Variety (Sep 1930)

4« f I. _ -,■1 • ' -. • ' r/^ , ^ , I ! News From M Mes This department contains rewritten theatrieal news items as pub* , jished dMrina,tke yteelr in Uie ^ai|y papera qf Nevii,yor.k»,.Ghio9ao> $an. Fr^npiffco,, HoliywQod . and tondon. Variety takes no , credit ' for these heWs ittTms;' eaoh"^has b'cteii'i*ewrittAh ° frdih a dailjr ii'kper: LONDON Reginald Fogwell, talker producer, hsui formed his own fllm unit Wal- ter West, Another ot old brigade, announces intention of starting his own company. Many new ide rinks are to opened in London this winter. be J. C. Graham, while not denying "Variety's" story he has leased Brit- ish, and Dominion studios for Far- amount, deniea the company will prQ(iluce therf(.. , . , . New Whitehall theatre, designed by tJ. A, Stone, privately viewed recently prior to. thetransfer of "The Way to Treat a Woman" there, is-rated 'as bne of this finest theatres in the country. "Open Tour Byes," «how, revlvied after it flopped in> a previous Ver- sion when touring the sticks. Is cur- rent at thp Picqadtliy. three weeks an,nounced, and .lookl^ less on the flrat night ; Stanley Arthui.' i«^ho piaffed In "ChV Chin Chow'^ during' Its very Wng run herd, was ■ drowned' while bathing at CarflifP lafifweek;- -He waa; touring la "Rose-Maiile.'.' :■. ~- separation' jpapef 'to ^ien) t'ell^hg'her jhe would give her'|2|600 if she would w(^ive her dower rights, and. ^neyer molest him or intrude upon his pri- vate life. "Imagine," 'she said. "And his Income 960,000. td $76,000 a year!" Mrs. Alice S. Holthusen, non-pro, was refused an application^ brought in Westbury that Hairpo Marx be ousted from her hyst>and's qottage at Plandome, It. I., leased to. Harpo iuntll Oct 1. The ilolthus^s are living apart 'Barly this summ'er Holthusen ' leeised his' eotta:g6' to ,Harpo.. Mrs,,, :Holthusen' a^sert^d that the property ^as . ve^tjed egually In her husband and herself ahd she had n9t been cdnr suited In Its lea;9e- nor had dhe shared 'in Its pi'oflt Court'ruled ithat Harpo: be permitted to stay .for Ithe remainder of his lease. Harpo iofCered to let her share half, of th.e cott^gfi. . . , , . . League of New York. Theatres presented .charges to the State .Da-; partuieAt .at Albany.^,ag9ln/9t....tthe. Mackey Theatre. Ticket Service.rer, iqiiestlng ^at thd' license' o'£ that jagency be revoked. Charges InvblV^' the alleged sale of tickets for the iMansfleld, a le.ague ; house. . The ageticy Is hot'accredlted .by 'the the- atre org&hlza'tlbh. ' - ' ■ < ■ Appointment of a bookseller' tfd fllm. critic to the pritlsh broadcast- ing. Corp,, has catped. ^<|;uai(rk4,'■•^^ rpund, particularly among.'the fllm desk' meni '^who thbujjht tliey itiMdi get the Job. ' Fox- Films probably changing its oflica ■ here. Present. premises in ^QRoers street regarded as inade- i|uate. NEW YORK . Mike Landau, violinist and former leader of the orchestra/ at Oakland's Terrace, who disappeared two weeks ago with th'd pHyrdll of th'd boys in hls bandi returned Friday; (19) with a,, tale of. hayln? been ;|(^dpaped by twQ. racketeers, who forced him tp board a train' aiid' ridd to Mexico. .J9^'.stated that Suliday 'mtdrnlng, ^^Ipit^'6;;a» lie got his car oat>6f his garag«:and started to drive to the Terracet with the^payroll of.hlfl :boys In- :hls pocket two men Jumpiad on the running board, pulled guns and ordered him to drive to Petiti' sta tlon. Then they forced him to accom pany them to Mexico, he said, under penalty of death< |n Mexico he. was confronted by the chief ot the gaiig, who seemed welt acquainted With {few York's night life, and