Variety (Dec 1948)

V^egday, December 1, 1948 VAVBBVIUJB 4S AGVA Capitulates to Musicians In Hfidwest Jui^ction Dispute Kansas City, Nov. 30. 4- The American Guild of Variety I Artists jurisdictional fight with the American Federation of Musicians has been temporarily settled and bands in Kansas City, Wichita, Omaha and Des Moines are again playing for acts in niteries. Settlement:, is temporary and was marked by.- a complete surrender by AGVA to the musicians union. According to peace terms. AFM rule that no musician need join any other union still prevails, and AGVA organizer Vincent Lee moves out of the disputed territory. Chi Fair Convention Draws 2^50 Delegates :■:■■■ (:; VChiCago,;?Ndy..;5iO;^-,-' Registration at the National Assn. of Public Parks, Pools, ihd Beaches and the International Assn. of Fairs dnd Expositions con^ Ventipjis :\yhich opened yesterday (29); has passed; last year's attend- ance with 2,250 dMeg^^ Although more exhibitors are 4 - jxrv„,.j present, buying is uncertain with ]^.^_^.^f.^*^"A^!f5_^l.?"c.5?,"f,?!^^^ on "if and when" basis. Bands in the name class are getting the brushoff with fairs shopping his spot was taken by Smiley Ilart from the Dallas office. The three-week old jurisdictional squabble was started by the status of a marimba player, Vera Claire ■MeNary, an AFM. member who was ' working a KC cafe. .• AGVA rep Lee Insisted she join the performers .union, and AFM local subsequently refused to permit its members to work with performers. Musicians union KC reps held to AFM presi- dent James C. Petrillo's edict that (Continued on page 46) Sati/Uoal Sow^ At iUe Piana JANIE MACK (Jane Mackle) Opened October 18th and held over indefinitely MERRY-GO-ROUND ROOM PARK PLAZA HOTEL ST. LOUIS composer of "I'M LAZY THAT'S ALL' recorded by PEARL BAILEY on Cotufflbio 38328 just rtlcaitd ptrtonol RIO AAAXINE CLARK •1650 Broadway, Now York direction HARRY LAWRENCE 1650 Broadway. Now Yorii Trompo/iningfy Your» ~" PAUL & PAULETTE TRIO tOV COHAN, 20» N. WaUa«h, Ght<!iif(o Manny Opper that n«w comedion 80th Wtek Hollywood Shew Leunga Clilcagt Pan. Mat.: IRV .LEVIN W. A. S. Douglas from two of kit ai yof wiMod pagoi in kl» World War 11 Notobooki rtcailt hit "L«s« Visit with Ernie" and "A Visit with Denise" runntng tko gamut from Emit Pylt to tko Ho> 1 Can>Can danetr at tko MoHiln Rougo * * * an odiiorlal f •aturo In tko upcoming 43d Anniversary Number of for territorial orchg. Musical nut for most of the parks has been cut about oncrthird. However, act sal aries remain at par, ' > Bad Biz Floors LeDirectoire,N.Y, Le Directoire, N. failed to re- open Monday (26), following a long siege of dismal business. Swank spot suffered through in- ability to get click cafe attractions this season. Last year, Le Direc- toire was one of the most prosper- ous in New York, with Kay Thomp- son and the Williams Bros, com- prising the show. Operators Max Gordon and Her- bert Jacoby have a $2,500 bond with the American Guild of Variety Artists, which is sufficent to pay off performers' salaries. Vlvienne Segal, heading the show, was get- ting $1,000 weekly. Muriel Smith and Mata and Hart were also on the bill. Plans for Le Directoire's future operation are indefinite. There's some talk of attempting to get new capital into the venture. Sale of, the spot is also under discussion. The Blue Angel, also owned by Gordon and Jacoby, isn't affected by Le ■ Directoire's foldo, nor is the Village Vanguard, solely- owned by Gordon. Le Directoire is on the site of the defunct Cafe Society Uptown, which during its wartime heyday was one of the most prosperous operations on the east side. Barney Josephson, who operated CSU, is bonifacing at.Cafe Society Down- town. Talent Agencies Seek Bonanza In Cuban Vaude, Cafe Bookings Eleanor Powell Pacted For London Palladium Danny Kayes NoY.RoxyDate Negotiations are on for Danny Kaye to play the Roxy theatre, N. y., sometime in January or February. Deal, still to be final- ized, calls for Kaye to play the house prior to his date the Pal- ladium, London, probably in April. Kaye is expected to make the trip after completing "Happy rimes" for Warners. Film was de- layed two weeks so that Kaye could appear at the recent "Com- mand Performance" at the Pal- ladium, London. Kaye will be given a guarantee and percentage, probably along the lines of tfiat just completed for Ar- thur Godfrey. The Godfrey deal, after two weeks of negotiations, struck a snag on the figure on which percentages : were to begin. Original discussions were for a $23,000 guarantee and overages on $110,000. However, Music Corp. of America, handling Godfrey, insist- ed on a lower breaking point. Com- promise was reached whereby guar- antee woiild be lowered to $20,000 and percntages would begin at con- siderably under $100,000. Godfrey will play house after Kaye. Details of the Kaye deal are still to be worked out between A. J. Balaban, R o x y t h e a t _r e head ; Sammy Rauch, house booker, and William Morris agency. He'll play the Roxy with the Gregory Peck I starrer, "Yellow Sky" (20th). f Talent agencies are making a heavy pitch for bookings in Cuba; Havana is expected to have QQe jSf the most prosperous' se)asi(>ni* ^B ' years because of added pl^ne serv- London, Nov. 30. |ice tfnd number of liners making • London, will open run to the island. As a result, entertainment spots in Havana are expected to reach their peak this year with the prob- ability that V. S. talent will bt used at the Teatro America, Teatro • Campoamor, TropicaHa club, Sana Souci and Casino Nacional. It's Palladium, its variety season Nov. 28 with Eleanor Powell topping the bill. Miss Powell was originally slated to play that house in March, but date was moved up. Val Parnell, head of tile Moss- Empire : circuit, which controls house, has commitments with Judy also expected that the Kirkeby ho- Garland, Frank Smatra, Dick Haymes, Dinah Shore, Betty Hut- ton, Jack Benny and Rochester, and Abbott .