Variety (April 1916)

8 VARIETY ARTISTS' FORUM Conflna Utters to 160 words and write on one aide of paper only. Anonymous communications will not be printed. Name of writer must be slffned and will be held In strict confidence, If desired. Letters to be published In this column must be written exclusively to VARIUTT. Duplicated let ten 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. April 4. Editor Vaiukti': Please correct the statement made by "The Skirt" in your last issue to lhe effect one of the gowns we wore at the Colonial was made over from last year. While the reviewer may not have cared for the gown, it was not right for her to have made any damag- ing statements concerning it unless she knew them to be facts. The dress in question is new, having been worn for the first time at Keith's, Providence, Saturday night, March 25, 1916. Misses Campbell. New York, April 3. Kditor Variety: My husband, Arthur Buckner, con- fined in the Federal Prison at Atlanta under sentence of three years, has made an application for executive clemency and has asked me to write this, be- seeching his friends or acquaintances in the various branches of the profes- sion to write him at that address, us- ing the following wording (on letters having business heads whenever pos- sible): "I (or we), the undersigned, respect- fully endorse the application of Arthur Buckner for executive clemency." Signing name, address and occupa- tion. My husband is attempting to have his sentence reduced from three years to one year and this may aid him, allow- ing him to leave in September, next. Mrs. A. Buckner. BEDINI'S NEW TITLE. Next season Jean Bedini will operate two productions on the Columbia Cir- cuit. His newest piece will be called "Cock-a-Doodlc-Do," while his pres- ent Columbia show, "Puss Puss," will retain that name. The current Bedini show will play Cohen's opera house, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., for three days, splitting with Bridge- port. Cohen's has played vaudeville all season. It is said Poughkeepsie has never seen a burlesque show in its city limits. OBITUARY. Mrs. Tompkins, the mother of Ruth and Kitty Henry on the Pantages Cir- cuit, died at noon April 2 after a short illness at the Continental Hotel, Los Angeles. The team cancelled book- ings and arranged to return cast to at- tend the interment at their home in Buffalo. Pearl Melnotte, age 26, died April 1 of peritonitis following child birth. The child, a lusty son, survives. Miss Mel- notte in January, 1915, married Thomas McCool ("Nip" of Nip and Tuck). For many years the Melnotte girls (Pearl and Carol) have been popular in vaude- ville, where as the Melnotte Twins they were highly regarded. They lately can- celed a western tour for Pearl to re- turn to New York to await her mother- hood that resulted in death. Coral meanwhile accepted a temporary en- gagement in the Reisenweber revue, "Hello, How Are You?" pending the recovery of her sister. The twins when kidlets played on the Pacific Coast, coming cast about nine years ago with Harry Fox, the trio probably compos- ing the initial turn of its sort on the Atlantic side. Later the Melnottes ap- peared with Clay Smith, also George Whiting, afterward becoming a "sister act," when they gained extraordinary professional respect for gentleness. The deceased girl had original ideas in comedy creations for song deliveries and was the first on the American stage to give a Charlie Chaplin impersona- tion. The remains were cremated at Fresh Pond, L. I., April 2. Harold Bourke (known professional- ly as Harold Hubert), father of Mrs. Jack Collins (Collins and Manning), was struck by an automobile at Eighth avenue and 22d street March 30. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he died shortly after. Bartlet McCullum, well known in stock, whose home was in Portland, Me. (where he first gained recognition), died March 25 in Philadelphia. He had been in pictures for four years. The father of Elaine Gilbert (Willis and Gilbert) died March 27 at his home in Brooklyn. Rose Wallace and Lil- lian Fortier are also surviving daugh- ters and professionals. Le Roy, the female impersonator, died March 13 at the home of his brother in Baltimore, after a short ill- ness. The deceased was buried in that city. Gordon Cambell, formerly electri- cian at the Garden and Lyric, Buffalo, died in that city March 31 after a long illness. Henry Leon Moore, Jr., age 25, man- ager of the Empire, Rahway, N. J., died last week at his home in that town. He y/fts also a playwright. The mother of Nick Hanley died March 30 in Brooklyn. She is survived by a husband and five *:.hildrv/i. STOCK BURLESQUE. The Olympic on Fourteenth street will install an all new burlesque stock company for the summer months start- ing May 21. It has played American Wheel shows during the present sea- son. Boston, April 5. The summer burlesque stock season at the Howard will start May 10. Miner's, Newark, N. J., will install a burlesque stock for the summer, opening May 8. On the same date a company will open at the Trocadero, Philadelphia. BURLESQUER DIES. Cincinnati, April 5. Anna Belle Kennedy, age 35, was found dead in her home in this city under mysterious circumstances. She was a member of a burlesque stock company at People's. Evidently she had lain down on a coueli in her room to read a newspaper and had been over- come by the fumes from a gas stove. The dead body of a pet dog lay on the door nearby. It also had been asphyxi- ated. The dead woman's parents reside in Cincinnati. Haymarket Playing American Shows. Chicago, April 5. Following a phenomenal stock sea- son of twelve weejes the Haymarket within the next fortnight will inaugu- rate a new policy, playing the Amer- ican wheel shows direct from the Englewood theatre here. Art. H. Moeller will remain manager. CHI'S SUMMER SHOWS. Chicago, April 5. Plans have been virtually set for the burlesque season in Chicago during the heated months. May 29 the Dave Marion Show will open a three weeks' engagement at the Columbia, to be followed by a new show by Hurtig & Seamon. The Star & Garter will run shows at least four weeks after the termination of the regular season and will repeat shows that have played the house. The Haymarket will continue its stock bur- lesque policy as long as the weather permits. Nearly all of the seven "jitney" houses on South State, recently closed by the police for giving "alleged im- moral performances," have been denied permits to reopen. However, picture grants have been made and the ma- jority have resumed operations with films. REVIVING HEUCK CIRCUIT. According to report the former Heuck burlesque circuit which operated for a while in the middle west is to be revised in the fall. It is understood a meeting was to have been held yes- terday (Thursday) in Pittsburgh at which George Schaeffer, formerly con- nected with the circuit, was to have in- troduced new backers, said to be Pittsburgh bankers. Schaeffer, accord- ing to the ^present plans, will be the general manager. The list proposed for next season in- cludes practically all of the so-called independent burlesque houses that have been operating during the past season. HELD FOR BIGAMY. Buffalo, April 5. Harry M. Scott, a farmer of Medina, N. Y. (near here), is held for the grand jury on a warrant sworn out by Mary Victoria Clifton, a former mem- ber of "The Queens of Paris" (bur- lesque). She charges Scott with big- amy. The plaintiff says she is Scott's third wife, having married him in Bridgeport in 1913. Scott claims he secured a divorce from his first wife and that as his mar- iage with the second was performed in Canada he can not be held for bigamy on it in the U. S. ARTHUR VAN and GOLDIE RINEHART. Who are presenting the "KILKENNY FOUR," "THE ACT DIFFERENT," on the MARCUS LOEW CIRCUIT under the personal direction of JOSEPH M. SCHENCK. This week (6-7-8-9) the "KILKENNY FOUR" are appearing at LOEWS AMERICAN THEATRE. New York. Van and Rinehart have received many flattering offers to play comedy roles in motion "ictttrea, but have decided to remain in vaudeville for at least another season.