Variety (August 1925)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE F"<i^." ■■ ^';. ■^ifI»HwW»*A^i' -! *^"'J<., Wednesday, August 19, \9K$'* ^ PAULINE MAY BE ADMnTED TO BAIL; INJURED WAIM BEHER Drinking Party of Hypnotist and Assistants in Hotel Room Keeps All in Jail for Over Week—^Waiter Found on Theatre's Roof Dr. Joseph R. Pauline, the vaude- •vlUe hypnotist (Pauline), who to- getlier with two of his assistants was arrested Tuesday night of last week after a waiter, who had served Bome sandwiches in Pauline's room at the Hotel Flanders, on West 47th Btreet, New York, had been discov- ered on the top of the Cort Theatre and alleged that he had been thrown from the room, may be admitted to bail by Magistrate Max Levlne in the West Side Court this morning (Wednes^day). AccorUins to report* from Belle- Tue Hospital, the waiter had a re- markable escapo from possible fatal Injury, and waa on his way to recovery yesterday, having sus- tained a slight fracture of the skull over the left ear and contusions of the legs. No statement has been forthcom- ing from either side as to the exact facts leading up to the waiter leav- ing the room of the hypnotist by means of a window. The three de- fendants Ifave been arraigned in court four tlmoa and this morning win make their fifth appearance. On each of the prior occasions the case has been adjourned and the defendants held without ball to await the result of the injuries that the complalntant had suffered. Monday it was Intimated by the magl8trat« that he would admit the men to ball if today he received conformation that the Injured man was in, no danger of dying. How It Happened According to reports that have been voiced' by those who infer that they have an Inside of the affair, the orte given the greatest credlt- ance is that Pauline and his youth- ful assistants had been drinking In (Continued on page 10) Pat Rooney's Show Is "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" Pat nooney will start easting this - Week for his road sho\r, to' be called "Sweet Rosie O'Grady." It Will be an elaboration of the Rooney vaudeville act. M^. Rooney will produce and star In It According to a report Lee Shubert has taken XD per cent of the production. Joe Bantley and Cliff Hess, who wrote tlie act, will write the show. The Pat Rooney Club (restaur- ant) formerly Castle's at Long Beach will cl08« Labor Day, with Rooney holding an option on the same place for next summer. Pat claims to have escaped a loss thus far. Pat did not mis^ trouble at the shore. Saturday night federal men got one of his employes, Claiming he ha>i served liquor to a patron, "^ii&t immediately tIM up f 1,600 Rooney had deposited with the landlord as a guarantee no liquor would be sold on the prem- ises. Pat claims the patron had been Informed he could have no liquor as there was none there, during Ilia absence, says Pat, the employe offered to procure the liquor close by and did, selUng It to the patron. Disclaiming responsibility for the act, Mr. Rooney is starting suit to recover his deposit. Johnnie Walker's N. G. Check Johnnie Walker, the film actor, BOW touring the Pantages time. Is encountering trouble with returned checks. The latest claim is Hal Crane, vaudeville author and for- mer vaudeville performer, who wrote Walker's vehicle, "The Lash." employing three people, with Walk- er starred. A check for $300 for back royal- ties came back protested by the Hudson and Hollywood Stanch of tlio I'aciflc South-WoHt Trasl A S.ivinKS liank, marked "not suft- cf-nt funds." Crane has retained Arthur I'rcvln, his lawyer, to bring suit. f'hlMp Harris, through Eli John>- •<. <, is !iIk6 suing Walker for $250, a ' al;inrr due on a $530 loan to the aclur, of which $300 was paid. Rita Owen Knows 11 Dance Routines "Professor" Clarence Brad- ley, head Instructor of Billy Pierce's studios where many of the present-day white "Charleston" experts learned the dance under Bradley's teachings, has gone out of bis way to dig up dance routines that would prove too hard for Rita Owen, former "Follies" girl, to learn. Miss Owen has already mastered 11 routines with two more ,that Bradley Mit\ offer ber. Miss Cwen is getting all the colored stepping routines ready to make a tour of the picture houses, the young woman working them in special presentations. Bradley, considered one of the be'st of the younger Negro dancers, de- clares Miss Owen shows the quickest msistery of the most difficult steps of any person he has yet taught and be has been teaching dally since last May. HAL SKELLY FEELS HURT OVER PIRATED DANCE At Palace This Week Finds Webb and Hay Did His Growing Up" tit FALLS 30 FEET FROM TRAPEZE Sensational Meredith Badly Injured Jamestown,' N. Y. Aug. 18. Kdward Meredith of Bridgeport, Conn, known professionally