The New York Clipper (December 1919)

COURT RULES PROFESSIONALS MUST REGIS TER ASS UMED NAMES Important Decision Handed Down in Regard to Registering When Taking Them for Professional Purpose*— Business Names Act Quoted by Justice London, Eng., Dec 27.—Judge Cluer, sitting in the Shoreditch County Court, started something very important when he handed down a decision in the case ot Mrs. Elizabeth Sullivan, professionally known «a Elizabeth Hyde. Mrs. Sullivan, was suing Dr. Keenen to recover $30 doe her for a contract calling on her to sing at Frsscatti's Restnnrant. She had been engaged to sing by die Mc- Carthy Agency, for Dr. Keenen, but, some- how, she never waa called upon to do so. She instituted suit The defendants claimed that she waa using an assumed name, and, therefore, could not sue. Judge Cluer, thereupon, consulted the statutes and, finding the Business and Pro- fessions Name act, read, as. follows: "In any business or profession, where the per- son goes under a different name, that per- son has to be registered under the name to be used, before he or she can sue under a contract." While the decision did not bear directly upon this case, inaamoch as Mrs. Russell's maiden name was Hyde, it is important to the_ profession at large, a great part of which did not know it was necessary to register when assuming another name for business or professional purposes, and hundreds are registering every day. •Judge doer's decision has caused a good many actors and actresses to make a trail for the registration office to register under their own and their assumed names. This ruling follows closely upon several decisions in lawsuits where the defendants held that the name being sued under was not the person's own and not registered. Irene Magley, the American actress, waa among those who were affected by the law. She was recently sued by a firm of brokers as "Miss Magley," but her attorneys dodged the suit on the grounds of incor- rectness, by claiming she was "Mrs. Mag- ley," and proving it. AUTHORS HAVING TOUGH TIME Pabis, France, Dee. 26.—The recently organised Authors' Union which has brought together all the younger authors, is having a lot of trouble.' Rene Fanchois is the founder of the union and several plays of his have been returned by mana- gers since the founding of the union. His publisher baa also returned a manuscript to him, saying that, since he is a unionist, he win not, of course, stand for having, his book printed in an anti-onion shop, where the printers are on strike. Fabre and Lor- rain, members of the Actors' Union, have been cast as strikers in an anti-union sa- tire being produced at the Ambigu, and are given parts showing unionism in a silly Ught LUCE WOMAN DIRECTOR ' London. Eng., Dec 26.—Mrs- Lilian Trimble Bradley, who staged "The Crim- son Alibi" for George Broadhurst here and in America, will return here next season to produce for Arthur Bourchler, at the Strand, her own play "The Most Wonder- ful Thing." Mrs. Bradley will also produce for Broadhurst "The Storm,'' a play now running in New York, when she returns here. "SYLVIA'S LOVERS" IS UKED London, Eng., Dec 26.—The play cur- rent, at the Ambassador's, "Sylvia's Lov- ers," by Bernard Holt and. Cosmo Gordon Lennox, is a hit, as operettas go. The piece is laid in 1715, in the Court of Lunevillc, and has as principal char- acters a country maiden and a Prince. The story- tells of a Prince Stanislas, who falls in love with 'Sylvia, a country girl that he has seen on her farm. He has her abducted and brought to his castle, where he woos her—a gentleman of the court. She, however, will have none of him, preferring her rustic lover, Jacquot. He, however, falls in love with a cousin of the Prince's, and when Sylvia discovers that her court gentleman, with whom she has finally fallen in love, is none other than the Prince, all ends happily, with the two seta of lovers getting married. In the cast of the play, produced by Nigel Play fair, are Deserie Ellinger, Pat- rick Byrne, Henry Caine, Theo Agar, Christian Morrow, M Wilson, Pitt Chat- ham, R. Vincent, John Bateman, Charles Lumb, Joe Nightingale, Betty Chester, Beryl Freeman, Lena Maitland, Ann Des- mond, Sybil Coulthorst, Dora Rozelli, . Irma Perry, Clara Booth, Marguerite Lis- ter and Edith Bartlett. ROBEY CONCERT GETS *25,0OC London, Eng., Dec WP^f J g & cf ffi ar- ranged by George Robey^uvSgEaR of St. Barthehnews Hospital, resulted in adding some $2S,00O to the fund of the' hospital. Six Oswald Stoll stood the expense con- nected with running the show, which was composed of twenty or more of the best acta in .London. Among those who aided the benefit-, were-George Robey himself, Marie Nordstrom and Mrs. Lang try. REJANE STILL GREAT ARTIST . BEVERLY STTGREAVES CO-STAR London, Eng., Dec 26.