Variety (March 1916)

VAUDEVILLE DICE AND CARD SHARKS IN N. Y. ARE TRIMMI NG THE ACTORS NOW "Mob" Composed of Mixed Bunch of Acrobats, "Hoofers" and Near Magicians, Who Haven't Routes, Are Doing the "Cheating." Card Sharper Discovered Through Code Concealed in Pocket. The activity of a small "mob" of card and dice "cheaters" who of late have been paying exclusive attention to the professionals wintering in New York is causing considerable comment up and down Broadway, and while those individuals who are seemingly wise to the methods of the "grifters" have learned the secret through costly experience, the wail of woe following the nightly sessions promises to crimp further prospects around New York, at least until a new crop of "chumps" ar- rive from the road. The "cheaters" show nothing unique or novel in their system, most of them dent to succeed U. J. ("Sport") Her- posing as actors and securing their .mann, and Judge John P. McGoorty introductions through professional was re-elected treasurer. will do everything but talk under prop- er influence. Through their perpetual patronage of the misfit restaurants and their ca- pacity for coffee rings, this little colony of buzzards have become af- fectionately known as the "ring-cake mob." A. T. HOSPITAL ELECTION. Chicago, March 1. The annual election of officers and directors of the American Theatrical Hospital Association was held here last week and Judge Charles N. Goodnow was selected to succeed Joseph Hopp as president of the organization. Alfred Hamberger was elected vice presi- sources, the steerers delivering their friends through the apparently inno- cent invitation "to the room," where the game is going strong on their ar- rival. With a half dozen phony play- ers keeping things "hot" the "chump" has about as much chance as a one- legged man in a hundred-yard dash. He falls for a small bet and the "tops" are eased in and by the time "chump number two" is ushered in "chump number one" is cleaned and sent on his gloomy way. The "mob" is composed of a mixed bunch of acrobats, hoofers and magi- cians who just missed the route, and a "hot" crap game can be scared up in a minute's notice, the "mob" headquar- tering around the several Long Acre Square restaurants where coffee and ring cake are the best sellers. Liv- ing at different hotels, the farce is shifted nightly and the move carries its own protection. Recently a joy trip to Philadelphia netted several hundred easy dollars, a burlesque manager, a musical comedy comedian and a vaudevillian contribut- ing to the treasury. On another oc- casion one of the "cheaters" was nailed through an agent's mistake, the agent taking the "grifter's" overcoat home, thinking it was his own. A search of the pockets disclosed a code for tip- ping off the hole card in a stud poker game. The owner of the overcoat had been playing steadily at one of the theatrical clubs. When confronted with the evidence he made himself scarce. The crooked game is hard to distin- guish, for the "mob" as a rule can (itialify as actors in a pinch and the uninitiated will find it difficult to pick out the "fronts" in a set of dice, although the '"cheater" is too wise to take a chance on a "chump's" bank roll without that little ace in the hole, and most of them can match the vic- tim's own dice with a twin pair that The election of Judge Goodnow was particularly favorable to the gathering, Goodnow having endeared himself to the association through his tireless efforts as a member of the board. He has conducted a majority of the past meetings. The Hospital Association will hold its next benefit performance at the Auditorium May 13, when it will give a vaudeville show at $1, $2, and $3 per seat. Arrangements for the staging of the show are now under way. OPPOSING AGENCY AMENDMENT. Albany, N. Y., March 1. Yesterday there was a hearing be- fore the Senate on the bill introduced by Senator James Walker to amend the Employment Agency Bill. The amendment to the contract sec- tion, suggested by Senator Walker, was as follows, which practically al- lows every agency to refuse to issue a contract: "Provided, however, if either party to said contract refuses or neglects to sign the same or the location of the parties, or the exi- gencies of the case preclude the li- censed person from procuring such signatures, such licensed person shall be relieved from compliance with this section." The second amendment introduced allowed the fees paid by actors to be divided among anyone in whose em- ployment they may be. A delegation from the White Rats Actors' Union and Associated Actress- es of America, consisting of Messrs. Edward Esmonde, Tim Cronin and Harry Mountford, appeared before the Senate committee in opposition to these amendment?. The chairman, Senator Walters, stat- ed he understood Maurice Goodman. for the United Booking Offices, wouU be present to speak in favor of the amendments to the bill, but Mr. Good- man was not there, and Senator Walker said Mr. Goodman would submit a memorandum with regard to the pro- posed amendments. Mr. Mountford spoke against the amendments, and argument followed between Senator Walker and Mr Mountford. It is not expected any further hear- ing will be held. CANADA'S ACT—SHORTNESS. Montreal, March 1. Fear of conscription led two acts containing Englishmen, due to open at the Orpheum (vaudeville), Monday, to cancel the engagement last Saturday. The turns were Du For Boys and Smi- letta Bros, and Mora. With Canadian theatre managers not wanting to play Germans or Austrians within the Dominion, and the latest bar the English have found, the vaudeville supply of talent especially will be somewhat confined in its nationalties. At the office of the English Consul in New York Monday a Variety repre- sentative was informed the Conscrip- tion Act in Great Britain applied only to England, Scotland and Wales. Neither Ireland, Canada, Australia nor any of Great Britain's Colonial posses- sions was included. While Canada was excepted and the Consul's official remark was there could be no reason why an Englishman in the United States could not freely enter and leave Canada, he suggested the feeling of the Canadian people upon seeing an Englishman pursuing his stage vocation after their own had gone across to help the mother country 1 att'e, might be expressed in different ways, and would also perhaps account for the aversion of English profes- sionals in the States to appearing in Canada. Sunday in New York an Eng- lish two-act (both men) refused to go to a Toronto theatre for this week, although the act had just returned to New York after playing three weeks of Canadian time. Frederick G. Bates arrived in New York this week and commissioned Chamberlain Brown to cast four stock organizations for him to appear in Montreal. Quebec and Ottawa. The opening date for all four is Easter Monday. One of the points Mr. Bates laid great stress upon was that he did not want Mr. P.rown to engage any English actors. The Canadian people do not feel any too friendly toward the Eng- lish actor, he said, who was remain- ing on this side of the ocean at present. JONES MISSES NOMINATION. Chicago, March 1. Willis Nance was nominated over Aaron Jones this week in the local Sixth Ward primary for Alderman. Nance's majority was 3,742. In plain American slang they got Aaron Jones' goat politically last week with the result the little Napoleon of popular-priced filmdom waxed so hot under the collar apparently that he hopped into print in all the Chicago dailies Monday. Jones emphatically denied some of the things the Municipal Voters' League had said in behalf of the candidacy of Nance. HON. CHAS. N. GOODNOW Tin* new president of the American Theatrical Hospital Association is one of the most promi- nent jurists in the country. JUDGE GOODNOW became internationally famous when he first introduced the Court of Domestic Relations and the Morals Court, the first two of their kind in America. He has been active in the hospital project since its inception and his unanimous election has met with the approval of everyone. JUDGE GOODNOW is particularly close to the theatrical profession and because of his interest in the profession's welfare, has earned the everlasting support of the Chicago theatrical colony who sec in him a promising prospect for future Mayoralty honors. MAY ADD VARIETY. Los Angeles, March 1. It's possible vaudeville will be added to the Triangle picture bill at the Bur- bank, and the same course may be pursued as well a. the Majestic.