Variety (June 1949)

VAUSBYIUJI 53 THEATRE AUraORTTY UNDER HRE AGVA AND BENP:FITS AGVA’s revolt against benefits, the Theatre Authority, and all that goes with it is something which was inevitable. Surprise is that it didn’t occur sooner. Cuflfo benefits and the TA technique are doomed for reasons of postwar antiquity, general resentment, and final awakening to the inequity of the situation. Madison Square Garden doesn’t cutrate its $5,500 nightly rental. Musicians, waiters, stagehands, ushers, caterers, program printers—they all get paid. Everybody but the actor doing the benefit, frequently at the expense of per- sonal health or professional suicide. Lou Walters, who operates the Latin Quarter, New York, is right in every respect in stressing that one Madi.son Square Garden benefit eats up the want-to-see desire by the public not only in his place, but in every branch of show business in the metropolitan New York area. It hurts not only that one night but makes inroads^ on entertainment appetites for days before and after any such^ big event. Making show people boil most is the “boiler room” technique whereby promoters have been known to collect up to 45% of the gross from benefits for this or that charity, to which show busi- ness and its talents contributed 100% and got nothing. Theatre Authority “clears” nearly 100 benefits in and around New York annually which means that some big benefit is buck- ing the commercial boxoffice, some of them on the two cream nights of the week—Saturday and Sunday. TA has been known to collect $8,000 and $9,000 as its share, to be disbursed among 13 different theatrical organizations, after some more or less fancy administration fees^are retained at the source. Actors are now curious why the League of New York Theatres and the Dramatists Guild, whose agencies are most casual in these benefits, share and share alike with the more potent actor guilds and unions. That these groups donate their share to the Actors Fund of America is beside the point. If the mechanics are finally righted, and the pro rata reconciled, there’s no disputing that an ;;>8,000 one-night stand, at salaries up to 80% of clubdate stipends, will buy any organization a plenty bigtlme show. That’s the best system—nobody does anybody any favors, and everybody’s happy. Abel. Senate Okays $2,000,000 Subsidy For D.C. Sesqui s Treedom Fair’ Washington, June 7. Senate last week okayed a $2,000,000 contribution to Wash- ington’s National Capital Sesqui- centennial Commission for a Free- dom Fair next year. The Senate will try to get the House, which has favored only $1,500,000, to agree to the higher figure. According to advance plans, Washington is to open the fair Roxy’s Moreup Of Andrews Sis’ Vaudate Snarls Radio Setup Andrews Sisters were worked into quite a hassle when the Roxy theatre. New York, moved their m oyESTioNs Ml OPERATION Machinery has been put into mo- tion to effect a complete change in the current Theatre Authority setup on benefit control. A five- man committee consisting of repre- sentatives from the major Asso- ciated Actors & Arti.stes of Amer- ica affiliates, has been appointed to study the situation and recom- mend changes in Theatre Author- ity. Report will be considered when TA meetings resume in the , fall. Appointments were made 1 last week <2) at the stormiest TA ; meeting in its 16-year history. I Spearhead of the TA reform is ; the American Guild of Variety I .Vrtists which is seeking a 30% cut ! of the TA gross because its mem- j bers are in the majority of those j performing at the free shows. AGVA is also seeking a rule whereby acts must be paid if pro- I fessional promoters arrange the , benefit. Variety union is also seek- ing elimination of the majority of free shows now getting clearance. AGVA’s position was made stronger by a resolution passed Monday (6) at the union's conven- . tion in Chicago. Resolution em- i powers AGVA to step out of TA j at any time and to withhold clear- ance of benefits whenever neces- I sary. Resolution was unanimously I passed and is seen as a strong ; enough weapon to put through any reforms desired by the Guild. The appointment of a committee to study changes in the current lay- out was made after Henry Dunn representing AGVA, threatened to pull the union out of TA, and i - ^ ^ ■ rnn “clear” its own benefits. For the A r PrAKp llpYPAK S/li past month AGVA has been fore- ^ I\eVCdl5 JIU ing payment of one-seventh of an act’s weekly salary for perform- ing at a benefit. Since this was instituted, TA’s revenue has been cut off. Should AGVA continue this policy, TA’s existence is direly threatened. Dunn also made it clear that, pending the committee’s reports, AGVA re.serves the right to clear free shows when its mem- bers are called upon to work. Benefits’ Killing Pace Movement for a TA revamping has been in the works for .several Recently, there have been Many Changes in AGVA’s Top Echelon Certain as Chi Confab Gets Underway LLOYD and SUSAN WILLIS Satirical Dancera Currently Strand, New York. “Lloyd and Susan Willis