—Beverly Sit- greaves, well known in America aa an actress of ability, is being co-starred with Robert Loraine in a revival of "Arms and the Man," in which he appeared several years ago. whose *reWrfHo'^e t sias««,^fefeej&Ja>d; as the oatetanding feature of 'the theatrical seSSofi, '-has now been appearing for more than. a month and judging by the crowds that attend the Theatre de Paris, her own house, and by the -enthusiasm of the press and public; she has 16st,'jione of her power and greatness.. .Her vehicle.is M. Batailleli play "La Yierge Folle," considered his greatest play. Mile. Monna Delza, Mme. J.' Darcourt, Pierre Magnier, Signoret, Calmettes and Roger Vienet are in the supporting company. The critics have found fault with only two things, the youth of Magnier and the abandon of the love scenes. MADRID VOTING ON STRIKE Madrid, Dec 26.—The strike of theatre employees here, which has been brewing for some time, wQl come to a head shortly when the theatre employees meet and vote as to whether they will strike or not. HARVEY CHANGES PLANS London. Eng.. Dec 27.—Martin Harvey has opened his season of drama at the Covent Garden, with "Hamlet," instead of with "King Arthur" as originally planned. Robert Loraine was to have played Lahn- celot, but decided upon another scheme, and the production of Laurence Binyon's new play was postponed. NEW PLAY OPENS London, Eng., Dec 28.—'Among the plays produced t his m onth,at the Elephant and Castle, by William Burgees and bis repertoire players, is a .new .one called "The Right to live,!' written by W;~ V. Garrod, who also supervised the production of the play. It is a war-and-after-war play, with an enemy spy and an army cap- tain aa the leading male characters. Captain Warren has been, according to reports, killed in France after committing a treacherous act that'resulted is the loss of half a battalion. Captain Muller, a German spy, acting as a British army officer, is in reality the traitor, aided by Godfrey Rawle, a regenerate rue. Irene Fraser, a convent orphan, comes to Lon- don seeking the protection of Rawle, whom she thinks a friend. However, he wants to treat her as he treats all women, and she, after a struggle, stabs him with a hatpin and runs away, taking with her a packet she believes is her mother's. She meets Gwen Warren, wife of the captain, who has been ruined by Rawle. She begs Irene to take her place as Mrs. Warren, with the captain's mother. Gwen is killed in an air raid, and Irene, desperate, con- sents. Captain Warren, however, has not been killed, but has been a prisoner in France. He returns, blinded, to clear his name. He and Irene live as man and wife. By a series of operations, be gets his sight bade, and finds his supposed, wife a stranger. Things are explained and they are married, as they love each other. Meanwhile, Muller has killed Rawle and is arrested as the murderer. Irene dis- closed the packet she obtained from Rawle's room, which turns out to be evi- dence of MuHer's complicity as a spy. "ON THE WING" FLIES HIGH London, Eng., Dec 27.—Harry Day's latest production, "On the Wing," a musi- cal comedy with book by Joseph Hayman and music by Max Darewski, baa created quite a hit here It was first produced at the Grand, Clapham, and later brought to the West End. The play deals with the nights in love of Augustus Cann, a forgetful, butterfly chasing beauty connoisseur who, in order to inherit a large fortune, must marry be- fore noon of April Fools day. He goes around the world searching for a bride, bnt it fails for Marion Bright to win him, after all. George Clark and Isabelle Dillon play the leading roles, supported by Wal- ter Newman, Arlette Revena, Sophie For- rest, Bay Russell, B. Beresford and Miss Devetno. COUNCIL FAVORS LICENSES London, Eng,, Dec 26.