Variety (Feb 1949)

ll^eJncaday, February 9, 1949 H'wbod Speeds Adjustment Continued from page 1 want to get out and mingle. And ! I don't forget radio readies many | ; millions more than television does,' : or perhaps ever will, coaxial cable I or otherwise. But the nature of the American people is to get out and the. 40th, when'you consider that! have a good timfe and mix." hlLfZ«*",«rfTo'"'%^ $500 000 000 I There are opinions that vaudeo business, and Sears-Roebuck alone will revive vaudeville and thus re- is a-two-biUion busmess." vitalize the combination picture There are sundry, other findings ' houses. The sagest conclusion is and conclusions on the business, that "the obvious won't happen in While the theory and the crystal- television as it did with radio, gazing seems to be an unusually' Video is here; it's'big already, and popular indoor sport, pic(ure-mak- will be bigger, and may hurt be- ing is seeing an upbeat. The shut- ^ore it helps the picture business— tered studios arc readying I'or re- ' or all of show business—but no^ VARIETY BILLS adding "that's why I just gave the ^Ktomake'Quo Vadis.'" , "True values have changed," Maver observes, "and while we all must do something to keep the en- tire family coming, the prices per- force have gone up. But they are as nothing compared[ to prices m otKer commodities and, of course, we suffer first because, compared to food and clothing and housing, _ ^ ■ nictures may not be considered | newed activity. Metro and 20th, body's an expert in television. Any-1 jciin Gibbons f»v,w _„>.«™iH£.i!" 1 of course, are the most active with body's guess, theory or deduction | E'<"^^ WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9 Muincrnls In conne«tlon wUh bUls iH'.liiiv liiilicittc aliening day ol alion i < wliMlier full ur Hiilli: wrek. (P) I'aniinount; (R) RKO: (8) Stnll: (W) Warner; <\VR) Walter itexd" Mew YORK CITY Capitol <L) 9 . Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts •Teivy Brcslcr 0 Music Hall (I) 10 G & P Suony Paul Wmchell ■100% necessities Mayer sees in Metro's acquisi- tion of Dore Schary a revival of tlic old Mayer-Thalberg toiim. He liltens Schary, M-G-M's new pro- cittction veepee, to the late Irving Thalberg, and feels that "Metro, as ; the leader, must continue to make tl»e big ones regardless." - Costs Down at 20th barryl F. Zanuck stresses how he has averaged his costs down $450,000 per picture for , the last 26 pictures, "but you can't beat competition, if they bid 'em up." He mentions how Gregory Peck, at $40,000 under his old 20th-Fox con- tra6ti may go to $250,000 per pic- ture if Charles K. Feldman agents that David O. Selznick package of stars on lend-lease for two or three years to Warner Bros, or any other $tudio (he has offered them around several picture in work on both ,V™3y cpine to pass;'' I lots. The backlot workers sense | Itrs a. cihch Ilollywood and tele- new responsibilties ar.d give a bet-1 vision must go steady, whether ter day's work, Mayer and Zanuck ! th&y, like it or not. And Where are naturally proud of their plants ' exhibs rtiay compl^^^^ going full blast. Those with cur- personality's: new value—sight-— tailed or suspended ■ operations j may militate against the boxoffice, , seem apologetic but stress that j others feel it may help. Bing February-March will see a general Crosby kinesc.oped on TV may upbeat. hypo Crosby in a full-length fea- The indies, of course, are '"''^ * theatre even though the caught between the stalemate of : now closer than the dried-up financing and the, uncer- «iras efluation, Qr it tainty of what divorcement will do ' tljat other . new ^personalities in improving the merchandising ,'"^y emerge. It s anybody's guess, lot of the unaffiliated producer. 