Variety (September 1917)

/ \ \ ^ \LM UlTErV I L L E / B SB^s^ :^ ARTISTS' FORUM Confine letters to 110 wordi and write on one aide of paper only. ▲nonymoua communioatlons will not be printed. Name of writer must be alfned and win be held In strict confidence, if desired. Letters to be published in this column must be written ezcluslrely to VARIETY. Duplicated letters will not be printed. The writer who duplicates a letter to the Forum, either before or after it appears here, will not be afaln permitted the priv- ileges of It. I New York, August 31. Editor VxRiBTr: In this week's Varibtv is published a list .of British actors who have vol- unteered for military service. The list is not complete. We pre- sume the reason many names have been omitted is that, like ourselves, they did not enter in their professional names, hence were not classed as actors. There are four more names to be added to the list: Bob Reans (Hippo- drome), Dan Morris (Moon and Mor- ris) and Burtey and Burley, Roscoe, N. Y., August 29. Editor Vawbtt: Through being laid up with a broken bearing (the car, not me), I've discov- ered that besides Roscoe Arbuckle, there is also a Roscoe, N. Y. 1 thought I died once in Ft. Wayne—that was fast life coinpared to the two weeks I've spent in this town today. I am afraid I am beginning to look like the natives. If the broken part sent for does not arrive here tomorrow, you shall have to print my obituary in your next Here is a parody on "Ireland Must Be Heaven." Please read it, but don't sing it! Shure, they found some broken springs "somewhere" Way out in the back yard; They put it on an iron frame And pounded it real hard; Then they jammed some shavings in a bag To cover up the scheme. The pillow cases and the sheets Are "transparently" clean. There's the washstand and the wash- bowl too. With a towel on the shelf— There's dandy running water there If you run with it yourself. Then "Old Lady 31" comes in And smacks it with a broom, Then they soak me two bucks every night And call it Hotel Room. Oscar Loraine. (If you count the misspelled words I'll sic Henrietta Harrison on youl) 'TIME-TABLE" FOR. BILLING. A "Time-Table" billing plan has again been resorted to for next week's bill at the Riverside, New York. The T-T style of house announcement has been employed often in the past, most- ly so by Eddie Darling for the Keith New York houses, when the subject of precedence or priority or prominence in the typed matter became too serious a question between the artists involved to be otherwise adjusted. On a "time- table," acts are listed as they appear, with no larger display type for one than the other, and the time of appear- ance noted opposite each name. The "billing" subject for the River- side became so acute for next week, Mr. Darling, through short notice and much against his personal wish, again adopted it. The Riverside is using a large number of feature turns. It is in the same class with the Palace, New York, for that. It was Quite strongly intimated in the Unitecl Booking Offices this week ♦^>i\t the mootpd question of HitUncr, as formerly argued among and by acts with the bookers, would have to be severely left to the managers the com- ing season to avoid unpleasantness. Although it was not made as a positive statement, it was quite plainly inti- inAted that artists causing trouble or leaving an engagement in a big time New York house, after contracted for it, through a "billing" objection, would have all their time suspended until plaving the house they walked out of under the billing the management pro- vided. In the past, acts have refused to open Monday for a billing reason, and tnen proceeded upon their regular route, with that week absent. To avoid trouble over billing acts in accepting an engagement might have it definitely understood. MORTON'S SURPRISE PARTY. A surprise party was arranged this week in honor of the departure of James J. Morton, who goes west for a tour of the U. B. O. theatres, open- ing next week in Columbus A gathering of fifty of Morton's select friends will attend, and among other presents will be a monster china bowl, artistically engraved, the original idea of a silver loving cup being cast aside because the purchasing committee deemed it too diminutive for the boy comic's needs. The partv will be in the form of a dinner, held at some place after 11 p. m. Several city officials are listed on the arrangement board. 