Variety (July 1916)

VARIETY CABARETS "WalkuV th* Dog," the new Chicago song and dance recently introduced around Broadway, is rapidly replacing the several other modern steps and bids fair in time to out-distance the popularity attained by the Tango and Texas Tommy, but as yet the real ver- sion of the dance has not been shown in any of the better grade places, al- though it contains nothing along sug- gestive lines that should prohibit it as a feature. About the only place where the "Dog" is really shown as it was originated, is in the several colored places uptown. At Baron Wilkins* As- toria Cabaret on West 135th street, Tony Donovan, Lola Nelson and Lu- vinia Turner give a great exhibition of the "Dog" with all the peculiar twists and swings accompanying the original idea. This trio, working to the "Walkin' th' Dog" song, hop through 20 or more choruses without a stop, the encores carrying quite as many more. With the closing of Connors* resort, the Baron has a monopoly on the white patronage, his cafe being about the only one of its kind where the attendance is of mixed colors, since the Baron specializes in late slumming parties. .. t XiJ The placet at the seashore are hav- ing a hard enough time of it this season in combating with the weather, and to make it more difficult the new police or- der anent the closing down at 2 a. m. sharp nightly, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday nights, when a 1 a. m. closing order is effective, hits them rather hard. At the Casino, Brighton Beach, conducted by Eddie Pidgeon, the order has hurt the last two Saturday nights. A few hundred patrons turned away on each of those nights after the one o'clock curfew had been tolled. Those inside can remain as long as they care to, providing they have ordered their liquid refreshment before the closing hour. The headwaiters pass along among the tables and tip off that it is "the last call for the bar." All the Island Saturday night was tighter than a drum after one. As the result of a decision handed down last week by the State Supreme Court in Chicago, which held that the ordinance prohibiting dancing in pub- lic restaurants was unconstitutional, things have opened up in the town con- siderably. The Corporation Counsel has refused lo voice an opinion, but City Prosecutor Harry Miller feels that the city would have no difficulty in pre- venting dancing in saloons and other placet known to be disreputable. Robert Marks is producing for Clif- ford Fischer the ragtime dances to be incorporated in Fischer's Castles in the Air show which will open about Aug. 1. Theodore Kosloff is putting on the classical numbers. Forty girls have been engaged for the terpsichorean work. Maxim's on 38th street has obtained the two adjoining buildings on the east side of the present location, and will break through, turning the whole into one large assembling place. The addi- tions will also likely form an exclu- sive after-hours club at Maxim's next winter. Nellie Feltus was injured internally Sunday night in Cincinnati, when the car she was driving was struck by an- other machine. Miss Feltus is at the home of her brother at 861 Academy avenue, Price Hill, that city. She was formerly with "The Follies" and was preparing to leave for New York to appear at the Hotel McAlpin Roof when injured. The Hotel Shelburne, Brighton Beach, "Splash Me" cevue now has Marie Lavarre and Frank Crummit as new principals in the show. Muriel Hudson will shortly leave the revue, it is said. Miss Lavarre was with the "Splash Me" revue at the Shelburne last summer. MORRIS CORT CIRCUIT. (Continued from Page 3.) night performances commencing at 7:30 and 9:30. The Orpheum's pro- grams show twice daily. No one appears to know if there is a White Rats connection with the Morris venture. On his way westward, Morris stopped off at Detroit, and be- fore the White Rats open meeting at the Hotel Griswold there, June 26, made a speech in which he strongly dwelt upon opposition in vaudeville. His pre- vious speeches before White Rats were of the same tenor. When approached before leaving and asked if any con- nections he might be contemplating would have a White Rats angle, Morris refused to talk about it. John Cort announced some years ago the intention to send vaudeville road shows at regular intervals over a legiti- mate route. He sent Anna Held at the head of one company through a com- plete season, but that was the only tangible result. Before that, William Morris had tried to put over his independent vaudeville chain, but after many vicissitudes and through working on a limited capital, besides attempting to widely extend his operations, gaining more losing than winning theatres thereby, Morris was obliged to abandon the venture, which he did by disposing of the American theatre, New York, to Marcus Loew. A serious handicap to Morris in that attempt was the death of his attorney, George M. Leventritt, who died when the Morris affairs were most complex but seemed in a way to be straightened out. Before that time Morris had been at the booking helm of the Klaw & Erlanger "Advanced Vaudeville" entry, always looked upon as speculation by those near to it. For several years previously Morris conducted an inde- pendent booking agency, which was de- serted in bulk almost simultaneously by several managers who joined the United Booking Offices. In recent seasons Morris has been inactive, other than handling the Harry Lauder tour, with the management of the New York theatre and roof for a while. Last year after Oscar Ham- merstein had disposed of his lease of the Victoria theatre at 42d street and Seventh avenue, Hammerstein wanted to play big time vaudeville at the 44th Street theatre, with Morris as his book- ing manager. The United Booking Offices declined to permit Morris the privilege of its offices as the Hammer- stein representative, and defeated Ham- merstein in a court contest over the point. It was said at the time the "Morris managers" left his booking agency for the U. B. O. that the B. F. Keith in- terests offered Morris a contract for 10 years at $25,000 annually to become a part of the U. B. O. system. Morris declined it, and later, when selling out to Loew, remaining in the Loew book- ing agency under contract at $15,000 yearly, he voluntarily surrendered