Variety (July 1919)

WHO'S WHO-AND WHY IN VAUDEVILLE (To be continued as a series, with one Who's Who article weekly. Name of writer supplied upon request-this one by Johnny O'Connor (Wynn). i ... JUlHMiiiiJil i'- " / .- fflUdvv* ffis riglit name is Louis Josejfhs and he hails from Davenport, la., arriving exactly 29 years ago. Just why he took the name of Frisco is a mystery. His explanation is that he blew ■ his \ home burg in a box car on the Frisco j% route and liked the name so appro- 1— priated it He has never been West of Davenport, probably never will, _for someone tipped* him off that thejrre waiting for him on the West coast and "Frisco" is always covered, both physically and financially. When he came to in Davenport he grabbed a job hopping bells. His home town didn't show much results and "Frisco" blew to Milwaukee where he juggled ' ice water for the traveling men until tips broke so tough he simply slid out and went to Chicago. Chicago wised "Frisco" up. He got his education out around 22nd street when 22nd street was right . Bob Gray's, Freiburg's and all the joints fell for his .funny steps and nightly they used to wait in Jimmy Colosimo's until the kid with the derby egg and the big cigar used to blow in and do his string of steps for what the hat gath- ered. One night he collected $2.80 and laid off for a week. But "Frisco" was no chump. He kept sending that sugar . back to the bank in Davenport and when the touches came from the boys on the street "Frisco" was always broke. » *• : One day he went out to White City and thought he was in London, Eng. In Chicago, after you get to be 21 you learn that only farmers visit White City. But he met a chap in White City who gave him his start in show business. He landed a job as stage- hand at one of the legit theatres. Two years later with "The Modern Eve" he made his first hit in the same house. And while he was on, the stage man- ager yelled "Clear" and "Frisco" be- gan shoving chairs around. He was accidentally speared by one of the chorus boys in a "hurry up" number while leaving the'stage and the next season instead of playing in the legit end he fell for the cabaret racket At the Lambs Club in Chi "Frisco" was a local riot But the kid had ambition and the following season Broadway took its initial peep at him, up at the Montmarte, where he kicked - his dogs around for two seasons. And then "Frisco" saw vaudeville,-breaking in on the west side in Chicago with Loretta McDermott They shoved ahead fast, and now the kid from Davenport is a headliner. Confidentially "Frisco" will tell you he's broke on and off, but the poke is well filled with yellow backs, all glued to the leather. His bank book has been enlarged and his credit is pretty good, but >he still walks up one flight to save the other eight bucks and he can't get over the habit of smoking cigars made in Pittsburgh. Recently he played Chicago and they gave him what is politely termed the "bird." They couldn't understand why a Chicago made kid could burn them up in New York the way "Frisco" did. But Chicago was near-sighted when they passed him up for they might have had him for a ten case note a few years ago, but his recent visit cost them $2,500. And "Frisco" now carries a valet He picked up' an egg around Wolpin's, pinned the name of Rasputin on him and told him how to juggle his grips. A great kid, on and off, can stutter in six languages and strictly a Joe Mc- Gee on the spendthrift plan. Also likes to give away the sleeves of his vest, but when the sheriff's man is carting away the furniture "Frisco" will be there playing the role of land- lord. Just a smart egg, wised Up in the college of hard knocks and he's kidding his way right through the shimnue craze. ■ Louis Josephs from Davenport 1 But what's in a monicker! ■"■-. \ •.. $ i\ BAGGAGE CAR RATES. The United Managers' Protective As- sociation was informed of the final ad- justment of the baggage car regula- tions by the Railroad Administration All roads will travel one baggage free with the movement of a company of 25 persons or more, with the excep- tion of the New Haven lines, which continue the regulation of one car for SO persons. The Other roads will permit the bag- gage car arrangement but for two cars (for SO persons). Where more than two cars are required, irrespective of the number of persons in a company, a charge for each of such extra cars of 25 cents per mile will be made and the minimum charge for such extra cars will he $25 per car. LARGEST CIRCUS TRAINS. Bridgeport, Conn., July L The Ringling-Barnum and Bailey show is now traveling in five trains with a total of 98 cars, the biggest number ever used. The local engagement was spoil el by incessant rain June 27. The after- noon performance was halved, somOpf the performers working under umbrel- las, while others used raincoats from ring to dressing room. It was impos- sible for the audience to be seated. The night performance was almost as bad. i Advertise V in VARIETY'S i Bills Next Week Department IN LONDON VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 28 GERHARD STREET •>•"•;■, 'y~mi f; [:^ : :m London, June 13. The remarkable business that pre- vailed in-London theatricals has pet- ered out, for the present at least, due to a heat wave, and as a consequence 14 legitimate shows put up their notices this week, with some of tbe others not doing so well either. The successful run of "Hullo Amer- ica" at the Palace ceased to do big busi- ness with the withdrawal of Elsie Jams and the substitution of Raymond Hitchcock, William Rock and Frances White. This was due to the failure of Hitchcock through lack of suitable material and the fact that Rock and White are unknown here. For instance', when Miss White makes her first en- trance, wheeled in on a baggage truck, with no one else on the stage, she fails to get a single hand, and the same thing occurs with Rock's initial appear- ance. Later they win the audiences over with their specialties. It was a difficult thing for" Miss White to do at best, following Miss Janis, a prime favorite, in a part specially written to fit Miss Janis. Then again Miss White is weak on reading lines and