The New York Clipper (December 1919)

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December 3, 1919 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER "Fpllies"j Closing Unusual Run, Will Make High Average. Up to Present, Takings Have Kept Close to $27,000 Weekly, With Top of $3.50 Instead of 'V Former Price • ' When Ziegfeld's 'Tollies" closes Its tweniy^seventh week run at the New Amsterdam Theatre next Saturday night, the receipts for the entire en- gagement will probably reach the un- precedented figure of $729,000. This means that the show's average weekly business here amounted to $27,000 which is not so extraordinary when it Is considered that the "Follies" play- ed to $33,900 last week, a record at the New ■Amsterdam. The present engagement of the "Fol- lies," drawing to a close, is also the longest period that it has ever run in New York, the show never having played here longer than fourteen weeks. There are two reasons why the show remained here longer this year than ever before. First and foremost is the remarkable business it has teen doing and secondly, the disrupted country-wide booking conditions that resulted from the actors' strike made it advisable to keep the show here for a more protracted period. In general), the current "Follies" has established several new precedents here. The production cost more this year than ever before, cost more to maintain, and is playing to a higher top price than in previous years. This latter price was raised to $3.50 some time after the show opened here. The highest previous top price for tickets at the box office was $3, established last year. The show opens in Detroit next Sun- day night and, after a week's engage- fent there, goes to Chicago for a run. FRISCO LOSES BAND Frisco was compelled to play his entire booking at the Colonial last week without the aid of his Jazz band and, instead, used a pianist, drummer and the house orchestra. Frisco had originally used the jazz band known as the Louisiana Five with his act, bnt they, for some reason or other, suddenly quit on him before the act opened at the Colonial. He then arranged with the management of Bei- senwebers to allow him the use of their Jazz band for the engagement at the Colonial. The band was willing, provided it got out of the theatre early enough in the evening to allow time to reach Bcdsenweber's for their perform- ance there. « - On Monday afternoon, the act was placed in closing position on the bill, and did not get off-stage-until after 5 P. M., so the band served notice on Frisco that unless it could get off be- fore 10.30 in the evening they would have to quit Frisco, however, went on at the same time, whereupon the cla- rinet, cornet and trombone manipul- ators quit, and left Frisco with the drummer and pianist, who completed the engagement with him. LUCE FR1GANZA SHOW Los Angeles, Cal., Nov. 29.—After several road dates, as preliminary training. The Jean Havez-Elmer Har- ris musical comedy, "Poor ilamma," opened at the Mason Theatre here last week. The show is an assured success, inasmuch as it has a real plot, charm- ing music and a clever star. The story is that of a young widow, as she calls herself, being only 42, who goes to New York for a fling and comes back with a husband, who is unaware that wifey Is the mother of a young army of five. (George W. Banta. Jr.,. plays the part of the new husband and others in the cast are The Three Dennis Sisters, who offered some clever singing and dancing. Jack Coogan al- so did some dancing that tickled the audience's fancy, while Burt Wess- ner played a role that suited him well. Ed. Flagg is responsible for the stage setting. 'Los Angeles Is wild over Trlxle Friganza, who, as the widow, is mak- ing a huge success of the piece. NORTHLANE AND WARD SPLIT The vaudeville team of Northlane and Ward, having returned from enter- taining soldiers overseas, will split temporarily". Jack Ward will- do a single and Edna Northlane, in private Ufe Mrs. Jack Ward, will not work this season. -Ward win offer singing, danc- ing and character bits in his act. BEE PALMER'S BAND SPLITS That the Bee Palmer Jazz Band has finally split became known last week when it was learned that Dave Kline, oometist and Frank Lhotak have sign- ed to appear with the Ted Lewis act. Miss Palmer who has been 111 in a Chi- cago hospital for several weeks, will re- open in Cleveland next week. • -. ' SOUSA CLEANING UP John Philip Sousa and his band, now oh tour in the Western states, are playing to the tune of -the most successful business season ever exper- ienced in the history of the organiza- tion, according to Harry AskLn. At a recent matinee and evening perform- ance in Seattle, box-ofllce receipts to- talled more than $7)400, and In Van- couver they played to more tnan $5,- €00. Reports from other large cltles-m this section are, St. Paul, $5,250; Min- neapolis, $4,600; Grand Forka, $3,500; Fargo. $4,500; Spokane, $4,250, and San Francisco $3,700. Following a tour of the Southern states, the band will close its season in New York on January 1st JOINS DUDLEY AGENCY William Loveridge, erstwhile Keith manager of the Strand Theatre, Brook- lyn, has entered the booking business, becoming associated with Edgar Dud- ley in the Strand Theatre Building. SIGNED FOR GREENWICH SHOW Herb Williams and Hiwa Wolfus have been 'signed by the Greenwich Village Follies to appear in their next production to be entitled "What's In A Name". "WATCH YOUR STEP" CLOSING • "Watch Tour Step," sent out on a road tour by Plohn and Levy, is sched- uled to close In Omaha, it was learned this week. The show will be brought back to New York for re-organisation, after which it will be sent on tour again. CAMERON SISTERS SIGNED Cameron Sisters are the latest ad- ditions to the cast of principals of Zlegfeld's new -Vine O'CIock Revue, having been engaged by Zlegfeld late ■last Saturday afternoon. Evan. Bur- rows Fontaine is also definitely slated to appear in the new show. BILLS BURKE DOES $20,900 Flo Zlegfeld stated on Monday of this week that Billie Burke, in "Caesar's Wife," played to $20,900 at the Liberty Theatre last week. This sum, according to Zlegfeld, establishes a record for a -week's receipts at the Liberty. FORMS CHINA SYNDICATE San Francisco, Cat, (Nov. 29.