Variety (December 1922)

-^ OUTlX)OR AMUSEMENTS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^y^^^^^^^^^^^^ Friday, December 1, 1922 INDOOR CIRCUS SUCCESS OPENING UP NEW FIELD Hagenbcck-Wallace Business in Two Cities May Be Followed by Summer Circuses "Under Auspices." Big and Profitable Trade in Milwaukee . . • Chicago, Nov. 29. A« euccess of the "winter edi- tion" of the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus at Milwaukee and that it is making money In Chicago have opened up a new. field for fraternal organizations seeking benefits. In- dications are that next summer It will be a circus which will be pre- sented under the auspices of some local organization, and not a car- nival. The impression has pre- vailed in the smaller cities that a cirbuB was too "big" to be offered under local auspices, but the recent development of the winter circus Idea has opened up the new field. The Hagenbeck-Wallace show played Milwaukee seven afternoons and seven nights under the auspices of the D. O. K. K., a branch of the Knights of Pythias corresponding to the Shrlners of the Masons, and had capacity after the first Monday. The circus played to betw^een $48,000 and $50,000 and made so much profit for the D. O. K. K. of that city it Im- mediately signed for next season KEEP SMH.TNG (Continued from page 7) shooting for laughs in co-operation with him. "Keep Smiling" itself is a straight burlesque frolic, with the usual bits and numbers, but also having a slight thread of continuity—a tale about some stolen wedding presents. The "plot" may have been a bit more prominent at the beginning of the season, but it doesn't obtrude enough now to Interfere to any ex- tent. In addition to Lahr's distinctive method of laugh-getting, there are several other outstanding points in the show worthy of comment— Barry Melton, for instance, a slender singing comedienne, who stopped the show cold at 10:40 at the Em- pire, Brooklyn, last week with sub- dued jazzy vocalizing, and who reads lines and handles situations in a way that stamps her as an artist miles above what usually passes for "principal" women In burlesque. Then there's Babe LaFay, a human dynamo if there ever was one—a little dancing brunet who literally dances her head off. Miss LaFay has Improved her vocal ;Whil.In Milwaukee t^^e stream of I-Jhod^ greatly^o^v^ev ^pr^^^^^^^^^^^ Offers from fraternal organizations ««y«^^ ^^^ ^^^.^ ^ ^^^^^^, ^^^^^^ a blank, working to the boxes most- ly and putting pep Into the show. Jean Hart pleased with ballads, making the most of a strident so- prano. Flo Wagner, th^ ingenue, completed the list of. women prin- cipals. The old lemon game disguised as a sort of shell game with eggs, a telephone bit, table scene and the business of the two comics kidding a cop were among the comedy en- tries. The cop thing was well done —most of the other bits were long drawn out and ended nowhere. Some imitations of Belle Baker, Mary (Jardefi and Lew Fields were so bad they were excruciatingly funny, but the Olympic didn't catch the humor. A "pick-out" number, with the choristers each doing a bit, brought forth considerable kidding by the house, the ushers and special cop having quite a busy ten minutes patroling the aisles and admonish- ing the unruly ones to behave. Mile. Fifl Is the house added at- traction and cooched it like the proverbial bowl of Jelly for the usual hefty returns. Tom Sullivan's other show, "Monte Carlos," was at the Olympic last week. It classes as a go:id ^i^tual show. If the "Mischiefs" are fol- lowing the '•'Montes" all over the circuit, they're getting a real break, but if the playing order should ever be reversed it looks a« if It's goi.ng to be tough on the "Montes." Quite a few seats short of capacity Mon- day night. Bell. COLUMBIA'S LOWEST ../• OBITUARY KATE RYAN Kate Ryan, aged 65, one time member of the old Boston Museum stock company, died at the Trum- bull hospital in Brookline. Mass., November 27, after an ilhiess of about three months. At that time she suffered a shock. Born in Bos- ton April 23, 1857, it was said of the deceased that she neva^ went to a theatre until one Sunday evening when her Sunday school teacher took her to \ performance at the Boston Museum. She saw "The School for Scandal," and was so impressed she decided to become an actress. She was then 15 years old. ERMINIA MIGNATTI In memory of my dear departed mother, v/ho left me to aHcend «; hiKher plane November 29th, 1921. Her memory will keep green an>l fertile until we meet again. Qod rest'her soul in peace.' Her adoring non. JOSEPH P. MACK Williams Show Did $7,156—Casino, Boston, on Top With $8,500 