Variety (Apr 1930)

Wednesday, April 2, 1930 TIMES SQUARE-SPORTS VARIETY 59 Chatter in Loop TLEASUREMAN' ATLAST ON NEW YORK RUN That blizzard! Act showing at the Englewood on the no-pay list paid a cabbie double to wait while they were on....Barney Dean, lost on the North Side, wired Sam Bramson he was stranded In Gr een Iand... .Wo 0 d s building agents set the Saturday night bridge game ahead to Tuesday afternoon .... Piano Marathon froze out In the Randolph Street Penny Arcade.... All five m. c.'s at the Oriental sent regrets to their wives... .R-K-O booking staff arrived at the Engie- wood in time for the last two acts ;.'. .Box office boys went dizzy mak- ing exchanges... .Corridors In some hotels turned Into barracks with rows of cots... ,Frank Sylvester saw a shoe sticking in a snowdrift oa State street and pulled but one of his midget.... A. H. Woods stayed in town an extra day and let a. strange barber shave him.... T}iose 10-cent Publix passes were welcomed Tuesday night... .Great States footed the hotel bills for all office employees. Cornelia Otis Skinner has a 97% radio voice; Newsreel photographers ^ have formed a union and will banquet at the Palmer House in April. Because '^e Coliseum iised a steam roller that wasn't union while rolling out the clay" floor for the circus, two-hour strike called. Jo© Abramson acknowledged the ace legal and contract mind on Film Kow. Since Willie Horowitz broke Into the radio, he squawks he Is better known In South Bend than in Chi. Harry Fink went out In the bliz- zard to hustle Harms tunes. Local Pathe office Is running a Tom North drive, to show apprecia- tion or something for its short-sub- ject man. People are always confusing Felix Mendelsohn of the local M-G ex- change with the F. M. who lives at the Congress and hfis written his theatrical reminiscences. A practical joker sent |16 worth of nuts to Edward Raquello of "Strictly Dishonorable" C. O. D. Charles Rlchman says he began business life as a milk tester In a creamery, and not by calling hogs In stock yards. Margaret Perry now doing an Anna Held by taking milk baths to keep that peach-blown complexion. Actors staying at one of the smaller hotels had to be vaccinated when a newly-registered guest ac- quired smallpox over night. Severe cold kept Patricia Chapman from "She's No Lady" part of last week. Mr. Moy,- advance man for the Chinese players, met the newspaper people through an honorable lunch- eon at the Sherman bungalow. Al Capone and .Lou. Reinhelmer, Publlx-Great States film booker, re- semble each other, but Lou has never been-shot' .Max Richard's office welcomed him back . from fiew. York with flowers. Mortimer H. Singer. feted Nate Blumberg at an-R-K-O party. Southwest side vogue for bright green spats Is dying. 'Round the Square Fresh Show Girl Starts Bad Scrap : Premature arrival of two men from Miami Beach with swollen knuckles <ind other evidences ot combat lead to an entertaining chain of events concerning a Broadway show girl who has been wintering In a smear of cocoanut oil on the beaches of good old Florida. - After numerous drinks at the Roman pools casino, the show girl be c&me obsessed with the Idea of giving a man across the room a hot foot. .(Hot foot Is the insertion of a match In the sole of one's shoe and ignition thereof by a clgaret. Its effect Is annoying. Some of the country's best known gunmen and a flight from Florida were the results which figured In the aftermath. The beauty, in an evening gown crawled under the table of the victim, Inserted the match In his shoe and tried to light up. But the fellow crossed his legs at the psychological moment. The girl returned to her table and after several more drinks, decided to try again. This time, while a score of others at nearby tables watched her, she lost her technique and the man detected her under the table. Whereupon he lifted the table cloth and poured a tumbler of ginger ale and Ice down the girl's back. She jumped up, screaming and all wet. Returning to her table, she demanded that her boy friend go over, to the fellow's table arid'demand'an apology. The b. f. did as much, but knew the girl was in the wrong. The fellow said he'd apologize If the fellow would dance by with her. She said "no," that he must come over to the table. Back and forth the b. f. went with the messages. Finally the b. f. be came burned up and went to a nearby hotel and got two notorious characters. They were on their way back to the club when the fellow they sought and two other men emerged from the club. A free-for-all ensued outside the sedate Roney-Plaza hotel, while the show girl fled to her own