Variety (September 1917)

CABLES 11 "WAR SONG CONTEST" BECOMES DRAWING CARD AT HFTH AVE. Will Be Repeated in Other Keith New York Pop. Vaudeville Houses. May be Made Big Feature Attraction for One Night to Declare Ultimate Winner. Much Interest by Public and Contestants. The Fifth Avenue's War Song Con- test ends tonight (Friday), naving started Monday evening. Some day next week will be selected for the final applause test, 'to determine the winner of the entriei each night of the pre- liminaries. I Three soncn nightly have been sung, with the applicant for the finals chosen by the most applause g^ven to the re- spective numbers. Monday's/entries were "It's a Long Way to B*lin (Feist), "Going Ovcr^ (Morris), /"Somewhere in France*" (Witmark)/ Tuesday'!: "I Don't Know Where I'm Goingf (H. Von Tilzer), "Hello, America" iFischer & McCarty), "Set Aside Ycjur Tears for Laughter" (Stern's). Wednesday: "Man in Battle" (Harms), fl May Be Gone for a Long, Long Tinje" (Broadway), "Send Me Away witii a Smile" (Piantadosi). Thursday: "Just Break the News to Mother" (revival) (Harris), "Joan of Arc" (Watcrson, Berlin & Snyder), "Pray for Sunshine, but Always Be Prepared for Rain" (Kalmar & Puck). Friday: "So Long, Mother" (Rem- ick), "Good-byej My Little Lady" (Shapiro-Bernstein). The Fifth Avenue management has found the contest something of an in- centive at the box oflice, one aspiring amateur writer having purchased 50 tickets in a lot Monday evening. Tuesday evening Emma Stephens ap- peared at the Fifth Avenue, singing a "Var song she wrote. '^he War Song Contest will be Staged in the Harlem opera house and the Greenpoint theatres in that order, the uptown house carrying it •s an attraction immediately after the Fifth Ave. decides the winner. It is possible the winner of^ each decision will conduct a final elimination con- test to decide the pick of all houses when the whole affair is complete. AIGHT AND WITTY PLAT. London, Sept. 26. "The Off Chance," produced at the Queen's, Sept. 19, is a typical R. C. Carton play with a sporting atmos- phere on the style of "Lord and Lady Algy" It has bright, witty dialog and is splendidly acted by Percy Hutchison, Paul Arthur, Lyston Lyle, J. Barnes, Stanley Turnbull, Mary Glynne Moss Compton. ENGLISH WAR OFFICE FILMS London, Sep*- 26. The War Office has taken ovfr the Topical Film Co. and is issuing twice weekly films from all the fronts, in- terchanging their pictures with the other allies and some neutrals. Over 180 kinemas in the rear of the armies in France and Flanders have been provided with pictures by Lieut. Wood, a well-known kinema business man. ANOTHER "GHOSTS." London, Sept. 26. Althoiiph six companies are touring in Ibsen's "Ghosts," Austin Fryers produced a new version, adapted by himself, at the Pavilion, Mile End, Sept. 18. at the Kingsway is now preceded by Harold Chapin's one-act piece, "Au- gustus in Search of a Father." "Cook" is doing an excellent busi- ness. HICK'S PLAN AT PAUCL London, Sept. 26. "Airs and Graces" will be withdrawn from the Palace Saturday and Oct. 8 Sevmour Hicks presents a new musi- cal play, "Cash on Delivery," written by himself, with music by Havden Wood, pending the presentation ot Al- fred Butt's new musical play, with Lily Elsie and G. P. Huntley in the leading roles. PAVILION DRAMATIC London, Sept. 26. The London Pavilioii temporarily becomes a dramatic thea&%, comfncnc- ing Oct. 1, when H. V. Esmond's com- edy, "Salad Days," successfully tried out in Eastbourne recently, will be presented under the title ot "A Kiss tor Two." The en^gement is for t^n weeks, after which Erne!<t Rolls produces there a new revue. ETHEL LEVEY REAPPEARING. London, Sept. 26. Ethel Levey is appearing at the Vic- toria Palace this week after a long rest. InTalided—Haa N«w Act. London, Sept. 26. Frftd Shaw, discharged from the army after nine weeks in the hospi- tal, is rehearsing a new act with Vio- let Adell, for production shortly. NawfouBdland Band i|i Enffland. London, Sept. 26. The Newfoundland Band, 30 strong, arrived here Sept. 21 and is giving a series of performances to celebrate the 420th anniversary of England's dis- covery of Newfoundland. Shirley K«lloffff Back in Cast. London, Sept. 26. Shirley Kellogg returned to "Zig Zag" at the Hippodrome and was ac- corded a warm welcome. Business there is very good. LONDON PICKS UP, London, Sept. 26. The moonlight raids of a month ago temporarily paralyzed the amusement business for the evenings, the Royal- ty, Globe and Duke of York's playing matinees daily and only two night shows weekly. Other managers, after consideration, decided to carry on as usual. The past three weeks' business has been splen- did everywhere. GRAND OPERA POPULAR. London, Sept. 26. The Drury Lane opened its autumn season with the English version of "Ivan the Terrible,^ with Robert Parker as Ivan and Jean Brola as the prima donna. A packed audience at- tended. War has apparently popularized grand opera. DOWNS 10 GERHAN AIRSHIPS. London, Sept. 26. Harold E. Duncan, variety artist, now a successful airman, has downed 10 German aircraft in France. He is shortly expected home on leave. Saturday CoBc«rts R«comBi«Bc«. London, Sept. 26. The popular Saturday orchestral concerts at Royal Albert Hall will be recommenced for the. season Sept. 29. Comedian GiT«n MiliUry Cross. London, Sept. 26. Edward