Variety (Jun 1930)

66 VARIETY BURLESQUE Wednesday, June 4, 1930 Mutual s New Play Policy May Bu3d Up Opposition Circuit Plenty of opposition looms for burlesque next season if Mutual goes through with its plan of rotating principals and stationary stock house choruses. Mutual's plan of self operation of both houses and stocks may be confined to houses in which Mutual now holds leasing interests but the idea is not relished by the outside theatre operators. Plenty of dissatisfaction all around which may or may not be ironed out at the annual meeting of Mutual wheel officials scheduled for the lat- ter part of June. Mutual's self operation plan, if adopted, would scrap all former wheel show producers with possibil- ity that the more progressive pro- ducers may align for a rival cir- cuit playing shows on percentage against the Mutual operated stocks. Several former producers have declared they would not be counted out by I. H. Herk's proposed plan. They admit a new circuit is being talked of, but none will assume re- sponsibility of leadership in the new move, -withholding anything definite until announcement of next season's Mutual policy has been made after the annual meeting. Producers lined up with the in- surgent group had previously con- ferred with Herk on possibility of reverting to the former percentage arrangement on shows as on the former Columbia wheel rather than the outright buy -weekly which has been the Mutual policy. The producers argued for the per- centage arrangement upon the "Aground that none could equip and present a saleable show for the $ly- 760 allowed by Mutual. The show- men preferred to spend more money on cast and production and take the percentage gamble, rather than flat sum. Some of the cream stand houses, mostly operated by Mutual, couldn't see the percentage idea, but, ac cording to the producer group, there are sufficient outside houses to form the nucleus of a rival circuit if necessary. Some Houses Can't Most of the outside houses can't see the stock idea as planned by Mutual. They are waiting to see what may happen In the shape of a competitive circuit. If nothing de velops they still can operate with self controlled stocks. Mutual Is now claiming 36 houses set for next season with idea of re peating shows to stretch out to a 40-week season. Insurgents say Mutual is claiming a number of houses formerly playing Mutuals that have not yet signed up for the new policy and may not if a rival wheel steps in. Mutual's rotary plan is defended because of economic conditions Saving on transportation of chor isters by having house troupes back the rotating principals and poe sibility of cutting down on stage hands through dropping of former full road crews. Mutual will maintain its former $1.65 top policy for n4xt season while the rival wheel if it ever gets started Is in favor of 75 cent top in large capacity theatres and $1 in smaller houses the latter figuring good business at the lower price far better than slim business at the higher tai-irc. Crry STOCK STANDS PAT ON MUTUAL ROTARY Mansbach & Froelich will stick as operators of the City, New York. The pending deal between the Chi- cago stock operators and the Min- skys for transfer of the lease has been called off. Both MInskys and Mutual Circuit had been angling for the house with Minskys reported having the edge until both deals collapsed last week upon Mansbach & Froelich deciding to continue. With no chance of Mutual leasing the City and eviction of the wheel from the Irving Place next season when house is scheduled to resume Yiddish policy. Mutual has been trying to sell M. & F. the proposed Mutual rotary policy, but the firm prefers to operate its own stock instead. The City has been heavy opposi- tion to the Irving Place. City has 75-cent t5o scale as against the Irving Place..nick of $1.65. CANDY BUTCHERS IN ON NEW MUTUAL UYOUT Mutual's proposed reversion to former burlesque formula of book shows with vaude olio next season in Its rotary stock *experlment is already bringing squawks from the candy butchers and other conces- sionaires. With the vaude olio spotted in otherwise intermission period and the shows running through the ped- dlers claim it will not give them sufficient time to grind for sales. With, rental from concessions, a not to be sneezed at revenue for the houses it's likely Mutual will prob- ably consider this complaint. STOCK BURLESK AT LOWEST EBB Boston Stock Fades MutiKil's Howard stock folded Saturday night. Biz was terrible. irons' 