Variety (January 1916)

VAUDEVILLE PHILADELPHIA STILL "DIRTY"; SITUATIO N WORS E THAN EVER Trocadero Pays no Attention and Gayety Swinging Back. Philadelphia Managers Believe They Are Immune from Attack. American Burlesque Association's "Clean Up" Order Under Suspicion Through Lack of Enforcement in Philly. Philadelphia, Jan. 5. The burlesque situation here is worse, if anything, than at any time this sea- son. At the Trocadero particularly the orders contained in the recent letter issued by the American Burlesque As- sociation are being completely ignored. Except for a few weeks following the "North American's" crusade, the Troc has included the "cooch" and all the other established indecencies of smutty burlesque. And within the last two or three weeks the Gayety has gradually crept back to the old order of things. A friend of Robert Morrow, the Trocadero's manager, is authority f6r the statement that both Morrow and Robert Deady were persistent in the belief the upheaval of some time ago which was started by the "North Amer- ican's" activity and the Christian League had its source in the Columbia Amusement 'Co. offices and that the articles appearing in Variety on the same subject were inspired by the officers of that organization. In sub- stantiation of the last-mentioned claim, Morrow is said to have asserted that the attacks in Vahiutt ceased imme- diately after Deady made a protest in person to Sam A. Scribner and J. Her- bert Mack who are generally believed in control of both the Columbia and American Circuits. Morrow not only boasts, according to report, of his political influence here, but also of his success in calling off Variety through his influence with the Columbia Co. officers. These claims may have some grounds in view of the dirty shows being given at the Trocadero, regardless of the or- der issued by the police department and the imperative order issued by the American Burlesque Association to its company managers to refuse to give performances in instances where house managers insist upon giving "raw" performances. In the local theatres, outside of those devoted to burlesque, the Columbia Amusement Co., which is generally known to be in control of the American Circuit, is looked upon as either hav- ing made a gigantic bluff in demanding clean shows or that its officers are afaraid of Deady or have been caused to vitiate their order as far as the Trocadero is concerned through an understanding with Deady. In any event, as the situation now stands Philadelphia has not responded to the call for clean burlesque issued by the police department and the Amer- ican Association. PAGED IN THE SUBWAY. To Harry Fitzgerald is given the credit for an innovation in New York. The other evening while Mr. Fitzgerald, who is a theatrical agent, was playing billiards at the Friars, he recalled an appointment to meet a young woman at the 50th street subway station. Mr. Fitzgerald did not wish to in- terrupt the game nor wait about the subway station. He called a messen- ger boy, gave him instructions and the youth proceeded to the 50th street station platform, calling out "Miss Helen Stewart, please," as each train discharged its complement of pas- sengers. When Miss Stewart finally answered the call, the messenger escorted her over to the Friars, where she was met outside by Mr. Fitzgerald, who (with an agents' well known knack for "squaring" things) made a heroic inci- dent for himself out of the affair, after- ward taking the young woman to the theatre. COHAN & HARRIS REVUE. Rehearsals were started this week by Cohan & Harris for a revue George M. Cohan is said to have written for Raymond Hitchcock, before that com- edian left for London. The new revue is to come to New York following "Hit the Trail Holli- day" at the Astor, some time in Feb- ruary. The piece is to be known as George M. Cohan's Musical Revue and while the Yankee Doodle comedian will not appear in it personally, it will be his through ownership, authorship and directorship. Richard Carle was engaged for the principal comedy role Tuesday. Among others announced thus far are Eliz- abeth Murray and Sidney Jam's. MISS JANIS, ICE EXPERT. Elsie Janis has gone in for skating, as several black and blue bruises on the young star's being will verify. But, as in all other things Miss Janis attempts, she has now mastered it and is qualified to give a real impersonation of Charlotte, the Hippodrome star, if any manager