Variety (June 1915)

VAUDEVILLE IN LONDON London, June 1. A goodly proportion of theatre and music hall audiences is made up of soldiers on leave, admitted at half price. These theatregoers care little for war plays and sketches of that cal- ibre. They are pretty well "fed up" with theatrical spies and spy catchers. It is an affront to their intelligence and there is likely to be a cessation of this form of entertainment for some time to come. After an absence of two or three years the name of Sir Arthur Pinero will once more be seen on the London boards as the author of a new play. His last full-length play shown here was at the Duke of York's theatre in 1912 when Charles Frohman presented " 'Mind th' Paint' Girl." In the spring of 1913 his one-act piece, "Playgoers/' was presented at the St. James. The call boy at the Shaftesbury has enlisted and Robert Courtneidge has replaced him with a 14-year-old girl. Other managers are expected to fol- low suit. A touring revue announces that in order to encourage recruiting all the male chorus parts will hereafter be played by women. The street car men are on strike and the management has announced that they will not per- mit any of the strikers who are eligi- ble for the army to return to its em- ploy. The sites selected for the posting of recruiting advertising are not always felicitous. For instance, on the front of a Young Women's Christian Asso- ciation building there appears one reading: "More Men are Needed." Adorning an epileptic hospital another one announces that "Every Fit Man Is Needed." On top of a coffin in the window of an undertaker's establish- ment, the War Office appeals to young men to "Fall In." Harry Grattan's rivue "Odds and | ; .nds" closed its run at the Ambassa- dors Saturday and another revue by the same author, is in rehearsal and scheduled for production at that house for June 12. It is entitled "More An C.rattan." Cissic Loftus is to play the leading part in a new play f o be produced next Monday night at Brighton, entitled "Enterprising Helcr," written by Lord Latymcr under the nom-du-teatre of Frances Coutts. The play recites the love story of an actress and Miss Loftus' part calls for her rendition of a song. About the most important person- age around here today is Harry Viv- ian, the sharpshooter. At the out- break of the war he was playing at the Berlin Winter Garden and after a somewhat strenuous time, succeeded in getting back to London with his company. Then in order to gain .pub- licity Vivian started a campaign at every theatre in which he appeared, offering to teach the English soldiers how to shoot. When this news reached Berlin "Das Program" printed an ar- ticle condemning Vivian and stating that they would remember him should he ever return to Germany. By a strange coincidence he has barely es- caped Zeppelin bombs dropped by the Germans on two occasions. One at Ipswich a month ago and the second at Shoreditch Empire last night at which house he was pjaying. Vivian would like to have folks believe that these air raids were organized especially to "get" him, and he is making publicity capital out of it. During the recent crusade against drink in England Canon Simpson de- livered a sermon at his church on a certain Sunday on the subject of "Love Your Enemies." The next day the Chancellor made a public statement that "Drink is our worst enemy." JOE JACKSON'S STORY. Joe Jackson, the tramp cyclist, who did not go to the Palace, Chicago, with "Maid in America" after its New York Winter Garden engagement, has a dif- ferent story to tell than the published ones regarding his leaving the produc- tion, also the substitution of Frank Reno, known as "Uno," under his name and with his act as presented in con- nection with the show in Chicago. Through that substitution Jackson says he is thinking of asking the court to set the damage he has sustained, principally through the inferior per- formance Uno gave of his turn, and of the impression he must have left with the Chicago public as reflected by the newspaper reviewers of that city. One critic said in his notice of the "Maid in America" premiere: "Joe Jackson died in his dirty makeup." Mr. Jackson thinks that is a rough line to saddle upon him, when he wasn't there. Neither did "Uno," says Jackson, ever appear professionally with him on the European stage or anywhere else. At one time, according to Jackson's story. "Uno" was employed by him in a capacity outside of the profession, and as a matter of fact and record Jackson .furthqj states he has never worked in a cycle turn with anyone, always appearing single, and before do- ing the comedy he rode the bicycle "straight." The other point Jackson wishes to make clear is why he left "Maid in America." Not because, says he, as reported, he had asked for more money or a longer contract, but through the refusal of the Shubcrts to allow the word "consecutive" to remain in his contract. The agreement called for 15 weeks. Jackson made it read 15 con- secutive weeks. The Shubcrts scratched out the insertion and. with it. lost Jackson. If you don't advertise In VARIETY, don't advertise. The practice of employing semi-pro- fessional baseball players to represent the various theatrical organizations