Variety (December 1925)

Wednesaay, December 2, 1925 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY PANTAGES WILL OUST GRAFTERS; AGENT? GIVEN FRANCHISES Stops ActU Route, Turn Claiming to Have Been Held Up for $500 to Secure Pan Time—Alex. Pantages, in New York, Invites Complaints The Pant!iB«}a Circuit liaa refused to play further the Broshay Bros.. following complaints from the act In which the artists alleRe they paid $600 to an agent tar Hecuring them It Pantages route. AccoriUng to the act, the money fras paid in June in New York. This and numerous other com- plaints of grafting by Independent agents booking with the Pantages Circuit has led Alexander Pantages to a detornilnatlon to clean house among the dependents. One of the possibilities is to en- franchise a number of trustworthy agents and to book exclusively through them or direct. The selec- tion of the agents to be franchlsed will be made by Alexander ,Pant- ^agea, now in New York, in an effort 'to hold off future hold-ups of acts. The Pan Circuit Is on record as ready and willing to protect all acts having a similar complaint, but the tin|ldity of artists in complaining has workoil to the advantage of the gyppers. HART APPEAL; KEITH'S COUNSE Expected Up Court This in U. Week S. The Max Hart appeal on the ad- verse decisloil" of the IT. S. Dis- trict Court in his Sherman Act action against the KeiHi's Circuit and co-defendants is expected to come up this week. The Keilh-Albee people are re- ported having specially engaged former Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes, to argue their side. Joe Laurie's Comedy A straight comedy written by Wllliiim Anthony McGuire for Joe Laurie and called "A (ireat Little Guy" goes into rehearsal next week. It is listed to open during the holiday.s. I INDEX Miscellaneous 1 Foreign 2 Vaudeville . ,< 3-7 Vaudeville Reviews 14-15 Bills Next Month 16-17 Burlesque 8 Sports 9 Times Square 11 Women's Pags 12-13 News from the Dailies... 10 Legitimate 20-25 Legitimate Reviews 24-25 Pictures 26-44 Editorials 18 Picture Reviews 40-41 Film House Reviews 34-37 Presentations 34 Radio 45 Music 45-47 Cabaret 47 Band Reviews 46 Outdoors 48-49 ... 18 Inside Stuff—Legit " —Music " —Pictures .. " —Vaudeville. Obituary Correspondence Letter List 45 18 6 49 50 54 HOUDINI ON HIS OWN; LARRY WEBER QUIT EVEN Magical Show Continuing, —Played to $7,600 in Provi- dence Last Week at $1.50 "Sweet" FoolbaB Players As Sugar Eaters Hartford, Conn., Dec. 1, The Iloudlnl road shovr with Iloudinl heading is at Parsons this week with Houdlni now under his own management. L. Lawrence Weber, who pu* out the show with a guarantee to Houdinl withdrew before last week's engagement at the Opera house, Providence, when Houdinl played to a gross of $7,600 at $1.50 top. Joe I-«e, in advance, who has secured tremendous pub- lirlty for the attraction, remains with it. Weber is -said to have quit even on tlio Houdinl gamble. He sa / the show for the first time the Sat- urday night when stepping out of it. The Houdini show Is hooked up for around $3,000 weekly and Is said to be iilaying the usual terms under Shubert bookings. Next week it Ih at the Opera house, Worcester, Mass., then Majestic, Brooklyn (week Dee. 14). 7 X 7 =^ 49 . A lucky combination, t days in a week. 7 years during which we have played B. F. Keith'a Palace, New York. 49 weeks. MOSCONI BROTHERS Louis Charles WUUs and SISTER VERNA Maryland, Baltimore, this week (Nov. 30); Proctor's, Newark, next week (Dec. 7). Direction, CHA8. MORRISON PHONEY DIAMOND GETS GEO. SPINA IN COURT Held' Under $2,500 Bail- Used and Substituted Worth- less Stones on Gerber 'LITTLE SOUSA' GUARDIANS Boy Musician's . Him—Henry N. Relatives Control Azine Withdraws Salt Lake City, Dec. 1. The "Little Sousa" case, recently reported in Variety, is settled. The controversy between Henry N. Azine, stepfather of "Little Sousa," 12-year-old musician, whose name Is Raymond Stuart Carlson, andT his legal guardians, members of the r.alrd family, over the guardian- ship of the boy, apparently came to an end with the filing of a stip- ulation In the probate division of the third district court. The agree- ment provided for dismLs.sal of Azine's petition asking for revoca- tion, of the order appointing Karl M. S. Paird and David W. Balrd. uncles of the boy, as guardians. The guardianship contest first became public when complaint was filed against Azine charging him with perjufy in connection with listing some of the assets of his wife, in connection with petition for probate of her estate. The late Mrs. Azine wrs the mother of the boy. A^lnc and Little Sousa were then in Seattle. A deputy sheriff