THE WORLII'S FOREMOST AMUSEMENT WEEKLY GENERAL NEWS VALIDE 50% PREFABRICATED RADIO Industry Policy- Making May Be NAB Future MUSIC Record - Making Snowballs - -- It's Everybody's Biz TELEVISION 1 WEEK RUNS FOR VIDEO SHOWS? www.americanradiohistory.com UNT BAS AND HIS ORCHESTRA `eatcesu'zq JAMES RUSHING 0 JONES EARLE WARREN THELMA CARPENTER HOTEL LINCOLN Recalled by overwhelming popular demand WITHIN FOUR MONTHS! ROXY THEATRE Just concluded four smash weeks and ALREADY SIGNED FOR 1945 and '46! KATE SMITH HOUR (EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT) CBS COAST -TO -COAST 8 to 9 P. M. E W T COLUMBIA RECORDS "BLUES BY BASIE" New Album-Being Released May 15th www.americanradiohistory.com Vol. 56. No. 17 April 22, 1944 me World's Formosi Amusement Weekly VALIDE 50% PREFABRICATED Poll -Tax Talk O'Connell New Band Packages and Units Holds Showbiz 30% BIR Boss Legislation? Help Agents Collect 2 Ways; WASHINGTON, April 15.-I1 and when WASHINGTON, April 15. - Congress the 30 per cent cabaret tax is lifted, the came back to town this week and took one person who will have the final word Bundles Better Shows up the strings where it left off before the Easter recess, which, specifically, was will be Joseph J. O'Connell Jr., who on the edge of an explosion over the con- this week was nominated by President Act Scarcity One Reason for Growth troversial poll -tax issue. Roosevelt to be general counsel of the Altho showbiz may have only an aca- Treasury Department. demic interest in the poll -tax controversy, NEW YORK, April 15.-Accelerated by talent shortage and facilitated the amusement trade will likely be af- He will succeed Randolph Paul, who the of and ad- by powerful talent agencies, the vaude package show has reached the fected, as this issue may block other held job general counsel point where prefabricated presentations comprise 50 per cent, or more, of legislation in which showbiz has a definite vised congressional tax leaders in fram- stake. ing the 1943 Revenue Act whioh con- the total. Already returning Congressmen are tained the cabaret tax hike. Paul re- In fact all ready -made vaude has snowballed to where it now surprises talking about being so badly pressed for signed recently to re -enter private law even those who tie up the packages. time that the midsummer recess may be practice. For example, top vaude man in one of the big agencies was asked to abandoned. O'Connell has been in the Treasury estimate what portion of present -day shows falls into the bundled -up cate- If the poll -tax issue is brought up, Department since 1938, and has been act- gory. He checked the theater list before him, and 10 of about 20 shows there is little question but that it will ing as general counsel since Paul quit. he was sending into houses that week were prefabricated. provoke a filibuster and, in turn, the Prefabricated show s, talk -fest would block several bills that otherwise known as pack- showbiz is anxious to get a look at any- ages or units, are noth- way. "War Will Insure Vaude's ing new. They were At any rate, prospects were not bright known in the days when for any immediate legislation on amend- the Shuberts were fight- ing the Federal Communications Act or ing Keith, and in the any of the other measures in which show- Place in Post -War Showbiz," depression years when biz is interested. First attention will be Fanchon & Marco was a given to renewing the price -control act top vaude trade -mark. and thus extending OPA's authority, re- Today, however, there newing lend -lease authority, simplifying seems to be little doubt that fully half - the tax form, and the poll -tax issue. Says Ed Wynn, After GI Tour possibly more-of the offerings which Other subjects which will come up as appear in the vaude houses of the land soon as these are out of the way are are shipped there ready- wrapped. legislation to move 4 -F's into essential Units Selling Hospitalized Boys Flesh Shows And just about all the house operator Industry, and several appropriation bills, has to do is decide upon the package including one for FCC's funds. NEW YORK, April 15.