Variety (Jun 1930)

VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday; June 25,1830 Literati 60c. Headache Another headache for the book- ■elleito Is the plan of the United Clffar Stores to place on sale at Its Btores mystery and detective books to sell for DOc. It's half the price of the doUai; books gotten out by ■ome of the publishers. None of the booksellers have anything to compete with the 60c. thing. Sonny McLaren Killed Liorrimer (Sonny) McLaren, who formerly did Broadway for the "Morning Telegraph," was run down by an auto* near a small Illinois town last week and killed. He was hitch-hiking to the coast with two 1 other fellows. After leaving the "Telegraph," McLaren went to the "Dally News" and more recently The Unlted's 50c, books will be of *fas making up for the New York Quality, with Edgar Wallace and a I "Evening Telegram. number of other tbp-notchers signed up. The 60c. book Is another argu- ment against the contention of some of the pObllshers that a book can't be gotten out at less than $2 and show a profit. It might be pointed out that a number of British pub- lishers, notably Herbert Jenkins, get out mystery and detective story books selling at two shillings, or about 60 cents at the rate of ex- change. They have been doing It for years, and .prospering. United has been In the book busi- ness before this. Some time ago It acquired a huge quantity of pub- lishers' remainders, or odd lots AWhich failed to sell, and has been . idlsposlng of them at cut-price. Pessimistic booksellers see In this the eventual finish of the strictly tKtOkseller, with books to be dis- posed of along with general mer- chandise. At least, retail book- selling the past year would bear this ; out It was to have been his second trip to Hollywood, where he wrote several years ago. McLaren was 26. A jroung widow survives. Re mains were brought back to New York for burial. Rockwell Refunds Doc George Rockwell ceremonled the blow-oft of his monthly "Mus tary Plaster" with a heavily shad owed bereavement card. Attached to the card was a refund for each subscriber to the defunct humorous nvag. The Doc stated his baby had passed out Feb. 12. last, from "an acute attack of inflammation on the rumble seat," but "the family was at the bedside and a good time was had by all." ' No reason given, no liabilities and no assets, mentioned. Just a bust of a good Idea that didn't get over, Doc can blame* it on'Wall Street or the tariff or the Shuberts, Newspapermen Everywhere An Issue In the conteibpt of court .' proceedings against the Los An . geles"Record" arrays a lawyer, who ' ,.a few years ago was a newspaper ; man working In the "Record" oflftce, against his old associates. WllUam Glbbs McAdoo for the : ■^v'Ttocord'' has gone to the California supreme -court with charges that the' superior court Judge trying the , contempt case Is prejudiced.. De ^ fense of Judge Frank C. Collier has been asslgnied to Robert W. Kenny of the Los Angeles' county counsel. .' Kenny used to be Vilght correspond ■■ - ent for the United Press and. worked . ' on the . other side of a glass parti ' tlon from Gilbert Prown, one ^df the, ' *ltecord" editors cited for contempt. eliminate Action And use onlr the true detective talek Real Namss of Authors Sefton Kyle listed here recently as Roy Vlckers. G. Purbam and Frederick Lady are also Roy VlckersV Ursula Bloom Is MrSi Charles Gower Robinson, John Jer- vls Connlngton Is Alfred Walter Stewart, Robert Barclay Dillingham is William Dudley FoulkO' itnd Gor- don Holmes Is Louis Tracy, but who Is Bridget DrydenT ^Misted Cash Reorganization of the floppo book publishing house. Louis Carrier & Co., has Alan Isles In, with the new name Louis Carrier & Alan Isles. Original firm came down from Canada to cash In on the American fleld, but found no cash here. COAST STOCK OPPOSISH ■ s, FuUon Playing Against Dufwin at Oakland UNION CONTRACTS