The New York Clipper (May 1919)

May 28, 1919 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER PEACE IN SHOMUSINESS i UP TO I. A. T. S. E. CONVENTION Musicians and Scenery Painters Both Have Representatives in Ottawa Seeking Support of Stage Hands for Their Demands as Big Conference Opens Ottawa, Can., May 26.—Whether or not theatrical managers in the United States are to be allowed to open next season with- out first coming to a new understanding with their union employes and scenery makers, depends upon the outcome of the I. A. T. S. E. convention which opened here today. Many interests are repre- sented, all seeking the support of the stage hands which, if granted, would throw the entire Business into confusion. First of all are the musicians who have only just finished a convention of their own in Dayton, Ohio. They have a long list of desires which they are preparing to lay before managers as soon as they get back, to New York. The representatives of the musicians who are here came direct from Dayton and, it is said, have a list of more than fifty changes which they wish the managers to make in the present scale. They apply to both city and road com- panies and the representatives of the union would like to have the support of the stage hands before they submit them. Then, there are representatives here from the United Scenic Artists of New York, which is having trouble with studio owners in New York because the men want a raise from $44 to $66 a week for journeymen. and from $25 to $44 for apprentices. These men'have been in a state of lock-out for some time at several of the studios in New York and now seek to ask the stage hands to refuse to handle any scenery painted by men other than those who draw the union scale. In both of these instances, if the increase desired is granted, the cost of production of plays will mount considerably. Accord- ingly, the United Managers Protective As- sociation, of New York, lost no time in having their counsel, Logon Johnson, come to this city in an effort to straighten out the entire matter before either union re- ceives the support of the stage hands. That he has a difficult task can be judged by the fact that he has had a number of conferences this last week with representa- tives of all.concerned, but, up to tonight, was not able to settle matters. Therefore, it looks as though the desires of both unions will be taken up on the floor of the con- vention. The question recently put forward by the Canadian stage band organization that the unions of Canada and the United States combine, will also be looked into before the meeting is over, but it is said to have no chance of serious consideration. CHANGES IN PLAY CAUSED ROW Chicago, May 24.—Owen Davis is op in arms anent the changing of his play, "Peggy Behave," by Ring W. Lardner, and has notified William A. Page, managei of the show, that unless Mr. Lardner's lines are eliminated the play will have to come off. The whole trouble seems to have been started by Willette Kershaw, who is the star of the attraction. It appears that Miss Kershaw was dissatisfied with a scene in the second act in which members of a surburban fire department appeared in scarlet underwear. She consulted with Manager Page and Lardner was called in as play doctor. So well did "Dr." Lard- ner perform his work that a local critic voiced his opinion in a Sunday paper to the effect that the show was improved and spoke of "Peggy Behave" as the joint work of Davis and Lardner. A copy of this paper must have reached Davis and then the fat was in the fire. Im- mediately he sent this telegram to Page: "I have not sanctioned any of the changes in my comedy which are reported to have been made by Mr. Lardner at your and Miss Kershaw's request, and I will not permit the presentation of the play if it is altered by any other hand than my own. I esteem Mr. Lardner as a baseball humorist, but I do not recognize him as a collaborator in the authorship of 'Peggy, Behave.' Take out his lines and name or take off the play. In this I am within the rights guaranteed by my contract." OVIATT SUES FIELDS William Oviatt, manager of the Century Roof, is Buing Lew Fields in the Fifth Dis- trict Municipal Court to recover $800 which, he claims, Fields owes him on a. note given in May, 1W8. The note is pay- able on demand and, it is said, was given by Fields to Oviatt in Philadelphia to se- cure a loan made to Fields. The loan has to do with the coming to- gether last year of Weber and Fields and the joint production by them of "Back Again," the musical show written by- George V. Hobart and Louis Hirsch, which, was adapted from a show originally writ- ten by