The Billboard 1924-01-05: Vol 36 Iss 1 (1924-01-05)

JANUARY 5, 1924 The Billboard 15 BRITISH VARIETY HOUSES IN SOUND FINANCIAL CONDITION Figures Belie Managerial Wail That High Salaries Paid Artistes Are Wrecking Business —Stoll Houses Lead ONDON., Dec. 29.—Annual statements of e rnings of representative English a musie halls for the fourteen years preceding 1922 would seem to belie the ery that the country’s vaudeville houses are nearly on the rocks financially t managerial wail that the high salaries paid artistes are ttendat the a the and wrecking A perusal of the busin December edition of ss. deferred: share 1914, 20 per cent ordinary, 4 per share deferred; 1915, 22% per cent ordinary, “The Theater, Musi Hall and Cinema at enti ak sai. Geena ae a gee Companies Blue Book”, a sort of wk eoleane, Gh. ek he ae See British theatrical Bradstreet’s, shows oT, per cent ordinary, 104, per sbare dethe va lle business to be im @ ferred; 1918, 30 per cent ordinary 12s, per healt! fin nelal eondition, notwithe share deferred; 1919, 40.744 per cent ordinary, standing the slump of the past season. 19s. 9.18d. per share deferred. Take the Stoll Tour, for instance. Its 1920, 12°45 per cent ordinary, 15 per cent financial condition more than justifies preference; 1921, 10 per cent ordinary, 15 per MANY DARK CABARETS In Brooklyn New Year’s Eve New York, Dec. 30.—The United States Dis trict Attorney threatens to serve papers in injunction proceedings to elose one thousand cafes and cabarets ‘n Brooklyn before New Year’s Eve if they can be signed in time. A special staff will be assigned to serving them so that Brooklyn's New Year celebration will be exceedingly dry. WHERE IS A. L. MAXSON? Arthur L, Maxson, violinist, who played in theaters around Chicago for some years, or any friend knowing his is asked to communicate with Norman A. Maxson, a brother, of North Fifth «street, Oean, N. Y., whe advises The Billboard that their father istmas morning at the Maxson home in Chicago. whereabouts, THEATER MAN ILL Dee. 27.—IN health retirement of Eddie Chanel, who for the four years was with the B. F. Keith Theater here. Mr. Chanel has long been identified with the theatrical industry, having spent a score of years in various playhouses thruout the country. Toledo, O., has forced the past Orchestra Breaks Record-Making Record the pride Sir Oswald takes in himself : regarding such matters. The Coliseum Svndicate has paid the following dividend on the ordinary (common) shares since 1908: Stoll Earnings 1908S, 15 per cent 1909, 26 per cent; 1910, 224% per cent 1911, 22% per cent; 1912, 22% per cent; 191 25 per cent and a bonus of 100 per nt, f of income tax, in preference (oreferred) shares 1914 25 oper ent 1915, 1+ per t: 1916, 25 per cent; 1917, 25 per cent ’ 25 per t and a bonus of 5 per ent (on original 44,000 shares 1919, 25 per ‘ t and s of 1) per cent, fre of intax n R’’ preference shares; 1920 r t 21, 25 per cent; 1922, 25 J total e fur the year ending De‘ ber 1, 1922. was—roughly figured in Amer 5.19, w h with a balance of " tely S256.5% brought forward from 1) f < year, made $521.6%0 profit with which to deal The company has $789,190 ‘ and leans, and $72,485 cash in band ond at banker's. Empire has paid a dividend of 10 about r ent or every year from 1913 to 1921, ir ve, with a bonus of 2% per cent for 1918 19 1 1921 In 1922 the dividend fell to Td Ilackney and Shepherd's Bosh bave id nee 1902, 10 per cent; 1908, 12% per cent 14, 15 per cent; 1905, 15 per cent; Tim 15 per ent 17 15 per cent and a onus of 244 per cent; 1908, 15 per cent; 1900, ’ r r 1910, 15 per cent 1911, 10 per cent ll. & per cent; 19 ‘'s per cent 19 per cent 191 7'4 per cent; 1916, i 4 l ; > per cent; 1918, 10 per cent Db 10 per cent and a bonus of 5 per cent; 0 per ce and a bonus of 5 per cent; 02 1 er cent, and 1922, 