Variety (April 1950)

VAVDEVILLB Wednesday, ApHI S, 1950 Other Actors’ the anti-bertefit campaign by the American Guild of Variety Artistsj Mklds Fight tO Retain is expected to make a st?;ong dent in revenue of welfare and relief funds Of affiliates of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, ais well as the various thes^trical guilds. All such organizations are expected to feel the pinch in cur- tailment of cuffp; shows. Under present, setup, Theatre Authority gets 15% of the gross on all bene- fits. Since the nuinbet* of gratis displays has diminished this year, TA take will be smaller. Gdnse Jobs in A.G. Saloons Atlantic City, April 4. Femme bartenders here~are setj to again storm city hall Thursday (6 ) to battle ah ordinance which, if Adopted, ' would prohibit them from Working as bar mgffds. The proposed law is being backed by the local bartenders^ union, which claims that many jobs being held by Women should be Both sides have ForlOOGm* } .. .. j I filled by men. ^ quently, the Welfare funds or tfi® ! kicked up so much controversy that various unions Will get a small slice j ordinance, scheduled for a piib^ Of the TA melon. ; i Hc hearing two weeks agOj was Just what wi^^^ be done to bolster i tabled by City : Commissioners so the loss hasn’t been decided by the | that Controversy might settle down 4A’s. Henry puhn,. AGVA national a b^ administrative Secretary, has. pro-} A number of small spots Use posed ah annual benefit at Madison i women bartenders, . w h o it’s Square Garden; N. V;., fpr the beii- j ciaimedV work for less than the efit of the various’relief funds. It’s union scale, figured since TA’s dividendsii are i ; .. ; . r ./ .^ - . about $70,000 annually and divided among 14 organizations, such an af- fair could make up for the TA loss. However, it’s doubtful that the 4A's Will go for this idea. For thA past yeair, AGVA lias been campaigning for the ,elimina- tion of the benefits, claiming the free shows militate against club- date employment for many acts and that performers are the only ' ones not paid at such affairs. It’s pointed oiit that musicians, stager hands, caterers, hall, promoters, etc., are paid and it’s been union’s feeling that talent should also be paid. Under AG VA proposals, ben- efits would be limited to organiza- tions such 'as the American and New York Heart Assn.; Cancer Funds, etc. Under present TA distribution, charitable theatrical guilds such as Jewish Theatrical Guild, Negro Ac- tors Guild, Episcopdl Actors Guild and others get the first 25% of the TA take; after expenses, .divided among them, AGVA gets 25% of the remainder and the other 4A units split the rest. Name Vaude Unit S*t For S&k Chi Nabes Chicago, April 4. Balaban & Katz will bring in a top name package for its Paradise and Norshore theatres for EJaster week, with Ginhy Powell,. Gil Lamb, and Boyd Raeburti orch. Unit will plfiy A week at the Para- dise and three days at the Nor- shore, Both houses have not played vaude in the last decade. This is a continuation of test policy of Nate Platt, B&K booker, of spotting. occasional vaude units. Circuit had three name shows Working the nabe house's during the Xmas holidays; Lolita 8t Ardo, dance team, cur- rently at the Early Birds Club, Bpokane^ were mistakenly Identi- fied as Melita 8c Arnow in a re- cent issue of Variety when re- viewed ,at the Palomar, Seattle. HAVE YOU SEEN JACKIE KANNON Buffalo, April 4. Roberto Zaiccini, the “Hums’'^; Cannonball” who was injured while being sfiot from a cannon during the Shrine Circus here in March, 194)8, has filed suit against the Hamid-Morton Circus for $100,000 damages at Tampa, Florida: Zac- cini claims that while catapulting from the cannon he saw a Wire in his path and in order to avoid it he was forced to. twist in such a man- ner that in landing in the net he was permanently disabled. He con- tends the Circus is responsible for failing to maintain a clear trajec- tory path. At the time both Zaccini and his sister Sylvia were in the act. At the time of the accident the sister i made a successful landing biit Zac- cini was rushed to the Deaconess hospital here, where he was foUti to be suffering from a “fracture dislocation of the neck.V Scot Vaude Audieac^ Glasgow, April 4. .. Scot audiences are going for U. ; S. performers- Highlight of Derek Roy show at Glasgow Em- pire recently was appearance of Johii and Rene Arhaut in their w.k. whistling bit. ; Next Americans