Variety (December 1918)

• , • ■ ""' " ' . • '■ ■ ! :■■■■:'''-;:■ |?ff| X VAUDEVILLE ! .- ■« - ■ NO LET-UP FOR ENTERTAINMENT THOUGH WAR H AS FINISHED Overseas Unit's Work Speeded Up—Government Reduces Age Limit—Three Entertaining Outfits on the Ocean— No Definite Date for Return of Volunteers. ■ . ■ - m • . Cvi Departures of entertaining units re- cruited by America's Over There Theatre League have been speeded-up. Within the last week three units got away and there will be an increasing number within the next fortnight. Recently the number of volunteers applying to the League also increased markedly, teams being more in evi- dence than before and also comedians who are particularly welcome. The War Department in eliminating regulations generally, ha,ve erased the former age limit rule for -volunteer entertainers and the League is now permitted to accept men above the age of 25 years. No reason is given, how- ever, for not removing the age limit entirely, but the new regulation elimi- nates a heavy handicap under which James Forbes, chairman of the League's Entertainment Committee, has worked since the second draft be- came effective. Until lately it was' for- bidden to recruit any men under 36. The units which recently sailed in- cluded two camp directors, need for which is increasing: The Liberty Belles.* Lucille Adame. Angle Gappelle. Vera Rois Coburn. Agnes Patenon. Alice Wakeman. "Manhattan Four." Walter Dale. Carrol McComas. Eleanore Rodger*. Jane Tuttle. "The Troubadours." Morton Adkins. Beulah Crofoot. Lois EwelL Sara Ferguson. Camp Directors. Clara Blandick. Dorothy Chesmond. The Y. M. C. A. has started a new movement to fill the need for men and women competent to direct soldier tal- ent along~ dramatic and musical lines and capable of putting outplays and musical shows overseas. This need will be all the more apparent during . the period of demobilization both here and over there. To promote that service the "Y" has instituted a course at the Carnegie Institute of Technology through the department of dramatic art at that in- stitution. The course is one of in- tensive practical training in the ac- tual direction of entertainments now given in the huts in France and will consume about one month, the first "class" being due to finish the course late in December. Thomas Wood Ste- vens, lately returned from France, is at the head of the direction at Car- negie, where also are B. Iden Payne, T. B. Beatty and Harvey B. Gaul. The "Y" pays, candidates who attend the course an allowance of $2 per day during the period of instruction and successful candidates will be provided with insurance, transportation and $125 per month living expenses in France. There has been no definite Word of Over There Units returning, although the three months' periodfor the earlier volunteers nas.„expired. It is thought some of the units will remain overseas -fot.-six months*. With - the main- porrr tion of the American Expeditionary Forces now an army of occupation and since the bulk of General Pershing's army will move orf to German soil, it is supposed that the huts and can- teens will accompany the army to the Rhine and the "routes" of the enter- tainment units will be changed to in- clude all of that territory. The Y. M. C. A. recruited 175 in- dividuals as set forth in the accom- paning list for entertainment abroad published in total for the first time. This representation was carried out under the direction of the National War Work Council of the Y, with Thomas E. McLane chairman of the Overseas Entertainment branch. The list dates to a period last seaion, when Winthrop Ames and E. H. Sothern visited France with one of the first units. Resultant of that'trip was the formation of America's Ove'r There Theatre League, Mr. Ames-being one of the leaders in the establishment of that project. The preponderant percentage of the entertainers sent across by the Y are not members of the theatrical pro- fession, many affiliated with the con- cert platform. The majority of the Over There League's units are made up of vaudevillians. The league operates with the Y, which directs the units from the time they sajVand the league is regarded as .a specialized branch of the Y recruiting machinery. There has been but one entertainer who died while appearing abroad in the work—Faith Helen Rogers, one of the Y recruits. The following list does not include those of the Over There Theatre League, separately listed in this issue: Adams, Gulla „"•'.'.■ Anderson, Christopher Appley, Joseph' Avlrett, Donnell Ayres, Paula Bailey, Marguerite Balliett, Carl J. Barlett, Hazel Besler, Helen Blerly, Neva Bloomquist, Myrtle Boardman, William J. Booth, Maud (Mrs. Balllngton) Bradley, Lucie Brocklebank Blanche Brockwny, Helen H. Brown, Pauline Burnham, Charles Bush, Charlotte Buxton, Ethel (Mrs.) Chlnholm, Jessie (Mrs. Jack) Chubb, Bronwen Churcher, Anita Coates, Helen J. Cogswell, Mynn Cowley, Frederick Cowperthwaite, Alfred Craig, John Craig, Mary Young (Mrs. John) Cunningham, Elizabeth dishing, Charles, C. S. Dale, Teresa Malloy Darrah, Charles Braun David, Ross David, Elizabeth (Mrs. Ross) Dodge, Beulah C. Draper, Ruth Edgar, Elizabeth W. (Mrs.) Ewlng, Grace' v Farley, Gilbert C. Fltts, Harriet Flvey, Robert W. Frost, Alfred Gorrell, Edith Green, Rachel Freasc (Mrs.) Harrison, Inez ~ Hartman, June Harvey, ,Maleva Hearons, Anna Hearons, Charlotte Hearons, Winifred Hibbard, William 0. Hlbbard, Susan (Mrs. William G.) Hlnton, Ethel Ilorlsberg, Kate I. Hosford, Hester U Howry, Elizabeth Jackson, LlUInn James, Ada O. (Continued on page IS) "DOC" ADAMS TANGLED UP, Louis R. ("Doc") Adams," "known along Brbadwajr, was picked 'upIn We night court this week by a deputy sheriff and lodged ' in Ludlow Street jail in default of $2;600 alimony, non- payment of which may keep him in the "hoosegow" for six months. Adams journeyed to the night court in the matter of a woman friend who had been arrested for. soliciting (and found guilty), although Adams had been warned to keep away by his at-, torney. The matter of Adams' alimony was . awarded Marion Adams several years ago, even though Adams had bjgam- ously married her. This offence he admits because the statute of lfmita- tions.