Variety (Dec 1947)

*fr«^e«d«yi Decemlwr 8, 1947 VAUBBVUAB Gncy Joining Araia Grcnit Cincinnati, Dec. 2. Clncy joins the arena circuit in the spring of 1649 with opening ot a modern 15,000-seat sports and indoor show garden, worlt on which gets under way this week. Project»is baclced by a closed group, Cincinnati Gardens, Inc., headed by Charles lawyer, local financier and XT. S. Ambassador to Belgium after World War II, with associates including the Jacobs. Bros., linked with Sonja Henie's ice shows. / Enterprise has a franchise in the American Hockey League. Frank £elke, now manager of the Montreal Canadiens hookey team, has been •igncd as general manager of the arena and hockey team. Site for the arena is a 36-acre tract on Seymour avenue near Langdon Farm road, a suburban locality near the center of Cincy population. Wanger Vice Walters As Produeer at N.Y. Harem Wally Wanger has been named production manager of the Harem, N. Y, He'll assume production chores formerly handled by Lou Walters, former co-owner of the Harem with Nat Harris, who stepped out in order to devote full time to the Latin Quarter, N. Y. The Harem has booked the Chan- dra Kaly dancers smarting Jan. 2S io succeed the Jack Cole dancers. ■mi Martha, Bnye'c rMUy Bxte Martha Raye has been signed for the Latin Casino. Philadelphia, for • February date. STOOGES ■ ■ ■ CMnrMlW ADAMS THEATRE ^ M«wark.N«wJ«rwy HARRY A. ROMM HARRY A. ROMM FLORENCE WHITE The Risque Frisky t2lid WMk Mwmaid Room Park Central Hotel, New York JANE DOUGLASS at the Piano REELECT ZWICKER PREZ OF PHILLY AGENTS ASSN. Philadelphia, Sec. 2. Edward C. Zwicljer, veteran booker, has been reelected prexy of the Entertainment Managers Asso- ciation of Pennsylvaniai Other of- ficers are James V. Loughran, vee- pee; Harry J. Bitter, second veepee; Joel Charles, secretary-treasurer, Elected to one-year terms on the board of directors were Earl J. Ball, Eddie Mack, Fred Siegler and James Smith. New members admitted were Lou Schleifer, Julian Hall, Harry Dobbs, Iggie Rait and Bill Jaffe. St. Louis Daily Urges Nets lis'Must' For Aerial Acts St. Louis, Dec. %. The St. Louis Star-Times last week instituted a campaign to urge circus owners to^ abandon the cur- rent practice of permitting high acts to perform without nets. Editorial, written by Kenneth D. Tooill, editor of the editorial page, urged John Ringling North, new/ president of Ringling Bros. :& Barnum Bailey , cir cus to take the lead in this direction on the, theory that other big-top owners will follow, Star-Times' strategy in this in- stance is to get North to either ac- cept or reject the suggestion, in either case, North's action'will be sent out as a news-story on the four major news -service, wires. ■ ■ The editorial labeled "Back to Nero" cites the recent fatality record of aerial acts in jcircuses, 'and de- clares that "a Nero.complex seems to have seized circus moguls during the past decade that is not reflected' in public demand." The editorial, continues, "John Ringling North is cited as the logical man to bring about an immediate' re- formation of this growing tendency to provide blood and death with cir- cuses because he is the biggest per- sonality in the business. It is strange he has not given consideration' to the fact that - circus audiences are comprised largely of ' gentle folk, parents and children mostly, who com$ to the big: tops to laugh and be made happy. To serve them tragedy is heinous." For Industrial Expo. Atlantic City, Dec. 2. . HamiCs Million Dollar Pier will become headquarters for the Inter- national Industrial Exposition next summer. It will operate under the super- vision of Dr. ' H. W. Waters, who will act as its president and general manager. Dates fixed in present plans call for an opening on June 26 with the exposition to continue until Sept. 11. Crystal Terrace, St. Loo, Well Set on Bookings St. Louis, Dec. 2. The Crystal Terrace of the Park Plaza hoteli is continuing with' a heavy battery of name talent. Among the performers lined up'for the spot are Florence Desmond, starting Dec. 31; Jane PickenSi Jan: :23; Lanny Ross, Feb. 13; Phil. Regan, March 19 and Liberace, April' 9.. . THE INK SPOTS Optning Dac. 1 TOWN CASINO BUFFALO, N. Y. Mgt.