2 Big Shots Of VOL 15—NO. 16 CHICAGO. AUGUST II, 1948 Frederick Agency (Copyright. 194g, Dewa leaf Publishing Ce.l I Not The Type | Earle Theater Quit Over Coin HampTo Flash. At presi time, word wui received from Los Angeles that Sam Armstrong had resigned from the Hollywood office of Frederick Brothers, Re-lights Stage leaving only Bill Woolfenden om the staff there. Chicago—The lid blew off at the Frederick Brothers agency here late last month, with two ot the cop executives Enliven For Name Orks taking a walk after showdowns with B. W. Frederick and a Philadelphia—Name bands will get storm of charges and countercharges about allegedly unpaid another chance to prove their worth — —«alane», borrowed fund«, and a gen at the box office when Warner Brothers eral coin mixup Rumor« of distension re-Ught the stage of their Earle in the organization have been rife for theater, center-city playhouse, after Guess Who???? more than a year alway* previously S. F. Gate keeping it dark lor tw< years. The denied, however, by all of principal* Sioux City, Iowa — Ar* Ka««el, San Francisco—Lionel Hampton will 4,000-seal house switched to a straight playing a weekend date at Shore concerned. pix policy two years ago when a steady Acre« here recently, tell« about bring live shows back to the Golden Tom Kettering, vice president and diet of name bands failed to justify arriving in a neighboring city to general manager of the agency, and Gate theater here tor the first time in top money shelled out to the music fulfill ii ballroom date and being Herb Pauley, genera) manager of the manv months when he opens September makers, in light of light bo* office met at hi« hotel by four teen-ager«, Chicago office, were the execs who took 8 for a week. The Gate is a second returns. Since then. Frank Palumbo’s who constituted a welcoming com­ powders. Click, a nitery, has been the only mittee. The youthful chairman hope* home to Hamp, he’s played it regularly Kettering, who had been with the local stand providing bands with reg­ fully >uked “Sir, w« have arranged firm for eight years, holds a contract since he started his own hand and ular playing time. The move also a banquet in your honor thi« eve­ which does not expire until the first of usually celebrates his hand-leading an- means a break for the Negro ones, ning. Could you be present ?” Kas- the year and told Down Beat that he niversaries there. whose appearances here have been ael, of course, attended, and after a intends to sue for the balance of the limited to the «ne-night race promotions royal feed the young toastmaster week at the Gate, salary involved. Following his since the Earle darkened its stage announced, “Fellow teen-ager«, we Hamp will make a two-week tour of Hollywood—Johnny Mercer attempt« are honored tonight tv have with Claim* Contract No Good northern California and the Pacific the intricacie* of the typewriter with u* one of the country’« finett muti* B W. Frederick, now in charge of northwest up as far as Canada under the etiistancc »1 hi« secretary, Jane Bing Back cians, who, with hi* great band, ha« the Chicago office, says Kettering’s con­ the wing of John A Bur-Ton, east bay become one of our favorite« here in tract is invalid in Chicago, but would promoter. W ilkin Phot» wi» taken at the New York—Bing Crosby wa re­ our city.” Turning to Art, he beamed be valid in New York or Hollywood Slate* One-Niter« Natonal Songwriters Association con­ newed fur another yeai on the Philco and «aid, “Here he is, in person, The agency, launched in Kansas City sention in Los Angeles where Johnny radio series, with his first platter for Prior to his Gulden Gat< date, Hamp the one and nnly—WOODY HER­ in 1934 now is an Illinois corporation. the new season hitting ABC airwaves will play one niters at the Oakland helped entertain the delegates—but MAN." Pauley, whose resignation does not not with this act. September 29, same time as last year. auditorium August IS and August 26 become effective until August 15, plan* under Bur-Ton's auspices and also date* to return to his former home in Lin­ at Stockton and Salinas on August 16 coln, Neb and resume operation of and 21. the Turnpike casino there, which he Bur-Ten, biggest booker ol name still owns. He, too. holds an । inexpired bands in this area, has the King Cole Ops Try To Cut Prices On contract with the agency which has trio for an August 28 date in Seattle been cancelled by mutual agreement and the following night tn Tacoma and with Pauley accepting a series of notes an August 6 date