The New York Clipper (March 1919)

March 5, 1919 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER PASSPORT BAN TO BE OFF BY JULY DEPENDS ON WILSON TRIP Acts, performers and International bookers who have been held up from going abroad in pursuance of their business by reason of the passport- stringency, may pack their grips soon and get ready for their deferred overseas journey, for the passport bail will be lifted by the authori- ties just as soon as President Wilson re- turn a from his second trip to Paris and the peace conference. This was intimated by a government of- ficial at the custom house this week who, while unwilling to state exactly when passports would be granted as easily 'as before the war, admitted that it would . be much before next July. As.a matter of fact, the stringency re- garding the issuance of passports has al- ready been loosened by the government and more people are being permitted to travel abroad than is commonly known. .And'after the President's return from the I'sris peace conference there will undoubt- edly be a decided let-up in the method the Government has pursued in respect to passports. WANTS PAY FOR TWO SHOWS . - James M a r s hal l, of Marshall and Covert, hut week requested the N. V. A. to col- lect a day's salary from the management of the Kedsie Theatre, Chicago. It seems that Marshall arid Covert booked a .four- day engagement at the Kedxie through the W. V. Ill A. After working for one day the team split up. Marshall contends that the abrupt dis- solving of partnership was no fault of his, aiid declare* he was perfectly willing to finish the engagement. Covert, it ia said, willed otherwise: In view of the circum- stances Marshall feels that he is at least entitled to pay for the performances given on the opening day. <■■ The if. V. A. decided to put the matter up to the Joint Complaint Board of til* N. V. A. and the V. M. P. A. DUDLEY TO PRODUCE Edgar Dudley, formerly of Burton and .Dudley, and Al Lee, formerly manager, for .Raymond Hitchcock, have formed a part- nership to produce acta and will shortly ;open offices in the Strand Theatre Building. - Asron Keasier waa at one time said to be going into the producing game with Dudley, '.but changed his mind. ... The firm of Burton and Dudley is now a . thing of the past, the disentanglement of : its affairs at one time threatening to get into the court*. . Harry Saks Hechheimer, the attorney, was called in, however, and made an arrangement ■ by which 'Burton takes over all the business of the former firm.' .-■ CONTROVERSY OVER BRIDE SONG Caspar and Sinclair have registered a . - complaint with the N. V. A. against Truly Shsttuck in which they allege that she H using a "bride" number, which ia claimed to be an infringement on a simi- lar song that has been a part of the Caspar and Sinclair specialty for a year or more. Caspar and Sinclair filed a com- plaint against Miss Shattnck some time ago, it is understood, regarding the use of the same "bride" number. ' A settle- ment was arranged at the'time by the N. "V. A., but, according to Caspar and Sinclair, Miss Shattuek ia again singing the'number. • * -.,-*:■ TO TOUR SOUTH AMERICA The Hellkvisits, the fire-diving act in which Nils and Madame Regnell are fea- tured, have been booked to play in South America next season, starting about No- vember. They were to have played there during the present season, but because of the inability of the South American Tour to secure passage for them they could not sail. Sam Jacket, who manages and books the act, has arranged with Edward Cburchill, the American representative of the' Tour, to have them play the parka arid fairs, over which they are booked solid until April. CLAIMS MONK INFRINGES NAME "The Great Richards'' filed a complaint with the N. V. A. this week against the management of the trained monkey act known as "Richard the Great," in which he alleges the similarity of' names has caused him considerable embarrassment. The Great Richards," a dancer, claims he has used his present billing for up- wards of twenty years, and the use of the "Richard the Great" billing by the mon- key act, according to the complainant, is apt to lead to confusion in the matter of booking, etc. The N. V. A. is looking into the matter. SAY DURA AND FEELEY LIFTED -• Potter and Hartwell lodged a complaint against Dura and Feeley with the N. V. A. this week, in which they claim that the head-to-head balancing trick, used as a closing stunt by Dura and Feeley, ia an infringement on a similar balancing feat performed by .them for years. The trick in question calls for one of the persons performing the stunt to walk up the side of the proscenium arch while balanced head to head with an "understander." The N. Y. A. is investigating the complaint. QUIGLEY BOOKING THREE MORE Boston. March 3.—The Qulgley agency la now booking the 8t. James Theatre, a member of the T. M. P. A. This house waa booked by Loew formerly. In addition to booking five acts at the St. James each half of the week, the Quig- ley agency la also booking the Medford Theatre, at Medford, Mass., and the Stone- ham, at Stoneham, Mass. George Giles,, wbo owns the St. James, is also the owner of the - Stoneham. THEDA BARA MAY TRY VAUDE. It was reported last week that Theda Kara may shortly be furnished with an act and tried out as a drawing card in vaude- ville- by the-Fox people.. The success at- tained by. Mme. Petrova, it was said, bad led the Fox people to look' favorably on the idea, they also having in mind the fact that such a venture would add materially to the prestige of their star. RITCHIE MAY ENTER VAUDE Willie Ritchie, former lightweight champion, and recently given the news- paper decision over Champion Benny Leonard, with whom he fought a four- round no decision bout in San Francisco, win probably enter vaudeville in the near future. He is reported to be negotiating with Pantages. who will probably meet his demands and pay him $1,000 per week to headline bills over bis circuit. WILL DROP VAUDEVILLE The Strand Theatre, Geneva, N. Y., one of the string of up-State small-timers booked by Billy Delaney, will drop its vaudeville and picture policy temporarily and-play combinations for the next few weeks. The Majestic, Williamsport, for- merly booked by Delaney, which haa been playing road shows for the last three weeks, will swing back into the vaude- ville column once more on March 10, with