New York Clipper (Apr 1923)

8 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER Apnl 11, 1923 EDDIE CANTOR SIGNS WITH KEITH JOLSON REPORTED NEGOTIATING Eddie Cantor, Modrt^ti-^ comedian and one of tile strongest drawing cards for Shnbett jiroductions, will open a tour of Keith vaudeville at the Palace Tlieatre, in dereland. on June 4th, following: the dosiDS of hs present show, "Make It Snappy," which. is now tonnng. Cantor has been appearing under the Shnbert managanent since 1920, previous to that having been with Zeigfeld's "Follies" and "MidttiBfat FroUc" With the Shoberts, it is_ understood that Cantor has been woridng on a salary and po'centage basis, and averaged from ^ODO to* $2,500 a wedc When Cantor played a wedc in vaudeville for Ward and Glyime last he was reported to have received ^2^00 for the weelrs engagement While his sal- ary has not been given out by the Keith circnit it is understood that Cantor will receive a straight salary of $2,500 for each wedc be plays. a; Jolson, whose contract with the Shuberb also expixcs this season, is an- other who is said to be dickering with the Keith VandeviUe Exchange with the purpose of playing the two-a-day houses when '^ombo" doses. Jolson opens a four week run in Boston in "Bombo," on Monday, and is schedaled to retnm to the Winter Garden with his production and open there on May ISth. It has been published that he and Charles Dillingfaani have been making arrangements for Jol- son to come under Dillingham's manage- ment begiiuiiDg next season. The Keith vaudeville tour of Jolson. if he does oome to terms with the booking oflke, would undoubtedly be of but a few weeks' duration, between the time "Bombo" doses, and the time Jolson begins pre- paring bis next season s production. This black-&ce star has also been working for the Shoberts on a salary and percentage of the house receipts tasis. The Kdth circnit has as yet never paid an^ artist on a percentage basis, all acts bang en- gaged for a stated salary. The highest ever paid was the late Sarah Bernhardt, who received $1,000 in gold every night for one week at the Palace, getting $7,000 a week. Jolson would undoubtedly be the one to come nearer to thb amount, than any artist in die past in Kdth vandeville. Jolson will appear at the N. V. A. benefit at the Hip on May 13. This gives added strength to the rumor that he will be seal in the Kdth houses. COLONIAL, ERIE. RE-OPENS Kbif. April 9.—The Colonial theatre here, booked ont of the Keith Vaudeville Exdmnge. which dosed several weeks ago because of a "flu" epidemic re-opens to- day. The house is changing its policy from three performances a day. to two shows a day. It win continue to be a full week stand as before. HeCARTHY SISTERS IN VAUDE. The McCarthT Sisters, who closed re- cently IB "The Music Box Revue," have entered Keith vandeviHe. They opened in Toledo on Monday and will be seen ia New York within the course of a few weeks. STOCK FOR KEITH HOUSES The advisability of installing stock com- panies in the Keith metropolitan theatres which generally dose for the Summer, and keep them open instead, is now being con- sidered by the Kdth ofiice. The Colonial, which up to now is scheduled to dose dur- ing the week of May 7th, is under spedal consideration, for a stock comjsny, as the house is near the theatrical district, being at Broadway and Sixty-second street, and would be the only theatre playing stock attractions in diat section. Stock was tried at Keith's Alhambra for several weeks during the early part of last Summer and played to good business in its first few weeks. It did not continue however, closed in July, being dark until September. It is understood, that if stock wiU be played at dther house during the coming Summer, it will be operated by an individual stock company, and not by the Kdth circuit, as was done last year. The closing date on the Alhambra has not been set as yet. •TUT* ACT IN HLM HOUSES The Egyptian travesty, built around the recent discovery of the tomb of Tut-ankh- Amen, which Earl Lindsay staged for the Edward Small offices, opened out of town at one of the Famous Players houses on Monday. The Famous Players intends to put out a series of these