as Sen- sational Meredith fell 30 feet to the ground at Midway Park here and was fatally injured. Meredith was giving his final per- formance Saturday night before several thousand people when he lost his hold on the trapeze and sustained a fractured skull, a broken ankle and other injuries. The performer struck a guy wire on the descent and was thrown to the ground, head first. Meredith, a powerful athlete, became violent with pain at the hospital, it re- quired 7 persons to hold him on the operating table. He is In the James- town General Hospital where physicians hold little hope for bis recovery. Hal SkcIIy opened at the Palace, New York, Monday in his new vaudeville production-act. "The Chump," with Peggy Hope and £unice Sauvatn featured, to have his feelings bruised through veiled insinuations that he (Skelly). in do- ing his "Growing up Dance" bit With Miss Hope, was infringing upon a slmllai dance done at the Palace by Clifton Webb and Mary Hay. Handling his feelings as best he could, Mr. Skelly later commenced to "burn" when ha recalled he had done the same dance with the same Mary Hay in the Hammerstein mu- sical, "Mary Jane McKane," before Miss Hay and Mr. Webb became partners. Skelly originated the dance a couple of years before that time. He has danced It with vari- ous partners in several productions and also previously in vaudeville. Issued Warning It is understood * Mr. Skelly has warned Webb and Hay in person not to continue with his dance. Neither one of the team had asked permis- sion of Skelly. It is also reported Skelly has requested protection of Charles Dillingham against Webb and Hay using the "Growing Up Dance" In the new Dillingham pro- duction they have been engaged for. In the "Garrick Gaieties" at the Qarrick, New York, is announced "The Webb step and the Hay step," with the Imitators proceeding to Imitate Webb and Hay in their an- nexed Skelly dance bit. This did not tend to lower Mr. Skelly's pressure. The "Growing Up Dance" is per- fortned by the two dancers, with Skelly as a tall fellow bobbing up and down, with his shorter partner alternating in the same way. HOW MARCUS LOEW DISCOVERED THAT IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE Price's Two Acts Two acts will be played by Georgie Price upon returning to vaudeville Aug. 31 under direction of Arthur Klein. Price will do his single tun- preceding "The Tailor Shop," a skit calling for four people including himself. The turns, combined, will run 46 minutes. Price remains under contract to the Shuberts with this being the third of the five years' agreements Under the Shubert contract he re- ceives $1,000 for the third year and is asking $1,500 for vaudeville. TBINI IN PICTUKES Trlni, the Spanish dan<^er, has been signed for pictures. She is making her cinema debut in "The Sixth Degree," which Diament Ber- ger is directing as an associated Elxhibltors release. Among other players are Owen Moore, Constance Bennett, Holbrook Blinn and Sebastian Droster. Marcus Loew, seldom reminiscent, was brought around the other day to the subject of his first theatre, the Royt^l. Brooklyn, N. T.. .formerly called the Cosy Comer over there, and, previous to LooWs advent, of bad character and standing In the neighborhood. It was the first place of over 800 seats Loew had operated. His ventures before were store shows, full of slot machines and other penny devices, where all be had to do was to stick a sign outside for passers-by to notice. After many worries and much trouble, Loew bought the Royal for $115,000/ starting it off with r\ picture show of those days, cost- ing him $80 a week, and doing a gross business of 1(^ cents the first day. That 10-center saw the start of the first performance in the Royal. With no one else present, Loew walked over to the man said it had been an error to have taken his money, as It waa a dress rehearsal and offered to return th* 10. "Never mind^that," said the patron, "go right ahead. This show sc far is worth w^ times what I paid." ''-' The second day the gross jumped to $12 and Loew told 3fitl^ Schenck (then associated with him) that he had put the Royal' over. The next day the gross was $17 and with that Increase cam*' the business agent of the Stagehands' union. "Put five men oH' your stage," said the walking delegate, "and we are going to run' It." ■. , ....-■. ■.'