Variety (Sep 1935)

^^ednesday*' September 25, 1935 V4 E V I L L E VARIETY 65 Inside Stoff-Vaude Return ot vaude to the Palace, Albany, has started the natives there alsklng why It Is now within the law for them to see the stage shows on „^undax8_JKhf3X_,tt.,3taa,..agftinst-.tbe.. laJK-last. .wJLatec- and,- iurthecmorfi,. since the law forbidding them has not been amended. When Harmanus Bleecker Hall started yaude last winter It had played only one Sunday ■whMi. the .pastor, of'an. uptown church Iftt-looije a tirade agaJnmt city of- ficials who, he said, permitted the Sunday stage law to be violated; The cleric also demanded action by the police, pointing out that the local - theatrlGal-statute only-permits fUms-on -Sunday. •-- On the secQnd Sunday of vaude at the Hall, police walked in late in the afternoon and said, ^No more vaudeville today.' At: the same time the Capltoi, .^whlch was playing burly, got a similar order after that Sunday's'matinee. . The atrange aspect of t>la*>-ohufch* attack""against Sunday" shows was* this: The Hall ha d be en open only one Sund ay, w hlla the Capitol had staged burlesque on ulght previous Sundays with iio criticism. Reports were heard that the pastor was getting revenge on an Albany theatrical man because the manager had deserted his parish for one In a differ- ent section of the city. This particular theatre man is now out of Al- bany's show business and has been succeeded, by operators from out of town. The clergryman is silent, police officials shrug their shoulders. Last year's warfare against the Sunday vaiide shows set oft the blast against burlesq that brought a police raid, followed soon by the closing of the Capitol. Punching the Bag By Joe Laurie, Jr. .. .TKell,.. JjAya^-whatrs.. tt>_ AoZ-. What do you mean? I mean now that vaudeville Is EfohS; wTTat 'are" the boys and' girls gonna do to stand oft the land- lord? Go Into the cabaret field. That ain't no field, brother, that's a Jungle. A lot of'the joints don't even pay off. It's alright for a nov- Sty' actT*'or' singers arid dancers. But how about the talkln' act? They got mikes now in most of thei places and your voice cairrles. 15 YEARS AGO (From Varibtt ond Clipper) Pathe, Fox and Gold\^'yn were, considering a merger of distribut- ing facilities. They didn't. Another deal had First National distributing through Famous Players. Deal fell through because 1st. Nat. exhibs were asked to turn In their houses against a stock issue. /' Out Of town legit situation so se- rious Equity was considering sus- pending the rule requiring full pay for layoffs. New railroad rates dis- couraged long Jumps and nearby theatres congested. Marcus Loew announced that hereafter theatre buildings would have to be financed locally. No longer intended to use circuit's coin. B. S, Moss changed policy at the Broadway. Used eight acts and a film. Acts did three shows. Zlegfeld and Shubert' scrapping over Raff Bros., acrobats. Were playing for Zlggy at $500 but Shu- berts had a contract for $350 and wanted the boys. Been a long time since anyone went into court to get acrobats. H. B. Marlnelll planning a French revue for N. T. Finally donei last year by Cliff Fisher at the French Casino. He was then working for Marlnelll. Vaudeville agents turning their attention to booking picture the- atres.- pic circuits could ofEer as high as 30 Weeks. U. S. Immigration officials on the Canadian border laying for camles coming back to the States. Turn- ing back camp followers picked up in Canada. Jullllard Foundation held up by difficulty in probating the will of the late Augustus D. Jullllard. Go Ing strong now. Barrium' show cut fromi a nine to a six-pol« trick for the wind-up southern tour. Stewing In Chicago over the dls- (Continued on page 68) Listen, with all the mikes in the world you'can't top a drunk. Oh, there ain't so many drunks in cafes anymore. It depends on how many custondr ers. Say, it reminds me of going to work in the old honkey-tonks— only they cleaned up a little. It won't be long now before they ask the wife in the act to hustle wine checks. Well, gest? I don't know ^ no more about it than you. Everybody Is yellln that vaudeville Is gonna come back, but the boys that own the circuits are deaf. All they can read ia picture grpsses. Where are they gonna get the talent If they wait? ph, ine and'my partner expect to be alive for a while yet. Well, that ain't gonna help. I said talent. Why we'got one of the best acts in vaudeville. That's like saying your the sanest guy in Klnga- Park. Well, ,then, the viudevllle acts ought to go Into musical comedy and revues. Teh, I heard that before. How many acta do you think they can use? And how many revues do you think are gonna be produced? Gee, according to you everybody ought to give up and work in factory, or open a saloon. Say, the saloon business ain't so Lo, the Poor 10 Percenter By OTTO SHATTER (Much crying has been done of late hy agents, usuaUy with juatifica* When vaudeville was ripe and It got a good playt Me aefwi the gahg In It made plenty, I'll eay; ^■ But Vltaphohe entered and called it a day; For me, that had my own horses. A few of the agents that knew all the ropes Checked out politely and said, 'Taln't no hopes'; But I'm still a soldier In that arro,y of,dopes. ^yjjStiajrty .th%.t'S dylns from hunger. :..jJ»dd;_iBjQ!ya..Ao.BltJb*_to^^ They'll go back to flesh soon and We'll all get a break.