Evening star., 1942-03-15
Vaudeville,
1t Seems,
Slept
Now It Awakens,
Or Mr.. Fisher
Is Wrong
By John Ferris,
Wide World News.

dogs are beginning to clamor at the
doors of booking Offices as the good
news spreads.
Some of these acts are already
appearing in cafes, beer gardens and
small halls Throughout the country.
Others are making one-night or
one week stands in theaters.
Last week in New York. Clifford G.
Fischer, by arrangement with the
Shuberts, presented a new variety
show on Broadway, "Priorities OF
1912" starring Lou Holtz, Willie
Howard, Phil Baker and Paul
Draper, supported by the Reynolds
skaters, Joan Merrill, Hazel Scott,
the Nonchalants, Gene Sheldon, the
Barrys, Masters and Rollins. Diane
Denise, Lari and Conchita and Bev-
erly Lane with a chorus of Midge
Fields "Twenty-four Versailles
Beauties"
"It has often been said. and 1t
sounds like cliche, but nevertheless
1t is true, that all the great stars
Of the stage and screen have grad
uated from the two-a-day and that
there is no training ground for new
talent Fischer said.
Will Seek New Talent.
"The theater now feels the dearth
Of star material. If this engagement
proves successful I will Immediately
Introduce this policy throughout the
country. I am going to try to un-
cover new talent. Vaudeville was a
wonderful reservoir for new people
and I hope it can regain its rlght1ul
place I'M the theater.
Gerald Griffin, national executive
secretary of the American Guild OF
Variety Artists, an A. F. l.. union
which claims 10000 members, is
likewise confident that happy days
are ahead for troupers of ability
Griffin said there were possibly an
other 10000 persons playing through
the south and southwest who are
not members of the union.
People are getting sick OF dou-
bic features in the movies" Grimm
declared. And the church people
here in New York and in other cities
and towns have never quite aban-
doned vaudeville and have contln-
ued to put on shows in their parish
halls.
The Army camps are helping,
too. Boys who never saw live
show before see one put on now by
the U. S. o. and ask for more. Also
they write home about the shows
and stir up interest in them.
vaudeville or variety came orig
inally from the old beer gardens
and music halls, and good deal OF
what looks like revival Is taking
place in that kind of hall right
now"
More Theaters Open.
Griffin said actually there are more
places to play today than before the
vaudeville of the 20s started to go
into a comatose state.
There are booking agents now
In places like Rochester, N. Y;
Altoona, Pa; Youngstown and Ak
ron. Ohio" he continued. Can you
imagine towns like that booking
acts in the old days? There are
booking Offices also in Peoria,
Springfield and Rockford, Ill, and
In Milwaukee.
THE old vaudeville was a little
boisterous. 1t had to be. But 1t
was clean. 1t was well-timed, with
plenty of novelty and variety"
Griffin said the U. S. o. had de-
veloped a large pool of talent from
which to draw for new bookings and
that many of the acts were being
sent into towns which nave doomed
since the war work began. He cited
Passaic, N. j., as an example.
"A theater there puts on 1:3O
an. matinee. The workers have
time to slip home and get cleaned
up before they come back to see
the show. The same thing is be-
ing done in many other towns"
The R. K. o. Fifty eighth Street
Theater in New York recently pre-
sented "Keith's Union Square Old
Time Variety Show" bill Of nine
headline acts which your father
and grandfather applauded 40 years
az" with Prof. Bruce Healy and
his brass band.
Many old-timers, Of course, never
have quite disappeared from the
public eye. Ted Lewis, for exam
ple, after playing in musical shows
has gone on making his stands here
and there with the same old bat
tered hat and his cry: "1s everybody
happy" .r,,,
olsen and johnson. first in Hell
zapoppin" and then in Sons o
Fun" presented a number Of vaude-
Vile acts and helped along the feel.
ing of nostalgia many people Zee
for vaudeville Olsen and johnson
were two who never would admit
vaudeville was anything but flour
ishing.
The Money Is There.
An agent who recently was ad.
vance man for an all-Negro show
which toured Philadelphia, Pitts
burgh, Hartford, Poughkeepsie
Cleveland, Toledo, Akron. Youngs'
town, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee
St. Paul, Minneapolis, Des Moines
Omaha and Kansas City said there
was plenty of money In evidence ir
these cities.
This agent said the popularity oi
many OF the new singing acts anc
bands rests on their juke box popu.
larity.
st understand there are about
1000 luke boxes in Cleveland alone,
he declared. Naturally, when some
one who is popular on the records
comes to town people crowd intt
the theaters."
jimmy Durante. Libby Holman
Dinah Shore, Elaine Barrie Barry
more. John Boles and Sheila Bar.
rett are among the new headliners
though most of them appear ir
night spots. Earl Carroll has
show on the road. too.
Another indication OF the popu-
larity of new entertainment Is the