The New York Clipper (September 1919)

September 17,1919 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER CUBAN CIRCUSES ATTRACTING HUNDREDS OF AM ERICAN ACTS Richard Pitrot and Other Agents Sending Many Turns to Havana and Other Cities for the Winter—Like American Offerings There More than 150 American acrobatic acts are scheduled to sail for Cuba within the next fonr weeks to enter upon Havana. circus engagement extending from the latter part of October to the middle of next May. This became known late last week when a quartette of booking agents here who book American acts for Cuban theatrical enterprises engaged passage on Ward line steamers for the acts they are sending over. Chief among those. making the greatest number of passage reserva- tions was Richard Pitrot, who arranged for forty-five performers to sail Pitrot, last week, arranged to send over ten American acts for the Pnbillonea Cir- cus, in Havana, housed in the largest theatre In Cuba's capital. The acts, after playing there for six weeks, will begin a tour of the Island extending until next May. The acta scheduled to sail are: FiHis Family, Four Roeders, The Casinos, The Jardys, De Phils, Charles Siegrist Troupe, H. C. Mcttttyre and wife, Peter Taylor's lions, The Flying Codonas and the Baliot Trio. Other agents have booked passage on later steamers for some of the acts they are sending dawn to Cuba, bnt within the next ten days no. less than twenty-four acts will sail for the Island. It ia expected that the coming theatrical season in Cuba will prove to be even more successful than was last season. Incidentally, it may be mentioned that performers, especially circus performers, do not have to work as many performances each week in Cuba as they do In this country, for there are few if any matinee performances given in Cuban theatres, ex- cept in Havana on Saturdays only. The theatres outside, though, almost without exception, have no matinee days scheduled. Then too, the custom prevails down there of giving but one performance each day, and that one in the evening, instead of the two-a-day program that prevails in this country. There Is also another reason why American performers like Cuban engage- ments. This is because, in addition to receiving more money, or at least as much as they received here, all of their travel- ills' expenses are paid, besides. And, when it is considered that the cost of living ia much cheaper in Cuba than it is, at pres- ent, in this country, it is quite reasonable to suppose that performers expect to save and bring back some money from their Cuban engagements. SUES HAVANA CIRCUS Adelaide Sutton, who books and man- ages American acts in Cuba and South American countries, is suing Pablo Santos and Jesus Artigas, owners of the Santos and Artigaa Circus, in Havana, in the City Court, here. In her complaint, filed by Kotzen Brothers, her attorneys, she alleges that the circus people owe her $1,870 for al- leged breach of a contract she made with them in November, 1016. Under the terms of the alleged contract, Santos and Artigas booked two acts from Miss Sut- ton. The Van Dieman Troupe and the Tasmanian Troupe, consisting of six peo- ple, who appeared in both acta. They were to appear in Havana for ten weeks at a joint weekly salary of $360. She further alleges that, after appear- ing in the defendants' Havana circus for a period of five weeks, the acta were canceled and, in addition, Santos and Artigas failed to pay the sum of $120 which, she claims, is due the acts for traveling expenses. Leon Laski represents Santos and Artigaa, and he declared the acts were booked by his clients with the understand- ing that they were acrobatic acts, when, as a matter of fact, they are singing acts, he says. FILE CLAIMS AGAINST PATCH Several suits have been filed in the Third District Municipal Court here against William Moore Patch, Pittsburgh producer and theatre manager. Charles J. Maher, a printer, as assignee of the National Printing and Engraving Company, has brought two suits against Patch in which a total of $432.20 is claimed for printing matter sold to the Fort Pitt Annex Company, controlled by Patch. The printing matter was sold during March, 1918, and was used in con- nection with the play "The Man Who Stayed at Home." Phil P. Benedict, the engraver, has filed' a suit against Patch, claiming $288.46, for work alleged to have been done in con- nection with the play "The Man Who Stayed at Home." Phil P. Benedict, the engraver, has filed a suit against Patch, claiming $288.46 for work alleged to have been done in con- nection with "The Man Who Stayed at Home" from July to November, 1918. The White Studio, photographers, filed