-has expired. Adams married Pearl Dayton, a vau- devillian in Missouri in 1908. In 1909 he married Marion Adams, with whom he had lived for nearly a year, and without divorcing Pearl Dayton. In admitting the bigamy, Adams swore Marion also knew hejiad not,been divorced from Miss Dayton. Because of the bigamous tinge to the Marion Adams claim, Herman L. Roth, his attorney, will attempt to secure Adams' release from Ludlow street through a writ of habeus corpus. war Ground norman. Chicago, Nov. 27. Frank Norman; comedian, has'gottctr' himself into a funny matrimonial tangle. •'•■■" In 1912' Norman eloped with and married Essie Webb, a 15-year old girl of Kansas City. In 1915 Essie left Norman because he insisted on using her face for a punching bag for his morning exercise. In 1918—Aug. 30—Norman met and married Adelaide J. Wright. A month later he was drafted and went to camp in South Carolina. Last week he filed suit for divorce, charging Mrs. Essie Norman with de- sertion. Mrs. Essie Norman- there- upon filed a cross suit, charging cru- elty, non-support, bigamy, adultery and a few minor offenses. Up bobs Lois Christie, a former part-; ner in Norman's vaudeville acts She is mentioned as "the other woman" in the first Mrs. Norman's cross bill, which is certainly cross. In the absence of Mr. Norman in the service the government paid an allow- ance to the second Mrs. Norman. The first Mrs. Norman wants the allow- ance. The world war is over; but Norman doesn't think so. PRIMROSE OPERATED UPON. George H. Primrose, who has been quite ill, was operated upon for an in- ternal growth in Roosevelt Hospital last Saturday. The operation was suc- cessful and Mr. Primrose is reported getting along as well as could be ex- pected. The comedian was on the operating table for two hours, something like -200 stitches being required in the opera- tion. Fear was at first entertained for the veteran minstrel's ability to stand the operation, as he weighed only 86 pounds when placed under the knife. Early this week he showed signs of recovery, with the danger point be- lieved to have been passed. SOUTHERN BUYING CO. Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 27. The Southeastern "Film Corp. has been formed, with A. Samuels presi- dent, A. C. Bromberg vice-president and general manager, to handle state- right features for six southern states. The pictures they have contracted for so far include Florence Reed in "To-, day," Robert Warwick in "The Mad Lover," Lillian Walker in "Lust of the Ages," Frank Mills in "Her Husband's Friend," Florence Reed in "Woman's Law"; also reissues of two-reel Kay Bee and one reel Sennett and Chaplin comedies. Samuels is the owner of a string of theatres in this territory and Brom- berg was formerly connected with Triangle. ■ "'P EDDIE DARLING BOOKING ROYAL. The Royal in the Bronx was added this week by Eddie Darling to his own books, with Mr. Darling coupling the Colonial with the Athambra for the booking attention of I. Robert Samuels, under his supervision. Mr. Samuels had been booking the Royal and Al- hambra. With the season thus far giving no decided indication of a profitable re- vival of vaudeville interest in the Co- lonial bills,. Mr. Darling decided to pass it along to Mr. Samuels for more personal attention than he could give it. Mr. Samuels successfully brought the Royal up among the leading B. F. Keith big time houses in point of at- tendance through his attention to the bills played there. Besides these three theatres, Mr. Darling places the bills for the Keith theatres at Washington, Boston and Providence, also Orpheum and Bush- wick, Brooklyn, and the Riverside, New York. With the change in the booking ar- rangement, Al Darling, manager of the Colonial, exchanged houses with Chris Eagan, manager of the Royal. ''--I RIVERSIDES RECORD BROKEN. The record *at the box office of Keith's Riverside theatre, New York, was broken last week, the gross re- ceipts topping the amount drawn there when Mme. Bernhardt was the head- liner. There was an effort made to hold over the entire bill for this week, but booking arrangements prevented its accomplishment. It is expected, how- ever the same program will again be gathered for, the Riverside for the week of Jan. 27. The Riverside's feature acts last week were Eddie Leonard and Co., Lucille Cavanagh \aiul Co., Laurie and Branson, Frisco and Co. HOEY AND LEE IN BLACKFACE. The reappearance of Hoey and Lee in vaudeville will be as a blackface team playing "The Two Missionaries," written by Charles S. Hoey. In former seasons Hoey and Lee were Hebrew comedians./ Earlier this . season they appeared as the features' with a burlesque show, but lately left that company. LOEW TAKES RYAN AND LEE ...Ryan- and Isec- will -opeii - on ••-thc- I.oew Circuit Dec. 23, playing full 'week stands, giving a different act for each half of the engagement. The booking was made with Jake Luhin by Epstin & Sofranski. VALESKA SHY ON FRENCH. Montreal, Nov. 27. Overtures from the French Players at the Orpheum Theatre hefle for Va- Icska Suratt to head their organiza tion, looked upon as a signal honor f/' Miss Suratt. had to be declined, by'h/ through unfamiliarity with the " language. SHEEHAN'S VALET IN BUSINESS. Harry "Trixie" Hamilton, who is known to vaudeville as Lester Shee- h;m's valet, is now in business for him- self. He claims that he is one of the best hair dressers and manicures in town, and has established himself In -~« ell arranged quarters -on--West"47tlr-- street. . . Hamilton is calling his place a "Beauty Parlor." Capturing ludlMMi everywhere. Chs». (Rube) Althoff. ■ y. s^ 1