Variety (Dec 1934)

<2 VARIETT • Tnesdtty:,; DecQinBer 11> .1934 d B I T t3 A R I E t HECTOR FULLIER kector Fuller, 67, former pi'ess Agent (ihd whoi fts one of the mayor's committee to welcome New York's dlstingiiished vlsltorsserved throu^ both the Hylaii and Walker admln- . istratlons, committed suicide, by gas poisoning In hiis apartment In New Tork' -Dec. 8. ; He probably jgreeted ■ more important visitors than the Mayors thejnselves, since 6n a num- ber of occasions the, city ma:jsrl8trate was out of towii. : ■ ; 'According to hdwspapei' accounts he wa^. made desperate by the en- crdachmeht of age and the dwindling of his fortune, but these surmises are beiieved , incorrect. His sorts 'were amply abl^ to care for hiin, and his many friends were ready to stand by him. Hlis fipl^nds believe that his act was caused by the re- currence of an torganlc trouble of which hie. had earlier cbrtsidered himself curod, but which tieturried. Discouragement rather than threat- ened impoyerlshmerit was the /prob- able caiise of his action. i Cohtrlbufr ihg causes may have been: his recent auto accident and the news of the \serloUs liiness of one of : his sons. : ■ ■ Born In Englandt he went to sea as a midshipman, but came to. New Tbrk W few years later, going to a -liomestead : claim in . Nebraska. From this: he turned his attention to tfie circus; /managing a. small show In the-West, worked In the diainond ' flelds of South Africa .and reported; ; tiie ' RuBSo-Japanese war before . coming babk to New Torlc to; settle down as : a press iageht. it was througli. this connection, that he ber; /came: Interested In ' unpaid ,civic services which led; to his appoint \ ment as one of the city's greeters. ort the stage. After a few years In stock-he jolried Otis Slklriner on toiir, later appearing with Wilton lAckaye,' Mabel T^^ peynter • and many other, stiagie stirs. He came to Hollywood In, 1913,' alterhatlng tetween the stage and'screen. He Is survived by his wldow^ knowii on the stage .as Carolyii HIgby, a daughter, Mary Jane Higby, stage and Tadlo actress,,and two stepchildren. BILLY C«RTI8 Billy Curtis, eOi 'fdrmer vaude pei-r former and in recent years a night club revue producer, died a.t the southern. Methodist : ; hosi>ital ; In Tucson, Ariz., Dec .9. He; was troubled :wlth a complicaitibit, of diseases. As a boy he went on the vaude-; vlile stage with a partner, and after iiiany years In that field drifted Into booking acts. ^ He was ac- knowledged, one of the best In the nlte fclub business before"; retiring On aocount pf his health. Only known isurvlvor is a brother aJso residing In Arizoina. V ' ; pAVib Ail MARTINA IDavld A. Martin, circus man, /vaudeville, performer and;more re cently piiiiture (projectionist, died in :Seatile Oct.;3lfof heart trouble, fle suffered frdin what Is known as a , , . Who' FasMd''Avra^ :- v : DeceiiW vttss:'. y :•'.; .-:; HAL SAII1>S AIH) fAIIILT divided heart; one ventrieie drying UP whUe the other : Elide distended He elntered the circus'fleld^about 1890; with Kirkhart's wagon shoWi later gpingi to the .bid Sun show, also a miidder. He Joined the Cleo Benoir repertory show, and later played trombone in the Iowa State bapd. In 1898, while with the Fltz :& Webster farce company he; met " and ia^^^ Percle Owen of the Owen Sisters, forming the team of. Dave Martin and Miss- Percie, Th'ey played vaudeville while, there was such : , th>if>gi but a^ 12 years ngn thp.y rptlrAil. Mm . MarHn play fld. . local stock in. Seattle and he became . prpjectionist at the Seattle Orpheum In recent years 'he has. been forced to remain quiet, due to. his heart condition. . • ■ He is survived by his widow. ; . ROBERT F. R6DEN; /: Robert P. Roden, fsong writer alnd authetlty on rare bobk^, died In iEiollywpod Nov. 27 of apoplexy; He spent mucYi of his time .In recent years' as a fllin . adapter, making, among others^:. the treatment - for The Hunchback of Notre Dame.' A»a writer of lyrics lie Is perhaps best knewii for his-'Ain't Tbu Comin' Back to Old New Hampshire, Molly?' and Ttiy lattle Georgia Rose.' He was also, an authority on rare books and Wrote extensively on this subject :';: ■,.