Variety (April 1953)

24 WCTOUS3 Wedaesdar, April 29, 1933 U.S. Zone "Worst Booking s fw» par* 2 e:cfc®*3© wfcaeia i2wy suppSy esa. Under each post thwe Sxe r.^:ue?ascs; sub-posis atad mstaOat- 5 zcis wiidh ©pesraSe cHohR . Most e/uSas Sst’ne 3£s«cshcirs one. two or 5 v jp«5 aiiraes a month, in some esses weeSBSr- these clubs are e.tfeer Service Clubs, Officers’ Clwbs or Enlisted Men's Clubs. Au >3 ca special occassons company gaKies tst fioccsiiOHiS. Consequent- ly an act can average from three to 22 shows in a single week on Eicst posts. A post booking con- Tninnt#^ up to four hour*? traveling time. These long trips may some* tunes be taken for a single per- formance. GoHbrkkers At each post each show must do an audition performance. This is sometimes done after you have been working the post for a week. in a very few cases the show is given for hospital patients but most of the time the audition show is given as a free’ show in an Officers* or Enlisted Men’s Club. On some sists of from one io six'weeks ac-f posts the audition is given for an camJaug 8© the size of the post and the' number of chibs it operates. To be booked to play all of the psjs throughout the Zone would mean about straight work. Em Wiesbaden there is also a Combined Entertainment Branch vi’ich occasionally sends out a ‘VarietyV Own Survey In line with the comments that have reached this paper in recent months, over employ- ment conditions in the U. 3. Zone for American talent, Vajhest dispatched its London bureau chief, Harold Myers <3fyro>, to Germany for a first-hand appraisal. Such representative U. S. acts as Hildegarde and Archie Bob- bins, along with the current analysis by Vance Henry, have been sharp in their criticism of U. S. Army per- sonnel in the handling of talent. Vabiety’s Myro has just re- turned from his survey of talent conditions for Anglo- American acts playing the Al- lied zones, particularly U. S. and British service men's clubs and recreation centres. officer and maybe a few of the sergeants that operate the dubs. This might be in the middle of the afternoon in an empty club with six months of | no audience. One post sometimes filled the empty club with German « employees. This was great for the | cial Service. One act was forced German show but death to the Al-1 to leave because an officer did not lied show. Until recently, on one like him as a person; not becanse | post, the audition was held for of the calibre of his work. This sit- uation need not exist, but all en- tertainers are looked upon as just sponsored fev feis higher echelon I pendent. u. ? aoa ^ "* trough a post tmrr* thic Affirm tmm- i Upon arriving at the dub the In most cases the officers in charge efface. At* from this office, ongj , aets ‘u snall y ^ m ODe room | couldn’t ca» less and look on the — jj which is nearly always a small un- situation from a military point of ’used room or office, or maybe the view, having no- qualification for basement. In some clubs the artists! their job as entertainment officer must dress in the rest rooms. <»tber than the brass on their shocl- ditions are about the same through- out. The bill includes from three to eight acts In most theatres and clubs. Most houses have two j shows daily. These are at 4 and! 8:30 pjn. The pay is good con- sidering the cost of living in Germany. What They like in U. S. Acts The audiences are good for American acts if the act is good. The public prefers Hie simpler acts with a lot erf flash and tricks. Jug- glers, acrobats and novelty acts are usually very successful as is a fast moving dancer or a team with flashy costumes and tricky lifts and spins. Ohio Solons Continued from pare 3 1013 censorship statute in the To- ledo newsreel case, which it won but which the state has refused to appeal, thus stymying efforts of the industry. He also said television is show- ing uncensored films every day in Ohio out of reach of the censors. He said 1,836 films have been shown on TV since it started in the state. Of these. . 546 either had cuts made in them for theatre The German people do not fully | showings or were banned, but they understand the modem type of j were shown oil TV . without the dancing that is so popular in the | Ohio censor seal and without cuts. i » . > a. i -9 3 post, me auuiuuu wtu, ueiu iiu ^feSfona ^U/toiir. K is quite j t h e L ,, Entert ? inment “ ficer “* difficult to get on one of the shows«who was there as a de- States. They prefer the more con- ventional type of dance team. Taxes are very high in Germany and it is best for an act to state a salary that is dear of taxes. The agent can figure out the amount that the dub must pay in order for the act to dpar their price. The salary is usually figured on a daily baas—$25 daily is considered very good, daily. Four bad been totally banned: “Juggernaut,** “Monster Maker.’’ “On Approval** and “Sea of Gang- sters.” Wile also flatly stated the S3 per reel censorship fee is a tax and Sen. Charles A. Mosher, com- mittee chairman and author of the repeal bill, agreed, saying that there was even a question of con- Few acts can get over $50 jj stitutionality about the fee. Strongest opponent of repeal is Vance Henry trrtjes: “For evise some time 1 have intended writing Vsjuety in covsneclion.. trash show fesaaness conditions i'j Germany . . . 1 can more than happy to give some facts which I hate learned through^ expert- ence Shat I hope wight be brought to the attention of other artists so that those wh o con- template it trip to Europe trith the prospects of xcorldng in Germany, might be better in- formed of the situation here . There are severed promising as- pects for bookings in Germany ci the present time which fall into taco separate and entirely different categories- One' cov- ers work in dubs operated by chid for the Armed Forces in the U . S. Zone of Germany. The other covers work * in regular German theatres, cabarets and night clubs. They hare no con- nection with each other, but each field offers a great amount erf work for acts of every descrip- tion. I have had more experi- On all posts the only musical accompaniment for Hie show is a piano player, always German, and in most cases very bad. Only one post prorides a trio for this pur- pose. This is on an Air Force in- stallation. For some unknown rea- der. I could not possibly cover all of the points that should be brought The legal rate of exchange is 430 Deutsche Marks for one American dollar. In Germany the acts are naturally paid in marks. The only way to receive dollars is to have it stated in the contract that a certain amount of the rolaiy is to be banked for the act in the Thomas L. Osborn, of the Cleve- land Council 733, Knights of Co- lumbus, who suggested the com- mittee wait for a Supreme Court ruling soon expected on the 4 M’* case. He claimed that the ‘’Mir- acle” decision did not disapprove film censorship in the states, but U. S. This can be done by the jj only barred the state from banning . .« m mmmw ' S -• • ... v ** to the attention of any American as©”* or the club. The German j films on sacrilegious grounds. _ _ _ — 1 M4%1nl^ M rinklA oili—Ifill B _ * _ V. « * * b» entertainer that may be consider- ing working in the Zone. An act should make sure whatever agent son the Air Force has more money«they are dealing with is not mak- to spend for entertainment. Foot Acconawdafins Some posts provide billets for u the entertainers. These are either | separate billets maintained by f Special Service strictly for artists It or in enlisted men’s transient bo- . „ tels. Prices range from 35c. to J setup and it has given many Allied ing promises that cannot be ful- filled once they are in Europe. They should also remember that it takes quite a lot of work to make up for the cost of ocean travel. It is a regrettable situation that exists in the Zone entertainment mark is a very stable currency. | Osborne ridiculed the effect i ve- il is not possible to obtain actual ness of the MPAA code'and point- greenbacks in Germany. fed to 1,503 cuts made in the past All of the better houses are j 10 years, plus four total bans of covered by the leading city papers J pictures made under the code seal, and all Mils are highly advertised 1 'T£ the industry were regulating and publicized. Each house makes | itself properly,** he said, there up an excellent souvenir program.. There is also a very good trade magazine published in Germany wouldn’t have been a film cut or disapproved. Also speaking in opposition to per night and in most of these ho- tels conditions are unbearable, g There are usually from two to five beds in a room in these hotels. This makes sleep almost impossible | before the early hours of the mora- ling because people are running in land out of the rooms. Baths are entertainers a bad impression of Americans. The fault does not lie with the troops stationed there be- cause they want and need good en- jj tertaimnent and the facilities are there for such. There are some Officers* Clubs m the Zone that are to par with the better night UD American mVMary f usual3 5 r shared by an average of 12 J chibs in the States. They are lav- • ax • a ’! noAf\?A ai* tw otst Afapu tmtiftn’nL ^ ta«li1<rr JaaamIaJ ence m Sw c'ubs, and of hoarding first contract ira Europe . The in formation, herewith is not a series of complaints on my part but is instead a collection of facts on the existing situation that Could be verified by any American artist who has worked i i the U. S. Zone of Germany. I hare used these dates as a weans of thoroughly seeing Europe, end also as a means of preparing myself for engage- ments in civilian houses Which I cm now beginning to do on the Continent.