Variety (October 1914)

VARIETY ENGLISH MILITARY ORDER HARD HITS F OREIGN ACTS Government Measure Decrees All Alien Enemies Resume Name Known by at Commencement of War. Will Force Continental Turns in England Playing Under Assumed Titles Off the Music Hall Stage. {Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Oct. 13. A government war measure just pro- mulgated provides that "alien enemies shall not after Oct. 12 for any purpose assume or use, or purport to assume or use, or continue the assumption or use of any name other than that by which he was ordinarily known at the date of the commencement of the war." This order hits a large number of German artists appearing in England under names assumed recently. It will compel the retirement of many from the halls. Those who carried names readily recognizable as German or Austrian met such threatening treat- ment at the hands of English audi- ences that they straightway changed to titles which concealed their nation- ality. The order which forces them to take again their proper names will, of course, put them in the same position and they will be unable to appear. ROBINSON'S NEW JOB. E. M. Robinson has been selected to succeed the late Phil Nash as office manager of th£ United Booking Offices. Mr. Robinson will move into Nash's former office, which is being renovated and re-partitioned to suit its new ten- ant Robinson's entire staff will move in the outer office also. Although interviewing prospective route seekers, Robinson will also find time to supply his list of theatres as formerly. COMEDY CLUB QUARTERS. The reorganized Vaudeville Comedy Club, under the name of the Comedy Club, has taken quarters on the top floor of the building just adjoining (on the north) the Palace theatre. The club will occupy the rooms from Nov. 1. Between 50 and 60 applications are said to have been received for the re- formed club. Dues are to be $25 year- ly, with no immediate initiation fee. The Comedy Club will assume all the obligations of the former Vaude- ville Comedy Club, also the assets. No officers of the new club have as yet been chosen. JOE WELCH GOES WITH LOEW. Tuesday Joe Welch signed a blanket contract calling for forty weeks out of the Loew office. Frank Bohm en- gineered the deal. He will open at the Seventh Avenue next week. MONKEYS GROW FEROCIOUS. Cleveland, Oct. 14. Mrs. Rosa Rishel of .the Rishel- Mabel act booked to play the last half last week at the Gordon Square the- atre, was bitten by one of the monkeys in her act. It escaped from its cage while she was feeding it at the Union station. The simian's teeth tore an artery in her right wrist and inflicted a wound in her neck. Prompt action by B. E. Coach, a local chauffeur, who impro- vised a tourniquet and took the in- jured actress to the Charity hospital, saved the woman's life, physicians say. In the act are eight monkeys, seven cats and six dogs. When the monkey escaped from its cage, spectators gave chase. The animal finally turned and ran toward Mrs. Rishel, biting her. MUSICAL UNION IDEA. The Musical Union of New York k reported possessed of an idea it expects to place in action within 30 days. While the idea has not been definitely explained, it has to do with non-union theatres, according to re- port, with the union expecting to oblige the theatres to engage union orches- tras. PROTECTING ACTORS. Cincinnati, Oct. 14. State Representative Albert A. Huse- man, of this city, is drafting a bill that is intended to give protection to actors in Ohio by compelling theatres to respect their contracts. Represen- tative Huseman will try to have the measure made a law at the coming session of the Legislature. Huseman says there is no law at this time which gives adequate relief to members of the profession and they are at the mercy of booking agents. MARINELLI'S CONNECTIONS. Chicago, Oct. 14. Maxim P. Lowe, representing the H. B. Marinelli offices, concluded ar- rangements with the Affiliated Book- ing company last Monday whereby the latter will exclusively represent Mari- nelli in the west. Mr. Lowe left for Pittsburgh Tues- day to make arrangements with an- other link in the Affiliated circuit, whereby the Mariielli acts will be towed into New York from the west. Assault Charge Dropped. San Diego, Cal.. Oct. 14. The assault charge preferred against Eddie Friel, an a :robat, by Salome Har- rison, aged 15, last June has been* dropped by the District Attorney. Friel secured bail, but the girl was held as a witness in the detention home. She changed testimony several times, finally admitting dufess had not been used against her. The case had gone before one jury, which disagreed. The girl alleged the assault had taken place in a property room of the Savoy, the local Pontages vaudeville house. Friel appeared in the act known as Conalla and Wilbur. BRAVES BOOKED AT CORNER Hank Gowdy, the Braves' super- swatter, and Dick Rudolph, the noto- rious Boston twirler, play Hammer- stein's next week at $2,000. Irving