The New York Clipper (August 1919)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER August 6, 1919 STAGE HANDS FORM SOCIAL CLUB FOR M EN ON ROAD Establish Quarters on Eighth Avenue for die Theatrical Road Men's Association—Organization Already Has 200 Members and Expect* 1,000 Within Year—Dues $10 Per Year After seven unsuccessful attempts to organize, extending over a period of fif- teen years, members of the I. A. T. 8. E. ■nd M. P. O. of the United States and Qjgsgia, have organized a social clnb, which was legally Incorporated last week and is now occupying quarters in the building at 678 Eighth avenue. It ii called the Theatrical Road Men's Asso- ciation. The members of the so-called Stage Hands Union, eligible as members in the new organization, are only such as are in good standing in the anion. The new organisation is designed to serve merely as a sort of social adjunct" of the union. The new club has a membership total- ing 200, each of whom pays $10 a year dues. With approximately $380 in the treasury, $10 from each of the thirty- eight original members, the organization last May engaged and furnished the quarters which they are at present occu- pying. The following members have been elec- ted to serve as officers for one year from last July 2: Barney Brill president; Dan Carey, rice-president; Abe Oowan, secre- tary and treasurer. The trustees are Cbn Hitzert, Fred Thomas and Ford Record. The house committee consists of the fol- lowing:- Joe Lot her, Dan Carey, Abe Cowan and J. E. Ferguson. The ser- geants-at-arms are Arthur Digman and Frank Croos. Abe Cowan, one of the club's organ- izers, an electrician employed with "Oh, What a Girl" show, at the Shnbert The- atre, stated last week that he expects to see the club's membership increase to at least 1,000 within a year. He ex- plained that there are about 3,000 road men throughout this country and Can- ada who are members of the Stage Hands Union and, of this number, he expects at least one-third to join the new social organization. It was further explained that the ad- vantages road men will derive from the Theatrical Road Men's Association are: They will have a permanent gathering place here, a definite place at which,mail mayt be received, ana, should the mem- bers, be unable to pay their dues in the union, as the result of sickness or lack of employment, this new organization will advance money to them for that pur- pose. £ DEFENDS THEATRE PATRONS Saw Francisco, Aug. 4.—8am Blytbe, who last week made, a statement to a local newspaper to the effect that since the ad- vent of prohibition, the people, having leas alcohol within them, would turn from lirl shows to the lofty drama, has received a reply from Henry Miller, now playing an engagement in this city. ' Miller's statement in the columns of the same sheet gives vent to the expression that the demand for salacious shows is not an alcoholic demand, bat a natural one. "Here, at least, is one thine for which boose la not responsible,'' thinks Miller, Who says that, the "discr imin at ing minor- ity" will now have more time to turn to the theatre and demand better plays. Miller remarked that a very minute frac- tion of one per cent of the people visiting theatres do so while under the influence of intoxicating beverages, according to his observations. , ih CANT STOP "CIVILIAN CLOTHES" Los AKoxtaa, Aug. 4, — "Civilian Clothes,'* the Oliver Morosco piece which opened here five weeks ago, and which Morosco is rehearsing for a Broadway pre- sentation in New York, and originally put on for a run of one week only has been doing such good business that it has been held over from week to week. The play is playing to capacity business constantly. Clyde Fillmore playa the leading role, which he took when Morosco called Thur- ston Hall to New York to originate the character there. The leading lady ia Eleanor Woodruff and the rest of the cast includes Harlan Tucker, Alfred Whitman, Boscoe Earns, Lillian Elliott, Dora May Howe, Joseph Bggenton, Eloise dement, James Oorrigan, and Harry Duffield. MAC CREGOR SIGNS UP NEWMAN Alfred Newman, the 18-year-old pianist, composer and musical director, was last week placed under a two-year contract by Edgar MacGregor, the producer. MacGregor, with the consent of -Vic- tor Herbert, plans to appoint young New- man musical director of the musical adaptation of The Road to Yesterday," muakalized by Anne Caldwell and Victor Herbert, and which will be called The Dream. Girl" when it is presented here by MacGregor in association with A. L. Er- langer. Newman, until three weeks ago, was musical director of the "Sunshine" show, running at present in Chicago. Before joining that show he wielded the- baton with May Irwin's "Water's Fine—" show. Before that he played the piano in vaude- ville, appearing with several headline acts, including Grace Lev' Rue, Lois Josephine, Tyler Brooke and Joan Sawyer. Newman is considered the youngest musical director in America. Hi* playing has been praised by many of the best musical critics in America. DROP SUNDAY PERFORMANCES SAN Fbanciboo, Aug. 4.