Variety (January 1915)

VARIETY 13 ARTISTS' FORUM Confine Utters to ISO words and write on one tide of paper only. Anonymous communications will not bo printed. Name of writer must be signed and will bo held In strict confidence, if desired. Letters to be published In this column muit be written exclusively to VARIETY. Duplicated letters will not be printed. The writer who duplicate! a letter to the Forum, either before or after It appears here, will not be again permitted the priv- ileges of It. OBITUARY Philadelphia, Jan. 22. Editor Varibtt: Let me sincerely thank you for your telegram. It is true Marinelli has been trying to persuade Mr. Randall to go to England. Each time he refused Mr. Marinelli increased the offer. To- night he sent another, offering forty pounds, and I was with Mr. Randall when he sent a wire refusing. I should think an agency of the Ma- rienelli standing would be above such unbusinesslike methods, when it knows a person is under contract, and booked solid with the U. B. O^an .organiza- tion Marinelli does most of his busi- ness with in this country. There is al- together too much of this sort of thing going on here. There should be honor even among booking agents. While there are some exceptions to the rule the majority don't seem to have a very high ethical code in their profession. In conclusion let me again express to you my gratitude for your extreme kindness. It's a pleasure to note a theatrical paper that is with the actor. It's unique, being so unusual. Emma Corns. Miss Cams' letter refers to a cabled report in Varibtt Jan. 13 that Gaby Deslys expected Carl Randall to dance with her in the new show Gaby is to open with Feb. 15 in London. Miss Cams forwarded a denial of the report Mr. Randall is appearing with Miss Carus in vaudeville, and has been for some time past. Upon receipt of the denial Varibtt cabled its London office for exact de- tails of the Randall negotiations. The reply said at that time there remained a difference of $50 in salary between Gaby and Randall. This cable mes- sage was repeated by wire to Miss Carus in Philadelphia. New York, Jan. 22. Editor Variety: In Varibtt, of Jan. 9 (review of my act at the Royal) your critic lies or else he has a personal grudge against me when he says I have not forgotten one thing "Joe Jackson" does, and I give a miserable imitation of Jackson. I am not doing: 1. Walking on and off stage in opening. 2. Business of putting hands in pockets. 3. Picking up spit nickels. 4. Dance to cooch music. 5. Business of stealing the bicycle. 6. Auto horn business. 7. Business with the shirt cuff. 8. Riding bicycle with both pedals pointing same way. 9. Opening in shoe like a mouth. 10. Dropping pants. 11. His bows at finish. And my make-up. I wear a dark haired wig, a big putty nose and a full beard. Joe Jackson's make-up: A lij?ht hi tr* wig, no putty nose and a beard like a chin piece with face clean on sides. • Your critic also says he heard Jack- son's name mentioned while I was doing my turn. If this did happen its tc be expected as I am doing the same kind of act and Jackson played this same theatre about six weeks before me. All I do in my act that Jackson does is a breakaway bicycle, also ride bicycle up-side down. Surely your critic does not think Jackson originated that Sam Barton. Madison, Wis., Jan. 19. Editor Variety: Just finished reading a review in Varibtt of Irene and Bobby Smith, and noticed the review mentioned this team using "usual piano bench" in singing a number. The idea of using a piano bench lengthwise with both seated, while doing double numbers, was first used by us as a little detail to make our act a trifle different than other piano turns. The first ones to "lift" it were Lightner and Jordan, two women with a piano (the former a supposed friend of my wife and who, after seeing our act, re- marked what a novel idea it was). My idea in writing you this letter is to let you know we did this "bit" 6rst in New York (but not everywhere be- cause the rest of the "copyists" beat us to it in some places), and we don't want to get "panned" for using some- thing that has been done before. Yours for originality, Billie Cullen. (Jane Ward and Billie Cullen). One Agent at a Time. The air commences to pale around Billy Delaney's desk in the Family Department of the United Booking Offices, if more than one agent at a time approaches him. Bill says it is a rule of the office, and the office backs him up. Bill alsb> says other things when it happens. Harry A. March has taken over the Art Chatterton stock and is now ar- ranging a long route. He has retained Chatterton and Adeline Bushnell as leads. The company will open some time in February. GUS WILLIAMS. BY WILL MAHONEY. "Drop a pebble In the water. In a moment It is gone, But a thousand