^: ; HAROLJO LORINQ Harold Lbrlng, 68, died Iii 'l^ew York liate In November; He. was an authority on Indian iauslc and had written several t>ooks on'the subject, :He " was appointed by Theodore Roosevelt tb write, / ethnological istudles of tiie' tribes for the Indian Bureau, - He had condueted pym phony orchestras iahd Was conductor for the first tpUr of the lyeiburg Passion Players.// Survived by his widow arid three children^ Interment In Portland, •Me;r1ils Tblrthplace^;>, /..' ^ • ' HELEN MUIR Helen Muir, 70, film, actress, died in Xos Angeles Diec. 2. Burial was there:Dec. ,'6.'" Deceased was on the Sngilsh stage before she took up picture, work In l91B: with D. .W. Griffith. She was doing a bit p&,rt In/'David Copper field' when, fitrlcken. Only survivors sire a brother and slster 'ln South /America. ~ /- Not reltaed to Jean Muir. Of films Cht Give^wdys^ (Contlhued from page 7) upon Itself the Job bf killing pre- miums and the general meeting last w;eek::;was the opening gun In an earnest campaign to eliminate •pre- miums In Ghicapo. At the singlp meeting Allied; hopped the number of houses willing to do - 4way, with kltchenware .nights to: a, tbttvl "af 148, which mealns that the no-pre- mium prowd hasn't :iriany mbre to get. Necessary 76% vote tp do away; with gift nights would mean; Just 2i6 theatres in this city; B&K Big Stick .v-';' .'.- No question. that the motivating factor behind the sudden reversal of spirit among the Iridle nabe the- atres Is that B&K threatens to go two-pictures. The. town had Its taste of double features about three years ago and all of the ezhlbs still remember those' days of no-turn- bver, huge picture costs and steadily declining grosses. Not one exhlb wants a return tp those days. Indie exhibs realize: that they wpuld be at ah Immediate disad- vantage should twin-bills come back, in the B&K big. nabe spots with one pr two changes weekly, It would mean only two or four pic- tures a week, while In the four and five change Indies It would necessi- tate purchase of eight to 10 pic- tures a week. Which would > mean that B&K .would be able to choose two or four of the cream pictures each week while the many-change theatres would have to use every picture released every week. In the last double-feature panic the exhibs also' learned a bad picture tied in with a good picture hurts the goPd one. ■ V / Pix Budget . Besides it would mean huge Jumps In picture expenditures and would put tiie exhibs at bad purchasing disadvantage./, -Particularly, does this refer to Metro. Exhibs gen erally In town have refused to pur ohase MrG prpd^ct this year. Double features would forc'e all exhibs to go to Metro lii order to got enough product to feed the. screen sufficient' pictures. Expected that give-aways will be done away with once and for all within- the nextrtwo weeka-as exhlb- after exhlb steadily adds his liame to the no-premlum vote. It marks the most sudden and drastic rever- sal of exhibitor opinion and vote In the history of show business In Chl- cago. Following' the "votlrig, ''ir is expected that It will take about 90 days In which to clear up the pre mlums. due to contracts which ex hibs how have, with the kltchenware companies. Besides the B&K threat the ad- ditional business angle In the new willingness of the Indie exhibs to kill premiums Is the sudden spread of give-aways ■ to Include the bulk of _the...theatres,^eyen taking ih'. the Essaness circuits. When Just a few exhibs were giving away dishes business was good -with them, but when practically every house started gifting the competition cut down on c TTE JAMES A. CARROLL . James A. Carroll, well known in American minstrelsy in the 1880-'90 period,^ died In IiOhdon Nov.