& Costcllo .to play future dates. Danny Kaye \vill play the Palla- dium in April. VaUee s $7^ At Latin Qnarter Rudy Vallee may play his first N,Y.^ cafe in many years at the Latin Quarter, N.Y., early January, following current run of Sophie Tucker. Deal, for $7,500 weekly, was made possible when Olsen & Johnson were unavailable. Pact is expected to be finalized at the end of the week. Borrah Mine- vitch's Rascals may co-headline on same show. E. M. Loew, partnered with Lou Walters in the LQ, left for Miami Beach Sunday (28) to confer with Albert "Papa" Bouche, who is ne- gotiating a three-year lease on the Latin Quarter there; Preliminaries have already been completed and no hitch is anticipated. Bouche, who at one time operated the Villa Venice, Chicago, will pay an aggre- gate $100,000 rental for the three years. tel chain will install talent at the Hotel Nacional. Ben Marden, owner of the Play- house, N. Y., and former operator of the Riviera, Ft. Lee, N. J., and the Colonial Inn, Hallendale, is re- ported operating the Casino Na- cional. Harry Kilby, General Artists Corp. veepee, now in Miami Beach, will take a trip to Havana" to line up bookings. Leon Newman of the Mark Leddy office planed down to Havana yesterday (Tues.) to sub- mit acts to the various spots. Talent agencies say that U. S. acts will be paid In dollars and all money, with the exception of a 6% tax by the Cuban actors union, can be taken out of the country. Abe Burrows pacted for Park Plaza hotel, St. Louis, Feb. 25. Mitzi Green set for the Copas cabana, N. Y„ Jaq, 12. JACK PARKER "THE JACK OF CLUBS" SWIFT TELEVISION SHOW WNBT, 8:30 Availabit Dee. i TOM niZPATMCK ALAN EDELSON EXITS HILDY FOR OWN AGCY. Chicago, Nov. 30. Alan Edelson, press-representa-; tlve and road manager for Hilde- I garde, resigned that post last week I to reopen his^ own. radio and tele- vision agency here. Parting with the chantobsey-and Anna Sosenko, personal Statler Hotels Back To Floorshows Again As Band Policy Flops The Statler hotel chain is con- | sidering a switchback to an enter- i tainment policy similar to the one , abandoned at the beginning of the i season. It's been reported that | business in the majority of the i chain's entertainment rooms has i dived considerably since talent was j dropped' in favor of society band ! policies. I The chain's new format will ; most likely be determined when a new entertainment director is ap-1 pointed, Post has been vacant since i Martha Coppins resigned t wo months ago. | Return of the Statler chain to Hildegarde's personal manager, ^ . . . .„ ..^ „ was amicably affected in San Fran-; enter ainm^^^^ constitute a Cisco where singer appeared at the Mark Hopkins hotel. Edelson, before joining Hilde- garde, did publicity in Chicago, i and ran a radio feature service which included a national football r forecast which is still on the air [on around 40 stations throughout I the country, Edelson plans to ex- pand these activities to include I video as well. . Stocking Shortage Hits Dublin Panto Producers Dublin, Nov. 23. Shortage of tights and opera hose are current headache of pro- ducers readying pantomimes for Christmas season here. None has considerable shot in the arm to dance teams and singers, which have been found most effective in these spots. Dance teams, particu- larly have been hard hit since the chain took to the band format. The chain operates rooms in Buffalo, Boston, Cleveland, Wash- ington and Detroit. TEXAS SPLIT WEEKS FOR 'WYNNUUGH CARNIVAL' San Francisco, Nov. 80. "Ed Wynn Laugh Carnival," cur- rent at the Curran, heads into Texas next month, on conclusion of local stand, to play a series of split-week bookings on the Inter- state Circuit. Deal with circuit head Bob O'Donnell waS set by been made here, or in Britain,' p^ui gmall before he headed back, since before the war and slocks in j gg^t i,, ^^^^ jiter other intei-ests. theatrical costumers have been re- ^ Texas tour will open in San An- paired to the stage of being un- tj^jji^ Christmas Day and then pro- wearable. I ceed to Houston, Dallas and other' Government won't grant dollars cities, for import from U S., so leg paint i Emmett Callahan is due in this will have to cover the situation this week to take over as g.m., succeed- year. i ing George Oshrin, who returns to — — »New York for Small. Show, with «•„ T. nr„i*„ Pnramniint film-1 Wynn, Phil Baker and Allan Jones, . ^""fiiVni^v ffrst c^fe date in probably will hit Los Angeles after lon;^"eir's'4en Kes^n^^^^^^^^ the Texas dates, and then head i^almet.House, Chicago.-April 14^ ..east. - iliMiili W'- DANNY BETTY HOCTOR BYRD CURRENTLY 4th WEEK COTILLION ROOM HOTEL PIERRE, New York opening December 15th ROOSEVELT HOTEL New Orleans GENERAL ARTISTS CORPORATION