that agreement, to go out once again upon his own. Oliver Morosco has grown to be the most important speaking stage pro- ducer west of New York. His activ- ities on the Coast attracted an equal share of attention with the legitimate happenings in the metropolis, but Morosco's vaudeville knowledge is quite meagre, a..hough his general manager, George Mooser, was largely concerned in the Cort vaudeville road show opera- tions. When lately making a business con- nection with Jack Goldberg, Morris came into the control of the Park the- atre, New York, which is reported he and Goldberg are playing on percentage with the lessee of the house. Other eastern theatres are said to have been secured by Morris, without anything definite being known other than some agents about appear to believe Morris holds booking contracts for next sea- son with several theatres in New Eng- land; also some in the middle west The Morris-Goldberg combination was formed on the theory that it held two vaudeville experts, Morris as far as big time is concerned, and Goldberg, for small time. Morris' idea of this was that current vaudeville is so close- ly related between its big and small time that a booking agency must needs be thoroughly equipped in the knowl- edge of both ends. DREW IN EQUITY COUNCIL John Drew has been elected a mem- ber of the council of the Actor's Equity Assn. and has accepted the office. Others who have been elected to the council in order to enlarge its member- ship from 21 to 36 are James O'Neill, Robert Peyton Carter, Clifton Craw- ford, Geo. Stuart Christie, Fred Niblo, Pedro de Cordoba, Shelly Hull, Frank Mills. SPECIALTY GOES OUT. About the only change made in "The Passing Show of 1916" at the Winter Garden since that ^production opened has been the elimination of the Hussey and Boyle specialty in the first part of the performance. The members of the team remain in the cast, taking their respective (book) roles. NATIONAL TAX HITS THEATRES. The Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives last week brought the revenue bill, by means of which it is proposed to raise $210,000,- 000, before the House. The bill if passed will hit the theatre managers, circus men, museum managers and con- cert halls rather hard. Section 302 ot the bill, paragraphs 6, 7 and 8, which apply to theatricals, are reprinted here- with. They are as follows: "Sixth—Proprietors of theatres, muuumi, or oonoert halls where a charge of admission Is made, located in a city, town, or vlllaga with a population not exceeding 1,000, accord- ing to the last preceding oensus of the United States, shall pay flO; located In a city, town, or vllage having a population In excess of $1,000. but not In excess of 2,000, shall pay $15; located In a city, town, or Tillage hav- ing a pouplatlon In excess of 2,000 and not In excess of 3,000, shall pay $20; located In a city, town, or village having a popu.atlon In excess of 3,000, shall pay one-half of 1 per cent, of their gross receipts from admis- sion. Every edifice used for the purpose ot dramatic or operatic or other representa- tions, plays, or performances, for admission to which entrance money Is reoelved, not In- cluding halls or armories rented or used oc- casionally for concerts or theatrical repre- HenUtlons, shall bo regarded as a theatre. "Every proprietor of suoh theatre, mu- seum or concert hall, located In a city, town. ol !w^ !l } a § e ^ !l * Tlll « m JPoPuUrtlon in excess of 4,000 Inhabitants, shall on or before the loth day of March, 1917, and on or before the 15th day of June, September, December and March thereafter, make a return under oath to the Collector of International Revenue of the dis- trict wherein they are located, stating the gross receipts from admissions for the preced- ing quarter. The Collector shall, within five days of receipt of the return, notify the pro- prietor of the amount of the tax for which Much person Is liable, and suoh person shall pay the tax to the Collector on or before the nrst day of the next month. "Seventh—The proprietor or proprietors of circuses shall pay $100. Every building, space, tent, or area where feats of horseman- ship or acrobatic sports or theatrical per- formances not otherwise provided for In the section are exhibited shall be regarded as a circus, provided that no special tax paid In one Bute, Territory, or the District of Co- lumbia shall exempt exhibitions from the tax In another State. Territory, or the District of Columbia, and but one special tax shall be Imposed for exhibitions within any one Bute, territory, or district. "Bights—Proprietors or agsnts of all other public exhibitions or shows for money not enumerated In this section ehall pay 910, provided that a special tax paid In one State, Territory, o the District of Columbia shall not exempt exhibitions from the tax In an- other Btete, Territory, or the District of Co- lumbia, and but ons special tax shall be re- quired for exhibitions within sny one Bute, Territory, or the District of Columbia: Pro- vided, further, that this paragraph shall not apply to Chautauqua*, lecture Ijroeumi, agri- cultural or Industrial fairs, or exhibitions held under the auspices of religious of oharltable associations: Provided, further, that an ag- I rogation of entertainments, known as a street air, ehall not pay a larger tax than $100 In any Btete, Territory, or the District of Co- lumbia." The personal income tax remains the same, the exemptions being $3,000 an- nually for single men and $4,000 for married men. BIG STOCK WINNER. Sioux City, July 5. The stock company which Morgan Wallace has been conducting here this season has proven one of the biggest winners of the year in this part of the country. The company showed a win- ning of $65,000 at the time of closing. The company in Peoria which was also conducted by Mr. Wallace man- aged to break about even on the year. Next year the stock will return to the latter town, but will be housed at another house. Local backers in Pe- oria are satisfied with the break that they got there this season and are will- ing to finance the company for another engagement. Morgan Wallace is now in New York arranging for a number of plays for next season and complet- ing arrangements for both of his com- panies. If you don't advertlee In VARIETY, don't advertlee.