Variety (Sep 1928)

STAGE BROADWAY CENTS PubltBbed Weeuiy at ICi West 49tb 6i., N«w rork. iN. t., nr. V«iicty, Ino. gn<wd >« 8<cond-claaii tnqttet McAiab^r X?. X?Ot. m. tb^ Po«f OfBM M H*w ToTk VOL. XCIL No. 11 ijiantimj unbaortptloo tlO> Stn^le copies, ab e«nta ~ ~ N. 7.. onder ifae act of March t. 1879. NEW YORK/WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1928 64 PAGES DANCE HALL MAD CITIES Rice and Tea Chain for Apple Acts in YeUow Per3 Hoor Shows A new outlet for vaude layoffs that heats the so-called coffee and cake circuit for low salaries is a chain of. chink restaurants in. New York, Brooklyn and Long Island, labeled the rice aiid tea circuit. Vaude acts playing the spots aire grouped'together in a camouflaged floor show: Personnel changes three or more times weekly, with talent bought like bananas, • A few of tho small fry agents have been booking in the shows, probably for a booking lee from the chinks since the salaries paid could not stand the strain of com- mission deletions. Most • booking direct and some of the chumps showing their wares gratis before getting a date. .This something-for-nothing gag Is not entirely new around but is a. new one for the Yellow Peril Cir- ruit 1ST 8 TOP HLM B JOLSON'S AT GARDEN Warners' **Singing Fool" . at Double Scale—Can Gross $45,000 on W'k Warner Brothers* Vitaphoned "Singing Fool" with Al Jolson is -the- first -moving picture .with. a ..?3 top tap as its regular scale. It's at the Winter Garden, New York, on a run. The $3 is listed for the entire balcony, including its front loges, on week end.<5 and hol- iday nights. During the remainder of the week's evenings the top up- stairs is .$2.50. At all times , the orchestra scale le 5dc 16-wer than the top, with that also going for the matinee. So far the "Hinging Fool" adver- tising hjis failed to include the nd- mlasion prices. Groups in the Gar- den's lobby usually fathom the double price li.st framed on the wall near the box oftlco before mak- ing a puroha.se. A con.sidernble advanco is re- ported. At present scales and per- formances weekly, the Garden can do $43,000, gro.sH. T1irf>e show.s f1;i,ily ."^int iird;iyp nni\ Y. W. C. A. Tap Course Boston, 8ept.2r., Local Vinuitj Wonicti's Christian As.sociation hr-re has in.S(>rtod . a course in tup rtanoing'Tol- infmher.*; '^"d otlior y<fUtif;- wonn-ti. $10 UNLIMITED BOOZE IN RITZ SPEAKEASY New Gag Caterer Califor- nia System—^Fancy Free Lunch on Side Tho latest wrinkle in hirhat in- ternal irrigation Is a fashionable east side whisper-low where one can drink all he or she wants for a :sawbuck. The ritz oasis exacts the 10 flsh at the gate. Whatever and -how long one gargles depends entirely on capacity. They don't dare try the idea in the Times sqtiare sector and the east side dispensary doesn't want the Main street trade for oCvious reasons of percentage profit. It's been established that tho flat rate trade gets„all the breaks com- ing to. them without prematurely kayoed, since at $1 a crack for the hard stuff no average drinker goes •the limit and beyond. Furthermore, the fancy $1.50 and $2 drinks knock 'em off even faster. . The element that takes Its drink- ing seriou.sly from opening until closing is pennitted to consume their quota and more and still leave the house with a decided edge in its favor. With the liquid courage goes some fancy free, lunch, pickled her- ring and bologna being replaced by fancy looking hors d'ouevres. - The-basic background, of the en- tire scheme i.s exclusiveness with carriage trade in dress .clothes principally desired and nvere ple- bian : two-fisted absorbers, regard- less of their convivial good fellow- ship, not permitted into the sacred portalS; unless properly sjionsored aiid introduced. The gag for the- house on the question of an cut includes a sys- tem of a first time guo.st cUecking in with a known patron and told he would be mailed a card. If he doesn't click with the overseers he never receives the membership cre- dentials and. it is against the rules to introduce tho same potential member twice. A "member" in good standing can tfike a chance on ring- ing in a rt-peater iinder a phony name, but that's a phiinco, This style of catering is known as the California H.v.^tem. There is one mldtown eatiry, the only one -of • itsJ<ind,,.tlia.t..,gJ,yos ymv a Jj uffet lunt^h of pvf>rythlrig you can eiit'^of a course of .soim-, 20 (lish«»s for $1.40. B'way Inhalers George A. Billing.s, who.se forte is an impor.sonation of Abrahani L<in- i coin, opens an r<ngapemcnt ihiii j wwk .'If. Chin fyr-f.-rf on Brurulw.'iy, to ainn^'c the chow mciti inlial'-r.s. BmYlUREfOR Dance Hall Called Great American Playground— Stick or Get Stuck at From SOc to 85c Per and AH Evening -— Youth to Youth and A. K.'s to . Flappers CREEP JOINT SAPS The guys and gals who are lone- some 6n Broadway or, for that mat- ter, an.y part of Greater New York, donH know their dance halts, 4 The great American playground at 50 and 85c a head, notably in the metropolis, is t)ie catch-as-Oatch, free-for-all, meet-and-greet noctur- nal hang-out—;the dance-hall. More than ever, at this particular moment, are the peasants respond- ing to the creep joints where the irresistible sex eqijation spells the cause of the consistent gross re- ceipts. Weather of all temperatures and conditions may come and go, but the call of youth to youth, A. K.'s to flappers, the sex urge to lone* some gees, and the sap to the tree goes on forever. More graphically than printer's ink can convey, some day some master director with telling camera will transmute ■ to the screen the loud speaking, unsubtle frank-and- free aura that pervades the atmos- phere of any dancehall. Be it Broad- way or Main street. Times Square or the hinterland. In a metropolis or on the outskirts of mill towns where the dance craze reaches new heights :—or depths!