1 And there's no boties mMe of j jsdk'ca?sm tlie fact that if it comes to theatres Marion Hutton Always Be PictUWlS, ; bidding against television for film wnfocii ■r» ,1 .IT'1 I PW'Juct, ^ , KegardleSS or V ldeO as Hollywood is ; concerned: The That there Will, always be a pic- l exhibs, of course, take the posi- chrfs^cross' ore ture business is the end thinking, I ^'^^^^''^ •''^^"butors w Baltimore after all the refinements of master- "throwing over lifetime custom-, .'^'PP«''[?m« u^^^^^^ to several). This includes Selznick's i minding television have been di- ^rs." pointing to their 17,000 the- | uob Rus^eii Hobert Haydcn Joan Letourheaii *; Rockettes ■ i Corps do. Ballet "■■ ,Syin Ore > Paramount (P) 9-13 Boyd Riieburn Bd :i Suns Wally Brown Monica Lewt.s Lewis & Van .14... Budd.o Rich Ore " Mel Tonne Hcnny Youngm.in 4 .Step Bros DeCastro Sis Roxy (I) 8 Danny Kaye Calvin .Jackson Dunhitis Georgia" Gibbs strand <W) 11 Alida Valli, Shirley Temple and \ gested And if the standard of TV ' «>t''<'s; but the producer-distribu- j Gloria Eiwood John Agar, Louis Jourdan, half of ; will be the B picture—and vice i tors have little sympathy with ! wint^on"* Diannc Robert Mitchum's contract, half of versa—that's all right t66 With ' ™o^t exhib organizations . because I state, d) 10-12 Peck, plus others, but not includ- | Hollywood, Then they'll make one i the time-honored trade hassle 1 ^^ggT^'li^Ji Ing Jennifer Jones (slated to be- kind of product for video- and lust' t'^''™s ""^ playdates. AUan Carr come Mrs. Selznick this spring) It's Selznick's idea to work abroad two or three years, hence this jmye. : . .. Spitz-Gioetz Gripe Leo Spitz and Bill Goetz, pro- duction heads at Universal-Inter- national, have another gripe. It's about exhibitors. They state that "if any studio makes a $2,000,000 . (tinker, they may be more inclined to give better' terms than if we make a good one that costs only $400,000. or $500,000. The exhibi- . tors set the terms on the negative costs. That isn't fair," U sales man- ager Bill Scully and the new pub- iid head, David A. Lipton, concur that, with judicious merchandising, better prices can be had, however. Scully gave: caserhistory evidence o£ better terms with divorcement and split-up pools in certain terri^ tories. Sam Goldwyn and Walter Wan- ger likewise attest to the need for retum-to-showmanship and more .aggressive selling, Goldwyn is al- ways a stormy petrel on terms, - selling away. tO: anybody at the best price. Wanger accents how . the RKO selling organization is getting results in merchandising "Joan." ; Robert T. Kane, who figured on the production executive end with Eagle Lion during the making of ''Canon City" and '.'T.-Men," sup- po'rts the Spitz-GoetZTScully gripe about exhibs, by citing that "Char- lie Skouras fought us on both these pictures; which, as the boxoffice reports in Variety attested, did business across-the-country. Skour- as just said he 'didn't want to set ' UP a new classification for Eagle Lipn."" 