Variety (December 1922)

PRICE Za CENTS a:--- Published Weekly at IS4 Went 46th St.. New Tork. V. T^ by Variety, tnc Amoal Entered aa second class matter Dec«mt>«r 22. 1905. at the Post Offlce at New Yorlc. I a u bf cr Iptlon II. Slagle codIc* 20 caaUt. ander tha Act or Uarcb S. lC7f. VOL. LXIX. No. 2 NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1922 40 PAGES ■jw>. JOE LEBLANCS TICKET PLAN KAMELESS"NON-HEADLINEBDi {CENTIiliL TICKET >■;.■■ ^>*'', KEITH'S PAUCE EXPERIMENT Advertised and Played During This Season—Result of Observation of Grosses for Shuberts' Units— New Future Standards of Comparisons I A "nameless" and non-headline Oftfl ArUQD^ APPIV IblU will be advertised and played ^VV AVlUIliJ Al I lil at Kelth'« Palace, New York, dur- m^ ra* > imnrr DAI TC Ing the present season, to test the ||| f |lJj IIIKUj KULbU conviction of the Keith offlcials that an eatablished vaudeville house backed by the Keith organization dots not require name* or head> liaera to draw. The experiment Is prompted by tlM failure of former Keith acts to attract patronage to the Shubert TandevIIle units. After taking stock Pt th« unit srossea the vaudeville bookers felt that many acts they had considered buainess getters In tlie past were overrated. The strict adherence to the salary HiBltatlonfl laid down for each Keith bouse this season is one of the re- •ults of the study. Last season the Bhubert circuit played straight (Continued on page 3) S^AUENAQTAX DEDUCTED BY THEATRE Keith Office Issues Preventive fnstructions to Local Managers The Keith office has instructed all of ita house managers to deduct 8 per cent, from the salaries of all alien acts, beginning Jan. 1, 1923. The money deducted represents in- come tax aliens must pay the U. S. Ooremment, and the Keith office In collecting the 8 per cent, is act- ing In co-operation with the In- ternal Revenue Department, to Which the money is turned over weekly. The reason for the action of the _Keith office in collecting in( omo taxes from aliens at the source is because the theatre Itself ia held liable in the event an alien fails to pay taxes on a given eng.iRfment, In the event such alien Bhould earn a taxable amount durinff the year. All of the Keitb agents received notices last week requesting them to furnish the Xeith office with a complete Usl of aUeu acta booked. Rush Came with Casting of ''Old Bill"—Real Lord in Cast : When the caatins was completed laat week at the Belmont, New York, for "Old Bill, M.P.," the Balmsfather English play, 290 ac- tora applied although there were but three parts open. The excep- (Continucd on page 3) SUNDAr VICTORY Rev. /. E. Russell Loses Hit Sunday Violation Suit Binghamton, N. Y., Nov. 29. It took a trial Jury j"9t fifteen minutes to liberate Harold F. Al- bert, recreation director of the Bn- dicott-Jofanson corporation, tried for a Tiolation of the local Sunday blue laws in connection with the Sunday Sousa band concerts given here on November 12. The complaint in the case was made by Rev. James Klhert FtussoH, pastor of the North Presbyterian Church. An interesting bit in the trial was the Questioning of Mr. Allt>ert by Harry K. Henne&sy, his attorney. "What did you do before you be- came recreation director for the Bndlcott-Johnson corporation?" he asked. "I was a choir leader in a church." *Tfou mean to say you got your living that way?' "Yes." ^ — "In what churcFf ~ "The North Presbyterian Church.** This i» the church in which Hev. Hus^ell preaches. "You got paid for singing on Pun- day?" "Yea." In his testimony Mr. Alb'^rf s:a(od that the concert resulted In a n<i Ios» of I73S.25, TO Believes He Has Solution of Manage rial DifFiculty with Speculators — Guar- antees Experiment Shall Cost Managers Nothing— Will Standi All Expenses and Organize Systexn— Treasurers Not to Be l^is- turbed CUT RATES INCLUDED A comprchen9ive plan for the handling •( all ticketa for Broad- way's legitimate theatres in a cen- tralized offlce is reported to have been submitted within the week by Joe Leblang to the Producing Man- agers' Association. The