due arc the Mack 'Triplets, who’ve been scor- ing in London niteries. They play Glasgow, April 17. The miining Bernard Bros., held ovejf’ from panto to support Danny Thomas in opening variety week at London Palladium, make an-; other return to the Glasgow Em- pire, May 8, Val Parnell has promised more Americans for Scots vaude houses. Daiice Kale? iu B^en Operating Own Sindios Paralleling the more extensive business done by such retired or semi-retiredr professionar dancers, as yeloz & Yolanda and -Fred Astaire, with elaborate teaching studios on the order of Arthur Murray, more dance teams have gone into this phase of late^ Renee & Root have had their own studios at the Martinique and NeW Surf hotels in Miami Beach, and this Winter at the Sea Isle and Surfside in the Florida resort; Gomez Sc Beatrice have had the President Madison hotel, MB? the, past two: years; and this year Tony & Sally DeMarco have had the Boca Baton, Rohey-Plaza and Sah Souci hotels in Florida. ’There is a long list of lesser teans who, similarly^ segued into the tutbring phase of the dance business. Many of them, like Addi- son (Jack) Fowler and his late partner-wife, Florenz Tamaira, h®(i headed Arthur Murray studios all over the country, Fowler still re- taining his own spot in Providence. Many ballroomologists follow the seasons, with summer and winter rescM-t studios, Such as Renee Sc Root returning July 1 to* the May- flower : Hotel, Plymouth, Mass. (Cape God.) R&R had a variation on the idea by doing their act at the Sea Isle Hotel, with supplementary private lessons following. It .was because of this combination professional and amateur routine that some British VIPs, visiting Sea Isle, interested London manager-booker Jack Hylton in Renee & Root, with result he Jias booked them to open at the*Baccara, Paris, May 12; the Baur-au-Lac IJqtel, Zurich* June i-15, with dates in Italy and on the Riviera, to follow. This meank that the R&R studio at their annual Plymouth hotel stand Will reopen without them personally, although they’ll return later in the summer. Act sails April I'T on the Volendam. This Is’ the team’s first booking abroad but Eddie Root’s fourth, having made three. European tours when of Minor ;& Root. Dean Murphy Tagged By Agent in 25G Breach Suit Chicago, April, 4. Phil Tyrrell, Chi agent, Wst week flted $25,0b0 suit against Dean Murphy in the municipal courti Booker claims he had a 10-year contract With the impressionist. Which still has a year to go, He also alleges, that under the con- tract, he was to receive commis-- sion oh ail bboklngs during tenure of contract, and that . Murphy has Jailed to remit. ■ Action Was filed the lari: day of Murphy’s engagement at. the Chi- cago theatre, Thursday (30). Worcester Worcester, Mass., April 4. The. influx of female impersona tor shows in Massachusetts night- j Lee will also be pacted. 4 Saratoga is^ expected to have a better season this year than in pre- vious annums; Major problem of gaming isn’t expected to crop tip this year. Businessmen of resort expect, a green light on gaming without any difficulties, also all- out heavier exploitation for tlie racing meet and generally lower prices. in hotels and cafes to give the necessary impetus to what’s hoped Will be a big Season, As a result, cafemeri are already riarting work on heavy-budgeted shows for the season, starting July 31. Lou Walters, of -the Latin Quarter, N. Y., will produce the shows; at. the Piping Rock for sec- ond consecutive year. He’s already dickering fdr either Jimmy, Du- rarite or Tony Martin for a two- week stand to open, the season, arid expects to pact Joe E, Lewis for the remaining fortnight, Riley’s also is expected to ex- pand budget for its shows; lUs probable that the Harold Miiisky cafe unit,, which did well at that spot last season, will play a repeat there; In addition, it’s likely that a headliner such as Gypsy Rose clubs Was halted When state police raided Lunt’s in suburban: Sterling, and arrested the owner arid five performers, Other caffi expected to open for the bangtail season ik the Brook club, formerly OuthWaite’s. This cafe didn’t do' too well lari year, In District court, W. Joseph Lunt, in the face of heavy name compe- Was fined $250 for promoting an immoral entertainmerit. He jap- pealed. The five entertainers, fined $50 each with the provision that they stay out of th« Ipwu in the future, Were Joseph McGrath, alias Jay Sunday; Richard