- 26 of a stomach disorder. He played with a number of troupes, his last ehgage- ■<^ent on this side being with George Thatcher's minstrels In 1891. In the following year he Joined a troupe for an English tour. The venture was short lived, but he obtained a place > JULIAN WYU Ej Julian Samuelsbri; profess _ Juiawn_a3-Jullan-JWyllerr^,-I^dohJ^ag^^^ theatrical producer, died th— .Dec. 6. Among his recent . productions were 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Here Comes the Bride,' 'The Good Companions' and 'Out of the Bottle.' Prior to turning stage director he had worked for several vaudeville agents. (Continued from page 61) awhile. Josephine Hutchinson also a flu victim. Joe /Rubenistein again in circula- tion along film row, after his recent auto smashup; Hal Roach returned to town by plane after a three-day visit with his son at Culver. Karl Freund tossed a belated pretzel feed for the crew on 'Moon- light "and Pretzels.*/. Speed Borst broke a, few small bones In his foot and Is hobbling around with a stick. Robert King and Helen Egbert, U of Arizona contest winners, seeing the studios, their prize. Mrs. Arthur Caesar on the miend from a major op. Another op re- cuper is Arthur Lewis. Karen Morley is sunning herself at "Palm Springs and figuring vacash trip,east for the holidays^ Colin Tapley back! after a trip to Canada In order to re-enter the country with a quota number. , Dr. Francis Griffin, husband of Irene Dunne, due here any day for his annual Chrlstnuas vacation. Warren William being sued by Ben Boyar for $676 declared to. be due on managerial commissions. Llbby Taylor, Mae West's colored maid,, has : stoppd serving to go actress. She.'s.In Par's 'Mississippi.' W. R: Mooring, English newspaper cbrrespondent, at Fox on part time publicity for -English consumption. With B. P. Shulberg leaving Par, his former swank bungalow oflAces now occupied by the C. B. De Mille unit. ■ . -1. ■■■ :; EHdred Tldbury, South African winner of Par's 'Search for Beauty* contest, re.turns to South Africa tin- bptioned. / With list of freelance fan mag writers cut down by recent, nuergers, studios now refer to. them as free lunch writers. - , / : Bobby Connolly has started dance rehearsals for the Al Jolson-Ruby Keeier ;plc ?Go Into-Your Dance* at Warners; ■ ^ '. Allan Scott oft to New York to attend rehearsals for his play. Piper's ;Son," which Guthrie Mc Clintlc Is producing. : / Verna Hlllie is second of Par's panther women' to: give Up the matrimonial ghost. Kathleen Burke recently got her papers. ^rSi—Nat—I«evlne, least-publleized of Hollywood producers' wives, selects all clothes worn by featured femme players in Mascot plx. Drv Herbert Mayer, head bf tech nlcal division of Agfa-Ansco. on the /CQast,_cbi>fer.rlngjKlthjfactQry execs, at Binghamton oh new raw stock manufacture developnients; Ben Bemie, observes that Par is paying him to play bridge with Max WInslow. To play bridge with Wlnslow,' says the ol' maestro, he'd do it for less. , Universal basketball team. In eluding 12 former.college cage stars opened Its 40-game season in tilt with University of Southern Call fornla yesterday (10), and will tour country after New Years. Dark-horse-at-the-coming-Santa Anita race meet is a nag dubbed 'Innuendo,' brought from Chicago by B. P. Schulberg and Leon Gor- don In 60-50 ownership* Colony has retltled the-bangtail 'Columnist.' FloRlto band here for a ball game next Sunday. '■■.