Variety (December 1916)

Jmr*-' VAUDEVILLE iriiin ■ ■.i m i u - j MANAGERS AND ACTORS TALK f OVER PRESENT SITUATION E. F. Albee and A. Paul Keith Go Into Vaudeville With Walter C Kelly and Frank North. Both Actors Life Members of White Rata. That Walter C. Kelly, "The Virginia Judge," has had a couple of conver- sations with E. F. Alpee and A. Paul Keith of late has become pretty well known along Broadway. The first talk happened quite by accident, it is said. Mr. Kelly called at the United Book- ing Offices and while there met Messrs. Albee and Keith. The conversation drifted to the present vaudeville situ- ation between the managers and White Rats. It lasted for over two hours, ac- cording to report, and when Mr Kelly departed, he had heard the managers' view of it, something he had not pre- viously been informed of. Mr. Kelly paid another visit to Mr. Albee's office a few days after and the conversation was renewed. It has also been said that Frank North (formerly Howard and North) also had a personal interview with the managers along the same lines. Mr. Kelly is a life member of the Rats. At present he is in the "Show of Wonders" at the Winter Garden, with the season booked and engage? ments in England to follow the end of his contract with the Shuberts. Mr. ^ North is also a life member of the or- ganization. According to Mr. Kelly, the managers placed their side of the controversy quite clearly, admitted there were many things in connection with their rela- tions with artists that could be ad- justed by proper arbitration, but in- sisted the White Rats organization is antagonistic, to the vaudeville mana- gers, and that the union affiliation of the Rats was also objectionable, be- sides the presence of Harry Mountford as the Rats' leader. The conversations, said Mr. Kelly, dwelt in part upon proposals in the past of the managers to favor the Rats as a friendly body, if it were to be consti- tuted in that manner, and, says Mr. Kelly, he obtained the sense of the managers' present attitude as leaning toward the Rats, provided it were with- out its union charter, also Mr. Mount- ford, when the benefits and demands granted the National Vaudeville Art- ists by the Vaudeville Managers' Pro- tective Association might be conveyed to the White Rats as well through an amalgamation of some kind of those two societies. NESBITT-CLIFFORD ACT. Vaudeville is again to have Evelyn Nesbit and Jack Clifford in a new act they^ are now preparing. Miss Nesbit has completed her first picture under a contract entered into by her last summer for a series of spe- cial feature films, the contract calling for a large sum to be paid to the Nesbitt- Clifford combination to appear before the screen. It did not, however, re- strict Miss Nesbit to pictures only. FIRSTS REUNITED. The^omestic troubles of Harry First and his wife, Florence Hadley, in a turbulent state durin^ the summer, have been peaceably settled with the couple once more reunited. They are to appear in the same vaudeville sketch, "The Buyer from Pittsburg." SAHARET OWR Philadelphia, Nov. 29. StiiRrctj 4hc Furooean dancer, last Saturday left "The Sesame of Love," an act in which she was featured.at the Nixon. The dancer complained about the four shows Saturday and claimed illness after the first performance. The act went to <jermantown this week without her/ Will Philbrick, who is appearing in it this week, is also do- ing an act on the same bill with his wile, billed as Philbrick and De Vere. RATS'OPEN MEETING. The White Rats held an open meet- ing Tuesday night in the clubrooms. Several of the speakers were prominent union labor men. ftarry Mountford also spoke. The addresses had to do with the American Federation of Labor conven- tion at Baltimore. GENTRY SHOW SOLD. Chicago, Nov. 29. From Bloomington, Ind.