plan Is said to be elastic enough to include Leblang's c^wn cot rate ticket agency as an aside to the larger ofHce, In order that the managers, besides exercising a supervisory direction over the cen- tralized agency, shall have a simi- lar say in the business matters per- taining to cut rates and the the- atres. It is said to be Mr. lieblang'a idea that ff the Broadway theatre owners and producers really want (Continued on page 4) MRS. ALEX CARR ALLEGES FRAUD BY HUSBAND AND AnORNET Ciril Order of Arrest Served on Actor—Breacli of Promise Suit Started by Frederick E. Goldsmitli for Mrs* Carr SHEA'S GiLSEY HOUSE AT CONEY ISLAND SOLD Open for 30 Years—Volunteer Entertainment at 'Irish Cabaret" Coney Island lost one of its old- est resort keepers as a resident and cabaret operator last week when Paddy Shea scraped the sand of Coney from his feet and left for California, where he will make his home. Shea's Gllsey House on the Bow- ery was sold by him about 10 days Ago. The place flourished for some 30 ycara with an entertainment and clientele original with itself. It was known as the "Irish Cabaret," and the bulk of its patrons were Irish or of Irish descent. Shea's success was In allowing the customers to entertain themselvee. Although the Gilsey House always had two or three paid entertainers, usually a Jig dancer, pianist and accordion (Continued on page 3) MRS. FRAZEE'S SETTLE- MENT LARGEST KNOWN One-Third Interest in All Fra- zee's Property, $40,000 in Cash and $1,000 Monthly $750 NOT ENOUGH Robert Warwick "Can't Live on It" —"To Love** Moving Out H. H. I'razec's financial settlement upon hi.s v.ife, Elsie Fraxee, former show girl in the Chicago company of "Madame Sherry." I.«! one of the largest known In theatrical circles, according to account. "Mm. Frazee was grant<d nn absolute divorce recently, naminR: B^lizabeth Nelson as cor( .sr>»r»rt**nt. The latter was once a cliorister, .ind a'so played (Co?itinn«d on page 3> 'To Love," the French comedy adapted by Grace George and pro- duced by W. A Brady, leave* the Hijou for the road Saturday. It is a three i>erson play with Miss George starred and Norman 1'revor and Robert Warwick featured. The latter will be replaced by William Boyd for the road. Warwick's withdrawal dl.icloscd an unusual salary angle, he stating he "could not live on |750 a week" on the road. That sum was War- wlok'e eontracted salary in New York. He is reported having asked for 10 per cent, of the gross. Mi.ss George and Trevor are receiving 10 ptr cent., with the former guaran- teed 1 1.000 we4>kly. ' "To Love" will open on tour at PhilaUelphia Monday. Legal actions in plenty have been started against Alexander Carr, through Frederick E. Goldsmith, the attorney, repreeentiny Mrs. Mar/. Carr, former wife of the actor. Among the suits Is one for |60,M9 for alleged breach of promise to marry. It Is intermingled with the charges of fraud Mrs. Carr made against her husband and his attor- ney. Harry Saks Heckhelmer, in an affidavit presented by Mr. Qoldemith In his application for a reargument and the granted application for a civil order of arreet against Carr. The latter, pleaded for on the ground Carr was about to leave the state with "Partners Again." was grant£d hy Justice Faber in the Supreme Court of Brooklyn, N. Y.. last Saturday. The court's order directed the defendant (Carr) to file a bond of $5,000 to guarantee (Continued on pa#e S) CHICAGO DANCE HALL PAYS $3,000 FOR BAND Trianon, on South Side, Open* ing with Society Event. $150,000 for Advertising Chicago, Nov. 2f. The Trianon, a million - dollar dancing palace on the South Side, which will open Dec. 5. will have Roy Bargy and bis orchestra. Con- tracts have been signed for 62 weeks with Ernie Young under the terms of which the musical organi- zation Is to receive $3,000 per week. The Roy Bargy orchestra passes from the direction of E. C. Benson Dec 31 to that of Mr. Young, who (Continued on page 4) COSTUMES "EVKRYTUma" ForonioMt Mukors of Star* Attlr« for Wumva and Mea BROOKS-MAHIEU 1131 B'wajr K. T. City