Variety (Nov 1948)

y^odaeedtsf, November 17, 1948 VAVBKVWMM AGYA AFM BATHE IN MIDWEST Gypola Fmally Preemsat LaMartiiiiqiie After Stormy Session With Cafe's Op Gypsy Rose Lee and La Mar-f tinique boniface Monte Gardner contributed to one of the most fiery nitery openings in N, Y. cafe history last week. Miss Lee finally opened Sunday <14) after peace was effected by a battery of medi? ators including Dewey Barto, na- tional administrative secretary of the American Guild of Variety Artists; William Fitelson, Miss ■ Lee's attorney; Frank Keesing, • fipot's attorneyj AGVA ';attorneys ' Jonas T. Silverstone and Mortimer S. Rosenthalj and representatives of Music Corp. of America. Com- promise, reached Friday night, called for payment of two weeks salary to Miss Lee, who in-return, would waive three days salary. ■ Miss Lee, several weeks ago, signed a pactjvith the cafe which called for an Oct.-. 20 opening at. $2,500 weekly. Spot was given the privilege of a fiverday leeway, • thus her pact started Oct. 25. In- asmuch as the club wasn't ready; at that time. Miss Lee claimed she was on salary after that date. She got one week's pay andi last Wednesday Dave Fox, AGVA rep, showed up at the club in the midst of rehearsals to get her another week's salary. Gardner refused, and according to Miss Lee, Fox ■Continued on page 52) Prov. Fays' 32d Anni ■ Providence, Nov. Ifl. Fays theatre here will mark its 82d anniversary as a vauder week of Nov. 19, Edward M. Fay, oper- ator, will be honored . by various civic : and business organizations during the anniversary week. Abe and Joe Feinbcrg have booked the house for many years. Hildegarde Returns To Persian Rm. March 17 Hildegarde returns to the Per- sian room of the Plaza hotel, N. Y., March 17. She'll be there until June 22 after which room may go into a summer policy of using smaller acts, or it may close' for the season. Chantoosey, so far, has been: booked for the Thunderbird, Las Vegas, starting Dec. 28. Other dates are being lined up until her Persian room opening. U. S., Britisb Nitery Acts Being Sought as Hypo To Aussie Clubs Situation :. -Sydney, Nov. 10. libp! night clubs like Prince'si Romano's and the Celebrity are ready to bid for sock U.S, and British talent to up biz, which has slipped since the war. Freddie Bartholomew flies in within the next few weeks on a five weeks' tour with option of more playing time if prior contracts per- mit. Also reported booked for Aussie nitery dating is Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom. Overseas talent should also- find lush radio dates after winding up nitery playing because - Aussie is starved for neW: overseas talent. Understood that there may shortly be a lifting, of the maximum coin- age takeaway by talent: of 1,000 £, after contract completion. . L IR IN 4 CITIES Kansas City, Nov. 16. Jurisdictional dispute between the American Federation of Musi- cians: and the American Guild of Variety Artists has flared into the open here with entertainment buy- ers and John Q. Public in the middle. . Moot point of. the dispute is when is a musician a musician and when is he a variety artist. Vin-. cent Lee, AGVA rep, contends that he is a variety artist when he steps off the bandstand or out of a "backing up" role to do a specialty. He is taking the stand tliat all such performers who sing,; whistle, dance, m.c, or toot come under: the jurisdiction of AGVA, and must work their engagements on AGVA contracts. ■ The musicians union. is equally insistent on the point that; a musician is a musician if his basic livelihood is music, and requires all such to work on AFM contracts and AFM contracts only. This is in line with a ruling set down by James G. Petrillo on the national level and will be strictly adhered to until the ruling is changed, ac- Continued on page 52) London Palladium Sets Danny Kaye, Eleanor Powefl for the Spring Illness Forces Belle Baker To Cancel Harem, N. Y. Belle Baker, originally slated to holdover in the Harems N. Y., show, has been forced out: because of aggravation of an old leg injury. Mary Small-was booked in to sub- stitute starting with new show opening tonight (Wed.). Myron Cohen U tiie new top- liner. ' " Sfcitch Henderson Orch into the Capitol, N. Y., Dec. 23. HELD OVER SOUTH AMERICA'S DANCING SENSATION GIRO RIMAC AND HIS LATIN-AMERICAN BAND AND SHOW with CHARLEY