1ft CANXQNMENT5 OF 40,000 EACH... The Vv ar Department h«8 filed an official report on the progress, pf the 16 National Army cantonmenfi repre- senting the building of 16 soldier cities, each to be occupied by 40,000. The cantonments now considered complete are at Louisville, Fort Sam Houston, Ayer, Petersburg, Chillicothe, American Lake, Rockford and Little Rock. Four cantonments nearing comple- tion are at Des Moines, Fort Riley, At- lanta and Columbia. Four others upon which construction has been more appreciably delayed be- cause of local handicaps are at Annap- olis Junction, Battle Creek, Wrights- town and Yaphank. They are expected to be in complete shape by the end of this week. While the prospects for a banner season in cities where the large army cantonments are situated look very bright, the bookers supplying such ter- ritory with attractions claim a short- age in "girl acts," for which there is a natural demand of large proportions. The uniformed patrons are keen for girl acts and the "tab" producers ex- pect to outdraw the vaudeville houses with the miniature productions. In the South particularly is there an unusual cry for girl turns, and it it estimated more of such specialties have been routed in that' direction this season than in any five previous years. HAMILTON *«8HUT~ SUNDAYS. Hamilton, O., Sept. 5. Mayor Holzberger carelessly flung" the Blue Law into effect here today, ordering all theatres, clubs, baseball parks, and other forms of amusement closed down tight on Sundays here- after. The theatre managers propose to vigorously fight the move. FRANCES KENNEDY THE CHEERIEST COMEDIENNE TN F.XriX'SIVE SONCS. ».vho hn^ Mnrtod n forU-wcrk tour of the U. B. O. houses, which of course includes all the B. F. Keith houses In New York City. FRANCES KENNEDY'S brilliant work and her doz/.ling smile established her as a musieal comedy favorite several seasons ago, but this will be the first thne tlmt the West- em favorite will be seen on Broadway as a vaudevilllan. HARRY WEBER is her representative fur the East and the SIMON AdrA'CV for the West. MISS KENNEDY will be remembered along Broadway, for she appeared there in "The Chocolate Soldier" and "The Ttirce Twins," besides several other successes. „. ^PR10R!nCLAl)ll$ PASSED ON. ^ 'ombination of ''prior riB^rt^/iJ^yms ,^ were aimed at \ho I '»tw Circuit tTfi*? week when both Harry Houdini and Bostock's Riding School declared their "rights" were endangered, Houdini as- serting the Rigoletti Bros, were offer- ing the needle trick over the Loew time, while Bostock claimed original- ity over a similar act being offered for booking by Oscar Lowande, of circui fame. The agency refused to recognizt Houdini's complaint, deciding the trick was too ancient to decide on its crea-^ tor, and without deciding who orig- inated the riding affair refused book-; ing to Lowande because of having en*, gaged Bostock first. Lowande has been offering the act with his circus through New England- and applied for bookings to be ar* ranged when the tent outfit went to winter quarters. The turn introduces , jmrenile prospects for bareback rec/ ords, protecting them from injuoy through the use of a "mechanic." ' * TREATING "SICK" HOUSE. The B. S. Moss Jefferson theatre on 14th street is undergoing some drastic alterations, which are patterned/ after the interior decoration of thtf Rialto. The auditorium will be toppea by a huge dome with opalescent li^^hts. There will be five mural paintings above the proscenium arch, the walls will be redecorated And better acous- tics will be procured. These and nu-^ merous other improvements will costj about $50,<X)0. Asked about it, Mr. Moss said he was determined to give the house everv possible chance to make good to the fullest extent. He said that busi- ness at the weekday matinees and Sat- urday and Sunday nights was goodj but up to date the week-night patron- age was usually light. "It'« very much like having an inJ valid in your family," he added. "li it is a serious case you secure the best specialist you can, and then if tht patient dies your conscience is clear.! for you feel you have done your full duty. There's something wrong with the Jefferson, and I have called m spe- cialists to diagnose the case. The same show down there doesn't look the same as it does at the Hamilton, and I figure it is the house." McHUGH-GRAY AaS. Bart McHugh has completed an ar- rangement with Tommy Gray to pro- duce a number of the latter's acts. In the first one. McHugh will feature Vic-j tor Kahn and Blanche Boone. / Gray will begin immediate work on ai number of scripts for the Philadelphia producer, the majority of which will be rehearsed in the "sleepy villa" with Philadelphian talent. Gray completed the first scenario for the Ray and Gordon Dooley pictures- this week, having been retained as well to supply those. It is called "Beating the Band." PRODUCING CORPORATION. The Fitzgerald-Ginsburg Producing Co. was incorporated at Albany this week for the purpose of producinR, slaRing and booking vaudeville produc- tions. The principals are Harry Fitz- gerald, the artist's representative, and Violinsky, who.se proper name is Sol Ginsburg. The new firm will headquarter in Fitzgerald's office in the Palace theatre building, Fitzgerald supervising all hooking of the attractions. The first act is not in rehearsal. They will specialize in musical pro- ductions for which the violinist will supply the melodies. Tours Heff for English Stars. Percy Burton, the general represen- tative for Mme. Bernharfit for Wil- liam F. Connor, has made an alliance with Connor to hriii^ over a number of Fiiglish .stars for American tour.'^.