Variety (January 1950)

Wednesdayt JiiiMutty 25, 1^50 liMSIllBU Disptilcir between Actorai Equity and Aldrich dc MJers, ittvolving; a' claim for a haj£-we for members of ttid cast of the Made- leine Carroll coinpahy of ‘^Good- w, My Fancy,” which folded Oct. 29 in Baltlmora> will be arbitrated sometime between Feb; i-10. issue Involves Interpretation of the unr ion’s rule covering closing of a ■showi. :Vv::- ^ Equity claims that the mahage-; ment should have posted closing notice Qct. 25, when Miss Carroll first said she was too ill to continue the tour. Accordlng to Aldrich & Myers, however, the actress’ inabil- ity to play beyond that week Was not definitely determined until Qct. 27, when she was examined by her own and the producer's’ physi- cians. The closing notice was post- ed that: day, the management: as- serts!:' _ Situation is the second to. arise between Equity and Aldrich & Myers in regard to “Fancy.” Pre- vious instance involved the man- agement’s application to the union for a provisional salary cut for the cast of the Broadway edition of the! show, Immediately after It moved from the Martin Beck the-, atre to the Golden. Equity turned down the request at that time; on the ground that the produbtioh had not yet shown a two^Week operat- ing loss; Closing came two weeks later, after three successive losing weeks. Priestley Play Beleased To IJ.S. Non-P^o Grodps J. B. Priestley’s ^-Home is To- morrow,” never done In America, has been released for U. S. pro- duction to non-professional groups. Move was made In line with the setting aside of March as 'Interna- tional Theatre Month by the G. S. National Commission for 13 NESCO and the American National Thea- tre aijd Academy. Play, which deals With the principles’ of the United Nations, was considered an appropriate March offering, and is being released hy the National Theatre Conference*! The initial American presehta- tioh! will be offered at Indiana U. beginning March 29. ductions of the 1948-49 season, al- As a result of that hassle,'fthpugh “Lil’V actually made its “Fancy” ran an extra three weeks bn Broadway, taking a loss the en- tire period. The production then laid off a week and reopened Dec, 26 in Chicago. Business has been disappointing there, so Aldrich & Myers decided to Close the comedy for keeps; Both Broadway closings of last week,. “Lend An Ear” arid ^Dia- mond Lil,” rated as boxoffice hits. Besides earning baek !their ptigirial cost during the New York truris; they are prospects to make addi- tional profits on their current tours. Both were technically pro- Onto as Is Skadded for Chi Close Chicago, Jan. 24. “Goodbye, My Fancy,” Which was saved from closing two weeks at the Harris theatre here, is now set to fold Saturday night (28). However, the Ann Harding Starrer has perked a bit at the box- office and efforts are being made to continue under other manage- ment. Richard Aldrich & Richard My- ersj who pre;5ented the Fay Kanin comedy on Broadway* in associ- ation with Michael Kanin, have withdrawn from the operation as of the end of this Week. Efforts are being made to arrange, for Coast producers Russell Lewis & Howard Young to take over the production, but? several complica- tions reniajtn to be worked put. ■For one thing, Louis Lurie, Coast industrialist whose guaran^ tee to cover any losses niade possi- ble the current two-week exten- sion, or someone else, must post bonds with Actors Equity to coyer cast salaries and transportation back to New York. In addition, the production must be moved to another local house or booked for otherV-road dates, as Katharine Cornell is scheduled to open Mon- day night (30) at the Harris for ah indefinite riun in her current Broadway prodUctionv “That Lady.” Miss Harding pnd other cast leads have agreed to take drastic cuts and the authoress is willing to Waive royalties in order; to keep on the boards. y Lewis and Young flew in Sunday (22) from the Coast. for huddles With tlm company and Eqiiity of- ficials in an. ;effbft to keep the show ialive. They hope f6 arrange series of Coast bookings,'as they recently with the touring edi- tiQB of “Philadelphia Story,” star- Jmg Sarah Churchill and Jeffrey ■Lynn,;.." ' click this season,: having had to close shortly after its preem, due to an injury tqi the star, Mae West, reopening