Variety (Apr 1930)

Wednesday, April 30, 1930 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY 41 PAR NEED 44 FLESH" "On the Cuff" Joe Freiberg Given Midnight Dinner in Own Hotel Some people deserve a punch In the nose. Others a kick in the Bhins. Joe Freiberg deserved a dinner. He got it, at Mrs. Gerson's grill the other midnight. The grill Is in the ■ Somer.set hotel on "West ■47th St. About 150 attended, all that Basil could jam in the room. Joe Freiberg is the manager of the Somerset hotel. Ju.st a hotel, said his friends, but Joe is such a different manager. More profes- sional deadheads and lost accounts on his books than on the books of any other hotel mark in the Square. When seeing the 150, Freiberg de- clared he didn't know he had so many friends, even if 75% were (flebtors. Joe didn't count the many others who couldn't get in, not notified of the djnner or out on the road. J ust as an insight on what kind of unique guy Freiberg is, his hotel was recently suing one of the guests for back rent while that guest was Btill living there on the cuff. , . Joe's a tall mugg who speaks like Sam Lyons and walks like a. "West Point cadet. That comes from his years in the Austrian cavalry. In a touching wire, Mrs. Freiberg said he still has that cavalry atmosphere about him. Another wire read at the dinner, stamps Joe as a match maker, read: Please ask "Nellie" of Bloomberg's Alaskans to meet me stage door Fordham theatre Friday night and oblige.—"Rln-Tin-Tln."- "Why don't you Install showers In your bathrooms stop I hate tubs and haven't had a bath since mov- ing In your dump stop my boy Irienda are starting to complain," telegraphed one of the Somerset's feminine guests. This one sounded panicky: "My wife saw me In the Somerset with a blonde. She Is very broadminded but angi-y' that I should be so care- less as to register without baggage. Will you please testify that I had a trunk under my coat—Oscar 000." A double crosser who signed him Belf "A Friend" wired, "The couple In 62C are not married." VAmong other wires: "I recommend Gerson's food, not Fi'eiberg's rooms—Alfred W. Mc Cann." "AYe suggest a slogan: The Only Hotel Where Agents Walk in and Out With Their Own Wives—Gen Outdoor Adv. Co." "You and entire party cordially Invited to my navel disarmament— N. T. G." "Why don't you cngag? a house detective?-Hotel Dicks' Assn." "Have Aunt Jemima show ypu the new wrinkles--Zicggy." On the Job In the midst of the celebration the room clerk telegraphed, "Come Immediately. Party on third rais- ing Cain and disturbing' other guests." To which Joe replied with out hesitating: "Go up yourself and view situation. If party okay and blonde available, let me know and I'll be right up." Dave Beehler and Jimmy O'Neal are so accustomed to going out ■without their V|rives, even to decent • affairs, they came to this one with a sister team of wax dummies. Al B. White did the toast master- ing so well he suggested he could be a pro at It. Everybody delivered a panning speech. Some were good and others so terrible even Basil Gerson's prop laugh couldn't save them. Overnite Headline PAUCE IN LOOP LEGIT FOR ERLANGER Widow Carries on Washington, April 29. . Aaron Brylaw.<;ki's widow is car rylng on his work. Known as "Daddy B" to thpse of vaude playing Washington for more than 30 years prior to his death, the ■widow ob.served the anniversary of hie death by continuing the annual dinner he always gave to the 460 In mates of the Home for Aged and ^nflrm at Blue Plains. Taken out of Fordham and Flushing to be moved into Palace, New York, for current week, R-K-O created some surprise by billing Ha'vana Casino orchestra above rest of show, headlining the attrac- tion over Fritz! SchefL Orchestra imported from Havana only two weeks ago. It has played only one break- in date around New York and Is not known In this country. GIVE IT IN WAY OF VAUDE kCTS Par-Publix Circuit's Execs and Div Mgrs Making Survey to Decide What and Hoyf — Big Vaude Turns Slated for Units Under Own Billing Fox's Booking Offices and Met Theatres Changes, If Any, Yet To Be Made by New Heads BY NEW SEASON Chicago, April 29. Disposition has been made of the R-K-O two-a-day Palace here through a deal with Erlanger. The straight vaude house will shortly become another legit stand here with the Erlanger group. Lat- ter takes house on rental or sharing percentage. Marcus Helman for Erlanger arranged it with Joe Plunkett of R-lf-O. i Change of policy and management relieves R-K-O at this point of a angled situation. Its alternative of two-a-day vaude was vaudfllm. R-K-O's State-Lake plays that sort of show and Is doing well. With the shift, R-K-O Palace, New York, will remain the single big time vaude theatre in America. ONLY A PIG P. il, BUT NOW A DEAD ONE When