The Washington times., 1937-09-02

emptlng the preferred space a
JUST A MENTION
This weekS's issue has one
page on which vaudeville news
is printed. Since there is not
enough happening in the vaude-
vile world to fiji the page, the
space is divided with items
about burlesque and the night
clubs. Happenings in the Holly
wood realm and news from the
radio stations fills the bulk of
the magazine, with few pages
devoted to the so-caled legiti-
mate theater.
This might be taken as an in
dication that vaudeville is as
dead as last years Christmas
tree and yet I refuse to believe
it.
This department is among
those richards, like Roland Rob-
bins, who believe the appetite
for vaudeville is just as keen as
it ever was. 1t so happens there
is no organized effort to develop
and sustain this branch of the
amusement industry.
More than 80 per cent Of what
passes today as vaudeville, or va
riety if you prefer, originates in
the radio studios. 1t comprises
band acts whose major reputa-
ton is acquired via the networks,
singers who have built their
popularity on a microphone, tap
and adagio dancers, and some
few acrobatic acts.
Occasionally Hollywood sends
q star or two on a journey
around the movie circuits which
still feature stage shows, gener-
ally, without much preparation
for this personal-appearance
tour, too often disappointing
both exhibitor and audience.
Such a situation and famine
in acts made it possible for
Major Edward Bowes to recruit
beginner talent from his broad
casts. He sent them over the
picture-house circuits as organ
lied amateur units drawing
$4,000 a week, and in some
cases a percentage of the gross
receipts away above thaS
amount.
NOVEL SHOWS WANTED
It strikes me that the success
of these Bowes amateurs might
have impressed the buyers of
vaudeville with the eagerneSs Of
theater audiences for new faces
and fresh ideas on the stages
that are still lighted. It didn't
work out that way.
Burlesque. which has been
making an honest effort to
clean up and replace the strip
tease with vaudeville, has found
it o difficult task to find acts for
the new type of show.
A fortnight ago the French
Casino, in New York, launched
a very pretentious night club
musical, utilizing seven or eight
acts, good ones, all imported
from Europe. Just as soon as
they have completed this Broad
way engagement these acts will
all be snapped up by the vaude-
vile bookers. It makes one pom
der on why these same bookers
and these same talent seekers
don't take a trip on the Queen
Mary and discover their own
No. 2 acts and headliners.
Loew's State Theater in New
York will rake in more than
$4,000 this week with a stage
show whose box office pull COM
prises obscure dancers who
leaped into temporary fame via
the New York Daily News Har-
vest Moon dance contest. It illus
trateS forcibly the appeal Of
novel program, one that gets
away from the conventional rou-
tine stage show.
I mention this now because
within the past three months
have been talking with amuse-
ment men who have been cycling
both the Belasco and the Rialto
Theaters with some thought that
the mixed program of vaudeville
and pictures would constitute a
profitable policy at both houses.
They gave up the idea when
canvas revealed it would be i'm
possible to find enough economi-