asked him about the Income of Rudy Vallee and Will Osborn. Finally, he said, they turned him loose and he made his way to San Diego and he wired his wife for money. He declared he was carrying a $3;0OO payroll at the time of the kidnaping and that the nappers took all but $26 from him Arthur ^Hamniersteln wa^ ord^i^d held, for trial'on' a 'charge of .'as^ult.. iupoti 'Tadk Hisk^II, dance, director^; Haskell ch&tg6d' laamm^rdtein 'and Hatbld "Rand, -'Chorus' 'boy'" ' and' 'brother «£• Sally .Rand, had assaulted- him In aidtspute.during-rehearsals of "Luana." Rand also. has been held for trial. During the h'earing last week Haskell testlfled tie was shoved into room adjoining .. Hammersteiri'a office -Which h(j)d "a nice little bar' fully equipped with any kind .«f. liquor." Conrad Nagel appealed to the New York police for help in catch- ing a chap masquerading as bis '^Id .brother, a :brother who never idid exist Arthur Hammersteih was served with a complaint of< assault made by his former dance director. Jack Haskell. He was held in $600 baU for trial in Special Sessions. Arrested fdr stealing a diamond ring in Passaic'N. J., Rlbbard Annia Sadongy, prbadway chorus boy who turned bandit,: was identified as i Brooklyn slayer. He admitted kill Ing one man and wounding another In a daylight shooting near Borough Hall Aug. 23. Sadongy was arrested for stealing a diamond ring worth $100 from his Passaic landlady, Mrs. Catherine Troast. He swallowed the ring When nabbed. ' Helen kane will have one more hearing, Sept. 29, before Referee Peter J. Olney to ascertain whether she knew of the flnanclal condition of the Bond Dress Co. when she caused $60,000 to be transferred from New 'tork to Chicago, bought bonds and left them under an as; sumed name. Sybil Stone, secretary fdpi'Miss Kane, said she and Miss Kane did not know that the Bond Dress Co. had failed. She main talned their reason for selecting an ^ther .bank to leave the bonds In ' was because they didn't think to ask if the Foreman. State .Batik, where they purchased the bonds, had safety deposit boxes. After' six months of marriage Mrs Leo Fitzgerald, wife of the agent, has . flied action for a separation, asking. $4dp a . ^ee|c .alimony and $10,000 jppunsel fees.. ■ The pair got Into a row over Noel S^rancis; bloade picture actress, she (taid; arid they separated' Immedi- ately .aCten She 'declared.that.after their- .quarrel; la- August <ov^r Miss Francis, Fitzgerald lianded her a [suits against him jpnly.to.qult when' he appear*'to'flgUt tlldm.' Hli wife is the former yaud^ Actress. They were married tit X9I«. |. ''Mt^i-^noit^'ij)' ttifTo «htirg«d'N)dih belhg wosiB^'attd ''itrubrrelsbme; -' FkV^' ycfaTb ttfter thdjh%6n^ tttarrleu; ^t^. Hart flred' bc^ flrat 'bult' Ooir dtforce/ Alto'r a'year ■6f='8qaal>bllhg the' 4o'-<', ;ttOn' •wba drdtipiAd. btir Hari clUnur hfs trife' hais 'ltVeraged"dlAost'a ner# 8tilt'')eat;h yoitr: sliice." YaUdevlllUtha' arie cot^rflaht witU^the'Harfa'dlfi^ j^erendl^ Xor mafiy irdarii. '* ' ' ' 1 ..iii-i ■ ' . I . J» ■■ . 11 . ■■ •. .'1;; •,. . . ■ .: .1 . ■ Olpria Orey,: former show girl, now a manlciu'lst- In .the Hotel Penn- sylvania^ will shortly file suit - for separation .from her husband, - Cap- tain Harry. J. Woloher,- at firesent tn Paris. Miss. Orey at one tl;ni.e charged. her Jitisband '^Ith threat- ening to ruin her,beauty with acid. At another time she alleged Wolcher ;had ■ atjtempted. rt» ](cidnap Gordon 'Orey ^ope, ^ev.iBn.