prdudes, none running more than fifteen minutes, to use in their picture houses throughout the country. The first Lindsay unit employs six girl dancers, one speculty dancer, and three singing prindpals. The act is appropri- ately set and costumed with spedal scenery and illusions bein^ devised by George Hanlon. SCHENCK MUST PAY $175 A WEEK Joe Schenck of the vaudeville team of Van and Schenck must, according to the ruling of Judge Hay in Spedal Term of the Supreme Court of Brooklyn, pay to Mrs. Amelia Schenck, his wife,_ $175_ a week temporary alimony. She is suing the singer for divorce. Mrs. Sdienck allies her husband had an income of $75,000 a year, and asked for $250 a wedc for the support of her- self and her young daughter. Schenck through his attorneys showed that his in- come was less than half of $75,000 a year. "The liair have been separated for several months. BRUCE DUFFUS WITH FEINBERG Bruce Duffus, an independent vaudeville agent for the past eight years since he left the Poll forces as booker, is now as- sociated with Abe I. Feinbeis in the book- ing of vaudeville flash featnres. ZIEGFELD-RASTELU AGREEMENT An amicable agreement vvas reached be- tween Ftorenz Zeigfeld, Jr., and the Kdth circuit last wedc, whereby £jirice Rastelli was allowed to open in Kdth vaudeville at the Palace theatre on Monday. Zdg- fdd had objected to Rastdli's playing vaudeville as he claimed the juggler was under contract to him to appear in the Mary Eaton production. However, ar- rangemoits were made between E. F. Albee and Zdgfeld which rcsnlted in the latter's withdrawing his objections. ALBEE STOCK OPENING Pbovdence, R. I., April 9.—Vaudeville shows will be discontinued at the E. F. Albee Theatre Saturday night until next Fall, in keeping with the policy of the management at this time of the year. The 23rd Annual E. F. Albee Stock Company's season will start at the theatre Monday, April 16. witfi "Little Old New York" as tiie first presentation. Vaude- ville will be resumed in September. LEWIS IN NEW ACT Bert Lewis is preparing a new comedy, singing and talking act entitled "From Dixie to Egypt." by John P. Medbury, in which he expects to open shortly on the Kdth time. Lewis is well known in West- em vaudeville cirdes. TWELVE HOUSES CLOSING ON ORPHEUM SPECIAL POUCIES IN FOUR The Orpheum drcuit has started to dose several of its houses, and in others, inaugurate new policies with the intention of operating than all summer, returning to the big time policy when the new sea- sun begins. The first of the big time the- atres which are being given special sum- mer polides was the Orpheum in Des M<nnes, which began playing five acts and motion pictures last, week, giving two performances a day ior a full week. The Orpheum in Kansas City closed on Saturday, April 7th, and the Mainstrcet in that city, shifted from its Junior Orpheum policy to the big time policy on Sunday, April 8th. The Orpheum, New Orleans, doses April 22nd; the Orpheum, Memphis, on April ISth; Orpheum, Omaha, on April 2sth; the Orpheunv Sioux Gty, on . May 5th; Winnipeg, on May 5th; Seattle, on May 12th; Portland, May 15th; Oak- land, on May 26th; Sacramento and Fresno, on May 26th; Denver on June 1st. A summer policy of six acts and pictures, three shows a day, goes into the Hennepin, Minneapolis, on May 6th. Prior to that, on April 29th, the Palace. Mil- -waukee, will assume the same policy. The Palace, Chicago, will continue to operate with its present big time policy through- out the summer, from present plans. YOUNG AGENCY BARRED CiiiCACo, April 7.—The Ernie Young Agency has been barred from further booking on the floor of the W. V. M. A in a notice sent out from the booking office Thursday afternoon. The same day, Er- nie Young, having returned to Chicago from Detroit, sent a letter resigning from the floor feeling that he is not devoting enough time to vaudeville, because of the many revues he is producing. There have t>een differences between the Ernie Young and the W. V. M A. offices for some time and the break was in- evitable Willie Berger, who was on the floor for Ernie Young, will remain with the Young agency. ALLEN GOING TO EUROPE Edgar Allen, general booking manager for the Fox