Variety (December 1915)

VAUDEVILLE "SONG PLUGGING" AGENTS MAY BE COMPLAINED OF Loew's Circuit's General Booking Manager Invites Complaints —Report of Loew Agent Obliging His Acts to Sing Cer- tain Songs—Feist Publishing House Involved. A report that an agent booking through the Loew Circuit was direct- ing his acts what songs to sing was brought to the attention of Joseph M. Schcnck, the Loew general booking manager, this week, whereupon Mr. Schenck said he would not stand for any agent interfering with Loew acts in the choice of numbers. Mr. Schenck further added to the positiveness of his statement by remarking he trusted any act "ordered" by an agent to sing the songs of any particular publisher would immediately report the matter to him in person. The music publisher involved was Leo Feist. The story said that through business relations between Feist's pro- fessional manager (who may or may not have represented Feist in the trans- actions) the Loew agent had com- menced to order acts booked by him to sing Feist songs under penalty of not receiving his (agent) attention thereafter in the securing of dates on the Loew time. In conversation as the matter was brought up by another publisher when the agent was present, the agent re- marked Feist /had sent him 25 acts since the season opened, and while de- nying he had obliged any of his acts to sing Feist songs, the agent stated he felt he was under obligation to the Feist firm for furnishing the small time with such a large number of new turns. The business relations reported be- tween the agent and Feist's profes- sional manager were said to have been through a series of productions or "girl acts" for the small time, in which the Feist man had become financially interested. According to report, there is a two- man act now playing small time receiv- ing $150 weekly for singing songs there, with both members of the turn regu- larly attached to the Feist professional staff, receiving a weekly salary from that publishing concern as well. GRUESOME PRESS WORK. What Mike Donlin characterizes as "press work" was reported in some of the dailies Monday morning, the story telling how the urn containing the ashes of Mabel Hite was checked Sunday night in the cloak room of Murray's restaurant on 42d street, and thereafter soaked in a pail of water by an in- spector of the Bureau of Combusti- bles. Mr. Donlin sought advice Monday from his attorneys, House, Vorhaus & Grossman. He wanted to prosecute the undertaking establishment of Frank E. Campbell, where the urn of his late wife's remains had been left, and more particularly did Mr. Donlin desire some proceeding be brought against Ray Frye, the undertaking establishment's manager, who carried the urn away from the 23d street place of Campbell's, checking it with his overcoat at Mur- ray's after jocularly telling the check boys not to let it drop, as it would ex- plode. The boys reported the matter to the restaurant manager. He called in In- spector Egan of the Bureau of Com- bustibles. The Inspector soaked the package and upon unwinding the paper covering it the inscription upon the urn was seen. Later Frye took the urn into the re- porters' room of the 30th street police station, telling the newspapermen there the "story." The Campbell undertaking place is much employed by professionals for burials. When Miss Hite died Nov. 22, 1912, Mr. Donlin, her husband, in obedience to her wish, had the body cremated and left the urn at Camp- bell's for safe keeping. It had been there three years up to Sunday night, when Frye checked it at the cloak room of the restaurant while he ate upstairs. Mr. Donlin was furious Monday when he heard of the atrocity. In- vestigation led him to believe the affair had been "framed up" and had been used in the nature of a press story for the benefit of the undertakers. Mr. Donlin said some newspaper men had informed him that while they understood the matter of the urn's re- moval had been "framed" the "story" was "too good to pass up." Donlin was unable to obtain any satisfaction at Campbell's, nor would the people in that place, who shifted the blame from one to another, inform him where the urn was at the moment. The present Mrs. Donlin is recover- ing from an operation for appendicitis performed Sunday at Sterns' Hospital. Consulting with her aunt and uncle (Mabel and Charles J. Ross) they agreed with Mr. Donlin the affair should be sifted to the bottom and the responsible parties prosecuted to the limit. MOTHER, UNDERSTUDY. Cincinnati, Dec. 1. When Dixie Harris, aged 20, star of "The Office Girls" (sketch), at the Empress, turned her ankle while await- ing her cue several nights ago and could not walk—who took her place? Her mother. Few noticed the difference in age of Miss Harris and her understudy. "We used to do an act together," con- fessed Mrs. Harris, "but as they in- sisted on billing us as the Harris Sis- ters, it did not seem fair to Dixie, so I became her wardrobe mistress and understudy." 