Variety (December 1916)

VA'RIKTY ._ AMONG THE WOMEN By THE SKIRT "Fixing Sitter" with William Hodge at thfc.'F-Uio-tft theatre is very-nice—<and harmless. Jane Wheatly as sister, dresses her part as befits a New York society woman. In the first act her afternoon dress is of blue poplin made with a pointed over drapery edged in Hack net. The bodice is a peplum held in at the waist line with three bands of braid. Another gown is of orange velvet and net An evening dress was in purple velvet made in long cling- ing lines. Miriam Collins was girlishly pretty in orchid taffeta made empire and ending in tiny ruffles. A grey chiffon was much too somber for this miss. An evening frock of white net was trimmed elaborately in crystal. Ida Vernon has retained a youthful waist line and her clothes were well chosen, especially a lavender brocaded velvet with clouds of chiffon. A. bridge party scene was exceedingly well done with the lady supers in up-to-date evening frocks. After seeing "Pollyanna" at the Hudson I'm glad I read the book, for' the book conveys more gladness than the play. Patricia Collinge makes a nice Pollyanna, but her manner ol speech is quite inaudible at times* Effie Shannon (as the aunt) seemed dreadfully bored. Pollyanna, gTown up in the last act, wears a white chiffon frock with a short silver bodice. Miss annon wore a stunning orange net made £>ver a gold foundation. The net drapery was in points edged in grey maline. It was hard to believe Laurette Tay- lor could follow "Peg" with another success, but she has, thanks to J. Hart- ley Manners, her husband. Miss Tay- lor as the mother of a 19-year-old sonl And what a mother! None should miss this charming play. Miss Taylor makes her appearance in a gray riding habit and lovely she looked in it. A change is made to a gray clinging gown. The second and third acts found Miss Tay- lor in a brown cloth and chiffon. An individual .hit was made by (Miss) Lynn Pontaynne as an awkward school girl. The Palace program this week read very well on paper and proved enjoy- able. Maud Allan didn't make a start- ling hit, but she did quite well with an oriental pantomime. The setting was artistic and the dressing carefully se- lected. Miss Allan wears a gold and green costume with purple veilings. Discarding this finds here in silver lace bloomers or Turkish trousers with a coat-like covering of silver cloth. The first three aesthetic dances done by Miss Allan at the start of her program were but mildly received. Francis White as usual walked away with the applause hit. In 'The Lady and the Ship" number Miss White wore an odd costume, of white satin, one side is made in knicker style and the other has a plaited skirt of blue. For her dressy number a black satin fr^ock made very short has a bustle effect. A skirt of jet just peeps underneath the hem. A cerise scoop hat backed in plumes and one-button gloves complete this odd costume. Cecile Weston appeared first in an apricot colored net. A change is made to a black and gold dress made with the sides hooped. An impossible girl at the piano wore a fluffy net dress. Cecil Cunningham wore a dress that would have been perfect had it hung better. The hem may have been intended to droop at the sides, but ir failed to Rive the gown good lines . ~"ine material was ot "gola^aTicf'white" squares. A huge lace ruffle of gold reached straight across the back from wrist to wrist. Josephine Robinson in a bad sketch with Digby Bell was a little overdressed in a peacock satin. Helen Blair in the same act wore white broadcloth simply fashioned in a one- piece design. The Allies Ball at Madison Square Garden Tuesday proved a great night for the actor folk. The bunch who seemed to be having the best time were . the 40 Lambs dressed as English army men in service uniform. John Drew made a dashing looking captain. Ethel Barryrr.ore«was magnificent in nun-like robes and veils of black chiffon repre- senting Belgium. Edna May t was her prettiest as a Red Cross nurse. Julie Opp looked stately in flowing robes of gold representing Italy. Scotland re- ceived rousing cheers. France seemed to be the most popular country. "The Star Spangled Banner" didn't arouse the enthusiasm it should have, perhaps du eto the rendition by Anna Fitziu. Miss Fitziu was off key. In the throng I noticed Grace George in a lovely evening frock of black and gold. Nora Bayes circled the floor with a middle-aged man of military bearing. Miss Bayes wore coral "velvet. Her odd head dress was of banded pearls. Margaret Mayo was in Persian costume of gold with cerise