—the winter home of the Gentry Brothers' Shows— come advices the Gentrys have sold their dog and pony show to J. D. New- man, Indianapolis, and J. B. Austin, Anderson, Ind., the consideration being reported as $100,000. The Newman indicated is Jake New- man, who has been connected with the Ringling Bros, staff for years and has generally been attached to the contract- ing force of the Barnum & Bailey show. ART BOWEN TRIES SUICIDE. Chicago, Nov. 29. Art Bowen, former Chicago newspa- per cartoonist and later a success in vaudeville, attempted suicide here this week because of despondency. Bowen will recover. •■ ORCHESTRA'S BARON. Denver, Nov. 29. Discovery that J. D. von Harvada, leader of a local theatre (Denham) or- chestra, was an 1 Austrian baron with a clear title was made on the receipt of news from Dayton, O., that Prudence Daugherty von Harvada, daughter of the late Lewis Daugherty, Dayton capi- talist, had secured a divorce. Von Harvada's father attended the dinner at Meyerling at which Crown Prince Rudolph was killed and the fam- ily was exiled. That the musician was a baron in disguise was news even to the theatre's press department, which made up for lost time. ZANFT MANAGING THREE. Irving Cummings has signed a three- year contract to appear under John Zanft's direction and Jan Rubini has "returned to the fold," swelling the list under Johnny's management. A few weeks ago he obtained Joan Sawyer. Jimmy Hussey's Newest Partner. Jimmy Hussey will have a new part- ner after this week in William Wool- sey. who will replace Al Lee. Thb Husscy-Lee act, it is said, could not agree with the managers on salary. Lee may become a vaudeville agent. No Carroll-Wheaton Split. It was denied by Harry Carroll while here last week that/the present vaudeville act of Anna Whcaton and himself intends dissolving. Mr. Carroll said thev are booked to play the Co- lonial, New York, next week. Bert Leslie Rehearsing New "Hogan." Port Leslie in "ITn^an in Mexim." i* rehearsing for a'retvirfi to vaudeville in another of the "Hogan" skits Mr. Leslie made famous on that stagCt DISGUISE DIDN'T GET OVER. An attempt to put something over on the booking force of the Loew Cir- cuit failed of success and will probably end efforts to disguise a bad act. The agent in the affair was once humorously referred to by Mark Levy ..?n..^ja..adverfij«;jTie.nJt v ..|Ie p ..had i an act, two people, that should have been bad enough to please the most discriminat- ing of the pickers of poor ones. The man and woman olayed two weeks on the Loew time. Afer each house man- ager of the theatres they appeared in had taken a day off trying to describe how bad the turn was, the Loew office concluded it was time to affix the can. Then the agent with the common American name got a hunch. He walked around with it every place but in the Putnam building in fear some- one would read his mind. He would put the act in blackface and have it try out at Loew*s National and pass the laugh around after it had been booked again. Everything got along like a clock until after the act showed at the Na- tional. Then Jake Lubin, of the Loew book!nor office, wanted to know what it was all about and slipped the can across for the second time. The agent alleges Jake was tipped off, but- it seemed simple to the rest of the bunch who say the act was so bad nothing could hide it. MARRIAGES. Benny Carrol (brother of Harry Car- roO and Ethel Williams of Atlantic City. Both have been appearing in "Patria," the Mrs. Vernon Castle serial. Manuel A. Alexander (stage director for Julia Arthur) and Mae Guyer (Rose Stahl Co.) in New York, Nov. 20. Eugene Smith ('The 20th Century Maids") to Ruby Winters, non-profes- sional, in Cleveland, Nov. 24. John F. Sanderson, Jr. and Gladys Uhle/ at Hagerstown, Md.. Nov. 16. Mr. Sanderson is manager of a Hagers- town theatre. He was formerly in Lynchburg, Va. Henry H. Myers, comedian, and Mrs. Marietta Williams, professional dancer, at New York, Nov. 27, according to in- formation received by Meyers' rela- tives in Boston. Velma Lee to Harrv A. Wood, at Biddeford. Me., Nov. 24. a* the Central theatre, after the night performance. Over-2.000 oeople saw the ceremony. The bride is of the Strand Musical Comedy Co. Her husband is an exoert gunner in the Coast Artillery. # The ceremony was performed in spite of protests from local clergvmen. Ned Dandy to> Sarah Edelman (non- professional) this week. BIRTHS. Mr. and Mrs. Leopold