Variety (March 1915)

6 VAUDEVILLE, 9 • 9 ' i-ii., a : TWO FIRMS PUBLISHING SAME PRODUCTION SONGS Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. and T. B. Harms & Francis, Day ft Hunter Putting Out "Maid in America" Music Matter of Agreements and Writers. Show's Producer Not Considered Nor Consulted. Acting on Legal Opinion. • ■ Injunction* isstted: this week by Louis fceiristeih of Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., to publish two numbers in the current production of "Maid in Amer- ica," at the Winter Garden, may bring to a test whether publishers have the legal right to put out in sheet form all music written by writers under con- tract to them, whether the writers wholly compose all of the wurds and music or write in collaboration. Mr. Bernstein is acting upon the ad- vice of his counsel, William Grossman, of Grossman, Vorhaus & Grossman. The songs to be published by the Sha- piro concern that are also published by F. B. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter will be "I'm Looking For Someone's Heart," and "Sister Susie Started Syn- copation." The writers of the Garden show are Harold Atteridge (books and lyrics) and Harry Carroll r.nd Sigmund Rom- berg, who collaborated upon the music. Mr. Carroll is under contract to Sha- piro-Bernstein; Romberg with the Harms firm. Romberg and Carroll jointly wrote the two songs mentioned. When Mr. Bernstein was asked re- garding his intention to publish "Maid in America" numbers, he said: "I am advised by my attorney, William Gross- man, we have the full right to publish all numbers Mr. Carroll was concerned in, according to our contract with him, which gives us that right. Mr. Gross- man has also advised us that as Mr. Carroll collaborated on the 'Maid in America' show, we can publish any number in that production which is the work of the three collaborators or any one of them. Under Grossman's opin- ion, we could publi .h 'Oh, Those Days.' written solely by Mr. Romberg." Mr. Grossman gave his opinion to a Variety representative that a music publisher holding sole publishing rights from a writer could publish production music without permission of the show's producer. This has been the custom with productions and publishers al- though in some instances publishers have arranged with producing managers to pay them for the right. Around the Shapiro-Bernstein offices it was said Mr. Bernstein might decide to wholesale the Winter Garden songs as popular instead of "production mu- sic." Popular sheet music is usually wholesaled around seven cents a copy, production music at 18. It is said the Harms concern had the music collaborated upon by Messrs. Carroll and Romberg for "Sister Susie" slightly altered before publishing, Mr. Rorpbrrff rewriting thnt section of the composition first written by Carroll. In "Maid in America" are several musical numbers. ASS'N TAKES BACK GLOBE. Chicago, March 3. The Western Vaudeville Managers' Association takes back the Globe theatre bookings, Kansas City, next week. J. C. Matthews recently took over the bookings but only held the house two weeks. BOOKING BALTIMORE. The Amalgamated Booking agency will supply acts for the Garden, Balti- more, starting Monday. The Grand, Rutland, Vt, will also be booked in future by this agency. SHEEDY'S SHOW OPPOSED. The Lee Avenue, Brooklyn, with its newly acquired pop vaudeville policy, is going to try and take some of the small time vaudeville play away from the Amphion, three blocks away, and booked by Sheedy. The Amphion is making money with Sheedy playing 18 and 20 acts on the "try out" plan there every Monday and Thursday. After the deluge on these days eight are sifted out for the regular shows on other days. The Lee Avenue bills are booked by Fally Marcus in the Gaiety building, New York. The Sheedy office started booking the Lfnion Square, Pittsfield, Mass., this week. The house is playing five acts and splitting with Hartford. WITH THE WOMEN By The Skirt The real hit of the new Trentini show, "The Peasant Girl," at the 44th Street theatre, was a big, handsome fellow, by the name of John Charles Thomas. He made Clifton Crawford look forgotten. Mr. Thomas has every- thing a stage lover requires—voice, grace, height and looks. The applause of the evening went to him. Another unknown who received abundance of applause was a young dancer, Frances Pritchard. She danced only with Mr. Crawford. For grace and style she is equal to Mrs. Castle. Trentini is sup- plied with a role suitable to her tem- perament. Her songs aren't up to the usual Trentini record, but they are good enough to be heard in vaudeville by imitators. The dressing of the chorus was quite above the usual Shu- bert standard. Velvet brocade in dif- ferent shades was much in evidence in the opening chorus. Some were trimmed in beaver, while others de- pended upon the elegance of the mate- rial for trimming. Lace frocks in three flounces were worn by the ponies. Muffs of pale shades were car- ried. The color scheme was worth noting. In the second act a gypsy number had some class. The girls danced as though they enjoyed wear- ing the pretty