10 per cent dm Le ter Palace the following dividends have been paid: 1901, 10 per cent: 1902, 12 1 ent; 1003, 10 per cent; 1994, 5 per cent; 1 r 1908, 2', per cent; 1907, 10 per 1008, 7 per cent; 1099, 7%4 per cent; per cent; 1911, nil; 1912, 10 per cent: 10 per cent; 1914, 10 per cent; 1915, 10 t it 10 peg cent: 1917, 10 per cent; S ) per cent: 1919, 10 per cent and 5 r ent bonus 1920, 10 per cent and 5 bonus; 1921, 10 per cent, and 1922, 1 | The Manchester Ilippedrome and \ k Empire have paid for each of the ten tao June 36, 1914, at the rate of 10 iii t, plus 2") per cent bonus for 1913; This is Ben Selvin, orchestra leader at the Moul:n Rouge, New York, who has hung up the 7’) per cent: 1916, 9 per cent: 1917, 7% record of recording one thousand phonograph records. He is only 85 years old. 1918, 10 per cent; 1919, 10 per cent ! us of 5 per cent; 1920, 10 per cent dy bonus of 10 per cent; 1921, 10 per cent; cent preference: 1922, 7% per cent ordinary, VALIDITY OF STATE per cent, 15 per cent preference. S h . The Glasgow Pavilion has paid since 1911, TAX 1s ATTACKED ome Other Music Halls 4 per cent; 1912, 35 per cent: 1913, 30 per the shareholders of the Victoria Palace cent; 1914, 20 per cent; 1915, 25 per cent: 1916, Habeas corpus proceedings have been instirext ted if they never get another 2% per nt: 1917, 40 per cent: 1918, 50 tuted in the Court of Appeals at nny Ju @ividend Apart from the $109,000 per cent: 1919, on old capital at rate of 50 Austi: Tex the validity of the act 1b in 160,000 shares of 10s, each, 80.000 per cent for six months: on new capital at of the Thirty-eighth Legislature, imposing a ' shares were given free to shareholders rate of 40 per cent for six months: 1920, 20 graduated tax on traveling shows and theatrical ruary 1920, making a capital of apper cent: 1921, 22% per cent, and in 1922 but performances J.C. Blair is the applicant and ately $600,000, This has certainly made 5 per nt, the initial proceedings were had at Cleburn, management's task of keeping the dividend Tex’ where by information he was charged @ the 25 per cent mark harder, as it has NATHAN ROBBINS’ GUESTS — Wit? Siolating the act and fined the amount ete against the increased $200,000 2 ; of the tax, plus costs, aggregating $57.50. The inal eapital, Auburn, N Y.. Dee 28—Nathan Robbins act is attacked as beiag confiscatory, discrimithe dividends: 1912, 5 per cent; 1918, manager of the Olympic Theater, Watertown, "tory, class legislation and in favor of estabn W014, 12% per cent; 1915, 15 per invited the erippled children of the city and shed houses and against the traveling shows, i 17" per cent; 1017, 20 per cent; the orphans of both homes to be his guests l -t per ent; T9109, 25 per cent; 1920, on Christmas Dov . Ww. A. HARTUNG AT OMAHA » cent; 121, 25 per cent, and 1922, 20 A Christmas party was given by the Robbins a * ati gow Alhambra, aleo under the aegis meson uae me ron coe ae ~ Rc a sana readies ieee a coneaeeppr of ot tn: ee pt a vteny of te . ~ nM £ @ the visiting WKeit va deville the Orpheum in this city, W. A. Hartung, is a * 0 K artis and t members ef the Robbins Playman of pleasing personality who is making os apg Pom Ban gyre bs be Poy none as. ye : wp PP pop which consisted of many friends among the theatrical people and fe rrea shares of Ie Ron Reed de Aared: ma om ah ie +h em gene dm tgp A penrees oF ee ee, Rael Glartung bes been t f bs « . niove¢ fusic was furnished by the Olympic with the Orpheum Cirevit for the past fifteen 1013, 17% per cent ordinary, Is. 11.864d, per and Avon orchestras. years, TESTIMONIAL DINNER TENDERED HOUDINI By St. Louis Assembly of S.A. M. —Sumptuous Banquet and Fine Entertainment Enjoyed St. Louis, Dec. 28.