went to Washington carrying requisition papers for his extradition. The ease was dismissed and the requisi- tion dissolved while the deputy was in Seattle. Azine returned with the boy and aub.sequently filed a peti- tion asking for revocation of the order appointing the Ualrds as guardians, stating that they had taken the hoy fr(im his custody sur- reptitiously. Azine is understood to have left for Minnesota to Join his relatives. HOME TOWN HEADLINES Cleveland, Dec. 1. Marguerite Namara, formerly ."Vlarguerite Unnks of Cleveland, is here this week headlining at Keith's Palace. This is l*r flr.'jt vaudeville engag'me nt. She soon is to appe.ir In "Jenny r>ind." the oporntta being written for her by Cluy I'oiton. her play- riijlit-hlishard. An attempted gyp game tried on Alex Gerber, vaudeville author and producer, at his office In 1607 Broadway, landed George Spina In the West 54th street court Satur- day with hearing on Monday re- sulting -in Spina being held In $2,500 bail. The hearing was ad- journed to BMday by Magistrate Max S. Levlne on the defendant's counsel's plea for time to prepare the case. Joe Brown, vaudeville producer as- sociated with Joe Howard, brojght Spina to Gerber's office Friday with the promise of a bargain In diamonds. Spina showed Gerber a stone which the author had ap- pmised by a pawnbroker for $800. Spina asked for $250 and closed the deal for $200, claiming he needed the money badly. Spina later returned with nine other stones, subsequently prpved "phoney," offering to sell them at the same low price. Gerber be- came suspicious, but told Spina to leave them In a safe deposit box In Gerber's office. Spina, stating that he did not trust anybody with such precious stuff, accepted custody of what he thought was the only key to the safe deposit box. Gerber, however, had a duplicate. No sooner did Spina leave than he had the stones appraised. Spina mean- time was told to come back on the morrow while Gerber was giving the matter some thought. >SpIna later switched anotner "phoney" for the real stone which Gerber had paid $200 for. Upon his return Saturday, when Gerber had a couple of plain-clothes men plant- ed in his office. Spina opened the safe deposit box and noticing the disarray of the stones, pulled the line "I think you touch." lie started to run. iJerber pulled a gun on him. Spina ran right Into the arms of the cops In tie outer office and (hen withdrew within, took out the $200 and threw it on the floor so MS not to have the money found on him. Brown said he knew nothing of Spina's plans and so Gerber only proceeded nirnlnst Spina. THE TILLER DANCING SCHOOLS Op-n Tor a l,,,.,it«d N'lM.l.tr of I'uplls ••rlyat* l.«>*»«n» ri.ii I'""■"" "' « OF AMERICA, Inc. 226 West 72d Street NEW YORK • rhonri Kndirott 8ZI5-« MART rtKAD Secretary ELSIE JANIS PLAYING EAST KIsle Janls has been routed for the eastern big time houses, open- ing at Washington. D. C, next week (Dec. 6). Miss Janis recently clo.ied In "l'u7.ale.s" In P.o9ton and was re- ported as bookei* for Florida caba- r<^t fngngements. KOLB AND DILL AGAIN I/OS Angeles, Dec. 1. Kolb and Dill are to resume their |.;irtri('r.sliip and appear In a musl- c.i' comedy entitled "A I'alr of I'ools," scheduled to open In North- .•rn Cnllfomla. December 27. Artiiur I'recd will write the mush- ana l>rlc». LEE SISTERS ARE STOPPED That a modern football game may depend upon a lump of sugar is something the aver- age gridiron enthusiast mSy not know. However, it is moiW or less true. Many of the mod- em college squads are fed loaf sugar between the halves. The story goes that Yale was the flrst school to experiment with feeding Its warriors three or tour lumps of sugar during the rest period, since which many other institutions have taken It up, and it has the full approval of medical men. The theory is the same as of automobile race drivers who munch milk chocolate as they whirl around a track. In the case of the football player the lump of sugtir not only adds stamina to the body, but is alleged to improvt the lung ca- pacity or "wind." To this end one former All- American end, now a practis- ing physician, highly recom- mends sugar for professionals doing ardous work three and four times dally, or between acts of a legitimate show. Al Von Tilzcr Would Like $5,000 from Keeney Albert Von Tilzer is seeking to recover $5,000 'from Frank Keeney, allegrlng the latter commissioned Von Tilzer to acquire for him (Keeney) the 10,000 shares of cap- ital stock in the Anatole Produc- ing Co., Inc. The latter sponsored "Three Doors," a flop legit try, Keeney stating Von Tilzer con- trolled the Anatole Producing Co., (na The (lL.»fendant