The Billboard 1924-09-27: Vol 36 Iss 39 (1924-09-27)

; The Billboard SEPTEMBER 27, 1924 Conducted by Alfred Nelson (COMMUNICATIONS TO OLB NEW YORK OFFICES) Herk Peeved at Propositions Made to Mutual Performers Urges Prominent Players To Secure Speciai Contracts Before Accepting Other Engagements —Sees Attempt To Impede Growth of Organization New York, Sept. 20.—Reports that have reached him during the past two weeks from prominent performers on his circuit stating that they had received letters conveying offers of positions with «pposition burlesque have brought from President J. H. Herk of the Mutual Burlesque Association a characteristic statement. “J am not unmindful of the fact,’’ said Mr. Herk in an interview, ‘“‘that certain interests have for some time been exerting every effort to impede the progress of Mutual Burlesque, and the centinued substantial growth of our circuit has been looked upon with increasing envy. I have always held it to be the right of any performer to improve his position, and I would be the last to interpose any obstacle if any performer in Mutual Burlesque found an opportunity for real advancement in the profession. But I sincerely hope that any players who contemplate making a change will be guided by good common sense and accept no contract that does not carry a guarantee of certain employment for a definite period without the usual two weeks’ notice clause, “I am naturally much gratified with the expressions of loyalty that have accompanied statements reaching me of proffers of other employmert to prominent Mutual artists, and I em confident that there will be no desertions from our ranks that will in any way cripple any attraction on our circuit. “It is quite true,’’ concluded Mr. Herk, “that some changes have been made in the personnel of a few companies, but these bave invariably been made for the betterment of performances, and in no case thru resignations.”* Verifying his repeated statement that all shows of the Mutual Circuit must maintain a high standard of excellence, President Herk has announced the closing Saturday, October 4, of CLEVELAND OVERSTOCKED WITH BURLESQUE STOCK New York, Sept. 20.—With a Columbia Cireuit house, a Mutual Circuit house and three individual burlesque stock houses Cleveland, 0O., bas been getting more than its share of burlesque during the current season, thereby dividing patronage five houses that is not more than enought to support two houses, The condition in Cleveland has caused Charles Drabek and associates, financiers of the fate Billy Vail *“‘Black Cat’? Burlesque Stock Company at the old Empire Theater, to sit up and notice and likewise decide that it is inadVisable to continue their burlesque stock policy. A notice has been posted in Vail’s for the company to close September 27. Messrs. Drabek and Vail are now in this city negotiating bookings of road shows for their theater, and so far they have booked a list of popular-priced attractions, such as ‘“‘Bringing Up Father’, Neil O’Brien’s Minstrels and otbers to follow. REDELSHEIMER REPORTS between his theater New York, Sept. 20.—Louis Redelsheimer, who specializes in placing performers with Mutual 4 Circuit shows, has made the following place ments: Ed De Velde, character man, replacing Dan Evans in “Maids F Merryland’’; Myrtle Andrews, ingenue, replacing Betty Rhoads in ‘‘Step Lively, Girls’’; Thomas Levene, comique, replacing Joe Burton in “Cuddle Up’’; Opal Taylor, sonbret, and Earl B. Miller, juvenile, with ‘‘Stepping Out’? Company; Harry A. Watson, juvenile, replacing Al Lewis in “London Gayety Girls”. rom “Cuddle Up’, and the substitution of an or ganization to be headed by “Shorty’’ McAllister. the title of which has not yet been decided upon, to play the time originally booked for the former. MUTUAL BURLESQUE IN UNION HILL Arthur Pearson Opens Hudson Theater to Representative Audience With Mike Sacks’ “Speedy Steppers” New York, Sept. 20.—Arthur Pearson's tenancy of the Hudson Theater in Union Hill, N. J., began Monday most auspicionsly. The house, which has been entirely redecorated and handsomely equipped, had Mike Sacks’ Speedy Steppers’’ as the initial attraction. The attendance upen the matinee was surprisingly large, and the house was completely filled at night with an audience that included prominent people of Union Hill and vicinity as well as frends of Manager Pearson and representatives of the Mutual Burlesque Association from New York. Charles P. Salsbury, of Mutual's staff, defined the policy of the Hudson in a brief address that was warmly applauded. The performance was pleasantly punctuated by the unannounced appearance of Harry Fox, who delighted the audience with some new songs, and Saranoff, with two selected violin solos, It was hinted that other professional friends of Manager Pearson would extend their Friarly greetings in a similar manner on subsequent Monday nights, The delegation from the Friars ineluded Fred Block, Dr. Leo Michel, Emmett Callahan, VALESKA Slender, stately biond leading-lady prima donna of personality of Sam Raymond's “Maids From Merryland’’ om the Mutual Burlesque Circuit. Monroe Goldstein, and Mr. Salisbury. There was no mistaking the enthusiastic reception accorded Mike Sacks and his excellent company, and the complete success of Mutual 3urlesque at the Hudson is confidently predicted. BURTON SUFFERS BREAKDOWN New York, Sept. 20—Joe Burton, engaged as principal comique for Lou Real's ‘‘Cuddle Up’, a Mutual Circuit attraction, suffered a nervous breakdown during rehcarsals that caused him to seek medical attendance and exit from the show. Tommy Levene will succeed Burton as comique, joining the show at the ‘‘Troc’’, Philadelphia, Pa. Henry Dixon, Harry Herk Walter (Pep) Smith and Marella Downey Smith are the proud parents of a baby boy that was born to them September 4. : SEEN AND HEARD By NELSE : Radio fans in and around Boston are row being