The New York Clipper (February 1917)

16 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 21, 1917 COMPOSERS' SOCIETY TO COLLECT ROYALTY Board of Director* Holding Weekly Meet- ing! and Commence the Collection of Performing Rights' Feea Toe Board of Directors of the American Society of Authors, Composers and Pub- lishers are holding weekly meetings at the Society's rooms in West Forty-fifth Street, and are rapidly putting into operation plans for the collection of royalties from all establishments where performances of copyrighted music is given for profit. This is an enormous undertaking, neces- sitating the employment of not only a large clerical staff, but the placing of rep- resentatives in all the principal cities and towns of the country, to keep a check upon the establishments already in business and the scores which open their doors each week. In addition to this, the question 0 f the distribution of the money among the so- ciety's members is also a momentous one and many plans for an equitable arrange- ment are under discussion. This, accord- ing to one of the directors is going to be the hardest task of all and it will readily be seen that to check up the programs of every orchestra in the country and make a proportionate money distribution will re- quire an incalculable amount of work The Society's members do not expect to realize much revenue for the first year or so, but once the organization gets into working order, it is expected the amonnt collected annually will be over the $1,000,- 000 mark. BALL AND LAMBERT REUNITED After an extended tour over the entire Orpheum Circuit, where each appeared as a "single," Ernest R. Ball and his accom- plished wife, Maude Lambert, are delight- ing their friends over at the Orpheum Theatre, Brooklyn, this week, playing and singing together in the same act. The enthusiasm with which their joint appear- ance is greeted is an eloquent testimony to the popularity of this professional tem- porary re-union. As usual on an occasion of this kind, Mr. Ball sings his newest hits, and both he and Miss Lambert are generous when it comes to the older favor- ites as well. Among the former, the lead- ing favorites are "Would You Take Back the Love You Gave I" the new popular ballad that is taking the place and looks like beating the records of its two prede- cessors, "Goodbye, Good Luck, God Bless You" and "Turn Back the Universe'*; "I'm Going Back to California,'' "You're the Best Little Mother God Ever Made," and "The Story of Old Glory, the Flag We Love," one of the best patriotic songs in years, and "111 Wed the Girl I Left Be- hind," another march-song favorite. Be- sides all those, Mr. Ball contributes a medley—one of the best and most inter- eating ever presented—of all his old favor- ites that never wear out, excerpts from each songs, for example, as "A Little Bit of Heaven," "Mother Machree," "After the Roses Have Faded Away," "She's the Daughter of Mother Machree," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," and others. WtTMARK'S "MARYLAND" "I've Got the Sweetest Girl in Mary- land" has already got 'em coming and go- ing. This is Walter Donaldson's latest hit and destined to be his biggest so far. No- body has to be urged or persuaded to sing this captivating, optimistic ditty—they just can't help it. Willie Weston at the Palace was a great big hit with it last week; and Sidney Phillips at the Winter Garden Sunday night concert, riding it for all it was worth, so to speak, galloped in an easy winner. So much for the Gay White Way. Other prominent acts that ore featuring the "Maryland" infant hit— diminutive in age, big in possibilities and favor—are McWatters &. Tyson, Claire Rochester, Will Ward & Girls, The Meya- kos, Al G. Field Greater Minstrels, Those Five Girls, Georgia Comedy Four, Mueller & Myers Tulip Time in Holland, Clark & Levine, Elsie Mains, Boyle & Brown, Hay- nes & Adams, Stanley & Bates, Reed & Ed- wards, Bison City Four. VON Tll./F.R'S BALLAD Lydell & Higgins, one of the first of the big-time acts to introduce Harry Yon Til- zer's ballad "There's Someone More Lone- some Than You," are still featuring it, and say they will continue to use the song during the remainder of the season. A FEIST NOVELTY "Keep Your Eye on the Girlie Yon Love," a new song by Howard Johnson, Alex Gerber, and Ira Sinister is being fea- tured by scores of the best singers of nov- elty songs. It is a real winner and is in big demand everywhere. J. H. REMICK IN TOWN J. H. Remick, who announced recently that in spite of his many business inter- ests he intended to devote more time in fu- ture to the music business, is living up to his promise. He arrived in New York last week and win be in this city for some time. "A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE" Chas. K. Harris' latest song bears the novel title of "A Study in Black and White." The song itself is even more at- tractive than its title, and Wflla Holt Wakefield, who introduced it in vaudeville recently, is creating something of a sensa- tion with the song. CLEVER COMEDY NUMBER "Pm Afraid," a clever comedy number published by Will