaten to break the situation through ARA unless vol- untary reforms are Instituted.' Trio of Partners Take Over Crest Room, N. Y. Press agent Frank Law, together with Charles Robinson and Sam Meisler, has taken over the opera- tion of the Crest Room, N. Y. Law previously handled publicity for the spot, while Robinson at one time was general manager of the Brooks Cos- tume Co. and Meisler a hotel'oper- ator. Law's publicity biz is handled by his wife, Betty, and Albert Bay'ne^ Adams, Newark, Tosses Vaude for Pix Policy Adams theatre, Newark, is slate.i to drop its vaude shows around March 13, but will resume talent dis- plays in the fall. Vaude layoff this year is earlier than usual, inasmuch as house has insured a supply of spring and summer pix with a re- cently concluded pact with Univer- sal-International. Until last year, house went dark in May, but last summer, experi- mented with summer showings of major pix. Policy was successful, and with the U-I pact, is closing earlier than usual to go into film policy. BOTH AARONS AGENTING Ruth Hughes Aarons, former singer and who at one time did a table tennis act, has deserted per- former ranks in favor of being an agent. She has joined the Henry Hermann office. Benay Venuta'i Vauders Benay Venuta, musicomedy com- edienne, making her film debut for Eagle-Lion, is due east in mid-May for a week at Loew's State, N.Y., and Capitol, Washington. * A . While in New York, Miss Venuta (Mrs. Armand- Deutsch) will prob- ably shutter her Park ave. apartment —which columnist Earl Wilson may sublease—since their permanent home is in Beverly Hills. Deutsch is president of Story Productions. _ — < Mile. Boyer Solo Act For Cafe Society Uptown, N.Y. Lucienne Boyer, who arrived in New York last week on the S.S. America, will be the sole entertainer at Cafe Society Uptown, N. Y., start- ing Monday (10). It's the first time in the history of the Barney Joseph- son spot that a single performer will carry the show. Mile. Boyer goes in at $2,500 weekly. In permitting Mile. Boyer to be the sole performer on the bill, Jo- sephson is following the trend al- ready established in the cafe ap- pearance of top Gallic! singers. Charles Trene't, who started as part of the floor show at the Embassy, last year, soon became the entire floor show. Jean Sablon occupied the floor exclusively at the Wedg- wood room of the Waldorf-Astoria and the Versailles. COLE DANCERS SET FOR LATIN QUARTER, N. Y. Jack Cole, dance producer at Co- lumbia pictures, • who took a year's leave of absence to go back to terp- ing, has been signed for Lou Walters' Latin Quarter, N. Y., starting March 16. Cole, who comes in with a troupe of eight dancers, is currently playing the Chez Paree, Chicago. He gets $2,500 for his LQ stint. Walters has also signed Eddie Schaefer to hit the spot in April in support of Sophie Tucker. Comic is currently playing the Latin Quarter, Palm Island, Fla. • VILLAGE VANGUARD Personal Mancgemant: ElBERT PERRY NEW YORK NOW (Indefinitely) Direction: MUSIC CORP. OF AMERICA 'Dream Girl' Skedded For Aussie Production E. J. Tait, head exec of J. C. Wil- liamson Theatres, Australia, has bought "Dream Girl" for presenta- tion Down-Under, with final papers tc be signed by his N. Y. agent, Dor- othy Stewart, when drawn up. Tait, who also bought "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Born Yesterday" for Aussie presentation, is leaving today (Wed.) on the Queen Elizabeth for Europe. He'll gander London shows look- ing for buys, and will return to the U. S. March 20. "Annie" is first show on Williamson's 1947 schedule, to preem in Sydney in May. Cast will include U. S. and Aussie players, to avoid conflict with Aussie Equity. Morris Stoller Shifting To Coast Morris Agcy. Morris Stoller, comptroller for the William Morris agency's IT. Y. office, will transfer to the Coast branch March 3, where he'll- take on sim- ilar duties. Stoller was originally slated to make the Coast trip late last year, but several resignations in the accounting department of the N. Y. office delayed the move. Sissle's Talent Agcy. Albany, Feb. 4. Noble Sissle, Negro bandleader, is set to open a talent agency in New York. Sissle has obtained a charter of in- corporation which listed capitaliza- tion at $5,000. Maxim's, N. Y., Expands Maxim's, nabe cafe.in the Bronx. N. Y., long regarded as a developing spot for comics, will resume full week operation Feb. 12. Cafe is cur- rently operating three days weekly starting Fridays. , Opening show under expanded policy jnot yet set. HESZ0GS BACK TO AUSSIE The Herzogs, Australian aero act who have been in the United States since pre-war, have signed to play theatres in their native country. Troupe