Variety (February 1914)

VARIETY 13 WOMAN PUYWRIGHT FACES PECULI AR COU RT QUANDRY Frederique de Gressac Who Wrote ''Sweethearts/' ''The Purple Road/' "The Enchantress''and "The Marriage of Kitty" Figures In Two Cases. Tells Court She Has^Assigned All Her Shows and Property To Her Husband. A complexity of court suits has en- tangled Frederique de Gressac, author of "Sweethearts," "The Purple Road." "The Enchantress" and "The Marriage of Kitty," in a quandary which only the courts are expected to unravel. As usual, money caused it all. In the early fall Mrs. de Gressac in the Kings county courts brought action against the Orange Co. to enjoin it from producing "The Purple Road" which she claims is her property, and that the Orange people had not the right to dispose of it. A decision is impending. While this was reposing on the court calendar, two actions were brought against Mrs. de Gressac by O'Brien, Malevinsky & Driscoll on behalf of William Carey Duncan, who collabor- ated with her in the American version of "The Purple Road," asking for his share of the agreed royalty. Judg- ments, amounting to around $900, were awarded to Duncan. In an effort to collect, Mrs. de Gressac was examined twice in supplementary proceedings, and she made several interesting state- ments re her finances. Mrs. de Gressac said that Nov. 1, 1913 (following the awarding of the judgments) she made an assignment of all her shows, manuscript and every- thing else to her husband, Victor Maurel. Furthermore, the authoress said that as "The Purple Road" pro- ducers failed to pay her royalty she could not in turn pay Duncan his share. The court informed Mrs. de Gressac the contract was a personal one be- tween Duncan and herself and she should have fulfilled her part of the agreement. The examination brought out that Mrs, de Gressac made weekly deposits of between $300 and $400 m the Chelsea bank, but she told the court that she drew a check for $2."00 and gave it to her husband in pa>mcnt for money loaned her. ALLAN FOSTER BACK TO WORK. Allan K. Foster, on his farm in Can- ada for the past 24 weeks recovering from sciatic rheumatism, returned to New York last veek and started the work of putting on the numbers for the new "Madam Mozelle" show. CONTRACTS CAUSE PROTEST. Several players who were engaged by Henry W. Savage for his new produc- tion of "Along Came Ruth" but were dismissed after two and one-half weeks of rehearsal complain that Savage's players' contracts are all wrong. They say there's no redress for them the way his blanks are now filled in. For instance, each player is subject to dismissal at any time. Furthermore, the player, once under contract, is not permitted to seek work elsewhere until he has severed connec- tions with the Savage company or is re- leased. In recent cases they contend that contracts were signed and that while the players were in rehearsal other actors were rehearsing the same parts. HAPPY LITTLE FAMILY. Cincinnati, Feb. 11. Charging that her husband. Matt Glaser, a press agent, had beaten her and on one occasion broken her nose, Grace B. Glaser, former musical com- edy actress, filed suit for divorce yester- day in the Common Pleas Court. She alleges that he also had a penchant for throwing furniture at her. Mrs. Glaser's maiden name was Grace Blume and her home, Boston. She was in "Humpty Dumpty" before her marriage. DENA TRIES CURE. Cincinnati, Feb. 11. Dena Caryl, former member of the Aborn Grand Opera Co., who is ap- pearing in a sketch at the Empress this week, enabled the press agent to put over a good first page story today, by taking the cure for the cigarette habit from Assistant City Health Officer Wil- liam H. Peters. The treatment, consisting of swab- bing the throat with nitrate of silver, is said to be a sure cure. Miss Caryl claimed she contracted the cigarette habit while playing "Carmen." SIGNED FOR "SWEETHEARTS." Chicago, Feb. 11. Thomas Conkey in "Sweethearts," has been replaced by Carl Ganvoort, last with "Robin Hood." The show is reported to have drawn $15,000 in Pittsburgh last week, and nearly that amount the week before in Cleveland. It is also said that Chris- tie MacDonald, the star of the com- pany, and Alice Lloyd, who now jointly own the piece, have cut ex- penses down to an amount that is leaving a large profit to them on the takings. Mr. Conkey has been engaged by Henry W. Savage. SHAY COMES BACK. Charles C. Shay, president of the In- ternational Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, returned to New York Thursday from the south, where he has been since Jan. 1 settHnp sev- eral labor controversies. In Birmingham and Chattanooga the movie operators have had differences with their respective theatre manairers and Shay has been trying to adjust the trouble. The Rirminijrham matter is out of the way with the Chattanooga contention practically arranpcd this week. PARIS. Maurice Rogel will shortly open a new house near the Palace de la Re- publique, and present legitimate. The Comedie Parisienne, as it is to be called, is a small theatre and not likely