Variety (April 1919)

^^p^^r^^^-^w^^' J ' ''l^! : rT^-BM^M^^WSf^ : W& ■ ' - s*^< f?^>l'rH^r;'.'£'>^.l'' v ; ; , ■-■' .£f>M%' ; f%:< mir:/0^^4^;^-W^ VARIETY^ ■■*:■'■ '-'■•*• ■ :, t.: • ■ *:».; ■■ ,■■■ ' m'. : . ''SHIFTING DATES" TABOOED IN BIG TIME BOOKING OFFICE $900-Act Reported Receiving Check From Keith Office, After Filing Complaint Against New York Week Being 'Tut Back/ 1 Act Refused To Have Check Payment Remaned To It. The "shifting of dates" was tabooed last week in the big time booking of- fice of vaudeville, when an act receiv- ing $900 a week as salary in vaude- ville, was mailed a check for that amount for a "lost week." Up to the last account of the transaction the act refused to accept the check, returning it to the booking office, which in turn re-mailed the check to the act with the act again sending it back. The turn was booked into one of the Keith New York houses. For the con- venience of the booking manager of the theatre, another turn was substituted for the headline spot. The act pushed out of the assignment was informed it would have the same engagement the following week. The displaced act's agent agreed to the shift. One of the partners in the turn (two act) wrote to the Keith agency, recit- ing the details, and stating an injustice had been done to it. The booking of- fice appeared to agree with the act's salary, $900, in the form of a check enclosed it in its reply. The act re- turned the check, stating it had but wished to bring the matter to the at- tention of the booking office and did not care to accept payment for serv- ices not performed. The booking of- fice replied, in sending through the check once again, that it considered the act had lost a week and the equivalent thereof, and insisted that ..the act re- tain the payment. The turn in send- ing back the check the second time answered it could not take what it be- lieved it had not earned, and only asked that a preventative against a fu- ture contingency be provided for. There the matter rested Wednesday, with the prospects that the boking of- fice would insist upon the act accept- ing the reimbursement for its lost time. Around the booting office accounts of the story said that, the agency felt impelled toward fining the booking manager and the act's representative equal portions of the $900, on the ground that both had violated a rule of the 'office, inasmuch as the booking manager had "put back" or canceled the week, with the act's agent assent- ing. The matter of the double fine if pressed, it was said, would bring forth a considerable protest from the two men involved, who claim, it was said, the-agency had not up to the time of the occurrence, issued any ruling against postponing an engagement for a week, if the same week or theatre was thereafter allotted to the act dur- ing the season. . . Men in the booking office said it had been understood there from rul- ings in similar matters that an act can not be "shifted" for a week out of one 'house, unless given another house to play in for the week. The incident caused much conversa- tion among the agents and booking men. COOK TELLS HIS SIDE. Will J. Cooke is very anxious to appear before the Federal Trade Com- mission. Mr. Cooke said he expressed this desire by mail to the commission before its first hearing in New York, but heard nothing further regarding it until last Saturday, during the testi- mony given by Frank Fogarty at the hearing in New York. During Fogarty's examination counsel for the managers produced the minutes of a White Rats' meeting before Harry Mountford was returned to his former position in the order. Mr. Fogarty identified the minutes. They appear upon the record of the proceeding, and in effect mainly were to the point that Fogarty had stated at that Rats' meet- ing that he would not consent to the return of Mountford to the Rats if Mountford was permitted to sign checks or handle any funds of the organization. John Walsh, counsel for the com- mission, asked the counsel for the managers where they had obtained the minutes, whereupon the managers' counsel replied either from Will J. Cooke or Harry D.e Veaux. Later Mr. Walsh passed some remarks concern- ing any member of an oath - bound' organization who would betray its secrets. These remarks were later expunged from the record. This is the point and remarks that raised Mr. Cooke's ire and keeps him a-fretting until he can go on the witness stand before the commission. Mr. Cooke