with Lester Young's for money said 'o be due him, tn be band at the Trianon in San Francisco. paid »ff in installments. He also is lining up one niters for Nome Bands To Revive Biz Only Two I.eft louis Jordan later this fall with one date, Christmas night, already set for With Pauley’s departure, only B W New York-—A concentrated Frederick and Jot Musse will be left the Oakland auditorium effort on the part of ballroom is has not been announced, the booker without admissions being cut at all. in the Chicago office, which eno had preparing same for presentation to the “Even with this” it was pointed out, a staff of 22. Sam and Fred Robbins operator« in two sections of operators. “if enough ballroom operators can arc occupying the Frederick offices in the country is being made to Last fall, Sinnott issued a booklet, agree on a $1 plus tax fee, GAC will New York. There is no band depart­ strive to lower guarantees still more ment at present in the Los Angeles Unknown Joins reduce the price* being asked for big Suggestions on How to Promote a Name Band, which was distributed t Thus, percentage privileges will mean branch, with only Bill Woolfenden and neme hendí in the hope of hnngint promoters It received a warm welcome more to bands in the long run." Sam Armstrong on staff, both active in the bucine«« back to prewar level at and built some goodwill for the GAC movie bookings. man, but on the whole, the reactionary L A Frederick, brother of B. W Cole On Bass prewar price«. Another project of the New England band-buying clan snubbed the plan. and co-founder of the agency, is devot­ Hollywood—Joe Comiort, a relatively At the same time, Howard Sinnott, operators is । > get clearance by the head of the General Artists corporation This year, Sinnott made no bones ing himself almost exclusively to real unknown bassist, has joined the Nat Massachusetts legislature to allow Sun­ estate operations in Los Angeles. Four one-nite stand department, is going to about blaming bad business on the day dancing in that state. (king) Cole trio to replace Johnny promoters. He pointed out that those dance bands were in the Frederick bat on the same matter with the same It is felt by the ops that they’re Miller, who gave his two-week notice ballroom operators charging sensible stable at the time of the blowup— goal in view. missing plenty of cash by the taboo to Cole in Salt Lake City. admissions and offering clean, attractive Tommy Carlyn. George Winslow. Ray on Sabbath lerping, particularly in Midwest Follows Up places are doing well. Pearl, and Don Reid. view of the fact that Sunday is the Several months ago, the members of “The die-hards who played Paul Contract Breach, He Say« the Mid-west Ballroom Operators as­ big dance night at Pleasure Beach, Whiteman in ’25 and haven’t changed Kettering claims that failure on the Kay Starr Gets sociation liegan moves in that direction Lake Compouncc, and Bridgeport in their places since, are faring badly,” part of the agency to pay his salary and have been working »n it since. Late neighboring Connecticut he argued. Going directly to several (for a period of 2% months at one last month, they asked Sinnott to visit Own Radio Spot eastern operators, he talked them into time, he says) breached his contract them and sit in on a roundtable dis- seeing things his way, showed them He holds a letter signed by B. W Hollywood Songstnis Kay Starr was eussions. how to improve their grosses. They Frederick acknowledging a loan from •ip it I late last month for her own The booker joined the operators and did. half-hour radio program over ABC, fea­ Changes In him of $1,500. which has been repaid. introduced his plan which calls fur Instrumental tn calling Sinnott into turing her singing, five minutes of chat­ lowering box office price- as, in turn, He states that similar loans were made ter about women in the news, a name the op huddles were Alice McMahon, to the agency by other former em­ the booking office drops th< guarantee Indiinapolis; Roy Hartenstein, Potts­ gal guestar, and the Buzz Adlam band. figures on top bands Beat Staff ployes, including Billy McDonald, Show is on the net Saturdays. 7-7:30 town, Pa. and Joe Barry, Bridgeport, Walter Stauffer, ind Howard Bruce, all pm with a transcribed version airing New England Ton Conn , all well-established operators. Chicago- -Ted Hallock assistant edi­ of whom were paid off before they left, locally over KECA at 10 p.m Following the lead ot the corn belt Must Balance Book* tor of Down Beat since last November, however.