Variety (Mar 1948)

Vrtay eaday, Magch 81, 194S Pianist Held, on Murder Rap in Death of Singer Toronto, March 30. With death of his singing part- ner, ■ Mrs. Margaret (Micltey) Meredith, 23, Leslie Davidson has now been charged with murder instead of manslaughter. The 29-year-old piano accom- panist to the "former torch singer, allegedly shot her in the City Grill after she made, a phone call and refused to tell him whom she had spoken to. Davidson was ar- rested later in the evening while playing piano in the Blm Grove Club here. Reade Cyn Sets l-Ni Surrey Shows Biz Off 28% in Hotd Ifitary Rooms Due to 20% Tax Bite Chteago, March 30. "♦■ '. ' *—^— '"-^ nWo K. Bltel. managing director »f the Bismarck hotel here, last lek disclosed that a survey of Sand-dance rooms in 34 major SS showed a decline m patron- -of 27.5% during the first two rlfhQ of this year as compared "i^h 1946 wop is due to the 20% Ssement tax, according to Eitel, X predicts that, unless the levy ruftcd, most inns will shutter a,Ji> pntertaihmient rooms. *«^SweySaled that 4,828,670 ,Ss attended the 34 spfits in mfs against 3,969,393, or a de- JuSe of 18%, in 1947. During the Stwo months of the current S 244.060 fewer patrons were &d than in the same period om Individual declines in some Instances wen to 86%; , Incomplete figures for March •how that decUpe was accelerated. Dollar rfevenwe has not decreased In m same degree as covers, but K potated out that this is'mis- lead because rise in labor, food and entertainment costs have ne- cessitated higher prices. Due to m- creased costs, most spots are now operating at a Joss. Eitel claimed that the arausie- ment industry was discriminated against. In that, in-all other indus- tries, war-imposed levies have peeij removed. He asked that tax be reduced to 5% p«e-wafl«vel. Arca>i: Stttvey dtles and hotels surveyed were: Chicago — Bismarck, Blackstone, Congress, Drake, Edgewater Beach, Palmer House, Sherman, Stevens; Boston—Statler; Buffalo—Statler; Cleveland—Statler; Detroit—Stat- ler; Kansas City—Muehlebach; La- Porte, Ind.—Rumely; Los Angeles —Biltmore; Memphis — Peabbdy; Minneapolis '-^ Nicollet; New Or- leans— Roo^velt; New York- Commodore, Pennsylvania,- Roose- velt, Waldorf-Astoria; Peoria, 111.—- Pere Marquette; Rock Island, 111.—<■ Fort Armstrong; San Francisco— Ptilace, St. Francis; Sbrevepor^ ; (Continued on pa^ 54) VAlJIIBianULB 61 FRANK MARLOWE Coming home after a 2 year sen- sational run o£ the Broadway Musi- cal "TopUtzky of Notre Dame" and on a personal appearance tour of ttie nation's leading theatres Including a repeat engagement at the Strand New York within 8 months. Opening Oriental Theatre, Chicago, April 8th.' Management: SINGER & TISHMAN Publicity: IRVING CAHN Shelvey May Launch Rival Vaude Umon Tied to Lewis' Mine Workers Jimmy Starr, Partners Win Concession Suit Los Angeles, March 30. Damages amounting to $9,921 were awarded Jimmy Starr and his three fellow concessionaires at Slapsy Maxie's in their suit against Sam Lewis and Ben Blue, former owners of the nitery. Plaintiffs had sued for $75,000, charging the concessions had been sold out.from under them, Starr's partners in the venture were Ned Washington, Sisymour Chotiner and Ray Gruber. With five acts of vaude used by the Walter Reade circuit in several of its houses since last fall, the chain now represents a full week of time for performers with the addition of the loop's Congress theatre, Saratogk Springs, N.Y., to its flesh jpolicy, According to. a Reade spokesman vaude has def- initely proved a b.o. stimulus to its theatres in New Jersey and. upstate New York based upon results to date. Booked by AI and Belle Dow, acts are.grooved into the Oxford, Plainfield, N. J.; Majestic, Perth Amboy, N. J.; St. James, Asbury Park, and Broadway, Kingston, N.Y., besides the Congress. It's understood Reade may extend vaude to other- of his houses in the near future. The Dows also are booking several other stands