Variety (January 1916)

8 VAUDEVILLE ARTISTS' FORUM Confln* l»tt*ra to 1B0 words and write on one aide of paper only. Anonymous communication* will not be printed. Name of writer must be signed and will be held In strict confidence, If desired. Letters to be publish*d In this column must be written exclusively to VARIETY. Duplicated letters will not be printed. The writer who duplicates a letter to the Forum, either before or after It appears here, will not be again permitted the priv- ileges of It. • New York, Jan. 4. Editor Variktv: The article in Varikty regarding English actors and the war seems to suggest English actors as a class are shirking their duty to their country. According to lists published in Lon- don, there arc already over 1,100 mem- bers of the dramatic, musical and vau- deville professions enrolled in the ranks of the British army, and several have been killed in action. Furthermore, you made no mention of those who, prominent on the New York stage during the last few years, have given up good engagements and gone back to "do their bit." Here are the names of a few: Lionel Walnh. I (•■■lie Fabcr I'ct'T Hansctt Allan Pollock Robert Loruine Knrnn Soutar T i-wl* Howard Il.rh.rt Slcath Claude King Frederick Moves Ilex Macdougal Frio Maturln Wilfred Draycott Krnost Lambart Horace polio'k fiuv Standing Holmes Gore Wal I ice Wld-Ilcombe II. N*ye Chart Heml-r-i'-tn niand lInl!iw<>U Hobbcs Arthur Whitby And, in justice to those who have obeyed their country's call to arms, you might also mention the names of some of those who, while qualified by age, physical fitness or previous train- ing for active service, prefer the allure- ments of the Great White Way. [Names of 27 English actors (all in the legitimate and more or less well known in New York) are mentioned here in the letter.] B. S. Ring. [Several English professionals in New v ork have made inquiries (since Variety published the story of pos- sible consequences should England de- clare conscription) regarding their position with their country. The Eng- lish Consul is reported to have advised that if England declares conscription the Englishman in America might join a Canadian regiment. It also has been reported that since the war started there have been 5,000 applications for American naturaliza- tion papers by English non-profes- sionals.—Ed.J Watcrbury, Conn., Jan. 3. Editor Variety: An announcement of a prospective appearance of Miss Maude Fcaly in "The Turn of the Tide" by Hugh Her- bert, in last week's Variety makes it necessary for me to inform Mr. Her- bert through this column (as I have not his business address) that the title for Miss Eealy's act has been copyrighted bj me and used for upwards of the sc- » t S Lewis H. Madden and I pl.iyrd tn.^oui. in "The Turn of the 1 idc." It i c 'i"t therefore available f"r use in a vaudeville 4 ct. The possi- ' :'i!v ( . ! reviwil of the act some time Oi other i.. «- i! ._, ■ ■. i< m is wliv there should not be two sketches of the same title. I regret that by reason of circum- stances I am obliged to take this ap- parently curt means of announcing the existence of a nine-year old act with the same title as Mr. Herbert's cre- ation, and I wish for both him and Miss Fealy, and whatever he may de- cide to rechristen the child of his fancy, good luck and a long life in the variety world. James William FitzPatrick. PASSING THE BUCK. Atlantic City, Jan. 5. To quote Melville Ellis personally, his New Year holiday here was spoiled entirely because Helen Rook, also a visitor at the shore for the week, "pes- tered him to death to get $50" which Miss Rook claims is due her for hav- ing appeared at the birthday party ten- dered to Elsie De Wolf at the Winter Garden, Xmas eve. Miss Rook's version of the story is to the effect Mr. Ellis and Miss Mar- bury have been indulging in the pas- time of "passing the buck" for more than a week, and Miss Rook has been daily watching her goat rising higher and higher. She was promised $50 to appear at the party, just as Whiting and Burt were promised $100, which neither got, although both were in- formed to send their bill to Miss Mar- bury. PLAYING BOTH SIDES. Paul Gordon, the wire walker who is doubling between the Prospect and the Ziegfeld "Midnight Frolic" this week, has received a billing from the other side of the Atlantic which shows that he is also billed at the Olympia Circus, Liverpool. Mr. Gordon is trying to figure how he can add the third house to his list with- out losing any sleep. DOROTHY ARTHUR'S PARTNER. Dorothy Arthur (Mrs. Eddie Wiel), has decided to take to vaudeville under her husband's direction and will be booked by M. S. Bentham. Jos. Herbert, Jr., was engaged this week as her partner, after she lost Donald McDonald, who was signed with "The Masked Model." BLEW 'EM TO SUPPER. Pittsburg, Jan. 5. The management of the Harris the- atre gave a supper party to the acts on the bill there on New Year's Eve. They had played four shows that day including