Variety (March 1959)

MISCELLANY P'Sriety Wednesday* March 11, . 1959 18 American Operas k 2 Years; Will Tour Five of 'Em in I960; Promotion Hopes: Parties & Albums By ROBERT J. LANDRY Musicologists calculate that since the invention of the hybrid enter¬ tainment form called ^opera some 42,000 works have been composed and provided with plots. Jules Rudel, director of the N. Y. City Center Opera, has thus far re¬ searched some 300 operas by Amer¬ icans during the 20th century. Most,of the scores were obscure, a few wellknown, one or two cele¬ brated. For the 1959 spring season, de¬ voted to American works, there will be eight operas new to reper¬ tory. Added to the 10 last spring, that means that 18 works of U. S. origin have been introduced. Rudel argues, to no contradiction, that no other opera company in the world could possibly match the volume of experimental music made possible by the Ford Founda¬ tion grants, though the house must also depend upon its boxoffice tak¬ ings. Ford administrators and the City Center are in agreement that the stimulation of American opera ought not to be a New York phe¬ nomenon. Hence, with the third year, the $150,000 of Ford money will be earmarked for the deficits of a road tour, while the spring season to follow’ (I960) in Manhat¬ tan will be on its own resources. Cities for the 1960 tour arc now being booked. Because the operas are pop-priced <$3.90 top in N. Y.) and sung in English, it’s antici¬ pated that there will be special (Continued or. page 19) Japanese Stage Vet To Retire After 70 Yrs. Tokyo, March 10. ' Seventy-nine-year-old Toyotake Yamashiro-no Shojo, one of top reciters of monologs in history of Bunraku (Japanese puppe'ts), has revealed that old age and ill health. will force his retirement this month. The veteran of 70 years in the" theatre, who was awarded the Grand Prix of the Japan Art Academy several years ago, is credited w’ith being a major fac¬ tor in elevating the cultural sta¬ tus of Bunraku to today’s official recognition as a classic art. With semisen player Seiroku Tsuruza- wa, Shojo is credited with having established a new school of Bun¬ raku which is identified by its ex¬ pressiveness and bold style. Cards, Comedy Schisms Marked A&C Partnership By JOE COHEN MURRAY SCHUMACH TO COAST FOR N.Y. TIMEStl Murray. Scliumach, veteran city- side reporter frequently represent¬ ed in the Sunday amusement sec¬ tion, will succeed Tom Pryor as Hollywood correspondent of the N. Y. Times. Pryor is exiting the Times to become editor of Daily Variety. Latter assumes his new duties March 23. Sehumach’s scope of coverage will be increased and will include radio-tv news as well as the pic¬ ture beat. The Times may aban¬ don its Hollywood office and shift all activities to its downtown office in the Los Angeles building where Gladwin Hill, who covers general news in the area for N. Y. paper, makes his headquarters. Val Parnell U S. London, March 10. Val Parnell, London PaUadum Tax Deductions for Show People By J. S. SEIDMAN, C.P.A. i (Seidman & Seidman) Show people are entitled to many income tax deductions. To claim them is easy. To make them stick is something else again. The Government is entitled to proof of two things: (1) that the amount was actually spent; (2) that the items are professional, not per¬ sonal expenses. Mere say-so or "guesstimate” is not enough. If Pres. Garcia Taps Tony & Cyd for Filipino Fete Hollywood, March 10. Tony Martin and actress - wife Cyd Charisse are enroute to Manila at personal invitation of Carlos P. Garcia, president of the Philippines, for five days of ap¬ pearances in connection with 10th anni of the International Boy Scout Jamboree. Couple’s command performance is sanctioned by U. S. State Dept. Lou Costello, who died last week in Doctors Hospital, Beverly Hills, of a heart attack, very nearly paral¬ leled the role of the good natured fat little boy who was taken ad¬ vantage of by everybody; Both he and his partner of 25 years. Bud Abbott, were easy touches for the needy in show biz. topper, said that in the immediate | and kicks off tomorrow (Wed.) in ; future he plans no more big Amer- ! a benefit for the Scouts. i ican names on the bill at the house, j - : "We don’t want to squander dol- ! ! lars on