FOR LEGIT COMING DP Hy Daab Guiltless That forthcoming Putnam book, "Three Titans," was not written by Hy Daab. "Music World" is a new monthly magazine on the Coa^t published by Wfdter David, formerly associated with a. music company., John Smallman. Dr. Slgmund and Charles Wakefield Cadman are co- edftors. Maybe the book business nSt so good now, but William Seward and Anthony Salmon have organized the Huntln^on Press, with offices In New York'. Seward was formerly of Doubleday Doiran. G. D. Eaton's Death With the death of\ Q. D. Eaton last week, "Plain Talk" may pass out. The mag was the Indlvldiial Istlc expression . of Its editor, one of the reasons why Burton Rascoe stepped out as associate editor. Eaton harbored the Idea of '"Plain Talk" for years, and his concentra- tion on his task led to the break- down leading to his death. Before establishing "Plain Talk," "Q. D. E." was book reviewer for the "Morning Telegrraph" . and a special writer on other newspapers and news syndicates.' Oakland, Cal., June 21. Fulton finished Its first week un- der the resumed George' Ebey man- agement with good returns for: ''Her Cardboard Lever" with Edward Everett Horton Starred, outrunning In box'Office returns "Little Acci- dent" af the Dufwin with 'a no- name casti Thia week F^ulton 'revived "Just Married" with Horton. Its 8d •tveek win have "The Bachelor Father." Jane Fooshee returns In ' "The Bachelor Father." The Dufwin Une-up Includes "The Wasp" and, as a possibility. "Nancy's Private Affair." Fntnre Plays <'The Lawless Lsdy," by Samuel ^luskln, and Paul Dicky, produced by Pllprlm Productions, with Helen Mackellar In lead. Set for early season. "Nimble Fingers," comedy by Ann McGrath, will be given stock trial next week (June 80) by the Stam- ford Players, Stamford, Conn. Piece will be given legit repro- duction next season, by Thomas Lawless, newcomer to producing ranks.. "The Long Road" Is the new tlUe selected for the Hugh S. Stance re- hearsing for a try-out at the Long- acre. First called "Valor.' Herman Gantvoort producing. "Strut Your Stuff," colored mu- sical by Alex Clark and Dabney Carraway, which Harlemi Produc- tions Is producing, has gone Into re- hearsal and [^chieduled to open cold Street and Smith have a new mag, "Excitement;" Xawrence Lee, of the staff. wUl edit Engaging, Anyway Aarons ft Freedley are engaging people for their new Bert Lahr mu- sical despite the arbitration oyer Carraway. Lucllld Mays.-Ted Hunt, We h»T« bnndredH of BBtlBfled pollcy- holden thTooKhont the conntir There Must Be a Reason I We Do More Than INSCBE— We AdviM Toat SKRVICE from COAST- to COAST JOHN J. KEMP Bpeelalliit In All Iilnen of INSURANCE 551 Fifth Ave. N. Y. City Phones Mnrtuj HUl 1BS8-» Clow/Merely on Staff Steve Clow stresses he ls~ only the editor of the "New Broadway Brey- Itles"' and in the publishing cor- poration's employ; that of the Vabout eight pages of Broadway Gos- sip," nothing Is scandaU that Sena- tor Lorlng Black, the publisher's attorney, is > the first subject-*f a' kew l.ork Who's. Who. series. Adv.' rate card' says: "th'ere Is no room In this publication for mis- representation. Intimidation or' co- ercloV' and that till > advertising Is devoid of any editorial strings, and vice versa. . Lahr's contiaot not being ad- judicated as yet. George White has a claim on the comic also, June Carr Is slated for the Lahr show. Jack McQowan and Ouy| Bolton are coTauthorlnff It; score I either, by -Rodigers and Hart or| Gershwin. With delegates o£> the stage hands and musicians i^Ions back In New York lapt week from conventions, the matti^r ofi'iiew contracts with tlie legits, for ify.