the midnight show for which they had been paid pro rata, but the management felt that additional recog- nition was necessary and gave the "blow out." LITTLE PROMISE FOR "LOOP." Chicago, Jan. 5. The Shubert's protection of "Within the Loop," the musical comedy open- ing at the Chicago theatre (renamed American music hall) last Wednesday holds little promise of any lengthy success. The theatre is outside the "loop," the production is very bad, the costum- ing is worse, and about the only chance the show has comes from the vaudevillians in it, along with a couple of songs. The piece is reviewed in detail else- where in this issue. Muriel Window has handed in her "notice" and will retire from the cast on Jan. 15. AN ELEVEN O'CLOCK TOAST. Dedicated to the Meatorr «f ARTHUR C. MORELAND. [Ll felons member of No. 1, B. p. O. Elks, founder, editor aad proprietor "Elka* Antler," the official journal of the Elka.] The Order of Elka la mighty. Their principle* dlvlnei The links of "Benevolent Charity" Are aa Arm aa the atreacth of time. Draped In a mantle "Protective,* The aame aa "Colombia" wore. The word of "God" their "Altar** And "Welcome" o'er the door. Do nnto one nnother Aa you'd wlah they'd do to yon. Are the leaaona that they advocatei Be honest* fnlr nnd trie, To err we know la hnmaa, Bnt God made na nil one What a bleant n« Is foraiveaeaai So let Hla will be done. t The "Antlers" with their mighty prongs Mow reach from coast to coasti Their numbers ran In thousaads. Made np of men we boast. And In nil their bnsy moments. When they raise the enp of cheer. The nbsent one's remembered The same as though he>a here. Jnst now the clock strikes "Eleven/* And ere the Isst stroke's bent. Fill well yonr enp nnd slowly rise Yes, stnnd upon yonr feet. To honor him In nbsence And show fraternnl lovet Asleep, awake or gone from ns. To thnt "Grand Lodge*' above. JIunhir Wansy. JIM MILLER Who just completed a successful five weeks' engagement at CarTton Terrace, New York, has hi-en engaged at the NANKIN GARDENS, NEWARK, where he expects to become as popular as at his former place, through his own inimitable way. "MOLLY DEAR. IT'S YOU I'M AFTER." published by JEROME II. REMICK & CO., is being featured by this young coiner. "BLUE PIERROTS" FROST. The heaviest frost of the season happened Monday night when "The Blue Pierrots," six or seven of them, opened to a capacity orchestra attend- ance at the Liberty theatre that held $40 in actual cash. The exact gross appears to have be- come known through one Arthur Hor- witz, who would admit with much pleasure he is a vaudeville agent, hav- ing horned into the show's end to the extent of 10 per cent, of its gross. How Horwitz got in on the venture seems easy from his explanation—he was obliged to accept the 10 per cent, agreement through the friendship of Chris Gray, who is connected with the English company of "Pierrots." In England it is said "The Blue Pierrots" might be a headline attrac- tion in the smaller halls. They came here from South America. Gray and Norman Bloom are the managers of the x company that gives a "whole show." After reaching New York they met Mr. Holmes of Holmes and Riley, a vaudeville act. Before Holmes met them he was worth $1,200 over and above what he had left Tuesday a. m. The difference in his wealth was in- vested in "The Blue Pierrots," that got the open week at the Liberty between the departure of "The Birth of a Na- tion" and the incoming "Sybil" attrac- tion there next week. Monday night the English troupe opened. It was a "$2 audience," ac- cording to report, that looked, laughed and went away Tuesday the dailies got in their work, but it was said the troupe might remain at the Liberty the remainder of the week. The story of the Horwitz entrance carries along another homer in, George Choos, who is said to occupy the sam« office with Horwitz. What Choos got in or how he got in hasn't been told so far, but the same Tuesday Horwitz discovered he had picked a bloomer again it was said the Horwitz-Choos combine had commenced blaming one another for not having sold the 10 per cent, agreement before the show opened. In the good old days of Freeman Bernstein, before Mr. Bernstein found a picture gold mine near the Philadelphia Mint, the Bernstein method would have been to grab the contract, then let a purchaser gamble with it, especially when he could pick up a 10 per cent, of the gross agreement without taking the chance of a Grand Jury investiga- tion. But young Mr. Horwitz hasn't been in the show business as long as Mr. Bernstein, though he knows a lot about many things in and out of it. Besides the two managers the little English company contains Alma Gray, a Miss Barncll and a Mr. Granville. It is bound for an indefinite tour, it is claimed. STOCK OPENINGS. St. Johns, N. B., Jan. 5. The W. S. Harkins Players opened here Christmas to big business. The company remains here two weeks, and will be supplanted by "The Parisian Girls," a musical stock.