After much dlfflculty, she got a hearing from H. M. Field, the man- ager of the company, and was finally given a trial. Eventually she made good and after that played many roles. £^rly this month a testimonial benefit was given at the ^t. James theatre, Bos- ton, for her benefit. "■" began pouring Into the ^show, and the Chicago engagement Hl» served to foster that interest. The season at the Coliseum |n Chicago has not been so succeesfi^l as the Milwaukee engagement. Tht business Is running about $28,000 a week here with an expense of $20,- 000. The Chicago engagement is un- der the auspices of the Builders for Boys, a Masonic organization, and the failure to measure up with Mil- waukee can be explained by the fact that the Chicago engagement has not been handled so well as the one at Milwaukee. The Hagenbeck-Wallace winter edition circus now at the Coliseum is a clean show. There are no con- cessions, no wheels, iro side shows, no objectionable features whatever. The show is owned by Mugivan, Bowers & Ballard, who are prom- inent In the outdoor amusement field, operating a number of tent«d enterprises. K. C.'S EXPOSITION BUILDING Kansas City, Nov. 29. This city's newest exposition and amusement building, the Royal Au- ditorium, was formally dedicated and opened Saturday with the first Kansas City appearance of the Llndsborg Chortis in "The Messiah." The event also marked the opening of the American Royal Live St09k Show which is the big event among breeders in this part of the country. The new building cost half a mil- lion dollars, covers two-thirds of a city block, and seats 12,000 in its auditorium. needing nothing additional to get her over. The Three Jolly Bache- lors, a singing trio, with each of the three men Cv mposing it possessing strong resonant voices containing real music, figure importantly In the olio with their specialty. One of the trio, Dick Pritchard, also plays several bits with ability. Harry Kay Is a tramp in the first part, but has litt!e to do. There would appear to be numerous other types he could handle better. Kay shows genuine talent in the second half in a finely conceived dope fiend character. Emily Dyer is a satis- factory prima donna, and Lillian Rockley a pretty Ingenue with an averaging singing voice. The numbers are just numbers, the chorua striking a fair average on looks. '^ Several new bits have^ ifeen added since last year, but the "Greenwich Village" scene, in which Lahr does his familiar eccentric "nance* Dutchman in the guise of a cop, is still the same wov,- it has been for the last couple of seasons. "Keep Smiling" did capacity Thursday night. On the way out the audience were talking about the show, and the opinion was unani- mous it was very good. The audi- ence was right. Bell. Barnes Wintering in Texas Los Angeles, Nov. 29. The Barnes Show is not to winter here this season, but will have its quarters in Dallas, Tex. In the meantime the winter quarters here will remain Idle. No reason for the change of location is given. MISCHIEF HAKEBS (Continued from page 7) would have to extend themselves to grab the brown derby from the "Mischief Makers" of the current .season for first prize in the turkey handicap. Speaking of turkeys—this Is Thanksgiving Week! When a show is as bad as the "Mischief Mak»n-8' it's hard to dis- cern any good in it, the bad points being so numerous and so irretriev- ably bad the few good points are al- most snowed under. Arthur Lan- ning, who wrote the book, is as competent a straight man as there is In all burlesque—he has presence, personality, and a method that be- ha'lf-'miliion-dollar tokens ripe experience—but Lan- nair-miiiion uoiiar . ^^^^^ ^^ practically lost in the .show The Columbia, New York, hit one of the lowest marks of the season last_week, the Mollie Williams Show grossing about |7,155 on»the week. The previous week "Maids of Amer- ica" was also low for the Columbia, with approximately $7,500. The top notch business of the week for the Columbia Circuit was at the Casino, Boston, "Chuckles of 1922'' doing about $8,500. Last week was the first of the current season that the Casino topped the Gayety. Boston, the latter doing $8,150 with "Knick Knacks." The Columbia's weakest stand last week was the Majestic, Jersey City, again, with "Temptations of 1922," grossing $3,500. V. WHO BUMPED MABATSKEY? No trace of the stick up crew that bumped Louis Maratskey, the jeweller, over the head last week and robbed him of $3,500 worth of Jewelry last week in the Hotel De France, New York, had been turned up, up to Tuesday. Maratskey, who lives in Hudson, N. Yr, received a message to call at Freeman's restaurant. When