something when we have ‘ it as good in this country,” Parnell I said. "I think we’ve got good ; British names to draw the public.” I When pantomime finishes on | March 28 Parnell will back his : judgment by staging for eight •‘ weeks a vaude spectacle called ; “Val Parnell’s Startime,” with ’ Frankie Vaughan heading the bill. . On May 29 this will be replaced by j a revusical called "Swinging Down ; the Lane” with Max Bygraves as ; the topper. Robert Nesbitt will be responsible for both productions. Havana Casinos NSH Sans Cubans & Slot Machines these two requirements are met, all of the following items are de¬ ductible: Preparation expenses—research, cost of material, dialog, gags, mu¬ sic; special coaching lessons; cos¬ tumes, wigs, shoes, makeup; re¬ pair, pressing, cleaning, dyeing, and rental of professional ward¬ robe; wardrobe valet; beautifying, physical culture; studio rentals, tips to studio employees; record¬ ings of voice or program; screen tests, auditions, accompanist. Booking expenses—scouting for engagements; agent and personal management commissions; legal expenses on contracts; income taxes paid abroad on foreign book¬ ings. Traveling expenses—transporta¬ tion, board, and lodging away from home; automobile upkeep and de¬ preciation; . cabs from one en¬ gagement to another; expenses on trips taken to get material, back¬ ground, or ideas for professional work. Public relations expense*—de- . velopment of public following; handling of fan mail; photographs; complimentary tickets; entertain¬ ing press, playwrights, critics, backers, agents, directors; club membership dues; advertising in Variety and publicity; press agent’s fees. Miscellaneous expenses—V ariety and other trade papers; Equity and other union dues; telephone ! exchange; accountants’ fees; body- I guards; rent, secretary, and office ! expense; household expenses, like Homos, Incest, Sadism In Legit; Can’t Get Away With |M • fi t Iff /I f I lUUtlICd ±U1 U1C UCCUY JJ1 &11UW U1Z. That m Cafes: Myron Cohen; ^“ n |£ u X e „ d p “> dur - USSR Sez Nyet to Popov On ‘April in Paris’ Ball Philadelphia, March 10. Myron Cohen, in an interview in the Daily News talked. about the relative amount of hot stuff to be heard in the theatres and cafes. The playhouses win hands down, according-to the comic. “A lot of people still think of night clubs in terms of the old speakeasies, base¬ ment hideaways and the big spen¬ ders. Nitery business is now mostly dinner parties and banquet groups. How far can you go? Better still, how far would you want to go, with kids and teenagers at ring¬ side? "I went to see ‘Sweet Bird of Youth.’ I lost count of the SOBs. If I used SOB once on the nite club floor I’d get a bad reaction. Ten¬ nessee Williams’ show was all about hysterectomies, emascula¬ tion, dope and sex. The theatre specializes in sex, usually off-beat sex.' Lately I’ve seen plays about homosexuals, incest and sadism. All I can say for the cafes, you couldn't expect to put that mate¬ rial across at a dinner show,” Popov, the- clown star of the Moscow Circus, may open, per Sol Hurok contract, at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria next fall, but G. A. Zhukov, chairman of the USSR Committee on Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, officially nixed his preview cuffo charity ap¬ pearance April 10 at the "April In Paris” ball. The Waldorf previ¬ ously had been given an unofficial okay for him to participate in “Paris Circus of the 18th Century” which will key this year’s fete. John Ringling North and French circus impresario Jean Amar are staging the indoor circus. Maurice Chevalier will emcee. Elsa Max¬ well chairmans the arrangements for the Claude C. Philippe-sparked annual charity, proceeds of which go to Franco-American hospitals, orphanages, etc. T , a T lcor ,5 aV nf na cint a ^/,H?noc ! rent, maid service, utilities, tele- i P hone > insurance, (but only to the I extent household is used actively Tt C h?c ! for conferences with authors, tres of Havana a hard time. has ; writers, agents, or on other pro- 1 ^sion al matters. biers were the mainstays of the TT n ur , n l Wll and the slot machines, j W&IltS (lOOfl Will Marie at Native Prices; Schnitzer on ‘Net Loss’ Typographical error made $150,- i 000 