A. Livernash, of Kansas City, Mo., is proving a fine vehicle for acts depending upon songs of laugh provoking qualities. LOUIS DREYFUS INJURED Louis Dreyfus had a narrow escape from death in the Hotel Lenox fire in Boston last week. In escaping from the hotel he was severely burned about the head and face. JARDON SINGS STERN SONG Dorothy Jardon, now on the Orpheum time, is successfully featuring the new Jos. W. Stern & Co. ballad, "Shades of Night." A GREAT REPERTOIRE L. Wolfe Gilbert has a great song rep- ertoire which be is presenting in his new vaudeville act. Extending over the entire field of song composition they never fail to please. They are all of his own composi- tions and include: "Love Is A Wonder- ful Thing," "Shades of Night," "Out of the Cradle," "Army Blues" and "Hawaiian Sunshine." Jos. W. Stern & Co. are Mr. Gilbert's publishers. A HARMS CO. NOVELTY The Harms Company, after launching two record-breaking ballad hits in "Some- where a Voice" and "The Sunshine of Your Smile," have selected for their "new number a clever novelty song entitled "A Broken Doll." A big publicity campaign in connection with it has just been started. WENRICK'S NEW SONG Percy Wenrick and his talented young wife Dolly Conolly, scored one of the hits of the Palace Theatre bill this week sing- ing Mr. Wenrich's new song "Silver Bay." It is being picked for one of the Feist hits for the coming season. FORSTERS' COMEDY HIT Forster Music Pub., Inc., has a genuine comedy song hit in "Oh! Johnny Oh!" a number which has in less than a month at- tracted country wide attention. Abe OI- man, in charge of the New York office of the company has placed the song with scores of acts during the past two weeks. FEATURES VON TILZER SONG Fay Templeton, who has been booked for a long tour over the Keith Circuit, is featuring Harry Yon Tilzer's successful song, "On the South Sea Isle." Miss Tem- pleton first put it on at Keith's Riverside last week, where it met with decided suc- cess. ANOTHER "RIVER SHANNON" You remember 'Where the River Shan- non Flows"? Even today that popular Irish ballad is heard many a time and oft in the land. Its publishers, M. Witmark & Sons, haven't done counting its profits yet by a long way, but they have a worthy successor to it in "Twas Only an Irishman's Dream," written by Al Dubin, John J. O'Brien and Rennie Cor- roack, and sung by—well, pretty near everybody. Its popularity is so great that they're all calling it "Another "River Shan- non,'" though as a matter of fact there are few if any points of resemblance be- tween the two songs. Each is a gem in its own particular way. Last week there was hardly a vaudeville house in greater New-York that didn't have an act on the bill featuring it. PLANTADOSI BRANCH The AL Piantadosi Music Co. has opened a new branch office at No. 218 Tremont street, Boston. Will Bohan is in charge. HIS LUCKY SEVENTH Jack Glogau rounded out his seventh year with the Feist company on Feb. 16. He says: "Another seven and then—" SHARPS AND FLATS By TEDDY MORSE. Milton Ager is harmonizing and writing for the William Jerome Co. and doing both very well. William Jerome, by the way, is that same young fellow who shows gray hair on top of his bead and gray matter inside. George Graff, Jr., is a fitting "high class" lyricist. He's in the cutlery busi- ness as a side line to his song writing, and has his secretary call each day at his song offices and bore him with details. ■ Billy Day burst upon New York last week resplendent in a raccoon take-me- home-for-$45.99-fur-coat, and the news that he was a music publisher in Boston. Willum always was Under daring. Sweet May Hill, the Chicago composer- ess, is all gingered up about someone claiming her idea of a professional copy. Now, May, dear, the least said about a professional copy the better. Freddie Ahlerts is the harmony man for the W. B. & S. offices. He expects to write a melody some day that people, as he puts it, will take a consolation in sing- ing. Fred Auger, the Philadelphia manager for Leo Feist, is of French extraction, and was already to set sail for France recently when the firm boosted bis salary. Ed. Little, the magnetic manager for Sherman, Clay & Co., of Frisco, is in town distributing orders, as a lady reporter would say, "with much eclat." Percy Wenrich was congratulated by "Sharps and Flats" for having such a wonderfully clever wife. "I know I'm lucky," said Percy. Tom Pay ton could sing an illustrated song as good as the next one, and now he's ' New York manager for the Forster Music Co. Mose Gumble and Phil Kornheiser week- ended in Philadelphia recently. Accord- ing to all reports, "a goodly time was had." Tommy Gray says he has never seen one of his scenarios on the screen. Tommy knows he "got more than his share." Jerome Rose is the right and left wing of the Piantadosi Co., and wears Non-Skid black rimmed glasses to prove it. Joe Goodwin is a reckless guy. He made an appointment for ten o'clock in the morning. Grant Clarke has blossomed out with the cutest golf cap. He always was a cot up. Wolfie-Gilbert hates to see his name in the paper. Jnst for gplte, here it is.