Variety (March 1915)

VARIETY "The Sewer" is the title that has been "handed" to one of the more popular of the midnight supper clubs in New York. This particular "club" is located on one of the upper floors of a Colum- bus Circle restaurant. Since its incep- tion it has been a popular resort with the upper Drive and Washington Heights set. Lately a rougher element has "crept" into the club and the result has been an unusual number of mid- night brawls. So far the management of the club has been fortunate in keep- ing the police clear of the fights and has managed to take care of their own troubles, but if the "crowd" that is ad- mitted to the club on nights late in the week isn't watched and weeded out the "club" will not only lose its better class of members, but it will be the cause of a general official shake-up in the midnight club thing and which will -Undoubtedly turn out for the worst to all concerned. Hunter Island Inn is preparing for the summer season by having its interior remodeled. A new maple dance floor has been laid in the big room that runs at right angles. With the new arrangement Hunter Island has as large a darning tyuce as any aowntowr. place. Alon ? ** *th the floor improvement Arthur MacLern, its pro- prietor, has refurnished the Inn. Every- thing lrom tables to tit ceiling is in pure white. The ic) enu for a road house is a very pretty one and inviting. Hunter Island Inn has been about the most popular road house around New York this winter. Mr. MacLean says it is his best season. Hunter Island has taken the trade away from a num- ber of places around Pelham Park and along the Boston Post Road. It has also built up an afternoon business. With anything like a break in the weather even in the coldest spell, Hunter Island does business. Located just above Pelham Park, it draws pat- ronage from up and down the road. Reisenweber's on the Circle will have a midnight revue commencing April 1. Percy Elkeles and Lea Herrick will produce it, charging the restaurant $1,000 weekly for the eight girls and four principals. The same producers will use one revue for the two Bus- tonaby places, commencing next Mon- day. Bustonaby's on 39th street will see the show at 10, and the 60th street place get it (in the Domino Room) at 1, the revue running an hour. Bus- tonaby is paying $1,500 weekly for the double display. A woman who, after leaving vaude- ville, settled in Chicago as a cabaret singer, got presents from a young man who showered them upon her along with his attentions. At first the singer was loth to return the jewels and things, but it was learned she had been keeping company with an insane man for over a month. The law says a crazy man can not legally make pres- ents. The woman rather than accept the chance of a big press story, gave hack the presents. William Morris is the cabaret god- father to the foreigners who come to New York and want an opportunity to dance professionally. The New York Roof is open to them. Morris has brought out three foreign professional dancers this season, and each in her class has gained distinction as dancers'. These are Nila Diva, Miss Lewis of Lewis and Mazetti, and "The Brazilian Nut." All are now on the Roof. Tuesday night William Morris gave a farewell dinner on the New York Roof to Wee Wullie Thomson and family. Wee Wullie is a Scotchman and is mentioned in one of Harry Lau- der's songs. It's the "Safest of the Family" where Lauder says Wee Wullie put it all over him one morning and then he put Wee Wullie in the hos- pital, for evens. Instead of a heather on the bill-of-fare, Morris used a sham- rock, which may not go so well when Wee Wullie flashes it on 'Arry. The San Soucci (Mae Murray's) put on a midnight revue for three days last week, opening Thursday and closing Saturday night. It was announced in the restaurant the Shuberts had de- clined to allow their chorus girls to appear, and the revue would have to be discontinued. Ten young women made up a chorus who wandered be- tween tables while singing. There were no principals. "Midnight revues" are becoming common. The Pekin and Maurice's "Chez" have them, which, with Bus- tonaby's, Maxim's and the others, have led Flo Ziegfeld to place in his adver- tisement for the original "Midnight Frolic" on the Amsterdam Roof, this line: "It is as futile to copy a Ziegfeld show as it is to reproduce a famous oil painting." Leo Carrillo has taken over the Casino at Freeport, Long Island. Mr. Carrillo will open the roadhouse April 15, with the formal opening Decoration Day. The house is on the shore and has thirty-two rooms. A cake walk contest is due on the New York Roof to-night (Friday). It will be between Dave Genaro and Ada Portser (the regular cake walkers up there) and Bonnie Glass and Rudolph, her dancing partner. Odette Myrtil, a French violiniste, opens at the Amsterdam Roof next Monday, placed with Flo Ziegfeld by Charles Bornhaupt It is her first New York appearance. A rumor is current a show similar to Ziegfeld's "Midnight Frolic" atop the Amsterdam Roof will be tried in Chi- cago this summer atop the La Salle Hotel. Joan Sawyer has Jos. Smith and George Harcourt as dancing partners on her western vaudeville tour. Maud Allan, the dancer, returned last week to San Francisco, from Australia, and will probably travel direct to London. "Keep Moving," the Elkeles-Herrick revue at Maxim's, has had its month's engagement there extended to ten weeks. Maurice's "Cher" revue has six girls with Minerva Coverdale, Lew Brice and Harry Carroll as principals. Mr. and lira. Gene Hopkins are dancing in the Grill Room of the Knickerbocker Hotel. Churchill's is now allowing dancing in the main dining room. Alexandria Bay, N. Y., March 17. Rosa Goodwin, for the past few years in the employ of Thomas Mc- Lary at his cabaret, has resigned, and March 15 assumed the management of the Thousand Island rathskeller in the Miller Building, formerly under the management of Stack & Dirnhofer. Cabaret shows will be held during the summer months. This will give Alex- andria Bay something that none of the other river towns have. RATS 1 BALL A BIG SUCCESS. The masque ball of the White Rats and the Associated Actresses of Amer- ica took place Tuesday night at Ter- race Garden. The affair was a huge success from every standpoint. Long before the hour for the grand march the hall was crowded. The estimated number present when the march start- ed was 2,200. The event added $6,500 to the coffers of the Rats. One of the features of the evening which stood out was the extremely handsome souvenir program issued. It carried $3,500 in advertising. Bert Levy had charge of the pro- gram as chairman of the journal com* mittee, and he receives the most credit for the appearance of the book. It contained original drawings by James Montgomery Flagg, Archie Gunn, Har- rison Fisher, L. Norman Lynd, Wind- sor McCay, Hy. Mayer and others. Mr. Levy drew all of the marginal sketches with which the book was pro- fusely decorated. The grand march, led by Big Chief Frank Fogarty, accompanied by Dor- othy Jardon, was a spectacular delight. Jack Mason directed it. Many of the maskers were pictur- esque in their costumes, and there were many grotesque. At 4 a. m. a large crowd remained on the floor or at tables. Ten prizes were awarded for cos- tumes, five to women and five to men. During the evening telegrams of con- gratulation were received from Frank Conroy, President of the Comedy Club, Richard Milloy and Bob Richmond. The dance order which was a cut- out in paper the shape of a rat, caused comment. It was donated by Willard, the Man Who Grows. AUDREY MUNSON, "THE EXPOSITION GIRL" - Audrey Munion is the girl who posed for all of the female figures represented in the deco- rative sculpture adorning the buildings of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. She is also the model for the figure that is to decorate the Government coin to be known as the Panama Commemorative Medal. Miss Munson is to be made the figure of a special publNlty campaign for the Exposition and as such is to visit every dty of note in the country on her way to the Fair. NEW ACTS. Manuel Romaine and George Smith, two-act, opening upstate. Mae Thatcher, Irene West and Miss Mohr, three-act. Mabel Montgomery in a sketch, "The Leading Lady," at Yonkers next week. Harold Thomas and Vivian Martin, songs and dances, opening at Balti- more, April 5 (Edw. S. Keller). Smith, Cook and Brandon will be- come a two-act next season, Smith and Cook remaining as an originally-named vaudeville team in a two-act. Marie Brandon will also join a two-act. Wilson and Rita (Mrs Jack Coogan) a sister act, at the Myrtle, Brooklyn, this week. (Marvin Welt). Trovato is framing an elaboration of his violin turn that will encompass his wife and two horses. It will be a pan- tomimic affair. The Four Fords are reported rehears- ing a new dancing act in Chicago. It will contain the original members of the turn who are now in the west- ern city. Katheryn McConnell, formerly of the Sisters McConnell, is now a single turn. Dorothy Wahl and Stewart Jack- son, two-act (Irving Cooper). Paul McCarthy and Miss Lewis (at one time his stage partner, in a new two-act. Gladys Loclcwood, who was about to rejoin Mr. McCarthy In a double turn, has returned to her home.