Variety (April 1916)

VAUDEVILLE RESULT OF W. R. A. U. ELECTION TO BE MADE PUBLIC NEXT WEEK Balloting in Contest Just Closed the Heaviest in History— German Branch Elects Officers—Boston Local 10 Picket- ing Theatrical District—Managers Meet in Chicago. The Result of the balloting in the current White Rats election will not be definitely known until the latter part of next week. The polls closed mid- night, March 31, but the election offic- ers found they were facing a week's task to straighten out the votes and make the proper count. No indication of what the result may be has been giv- en out and until the final decision is announced no inkling of the showing made by the various candidates will be dropped by those in charge. The balloting in the election has been the heaviest in the history of the organization. The official decision will probably be ready for publication next Friday, but until then the only candidate posi- tively sure of election is Harry Mount- ford, nominated for International Ex- ecutive unanimously. The election of officers in the Ger- man Branch of the White Rats was held this week and returned Otto Stein- ert as president and" Herman Korn, vice-president. Max Schultz is corre- sponding secretary and Wm. Oster is business agent of the branch. Boston, April 5. Picketing by the representatives of the Boston Branch, No. 10, of the White Rats Actors' Union is reported to be going on in the professional dis- trict. Business Representative Geoffrey L. Whalen March rKsejtjOut a communi- cation, going into effect March 25 establishing a minimum of $5 a day, with transportation if outside of the Boston district. The picketing said to be in progress is aimed at the professionals and not at the agencies, and the object is to dis- cover those players who are signing up for less than $5 a day. Every theatre except two in Boston is reported paying the minimum, and these two are now said to be using vir- tually amateur acts. Whalen declares Taunton and Fall River clashes with the New England Vaudeville Managers' Association drove managers into line through the dis- covery a number of the acts on bills which were not suspected of being White Rats refused to go on until a recognized White Rat was given a square deal. The Vaudeville Managers' Protective Association held no meeting this week. The next one will convene Tuesday in its new offices in the Columbia Theatre Building. Nothing of importance developed during the week in the White Rats- V. M. P. A. embroglio. While there was still talk of another vaudeville artists' society organizing, no one could be found who would admit be- ing interested, nor have any names of vaudevillians been mentioned in con- nection with a new organization. Chicago, April 5. The mid west branch of the Vaude- ville Managers' Protective Association effected the first formation of its or- ganization at the Palmer House last week. It will work in conjunction with the eastern body of the V. M. P. A. Further steps toward a permanent affiliation will be taken at another meet- ing to be held here April 6. At the first session (March 31), tem- porary officers were named as follows. President, Aaron Jones; vice-president, Mort. H. Singer; secretary, Claude S. Humphries; treasurer, James C. Mat- thews. The meeting was presided over by Karl Hoblitzelle and was held at the call of the New York body. Mr. Sing- er read a communication from the New York managers, advising a course of action for the western body to pursue. Among other managers present were Sam Kahl, W. S. Butterfield, L. F. Allardt, Will Cunningham, John Nash, Frank Q Doyle, Marcus Heiman. San Francisco, April 5. Harry Mountford is scheduled to arrive here next week. Arrangements are under way to give the International Executive a pleasant reception. A monster mass meeting will be held on Thursday, April 13, at which the organizer will preside. Seattle, April 5. Harry Mountford presided at a big meeting here yesterday, holding the gathering in the theatre of the Press Club. Judge Thomas McMahon was chairman. Mr. Mountford's dash to the Coast calls for three meetings in San Fran- cisco next week, one a special meeting of the San Francisco Labor Council. In addition, an open meeting on or- ganization will be handled by Mount- ford, and finally he will talk on "Pre- paredness." He proposes to be in Los Angeles during week April 16. HEARST PAPERS BOOSTING. The Leo Feist professional depart- ment is arranging for a collection of the song drawings by Nell Brinkley and other artists on the Hearst string of papers and will present them in book form to their patrons. Tuesday the New York Journal de- voted a page by Brinkley to "Are You Half the Man Your Mother Thought You'd Be?" while Arthur Brisbane and a staff cartoonist generously gave the back page and editorial columns to "Wake Up, America." INCOMPETENT CRITICISM. The small time vaudeville manage- ments having theatres