'Common consensus is that while . the big ones do big business and bear down on the top-quality pfx to bring them out of the home to the theatre.' Jack L. Warner, optimistic over the pic industry's future . despite TV competition, observes "that it's not as 'if the picture business has the measles; plenty of people are going to the movies. But we gotta give 'em more. realism : atad less M-G's BrushofF to TV Hollywood, Feb. 8. While Louis B. Mayer, Metro's studio head, intimated that his company would not have anything to do with telcr vision, another company spokesman was even stronger on tjie subject. In response to a press inquiry, this exec declared: "Neither television sales nor. production will be discussed at these meetings. We have not sold television in the past and we won't in the futurci" "During the pa.st year, we,^ have been approached on the sub.iect of video as has every other company," exec con- tinued. "Our answer to those propositions, has been a firm 'no.' Our field men have been notified that such is and will be our answer. Our first con- cern is to protect the exhibitor. That will continue: to be our policy." House Reviews ; Continued from page S4. ^ .St. Louis, St. I>. ler F & A Carroll j ■ .■ :;: ■ i3-u- I J Meyand &. Eva I Prof P Garner Sid ' Raymond |- Hiaynes ■&. Perry v BUFFALO Buffalo (L) ilO . Mfgf &: Cafr .- r Stasg-McMann* S. . "Blue Moon," "This Can't Be, :^rt''ic''naSn Love," and 'Making Whoopee," but j ink spots also uncorked unusual ability ati _ Camden: , tho rlrlivric i Towers (I) 13-15 ; tne arums. l Maurice &'Naaja: Dorsey's finale, "Finger Busters" I Jje Laurel . on the clarinet also scored heavily. | La??y "naS Jack E. Leonard, corpulent come-' 3 d's dian, dished out an assortment of I Chester zany stuff, including sqme new gags | "k" spots ' Sam Donohue Qrc and an impresh of Fred Astaire doing a dance: routine that also won the mob. The GarroUs Sisters, offer a combo classical and. aero dance routine, the latter being the better. Claire Hogan, a willowly thrush with a nice set of pipes, with "A | sicating Barodas , Little Bird Told Me," "Don't, S?V^'S„ Ji?.„n i, I Worry About Me" and "Pussy Cat' g^^bWe" kS?" I Song." I Lionel King ■ ' Maynard Ferguson, talented trum- ■ hnsbiFry"" park peter in the band set the palm, Empire (M) 7 ■ ■ G H Elliott CHICAGO Chicago (P) I Nip Nelson ■ X'lp. Tap. «i. Toe .Barbara A. Scott DinnlnK: Sis. oriental (I) 3 Paul & Pauletie 3 Arniq llartman Frank. Marlowe . Lester Cole Co ■ Carl Sand Ore HARTFORD' state (I) 11-13 Frankte Carle Ore ■ The Albins Benson & Mann MIAMI Olympia (P) » Glcnns ■ . Bertiea Serano . Sonny Sparks - Virginia O'Brien Bobby Whaling Co . NEWARK. Adams (I). 10 Ray McKinley .Oi*e Mills Bros Connie Stevens George Conley PATERSON Maiestic (I) 11-13 Jordan & Parvis Jimmy Burrell Walter Walters Jr Howe Rollins St Leon Trp PHILADELPHIA Carmand) 10 Knight .Sis Terry Franconi Bobby Sargent Ross Wyse, ;Jr Co READING Raiah (I) 1M3 Buddy Rich Ore Lew Nelson,'. Paul Sydell 3 Smoothies : ROCKFORD Palace (I) 11-13 "Grab Bag Revue" Low, Hlte & • Stanley Prince & Princess Selandia Jack Davis Shirley Lane Sophisti-Skates SPRINGFIELD Court Sq (I) 10-13 Wallen Twins Corte,! & Paul HanloD & Clark Joyce & Seldon Al Norman . Noble '3 WASHINGTON Capitol (L) 10 Freddarys Barry Sis Alan Carney 1 Artlni & Consuelo 1 waterbohy i ' Poll (L) 9-10 Charlie Barnet Ore Donald Peers .