The New York Clipper (January 1920)

Copyrighted, 1919, and published weekly by the Clipper Corporation, 1604 Broadway, N«w York. Entered at the Poat-Ofllea at N«W York. Junt M. UTS, SS second-ClSSS mall matter under Act of March S, 1*79 Founded FRANK Qr NEW YORK. JANUARY 28. 1920 VOLUME LXVn-No. 3D Price. Fifteen Cent., «J» a Year REAPPEARANCE OF "FLU" TYING UP THEATRIC AL BUSINESS Memphis and Some Chicago Film Theatres Close Doors. New York Houses Ordered Back on Time Schedule. Malady Has Already Claimed Several Victims. A reappearance of the Spanish influenza epidemic, that completely tied op theat- rical business last year, broke out last week and displayed such virulence that Memphis houses are completely closed. New York theatres are operating on a health board time schedule and a consider- able number of Chicago film houses had to close their. doors. The disease has claimed a number of victims also. Ralph L Kohn, secretary to A. H. Woods, and one of the best known of the younger men in the theatrical pro- fession, died last Sunday after an illness of several days. He was twenty-nine jean old.' He came to the Woods office seven- teen years ago, when the producer was beginning his career in the theatrical world, and remained with him through all his vicissitudes. He ultimately became one of the chief factors in the organization. Matt J. Keefe, another member of the profession to succumb to the dimi«», died last Friday in Philadelphia, and Aimee Dalmores died last Thursday, in St Mark's Hospital, ofter a few days' illness. Others in the profession who are suf- fering from the malady are John Barry- more, who has been forced to give up his role in the "Jest"; William Harrigan, leading man in the "Acquittal"; Claudia Mudo, of the Metropolitan Opera; Pas- qnale Amato, of the same organization; Henry Shapiro, Chicago, booking agent; Bruce Bairnsfather, playwright, who was forced to-cancel a lecture engagement in Washington; Fred Dab, leader of the Pal- ace Theatre, New York, orchestra ; Sylvia Clark, Clark MartinetU and Joe Sylvester, who were forced to withdraw from this' week's bill at the Royal; Edith Rose and Jeff Smith, of the Chamberlin Brown of- fice ; Bob Simmons, manager of the "Rose- land Girls," and Lou TeHegan, who has been playing in "The Lust of Gold, In Jacksonville, Fin. A number of theatres in the outlying districts. about Chicago hare been forced to close their doors for violating one of the many: orders recently issued by the health officials of that city. The proprie- tors and managers have been taken into custody and hell for bearing. They face both a heavy fine and jail sentence, if found guilty, . , AH shows booked for the Great Lakes and Camp Grant at Bockford, DI* have been cancelled owing to the fact that both camps hare been quarantined by army health officials, who ssre Issued a state- ment, to the effect that camp theatres win remain closed until the passing of the epidemic- Following a conference between New York's health officials and ■producing man- agers, various Broadway theatres were divided into groups to permit each to open at a different hour. These rules, which an Similar to the "zig-zag circuit" instituted last year, went into effect Tuesday morn- % mm ' i ■. - In part, section "J" of the health order relative to theatres reads aa follows: "Theatres and places of not affected as regards afternoon perform- ances, bat they shall open +l»»*^ evening performances in accordance with the fol- lowing schedule: "At 8 P. m. —Lexington Opera House, Manhattan, Palace, Columbia and all two performance a day vaudeville houses. At 8.15 P. m. —Winter Garden, Lyric, Century, Hippodrome, Selwyn, Casino, Aster, Park, Central, Shubert, Vanderbilt and Majestic. At &30 p. 1L—Liberty, Plymouth, Bijou, Marine Elliott's, Comedy, Morosco, Ly- ceum, New Amsterdam, Criterion, Globe, Knickerbocker, Belasco, Nora Bayes. "At 8.45 P. IC—Broadhurst, Plymouth, Harris, Booth, Thirty-ninth Street, Hud- son, Eltinge, Gaiety, Cohan * Harris, George M. Cohan, Cork At 9 P. m. —Longacre, Forty-eighth Street, Playhouse, Belmont, Republic, Em- pire, Little Theatre, Punch and Judy.' "An motion picture theatres between Fourteenth Street and Fifty-ninth Street which seat more than 750 persons must close at 11 P. m." . Placards and signs giving notice to the effect that persons are forbidden, to smoke in the balconies of all New York theatres hare been posted in conspicuous places in all playhouses, and motion picture houses in the congested sections of the city have been given a thorough disinfecting. TOO FAT FOR WITNESS BOX MoirrsKAL, Can., Jan. 24.—When Emma Russ, a fat woman who was one of the attractions at a Museum here, was called as a witness in the case of Leon Gervais, yesterday, she found she could not get in the box which has a floor space of one square yard and the entrance to which is thirty inches wide. She then tried it sideways, without success, when the boards began to creak, so the court de- cided to hear her evidence from the floor. Though she weighs 350 pounds her voice is that of a child.