The Billboard 1924-02-02: Vol 36 Iss 5 (1924-02-02)

FEBRUARY 2, 1924 The Billboard —-* Massachusetts Fairs Endorse the S. L. C. Annual Meeting of the Association in Boston Is Well Attended ] 1—The fourth annual meeting tt Agr tural Falrs A-*so t yesterday and today in the , 1 a good representation of jfance. The order of business Address of Welcome, 4 Burtos He t Hert-am Durell, chairman; Concessions Cc | of Committee ! rt ¢ ¢ Cc Biggs . op Report of Peter I. Adama, hairman; Hiall Exhibits Olympia Theater banquet, Rose Room of vY A. Bart ‘ e "@ pb j l r and \ ton also put howmen's Legis thelr effortea the 1? “te for the ’ ’ bod at i ‘ittee, and tbhra association veted to accept the Showmen’s Legislative Committee resolution that fairs book only sueh carnivals a8 are members of this organization, and no doubt all the fair men of the State will follow this rule. The officers elected by the association fur the year 1924 are: Hon. Joho W. Haigis, of Greenfield, president; Walter Rapp of Brockton, Thos. H. Ashworth of Sturbridge and L. B. Boston of Barnstable, vice-presidents, and A. W. Lom bard of Arlington, secretary treasurer. On the executive committee are J. Stuart Allen, Acton; Cc. A. Nash, Springteld; I. H. Sawyer, Topsfield: Bertram Durell, Worcester, and Duane S. Slater, Tyringbam W. A. Burton, the retiring president, was highly eemmended for the excellent manner in “ » he fulfilled the duties of bis office the poet year, and the greatest appreciation was expr ea for the Invaluable and tireless efforts of A. W. Lombard in the interests of the fair men Following several strong pleas by representatives of the poultry shows it was voted to admit try shows info the association, with dues fixed at $5 a year. or half the amount paid by the agricultural fair free-act »b companies had repre men were called Several okiog offices entatives and fl-eworks present, and these announce themrelves and their wares. Maurice Boom was there for uPen to Wirth-Blomenfeld Stuart Kollins and Wi Robbins represented the Kelth Pair Booking Dept. of Roston, John Driscoll spoke for him«elf es head of the Harry Allen Booking Office, I'eory L. Rapp represented the American Firew rks Company of Maseachuecetts, and Fred C. Vorray was on nd in the interest of the irle Duffield Fi-eworks Company. MACAULEY’S SOLD Famous Louisville Legitimate Hovse To Be Continued by New Owners Loulseville, Ky. Jan 26 —The oldest theater f this city, Macauley’*, which bas been the ling playhouse a | Ne for fifty-one ¥ re was purchased ’ week br John and Ivsae Starks, wal capitalists The theater will continue under 1 sme policy, playing id shows and «stock attractions MUFPAT THEATER EMPLOYS TRAVELING BUSINESS-GETTER ndianapolis, Jan 27.—The management of he Murat has a:ntded to ts execctive staff Varry BR agle, for rly an employee of the ater. a $ 1 bg represestative Probab'y no ot r in the United States empors anyor Jer title with the exact duties that em has mapped out for Mr. Reoenag w ls i six of the seven dave a week t f ty endeavrorng to ert bus ss for s rt e from the a ‘ a fifty-mile radius f Indians s that v a population of more than 12.07) each d that have interurban rvice to this city He also looks after advertising and news of the theater's attrac1 . mn the var & towns CHANGING TO STOCK Wilkes-Barr Pa Ja 2a The Theater, formerly the Matestec house bet for the last Irv ag ex-bur esque twenty-eight weeks paying road shows, is to go inte stock, it te mneed by Peter H. Schafer, manager. The Pilea Kramer Stock Company will epem there ’ February ts first offering to be Three Wise Fools’ The Irving is one theaters, and the made ef the Comerford chain of cbange of stock bas been because of the lack ef road shows, ROBERTS MANAGER OF CAPITOL, INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis, Jan. 28—George A. Roberts this week became the manager of the Capitol Theater, formerly the Park, here, tn place of w Ww Woolfolk, whe has been transferred, he Capitel, since its opening last fall uwunder tte present name has been given over to Columbia burlesque shewse Mr. Roberts comes to Indianapolis from tl Bast, having for the . rteen years acted as general manager for the O. 8. Hathaway enterprises STOLTZ MANAGING THEATER St. Loule, Jan. 24.