Variety (September 1918)

••• VAUDEVILLE ARTISTS' FORUM Comic Utters to \U warts and write on ese side of paper only. ■— eg—inelsntlwia ulll not ho printed. Hssas ef writer mutt be signed be held in etrlst TrneVfoiffT. If desired to he pehllahsd 1b tkb onlum» nut bs written exetaeively to VAIURTY. .d letter* will not bs printed. Tlu writer who dapUeetee ■ tetter to the either Before or after It appears here, will not be again permitted the ■ilissigii at it Chicago, Sept. 14. Editor Varietx": I noticed in the Pittsburgh notes in Variett that the Hawthorne Minstrels would play the Kenyon, Pittsburgh. This act has not been in existence since May, 1917. At that time the scenery, costumes, trunks, etc., were sold to Laura Booth, but not the name. The Hawthorne*. (Billy and Amy.) Camp Sheridan, Ala., Sept. 10. Editor VARiETr. I am now at Camp Sheridan, in the Base Hospital sick, and not working with my former partner, Francis. He is at present around Chicago and using my name, which I have had for the last ten years. Ward. Philadelphia, Sept. 12. Editor Variet?:. I wired you today, upon my return from the West, relative to the article in last week's Variety - concerning myself and the action of the Philadelphia managers in raising admissions. The story is a canard and apparently the work of our opposition in an en- deavor to injure us and I am surprised that Variety would be a party to it There is absolutely no foundation to the story. I never pledged myself in the matter, in fact, two weeks before the price raise was scheduled to go in effect, I told the members of the Association (theatrical managers) I would not join the movement. Further, I told the members of the Association it was not an Association issue, but rather a neighborhood matter and upon this basis I stood "pat." Fred G. Nixon-Nirdlinger. MRS. JAS. CONNORS' SEPARATION. Jennie Connors, through her counsel, Frank J. Rinaldi, has filed suit for separation against James Connors, in vaudeville. Answering to her charges, the defendant, through his attorneys, Henry J. & Frederick E. Goldsmith, enters a general denial: In her affidavit, the plaintiff alleges that since their marriage, March 26, 1917, her husband has wilfully neglect- ed, aoused, and mistreated her. Be- cause she is unable to support herself, having been under the care of the physician in a hospital during the past five months, Mrs. Connors is claiming $50 weekly alimony, out of tne $150 weekly she alleges her husband says he earns, and counsel fees. When the papers were served on Connors early this week announcing the case was to come up Sept. 17, he wrote his attorneys, asking them to postpone the trial for a week or so. The trial is now scheduled for Sept. 24. Accompanying the letter, Connors mailed a statement from Wilmer & Vincent, of the Colonial, Utica, where he is now playing, stating his salary to be but. $62.50 weekly. POTSDAM IN BOOKING OFFICE. Within a short time Charles Pots- dam will transfer from the manager- ship of Loew's American theatre, to the post of chief assistant to Jake Lubin in the Marcus Loew booking agency. Mr. Potsdam has been at the Amer- ican for several years. He has grown to know all of the Eastern big and small turns. At different times he has produced and managed acts. It is said Mr. Potsdam could have received an agency franchise in the Loew of- fice, but was informed by Joe Schenck and Mr. Lubin they thought he could be of more value to the circuit in the booking department. It is possible that Eugene Meyers will succeed Mr. Potsdam as the Amer- ican's manager. HEAVIER BILLS UPSTATE. Proctor's, Albany and Troy, playing a split week of two shows daily, is commencing to increase its programs for the.season. Valeska Suratt, Stella Mayhew and Andrew Mack are among the future headlines in those towns that were booked this week by Arthur Blondell, who is temporarily looking after the Proctor upstate bookings during Johnnie Collins' recovery. The other of the Collins houses are being cared for by Harry Mundorf and Charles An- derson (in the E. M. Robertson of- fice) during Mr. Collins' absence. Farnum, Lawis cc Gordon's Bookar. Ralph G. Farnum has been appointed general booker for Lewis & Gordon, following the departure of Max Gordon and Milton Lewis into the Service. Al Lewis continues as the producing and executive head of the firm. Mr. Farnum has been of late with Max E. Hayes' office and was pre- viously with Harry Weber. Max Hayes is placing the sketches of the firm, taking those on in addition to his own bookings. WHERE MUSICIANS STAND. Rochester, N. Y., Sep. 18. A subject of discussion among thea- tre men is the future of the orchestra in the theatres. Practically all of the theatrical musicians registered in the draft the other day, the great majority being under 45. Although the amuse- ment industry has been classified as essential it is feared the draft boards will rule that men in the orchestras are not essential to the industry. In fact it has been intimated that a number of musicians are already v considering the matter of looking up jobs in the munition plants. Some of them admit they may not wait for any action by the local boards.' It has been suggested that orchestras composed of women will replace the men in most of the theatres. There is some talk of reducing picture theatre orchestras to one piece, a piano, and some radicals even go so far as to state that the piano ought to be an automatic one. It is not thought that such sweeping