veilings. Mile. Dazie was girlishly pretty in a simple white satin made with a wide belt. "Mile-a-Minute Kendal" at the Ly- ceum can be traced in its plot to many shows that have gone before. When play houses advertise a show for 8.20 and the curtain goes up at 8.50, the audience is prone to be impatient. But a New York first night audience is noted for many things. A circumstance in this "Mile a Minute" resembles one of "The Harp of Life," excepting the father pleads with the siren instead of the mother. The siren in "Kendal" is Adele Blood. She appears in the first act in a blue velvet cloak trimmed profusely in Fitch fur and fringe. A small toque rested on her blonde tresses. Beatrice Noyes as a pert dispenser of theatre tickets at a New York hotel stand had some lines sup- posed to be clever. A red cloth suit . was worn by this miss. The American theatre the first half revealed two dandy dancers. The woman of Amoros and Mulvey is of the soft shoe style, while the woman of Holmes and Levere does a sort of loose dance. Both dance unusually well. Miss Amororos wears a cloak of bro- caded material edged in blue fox. Un- derneath is a dress of grey satin hav- ing a large figure in the same shade. The short bodice is cerise. Cerise wings in the hair and stockings and slippers, also in cerise, complete the costume. A change is made to a cloak of tan plush edged in skunk. A dress under- neath is of black and white scroll de- sign. Miss Levere comes on in a bad looking coat of deep blue satin. A dress was of gold lace with sides of pale blue net. Alice Hanson laughs her wav through an act. Before going into her slavey number clothes consist merely of a coat of rose cloth trimmed at the bottom in white fur. A sepa- rate collar of ermine and a tammy are also worn. CANCELING CONTINUES. Cancellations of acts belonging to the White Rats by vaudeville managers of the Vaudeville Managers' Protective Association were being continued this week, according to report, although names were meagrely supplied. It is said James J. Corbett, a life member of the Rats, would have been canceled but his routings did not ex- tend far enough in advance. He is now playing on the big time. Quigley and Fitzgerald, when canceled, are said to have declared they were Rats in good standing and had not resigned, the only turn making this sort of a declaration. Lew Orth and Lillian were reported canceled on the Fox circuit late last week for belonging to the Rata. Joe Towle, once canceled, was reinstated this week. Amy Butler and Blues were canceled according to report for playing the union (Rats), theatre in Oklahoma City some time ago. Patsy Doyle, canceled for being a Rat, is said to nave aecepted a contract through the Sheedy agency (principal- ly the Gordons' houses) at $25 more weekly than he was receiving when can- celed. A story that came to New York this week said a western act, acrobats, two men, had walked into the Western Vaudeville Managers' Association, Chi- cago, to obtain contracts and while there were accused of belonging to the Rata. They admitted it and offered to send their resignation from that office by wire, also to write a letter to the Rats. The wire aqd the letter were written and lent The letter called an officer of the Rats several harsh names, it is claimed, but after leaving the Asso- ciation, the act wired the same officer to disregard both the wire and the let- ter. But the officer, when reading the names he was called, ia said to nave grown incensed and stated he would not stand to be so termed for any rea- son, which may leave the act without either membership in the Rats or west- ern bookings, as the Association knew about the second wire. SUES GERTIE HOFFMANN. Guarany Shiff. a danseuse, has start' ed suit against Gertrude Hoffmann for alleged breach of contract, asking $1,500 damages. Miss Shiff was placed un- der contract by the defendant in June, guaranteed 30 weeks at $50 a week within a year. Miss Hoffmann was to have produced an act for the plaintiff and the Dancing De Fays. The act was placed i n re hear sal. " ffie aetericfant, through"her attorney, Nathan Burkan, alleges Miss Shift failed to appear for rchearaala and also refused to do certain numbers which the act called for. The plaintiff contends that a part w a. not given her. "LOVE BIRDS" IN CAGE. s At the Royal, Bronx, Christmas, there will be an act in a cage. It is called "Love Birds" by Edgar Allan Woolf. The piece will be played in a cage encircling the whole stage and the six characters are to occupy perches. A bird imitator will be