he reached Freeman's another phone message called him to the Hotel De France. Arriving at the De France, Maratskey on entering a room was severely thumped on the head with the butts of a cod pie of revolvers held by two stick ups. who grabbed his jewel case and. left Maratskey bound and gagged. Maratskey is well known among the burlesque fraternity, having a big trade in that field in diamonds and jewelry. . •* WILLIAM T. KEOUGH William T. Keogn (Davis & Keough, producing managersX^ died at the home of his sister, Ida F. Keough, In Brooklyn, N. Y., Nov. 23. The deceased was 60 years old and is survived by three brothers and a IN MEMORIAM \ CHARLES W. KEOUGH Who Departed This Life Norcmber 23rU. MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE 1922 sister. Interment was^ in Charles- ton. S. C, his home town. Mr. Keough was an old-time theat- rical man, manager or tne Academy of Music in Charleston, and later associated with the Shuberts and William A. Brady. atre was built and the Keith Inter- ests took over local big time vaud«« ville he continued In the same ca* paclty. " ' -.'^ The deceased was actively en* gaged In newspaper work practlcalw ly throughout his entire career, be* ing at one time editor of the Wash* Ington, "Times," and in various othi» er capacities with the other publi* cations here. He published the Keith theatre program and was owner of the Washington Printing Company. DAVID W. MAURICE | David W. Maurice died at his home In Lafayette, Ind., November 21. He was the founder of the Fam^ lly theatre In that city, and had been a leading vaudeville manager of the Middle West for years. His death was due tq a complication o|^' diseases. His age was 64. ; v * \>ii- : EDWIN H. 6ERGMEIER Edwin H. Bergmeler, known on the stage as Edwin Beryl, 28 years old, an actor of New York, died at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John F. Bergmeler, In Cin- cinnati. Sunday night. Bergmeler was a member of the New York cast of "The Passion Flower." -**^ ' ■ ^■'*!' ' FRANK O'BRIEN '' Frank O'Brien died at his homm. ih Freeport, L. I., Nov. 22, of a lln* ''. gerlng Illness. The deceased wa» about 67 years old. For many years he was Identified with Jacobs Sc Jermon's shows. A wife and two sons survive. » ; .i^ij JOHN H. GILMOUR > ->* John H. Gilmour, 65, died at hla home in Yonkers, N. Y. He was a veteran of the mtage and formerly well known though not having done active professional work for the past ten years. He had been in poor health for a. year. /■'" -r'-y ; 1 WALTER 8ANF0RD ^,* Walter Sanford, theatrical man- ager and 47 years of age,*dicd at White Plains, N. Y.. after an Illness of five weeks. He Is survived by bis wife and was a graduate of the University of Kansas. OUTDOOR ITEMS Willett Roe, who'was manager of Galveston Beach last summer and formerly a carnival agent and con- test promoter, is now in New Or- leans, where he Is arranging an In- door promotion to be held at the Gypsy Smith Auditorium week commencing Dec. 4. The De Kreko Brop. Shows arc playing their third week in New Orleans under the auspices of the local lodge of the Theatrical Mu- tual Aid (T. M. A). The shows move from the Crescent City to Morgan City, La. Laalr's Mighty Doris Shows are in winter quarters at St. Louis. John La«ir, manager, is now at his home at Kansas City. J --> The Lachmann Exposition Shows ''^ are In winter quarters at Lieaven- worth, Kan. It is said that the •how will be enlarged for next sea- TT. ^ttiycA , *^ I <.iA*^;i4 k*\^ • i He c\n blame the author of the •book" principally, and what can't be blamed on the book—and it's enough—is the fault of tl^e poor ca.st lie's surrounded with. Rubo Fulkerson and Ocorge HarT have the comedy assignments. Ful- kerson "does at" an eccentric "Dutdi" role, but out.sidc of the dia- lect never gets within ten miles of it, and the dialect isn't i«o forty either. Conceding the material to be tortuously inept and annoyingly unfunny Fulkerson, Judging by his performance at the Olympic Mon- day night, appeared to lack even the elementary requirements of a come- dian. George Hart, on the contrary, dis- played real possibilities as a comic, doing a stage tramp that in make- up and general outlines seemed to have been modeled after Billy Ar- lington. Set properly in a show and with material Hart would be an asset. Lubin and Welsh, a colored man and woman combination, did an olio specialty that was below the small time average, but It was a headline contribution compared to tho talking skit done as another olio act by Fulkerson and Wagner. Rose Gordon, a chunky little brunet soubret, furni.