-UNIVERSAL AnRACTIONS S65 Fifth Avcnu*. N«w Yait Shelvey Fired ^BB Continued from page 4S ' " I secretary of the Screen Actors Guild; George Heller, exec sec' 'of American: Federat'ion of R a d i o Artists, and. Dewey Barto, AGVA rep, took: the position that since Shelvey was relieved of all duties when.he was granted sick leave, any orders he issued were illegal. It also was felt by the AGVA committee that many directives sent to AGVA's field representatives were designed to "sabotage" the work of the national committee. The full 4A's board meeting substantiated the findings of the committee, Dullzell Wires Diseharge After Monday's meeting, Paul DuUzell, 4A's president, sent out a telegram to all AGVA field offices notifying them of Shelvey's dis- charge. Telegram stated that "de spite representations to the 4A'Si Shelvey immediately . and deliber ately proceeded to hamper and sabotage the efforts of the commit- tee by issuing unauthorised direc tives and orders and flaunted the authority of the committee and of the 4A's. Acting upon facts before it, which substantiated the above .matters, and recognizing the respon sibility before jt, Mr; Shelvey was this day discharged by the 4A's board." -Wire was also sent to Shel vey notifying him of )iis discharge. The 4A's board also decided to postpone for a few months the forth- coming convention which Shelvey lined up for Chicago week of Jan. 12. Action was taken to'-fully con- sider the requests made by the AGVA program committee which petitioned for a .change-of meeting site to New York, and which asked for a change in convention voting procedure outlined, by Shelvey, Until a new AGVA national ad- ministrator is appointed by the 4A's all AGVA affairs- will be handled by the committee appointed by the parent talent union. ; The JShelvey firing marks another chapter in the stormy history of AGVA. The present imion w&s or- ganized in 1939, when the 4A's re- voked the charter of the old Ameri- can Federidion of Actors, The first; e:kecutive trecretary was Maida Reade, followed \ty Mildred Rotlr, Jean Miiir, Hoyt S. Haddocit, Gerald Griffin, Tom Phillips and, finally, Shelvey in 1942. Shelvey^ started with 'AGVA as an organizer, in San Francisco, later became Miami rep. and was put in as national head shortly thereafter. Shelvey, when contracted, de- clared he had iiot yet received notifi- cation of the 4 M's action, and there- fore would not comment. Saranac Lake v • By ttajppy Benwajr Saranac Lake, N: Y., Dec;'2. We The Patients" gave a shower and party, to Esther Morrisette (Mrs. Victor Gamba) ai the lodges Among , those, who helped-to make the affair , a success yrere John Bink-; ley, Garry Vandermast, Jim Wilden- thaler and Tom Curry. Betty (Par) Blessing, former sec'y of Dr. Edgar Mayer, checked out of the infirmary and is now get- ting acquainted with the UP depart- ment, a nifty comeback. ' Walter Hoban, who mastered three stages of the thoracoplasty opera- tion, upped, and: appointed down- town shopper. H. D. "Hank" Hearn, former pa- tient here, now manager of Exhib- itors Service, Charlotte^ N. C. Mary Mason elated, over good clinic reports, which Upg ber for; meals and pix. , Annual Harvest Hop given by' the Study and Craft Guild topped' all previous affairs. Eddie Vogt emceed and Meribah Goodwin and Ernie La- Rouche's orch headed entertainment program. Helen Pelechowicz mastered tho- racoplasty operation, and recuping at.the Rogers. Eddie Vogt directing play for the Trudeau dramatic club and a min- strel for the Lion's club. >, . Forrest Glenn taking course in leather tooling at the Study & Craft Guild. (Write te thoie.who.aie ill.) Pitt. NHeries ShulHiiig Owners; Some Reopen to Snare HoMiy Trade Pittsburgh, Dee. 2. Night club picture around here has-been shifting so rapidly in the last few weeks it would take a CPA to keep track of the score. Num^ ber of spots have changed hands recently, others are folding and still others are planning to reopen after extended shutdowns. Town's most spectacular white elephant, the $250,000 Belvedere, which