next seaaon arrives the vaude actor is likely to find that Paramount-Publix, operating more houses than any other circuit in. the industry, will provide a greater out- let for his or her services than will be found under any other banner. The actor and the vaude field generally do not know it, but chang- ing conditions are resulting in a feeling within Par that "some- thing in the flesh" - is needed in many houses in widespread ter- ritories now under all-sound poli- cies. That Par Is Just around thp cor- ner from becoming the, largest In- dividual user of vaude and allied talent on its stages looms with offl- clal admission that the matter Is being seriously considered. For some time there has been a tendenc3^ within Paramount to keep away from the name "vaude" whether the programs were that or not. Idea Is that in billing any- thing on stage as vaude the houses would be designated and called vaude houses rather than picture theatres, as desired. Fublix now has vaude Installed in about 20 tfieatres in scattered parts of the country, some in N6w Eng- land, others In the South and other points. The William Morris office books some of the theatres, R-K-O and a few others are handled lo- (Continued on page 47) HORWITZ' HARD LUCK Agent Very III ' and in Financial Straits, With Family Milwaukee, April 29. Five months ago, -while playing In Galena, 111., Lucille Steele, vaude- ville artist, became enamored of "Snookums," only a pig, but an ex- ceptional one. She lured him from his farm home, and "Snookums" be- came the mascot of the vaudevIlUan. Publicity is the life of the show biz, and "Snookums" soon learned that part of the daily grind. In search of publicity for his fair mis- tress, he usually wandered out onto the main stems in whatever city the act was playing, got lost, was ad- vertised for, photographed, put into print. City after city the same rou- tine, Milwaukee looked, the same as other cities to "Snookums." "Washed and prettied up, he grunted his way up as far as 3d and Juneau. But "Snookums" had never encountered Mlhvauke autolsts before. There was a grinding of brakes, a squeal, and "Snookums" had pulled his last publicity stunt. And so passed the perfect press agent. Arthur Horwitz, the Loew agent, is seriously ill In his room at the Chalfonte Hotel, 70th street and Amsterdam avenue. New York. With him are his wife, Irene, and their 8-months-old baby. Financial con.- ditions forced them to vacate their W. 54th street apartment last week. Doctors give Horwitz slight chance to pull through. Friends are helping out without believing it/necessary to go to the extreme of running a benefit. Olsen-Johnson's P. A. Minneapoli-s, April 29. Olsen and Johnson playing the R-K-O Orpheum here signed Frank Burke, former Orpheum manager, as their personal publicity repre- sentative. Burke will accompany the co- medians to the coast where, fln- i.shlng their R-K-O route, they be- gin a three-year contract In Warner pictures. ^VTiile here Ole Ol.sen received word his wife was painfully Injured in Arizona. Her automobile over- tumpd wliilo .she was f.'n route to Chicago from Los Angelas. Some Tough Things are so tou|;h now in what's left In the indie vaude field that agents and bookers attempting to keep up a front are going for rubber spats and prop gardenias. Both are washable and non- shrink. 50 LOBBY ACTS; B&K NEED MORE Chicago, April 29. B. & K.'s lobby-act circuit Is pushed for talent. Dave Balaban, director, and Louis Lipstone, pro- duction chief, are going to New York In search for more. This week, with spring vacation freeing the kids for shows, 50 acts are playing the lobbies of 10 B. & K. houses. HOLLYWOOD ANXIOUS ON RENO SPUT STATUS Los Angeles, April 29. A point of divorce law. Involving the question whether a decree ob- tained in Nevada'holds good In Cali- fornia is up for decision before the Supreme CoUrt of this state. Case is Gertrude Broder vs. Gustave Broder. Mrs. Broder, wardrobe mis- tress of the Metropolitan Opera, was sued by her husband, who was granted a decree In Nevada In 1926. Broder charged his wife left him with their son, Martin, boy-actor, then appearing with one of Otis Skinnei-'s plays. In 1927 Mrs. Broder cam© to Cali- fornia and had the decree set aside, when Judge Yankwich refused to recognize the Nevada divorce on failure of Broder to established a bona-fide-residence In that state at the time he obtained the divorce. Broder has now appealed to the Su- preme Court, with the ruling to be handed down by the higher tribunal expected to .set a precedent Fear of Unseen Audiences Keep Stage Comics Unfunny on Radio Joe Leo and Jack Loeb remain In their i-espectivc positions as opera- tors of the Fox Metropolitan Thea- tres (.Leo) and the Fox vaude book- ing office (Loeb). If either is'to