—The recent agitation started^by the. Biahop^of London and committees representing all the various theatrical interests, fot a new licensing law, has reached the, London County Council, aid it has been discussing the matter at length. Last week it decided that .the new licensing law asked for was necessary, in view of the many existing evils in the managerial and booking end of the profession, Inst what this new law win be, what it wiQ do and for how long licenses will be issued, has not yet been decided upon, and the matter will have to come up again at a joint meeting at which the Council, which is overwhelmingly in favor of the proposed law, representatives of the indus- try and the Labor Ministry will be present. They will take the matter in hand and it is expected that the law will be framed be- tween them. The agitation started some time ago, fol- lowing the disclosure of conditions on the road by chorus girls and lady principals in so-called revues, which had been nothing bat traveling smut and fast houses. Girls had been signed for these shows and promised good salaries and conditions. But after the shows bad got out on the road, they were underpaid, mistreated, and when they refused to do. as they were told, left stranded. Reports of this reached the theatrical organizations and the church, which immediately started the movement for a better and stricter license law. DECLARES BIG PROFIT Glasgow, Scotland, Dec 26.—The di- rectors of the Glasgow Alhambra have just declared their »t,„t<»1 dividend, which this ot 10 per cent, over last years figures. The net profits for the yea r ending "Sep- tember were $75,500, a^c.all overhead, taxation and reseryg "expense accounts had been deducted. List" year's profits were $56,500. The directors are planning a reconstruction of their capitalization, which will stQl further strengthen Ihe returns oh the theatre GRANLVGinCNOL REOPENS Pabis, Dec 26.—The Grand-Guignol, closed since the start of the war, baa re- opened with a programme of six one act playlets. Of these, two stand out as excellent. One of these two, "Un Soir au Bonge," by Charles Mere, author of" "The Three Masks," tells the story of a Russian Duchess who takes up a bet of her Italian lover, to prove that she will have no fear if he takes her, unarmed and attired in evening clothes and diamonds, to a cut- throats' den. He takes her after the opera one night and pretends to be an ■"■«■'' .Not only does he frighten her, but she • loses her mind and stabs him just aa a band of Apaches break in upon them. Mile. Maxa and M. Paulais give a won* derful performance aa the Duchess and lover in the playlet. The other number of exceptional merit is from the pen of Pierre Beam, a new- comer, and is called "G. Q_ G. Amour." It is a grim tragedy in which Mme. Du- rand, Mile Bey let and Derlya and M. Viguier are given splendid opportunities to display their dramatic ability. NEW "PANTOMIME" MAKES HIT London, Eng.. Dec 26.—The Messrs. MellviOe's- latest- pantomime, "Dick Whit- tington," was produced last night at the Lyceum Theatre, "The Wild Widow" hav- ing been withdrawn some time ago to al- low for day and night rehearsals of the play. In the cast are Mabel Lait, Daley Cooper and George Bass. BRADY WANTS WEST-END HOUSE London, Dec 26.—William A Brady is trying to secure a West End theatre here for his exclusive use. If he gets one he will produce "Forever After" and others of his own production in it. MANAGER GOES TO PRISON Loxdon, -Eng., Dec 30.—Russell Vaughan hud; week began a five months' sentence at hard labor for fraud, having been con- victed last month hya-jary in Old Bailey. Vaughan, - whose right .ljan^jarrfoseph bmile Genee OTJrien, and who was icnown sis' a theatrical producer, was'*cohvicted with Dudley Frances Billings, an automo- bile -engineer, for trying to"' defraud Thomas Miles of $60,000 by means'" "of forged docmnents. Vaughan also had a charge of obtaining money under false pretences against him, having taken money from girls, claiming to secure stage work for them but never having done it BENEFIT FOR COMEDIAN London, Eng., Dec' 29.—Alfred Leslie, for many years a successful comedian and entertainer here, who two and a half years ago was stricken totally blind and worked as a blind entertainer for eighteen months, has been taken seriously ill with a severe nervous.breakdown and is unable to work any longer. Leslie, who has a wife and four children dependent upon him, is being treated at.a local hospital Funds axe, being raised for him by pro- fessional" friends and theatrical news- papers in London.