—the great American pea.santry responds nobly, hand- somely and generously to the call of the cornet, the sigh of the saxo- Ijhonc, tho tremolo of the trombone and'the soul-beat to the beat of the bass c'vum. ' Rhythmic danciapation is the key- note of the age, VViih the Commit- tee of 14 in New York harping on the nite clubs and, whisper-lows, and Mabel Walker Willebrandt pick- in' on defenseless convert charge .(Continued on page 58) Heavy Food Champ i:)uluth, Sept. 25, Holding the eating crown in three divisions, C. M. I^autermilch denies his gluttony gift Is an illusion. Lanty added his third title when Vtickmlf linger ~hl.s""^^ field, Minn., 15 pound.s, 3Vi ounces of saiierkniut, in competition. His nearest menace, quit at 14 pounds. Lauty, from Tiffany, O., also is holding down the lid against all (>omcra on plf and spaghetti. Ho dislikes to fiUi'r spugliottl contests, s'lying it's very U-dioua. Al Smith Stamps Himself as Friend of the Show Business Kxecutivc Chatnbcr, Albany, Sept. 14, Editor Variety: My .attention has been called, to your statement In Variety in which you announce your support of my candidacy. I wish to express rny personal appreciation. I have often heard that the theatrical profession is loy.'il to its friends and your statement justifies this more than ever. Sincerely yours, . ALFRED 73. SmTII. Coast Screen Players Going in for Vocal Practice in Local Stage Plays Los Angeles, Sept. 25. An epidemic of ' little theatre niovements. in -vSrhlch screen actors are interested has broken out In Hollywood. It appears as a com- bination result of the revolution in the picture biz by the talker and the resultant silent production slump. The players hit want to occupy their Idle time and pick up some change. All film performers now have a frantic desire to get voice experience on the stage. Four of these movements have been started in the past few months. The first to get under w^ay was the Hollywood Commu!uty Player.s, fos- tered by Paul Spier. The next w.as the Theatre Mart, which went di- rectly after .screen players. It Is due to open tonight with its first production, "Sensation," by Rita Klssln, with Henry Kolker as the director afiH' a cast of film pl,ayers, headed by Alma Tell and Mary Carr." ' ] Next Came the Dixie McCoy ven- ture. Miss McCoy, ;i pl.ayors' agent, leased the Hollywood Music Box theatre and will open with Gilbert Emery's "Tarnl.«h." The agont has iier actors under contract, aug- mented l.iy ■ the actors of ;, other agents. Now, the fourth of the movements has come into being. It Is the Hol- lywood Acadoniy of Theatre Art«, with Sheldon Lewis and Spottls- woode Aiken, both screen actors, as prime movers. Thi.s organization has leased a rcshlencc at 1439 Vine street, Hollywood, remodelling It Into class rooms .and a theatre. Dramatic plays are to be offered with i)rofo.«slorial casts, in co-opera- tion with the Hollywood Players. Spottiswoodo Aikeii will have su- pervision of the school of the tho;i- ti-e. Kate Hemln.g, prnduato of ttie -lioyxiLAca<lf^n.vvi)jC,^ will te;u;h voice placomont .and volc<> culture. In additif>n to t)i(-.«<', the Lucornc Chib, another arty org;i,nizatlon, with downtown headquarters in the Beaux Art.« building, is presenting weekly pl;i>lct- bills, witli sfiii-ri pluyi-rs ,'(s the Inniinai'if.s, Labor Men's Salaries Chicago, Sept. 25, Probably the highest paid labor' workers In the business are now the officials of the local Operators Union. Recent increase In their salaries; gives Tom Reynolds, president, a $600 raise from $2,400 to $3,000 a year; while Tom l^aloy, business manager, gets a weekly boost of $7r) from $225 to $300. . Frank Clifford, assistant to Maloy, was jumped from $150 to $200 a week and Al Johnstone, secretary, from $75 to $100 a week. 3 Hinterland Bugs Chicago, Sept. '25. Three boys from Springfield, 111., one county auditor and the other two with profitable businesses, are in Chicago as a singing trio and want to crash show- business. . Al Giiest, the auditor. Is big po- litical stuff back home. If the singing clicks all three will give up everything in favor of the stage. It's no use arguing with tJioni. Spoofing "Interlude" Norwalk, S<'])t, John Ersklno's one-act play, "Hearts f^nduring," .was tried out. by the Silvermine Guild here. It is a deep tragedy with brilliant lines relieving its solemnity, A one-act play, ".f;af"S Aj.ar,'' by Herbert Yost, provd to be a trav- esty on the method of writing em- ployed by ISngene o'Neil In "Strange liiti-rludc" and was clf'verly done. BROOKS THE NAME YOU GO BY WHEN YOU GO TO BUY 1 COSTUMES , .GO W N S A>lt> UNIPOnVfS I B'WAY, N.y , I A>^0 I'/.CyQ COiTUMCfr TO HtNT;