\ .1 Powers Lyon & Mason Martin & Christine l'.-\ulme & Eddie B:& E Day LEICESTER Palace (S) 7 Harry Mooney Victor King. 4 Kentons Cciii-fco Elrick .Artemus lNi«I.son Lloyd MusiqM Elliotts NOTTINGHAM : Emisire .(M) 7 Eva May Wong Vera L,vnn Cur'ion 4" licSinald Dixon • B Lloyd . & Betty . Sooit Sanders , .Jimmy Itobbins Gold & Cordell PORTSMOUTH Royal (M) 7 3 Gareias Western Bros Dorothy Gray Co Caryll & Mundy Hal Mack Co Peter Brough ■ Henderson. Twins Gaston Palmer . Victor Julian Pete SHEPHERDS BUSH Ernpfre (S) 7 Geraldo Ore- Cihgalee ; JrLockwood C Stanton Maxwell & Lady Lonsdale Sis WOOD GREEN Empire (S) 7 ' Fro:jmen Tarzan Jr: HazeU Conky Javen ' Maree Leyland. Doug Wain-wrigbt Air .Aces . Cbarih Indra ■' Allen Bros & June Piet Van Brechts Gerry Leader Collins Sc Eli'.rabetli Cabaret Bills NEW yOKK CITY EDINBURGH Empire (M) 7 Mills Sis & Michael Chico Marx i pounders into action with his in- I terp of "Rhapsody in Blue" and I "Body and Soul." 1 Dorsey's youngsters sock over I "Basin Street Biues," the teeoff of the' program, "Muskrat," "Big Noise," and:'Sunrise." Sahu. Gertie Gitana Ella Shields Lily Morris Randolph Sutton Talljot O'Farrell Houston & Stewart GLASGOW Empire (M) 7 Jack Radcliffe' Robert WUsott . B & A Pearson Helen Norman Joyce Edmanson. Matt"" Nixon 'Jacqueline Dunbar HACKNEY Empire (S) 7 Jimmy James Chicago, Chi Chicago, Feb. 4. Tip, Tap & Toe, Dinning Sisters (3), Barbara Ann Scott, Nip Nel- son, Louis Basil Oteh; "Words and Music" (JVT-G). heavy laughs with his impreshes of Peter Lorrc, Louella Parsons and Spike Jones. Offs to nice re- sponse. Louis Basil house orch back." acts in expert fashion. Zabe. fancy stuff.; The'arty stuff is great for the critics but my best an.swer is the $3,500,000 that Current layout has all thp eai^- Wild Irish > mai*ks of beGomiiig one of the tOip Rose'' did and the $1,500,00,0 that gfossers • in the past six month's, j „ "Sierra Madre," with all its raves, stage fare is as strong a draw the intermediaries suifer, the les- ! grossed. And that's why I'm tell- as the pic. ser ones need support because it's | !"? producers to get dovvn to , Barbara Ann Scott, Olympic Hippodrome, Balto. i . Baltimore, Feb. 6. ! Victor Lombardo Orch (13) with, j Kenny Williams, Gloria King; Al | & Co7i?iie ■ Fanton, George Conley, \ Ted & Art Miller; "Song of India"', {Col). I Victor 'Lombardo features the melodic style of his more celebrat- ed brother Guy and succeeds in hanging up a pleasing sesh of | to the'e7wWto7s''"b;sr7nte"reVts hake movies that move and cut fig^l-^ating dianrp7makes-anex': Sf'n^f ^^|'iasi"1o^ that the entire industry stays ' '■'i<= stuff. ciiing appearance. Theatre brought Utilizing hve brass, lour sax ano healthy. "Otherwise, how can they ] "As for the theatres, even Uncle in natural ice rink with skater sell popcorn and make a profit 52 Sam recognizes we need these , working in front of winter scene, weeks a year on candy and soda showcases. You see how they're , Her solo work, first as Dutch maid okaying keeping certain key houses and then in spangles and parasol becLsl wfthout them we lust, |>r^''Bu^^^^^^^^ can't survive; And as for all that | ,.Ti„.i„ ,„ith t^,. r^iint,, hooey I hear that 'everybody in and winds act with spins for plenty JlOne? After all, there are only Just that many topnotchers in any , business, and the rest must be averaged off," stresses Spitz. East-West Feud i.TI^fi"^"''^ "^^^^ feudin'ithe television,' that's nbt so, be-! , tHo" heavv re- Is still going, on. - One malcontent I cause our Broadway Strand grosses , P|,'onse wi^h"^diaUenfe* stfnt^nd three rhythm he opens here with brotlier Carmen's "Powder Your] Pace With Sunshine," followed by | vocals of "Far Away Places" and I "Night and Day" by band's male i vocalist, Kenny Williams. ] Al and Connie Fanton, mixed | duo of youthful hoofers, punch out ' Bagatelle Dorothy Boss Delta Rhythm Boys Ma.