Frank Stammers for Kolb and Dill entitled "A Peck of Pickles." Weber and Fields not only produced the- "Baek Again" show, but also appeared in. it, the Dolly Sisters being among the prin- cipals. The show opened in Philadelphia, where it closed after a four weeks' en- gagement, causing a loss of $25,000 to its- producers. It was while the show was- losing money in Philadelphia that Fields is reported to have run short of ready cash, so he asked Oviatt, who is Weber's man and who was managing the show at the time, to lend him $600. Oviatt made the loan and accepted Fields' note as security. House, Grossman and Vorhaus, Oviatt's attorneys, are now trying to collect on the security. MURIEL OSTRICH SUES PARENTS Muriel Ostrich, the'motion picture''act- ress who recently married Frank A. Brady, a wealthy contractor and garage owner, is suing her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Abram Ostrich, for an accounting. The suit waa brought in the Supreme Court, and, in her complaint, filed by Drucker and Zeaman, her attorneys, Miss Ostrich alleges that she became a film actress in February, 1911, being at the time fourteen years of age, and that,-from, the very beginning of her motion picture career,, she turned her earnings over to her parents for them to keep until she reached her majority. She says that between February, 1911, and March, 1918, she turned over to her parents $32,000. Portions of this money, she alleges, have been deposited by her parents in various savings banks, some of it has been deposited in the name of her mother in trust, and that her parents have "withdrawn and have wrongfully converted same to their own use and have bought Government bonds with the money." In January, 1912, she alleges, she agreed to pay her parents $20 a week for board and lodging and to pay for her own clothes. Under this agreement, she says, her parents are entitled to an allowance of $10,000 and to an' additional sum of $2,000, which was paid at her request for an automobile and for a chauffeur s salary. Prior to the bringing of the action, she says she became possessed of $7,000 in cash and bonds, which were placed in a bank by her parents. In their answer, filed by Hirsch, Sher- man and Iimburg, they admit that the daughter turned over money to them, but claim that, she being a minor during that time, they were entitled to the money. Miss Ostrich received $10 a week at the beginning of her motion picture career, but, during the last four years, her salary has not been below $200 a week, and more recently she has been receiving upwards of $300 a week for her services. "WELCOME STRANGER" SCORES Baltimore, Md., May 22.—"Welcome Stranger," a comedy by Aaron Hoffman, was presented last Monday at the Academy of Music by Cohan and Harris, and ac- corded a most hearty reception. The action of the. play as laid in Great Sufferin Falls, N. H., and the story deals with the adventures of - Isadore Solomon, who comes to that little New England vil- lage. The villagers don't want Issy and do their utmost to get rid of him. They insult him, refuse to rent him a store and finally attempt to burn him out But "Issy" is proof against everything but kindness and the only one who is kind to him is Clem Beemis, who, for years, has been regarded as the village fooL Beemis is, in reality, an electrical genius, and Issy hacks him for $5,000. The firm of Solomon and Beemis succeed in the venture, which la to give electric lighting to Great Sufferin Falls and the nearby towns and eventually win the respect of the townspeople. SUES? OVER *'LITTLE WOMEN" BuiTAiyO, May 24.—"Marian De Forrest, dramatic critic of the Buffalo Expreta, has brought suit In the -United States District Court here asainst William A. Brady, Fa- mous Players, Jessie Bonstelle Stuart and William A. Brady, Ltd., to restrain the defendants from proceeding with the ex- ploitation of the moti-JD picture, "Little Women," which was plroduced by the de- fendants other than tfcjc Famous Players, but was afterwords acquired by the latter company. In her complaint, filejl by Simon Fleisch- mann, her attorney, Miss De Forrest al- leges that Jessie Bonstille Stuart obtained from the Alcott estate {he rights to drama- tize the famous book written by Louisa M. Alcott. that she was engaged to dramatize "little Women," and that the play was afterwards successfully .produced by Brady, Miss Bonstelle receiving a substantial share of the profits realized from the play. Later, Brady produced a film version of "Little Women," and, it is alleged in the complaint, portions of the copyrighted play written by Miss De Forrest were used in the film version, Brady later selling the