'TOWN TOPICS" DELAYED. A delay has occurred in the reopen- ing of the former Ned Wayburn revue, "Town Topics." It is now reported the show may not start its road tour before Xmas. An auction sale is announced for the production following the appointment of a receiver. Show people look upon the auction as a "wash sale." A chorus rehearsal was called for last Thursday, when it was said J. J. Shubert would be on hand, after he had twice postponed his appearance on the scene. Mr. Shubert took another postponement and the rehearsal was adjourned without date. Several withdrawals from the original cast have been rumored, with others reported about to fill their places. Joseph Eccles, from Ogden, who financed the production and brought about its closing at the Century, is still in New York looking after the show. This week Trixie Friganza was ar- ranging to re-enter vaudeville. She had been the principal woman in the show when it played the Century. Ned Wayburn has engaged to become general producer for Flo Ziegfeld. BEN FULLER ARRIVES. San Francisco, Dec. 1. Ben J. Fuller, the governing director of the Fuller Circuit in Australia, ar- rived here last week, coming on from Vancouver, where he landed. Mrs. Fuller, three children, and Roy D. Mur- phy, the Fuller Circuit's American rep- resentative, were in the party. After looking over the Exposition the Fullers will move eastward and by easy stages reach Chicago, afterward going through to New York. While this is a pleasure trip for Mr. Fuller, he will probably be led to some vaudeville theatres by Mr. Murphy, who will show him desirable goods for the Fuller Australian houses. DANCED FOR THE LAW. Chicago, Dec. 1. Max Ford ran foul of the Chicago police Sunday night because he ap- peared on the streets at a late hour with two grips in his hands. The young man was halted by a plain- clothes officer who asked Max what the grips contained. Ford explained he was leaving for his hotel after stay- ing a few days with a friend, but this didn't satisfy the minion of the law. Then Max proceeded to a dancing act right then and there on the street which proved that he was a vaudevil- lian, pure and simple and not a bold, bad robber. Tom Barnes Didn't Open. Tom Barnes, of Barnes and Craw- ford, did not open with the production of "Sadie Love" at the Gaiety, New York, Monday night, having retired from the cast last week. Joe Howard and Two Girls. Chicago, Dec. 1. Joe Howard and two pirls are to ap- pear here next week. Mabel McCanc will not be in Mr. Howard's return to vaudeville. ROCHE DIVORCE AND MARRIAGE. In the action for alienation of af- fections, started by Mrs. Nellie Roche against Pauline Lord in San Francisco, an account of which was published in Variety*, Billy Roche, the husband, around which the action revolves, wants to set his second wife, Miss Lord, in her proper position before the professional world, owing to it being a matter of two years or so be- fore he will be permitted to assist Miss Lord in defending the action. Mr. Roche says he secured a divorce in Chicago seven years ago from his first wife, who started the suit, and that he married Miss Lord about the same time. The latter is now playing in San Francisco. She has appeared in vaudeville sketches now and anon. "STELLA" TAB IN EMPRESS. Los Angeles, Dec. 1. Louis B. Jacobs has leased the Em- press, former Sullivan-Considine house, and is producing tabloid musical com- edy. His first production was "Have You Seen Stella?" a burlesque on the painting of a nude woman which has been a money-maker at the San Fran- cisco fair. Shirley Lewis is directing the show, Lillian Lewis the dances, and Frank Pierce is conducting the orchestra. The company comprises the follow- ing: Paisley Noon, Rene Vivienne, Joe Lee, Lew Virden, Marjorie Lake, Betty Wells, Bonnie Leonard, Dave Caston, Byron Broh and Joe Bennett. A chorus of fifteen completes the com- pany. LILLIAN POLI'S DEBUT. Detroit, Dec. 1. Lillian Poli, the prima donna, had a brilliant vaudeville debut when opening at the Temple Monday. She sang five songs with "My Hero," the same num- ber she won honors with in "The Chocolate Soldier," sweeping all be- fore it. Miss Poli looks like very desirable timbre for big time vaudeville pro- grams. BILLS AT SPRECKELS, SAN DIEGO. Los Angeles, Nov. 24. The Spreckels theatre, San Diego, opened last week with vaudeville, booked by the Western States Vaude- ville Association of San Francisco. Hayward & Dodge, lessees of the house, and the local Hippodrome com- pany, control the theatre. All road attractions, which formerly played the Spreckels, will in future be switched to the Isis. The new house is called the "Spreckels Hippodrome." Walter Smith, until recently assist- ant manager of the local Hip, is man- aging it. ORPHEUM OFFICER DIES. San Francisco, Dec. 1. Aaron Abrams, vice-president • of the Orpheum Circuit of theatres, died here Monday morning. He was ill but a short time and his passing away came as a surprise. II you don't advertise in vAri£W, don't advartlM.