^ coming season arose. Contracts' covering wage scalias for two years expire Labor day, cover- ing New Totk. Boston, St. Louis and other key cities. The bad season just ended fo:- the legit field especially gave rise to an Idea that the unions would hardly seeic a high scale. It Is the policy - of union labor to go forward, never to recede. Concessions were made by staige hands and musicians in several stands last season, notably Phllat^elphla and Cincinnati, where theatres were, kept dark through autumn. The condition demanded was pay for dark weeks. Regardless of what terms are ar- rived at, the problem of the road hardly figures to be Improved. The number of theatres playing stage shows outside of New York Is about 60% than In ;916. With local costs up, the matter' of railroading Is the main hurdle, . since shows must make longer i jumps and -must pay fare rates of three and six-tenths per mile as°&^nst l^c. per mile before the war.' The stock .managers In conven- tion here two weeks ago declared they would .engage but three men .. back stage. . That Is a .matter to be locally adjusted. and will probably precipitate tro'uble. Stock theatres are now required to use four and' five men creiws. Ih New York No Indication has been had what ~ demands will be asked by New. Tork unions. ■ In other points the unions appear to be content with less work rather than reduced at a New Tork house, July J,4. [scales. Some local unions ha-ve pro- Cast Includes Alex Clafk, Dabney | tected themselves with closed shops. ~ ' St Louis Is an instance, no men Stpbk. on HadMA ; Summer stock In this week at the ElverhoJ.fMlltonron-the-HudBoh. N. T., with '"The Bad Man" as Opener. Company Includes Fairfax Burgh er, P. J. Kelly, Pennington Toung, Lulu Grimes. Adele Blair. Grace Pearsall, Tom Emery, Frank Har- rington, Ruth Green, Lvke Peters and Ned Randolph's Lenox Synco- pators, latter a 10-plece band out- fit doubling stage and pit "Taxi Fare," farce by Martin Mooney, is set for production next season by a new producing firm In which the . playwright will be fi- nancially Interested. Mooney co-authored "Sisters of the Chorus" ' with Thomas Burtis, now current In Chicago. "Up and Up," comedy by Martha Madison and: Eva Flint Is set as having been admitted tc the stage hands' union there for 10 years. "When more help is needed back stage there isi a reserve list called upon: These men must pay $1 a night to the union for the job but are not members of the- union. Emily. SmilWvStai* jpacs. J^'^ of the producing states Shapiro's Jam Buffalo. June 21. Lawrence Shapiro. theatrical company (Yiddish) manager of To- ronto, has been imprisoned here ac-' cused of helping ;an alien, Essa^ Wanchell, to enter the United' ney. Isabeile Joniea, poujslas Dum- brlUe, Wells iUchardison, Antonio Salerno and Paul Jones. Contest Extended' Dorrance & Co. having some dif- ficulty . getting that story on pro- hibition which It hopes to be the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" of the dry era. Contest, which closed last month, was unproductive of a single book thought meritorious by the com- mittee. All the entries have been returned and the contest extended until November. Prize Is $1,000, Ir' respective of royalties. Hilt Hastings' Escape Altoona, Pa., June 21. Catherine Hastings, of this city, appearing In "Little Accident" New York Theatre Guild play, but home tiT a brief vacation since late last week, figured In a little accident with a commercial pla^e Saturday fron which she escaped ^'wlth only brluaes. . True . Sleuth Stories Chance for police reporters on the dailies to cash In Is the new fad In detective stories of first person accounts by detectives and police In solving mysteries, "as told to" etc. Capt Billy Fawcett Is changing the policy of his 'fStartllng Detec- tive Adventures" in which he will PAUL WHITEMAN Booking Exclusively Through His Ol»n Office 1560 Broadway New York City . JAMES F. GILLESPIE Personal Represenialioe "Ghosts" In Hollywood Hollywood. j;une 21. "Ghosts" settle In Hollywood to day (24) for a 10-day run at the Play Shop, a little theatre hear Gower and Santa Monica. Produc tlon Is