The New York Clipper (January 1920)

12 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER January-28, 1°2Q; FOREIGN NEWS AUSTRALIAN ACTORS SEEKING AL LIANCE W ITH ENGLISH Federation Starts Movement to Better Conditions of Performers in Antipod es M anagers United in Monopoly, I* Charge Made by Association Sydhet, Aus., Jan. 24.—The Actors' Federation of Australia, an organization that embraces all the acting brandies of the theatrical profession, has commenced an accentuated movement for the better- ment of conditions. It is a direct result of the upheavals in the theatrical circles that took place in America, Rutland, France and other countries, directly fol- lowing the war. The movement is made on behalf of the chorus and ballet people in parti c ula r , in-. asnruch as they are the most underpaid and abused members of the profession. However, everyone's grievance is being taken cars of. The purpose of this movement is, ac- cording to report, to break tip a monopoly that has-taken control of the Australian theatrical Industry and is running it to suit itself. The managers have banded themselves together, set up a series of rules and regulations, which all must follow. Among the most important things asked for is an Increase in salaries to a standard. rate, the issuance of a contract that can- not be broken at will by the manager only, and the establishment of the right of the actor to arbitrate through his representa- tive any disputes that may arise. • Mem- bers of the Australian actors' body are be- ing urged, when traveling to England or America, to join their various branch or- ganizations there. For instance, an Aus- tralian actor, when in usifiaw*, is told to join the Actors' Association; when in America, the Equity. A vaudeville per- former is advised to join The Variety Artistes' Federation while in England, and so on. The Australian actors are also seeking to establish relations between their body and kindred bodies in all countries, similar to those which exist between the Actors' Association of England and the Equity Association of America. Their fight for betterment of conditions in Australia is being given B—eiaJ and moral support by all actors' bodies in England, and by the English. theatrical and daily press as well. J. L. SACKS SUED Paws. France, Jan. 24,-^-J. L. Sacks, well known on both continents, was sued here by Qeorge Carvey, the French actor, for breach of contract Wnen Questioned by the court he showed a disposition to act up-stage. The following dialogue took place: ■ Q.—Did you not converse with George Carvey on the matter now being tried? A.—I do not speak to artists on the street. Lawyer—I beg your pardon, air, you evi- dently had your new fur coat on. The jndge, in giving his opinion, said: ''Mr. Sacks, you are trying to' make your- self out a big man, too big for mere de- tail and too big to attend to minor matters, such as yon consider this, leaving that to your subordinates." - . PARIS FIGHTING TAXES Pabis, France, Jan. 22.—Theatrical in- terests here are preparing to fight the new list of taxes Which the French Minister of Finance has prepared for the Cabinet to approve. In this list he proposes a tax of from 16 to 20 per cent on theatres and concerts, depending on the grade of per- formance. He asks a 20 per cent tax on dance and music halls, and proposes a tax of 10 per cent on motion pictures,, boxing bouts and bicycle races. From appear- ances, the bill is in for a very stiff argu- ment. FRENCH RENAME DANCES Paris, France, Jan. 24.—Inasmuch as the church has condemned the fox trot and other dance steps, Parisian dancing mas- ters have decided to eliminate a step from the tango and re-name it the Habanera. They have added a step to the fox trot and called it the Spanish sehottisehe. Some steps have been modified in the one-step and it has been named the American polka. MORPHINE KILLS DANCER Paris', France, Jan. 24,—The death of Criqui, at one time the star dancer of Paris,' caused the police to institute a series of raids upon drug sellers. Criqui's. arrival in Paris, her sudden rise to fame and equally sudden decline and loss of prestige, make a. wonderful romance' of the stage. Several nights ago she entered the Bal'Tabarin with a male partner.' They ordered wine and several other' things.' In the midst of an exceed- ingly fast fox trot, in which she and her partner gave an exhibition, with the en- tire ballroom _crowd watching them, she dropped in a swoon and died in the dress- ing room a few minutes later. Investigation showed death to be due to an overdose of morphine, given by "Mitxi," a showgirl. This started the drug ring round-ups and several very prominent peo- ple were taken and fined. The names have been withheld. BERLIN LUCES HAMLET Berlin, Germany, Jan. 24.—Max Rein- hart's International Opera House was made the scene of a second production re- cently when "Orestes," the Greek play, was taken off and followed by ..''Hamlet," in which Moissi, the popular star of drama just at 'present, played the title role. The production is an immense hit. CARRICK HAS NEW TREASURER ' Fred Erode is now in charge of the box office at the Garricfc Theatre. PARIS LUCES "THE VERY IDEA" Paris, France, Jan. 24.—"The Very Idea," translated into French, was pre- sented here this week at the Theatre Nouvel Ambigu and created quite a hit, the press being very kindly disposed toward it Nancy and Jean Rieux wrote the French version, known as "Je Veaux Avoir un Enfant." The play was produced two years ago in New York with Ernest Truex in the lead- ing role and Richard Bennet in the second role. Albert Brasseur plays the Truex role. STRONG FOR THE SHlMMEY London. Bug., Jan. 24.—The new Hippodrome revue, when it opens, will have in its roster a large percentage of Americans, particularly jazz artists. It is the intention of the management to intro- duce American jazz to the stage, and, in accordance with that plan, Gilday Gray, the New York shimmey queen, is being ap- proached with an offer for next season. They want her to show London how to shimmey. HOUDMI DINED BY MAGICIANS London, En jr., Jan. 24.