little ripples Circle on and on and on." Well known are the merry pebbles He went dropping everywhere. Millions wore the hearts he lightened That were burdened down with care. Every King must have his Jester. So King Public had Its Clown, Who received his last press notice When life's curtain had come down. Like the metaphor he gave us, though so quickly he Ih gone. Countless are the tender memories That go clrcliag oa and oa. Kansas City, Jan. 27. Alexander McKenxle, a Scotch singer and dancer, committed suicide here last week. The actor was buried by the manager of the Grand theatre and he is trying to locate the man's relatives. Charles Costifan King, the one-year- old son of Charles and Lilah Rhodes King, died in New York Jan. 27. Emil Lowe, who last season manag- ing 'The Mischief Makers," died in Rochester, N. Y., Jan. 24. Mr. Lowe was a brother of Bessie Clifford. Detroit, Jan. 27. Charles Balsar, leading man here for a season with Jesse Bonstelle in stock, died at Jackson, Mich., Jan. 22 oi Bright's disease. He was 34 years old. Madison, Wis., Jan. 27. Mary Pollitt, of the "Enchanted Forest/' playing this city, died of heart failure last Friday night at the Madi- son Hotel. She was 45 years of age. Her remains were removed to Winni- peg. A daughter and three sons sur- vive. Chelsea, Mass., Jan. 27. Harry H. Clifford (Clifford and Tay- lor) died here at the home of his par- ents Jan. 18. He had been ill for some time. In Lowing Mamory of My Husband JOSEPH W. BURY who died Jan. 2S, ltlS, Drawer, Colo., of pneumonia. AMELIA BURY. Newport News, Va M Jan. 27. Judge John Dudley George Brown, aged 48 years, known all over America as "The Virginia Judge," died at his home here last Wednesday after a ling- ering illness. Judge Brown presided over the Police Court in this city for a number of years. He was a witty, kind-hearted magistrate and his humor- ous sayings when hearing cases against negroes became famous. Walter C. Kelly, the vaudeville comedian, founded his monologue, "The Virginia Judge," upon scenes in Judge Brown's court. Madison, Wis., Jan. 27. Charles Waltxinger, an acrobat for- merly with Barnum and Bailey, and other circuses, died here of stomach trouble Sunday. He traveled for many years as a member of the Karl Broth- ers and Baldwin act, retiring about 15 years ago. He is survived by a wife and several children. The father of Frank Bohm, the agent, died Monday in New York. Billy Geller, aged 25, died suddenly last Friday of peritonitis, following an attack of typhoid. Death came shortly after an operation. Geller had com- posed several songs and at the time of his death was pianist in vaudeville for Josephine Davis (Mrs. Geller). The remains of Mrs. Zara Bancroft (The Bancrofts), who died in North Rose, N. Y., at the age of 34, have been interred in Brooklyn. She is survived by her husband (Earl C. Bancroft) and a son by a former mar- riage. Frederick S. Lawrence, aged 72, at one time manager of the old legit house in Rochester, N. Y., and later in hotel business in Sault St. Marie and Detroit, died Jan. 25 in Detroit, of complication of diseases. He was the father of Carolyn Lawrence, the dra- matic agentess. Margaret Kemble, dramatic reader, died at her residence in Oakland, Jan. 17. TO RUBE. (MY PAL.) By GBNB BUCK. The rube I mat and knew him; I grasped hla hand In mine. Just something drew me to him— Something In him ao Una. Hie manner quaint and kindly, The twinkle In hie eye, Juet like a ray of sunshine A-peeping from the sky. A wholesome sort of fellow, Some never knew his worth, A nature soft and mellow, Now sleeps beneath the earth. To know bun was to lore him; He had a heart of gold, As big as this old world of ours, Made In the finest mold. I look back with a longing To half'forgotten days. The times we spent together— His stories and his ways. I can close my eyes and see The Old Rube standing there, The yarns he used to spin to me, The laughs we used to shsre. The funny old umbrella. The whiskers on bis chin. The way he always pitched his Tolce, His quaint, peculiar grin. You could not help but Mice him, He stood out above them all; Somehow It's hard to realize He's gone beyond recall. The Rube "has hit the highway," He's gone, that's all we know. That road we all must travel When It comes our time to go. His memory will linger Because be made us smile, On recollection's ledger The Old Rube's name we'll file. Some day I hope to meet him In that undiscovered lend, You bet that I shall greet him And grasp his welcome hand. I know a smile awaits mo On the Rube I can depend, And that's something to have coming When this dream Is at an end. Bonnie Glass is operating the grill- room of the Cafe Boulevard at Broad- way and 41st street, dancing with Ru- dolph. The place has been renamed the Cafe Montmartre.