«hed one of the exceedingly few redeeming features with number leading that had her out In front of the sixteen choristers a number of times. Rose never drew CORRECTING ERRORS Through an error two weeks ago Variety listed the Casino, Phila- delphia, as one of the Columbia houses running below last season'.s weekly quota. The Cisino has been going along at an average Increase of $500; $1,000 over last season's business for period beginning Sept. 1, to date. It was also inadvertently stated in the same issue Gerard's "Follies of the Day" did $S,500 at the Colum- bia, Chicago. Instead it should have read Star and Garter, which was the house the "Follies" played the week in question. WHITMAN OSGOOD Whitman Osgood, publicity man for Keith's, died November 24 after an Illness of a month from diabetes. When Chase's first opened In Wash- ington he handled the publicity for the house-, and when the newer tbe- GRACE PROCTOR Grace Proctor, who played In sev^v^ eral vaudeville sketch organizations, among them the Walter V. Milton company, died In Oklahoma -re- cently after a long illness. The mother of Nina Davis died at Lynn, Mas.<«., aged 69. She was tha mother of 10 children who survive. WITH THE WOMEN By THE SKIRT ^ ."The Awful Truth," at the Miller Is indeed awful, starring Ina Clalro. The Frohman staff must have been sadly In need of a play for Miss Claire. That sterling actor, and of America's test, Bruce McRae, is wasted ia this piece. Awful Is also the word for Miss Claire's gowns. A tea gown of lace^ smothered In pink chiffon, showed an intelligent hand. A gold tissue dress in the first act was so ugly It Is difficult to imagine a star accepting it. The front of the dress was just what an Egyptian dancer would wear, with the belt and sash edged with fringe. As though there weren't enough trimming, a bunch of ribbon hung at one side. Miss Claire's second dress, of purple velvet, had a tight bodice and full skirt. The elbow sleeves were edged with cerise ruffles al^d hanging from the elbows were loi^, full loops of white tulle. Nothing uglier has ever been shown on the legit stage. Cora Witherspoon, In a secondary role, dressed to perfection. Her first evening gown was a lovely shade of green velvet made with the elongated blouse and just a touch of sliver. Her second street dress was of a light shade of chocolate brown, made after this season's most popular model, full at the skirt and blouse. Grey was worn by Miss Witherspoon in the last act. The full skirt had three wide bands of velvet in the same shade. Port Huron is Regular Stand The experiment of playing Sunday shows at Port Huron, Mich., by the Columbia has proved successful after a couple of weeks, and begin- ning next Sunday Port Huron goes on the route as a regular one day stand. It will break the jump between Detroit and Toronto. The "Mimic World" starts Port Huron on a wheel stand. , •'» "."S fv ■i--i,>tv fk/;-/ ELSIE JANIS DENIES Philadelphia, Nov. 29. Elsie'Janis, playing for two weeks here as a headliner at B. F. Keith*.«?, denies absolutely the story of her engagement printed In a New York paper. The story named nobody, and Miss Janis characterized the whole thing as imaginative. Jobyna Howland, In "The Texas Nightingale," at the Empire, tried so hard to convey the idea that she was a grand opera star, but Miss How- land was just her own lovable self, big, boisterous and amusing, the same as she was in "The Gold Diggers," minus the fat lines of that play. Percy Welton at first threatened to be an awful nuisance, but ^^ walked away with the play at tho opening performance. ^ •' A Model Kitchen was the second act set and what a housewife's d€* light it was! But that's all there was. Nothing really happened In the kitchen. Take it all in all, "Tho Texas Nightingale" was a boro of an evening. "Enter Madame" Is too fresh in memory to allow the "Nightingale" » chance. ^ Miss Howland had courage to make her first entrance In a simple black coat and skirt. Her long fur scarf and muff were of black and white. In the kitchen Miss Howland appeared in a gorgeous silver wrap lined In bright green velvet. The gown underneath was of white, soft satin; the skirt beautifully draped. The long waist was embroidered IvT crystals and held with a hip girdle of jewels. Very nice was a short chinchilla coat worn In the last actv Underneath was a graceful gown of grey with silver tassels hanging from Ion,? ends at the shoulders and waist line. Miss Howland's hats were the small close-fitting turban model. Mollie Williams was back at the Columbia, slimmer and more ambitloui than ever. The show remained very much the some as last year, with new ^ <Continued on Page 10> • •' » -