treated to some burlesque entertainment. The entire programs at the Gayety and Casino theaters are being broadcast each week. of Minsky’s National Garden, conveys the information that May, his able assistant, and Bertha Klein, the pretty fominine usler-in-chief at the garden, wiil be married October 18. Nick Winter Sidney Elliot, manager Joe Barnes, a former manager of buriesqne companies, is seriously ill at the home of bis brot State street, Zanesville, O., and requests that his friends communicate with him at that address. her, There is Keith Time Maddox, entitled in vaudeville on the direction of C. B. “The Curer’’, that has absorbed several burlesquers. Jamie Coughlin, Yom Phillips, Larry Clark, Tom Dayton, Bertha Coughlin and Mae Rosslin. a new act under the Shirley Mallette, who has achieved the acme as a soubret in burlesque, is still old love, but feels that burlesque holds no future for her Therefore she has signed up with Hockey & Green's “Stars of the Future’’, a recognized vaudeville act now on the Poli Time. of success true to her “Sheriff? Jack Levy, for reasons best known to himself, which he will not disclose for publication, modestly admits that he has closed his second seuson as agent in advance of Jimmy Cooper’s Beauty Revne. He discontinued his services with the show at Bnffalo and entrained last week for Columbia Corner. When Dave Kraus, an official of the Mutual Burlesque Association and manager of the Olympie Theater, Fourteenth street, New York, playing Mutual Cirevit attractions, caught George Broadhurst, the featured comiqne in the “French Frolics’’ at that house, he deci led that Broadhurst was well worth buying for three years. Therefore, at the close of his present engagement, Broadhurst will become a star under the personal direction of Diplomatic Dave, Sam Futeran’s orchestra at Hurtig & Seamon’s 125th Street Theater is known far and wide for its jazzy accomplishments, but even the regular natives of Harlem hed to sit up and notice the exceptional jazz that they put into their playing Wednesday, September 10. In reply to inquiries put to Howard Burkhardt, manager of the house, we were advised that the orchestra was celebrating the arrival of Mother @ baby boy in the Futeran family. MLLE. VALESKA A Child of the Circus, Becomes a ‘ Vaudeville Artiste and Featured Leading Lady-Prima Denna in Burlesque Mile, Valeska is a native of Brussels, Belcium, where her family was well know. profossionally, traveling under the name of the tonita Family in various circuses. Her father was a clown, her mother a lion tamer, her sister a wire-act performer and her two brothers were in a musical act. As a child Valeska accompanied them on all their tours up to and including their arrival in this country when they went into vaudeville on the Keith Time Later Mile. Valeska toured the Keith Time in the act of O’Brien and Havel and then joined 4 Arthur Dunn in an act over the same circuit. Jack Singer, a well-known producing manager of burlesque shows on the Columbia Circuit, finally persuaded her to come into burlesque a leading lady-prima donna and she con‘ tinued in the Jack Singer show for several sea‘ sons, later joining the Al Reeves Show, then J the Joe Levitt Show, and at the present time she is leading lady-prima donna of Sam Raymond’s “Maids From Maryland’’, a Mutual Burlesque attraction that is reviewed in this week's : issue, NELSE. “STEPPING OUT” SHOW New York, Sept. 20.—Don Lester, of Izzy t Weingarden’s Mutual Circuit ‘‘Stepping Out", communicates that Dr. Sam Morris, of the Mutual Doctor Shop, visited the show at Int dianapolis to diagnose the ailment in the com. edy and prescribed accordingly, with the result ' that the show is much improved. t Due to Bob Girard’s exit, Jack Quinn is doing the principal comedy, aided materially by Charles Burns. Bob Robinson is the straight man who keeps the comiques well t supplied with fast and funny feeding of lines. A new soubret will be added to the show . when it makes Kansas City. ‘ Diminutive Ruth Mayer, of the vaudeville team of Quinn and Mayer, is a big asset to the show, and the same is applicable to Trixie, Saul and Florence as a trio. Mrs. Charles Burns appears to good advantage in characters in two big scenes. Art Weingarden is the manager of the company, and Daddy Izzy, during his visit to the show in Indianapolis, expressed himself well satisfied with the show, the company and with . Son Art’s management. BEDINI AND MARTIN SAIL FOR LONDON New York, Sept. 20.—An exclusive article in The Billboard recently set ferth the cause of . the Jean Bedini and Dave Sidman split and predicted that, instead of going into vaudeville with Cliff Bragdon and ‘‘Coo Coo’? Morrisey, Bedini would in all probability embark for London, Eng., to follow up his previous successes in the presentation of musical shows so familiar to playgoers in London and the provinces. ‘ That our prediction has come true is made , manifest by the fact that Bedini has engaged Wash Martin, a former well-known manager of burlesque shows, to embark on the Berengeria Wednesday, September 17, for London, where Martin will act as company manager for Bb , dini’s contemplated presentation of ‘‘Cheerio™ Martin will also act as the European representative of Johnny Coutts in seeking out Eu ropean novelties suitable for presentation jn this ; country for vaudeville and musical comedy : productions, ts NOT WITH “TOWN SCANDALS” ; Norman Hanley informs The Billboard that the note in the September 20 issue regarding him is incorrect. ‘Inasmuch as I didn't open with ‘Town Scandals’ or rehearse with the show I don’t see how I could be replaced by Joe Van, who, by the way, is a good friend of mine,” he writes, “I am not in burlesque this year, but am managing the Vincent Lopez Junior Orchestra.”’ as and babe are both doing well, and Maddy , Sam is doing better than ever as the director of jazz baby music.