Show World (December 1910)

14 THE SHOW WORLD December 10, 1910. CHICAGO’S PURITY SQUAD HAS STRINGENT ORDERS Chief of Police Steward Has Provided List of Songs Which Cannot Be Sung Anywhere in the City—Music Publishers Promise a Fight By c. p. McDonald Chief Steward’s purity squad, under the direction of Sergeant Charles O'Donnell, on Thursday of last week took the most drastic step so far taken in The Show World’s crusade against indecent songs. The Show World called Sergeant ^O’Donnell's attention to the fact that "the chief had said that certain songs were not to be sung in Chicago under any circumstances. He was shown one or two criticisms printed in other the¬ atrical journals wherein the Chicago police were ridiculed for their apparent failure to put a stop to the singing in Chjcago of songs which the chhief had said were under the ban. *‘I see,” said Sergeant O’Donnell, “that it is useless to be lenient with these | publishers and their cohorts.. I thought that by forcing the performers to cut out the suggestive dances and contor¬ tions they have been doing when sing¬ ing these songs that the publishers would be less aggressive. But I see now that they are not to be handled with Sergeant O’Donnell was furnished with a copy of “THE ARABIAN OOZE," which probably is the boldest and most salacious song of the entire category. It is published by the F. B. Haviland Company. “This,” said O’Donnell, “is positively the limit. I shall give one of the most sweeping orders ever issued in this city. I am tired of having the censor¬ ship board of the police department held up to ridicule. I have prepared a list of the rankest of these publications and tomorrow shall have my men person¬ ally notify the manager of every theater in Chicago—every nickel theater, vaude¬ ville house (including the Majestic and American Music Hall), first-class thea¬ ter, cafe, and restaurant that the ren¬ dition of either of these songs in the theater under his management will be followed by the arrest of the performer singing the song and the unpleasant notoriety incident to such arrest. This order goes, too. I will not tolerate these songs in this city, and the first per¬ former who attempts to put any one of these songs over, no matter in what place of amusement, will be arrested. 0,1 ---■*— —~ ’-e en- t any sung anywhere in ( ^“THE*ARABIAN OOZE.” “GRIZZLY BEAR.” “THE ANGLEWORM WIGGLE." “THAT LOVING MELODY RUBEN- STEIN WROTE.” “HER NAME WAS MARY WOOD, BUT MARY WOULDN’T.” “TO ARMS! THERE’S A RING AROUND THE MOON.” "WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO TAKE A LITTLE GIRL TO RAISE?” “STOP! STOP! STOP! COME OVER AND LOVE ME SOME MORE.” “COMP’NY IN THE PARLOR." MUSIC PUBLISHERS WOULD *55 ENJOIN THE POLICE Ted Snyder Company Askes Temporary Injunction Against City for Interfering With Song temporary injunction restraining the po¬ lice of Chicago and the City of Chicago from interfering with the song “Stop, Stop, Stop,” which was recently put un- The case came up Monday in Judge Cooper’s court and was continued until Wednesday. On Wednesday it came up again and was transferred to Judge Gridley’s court and was set for hearing Saturday, December 10. Sergeant O’Don¬ nell, of the censor squad said: “This company has asked for a temporary in¬ junction restraining us from interfering with this song. It was put on the list of songs that were objectionable, but no one has been stopped from singing it. “Some of the songs were prohibited altogether, and others were censored. The principal objection to most of the songs were the suggestive motions used by the singers, and the order went out that these motions must be eliminated. We have had little trouble since the or¬ der went out, and there seems to be a tendency to eliminate the smut and the evil suggestions and motions.” J. Casper Nathan Quits Laemmle. J. Casper Nathan, for the past year connected with the Music House of Laemmle in its Chicago office, has an¬ nounced his resignation from service with that firm. He is leaving for New York within the next few days for a short vacation and will return to Chi¬ cago ' to resume his special writing. SPRINGFIELD TO ENFORCE SMUT SONG ORDINANCE Authorities There Have Followed Chicago’s Example and Are After the Suggestive Numbers—Copy Windy City List (Special to The Show World.) Springfield, Ill., Dec. 7.