—Henry Miller and Blanche Bates, playing an engagement in "Moliere" here at the Columbia are not giving any Sunday performances, a custom which ia common on the coast and followed by practically every manager. SUES FOR $75,000 The Interborough Rapid Transit Com- pany has been sued for $75,000 by the William T. Keough Amusement Company for alleged damaged to'the National The- atre Building on Bergen, and Westchester avenues. It is claimed that $20,000 dam- ages and $60,000 in depreciation of the property resulted from the erection of the elevated structure on Westchester avenue. A permanent injunction Is also de- manded, it being alleged that the Inter- borough When it constructed and- main- tained the present structure, violated the law. The amusement company recovered damages a few months ago when Gerard street, on the south side of the build in g, was closed JOLSON WANTED AN INTEREST Al Jolsoa attended the premier* of Tin Golden Age'' in Atlantic City last week, and was so impressed with it that he of- fered George C Tyler $25,000 in caah for a one-third interest. KELLY SUES FOR DIVORCE San Fbakcibco, Cal., Aug. 3.—Chester Kelly la suing Myrtle Dingwell, a musical comedy actress, for divorce, claiming de- sertion. He alleged she left him to appear as sMsRlg lady for the Banvard Musical Comedy company now touring the Orient. CARTER GOING TO ORIENT San Fbahcisco, Cal., Aug. 4.—Carter, the mfgir*?", who is booked for an Oriental tour, is filling in time by replacing- vaude- Tflle ahow, here and in Oakland. MULLER ENTERTAINS SCRIBES ; The "Forty Thieves," as Ben At well described them,' or otherwise, the theat- rical newspapermen and press agents of the Broadway theatres, were entertained at' an informal dinner given by the J. P. Muller organb-ation at Murrays last Wed- nesday evening. The reason for the af- fair is perhaps best expressed by Muller himself, when he said: "I do not know of any particular rea- son why I invited you Doye, outside of the fact that I bought $12 worth of new furniture for my offices and thought it should be 'wetted.'" It was. The affair was a sort of reunion of the boys of the street, and hardly a more rep- resentative group of members of "our set" have ever been Drought together for any such occasion. ■ Frank Hughes was on hand to welcome all as they arrived, and other members Of the agency assisted him and J. P. entertained until dinner was served After the boys had broken bread, Ar- thur Ryan, acting as "pestmaster" called for a few. words from Ben Atwell, Wells Hawkes, Charles Emerson Cooke, Edward Earl and the "Boss." The speeches were all of the short variety and seemed to meet with the approbation of the "mob." However, the boys were interested in entertainment, and they called upon Hughes to "trot forth" his talent. Gilda Gray, of the "Scandels of 1910," was Called upon' to open the show. She was somewhat handicapped by her introduc- tion, but overcame this quickly and "shimmied" her way into favor quickly. Frieda Leonard, of the same organixation, gang a number of "blue" selections typical of the old San'Francisco cabarets and put them over with a "punch" that impressed nil. Marcelle Johnson, a concert singer who appeared through the courtesy of Ben At- well, scored the success of the evening with her rendition of.' classical songs. Frankie James, of "Peek-a-Boo" had the way paved for her by her predecessors on the program, and scored a big hit. "Bee" Palmer, who needed a little coax- ing on the part of Carroll Pearce and Freddie Schader "cut loose" and gave the boys her conception of the "shimmy." The crowd seemed to like it, for they insisted on more and more. Through the -courtesy of the B. F. Keith offices, Al Shayne, Henry Lewis,'Ryan and Healy and Lew Lockett added to the en- tertainment. '. The menu gave prominent display to a sketch by Harry Hershfieid, featuring his pen-child Abe Kabibble. Below the draw- ing was this notice. "J. 