■- /-;; Wendy Barry getting , her first taste pf roughing It in the Great American "Desert. All .the gals In town going fpr those Pareo Tahitian costumes, which show plenty. Ernst Lubitsch can't get those big. black cigars down here; had to have box planed from L. A. Dorothy Thompson lectured on Revolution In Germany' at the Desert Forum- last week; :", Three blocks In the business sec- tion purchased by a Paisadena syn- dicate to be developed as a shopping center. ' ,•;:. Southern Pacific is running through. Pullman service from ChU cago here, finally making P. S. Im- portant. The Richard Barthelmesses down for the winter, locating at the Des- . ert Inn while their new hOme Is being built. Charles Forrell and Ralph Bell- amy have started the P. S. 'Tennis Club, ganies being pjayed on the •Farrell courts. A local, scribe Is writing a pam- phlet titled 'Palm Springs Before the Dudes Came,' and Jimmy Du- rante Is protesting. . count . Tambourini, Clyde - For- ay the, Gordon Coutts and Agnes Pelton here to paint, with the town threatening Taos as ah art colony.: JOHN WALLACE John Wallace, 93, actor-producer, died in Veteran's Home, Sydney. It was John .Wallace who produced 'Tambour Major' for George MUs- grove in which Nellie Stewart gained fame overnight. At one time Wallace was stage nianaiger in Loiiduu f or Muagrove during the run of 'Belle of New York' with the then famous Edna May. and child also perished in the accl dent.. JOSEPH MURRAY Joseph Murray,. 43, animal trainer with Lewis Bros.' Circus, died .at Jackson, Mlch^ Dec. 6, of Injuries Inflicted by one of his animals. GEORGE ANGER80N George Angersbn, 71, g.m..Wlrth's Circus for. over 40 years, died sud- denly Oct. 29 ^n Melbourne. Mrs. Mae Baxter,/ 49, widow of Lincoln Xjeeas itaxier, juetro ex,eour tlve, died In San Francisco Dec. 8 after a long lllneiBii. Iiitermeht in Hollywood. • / Two sisters and a brother sur- vive. . ... ' '.■• • --y ,. Moscow , By Zakhary McLove Sidney Ross, New York producer, here for a few days. Projected^lalt to the U. S. ln-1936 of the' Musical Theatre of V. Neml rovltch-Dantchehko will be post ppned until 1937. . iSergel Elsensteln decided to spend this- season as a theatrical producer. He is now engaged In the production of a new play at the Theatre of Revolution Ih Moscow. Gordon Craig, English stager, has been invited to Moscow by the State Drama theatre. He Is expect od to arrive early next year to stage one of th e Shakespearean oombd.lpa Miaiiu George Ade in for the season; Ross Allen band opened engage- " ment oh. the Pier. Sparks Enterprises will open new Colony theatre on Miami Beach in January. Construction now under \ way. • . Hlrsch Jacobs, leading trainer in 1933, arrived with B.B. stable for Tropical opening. Phil Reuter, mid- west trainer,' also in with 16 bang- tails. ■ ■ ./■■;.■ Ochie Parmer to resume publlca- . tlon of the Gondolier. . ! , , Auby . Keoskle and Jack Reiber opened the Lagoon, Thursday (0)'. "Vlzcaya open to the.-public for '84-36 season. Roney Plaza opens formally Sat- ' urday (16), featuring Mary Danls, blues warbler, and Enoch Light's musld.-— \ ■ ' ■ ' ■ . . Miami Blltmore'/s -$12,600 open, golf tournament gets under way. . All the leading pros entered. Louis, Bleet to operate Fleetwood roof. Hangar. / —-Jaclr-Waldron-set-aa m.o. for-Am-— bassador opening. Joe Lewis will follow him In. Spot opens Dec. 27 with a line of 16 girls, two danco teams and other specialty acts. City will produce an opera a w6ek. during, winter months, using local chorus and importing . name star.. . New Broward track to open Decl 12. Col. Bill Roche quite sick. Chicago Grand Opera biz oft badly. . ■■ ' , ' ' -Foctune-GaIIo,-hoad-of-^San-Car-l«— opera, ill. Abe Lastfogel through the loop on his way to Coast. . . Lou Llpstone back from talent hunting In the east. Arthur Stern now with National Screen Service here.