directed by David Graham f^scher and has Lucille La Polnte. Frank Dall, William Moran, 'Virginia Itiarbe and Allan Brock In the east. Producer Is Ralph Herman. combine of Edward A. Blatt and M. J. Nlhqlas. New film was to have made en- try with a revue tentatively. titled "Nev Yorker." "but hav^ side- tracked musical until next^ season to give non-musical precedence on schedule. Latter now being cast and goes into rehearsal In two "Marching As to War," by Rob- ert Sherwood, for production next season by MacGowan & Reed, who have taken piece ■ over from Wln- throp Ames, previously reported re- turning to production field. "Crumbs,'!. dramatization of the novel of the same title by William Hemmlngs. will reach production next season via' George Lunney. Arthur Bowers will make the dra- matization. Wanchell, a former resident of this country, overstayed his-time In Canada and requested Shapiro to get him- back. They were arrested at the AmerU can end of the International Bridge. Shapiro is being held In $6,000 balL "Candle Light's" Added Month Chicago, June 21, "Candle Light" wlU stay at the Princess until July 26, and'not close as reported. Show ■WiU gd^west and open at Santa Barbara, CaL, July 31. and at the Gerry. San Francisco, Aug. 3. Cast, with Ehigenle Leon< tovltch, Donald Brian and Allan Mowbray. 'wlU remain Inttaot Another Qosa Sound Chicago, June SL Englewood district lost Its only I stock spot the National theatre, to I talkers. House opened as a wired) spot last week, operated by S. Abrahamson, Indie. Last dramatic | ttoupe here had a tough season. ''Blackbird's Cast" Complete line-up of Lew Leslie's new "Blackbirds" has Ethel Waters, Buck and Bubbles and Miller and Lyles heading the cast ' Also "NTalada Snow from Paris nlte clubs, Minto Cato. Bill Bailey, Broadway Jones and Euble iBIake's Blackbirds Band. Leslie states that Edgar Allen dfd not have, any "piece" of his 1300,000 "International Revue" nor Of his new "Blackbirds." Em phaslzes he and his wife went for the 300 grand alone without any outsiders. Union-Operated Denham Closes for Summer Denver, June 21. Denham stock company, which has been backed by stage unions in- the Denver Amusement council, closed for three months Saturday. Hot weather and the opening of . the Elitch company for an eleven- week run proved too much. The . Denham cut their prices In half two weeks ago but could not pack 'em in solid enough to make up for the slash in admission. About, fifty'. _tinIon men. Including, an orchestra of 26,~ were employed, on a co-operative basis. The stage hands worked in two crews, one bunch working five days a week and the.other four. The actors and stage mapaglers received regular salaries. "Dracula,',' mystery play, was the closing offering. Felix Snes Zieggy Hollywood, June 21. Seymour Felix filed suit here against Flo Zelgfeld for 13.760. . This Is allegedly uni>ald balance at $1,600 weekly for staging dances of "Simple Simon." "Littte Show" at Boyale Playhouse, New York, will not get the second and forthcoming edition of "The Little Show" through a de- cision to continue run Of Grace I George In "The First Mrs. Fraser" throughout the summer at that house.. Brady, "Wlmain & Weatherly may place the new edition at the ; Royale, New York in latter August TRIXIE FRIGANZA 1530 FORMbiSA AVENUE HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. "Maybe" Doctoring "Maybe She Will," musical pro- Iduced by Beaiix ArtSjflMkactlons, Inc., folded for repalrsHpT recast- ing last week after two weeks try. I out Piece win make a fresh start In I August Staging "Man SLaul" Arthur Liibln. of the Crosby Galge office, left for the. Coast where he is to direct the stage pro- duction of "The Man Saul," by Sid- ney Buchman. Paul Muni, Fox star, win have the principal role. The,show is to be tried out at the Pasadena Playhouse. . Lubl'ii will re- turn' in five weeks to tha Giale* of- fice