a suit against Patch claiming that he owed it $55. This suit was settled last week. Leon Laski represented the plaintiffs in the various suits. NEW HOPWOOD FARCE COMING "I'll Say Sh Does," Avery Hopwood's three-act farce, which was produced in stock in Washington hist season, is being prepared for presentation as a regular pro- duction here this coming season by George P. Marshall. The farce will be placed in rehearsal next week and ia scheduled to open out of town some time in October, with Lynn Overman the fea- tured player in the cast. STAGE HAND LEFT $3,211 William Henry Harris, who at one time was employed as a .stage hand at the old Brooklyn and Park Theatres, the Star Theatre and the old Academy of Music, during the period when Colonel John Holmes was manager, left an estate valued at $3,211, when he died recently, intestate, at his home, 386 McDonough. street, Brook- lyn, according to an appraisal of his prop- erty made by a Transfer Tax State ap- praiser, filed in the Kings County Sur- rogate's Court yesterday. "SINBAD" REOPENS IN PHJLLY Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 12.—The re- cent Winter Garden success, "Sinbad," with Al Jolsen in the stellar part, re- opened the Sam S. Shubert Theatre here last night. In the cast were, Jack Laogh- lin, Harry Kearley, Leah Nora, Fritzi Von Busing, Lawrence D'Orsay, Ernest Hare, Sue Creighton, Virginia Smith, Helen Eley, Franklyn A. Batie, Forrest Huff, Irene and Constance Farber. GETTING THE COIN WORCESTER, Mass., Sept 14.—A. H. Wood's "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath" made a good record here this week, for, after opening at $182, it picked up nightly until, on Saturday, it had done a gross of slightly over $6,000. EARL CARROL GOING UP AGAIN Earl Carrol will shortly move into his bungalow atop the Godfrey Building, again, where he lived before going to war. While he was away, it has been occupied by Marion Davies, the film star. MERCEDES SHOW OPENS Toledo, O., Sept 1L—The Mercedes Show, known as "Miracles of To-day," opened at- the Auditorium Theatre here this week. The show, headed by Mercedes, is an aggregation of vaudeville acta, with the magic and mysterious, predominating. Mercedes, assisted by Mile. Stantone, does his regular vaudeville act Princess Wah Letka gives an exhibition of mind- reading by answering questions written on slips of paper, and also tells the thought of the writer of the question, in addition to predicting the future. George Beuschling, magician, doea a number of oriental conjurer stunts, slight o'hand tricks and feats that rival the beat of disappearing acts. Howard Martelle, a ventriloquist, "La Follette," who does a number of quick change feats and, "Bibleland," in which a pretty girl floats over the audience, ap- parently supported only by a. cumber of gigantic bubbles, are ilso included in the program. "The Pearl of Persia," a spectacular offering in which a variety of specialties are offered, makes a pleasing finale. In this, Mercedes, himself, adda a little bur- lesque to the program by giving a travesty on a number of famous composers, with a travesty band. The production is elaborately staged and at the opening performance was received with great enthusiasm. NEW SHOW OPENS ON COAST Los Angeles, Cat, Sept 15.—"The Victims," a new play which opened at the Mason Opera House here last week, with David Gaily, who, together with Mary Lambert, wrote the play, in the leading role, is a clever satire. The production has three acts, an epi- logue and a prologue, and deals with the inconsistencies of society. There are twenty-three in the cast and all have been selected from local talent Mr. and Mrs. David Gaily play the leads, while J. Jack- son Dunn, recently a member of the Ab- bey Players, of Dublin, plays one of the heavies. Scott McKee has the role of a crook in the production, which also has' another bad man in Fred Pierce. Pierce does a New York Bowery tough. Ger- trude Short is an attractive ingenue. Others in the cast are Walter Emerson, Dwight Crittenton, Vernol Park, vampire, Frank Whitsen, Edgar Mason, Elsa Lori- mer. In addition to the twenty-three principals, there are six Denishawn dan- cers, directed by Ted Shawn. HELD IN MURDER CASE Bridgeport, Conn., Sept 15.—Doris Kline, alias Eva Erickson, a cabaret singer who has been appearing at the Brooklawn Villa Club, waa arrested last week in connection with the Binkowitz murder case. Binkowitz is the Wall Street messenger that is supposed to have stolen $188,000 in liberty bonds and disappeared. His body was found near Milford. .' Miss Kline is not accused of the mur- der, but it is said she and Binkowitz were friends and that she knows more of the real murderers than she is willing to tell. The police are holding her without ball until she either telle what she knows or till they find evidence of the murderers. COAST SHOW CLOSING Los Angeles, CaL, Sept 14.