Variety (Jun 1930)

W«dmid>7. Jon* )W,.niO VAUDEVILLE VARIETY 119 IVodiueiS'IM for U Ads Next Season Set at HM Wltb abolition of t]}e production depaetment of R-K-'Q'Circuit and restoration of frandtlses to oeveral former producer8> the outside pro- ducers are now llgiired toi g«t a break. Greater activity than has ob- tained for some time amons the producers caxne slmnttaneously with the aanonncement that the produc- tion deparbnent would fold. Most of the Taude producers have snap- ped out of the fonner spell of dull- ness to ready production acts and flashes for next season, most. of which had formerly been turned out by the R-K-O production depart- ment. With the announced budget cut for. next season producers have been notified that $1,200 wlU be maximum for flashes wHh a pref- erence for production acts that can be booked at |1,000. The figures set by the circuit will circumvent producers ^Ing over- board on production expense as for- merly and then unable to find an outlet for their productions because of the heavy nut. Twins In Deauvills Tiffany Twins sailed July • on the President Warding to open in Deau- vllle and play the French resorts for six months, booked by Bd Davl- dow. Harry. Pilcer Agenting Harry Pilcer in Paris Is turning agent over there. He will be ohlefhr ooneemed with bookings for mnlti-lIngQal talkers. R-K-O HAS SELECTED THIS . COMEDLm, TO FEATURE, ON A TOUR OF THEIR CIRCUIT FOR — 45 ^EKS — ROY SEDLEY AND COMPANY NOW APPEARING PALACE, CHICAGO THIS WEEK, JUNE 2Ut Rockford Rochester Open Seattle Taconia Portland Open San Francuoo Denver Open The Above R-K-O Route Arranged by CHAS. H. ALLEN M. S. Bentham Office Independent Representative, Herman L. Citron, Jerry Cargil Office Morris Office with Radio End Placing CBS Artists on Stages RADIO TURN CANT PLAY IN N. Y. STATE R-K-O has teamed Baby Rose Marie, kldlet qn the R-K-O radio hour, with the Ipana Troubadours, another NBC •feature, tor vaude. The combination la breaking In this week In Newark. It must be booked tor only those states where child performers are permitted. That doesn't Include New York. Judge Pins a Medal on Olsen, Johnson's Antics St. Louis. June 21. Olsen and Johnson, playing the St liouls theatre last week, were arrested for plsuilng 100 cakes of Ice on the street In front of the theatre, charged with obstructing the thoroughfare. Police Judge Itoscane dismissed them after complimenting the pair from the bench; The judge declared that in these days of business de- pression and gloom two such fun- sters should not he arrested for their aiitlcs. but extended a civic welcome. Auto Racing Champ in R-K-O Stage Presentation Altoona, June 21. Billy Arnold, who added cham- pionship points to those already won at Indianapolis on Memorial Day by wlnninig the Altoona Speedway event on. Flag Day, until he is noir practically assured of the A. A. A. automobile racing championship of the year, left Altoona for Detroit late last week to begin a tour for R-k-O, It Is reported. Arnold took his car with him and It will be worked Into the stage:ap-' pearance. ■ With no other major races on any but dirt tracks sched- uled before the Labor Day race at the Altoona Speedway, Arnold will be inactive In the racing world dur- ing thie summer. He will not bazard his car, owned by Harry Hartz, for- mer champion. On the dirt tracks. On the strength of Its Paramount- Publix amUations, William Morris agency, with Abe Lastfogel in active supervisory charge. Is handling all the Columbia Broadcasting System attractions for stage appearances. Paramount owns half of CBS. hence the CBS-Morris hook-up. Crockett's Mountaineers, hill-billy radio favs, are going Into vaude; ditto Peter Biljo's Balalaika or- chestra ("Around . the Samovar" feature). Also Paul Tremaine's or- chestra, doubling from Toeng's res- taurant: t Little Sachs already set. Morris will route all CBS acts for vaude and pictures, simHar to. the NBC's important bookings of the past, with NBC haying its afDUated R-K-O