Vigeant (Dickie Starr), Iran Riggs (Dale Leslie), John Harrison (Jackie Kays) and Ernest DiStefano (Bun- ny Day),./- Sterling officials then revoked food and liquor licenses of the club. Simultaneously, Shrewsbury po- lice ordered a similar type of show at the Frolics closed. The club booked Phil Allen and an all-girl revue. The Northboro Manor, which has been using these type shbys, is up for auction. Nelson’s Musical Tab May tition from the other two clubs. As a result, it also may go in for top talent. ,• One major lesson that the bis- tros learned last year is the im- portance of gal lines. This year all will shell out heavily on pro- ductions. The Piping Bock, for ex- ample, started last sea.son sans the cheesecake display, but had to add one hurriedly in midseason. Riley’s is 4ilso expected to put in a large production unit. mm mm mi mm The Theatres of tHe Stars MARCUS iOEW m mi CENERAL EXECUTIVE OffICES- . e \Mt R U Il DI NO AN N e A p E W ® j; • J r; •" , judsofi 2-WQo 0 WMt 46th Stfttt. N. Y. C. H. GENEfiAt MANAOW f OOKINO MANAGER 15® ®53S!! ■ Saranac Lake By Happy Benway Saranac Lake, N.Y.;, April 4. Victor (lATSE) Gamba, elated over latest clinic report, which ups him for mild exercise and picture privileges twice weekly. His frau, Esther Morrisette, is a daily Visitor, Dr. William Stern, Variety Clubs hospital medico, off to Miami; for a month's* holiday. Forrest (Slim) Glenn, former patient and now on hospital’s per- sonnel, to N;Y;,C. on a vacation. Birthday greetings are in order to Helen PeleOhowicz and Ted (Akron) Hopper; both at the hilltop hospital and on the improved list. John N. Garwood, sports ahr houncer of local (Station WNBZ aiid Joyce Xalris daughter of Louis Kains, musical director of Deer^ Wood Musical Center were married recenty arid Will reside in the downtown colony upon retiirn from their hpneympOri. Mary Lou Weaver (Warners), received a top report, Which means nice progress; Edwin (lATSE) Gaiser recuping from thoracoplasty operation and doing okay. . Morris Dworski, analyst of Variety Clubs hospital research laboratory, elected president of the Jewish Cdmmuriity Center. Virginia Godwin* Who cured here, in for a vacation in the down- town colony. Ditto for Bryce La- Vigne, former orch leader. Spring is surely here! Ben Schaffer went downtown and got his fishing license. Write to those who are ill. m Herbert Nelson, who produced snniaU theatre-cafe revues on the Continent some years ago, will at- tempt. to bring this idea into a Greenwich Village, N. Y., cafe late summer or efliriy fall. Format was tried out for three days last wOek at Adelphi College, Garden City, Same show, “Nuts arid Peanuts” which played the college will prob- ably be repeated in the Village. Program M'ill have a cast of eight with two-pianos shOwbacking. There Will be one performance nightly. Staging will be by Hedley Gordon Graham and cast will in- clude Sylvia Grayson, June Gru- well, Billy Beckham and * Bert Remsin, Nelson, early this season, queried American Giiild of Variety Artists and Actors Equity anent jurisdic- tion and Wage,scale for i)erform- ers. Since the query came at the time AGVA was battling Equity on the jurisdiction over tha Brandt legit showings in vaude houses, Nelson added fuel fo a controversy which caused. AGVA, at One point, to accuse Equity of encroaching on the nitery field. It was Equity’s contention that they have jurisdic- tion over legit shows ho matter where shown, while AOVA claimed control over nitery shows. j Whether Nelson will play under I Equity or AGVA isn’t known as' yet, I RqIU’ European Tour Roily Rolls will make his first appieararice in Paris in many years when he opens at the ABC theatre, there, for eight weeks on the bill with Edith Piaf, April 8. He fol- lows With a stand at the Palladium, June 8 . ; It will be Rolls’ first date as a comic In that city. His foririer ap- pearance there was as a concert pianist. RKO PALACE THI& WEEK RUFE DAVIS FREDA WING CLIFFORD and M ARION NEXT WEEK DIRICTION: KALCHEIM & SMITH R. K. O. ildf., N«w York City JUdian 4-3345 A4AN1UA...... >A6ST5QAltD...5C/- ^IMT.LIATHER TES" GOWEN »•«» eaoM , rbu MUST VISIT RAltWAY LOST PROPERTY wbtn IR LONDON for largalni in Fart. Far Coatt, liiggagt. Trovtl and Spisrtf beodf:-->Can at 1 Part- man Street (carnar af Oxfard Straat), Marble Atch. Landan. VY-T- Lilliari Caveli cancelled out at’ the Colonial theatre^ Albany* last week; with- Elaine Bradley re- placing.