-year-old son of a previous .marital ve^lture. ■ Adele Astalre, oiice supposed.to be the 'flanoee ot Jonh. Hsiy Whitney. iVflll be a', brldesiitald td'Mary Ullz^'r. -beth AIten)iU9, society'«lrl,. at her ■wedding to the millionaire' tomorrow (2^) at Phlladelphlar.' Ba<:k Iii 1926, Miss ' Astkire;' 'then'' a^^peating - in '.Londbn; laughed '^heh ' questioned iabtiut a report she wad to m'krrj^ the' ihelr ■ of' Payne •'WTiltileyi' Sftyfhg' ttef ;"was siicb'a l>aby.'" ' • I Vera King, former show girlj obx< |taln«d a.. divorce from .Morris, .T. l^edprer, ,Qoix.-pro, and< $25,(M0 axy-. turiis ,fr,6m. Ejwpt in, Ja^vaty, she, will he^qm'e a 'prlnc^iss, ajccprding to r;^p'orta issui9'd.J|ust befoffithp. Prlh'cfi'. .sailed, lor, hoih.9. Mies Icing. ^i9Btl<:', iflpd .,,th.at .^e.c .h^^bah'd^ \Taft-.BUll|en andi.mQrode ,'iu)d, refuiped t9>.ta!Uc to, |hi?iq,; .Thp ^edpre^s were iqtiti'Ie'd, |n June, 192,^.; . , , After Income-tax Ihspi^ctors prom- ;Ised- him' trouble'' it> he failed to settle up an'old! debt, Lou Tellegen^ lit' ''Love ' Technique," at Jamaica last week, promised to pay Install- ments on his $10,000 deficit Art Landry, orchestra leader, and |Ann Butler, yaude comedienne, agreed on a trial .marriage.: They iwill seek happiness together in Landry's apartment at. 30. West 9.th 'street. If at the end, of the year everything Is Satisfactory, there will be the usual marrlage^-eere- mony. If they fail in their quest- they 'Will part friends. Sidney Soldmpn's refusal to serve a distinguished Briton's party of quests at the Central Park Casino is by way of becoming an inter- national -affair. 1 Solomon, who leases the Casino from the city, served one course to the party of 10 and then noticed Joseph B. Whitehead, Coco-Cola millionaire, with Dale Bourn, British golfer, and refused to serve additional courses. Whitehead, answering a recent $600,000 breach of promise iaiiit filed by Annette S. Bracy,. mentioned "S. S.'' among the other initials of men he accused of having been fa- vored by, the woman. Bourn was said to be seeking advice from the British Embassy in the way of re- dress. N. Y. Supreme Court denied an application of Hal Sherman's for mer wife, Georgia Sherman, who .sought to have her former husband adjudged In contempt of court for failing to pay $1,226 back alimony. Denial of the motion followed the announcement of, S.henhah's attor- neys that they had paid over- to her the sum in full. It represented back alimony at $75 weekly. Sher- 'man Is suing his wife for dlvorbe, but she filed a counter action seek ing alimony and separation. - Sher man obtained a divorce from Mrs. Sherman, but the N. Y. Appellate Division, at the request of Attorney David Haar, set a.slde the decree on the ground Mrs. Sherman never had been legally served. Rose Perfect,, prima donna, saya ahe hadn't thecCalntest notion why ^er husband, ^Edmund A..Rieder^>ran an^adventisenient in the newspapers he wouldn't be responsible for.her debts. Rieder, she said, has never igiven her over $6- In a lump sum In the. two years of tHilr married .life. As tor her bed and board at the Hotel Mayflo<nrer, that is on the <aff. • as her husband Is manager of the place. Miss Perfect stated. "I've been a real, bargain ..as a wife," she declared, "because my overhesLd has been- practically pin money. Since we've, been married I've worked on tiiO: stage, where I draw a-bigger isaiary- than any hotel, imanager in-ithe world/'. "That ad was merely protection,'' Rieder said; "You know how artl&ts are; They have ho Idea of the value of money." Tex Guinan returned to Broadway for the first time in 18 months at the Argonaut Club, 151 West 64th street, last-ntght (23). Jean Acker, first wife ot Rudolph