-—- Phil Dunas out of the hospital and recuperating at home. Frank" Dare 'and frau due back from an auto tour to New York- Herb Elisburg- president of ~the Chicago Amusement PubliclstaT Ass'n. Molly Greenfield handling pub- licity for the WCFL Affiliated Net- works. : Call Mount handling publicity for tha Sherman hn»f>1'H Naw Vpa.r'M In the Moore & Burgess troupe, re malnlng with them until the com- pany disbanded several years later. This was a permanent show at St. James hall, on the lines of Gam- -cross' and the San Francisco troupes over here. V As Carroll and Doyle he played _th.eJ3ngUsh-halls-and.for.a.time was. teamed with the late Dave Marlon during the latter's English engcige- ment. /■.'■ ■/ Survived by his wife, four chll- ..dren and a brother, George F. Car- roll, of the old team of Carroll and Larklnis. FLORENCE GEORGE / / -V Mrs, / Florence George,/. legit ac- tress, died Nov. 1 at her home In New York of Injuries suffered when she /was struck by a taxi two weeks earlier. She Is survived by a sister, Blanche . Seymour, currently with 'Parmer Takes! a Wife' Co; WILBUR HIGBY Wilbur HIgby, 68, who spent 49 years of bis life on the stage and screen, died - of ;a heart attack In Hollywood Dec. 1. Funeral serv- ices were held Dec. 4 followed -by crematlon. .•.•.; . Higby played .professional base-: ball at Grand Rapids .before he went PETER VI8SER : /Peter .."Vlsser, .38, died. at the N.'V.A. lodge, Saranacj after a short Illness of, one montlt, Deo. 1. - He was formerly of the "Vlsser Trio and of the Golem , Troupe, standard vaudeyllle acts. ~ ; , ' Herman J. PohU .'cellist of the Lyceum.jand. EMt5Qan_ t^e^ chestras, died at his home in Rochester last week: Besides his theatre work, he was organist and choirmaster at Corpus Chrlstl Church for many years. here. Chas. K. Gordon, New York and Paris theatrical and film agent, visit- ed Moscow early this month In search for. original Ideas. He had several .conference with, a number .of. Soviet writers, playwrights and: scenarists, and was also received by the aged maestro of the Moscow Art theatre .K.-S..: Stanislavsky. parties. Sam Roberts hobbling , around, waiting for his ankle to mend com-' pletely. . B.&K. organization resting up from the ordeal of a month's elecr tloneerlng. Morris Silver rearranging t the Morris office to take care of neces- -sary- expanslonr :— .- —- George Allenf 74, nud. Allan & Coy, leading niuslc publishers, died recently In' Melbourne; aged 74,' ■;■ ■'•■/ /■^.- , • ■■■. " •■■.:: WILLIAM C. McNAUGHTON William C. RIcNaUghton, 46, man ager of the Hempstead theatre,- was fo^und dead of gas poisoning In hla iJempstead home Dec. 8. His wife ,: Col. Joseph A^ Marmon, 59, hus- band of Pauline Frederick, died In Washington Dec. 4. Virainia ,H,ea(y, wife of, Dart Hoaly, died in New York Dec. Jl. Palm Springs . Guy Endor here, writing, . Al Jolson and Ruby Kecler still here. , .' ;...•/ El Mlrado relandscaped around the pool. .Three now cocktail spots opened •last week. , Palm Springs - News up. to pages bh Its second volume. Isabel Jewell arid Betty Furness a twjoaomo at. the Del, Tahqultz, Village Pharmacy Is a hangout picture people bctwcon flally c"venla. Ben Fnihk Ig bringing, the 'Xcd 16 Max Turner back In the loop after a . two-month absence. with . the. 'Bowery' show. .-; .. ■;\ ! .- ■: /;■ Lawrence Paquln now heading the J. P. I. Players group and ready- ing production of 'Dear Brutus.' v N. S. Barger gets an average. of 20 circus visitors weekly at the Star and Garter. Barger used to be with Sells-Floto. ; Peck Gomersalr visiting the Unl-^ versal exchange for the first time In several riionths following his ac- cident In the east. -■. '■ Fred Crowe has reopened nego- tiations with his New York tailor now that- the Auditorium Js'-at the height oC a wow season.