The New York Clipper (February 1917)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 21, 1917 "PATRIA" FILM COSTLY TO DUMBACTS FINAL SPOT LOST TO THEM With the innovation of the moving pic- ture serial "Patria," in the closing spot at the Keith vaudeville houses, scores of good "dumb" acts, which heretofore were invaluable to Keith bills, are now vainly looking for big time bookings. The showing of the Vernon Castle serial at the end of the performance has complete- ly changed the old order of things. The final vaudeville spot is now considered the strongest on the program, and is filled, almost invariably, by the headline attraction. Acrobatic turns, animal acts, juggling novelties and the like are suffering great- ly by this change of rule, and are find- ing it increasingly difficult to get work. Dancing acts are also affected by the new conditions. It can be conservatively estimated that at least one-third of the old dumb-act standbys can no longer find work in the Keith houses. Whether the Keith inter- ests will book another serial at the con- elusion of "Patria" remains to be seen. If they do dumb acts will find the big time vaudeville field offers a very hard and rocky road. Last week the respective vaudeville bills were closed by Clark & Hamilton at the Palace, Brice A King at the River- Side, Howard & Clark at the Colonial, In- glis A Bedding at the Alhambra, and Belle Baker at the Royal. The week previous Eva Tanguay closed the Palace bill, Kosloffs ballet did the same at the Riverside, Chic Sale at the Colonial, Wil- lie Weston at the Alhambra and Teabor's Seals at the Royal. Three weeks ago the shows were closed by Maggie Cline at the Palace, Ray & Gordon Dooley at the Riverside, the Primrose Four at the Co- lonial, "The Girlies' Gambol" at the Al- hambra and Le Hoen & Dupreece at the Royal. ROBARGE WOULD HALT ACT Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 20.—Feathers Davenport, leading woman of the "King Rolo" company, has asked the court here for a restraining order to prevent A. L Robarge, of Minneapolis, from attaching the scenery of her act and thereby pre- venting her from fulfilling her contracts. Robarge claims to own the copyright of her act and seeks to collect royalty for Its performance. NEW THEATRE FOR LLC. Long Island City will soon have its first real theatre. A new house, situated on Steinway Avenue, near Jamaica Road, in Astoria section, will be completed and opened about the latter part of this month. The theatre, which will have a seating capacity of about 1,000, will be operated as a popular-price vaudeville and picture house by the owners, the Reliable Building Company of New York. COOPER AND HARTMANN Successfully Touring the Loew Circuit AGENT CAN BE MANAGER Provided that there is a written contract to the effect between actor and agent, an agent can legally act as bis client's mana- ger and, in that capacity, may charge more than the statuatory five per cent. This is the meat of the decision banded down by Magistrate McQuade on the motion of At- torney Harry Saks Hechheimer to dismiss the case against his client, George W. Smith, who was charged with demanding more than five per cent, of the salary of Gino G. Fumagalli, the complainant. Smith produced a written contract in court which authorized him to assume the duties of manager. This case is the first one to decide whether or not an agent may also legally act as manager. BLANCHARD HELD FOR TRIAL Chan. M. Blanchard, the vaudeville agent, was held for Special Sessions last Friday by Magistrate Corrigan, after a hearing In the Seventh District Magis- trate's Court. Mr. Blanchard is charged by James Wallace Clinton, an actor, of re- ceiving from him more than the agent's fee as fixed by the agency law. The case is being prosecuted by James S. Kleinman, counsel for the Bureau of Licenses and this is the first time a person tried under the agency law has been held in bail by a magistrate for Special Sessions. KEATONS MAY RE-JOIN Joe Keaton, of the Five Keatons, has returned from a tour over the Pantages Circuit to persuade his family, consisting of his wife, two daughters and a son, to join him again. The Five Keatons were together for twenty-two years. LAZIER HURT IN ACT Charles Lazier, an acrobat, of the team of Lazier, Worth and company, seriously dislocated his arm while performing at the Ridgewood Theatre, Brooklyn. The team is laying off on account of the injury, but expects to be back at woik soon. DANCER FOR