** each month which reprints house j repeal were John Mallov, state dep- programs and sends a critic to re- «ty of the K. of C.; 'Charles E. view all shows. The critics have a Brown, who read a statement from good knowledge of entertainment the Ohio Council of Churches and value and are very fair in theirs Fred C. Slager, who read a reso- judgment. lution of the Ohio High School Agents from all over Europe j Principals Assn., favoring film cen- cover toe shows in toe leading \ sorship. houses and a good act can be provide any billets. ij company the shows, however) and i If you are contracted by an Al-1 they serve excellent food and s Dn res are verv low i ne netrer tor onve-ms to lied agent yon are paid in Military drinks at practically cost It is l 1 ^ G f ive ^ ms leheaner and mor* rr»m«*iiip«t fnr ^ oteis expensive but this is toe j drive-ins are actually experiment- picked up by an agent for any country in Europe. « The cost of living in Germany. is very reasonable for Americans.! Food is excellent and abundant and jj I the prices are very low. The better t for WoKsob Warns Continued .from pzg# 7 drive-ins we get word that Occupation Currency known as]cheaper and more convenient for 'scrip.” Hue to recent changes in lithe men to frequent the military regulations and rulings from head-1 clubs because they are usually a quarters, there is not one single | right in the company abea. The jj establishment operated by the U. S. j floor shows are a big draw for toe ii Government where an artist can * clubs and are therefore very im- ; legally spend this currency. Recent portant. This further illustrates ^changes in toe original setup have .why the entertainment officers are ;! deprived all Allied artists of a few ; operating a business and should privileges they enjoyed a year ago look uponrit in a like manner j which at that time made their work, stead of as a military operation. \in military clubs profitable. These] I made a special visit to a Gen- jj consisted of the use of Post JEx- '■ eral in Nurnberg to discuss the sit- uate most of the regulations and! changes, pack bars dry cleaning; uation with him. They listened in- . and laundry establishments; Amer-! tently at headquarters but the sit- ican movie houses and military ■ uation remains the same. The re- rat eson l ail way travel. Jsult of my visit was that I made As the situation now stands, an ] myself unpopular on some of the same in any European country.' There are, however, a number of so-called pensions and private ing with 3-1^ and having success/* Wolfson said exhibs have been .urged to call in engineers who They have almost the same accom- cesse£ ," an d ^ teU just , vh a t ' S modaturns as hotels and at much R lower rates. Hail transportation is j neeae<L However, he added, en- a TfifflA lii ftlk Avi 4li ■ A/«4- Ih^U/kW ii 1 places which cater mostly to artists, ^ abont tte gineers “tell us they do not know changes that affect the artists. i There are four Allied agents i iean and a number of German agents j that supply acts to the various posts. A floorfehow usually con- sists of from two to five acts vary- ing according to the price of the Individual acts, because the over- all price must come within the limits of the budget. The price of a full show for one performance rarely exceeds $70. Acts are visu- ally paid from $10 to $25 for a per- formance with a few exceptions that receive up to $40. Any act re- ceiving over $25 or $30 a perform- anoe is-usually an established Con- tinental act that comes into the Zone for only a few performances, or else an act that does 20 or 30 minutes of time on a show. All shows are required to run 40 and 45 minutes and some clubs expect more. You cannot book yourself directly with a Special Service office. artist is payed in dollars but can- not spend the money in that form. "Without a PX card it is* not legal to purchase travelers checks, and there is even difficulty in changing the money into German marks at the American Express. Without, a PX card you can enter no military establishment and must live almost { entirely on German economy. You receive no rationed items like -ciga- rets or coffee. Cigarets are 50c a pack for German brands or you might purchase the rations of a serviceman for 35c a pack. This blackmarketing is frowned upon by officials but everyone just frowns and sells Coffee is 15c and up per cup in the German restaurants. Yanks at Disadvantage Being an American artist’is ab- ! solutely of no advantage and in An act may have a contract with j some cases a disadvantage. I will a weekly guarantee or may be on a | not implicate any American artists per-show basis. It is better how- ever to take a chance of getting a reasonable number of perform- ances than to find yourself doing 12 performances for what you might make for eight. On a weekly guarantee the agents sometimes make as much as the act because they sell the act for far more than they pay the act. Plqs this, they collect the 10^ from each act. Acts furnish their own trans : i portation to a post but the post provides transportation to and from the clubs. This consists of Army buses and in some cases ambu- lances or small rented European vehicles. Many of these vehicles are not heated in the winter time. The ride to the eftibs varies from 15 they came to our theatres. They ] ask ns to Insist "on standards. IVe I think Germany is a very good i are urged to sign orders forequip- place for an act to start on the ment which others tell us do not Continent, It gives them a chance jj exist. fn»fon<|i made by one group to get accustomed to toe ways of j are refuted by another.’