Variety (December 1922)

W^'^fr-y^l'ir- '■''f ••«i; VAUDEVILLE /(■•• tf..\ ■^. 'IsTv?''?*-' ^K'i."'*"''^ riBTir—^ "TT ^f' Friday, December 1,1022 CHICAGO AGENTS MAKE CHARGES AGAINST PANTAGES' BOOKER Inform Circuit Head That They Will Withdraw Un- less "Conditions Change"—Charge Acts Arc Booked Direct at Larger Salaries Than Asked Chicago, Nov. 28. Th« war between Independent agents of Chicago and Charles E. Hodklns, Alex Pantages* personal representative with offices in Chi- cago, has reached a point where a round robin has been addressed to Alexander Pantages to the effect that, unless "conditions change" by Dec. 10, all Independent agents In Chicago will avoid that office. A meeting of Independent agents was held last Saturday afternoon at the ofHces of Sam Kramer In the Ma- ■onic Temple, and attended by Sam Kramer, Charles Mack, Sam Roberts, Louis HoUeb, Earl Girdeller, Miles Ingals, Sidney Schallman, Hyman Bchallman Leo Schallman. Harry Bantley, Jack Pine, Al Weston. Frank Gladden, Elm^r Jerome, Harry Markham, Allen Bummers, Billy Cahan. Emery Ettelson and Mort Infield. It is declared that the signature of each and every one of these agents was signed to th^ com- munication sent to Mr. Pantages. The Independent agents assert that they are approached to obtain acts for the seven weeks of Pan- tages' time in the mid-West terri- tory, and that they are expected to coax the acts into playing the time under the representation that the time is not opposition, and that aft- er this usually the Pantages book- ing department steps in and books the acts for the circuit proper over the heads of the agents and leaving them "holding the bag." The letter to Pantages was fol- lowed up with letters to the man- agers which are supplied with Pan- tages' bookings in this mid-West section, which asserts that these agents will not do business longer with Hodkins. and that endangers their supply of acts. The move will also affect Harry Beaumont of the- Aschcr interests, who depends upon agents for bookings for the Chateau. West Engelwood and other outlying houses. The independent agents are able to make serious charges against Hodklns. They point out in the let- ter to Pantages that Earl Fuller and band was submitted to the Pan- tages office here for $700, and that the act was booked independently and is getting $850; that Pierce and Goff were subfhitted by an agent for $225, and are now on the circuit at $250; that The Ziras submitted for $200 are playing the circuit under th« name of Penman and Lillian, and getting $225; that Bixley ahd Lerner were booked for certain time at $250 on a telegram dictated by Mr. Hodkins for an agent with the understanding that this salary would not affect their salary for the circuit, (and that Hodkins later changed his mind and ordered the artists' rep- resentative out of the office. The agents assert In letters to Mr. Pantages, Charles Olson, L. G. Sour- bler, Harry Beaumont and others that Mr. Hodkins nor no one fnom that office attends the performances at the West Engelwood theatre, which is the try-out house for Pan- tages here, and that the people in the Chicago-Pantages office sees few acts, but depend upon the eyes of the artists' representatives. The booking situation of the Pan- tages circuit was never further up in the air than at present. There Is a big force of bookers in New York on whom the circuit depends mainly, but many acts mupt be filled in from Chicago and seven weeks in the mid-West is practically filled from Chicago. Charges E. Hodkins, who enjoys the wildest au- thority that Alexander Pantages has ever conferred upon one of hio em- ployes, is declared to be "drunk with power" by the agents. Not long ago he took over the bool?s, but with his other work this was out of the question for him to handle, and ho is said to have returned the books — to Miss Nan lOlliott, who has been with the office for many years, upon the suggestion of Mr. Pantages who emphasi;:ed that Hodkins had too many responsibilities to add book- ing to the list. The I'antages eastern business is handled from the Chicago office, and salaries In both the New York and Chicago agents are paid by Mr. ^gdkius, wliili) it lifm with him to acquire new theatres and to Inves- tigate the many financial proposi- tions which are put to Alexander P.'intages regarding theatres in mid-West territory. INSIDE