Stark (Gene Peliter), Nov. 22, son. Loew-Schenck Western Trip. Next Monday Mr. and Mrs. Joseph ,M. Schenck and Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Loew will start for a trip to the Pa- cific Coast, lasting until about Jan. 1. when the party expects again to reach New York. It will be the Schencks' honeymoon and Mr. Schenck's first visit to the Golden Gate. Julian Rose's New Hoffman Act. About to discard "Levinskv's Wed- ding." a Hebrew monolopr, Julian Rose has been identified with for years, that Hebrew comedian will shortly ex- pound on the vaudeville stage a new routine of pointed talk written by Aaron Hoffman. Jim Cullen Is Not the Feller. Cleveland. Nov. 29. Tames H. Cullen. "The Man from the West," while at the Hippodrome last week said there are some who believe he is laj.wiVii ; ,. ..iM: ••*»'-.■-.--«\«*y«.. through one James T- Cullen having started an net ion of.that kind. Jim remarks he was married 17 years ago and still likes the same good wife. ZIEGFIELD WINS MYRTIL SUIT. Judge 'Bijur in the Supreme Court' this week decided the case of F. Ziep- feld, Jr., vs. the father of Odette Myrtil, in an action instituted by the manager* The latter was awarded $5,000 liquidat- ed damages because of the violinist's breaking her contract with him. Her contract with Ziegieid~ *Wtt* ior two years, her father agreeing to pay $5,000 as a forfeit in the event o his laughter breaking her contract. This decision was awarded the manager, even though the artist was an infant in the eyes of the law. Another phase of the case was that the contract contained the clause "sal- ary is to be paid only when perform- ances are given." It had been held in prior litigation that such a contract was not enforcible because it lacked mutuality. Judge Bijur reversed this in the face of a prior decision in case of Frank V. Pollock against the Shuberts. HELD FOR WHITE SLAVERY. . . Chicago, Nov. 29. John Cochran, alias Bradley, a variety artist, is held here in the county jail on a charge of white slavery, accused of bringing Kathcrinc Beatty, 17 years old, to this city from Moberly, Mo. He, may be freed through the death of the girl yesterday. POLICE PU8H BUSINESS. St. Louis, Nov. 29. Although the critics panned *A World of Pleasure" at the Jefferson, the play received much newspaper space when the police descended upon the house management claiming that the lack of clothes had shocked the public and that they had received many com- plaints. The unlooked for publicity boosted the receipts so high the pro- duction will doubtless be held over next week, so great is the demand for seats. DAVE CLARK'S BALL. The David J. Clark Association, an organization composed of the promi- nent song-writers and attaches of mu- sic publishing houses in the east for the relief of Dave Clark, a famous character along Broadway, will hold its initial ball at the New Amsterdam Hall, Friday, Dec. 29. David J. holds all offices except that of secretary and treasurer. Ray Goetz is secretary and George Meyer, treas- urer. Meyer is also watchman for the secretary and Goetz .watchman for the treasurer. The committee in charge of affairs carries the names of nearly everyone connected with the musiC in- dustry and the fee will be a dollar a "belt, which includes everything. GEO. MOORE JOINS "BETTY.* When ''Betty" (with ! Raymond Hitchcock) left New York Sunday, af- ter a run at the Globe, Geo. Moore* went with it, to play the man milliner role created by Peter Page in that show. NORWORTH ON THE ROOF. Jack Norworth will appear next week in Zeigfeld's "Midnight Frolic," having been placed by Sam Shannon. LEAH NORA. Leah Nora made her vaudeville debut a few weeks ago, with a single turn en- titled "A Story in Song," written by Gene Buck and Dave Stamper. Miss Nora, whose pictures are on the front page, is well known as "The Happy Smile Girl." She has an abun- dance of personality, a liberal share of talent and a remarkable repertoire of songs. Miss Nora is at the Alhambra this week, assisted by Mr. Stamper at the niano. Her vaudeville appointments Klein. [f row Air'I MtwtiM is VARIETY, to'* MY*?**-