— Beynolds Denniston, who, for some time, was connected with T. Daniel Frawley, has organized a syndicate supported by Shanghai, China, capital, amounting to $50,000. Denniston Is at the head of his own touring organiza- tion, at present in Honolulu. They are filling a four week's engagement for the Honolulu Amusement Company, at the -Bijou Theatre, Honolulu. ACTOR REPORTED A SUICIDE Saw Francisco, CaL, Nov. 30.—A re- port from Los Angeles states that John Howard, an actor, forty-eight years old, committed suicide in the County Jail there *y drinking poison. He was arrested on a charge of assault to kill, preferred by a former friend and busi- ness associate. • DENY "LIFTING" CHARGES Complaints recently made to the N. V. A. against performers "lifting" ma- terial and business have, in a number •f cases, brought forth defenses during the past week. Avey and O'NeU take exception to the complaint of the Swor Brothers, claiming that they are not using any- thing from the Swor act other than the grave yard business, which Avey has always used and holda a copyright for. Murry and Voelk deny that they are using a pants' bit from the act of Ward and Van. In their reply, they state that they h£ve never seen the complain- ants act and "dont't know him." They state that they have been doing this business for two years and that the" matter was never before brought to their attention. iLydell and.Macy claim that the gag, "I like my liquor strong and I like my women wild" has bean in their act ever since August 1918, and was suggested to them by "Germany" •Schaeffer, the baseball player. The do not see ths justice of George M. Bosener's claim that they are using his material. The Claremont Brothers deny that they are using the entire act of the St Denis Brothers. The latter claim to have certain shoes patented and allege that the Claremont Brothers are using this style of shoe. In reply, the Clare- moats state that the patents are held by Fleet and Harbeck. WYNN AND WARE SPLIT Canton, O., Dec. L—Arnold Maurer, of this city, and P. B. Grojean, of Mas- silon, known professionally as Wynn and Ware, have decided to discontinue the tour of their vaudeville sketch "The German Fiddle Maker and the In- ventor". The act closed some time ago. Both have identified themselves with the Norwood-Moots orchestra here. SACKS GOES BACK J. L. Sacks, the English producing manager, who sailed for London on. the Mauretania last Saturday, stated that he will return early next spring to produce "Eve," adapted from the French of "La Dumpta," the Eng- lish version having been written by Arthur" Wlmperls and the music by Claude Touras. The otner is « ro- mantic comedy with music by Gladys linger, for which no title has been chosen. The score -was composed by Charles Cuvilller, composer of "The LUac Domino." PUTS IN KEITH ACTS Fab Rockaway, L. I., Dec. 1.—The Strand Theatre,- here, will adopt a vau- ~ deville policy, running Keith acts, start- ing next week. Under its. new policy, there will be six acts and a feature pic- ture. The Mosconis will headline the initial bill. The theatre was opened six weeks ago by Max Spiegel and Sol Brill. The cost of construction was $750,000. Its seating capactly is 2,000. It is beeing managed by Louis F. Magnolia. Dur- ing the past six weeks, it has had a straight picture policy. KITTY GORDON NOT READY Kitty Gordon and Jack Wilson, with their revue, are not appearing at the Colonial Theatre this week, owing to the fact that they don't think their act Is ready, as yet. for a big time metro- politan presentation. The act opended during the last half of last week at the Mt. Vernon Theatre, and is' bating a few changes made in it this week. It will open at the Colonial next Monday. CLAIM ALARM CLOCK BIT . Because the Three Alberettas. also known as the Thirty Pink Toes, do the business of smothering an alarm clock with a pillow and trowing it into a pitcher of water, the team of Anderson and Itoan has brought the case to the attention of the N. V. A. complaint bureau. Anderson claims he has been doing this business for more than tea years and desires the Three Albereattas to abandon the business. CLAIM COCKTAIL SONG Claiming that Nadel and Follette are using a ragtime cocktail song and a bit of booze wagon business that belong to Eddie Kane and Jay Herman, the lat- ter have made formal complaint to the N. V. A. The ragtime cocktail song was written by Earl Carroll and Ruby Cowan and Kane and Herman claim to have paid for it and to have secured its copyright SAVAGE SETS OPENING Henry W. Savage's new show. "Shavins," an adaptation of the novel by Joseph C Lincoln, will open to Stamford Christmas day. It Is now In rehearsal under the direction of Sam MoKee. Charles Dow Clarke, James Bradbury and Clara Moores have roles in the cast CONDITIONS NOT GOOD Private correspondence received to this country recently asserts that con- ditions through Germany, Denmark. Holland and the Netherlands are not so good as have publlcally been re- ported. Living is high, clothing Is scarce at any price and transportation facilities are almost nil. Travelling ia a hard matter for the Individual, and, at times, the transportation of baggage is impossible. The high salaries of acts to the variety theatres also is gradually be- ing cut down and those acts which are not accepting cuts are being dropped from the books altogether. It Is stated that turns asking 6,000 marks ($1200) a week or more are Impossible to place, except to the rarest Instances, and then only for two and three weeks at a time. DfNEHART GOES WITH CORT When John Corfs new musical comedy "Three's a crowd," opens at the Cort Theatre to-night Wednesday. replacing "Just a Minute," Allan Dine-* hart will have a leading role. Dine-' hart left the Selwyn management last Saturday night, with the closing of "The Challenge." In which play be bad an Important part- Holbrook BHnn, who figured in the stellar role of the same play, also has left the Selwyn. fold.