The New York Clipper (January 1920)

Copyrighted. 1919, and published weakly by the Clipper Corporation. 1604 Broadway, Now York. Entered at the Post-OWce at Mew Tork. June 14. 1878. aa second-class . mall matter under Act of March s, 1879 Founded by PRANK QUEEN, 1SSI NEW YORK, JANUARY 7, 1920 VOLUME I.XVII—No. 48 Price. Fifteen Cents. 81.00 a Year REVENUE OFFICERS WATCHING BROADWA Y HOUSE TREASURERS Entire Staff of One Theatre Discharged After Discovery of Con- spiracy by Which Part of Admission Tax Was Being Retained and Split Tbat the revenue officers of the United States Government have been checking up on the war tax receipts of Broadway the- atres was brought to light last week with a shake-up of the house staff of a New York theatre when manager, treasurer, cashiers and doormen were suddenly dis- charged and put on the grill by govern- ment investigators. No one baa been ar- rested as yet, but such may occur at any time. Government inquiry disclosed a conspir- acy between the treasurer, doormen and cashiers to keep a good portion of the war tax money for themselves. The treasurer, it seems, was the master-mind of the quintette, paying his two doormen and two cashiers $100 each, weekly, to keep their mouths shut and accept their pro- Sjrtion of the swag. In this way the overnment was defrauded out of many thousands of dollars from that theatre alone. When the crime was discovered written confessions were secured from the conspirators, it is said, but their arrests held Off BO that the Government could make similar investigations elsewhere without those under suspicion knowing that.their acta were being watched. It is the opinion of Government officials tbat similar thefts of greater or leas de- gree have been going on at other New York theatres, and many box-offices are ' under close surveillance by revenue men. The theatre where the conspiracy was brought to light now has a new house staff, recruited quickly from other the- atres belonging to the same chain. When inquiries were made at the executive's of- fices of this chain, nothing could be learned because of the strict secrecy that was being maintained at the request of the Government. KOLB AND DUX OPEN Oakland, Cal., Jan. 1.—Although "Wet and Dry," which came to the Ye Liberty this week, may lack the plot in- tricacies of former Kolb and Dill produc- tions, it affords a jolly evening. The cast is entirely capable and there Is the usual excellent Kolb and Dill chorus. The title of the piece might suggest tears, at this time when all the bar taps are rusting, but the audience which sat through the premiere put on a happy face and de- termined to laugh, though they could not quaff. And there was plenty to laugh at. The piece is just one humorous concoction after another, offset by plenty of jazz, elaborate costumes and stage affects. There was also plenty of dancing that brought considerable applause. The chorus was especially good. Perhaps the best performance of the evening was that of Julia Blanc in the serio-comic role of Chloe, the negro ser- vant. Others besides Kolb and Dill in the cast were: Lauvenia Winn, May Cloy, Lorenz Gillette, Allen Walter, Hugh Met- calf, Charles Yule, Al Halle*t, Mortimer Snow, Carl Berch and Eight Singing Girls. . LEW WATSON ARRESTED Charged with desertion of his wife and three children. Lew Watson, a member of the."School Days" act, was arrested last week at the United States Theatre, Ho- boken, and held under bail for further hearing. According to the police, Wat- son's wife, who makes her home in Phila- delphia, alleges this is the second time he has deserted her. «nFTY-nFTY" RE-OPENS Stsacusb, Jan. .1.—"Fifty-Fifty, Ltd.," which played a return engagement here this week after being seen at the Comedy Theatre, New York, has many new fea- tures, including a revised book by William Lenox, and several new tunes by Harry Carroll. There has been little or no change in the cast, except that, perhaps, they are possessed of many new frocks and with a poise tbat was lacking at their first appearance. The production, as it stands in its re- vised version, is by far the best tbat has presented itself here this season, and is bound Chicagoward, where it will have an extended run. Herbert Cortell, the featured leading man, was very funny in the part of Corn- wallifl Napoleon Crosby, whose ideas of a food time rarely coincided with those of is excellent wife, Minerva. His beat song, "The Argentines, the Portuguese and the Greeks," was encored half a dozen times, and the audience shouted for more when he finally retired. Florence Brown, as Fluffy La Grange, the "jazz vampire," sang prettily and looked charming, and Marguret Dumont made a stately Minerva. Barrett Green- wood and Ottillie Corday gave capital in- terpretations of their parte, and the rest of the cast was in adequate hands, and included Frank Pollard, Fern Rogers, the Gusman Sisters, Dorothy Guniette, Flor- ence Brown and Arthur Allen. BRADY TRIES OUT NEW ONE ' Boston, Jan. 1.—Some time ago Alice 'Brady, who is appearing here in "Forever After," received the script to a new play which her father, William A. Brady, the New York producer, had chosen as her new starring vehicle for next season. Yesterday afternoon, at the Plymouth The- atre, the new piece made ita appearance for the first time under the title of "Anna Ascends." The play is the work of Henry Chapman Ford and a melodrama of the purest type, which may boast the added advantage of a timely theme and well worked-out plot In the title role. Miss Brady is provided with a vehicle that offers her wider scope for dramatic action than, anything she has pre- viously presented here. - The story of the piece hinges itself about a young Syrian girl, who, alone, comes to this country to win her fortune. While employed in a cheap restaurant, on the lower East Side of New York, she meets a young man and they both become interested in each other. At