Delaney placing the bills aa. heretofore. WOULD ABOLISH BACK-STAGE TIPPING ARTISTS START MOVEMENT The time-honored custom of tipping back stage employees in vaudeville houses will shortly become a thing of the past if several influential performers who got together last week and discussed ways and means of stopping the practice succeed in putting into execution certain plana. The tipping evil haa grown to such an extent that tlje sponsors of the idea have concluded it will take concerted action by the entire vaudeville profession to wipe it out. With a full knowledge of the diffi- cult task before them, the vaudeville art- ists interested in the movement are con- vinced that half-way measures will be useless, and the N. V. A. will be appealed to, aa well aa the managements of the various variety theatres throughout the country, to bring about a new order of things back stage. It is pointed out by those who object to the tipping custom that the back stage employees who receive gratuities from vaudeville players for trifling services mora than often make more money in the course of the year than the person who bestows the tip. The fact that big headlinera receive large salaries and can well afford to tip only serves to aggravate the situation, It is contended, inasmuch as artists who get much smaller salaries frequently appear on the same bill with the hlgh-saisrled stars, and in order to get the proper sort of attention back stage must fall in Una and "pay as they go" or get the worst of B» , Attempts have been made several times in the past to cut out the tipping system in vaudeville houses, but every movement that has started thus far has languished after a time principally owing to alack of co-operation on the part of the persons chiefly concerned, the artists themselves. SUES FOR ROYALTIES Leila Brett, writer of vaudeville Sketches, sued Sam Shannon, Inc., in the Municipal Court last week and recovered a judgment for 1522.70. In her complaint, filed through J. M. Henberg, her attorney, Miss Brett alleged that the Shannon corporation withheld royalties due her from the Duvarney and Lawrence act called "Too Many Cooks,'' and the act she wrote for the Franklin Four, entitled "Pots and Pans," These acta, according to the complaint, were written and owned by Miss Brett and the Shannon corporation bad charge of the booking. The acta opened last May over the Loew Circuit, Duvarney > id Lawrence receiving $175 a week and The Franklin Four re- ceiving $200 weekly. Miss Brett claimed that she waa to receive 10 per cant, of the gross salaries both acts received, her royalties to be collected and turned tmr to her by the Shannon corporation. The amount sued for was $800, but Judge Murray's verdict was for $476. The addition of interest and costs brought the amount of the judgment up to $622.70. VL. 3. BENTHAM BACK M. S. Bentham is back on the job In his Palace Theatre office, having been dis- charged from the navy. He volunteered his services at the outbreak of the war, despite the fact that be was over the age of enlist- . ment. He also offered his yacht, together with bis services, and converted it into a 'boat nsefnl for the service. - He received a commission from the navy. DAVIS BOOKING BOTH WALDORFS The new Waldorf Theatre, Boston, scheduled to open on or about March 17, will be booked by the Keith Exchange, Jeff Davis having been delegated to take charge of the bills. The Waldorf, which seats 3,200, is said to have cost in the neighborhood of $1,000,000. A weekly split of five acta and pictures will consti- tute the bills. The sa\ne concern which controls the Waldorf in Boston will open a sew 2,800-seat theatre in Lynn, also called the Waldorf, on March 10. The bills for thai house will also be furnished by Davis, through the Keith Exchange. The opening show at Lynn is as follows: Ban and Bertha Mann, Hartman and Diamond, Nixon and Norris and George L. Graves. This will also split with another house booked through the Keith Family Depart- ment on the fifth floor of the Palace Building. PLAY OR PAY SAYS ALBEE Following close upon the heels of E P. Albee's recent warning to the Keith book- ing managers forbidding the ssakteg of insincere promises to artists, another no- tice went up on the fifth and sixth floor bulletin boards but Thursday, further outlining the methods that the bookers must adhere to hereafter in dealing with performers. It reads as follows: "To All Hooking Managers: Don't book an act, or promise an act work, unless you give them a contract, for a promise in this office is just as good as a contract, and, when you book an act, either play it or pay it. Don't cancel it under any cir- cumstances. "(Signed) E. F. ALBEE." TOO BrC A JOB Blair Treynor, acting on behalf of Julie Ring, wrote into the N. V. A. this week and requested that the organization take action to prevent several unnamed vaude- ville sets from using certain business which he describes as ''bio-wing the foam off a Charlotte Ruase." He gave no In- formation of who composed the acta. The organisation bta eommtrnleatad with Treynor asking mora speelfle details regarding the alleged "lifters' of the foam- blowing bit. GETTING CHAM OF HOUSES New London, Conn., March 8.—Morris Pouzxnar, owner Of the Lyceum Theatre, here, ia negotiating for the less e e of severs] houses, and expects to start a, small chain numbering from four to six houses on March 24. The policy will be split weeks, six acta and pictures being shown during each half. W. a PUmmer will do the booking. ARMY BAND ENTERS VAUDE A tour of the United 8totes will be made by the jasx band which baa just returned from European battlefields with the Fif- teenth Regiment. The band waa a big bit in France and, under the management of Pat Casey and B. S. Moss, will be booked over one of the big circuits. JOINS GOODRICH ACT Oliver HsB made his debut in vaudeville tbi. week when he joined Edna Goodrich as leading man in "The Mannequin,** the playlet which Edgar Allan Wolf wrote for her. Hall has already appeared on the legitimate stags in "The Man Who Cams Back" and "Daddy Long-Legs." NAN HALPERM REPORTED ILL Nan Halperin was reported to have bean forced to leave the bill at Keith's. Dayton, last Friday, ss the result of an attack of illness. Her husband, William Fried! andsr, left for Dayton on Friday afternoon. Imme- diately following the receipt of the report of Miss Halperin's nines* ia New York.