The Billboard 1924-07-26: Vol 36 Iss 30 (1924-07-26)

6 The Bi ) llboard JULY 26, 1924 M. M. P. U. ADVERTISES FOR | PASSIVE MEMBERS WITH $2 This Fee Entitles Them to Club House Privileges, | Ads. Say—Initiation Fee for Recognized : A. F. of M. Local Is $100 EW YORK, July 19.—A drive launched by the officials of the Musical | Mutual Protective Union this week for so-called passive members thru advertisements inserted in local daily newspapers has aroused econsiderable protest and resentment among the active membership of the outlawed organization. This is the first time in the history of organized musicals that a local musicians’ union has, outside of the opening of a new charter, ever resorted to such means of recruiting members, The advertisement curried in the newspapers wes as follows: “PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS can . now join the MUSICAL MUTUAL _ London, July 20 (Special Cable to The Bill PROTECTIVE UNION as_ passive b0«rd).—In a debate im the House of Commons members for a fee of TWO DOLLARS, °°" ‘he entertainment tax, Ph nee, *hancello he Exchequer, ! he entitling them to working end clubChane lor of the Excl juer the — FFER is promise made by him by introducing a new house privileges. THIS O cliuse exempting agricultural and industrial FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. Ap,, ibitions, also works of the graphic arts, ply to Financial Secretary from 10 sculpture, public health dis. a.m. until 2:30 p.m., 209-213 E. 85th plays or exhibitions of skill by children under p.m., street, N. Y. C.” sixteen, and educational institutions -atentiy the idea behind the drive, a — WOULD EXEMPT BRITISH FAIRS craftsmanship, FOR INHERITANCE TAXES New York, June 20.—Surrogate’s Court yesterday ordered the $25,000 estate of the late Leon Laski, theatrical attorney, who died in July, 1923, to be appraised for assessment of inheritance = taxes, Laski was a director of & number of theatrical companies, including the Cincinnati Theater Company and the Columbia Amusement Company, for which he was i. failure brothers are entitled also general counse Secause of his to leave a will, his five each to one-sixth of the estate, while the three children of his late sister will share equally the s brothers, Emil, of idministrator. SIR HUGH WARD IN CHICAGO remaining sixth. One of this citY, was appointed Chicago, July 15.—sir Hugh J. Ward, who manages most of the theaters in Australia, has been in Chicago a week Sir Hugh, who was bern in Ph. adelphia, first went to Australia to act in Hoyt'’s productio where he made a success and returned to perform in Gilbert & Sullivan material. He is quoted as saying there is much building of theaters in Mel bourne, Sydney and other antipodal cities. NOTABLES RETURNING TO UNITED STATES London, July 20 (Special Cable to The Bille board).—Tex. Austin, Jascha Heifetz, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson are bound for America aboard the Leviathan, Which also carries Walter Hagan and a pumber of other star golfers, say the protesting members, is to hook amateur musicians for as many twodollar bills as possible. Even if admitted to the M. M. P. U., a musiciin ean not get work, since he must obtain a membership card from Local No, 802, the recognized New York City body, it is pointed out. The regular initiation fee for entrance to the M. M. P. U., according to that organization's by-laws, is £100, With admission of members at $2 apiece the present members declare What little protection aSorded them by affiliation with the M. M. P 1. will in time be dimin‘'shed to the vanishing point, When the M. M. P. U. officials prevailed upon the membership a few mont! to the imposition of a $10 assessment to replenish the empty union coffers and meet over $40,000 in debts, it was understood that the appeal from the court verdict denying them reinstatement in the American Federation of Musicians would be dropped. To the surprise of the officials of Local S02 and the A. F. of M., counsel for the outlawed body filed the appeal this week. | Therewith the governing board of Local S802 —— the wholesale is azo to consent notice of voted an appropriation of $20,000 for counsel fees to defend the new court action. This disbrought the cost of fighting the a isofar as the recognized local is concerned, up to $95,000, It was learned this week that one of the M. M. P. U. officials, the very one who proposed bursement players cool, tion, inse —_ ——3 East wind may prevail in the game of Mah Jong in progress in the accompaying picture, taken on the Ambassador Hotel Beach at Atlantic City, but ocean breezes keep the Around the board, from left to right, are Wellington Cross, musical comedy and vaudeville star; Princess White Deer, a dear of the Mohawk tribe; Princess Juo So Tai, of Shanghai, and Peppy De Albrew, noted Brazilian dancer, the $2 membership drive, appealed to Local 802 would like His request was summarily STEPHANIE D’ESTE CHARMS IN NEW TRIANGLE BILL for admission, declaring that he to go back to work. rejected, The campaign for so-called passive members Was decided upon wl New York, July 18.