sets forth he met Von Tllser on the street and It was represented that only 5 per cent, of the show was outstanding, but that ths rest oould be had for $5,000. Keeney agreed to investigate and alleges bis Investigation showed that more of the show was In out- side controL Von Tilzer now wants to examine Keeney but had his motion denied with provisions for renewing the plea. Court Sayt 'No Imitation' —'Pure Copying* St. Louis, Dec. 1. Kxpresslng an opinion that tb* "Topsy and Eva" act of the L** sisters In their turn at the Missouri theatre was not an imitation of th* Duncan sisters, but pure raimlcr^ and copying. Judge Falkenhainer Monday granted a permanent In- junction in favor of the Duncans In their suit to stop the alleged steal of their material by the Leea. Falkenhainer had given a tera« porary restraining order to th* stars of th« "Topsy and Eva" shoir early last week. Several hearings were held, In which the Lees' at- torney tried to pi"ove "Topsy and Eva" is an imitation of "UncU Tom's Cabin." TINNEYS IN 2-ACT OFFERED TO BOOKERS Mrs. Frank TInney and the re cently returned Frank TInney in m three-for-one have been offered to the big time bookers, with no takers to date. Mrs. TInney la playing: pick-up time with her single turn. She In- structed M. S. Bentham to offer her and Frank to the bookers. The plan Is for each to do a single and double later on the bill. Billy Dooley's Accident Los Angeles, Dec. 1. Billy Dooley, under contract to Christie^ has been doing the double task of working In pictures and making his appearance in person with them. Thanksgiving night Dooley was at the Red Mill, Bel- vedere Gardens, In conjunction with his flrst product, "Th9 Misfit Sailor." He did his regular vaude- ville act and while doing a nlp-up, ruptured himself. A local phyfticlan was called and ordered that Dooley go to a hos- pital. Dooley refused and was taken to his home. There his condition became worse and he was taken to the Osteopathic llcspltal, Los Angeles, where a major operation was Immediately performed. It Is expected he will remain In the hospital two weeks. "CHABLESTON" DANCER HURT Dcs Moines, Dec. 1. Probably the first in.stance of its kind on record occurred hero when Mclvln Euslere, a college student, r-racked a bone in his l<noe doing the "Charleston" at a ho>iso party. He will be in splints for weeks. HILDA FERGUSON OUT BY CONSENT AT FOX'S Philly Theatre Management Heard About Madrid Cafe, Cops and Hilda's Shimmy Philadelphia, Dec L Hilda Ferguson, noted as an ex- ponent of the "shimmy," dl(y not appear at' ths Fox theatre (pic- tures) as advertised last week. The reason for this lies In MUM Ferguson's single appearance a couple of weeks ago at the Madrid* on* of Philadelphia's few remaining "night life" spots. Durlns th« course of the evening, a squad ot Director ' Butler's watchful poltc* vislteij the Madrid, and claimed Miss Ferguson's apparel was no- ticeable by Its almost complete ab« sence. The management of th« Madrid received, almost Immedi- ately, a letter from Director But1«r ordering that Miss Ferguson's coa- tract be cancelled. Last week was the Fox theatra's second anniversary. It advertised some days ahead an elaborate sur- rounding program Including MlM Ferguson and her shimmy. On th« Friday before, a sudden order, with- out explanation, removed Illld**a name from the billing. It developed that the Fox man- agement, hearing of Butler's actio* In regard to the Madrid affair, took the action in their own hands. "We learned Director Butler had objected to Miss Ferguson's ap- pearance at the Madrid previously," the Fox management' said, "and rather than have a similar notlc* sent to us, we asked her to cancel her contract with us, which she did without argument after admitted receiving a letter from Director Butler." Miss Ferguson's contract, marked "cancelled." called for $9!>0 for the week. It was returned to her at her New York apartment. Assistant Director Elliot admitted knowledi;e of Butlers letter on the Madrid case,-ifut said no action had been taken to prevent Miss Fer- guson's reappearance at the Fox. "This certainly would not have been done until after she had ap- peared and run counter to the Ideaa of the censor," he said, "but we appreciate the co-operation of the theatre management In this In- stance." If You Dont Advertise fn "VARIETY" Don't Advertise Treddie Goldsmith, Legal Traveler Freddie Goldsmith, the globe- trotting Jurist, Is going to llon;'konK next spring by way of Palm Unach The attorney l<^aves Ore. 3 fi>r ai stay until May In the real estate | ■tate. I IgSTUMESK 'PRODUCTIONSXX PICTURES U 'INDIVID^ 'sCHNKf ,—ANDE* '220 W 36 ST. ^