* It's been years of .atarvation, how I crave for some cake; But the best that I'get is a doughnut. When I get to my office I look to the right To be sure that the sherlfC is nowhere in sight; When I still see my desk I am filled with delight, . Me, that once had an assistant; I'm drowsy and dreary and hardly awake, When in walks a pippin I know's on the make; But the bankroll is slender so things ain't so 'Jake', For me, that had my pWn stenographer. It's no more lunching at .Llndy's, but still I have pride; When I sneak in the Automat, I'm disguised and I hide, But 1 see other beards having coffe© Inside; It's the other ten percent agents! , the years that I waste and why I don't know; 3h, the tears that I taste while I pray for big dough; But If a 'blue paper' came in now it would sure be a blow, To me, whose pockets always was bulging. When I think of conditions I brood and I sigh; I feel ready to quit It and have a good cryl But I'll humor 'Tramp Jugglers' till the day that L die; Me, that once had—aw, nuts! hot either. I know plenty of guys that owe enough for beer to open a circuit. I. guess the best thing to do, then, is to play the back yards. In other words, go back to buskin. What, In winter? Why the guys .are so cpld in the apartments that they "won^t open a window to say 'Get out of there.' After listonln' to you I think I'll go < ut and buy myself a bottle of acid. You can get a nice size for about 30 cents. How about splitting a bottle? Not me,- kid. Vaudeville i« bound to come back. Nitery Unit for B. & K. Chicago. Sept. 24. Balaban i& Katz has closed deal with Villa Venice,, aummer. nitery, for the booking of the Frenchy floor show into the Chicago theatre as a unit. . has been -combing the local nlteries for attractions lately. "LONDON WORLD'S FAIR" "Sheila Barrett goes much farther than any of her follow mimics by adding a touch of travesty to her studies with- out detracting from their faithfulness. No props, no change of costume, no elaborate retouching of the hair—and yet an entirely different person, this time a typical 'speakeasy girl' of the New York 'forties.' Naturally the Pal- ladium audience singled her out for a record ovation." **ERA," LONDON By Frank Wodlf "iSheila Barrett inter- polates her burlesque mimicry in subtle fash- ion ... her artistry i unmistakable." "LONDON VARIETY NEWS" "Sheila Barrett reaps a big success with her brilliant studies of Zazu Pitts and Greta Garbo- Her greatest achieve- ment, however, was • perfect impersonation of the tipsy but very brok- en-hearted 'Girl of the Speak-easy.'" "LONDON SPORTS AND EN- TERTAINMENT MIRROR" *^Nov/ it is London'a torn to enjoy her talents, for Miss Barrett Is the acintil- lating star of George Black's monster production 'Round About Regent St. She climaxes her performance with • realistic take-off of a New York'speak- easy' girl—a brilliant study that place* her well in line with Ruth Draper." "PERFORMER," LONDON ^'Sheila Barrett, a tall, stately brunette, is both sophisticated and exOtic. Miss Barrett offers impersonations . . . but deviates from stereotyped mimicry by adding a touch* of satire to her studies without detracting from the reproduc- tion of every idiosyncrasy of her 'vic- tirna.' For a finalie, Miss Barrett gives a striking impersonation of a Broad- vyay 'speakeasy girl'T-a study produc- Ive of solid applause." May I take this opportunity to thank the Messrs. Vol Parnell, Frank Black and M. Paulsen for the kindness and courtesies they extended to me during my recent en- gagements at the Palladium and Cafe de Paris in London. Mahagerrtent CHARLES MORRISON RICHARD LA MARR Park Central Hotel, New York "THE STAGE," LONDON "Sheila Barrett makes a great success as a very faithful impressionist of stars and in a serio- comical m o n o I o g u e called the 'Speak-easy Girl'." ■ "LONDON SPORTS AND AMUSEMENT GAZETTE" "From America comes Sheila Barrett, a first- rate impreseioniste and actress, whose impres- sions of a New York 'Speak-easy Girl' is one of the best things in the show." Sheila Barrett, booked especially into this show aftisr four weeks at the Cafe de Paris, has an exotic personality somewhat remindful of Yvonne George. Excellent in very biting impressions of film personalities, and her 'Night Club tairl, in which she portrays a stew, is priceless."