Variety (Mar 1948)

Wednesday, March 8, 1948 VAVPEVILLB 4S Aussie Welcomes Yank and Other Foreign Acts Sydney; March 2. With Aussie Actors Equity ready to play ball by easinfi bans on for- eign talent, Down Under' is due for a tremendous upbeat in flesh enter- tainment. That's the opinion ex- pressed by David Martin, head of the powerful Tivoli circuit here>, before he planed to the U. S. Sun- day (29) on a talent-buying junket. Equity has seen the light, he daiiMed, as the result of his long campaign to show the organization that If vaude is to survive here more outside acts must be permit ted to enter the coifn try. : Martin's American itinerary calls tor stops in Los Angeles and New York. He's slated to arrive on the eoast tomorrow (Wed.) and is due jii Gotham Sunday (7) for a two- weelc stay there. In view of Equity's more liberal attitude, the Tivoli chief has already booked Cathy Barr, Metro actress, for a swing on the circuit as well as Norman LaU' ranee, and Sonya Yarn for'the mu- sical, VMarinka," which is scheduled to preem' in -Melbourne' April 24, • French revue, "Vive %» Venus," will also be brought in foy Martin, with, much of its company compris- ing talent from the Casino de Paris. Other acts booked for "Venus" are Koba jSc Kalee from Ken Murray's "Blackouts"; Henri Vadden and Girls, Dick Burns, Bob Parrish and the Schallers. Martin is hopeful of signing ^Chico Marx for this show. Lovely Lady of Song JANE JOHNSON Conyentioners Give A.C. Best Winter Season in Yrs. Atlantic City, March 2. A total of 1,435,254 persons at- tended 971 gatherings of various kinds last year in cityi»owned Con- vention hall. Influx. of visitors helped local amusements and nitery biz plenty. Thirty-one conventions -were held, drawing an average attendance, of 1,476 for each event. Other events included 129 shows and entertainments, 80 athletic events such as ice hockey, skating, boxing and other sports, two dances and ;681 -meetings, banquets and similar affairs. These facts were in a report com- piled by the Hall's managerj Phillip E. M. Thompson, and submitted to Mayor Altman last week. The HaU has 71 permanent em- ployes, more than 1,400 others be- ing hired on a part-time basis to help set up and tear down exhibits and keep the various shows in operation. The payroll for the year exceeded $430,000, but Thompson said rnudi of this was returned in the form of reimbursements from exhibitors who utilized the extra services. "We had almost twice as much business last year as during the pre- war years," said Thompson. "Pros* pects for this year are even better," he added. . . : John Harris' "Ice-Capades" will again tenant the main auditorium during July and August. David Lowe is also expected to bring back legitimate shows in the ballroom. B. W. Chi FB Boss Chicago, March 2. Frederick Bros.' agency, which lost its last Chi band booker, Lang Thompson, to Associated Booking last week, is not contemplating a replacement at present B; W. Fred- erick and Herb Pauley, who heads the nBdwestern operation, will take charge of the department. Pauley explained that they feel no immediate need for another staffer. Fredericb Sfice N. Y. Agency Staff To One Rep, Kettering Back to Chi STEEL PIER, A.C., TO SET WEEKEND SHOWS The Steel Pier, Atlantic City, will resume talent for the Easter Sunday weekend March 27 with a display headed by Georgia Gibbs. Shows will continue weekends until mid- June, when full weeks resume. Names and name band policy will continue; Steel Pier, operated by George Hamid, is expected to be the only •vaudeville opiration in the resort. Hamid, who also owns the compet- ing Million Dollar pier, expects to confine shows to the Steel Pier. America'a ForentQat JMfarimbiat GEORGE I GUEST •Mmonnl Management: ROBBKT GOE ASSOCIATKB S6e Mndi«nii Ave.. Kew Vork VA. B-S417 Performers Petitioning Repeal of 20^ Tax A movement for **repeal or re- duction of the 20% amusement tax has been started among performers. Petitions urging lowering of the tax has been started by Miriam Scabpld dancer current at the'Casa Seville, Franklin Square, L. I.y who is seek- ing popular support for this move- ment in the entertainment industry as well as the public at large! - Miss Seabold contends that jobs of many entertainers are jeopardized by the 20% tax, and is urging that support be given a bill introduced by Rep.'Mac Donald, (Cal.) which iseeks to reduce the impost to the prewar 5%. Shelvey Faces Ga. Extradition Hearing in Pa. Matt Shelvey, deposed national administrator of the American Guild of Variety Artists, faces an extradi- tion hearing today (Wed.) before Pennsylvania's Governor Duff at Harrisburg. Shelvey was appre- hended last week in Philadelphia by Georgia authorities on charges of fraudulent conversion of $20;000 al- 'legedly donated by the Henyy Grady hotel, Atlantaj to the AGVA welfare fund. Shelvey will fight extradition on the grounds of personal illneis.s, and will plead innocent to the charges. Arthur W. A. Cowan, Shelvey's at- torney, sought a postponement of the hearing; being slated to speak at, a Miami Beach meeting of the Shel- vey faction of AGVA, today (Wed.). Request was denied. Arthur Kaye, who was indicted along with Shelvey on the same count, surrendered several weeks agO; and is now out on $,9,000 bail. Meanwhile, the AGVA national committee, placed in charge of AGVA affairs by the As.sociated Ac- tors and Artistes of America, is cleaning out remnants of the Shelvey faction among the branch heads in various .cities. Latest to be dismissed is J. H. Thatcher, Jr., branch head in New Orleans, Who was replaced by B6n White, formerly AGVA's Phoe- nix rep. AGVA last.week fired Fred Dale, head of the Boston office, and assigned Emll Lowe to head the Hub office. Dale refused to surrender AGVA quarters to Lowe, and