Rose, of the Victoria staff, closed the deal in Boston Wednesday. A salary of $2,500 weekly for 12 weeks in vaudeville is the demand made by George Stallings, manager of the victorious bean smashers, for a vaude- ville engagement. Loney Haskell wired Stallings, offer- ing him a date at Hammerstein's. CASTLES' HOLD-UP. In these days when the vaudeville managers are awake o' nights to figure out how to hold down operating ex- penses, they ran against a hold-up last week, perpetrated by Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle, a couple of profession- al dancers who play vaudeville now and then. The Castles had engaged for vaude- ville at $1,600 weekly. Last week they played Keith's, Boston. This week they are at the Colonial, New York. From Boston Friday Mr. Castle 'phoned he and his wife were tired from their dancing exertions twice daily, and could not play the Colonial this week —for $1,600. As an extra inducement, regardless of the contract, Castle said that a bonus might be the thing and suggested $2,500, as the total salary. The Colonial management felt muck the same as an Englishman does when he sees a German soldier, but the Cas- tles had been advertised and billed, the advance *ale started, and the Cas- tles won. The dances have lost all their fu- ture time in vaudeville unless accept- ing the figure the managers will here- after place on their value. Next week the dancing pair start rehearsing with Charles B. Dillingham's "Watch Your Step" at $1,000 weekly. STEGER IN "THE WARNING." At the Royal, Bronx, next week Julius Stcger will return to vaudeville in "The Warning." In the supporting company will be Alberta Gallatin, Grace Reals and Master Ogden Childs. MARSH IS ENVIOUS. Monday Marshall P. Wilder hung around Hammerstein's -waiting for "Willard, the Man Who Grows" to appear. BILLY ATWELL'S LUCK. While watching the Audubon show Sunday night, Billy Atwell's Ford ma- chine was stolen from in front of the theatre. FOY AND CLARK DISSOLVE. Harry Foy and Florence Clark, for IS years playing "The Spring of Youth," have dissolved partnership. Miss Clark will appear alone. Foy is forming a double with another man. Franklin Ardell Marrying. At Whitestone, L. I., Sunday, Frank- lin Ardell. of the stage, will wed Mar- guerite FJizabeth Imandt, at the home of the bride's parents. LA MILO ARRIVES. La Milo, the English beauty, who has gained an international reputation as a classical posing turn, reached New York for the first time last week. Her manager, Alex Cruikshank, has since received innumerable offers for an ap- pearance over here by La Milo, who left England for a pleasure trip. In Great Britain, La Milo, although first appearing in the halls, became a road attraction through the fame she gained by showmanship, and for sev- eral seasons headed her own company, declining the large offers of the music hall managers to feature their variety programs. BELLE BAKER'S RECORD. Belle Baker is at the Palace this week, closing the performance. She is said to be the first singing single act who ever appeared last on a New York vaudeville bill. Miss Baker was first programed to appear next to closing, with the 45- minute act, "Society Buds" finishing the performance. The program ran this way at the opening shows, but Tues- day was switched around, leaving Miss Baker in the same position, with the long act moved up. When first learning of it, Miss Baker is said to have announced her deter- mination to leave, fearing the conse- quences of appearing so late on a quick return engagement, but Manager El- mer Rogers of the Palace induced her to remain. The results to Miss Baker in the unusually "hard spot" justified the expedient, which meant consider- able for the better running of the bill as a whole. FAM. DEPT. AGENTS OUTSIDE. The agents who book through the Family Department of the United Booking Offices on the fifth floor of the Palace Theatre building have been instructed they may only see the big time managers on the sixth floor, in a room apportioned off for this purpose just off the main entrance to the U. B. O. big time section. Heretofore the small time agents have sent in a request to the big time managers and were called in for book- ings, practically in that way having the use of»"the floor." An objection raised to this by the big time agents is said to have brought about the change. The agents were represented by a committee on this and other requests. M. S. Bentham and Harry Weber were the committee. JO PAIGE SMITH BACK. Jo Paige Smith returned to the United Booking Offices this week, as an agent. Mr. Smith left there some weeks ago, opening an agency office in the Putnam Building, wricre he still remains. BARNES' CIRCUS IN TROUBLE. New Orleans, Oct. 14. Al. G. Barnes' circus encountered trouble here, the manager being arrest- ed for a violation of the child labor law and the management made defendant in a suit for $5,000 brought by a local citizen whose arm was almost severed by the bite of a camel.