—Chief of- Police H. F. Kramer’s naughty song lid is all ready. Just as soon as he and the rest of the police department can find out what songs are too horrid for the refined ears of the Springfield pub¬ lic, he will clap the lid on. The chief is trying earnestly to pre¬ pare himself to act as critic, as pro¬ vided in the ordinance recently passed by the city council prohibiting the sing¬ ing of indecent or suggestive songs in Springfield theaters. Chief Kramer has secured a list of “smut” songs that has been compiled by Chief Steward of Chicago. It probably is unreasonable to believe that even the chief of the Chicago police department has heard all the piquant songs which have been and are being daily—or nightly—pushed over the footlights. The Chicago chi_ his finger, his scorn and his ban many of the most popular “smut” songs, however, and it is probable though Chief tt-*- 1 real sur6 yet _ that the if has placed Kramer i same list will be blacklisted in Spring- It is not improbable that an investi¬ gating committee consisting of the most sanctified—that is, the less contami¬ nated—members of the local police force will be delegated to attend thea¬ ters, where singing and dancing are scheduled to predominate, and pass judgment on the merits and demerits of the vocal offerings. The songs which are blacklisted as too naughty, too smutty and too sug¬ gestive for public display are as follows: “I Love My Wife, but Oh, You Kid.” “Do Your Duty, Doctor.” “Stop, Stop, Stop!” “Grizzly Bear.” “Her Name Was Mary Wood, but Mary Wouldn’t.” “To Arms! To Arms! There’s a Ring Around the Moon.” “The Angleworm Wiggle.” “Comp’ny in the Parlor." “The Arabian Ooze.” “That Loving Melody Rubenstein ^ “Wouldn’t You Like to Take a Little CLASSIFICATION OF SONGS AND INSTRUMENTAL NUMBERS For the Guidance of Performers and Music Dealers CLASS E—EXCELLENT CLASS P—POOR CLASS G—GOOD CLASS A—AWFUL CLASS M—MEDIOCRE CLASS Z—Should be Ignored Numbers Review in this Issue, and their Classification “MA BELLE BOSS.”—Class E. “VALLEY ELOWEB.”—Class G. “TELL IT TO MURPHY, SWEENEY KNOWS IT.”—Class M. “TWO LIPS.”-r-Class E. “WINNIE PBOU WINNIPEG.”—Class G. “DUTCH KIDDIES.”—Class E. “SOMEONE LOVES YOU.”—Class M. “IP I COULD SEE AS PAB AHEAD AS I CAN SEE BEHIND.”—Class E. “I’M LOOKING POB A NICE YOUNG FELLOW WHO IS LOOKING POB A NICE YOUNG GIBL.”—Class G. “COME, JOSEPHINE, IN MY PLYING MACHINE.”—Class M. “MA BELLE ROSE” is the title chosen by Jos. H. McKeon for a Spanish serenade of which he has written the lyrics. The music is by Arthur E. Behim, and it may be stated without fear of contradiction that it is excel¬ lent. High class serenades like “Ma Belle Rose” are not plentiful, more’s the pity, and this one is most satisfy¬ ing. The words are, perforce, repeti¬ tions in some phrases, but this does not alter the fact that the lyric in i tirety is worthy of the beautiful melody woven by Mr. Behim. It consists of five pages of solid delight and is a crea¬ tion of high caliber and refinement. Published by Harry Von Tilzer Music Publishing Company. Kerry Mills has written both the words and music to one of his late pub¬ lications, “VALLEY FLOWER.” Mr. Mills’ music is good and daintily pretty, and while the words are roughly carved as to versification and rhyme, still they contain what few songs today boast of—a plot. It is worked out, too, to the entire satisfaction of the most hipercritical and shows that Mr. Mills was not content with a mere jumble of words. Perhaps it is this feature that appeals to us more strongly than any¬ thing else about the song. “Valley Flower” is a Class G song without pre- M. Witmark & Sons, i humble judgment goes, __ „ winner in “DUTCH KIDDIES," pennant by Louis Weslyn, music by ’ Geo. J. Trinkaus. Mr. Weslyn from the first word to the last of his lyrical conceit, has assailed the papyrus with no uncer¬ tain pen. His first intention evidently was to write a lyric that would scintil¬ late with originality. Whether or not he had a second intention we are at a loss to discover, for it is apparent that the first intention held paramount until the lyric was completed. Mr. Trinkaus’ melody also is of excellent fiber, and, all in all, “Dutch Kiddies” is a