in neighborhood locations around New York have com- plained of late against the local news- papers. These papers, say the man- agement, sent incompetent reviewers to see their bills, with the result the papers' readers (and some are quite strong among the inhabitants of the neighborhoods) have been given the wrong impression of the small time bills. The theatres advertised in the local sheets, and to sharply bring the matter of their complaints to the papers in question, the advertisements were with- drawn. Harlem and the Bronx are the par- ticular sections where the theatre man- agements made their complaints the loudest. It is said the papers of those sections are endeavoring to intelli- gently criticise the vaudeville perform- ances for their publics, with the view of having the advertising reinstated. 'YOUR WIFE" 0. K. "Your Wife" has not been banned universally as one might have under- stood from the article published in last week's Variety, but the so-called "joints" have tabooed the number, the reflection suggested by the lyric against those particular "chasers" who general- ly patronize the "joints." making it dangerous to business. A canvass of the better grade restau- rants around Broadway was made and none had issued orders against the song. The song has b';en officially recog- nized by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, a meas- ure understood around song circles as the final guarantee for stage purposes. AERIAL ACTS ACCIDENT. Los Angeles, April 5. The young woman of ' the Flying Howards, at Pantages, while doing the fake fall Monday from a trapeze, fell to the stage, suffering sprained shoulder blades. The audience considered it miraculous the injury was not much more serious. Ruth Budd, an aerialiste on similar lines, recently had a severe fall while at the Majestic, Chicago. NEWSPAPER MONOLOGIST. St. Paul, April 5. Dan P. Casey, the San Francisco newspaper man, opened last week his first stand on an Orpheum route which is to take him back to the Coast. Mr. Casey tried out several weeks ago at the Orpheum, Oakland, Cal., telling Irish stories. "Town Topics" Keeping It Up. Chicago, April 5. Contrary to earlier reports, "Town Topics" will not disband, the show hav- ing been booked into Indianapolis for next week, leaving the Chicago theatre this week. It will also play a string of dates be- tween here and the Coast prior to a run out there. NEW GARDEN SHOW EARLY. The Shuberts are preparing a new show for the Winter Garden, to open early in June, following the Jolson show. Among those under contract for the new show arc Laddie Cliff, Ed. Wynn, Herman Timberg and Hattie Darling, and the Ford Sisters. It's about settled the present Gar- den "Robinson Crusoe" production with Al Jolson will close for the sum- mer after completing the Garden en- gagemeni, reopening next fall on the road. That will be the final season for lolson's contract with the Shuberts. Helen Shipman who left the Jolson show a couple of weeks ago is said to have abandoned her intention of re- fraining from accepting further the- atrical engagements. She may reopen in vaudeville. Miss Shipman denies she received but $75 weekly at the Garden, saying her Shubert contract was for three years. The first year's salary was to be $125 weekly, the second year $175. and the third $225. Philadelphia, April 5. Herman Timberg and Hattie Dar- ling were rushed on here last week by the Shuberts to join the "World ol Pleasure" which needed strengthening. MARRIAGES. Claire Antoinette Schade, daughter of A. G. Schade, manager of the Ma- jestic, Bloomington, 111., March 14, to George L. Rockwell (Rockwell and Wood) at The Little Church Around the Corner, New York City, by the Rev. Dr. Houghton. James A. Graham, March 30, in New York, to Florence Fletcher. Mr. Gra- ham was formerly of Graham and Port- er. Miss Fletcher is in burlesque. BENNY LEONARD SINGING. A "singing single" is Benny Leonard, aspirant for the lightweight champ- ionship and who nearly secured it last Friday night when battling with the title-holder, Freddie Welsh at Madi- son Square Garden. This week Leonard, who is a Harlem boy, is the feature attraction at the Olympic on 14th street. Next week he expects to appear in a vaudeville theatre, where he will sing, assisted by Jimmy Flynn. Bernard Burke is handling the fighter's theatrical matters. NICHOLSON LEAVING "PAT." Paul Nicholson has given notice to the "Princess Pat" management of his intention to leave the show, where he has been playing the principal role. Mr. Nicholson will return, to vaude- ville with his former stage partner, Miss Norton. H.-W. Circus in Southwest. Cincinnati, April 5. The local circus season will open April 24. On that and the day follow- ing, the Hagcnhcck-Wallacc Circus will be here. The show has been in winter quarters at West Baden, Ind. The ad- vrrtisin.Lr car rcwhed here yesterday. If you don't advertise In VARIETY, don't advertise