have a successor, none has yet as-' sumed charge. Harry Arthur of the Fox W^cst Coast organization, where he has . been a divisional manager, is fn New York and reputed to take the Leo position. It was said Arthur would stop in a week figo, but Leo was still In charge yest(*rday. Arthur, It. was said by the Fox people. Is survey- ing the Metropolitan theatre area and houses, with the probability he will take charge during ■ the w.eek, unless It Is decided that Leo shall remain. No one has been mentioned to re- place Loeb in the booking office. It. is no secret- that Fox heads have been Inquiring during the week about different booking men seek- ing a possibility for the position. Loeb, with some associates, i.s said to own the Fox vaude booking of- fice, and that-at no tlnie since its formation as such, many years a| has that agency been a part of tt Fox companies. It has been looked upon as the Fox official booking of- fice. Loeb seemed to hold full au- thority to book any and all acts, without consultation with anyone as to salary or time. Loeb has been zealous in his booking for Fox thea- tres, often antagonizing agents and aots in his anxiety to cut salaries. Leo's Record Joe Lco ls one of the 10 preferred Fox men given A three-year cohtract by William Fox, before the latter sold to the Harley. L. Clarke groups Hla contract would have to be set- tled If he were let out. There has been talk that Leo might bo left in his position, owing to the show« Ing he has made In bringing the Fox Met houses, 140 In all, out of the red and sending them Into the black for an average net profit of late of 170,000 weekly. When Leo assumed the operation of the Fox Metropolitans, the group was losing $30,000 a week. Leo's biggest winning week has been re- ported at 1125,000 and his lowest during Holy Week, No changes have occurred in the staffs of cither office, with the ex- ception of David Flamm, press agent for the Leo houses. "Leo dis- missed Flamm Ia<<jt week without notice, promoting his assistant, Lawrence Lipton, to the position. It la expected that -with the re- turn of Clarke to New York yester- day (Tuesday) that any contem- plated changes In the Leo or Loeb office would be placed into effect at once. Because star vaudeville comedians of both sexes turn pale and Idse 'all of their stage ability to create laughs when standing before a radio micro- phone, R-K-O is looking for lesser but more radio-minded comics to hold up the frail comedy end of the circuit's weekly NBC broadcasts of vaude talent. In a criticism in "Variety" on a recent R-K-O program, the re- viewer mentioned the failure of sev- eral veteran and high salaried stage laugh getters to transfer any of their stage comicality to the etlier. Obvious error in most of the R-K-O broadcasts, and now recog- nized by Rosalie Stewart, the pro- gram arranger, has been the com- plete dependence on name comics for the comedy relief. Rfmaining and not so important acts on the broadcasting bills were mo.stly of thf musical or singing typO. lU'KuIt, with the star comfdians mis.slng their usual laughs and the balance of the acts not of comedy classifi- cation, comedy was almost totally missing from the weekly expensive broadcasts. Speechless Anothor point brought out by the programs thus far has been the radio superiority of comparatively mediocre comedians over the stars of the stage s'.-hool. Gauged by fan mall and requcits, numerous comics who don't rate comparison on the stage, did far bett»?r with the radio audiences than the name.s. An Innate fear of playing tp an unseen audience of a dozen or a million has pp';Hfd the radio down- fall of many stage lights. Thf-re is something awful to the invlsabll- ity of the auditors that makes ex- pert .stage entc-rlainf rs all but Kpt-ef'hl';ss before the mike. That niu.st be r)\(■ rftjm(i br-forc a sta^f star can attain ev«'n a ."light part rjf his lli'.'atie corjliii'.-nce over Uk; air. Barton Most Pay Off James Barton, actor, was found guilty of contempt of court for i falling to pay his wife, Otilla, back \ alimony amounting to 11,500, which sum she sued him for. Judge Gavagan, of the New York Supreme Court, ordered Barton to make up the $1,600 due his wife by paying her $00 weekly during the period of his illness and $100 weekly after he recovers. This in addition to his regular'weekly alimony pay- ments of $150 per. Harry A. Schwartz represented Barton. Eugene Picker Marrying Eugene Picker, son of the late David B. Picker, of Locw's, will be married June 12 to Sylvia Moses, non-pro. . Young' Pickf-r is assistant to Dave Loew at Metro. Danny Rutso's Health Chicago, April 29. Dnniiy Ru.<.so, for many ycar.s or- Idif^-stra Jpador at the local Palacf. i inov.s to I.,os Atik<'1<:s for his health, i Al t l"ra.>vik r<;pUcfe».