The New York Clipper (January 1917)

January 10, 1917. THE NEW YORK CLIPPER B00KINGAGENTS TABOO POOR 6IRLACTS MUST HAVE BETTER OFFERINGS The boldness on the part of producers of girl acts, in offering tabloids and minia- ture musical comedies with inferior mate- rial, poor staging and amateurish casts, has caused the bookers employed by the various circuits to issue an ultimatum in regard to the future submission of acts of this type for routes. In the future all acts will have to have performers with considerable ability, com- edy of a much superior sort than that at present culled from "bits" used in bur* lesque shows, principal women with sing- ing, voices, and chorus girls with real stage experience, instead of amateurs. All in all, the producers will have to spend a great deal more money in the production of their acts in the future than they are doing at present. The great demand for "girl acts," minia- ture musical comedies or tabloid versions, has caused a number of booking agents and so-called producers to throw together a conglomerated lot of comedy, inter- preted by a few "amateurish'' comedians, assisted by a number of girls ranging from six to twelve in number, and call it a girl act. To offset the poor material tbey furnish the producers use elegant scenery, with elaborate electrical effects, and offer the acts to the booking offices for from $275 to $600 a week. Since the demand for girl acts in the East began over a year ago more than 500 acta have been quickly assembled and given time. TWO NEW ACTS READY Roehm & Richards have in preparation two new acts that will be launched in vaudeville this month. One is entitled "Dispossessed," written by Garfield Kil- gore, with Florence Tanner and Nancy Walker, and the other is "Nutology," by John P. Medbnry. DAUGHTER FOR MRS. JACKSON Gbeekviixe, Fa., Jan. 1.—A daughter was born to Mrs. J. E. Jackson, of Jack- son and Florence, Saturday. Mother and daughter are doing well. COLLINS BOOKING NEW ENGLAND Boston, Jan. 8.—Stuart Collins, for many years connected with the John Quig- ley Agency, has gone in with the Lester Mayne-Sheedy combination to book a num- ber of New England theatres. MORTIMER ORPHEUM PRESS MAN The successor of Nellie Revell as direc- tor of publicity for the Orpheum Circuit is G. Horace Mortimer, a New York news- paperman, press agent and literateur. AUDIENCE HOSTILE TO BENNETT Tobohto, Oat., Jan. 6.—Murrey Bennett, the monologiat, met with a hostile demon- stration at Loew's Yonge Street Theatre this week, when he presented his usual Jew comedy act. A disturbance in the audience was raised because a number of persons took exception to his utterances. Manager Bernstein received a threatening letter next day in which the promise was made that an organised attempt would be made to break up Bennetfs act unless he was withdrawn. Bennett appeared at every performance during the week but no farther demonstrations were made. FRED TALLMAN DIES Fred Tallman, an exhibition poolplayer, died of pneumonia at the Polyclinic Hos- pital last week. He had been touring the country in vaudeville. Tallman was a member of the White Rats. VAUDEVTLUANS MARRY Skafobd, Dei, Jan. 6.—Dixon Ames, Stuart, of the vaudeville team of Bond and Ames, and Anna Willard Morrow, of the team of Morrow and Morrow, were mar- ried here Dec 29. SELDA WANDA IN VAUDE Selda Wanda, former partner of George Stone, has started a vaudeville engagement with "Lover's Lake," in which she ia play- ing the female lead. MORE ACTS FOR ROYAL Starting next week, Keith's Royal Theatre will inaugurate a new policy by eliminating the Keystone feature from its program and running the same number of acts as the other Keith houses in the city. ROBERTS RETURNS TO VAUDE. Hans Roberts is to return to vaudeville and will make his reappearance in a dra- matic sketch. He left vaudeville two sea- sons ago to appear on Broadway in a pro- duction. HASKELL'S MOTHER DEAD The mother of Loney Haskell, the vaude- ville comedian died last week in this city. Haskell received a message telling of his mother's illness while en route from Columbus to YoungBtown and arrived at his mother's bedside a few minutes before she died. MLLE. DAZIE SHOWS NEW ACT Wilmington, Del., Jan. 8.