says the minutes were no secret; that they were placed upon the police court record of the Rats' complaint against him before Judge Ten Eyck in the West 54th street court some time in the fall of 1915: That complaint against Coo'e was in- stigated by Mountford, and charged Cooke -with appropriating funds of the Rats' organization. Cooke proved at the examination he had takjen, on the advice of his attorneys, only the back salary due. Judge Ten Eyck dis- missed the proceedings, thus exonerat- ing Cooke. Cooke also claims that this testi- mony (minutes) was necessary in that proceeding to protect himself, and that there has been no secrecy about his possession of them. During Fogarty's examination it was stated that Mount- ford had abstracted the minutes from the minute book of the White Rats. It was not explained how they afterward came into the possession of Cooke. Mr. Cooke states he is waiting "for his day in court," when he will be able to make this explanation, among other things he is desirous of record- ing, regarding his knowledge of certain officers of the .White Rats. Charges were preferred at one time against Cooke in the Rats. He was suspended for six months, with a fine attached; but Cooke says he is a life member of the Rats. . JACK CURTIS UNREHEARSED. It became, evident to every one in the courtroom during the examination last Friday of Jack Curtis (Rose and Curtis) that that agent had not re- hearsed for the proceeding. When the counsel for the Federal Trade Commission asked Curtis who had told him to wire Queenie Dunde- dun that she had been cancelled because she was a White Rat Mr. Curtis took the aeroplane route. A question following asked why Curtis had written Adams and Guhl. to the effect that if they did not belong to the National Vaudeville Artists they could not be booked brought the reply from Curtis that it was his first appearance on the witness stand and that he didn't understand the routine. The commission's attorney told him to take the night off and freshen up his memory. That same evening, at the formal opening of the N. V. A. clubhouse, Mr. Curtis was loquacious in explaining how he had flopped in the Post-Office Building that same afternoon. He said they "should have spoken Yiddish to me" and made several other humor- ous remarks to cover up his perplexed condition. Saturday morning Mr. Curtis had re- covered his memory, and his examina- tion passed away without incident or accident. Monday he . left for Hot Springs, Ark., to recover, seek rest and forget his experiences with' the law. MME. BERZAC IN TROUBLE. Buffalo, N. Y., April 2. Mme. Jeane Berzac, who appeared several weeks ago here with an animal act, was in the city court Monday, charged with petty larceny. It was claimed she collected contract money belonging to her manager and the owner of her act, G. B. T)dlum, 385 Washington street, Buffalo. He claim- ed the amount involved was $257. The court ordered her to make restitution in full. As Mme. Berzac was leaving the courtroom Detective - Sergeant Henry W. Kuhn rearrested her on a charge of grand larceny, first degree; it being alleged she sold two ponies and two dogs for between $650 and $700. She pleaded not guilty, and was held for the grand jury. RATS WANT WALSH. \_Wtth the report that John Walsh, chief counsel of the Federal Trade Commission, intended resigning on April 15 and engage in private prac- tice came an emergency call from among the active members of the White Rats in New York. The object of the meeting was to consider extend- ing an offer to retain Mr. Walsh (with his consent) as special counsel for the Rats during the continuance of the federal vaudeville investigation. The story says that, while the matter was discussed among the Rats at the meeting, Mr. Walsh was not con- sulted, and the meeting had no inkling of his inclination in the matter. The main purport of the Rats in gathering, according to the report, was to ascertain in what way and from what source sufficient funds could be obtained to carry through the proiect. A hope was held out by the Rats present that possibly some artists who had the money could be induced to guarantee all the expenses involved in the retention of Mr. Walsh (if agree- able to him). Up to Wednesday morning nothing further had developed in the matter. E 8? JAZZ BAND WALKS OUT. Eva Shirley and the. Ross Gorman Jazz Band of five pieces were to have opened at Proctor's 58th Street Mon- day. Miss Shirley