Variety (January 1925)

Wednesday, January 7, 1925 VAUDEVILLE WARIETr NEW ORDER OF KEITH'S OFHCE BOOKINGS I. MAKES BOOKERS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE Syttem of Resident Manager's Advice and Counsel to Be Continued—^"Friendship Acts*' Expected to Drop Out—^Managers Responded to Request to Air '^Booking Holes*' A reorganization of the booking system of th* K«lth-Albee Vaude- ville Exchange hai been instituted which eliniinatea the fotmer system ©f having all of the bookers under the supervision of E F. Darling. The new order makes each booker responsible for the houses he books and doesn't necessitate him playing an. act because it is recommended by a superior. The co-operation of the house managers Is to be encouraged and the managers are to have almost equal responsibility for the framing of the bills in their houses. In this manner each bill will re- ceive the scrutiny of the manager, who can concentrate upon\ his own particular house under th_ super- vision of the booker. The manager iB considered of vital importahce in the new system, as he is a spe- cialist and knows his own house belter than any booking man pos- sibly could. The booker usually has several houses to worry about. After as- sembling what be thinks a good shows he considers his work well- done. The bill may be satisfac- tory in a general way, but the man- ager may know of some peculisu'ity of his audience, which would make one of the acts a poor investment. Friendship Acts Through the co-operation of the managers it is also hoped that acts which have become passes will be eliminated. Some of these acts through friendship or other reasons have been carried along season after season, although consistently, flopping. The managers, thinking the acla must have strong "office connections" when working ao steadily, refrained from squawking until a recent request which In- Tited them to air their kinds of grievances. One flash act headed hj a former composer was buried Under an avalanche of squawks. Investigation revealed It was booked by one booker each season, with the others feeling they were compelled to pick it up and keep it arolng. The act asked and received • headliner's salary, although the taianagers testified it didn't draw a tent into their box offices and ifltdn't entertain the audiences Orawn by other acts on the bill. J-. A double check up of all vaude- Vllle bouses Is being conducted by 4»e Keith official who has recruited it staff for this purpose. MANHANDLED ^teHi- By Jack Conway tVtn the gag that came from Venice 'Bout the lady who could swim fiut my parent wouldn't know me It he saw the shape I'm in. t was bom one night on Broadway To the tune of loud guffaws, t made my bow. It was strictly stag— I was greeted with applause. But a blackface comic grabbed me Washed by face and changed my hat; A« a traffic cop in Venice I have since been in his act. When I traveled all the circuits And was kicked around a lot. As a street cleaner from Venice I next 4ert the traffic cop. Now a hundred actors claim me. rm as popular as booze; Tm a title gag for pictures ,, And a scene for twc revues. Mr old man will never know me That's what makes me yell. And if he doesn't claim me soon ,t Tou can all go to hell. BTSON FOY DmECnUG •' Los Angeles, Jan. S. ' Hopping out this way as gag man for Mack Sennett, Byron Foy, eldest sen of Kddie, has been given a chance at directing In the Sennett studios, where they make ftlm com- edy. CHASED' HUBBY HELD'BY WIFE Providence, R. I.. Jan. C. An enormous reception went out from the audiences at both of the vaudeville performances in the Al- bee theatre yesterday to James J. Corbett, a substitute booking for the lightweight champion, Benny Leonard, held at his New York home Court Not Disorderly j Leonard had' been baUyhooed as the feature attraction this week an over the state. The sportsmanship of the veteran, Corbett, In aocept- Mrs. Irving Gluck in "A woman has the right to tell the whole world to leave her hus- band alone if she knows his love is being alienated," declared Magis- trate George W. Simpson in West Side Court when he exonerated Mrs. Betty Oluck, 24, 232 South Ninth street, Brooklyn, wife of Ir- ving Qluck, vaudeville actor, when she was arraigned on a summons charging her with disorderly con- duct. The above statement was directed to Frances Menlcen. 