'Frisco Stock San I'ranclsco, June 3. Cort theatre opens stock bur lesque policy in two week.s. House has been in and out of darkness and films; with traveling musical tabs played when available. Warren Irons is promoting the stock. Stock at Erie Erie, Pa., June 3. Burlesque stock opened at the Park Monday. House Is operated by Thomas Fahra and Jim Lederer. R-K-O's 84 Weeks (Continued from page 51) than 20 or 30 weeks at one booking, with acts playing those dates on bookings of one to five weeks at a time, due to chaotic conditions in the booking; office and indecision on the parts of bookers and heads. When becoming R-K-O booking head two weeks ago one of Charlie Freeman's first moves was the com- piling of a route of interesting length to the actor and the best consecutive route known to vaude- ville. In two days two expensive turns, York and King, and Art Frank, had been issued routes of 45 consecutive weeks, with their time not includ- ing all available, the latter to be given them at expiration of the original 45 weeks. Such routes have not been known to vaudevllllans for so long they are almost of a com pletely forgotten era. York and King's salary is around $2,000 weekly. The 84 weeks of R-K-O vaude is now disti-lbuted as follows and booked by the following bookers: Orphoum and west (road shows), 33 weeks, including the Interstate in the south and eastern preliminary dates for the intact bills in New York and the east. Sam Tlshman and Harry Kalchelm. Middle west, nine weeks; Bill Howard. Major New York City time, In eluding Palace, nine weeks; Arthur Willi. Small New York City time and R-K-O booked independent houses (formerly classified as Family Dept.), 17 weeks; Jack Hodgdon. In middle west, approximately IB weeks booked in Chicago. This is the most the Chicago R-K-O office has booked in over three years. With trend taking theatres grad ually back to stage acts, addition of 16 more weeks with Increase to 100 weeks of booking.'; in the R-K-O Is held quite likely to develop by the new season. With only about 20 stock com- panies in action throughout the country, summer burlesque stock, folio-wing precedent of the Mutual wheel in 1929-30, is limping through its worst season in many years. In such former stock burlesque strongholds as St. Louis, Kansas City and Pittsburgh no one took a chance on a stock troupe this year, or the few that did open, shut down after brief tries. The mining towns in Pennsylvania and other once fertile localities started the off season without burlesque and seem likely to remain so. The big town stock hurley line- up, sparser than ever before, reads at present: Philadelphia, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit (3), Los Angeles (2), Chicago (3) and New York (5). None cleaning up. Stock burlesque havens over the summer for Mutual wheel princi- pals and girls didn't materialize to the extent of early anticipation and the layoff conditions are pretty de- pressing. Most of the stationary troupes ar© using stock reliables and local favorites to hang onto the business remaining, with few chan- cing anything too' new. It's tough, and with the Mutual planning for two or more vaude acts with each show next season, that meaning less room for bur- lesquers, it looks even tougher. 2 Weeks in Mt. Vernon Plenty Max Fields' stock burlesque . lasted two weeks at. t he West- chester, Mt. Vernon, N. Y. Burlesque Changes Hurry Cle.^ and Annabelle La Morse opened this week with the stock at the Avenue, Detroit. Willie Gorman closed wlUi the stock last week. New set of principals went in with the stock at the Gayety, Mil waukee, this week (June 2), includ ing Clyde Bates, Jack Hiint, Johnny Kane, Larry Armen, Louise Keller Dolly Hendricks and Gaby Fields Nat Fields is producing the shows Several changes in personnel of principals went in this week with the stock at American Music Hall New York. Billy Shaw, Billy Holmes, May Malbern, Artie Lloyd and Harry Pierce closed last week with Jackie James, Connie Masters, Irving Sellg, Ernie,Mack and Helene Dixon supplanting. Fay Norman and Hazel Miller for stock at City, New York. Miss Mil ler replaced Virginia Jones. Freid Clark's Post Fred Clark, former Columbia pro- ducer, has been appointed western supervising producer for Mutual Circuit next season. In the new post (blark will super- vise production in the western houses of Mutual wheel. Trade Struggle (Continued from page S) Coupled with the amplification of this declaration by their chief, there is hardly