costumes. The last act found the girls also well dressed. Some were in gold and white with an artistic peach colored meline trimming. Tren- tini looked lovely in her first dress. It was blue, brocaded in silver, with cas- cades of lace edged in crystal. Miss Pritchard was dressed prettily in a pink taffeta, in three flounces, scalloped and trimmed in silver. For the gypsy dance she wore a costume made of different layers of colored chiffon. In the last act, in a white chiffon trimmed in a dresden design in blue, this little girl looked sweetly charming. FALLING FOR OLD BOY. Erie, Pa., March 3. The old "Wanted: Girls to go on the stage; experience not necessary" caught quite a bevy of local stage aspirants who are mourning the loss of between $2 and $5 each as a result of the fall for the old, old ad. A man named Jack Webber received the letter returns. Picking out the most likely, he answered in person. Some of the girls were forced to give body measurements for a cast to be made to fit them and their shapes sub- sequently reflected by a mirror process at the San Francisco Exposition Money was exacted on the plea of buy- in "■ cast wardrobes. When \he girls showed up Saturday per instructions Webber had left a hoard bill behind. Frank Williamson Recovered. Frank "Bud" Williamson has fully recovered from an illness that has kept him idle many weeks this season and has rejoined "The Ginger Girln" An act not programed took the house by storm at the Colonial Monday after- noon. Two of Kurtis' Roosters started a little bout of their own, much to the amusement of the audience and the consternation of Allman and Stone, who were trying to do their act. Mrs. Leslie Carter in her sketch from "Zaza" is a joy forever. To be sure Mrs. Car- ter looked older than Zaza was, but time has stood still with Hamilton Revelle. Mrs. Carter's pink hair showed to advantage above a green velvet coat. The coat was made with kimona sleeves, the skirt part falling from the hip line. Chinchilla was used for a trimming. Mrs. Carter made a change to a gold affair, half negligee and half evening dress. She spoiled a marvelous performance by constantly looking in a mirror. Lillian Lorraine never noted for refinement, has gone herself one better in vulgarity. I have seen a burlesque show nearly every week this season, but not any that boasts of a "cooch" dancer who went the limit that Lorraine does. In an old time black and bl«f beaded dress heavi- ly draped in a red fox scarf, Miss Lor- raine made her first appearance. This was followed by a dress of Steele, cut ankle length and banded with squirrel, made very full. A hat with four bunches of white aigrettes was stun- ning. Pajamas overtrimmed in lace were worn in a boudoir set of violet and gold. The last costume was a Turkish trouser affair in green, the short skirt being trimmed in butterflys. The Misses Campbell improved their appearance wonderfully this week. The pianist is wearing a blue net over satin of the same shade. The net is embroidered in blue beads and hangs in points at the sides. There is a touch of pink at the corsage. The smaller girl wore a lovely frock in a greenish gold shade. The bottom of the skirt was trimmed in a band of squares made of ribbon. The waist had a cape back. Maude Muller couldn't impress upon the Colonial audience that she was trying to comede. Nevertheless Miss Muller is funny and with a little trying could become a female Frank Tinney. Miss Muller's idea of a grand opera voice isn't ours. Sally Cohen with John C. Rice in an abominable sketch is wear- ing a neat house dress of Copenhagen blue chiffon, made very full, the skirt being in large tucks and having two pockets. Gertrude Denahy looked well in a dress of chiffon that took in all the shades of purple. The skirt was made in flounces cut in points. The three Norrij Sisters started the show at Hammerstein's Monday night. They are doing an old fashioned danc- ing act. But they dress well, first in green frocks made Empire. For a rope-skipping dance the girls looked especially well in short pink dresses made in ruffles. The girl of Ford and Hewitt for a skirt dance wears a hand- somely embroidered white shawl over red petticoats. A white frock in chiffon had a border of blue flowers. The last costume was a trouser affair in white, with a very short skirt of white and black. After discarding Quaker dresses, Louise and Grete Brunelle ap- pear in evening gowns of peach color chiffon in black and white. The peach dress was prettily made in two flounces but the black and white was very ugly. Mable Russel never changes her style in dressing. Her frock of white was old fashioned in its narrow- ness. Morton and Moore have a stun- ning tall girl who looked well in a black dress and large hat. Bonnie Thorton has added a black gown to her wardrobe. It is of net and heavily banded at the bottom with jet. A small cape of jet had a gold tassel Trixie Friganza is showing nothing new in clothes since last seen. Eva Mull Back in Show. babette will retire from "The Follies of 1920" at the end of this week and Eva Mull will return to the cast at De- troit nrxt Sunday.