will step forward with the ice. Miss Janis has a private ice pond at her home in Tarrytown. If you don't advertlM la VARIETY, don't advortiM. THE SHUBERT WAT. Boston, Jan. 5. "Town Topics," now under the di- rection of the Shuberts and opening at * the Shubert theatre here Tuesday night, was advertised "It's a Whale," with an illustration of a girl on ice skates accompanying the advertise- ments. Both ideas were taken from the Charles Dillingham billing matter for the shoyp at the New York Hippo- drome, where Dillingham successfully succeeded the Shuberts who had failed in the management of that house. The show opened to a capacity at- tendance and all of this morning's pa- pers gave it excellent notices. The re- viewers seemed impressed with its size, costumes, staging and comedy scenes, the latter written by Thos. J. Gray. Trixie Friganza and Bert Leslie are equally termed the show's hits, with Peter Page, Wellington Cross, Lois Josephine and Lew Hearn next men- tioned in that order. Mabel Ealine got the applause hit of the evening with an eccentric dance that stopped the show. Mabel Hamilton Leave* Clark. Chicago, Jan. 5. Mabel Hamilton here avows that un- der no consideration will she return to Bert Clark. She has signed to lead The Fashion Show," now playing the Orpheum Circuit Miss Hamilton rejoined her husband in Detroit recently, but claims that now the separation is permanent. 41 Major Lillie't Wild West Chicago, Jan. 5. According to reports coming here via ild west and circus men, Major Gordon W. Lillie, more familiarly known as Pawnee Bill, will head his own wild west next season. Lillie, now on his ranch, has money invested in picture houses, from which he has derived an income since quitting the active show business. RALPH RIGGS and KATHERINE WITCHIE In "DANCE DIVERTISEMENTS" The dancing features of "PRINCESS PAT' By gprcial permission of JOHN CORT, playing B. F. KEITHS GREATER NEW YORrf THE A- TRES in conjunction with our appearance at the CORT THEATRE in "PRINCESS PAT." ONE WEEK NOT ENOUGH. One week in Chicago as a headline vaudeville attraction did not satisfy Ruth St. Dennis, who refused the en- gagement, also a salary of $1,500 for the week that went with it. Miss St. Dennis, the "Radha" dancer, is giving matinees at the Candler this week, after having appeared in the afternoons at the Hudson. No other time nor terms were discussed between her and the vaudeville managers. At the Palace this week is a dancer announced as having been imported from India. She is Gora Zara, but looks more like Clara Howard than an Indian. Clara Howard was the "cooch" dancer with "The Girls' from Joyland," when that burlesque show last appeared at the Garrick, New York. Recently she has appeared in the dancing turn at a couple of small time houses. Several people who saw Gora Zara the early part of the week at the Palace believed she was Shary-Djeli, the French "coocher" who left the Winter Garden production about two weeks ago. Since then Djeli sailed for Spain. Before leaving she gave a pri- vate performance for Flo Ziegfeld, in the hope he could place her for the "Midnight Frolic." It was just after Mr. Ziegfeld saw her performance that the Shuberts' importation left New York. MLLE. STANTONE FOUND. Cincinnati, Jan. 5. Mile. Nellie Stantone, who appears with the "Mercedes" vaudeville act, was found in Columbus last Wednesday after having fled from her partner a couple of days before in this city, where the act was appearing at Keith's. Manager John Royal of Keith's can- celed the turn immediately upon the woman disappearing. JOB HOWARD'S NEXT. Chicago, Jan. 5. Joseph Howard, now playing the Orpheum time with Ethlyn Clark, hat sent word to Chicagotown that he Is not through with musical comedy and that he plans to bring out in Chicago a new one entitled "My Hawkeye Girl" around Easter. GUS EDWARDS LEAVING. New Orleans, Jan. 5. The present season will be the last for Gus Edwards, himself, in vaudeville. The composer intends re-entering the music publishing field. GRAU OUT AGAIN. Robert Grau was about town again Tuesday, after an illness which had confined him to his bed since Christmas Day. Cameron and Gaylord Split Again. Chicago, Jan. 5. Tudor Cameron and Bonnie Gaylord have again come to the parting of the vaudeville ways. Cameron has joined with another of his former partners, Johnnie O'Connor, while Miss Gaylord has not yet decided just what stage action she will pursue.