song which immediately demands the attention of song connoisseurs. We freely admit we’d like to have two or three songs equally as good on which royalties were accumulating Beth Slater Whitson and Leo Fried¬ man, two writers who lately have won considerable renown with “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “Meet Me To¬ night in Dreamland,” present their lat- “TELL IT TO MURPHY, SWEENEY KNOWS IT,” another Mills’ publication, is by Paul Cunningham and Harry Sey¬ mour. These few preliminary words, of course, convey no meaning, so we hasten to describe the words as retelling the old yarn of the woman who asks a man to hold her baby for a moment and then forgets to reclaim the che-ild. We’ve heard it time and again until it now contains not even the merit of novelty. The words are extremely crude and fall flat of that wit which we have been led to look for in Gaelic ditties. Mr. Sey¬ mour’s music, on the other hand, is worthy of more than passing notice. It is of a quality which deserves better _ himself. Having created a demand for the first two mentioned songs and disposing of them to other publishers at a price satisfactory to all the persons involved, it is natural to conclude that Mr. Friedman will continue in his role of “song broker” and build up a reputa¬ tion for this song. Whether or not he will be able to do so is gravely proble¬ matical. Neither the words nor the music in this instance are of the caliber of the other two, and while the song, judged purely as one of those human are not sanguine in believing that it is going to upheave the waves to any great extent. We trust our judgment is at fault in thus criticising, for Friedman lyrics. The gifted writers of “That’s What the Rose Said to Me,” again have com¬ bined their talents and given is s hard worker and. lo our be«t knc edge and belief, has not written for smut line or lifted more than one b of somebody else’s work. Therefore - - -„. This time it is called “TWO LIPS’," and Mr. B. F. Barnett, the writer of the lyrics, has e class he displayed in his previous effort. This does not imply that the words of “Two Lips” are not of merit, for they possess a whole lot that is lacking in even more pretentious words. Mr. Edwards’ melody is equally as beau¬ tiful as was his former big success. Re¬ finement and delicate passages abound, and, unlike of hundreds of other songs through which we recently have waded, we find pleasure in hearing it oft re¬ peated. Published by Gus. Edwards, Inc., 1531 Broadway, New York City. “WINNIE FROM WINNIPEG,” sub¬ titled “a nifty northern novelty,” by Eugene Ellsworth, is the latest offering we have received from Tell Taylor. Here, again, we have a writer who has evolved an original plot, as much plot as can easily be crowded within the narrow confines of two conventional verses. The melody to this effusion is good, whistly, and readily memorized, and while we’re not in sympathy with the working out and denouement of the plot, we do like the melody, and when the music of a song is good, we always have been given to understand, the song itself is three-fourths good. ing thus relieved ourselves of this eulog¬ istic savoir-faire, knowing that Mr. Friedman, in common with all other Chi¬ cago publishers, has a natural aversion to advertising his wares in the columns of the beautiful Christmas edition " The World’s Greatest Amusement Pa- ” at no advance in rate, we transfer affections to New York and lavish plethoric metaphor - ‘ per, 1 COULD SEE AS FAR AHEAD AS I CAN SEE BEHIND.” Jeff T. Braner has shown his ability to compete with the best American lyric writers more than he does in this particular en¬ deavor. Here, indeed, i * ful. Wit, refreshing and -invigorating. satirp, mild and wholesome, are the chief ingredients employed by Mr. Branen, ar“ they are employed — : U| “•—“* .. that thorough- _ which characterizes a good lyric writer at his best. Arthur W. Lange, who has before sparred many rounds with Mr. Branen, is the musician in the case, and it is evident that he will not take the count before his worthy oppon¬ ent does. If this be not cultured meta¬ phor, make the most of it. Published by Jos. W. Stern & Company. “I’M LOOKING FOR A NICE YOUNG FELLOW WHO IS LOOKING FOR A NICE YOUNG GIRL,” is the long but