-"Is that what for the tour, carried nine changes of cos- to display on the boards of his temple of Only a spark was needed to touch off fun. the poll -tax filibuster and successfully they call vaudeville? I like it." tume, a truckload of props, and the disrupt the legislative calendar. The That's what a young WAC from a small usual Wynn hats. He claims that there There also seems to be little doubt necessary spark was a motion to call up town told Ed Wynn when he played be- has been no change in the type of comedy that the move is strongly toward more bill, come any time. fore a group of 200 on his recent tour of and there has been no revolution in gag and more packages. In other words, the the and it may army hospitals. arlproach. He did make sure that his present high level of prefabricated items Despite the twice-yearly blooming of (See WAR WILL INSURE on page 24) --50 per cent or up-is not the end. The stories that vaude is back or is coming future may very well see prefabrication Barroom Ballads back, Wynn, who has been thru the mill or packaging extended to as much as 76 before and now is going thru it again, St. L. Ninny Skeds per cent of vaude bills. Not Subject To thinks that the real vaude is definitely Three Reasons Why in for good. He says it's so because of The sharp rise in present -day packag- youngsters like that WAC, who haven't For 12 Middlebrow 30 ing has come about in less than 10 years Per Cent Nick seen vaude before the war brought them (Vaude 50% Prefabricated on page 24) USO units and old -time headliners. Summer Revivals The silly hat man, just back from a ST. LOUIS, April 15.-Paul Beismann, But No Community Sing straw -hat tour of out -of- the -way army general manager of the St. Louis Munici- hospitals, says that servicemen and civil- WASHINGTON, April 15. --The 30 per pal Theater Association, announced this ians are tearing down the roof for vaude week the dates of 12 productions which Olsen- Johnson cent cabaret tax doesn't prevent guests shows, old- timers are getting back into will be presented at Forest Park Amphi- from vocalizing a bit if the whim strikes the groove, and newspapers are giving them. theater this season. the service "two -a -day" big play. The order in which the 12 productions Set 3 for Fall Internal Revenue Bureau officials ad- The commanding officers of several hos- mitted last week that there was nothing will be presented is: June 1 -11 -Open pitals told Wynn that he was not only Road; June 12 -18 -Good News; June 19- in the law which prevented guests from doing furnishing their own entertainment. a swell war job, but making a lot 25- Vagabond King; June 26 -July 2- On Broadway Guests may sing individually or in of new customers for himself. Small - Eileen; July 3 -9 -Hit the Deck; July 10- town newspapers are so hepped on the 16- Naughty Marietta; July 17-23 -Music HOLLYWOOD, April 15. groups and the 30 per cent tax does not shows - Ambitious apply to the management, regardless of that they have been sending re- in the Air; July 24- 30- Maytime; July plans of Olsen and Johnson call for whether it occurs in a nitery, restaurant, porters into hospitals to review the acts. 31- August 6- Irene; August 7- 13 -Bo- simultaneous showing of three shows on bar or elsewhere, Internal Revenue of- The boys, according to Wynn, were nuts hernian Girl; August 14- 20-Red Mill; Broadway, spokesman for the comics ficials declared. about his group, which included singer August 21 -27 -Rio Rita. stated this week, with Jerks Berserk, It was acknowledged by IB officials Wini Shaw, dancer Diana Lure; the La- The production staff for the forthcom- Hellzapoppin Jr. and Hellzapoppin' in that the guests could even request that varres, acrobats; Pat Hill's puppets, and ing season 1,s headed by John Kennedy, Harlem ready for fall openings. Comics a pianist or orchestra play their requests Mike Oliviere, accordionist. production manager. Watson Barrett will are starting Universal film this week, en- for accompaniment, but the pianist or "They've seen enough shows to be able be assistant production manager and titled See My Lawyer, and as soon as final none of the members of the ork could to judge," he said, "and they go for good scenic designer; Anthony J. Morelli, scenes are in the can, they will train for join in. That would be professional en- vaude in a big way." musical director; Anthony Nelle, ballet Manhattan to get their new productions tertainment, and suddenly the spot Ed says he wrote all his ówn material master, and Jack Sheehan, stage director. underway. would become a legal cabaret. John Murray Anderson, legit and mu- The law shouldn't be construed as sical producer, has been signed by the meaning that an exuberant drinker pair to handle production reins on the could not burst into song if he wanted In This Issue shows. It was learned that Jerks Berserk to, said Mrs. W. J. Reed, chief of the will have a production budget of $225,000, admissions tax unit.