including . Beacon theatre, N.Y.; Qayety, Montreal; Shubert, New Haven; Victory, Bayonne,>and are dickering with another indie, cir- cuit for possible playing time' in I nine more houses. BILLIE IN STRONG NX COMEBACK; 7G GATE Billle Holiday's comeback con-, cert at Carnegie Hall, Saturday (27), indicates that her confiner ment at a federal hospital for near- ly a year hasn't dimmed her popu- larity or skill. On what is tradi- tionally considered one of the worst nights in show business, the eve before Easter Sunday, Miss Holiday drew a packed hall, with 300 standees, who paid a record gate of $7,100, of which Miss Holi- day got a $2,500 cut. Response to her concert was so big that a repeat date tor April. 17 was immediately booked.. Concert, which was presented under Ernest Anderson auspices, belied the fact that the sepia sing^ er had only 10 days to prepare for the date. Voice was in top form and her skill in handling an audi^ ence was evident at all times. Nerrett Heads Cincy AGVA Cincinnati, March 30, The snafued situation In the Cincy affairs of the American Guild of Variety Artists neared solution last week, with Fred Nerrett takmg charge of the branch. Prior to that, Benny Hurst and Al Wilson, who headed the office, first resigned from the Associated Actors and Artistes of America faction and aligned themselves with Matt Shel-^ vey, deposed AGVA head, who Is seeking to regain AGVA control. During the week, however, Wil' son broke away from Shelvey for undisclosed reasons. The situation here represents a series of intrigues and counter- intrigues. Hurst had been sent here by the 4A's to check up on Wilson. However, he resigned be- cause, he revealed, he felt his pres- ence in the union might prove em- barrassing because of a certain "situation" years ago. Matt - Shelvey; deposed national administrator of the .American Quild of " Variety Artists," is re- ported forming an independent performers' union and affiliate ' with John L. Lewis' United Mine Workers District 50. Applicatipn for affiliation AVlth the Lewis vaatna is regarded as Shelvey's ace-inrthe^ hole If a decision adverse to hilu is handed down by Justice Null, of the N. Y. supreme court. Shelvey is seeking to enjoin the present AGVA administration from using the organization's funds,. 'While the administration Is pressing a counter-injunction suit seeking to enjoin Shelvey front representing hintself as b^ing afSllated with AGVA. Arthur Cowan, Shelvey's attor- ney, refused to deny or confirm the possibility of afBliating with Lewis. He merely said, "No comment." If application for a District SO tieup Is madp, another parallel to the 1939 situation win crop up. At that time, the Associated Actors and Artistes of America revoked the charter of the American Fed- eration of Actors. Ralph White- head, then the AFA head, sought to ^affiliate with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Em- ployees, but move was defj^ated. Affiliation > with Lewis would automatically separate the .variety field from affiliation with perform- ers in other fields. It's also re- garded that any move would not have the backing of either the AFL or CIO, inasmuch as Lewis recently stepped out of the AFL. The UMW maintains its District 50 as a "'catch-aU" organization with which it can step into any field. • . Ann Thomas, radio and legIt actress, is not to be confused with the "Anne Thomas" .xefe)nred to in house review and New Acts sec- tions March IT.'' LEWIS' VAUDE BATES . Robert Q. Lewis, who heads an across,»the - board comedy show over CBS, Is getting set for Vaude appearances. He's trying out an act at ProctorJs theatre, Yonkers, April 6, • He'll line up other one nightetv before hitting major houses. *At Last I Know How If Feels To Be A LATIN IN MANHATTANr' ........:.ft«SSJ?iS?s^5»iWSW fTHANK YOU DARIO" HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THE FALL MENASHA SKULNIK Personal Mgt JACK KA LCHEIM, 1270 Sixth Ave., New York .