« "Yes?" said Mr. Loew. "Who are you?" '>' 'Tm the business agent for the stagehands' union, and we nrt'' all stages," the man replied. All new stuff to Loew. He took out a little book, told the busi- ness agent how much the house had cost him to open and offered to sell one-half Interest to the union, in return for which they could run the stdge and he would take care of the front of the house. Thinking Loew was trying to kid him, the agent became Impertl- • nent, whereupon Loew Informed him that as long as he was the business agent of any union there would never be a union man In a Loew place. Mr. Loew thought that settled that and forgot about it as the' agent departed. ' '■ There had been no advertising in the papers for the Royal no^ any billing up, notlilng but the store show boards in front of the theatre. The next day about 100 sandwich men started to i>arade in the City Hall section of Brooklyn, where the Royal was located. They' carried signs reading: "Loew's Royal theatre Is unfair to union labor. Do not patronise it." Mr. Loew noticed a sudden spurt at the box office. Business was Very good that day with a huge jump In the gross. Long before the day had finished he foUnd out about the walking advertisements for his house, and It was the first suggestion In his early career as a showman that It pays to advertise. The net profit for the Royal In its first year of pictures at a 10-cent top was $63,000. LOUIS HERTZ SUMMOIVED Lucille Rogers Curious About Whereabouts of Scenery Charging that Louis Hertz, the- atrical producer, 2813 West 13th street. Coney Island, is withholding some scenery for' which she has paid $500, Lucille Rogers of the Lu- cille Rogers' Band appeared in West Side Court and obtained a sum- mvis from Magistrate Max S. Levlne. Hertz had an attorney appear In court who stated the theatrical producer sought an adjournment It was granted until the latter part of this month. Miss Rogers, accompanied by most of her band who had their in- struments with them, came to court In obtaining the summons she stated that she had paid Hertz more than $500 for some of the scenery. She stated that she gave $500 as part payment. The full amount was to be $1,500. On a later date Miss Rogers averred she gave him some more money. The scenery at one time used by Hertz in one of his produc- tions, was said to be In a storage warehouse at 6'Bth street and 9th avenue. Miss Rogers was billed to play with her band In one of the local theatres. When she went to the warehouse to get the scenery she learned It had been removed. Since that time she has vainly sought the producer. Miss Rogers lives at 316 West 94th street BILL NEWELL (Newell and Most) '■NcweJl (of Newpll and Mo.sf) Is a dolicious clown who.se rcflnoa antics will surely land him in the Follies or The Music Hox." ■.ni,i >j.^ II -.^ T^. « . . , -CHICAGO DAILY NEWS. ♦ hn h ^tT}} Km'^'i' ^"^^' *'*° "^^'•'^'^ »"^''l''« ^^»i« w^i-e undoubtedly the hit of a classy bill." -KAK.s!A«» riTV wtao "At the Temple. Newell and Mo.t. charming peKmrn^rT^coTo tri- umphantly." Idktuoit ni.:ws SISSLE AND BLAKE SAHJNO St Louis, Aug. 18. Passage on the "Olympic" sailing Sept. 19 has been booked for Noble Slssle and Eubie Blake, who open an 8-weck London engagement at the Piccadilly Sept. 28. The billing was made through William Morris. Slssle and Bake, under the direction of A. J. Cark, close an 11-day stay at the Mis.sourl theatre here today (Tuesclay). DAUGHTER IN ACT Los Angeles, Aug. 18. Ceorse Whiting and Sadie Burt will add to their vaudeville act no34 season their .lauRhter, Virginia, 16. Whiting is now preparing the act with Eddie Weber providing the melody and lyri' s. liOSENARir MUSK sural Copyright Infringement Alleged Against Broad- way Theatre, Columbus An action in the Federal Court] for copyright infringement on the] lyrics and music of "Rose Marie*! has been brought by Arthur Ham« merstein against the lesee of th*^ IJroadway, Columbus. It Is alleged the house used thej] words and music of "The Moun- Ites," 'Indian Love Call," "Rose; Marie" and another song hit of the ' score, in a tabloid "The Call of the! North." The Hammerstein attorney*! reached Columbus Saturday too late to stop the use of the songaj but immediately filed their action- with the Federal authoritiea The use of any part of the book« music or lyrics of "Rose Marie" was forbidden and produceri warned several weeks ago when the Hammerbteln office inserted a advertisement In Variety as a warn- ing to possible infringers. The use of any of the songs also has been prohibited via radio by the Ham- merstein office. The producer banned the radio to protect th«; road productions of the New Yoi*^ musical' hit figuring the radio; would kill the numbers before the/' were beard in the hinterland. The Broadway is alleged to ha»t slightly disguised the songs In Its billing and program matter reading "My Rose Marie." Clsa Co«k to Wed Millionaire PIttsfleld, Mass.. Aug. 1$. Announcement has been mad* here that Olga Cook, appearing In the Chicago company of "Th* Student Prince," is engaged to marry Leith Lyon, niiillonalr* sportsman of Chicago. Kostoff and 17 In Act Theodore Kosloff In an act with 17 people may be secured by big time vaudeville. (