Variety (September 1952)

- 68 LBCITOWATii Managers Seen Outsmarted for Jan. Showdown in Stagehand Wage Talks Wednetfd ay, SeplcmL ei* 17, 1952 Salute to ‘Bnmy’ —By JOE LA.URIE, JR.— Broadway producers are becom-4 Ing increasingly uneasy over the situation between the League of N. Y, Theatres and the stagehands’ union. Feeling Is that the manage- ment organization has been out- maneuvered by the imion and will be in an impossible position when matters reach a showdown in Jan- uary. Idea is that the timing of the negotiations will now be over- whelmingly in the union’s favor. It’s now realized, some producers fear too late, that with the legit season at a peak in January, man- agements will not be able even to consider risking a strike. If they had insisted on settling matters last .summer, when production was at a minimum, they would have been in better position to have faced a tieup. During the summer, when the grips’ union offered to postpone the issue for several months, League representative^ viewed it as a gracious gesture. However, some of them are now wondering if the stagehand move wasn’t a clev.er stratagem to gain a tactical advantage in timing. At the time of the postponement, it was agreed that the terms of the new contract would be retroactive. Union demands, presented at the initial session with the League ne- gotiating committee, are the tough- est ever advanced. Besides an across-the-board wage raise, they would impose overtime for Sun- days and holidays and would clas- sify St. Patrick’s Day and Yom Kip- pur as holidays. Various other pro- posed innovations would substan- tially increase legit production and operating costs. A new contract was recently worked out with Actors Equity in- volving small pay raises and a compromise on the issue of options - for original-cast record albums. Negotiations with the Assn, of The- atrical Press Agents & Managers are now in progress, with indica- tions that an agreement will be reached shortly. The League also recently signed a new pact with the United Scenic Artists. Shubert Bros, Don’t See Eye to Eye in ATPAM, Teamsters Union Suit Suit charging violation of the anti-trust laws was filed last week by J. J. Shubert against the Assn, of Theatrical Press Agents & Man- agers and the Teamsters Union, Local 817. Action stems from the ATPAM picketing last summer of the Shubert operetta presentations at White Plains, N. Y., and the teamsters’ refusal to cross the picket lines. Wrinkle about the suit is that J. J. Shubert is the plaintiff on hiS own, w*th Lee Shubert, his broth- er, not participating. Ostensible ex- planation IS that the operettas, al- though billed as presented by the Shuberts jointly, was actually a project of J. J. Shubert. However, it’s understood that Lee, who is believed not to share his younger brother’s attitude regarding unions, was not Informed of the suitMn advance. Origin o*‘ the- dispute . with the ATPAM w'as J. J. Shubert’s re- • fusal to sign unions, contracts for manager and pressagent for the operetta series at the County Cen- ter in White Plains, although he had hired union .members and no question of pay scales was in- volved. When the teamsters re- fused to haul scenery across the ATPAM picket line, Shubert sur- rendered. However, the operetta series failed to draw and quickly folded for a heavy loss. Presumably the anti-trust angle of the suit is based on a claim that the teamsters’ refusal to cross the ATPAM picket line was evidence of conspiracy in restraint of trade. But teamsters’ union officials as- sert that the courts have repeated- ly held that under the Taft-Hart- ley law a non-striker is justified in refusing to cross a picket line if he believes doing so would Involve risk of bodily harm. Shubert’s suit was filed in N. Y. Federal Court. Sidney Cohn, ATPAM attorney, plans to seek an examination of the plaintiff before trial. Trash Basket George Jean Nathan will skip his annual “Theatre Book of the Year” for Knopf this fall. Nathan stated that the 1951-52 theatrical season was so catastrophic in every way that it is unworthy of a book, and that it is better forgotten. “Why exercise myself' and my readers* patience in the embalming of trash?” he asked. New lead, Maestro Spefl SRO for N.Y.C. Opera Bow In‘Tosca’;JapSingprsIn The N. Y, City Opera Co.’s ninth season, which bows tomorrow (Thurs.'l at City Center, N. Y., with “Tosca,” is opening auspici- ously. Opener h^s been sold out for 10 days, noticeably through mail orders, while the second per- formance of “Tosca,” Sept. 28, is also practically