vaudeville drcuit, will sail for Europe during the first wedc in July. Mrs. Allen, known professionally as Katfaerine Murray will go with him ih order to re- gain her health. Mrs. Allen recently un- derwent a very serious operation and is now recuperatmg. Wliile abroad, Allen will do business for the Fox Film Sttidios. FOUR KEITH HOUSES CLOSING Fonr Kdth houses booked by James Aloz, will conclude their season during the last two weeks in May, and one has already beoi dosed. The dark house is the one in Hamilton, Canada, and the others are the Temple, Rochester, which closes at the end of the week of May 19lh, Toronto, on May 21st. Montreal, week of May 28th, and Detroit, the week of May 28th. "MOUNTAIN MAN" FOR VAUDE. A condensed version of Clare Kum- mer's comedy, "The Mountain Man," is being prepared for vaudeville. _ The producers are negotiating with Sidney Blackmar, who was one of the out- standing hits of the original production to head the cast. Blackmar has been appearing with "The Love Child," which closed last week. FILMS CUT DOWN AiCTS Feature motion pictures are being used to a greater extent than ever in filling out bills in the split week vaude- ville houses, particularly on the Moss, Proctor and Fox drcuits, which have cut down on thdr vaudeville acts in order to play certain films. During the last half of the current week, all Proctor and Moss houses w!U play "Hunting Big Game in Africa," which closed re- cently after eleven weeks at the Lyric, for the feature film. This runs for over ninety minutes, and in the Moss and Proctor houses, five acts are bdng booked for the last half instead of the customary six. During the last half of last week, most of these houses played "Fury" . as their feature attraction, which also ran for more than ninety minutes, and five acts were booked. The Fox houses played to the best business of many seasons all last week with only three acts of vaudeville each half of the week, and "Robin Hood," starring Douglas Fairbanks as a full week attraction. The Fox theatres have repeated this stunt throughout the sea- son, having played most of the "super- features" for full week stands and cut- ting down on vaudeville acts. N. V. A. COIMPLAINTS Lewis and Dody have filed complaint against Al and Murray Howard, claiming that the latter team are infringing on thdr "Hello, Hdlo, Hello" song . Sam Lazar and Josh Dale have com- plained against Pierce and Arrow, alleg- ing that the latter arc infringing on their piece of business consisting of two head- lights to represent an automobile, being seen in the rear of a darkened stage, then coming down to one from full stage, and when the lights flash up, two men in black- face, carrying lanterns, are discovered. Senator Murphy is complaining against Speaker Lewis, claiming infringement on his monologue. Jarvis and Harrison complain that Fuller and Burt have again placed the "hold-up" bit into their act Louise and Andy Barlow complain against Hal and Francis, daiming that the latter act is infringing on their offering in its entirety. MORE UNIT SHOW SUITS FILED Chas. De Haven. Fred Nice, and Joe Towle, as co-partners, filed suit last week in the Mtmicipal Court trough their at- torney, Kendler & Goldstein, for $1,000 against Arthur Kldn, the action being for salary and damages, the claims having been consolidated. According to counsel for the trio, Ar- thur Klein signed them to appear in his Shubert Vaudeville Unit, "Hdlo Every- body," as added attractions, Gertrude Hoff- mann being starred in the show. JACKSON SUCCEEDS BIRD Jlen Jackson, who for the past two rs has been in the production depart- ment of the William Fox West Coast Studios, has been appointed general business manager for that concern in Los An^reles, succeeding Charles Bird, who resigned recently. Jackson, jirior to going to the coast was manager of Fox's Audubon Theatre at 166th Street, and Broadway, New York. ORPHEUM PRESIDENT IN NEW YORK Marcus Heiman, president of the Orpheum Circuit, arrived in New York last Friday for a series of business conferences. PROCTOR RETURNS FROM SOUTH F. F. Proctor returned this week from a two months* sojourn in Florida. With him were Mrs. Proctor, two daughters and a niece.