prominent among the flock. COMMISSION TOO HIGH. Judge Oppenheimer in the Munici- pal Court handed down a decision this week in favor of Alfred Robyn, organ- ist at the Rialto, against whom an action had been brought by Agnes Johnston, a musical agent, for alleged failure to pay commissions. Robyn was placed at the Rialto by Miss Johnston at a salary of $100 a week and agreed to pay her $15 a week dur- ing the engagement. He failed to Day this amount, with the agent starting action. Nathan Burkan, acting as at- torney for Robyn, contended the $15 named as commission in the contract was exorbitant. • CIRCUS HOWARDS DIVORCED. Cincinnati, Nov. 29. Sophia Howard,- circus performer, this city, was granted a 'divorce on ground of wilful absence, from Edward S. Howard, aerial performer. After thev were married at Cattlettsburg, Ky., in 1903, she says he shocked her bring- ing home four children and telling her they were by his first wife, who had just died. She is with Ringling Brothers Circus and sayl her hubby was before the Juvenile Court for allowing the four children to perform with that .show. THORNTONS OFF LOEW TIME. ' James and Bonnie Thornton are no longer on the Loew Circuit Their contract with nine more weeks to ofay was canceled by mutual consent last week. The Loew people say the Thorntons, engaged at $6\)0 weekly, objected to the policy of the Loew houses that calls for three shows daily, with four Sundays (sometimes also Saturdays). Jim Thornton says his contract read he should sing two songs at the "sup- per show" and when the Loew Circuit asked him also to give the remainder of the act at that performance, he de- clined. Thornton claims there was no difference between them over the num- ber of performances to be given. ABB ATTELL'S COMB-BACK. New Orleans, Nov. 29. 0 Abe Attell, pugilist and actor, has been in New Orleans planning a come- back. Abe has a young brother who holds a record for being knocked out. He was generally put to sleep about the third round. Abe says his mother was less worried about this younger brother when he left home for a fight than on other nights, because she was certain he would be home early. "CREATION" AT PALACE. One of the feature attractions of next week's program at the Palace will be "Creation," the panoramic spectacle in- vented some years ago by Col. Austin and shown around the country in sum- mer parks. The Palace production will be a miniature set of the.one shown in the recent San Francisco Exposition and will carry draperies, light effects, etc., that represent an expenditure up- ward of $7,500. A private showing was arranged for George Gottlieb by Arthur Klein and the Palace accepted it for a two-week run. PLAYBR8 8BT STAQB. New Orleans, Nov. 29. More trouble has descended upon the acts playing at the Lafayette. The house has lost money consistently since it opened with small time vaudeville in September. # The bill is running on the common- wealth plan. This week the stage hands walked out and the acts set their own stage. Today (Wednesday) it looks as though the venture might suspend ai any time. MANAOBR NOW OWN8 IT. Lvnchburg, Va., Nov. 29. J. Bryan Craver, manager for the Piedmont Amusement Co., when that concern opened the Universal -theatre here, but was later .transferred to Char- lotte, N. C, has returned to the local house as manager and principal owner. F. A. Abbott, who succeeded him here, has been transferred to Charlotte. Dooley and Rugel With de Conrville. Chicago, Nov. 29. Dooley and Rugel are preparing to cut short their scheduled Orpnecm Cir- cuit route, the team having accepted a contract proffered by Albert de Cour- ville, w v ich calls for a role in the new show due to open at"the Hippodrome, London, early in the spring. The salary is $500 weekly and if his American releases are perfected he will sail Jan. 11. The European contract calls for a ten-week run with the usual option. . Minerva Coverdale in London Revue. Minerva Coverdale sailed for Eng- land on the Kroonland, Wednesday, of this week, to assume a principal role in the forthcoming production at the Hip- podrome, London, which is scheduled to open during Christmas week. The engagement was arranged with Albert de Courville, through Harry Fitzgerald. McCullough Leaving "Canary Cottage." Carl McCullough will retire from "Canary Cottage" when the piece con- cludes its run in Pittsburgh Dec. 9 and will begin a tour of the Orpheum Cir- cuit Dec. 31. Hoey and Lee on Loew Circuit. Hoey and Lee were given contracts for ten weeks over the Loew circuit, Tuesda y. Th e act opens Dec . 11.