was a- bust from the getaway, iras recently disposed of by owner Henry Lewis to a Cleveland syndi- cate,, which has just cleared up an old indebtedness with American Guild' of Variety Artists and an- nounces it'll resume floor shows shortly. . Len Litman, who bought USO-Camp Shows Sounds Taps in die Far East With Combined Show in Tokyo ToKyo, Nov. 21. USO-Camp Shows folded its over- seas operations here Saturday (15) with a final two-hour blowoff show that combined the last two units re- maining here. Finale was staged at the Ernie Pyle theatre, No. 1 show- house of the Far East, and Brig. Gen. W. A. Beiderlinden, of General Mac- Arthur's headquarters, gave the in- troductory remarks to the windup. Members'Of Units 960 and 970^ which took the final bows, included: Unit 960: Joyce Mowery, Jerry Wallace, Betty White, Louis Carroll, Al Verdi,- Ruth Petty, Doris Padgett, Nino Ghezzi, Charlie Lelghton, Ar- lene Weisend, Helen Carter, Helene Wohl and Tommie LaRose. Unit 970: Archie and Rose Rob- bins, William Glass, Mary Witty," Billy/ Partridge, Rollie Fonzal, Tommy Trent, Victor Dejiter,. Max- ine krivit, Al and Art Fonzal, Sandy Grants. Gae Gallo and Ronnie Caw- ley. Lt.-Col. Justin G.> Doyle", who is now director of the Army's recrea- tional service in GHQ's Special Services Section, helped stage the concluding show. He was the bf- iieer-in-charge of the first USD unit to head overseag.^the cine that in November, 1941, trekked a 13,900- mile trail. through: the Caribbean from Puerto Rico to British Guiana. It included Jane Pickins, Mitzi May- fair, Benay'Venuta, Ray Bolger,.Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, John Garfield and Louis Paluski. . The jEormer.^aijiie" team of Bjfrnes & Swanson was also on hand for the Tokyo tribute, Don Byrnes served as field director for USO shows in the Far East Command, and former partner Alice Swanson served as his office executive. Mercur Musitf Bar from Mercia Brothers few years ago, last^week sold out to Harry Fox and Al Sursette while Lou Abrams has dis- posed of Lu Marba (the old Villa Madrid) to an undisclosed buyer. Operators of Hollywood Show Bar, faced with possible eviction at the expiration of their lease, have purchased the building which houses nitery for $100,000 and after trying for seven months, Morris Deakter has folded his classy Beverly Hilla Club, whfch he built up last spring from, an old hotel at a cost of $150,000. Deakter went in for big name shows at the beginning" but dropped them after a short time for just music and dancing, but place hasn't been doing anything. Couple of prospective buyers backed out at last minute, hence Deakter's deel' sion to close spot. The Bachelor club dropped its show policy last week, but there's the possibility they'll be back around February. Spot has been' using names on a flve-day-a-week basis, Piermont Stays as Booker Of Vet Hospital Shows Ben Piermont will remain as exec- utive booking , manager when U;§0 Camp Shows changes to the Vetaans Hospital Camp Shows, on Jan. 1. Bert WishneW will continue to assist Piermont. The new organization will .continue to.' provide entertainment to hos- pitalized vets. E D D Y "HeUttz of th« harfflonica." . CurrmHy. CONCERtlZiN<lb Margery WallM at tha Piano Mgt.: Itn Upitt M A N S N Valdes Into La Martinique, N. Y. Miguelito Valdes Orch has been signed for La Martinique, N. Y.^ stairting next Thursday (11) re- placing the Lecuona Cuban boys. Ralph Font band holds over. LAUREnEandCLYMAS •fDANCUMOmilTS" JACK OAVIES . PHil TYREU Ntw Yorli.'-Chicago Available for Foreign Booking JoiiHory 1, 1948 America's Most Distinctive Line DOROTHY DOBBEirS 12 Fdrtious Boulevard^rs Direct frotti a SMtatieinpl 3-Y«ar iR9«i9«ni*nt af tht STEVENS Hottl. CMeogOi llliRofs Direction RAY LYTE mIBmenx HOGAN4YTE. Inc. tea ir< WABASH'AVE., CHICAGO li ll>£. . ' JOAQUIN GARAY-GURRENTLY^Havana Madrid fPRONOUNCED WAUKEEN GAH-RAY) NEW yORK eiTY ". . . Joaquin Garay can sing, and is one of the finest entertainers I've ever seen—^vibrant, bubbling yrith person- ality and a terrific salesman. He's what New York hoe cried for." —lEE JMORTIMER, Doily IMirrer^ Olncllm: