Variety (May 1929)

Many Show People Paymg Taxes f As Slnmn by ConiL Ust of Owners Norwalk, Conn., April 30. - Evidence that show people, -more . (uid more, ai-e sinking their cash . Into real estate and homes Is Indl- . cated 111 the Connecticut StAte an iiual report which records that con .<.8iderable property was sold last •yo^v to theatrical people. 'Tlie report shows that In Falrileld ^'.<!ODnty alone there are 160 the atrlcuit families.' ': ' Ted Henly, Zelda Sears, Greek : £yaT)s and Claiborne Foster are listed among the inoat important Viand owners. Botirds ot trade ofTer special ser iVIce to theatrical i)Oop!e heading for til*' country. • .\inonc; the best known taxpayers In the Connecticut towns are listed Xorwnlk—Arch Selwyn, Greek Evans. Felix Ki-embs, Marlon Scnda, Robert Flaherty, Ira Hai-ds, Camilla Grume, Adele Klaer, J. C. Kuirent, .'BlUott Nugent, Norma Lee, Ruth Nugent, Alan Bunce, Burk. Symons, ' Roy Gordon. C. W.-Goodrich, George ■■ A. Wright. George A; Wright, Jr., 1<. ■"Walter Llssberger, Sahford F. Stanton, F-dmuiid' Ereese, Walter .Pllmmer, Jr., J. R. Bray, William Willlnms, Harry Archer, Amelia Gardinpr, Alice Kauser, Merceta Ksmonri, George Alison, Herbert Cortliell. Anne Nichols, Porter Emerson Brown, Charles Bowers. Baker Moore. Helen Lowell and Heiiriplta Wnkeflpld. Wpstpovt—Ev.T T.pGnllienne, Allen Kcams, Roy Atwell, Phil Dunning, Lanrenro Stalllngp. Rose O'Neill. John Chnpmnn HlUIor. Ted Sh.iwn, Riitli St. Drnia, Vaughn de Leath, Montot'iie Glass, Stuart Benson. Stnmfovd — Carroll McCommas, Peggy Wood, John V. A. Weaver, Heywoo:'. Ttroun. Mary Servbss, ViolPt naming. Grant Mills, Robert Hn!!Idny. Horherl Yost, Ann Well- man. Martha Hedninn. Bentrlce Maude, Deems Taylor, May Vokes, Florence Rockwell. Dftrlon—Lee Shubert. J. J. Shu- bert, John Cort, Ted and Betty He.ily. Baynrd Veiller, Louise Jo- seph A''ance, John Taintor Foote, W. E. Ileitland. Herbert Witherspoon, CliRvles ."Vbbe. Arthur Somers Roche. Weston—Claiborne Foster, Kath- lern Comegys, Allan DInehart, Barry Conners. • John Held, Jr., Henry Souvaine, William Stone. Wilton—Zelda Sears, Louis Wis- w«ll. Mario Chamlee, John F,rskine. Greenwich—William Hodge, H. H. Pmzee, Harriet Carting. RIdgcfleld—Walter Hampden, Eu- gene O'Neil, Ciornldine Farrar. Others arc J. Harold Muri-ay, Laura Hope Crews, Fred Stone, Wniiam Gillette and Wlnchell Smith. NE6B0 NEWSBEEL Miko Mindlin is behind a propo- sition to launch a monthly, or bi- monthly ncwsrcel, devoted exclu- sively to happenings in the Negro world of nffairs. Outlet for reel would he 400 Negrn thputrea scattered aroiind enuiitry. 'Cabmet Meeting" Now "Sorry, but he's In a cabinet meeting just now." It's the newest stall in the ofllco routine of Times. Square. The "cabinet meeting" super- sedes, the best "conference" ever .pulled, while "the long- distance" is now obsolete. In the Wall Street section they case differently and nicer. You walk in there with the of- fice wide open and the man wanted at his de.sk. As you ai>proach lie arises, rushes to meet you, almost hugs you as he places ah arm around the neck, s.tying, "Old. boy, how are you" and "What can I do for you?" By that time you, coat and hat are outside in the liall. . It's all over. A little faster, but with more finesse. ZIEGFED'S ROOF ENDS TO $75,000 IN RED Ziogfcld's Mldnlte Frolic called it u season Saturday night with Paul Whiteman and his orcliestra retlr- ing as the prime attraction. The Roof, during its four months' existence, has cost ZIggy an esti- mated loss of $75,000 for talent alone, not mentioning the invest- ment for decorations, etc. ZIggy charged that oH to the DllUngham- Erlanger - Ziegfeld combination, lessee of the New Amsterdam the- atre. At one time Ziegfcld's. losses were estimated at from $u,000 to tlO.OOO a week which, for, the 16- week season might have reached staggering i>roport1on9 bad not he cut it down. Maurice Chevalier, Helen Morgan, Eddie Cantor, and later a Se.vmour Felix revue were some of the features attempted, with the latter as an economic at- tempt to reduce the nut. White- man was the ace dance attraction. John and Christo, the kitchen con- cessionaires, advanced $15,000 in cash for the privilege and are still In the red, although recouping con- siderably. John Steinberg Is con- sidering continuing oi>cratIng the room on his own if Leonard Berg- man and he can get together. Berg- man Is stalling, stating he has a, bid to make a sound picture studio out of the room. He asked the restaurateurs $S00 a. week against a percentage arrangement for the room. , IC negotiations are ironed out this week, it may be continued by John and Christo until the -vvcaHiep-prohlblts. it any,Xurilicr,—„ Whiteman Is recording intensively all this week for Columbia. He will continue to, do so to oatt-h up on schedule and also to "can" enough of a catalog in advance to carry lilm into the Rummer while he's in Unl- versnl City shooting "The ICing of Jazz." his starring 100 per cent talker. MACr'S COPS FILM HOUSE TRADE IDEA Equipment to Encourage Summer Shopping Sets Reccrd: Cost Figure—Box Office Results Atttract At- tention, of Bfig^ Business^— Theatre. Instaltation To- Uls $50,000 Twisting Notices for Billiiig Made Hot Issue by N. Y. rimes TWO FLOORS EQUIPPED Department . store operators searching, for a reason fer.the big drop in birainesa during the aum- mer month* have fop the past year been studying the box office figures of piicture houses which have cael> ing systems installed. As a result R. H. Maoy and Co., one of New York's largest department stores lo- cated in Herald Squarei is new in- stalling a^eooling plant for its main floor and basement. departments at an approximate cest of $800,000. ^ This la the fii-st attempt by a de (Continued on page CS) Unromantk Romance Last week saw the happy ending of the unromantlc ro- mance which started when Bill Seeman made his flrst attempt to see Phyllis Haver, now Mrs. Seeman. The unromantlc portion oc- curred In Now York two years ago. Miss Haver was visiting east when mutual friends in Hollywood wired Bill, a.sking it he could give Phyllis -a little attention while in New York. Seeman calle<1 up Miss Ha- ver and a maid informed him she was out. A second- anil third time, the same mnid with a different reason, but no Phyl- lis. Burning a bit. Bill made a desperate final attempt, get- ting Miss Haver on the other end of the phono. Explaining, the circuni.slanccs. Bill said: "How would you lH<e to go out to dinner tonight?" "I'm not at all interested," answered the young woman. "How would you like to go to Hell?" replied Bill, hanging up. A year after, when on the coast with Mayor Walker's party, Seeman was asked if he wished to meet anyone in par- ticular. "I want to meet everybody here." i-eplicd Bill, "excepting Phyllis Haver.'' But one evening they did meet. And Bill blurted: ''"''T^Til—T aald • ""lii—New— York,doesn't go." Later the same evening he suggested to MIh.i Haver they slide by themselven for a res- tnurnnt visit. Then the romanrft com- menood. DISTY DOGS! A man or woman may ob- t.aln a Turldsh, Ru^ian or steam bath with electrical treatments from tl to f5, but a Park aveDue lap dog ^wn't be bawthed in a higlv 'canine way for less than $16. Gloria Swanson, for qiamplet sent her secretary out with her.' $3,600 ahcep' dog for an over- hauling. Because it had Heoa the first bath cost $26. It Is now brought each week '^egu-' larly to the same dog fanciers tot Its cleansing at |16.. %ODDESS OF SKT' INTIE^UP (MST ; Following a tieup with the