has been pacted to play the Tivoli circuit starting in May. William Morris agency set the deal with Sam Kramer, Tivoli's U. S. rep. French Ballet Due Paris, Jan. 25. Ballet des Champs-Elysees, pre- miere French dance troupe, is re- ported booked for a New York sea- son in late spring. Arthur Lesser will handle booking. Troupe is headed by ballerina Yvette Chauvire and Roland Petit. ...::::::;i::;:;mm Who hits the top ... singing his own top hitst A stylist whose charm and personality are clicking with audiences from £1 Ranch© Vegas in Las Vegas to the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans»., from Miami and the Lookout House, Covington, Ky., to * the Midwest... on his current route! Feb, 5th — Olympta Theatre, Miami teach Feb. 26th—leekeet Keuso, .Covington, Ky. Saranac Lake By. Happy Benway Saranac Lake, N. Y., Feb. 4. Gang shocked over the passing of Mathea Merryfleld in Stockton, Cal. During her stay at the Rogers she founded the monthly magazine,. "We, The Patien',3," and was its first edi- tor. She also created a fund for the welfare of patients. Birthday greetings are in order to Kitty Bernard, Rose Hanken, James McCarthy, Hugh Carney and Moe Gould. ' Will Rogers Memorial Hospital was again rated among the first three Institutions to meet the ap- proval of the American College of Surgeons, again holding its past reputation as a top sanatorium. Chester Lalis motored in from the Eig-Town to bedside his brother, Bill (Warner Bros.) Lalis, who is doing o.k., and was recently upped for pix. Jack Adams, Montreal booking agent, took time out to mitt some of the gang; ditto for Jack Phil- hps, ex-colonyite, who is angling for a niterv here. Among the strictly in bed ozoners who were upped for pix and visit- ing privileges are Isabelle Rook, Kitty Bernard, William "Whitey" Mathews, The Amazing Mr. Bal- lantine and Laura Sloan. Bruce Bairnsfather did a one- nighter here and took time out to mitt and cheer Up the gang with his timely stories. Among those progressing nicely with the bed routine are Helen Le- Claire Carlson, Eddie Slagus, James McCarthy, Garry Vandermast, Kit- ty Bernard, Margie Regan and Sam Schulman. Rufus Weathers, who graduated from here, back to* work as operator at the Grandview, Louisburg, N. C. Archie Ormsby, musician, who beat the rap here, is working again in a Chicago nitery. He was at one time a member of the musical act, CahUl & Ormsby. (Write to those , who are 111.) bookings MARRY fil©$$ AGENCY Suite 314*316 Hotel Lincoln, New York City Management Counsel COLDFARB, MIRENBURG & VALLON 601 RKO Bldg Radio City * New York, N. Y. . Ted Lewis Files 100G Suit Vs. Hotel Sherman, CM, After Alleged Assault Chicago, Feb. 4. Ted Lewis added a few more dents to his topper last week when he mixed dukes with a Sherman Hotel waiter, resulting in a broken thumb for. which Lewis .is asking $100,000 in a suit filed in Circuit Court here Monday (3). Brief, directed against Hotel Sher- man Corp., and "John Doe," the waiter, charges that Lewis' fists were flying in self-defense as the waiter became rough after being asked to bring a table instead of a tray in serving breakfast. According to George R. Bieber, Lewis' attorney, the waiter started fight-which netted a plaster cast and skinned leg for Lewis, who is currently heading Latin Quarter re- vue here. Reed's N. Y. Nitery Billy Reed, former producer at the Copacabana, N. Y., is set to open his Little Club, Feb. 22 with Doris Day headlining". Spot, located on the site of Radio Frank's, will operate on a continu- ous entertainment policy. DIAMONDS' BRIT. VAUDEBS Diamond Brothers have been signed for British vaude dates to open for Harry Lowe in London around April 11. Comics are re- ported getting 200 pounds weekly. Deal arranged through Al Gross- man. COMEDY PATTER For All trait eke* of Theatriecrit FUN-MASTER GAG FILES Not, 1 thru 22 <g> $1.00 each "BOOK OF BLACK-OUTS" 3 Vols. @ $20.00 Per Vol., er $50.00 for 3 Vol*. "BOOK OF PARODIES" 10 Sock Parodies for $10.00 "HOW TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES" (How to Rn an Emcee) $3.00 Per Con y No C.O.D.'b on any material! If en route, also send permanent address. PAULA SMITH 200 W. 54th St.. New York If. N.Y. HELM and HOWARD 'Corned;' Dance Antics' Currently 365 CLUB, SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. Dir.: MASTS ROSEN STEVE 6WAHS Offering HAPPY TIMES & JOLLY MOMENTS Opening JTeo. 14, KAKI.K. PHII A. DIB.: MATT* UOSKN THEATRICAL ATTORNEY EXPERIENCED Withes to associate with an established theatrical agency for mutual benefit. Sox V 183.11$ W, 42nd St.. N.Y. 18 Renee and Eddie Moot EMBASSY CLUB, NEW YORK Per. Mgt.-MAY JOHNSON ASSOCIATES, Mount Royal Hotel