Variety (January 1950)

25 , 1950 ‘ ■ \ Failure of Pres. Truman to meii--^ ion repeal of the .wartime excise ‘ axes on amusements may, spur the eactivization of the Allied Restau- •ant and Ehtertainment Industries )f Grreafer New York. Organiza- ion has beeh inactive for some Ime, and New York bonifaces may jgaih coUaborate on a new pitch Or the: repeal of the 20% cabaret axes.' / Group, once it reactivates, will eek the cooperation; Of the Amer^ can Hotel Assn,, performer unions, American Federaition of Musicians Biilly Rose Hixes Aquacade on Weissmuller Show - Billy Rose is threatening injunc'- tiVe proceedings against Johnny Weissmuller shpuld the swimmer use' the “aquacade” label on his contemplated water show. Sidney Struble, : of the Arthur Garfield Hays law office, which represents Rose, has deciared that the . ‘■aqua- cade” labei is ; Rose’s . exclusive property; and a copyright is still Morris HeUlns Chez, Chi, Sets Durante, Langford Despite change in ownership of the Chez Paree, Chicago, William Mofris agency, which has been booking that spot, for many years, Is likely to continue as exclusive booker for the cafe. Agency has slotted Jimmy Durante for a stand starting Feb. 10. ItTi be his first. Chi nitery date in many years, Morris office has also lined up ' Praimes Liangford, Beatrice Kraft and 'Xarry Storch to open there Jan. 27. VA1J9BV1UJB md various theatrical, craft unions, i PPhding. Until copy ri g h t is Talk of reactiVization was one of ^ Struble declares Rose has he first reactions oh Pfes. Tru^ exclusive^ a trademark. iiah’s tax message wherein he Rose pfeviously prevented prbr lentioned desirability of repeal-, ducer Elliott lyi^ from usink ig the wartime excises on trans- [ that tag for his shows at the Flush- iortation, telephone communica- ling Meadows Amphitheatre, N. Yi, ions and such luxury items as furs, erfumes and jewelry. AREi, sever^al years ago, talked [) Congressional leaders on the miisement tax repeal and orgaiii- fitioh'S spokesmen were told that leir petition would be considered I they could prove that the tax as a hardship that might drive lem put of business. At that time, ife grosses were in high and Itery owners couldn’t prove any tssefi because of the impost. : Since then, icafe grosses have ; Where Rose staged water displays during the N. Y. World’s Fair. * The American Guild of Variety Artists has placed the Ringling ived and it's felt that if their casF, “reus, as propS^rly presented before ' * e unfa r list following failure ongress, there would be a chance ^repeal. to get together on negotiations for a minimum basic agreement. Action against the Binglings fol- lows on the heels of an interisiye organizational ..campaign to get the outdoor field into [the union’s fold. AGVA last week signed the Orrin [ Davenport circus in Toledo, has The Latin Quarter, Boston, will | Hoed up the Polack Bros, eastern :sume name talent starting March [and western circuses, and is cur- To Names, Sets Miles Spot has booked Jackie Miles r a week and will follow with 12 eeks of other headliners, before. I'itching back to units. The Hub fe will close the package period Ith the booking of “Grandfather’s sllies,” which goes in for three eeks starting Feb. 9. Latin Quarter,, so far has used /o units by Max Liebman, an- her by Harry Delmar is Current. HiNCIMC KT fU IXmUIICI..yanety rehtly dickering with Cole Bros, and the Hamid-MOrton circuses. What action will be taken against the Ringlings hasn’t been disclosed as yet. However, it’s be- lieved that AGVA will seek the co- operation of foreign performer unions in having alien performers refuse to perform in the outfit and may even put sorrie pressure on Madison Square Garden, N. Y., where the circus plays its most lu- i crative date. : Indianapolis^ Jan| 24.. Cole Bros. Circus fan into stormy weather here this; Week las. cred- itors filed