STUFF OR VAUDEVILLE t. k. /•■:v i. SYNCHRONIZED PIANOLOG Tri«d at Colonial This W««k- ture Featura , -Pic LOLA (Girlie) of LOf.A ffn^ S'^N'A in -TERP8ICH0REAN TID-DITS" Now Enroute to Australia Having your picture printed over 100.000.000 times la called publicity m the show business. That has happened to Harry Von Tilzer, and tha number may even greatly exceed the big amount. As a song writer for many years and the publisher of his own and other hits, the name and face of Harry Von Tl'ser are known throughout the world. This stand- ard and perpetual publicity induced Von Tilxer some years affo to become the first of the famous songsmiths to take to Hammersteln's Vlctor.a, where he appeared with much trepidation. His successful engagements there though led to other composers going In the twice dally, until It has grown to bo so common that many a song -writer now acts as pianist only in some turn. The popularity call has sounded again though for Mr. Von Tilzer and he "broke in" a new turn last week at Keith's Green- point, Brooklyn. He Is about in readiness to acc^t a route on the big time that will not too seriously Interfere with his attention to the Harry Von Tilzer music publishing business. Mr. Von Ti'zer is asking $1,600 weekly for vaudeville. An innovation for vaudeville was introduced this week on the initial Johnny Collins booked bill at the Colonial, New York. The new stunt Is a synchronfred pianolog and pic- ture witnessed by the Keith booker recently at an Aeolian Hall concert and immediately booked. The piano appears in "one" with a spotlight on it. The picture shows the musician making his en- trance and the fingering on the key- board, during the rend tlon of Ma- zurka (Second) Opus by Kudolph Ganz. '■; ' r. ■ ;'..•■••■■■.'■'.. TV/0 wm' inwrr FOR HOLD-OVER ACTS Keith Office R'lllni—Benefit of Out-of-Town Houses "The Breakaway Barlows with their Society Band" was the offer made by Tim O'Donnell to the Keith bookers the other day. Going forward bi his facetiousness, Tim added, "But you can have Lester and Vincent, with or without a band." . \ The Keith office has promulgated a ruling aimed to do away with It is the intention of th-i Keith ' acts being he'd over at a New York A Ford c^r is a tmto of the Ftrorrr and Mann act, which was to have played the Straml, Hoboken. When the practical^uto reached the theatre no door was la^e enough to admit it. * ^ In the party of executives from the Keith ofllce who made the trip to Dayton to attend the opening of the new Keith house Nov. 27 were five men now associated with the Keith office, who got their start in the show business at Dayton. Harry and Herman Weber, heads of the Weber agency, are from Dayton; "Dooley" Donovan, now with the V. M. P. A., was formerly manager of Keith's, Dayton; Walter Neal. assistaut manat^er of the Paiacc. New York, was a stage hand at Keith's. Dayton, and Ralph Farnum, of the Eddie Keller office, got in the business as an usher in Keith's, Dayton, at the timo Donovan was manager. ^ office to secure pictures and piano records by Paderewski, Irving Ber- lin and other famous musical per- sonalities. The delicate synch oni- zation between the picture and the piano record Is patented. house over two weeks. It will give A single woman act recently called in to substitute for another single woman, in mentioning it in a letter, said, referring to the act retirlnK from the bill: "So, you see, Miss Blank Is a smart showworaan," jeaving the inference Miss B!ank )cft the bill because of a flop on her part, and that the letter writer was called In to hold up the show. About three out of town houses the benefit of aays afterward It beranie public just why the single woman had to new acts and features that hereto- I >ave the bill, leaving the old woman knocker to make the best explana- fore have been kept in Greater New li'^n she could of her underhanded comment. ; -f The nirture fpitur«» makes tf noB- ° ^^u ^ ^ ^ ^ m. ^^ A /• ^^^ Harris, who booked the old Young's Pier. Atlantic City, isn't active sibirtffonow tie intricate finder- I ^^*^°"- V^ °'''*^'* '^"^ ^"^'' ^^"*^" ! '» ^^e theatre these daysr. instead, he spends most of his time in the ing of the artists much better than . P^^y^"^ ^"^ Palace, jMew York, and quotation room of the Astor hotel brokerage office, supp'ylng pessimlstio other acts that have been booked ! views on market movements. When steel got down to par and an eighth for runs at this and oiher Keith ' Monday, Ben w^anted to bet it would go under 100 before the close. Thefro . I were no takers, so Harris shifted his book to the proposition that steel °^ ^' I would get to 97 before Saturday. Loney Haskell dropped in to see how Ben Bernie and Band, the latest \ much nearer he was to a margin call, and got an earful of Harris* glooB?. musical turn to "wow' them at the , "if Harris is betting on the decline," he observed." a rally must be near/? Palace, New York, was to have re- if he were physically present. • DETBOITEB IN JAM Chicago, Nov. 29. Don Pennock, Jr., vaudeville pro- ducer and author of vaudeville sketches, is alleged to have disap- peared from his offices in thie Shu- bert-Detroit opera house in Detroit, leaving several complainants who have been to the prosecuting attor- ney for warrants. John M. Lillis charges that Pennock sold him a one- thlrd interest in a vaudeville busi- ness for $1,000. Several other Detroit chaps in- vested In "producing rights" of vaudeville sketches which Pennock claimed to control to the extent of mained at the house four weeks but will only remain two. It is un- derstood that his third week will take him into an out of town house. Out of town managers are re- sponsible for the ruling. TI.ey read about acts being held over and re- quested the bookers to secure the act. The booking men find the acts are booking from week to week in the New York houses and unwilling to leave town unless as a last resort. $5,000 more, according to statements ', Another reason put forth Is the large number of acta that play In and around New York where the Will Rogers, aside from his appearances in Zlegfeld's "Fo'lies," is In great demand for after-dinner addresses. As a humorous commentator he is regarded as without a peer. So many rcQuests for his appearances but for financial remuneration in consideration of his professional stand- ing have been received that Rogers has turned over all such engagements to Al Sanders, who is engaged in club entertainment booking. attributed to the prosecutor. WESTON CIRCUIT ENDS The Ted Weston combination tab- loid and vaudeville circuit which was to have embraced the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York came to an abrupt ending with the opening of the first house on the circuit, Supreme, Brooklyn, last week. The Supreme was oponrd with a Sunday concert. Pbor busi- ness coupled with the failing heallli of Ted Weston led to the decision the circuit should be closed. Harry Codare. general manager of the former circuit, is now with the Famous Players. houses are adjacent to each other. The New York vaudeville patron is demanding new faces. The practice of placing one or more big time acts on a pop bill also tends to take the edge off the acts when they got into a big time house. In several cases acts have played two consecutive weeks at houses a few blocks from each other. The Scotch Brew concern advertised in all New York dallies last week that anyone asking for a bottle of Scotch Brew on Wednesday could have it without charge. The advertisement mentioned Sir Harry Lauder's endorsement of the beverage in large type. It is said Liauder consented to the use of his name in return for the Brew concern taking a page adver* tisement in the program for William Morris benefit for the Saranao Day Nursery. The Day Nursery benefitted to the amount of $9,049 by th« recent Sunday night performance given under the management of William Morris at the Lexington. New York. Irish Band Future Act The Irish Regiment Band recently at the New York Hippodrcme is i York cabaret of that name). KEITH'S TAKES DOLLYS The Dolly Sisters have been booked for eight weeks in the Keith houses, opening at Keith's, W-ash- Ington, Dec. 4. The sisters will be assisted by Harry Richmad and their brother, Edward Dolly. Fol- lowing the Keith engagements the Dollys go to Monte Carlo, the for- eign watering resort (not the NeW listening to vaudeville offers via Alf Wilton of the Keith office. HART AFTER COMMISSION Max Hart has begun suit in the New York Supreme Court against MARRIAGES Catherine Brecn (Breen Family) to George Hanneford (Hf^nneford Jim Burton to enforce a contract Family) at the Little Churcn Around The Marlnelli offloe arranged the Keith bookings, and