Flnkel- ;sleln & Rubin and Publlx' theatres, Fox West Coast, Brin Circuit in iWisconsIn, Prank J. Lee, director of !Publlc Relations for Aviation Indus- .tries, reached New York this week to <!ign a Manhattan circuit for the .National Atlatlon' Popularity con- test.. Tiic A. I. Is running this Carnival of the Sky with a young woman from some section to be chosen from mnong winning contestants of over G9 cities. She will be crowned the Goddess of the Sky. The winner If to receive a cash prize of $6,000, her ladies-in-waiting $600 each, and her matron, $500. ■« "The final pageant Is scheduled for the Minnesota State Fair Aug. 31- Sept. 7. The contest and picking ot the winners will l>e held In the picture houses, starting about June 17. No bathing outfits or special suits of brevity will be worn, the contest- ants to appear in afternoon or even- ing dress. A theme song has been composed by Arthur Ball and Harry Alvord entitled "Hera, the Goddess of the Sky." Among the expert flymen who will drive the A. I. planes are Harold McMahon, Fred W. Kelly and Charles (Speed) Holman. Charles Atlas was engaged this week to act as Zeus, God ot the SkloB. Boat's M. C. for One Round Trip to Hawaii Los Angeles, April 30. . J,'i(:k Benny Is en route to Hono- lulu with his wife for a three-week vacation on the "Pres. JcfCerson". (Dollar Line). A tie-up has been eflfcciea-wltlT-^lTlm-wliereby he^ win function as m. c. aboard the ship, Introducing the various courses on the dinner menu at the captain's dinner and various otlier special fetes during the voyage. Upon his return Benny will begin a onc-ycar contract with Metro as actor and comedy constructor. Ti>e New Tork Times' legal de- partment Is taking steps against Louis Isquith, producer of "Messir' /Around," colored show,, which iopened at the Hudson, New Y'ork, 'last week. , The utiarrel between the paper and manager arose over the latter's allegedly Improper use of the Tinies' review written by John Byram, acting dramatic editor. The notice referred to "Black- birds" aa "settiner the'town'a stand- ard In colored BOngr and dance shows." It is charged that Isquitli has twisted the sense of the com- ment '. li^tUcate that was the Times' t-evtewer'A opinion of "MesBln' Aroiind." Billiiig of that nature Is being used, Including bill- board, three ijheets. ' '-Twisting; tiie meaning of critics for this purposes of advertising has been' the subject of scorn and nome bitterness by some reviewers In tlieir printed remarks. The action o^ -the' Times, however. I0 the first noticed where a daily aims to legally enjoin a manager from such practices. TALKERS NOW MAKING GOOD NOSES BETTER Robert Kmmett Keane has been considered a . personable clous A actor! but he had a nose. All. accounts agi-ce the flrst time Bob discovered his nose was In a talking short made by himseU and Claire Whitney. The actor said his nose' came so close to the screen it hid his face. No one could see this but Robert. He consulted Dr. Luis Berne, one of those- very few surgical beauti- fiors of standing who doesn't seek publicity. Dr. Berne slammed Robert into the Pork West Hospital, monkeyed with his nose, and let Bob loose in three days. Now Bob wants to make another short, with or without Miss 'Whit- ney, to see again how his nose looks. One of the days Robert was in the- hospital Miss Whitney called on him. To make his wife feel cheer- ful over his nose and self, Bob told her gags. After leaving him on the ISlst gag, Miss Whitney almost fainted. She says If his beak turns out all right, it's okay, but if it should turn up, she said, probably anotlier operation and more gags. BROOKS COSTUMES o o w r»j .s j\ .Ni r> L ■ v 1 F o J J VI I 1*37 B'WAY. N.y :«uo u.«ea cosn/MU to mnt Tei.aSM> HMM.II . To mtiTT . —•! ■J