knook- about art hin^rd op rlrvrr nniRKiuK and gagging uf the frinine n»rrn1)rr . . . Is the best item. Open with slapstick bit following a brief soft- shoe lap by the male, go into a (•omedy routine tlmt goes over hig. It’s an unusually good turn of it’s ' port. ► Chicago, June 7. I Clean sweep in top administra- I live posts in the American Guild , of Variety Artists Is imminent. The [delegates to the AGVA convention now being held at the Sherman I hotel here have indicated that I Dewey Barto will be supplanted as j national exec secretary by Henry I Dunn, now AGVA treasurer, or I Jack Irving, midwest regional di- j rector of union. There have been I sporadic mentions of Vic Connors, I of the N. Y. AGVA staff, as a dark horse in the race. Resignation of Barto is expected by the end of the week. While I lie formal AGVA convention se.s- I sions ends today (Wed.), national [ board which convenes Thursday [will take care of all unfinished , business. I .\ttaeks on Barto started after j tlie national administrative seere- , tary. read his report citing organi- zational gains, yesterday (Tues.). ] At the conclusion of his reading, Barto was given a vote of con- I fidenee. After that delegates from all over the country started rip- ping into his administration of AGVA affairs. Charges that he j failed to enlarge the scope of or- ganization were hurled. Barto was also taken to task for the admin- istrative snafues in Boston and Los Angeles. Motion will be introduced by delegates to reject Barto's re- type Wood, Variety. Dir. GENERAL ARTISTS CORP. In Free Du(ats Issued For Muny Stadiuni Atlantic City, June 7. Free passes to the value of $57,- 305.23 were issued for perform- ances of “Ice-Capades” the past three summers it played in the Municipal Auditorium. This was brought out here last Wednesday (1) as the big hall’s au- ditor, James F. Horacek, took the stand in the current fiscal affairs probe. The probe was brought There’s still a chance that Barto j can .survive the attacks at today's I meeting and tomorrow, when the i national board meets. However, temper of the delegates is such that it’s unlikely, especially in view of the low state of the AGVA ; trea.sury and the treasurer’s report, which was charged to be faultily prepared by Barto. Treasury re- ' port showed a $32,314 cash bal- ance as of last April 30. Thert was a mixup in balances because the union operates on a fiscal year I starting Aug. 1, while reports were prepared as of April 30. Current I balance is said to be $40,493, but I whether this includes payments of expenses as they fall due Isn’t known until further check is made I with the books in New York. ' Tied In with the attacks on Barto is the status of Florine Bale, w’ho , . , 1 KA 4 K I opening date from June 17 to this next spring to celebrate its loom ,iq) sisters will tape their years. - . anniversary as the national capital, j pgiv^nbell Soud broadcast before instances where perfornicrs have about through a citizens’ commit- was shifted from Los Angeles to Expenditures to set up the Fair j jggyjjjg Hollywood for the east been unable to perform their paid tee who petitioned for an inves- New York, whore she ha.sn't been along the Potomac has been fig ured at $8,930,000, but this may have to be shaved, since the best that can b« expected from the Government is $1,000,000 under the $3,000,000 asked by the Se.squi Commish. Although it will be modest by the standards of the 1938-39 New York World’s Fair, it calls for a recreation building including res- taurants, a Hall of States, an in- door theatre, big outdoor amphi- theatre, a children’s center; plenty of concessions; Including amuse- ments, industry exhibs by foreign countries, labor, art exhibits, pro- duction of a $50,000 historical film, production of a historic .sym- phonic drama on the history of D. C., etc. Washington this year has been having one of the heaviest tourist runs in its history and hotels have been reporting sellout.s as they did during the war. With the Fair as a magnet, the 1950 season will likely be even bigger, which should also tend to hypo biz for (Continued on page 55) leaving Hollywood and it’ll be on the air the same day they open at the theatre. They do tonight’s (Wed.) show live and fly east as soon as they finish the taping job. On top of that, the girls had hotel reservations for the 16th. To move that up a week required her- culean efforts. There’s an Inter- national convention of 50.000 Rotarians in N. Y.. beginning later this week, and hotel rooms are practically impossible to get. Twentieth-Fox finally sot them. Chi Bistros Tacking On Cover Charges Again Chicago, June 7. While most bistros throughout the country are eliminating cover charges to perk up trade, Clii spots be oft'ered the two-a-day bills Shennan Lining Up 20-Week Vaude Circuit Hollywood. June 7. Starting in September there will be a solid 20 weeks of vaude across the country if Eddie Sherman, booker, can work out a plan to team up with established sliowmen in key cities. He’s busy on the idea now, with .M Borde. veteran Chi booker, scouring tlie midwest for deals with operators in St. Louis, Detroit. Cleveland. Pacts have al- ready been set in Baltimore and Newark, N. .1. Sherman, who hooks about eight week.s out of New York, w ill ask tlie Shuherls to cU'vote one of their legit houses in Boston and Chicago to the enterprise. Biltmnre here and the Curran. Frisco, also will by chores because of overwork at ; tigation into city spending. Dur- given any definite assignment, benefits. It’s also been charged ing the past few weeks the audi- i He.solution has been drafted by th« by nltery owners that a benefit at' torium operation has been under | San Franci.sco delegation to have (Co ntinued on page S.'i. :'"Sek seid that in 1946, 9,700 passes with a face value of $22,- MA MIlUrDAUf’ VAVA (212.89 were i.ssued; in 1947 8.502 AU JllTlvlVUff IVAIU ! passes with value of $16,924.37 and rnn mnnikl lll in 1948 there were 8,716, valued at FOR JORDAN IN UNli $i8.i67 97 . He pointed out that this did not mean that this amount of business was lo.st, since in many in.stances those accepting the passes would not have attended the perform- ances if having to buy in. Cincinnati, June 7. Louis Jordan will open at the ' ' RKO Shubert here on Friday dO) as originally planned. He’ll be ■ supported by Paula Watson, Will Mastin Trio, and Peck & Peck. , ! Jordan was originally set to , bow out of the date because it was j said that an old city ordinance | would forbid Negro and white per- formers from working on the same I bill. It’s claimed that if there is such a law'it’s not being enforced, inasmuch as mixed programs have been customary in this town for many years. her tenure in Hollywood invi'Sti- (Continued on page 55) JUDY CANOVA PACTED FOR KENTUCKY FAIR are slapping on the extra tariff. Sherman. Those theatres are pn- Cafe ops claim the lop is necessary marily legit and can’t use vaude to make ends meet. All major Loop regularly, however. In Philly Sher- Rpots have cover charges, whereas man is working on a deal with Wil- two years ago one employed them. ' Mam Goldman, operator of the F.r- Idea has now reached into the langer. , nabe spots with the south side ToP names of film and radio. Casino tacking a 50c. coverage on who once were prominently identi- rhumba unit. McCoimick combo the tabs, with the Cuban Village ! fied with vaude. will be sought on recently closed seven-months run contemplating a similar bite when , a profit-sharing bajjis by Sherman, at Alpine Village, following a year .U opens its remodeled room. ' Eight-act bills are contemplated. at the Borsellino s Club. Hollenden, Cleve., Drops Floorshows for Summer Cleveland, June 7. Vogue Room of the Hollenden liotcl is dropping floorsliows for summer and switching to a duo- hand setup Thursday 'O' when Sammy Watkins’ orchestra leaves for annual trek to Deshler-Wallick hotel in Columbus, O., and other mid-western stands. Watkins will be replaced by Pat and Doris Lee McCormick quintet, one of Cleveland’s belter known singing bands, and Ramoni’s Ethel Smith Nixes More European Dates; Sailing I’aris, June 5. Talent agents in Paris, Rome, Lisbon and Barcelona are offering U. S. acts a series of playdatcs for which they’ll be paid in dollars. Just how agenis in some European countries, particularly Italy and Spain, are able to get money ex- port permits isn’t known, but these offers to American stars are firm. Among those that have been offered a sf'iies of Spanish dates is Ethel Smith, who last week com- pleted a series of one-nighters around Brussels to sellout audi- ences. Miss Smith initially had no desire to slay beyond her date at the ABC theatre, Brussels, but inasmuch as tickets had tieen sold in advance, dates were played. Miss Smith has booked passage on the Queen Mary sailing June 15. Louisville, June 7. State Fair Board has completed contracts with local Shawnee Ki- wanis Club to sponsor two Judy Canova shows on opening day, September 11. In addition the fair has arranged for Locky Lott and his Hell Drivers, Esquire model revue, and other top features. L. Doc Cassidy, director of special events for the Fair, is com- pleting his organization of events for five of the seven days of the fair Sept. 11-17. F'lddling, square dancing, baton twirling and rural gospel quartet singing arc on the program, with contest prizes total- ing $2,000. GREENE WITH SMITH AGCY. Midwest Louni^es Up Budgfcts to Snare Biz > Chicago, June 7. While the borscht circuit is starting in the eastern area. Chi- cago is developing a similar coun- terpart—but in lounges. Spots, which have been using the trio.s and singles, have suddenly expand- ed and are booking name or semi- name attractions on the weekend. While musical units usually do six shows nightly, the- acts only da three shows. Spots want mostly disk names, Irving Greene is joining the current favorites being Patti Pag# Eddie Smith agency. j and Harry Cool. Salaries range He was formerly with William, from $350 to $500. Increased Morris in New York and Chicago, budgets are reportedly paying off.