- The case was one of alleged assault by the police on Leon Gervais, manager of the place, in the course' of a raid on the museum because a three card game was, it is alleged, being carried on there. AGENT GETS PRISON TERM Frank Kay, erstwhile booking agent in the Gaiety Theatre Building, was sen- tenced by Judge Ward in the United States District Court last week to serve a term of one year and one day in the Federal Prison at Atlanta' and, in addi- tion, to pay a fine of $600, folio wing his conviction before a jury- the, previous week on a charge of stealing government property. Clarence Henry Graves, a naval officer who was a co-defendant with Kay, was also convicted and sentenced by Judge Ward to serve 18 months in At- lanta and pay a fine of $600. The arrest of Kay and Graves by Go*- eminent inspectors about a year ago, fol- lowed an investigation at the Pelham Bay Naval Training Station, where the Gov- ernment found that several thousand dol- lars worth of kitchen utensils had been stolen. Kay and Greaves were charged with being the principals involved in the thefts. There is still another indictment pend- ing against Kay, that of attempting to bribe a Government official after he was arrested. This indictment will probably be quashed, it was stated in the Federal Building. ALFRED HERTZ HOME ROBBED Saw FnaKCXBOO, Jan. 22.—Thieves broke into the home of Alfred Herts while he 'was directing the ucog i a n * of the Francisco Symphony Orc he st r a * and stole jewelry and articles to $1,000. . ARRESTED FOR PERJURY St. Caxharxhks, Oan., Jan. 22.—Vin- cent Griffin, manager of the Griffin Tbea- tre at Tborold, was arrested In Toronto a week ago, and was today sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment on conviction of perjury arising out of the inquest Into the death of John Battesby, found dead in Griffin's St Catharine's Theatre three weeks ago. At the inquest Griffin testified he knew nothing of the death of Bettesby unto he heard it on the street Other witnesses testified that Griffin told them the man was desd an' hour before the body was found by the charwoman. Two fi ne s of $200 each were recorded against Griffin for breach of the O. T. A. WHEELING MANAGER CLEANS UP Wheeling , W. Ya_, Jan. 23.—The Court Theatre Is doing excellent business this season due to the fact that its manager, Fred B. Johnson, has played only high class road attractions, with no pictures mixed in. Recently, a week's engagement with "Chu Chin Chow," brought a box office return of a trifle under $20,000. "Listen, Lester" brought a return of $4000 for three days. Al G. Fields broke all min- strel records when he packed the house and realised $6,075. Frank Tinney and Us compsny got nearly $2£00 for one night's performance. Gus Hill's "Mutt and Jeff" got $1,100 for a matinee and night MOROSCO SUIT POSTPONED Loa AnoaUS, OsL, Jan. 22.—Owing to a death in her attorney's family, the trial Sate of the suit of Mrs. Oliver Morosco Mitchell against Oliver Morosco Mitchell, better known as Oliver Morosco, baa bean postponed. Mrs. Mitchell is seeking an in- junction to prevent her husband from in* trr*»-ff»g with -her control of the Morosco Theatre, here. BOX OFFICE LOSES $378 Sair Fkawoxaco, Jan. 28. C o n ine Oranou, who claims to be aa ex-service man, Is betas; beld by toe police charged with having stolen $375 in currency from the box-often of the Oakland Ties tre. Ths police say he snatched it from the box- office and ran for several blocks, chased by Clarence C. Whitley, treasurer of the the- atre. He was finally caught In a ' meat where he tried to hide. LEW BRICE WAS THERE It became known hut week that Lew Brice was the co-respondent mentioned fox the divorce action brought by Harry Reich- man, a wealthy cloak and suit manufac- turer, against Yvonne Reicbman, whom he married In Santa Ana, CaL,Decem- her 6, 1917. The suit was tried before Judge Pendle- ton in the Supreme Court, where two private detectives and Eeichman's ' testified to a. raid on a three-room, r ment in West Fifty-eighth Street, ' it was testified, about 2 a. m. Sepiembar 28, 1818, they found Mrs. Reicbman,in the company of the actor and tiat both were clad in pink, silk pajamas. Mrs. Reicbman was in bed; they stated, and her clothes were scattered about the bath* room. - Mrs. Reichmsn's trip, to the West Fifty-eighth Street apartment with the actor was the culmination of a day of pleasure which began the previous after- noon, according to Detective George Kinsts, who said he followed her from the Hotel Aster, where she resides, to a theatre on West Eighty-first Street which she visited accompanied by another young wvcaaa. Later three man joined the young woman at the daxidge. From the latter place the party hied themselves in autos to Rei-onwebers, which place they left laU that evening for a round of visits to other restaurants. At 2 o'clock the fol- lowing morning Mrs. Relchman and ths actor made their war to the apailuinjl where they were shortly afterward rudely interrupted. . . Jndge Pendleton reserved d eci s io n. MANAGER WINS DAMAGES Mxmphm, Tena, Jan. 22.—T. F. Gerig. showman, has been awarded $600 actnal and $4,600 punitive damages by a Jury la the Federal Court, here, for allefed in- juries and damages to his show, "Ken- tucky Minstrels," by seven dtissna of Dyersburg, Tank, in Jane, ISIS. The jury wss out about thirty minutes. . Gerig alleged that when attaespting to show In Dyeraborg. bis troop of par" era was an out. of town and his damaged. He sued for $80,000. ants were N. W. Oalcutt, J. A. On e s, O. P. Bishop, a 8. Halt, Ben Stamm, W. O. HarreH and J. B. Hurt. The defense att e mpted to i Gerig had a number of able-bodied : . with the attraction, who should hare 1 at what was termed useful work,- The occurrence took place shortly aft** aa* "work-or-fight" order was issued. WANTS $17,000 FOR LOST Bom, Idaho, Jan. 28.—Bart Way land Bowman, of this city, has brought safe 'a*; the Federal Court against the Pulhnan Oar Company, to recover $17,000, wks-a, he claims,, is the nine of the maanserlpt of bis play "Web-tab-wan-mee," which was lest by a porter on ens of ths KLAW Aeae, well known been engaged by Marc Klaw for Ms Mable" company. JOLSOM HAS $30,000 ViBsBtasBsfSS 'an. 0&--A1 Mam as> peering tn "ginfoedV* played to last week, bare. It was s ment, the eeosr baring April Tbe $88,000 tal . ord art by Jolson at bis