Variety (December 1951)

ffwlimAiTi Dct^mher 12, 1951 VAUBEV1LLE By MAX NEWTON * Montreal, Dec. 11* With most entertainment .spots already reeling from the blow of the recently imposed 2 a.m* cur- few andUquorrestrictions.Pren.ler Duplessis stepped bi with the clincher last Thursday (6) when he announced the curfew setup Jor the holiday season. On Christmas eve all licensed operators must close at 9 p.m.; on New^year^s eve, at 10, and on Jah, 6,. the Feast of the Epiphany, at ll. These restrictions will put the skids under many of the cafes and clubs around town, countless musi- cians, entertainers; waiters, * bus- h<ws and restaurant personnel will be affected ahd Montreal’s long- cherished rep as “a bit of Paris in the New World’* will be liquidated. Millions of $ at Stake Montreal is a town of more than 1500,000 persons; it came into be- 'ing as one of the top entertainment centres on the continent during the ’20s when prohibition hit the U. S., particularly the New York area. From that era until today, the*pace has never slackened. Millions of dollars have been (Continued on page 54) For British, U.S. Troops Tokyo, Dec. 11.. Harmonicaist Larry Adler* first American entertainer to be sent out by the British Commonwealth Divi- sion to perform for British troops, will appear with the Japan National Symphony in Tokyo Dec. 17, Com* cert is being sponsored by the Japanese, paper, Yomluri. . Although Adler, is traveling in Korea and Japan under auspices of the BCD,, he’s been giving shows for GIs as welL.He started the Far Eastern entertainment 'trek Nov. 25, and no date has yet been set for its windup. Adler is accomped by Canadian guitarist Frank Alli- son. Joey Adam$ has ™ ommlag piece The Great Wit Way In forthcoming 46th Annivenary^umher of DUE SOON From London Palladium For Now York 2~a-Day Lou Walters, boniface of Latin Quarter and Gilded. Cage, N. Y., has made a deal with Val Parnell, managing director of the Moss Em- pire Circbit, England, and in charge of the Palladium, London, to import the revile now; at latter theatre. Walters will play the show at a Shiibert legif house on a two- a-day basis next spring. Revue is running at London house under the label of “Peep Show,’’ but title will be changed for U. S. showing because of Mike Todd’s previously, titled show of same name. Cast includes Wiere Bros., who have frequently played the U. S.; Chuck Brown & Rita, Jack Jackson and Vera Lyiin. Walters had been slated to/'do “£iegfeld Follies’’ this season, but casting problems were an obstacle. Benny Fields starts at El Rancho Vegas, Las Vegas, Dec. 19. Fol- lows with a Coast trip to look‘over “Somebody Loves Me,’* Paris film- biog of his Wife, Blossom Seeley. Cincy Gayety to Reopen Pec. 27 With No-Pic Peel Cincinnati, Dec. 11. Blacked out since Nov. 7 after 10 weeks of operation, the 1,100- seat Gayety Theatre is set to re- sume grinding Dec. 27 with bur- lesque. New policy drops motion pic- tures and calls for four stage showk daily and an extra midnight performance Saturday. Poor biz and too much overhead were blamed for the temporary shuttering. 1st 10-a-Wk. Fat The insurance setup of American Guild of Variety Artists faces the danger of annihilation within "the next few weeks, unless, union execs and attorneys pull some rabbits out of their collective hats. Union is now awaiting results of an informal hearing held last week by the N. Y. State Insurance Dept., which examined Matthew M. Ad-; ler, broker for the AGVA insurance program, and queried him at an ex- amination-before-trial on charges of Operating * New York State First full try at 10 performances weekly at the Palace, N. Y., re- sulted in a strong $41,000 for week ended Monday (10). System was inaugurated two weeks ago, but headliner Judy Garland had to can- cel out of a Thursday matinee be- cause of laryngitis. The figure represents sellouts at the evening shows and strong houses at the matineelg. HOLTZ ‘GO-ROUND’ FOLDS ON COAST Los Angeles, Dec. 11. Lou Holtz folds his “Merry-Go- Round” vaude layout tonight (Tues.) at the 1,532-seat Belmont. The last of its three weeks drew a thin $8,500. Show represents a loss to Holtz of around $20,000, largely through expenses of refur- bishing the former nabe film house. Total gross was $36,500. Take never reached 60% of capacity. Costs were cut last week through an across-the-board 10% salary cut and the exit of Toni Harper from* the cast. It didn’t help. John Sebastian, harmonicist, and interpretive dancer Dorothy Jarnac rehearsing routines for work as a two-act. If Roy Rogers Refuses Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carillo, who portray the Cisco Kid and Pancho in the Philip Krasne film productions distributed through United Artists, may play Madison Square Garden, N. Y., next fall with the World’s Championship Ro- deo. Deal reportedly hinges on whether Roy Rogers nixes an offer to return to the local roundup. Renaldo and Carillo have been signed by Arthur Morse, a Chicago attorney and sports promoter, for a rodeo tour next season. Morse is currently lining up dates and was in New York last week to. confer with Ned Irish, Garden’s eXec yeepee. A rodeo headliner has been a Garden poser for several! years. There has been a declining gate for a couple of the cowboy stands. Gene Autry did a b<0. dive in his last Garden appearance, and . two’ months ago the Lone Ranger and Vaughn Monroe failed to lift the take in their respective 12- and 14- day stanzas. Garden execs feel that a top name that fits into the Corral setup and hasn’t shown in New York is needed. Irish made several previous attempts to get Rogers, but nothing could be consummated. without a license, rebating com- missions, and receiving commis- sions. Charges were the indirect result of a complaint lodged by a magi- cian, George "Nichols, who sought to collect on a policy as a result of injuries received at a club datd in Pennsylvania several months ago. As a consequence of that investiga- tion, the state bureau uncovered other facets of the program which required further probing. More- over, as reported last week, the in- vestigation of Adler has caused the Insurance Company of North Amer- ica, carrier of the policy, to give AGVA a year’s notice on pulling out of the deal. That. Philadelphia company, presumably because of embarrassment created by the criti- cism of the program and investiga- tion of Adler, decided that it had had enough: Pullout Complications The company’s pullout will leave AGVA in'a serious fix. Aside from the lack of an accident in- surance program, union will be faced with the prospect of being stuck with a 15-year contract (in- cluding a 12-year option) it had with Adler. Should AGVA get a replacement insurance program, premiums will have to be paid through Adler in accordance with terms of the contract. Arrange- ment Jias been likened to an act signing an exclusive deal with an agent. He pays commission to the percenter even If the performer, gets his own dates, In the Adler case, however, an adverse, report by the State Insurance Dept, may eliminate him from the deal. Union attorneys are slated to meet with Adler in an attempt to clarify the situation. Jo*ie’i Columbus 1-Niter Columbus, Dec. 11. Josephine Baker and her revue have been booked for two evening performances Dec. 18 at Memorial Hall hgre. Ben Cowall, local promoter, Is backing the date. SAYS I'VE ARRIVED Thank You Two SID LOFT for People: JUDY GARLAND and in me and being responsible for bringing me to America, for saying "that I can return to the Palace n you to I, thin Fri< numerous 1 have ^ especia I like. Kalcheim, Abe Smith and Dale, Doodles and Spider, Giselle and no means MY SOLE Jock Jacobsen and Morran Payne PANTON HOUSE • * ' 25, Haymorke* London, S.W. 1. Ttltphonc: Whi/0467/2594/5/6