whenever called upon to speak them she. lets the scenes drop. The best comedy scene in the show at present is the restau- rant bit.from the .former"Hitchcock show, with Stanley Lupino, a very agile' low comedian, playing the part ot the waiter, created in New York by Leon Errol. • • Leon Errol's first entrance in the Hippodrome show, "Joy Bells," is made at 9.50 p. m., when he does the scene tive as he emerged: "Clever chap Ro- bey, but I rather like that other fellow too—that North American." R. E. Jones,_Ltd. { Welsh^ caterers, ^' have acquired Terry's Theatre on the '.;.' Strand, now being run as a cinema by . .: Albert De Courvitfe, together with adr ; joining property, for the erection of a . ; new hotel and restaurant and will com- ;^ me nee construction in the autumn. The><^^, venture involves $2,000,000. J. L-Sacks is going to New York again in September, when he will bring with him some English successes and produce them in America, probably in association with A. H, Wood?. The latr ;■/ ter, however, is disinclined to, enter into any musical production ventures, so there is. a possibility he may make other connections for this style of Shows. Sacks is desirous of securing a number of American artists for his English productions claiming that na- tive talent is scarce. :..-,:. ■.''■;■ J ; Gilbert Miller's production of "Mon- sieur Beaucaire" at Prince's Theatre, founded on Booth Tarkington's famous story, is a new romantic opera by An- dre Messager, with splendid lyrics by Adrian Ross. It is to be done in New York in the fall by Henry Miller in as- sociation with A. L. Erlanger, at the Amsterdam. It is splendidly done here with an excellent company, with Mag- gie Teyte in the prima donna role. To music lovers she is a rare treat But just how much appeal so legitimate a romantic opera will have for the . — :.•.-','■■ ■■.■•■>{,& . WITH THE MUSIC MEN. Dixie and Jack McShayne are doing a vau- deville act A newly partitioned office oa the floor of Sbapiro-Bernateln'a professional department baa "Joe Goodwin, Manager" on It * | Earl Branson, formerly pianist for the Wll- lard Mack act, has Joined the staff of Mc- Carthy & Fisher. ——— . > Jack Mills, last professional manager ot McCarthy & Fisher,* opened his own muslo publishing offices this week. Mills will start with a number from bis own pen, to which Ed. Rose supplied the words. Arthur N. Green, a vaudevllllan and song- writer, has placed "Hello Bill," the official Elks song, with Waterson, Berlin ft Snyder, who will "plug" the number during the Elks convention at Atlantic City, next week. . p. m., . tSSS "if fo P r h a 2SSf acrobat N American pubfic Question dances just before the finale. All told he appears to be on the stage less than half an hour. Probably the biggest comedy hit of the show.is the Stan Stanley specialty, done by George Ro- bey~and Winnie Melville in the audi- ence, with Fred Allendale on the stage as the straight man. The Stanley in- dividuality, however, is lacking and the alterations in the dialog and "busi- , ness" have not tended to improve the scene. The main criticism about "Joy Bells" is that there is too much Robey, who is essentially a specialty perform- er. He now goes in for acting and loses out through a defect from which he always suffered—that is looking to his audience whenever he says some- thing clever and "asking" for a laugh. J. L. Sacks and his associate. William J. Wilson, are in the throes of a series of productions. "Nobody's Boy" opens at the Gar rick the second week in July; "Florabella" has its premiere at Blackpool tbe third week' in August; "The Velvet Lady," under a new title, comes to the Gaiety the end of August, after which "Tiger Rose" in the early autumn. ' The feud between Robey and Er- rol at the Hippodrome, while quiescent at the present time, is still smoulder- ing. Robey has the advantage, through being in a position to command the attention of the management at prac- tically his own terms. The ticket li- braries made a $175,000 outright "buy" of seats, under an agreement calling for the appearance of Robey in.the cast and in event of his withdrawal the > Hippodrome management would have to return the money. So, when Errol. scored very strongly on his opening night, information was lodged with the libraries that Robey might withdraw. Errol's contract with DeCourville is for eight Weeks at a certain salary, with an option to retain the American comedian after that time for "the rim of the piece" at an increased figure. Of course there was the usual hulla- baloo, with DeCourville .the recipient of abuse from both sides. He couldn't possibly let Robey go and didn't want to lose Errol. The latter was appeased by the payment to Errol of his in- creased salary from his first week. On . the opening night a fair sample of how Errol and Robey were received may be gathered from the remark of one na- They are still talking about Tommy Gray here—retailing,with much gusto an event at the Eccentric Club during his stay, which may, or may not, have reached America. An American officer was standing at the bar when he Was approached by an inebriated English- man, who made insulting remarks ah-. ent Americans boasting they had won the war. Realizing the/Britisher was intoxicated the American attempted to avoid a controversy. Tommy was standing by and, as usual, couldn't re- sist the opportunity to put one over. 'Til "tell you who won the war," said Gray. "It was the Eskimos." "Eskimos?" said the souse. "And what are they?" .: i "Well," said Tommy, "you see they live where the nights are six months long; so they went to sleep for that length of time and sent England all their food and fuel, which won) the war." But the "stew" wasn't quite con- vinced and continued to bait the Amer- ican officer until he hit the persistent one a wallop that knocked him many feet away. They picked him up, ; brought him to his senses and sat him in a chair. Then Gray went over to him and whispered in his ear: "It was the Eskimos that won the war." "Are You a Mason" starts its 22nd consecutive year's tour Aug. 4, at the Cort, Liverpool, under the direction of Charles H. Williams. I ■•-■■■•... ■ .A .■•>'