—"Civilian Clothes," the sensational Morosco play which was originally to have played only one week here, but owing to popular de- mand has been showing for eleven, is scheduled to close here to-morrow night The chief roles in the play are being acted by Eleanor Woodruff and Clyde Fillmore. "OH, MT DEAR" LEAVING BOSTON Boston, Mags., Sept 16.—This ia the last week of "Oh My Dear," the popular musical comedy which has been playing here for the hut ten weeks at the Wilbur Theatre. "WHATS THE ODDS" GOES OVER Baltimore, Md., Sept. 11.—For those who like pretty dancing, and lots of it Eay songs and plenty of them, and dash- ing costumes with not too much of them, "What's The Odds," produced by Sam Shannon, of New York, is going to be a bit for it waa such here to-night when given its premiere performance at the Academy of Music This new musical comedy was written by Edgar Allan Woolf, from the old com- edy success "Checkers," with music by Albert Von Tilzer. The music is better than the book, and the work of producing better than either, for, "Whafa The Odds" is a well set-up production and also a well finished product having few marks of the first night except its freshness and criap- ness. It might, best be described as an all round production, for it does not empha- size stars, features nor comedy, but rather combines good settings, costumes, pretty songs, happy dances and an all around cast including Marion Sunshine, a charm- ing dancer named Sldonie Espere, and Mabel Withee, who both have clear, pretty voices, and a popular comedian, George McKay. The latter would talk to the audience, which is certainly not good taste off the vaudeville stage, but the audience, it must be admitted, enjoyed it hugely. Those in the cast include, Sidonle Espero, William Fitzsimmons, Renee Biano, George Sweet, Margaret Morris, Phoebe Hart King, Thomas Meehan, Marie Duchette, Elinor English, Helyn Eby, Carolyn Erwin, Marcelle Barnes, Charlotte Cushman, Petta Ramirez, Frances Mink and Florence Nor- man. NEWARK BILLPOSTERS STRIKE Newark, N. J., Sept 14.—The Bill Posters' Union, Local No. 18. is on strike against the Newark Poster Advertising Company and eighteen bill posters walked out after the demands of the striken had been refused. What the strikers demand is a forty- four instead of a forty-eight bonr week and an increase in wagea from $28 and $28 per week to $36 and $38 per week, as well as a recognition of their nnion. "They can all consider themselves oat of a job," declared John Dreyfnss, a mem- ber of the firm, "and, as far as we are concerned, there is no strike, for we'll get other men on the job in short order. We didn't have any nnion agreement so why should we recognise these fellows" When be waa reminded that a bill poster worker must be a resident of New- ark six months before he can obtain • license for that work, he simply replied, "that doesn't matter." UNION RAPS ART PATRONS Chicago, 111., Sept 15.—A threat has been mad> by Joseph E. Winkler, president of the local branch of the American Federation of Musicians, that nnleaa sVtsJw Hand and his orchestra are paid for their twelve days of service with the All Ameri- can Exposition, which turned ont to be a financial flivver, action would be taken, that would mean the prohibiting of the ap- pearance of any union musicians for organizations in which any of the following are interested: Gov. Lowden, Julias Rownwald, J. Ogden Armour, Major General Wood, Rear Admiral BaaaeU, Ed- ward F. Swift and many others. The aforementioned parties are sponsors for the exposition, and the stand taken by the union is that they are morally re- sponsible for the keeping of promises. Winkler baa stated that unless the men are paid for their services with the ex- position, this measure will be taken, and should it be, it might mean the closing up of the Opera Company and Symphony Orchestra, both of which are sponsored by the people mentioned. SHERMAN * DE FOREST SIGN Sherman and De Forest have signed with Marty Sampler's "Hitchy Koo" com- pany which opens at Red Bank, N. J., on September 29th. NEWSPAPER STRIKE HURTS Tacoma, Wash., Sept 15.—The print- ers' strike, which tied np all new s papers here last week has made >t impossible for amusements to advertise, and aa a result hit the show business here. 'The seal*, which has hitherto been ST for day work and $7-50 for night work, will, if the printers,win;' be $925 for-day work and $10 for night work.