—Melville Stelts has been appointed manager of the Odeon Theater, home of the stra The polley of rent'ng the heuse for high-class attractions and eras will be nt red Symphony Orehe« H. D. SMITH TAKES TO ROAD ll. PD. Smith, whe has been assistant treasvurer of the Cox Theater, Cincinnati, takes to t read this week an company manager of the Searamouche’’ Company, showing fo the Mid dic West, joining at Charleston, W. Va. LONDON LIKED “PHOENIX” Mary Clare Scores Heavily in Playbo Offering ’ London, Jan. 27 (Special Cable to The Billboard).—Reandean gave a gala performance at the fret of the Playbex series Sunday at St. Martin’s, when ‘‘Grauch’’, by Gordon Bottomley, and “Phoenix’’, by Lascelles Abercrombie, were produced. The former is a verse-play of Macheth’s wooing and mating, Grauch being the name of Lady Macbeth. The piece is feebly constructed and the focus continually shifts. Bottomley does needless violence to the language, straining after poetic expression. Sybil Thorndyke. as Grauch, apparently has no definite conception of the part. The performance wabbied between the pampered shrew and the neurotic wreck. Malcolm Keen made a handsome, powerful Macbeth, but bis acting was lest on ich a dubious partner. “Phoenix"’ is an original entertaining satire classic. Its theme proved most amusing, and it is the best perfermed show seen here in many months. It is saperbly mounted, witb lovely designs by George Harris. Leslie Banks was delightfully absurd as the bibuleus, loquaclous king. Ian Hunter and Austin Trevor extracted all the fun possible as the ribald Grecian soldiers with eockney accents. The acting triumph of the play was that of Mary Clare as Rodope, daughter of Joy, bought of piates by the king. Miss Clare, with unas sailable impertinence and determinedly hunting a capable lover, contributed superb comedy work. Few actresses could voice deep poetry interspersed with fleshly wantonness or so lightly and wittily the mo-e It {s a viried part, but Miss Clare accomplished all victoriously, making a notable success of Phoenix", which should find favor in a regular bill. FOUR KNICKERBOCKER THEATER SUITS APPEALED Washington, D. €., Jan. 25.—The District Court of Appeals has certified to the United States Supreme Court for determination two questions of law ar'sing out of four of the suits brought by legal representatives of persons killed in the Knickerbocker Theater disaster here in January, 1922, in which attempts ate made to hold civilly liable the architect, iron fabricator and general contractor for the collapse of the roof of the building, in conjonction with the Knickerbocker Theater Company, which owned and operated the theater. The cases will go on the docket of the highest court and will probably come up for argument early next year. The cases are the appeals of John H. Ford and the Union Iren Works, the fabricators of the steel girders, on which the roof rested; Reginald Geare, architect of the building, and Frank L. Wagner, who had the contract to erect the build ng. Ten other appeals are pending. touch sordid notes. OSBORNE GOES TO NEW YORK Springfield. O.. Jan. 26.—Dissolution of the patnership between Ralph Zirkle and Willard Osborne in the Osborne-Zirkle music studio of Springfield, is being announced. Mr. Osborne is severing his connection with the studio and also resigning as violin instructor in the Wittenberg College School of Music here to go to New York, where he and hs wife, profess onally known as Sybil Fagan, whistler, will make their future home. Mr. and Mrs. Osborne contemplate doing some coneert work under the management of Hrmen Kraft. They are alse to give some concerts for the Three Flowers Radio Company in New York Mr. Zirkle will continue the studio in Springfield. AGAINST TAX BILL The admission and sales-tax bill presented te the Virginia Legislatuge, proposing a tax en the retail sale of soft drinks, etc., and upen admissions to moving picture shows and theaters, was referred to the Committee on Finance, which, on January 23, voted unanimously against the bill ‘‘om general principles’, according to the report of Harry Bernstein, secretary of the M, P. T. O. of Virginia, Inc. DISCONTINUES ROAD SHOWS Watertown, N. Y., Jan. 27.