Variety (December 1952)

Wed nesday* December 17, 1952 ‘Gangster Culture’ on ‘Aida’ , . . .. . , .. . . Vienna, Dec. 9. Following is a verbatim translation of a story about “My Dar- lin’ Aida” as carried in Esti Budapest, organ of the Budapest Com- munist Party Committee: “There is a new sensation on Broadway, the ill-famed street of the unartistic ‘manufacturing of art.* They have performed the Americanized version of Verdi’s opera ‘Aida.’ They have not done anything Jess than changing the date of the story from the time of Pharaoh to 1952 and the place from Egypt to America. Aida wearing a dress coat has seemed so utterly tasteless that a reporter asked the manager of the play what Verdi would have to say in connection with the new version. The manager replied: “ ‘There is no very great difference between our ‘Aida’ and the original one. The people speak and act differently, but the basic trend of the opera remains unchanged. ‘Aida’ is a drama of love and passion and wherever Verdi was applying force we do the same; where Verdi was erotic we are being erotic, too, and where he in- cludes dance, so do we . . . with a huge ensemble. If Verdi were aware of our problems of today, he would be most satisfied with the transformation of his works/ “Thus you can imagine how wonderful it is when Radames rushes past the King in a motor-bike, who waves with his hat. The drama obviously ends with the happy end that the Negroes whose duty it was to wall in the lovers rather support their escape in exchange for a check. “This is apparently an excellent example of the ‘gangster cul- ture’.” Equity In Administrative Revise; Executive Group to Ease Council Jam Drastically revised administra- tive setup, involving an executive committee and a system of per- manent committees, has been adopted by Actors Equity. The re- alignment, suggested by president Ralph Bellamy, has been accepted by the union’s council. The executive-committee, in op- eration about two months, involves a group of top officers, executives and committee chairman, who meet every Monday night and study all matters on the council agenda for the following afternoon. The execu- tive group has no formal authority and doesn’t attempt to take any final action or decide matters of policy, but merely serves a clarify- ing and expediting function by dis- cussing issues on the council agen- da and making recommendations. Since Bellamy, because of a daily tele-film commitment, can rarely attend council meetings, the execu- tive committee also gives him a chance to discuss union actions and policies with a group .of Equity heads, and thus be represented at the council sessions. In addition to Bellamy, the executive committee includes vice-presidents Maurice Evans, Raymond Massey, Frederick O’Neal, Margalo Gillmore, record- ing secretary John Effrat, execu- tive secretary Angus Duncan, treasurer Paul Dullzell, assistant executive secretary Willard Swire, (Continued on page 61) Gershwin Orch, With 100 Dates in 1953, Jumping The Gun for 2d Season With its new Gershwin Concert Orchestra Co. set for 100 dates this season, in a 16-week schedule start- ing in January, Columbia Artists Mgt. is already booking the attrac- tion for next season, and plans^for a third season the following year. The 30-piece group Includes vocal- ists, a 25-man symph ensemble un- der Lorin Maazel, and pianist Jesus Maria Sanroma. Howard Lanin Is producer, with Andre Mertens, Columbia veepee, as personal di- rector for the tours. The current tour starts Jan. 25 in Norwalk, Conn., and ends May lo in Cincy, covering Middle At- lantic and western states and Can- ada* Next season, the troupe will ho 12 to 14 weeks in the southeast, v nd soutl1 , as far as Texas. It vvill be the same package, with per- haps different vocalists. Second year tour will be shorter than the Jtfst, to leave nucleus of territory i° r a third season. Sellout of dates. rJJ’ the current season has cued Preparations f$r the next two. LEGITIMATE 57 Special Road Flack Set For Touring ‘Fourposter’ Washington, Dec. 16. Scott Kirkpatrick, D. C. theatri- cal flack, has been retained by the Playrights Co. to do special promotion and organizing of the- atre parties for the “Fourposter” road company. Job will be largely that of “lecturer,” plugging the show before audiences of college students, women’s clubs, etc. Kirkpatrick starts in Pittsburgh in advance of the Jan. 5 week stand of “Fourposter.” Then he comes to Washington ahead of the two- week run here. „ Switch 'Girl Dreams' My Dreams,” new Amei> ~ lsl1 muslca l costarring Ed- c . * nd , Zayenda and Irving Jacob- vr n v a ^ Second Ave. Theatre, 2* V will open there Dec. 29 in- »nnounced