—Mile. Dazie presented her new act, "In the Garden of Punchinello,'' last week at the Garrick and drew remarkably large houses. "FRIENDSHIP" FOR VAUDEVILLE "Friendship," a playlet by Eugene Wal- ter, is another Friar Frolic skit that if to find its way to the vaudeville stage. D. Frank Dodge has purchased the producing, rights and intends to put it on with a good cast. ANN WELLMAN FOR VAUDE Emily Ann Wellman, who recently closed with "Her Market Value" in Chi- cago, will make her debut in vaudeville next Monday in a sketch by Edward Eis- ner, entitled "The Younger Mrs. Stafford." In support of Miss Wellman will be seen Robert Hyman, Winifred Burke, Stewart Robbins and Russell Parker. ROYAL HAS WIRELESS Ernest Richardson, chief electrician at the Royal Theatre, gives orders to Ma subordinates by wireless. Richardson Is a wireless expert, and the Royal manage- ment has allowed him to install a Marconi machine in the theatre. He has made an extension of it to the stag* and, from there, transmits his orders to all parts of the house. KAHN GETS NEW ACT Eddie Kahn has accepted a new not sketch written by John P. Meadbory, en- titled "The Nutologist." He will soon play it in vaudeville under the manage- ment of Roehm & Richards. KATHERYN DAHL GETS GILLEN Charles Gillen, formerly pianist for Grace La Rue, is now accompanist for Katheryn DahL VIVIAN BLACKBURN IN PLAYLET Vivian Blackburn will make her debut in vaudeville to-morrow at Proctor's Theatre, Newark, N. J., in a new playlet by Lewis Allen, known as "Peacock Alley." El- wood F. Bostwiek and ten others are in the cast CORR1GAN IN NEW SKETCH Emmet Corrigan will make his first ap- pearance next Monday in a new sketch by Anthony P. Zilles, entitled "Mrs. East- man's Brooch." TEAM SAILS FOR HAVANA "Skeets" Gallagher and Irene Martin have sailed for Havana to fill a several weeks' engagement there. I Patsy's^Patter WOODS TO MANAGE NORA BAYES A. H. Woods has taken over the man- agement of Nora Bayes, and will conduct the tour which she is to make at the con- clusion of her El tinge Theatre engage- ment. BROWN FOUR DISBANDS The Brown Comedy Four, which has been playing U. B. O. bookings, hsa dis- banded. ARLINE TO QUIT VAUDE. Arline Fredericks is going to quit vaudeville and return to musical comedy. The reign of modern and classical dances that have so captivated the public's fancy the past two years is passing. High lock- ing and other stage dances are now being looked upon with renewed interest. Witness) the success of the Bell girl in "The Century tiirl," Miss Pinkie at the Palace last week, the novelty dancing of Kinney & Lusby and many others. It will be the survival of the fittest hereafter for, now that the new dancers with their old dances are la the spotlight, they will come in for a lot of "serious criticism. A talk with Florria Millership, a graduate of the Tiller School of Dancing, will convince you how easy it is to kick and use one's hands and arms In graceful gesticulations at the sama time. But, go out and find how few there are doing it this season. NEW PLAY FOR ROSE TIFFANY Rose Tiffany & Co. are rehearsing The Mysterious Lady," a vaudeville playlet by Arthur Horwits. TO PLAY MOSS TOUR Gardner's Maniacs sailed last week to open on the Moss Tour. Officer Vokes is in deep distress over the carrying on of Don, his intoxicated canine, now scoring heavily with the "Midnight Frolic" show. Since Florens Ziegfeld, Jr., has given them a full year's contract to appear in his productions, Don is insisting on a diamond collar and an sorts of frills and fancies, heretofore looked upon with disdain. Imagine Yoke's surprise the other night to find his canine pal eating lobster salad with a bevy of Ziegfeld beauties around him! Officer Vokes says he has credited Don with almost human intelli- gence, but he can see plainly, now, that success has turned his bead, and he Is fast "going to the dogs." Irene Franklin, who is, of course, a Twelfth Nighter, sang some songs—and one of them, by Jack Hazard, is great. It's about a debutante looking into the eyes of her dear grandma at 2 O. M. and wailing "Grandma, dear grandma, come home with me now, the clock in the steeple struck three." But grandma replying mur- murs words* to the effect that the fnn is just commencing, that she must have an- other one-step, and tells the girl to go order a taxi and they will stop at Jack's for breakfast. There were too many grandmas present to allow the success that will ordinarily go with this number. W. L. Abingdon, Bijou Fernandas, Bur- ton Green, Irene Franklin and a couple of others excused themselves from the Percy G. Williams "triple event" at Healy's Saturday night to run down to the affair given by the Twelfth Night Club at the Astor Hotel. They stayed long enough to say "howdy" to everyone and then went back to Healy's for breakfast. Cecil Cunningham is jubllaat over the prospect of her Orpheum tour, which starts the first of February. It Is feared by her many friends here that she win make quite a stay on the coast, when she returns. Daly & Berlew, the whining whirlwind wizards of vaudeville, are entertaining the guests at the Hotel Martinique, Atlantic City, creating quite a sensation and mak- ing a lot of friends.