'P. Muller and Company present for the first time in any restaurant, an annihilative, gastronomical ■ concoction, "The Evening Blowout," a drama of culi- nary criminology for the inner man, in ten courses, with a typical Murrayesco cast. •i "Lighting effects by 'Edison and 'Com- pany. . Knives, forks and spoons from Gorham. The management will not' be responsible for the.loss of hat checks or advertising space. •■■ Patrons expecting telephone calls should' have their 'phone connections . removed." " , '.' ■ t .. Each item on the menu itself, which was described as "piste matter" carried with it a catch.line taken from advertis- ing verbage. - As the boys were departing each was the recipient of a novel and useful souve- nir, presented to them by Frank Hughes. GET ROUTE ON SUN CIRCUIT Solly's Shaw's Tip Top Girls, who closed at the Putnam Theatre, Brooklyn, recently, have been.routed over the Gus Sun Circuiti opening early in September. The musical comedy has been elaborately staged, carrying special settings and ward- robe. Edward Cantor and Bert Samuels are the featured performers. . . OLUE MACK TO BE STARRED OHie Mack, formerly of Murray and Mack, will be starred by Max Spiegel in a new musical play, "Til Say So," next season. The piece will open in September and will play K. and E. houses. George "Alabama * Florida win direct the tour of the company of thirty-five people. "GREENWICH FOLLIES" MOVING The Sbuberts have gathered the "Green- wich Tillage Follies" into their fold and, as a result, the show will move from the Greenwich Tillage Theatre : on Saturday night of this week, to open next Monday at the Nora Bsyes Theatre, atop the 44th Street Theatre. The show's change of location at this time is designed to get the capacity re- ceipts in the larger house uptown, for not only has the "Greenwich Tillage Follies", been playing to capacity in the little house in Sheridan Square, at $3.50 top, but the standees at each performance have aver- aged 160, these latter paying $1.50 each for the privilege. And on Monday night of this week, they totaled 190. The aver- age weekly receipts in the Greenwich since the. show opened there July IS have been upward of $10,000, an almost unprece- dented figure for a 374-seat house. At the Nora Bsyes Theatre, which the "Follies" management hag leased from the ShubertS for a minimum period, of tea weeks, with a like period renewal privi- lege, the seating capacity is 871. There is also room in the rear of the orchestra floor for approximately 300 standees, and, if the.show, plays to capacity at this house, as the management thinks it will in the light of its success further downtown, the receipts should total between $18,000 and $20,000 weekly. . Unless the owners of the. "Greenwich Tillage Follies" produce another musical show in the Greenwich Village .Theatre, the house will probably remain dark until next October, ten weeks, the Murray Anderson group paying the theatre's own- ers a weekly rental of $500 for the closed, period between now and October. For the owners of the show has the bouse "under a five-year lease, the period of occupancy ensuing between June and October of each year that the lease has to run. The rental is being guaranteed by the Pacific National Bank. . , Plans are now being perfected for a new musical play which John Murray Anderson will produce and for which A. Baldwin Sloane will compose the score, and, if the play is finished within the next week or two, it will immediately be placed in rehearsal at the Greenwich Village Theatre, where It win be. put on, if only for. a week, before the term of this year's tenancy expires, so that it may afterward be brought uptown with the stamp of Greenwich on it. This stamp, appears to be quite an asset for a new musical ahow, so much so, in fact,' that the Anderson group have no hesitancy in establishing a precedent - by opening a musical show "cold" there. ... The majority interest in the show is now owned, by Charley Levy and Al Jones, who are acting for Joe Leblang. And It would not be surprising if the latter, were acting for the Shnberta, >, Si] .'^ OUGHTS CRUISE NETS $7,500 The. Lights Cruise, which came to its final landing at- Red Bank on Monday night,'has netted the club about $8,600, minus $1,000 for expenses. The cruise was put under way at Plain- field a week ago Monday, and stops were ' made each day at various ports, with, the exception of Sunday. It was originally planned to give » performance at the As tor Theatre, New York City, that night, but this was deferred until a date later this month. The entertainers will also, at that time, appear at Long Beach and play a return engagement at Camp Mills. Frank Tinney, who was in charge of the Cruise had a different group of actors ap- pear at each performance. -This was on account of the great number of club mem- bers-either being employed in local thea- tres or occupied in rehearsals of shows. However, at each-place visited twelve to fifteen acts appeared. • Last' Saturday night, at Far Rockaway, where the "Cruis-i era" played to $1,740, there was a show of twenty acts. ' E. F. Albee presented the club with his annual donation of $1,000. . NAN HALPFJUN IS SET Nan Halperin, it has been decided by the ShubertS, will be presented in "Girls," the musical version of the Clyde Fitch comedy, which opens this October.