ChrlStmaa “ Piously tenh B bWi ?? ual Production by Jo- h? i/n . mshlnsk y will have a book Jarnh T lan i slegel an d lyrics by Zworiiit C0 ^ s ‘ ? wU1 feature Yetta lam Krcssyn/ Schoenfeld and Mir* Another 10% Return To Clinton Silo Angels On the basis of its successful season last summer, the Clinton (Conn.) Playhouse will make an- other 10% payment to the stock- holders of Chapel Playhouse, Inc., its operating company. That brings the total return on the investment to 50% since 1946, when the com- pany was formed by Lewis and Charlotte Harmon to run the Chapel Playhouse, Guilford, Conn. Latter spot was sold two years ago and operations were moved to Clinton. The Harmons plan to continue at Clinton again next summer. Memphis Ballet Society Readies First Concert Memphis, Dec. 16. First concert of the newly organ- ized Ballet Society of Memphis will be presented in Bellevue Junior High Auditorium, Dec. 19. Three original ballets choreographed by Manolo Agullo and Charles Kirby will feature Memphis and mid- south dancers, including Jacqueline Maddox Ralls, Gwen Neser and Dorothea Britt, The group was. organized last Atfril to further interest in ballet and other dance forms and to es^ tablish a home-grown dance con- cert group. President of the organi- zation is Raymond S. Hill, drama professor at Southwestern College. ‘Rouge’ Tide Nix For Coast Group Hollywood, Dec. 16. Pierre La Mure has withdrawn use of his title and his name from the projected world premiere of the stage version of “Moulin Rouge,” but the Circle Theatre is going forward with plans for an intimate musical “based on” La Mure’s novel. “Rouge” opening was slated for Thursday (18). The new version, which probably will be called “Montmartre,” will open Dec. 26. Musical probably will hew close- ly to the original bUt'Xa Mure is retaining all his stage rights. Nov- elist said he felt that his own script, a “French mood piece,” did not lend itSelf to central staging. He’s mulling Broadway offers for the script and has also been asked for German and Italian production rights. Stagehands’ (Local) Demands Kill Extra ‘Sixpence’ Theatre Party Show Yorke Handling ’Wagon’ Alone; Kaufman 111 Wolfe Kaufman, who had a re- currence last week of a recent heart ailment, has withdrawn as co-producer with John Yorke of the touring edition of “Paint Your Wagon,” starring Burl Ives. The pressagent is currently in Park West Hospital, N. Y., for precau- tionary treatment, but expects to be discharged over next weekend. His next p.a. assignment will be “Camino Real,” Cheryl Crawford’s production of the new Tennessee Williams play, to be staged by Elia Kazan. “Wagon,” with Yorke as sole producer, has extended its cur- rently Philly engagement an extra week, through Dec. 27, then play- ing the Shubert, Boston, for two weeks beginning Dec. 29. Kauf- man, who sustained a fractured leg about two months ago in a fall in Detroit, only last week dis- carded crutches in favor of a cane. Ben Victor takes over the Amatos Opera Theatre, N.Y., Dec. 30-Jan. 4, for his two-act revusical, “Mer- ry-Go-Round,” for which he has written the music and lyrics. Lambs-20th Honor Sousa At N.Y. Dinner-Preview The memory of John Philip Sousa was honored Sunday night (14) by The ^j|pibs, in conjunction with 20th-FoxT upon the occasion of a special showing of 20th’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” The latter, based on incidents in the life of Sousa, was held-at the Rivoli Theatre for members of The Lambs and their guests. Sousa, a Lamb, is portrayed by Clifton Webb. A dinner attended by many notables at The Lambs clubhouse preceded the film’s showing, serv- ing as the first official function presided over by William Gaxton since he recently was returned as Shepherd of the actors-showmen's organization. The dais included Gaxton as toastmaster, Webb, Harry Hershfield, Winthrop Rocke- feller, Dist. Atty. Frank Hogan, Otto Harbach, Ralph Bellamy, Commerce Commissioner Walter Shirley, 20th-Fox’s sales veepee A1 Lichtman and John Philip Sousa 3d, 'grandson of the composer. “Stripes” opens for a run next week at the Roxy. Tkesp Convicted in Cal. Crackdown on Kickbacks In Little Theatre Groups Hollywood, Dec. 16. Having established a pattern inj a successful test case last week, the California Dept, of Employ- ment is prepping a series of legal actions designed to end the preva- lent practice of “kickbacks” among local little theatre groups. Depart- ment’s fraud and investigation sec- tion, under special agent-in-charge R. C. Truesdale, has been compiling evidence for several months. Probe started when the Depart- ment discovered that actors col- lecting $25 weekly in unemploy- ment