(Testimony of Thomas Stewart Palmer)
Mr. Palmer.
couple of other things they don't like here and was more suggestive than it should be.
Jack rushed to the light pillar and turned the lights out on her. This was after he had thought that her contract was going to expire. However, he failed to negotiate renewal of her contract subsequently. I indicated to him her contract would have to run, despite his failure, which I am sure was on purpose, to endorse renewal-- would have to run until the completion of the week. He had anticipated getting some new talent in which would double him up on his budget, and he wanted Jada out of there right away. I think this is what prompted his criticism of her dance that evening. I had been in there.
Mr. Griffin.
Let me interrupt you. Had he mentioned to you that he wanted to get rid of Jada before he turned the lights out on her?
Mr. Palmer.
He came into my office about a day and a half prior to that to ask my thinking on the contract, and the contract that I had on file in the office indicated that he was not obligated to keep her. However, the contract that she had that had been signed on one occasion indicated that it was to continue on past this date. He had not notified my office of the renewal. This was not uncommon in most offices. Renewals are by mutual consent, and very frequently the only signed copy is the entertainer's. Jada knew the rules, and she should have had them signed. She did on one occasion.
However, being the artist's representative primarily, termination had to comply with our AGVA rules which assured her of at least the end of the week, and if she were agreeable, that is fine. If she weren't, she should have held it for another week. So with this in mind, I told this to Jack: "I will see what can be done about getting you off the hook at the end of the week." And he said, "Great". Then I discussed with Jada and she was quite adamant. She was going to complete her engagement. And there was a little hard feeling because she said nobody is going to shove me around. Then later, 2 days later or so, approximately, the incident of the light.
Mr. Griffin.
Why did Jack want to replace her with another act?
Mr. Palmer.
First of all, her salary was unusual for his establishment. It was much higher than he was accustomed to paying. I was surprised that he kept her as long as he had. With the advent of the affidavit, I realized that her value to him was other than just simply as an entertainer.
Mr. Griffin.
Did she file the affidavit against him before he came in and told you he wanted to fire her?
Mr. Palmer.
No.
Mr. Griffin.
Did Jack come to AGVA with any problems about his competitors?
Mr. Palmer.
Frequently.
Mr. Griffin.
What kind of complaints did he have about his competitors?
Mr. Palmer.
That they were scheming to put him out of business, and that they were practicing unfair tactics both from a civil standpoint as well as union standpoint.
Mr. Griffin.
Can you be specific about the scheming that they did, that he complained they did?
Mr. Palmer.
Well, he claimed that the amateur night, which Mr. Barney Weinstein originated, I think, many years ago, in Dallas, was taken up by his brother Abe at the Colony, not because Abe needed it, but because it blocked him out of using that same night as an amateur night for his own draw, Jack Ruby's, and this was a consolidated effort between the two brothers to put him out of business, the Carousel. He was constantly critical of their contribution to the AGVA welfare, while he himself was decidedly delinquent.
Mr. Griffin.
Did he think they were more delinquent than he was?
Mr. Palmer.
No; he just thought they were delinquent, and he was bringing that to my attention while trying to keep his own delinquency out of the topic of conversation. Frequently people he had let go at his club might go to work for Barney. I don't believe Abe would ever use them. I think he did on one or two occasions, but Jack was then always convinced that these people were, to use his terminology, bad-mouthing him or talking unfairly about him behind his back. Actually, his club was rated by AGVA at a lesser rate than
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