Valentino,, returned from a vaca- tion on the Riviera and denied that she is suing William R. Delehanty^ non-pro, the suit now pending 'In N. Y. Supreme Court It was ex- plained to her suit was filed two months ago- in hor name claiming that In 19'25 Delehanty made an ;agreement to pay her $18,400 a year for the rest pf her life and that pay- mehts had been stopped in October, 1929. Miss Acker replied, "But I haven't any J9uit. I have never heard of DelQha,nty.". , , Undeterred by the fact that Rob- ert S. Conklii;!, Assistant State At- torney General, has, questioned its status as a .membership corpora- tion, the. League ot,New York The- atres forwarded complaints to U.. S. District Attorney Tuttle against the Adelphi Theatre Ticket Service and the Acme Theatre Ticket Ofilce. Both agencies, which are alleged to have sold tickets to League the- atres at speculative prices, are charged with violating the federal rule providing the actual price for a ticket be stamped on It Danny Aheam, author of "How to Commit a Murder and Get Away With It" started suit a'galnst Rudy Vallee for $50,000. He claims a cop was told by Vallee to beat him up when he was dining In the Villa Vallee June 14. Ahearn claimed the cop beat htm up plenty. Only rea- son he' is not suing the city, he said, was that the cop "went to work" on him on orders from Val- lee. Whole argument arose, said Ahearn, when Vnllee accused him of swinging votes in a recent Contest from Vallee to Will Osborne. Max Hart, theatrical agent, filed suit for . divorce In Reno. NeV, charging his wi€e, Madge Fox-Hart has an obesslon for filing divorce ment to bis wife, Including tlt^* to the co-operatlvi^ ^ apartment''he owned and in wmbb |h^U%M 430-East 67thstnSl7-""f-'-"- 'WlUlam Trumball, producer ot "A Cup Qt Sugar," at the- Vine Street theatre, .was^ found. Incom- petehti'tb.!.-;tii'einsgW'.,'I)U/tbtM^ falrs'&t k-'liieaHngm'ilo^e Probate Jucte^ I A.;. 8teyei\8,., t His. w|fe,. ap- ^PMnted aa ^uordlanw^e^eli: he 'suffered' a nervous breakdown and Is confined In the government hos- pital at Sawt^II^... ,- . Mrs. Josephine Park Tearle filed. 8uit;In. Superior Court ^gaiiist Con- way Tearle tor $3,100 back alimony. Two months ago Mrs.'Tearle -^v cured a Judgment of $9,932 .against Tearle In San Francisco. She was awarded . alhM6hy of |100< k' ■wbek^ when granted la divoroe la New York. In 1928. . . H. P. ^'Patterson, tormier) •mu'slo itrahsposer at Unl(<^ Art^s^,.stu|l.l9s, ileft ^ note tor'hip lahdl,ady, hinting sUttclde, ahd'dldap'peare'd.'" - -.1, '.-» -'-: " I ... ■';•: ; ,ni| i:..,;: ' ' ' Listing' c»omitfunlty. iiroperty- -val^ ued at ^218,oeo^>Mrs. >LilMan'£lchencki fileid -a: cn>s9-complaInti tO'.<the)^idLT- ivorice, a^tipn, :I??Ing hrpuBhJt agMnat, iher. I^y Harrv.SpMnck, ,aiii,d askfid tor separate m^'ntehancel , S6he^c1c jrecfehtly- flted'" siiit foi*' dKr^drce, icharging cruelty and llstlhg ■prop'-' erty value at $33,800. . Al Ray, ccim'edy lair^ctdD'Yoif.'Ohi- jversal, redeived i'' broken 'tig ' when Ihia ,car, bit^ft .bumpi and, overturned. i ^red ^teiinpie, cksUng director at the Central Ceistlng Bureau and jJ&RQ • Ar^?"?.. P»cJtW«l..ac^»s^, a^n- inounced they WlU be married late jlrt-'-Ootoben'-•-' • •■'W. '.i.ij.-m ; ;'.;.! iji'-j '-,''.!'i ' I -.- -..I s- (••.;• ! Gertrude Smi(th, radio singer, was jflned' f 160''oW a ^llqUor' 'p'oisses&loh .cpaylction. I following av raid on> the lApex night club last Aug. Les^ter. Cowan„.;manager .ot,,th^ ;Acade(i^y's tec^hi\}cal . school, i£|', |p ga:hi Blaming . her, husband, ..Luther Reed, director, .tor. their marl.tal troubles,, Jocelyn Le^, actress, fil^d a crosjB-coniplaint to his suit'! for ,divorce' and asked for custody' ot ithelr two children: She' afd6 askb 16,000i attorney fees. ' jTiuqe JifarlQwe and her, husband, Armour. Mfarlowe, wer.e sued ' tor .damages totaling $10,07^ In .two complaints filed by Harry ' OVlatt' ahd Nellie McLaren.