23, 245 Sulli- van street,^ doctor's secretary, who had Mrs. Qluck brought to court because she said she was being an- noyed by the actor's wife constantly annoying her over the telephone and threatenenlng her with bodily Injury. Miss Menken told the mag- istrate Mrs. Oluck had telephoned to her at the doctor's office several times, and also at her home and repeated the threats. She said she vfaM threatened with dismissal un- less the telephone calls ceased. Mrs. Oluck, a demure little wom- an, who works In a lingerie shop In the Winter Garden theatre building, tok| the magistrate the actor and she were married on Nov. 25 last In the Municipal building. She said that Immediately follow- ing the ceremony she received re- ports that Miss Menken, with whom he formerly kept company and was engaged to, was meeting him clan- deetln^y and telephoning to him. Ttie young wife said she phoned Miss Menken and asked her to come and see her. Miss Menken came to the Winter Garden lingerie shop and they had a conversation. Miss Menken promised to keep away from Irving and not to phone him. Mrs. Oluck testified that friends later told her Miss Menken had not only broken her promise but that she had spread stories the couple were not married. Mrs. Oluck said she went to the doctor where Miss Menken was employed and the physician told he" his secretary had told him that there h'Al been no marrlEige. She said the doctor promised her that Miss Menken would be dismissed if she did not stot). Mrs. Oluck further testlfled that on Christmas day iha was in the N. V. A. club with her husband when a page boy called her, hus- band to the telephone, announcing that "Miss Menken is calling." She admitted she had called Miss Men- ken and again pleaded with her to cease her attentions to her hus- band. She denied she had ever made any thr<^9ts and compared herself with the size of Miss Men- ken, who Is almost six feet tall and weighs over 160 pounds, while Mrs. Gluck is under five feet and weighs barely over 100 pounds. After Magistrate Simpson had heard' all the facts he told Miss Menken he did not believe her story and announced that a woman did not become disorderly when she at- tempted to protect her marital in- terests by keeping other women away from her husband. The com- plaint wsis then dismissed and Miss Menken was advised by the Judge to cease her attentions toward the actor. Keith Officials in Florida About Jan. 31. a group of Kelth- Albee officials in the New Tork offices, and headed by E. F. Albee, are due at Palm Beach. It will be their annual winter visit in the southland. CORBETT SUBS. FOR LEONARD-PROVIDENCE Illness of Lightweight Cham- pion Brings Another Cham- pion Onto Stage Ing an emergency engagement, knowing those circumstances has been generally commented upon around ^own since it became known Corbett and Norton wouM appear. Benny Leonard had to leave the stage of the Alhambra, Harlem, Sunday night by order of his phy- sician. Later the doctor gave as his opinion tt would be at least three weeks before Benny could re- turn to stage work. foHowtng the recession of the fever attacking him. The physician added, however, Benny is in no danger. mm HONOR' PRIZE PLAYLET Selected in National Col- legiate Script Contest First place in Hocky and Oreen's national collegiate contest tor a prise vaudeville script has been awarded to Donald F. Lafuse, of the University of Illlnola His dramatic playlet, "The Griffin Honor," was presented about a month ago at a Friar's Frolle given in honor of Bugs Baer. Frank Mc- Olyn played the lead In the cast of four. At that time the Judge*. John Pollack. Edgar Alloc Woolf and Hocky and Gru«:n, had picked it as one of the b^t of the sub- mitted scripts, and the enthusi- asm with which it was heralded-at the theatrical club put it flrmlr in the running for the first prise. In theme it deals ▼ th tlie mountain people of Kentucky. The author hin since |graluattd from Illinois and is at present prac- ticing law in Indianapolis. He also submitted another script, but it did not figure in the final selection. ' The contest was started last April. Approximately l.OSO scripts were received from ovef 126 col- leges. Many at the scripts were splendid little theatre playlets, but totally unfit for vaudeville. The large majority ran to heavy dra- matics with many mystery and "twist" storied, but very few come- dies. Colleges of any standing boast a humorous monthly publica- tion such as the "Tiger," "Lam- poon," "Punch BowU" "Jester," "Jack o* Lantern." or "Widow." That these magazines often con- tain good stage material is proven by the frequency wtth which Broadway vaudeville authors have been seen scanning them during the past few years. The Universit/ of lUhioU, which supplied the winning script, also sent in the greatest number of en- trants. Harvard, for aU Its literary aspirations, was near the bottom with but one script entered. Tale .sent In a raft of playlets, as did Southern California and .most of the New Tork City institutions. For unofficial honorable mention were "Knighthood In the PIney Woods," by Arthur B. McLean (Alabama); "The Old Man." by Harry A. McOulre (Notre Dame), and "Alias Elizabeth" and "Ene- mies," both by Morris M. Mussel- man (ilUnois). It Is expected the winner. "The Griffin Honor," irUl open In vaude- GEORGIE WOOD Christmas production for ''Wylie Tate." at the London Hippodrome. ERIE. PA., TIMES, said: Other people's opinions: Wood appeals to anyone. HAMILTON, ONTARIO SPECTA- TIOR, said: ^ Drew and merited the greatest applause. Every detail of his work was perfect. Direction, ERNEST EDEL8TEN JENIE JACOBS IS BACK IN KEinrs Returns to Casey Agency AftW Several Years' Absence Jcnie Jacobs Is once more book- ing for the Keith-Albee Circuit, through the Pat Casey Agency. Miss Jacobs returned to the Casey Agency on New Tear's Day after an absence of several years. Formerly