SRO already.. First of the new. productions this season, the double-bill premiere of | Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle’’ and ] Ravel’s “L’Heure Espagnole,’’ Oct. 2, is already sold out, while sales for the other new^ presentation, Menotti’s “The Consul,” Oct. 8, are going well. Interest in the sea- son has been heightened by new additions to the company, especial- ly that of vet maestro Tullio Sera- fin, onetiine Met Opera chief con- ductor, who’ll baton opening night. Another Center debut opening night will be that of Anne Mc- Knight as Tosca. Her support will be David Poleri, Walter Cassel, Jon Geyans (who played lead in the legiter, “Out Of This World,” as George Jongeyans), Emile Re- nan, Arthur Newman, Luigi Vel- lucci and Edith Evans. Other first-week debuts will come Saturday night (20), with Laurel Himley and Randolph Symonette bowing as leads in “Don Giovanni,” and Carl Bamberger making his first Center appearance as the conductor. Symonette sang the lead on Broadway last season in the short-lived “Let’s Make An Op0r3*^^ Twelve members of the Fujiwara Opera Co. of Japan are due in N. Y today (Wed.) by boat, to appear in two performances of “Madame Butterfly,” Oct. 9 and 18, in conjunction with regular members of the N. Yt City Opera Co. Singers came at invite of Joseph Rosenstock, opera com- pany’s general director, who was head of the Nippon Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo before the war. ra ALLEN NEW PREZ M eAVnNHCF. SHAKEUP Kenneth L. Allen, Jr., former junior partner in James A. David- son mgt., has been elected prez of the concert • bureau, to replace Davidson, who’s retiring from the concert booking field. Biz is to con- tiniip under the same name, with artists remaining as before—Mar- garet Truman, Brian Sullivan, Robert Shaw chorale & orchestra. “Rodgers & Hammerstein Nights,” Jerome Hines (for "AM-TV only), and “Nine O’clock Opera.** Davidson, who was biz manager for various artists before setting up his bureau, says his future plans are uncertain. Mildred Sha- gal, his assistant since the firm’s founding, will stay with Allen in similar capacity. Allen, now on a biz tour in Europe, is due back end of September, with probable plans for European bookings for his . clients. He was a personal rep for artists, and also with commu- nity concerts, before joining Da- vidson. Ft. Wayne ’53 Fest Dates Foi't Wayne, Sept. 16. Fort Wayne Light Opera Festi- val has selected the dates for its 1953 performances in the News- Sentinel Outdoor Theatre in Franke Park, scene of its success- ful 1952 season. Group is planning five produc- tions, each for three days, as fol- lows: June 19-21; July 10-12; July 24-26; Aug. 14-16, and Aug. 28-30. Coast SmaU-Scater Pay Cut Threat Riles Equity Los Angeles, Sept. 16. Long muddled statuT of little theatre contracts on the Coast has caused new resentment by Equity members in the wake of reports that a scale cut was contemplated. Members complain that no such ac- tion should be taken without a full, open discussion at a general mem- bership meeting. Equity Coast rep Charles Meredith, emphasizing”%at everything still is in the “discus- sion” stage, declared that any con- templated changes must be re- viewed and approved by Eqmty Council in N. Y. before adoption. Understood Meredith’s plan is to permit cuts in return for a slightly expanded professional budget by the small houses, thus spreading available work among more members. Contention is that most Coastites work for showcas- ing, not subsistence, and that the pay isn’t as important as the op- portunity^. Bulk of the Coast small- seaters have weekly gross poten- tials of under $1,000. Choate Busy on 3 Shows; British Song Title May Snarl English Tryout Edward Choate, who was asso- ciated with pressagent George Ross and th^ Theatre Guild last season in the Broadway productions of “Saint Joan” ♦and “Venus Ob- served,” has a busy schedule lined up for this year. He’ll be co-pro- ducer of one show and general manager of two others. Partnering with Ross again, Choate will produce “Show Me a Murderer,” a whodunit by Janet Green. He’ll also be .general man- ager for T. Edward Hambleton on the production of “All In the Fam- ily,” a Victor Wolf son adaptation from the French of Gilbert Sauva- jon, which was tried out at Stock- bridge, Mass., this summer under the title, “A Murder In the Fami- ly.” Meanwhile, Choate is serving as general manager for Elaine Perry on the production of “Preacher Boy,” William McDow- ell Stucky play until recently under option to