latter constsquently opened new offices. Shelvey Calls Convention Philadelphia, March 2. Matt Shelvey, embattled national director of the National Guild of Variety Artists, last week issued a call for a "national convention" ol the Union to be held for three days starting April 30 in the Hotel Sher- man, Chicago. Charging that a convention sched- uled by the 4 A's in New York on May 7 was "rigged to elect 4A' stooges," Shelvey declared that a Series of "educational meetings" would be held in branches to prepare for the Chicago parley. Shelvey, viho is still ill in his Ventnor, N. J., home, dispatched his attorney, Arthur W. A. Cowan, to make a tour of eastern branches to line UP the membership. Cowan's Urst educatiohal meeting was in Boston on Friday (27). To- morrow (Wed) he's set to huddle with AGVA members in Miami. Dates for other meetings are: Baltimore, March 5; Chicago, March 10; Detroit, March 8; New Orleansj March 10; Philadelphia, March 10; Cincinnati, March 12; Cleveland, March 11; Pittsburgh, March 17; and New York, March 23. Meetings are also scheduled for San Francisco, Hollywood, Dallas, and Buffalo, with dates not yet set. 'In his wire to branch officials, Shelvey said that Chicago was the "only legal place" to hold the con- vention as explicitly provided in the contract of Nov. 29, 1946." George White to Produce 'Scandals' as Nitery Show ^ Hollywood, March 2. In a move away from diminishing headliner bills, the Florentine Gar- dens here goes theatre-restaurant on May 5. 'Going into competition with Earl Carroll's, the spot will present "George White's Scandals." Return- ing to show biz. White will recreate his famed "Scandals'' for the. first time in a nitery and for the first time in several years. His previous try was with theatre units. ■ Deal was worked by Federal Artists Corp., for White to put on an extravaganza involving some 50 people, full-scale production being estimated to cost $50,000 initially, with a $19,000 weekly nut. White will get a guarantee and a reported 30% over $25,000 gross, with a pos- sibility of netting himself $200,000 on the year. He'll line up old aides to help produce, also former talent. Spot's standard $2.40 admish will remain except for the opening night which will probably be pegged at $20 per head. Former Philly Rep Blames Nat'l AGVA In 'Vanities Stranding Philadelphia, March 2, The $63,637 damage suit filed against him last week by 12 per- formers of the closed 1947 edition of "Earl Carroll's Vanities" is "an- other attempt of leaders of the na- tional and international union to discredit Local 6, American Oliild of Variety Artists, Richard Jones, Local 6 executive secretary, charged here. 'Failure of the cast to receive its back pay," Jones added, "is due to the willful and delinquent negli- gence Of the Four A's and the so- called director of AGVA, Matt Shel- vey." The suit, filed in U. S. District Court here, charges Jones failed to help the. performers collect thcjr back pay or provide transportation to the west coast when the show folded at the Earle theatre on Jan. 23, 1947. Jones Claimed the performers had been owed money from the time the show left the Coast in October, 1946, until it arrived here. He charged national AGVA with failing to ob- tain proper bond for the troupe and denied he failed to buy them their fare back to the Cot)st. He said he collected $2,536.96 for that pvirpose. + Frederick Bros, agency in New York, will dwindle to a one man operation. This office, several years ago, among the busiest talent outfits, underwent several changes this week, with Tom Kettering, head of the N. Y. division transferred to Chi- cago, Jimmy Dundedin, of the vaude dept., and Fred Stengel of the radio dept. were let out. Kettering, who will .spend one-tweek a month in N.Y., will put in an agent to: handle , the cocktail business^ and has dele- : gated the accounting firm-of Kast- riner & Harris to take care of bach ■ collectiotis. The FB operations in Chicago and Holly wood are not" affected. The FB near foldo In New York comes as a climax to several years of internal difficulties. The office was at its peak of activity when Charlie Yates (now with Associated Booking " Agency) headed its talent operation.s. As a result ot a disagreement in ofr fice policy, Yates abrogated<i>a 10 year contract, and a costly court suit failed to bring him back. Others that left around that time included Jerry Rosen, now an indie vaude and nitery agent; Joe Marsolais, cocktail dept. head; and the bulk of its radio dept. Later resignations included Jack Edwards, now with Music Corp. of America, and Jack Kalch^m, heading l^is own talent agency. It's estimated that mpre than $100,- 000 was invested in this FB attempt to penetrate the eastern talent mar'-' ket. Prior to its national expansion ' move, FB was regarded as the fourth • largest talent office in the U.S.'being a step behind MCA, William Morris and General Artists Corp. Virtual closing of the N.Y. office puts it plenty notches behind. Beatrice Kay has been signed for a May date at the Harem, N. V. PHIL REGAN CWrtHily STATE LAKE THEATRE CHICA«6. lUlMOIS Professional Photc JOHN I N HOLLYW Cleve. RKO's 1-Day Vaude Bills After 15-Yr. Hiatus Cleveland, March 2, Vaudeville is being resumed at the RKO-Keith's after a 15-year hiatus, on a one-show-per-week basis as an experiment beginning March 10. Initial stage bills are to be wrapped around, weekjy winners of Sidney Andron's "Auditions Ambi- tious" radio tryouts, aired by WGAR, with four other acts and a pit or- chestra augmenting them. Shows may be expanded to split-week size,- according to Max Mink, RKO division manager here^ if idea clicks. ■ are considered by the trade When on the coc JOHN E. RE 6633 SUNSET HOLLYWOOD, HARRY A. ROMM 38 E 57'*^ 5' N-.---.' '^ork N Y