appear in last issue as $15,000 I as the transportation cost for the m N. Y. Philharmonic tour of Europe j and Near East. At 150G it is a fair- Riffac Fodlorol Prnno ■ ly educated guess, concedes Robert IUUC5 r eueidl 11UUC; schnitzer, general manager of Another effort to cash in on the ANTA, who lays out such bookings, recent Congressional probe of the} Schnitzer points out that a "net Mass. Baked Ham Dinner, Or How to Do a Strip Without Any Garments New Bedford, Mass.. March 10. | Police knocked off a. “Virginia ■ Baked* Ham Dinner” at $5 a copy | and nabbed a stripper and six | males on charges of presenting an immoral show last week (3)' in a Holly St. hall. It wasn’t the ham the gendarmes j were after, state police and New i Bedford vice squad members said ! as they charged Dorothy Sturgis, j alias Dottie-King, 32, of Boston, with terping in the nude when j jukebox industry wilf be made by j loss” of $300,000 to $400,000 (costs ( casinos, : which took in amounts from 5c to ;$1, gave the casinos its basic rev¬ enues. The tourists provided the profits. . The slot machine ban was put (Continued on page 17) ‘Deadly Music’. Film ! they broke in. j The police said the dancer was ; not stripping when they made their ! entrance, because she had nothing jleft to strip. ! The terper pleaded guilty to par¬ ticipating in an immoral show be- (Continued «m page 19) Zeckendorfs’ $800,000 indie producer William A. Harper, i less commercial fees) on such a Under the Banyan Productions ! good will tour is probable, with the banner. Harper plans to film | updated standards of the State "Deadly Music,” an exploitation < Dept, where organization is guaran- exp’ose of racketeering in the juke- j teed. State exercises its influence box and music business. to see that local concert manager* Picture, written by Charles are not "squeezed” and that the Hundt, is scheduled for production travelling event play at.the local in New York next month. No re- average boxoffice scale, the Ameri- ! lease arrangement has been made! can embassy staff on the grounds ! as yet. {being the judge of fairness, j / D i* CU i Previously Sam Bischoff and j American musicians get a weekly DlU IOr ratterson rlt6 Sam Coslow took an option on |salary while touring, pjus per diem. Wnfoimon w,m*m Frank Kane’s novel,. "The Living j Each man pays his own hotel bill Hotelmen William Zeckendorf . End „ which deals ;. ith the sam ? j thereunder, though reservations Subscription Order Form Enclosed find check for $ □ One Year Please send VAKIETY for Q Two Years □ Three Years To (Please Print Name) Street .... City... Zone.... State. Regular Subscription Rates One. Year—$ 15.00 Two Years—$28.00 Three Years—$39.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional Per Year 154 West 46th Street P'fiklETY In New York 36. N. Y. : and William Zeckendorf Jr., have . offered fight promoter Bill Rosen- j ! sohri $600,000 to bring the Floyd ! Patterson-Ingamar Johannsen tiff ’ ! to New York with June 23 at the • ; Yankee Stadium as the more likely | date if deal is made. I The Zeckendorfs, who operate ‘ i six hotels in Manhattan, have told ! j the promoter that they will guar- ; j antee that amount at the gate, ex- j j elusive Os film, radio and television j j receipts. The offer is still under ; j consideration. j j Zeckendorf Jr. is a member of < i the Mayors Committee which is ; j designed to retain and enhance the j j prestige of New York as a sports j j and entertainment centre. They are j ; attempting to get another major \ | league franchise for the city, and \ j are seeking means to bring more j film and telefilm production here. subject. ‘ are lined up via ANTA. 26 From Britain to Vegas For Variety Clubs Bash Great Britain wrill be represented by 26 Variety Club members at the j annual conclave of Variety Clubs I International in Las Vegas start¬ ling March 31. This is the largest i delegation from a foreign country ever to attend the showmen’s con- . vention. George Eby, International Chief Barker, also expects representa¬ tives from Dublin, Mexico City and Toronto. Some 1,500 members 1 from Variety’s 46 tents in this j country arid abroad are scheduled! } to attend the Las Vegas sessions. 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