hotel. The casualties' were swollen Jaws, broken lips, black eyes and the customary results of six men In a socking orgy. The b. f, and his companion, knowing the men they had fought with were not the sort to let a fight stop without full satisfaction went immediately to the Roman Pools garage and loaded up with gas. They arrived In New Yorlc as recorded above. The show girl Is still drying herself off! Dizzy Double Just how dizzy are you! That has become the by-word In one Broadway night place which has in,stalled a male roller-skater In Its floor show. His nigthly per- formance consists of requesting ringsiders to allow him to spin them. He grasps a subject under the arms, locking his hands on the sub ject's waist, then starts twUling, until the skates revolve at breaimeck pace. When the spin has reached a point of force sufficient to have elevated the subject at right angles with the skater's neck, he stops, allowing the person to walk toward a huge pillow, placed in the center of the floor. Nine cut of 10 fall to the floor or on the pillow. Folks in evening tlothes were allowing the skater to spin them. Job Is a pushover for thrills, since moat night club fans are dizzy before they come in. Taxi Scouting Pays Colored boys and men are working a new racket at theatre exit time along 42d street. Donning porters coats, they fetch private cars and taxis for gratuities. The Idea Is rather a unlsance, but the volunteers are collecting fom $5 to $10 nightly. Cops on duty mistook two real house porters for phonies. One got a punnh on the chin and went down, ,.A complaint by the management resulted. Another was hauled off to 47th street station "^nd held over night. The porter was Innocent, having gone for a Rolls Royce at the direction of the owner. Glass Rep Saved M.C. A New York m. c, widely known for the quantity of phoney Jewelry he wears, Is having his troubles. He permitted a girl friend to wear one of the rings recently and then, to keep up the impression, phoned her four times the next day to remind her to return the glass. Short time ago when playing an out of town theatre, so the story eocs, the m, c. was walking down a side street lit up with the phoney Ice when stopped by a couple of thugs. Just aa they were about to relieve him of the paste one of the robbers recognizing the m.c. and knowing his rep for phoney jewelry, yelled to his partner, "Holy smoke, it's So-and-So. Let's go!" And they ran. Short and Sappy By Joe Laurie, Jr. Although In a vastly different setting and without " continuity. Pleasure Man" Is again being pro- duced and having a longer run in court than on (Broadway In Octo- ber, 1928. This time It Is being displayed in Judge Bertlnl's General Sessioris courtroom and the audience Is mostly made up of a Jury of busi- ness rnen and newspaper people. There Is also a sprinkling of per- sonal friends of the court at- tendants. The show, or otherwise the trial of Mae West and her ^7 compan- ions who are charged with pai-tlci- pating. In an alleged Indecent per- formance, Is In Its third -week and may last a month. The original show lasted three performances at the Blltmore theatre when the police Interfered. This time the cops are taking an active part in Its pro- duction. The People have placed on the stand several police officers who tried to Imitate members of the original cast. They • attempted to show the defendants did not act decently in their parts. The State's case required two weeks to present. At tlie end of that time . Judge Bertini denied a motion to dismiss the indictment when the defense opened. . Its first witness, or actor, sent to the witness stand by Nathan Burkan was "Chuck" Connors, 2d, son of the famous old Bowery char- acter. "Chuck" had a small part In "Pleasure ^an." He denied any wrong doing by himself or his fel- low players In the show. "Chuck" was not so hot as a witness, al- though he did attempt to sing a song which the People contended was indecent and suggestive. Critical Jury The jury apparently did not care much for "Chuck's" voice. How- ever, the hard boiled witness could not be shaken under a grilling cross examination. The second defense witness was Herman Lenzer, who did a comedy acrobat skit In "Pleasure Man." The actions of Lenzer and his partner .were declared by the police to be rather naughty. ■ The witness In slsted that the actions objected to by the officers were really done ac cidentally and not by design. His motion to have the case thrown out after the People's case having been denied. It seems Bur kan's-purpose to place on the stand each of the 10 or a dozen defendants who had-iprincipal-roles In the pro