film to the Famous Players, from which he received, it la said. $85,000. Miss De Forrest, therefore, asks for an injunction and damages on the ground of infringement and also demands an account- ing from all of the defendants. It is also claimed, in an amended complaint, that Lee Sbubert was in on thefplay, and be, too, is asked to account. , TRUEX TO BE 'BANTAM" Negotiations have practically been completed, it was learned last week, be- tween A. H. Woods and Ernest Truex for the latter, who is appearing at present in "Please Get Married" with Mabel' Talia- ferro,~to play the principal role in "The Bantam, V. C.," the John Brighouse play now running in London which was re- cently -acquired here by Woods. ORR SUED FOR DIVORCE William P. Orr, the race track man, who produced "The Kiss Burglar" last season, with Jack Welch, is being sued for di- •vorce by Lillian May Orr, whom he mar- ried in March, 1904, and who is at present one of the hostesses at Reisenweber'g res- taurant. The suit has been brought in the Su- preme Court by Nathan Burkan, Mrs. Git's attorney, and in her complaint she alleges her husband has been guilty of misconduct with various women, specify- ing Gertrude Harrison, a former member of "The Kiss Burglar" company, with whom, it is alleged, he lived as husband and wife for almost a year in an apart- ment at 103 East Eighty-fourth Street. Orr was not served personally with the summons and complaint in the action, an order of publication having been obtained for that purpose from the Supreme Court. This was because Orr suddenly disappeared following the production of "The Kiaa Bur- glar," it being said that he went West and finally to Cuba with the" Harrison SUE Mac MANAMY Sue MacManamy, who this season has been appearing in the "Vampire" role of Al. H. Woods' "Business Before Pleasure," and last year with Oliver Morosco's "Lom- bard!," Ltd., in. which she created the lead- ing role, is now rehearsing the lead in Robert Milton and F. Ray Comstock*B new farce. She has appeared as leading woman in several of -Norman Trevor's productions and was with "The Melting of MoDy," "An American Ace," "Another Man's Shoes," and beaded stocks in -Los A«yl—, Detroit, Springfield, Milwaukee 'and other large cities. 'OH. UNCLE" IS RE-OPENED audience. In Its , two acts and four =iud lyrics by Edgar ark, and music by jharles Jules. PHTT.oniT.PHiA, Psj, May 23.—"Oh, Uncle!" in its revised'form, was produced at the Shubert Theatre last night, and found favor with ■ thf- present form it is in| scenes, with the bookT Smith and Edwark CI Jacques Presbury and I It has been greatly {improved by its re- writing, and, while it it ill requires the use of the blue pencil, thefe seems little doubt that it will prove a real winner. There ia nothing new in either t»e book or music, but the lyrics have a certaih pleasing jingle and there ia novelty in'somi; of the scenes. The story tells of a {country deacon who has occasional yearninlg for the gaieties of Broadway. The deacoh's nephew is in love with a cabaret singer, tfot the uncle objects. Uncle, however, is brought to terms by be- ing caught in a trap tit for him, said trap being a Broadway "girlie." The most pleasing' of the songs are "Prince Charming," "A Nice Sweet Kiss" and "Oh. That Shimmy," although the ma- jority of the number* were heartily re- ceived. The company is excellent and in- cludes Lew Cooper, Fvank Fay, Sam Ash, Ignace Martinetti, Harry Kelly, Sam Curtis, Hazel .Kirke, Nancy Fair, Elizabeth Moffat and Vera Greset. SCHREYER FATALLY INJURED "Daredevil" Schreyer was, it is believed, fatally injured last Sunday at Van Oonrt- landt Park, while performing "A Dive for Life" for the benefit of the Salvation- Army. The accident occurred while the noted' bicyclist was doing an act he had done successfnlly in every part of the civilized" world. It consisted of his riding a bicycle down a steep incline at the foot of which was a tank of water. * As the wheel left the incline Schreyer would free himself from the bicycle and plunge into the tank. For some unknown reason, on Sunday he miscalculated the distance and in place of landing in the water, struck the edge of the tank and was knocked unconscious. He waa taken to the Fordham Hospital, where it was- found he had fractured his skull and jawbone and broken his left leg. Schreyers wife, holding their young child, witnessed the addent, and when she heard her husband's body strike the tank she fainted. The hospital physicians say it is impos- sible for the cyclist to recov e r. Schreyer had met with several accidents several times before, from the effect* of eae of which be lay for days between life and death.