Café Rouge, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York City, New

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Jersey. The band was originally scheduled to play until
September 30 but when Miller enlisted in the Army he wanted
to cancel the entire engagement and do only the
Chesterfield radio program for his final civilian week. The
theater protested, and Miller then agreed to work out four
days in Passaic just before his induction. (GMPR; BB, Sept.
5 & Oct. 17, 1942; Variety, Sept. 16, 1942)
“Glenn Miller agreed to play four days of a scheduled
week booking at the Central Theater in Passaic, New Jersey
opening Sept. 24, 1942. Miller tried to cancel the date
entirely last week to take a two week rest before entering
the Army October 7, 1942 but the theater operators
threatened a suit for damages. It’s understood that the
house also threatened to secure an injunction against
Miller’s playing his last Chesterfield broadcast which
falls on the day he is to open the theater.
Now the leader is in a bad position with
Chesterfields. Latter went ahead, after being told the
Central was cancelled and distributed tickets to the
broadcast at CBS Playhouse in NYC. Miller always does his
commercials from the stage during a theater booking and
undoubtedly will have to do the one in question from the
Central. He couldn’t easily make it into NYC from Passaic
and back between shows which puts CBS and Chesterfields in
a spot since the tickets are out.
Thing that riled the Central operators into forcing
Miller to fulfill his date for them was that last February
the leader begged out of playing the house to go to the
coast to make a film. He then signed a contract for the
week of Sept. 25, 1942 but wanted to cancel again when his
Army commission came through.
H. Robert Broder, attorney, handled the action for
the Central Theater. He contended that Miller inasmuch as
he appeared free to play before a free theater audience for
Chesterfields, was in the position to fulfill the theater
date. Central’s management agreed to cut the date to four
days figuring that Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
are the best Box Office days anyhow.” (Variety, Sept. 23,
1942) Also on the same bill was Wally Brown. The band did
22 shows at the Passaic. (GMPR)