bankruptcy petition against parent organization, Hoo- sier Circus Corp.; in Federal court. Creditors who claim $25,000 is owed them by Cole Bros, and $12,^ poo by Hoosier include Revere Electric Manufacturing Co., Evan- ston, 111.; .Frank Orman, Danville, 111., and Gpffing Hoist Co., also an Illinois concern. bupUcate liens for $135,000 in Federal taxes owed by the cbm- .pahy have been filed at Loiiisville, "Ky:; and MiaTm~Fl?r:7 brcording to: Paul T. . Rpchford, creditbr attor- Bankruptcy petition also was filed here earlier in week against Cole. Bros, alone by Argus Ticket Co., Globe Poster Corp. and RoCk Island & Pacific Railroad, claiming $12,761.12 due them. Creditor troubles followed shortly after an- nouncement. Cole Bros, had been sold ..by Hoosier Circus Corp. to Otis Circus Corp., headed by Charles H. Watson, Chicago attor- ney. Circus is now Wintering in Ojus, Fla. Pfaw aTBIank^' In |iavana-Madrid Stickup Havaha-Madrid, N. Y.. cafe, was held Up ipr the Second time in a little over a year Monday afternoon (23), but yeggs got hpthing. By contrast^ last year’s foray netted the rbbj3ers $8^0pO. Armed trip, which, gained en- trance to the cafe by posing as de- livery men, was offered $9 in the ‘purse. of b p o k k e e p e r Helen Tetrault, but they didn’t take it. It's elaimed that there wai an addi- tipnal $150 well in the purse arid a similar amount in her desk,“ AC- eprdirig to the ppefatPrs, $6,000 was banked earlier in the dayi NOW APPEARING Ambassador Cocoa nut Grove Los Angeles nhe MODERNAIRES —Four men and d girl stop the show." -HOLLYWOOD ___ JkEPORIER •CLUB 15 * C BSCoeit-lo-Cqatt 6ELITAICER EYED FOR N.Y. STRAND AFTER CUBA “Hollywood on Ice” revue star- ring Belita, which opens at the °BIanquita theatre, Havana, Friday (27), is being submitted for vaude dates following the Cuban stand. Show will be scouted for a possible ! date at the Strand theatre, N. Y. i Layout is produced by Harry How- ! ard. I • . . . i Layout can, meet requirements of vaude hou.ses because of the sectional tank it carries. Blanquita show will probably use the maxi- mum skating surfaces of 40 by 80 feet, but rink can be made smaller. . Dick Continb is parting with Horace Heidt and will gP put at the head of his own uriit starting Feb. 1. Contract with Heidt tefmi- riates on that date. He’ll be booked by the Associated Booking Corp:-'— ContinP had previoUsiy attempt- ed to break his contract with Heidt on the ground , that he was under 21 when the pact Was signed. How? ever, Heidt took the case to the California epurtsj whCre contracts by minors are legal urider certain - conditions. Court ruled that Con- [ tirio remain with Heidt for another 1 year, instead of remainirig with ’ him for 10 years, term of.the origi-- nal agreement. Contino has just turned 21. Accordion player was signed by . Heidt after being a consistent win- j ner on the bandleader’s talent | shows, and has since toured the i country at the head of a unit ; owned by Heidt. j epntino will continue to. tour . with some of the talent, he's been j working with. Among them are ; banjo player Pat Theriault, xylp- ; phone player Jerry Rothaus, singer i Johnny Mungall arid . trumpeter [ Nadine Jaiisen. • Vaude houses are again y#ejring to name talent and reversing the trend of last year which ran to hamo eight acters. Bookers feel that, except in isolated cases, names are needed to bolster bvp^ [takes., Failure of the eight-act policy to draw in the majority Of situatipnB where patrons had been/ accus- tomed to. name shows, has been disappointing to theatre operators. It'S now evident that the piill of; headliners. When used sparingly, is again asserting itself. Latest ex- ample Is the record; gross of aroMrid $42,000 expected for cur- rent run of Frankie Laine at the Perin theatre, Pitt$burgh. Laine' is in on a: guarante plus overages and he’s[ expected [tp. take: out around $20,000. Singer pays the surroundihg talent. Gross is ex*^ pected to top that chalked up dpr- inff Danny Kaye’s recent stand at the nearby Stanley theatre there. The Loew circuit is operating dii the premise that proper selectipn of headline acts "will pay off at the bpxoffice. . Bookei* Sidney Pler- mbnt, Who has about 12 spot-book- ing houses throughout the country, is shuttling stageshdws into the theatres only when suitable nanies, or name hands are available. . However, even when and if names-ace-freely-a.vailahlelas-.they_. are at certain times of the year[ CpaFticularly around income tax time), it’s felt that most towns can- not be given too steady a name diet. [Patronage gerierally be- comes accustomedi to. toppets and pass up run-of-the-mill layouts. Adams, Newark, Renews . 10 Ind. Agents Organize 24. iatfuiivmfy COLUMIIA RkORDS Indiana Theatrical Agents Assn. I formed here last week with Barney j Burnett, president; George^Paxton, | veepee; Kay Reiser, secretary. ] Stated aims of organization in- [ 'efude establishing fair trade pracr-'i tices in booking field [and legisla- j tion for licensing of agents. HILDECAKDE’S BOFF B.O. IN HPIS. NITERr DA1E Minneapolis, Jari. 24. Hildegarde broke all nightclub records here last week, when singer rolled in .12,600 covers for her two-week engagement at the Hotel Niccoiet which ended Sat. (21), This in spite of temperatures ranging from zero to 15 below and [ p Amrrnc At Iih icy Streets which hurt most of the !/• yrfllLljKu LLuD. other bistros. Bii.siness, which ac- ‘ cording to Neil Messick, manager of the Nicollet hotel,, was better , even than during war period and i Officers at Bolling Field, Wash- had customers waiting in lipe for ington, are slated to rim their own the supper show, . Chanteuse did nitery with name ehtertainment j only two shows nightiy but did and bands. Officers club will start i seven-day stint. a full week of operUions Feb. 13, i Singer opens at the Chicago and are dickering fbr. Evelyn; theatre, Jan. 27. for a week, break-, Knight. Two shows will be given ! ing in her package which will in- nightly. elude A1 Bernie and Larry Adler 1 Spot, being booked by Charlie today and tomorrow (24, 25) at; Busch & Bill Peterson, has been, j Capitol theatre, Madisorii Wise. ! running entertainment on week- ; Bernie substitutes for Paul lends, but operation has been so, Winchell, who underwent an ap- successful among the military per-I pendectomy. sonnet that a full week stand ha.s j —-—r been decided upon, ' Operation will j Hildy’s Concerf* Tour be supervised by a civilian, Chris : Adams theatre, Newark, will play its first stageshow in about 10 weeks, starting Feb. 10. Band package headed by' Lionel Hamp- ton has been set. House started this season as an eight-act, policy, .but later switched to bandshows. Current policy is spot bookings when suitable head- liners are available. AMERICA’^ NO. 1 COMEDIENNE - BUIy. Wilson; h^^ been named producer of the Lotus Club, Bir- mingham. Hildegarde is slated~to lake -to—Miirgr the longhair circuit with a series! . .. —————— of concerts next season. It will be I her first regular tour although the | * v auaaies. chantoosey has played a few con-' are on for ^ Frank cert stands in-Milwaukee. and else- Sinatra to play a strir^ of theatre j • dates around* Easter. Deals are on j singer will be accompanied by a ■ for. the, Capitol,^, y., and the Qhir j 12-piece band batoned by her long-, theatre, Ihe Gap : time accompanist Salvatore Gioc.: 'TJ.' W two years Route Is being lined up by Cop- house. picus. & Schang. 1 Other dates are being lined up. WM. H. KING . Excliifive; MonaqomcRt: 2025 N. Argyl* Av*. Hollywood 29, Calif. EVANS , NEW YORKy $inee Vaudeyi He’s Retutn JUST COMPLtTEb tK.©. CIRCUtT WITH 2ND ALSO BOOKED FOR SEVERAL TV SHOWS Mdiiagemcnt: MATTY ROSEN Thonlcs. PAN FRIENDLY ■ .I' : -i!