last fall, “Ear,” a revue presented by William' R. Katzell, Franl^in Gil- bert arid William Ejdhe, had a complex financial setup. It was budgeted at $70,000, but required a 20% pyercall, vbesides having to recoup a $30,000 toss fr^m a Coast production before the backers could be repaid. The entire amount was repaid last fall, with a profit of $15,000. Additional profits, in the form of a cash re- serve and bonds, were reduced during the final weeks on Broad- way, but there , was an estimated $15,000 in assets, exclusive of bonds, when the show closed Saturday night (21). ‘‘Lil” presented by Albert H. Rosen and Herbert J. Freezer, originally cost $35,000, but re- quired about $12,000 additional to reopen after laying off because of the star’s irijuiy- ft has repaid 60%: of the investment and will distribute the halarice in about three weeks. There is also ap- proBliriately $20,000 in profits, in- cluding cash resei-ve and bonds. Albany Solon Preps Bill For N.Y.C. Stata Theatre ,. Albany, Jan* 24, A state theatre in flew York City, for the presentation of plays, operas and concerts, will be Sought in a bill to be introduced in the Legislature sbon by Asseriiblymari Philip ^hupler, Brooklsm; DerifiQ- efat. Project Would be financed by a $1,500,000, appropriation arid be Under the jurisdiction of the state education department;., •Schupler, who has previously sponsored several similar meas- ures, says he has received lOUers from' individuals toth for and against the idea, but had never heard from Actors Equity or other theatre groups. ' i Ibr Its Headquarter^ ‘Boberts’ Omaha Hoineboy Folida Wants It . Omaha, Jari/ 24. Henry: Eorida is now the local boy; who made good B bad sit- uation for Omaha legit followers. 4 Drama critics of three leading national Negro fiapers operied fire last week against their alleged brushoff treatment by New York pressagents.. In the wake of the indictment; which was issued Bt ii press conference called by report-^ ers. of the Amsterdam News,v Pitts- burgh Courier and Afro-Americari; the legit p.a ’s entered Irtdigriarit and aliriost . urianimbus denials. Already critical because of the scarcity of roadshows; here ill re- c^nt. seasons,^ 1 Grily brie Broadway; ; pressagerit * conceded the existence of a “spe- cial attitude!’ toward Negro news- Sidriey Schwartz, who turned in his ticket broker license last July i, has regained it and lias resumed agency operation as the 52d Street. Theatre Ticket' Service, Inc. The corporation was chartered last Week in Albany, with Schwartz as president and sole stockholder and Williarii B. Gladstone as director and filing attorney. According to Edward A: McCaf- frey,. New; York City commissioner of licenses, Schwartz turned in his broker’s license last summer be- cause he ^yas not handling theatre tickets at the time, but was ac- tive in another business. No evi- dence against bim was uncovered during license comtriissioner John M. Murtagh’s probe of ticket sealp- irig, McCaffrey added. The Guild theatre, N. Y., has been acquired by; the American Natibhal Theatre & Academy, which Will use it: as headquarters and for a resumptton of the Ex- perimental Theatre, The house, formerly the home of the. Theatre Guild and more receritiy a radio playhouse, Was acquired by ANTA for $70,000 above the mortgage of $557,500. peal was approved yes-, terday (TueS.) by federal judge Henry W. Goddard, after a sale in . the U. S. Court House, N, Y: Name probably will be changed to either the American or ANTA theatrb. AN'TA Will reportedly take pps- sessioh of the five-story theatro and office building as soon as posr sible, vacating its present quarters in the top two floors of the Hudson theatre, N. Y, It’s possible, also, that an attempt will be made to re- vive the Experimental Theatre se- ries this season, since the major hurdle in the way of the project has been the lack of/a suitable house; In obtaining the theatre, ANTA topped a previous Shubert bid Pf $50,000, plus $9,991 in interest, and another offer of $66;000 made yesr terday by Irving Maidman, a realty broker. The $557,500 mprtgage is held by Dbrsar Enterprises, a Shubert subsidiary which paid sPmewhere between $250,000 and $380,000 for it in 1946* The Guild, with a seating capac- ity of about 960, was built in 1925 and was owned