duction so that they can describe In word and action the parts they played. In this way Burkan hopes to refute the People's contention that the show, as a whole, was lewd, obscene, indecent or "tended to corrupt the minds of youth and others." "Pleasure Man" will be In the hands of the Jury this afternoon (Wednesday), summation by coun sel and the charge of the court be- ing scheduled for this morning. The show got Its final curtain In the court version when Allan Brooks told of the title role. Billiard Champ's R«p Loses Conmiissioii Case A jury in the New York Supreme Court gave a verdict for Frank Taberski, who has been pocket bil- liards champion, In a suit of Dave A. Sterling, to recover $3,000. Ster- ling sued on a claim assigned by Henry Levy, on a contract made In 1926 by which he was to manage Taberski and give him publicity and get 30% of Taberskl's earnings. The complaint alleged that during the period of the contract Taberski made $10,000 from billiard games and theatrical engagements, and that the plaintiff was entitled to $3,000 less $300 paid him. Taberski claimed that Levy had been paid in full and the jury before Justice Hatting upheld him. McLARIN BY SHADE OVER JACK THOMPSON DR. KONSKI SUICIDES Dentist Shoots Himself While Re- covering from Operation in Hospital Dr. Ijeo D. Konski, dentist, long a member of the Friars, died In the Booth Memorial Hospital, New York, Sunday morning. He was re- covering from an operation for gall stones, but had had shot himself three times. The gun usedK was a police ser- vice revolver which he carried, he having been of the police citizen reserve formed during the war. It Is believed Konskl's mind was affected for some time. He was of an argumentative nature. Dr. Konski had virtually given up practice for the past year, seeking to capture an inheritance of $100,- OOO. The bequest was left him by a woman whom he formerly be- friended, but who died In an ln.«!ane a.sylum. Kon.skI claimed to have proof of her desire to make him her heir a considerable time prior to her entrance to the Institution. The woman did not actually possess the wealth, but It was her sharo In an- other estate. Gllmore Millen, columnist on the Los Angeles "Herald," had his flr.st novel accepted by Viking Press for fall publication. Title ia "Sweet Man." By JACK PULASKI Garden was janimed Friday when Baby Face Jimmy McLarnin mixed punches with Jack Thompson, lithe colored coast welterweight, whom he managed to shade on points for the decision. ^The. winner is to meet Jackie Fields for the chaixi- plonshlp this summei". Decision failed to meet with ap- proval from many fight nuts who razzed It, and argued about it later, but It looked as though Jimmy did land more blows. Thompson, how-; ever, in defeat, left the rlng,r hiay-' ing made many admirers oh the strength of his gameness, boxing ability and willingness to mix it with the great little man with the vaunted right hand. lExcitement mounted as the fight waged on; the big arena seething during the hot 10th and final round, There might not have be?n dynd- mlte in- McLarnin's right ^mit this time, but. he claimed to haye hutt It In the fourth round, a session when he peppered Thompson with lefts and rights. Jack came b^ok In the next round and actually bat tered Baby Face, cutting" the lattdr'9 schnozzle. What the crowd liked was th6 fact that Thompson was not a^rai4 of McLarnln. Usually Jimmy is. on- coming, backing opponents contin- uously around the ring. It was Thompson who generally did that and he had McLarnin going back wards plenty. The theory of that Is that a man cannot hit hard when on his heels. Thompson took it and he gave ba.(;.k in almost equal quantity. If. In distress Jack covered it up. He held his guard high and caught many of Jimmy's blows on the gloves and arms. McLarnin tried to bring the colored lad's hands down by stabbing left to the stomach, but It didn't work, Thompson missed several right shots ' at Jimmy's jaw. But he found the target now and then, the fans roar- ing at the furidus pace. Regard less of whether McLarnin's mit was damaged, he was lucky win for he was up against a high class ring- ster, McLarnin lost some standing, by hitting low half a dozen times. Hp was sharply reprimanded .by the referee. Thompson made no protest Odds were as high as 6 to 1 on Jimmy. Never Kayoed Thompson has never been knock ed out, they say, lie heard plenty of chatter that that might happen Friday, but rather than worrying him it made him try to tag Jimmy Jack hit the AP last year when he knocked out Joe Dundee, then the welter champ, Dundee was known to have been about burned out but