an office boy In the brothers' headquarters who does not exude the conqueror spirit. Mergers in Fall That the battle will be carried through the summer, and that dur- ing that time the weeding out proc- ess will assert Itself by showing up the weakest companies, those which cannot absorb all that they are now taking on, Is the Warner camp pre- diction. Next fall the same expres- sion carries thei belief, will witness the crystallizing of mergers. At the present time and for the next few months the rush of acquisition is and will be so great as to complicate merger machinery, so that ventur- ing a picture of the outcome is be- yond the scope of inside minds. When the smoke clears, excep- tionally well informed Warnerites stni believe, their company and Par will be welded, and that Fox will be a part of the Radio-General Electric combine. Under the terms of its contract with Warners, Western Electric in- formants maintain, the brothers can use any type of sound-on-films sys- tem, but will still have to pay the Electric the same royalties as though they were using WE equipment. From the Warner end It is known the brothers have an advertising appropriation of around $3,000,000 alone to publicize the trademark, Vltaphone, during 1930-31. That the expression is their own, and that it can be applied to any talker system they adopt is also reported. Pacont Pacent, who has been hooked up with the Warners in a quasi-asso- iatlcn since the inception of his talker system, has been a constant visitor at Warner headquarters. After his visit there Monday after- noon, reports that his method will supplant Western's, In the event of the break which executives now say Is imminent, were partially con- firmed. It is understood that the Nakken patents, which the brothers recently acquired, will benefit the Pacent sound system, particularly in recording and the sound on film method. Reports allowed to emanate from the Schlessinger headquarters for the De Forest system that the Warners have "been on the verge" of signing up for non-theatrical or commercial rights were denied Mon- day in the Warners' offices. No such deal Is, even pending, it was claimed, Pacent is intimated to be in posi- tion for this connection above all others in the event of the final rub with Western. Talkers' Grosses in French Proyinces Double Sflents Paris. May 22. . How the advent of talkers has in« creased box office possibilities hei e, altering as a consequence the gross rental possibilities for export, is startlingly instanced by "Broadway Melody" grossing $3,000 in a pro- vincial house in the opening week when the same house's record with eilents had been $1,600. Distributors consider that apart from the increased grosses, the ad- vent of talkers will permit them to concentrate publicity on a smaller number of pictures than heretofore, as talkers will mean a proportion-; .tely reduced number of films. German's Clever Dubbing Paris, May 23. American film men who have seen The Last Company" in Berlin are astounded at the clever manner of dialog-dubbing the English. It indicates chiefiy to the Amer- ican showmen that the German's stoicism and fortitude excels that of any of their contemporaries be- cause no Hollywood or French or English screen actor would have that' much patience. It was done in this wise: the German players were taught the English dialog and were "shot" merely mouthing the exact phrase- ology, but the recorders were caught off. Everything was done in cloS)C-ups and the lip move- ments very distinct. Later, an ex- pert group of English ghost-voices actuall-"- had their voices recorded, uttering the exact dialog which the Germans mouthed, and the syn- chonous effect was perfect an'' de-" fied detection as a new form of dubbing. Stock at Flint Jack Greenman will play stock burlesque at the Ritz, Flint, Mich., June 16. Greenman is in New York round- ing up company. One Stock in Philly The stock war which has waged for past several weeks between the Trocadero and Bijou, t>hiladelphla, has subsided with the closing of the stock at the Trocadero last week Television Stand Off Warner 50^ Leasing (Continued from page 27) ing erected on Harvey street, Okla homa City. Tuesday Warners secured sites in one of the most i)roniinent parts of Asbury Park. Upon this site, 515-521 Lake avenue, Warners are putting into effect immediately plans for a 3,000-seat theatre, the largest in this Jersey resort. Sale by Walter Reade of his four Asbury theatre.'