New York Clipper (Apr 1923)

8 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER April 25, 1923 LEGIT STARS IN SUMMER RUSH TO VAUDE. OPERA AND FILM STARS ALSO BID •Vandevflle is due for a greater inflnx or artists from motion pictures, mosical comedies, the legitimate stage and evoi grand opera, this smnmer than ever before jodging from the amount of "names" which are scheduled to open within the next two months, and from the number which have already opened. The latst five "names" which are now didiering whh the Kdth Vandeville Exchange are those of James J. Jeflfries, former heavyweigfat champion of the world; Mary Miles l£n- ter, William Desmond, Bert Lytell and JXm^™ (Dorothy Davenport). Mrs. Wallace Reid has already played the Orphenm Crcnit this season, bat this was several months before her hustand's death. It is more tiian'fifteen years since Jeffries appeared in theatricals of any sort He is said to be ready for opening during the hat week in May. Hany Weber is sub- mittmg these five. - ^rom musical comedy and the legitimate nda the list of newcomers to Keith vande- vffle this year is headed by Eddie Cantor, whose engagement to open at the Palace, uevelaod, oo Tone 4th was exdusivdy annomiced in die Qjpfeb several weela MO. The rumor that.AI Jolson is also to be seen in Kdth vaudeville;, published at the same time, still persists and more than pnAably will devdop into a fact Others mdude Ol^ Cook, who opened last week; Harlan Dixon 'and Marie Callahan, - who are to open shortly; Eddie Buzzell, Doris Rankm. Howard Kyle, Leo CarriUo, Wil- liam Faversham, and' Lon Tellegen, the last two playing for some ttmr now. Grand opera u represented on the Loew Grcnrt by Dorothy Jardon and Orville Harrow. Evdyn Seotneyv the Metropol- itan Opera Comjony's prima donna, who anow in Australia, will arrive here in the eonrse of a few weeks to play vaudeville m the Middle West Chief Canpolican, also from. the Metropolitan Opera Com- pany, is now playing vaudeville. Mar- gnente Sylva is planning a return to vaude- ville this snnimer, having been absent from the two-a-day for the past three years. LOEW CLUB ELECTS OFFICERS The recently organized Loew-Mptro OtA, dected its officers for the commg year at a meeting hdd last week in the Loew Bnilding and resulted in the dec- tion of_ CoL Brady as president of the or- nnization. David Loew is vice-president. Miss Qnimby, 'recording secretary; Mr. Quick, treasurer, and' Dave Bloom finan- cial secretary. Committees, ranging from ececutive, to membership, athletic, sodal, publidty, editorial, ajid finandal were ap- pointed. Over thr«e[ Hundred employees of the loew and Metro'offices have joined the dub. It is ananging for a newspaper to Ik issued weddy to the members, and is also getting up a baseball team. BUZZELL HAS ACT Eddie Buzzell, who is shortly to retire from the cast of "The Ging^m Girl," will play several wedcs in vaudeville prior to Kligitmmg rehearsals for a new musical play in which he is to be starred, entitled "Keep Her Smiling." FIELDS BOOKED OVER ORPHEUM W. C Fidds, who dosed with Geoige White's-"Scandals" in Chicago last week, has bem rooted over the Orphenm Qr- cmt in his comedy sldt; "Golfing." N. V. A. COMPLAINTS Grace Moratti has complained against Ted and Betty Healey, alleging that they are infringing on her "mo&er" gag. Clayton and Edwards have brought com- plaint letters against Jans and Whalen, claiming that the latter are infringing on several bits in their act, among them the piece of business consisting of one in the act sitting on a chair with a baby spot- L'ght thrown on his fac^ playing the uke and singing in a falsetto while the other dances. Paul Spedit, the orchestra leader, has bronght complaint against Dr. Hugo Kiesenfdd, who has jnst completed two weeks at the Palace with the Rivoli and Rialto orchestras, alleging that Riesenfeld infringed on several parts of his material Specht claims that the idea of interpreting a popular American number as played in foreign countries is his, and he also states that Riesenfeld dnplicated every original idea of his vaudeville act, induduig that of "Classical Jazz." WILCOX WRITES A NOTE Frank Wilcox, who does a sketch in vaudeville, tried