opened with a jazz dancer, but the musicians were not present. The jazz band, however, had been at the theatre earlier. Sunday they ap- ?eared with Miss Shirley in Staten sland. when the band gave the prin- cipal two weeks' notice. Just what happened at the theatre to cause" the jazzing boys to leave without appearing after they were in the house has not become known. Sam Kessler, who is Miss Shirley's husband, also manages the act. One account says Kessler advanced the boys $120 before the turn first opened then deducted the full amount from their first Week's salary. The band boys' leader inquired why one-half of it could not have been taken out the first week and the remainder the second week. Mr. Kessler is reported by his brother, Aaron Kessler (who books the act) to have replied that he (Sam Kessler) was taking no chances. The jazz band is said to have found an immediate engagement with an Atlantic City cabaret. I: JACK CRISP KILLED. The sad and tragic death of Jack Crisp Sunday morning, when he fell off the fire-escape in the rear of hit home, shocked vaudeville circles. His mother found him dead in the rear of their house, at 345 West 70th street, New York City. The boy—aged 25— had been ill of late and subject to delirium. He was obliged to leave the "Come Along" show at Baltimore last, week owing to his condition. Sunday morning Crisp took a position on the fire-escape to read the papers. It U supposed one of the sudden delirium spells attacked him and he lost his balance. The Crisps, as the brother and two sisters (Dora and Winnie) were.known in vaudeville, traveled with theirt mother. The father died in England in 1915. The folks were English*-'"Wfif" the children did a singing and dancing turn. Although the three worked in the act, not over two appeared at any one time upon the. stage. Dora did; the talking and singing; Winnie danced, as did Jack, who was con- sidered one of the best dancers at his style. The girls changed costumes for; each number, and gained attention through the opinion the audience secured of the speed of the changes. The Crisps came to this country from London in 1905, appearing with Olga Netliersole in "Labarth." They> returned to England after that engage**' ment, coming back in 1909 and appear-•■ ing in "The King and Vagabond. Re-' turning home they came back in 1914* v playing with Mclntyre and Heath in "The Ham Tree." Thei\ they branched into vaudeville. '.':f i , 1 ' DUMONT LEFT $30,000. W< Philadelphia, April 7.-M The will of the late frank Dumont, the veteran minstrel, who dropped dead in the box office of the theatre at Ninth and Arch streets, March 17,"• was offered for probate here last week, and considerable of a surprise was created when it became known that the- fortune left to his widow, Mrs. Nellie" Dumont, amounted to only $30,000. : r It was estimated that the minstrel was a very rich man and that he owned a fortune of several hundred thousand dollars. Nothing definite was known, however, as Dumont had peculiar ideal about caring for his money, and it said to have kept it all in safety deposit vaults, believing banks un» safe. '■--:•.•■/•-;; Several years ago Dumont #»i forced to move his minstrel troupe from the old landmark known as Cam- cross' Minstrels, and later as the Eleventh Street opera house, the home of Dumont's . Minstrels; and it it' believed the move'cost him a lot of money. The last two years at Ninth and Arch streets, however, were declared to be very profitable. It'Is' believed other deposits will be found. FRIEDLANDER ORGANIZES STAFF, William B. Friedlander has arranged to open a producing office in New York around May I. Associated with him will be Hugh Herbert, Will M. Hough (of Chicago) and Harlan: Thompson, formerly dramatic editor of the Kansas City Star. Mr. Herbert is the vaudeville comedian (Hebrew), author and producer. Mr. Friedlander will go into general production, placing the ideas of hit own and his staff' upon the stage. besides accepting approved material submitted to him for the same purpose by professionals who may wish to have the Friedlander office stage the acts for them. All acts put out by the office will be under Mr. Friedlander's man- agement. He has six or seven turns in prospect, each employing from one to four principals. Oakland Four W««l» Longw. Oakland, Cal., April 2. The Orpheum Circuit theatre here, due to close April 26, has had its sea- son extended for four weeks. •'.;'!"". r -'S 'A-- VI