Variety (December 1915)

VARIITY PHILADELPHIA STANDING FOR INDECEN T BURL ESQUE SHOWS Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, Wholly JDisregarding Police Order of Nov. 17, Prohibiting Very Sort of Show There Last Week. Politiodlnfluence Suspected. Only City Left Where Stage Indecency Is Allowyfcd. Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 23, the Philadelphia correspondent of Varibtt witnessed the performance given at the Trocadero theatre and reported as follows: Philadelphia, Nov. 24. The order recently issued by the Bureau of Police for clean shows has fallen upon deaf ears as far as the "Tango Queens," appearing this week at the Trocadero, is con- cerned. Throughout this show there were objectionable features to which the Superintendent of Police referred in a recent general order to his subordinates. Lena Daley produced a number of gyrations and a touch of the "cooch" during her singing acts and the other principals indulged in actions and dialogue which were offensive and classed as vulgar. Toy- keta, a "cooch" dancer, appeared Tuesday afternoon, and although her offensive actions were limited to a couple of indecent wiggles, her squirming was in direct viola- tion of the orders issued a fort- night ago from headquarters. While the production is not any dirtier than the average, as aver- ages went a few weeks ago, never- theless there has been a total dis- regard for the mandate which ordered the prompt elimination of any and every feature which might be termed objectionable. The Director of Public Safety of Philadelphia is the actual head of the police department of that city. It is the sworn duty of the incumbent to see that the laws and ordinances gov- erning that municipality are enforced. The reasonable assumption is that the department is not entirely meaningless and that its head is not a subservient tool in the hands of gamblers, grafters and politicians. The citizens of Phila- delphia have a right to rely upon the honesty, the fearlessness and the in- tegrity of the administration into whose hands they have entrusted the protection of their property, the con- duct of their public institutions and the safeguarding of all the people against moral obliquity. The laws covering obscene, indecent, lewd and immoral exhibitions in the- atres are plainly written and easily understood and require no special pub- lication of warning against their vio- lation. Keeping this self-evident fact in mind and in the light of all the circumstances surrounding the bur- lesque situation in Philadelphia, there is something decidedly suspicious in the issuance by the police department of a special notice calling attention to the official regulations of publi ex- hibitions and demanding compliance therewith. Why this ostentatious, spectacular activity when the Public Safety Di- rector and the chief of police know per- fectly well that every theatre manager in Philadelphia is thoroughly familiar with every one of the limitations placed upon theatrical performances? If the police department really wants to en- force the law, the only course neces- sary is to get evidence against vio- lators and arrest them. Or, if such drastic measures for first offenses are deemed unnecessarily severe, an order to the offending managers direct to strictly observe the law under penalty of revocation of license, or fine, or im- prisonment, or all three penalties would be completely effectual. That is, it would be effectual unless the Department of Public Safety in Philadelphia is regarded by theatre managers as a joke or unless there is a tacit understanding between the di- rector and those theatre managers who continue giving performances in vio- lation of the law. This is just what the Trocadero management is doing, regardless of "General Order No. 216," according to the wholly reliable report on the per- formance given in that house Tuesday, November 23. Apparently it is not an empty boast that there is strong political influence back of the operations of the Troca- dero. Last September the Philadelphia North American started a vigorous crusade against offensive burlesque in that city. It printed two or three art- icles upon the subject and for a time it looked as though the influence of that newspaper would overcome the vaunted political "pull" of the Trocadero man- agement. But it seems the North American attack was merely a flash in the pan. Whether the "influence" succeeded in extending its noxious tentacles into the upper floors of the great pranitc building at the corner of Rroad and Sansom, it is impossible to say. Rut the fact is the North American "cru- sade" terminated as suddenly as it had begun. The conclusion forced by all these circumstances is that the Tro- cadero management will go on giving these disgusting, immoral and illegal exhibitions simply because there is no force in the city of Philadelphia that dares oppose them. Mayor Blankenburg knows of their existence; Robert D. Dripps, Director of the Department of Public Safety, knows they are being given, and James Robinson, Superintendent of Police, is perfectly familiar with the situation. It may be comforting to the decent (Continued on page 10.) CARTER LEAVING "GIRLS." Chicago, Dec. 1. Monte Carter, who joined "Hello Girls" (burlesque) in time to help stage new numbers and inject new life into the show, has handed in his two weeks' notice, taking effect in Louisville. Car- ter will likely go to Buffalo where, he may direct and produce some musical tabs during the winter. Another change in the show is Miss Delaney, soubret, whose role has been assumed by Princess Kalama. BURLESQUE IN WATERBURY. The Jit que s opera house, Water- bury, Conn., commencing next week will play Columbia burlesque shows. The attractions will remain a full week. The opening show is "The Strolling Players." No Change at Haymarket. Chicago, Dec. 1. Denial is made this week by the Hay- market Theatre Building Co., which controls the Haymarket, that the lat- ter has changed hands or that the present policy of independent bur- lesque will be discontinued. Art. H. Moeller is still managing. Rochester's Musical Stock Company. Rochester, N. Y., Dec. 1. Elmer Walters, manager of the Baker, Rochester, has selected a musi- cal stock company to be installed in his theatre. The opening piece will be presented around the holidays. ROUTING LOEWS WEEK-STANDS. Chicago, Dec. 1. The week stands on the Loew Cir- cuit (including the Miles houses) are now being regularly routed ahead for acts playing that time. In the arrange- ment Chicago is placed about the cen- tre of the travel. According to report here the object of the routing, arranged by Jos. M. Schenck and Walter T?. Keefe (for Miles) in New York is~to return the act to the East, without leaving it in the middle west where it could be easily secured by local book- ing agencies. The Loew travel outside New York (excepting the New England houses of the circuit) is Baltimore (Loew); Pittsburgh (Miles); Cleveland (Miles); McVicker's (Jones, Linick & Schaef- fer), Chicago; Crystal (Saxe), Milwau- kee; Detroit (Miles); Toronto (Loew); Buffalo (Mark-Brock); Rochester (Loew). Loew's at Rochester is the only split week of the list. While the Loew bookings out of New York are routed ahead, as above, at the Loew office this week it was said the remainder (all split weeks) of the Loew time was having its bills placed as for- merly. A. B. C.'s Rochester's Two-a-Day. Chicago, Dec. 1. The Affiliated Booking Company has added the Baker, Rochester, N. Y., to its booking sheets and starting Dec. 6 will send in an eight-act show, the house to play two performances daily. The A. B. C. has also taken the Irv- ing theatre, Goshen, Ind., playing six days a week. LOEW'S TIME CLOCK8. The Loew Greater New York thea- tres are now all adorned with time tables on their front walls giving the exact time at which the various acts and pictures go on. The table has a clock for each performance and the hands fixed at the proper time. Spending Song Writer Injured. Los Angeles, Dec. 1. T. L. Siebert, the song writer who recently squandered $10,000 in a short while, was badly injured and narrowly escaped death in a railroad accident at Banning, Cal. His wife is at his bed- side. ROBERT MARKS The American producer who has just returned from London, where he had four of hit revue productions playing there at the same time, He goes back 19 4<or)don in March, under contract to Edelsten ft Burna.