BOY-REINITA AND RUBITA NOW AT PITTSBURGH'S SMARTEST RENDEVOUS JOHNNY BROWN'S CLUB Permanent Address GIRO RIMAC 33 W. 63 St.. New York City r|ien«s: EN. 2-7460 er TR. 4'«1«1 Pittsburgh .AddrcH o KIRKWOOD HOTEL Eait Liberty Pittsburgh, Pa. Sophie Tucker s BoifSlGlstWke At Latin Quarter . Sophie Tucker's first week at the Latin Quarter, N/ y.,>grossed $51^ 000-T-$5,000 more than her open- ing.stanza of last year, and equalled that of the first week's business when Milton Berle headlined. All figures are exclusive of the ■ 20% amusement tax. Soph's business at the Latin Quarter is in direct contrast with the slow coin pulled by her after the opening night at the Ghez Paree, Chicago. Difference is par- tially accounted for by the tact that bonif ace Lou Walters forbade Miss Tucker from selling her book, "Some Of These Days" for the benefit of charity. It's reported that many patrons in the Chi Spot were resentful of Sopli's clip immedi- ately after the show when she would plant herself at the door and buttonhole customers for the price of the book and/or donations for favored charities. ■.. Miss Tucker sold her books last year at the Latin Quarter appar- ently: without harmful results. But this year, based on the reports of her Chi engagement, Walters asked her not to repeat as a sales- :girl.;. ■ ■■,: Fox Is Urged to Stay As AGVA Director By Nat'I Board Members National board members of. the American Guild of Variety Artists are attempting to persuade AGVA eastern regional director Dave Fox to stay with the organization. Fox, two weekS ' ago, told the. union he. was resigning effective Dec. 4. Fox wanted a contract with the union, but board members declare that there's no provision for pacts, with paid employees.. Fox, who has been with the union since 1940, will take a short vaca- tion starting Monday <22) and wUl clean up his desk at Its conclusion. Several members of the board have already had talks 'with Fox, but no decision has been reached. His resignation, so far, has not been accepted by the national board, most of whom are still hope- ful that a deal can be made with him. Billy De Wolfe set for Chicago theatre, Chicago, Dec. 24 for two weeks. ,v- The Palladium, London, will continue to buy top U. S. names next season, though it now has the London variety field to itself. House has signed Danny kaye for an April date and Eleanor Powell for March. Harry Foster, head of Foster's Agency, London, last week returned to New York from a . Coast trip, where he negotiated for ' a series of filmsters to play the Palladium. The Palladium's chiei competi-, tioni the Casino, London,, dropped' . its variety policy last October and will house legit musicals when the: holiday pantomime season is over, According to Foster, as there aren't suiflcient British headlineri . to feed the house during the en- ' • tire yearj talent lists must be sup*. ; plemented by headliners .from America. The Palladium has had a prosperous season which was due mainly to U.S. imports. Stars such as Kaye; Andrews Sisters,' Dinah >. Shore, Betty Button and others . contributed to sellout houses. Efforts will most likely be made to get some of the top beadliners to play more time in the provinces. Most U.S. stars played the London house only. Lenny in Own Setup Jack Lenny, formerly with Harry , Romm agency, has opened his own Office. Lenny is handling th<^ list of acts he took over with him when' - he joined Romm some months ago^ \ Romm has become head of the theatre department at Music Corp. of America. Ted Lewis Slated For Miami Copa City Ted Lewis has been; signed for the Copa City, Miami Beach, for three weeks starting Feb. 21. . Nitery Stand Will be preceded by a theatre tour starting at the Al^ bee, Cincinnati, Dec. 23; RKO, Dayton, Jan. 6, and the Oriental, Chicago, Jan. 13, for three weeks. Joe Laurie, Jr. Sentimentally dwells en vaHdevil- lions' escapades In the good old days when.they all travelled.in- Privttte Car on editorial feature In . npeoming . 4.9(2 Annivergary Number SCHEDULED FOR A SERIES OF VIDEO FILMS for A.B.T. Television Productions Now Appearing in Person Nov. 11-17 RKO Keith, Dayton, O. Nov. 22-25 RKO Palace, Columbus, O. Nov. 25 RKO Albee, Cinn., O. Dec. 15 Olympic Theatre, Miami, Fla. Booking Rcpr*««ntatlv« DICK RICHARDS 545 5th Ave.. New Yerh Picfur* Rcprcstnlotiv* A. & S. LYONS IIS ModttOB Ave.. New Yerh