by the Guild The- atre, Iric., which leased it to the Theatre Guild. have been particularly indignant at the way the touring ‘‘Mister Roberts” \ has bepB bpoked into ' papers/ various nearby cities, including St;, Louis* Kansas City, Minneapolis I, and Des Moines; but circling Omaha. Increasing riumber of sar-^ castic letters have been written to the local papers about it. ifLt? ^ But with the report last week f of the explanation, Omaha fans! cultural color Unef the have relaxed. It seems that Forida, starring iri the original “Mister Roberts” production on BfPadway, Negto press reporters contended that they were invited to attend Broadway plays Only when Negfpi performers were prominentiy spot- has insisted bn appearing in the j pi . j x- « * - fiirst prXentStion ot the play in ‘*‘1. his home town, j such plays, they eharged the ^ That; may not be before 1951, but Omaha legiters seem satisfled* 'Srilesihan’ iii Vienna . Vienna, Jan. i7.- German version of “Death of a (which cPiries out as _Der Tod des: Handlungsreisen-' has been, completed by Frederick Biriickrier; Play has been; set. for preem in Josefstadt theatre ' end of February* . Ernst Lothar will direct. Cast 5^^? AdHenne Oessner (Mrs. ;G)thar) and Anton Edithofer as and Mrs. Willy Loman. When the Sadler’s Welis Ballet of London played New Ybrk last fali; director . Ninette de Valois commissioned George Balanchine* artistic director of the N. Y. City Ballet Co., arid JerPme bobbins, his assistant director, to be giiest choreographers with Sadler’s this spring* They’ll go to London In April to do the ballets. . . Now tincbln Kirstelh, general director, bf the N. Y. City Ballet Co., has feturned the compliment; He has commissioned Frederick Ashton, Sadler’s principal choreog- rapher; to stage k new work for the -N. Y, troupe for this season. Ashton sails from London today (Wed.). HURKEN TO FINALIZE LONDON‘TOUCH AND GO’ London, Jan. 24. Dickie Hurren, Bernard Del- font’s-head of production^/planes to New York Jan. 27 to conclude ne- gotiations with George Abbott for his current Broadway revue, “Touch and Go,” which Delfont will stage at the Saville theatre after the run of Jack Waller’? “The Schpolmistress.” Deal was originally started for Delfont by his brother Lew Grade during hi4 fecerit arrival in New York. While in New York, Hurren will scout around- for some novelty acts for Delfont’s present hit, “Folies Bergere Revue,” at the London Hippodrome, so as to be repdy for the new edition, which is riot want- ed for sometime, and also for suit- able acts for the Broadway preisen- tation of “Folies,” which Michael Todd Is here to negotiate for pres- entation in conjunctiori with the Shuberts. PapfftoDate “Death of a, iSalesman,” financed for $100,000, has paid the backers a profit of $115,000 thus far, arid: has more than $25,000 additional in cash reserye, bonds, etc. The original cortipany is playing to; capacity as it nears the one-ryear mark at the Morpsco, N. Y., arid the road edition is In its 19th week of profitable operation at the ^rtanger, Chicago, with four more weeks to go before resuming its tour* After leaving Chicago, the sec- ond company begins its road trek Feb. 20 in Columbus, O., and after playing through the / midwest, works to the Coast next summer. It is solidly booked through mid- September, but there’s a possibility the troupe may be, brought to New York some time during the summer to sub.stitute while the Broadway ca.st takes a vacation. To mark the first anniversary of the New York premiere, Feb. 10, co-producers. Kermit Bloomgarden and Waiter Fried Will, take a full- page ad in the drama section of the ■ N. Y. Time.s the: ensuing Sunday, iFeb. 12. ; Meanwhile, filmactor Albert Dekker has been signed as understudy for the starring role of Willy Loman, being played on Broad way T)y Gene Lockhart' and/ in Chicago by Thomas Mitchell. and producers with giving them “second, class’’ treatment, some- times inviting the Negro critics days after the opening perforni- Brice. Reaction of the legit p.a.’s to^ the unexpected rap Was one of bafflement. Leading N. Y. press^. agents categbricaliy denied prac- ticirig any form of discrimination. They said- that the Negro press was treated on equal terms with all, other paper, being accorded the same privileg'es as