known as one of the most active of vaudeville agents. Miss Jacobs never quite overcame her love for act-bookings. During her absence Miss Jacobs operated an independent booking agency, pacing professionals for any line, and also nearly went bankrupt trying to make money with a show on the Shubtrt unit flop. With her return to vaudeville bookings. Miss Jacobs makes her headquarters in the Casey Agency, In the Columbia Theatre building. FRISCO, SINGLE Frisco, the originator of the Jazz dance and Instigator of the Derby Hat and Cigar furore In vaudeville, Is now doing a single turn. Frisco heretofore appeared with Eddie Cox and Loretta McDermott. "The American Apache" broke in his "single*- at the Xmas Fund en- tertainment staged at the Earl Car- roll recently. This was followed by a week at an uptown Keith house. His latest turn includes his Jazz dancing, talking and clowning, with a piano player. Testerday (Jan. () Frisco said he had only'laid off one week thiryear. Shatfer with Dr. Amey Dr. Jonathan Schaffer Is asso- ciated wltli Dr. J. Willis Amey at the • Dr. Amey Sanatorium. S06 West 76th street. New Tork. Dr. Amey is among the most popular surgeons attending theatrical pa- tienlk. Dr. Schaffer is also associated with the New Tork Hospital and comes Into New Tork City to practice with an enviable record. Entering the United States forcea in the war as a private. Dr. Schaf- fer retired in active service after the Armistice as a major of avia- tion In charge of a squadron. Fol- lowing the Major was chief surgeon ov the "George Washlngfon" and later transferred to the "Levia- than." Dr. Amey la giving continuous attention to Ms practice, bat will be relieved of some of his ardent labor throrph the association of Dr. Schaffer. vllle. Both of the producing are c.illeBre mon—Mi'ton Hi>cky fr C. C. N. T. and Howard Gieon fr Call'ornla. PRISONER AT aOOO WEEKLY FORVOOm? Harry Snodgrass, Pianist, Made Himself Popular on Radio in Jail Chicago, Jan. 9. Harry Snodgrass, an Inmate in the penitentiary^ at Jefferson City, Mo., is being offered for vaudeville at $1,000 per week. Snodgrass, a pianist, was arrested &b an accom- plice to a murder for which he re- ceived a three-year sentence. His term expires Jan. 11. It Is inti- mated the governor will Issue a pardon so that he may be reinstated to citizenship. During his stay at the peniten- tiary and on account of his excel- lent behavior he was granted per- mission by the warden to broad- cast His selections were sponta- neously received and innumerable requests came in for personal ap- pearances at the expiration of his term. Not eligible to be held to a con- tract no definite arrangements were made. It Is estimated that he re- ceived at an average of 600 tele- gmms and twice as many letters every time he was on the wire. During the recent holidays the number of gifts received by him would equal a' carload. Enough candies .were received to enable him to open a good slsed confectionery store. The amount of tobacco he could not consume if he lives to be a ripe old age. His wife was also showered with' Innumerable gifts of every description. Snodgrass, though reported SS years old, is said to twssess the mind of a child of 12. He does not' read a note, playing exclusively by ear. His rendition of "Three o'clock in the Morning" is said to be a masterpiece. He is internationally known to radio fans. -- FIRE AWAKENS COUPLE Thrilling Experience of Grindell and Esther at Michigan City* Chicago, Jan. *. Mrs. Esther Orindell is under t,> 9 care of a Chicago physician, fol- lowing the thrilling exi>erlence she and her husband (Orindell and Es- ther) passed through at Michigan City. Both were severely burned by a fire in their room, about the face, hands aand body. Mr. Brln-- dell is the less severely burned. Mr. and Mrs. Orindell were asleep when a Qylng spark from a passing engine started a fire on the carpet The heat awakened them. They enw the carpet in flames. The couple sought refuge on the roof of the hotel, where they rc.nalned for twenty minutes in their scanty night clothes, with the thermometer at 5 below. , SADIE FIELDS' CONDITION Los Angeles, Jan. 6. Sadie Fields, formerly of the vaudeville team of Harry and Sadie Fields, whose husband Is now ap- pearing In burlesque.' Is reported to be In a very serious condition from tuberculosis at a private sanitarium located at 2006 West Pico street. A number of friends now en- gaged in the picture business who were formerly in vaudeville hav« come to the aid of Miss Fields. -i, INVESTIQATINO DBUOOIHa Auburn. N. T., Jan. C. A speedy Cayuga County Orand Jury probe of the drugging of Mrs. Ruth Cameron, vaudeville dancer, was indicated today when U be- came known several witnesses are under subpoena to appear before the investigating body here. Mrs. Cameron Is improving at the Auburn City Hospital where abe was ru.slied after she was found huddled uncouseious over trolley trucks a week ago. ATTENTION T; Tf »rynr.^ knows fh^ wheri-iHon** «( JII.H.H ROHR KADFMAN, .Haxu|>h««* ti-.iyrr ntitl planial. ktndljr cuinrnaiilcate. with Mtm. Knatmna. :oe WMt Illih 8t^ X«M Vurk ( Itr.