this Thompson fellow was no fluke. Chances are that a return match with McLarnin will draw as many customers because the colored boy's courage is undoubted and his performance was better than ex- pected. Semi-final went on last, Pat Sll vers losing to Able Bain of Newark It was one of those slugging match es that held most of the crowd In The bout was hastily made after Gorilla Jones and Harry Ebbctts were scratched, Ealn got Into trouble with his bridge work about half way through and his mug was all smeary. He launched wallops from his shoetops. Some of them landed but Silvers shot In plenty of socks hirnsolf. Pal slipped down once and in the final round he was slammed hack to the ropes and sat down. Right up again he landed two hard rights that ha<l Able won- dering what It was all about. They are middlcwelghts. This week Al Slngfr Is to meet Ignacia Fernandez, the ."pig, who knocked him out la.st y«'ar. It wjib that reverse that made Al a bet- ter little man, but ho i.y anxious to even up the score. Managers are offering actors a cut nowadays and some actors are accepting it figuring that "a half a loaf Is better Uian none at all." say that other a,ctors are not ac- cepting a cut, figuring "that a whole loafer Is better than no loafing at all." On the Bored Walk You go to Atlantic City to get fresh air, enjoy the sunshine and_ stroll on the r»oardwalk. What" happens? They put large wind- breakers behind your chair, put a plank on the sand so your tootsies won't touch the horrid sand; then they bundle you In heavy robes, sit you on an easy chair, give you sun glasses—and turn your chair so that you can't see the ocean. Fresh air flendfe hire a chair, en- closed with glass to keep the fresh air out, and have some crippled guy push them around for a few hours. On the boardwalk tliere are heat- ed lobbies where one can meet friends and spend the day playing bridge. And you can spend the day In the auction rooms on the , boardwalk, it will bring new color to your face. What «t day 1 A la Hellinger A certain well known, who is n practical joker, was on a bill with* a man and womian.act ft short time ago, H^ watched ,the act and told - tlio Bfian that he would be better off without the wife, and told the wife that she could do a great single.' He was joking. The couple quarreled and decided' to break up the act after their two weieks' bookings were up. Mean- while the comic had someone wire the man: "My scout* caught your^, work and I would very much like" to see you in reference to my new 'Follies.'" And signed it Zlegfeld. The man showed the wire to the joker. The latter urged • him to call New York at once and get Jn touch with Zieggy. The man did so, but the New York office said that Mr. Zlegfeld was In Florida. The joker then advised him to call upl Zlggy at Palm Beach. The sap'took the advice and after miny. calls to Palm Beach, finally got Zieggy. Zieggy, thinking that sdni%one. oh his staff had caught the act wired the coriilc, but did not commit himself. He Instructed the sap to get In touch with him in New York the next week. The joker all this time was hav- ing a great laugh. Didn't he rib up.that mug? What boobs? You can't get a better laugh than that?- Ha! Ha! , After a few weeks on the road the boob went to New York and saw Zlegfeld. And yes, you guessed it, got a; great job In one of his shows at more money than he ever got double, and much more money than the Joker ever received. The comic is still playing the smallles. He should send a phoney telegram to himself. Columnists A good Broadway columnist Is one who can make five by putting two and two together. I wonder what a guy that doesn't swear does when he slips on a bar of soap In the bath tub? It's all Malarkey, sez I . GENERAL MOTORS' TAXI MONOPOLY IN N. Y. Virtual monopoly of the taxlcab situation, with valuable concessions already taken and Indies pushed closer to the walj. Is threatened with the entrance of General Mo- tors Into the business on a tremen- mous scale. The motor combine has already put out 800 Terminal Cabs (trade name). First concessions taken were those at the Grand Central and Pennsylvania terminals, held for years by the Yellow Taxlcab Co. General Motors ha-s also ac- quired the former Yellow conces- sions at all Bteamshlp piers and Is now dickering for those at the fer- ries. ."ihoved oft Into the street, the Yellow cab company Is shipping many of its cars to Chicago, Phila- delphia and other points, conceding a pnillmlnary victory to General Motors. Old Yellow men are being taken to drive the G. M. cabs, manufac- tured by the motor car combination and OS luxurious as any built.