tak- ing an interest in sports was given a permanent black-eye last Saturday when the aggregation of Harlem stars engaged by the United Booking Offices to play the Sheedy outfit clashed in a no-decision nine-inning game that final- ly ended in an argument and came peri- lously near to a free-for-all fight. The game finished when Umpire Daly, after "walking" one of the United players, forfeited the game to the U. B. O. At the time, the score stood 6-5, in favor of the Sheedy team. The start of the contest looked likr a big league affair, at least a half dozen of the players on both teams having qualified for the big league at some time or other. With both sides confi- dent of victory, the betting was brisk, and many dollars were wagered before the affair started. The United team rapped Sam Smith in a one-inning rally and through a bunch of short field hits and a few bungles by the Sheedy in- field rolled up a quartet of tallies. Finally the Sheedy players recognized the hop on Lowne's fast ball and be- gan dropping base-hits all over the oval. At the finish the Sheedy team emerged from the mess with a one- run lead, the score in the ninth inning standing at 6 to 5, with Sheedy's "grass-eaters" on top. The U. B. O. men came to bat for the ninth stanza with their own umpire (Dick Daly) officiating. Daly, according to practi- cally everyone in the stand, began some expert guessing and finally under- went a brief period of total blindness, walking the first man up. Smith (pitching for Sheedy) refused to accept Daly's decision or continue the game, and the argument began. The U. B. O. men justly claimed that Sheedy's con- tribution to the umpire staff (Bennett) had done some high and lofty porch- climbing earlier in the game and, work- ing on the basis that one good theft deserves another, considered Daly's stand perfectly proper. Up to that time the game was a battle between the umpires, with the players merely filling in to give the official arbiters an op- portunity to work. At this period the game broke up. and later the stake- holder after the both teams had mutual- ly agreed decided all bets off and re- turned the money to the original owners. Baseball is a great little game and carries considerable interest when the contestants are legitimate theatrical men; but if the average fan cares to witness a professional game, such as that between the Sheedy and U. B. O. clubs, it's much easier to visit one of the big league parks and pay admis- sion. The game there is run accord- ing to Spalding and the umpires arc neutral. The exhibition last Saturday merely developed into a disgraceful display of rowdyism ;*i< ! - entually caused con- siderable hard feeling and bad friend- ship between theatrical men who should be ashamed of themselves to be connected with such a proposition. To place the blame for the Saturday affair would be rather difficult. To review or attempt to describe the game* in de- tail would be painful. It was a good fight while it lasted, and both teams were equally guilty of professionalism. Eventually things will come around right and the game will be played for the fun in it, with the members of all nines qualifying according to show shop connections and not baseball ability. A good crowd attended, the majority of whom will know enough next time to look over the line-ups be- fore taking a hot ride clear up to the end of the Bronx to see a flock of strangers cavorting around to uphold the athletic honor of two theatrical or- ganizations, of which the players them- selves probably knew less about than they do of the Crimean massacre. Eddie Gribben, brother of Harry Gribben, the musical comedy and mov- ing picture actor, has been taken over by Nate Lewis, manager of Charlie White, the Chicago lightweight. Grib- ben weighs 160 pounds in condition and is considered one of the best boxers in the east. Lewis will pilot him through a campaign of battles with the best middleweights now in action. FORMING TAB CIRCUIT. The success of the tabloid policy at the Wadsworth theatre has prompt- ed Arthur Ung-r, manager of the l.cuse, to make an effort to round up enough small time theatres in and around New York to complete a "tab" circuit, with bookings central'zcd in one office. Unger's proposition seems reasonable, since he proposes to make the Wads- worth the tryout house for the ion- denscd musical shows. Among those principally intciestcd is I>. S. Moss, who has been figuring on playing the new style of shows since their initial introduction to New York. Several independent managers arc also thinking seriously of the move and the negotiations now under way may materialize into a salvation :«»r the "tab" producers who up to now have been forced to wild-cat because of the present condition of the tabloid booking situation which has not as- sumed any semblance of organization. The Wadsworth has been playing the tabs since the first of the current month, and this week introduced a stock company to show two bills week- ly staged by Fred De Silva. WAYBURN SIGNING UP. Ned Wayburn continues signing up people for his "Town Topics" revue for the Century opera house. Will Rogers and the Cameron Sisters were among the engagements this week. Rehearsals will start June 22.