Variety (January 05, 1955)

January 5, 1955 Forty-ninth Annivertnry. VAVIIKVILLK Two Americans Abroad Further Adventures of Smith & Dale and Their Avon Fomedy Four in Selling American Humor in Britain the proposition for the operator. There was one instance, a couple of years back, where a package was made of a couple that had a record riding. One chain jumped on for about 10 dates. That circuit has played only a couple of vaude shows since then, having been so badly burned that the financial scars are uncovered whenever any agent will talk big money to them,. There was also a breed of age-nt w ho specialized in taking over acts once they reached or approached the bigtime. Thus the small agents, who had to create talent, gave up the effort. It was better, they rea- soned. to stick with acrobats, novelties and bread-and-butter tal- ent that wouldn’t run off when big money was on the horizon. In many cases, the act kept on grow- ing due to the momentum im- planted by the small percenter, or through television, but too many of them missed the painstaking at- tention to detail and the long con- sultations. Many didn’t deliver the promise that they showed dur- ing their salad days. Everybody’s in the Art And yet virtually every category in show business followed the lead of the hot agent in helping extin- guish many facets of the industry. For example, an important of- fender was the booker who wouldn’t go across the street to look at an act. Me therefore took an agent’s word, or played the same talent year alter year. The performer helped when he wouldn't realize that he was help- ing cut oil' his sources of employ- ment by demanding big prices or acceding to the flattery of super salaries. Me also helped close the store. Then there was the theatre or nitery owner, venal enough to want to put his competitor out ol business even when both were making out well. They piled at- traction upon attraction, and then they became too expansive or un- available, they just had to close up shop. Another factor bemoaned by all and sundry in show business is the fact that it has become a business of hits. Nobody runs into a theatre or other amusement enterprise to two get out of the rain, anymore. It's s | 10 \ become too expensive for that. The j n g people will come into the midtown spot firstruns or will leave the tele- s itu« vision set for a name house only Tl LEE GOODMAN in the same city, Leo Carillo.was appearing at the Empire and we decided to visit him. The house manager received us warmly. He told us that Carillo was always boasting about the United States. “Is it really a big place, hey what?” he asked Charlie. “Sure is,” Charlie answered. “Carillo says that you could get all of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales into the State of Texas. Is that right?” We all agreed. “My word! What do they grow there?” “Everything but peas,” Charlie told him. The manage r was puzzled. “Why not peas?” “They roll off the knife,” replied Coleman. “Can’t they use folks?” the manager asked seriously. We be- gan to sense that there would be a need for reconciling English and American humor. Thumbs Up! | It may have been a custom that the Roman invaders left behind them—the English still employed their thumbs to indicate their de- gree of pleasure with things. When they pointed both their thumbs downwards, it meant “to the lions with him”—the act was no good. One thumb up and one thumb down meant “fair.” Both thumbs up was the accolade. We were watching the queue line waiting to get in for tlie second show at the Hackney Empire. A standee was asking a passerby who had just come out of the theater. "How are the bloomin’ Yankees?” The passerby raised both thumbs. To gain the approval of an Eng- lish audience was something to he wished for. The magnificence of its loyalty became evident to us when we witnessed an old per- former on the bill being asked by the audience to sing the song on which he had made his reputation. "Sorry, it’s in the dressing room in my trunk,” he apologized. “Go and get it!” the audience shouted. While the orchestra played an overture, the performer went down to his dressing room to get his music. With great pride he then passed out the parts to the orchestra and delivered the favor- ite song. We, too, had taken their fancy, especially with the new songs which we had brought over from America, “School Days,” "Sunbon- net Sue,” “Silvery Moon.” “Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet.” At the Empire, in Sheffield, the stagehands invited us to play cricket. To reciprocate the cour- tesy, we agreed to show them how to play baseball. “Why that’s noth- ing more than the game of ‘rounders’ that we used to play as boys!” they exclaimed. Well, when we got back to the theatre, the Avons had to put up the scen- ery for the act. The stagehands were stiffly and sorely disabled by this childish game of ‘rounders.’. While we had to work slow to the English audiences, we found that when we got to Scotland that we had to work as fast as we did at home. The audiences in Edin- burgh and Glasgow were ahead of us. The program of His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen was note- worthy—it posted the timetable of after-theatre trains, offered a com- bined rail and hotel coupon at moderate cost, and advertised A. McIntosh McBain, the reliable dentist who offered painless ex- it actions for one shilling a tooth, and free when teeth were ordered. The audiences in Wales, especi- ally in Cardiff, took the Avons to their hearts. The Welsh, who lovo good music, could not get enough of this American quartet. Th# (Continued on page 2(18) ('um ntly Appearing BON sum, New York Management TOM HAMMOND OS West Street, Now York Burning Buyers The agency toppers gradually came to realize that they were do- ing themselves no good by pushing high priced acts into positions where they couldn’t bring in a fair return. As the confidence of buyers in the agent evaporated because of a succession of bad deals, the date- diggers adopted a different strate- gy The natural and sometimes unnatural rivalry between talent buyers along with the natural scarcity of top names became the sole weapons to push up the price ot talent. For that only the lads in the Brooks Bros, suit were needed, and the super-salesman was no longer necessary in his high priced position. The major factor that brought about this condition was the reali- zation, some years ago. by the leading agents of the day that there wasn’t much commission in push- ing the little acts still struggling for recognition. More time was needed to sell that category of talent, and the time consumed in tiiat process could be more profit- ably devoted to the selling of names. With little attention given small acts, interest decreased in the live forms of show’ business be- cause theatres and cafes brought back the same faces year in and out. With agents loathe to push un- known acts, the problem of creat- ing the ever-necessary new talent had to be taken over by the other segments of show business. Disks have done an excellent job on singers. Video seems to be the only outlet that is bringing new comics to the fore. The important talent buyers are also looking abroad for new faces. It's virtually impossible to develop comics in the saloons as was possible until a lew years ago. The paying cus- tomer won't take the cafe’s adver- tising as gospel, until the boni- 1 ace’s judgment has been con- firmed by top acclaim in other fields. Boat Sails We started to work fast like we worked at home. We couldn’t see the audience. They couldn’t “see” us either, despite the fact that the stage was well lit up. The show over, we sat in the dressing room with empty feelings hut full of gloom. We had heard the expres- sion “The boat sails Friday” and we were figuring on what boat we were going to take back home, and what excuses we could make why we didn't click, and while we sat there making up excuses we hit on the *)ld adage . . . "try, try again.” Some quick thinking and some quick changes were greatly needed, immediately, at the next performance. We moved the set from full, right on the apron; we spoke slowly; we repeated the classroom questions; we impro- vised a travesty on the serpentine Treated Like Suckers 1 herefore, cafes and the occa- sional vauder wanting to take a fl*ng in the vaude marts have had l )a .v heavily for the creative " 0, 'k done by others. In former years, when a performer showed promise, the boniface would sign him lor a return engagement at * flight increase. It was a gamble that frequently paid off. 1 he holdover agents still in business, however, have found a method of exploiting that situation, lie packaging gimmick whereby act makes the theatre or cafe * junior partner in the enterprise during the headliner’s tenancy, ,sn 1 working out either, although some of the risk is taken out of 1 MARGIE LEE Personal Management— Donn Arden