—Pailure of Watertown theatergoers to patronize the onenight stand shows presented at the Aven Theater for the past several months has caused the management te announce that there will be no further productions offered after Fiske © Hara plays the house January 30. BISPHAM ESTATE $54,986 New York, Jan. 27.—An accounting of the estate of the late David Bispham, noted singer and teacher, was filed here yesterday, showing a valve of $54,986. The extate was left to Mrs Henrietta Ten Byck, who states that she intends using the sum to establish a memoria) to David Bispham. Warner Bros.’ Stock Offered to Public List 150,000 Shares on N. Y. Curb Market—Sales Set Price at Over $12 Share New York, Jan. 26.—Stock in Warner Brothers, Inc., picture producers, was traded in for the first time on the New York Curb Market this week. The capitalization of the company is $5,000,000, assets being declared to amount to that much. The stock has no par value, but the first week's sales established a market value of 12'<. The first lot placed on the market is 150,000 altho it is expected that most of the remaining °50,000 will also be offered to the public. While the marketing of the stock is declared to be for the purpose of financing the company’s production plans for 1924-1925, twenty special releases and a number of smaller pictures being announced, it is reported that Warner Brothers expect to establish their own exchanges in all distributing centers. At present the Warner product is distributed thru State-right exchanges. BENEFIT PERFORMANCE HELD FOR ACTORS’ FUND New York, Jan. 26.—The Jolson Theater was the scene of an overflow audience yesterday afternoon where the Actors’ Fund of America held its forty-second annual benefit It is estimated that the affair netted the organization receipts amounting to $24,000. The overture, ‘“‘Reautiful Evangeline’’, composed over fifty Years ago by Edward EB. Rice, opened the performance. The program included a number of shares, new sketches by well-Known authors, among them being “‘The Good Provider’, by Elaine Sterne, and ‘‘Playmates’’. by Otto Kruger. George M. Cohan rendered ¢ song from his production of ‘‘The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly’, and was followed by Fred Stone and his daughter, Dorothy. Popular seng hits ef cur rent musical attractions were played by George Gershwin, Harry Tierney. Con Conrad, Lou Hirsch, Carl Schranbstatter, Jean Schwarts, Stenhen Jones, Wolter Donaldson, Harry Archer, Irving Cohn, Victor Herbert and Jerome Kern. EVANSVILLE HOUSE REOPENS Evansville, Ind., Jan. 26.—The Strand Theater, controlled by the Consolidated Realty and Theaters Company, which was closed in November when the company went into the hands of a receiver, will be reopened next week, ae cording to Frank Holland, manager of the Victory Theater, also operated by the Consolidated. The reopening will end a controversy be tween the Consolidated and owner of the Strand Clint F. Rose, Theater Building. OAKLAND SQUARE THEATER ROBBED THRU BANDIT TRICK Chicago, Jan. 26.—Five bandits, impersonating policemen, persuaded Charles Brandon, night watchman at the Oakland Square Theater, on the south side, to aceompany them from his home late Monday night, to the theater, where they robbed the safe of $180 and escaped. The supposed officers, according to Brandon, said they were investigating a reported burglary in the theater, MAGICIANS’ CLUB Challenges The Zancigs London, Jan. 26 (Special Cable te The Bit board).—The Magicians’ Club has challenged The Zancigs to submit themselves to a pro fessional test and Zancig has agreed te the proposition. The test wil! take place at the Magicians’ Club February 3. with good press stuff being handled by Will Goldston INSURES EMPLOYEES Bridgeport, Conn., Jan. 24.—A $1 life insurance policy to all em! t ef more than one year’s service was presented local and State assistants of S$ P I P has five theaters in Bris t 1 mploying about 150 w ! is theaters in many of the pr " f < ticut, Massachusetts and DUSE’S LEADING MAN SAID TO HAVE MOVIE CONTRACT New 24.—Memo Benassi, Eleanora Duse’s leading man, returned, Monday, from Los Angeles, where it is understeod he Orleans, Jan obtained a contract to make a series of pictures as leading man for Pola Negri. iy Ba Bel ; Be. i : ; a tr ' ; iF ‘ eo