Variety (April 1919)

WW pp^wsf^^pw^p^^ • , ■/.'-. '.;/;*=:>' ^^p ,v.V.U<)'-.,7.i\t Vol. LTvYNo. 6 _J Vfmklr tt VOt Brocdww, Tlmw ftjOM* N«w Tort. N. T.. br Virtetr, IB& Anira»l SDtMrtP- Uon. W. Stn*I« eoptw 15 cent*. NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 4, 1919 Entered as second class matter December 22, 1005, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. CANADIANS FORCE AMERICAN ACTORS IN UNIFORM OFF STAGE Serg. Bowman and Corpl. Shea Obliged to Leave Loew's, Toronto, Through Disturbance in Audience. Apparent Strong Feeling in Canada Against U. S. Soldiers. Incident Happened Mon- day, With Act Immediately Leaving City. . -v 1 l Toronto, March 31. This afternoon at Loew's Yonge Street theatre Bowman and Shea, ap- pearing in the uniform of the U. S. Tank Corps, were obliged to termi- nate their act without concluding! it owing to a disturbance in the theatre. Accounts vary as to the cause./ It was attributed to the American uni- form worn by the men. They have been playing in vaudeville in the States for some time. The act has no-s patri- otic song in which the Americans are lauded. , It was said that, following their appearance, they had not been on the stage three minutes before 200 people walked out of the theatre. The act left the city tonight for New York. Recently there was some feeling made apparent in official regulations concerning films 'coming to Canada that presented the U. S. soldiers to the exclusion of the Canadian soldiers. The regulations provided against that in the future. They also decreed that no film weekly could show over one- third of its run with American troops and then only if another third of the film presented the Canadians. J Upon receipt of the above wire from an outside source Varihtt, wired its regular correspondent at Toronto, and received the following answer: Toronto, April 1. Sergeant Bowman and Corporal Shea, Tank Corps, U. S., appear- ing at Loew's Monday, were not hooted off stage. Sergeant Bow- man had come out of the hospital only just before this engagement, being ill for seven weeks at Union- ville, O. He was ill when reach- ing here, and asked that the act be cancelled. They were induced to appear in the afternoon, when Sergeant Bowman fainted off stage, due to a blood vessel burst- ing in his throat. The turn, as far as it went, was very good. No patriotic songs were sung. Bow- man returned to New York to go into a hospital. Sergeant Bowman and Corporal Shea returned to New York Tuesday; Sergeant Bowman was asked to call at variety's office the same day to see the Toronto wire, which he did. The sergeant looked the picture of health; said he had not been ill; has never been in Unionville, O., and that he, with Corporal'Shea, were booked to open at Chester, Pa., for the last half of this week, appearing at the Ameri- can, New York, next Monday. Sergeant Bowman had no explana- tion of the Toronto affair. He stated that as their turn progressed he felt an air of displeasure settling over the house, but could not locate it. In the turn Sergeant Bowman delivers a talk upon the war. Corporal Shea sings. Mr. Bowman said none of his remarks referred to Americans. The only soldiers he alluded to by nativity were the British. He had carefully edited his remarks before reaching Toronto, said the sergeant, through havingbeen warned that animosity appeared to exist in Toronto against American soldiers, particularly those appearing upon the stages there in uniform. Mr. Bowman gave as his opinion that the wire received by Varietv, from its correspondent at Toronto was the story of the matter given out there. Bowman and Shea have been in vaudeville for some time. Before the armistice they appeared as a recruit- ing act for the Tank Corps. Sergeant Bowman was gassed in France and was in a hospital for two months. He has a wound on his right arm where a Hun struck him with a trench knife just before Bowman bayonetted him. Phyllis Neilson Terry wired the dramatic editor of the Toronto Eve- ning Telegram regarding Bowman and Shea. Miss Terry, who is English, asked the consideration of the paper for this act, which had done so much toward promoting good feeling be- tween England and America in Ser- geant Bowman's talks upon the vaude- ville stage- ENGAGING PRIZE CHORUS GIRLS. Four of the six "American beauty" chorus girls have been selected for the Andre Chariot