VAUDEVILLE Margaret Hawkesworth, who recently left the dance room at Reisenweber's, will open soon at the Riverside in a vaudeville dancing act. BRENDA FOWLER STOPS TOUR Brenda Fowler has discontinued her vaudeville tour in "The Hyphen." "THE FINISH" IS READY "The Finish," is the title of a comedy by James Madison, which is now ready for its vaudeville debut. Its cast includes William Harrigan, George Drew Mendum and Edward Haverly. This is the first playlet from Madison's pen. His work has always been confined to monologues and skits. NEW SKETCH BY SADA COWAN "The Maid in Question," a new vaude- ville sketch, has been written by Sada Cowan for Mme. Chautard-Archslnbaud, of the Theatre Odeon, Paris. It will shortly be produced in New York. FRANK A. KEENEY INCORPORATES Albany, N. Y., Feb. 15.—The Frank A. Keeney Picture Corporation waa chartered here today with a capital of $100,000. J. W. Mahon, R. C. Owens and F. A. Keeney are the directors. PIDGEON FORSAKES BROADWAY Edward E. Pidgeon has become asso- ciated with John G. Patton, the proprietor of L'Aiglon, a Philadelphia restaurant. Pidgeon is well known as a press agent along Broadway. PLAYLET FOR DARCY HASWELL Darcy Haswell will shortly be seen in vaudeville in a new one-act comedy by Edgar Allan Woolf, entitled "Heartsease." Miss Haswell will be supported by a com- pany of four. "THE CHICKEN" TO BE SEEN "The Chicken," a one-act satire by Charles Horwitz, which requires special "scenery and a cast of eight, is to have an early production. HOFFMAN ACT TO OPEN FEB. 26 The Gertrude Hoffman act has been scheduled to open Feb. 20 at tlte Busbwick. Patsy's Patter NEW SKETCH TO OPEN "On the Ground Floor," a sketch written by Fredericka Siemons, who will also play the leading role, will have its Initial pres- entation at Keith's Jersey City theatre to- morrow. Supporting Miss Siemons are Blanche Moulton and Richard Cubitt. Hugh Herbert is so happy -and light- hearted these days he can hardly control himself, for he i» proudly introducing around a charming bride in the person of Rose Epstein, a Texas belle, and flaunting his happiness in the face of every passer- by. He even had a kind word to say to the poor advertising solicitors last week. Mrs. Herbert is the daughter of Prof. Ep- stein of Austin, Texas, and a non-profes- sional. As a proof that we were never so good that some one cannot step into our place any old time, E. E. Marinl has replaced Ted Doner in Marie King's act and made a real impression. Quoting a Washington paper, "Marie King and her partner, E. B. Marinl, practically danced on air, so nimbly did their tip-toes interpret a Colo- nial minuet with frills to it, and a military march that the goose step is yet to learn." Adele Oswald (Roesner) will return to vaudeville in a couple of weeks with one of the most pretentious acts of her career. She is to do five distinctive character "types" from real life—three comedy and two serious—arranged and written by friend hnsband, George Roesner. Special scenery by Lee Lash and costumes by Schneider-Anderson, promise to lend much to the offering. It was downright mean of Harry Von Tiizer and-Walter Van Brunt to stand Bennie Bornstein up in the cold as 'they did last week. Harry and Walter, teem- ing together covering houses, passed Ben- nie up with the promise to meet him sure at the usual hour at the usual place. Of course if Bennie really knew what delayed the boys, he wouldn't feel so bad about it. A Brooklyn woman wrote to this paper last week asking to be recommended to someone who could teaeh her daughter comedy. She wanted to be funny on the stage. We wrote her that some of onr biggest commediennes had the same ambi- tion and that if there was anyone who could teach it, his time would be worth a thousand dollars a minute at least. Willie Dooley, of Orth 4 Dooley, claims that his sister Ray, working with Gordon Dooley. sat on the floor of a stage and sang a number, as far back as 1910—with Dooleys' Metropolitan Minstrels, opening at the Colonial Theatre, Richmond, Va. There are several acts using this business in vaudeville this season. The El Ray Sisters are skating in vande- /ille again after their individual success in the Ice Carnival at the Hippodrome. FERNE ROGERS IN PLAYLET Feme Rogers is to sing the prima donna role In a musical playlet which Sidney Hirsh Is writing l for vaudeville. PALL MALL TRIO Classy Singers of Classy MORGAN SIGNS WITH ALLAN Jack Morgan has signed with Edgar Allan's act, "The Punch."