—They are “nackinge °e en it was found that the , * York bs 18. Y are packing *em , . : in own at Kathleen rkhwood's Triangle tS10 assessment had failed to bring in enough ~ Pastis : os Se 8 . tle The: » Seventh avenue and eve money to cover the outstanding debts. Hunohe or , ae ae Blew : Hage treet. he chief attraction is Stept e dreds of members of the outlawed organization, D'Este j ’ ’ 1 ; : iste in the role of Salome in the Os: e t said, had refused to pay the special levy, . ce : ; : end we Wile lay of that name. but to date their names have not been posted di wile In this reporter's opinion it would be difficult 1o find anywhere an actress as ide y suited to this exacting ro'e as Miss D'Este. She has on the local’s bulletin board, CHICAGO BAND WILL START the profile and elongated eyes of an Egyptian DRIVE FOR $50,000 FUNDS and reads with the subtlety characteristic of oe that race An accomplished dancer and panChicago, July 19.—The Chicago Band Assovia*”™ list, she maintains faithfully the postures tion will shortly begin 4 drive for 850,000 in ®°°°?! d as Egyptian thruout the play, adding an attempt to reorganize the band en an ? vegas erest of the role Her concepopen-shop basis and continue free concert ? tion of Salome a delieut traccry that does settlement districts, schoolyard und play2°! lose in dramat value because of its delgrounds ‘or thirtes vear ¢ | Re n¢ acy hee ; n mo lying e cit en > fr ra . I on Battle as Jokanaan, t Prophet, aieiiiaidl Ail Sa. elhadis siemmmeiin Moe: Caner aha’ ‘ roly looks the unkempt ascetic wearing a it will disband this year unless the public nature-grown makeup. His off-stage prop ‘ cemee te tin ute. sehinom Wath peuianiok a ead With moving spiritual fervor He has ; a fine voice and an impressive stage presence, op system clares placing the band on an open-s # wz arbitrary rulings of the , Miss Kirkwood has, as usual, provided sets is ac enzge to the and lighting effects that leave nothing to be desired and much to be emulated. Mus ‘cians’ Union. BOHEMIANS’ “NEW FOLLIES” SPECIAL MATINEES MAY BE PUT ON IN THE WOODS New York, July 19.--The sixth annual production ef the “Greenwich Village Follies”’ be gan rehearsals today under the dire n of Chicago, July 2! it is the plan now to put John M ay Anderson A. complete cast of on pecial matinees at the Woods Theater e revue will be announced by the Bohemians, th summer, Where Ralph Kettering’s **Kasy j t future. Street’ is a settled and prospero fixture. ! o Was prima donna in the It is planned to put on “The Great ¢ ommoner’’, \ ‘ I ’ for t 4 , Mr Kettering’s play about Abraham Lincoln, just f ] reening o of the prin-e recruited from player of “Ea Street’? and ‘ owt eur Beaucaire’’, wa avngmented from other Loop cast T “Com a 43 J Mi : Green and A. moner’’ hud its premiere at the Shubert Thea M the vamp role in “The Belle of ter, Milwaukee, in 1916, with Dwight Meade Quakertown.” in the role of Lincoln, PLAYWRIGHT RELEASED FROM BAVARIAN PRISON New York, July 18.—Word comes from Berlin that Ernest Toller, author of ‘*‘Hinkemann”’, presented here this season by the Theater Guild under the title of *‘Man and the Masses’, hag been released from the Fortress of Niederscholfeld on the Upper completed a prison sentence of five years, found guilty of 1 with Kurt Eisner’s Soviet regime, and, despite the appeal of his numerous friends, was compelled to serve his time. While in prison Toller completed several new plays and a volume of lyrics which will soon be published. His “Machine Stormers”® will be given an English translation and will be presented in this country during the Bavarian Danube, where he playwright was connections forthcoming season, DIRECTED TO PAY BACK TAXES New York, July 20. Court Yesterday directed Junior Straussmann, of Asbury Park, N, J., as executor of the $83,746 net estate left by Theodore Kremer, late playwright, to pay $S1.535.47 to the State Tux Commission as taxes due that State under the Inheritance tux Jaws, Cologne Nippes, , The Surrogate’: Kremer, who died at Germany, in January, 1923, “The Fatal Wedding’, which was recently revived here for a short run, wrote, among other wlay FRAZEE HAS NEW OWNER New York, July 19 The Frazee Theater has a new Joseph purchased the property from Samuel Brener owner in Durst, whe recently Durst, who is president of the ¢ 'y il National Bait gave mh part payment hb lurge estate on Dp voodic Heights, Yonkers, comprising five acre with residence and outbuildings, The theater has been leased back to Brener for a term of years, ee ESSERE RENEE FEWER STOCKS IN THE WEST Only About Fifty This Season Where There Were One Hundred Last Year Chicago, July 20.