* to Publix was ad- mitted in the Brothers' headquar- ters to have in.'^pired the laiid buy. The Warner theatre, according to advices, will provide Asbury with its first real competiWon. Spurring negotiations to the ut- most, so that the chain will, be complete by Augu.st next, Warners are adding to the staff of acquirers and at the same time are com- mencing to build up a force of oper- ators to handle physical mainten- ance of new holdings. Tlie Marx Brothers, Louis and Meyer, of Chi- cago, are the first to be put on the payroll as Warner operators. (Continued from page 6) ence toward Television next fall as feigned. Violations of the pact among producers made three weeks ago at meetings at the Hays office are several in the past week. Where the agreement called for the in- dustry laylng-off giant screen until one width was agreed upon and economic- barriers were partially eliminated, and where it was the understanding that wide film was at least another year off, com panics, even including Radlo-Kelth- Orpheum, are reported secretly go- ing ahead with individual plans for different measurements. Breaks Efforts to smooth over any ap parent breaks among producers in the wide film relation Is made by some Haysites as the same simply being "for the benefit of experi mentation." Other Haysites are more frank and state that the standardization status is fast going by the board and getting Into the status of the International Peace Conference. Ininiedlately after the report tha Fox had forty Grandeur projection equipments, enough to equip 20 theatres in as many key cities, Ra dio, despite its Television hold, pu into manufacture the first 20 sound tracks, enough to accommodate wide film talk on 10 of the Spoor equip monts. Radio, according to one exepu tive, is taking the position that as long as the rest of the Industry going deeper into wide film It will be prepared to meet that novelty along with Television shows In its key centre houses. At the same time Radio execu fives here conflrjned Schenectady reports that Television In the thea tre will be but a fraction of the cost wide, film will represent to British Fihn Field (Continued from page 6) not so hot with Fleet street as she might be. George King, booking agent for- merly with Dan Fish, going into direction making a Quota for Fox. Own story, "Too Many Crooks." Not a - history of Quota company promotion. Dave Bader here. Living at Hotel Splendide, next door to Lord Roth- ermere. Following general tip-off hero John Maxwefl of British Interna- tional and Associated British Cin- emas companies was close to Par- amount as Fox offset, latest is John has been getting his finance from the Government to extent of some $7,500,000 through Trade Facilities Act. Idea is John may have played Fox foreign control of big British company angle up to Government to get support for all-British con- cern. B. I. P. report due within next two weeks and expected to show 10% dividend. Wardour Company, Maxwell's re- lease concern, abolishing guarantees on percentage- bookings, getting razzed, want to hand onto heads they win system. Anthony Asquith left for Malta this week to make warship se- quences for "Tell England." Adolph Zukor sailed May 23, not having met a committee of exhibs. BetchaGraham doesn't meet one either. Talkers for Blind < Sir Beechcroft Towse, blind V. C opened Stanley theatre, part of Royal Institute for the Blind, Leatherhead, this 22d. Movietone News and Fox's "King of the Khy- ber Rifles" ("Black Watch"), form- ed the bill, wiving for both disk and film-edge being done by Brlt- i.sh Cinephone. In.stitute is school for blind, deaf and dumb, and is first to have talk- ers for these deficients, who are of all nationalities. Finger-reading, blind tell deaf mutes what the .sound is and latter tell bind what the ac- tion is. All distribs operating in this field are supplying free films for this theatre, which seats 400. the industry. The attitude taken by them indicates a "forcing the hand trend" and one that will have to be met. ' Engineers, according to some of the leaders, are 100% in deciding that only wide film will provide a satisfactory giant sci-een and that magnification of present standard size cannot -woi'k. The demonstration of a m.-ignifV- ing device at the Colony, New Vork, last week is nothing new accord- ing to the engineers who have seen it. They claim that the slightest scratch will be magnified and that where the wide effect Is obtained the difference in height will be at the sacrifice of the frame. V