theatre outlets. Ted Huslng and-Fred Knight, of CBS, the more prominent radio an- nouncers, are also going stage. - Will Osborne and orchestra al- ready stage touring; Ftfursome Quartet due to start socm also. Jeffties Back floor Philadelphia, June tl. Norman Jeffries, local agent. Is again recherche with the R-K-O. booking office. JefCriea was the dean of all the R-K-O . agents when-leaving with the others early In the spring. In New York the Jeffries agency' here will be represented on the tiooking floor by Norman!s son. Prohibish Over? The Casino, Soutli Beach, Staten Island, N. Y., is attempting vaude for the flrst time since Prohibition came in, next week. Playing four acts on each half, booked independently. NEW ACTS Jennie Goldstein, Yiddish actress, is definitely set for an RKO vaude debut in the Kenmore, Brooklyn, the last half of next weelc Llbby Holman, featured in flrst edition of "The Little Show" which closed in Chicago last week, will enter vaude in a song cycle prelim to beginning rehearsals In August for a new revue which the Erlanger interests will produce. George Jessel's Time George Jessel has the July 12 week at the Palace, Cleveland. Between now and the conclusion of that engagement, additional time will be laid out. Jessel has Vera Dunn assirtlng him in his present vaudvillo turn. Ralph Farnum Back Ralph G. Farnum, away from his office for some time quite ill, re- turned Monday considerably im- proved. hdie Loses Fees on R-K-O Filer Date^ Stand Is Cancelled Under a< precedent affecting R-K-O agents, Dave Gordon was to recelT^ ftill commission from the; Runokway Four for the week of July 12 at the PieHace, Chicago. Charllo Freenian ruled that the R-KrO representative {s entitled to fun commission whenever ah act w:aa spotted for a week or two With R-K-O by an outside agency.. T Case Involved the WinUun Mor* rls' office which handle Runaway Four for Loew and Fubllx, Palace date was filled In by Morris office 'yrlth RrK-O to take care of open tlme^ Gordon has always repre- sented act and by the ruling does not have to split ibe Chtcago com- mission with the Uorris office.- Several recent instances of ont« side agents spotting an act for a tew. weeks with R-K-O between ih- dependeht dates with the accredited R-K-O'-agent of the act left out of the transaction entirely has jieeved the latter.', v Upon the ruling the William Mor- ris office advised '.Dave Opxidon that in default at a. split on commission the Runaway Four Chicago engage- ment would be cancelled. On Friday, 'after the R^k-O of- fice iiad rilled'tiiat Gordon was en- titled to :the'"fall feommlsslon and the agent had notified Johnny Hyde, of the: Morris office, he .did not in- tend to split any commissions, Hyde went to Sam Tisbman to take -the act out of the date booked. Gordon was thereupon told by Hyde that since he refused to share commissions on the date the Ruhr away Four had been cancelled and since they were under contract to William Morris for 16 months, would be kept out of the R-K-O office. Threat, It was said, was made that at the expiration of that time. Jack Curtis would be handling the Runaway Pour for R-K-O time. In a letter to Gordon, advising him of the cancellation, Hyde denied Gor- don's statement that he turned the act over to Morris foi^. all Qutslde booking. This was Incorporated In a letter from Gordon written Thurs- day (19), which read In part:^ "Regarding the commission on the Palace theatre, Chicago, date—or any other R-K-O bookings—I don't intend splitting commissions w^lth anybody. "As a matter of fact, if you wiH send me half of the commissions that you received on the act for the past four years I will be glad to send you a check for your share of the Palace, Chicago, engagement." Hyde booked the act for Chlcag^ for 11,200 following request of Marvin Schenck, of Loews, that R-K-O time be arranged to take care of four weeks Schenck owed the act but could not provide ' through closing of several theatres recently. TURN TO PACE