* The damages 'are' abked 'ais a> Result of' an auto- mpbile crash.,., ^ Gladys George, legU, filed suit if or divorce against Arthur Ben- ijamln Erway, .charging cruelty. Jessie , £:stelle Jam(^,, .' grand- daughter . of Jesse ' James, lost hiar isUit' for $65,001)^' against' Pariiiiiotint land the estate of Fred Thompdon. She charged them' with failing- tq^ illve up to a promise to gline her a role In the picture ot James' life. Suit for $60^00, damages was [filed against 'Eidwlna Booth ' by 'Susette |len^ldp, chargli>g| her , with stealing the, liitectliohs of her hus- bahd; Renault' Henaldb, while bn locatloh' in Africa with" Metro's "Trader Horn. Two actresses, Minnie Rayner and Kate Mayhew, are this week cele- brating the 60th and 72d anniver- saries, respectively, of their first appearance on the stage; Miss Ray ner is now with "Symphony in Two Flats,'*, while Miss Mayhem Is in "Uncle Vanya." Orson Kilborn, business man, will sail for'France next week to get a final decree of divorce from Mrs. Cynthia Kellogg Kilborn, former musical comedy actress. The KU- borns separated last. April- and he went to Paris, secretly filing an ac tion for divorce on the'grounds of incompatlpility. Before taking this step to sever the marital ties, Kil h' cn made- a large financial settle Ruth Baggot .obtained a.,<lIyorce from King. Baggot . director,' on charged 61 habitual Intemperance and desertion'. She' was granted $325 iweekly and one-half of all'Caggot's earnings-over. $850 a week. Also $100 a month for support of their son. CHICAGO Laura La Plante. who came to town last week' to prosecute a charge of robbery against two negro porters, from whom she recovered $7,000 worth of jewels, refused to press charged at the last minute, due to a note she received from the sister of one of the defendants, ask- ilng for mercy. Charges were changed^ from rob- bery to pet1;y 'lar<!eny, and two boys W'ere 'let oft'with a year's probation. Charles Kaley, former m. o. and picture performer and now on. an R-K-O route with Yale Collegians, got hauled to court from the Pal- ace last week for being $5,260 in arrears on alimony. He must pay this sum by Sept. 26. When Mrs. Alfeld Kaley secured her divorce in 1928, she got an alimony order for $75 weekly. According to her testimony. Kaley is more than a year behind in payments: Under the order, Kaley can't leave the state until he pays up. With a marathon dance contest going into the:2,406th'hour, a couple of gunmen got the manager,, George O'Hara, of the Pershing Ballroom, and the safe, atld permanently bor rowed $1,100; • .»!^UM;'vV.!r (Continued from page 18) had oiie picture left.' Boys return hejM^. 4|B.. ^'ebj^u^Kj^^ dhkrleis iudels' replaces Frank Davis as dialog director for "Temptations*" new stage revue which.comes,Into the Mayan Seot 2Si'' '^pentrig Wa*> set back tlfilea days .to gtve-theip^ductldn. a 'try.^ put^a;^,Sa|i,I>lego, . . ^ . ^. Warren Jackson and Bobby Calla- han, ^re out of P. & Mia ..'New Yorkera'Mdea after two weeks of a pipsslble 40-week r6ute; 'when the team demanded more mohey. Fox West' Coast Is trying to stimulate kid patronage at. the neighborhpod hpuses- by staglpg J^n(pr F^mieris. , idea,.ie to show stforts ,appeaUQg to..kids, .w|'tb per- spnal' appearances" of youngsters who'irork In the: shorts. ■'.'