to com- pete with any other house in the neigh- borhood. It is possible the Theatre Rejane may have a trial with vaude- ville, under Mme. Rasimi's manage- ment (backed by English influence) later in the present season. The house is situated near the site where Butt's new English music hall is to be built. The marriage is announced of Swan, the dancing juggler, with Miss Patty, sister of one of the Patty Brothers. A revue by Rip and Bousquet may be given at the Cigale next summer. Carl and Alphonse Kurwald have bought the Kaiserlicher (Imperial gar- den) at Riga, Russia, and will open with vaudeville in April. Several of the Paris agents met at a private conference last week to discuss business conditions, and to study the situation looking to a mutual agree- ment on the question of splitting com- missions and giving rebates. The Varietes theatre has withdrawn "Institut de Beaut6 ("The Beauty In- stitute") after a comparatively short inning. Manager Samuel will present a new work, "Les Merveilleuses," an- nounced last seaso.i. BUILDING IN YOUNGSTOWN. Youngstown, O., Feb. 11. Despite reports and rumors of out- side theatrical men dickering for sites here to build, with local money inter- ested, it is now said that Feiber & Shea, who have the Park with vaude- ville (interspersed with "Klaw & Er- langer Attractions" on odd days) have about closed negotiations for a favor- able site. The firm will erect a mod- ern theatre of the best grade, for which plans are now being drawn, according to the story. JOS. KRANTZ CONVICTED. Kansas City, Feb. 11. Joseph Krantz, an actor, was found guilty of manslaughter in the fourth degree in Carthage, Mo., last week, and sentenced to two years in the peni- tentiary. Krantz shot and killed Harvey Banks in Webb City. Mo.. July 29. His plea was self-defense. HAD LITTLE INFORMATION. Chicago, Feb. 11. Dr. Carle C. Quale has filed a peti- tion in the juvenile court against Ed- die Foy and wife, charging them with contributing to the delinquency of five oi their children. One of the odd things about the mat- ter is that the complainant did not k'inw that the Foys lived in New York and was not aware that the mother and aunt of the Foy children traveled vith them. The suit grows out of the appear- a ice of Foy and his seven children at the Palace la.st week. BERLIN. Berlin, Feb. 3. The Russian ballet has completed its preparations for 1914. Nijinski has left the ballet and M. Fokinn has been engaged. Prima ballerina is again Karsavina. A mamber of new ballets, two with music by Richard Strauis, have been rehearsed. In Berlin the Russian ballet will give twelve performances at the Nollen- dorfthcatre. Gustav Waldau of the Hoftheatre, Munich, has been engaged for the Irv- ing Place theatre, New York, for two months. Raoul Puguo, famous French pianist and composer, died recently at Moscou. The new Asta Nielsen Film "Enge- lein," proved a well-merited success. The Grandprince Konstantin of Rus- sia has won his spurs as a playwright. His biblical drama, "The Jew's King," has, as is claimed, great merit. It was performed at the Private theatre in' the Czar's Palace, St. Petersburg, by Russian officers. The leading part was taken by the Grandprince himself. In the decision rendered in re "Mile- stones" vs. "Wie einst im Mai," the court said it is not immoral for a thea- tic manager to make use of the plays submitted to and not accepted by him for his own purposes, if he uses only thr idea. This decision has brought adverse criticism by pretty near all playwrights, who say the interests of the authors may be materially hurt by this ruling. The new building at Dresden of Cir- cus director Stosch-Sarrasani, intend- ed for circus performances as well mm for regular plays, has been turned into a picture house. OPTION WRONGLY WORDED. Hans Bartsch, foreign play'broker, brought an action in the City Court last week for the recovery of $1,000 from A. H. Woods, on a contract whereby Woods agreed to produce a play called "The Lady in Red." Woods paid $1,000 on the signing of the contract with Bartsch and agreed that if the piece was not produced by h:m on or before a certain date his option was to be extended upon the payment of an additional $1,000. He failed to put the play on or to renew the option, whereupon Bartsch sued for an additional $1,000. Judge Green, in handing down his decision, said: "In my opinion the payment of the second $1,000 was optional with the defendant in order to entitle him to an extension of time within which be might adapt or produce the play, and that the true meaning of the agree- ment cannot be determined to be an absolute promise on his part to pay. Judgment is therefore awarded to the plaintiff for 6 cents." BUYS NEWSPAPER PLAY. Lynn. Mass., Feb. 11. Kendal Weston, manager of the Lynn theatre, has completed negotia- tions for premiere rights to produce "The Punch," a newspaper play now J 'ing written by Harold F. Moulton and Walter L. Fogg, local newspaper nicn Weston announces he will stage the piece March 9. If yon rinn^iid^rtiH«» in don't m6vmrt\n*t At nil