the late Irving L. Jacobs. A scheduled preliminary produc- tion of “Show Me a Murderer” in England this" fall by American-born manager Wauna Paul may Involve complications over the title, “Ted- dybear’s Picnic,” being used for it there. According to British song- writer Jimmy Kennedy, currefitly in New York, that is the title of a song he wrote many years ago and also of a more recent playlet. A Columbia recording of the tune has been a bestseller in England for more than a score of years, the composer says. He plans legal ac- tion to halt the use of the title for Miss Green’s melodrama. Kennedy, whose wife, Constance Carpenter, was understudy for Gertrude Lawrence in the Broad- way production of “King and I” and took over the femme lead on the Star’s recent death, returned to New York about 10 days ago after a visit to London. Can. Rep Group, 20G in Red, Sets Special Fund Drive Ottawa, Sept. 16. Canadian Repertory Theatre here, for three years Canada’s only continuous-season winter stock, dived into the red nearly $20,000 in that time. Although angeled by two wealthy Ottawa men. a newspaper publisher and an indus- trialist, it announced that it won’t reopen this season without “imme- diate capital” in form of a batch of subscriptions. These are being sought by letters to a list and by newspaper publicity. CART’S operating committee plans to 'slice up its previous 35-week stretches into three “seasons” of about 10 weeks each, going dark in the weeks before Christmas and Easter. Amelia Hail and Sam Payne, who alternately direct and act, have been re-engaged provisionally, but Bruce Raymond, business and pro- motion manager, leaves to manage a new road-tour company operating from Montreal. He spent last sum- mer managing Norma Sprinpford's Mountain Theatre in Montreal. W^ith the passing of R. H. Bum- side on Sept, 14 at 82, a certain era of the show biz has disc passed* “Burny” was the last of the great directors who started at the turn of the century—the days when the director was the king, who ruled with an iron hand and whose word was law around the theatre. Those were the days when actors couldn t^ complain to their “deputies of their union” because there were no ac- tors’ unions. The days of Arthur Voegtlin, John Wilson, Ben Teal, Julian Mitchell, Ned Way burn, J. Hoffman — and R. H. Burnside. These were the men that handled “large casts” and “spectacles,” which is quite a trick. They knew their business and proved it over the years. They were tough task- masters—but not too tough! “Burny” learned a lot under the direction of Arthur Voegtlin, who was the producer and who con- ceived the early Thompson & Dundy shows at their N. Y. Hippo- drome. John Wilson was his stage director and “Burny’’ was an as- sistant. Burnside stepped in as the director when Charles Dillingham took over the Hippodrome from the Shuberts and M. C. Anderson, in 1915. He proved he could do the job even a little better by turning the show^ into profit-mak- ers for Dillingham. The friendship and loyalty between Dillingham and Burnside was something sel- dom seen on Broadway. R. H. Burnside was born in Glas- gow, where his father was the man- ager of the Gaiety Theatre, and hiS mother, Margaret Thorne, was a prominent English actress. The family lived over the theatre. At the age of two, “Burny,” was first brought on the stage for a bit. As a kid he ,went to the Aquarium Theatre where they were giving a burlesque of “The Bohemian Girl” as a Command Performance for the Prince of Wales (later King Ed- ward VII). The actor who played the part of the dog in the show didn’t show up and “Burny” got the role. After the show the Prince came backstage and gave him half a crown. He ran away from home a couple of times to join a circus but was brought back. When the fam- ily moved to London, he became Callboy at the Gaiety there. Rich- ard Barker, the noted English di- rector, took a liking to the kid and taught him the A.B.C.s of the theatre. Years later “Burny” met Lillian Russell who took him to America as her director; He staged “The Grand Duchess,” “La Peri- cole,” “Lady Teasle,” and some other plays for her. He then started writing and directing such plays as “Dancing Duchess,” “Ser- geant Kitty,” “Miss Millions,” and wrote and directed all shows for Montgomery & Stone and later Fred Stone’s “Stepping Stones,” “Chin-Chin,” “Tip Top,” “Stop, Look and Listen,” “Watch Your Step,” “Quo Vadis,” “Robin Hood,” “The Bohemian Girl” and hun- dreds of others. Hipp Novelties At the Hipp he originated the famous disappearing girls in