benefits were actually work- ing during the weeks in which they collected—hut had turned their pay back to the management of the little theatre in which they were appearing. The first defendant, Manley H. Goodman, Jr., known professionally as John Shepodd, pleaded guilty to charges that he had collected $175 during a seven- week period when he was actually one of the leads in “On the Town” at the Gallery Stage. He was placed on summary probation for one year and sentenced to 30 days in the city jail, but the sentence was sus- pended when he made immediate restitution of the $175. Agents of the fraud and investi- gation section reported that they have several similar cases ready to take to court. £ Scheduled theatre - party next Monday night (22) for “I’ve Got Sixpence,” at the Barrymore, N. Y., has been cancelled because of a ruling by Local No. 1, of the stage- hands’ union. As a result, the John van Druten play will fold this com- ng Saturday night (20). Although the theatre party in- volved is for only a portion of a house and would therefore bring only a tiny profit, producers Ger- rude Macy and Walter Starckc were anxious to play it, rathei than cause the complications and possible financial loss to the bene- fit organization that had booked the performance. Equity and the stagehands' international were willing to go along for one-night and one-sixth salary, respectively, for the extra showing. However, Solly Pernick, businesi agent of the local stagehands union, demanded a full week’s paj For the three department heads and our other grips, even though the international had okayed the one* sixth rate (representing one day’i pay) for the four-man production crew. He explained that he wai not authorized to make any con- cession and could* do nothing to modify the situation pending a meeting of the local board next Friday (19), but suggested the pro- ducers wait until then to decide whether or not to play the extra show next Monday. When Miss Macy turned down that proposition with the statement that she had to give final word immediately to the benefit organ- ization, Pernick first suggested that a “ground rule” would permit the show to pay merely the department heads a full /week’s salary, with the others getting one-sixth. Sub- sequently, he phoned to say that the added show could be played on the payment of twice the “Sun- day fee,,” or $60.22 each, to the department heads. According to Miss Macy, such an arrangement would be unfair to Equity and the stagehands’ inter- national, besides which it would involve a probable loss for the show. So she refused the offer and announced the closing for Sat- urday. 1 OUT SOON! The 47th Anniversary Number OI Forms closing shortly Usual Advertising rates prevail Special exploitation advantages Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office . NEW YORK 34 HOLLYWOOD 24 CHICAGO 11 LONDON, W. C.*I 154 W. 44th Sh 4311 Yucca Sr. 412 N. Mlchigaa Ay*. • Sr. Martin's Place Trafalgar Sgaara Greta Keller Prepping German-Language ’Joey' For European Stands Greta Keller leaves for Europe early next month to finalize de- tails on a German-language edi- tion of “Pal Joey,” If plans Jell, it will be the first American tuner to be produced in that tongue, ac- cording, to Miss Keller, a veteran musicompdy and cafe singer, who’ll co-produce and star in it. Her co-production status will b$ played down, however, in favor of plugging native technicians. Miss Keller will play the Vivi- enne Segal role and she’s been ne- gotiating with Willy Dirtl, a Vien- nese, for the title part, and list Werner for the Gladys Bump role, with, direction by Axel Ambesser, Gerard Willem van Loon, son oi the late historian Hendrik Willem van Loon, will refashion the lyrics and possibly work on the book. Miss Keller hopes to put “Pal’* into a Berlin house fbr a run, after tryouts in.Vienna and prob- ably also Munich, with the Berlin preem slated for next fall. New Revue to Bow Season For Frisco Pro Troupe Berkeley, Cal., Dec. 16. The Straw Hat Theatre, opening its new season Feb. 3 at Marine’* Memorial Theatre, San Francisco, will present a new revue, “On* Moment, Please.” The troupe, pro- fessional but non-Equity, will con- tinue with the same personnel it has had for the last several sea- sons. Outfit closed it* 1952 season sev- eral weeks ago with a nine-per-c formance engagement at the 424- seat Palo Alto Community Thea- tre, grossing a profitable $5,100 at $1.65 top (plus tax). Two week* previously it grossed nearly $6,000 in nine-performances at a $2 top in the 450-seat Eaglet Theatre, Sacramento. The show for both en- gagement* was “No Worse For Wear,” another of the group’s origV* nal revue*.