a new way of getting out of appearing at Court, when he was handed a smmnons for speeding last week on Broadway and 184th Street When his case was called the next day, a lackey in the livery of the Friars Qub, stepped up and gave a note to the complaining police- man which read: "Officer J. H. Smith, My Dear Sir;— Endosed is my certificate. Hope this will be satisfactory. Will drive more carefully from now on. Thank you very much for treating' me so decently. Sincerely, Frank Wilcox." The "certificate" was the summons, and the $25 was to pay his fine. The Magis- trate was not satisfied and ordered that Wilcox appear in person. KEITH BUYS NEW FORDHAM SITE The B. F. Keith Circuit has purchased a new site at Fordhajn Road and Morris Avenue, in the Bronx, for which they are paying $135,000. This site is within two blocks of the present Fordham Theatre, which the Keith circuit opened two years ago. It has a frontage of 169.9 fr^ on Fordham road and 1/3.9 on Morris ave- nue. No plans as to what type of theatre wOl be erected on the site have been an- nounced as yet, and in all probability the land will be held for a year or so before anything is built on it. ORPHEUM ROUTE FOR OLGA COOK Olga Cook, who recently closed in "Blossom Time" and opened in Keith vaudeville last week, has been routed over the Orpheum drcuit She will open in San Frandsco on April 29th. Dolly Kay has also been routed over the Orpheum dreuit and began her tour in St. Louis on Sunday, April 22nd. HARLAN DIXON HAS ACT Harlan Dixon, who closed recently with "Good Morning Dea^e," will enter Keith vaudeville shortly with an act in which he will be supported by the Sixteen Sunshine Girls from that show, and Marie Callahan as his dancing partner. He will open early in May. INEZ COURTNEY IN VAUDEVILLE Inez Courtney is entering vandeville in a new act in which she will be supported by Stark Patterson and Sid Keyes. The of- fering will be presented by Rosalie Stewart and is being staged by Bert French. Ar- thur Swanstrom and Carey Morgin are writing the act. LORnTA MeDERMOTT FOR FILMS Loretta McDennott, jazz dancer, who has been appearing in a production act with 'Frico in the western vaudeville houses, will make her film dd>nt in Jadde Coogan's next s cr een feature. KEITH DEALING WITH SHEA FOR HOUSES SEEK TO OWN INDEPENDENTS Negotiations are now being held between the B. F. Kdth Circuit of theatres and Mike Shea, for the sale of Shea's Theatres in Buffalo and in Toronto, to the Kdth drcnit, which has been booking those houses for several years. This is regarded as the first move towards the buying up of all the remaining houses not owned by the Keith dreuit and which are being booked through the Keith vaudeville ex- change. Another house is also reported under negotiations for transfer to the own- ership of the Kdth circuit, is the Princess in Montreal, whidi is owned by the -Cana- dian United Theatres, Ltd. Except for the F. F. Proctor houses, the only other houses booked by the Kdth vaudeville exchange which it does not control, are the Colonial, in Erie, owned by the Presque Isle Amusement Corpora- tion and the Hippodrome, 'Youngsto'wn, owned by the Youngstown Hippodrome Corporation. These are also reported in line for ownership by the Kdth firm. The Proctor dreuit was recently re- ported to have been purchased by J. J. Murdock for the B. F. Keith circuit, while Mr. Murdock and Mr. Proctor were at Palm Beach, Florida last month. This, however, was emphatically denied by the Proctor officer The meeting between Mr. Murdock and Mr. Proctor was simply be- cause both happened to go to Palm Beach to rest, and was sodal only, as both are dear friends. CASTING ALHAMBRA PLAYERS The cast of the Alhambra Players, which is being made up by Clark Brown of the Kdth office, consists thus far of William Watcrels and Marguerite Knight as the leads, with Lorraine Bernard, formerly of the Keith Hudson Players in Union Hill, and Harry Hayes as seconds. Flora Gade, Thomas Gade, Thomas Coffin Cooke, Homer Miles and Ralph Sprague have also been engaged. The stock ^company will open at Kdth's ' Alhambra theatre on Monday, May 7tb. T^'^h'ouse will dose its vaudeville policy on May 6th, and go right into the stock policy for the summer. PERCY WILLIAMS RECUPERATING Isup, L. L, April 23.