\me Sullivan Jose Ponicre ■. Blue Angel Kay Ballard . Chris Alexander RoRer Price EUls Larkin 3 Martha Davis Brevoort .Daphine Hellman. George Kreisler Freddy Caye Jean Rose Syd Strange Ore . Cafe Society Jack Gilford Jill,i Webb iRnacio. Bola. ' Dave Martin Ore CaslnoL Russ*. Emile Boreo ' S. Wojiekowska Constance Melodie Diamond Horseshoe Al Bernie Jack Gansert Billy Banks Choral Sextet H Sandler,Ore AlvareZ' Mera' Juen£er BaUet Xlne El Chico Rosita Rios' Damiron & Chapuseaux Tina Ramirez Los Guf'»*""heros Vizcaino Ore Hotel S. Morltl Erwin Kent Ore Hotel St Regit Julie Wilson Laszlo & Pepito M Shaw Ore Hotel Roosevelt Guv Lombardo - Hotel New Yorker G Benedict Ore Ice Revue Hotel Sfatler Tony Pastor Ore Hotel Plai* ; Grade Fields Leo RcLsman Ore Mark Monte Ore Payson Re Ore Nyeola Matthey Or' . Hotel Plerro Larry Storch Jean Nelson Stanley Melba Ore Ralph Lane Ore Leon & Eddlc'i Eddie DaviJ) Narda Ethel SheU Cnrcwes & O'Connor Boyd Heath S & B Stevens Shcpard Line Old Roumanian Sadie Banks Jackie Phillips ' Nanette Bell.- Smaro Joe I»*'Porte Ore D'Aquila Ore Hotel Savoy Plaza L Ht. E Roberts V Irving Conn Ore Hotel Taft Vincent Lopez Ore Hotel Warwick Jose l\1'elis Ore Latin Quarter Frank Libuse Archie Bobbins David NiUo Maria Karmilova Steffen.MartelI 8- EUssa Jayne Ruth Brown Margot Brander Art Waner Ore B Harlow Ore Clique F'rcd Bobbins George Shearing Copacabane Mitzi Green Carl Ravazza F & S Barry Linda 'Xombard Herb George Paul Godkin Skyriders M Durso Ore Alvar^s Ore- China Dell Ming & Line Florence Ahn .■ Shanghai Twins Paddy Wing Noro Morales Ore Jose Curhello Or* Line (7). . Le Pcrroquet . Hugh Sh.-innon : Marvin Raymer Le Ruban Bleu' Bibi Osterwaid Goodman' & Kirkwood',' 3 Rifis Mike Brown Norman Paris 3 JuUus Monk Havana-Madrid Cuban Diamonds Roberto & Alicia ' De Castro Sis Mildred Ray Un* Quintero Ore Argueso Ore Hotel Belmont-Pleu Ames Bros Viola Layne R & B Pickert Eddie Stone Ore Castellanos Ore Hotel Biltmore Phil Wayne Ore Harold Nagcl Ore Hotel Edison Henry Jerome Ore No 1 Fifth Ave Owen & Murray Barbara Ashley Hazel Webster Downey tc Fonvill* Hotel Ambassador Fred Oliver' Ore William Adler Ore William Scotti Royal Roost Billy Eckstine . Charlie Ventura Charlie Parker T Dameron Ore Splvy's Kelly & Keating Spivy Versailles George Ulmer Bob Grant Ore Panehito Ore Village Barn Red Ingle Ore Freddie Gray Karen Tedder Harold Barry Sinclair & Alda ViUage VanguanI Irene Williams Wallv Cox C Williams Chit'sson 3 Waldorf-Astoria Dorothy Shay EmU Coleman Ore Mischa Borr Ore :, CHICAGO New York stays home on Tuesday, ^' • Tnp'oDpn the show'appealing interlude and give a i night to look at Milton Bcrle on I J'P'fTap^^^^^^^^^ of added novelty with points up that 10 years ago one still show that we do just as \Vell niajor company's profit was $600,- "OO, in '48 it was $11,000,000. Of eourse he doesn't take into consid- watiph the