—A testimonial dinner was tendered to Harry Houdini, president of the Society of American Magicians, who is this week playing the Orpheum Theater here in the Garden Tea Room of the American Hotel, at midnight Thursday, December 27, by the St, Louis Assembly of the Society of American Magicians. There were about forty magicians and their relatives present, and the affair went over wonderfully. A sumptuous meal was set before the guests and everyone did justice to it. After the dinner E. B. Heller, president of the St. Louis Assembly of the Society of American Magicians, acted as toastmaster and introduced the various speakers and entertainers for the evening entertainment, Houdipvi was naturally the principal speaker and spoke mostly on the present effort to expose the spiritualists. He commented on the work already accomplished along these lines, quoted many personal instances and then talked on magic in general and the Society of Ameriean Magicians, After short talks by the toastmaster and several other magicians and guests present, Mr. Houdi: showed numerous tricks in all lines, from his first day before the footlights until the present year. His work was followed by various ‘ialties by practically every magician present, each and every spe one volunteering to do their share of entertaining. Mrs. B. E. Thom at the piano ace compan‘ed Marshal] Reed in the rendition of two Irish Some of Mrs. E. B. ballads, these present included Mrs. Houdini, He ler and son, Jos. Heller; Robert Scharpe, Raymond L. Schopper, A, L. Brown Mrs Alice Perrings, Nadine Settle, Edna Biebinger, Edw. Livingston, Paul Sraden, Jacob Chasnoff, Ray MekKy Sidney Strans: Sam A. Meyer, Henry Hart, Clifford Johnstoa and Mrs. Johnston, Ben Badley, Oli'ver Quass, A. H. Oakley, Andrew Buell, Russell Huirstick, Dr. R. Humphrey and wife, Irma Biebinger. The St. Louis Assembly of the Society of American Magicians now numbers about fifty members, and has done wonderful work in magic around this section of the country. Especially during the last week or two have all the members worked hard in giving benefit performances at the various hospitals, asylums, homes, etc. Whenever called upon the members are not found wanting and eagerly pitch fn for any good cause, E. B. Heller is the popular president and the ideal man for the helm of the fast-growing madicians’ club. Robert Scharpe is vice-president, Raymond L. Schopper secretary, and Paul Braden treasurer The club meets twice monthly at the Amer ican Hotel, and every meeting is a_ spirited one. Much work has also been done by the local assembly in exposing various spiritual mediums, and their one aim seems to be magic for what magic should be. SEEK SHOW PROMOTER Il., Dec. 27.—John Carrigan, promoted a style and charity entertainment here, with a dozen Chicago artistes engaged, quietly left town and a number of unpaid bills the second day of the show. It came to an abrupt end and Dan O'Toole and Tom Danville, who show Lynch, two of Carrigan’s aides, were arrested on a charge of defrauding an innkeeper acts got back to Chicago, local merch counted off their losses on loaned gowns and some cash advances and charity looked elsewhere, MOTHERS-IN-LAW CONTEST EFFECTIVE AD STUNT Spokane, Wash., Dec. 29.—The most eff exploitation stunt in this city of the year was maneuvered last week by Manager Maur Op penheimer, of the Hippodrome Theater, w a contest for the most popular mothers-ir of the city was staged in connection with a week's show of the picture, ‘‘Mothers-in-! A 91-year-old lady won a $100 prize, whi v presented in person by Mayor Charles A Fieming after crowded houses balloted all wee on the contestants. BLACKSTONE TURNED ’EM AWAY Chicago, Dec. 28.—The presentation of Blackstone, the Magician, and his road show in the Fort Armstrong Theater, Rock Island, Ill., a movie house, Christmas week was an important innovation. Christmas Eve, People were turned away which is unusual. ee gen