—Percy G. Wil- liams is much improved in his condition, which resulted from an internal hemor- rhage while he was in Florida last week. He returned North in a private car, and, according to his secretary, Frederick A. Rosebush, the former theatre magnate's condition was never real serious, although there was some alarm over his illness. "CONTESTS" ON AGAIN Pr<>ctor's Fifth Avenue Theatre has re- sumed the "Opportunity Contests" this weeJc It is understood that the successful contestants will be grouped together in a mixed minstrel which will be given at the theatre next week. According to present plans, professional players will hold down the "ends" with the local talent contribut- ing singing and dancing specialties. THOBIFSON GOING TO ENGLAND Dr. Wm. H. Thompson known as "Thompson, the Egyptian," will sail for England on May 9 to begin an dght-week tour of the- Moss Circuit, which was ar- ranged for him by William Morris. He will begin his season in Nottingham on May 16th. ACTRESS SLUGGED AND ROBBED Zoe Garland, 20 years old, an actress, who lives at the Hotel Flanders, 135 West Fortj'-scventh Street, was found un- conscious, with a contusion of the back of her head, early Saturday in front of the dancing studio of Michel Fokine, 226 West Seventy-second Street She was partly revival by Patrolman Jeremiah O'Connor, who .carried her into Fokine's studio, where she was attended and taken by Dr. Paul to Knickerbocker Hospital. The man who had found her and railed Patrolman O'Connor gave his name as "Daniel Samuels, employe of the Ansonia Hotel" The hotd said he was unknown there. When the young woman regained con- sdousness at the hospital she said she had been to a party at the West Seventy-sec- ond Street address and that while on her way to get a taxi, two men and a woman approached, one of them remarking, "There's some easy jack." The next thing she knew she had been knocked un- conscious. "Two hundred dollars wluch she said, she had on her person was miss- ing. BIG ACT IN CABARETS Chicago, April 21.—The outlying places of amusement where dancing and dining is the rule arc offering big vaudeville at- tractions and these places are drawing well. The Marigold Garden where Ernie 'Young has been giving the North side amusement seekers real good entertain- ment is now featuring Gertrude Hoffman and her big revue. Included in this is De- 'Haven and Nice. So far she has brokoi all records for a consistent draw at this place. Ed. Beck's revue is still going big at the Rainbo Room. Frances White is the headine attraction beginning Monday night She will remain there for two weeks. It is said that Irene Castle wDl be the next offering for the Rainbo Room. TO CLOSE "BOHEMIAN NIGHTS" The "Bohemian Nights," which are be- ing held every Sunday evening at the Na- tional Vaudeville Artists club, will be dis- continued for the summer, beginning with the latter part of May. The dance nights, hdd every Thursday and Sunday,- will also be discontinued about the same time. They will be resumed in October. RELIANCE GETS THREE MORE The Reliance Agency, which supplies vaudeville acts to a number of independent houses, have added three more stands to thdr books/ They are the Strand, Shamokin, Pa., the Chester Street Sun- bury, Conn., and the Rialto, Jamaica, L. I. Joe Eckl is handling the booking for all three. NEW REVUE FOR ROONEY AND BENT Pat Rooney and Marion Bent will short- ly withdraw from their current vaudeville revue, "Rings of Smoke," to appear in a new tabloid called "Shamrocks." "Rings of Smoke'' will be routed over the Pantagcs time, under the direction of Rooney, with two others replacing Rooney and Bent in the act. MORRIS SUES MACK William Morris, filed suit last week in the Munidpal Court against Charles R. Mack, vaudeville actor, for breach of con- tract and agent's coimnlssions due to the sum of $294.00 as per contract made July 5, 1921. MARKS AND WILSON SPLIT Ben Marks and Dolly Wilson have dis- solved their vaudeville partnership after working together for two years. Marks will break in a single act shortly, and Miss Wilson also intends to return to a solo offering.