Variety (Nov 1928)

SHOWS IN DEPT STOR Radio's Stringent Materia] Often Too Big a Task With the exception of vocalist^, raudeyllle performers signed foi*^ long terms over the radio, at large fees, ^re experiencing difficulties w'hich may lead to their abandoning Bimllar proposes ifor the future. High priced performers, receiving as much for one hour weekly over the air as they, do for a week on the stage, are reported dissatisfied on account of the demands made by the radio fans and station di- rectors for a constant supply of new material. . Vaudevllllans with specialties .which have ser-ved them for years on the stage'find they must get new material almost weekly or suffer. The ether audience won't stand for continuous repetition, the broad- casts hitting the same listeners every time. Some of the acts, even when will- ing to make a try for new; material, And it difficult to find, suitable gags. In addition, where a routine calls for highly polished dellvei-y to be" ac- quired only by. long, careful, con- Btant rehearsal, it Is practically irrt- possible to deliver well with only a week to rehearse. As a result, the coniplaints run, the radio audience, having heard a certain act do its specialty, is not eatisfled with the weekly makeshift, the reputation of the performers Buffering in the end with the radio audience. Keith's B'way Sold; Commercial Bldg. Site - The Broadway,theatre (Keith's) at .41st. street, and additional property at 1441 Broadway have heeft sold. They will be razed for the construc- tion of a commercial building. Site was purchased by the Til- morit Realty .Go. and the Bricken topstructlon Cq. from the E.. Zar browski estate, Keith's leasehold t^n the the.atre, was included in .the purchase. The property was a.ssessed by 1929 taxation at $2,800,000, increase Of $130,000 over 1928. ^Construction of . the Broadway theatre was begun in March, 1888, the late James A. Bailey (Baf- hum & Bailey), with Bailey selling ^3 interest before completion to *Tank Sanger, T. H. Frencli and E. Zabrowski, who finished the bulld- og. Zabrowski later became sole 'wner; ■-■ ■ -•• : „ Ternis in the transfer of Keith's ieaae^call-for-_a-15-day--notiG6i-to=.the. present occupants, with the new owners entitled to take possession *»iy time up, to Jan. 1. Meanwhile, ^ Broadway theatre employees "4ve been given notice and remain on a week-to-week basis, The Broadway for several years ^3 had a vaudo clientole all its own. .The new structure will not In- ^^^(f a theatre. Anticipation Chicago; Nov. 13. A special. despatch to the. Chicago Tribune reports a box- ing match to have been staged by the Reele Athletic club just outside the city limits of Alex- andria, Va.,,was stopped by the sheriff, who enter 2d the ring and announced: "Herbert Jioover is elected and this boxing match cannot continue." Members claim the election made county officials afraid of the power of the Methodist board. Posing in Duplicate For Picture Stars America's youth, at any rate that movie mad, wild-eyed portion of it that spends week-ends playing the Phbtomaton shops on Broadway at two bits per eight tintypes, wears images of its screen idols on its shirt sleeves unreservedly. Latest developments, on exhibit at the Photomaton, indicate that every flap thinks she finds a striking re- semblance to some flicker hero In her boy friend and eVery boy friend thinks his dame's a dead ringer for some nifty movie queen. Conversation while the gum-chcw- ers are posing on the slipperj- stools is now running as follow.s: "But, Mamie, doesn't Colleen Moore always poge*frbm the right? That's it, get that profile, that dimpled nose. . . ." . "Here, wait a minute, Jimmy, walt'll I make your . hair curl up front. More like Gilbert Roland than he Is himself." "Down with the eyelids, glrly. See. Now breathe hard and look startled. Garbo in the Hesh!" "l4aw, you're not the .type for that Fairbanks pose. Max, you; ain't got the mustache. Try something easy. ■That's better, the Schildkraut pose suits you fine, 'specially the nose." "liisten, mister, it's, my .quarter and I want my eyebrows raised up high, kinda sophisticated like. . . . If you must know, , everybody at home eays every time I do it it makes them think of Adolphe . . . Menjou, of course." Foreign Tonpe^^^^^^^^ "Warners have just completed the first talker in a foreign tongu.o, They announce it as an expcHmcMit, figuring that , it will gra a pla.v in German colonies hen; and that the nature of the theme will make it okay for general rcloa.s<!. The title I.s "Zwie und Ficr/igsto Strassc." Translated it is "42nd St." Special Entertainment as At traction for New or. More Business — Department Stores All Oyer Country Trying It—Pay Well With Only Dasrtime Work AGENCY FOR ACTS Department stores in New York City and over the country are en- gaging theatrical' attractions to bring the° crowds in. This department store show pol- icy originated in children's shows at Christmas time; It has increased to what is now an almost contin- uous performance. At Christrrias, Easter and in the dtill summer months shows are put on in the stores to bring in the peo- ple. They have been so successful that stores are now constantly on the watch for attractions. Sterns and Liosier's in New York have been putting on shows for some time. Tliey want shpw people (Continued on page 2) Darien, Wealthy Town, at Last Gets A Film House Members of "Ladder" Cast Sad Over News Two-Year Flop Is Quitting «< Ladder" in Boston Boston, Nov. 13. Displayed at the Boston opera house last nighV was Ed- gar Davis' "Ladder," playing to 1,000 people at $1 and with $850 in the h6use,.'to a guar- antee that_r^turncd the dough to squawkers. No squawk last night. Looks like $3,000 on the week for this 62d version. It's a record gross for the record somOrsaulter. Local critics divided on merit, but agreed it's a flop. Italy Bsirs "Street Angel"; Free of Street Vice Darien, Conn., Nov. 13. To give this town, the wealthiest of Its size in the country, its first filni house, five residents, at least three of them millibiiaires and two in the Social Register, have organ- ized a corporation to. build the the- atre. It is the Darien Theatre Co, Incorporators are Edward H. Delafleld, Thomas .McCiirthy, Mark' W. Norman, .Thonias Crlmmins, Colonel HoNvard Stout Neil.s'on and Francis H.' ,'^lmmons. Stock to finance the project will be sold to Darien residents. This town may be. the country (Continued on page 2) The Treasurer's Way A neighborhood thf.atre trcas- ijCcr is ijifK'ing up big timn y,"4,y-<., ■' .■ \ A.s a .p.'Lfron wnlkfd avy/iy, leaving ch.'mgc on tin- c.auiiU'.r, he; wa.H askfd wbat h'^ did in a o.'ise lik*' that, "I aiway." nii) on the window with a ."pongf," lie r<»pllc>d. Washington, Nov. 13. "Street-Angel" has been barred in Italy by Mussolini. Cable to the Department of Commerce adds that those of the censoging board re- sponsible for the original admlt^ tance of the Fox production have been dismissed. Tiiough not cabling details on Mussolini's objections the.se evi- dently are centered around the street soliciting pli.'isos of the film story which lias Its locale in Italy. Street, walker.s and beggars arc now a thing of the past In Italy, and have been for over three years, being ^banned among the first acts of the.Italian dictator. Basic idea of the "Street Angel" story Is the police charge against tho girl for soliciting and her final capture and jail sentence. All war pictures also have been barred from Italy by' Mu.ssoHnl, .■jays a cable from U. S. Commercltil Attache Mitcholl at. Rome. The Italian Boss objects to American and other product-rs not giving proper mention to Italy's part in the war. For 12 years an unknown roller skater opened vaudeville shows In the middle westi Ills only coniplaint was tbat he had never seen an audiencCi Variety for some time ha.s been trying tO'identify the skater for a special story; In his absence, Variety's sob sister thought of the cast of "The Lad- der," under the opinion that a legit show for two years minus an audience must be equivalent to a single act for 12 years. So sobble .callod and hero it ia: •Members of "The Ladder" are dis- mayed at the prospect of being thrust out upon an unsympathetic world by Hlielr friend, boss and patron, Edgar B. Davis. An announcement, "The Ijadder" will close after two weeks In Boston Is a sorrowful and unbelievable piece of news to the pla.yers. "The Ladder" people b(?fore hik- ing to Boston were in a state of dcOp; gloom. .Some optimistic souls refuse to believe,the /inal verdict; plans will be arranged for a long run in Boston, they feel sure. But the more mention of tho show closing has thrown them Into afitate of urioasl- nes.s. What will happen to them If it docs clo.scV K they ventured into anotlior production, thoy might die of stage fright. Sobble dl.scovored that Cari'oll Moc(;onias, the alar for two years, had deserted her good old "J..addor" on the eve of its. dripartiire for Uoston, so .Sobble strolhid into the dressing rooms of the lower and more loyal. rungs of tlie ladder, gathering some enlight(.'nlng InCor- niation. To tirem "The L;uldcr" has been (Continued on page 2) Elusive Types Ben.StoIoff, Fox director, iri Now York, the second month in K<'arf.'h of two leads for a forthcoming talker, has been unable to find the average boy or glri required. No stage, picture or vaudeville experience. 1.4 wanted, only an ordi- nary looking couple whose voices will rceOrd, .Stoloff has sr)ent practicially all of his time; in shown, night clubs and uth Avenue busses looking for .suit- "ix\)lff iypf»s; ■ - - : - - Page-Mri-Hoover-^-^^^ Iowa City, la., Nov. n. ■ Lo'.-nl polli-i- have turned lliutnlis (1(MV'n on making- arrests for lntf»xl- cation. Chief c. V. IJenda told W'. O. T. T', v\ori-:em, (Drniilaihlni; of drinkirit' on the field during the honir-cbniin;-' football gam<', tliat "loeal pollee >nd no more jxnver to. .make an .'ir'est for ihtoxleallon than the civilian," Vanderbilt at Camera W. K.. VandOrbllt is going In the pieture biz. lie entrains for Miami til is week to board his yacht, "The Ark," for a year's cruise. If the filni W. K. grinds,Is considered okay for any market, he will • rele-ise it upon return. 'J'lie yaeht is now being fitted up with a projccti(>n room and labora- tory, as W(>11 as several high pow- ered cameras. |10,0.00 FOE sausA Cliicago, Nov. 13. .Sousa and band have benn cn^ gaged for one wcf-k in Deoer'nbr'r /■at thr> Chicago theati-e (pictures) at $10,000. - Sousa- pl-ayt.'d-the picture houses , for a spell about a year ago. 0STUMES [ 14.37 BWAY. NY Tf.L r.500 PrNNTI I ALVO t^.VJ<J C01TUMC& TO ■ ■ ''