revue,opening in Lon- don at the Prince of Wales in August. Before he sailed Mr. Chariot placed under contract Katherine Brady and Marie Lasker of the "Midnight Frolic" (Amsterdam roof), Charlotte Wake- field of "The Canary" and Virginia Lee, now in "Sometime." Albertine (Babe) Marlowe of "Tumble In," was also chosen, but was out of town when Chariot departed. Philip F. Howley, the manager's secretary, will return here in May to complete his chorus sextet and attend to other matters not settled before the English manager sailed. ' The choristers will receive $50 per week and may remain abroad 18 months. Their contracts call for a succession of six weeks periods. » The girls will sail in July rehearsing in London but ten days. They are to be paid $5 daily during the rehearsals. SCALE GOES UP FOR TAX. The popular priced vaudeville houses around New York appear to have agreed upon an increase of the ad- mission scale, to cover the new income tax charge. To avoid making change in pennies, the theatres are announcing a. scale that rounds off all amounts. The 35- cent previous charge will be 40 cents. Otherwise it would be 39 cents. The lower charges like 17 cents for the former 15-cent seats under the 10 per cent, tax will be 20 cents under the new tax. "CHAPERONED'' CHORUS. What is termed as a novelty in ad- vertising, is being used with "The Mimic World," signed by the Loew offices for a 14 weeks' tour of the South, Middlewest and Canada. It's "a chaperoned chorus." Three women are "reported" carried to look after the girls, who, according to the managerial arrangement may accept engagements for dinner, etc., but must take along one of the chap- erones. BIGTOWN CARNIVAL SHOW. The Liberty Loan Committee has commissioned W. F. Hamilton, designer of fair and carnival novelties, to trans- form several blocks of New York into a carnival show as a stimulus to the next Liberty Loan. A new trick in striking effects in the shape of r giant steam curtain, has just been perfected by the fair builder as part of his outdoor pro- gram. :'$f V- »rtu - .'.•taSKS ¥ ,. MOSS TAKES BROADWAY. B. S. Moss has taken over the Broadway Theatre for a period pf years commencing May 2, when the present lease held by Carl Laemmle expires. Universale head wanted to renew, not only through having made a profit, but because of the publicity value attaching to the showing of his features there. Moss has been trying for some years to get a house on Jpwef- Broadway. _ ■ ; The exterior is to be repainted and a most extensive and elaborate sign di's-., ; play Will be installed, together with jt i unique lobby-display. A new staff of ' employes will operate the theatre and an orchestra of 50 pieces will be in- stalled. An extensive advertising cam- paign will ( be inaugurated and it is':, the purpose to establish the highest • type of picture policy throughout the'; summer. . '/% While no intimation would be givenr :; ^ at the Moss office that vaudeville : M would be played at the Broadway, there ;#• is no certainty that such a policy will ' r \ not be put into effect in the fall. : , ;liv-i: SONG HIT VIA RECORDS. The first known instance of a song having become a popular selh'ng hit only after it had appeared upon the" phonograph record is the "Mary" mini- ;; - ber, written by George E. Stoddard, and published by Ricordi & Co. The song has not been sung upon the stage, was written for no produc- tion and Mr. Stoddard (one of the writers of "Listen, Lester") is said top- have offered to sell for $100 all his '• interest in the song's royalty. The number was put op the Victor record. Hardly heard of before, a demand was immediately created. Orchestras all over the country sent in for orchestrations. Within three months the "Mary" song has sold (sheet music) over 300,000 copies. Music people say Mr, Stoddard's statement on July I will probably show that $15,- 000 will be due him as royalty through the sale. • i ■ 4-, •■■. i J* V' : "4::; RING AND WINNIGER AT GARDEN. Contracts were signed late last week - for Blanche Ring, and her husband, V\;| Charles Wiriniger, to be jointly ltalrW*?.?^*|j in the forthcoming summer attraction at the Winter Garden, The Shubcrts, as usual, will produce it. FIGHT ANNIVERSARY, ■m April 12 will lie the first anniversary of the estrangement between Klaw & ..-■] Krlanger, and the two partners have •,»: not spoken since. .. "'.;