—It is claimed in Chicago that there are only about half as many stocl companies operating in the entire West this year as last—in other words that about fifty ths season will catch all of them. There are a number of reasons advanced, none of wl y clear up the managers say there is a seems to entire matter Some scarcity of suitable actors, others say the times are hard and the public won't spend the money, dubious about making opening new stands, munagers and so on, Less than fifteen years ago Chir azo had vig stocks running. They were at the Ch Ago Opera House, College, Marlowe, ple’ Ru Te aple, Criterion, Academy and Imperial thea ters. Still farther back the old Dearborn s+ k Company, running in what is now the Gar: Theater, had a national reputation. The sto company in the Chicago Opera House was an etiuer famous organization. This organization turned out Bessie Barriscale, Howard Hickma: Herbert Brenon, Oscar Apfel, D. W. Gr fit Hobart Bosworth, Freder ck Bryan Washburn and DeWitt Jenni: Dear born Stock Company. sent out from its doors such players as Emmett Corrigan, Mary Ryar Hugh Ford, Harry Burehardt, John sts og Frank Aiken, Tom Coleman, Gra Reals and ‘ . Sam For t was the stage dir r att D born. Bash Temple trained Georg \lison, Adelaide Keim, Mabel Montgomery, Ben Johnson, Edward H. Re ns, Will ¢ ' Beatrice N Ix, Derethy Dalton, Ruth st hi G Loane Tu r and some more Ralph WKetter'ng’s “‘Easy Street’, in the Woods, is filled with good stock actors. Mar Newcomb and Nan Sunderland were trained the Wilkes stocks on the Coast Ralph Kellerd came from the Poli and Procter stock r x itions Harry Minturn is from the old College stock in this city and the Shubert stocks in Minneapol s and Milwaukee Dwig Meade comes from a similar show in Malder Mass.: Eugene MeGillen is from the old Bush Temple stock, and Bob Jones was long a member of Frank A. P. Gazzolo’s Imperial and Victoria theater stocks here. A CORRECTION Jack Davidson, vaudeville artiste, advises that an error was made in the obituary notice Merrill in the July 19 issue of The Billboard. In the notive it was stated: ‘Her hnsband, Jack Davidson, also well vaudeville, survives.’’ Mr. Davidson states that he secured a divorce some time ago “My motive for writing this," says Mr. Davidson, “is that the notice in The Billboard States that Mrs, Davidson was cared for by the Actors’ Fund, and conveys the idea that was her husband and had neglected ber. If she had still been my wife I would have pro tected and supported her myself." INTERLUDE PLAYERS PRESENT “MAN IN THE NEXT ROOM” London, July 20 (Special Cable to The Bill board).—The Interlude Players last Sunday of Cora known in presented Elliott Crawshay Williams’ mystery drama, “The Man in the Next Room”, It is a slender piece, not unskillfully handled but unlikely to survive this single performance. Again it was proved in this play that Isobel Elsom is unable to sustain a dramati role, Reginald Denham played eleverly and the whole cast worked hard, but t Interind Players should seck plays of greater distinctior NEW BROADHURST PRODUCTIONS New York, July 10. George Broadhurst a nounces his intention to produce during the cot it eason three new plays which he wrote collaboration with Mrs, Trimble Bradley. 7 first will be “‘Izzy’’, a comedy based on a series of wrt stories by George Randolph Che and Lillian Chester, originally published in 7 Saturday Evening Post and later in book form under the title of “On the Lot and of’. T! followed by “The Red Hawk", W ! Was given a tryout earlier in the season W th Me Kas AMERICAN COMPETITION FATAL London, July 20 (Special Cable to The Billbourd) rhe appointment of a reeciver in bank ruptey for the Hepworth Pieture Plays, Ltd., will be Morris in the leading role. drawn attention te the inrpessibility of offering British f at the same price as Amer n 1 . Prominent journal stress the need of definite polley among exhibitors to support. the best British pietures, such as Cecil Hepworth produced, The reorganized ip 1922, but American competition proved fatal company was