* Wolfson Europeans and yet saves toe more jj said, however, that the majority of important countries for a later j whihs -are in a happy frame of flute. Germany has made an \ mind since despite the confusion posts when the entertainment offi- . . „ - - - cers received word that I had been l amazin 2 recovery from the ruins of j it’s a sign the industry is on the to see the General. I can only say j war an< * conditions are very good] move, and not just out to bring that until a few changes are made ! k. ere a * toe present time, and espe- j lawsuits which seems to have been in favor of toe artists, the Zone can to show business. ! a favorite pastime of the last but could supply a list of approxi- mately 20 that I have met in the Zone, all of whom would back me up on what I am saying in this let- ter: The American acts that I have seem in the Zone have been very good entertainers but most of them have had some misfortu- nate experience while working there. I have seen several Amer- ican acts literally stop a show but ‘ this means absolutely nothing to • Special Service Officers. After pay- ing their own fare to Europe, some of these acts have returned to the States at a loss due to unbearable conditions or unfair practices of Special Service personnel. Several acts had their contracts cancelled because of disagreements with Spe- only be profitable for German and! European acts, many of whom rely almost -entirely on Special Services for employment. This, however, does not supply the American Serv- icemen with the Stateside type of -entertainment they like and need so much. Civilian Housing Conditions .Show business conditions in Ger- man theatres, nightclubs, and cabarets are very good. Through- out Germany there is a number of very good houses located in Bremen, Hamburg, Hanover, Essen, Dusseldorf. Koln iCologne>, Frank- furt, Munich an d most of the larger cities. Business is surpris- ingly good and despite the hfgh prices for admission,, food and drinks in the clubs, many people seem to be able to spend a good sum of money on entertainment. X did a two-week stand in the Pal- ladium in Dusseldorf. Conditions in this club were excellent as is the case in most of the better houses in Germany. The people with whom X worked were most con- genial and cooperative. Dressing room facilities were convenient and adequate in every respect. The orchestra consisted of 12 pieces and all were very good musicians. Before a new show opens, most of a full day is devoted to rehearsing the acts with the orchestra. I have visited many other clubs and theatres in Germany and con- Import Gut Continued from page 5 a J decade. He stressed that new | techniques are not as immediately I important for drive-ins as for faard- 5 tops but stressed that ozoners are ] of tremendous importance. Now numbering more than 3,600 they cans were allocated 100 permits by s gross to excess of $200,000,000 an- the Spanish government. Of this anally* he said. TOA official pre- total, 60 went to the seven dis-1 Aicted trend probably would be to tribs,. with their, own exchanges in! “twin drive-ins” where patrons can Spain. Rest went to Spanish dis- view flifferent pix through use of tribs, with 20 allocated to toe So- {stogie projection booth, an eco- ciety of Independent Motion Pic- ] nom i c savings for exhib with bet- ture Producers, United Artists, Re-1 tor definition for viewers. He also public and Allied Artists. | pointed up need for an effective It’s understood in N. Y. that | toeatre-television system. Arnau will propose a cut in the * number of licenses to 75, along , with a boost in import duties. Lat- . ter comes to 638,000 pesetas per I pic, or about $40,000 at the official rote of exchange. As compensa- j Distrlbs in France Continued from page 5 par for the nine-month course. It's understood that no large deals are in sight to wipe the slate clean in one move. Under the present one-year deal. tion, Madrid would rescind its ban step and, with about 1.000,000.000 on release of American pix in their ] francs withdrawn, are hitting about original version, and would permit' — ** Tf ' e unlimited importation of such films. Americans are shooting for an increase to 160 dubbed pix an- Dually, of which 100 would go to ] which runs to June 30, remittances the seven distribs with exchanges. | are pegged at $120,000 a month. They also want permits allocated = Part of the rest goes into & special directly to the smaller U. S. com- j fund designed as a production in- panies, which don’t have their own centive in France, hut so- far not branches in Spain, Additionally, used by the distribs. The rest is MPAA will insist on some sort of ] capital account coin and eventually official dollar remittances, of remittable, if deals can be made which there are none. now and j and French authorization is ob- widcr uses of blocked funds. j iained.