this point there enters a crook, a white slaver, who tries to win the girl for his nefarious pur- poses. When he forcibly attempts to re- move her from the restaurant she stabs him and flees, thinking she has killed him. After an elapse of three years the girl is employed as a stenographer in the office of the father of the young man In whom she formerly took an interest. Then a ro- mance begins, but the little Syrian, with the knowledge of her supposed crime hang- ing over her, will not listen to marriage, Finally, she discovers that the butler of the house is the very man she thought she had killed, and her silence is broken, en- abling her to. marry the man of her choice. Miss Brady has a strong part, replete with opportunities, and gave a clever and broader demonstration of her powers than ever before.. Other members of her com- pany of "Forever After" assumed the vari- ous people of the cast. The performance was merely a "try out." MABLE FENTON ROSS FINED Newark, Jan. 3.—Mabel Fenton Rosa, proprietor of Ross-Fenton Farms, Deal Lake, was among those fined |250 each last week in the United States District Court here for violating the wartime pro- hibition act The defendant, who pleaded guilty, was warned that repetition of the offense would merit more severe, penalties. COHAN'S FIRST PLAY ANNOUNCED "The Celebrated Chorus" win be the first production, of George M. Cohan, as an individual producer. .The play is a farce baaed on "Madeleine and the MoViea," by Patterson Gibbs. BRATTON AND PAULTON WORKING "The Peach Girl" is the title of a two- act musical piece for which Jack Bratton is turning out the music and Ed Paulton the book. • "FIDO'S" SIGN LEASE Monday, the Actors' Fidelity League signed a long term lease of the four-story and basement building at 122 West Forty- third street, which they have occupied tentatively as their headquarters since last August. At present the house affords both of- fice space and club accommodations. In fact, the top floor has been fitted up as a retreat for members who seek relaxa- tion. But the aim of the League is for a new clubhouse, and a step in that di- rection will be a special all-star perform- ance at the Broad Street Theatre, New- ark, N. J., on the night of January 18th. Plans are afoot for the presentation of a series of plays in New York, including, perhaps, a few notable revivals, the casts for which will be drawn exclusively from the Fidelity membership. When the League moves, as it expects to do, the present premises can he held as an in- vestment. CHORUS GIRL STEALS SHOW Atlantic City, Jan. 2.—One of the rarest of stage happenings Thursday night, at the Globe Theatre, gave plenty of pep to the discussion of the new Victor Herbert piece, "My Golden GirL" An unknown chorus girl, by name Jean- nette Dietrich, practically "stole the show" In the second act. It all happened out of a blue sky. The Globe was packed to the doors, with a typical, cosmopolitan holiday crowd, which sat listlessly, almost apathetically, through the first act of the show. Than came the opening number of the asmnd act, enhanced by a dancing chorus. Sud- denly, just aa the chorua reversed to make its exit, a terrific, roar of applause came like a swift barrage from the audience, and would not be stilled until a little black-haired chorus girl re-appeared. Her name was Jeannette Dietrich and she was dancing like a smoky, brown flams, leaping and whirling and swaying with thi most amazing grace and swiftness. Right in the middle of the number she executed a complete lightning-like turn and the audience could no longer contain itself. It started to applaud long, re- verberating, insistent. The' management tumbled to the strange event and sent her out again with a several seconds' lead, and immediately the house went wild again. She had stopped the show cold. A skeptical reviewer on the Gazette- Review, the night after, went again to the theatre. Jeannette Dietrich again carried the house, which settled the mat- ter definitely. She was interviewed and the next morning appeared.a special col- umn article featuring her, and she became the talk of Atlantic City. By Saturday night the publie was buzzing her name from pillar to post, and the Globe's capac- ity was overtaxed at the evening's per- formance. Jeannette Dietrich la only nineteen years old and hails from Boston, a reg- ular American girl. She has been on the stage a - little over two years, ap- pearing most recently in the chorus of the "Royal Vagabond." HARRIS SEEKING THEATRE Sam Harris has his eye peeled for a theatre, not only in New York, but in Chicago aa well. Plana for one in New York were being discussed last week, but are understood to have been abandoned. While in Chicago tunning up "The Ac- quits!" for its opening in New York last Monday, he. is said to have looked over WANT COIN FROM KENNEDY The activities of Aubrey M Kennedy, who several years ago opened a motion picture house at Broadway and Ninety- fifth street, only to have it fail after a few months running, were again brought to light when the Van Beuren and New York BiUpoatlng Company last week filed a summons and complaint against the Kennedy Theatres, Inc., in the County Court. onday, teral available sites 'there. In their complaint, the plaintiff i thai the court fix the value of 1,000 j sjssws al of Kennedy Theatre stock held by Thomas J. llealy, the restaurant man, and Ken- nedy, the latter having received 600 shares from Healy, and require them to pay it over to the corporation for the benefit "of creditors. The complaint further sets forth tbat Healy received the stock "for services" In obtaining a lease for the Kennedy The- atres, Inc., of the Ninety-fifth Street prop- erty, the rental paid, 81,230 a week, is fair consideration, and no red considera- tion was given for the stock. - Following Kennedy's failure to make the theatre "go" it was taken over by the Universal Film Corporation. -.'"