the foreign Marinelli office the Monte Carlo en- gagement. whereby Hart Is to receive 10 per cent, of Barton's salary for services as ascnt. Through Eppstein & Axman, Hart alleges he signed Bar- ton when the latter was unknown and was responsible for securing salary increases until they total $800 to $900 currently. MODEST COLUMBUS The Keith booking ffice in New York has Informed agents that Columbus, O., has banned bare feet and legs upon its stages. UNIT NOTES Libby and Sparrow, who closed with "Town Talk" lant wenk, and the Arco Brothers have been ad<lo(l to the "Rose Girl," which reopened at Baltimore. Richard Tant. manager of the Central, New York, has gone to Baltimore to take over the Shubert unit house (Academy). During his absence I^awrence Woods will have harge of the Central. Tho Shubert booking office says the Astoria, Astoria, L. I., and the Boro Park, Brooklyn, now a split week on the circuit, will not leave It. the Corner, New "irork. Dave Ferguson (vaudeville) to Vera Bayles Cole on Nov. 21 in Chicago. Mrs. Ferguson is tho prima donna of "Bombo" (Al Jol- son show), now at the Apollo, Chi- cago. Elaine Bernstein to Eugene Bohn, non-professional, of Cincinnati. Nov. 16. Miss Bernstein Is the daughter of Louis Bernstein (Shapiro, Bern- stein & Co., music publishers). Edward C. Raftery to Marie Titus, Brooklyn society girl, Nov. 23. Mr. Raftery is a nephew of Dennis F. O'Brien, the theatrical at- torney, and connected with tho law firm of O'Brien, Malevinsky & Dr'scoll. Esther McQuade to Joseph Wag- ner, Nov. 20. Mi.«s McQuado was formerly with James Montgomery, playwright, and before that of the Bellit and Brooks DIssol\^ed Henry Bellit and Walter Brooks hajyjjjlssolvcd their producing part- nership. Bellit will retain the vaudeville acts produced by the NEW ACTS Charles Orr (Orr and Hager) and Alma Braham, formerly of "Sally,* two-act. Charles and Sadie McDonald and Co., in a new comedy skit with spe- cial set. Mace and Worth, double act. Rainbow Girls Quartet. ■."»'. Lou Edwards and Jack Beasley, two-act. Roy Atwell and Co. In "The Goat Gland Baby" (Coast). Edwin Stevens and Tina Marshall In "The Gray Fedora" (Coast). Jay Dillon and Betty Parker In a new edition of "Knick-Knacks.*' Revival of the Barry and Wolford act by the principals, augmented by the addition of Harry, Florence and firm., Brooks is interested in the new colored show "Liza" at the 63d George Barry Wolford, Jr., to be Stre-t. He takes over Bellit's inter- est in the attraction. ILL AND INJURED Jean Middleton, violiniste, is re- covering in the Manhattan square sanitarium after an operation. Mme. Emmy (Emmy's Pets)* Is at i Fred Barnes—In "A Rooming Hou8« called "The Past, Present and Fu- ture Generation of Vaudeville."* Barry and Wolford have been in retirement for four years. Tom Dingle and Patsy Dclaney in a new art by Paul Gerard Smith, "That Quartet"—George Jones, Harry Sylvester, Harry Ellis and St. Mary's hospital, Pa.«?salc Park, N. J., recovering from an operation and will be confined there for some weeks. Loul.«!e Bowers Is recovering at Lakewood, N. J., from an oiferation lately performed in New York. She expects to resume with the "You'd Cohan & Harris staff. The roiTple . Be Surprised" production about are at home at Winfleld, L. I., after New Year's. ^^^- '• Anna Stack, auditor of the B. F. Lotto Gadski Tnu.«^chcr, who is in I Keith Western office, was operated San Franci.s'co with her mother, Mrs. upon at Mercy hospital, Chicago, Johanna Gadski, on a concert tour, announced her engagement to Ernst Tusch, scion of the St. Louis brewer. The wedding is to be celebrated in Berlin next June. The couple will make their homo in Berlin, where Buscb is in businesa. X. •V'aw. I t for appendicitis, but at last reports was on the road to recovery. Walter Perclval and company were forced out of tho State-I^ike bill in Chicago last week owing to Mr. I'erclval suffering from lar- I yngltis. Rumpus." Alexander Sisters. Sarah Padden and Co. (3), sketch "She Takes Tea." The Love Twins formerly with the Harry Carroll act on the Or- pheum are rehearsing a new double. "The Girl from Toyland," with Vera Calhoon. Fay Thomau Trio. Drum Kiddies," with "The 14 kiddies. McAvoy and Brooks in "Hal- loween." Nickolie Do Pasquall. single. Zellraan and White, two act. Saxo Four—two men, two women —Spanish ftaxophone players.