Jewish, Polish, Italian and other Specialized group newspapers. First-night tickets are distribut- ed to a tight circle of 5i persons, repping various prominent general dailies that are given formal pre- cedence by the League of N. Y* Theatres. Second-night privileges are accorded moire liberally, but still are limited by the number of seats available for the cuffoes. The pressagents pointed put, however, that virtually all requests fOr. sec- ond-night tickets made by legiti- (Continued oil page 69) Baccaloni to Make lept llqw in ’SoMier’ on Cqa$t San Francisco, Jan. j?4; , Salvatore Bacca.lpni, basso star of the Metopera, has been signed by general director Edwin; Lester for the San Francisco and Los Angeles Civic Light Opera production, of ‘‘The Chocolate S b 1 d 1 c r’V this spring. It will be the Italian singer’s legit debut; The show wiU open the organization’s 13th season, April 24 at the Philhar- monic Auditorium,. Lcs Angeles, and come to the Gurrari here May'22. “South Pacific*” the second pf- fCrlrig of the Civic Light Opera season, will have the longest book- ing in the series’ history* It will play 10 weeks In Los Angeles, starting May 22, and six weeks at the War Memorial Opera House here, which is larger than the ICufram- NO JURISDICnON. FLEA Chicago, Jari. 24. Judge Phillip Sullivan, Chi fed- eral district court, last week took under advisement the plea of Se- lect Theatre Cprp., Shubert sub- sidiary, that it was not engaged in operating in Illinois, and there- fore. the court has no jurisdiction in the $1,000,000 anti-trust suit brought by producer Jules Pfeiffer. Latter claims the Shuberts prevent- ed him from obtaining firstclass houses for: his production, ”Maid of the Ozarks.” Counsel for the de^ fendants said that Shubert’s Select Lake City Gprp., operators of the- atres here, was not party tb the ■siiit.;' John Waters, Shubert official, was: the chief Witness for the de- ten.se, denying that Select Thea- tres did business here. Judge Sul- livan will give his decision this week as to / whether of riot court has jurisdiction. US.A.’ Porthnd Preem At id Audience Sticks It Out Portland, Ore.* Jan. 24. Opening night performance of “Inside U; S. A.” at the Mayfair here, last Wednesday (18), was held up four hours with the cur- tain finally going up at midnight. The patrons, who stuck out the long wait, didnT get out of the caused by the late arrival of the train. Audience, told of the de- lay, was invited to attend nearby film; houses, go home for a While or merely wait. Manager Herb Royster passed out morning pa- pers in addition to raising the curtain so payees could see stage- hands at work. Star Beatrice Lil- lie and Lew Parker entertained a bit while cast was getting, ready. The four-hour wait was no rec-^ ord for the Pacific Northwest, however. On Christmas riight, i933, a Seattle audience waited un- til 1:05 a. m. for the start of Kath- arine Cornell's production of “Thtc^ Barretts of Wimpole Street.” 1,500 Hollywood* Jan. 24, Promoters of “My, L. A.,” musi- cal to be made from a best-rseUing book by Matt Wein stock (L. A. Daily News), are/seeking financing through a public stbek issue. Of- ficers of company are Williani Trenk, president; Hafold Maresch, vice-president, arid Dr; John Chris- tensen, treasurer. Outfit hopes to get 1,500 invest tors after permission for stock sale Was granted by State Corpora- tion Cqmiriissipner Edwin M. Daugherty; Barring/Seein^Eye Hog , Baltimpfe* Jan. 24* ;/ Management of Ford’s theatfe here came in for public ceri.sure last week for preventihg a blind iwoman from taking her SCeing-eye dog in with her to attend a perr fprmance of “Streetcar Named De- sire.” The Baltimore Sun carried , the story of how the woman and her husband, who had boaght tickr ets in advance to celebrate their ; 14th wedding anniversafy at the : show, were, refused admission With 'the dbg* They were given fefunds. I John Little, manager of the jhouse, was quoted as saying that /someone might have stumbled over • the animal, a special ly-tfained Iboxer. He asserted that It wa$ the first time anyone had ever asked to take a dog irito the the- atre. He offered to admit th?cou^ pie without the arilmal, but, they ' refused. They had made the triji: /from Silver Sjprlng, Md., specially Mb attend the jplay, they said. ;