changes will go into effect at present. Orchestras-may be considerably reduced for the afternoon shows and enlarged at night. Many picture houses may struggle along in the afternoon with a piano, but every house will endeavor to have a well rounded orchestra in the evening. Several theatre men are making ef- forts to sign up musicians of the gent- ler sex. Association Booking Imperial. Chicago, Sept. 18. The Imperial, St. Louis, which for- merly played combination shows, is now on the book of Charles Freeman (W. V. M. A.), and beginning Sept 23, will play week stands. Pat Garren in Charge at 23rd Street H. R. Beatty is leaving the 23rd Street as manager and going to war via the Canadian Army, with Pat Gar- ren looking after managerial duties down there. Robert Wayne Managing Albambra. Robert Wayne has succeeded Harry Bailey as manager of the Alhambra. Mr. Bailey having entered the service on Sunday. • Mr. Wayne is a former actor. For some time he was assistant to Harry T. Jordan, manager of Keith's, Philadelphia, but recently assigned to the Keith New York office. WITH THE MUSIC MEN. ^w 0 w Sr rt .j;.?£ <, J,mmy momo * "■ -*■ mJE"» S 0 0, «K Son ?? *"«"" £ tt « Harris. w»4,"Fiddlers Three" at the Cort, is being published by Wltmark t Bods. Von° nue^sun*: ****»' '• ■ *• H« r7 p.?! 1 ? 5l ?"«?{ °' Memphis, head of the Pate A Handy Co., has been lo New York this weak, surveying what the New York offloe ol the Ann, lately opened, has been doing. Tom Franklin, known In the cabarets, te now oonneoted with the Wltmark profeeslosal stan. Amy Aahmore Clark, the librettist. Is la charge of the new concert professional de- partment ot Artmusio, -«•«» «■ Halsey K. Mohr has transferred his eoua allegiance from Shapiro-Bernstein to the Joe Morris staff. Louis Bernstein had received up to Wed- nesday no confirmation of the report Jimmy Hsnley had been promoted to a lieutenancy, although Mr. Bernstein said he would not be surprised to hesr It by mall from knowing Hanleys modesty, and also mentioned he bad heard was In line for promotion. Mr. Bern- stein mentioned another of his former writing BUS, Joe Goodwin, who had developed into a model soldier. Joe was recently in New*York on a four days' leave, the only one of his regiment Just before it sailed for France to receive a furlough. Joe asked permission of hie captain to apply to the colonel when the captain vetoed a pass through the strict ruling laid down. Goodwin Interviewed the colonel and convinced bis superior the two songs he had In mind must be taken down In New Tork or there would result a torrlflo loss of money for him In the future, If be came back. The colonel couldn't understand what Joe was driving at so gsve him a pass. Mr. Bernstein said Joe was the best liked man in his com- pany and had refused all opportunities for advancement, saying he wsnted to stick with the privates. He also sidestepped an oppor- tunity placed before him to be permanently stationed in or around New York. Joe an- swered he had enlisted to be a soldier and intended to go all the. way, right Into France. Borne kid, that Joe Goodwin turned out to be. Mrs. William Hamilton, vice-president of the Nary Club at 609 Fifth avenue, has Issued an appeal for music for the 111 and wounded sailors aboard the U. -8. Hospital Ship, "Mercy," now a Naval Base Hospital. Pop- ular songs are the only amusement allowed the patients for frequent entertainment Rec- ords will also be very acceptable. Either or both may he sent Mrs. Hamilton, care ot the Club. The Jais Band of the Jenkins Colored Or- phan Asylum recently started a fund for a new addition to the asylum by the 10 or 12 pieces stopping In front of the musio pub- lishing houses, playing their latest bit. and taking up the contribution offered when the object of the visit was msds known. The music houses are a bit worried over the draft prospects. Many of the Arms have had tbelr staffs depleted and their organisations . disturbed by enlistments or calls through the first draft. With the IMS In effect, with 32-38 or 87 to be first called, what the future will leave in the operating forces only the future will tell. The final of the Animated War Song Con- test at the Fifth Avenue, New York, will be decided next Tuesday night (Sept. 24). The contest Is running nightly this week until tonight (Friday). The animated portion Is giving the song men an excellent opportunity of seeing the various pictures Side by side, as it were, and they are .enabled to note the different effects the several pictures have upon the audience. KaJaH Who, after three years In retirement, has returned to the stage in a new routine of Oriental dances, all her own creation. RAJAH recently opened in Chicago, drawing attention of the critics. She is due In New York at Christmas time. LOEW OUT OF CHARLOTTE. Charlotte, N. C. Sept. 18. The Strand, playing Loew vaudeville (booked only) for three weeks, dis- continued it this Saturday. The Grand opera house, South Beth- lehem, Pa., playing four acts on a split week, will start with Loew's vau- deville Sept. 23. i i BurtiV Theatres at Auction. Auburn, N. Y., Sept. 18. To close the estate of the latcEdwin C. Burtis, Auburn millionaire, the en- tire Burtis holdings will be sold at public auction the latter part of the month. Two Auburn playhouses are included in the property, Burtis Grand and Cor- nell theatre. John N. Ross, head of,the Ross Real- ty Company of New York, is executor of the estate. The Napoleon of Fondom. CHAB. ALTHOFT