—Harry ' ftou- dini, who recently arrived in this country from America.to open a tour of the Moss time, was given a big welcome back dinner by The Magicians! Crab, The Great Ray- mond was coainnan of the committee that arranged and gave the affair. GARRICK THEATRE BUILDING SOLD; REP ORTED PRICE $800,000 Ground Lease on Which It Stands; Also Subleased for $65,000 Yearly or total of $4,550,000. Was Opened As a German Theatre in 1893 One of the Rialto'a most prominent theat- rical properties, the seventeen-story Gar- rick Theatre Building and theatre proper, has been sold by the Northern Trust Com- pany, trustee for the. estate of 0. W. Pardridge, to the Garrick Building Com- pany, headed by Raymond L. Redheffer, for a reported price of $800,000. The land underneath the theatre and office building, 80 feet frontage on Randolph Street, with a depth of 180 feet to an eighteen foot alley, owned by the Caroline B. Bears es- tate, of Beverly, Mass., has been sub-leased by the same company from the Pardridge estate for seventy years from February 1, at a total rental of 54,550, or $65,000 a year.-. The Garrick is one of the beat located theatres in Chicago, being practically in the center of the theatre district The New Woods Theatre adjoins it on the east and the Olympic on the west. It has a long and interesting history that is closely iden- tified with Chicago as a producing center. It is a replica on a smaller scale of the Auditorium Theatre, being designed by the same architects. The Garrick has a seating capacity of L282. It was opened in 1883 during the World's Fair aa The Schiller Theatre and offered German plays. These were not suc- cessful and it became the home of road companies. "Way Down 'East" was given on its stage for the first time. OPERA HAS HARD SEASON One day opera is now the fad at the Auditorium, due, it seems, to unforeseen circumstances. It may. be that Japanese temperament, however, is more tractable than the European variety. At any rate, Mme. Tamaki Miuri .appeared at Satur- day's grand opera matinee in "Chrysan- themum" as scheduled, and no change has been announced for the ''Barber of Seville," which was offered Monday. ' Artistic temperament, colds, "fin" and general indisposition of the stars during the,Chicago engagement, has wrought such havoc in' the opera program that patrons all season did not know what they were going to see after they were seated. Along with these troubles and the interference of the Juvenile Protective Association, this season of Grand Opera has been the most troublesome of all. GETS PRIZE FOR INVENTION London, 'Ens;., Jan. 24.—Hex King, the entertainer, has been given an award of $500 by the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors, for a device which will pro- tect soldiers' pay accounts against all man- ner of damage. • King, who was a pay- master during the war, is back in vaude- ville with a new act called ''Alone in a Wig Shop." BUTT THEATRES PAY DIVIDENDS 10170019-. En*;., Jan. 24.—The theatres under the control of Sir Alfred Butt, hav- ing declared their dividends for the year, show an average of 25 per cent earnings. The highest dividend paid was that of the Glasgow Alhambra, which gave 40 per cent, and-' the lowest were the Empire, Gaiety and Drury Lane, which paid 15 per cent. CLOWN GIVES UP CHILDREN . Patricia and' Elaine McGinnis, three- months-old twins of Charles McGinnis, 'for- mer well known clown, have been gives out. for. adoption by their parents, due to the fact that they are destitute. The parents have issued their appeals through the local press with the result that wealthy people have taken* the girls. "DEAR ME" COMING IN "Dear Me," a farce, win come to the Cort Theatre on February 8, replacing Nora Bayes in "Ladies First," It is a comedy by Hale Hamilton and Luther Reed and will have as its star Grace La Rue. Robert, Loew, Henri Leoni, Marion Kerby and. Mart Heisy are also in the cast. WRECKING WILSON AVE. The Wilson Avenue Theatre is now being torn down and in its place will rise a new North side bank. It is planned' to erect a first-class vaudeville bouse in this vicinity soon. It is'said that the only theatrical interests controlling property in this neigh- borhood, is the Western Vaudeville Man- agers' Association. TURNER'S CAR STOLEN John E. Turner is minnf his automobile, ' which is reported to have been stolen from a loop street some time Saturday. The car has not, aa yet, been found. This is the second car lost by Turner, the first having been found in a wrecked condition near the outskirts of the city. ABNER AU BEATS CHARGE Abner All baa been freed of the charge of assault and battery, which was preferred against him by an irate customer. The assault was the outcome of the customer becoming ■ abusive and using obscene lan- guage, whereupon Ali proceeded to give him a thrashing. The arrest followed. LEASE RUNNING OUT \ The Shnberts only have two-and-a-half years more lease on the Garrick Theatre, which they assumed in 1902 on a twenty year lease, paying an annual rental of $45,000. . "HITCHY-KOO" ARRIVING Raymond Hitchcock and his new edition of "Hitchy Koo" will arrive at the Illinois on February 15. Notable in the. cast win be Sylvia Clark, Florence O'Denishawn, Lillian Kemble, Charles Howard, Ruth Mitchell and Eleanor Sinclair. HOFFMAN HELPING LAIT Jack Lait has secured the assistance of Aaron Hoffman in expanding his play, "Lead, Kindly Light" The play was acted in 1911 and has been on the shelf ever since. NEW HOUSE NEARLY READY Barabee's Loop Theatre is nearing com- pletion and will open its doors during the next-few weeks. Feature motion pictures will be offered at the loop's newest picture house, with occasional vaudeville .on Sat- urday and Sunday. SIGN WITH PALAIS ROYAL Al Handera Orchestra has been engaged by Barney Ferson-for an unlimited engage-' ment at the Palais RoyaL Vaudeville and cabaret acts are offered in conjunction. HOFFMAN LEAVES HOLMES. . Richard Hoffman has resigned from the: Coney Holmes Agency. . He was formerly booking manager for the Family theatres of the Interstate Circuit.