spiral upwards in base costs and the considerably appre- eiated investments, accenting "Why 09 those guys in New York beef so much?" To this L. B. Mayer points out that not since 1923 has m. «? ""'y a $5,000,000 net pront, as evidence of how much °„^*;>ntp an industry where, com- paratively, "so little" is taken out. executives will point out that. on Tuesdays." Laconic Joe Schenck other slick routines. bouncing balls.. Solo bit of tappery by male is a highlight. Lombardo follows with okay arrangement of the "Pus.sy Cat Song," after which Dinning Sisters, radio and re-j Gedrge Conley offers a unique bit cording artists, , score with. their gf mimicry given a different twist TA„ o„i,«„„v ,„hri ic cppifinp nut off-the-beaten-path choice of tunes, jjy presenting. simulated celebs nAic ^mh Fnf contract to ^ exception of one pop again'st a .school days background, on his 20th^Fox contract to go j^^^^ • •• ■ • 100% into exhibition with in the rhythm category, which gals United Theatres (Naify) chain, is extremely well. Ginger Din- laconic about TV. "Sure they may , ning leads the Chants with "Ma,: stay glued to their television sets, - jjg-s jyiaking Eyes at; Me," with as they have been with radio for trio seguitig intQ"Far-Away some special event, sports or topi-; places." Trio swings back with cal, but they all want to get out of; boogie heat on ."Big Foot Pete,^^ the house This talk I hear around Encor^ with "Harlem Sandman j,u„.i „i,i i„a^,, the studio about certain Beverly for solid returns. ^.^^a V» capital investment there are ' Hills and Bel-Air producers who Nip Nelson rings the bell with i quite groovey .for mixed family 'ther businesses wWch taki out have their 'own special television' his takeoSs of P%W^^^^ *?«ch more. Wanger says that. rooms' is so much bosh. ^ ing "12th Street Rag and Har- Me_ by the band closes, and to Lad has youth, appearance and showmanship, Gloria King, Lombardo's femme vocalist, does "Just One of Those Things" and . "Manhattan Tower/' followed 'by the band pitching in on ''Beguine," Ted and Art Miller, vet duo, give out with ample hoke built around their banjo and uke self-accompaniment of parodies; l,™f,''eing the fourth or fifth ■T*8est indu.strv is hAnou. itc ohniit "Millions of homes comprise only , mSnicats doingj My Heart'', sodc^ returns. Industry is hooey; its about i one or two rooms, and the people : on mouth-organ. Burnt. Blackhawk . Art Kassel Ore Gloria Hart ■ ■ Lee Marx' . .Till Adams ' . Harvey Crawford Hotel BIsmarfc Cass Franklin Monica Moore Joe DcSalvo Ore Helslngs Buddy Lewis Nino Milo Tony Sheele Frankie Hyle Billy Chandler Ore H Edgewater Beach .Henry Brandon Ore Carlos & Linda Mary Ann Fedele Preston. Lambart D Hild Daneers <>12> Tabu Tito Coral Chei Paree Carmen Miranda Georgie Kye Hoctor & Byrd Adorables (10) . C Davidson O (11) Sherman Hotel Ruth Ann Koesun Blossom Lee Harry HaU Kirby Hawks Ed Prentiss Bill Snyder Ore John Kriza Honey Dreamers Hotel Stevens 'Frankie Masters O Phyllis Myles . . Tommy Traynor Neil Rose Jean :Arlen Mer.vl Baxter Skating Blvdears Bog Turk Bill Kec£e Jeannie Sook^ Charles & Lucille Jerry Rehfield Manuel: Del Toro Eiwood Carl . Palmar HouM: Barclay Allen O Evelyn; Knlgtat M Abbott Dcrs a<l> McCarthy & FarreU Landre & Verna Blaekstone Florence Desmond D LaSalle Ore (8> Vine Gardens. Bobby Shelton June Burnett Bob Norris W & J Brown Nelson.* O'Day,