-.' ■ ■.. - ,- i - . V , .•',-. 1, Report - that ■ ■ Charles - Buckley^ legal counsel tor : Fox- West Coast, will..accompany Hei^chel Stuart, to 'Li^stralla as the, lat^er!s legaUad* \wT stiU isn't verMed at this Md, ituart Is listed as'going to the Aiti. tipodes to operate the Hoyt tlrc'i^tt ot theatres there 'tor' Fox, but' that Is not' positive either. I east cohjtracting technical Hi' lizations and' in'stltutes. " '- Rex Bell Is tree'lancing, follow- Ssr^a- letout by iFpx where he ,had eni.under continaot for thr^e year§ ias,a,,Juve,. . . . . , ''Cliiiit \^6rk took>ver the dutl^«< of Frank Vincent,' oiiit as dlvlsipu,' manager of R-K^O,' Monday {2Vf.-• - . -i wi, 'Jack Warner-, is., scheduled to ,re- turn ito Netr .York>:next.month.,tp .oversee Warner's legit ventures..;,. Memorial meeting to allow the profession and public to honor Mil- ton Sills, scheduled tor tomorrow (24)^ at All Soul's Church, is thai first of Its kind ever held on the coast. Meieting has been arranged by the Academy ot Motion' Picture Arts and Sciences, of which Sills Was an organizer. Nearest to It was the meetl^ng hiald at the Hippodrome In N.ew York .tor Lillian Russell, arid oh the iMetro lot here for Marcus Loew: Conrad Nagel cut short his ei^t- erii trip and flew back here to di- rect the .servlcest' ' Bella Cohen, whose, husband, S<tm ^Piawack,. is writing at Paramo]^t Is: set for a term writing contract at Fox,' Fox is making retakes on "Men on OalV' coast guard story, aboard 'the.. S« S. Metka Nelson at, San Pedro,.. ., ; betty Bronson will play the lead In a legit revival bt "Little Orchid Annie," opening In San Francisco, Sept. 28. Two weeks there, then here at the Hollywood Playhouae.' Par has loaned Oliver H. P. Gar- rett Warners, where he will write ah air picture which William Well- man will direct. Virginia Bruce and Claire Dodd, who have,been in pictures, left here to Join Zlegfeld's "Smiles." Avrid Gllstrom' is megglng' a Chester Conklln short for Phtt Ryan. Borrowed from Christie. Claiming she was kicked and cuffed by Leon Kucner, credit man- ager of the Roosevelt hotel, Helen F: j^aler has sued the hostelry for $100,000. Helen Twelvetrees was loaned by Pathe tor the temme lead in "Mil- lie," being produced by Charles Rogers for Radio. John Francis ■Dillon from First National will di- rect William Hulbert has drawn. a term writing contract at Universal. Newsboy who tipped oft Ben ;Lyon that a nertsy gun toter was out to get him, was given $50 by the actor and a promise of $30 a week until he gets through college. * Lewis Ayres will have the Juve lead in Univeraal's picture version of "Dracula." - Chinese theatre carlacature cur- tain, containing 93 heads of film notables, will be sprung initially at the opening of ''Big Trail," Oct 2. There's a tie-up with a local daily, 'offering a prize. „to the patron iden- tifying the most" heads. Capt. William Edward Foulkes has filed suit here for a share in the estate of Edward W. Morrison, late owner of the Hotel, MptrJaon prop- erty. Capt. Foulkes claims he Is an illegitiihate 'son' of'Klorrison, and demands $100,000, which is the sum Morrison willed to each of his rela- tives. Tiffany's "Third Alarm" has been set back two weeks because bf in- juries to Anita Louise, femme lead, resulting from explosion of a smoke jwt. . Georgle Billings, Juve, also slightly burned. "Resurrection" went Into produc- tlPn Monday (22) at Universal -with Edwin Carewe, who made the same picture silent, megglng. Nance O'Nell Is the newest addition to the cast John Boles and Lupe Velea have the leads.