the tank and many more novelties. He staged great spectacles at Madison Sq. Garden, Grand Central Pal- ace, Buffalo Bill & Pawnee Bill’s Circus, also for the Barnum & Bailey Circus, and during the Philadelphia Sesqui-Centennial he staged the greatest modern pag- eant, employing 5,000 people. A few years ago he w'ent to the Coast to produce a picture based on the story of the old Hippodrome. His activities the past years has been organizing some operettas and Gilbert & Sullivan companies with which he toured the country. Be- sides writing and directing over 200 plays, he wrote a few hit songs like “Can’t Beat the Luck of the Irish,” “Ladder of Roses,” “Nice to Have a Sweetheart” and, in collaboration with John Golden and Raymond Hubbell, the famous “Poor Butterfly” number used in one of his Hippodrome shows. The Lambs will long remember him for he served them long and faithfully. In 1917 he was Recording Secretary when Joseph R. Grismer was the Shepherd. “Burny” be- came Shepherd in 1918 for three terms, until 1921, and in 1925 he served as Boy when Tom Meighan was Shepherd and again in 1926- 27 when Tow Wise was Shepherd. He staged dozens of private and public Lamb Gambols. He was loved by his fellow Lambs, who sat around with him, his daily glass of sherry in his hand, as he would take us down the aisles of Timo with his golden store of theatrical memories. He had a special pocket in his coats which held hundreds of letters, and at a moment’s notice he could pull out the letter he needed. He had kindness, sim- plicity, respectability and talent He went through over 70 years all the agonies and triumphs of show biz. He died as modestly as he lived. His services to the theatre will never be forgotten in the minds and hearts of the public and the profession that knew him. Nobody ever knew what the ini- tials R. H. stood for. He once said, “Men who know me and don't like me call me R. H.; those who don’t know me call me Mr. Burnside; but those who know me and like me call me “Burny.” Okay., “Burny.” Some Shubert Shifts As Boxoffice Assignments Are Set for N.Y. Season Betty Barker and Jack Melnick, formerly respective treasurer and assistant at the Booth, N. Y., were shifted last week to the Barrymore, N. Y. Lillian Peabody and Mildred Anker, treasurer and assistant at the Barrymore for the last dozen- odd years, are expected to be as- signed to ijie Lyceum, N. Y, Those are the principal moves affecting Shubert theatres so far for the new season. Initial deadline for boxoffice per- so el assignments for each year is Sept. 1. That applies to houses with current shows. For dark the- atres assignments must be made by Oct. 12. At houses operated by City Playhouses, Inc., as well as at independent theatres, virtually all assignments are already set, re- gardless of deadline. But some Shubert spots are not expected to be assigned until the deadline spec- ified in the contract with the Treasurers & Ticket Sellers Union, Local 751. As of last week, the following New York boxoffice assignments were set for the season: Alvin; Gordon Kramer, Rod Mc- Mahon, Luis Valle, Barrymore: Betty Barker, Jack Melnick. Beck: Dora Chamberlain, Ethel Archer. Broadhurst: Max Sagar, Lew'is Melnick, Bobby Howard. City Center: William Jakob, Ray Metz, Richard Hickey, Julius Stone. Coronet: John Olt, (Miss) Marvin Roth! 48th Street: Julius Specter, Harry Goldhart. 46th Street: Charles Bowman, Paul Meyers, George Handy. Fulton: Thomas Clarke, George M. Cohan. Golden: Nellie Beamish, Murray DeVries. Hellinger: Abe Baranoff, Jerry Sheehan. Imperial: William Goldhart, Helen Monroe, Arthur Feine. Majestic: William Rinaldo, Mary Ackley, Fred Gasdia. Met Opera House: Thurber Wil- kins, Arthur Weidhaus, A1 Alle- gro tti. Miller: Frank Frayer, John Bow- man. Morosco: Michael Onorato, KiP Whiteman. Music Box: Hugh McGaulcy, Walter G. O’Connor. National: Willie Harris, Anna Hirsh. Playhouse: Thomas Brotherton, Marie Dickson. Plymouth: Constance Coble, Philip Kenney, Irene Bolte. Royale: ^Harold Stehle, Essie Friedman. St. James: Charles Thomas, Harry Steinberg, Arthur Meyers. Shubert: Murray Helwitz, Joseph O’Brien. Winter Garden: Aaron Helwitz, Herman Fallik. . . Ziegfeld: Lewis Harris, Jrving Morrison. 'MADAM' TO TEE ST. L. SEASON St. Louis. Sept. 16. “Call Me Madam,” is skedded to tee off the 1952-53 Ipgit season at the American Theatre here Oct. !«> with a two-week frame. Elaine Stritch, who replaced Ethel Mer- man, will head the cast. Paul Belsman, American mana- ger, is having a face-lifting job done on the 1,700-seat house. o