Rigby, cometlian, the origi- nal "Nightwatchman," recently re- ceived the Military Cross under his right name of Lieut. Edward Coke. Maud Allan on Moss Circuit. London, Sept. 26. Maud Allan has been booked for a tour of the Moss Circuit, opening at the Olympia, Liverpool, Oct. 1. Carlo Borosford at Naval Baso. London, Sept. 26. Carle Beresford, comedian, is at* a naval base in Scotland. CAMP NEEDS 4|)IV0RCE. Cly<Ago, Sept. 26. Inside reports concerning William Carpenter Camp, familiar as a cigarette agent, Broadwayite and for the past two weeks as a Loop-hound, say that he re- turned here early this week from Man- hattan, whither* he had unsuccessfully gone to tr^ to induce his wife, Elita Proctor Otis, to divorce him. The reason Camp desires martial free- dom from the titian topped Elita is, according to the story, so that he can wed Mrs. Thorne of Chicago, recently widowed and whose husband was the principal owner of Montgomery Ward & Co. Mrs. Thome is reputed to be worth $15,000,000 in her own right. I|^quiry here Monday resulted in the answer that Camp and Mrs. Thorne had gone to French Lick Springs on a motor trip. CONOLT STARRING MURPHY. Tin» Murphy will open Oct. IS at Richmond, Va., in a company of "Pals First," the Lee Wilson Dodd piece. Murphy being,iinder the management of Joe Conoly., TJhe piece will play the southern cities. ^ (fANTONMENT BUSINESS. Deming, N. M., Sept. 26. The army cantonment here is fur- nishing smashing business to current attractions in Deming. They are Raymond Teal's "Duck- lings" and Eddie O'Brien's "Cali- fornia Poppies." Curtain-raiser to Farce. London, Sept. 26. Jerome K. Jerome's farce, "Cook," 'HEUO. WMCRe MW QOIM*. NORTH POUl? ' MOPI^ 4>flLnc£ Tbsce VAN HOVi£M ** WAR PUTS NOT IN DEMAND. Ne^y York play agencies that supply numerous companies with Broadway successes, past and present, state war p'ays are in very light demand. None of the old pieces are wilnted at present. ""JOKER" CAUSES ANNOTANCL Mrs. Farber and her daughter, Con- stance (Farber Girls), applied at the West 54th Street court Monday after- noon for a summons for Eddie Carr, who lives at 146 West 117th street, the complaint being that Carr, through causing the publication of a story he had married Constance Farber, has caused them endless annoyance, com- mercially and socially. Mrs. Farber proposes to ask the court that Carr be* placed under bonds to prevent a repetition of his actions or to have a lunacy committee appointed to pass on the youth's sanitv. Carr visited several newspaper offices two weeks ago authorixing the publi- cation of an announcement of his mar- riage to Constance. His story varied in sections insofar as he named sev- eral prominent individuals as having enacted the role of bridegroom. The news was accordingly printed, where- upon it was copied by daily papers throughout the country, finally coming to the attention of the insurance com- panies holding life policies on the ^1 who reqiiested that the regulation form be altered as necessary when the insured marries. Carr when confronted by the Farbers admitted his actions, claiming it was a joke. He admitted never having met Miss Farber, but couldn't explain any reason for the "joke," not even evi- dencing any sorrow for the incon-. veniences caused the Farber family. At present Carr claims he is appear- ing in vaudeville with one Arthur r ield, doin^ the Cantor and Lee act, by per- mission of the latter team. UNGER DRAWS SECRET SERVICL Chicago, Sept. 26. Because he freely aired his social- istic views and uttered seditious re- marks in giving his idea of things in general, includnp^ a harsh cirticism of the way America was waging war, Jules Unger, who played a bit in Donald Brian's "Somewhere in Mex- ico," fouled the federal authorities last week while the act was at the Palace. The Palace and Cohan's Grand are separated by an alley, where actors and stage hands daily congregate'out- side the stage doors. Unger succeeded in landing himself in the midst of several warm arguments with the crew of the Grand and got so raw secret service men were tipped. Mr. Brian also heard of Unger s unwise' mouthings, and gave him some straight from the shoulder advice, Brian's ver- bal wallops bringing the man to his senses. The federal men, however, appeared on the Palace stage and Unger had a short decisive session in the federal building across the street. He was freed because of being an American citizen, holding a registration card, but the warning will probably hold him for a while. The Brian act closed its vaudeville season here Sunday night, the star returning east for rehearsals of "Her Regiment." Mr. Brian stated to a Variety representative that after he had given Joseph Weber (who is pro- ducing "Her Regiment") a run for his money he would find some way to do his bit in the service, even though he was well past the draft age. SHEEHAN CAN TALK. Lester Sheehan vociferously denies the published report he has retired from the cast of i^essie Clayton's new specialty because of his inability to speak lines. Sheehan claims he handled dialog opposite Rosie Dolly in a Winter Gar- den production and further insists his only reference to dialog was with Bert Cooper, Miss Clayton's personal rep- resentative, said dialog *^ revolving around the salary question. Sheehan will be identified with the "Top of the World Dancers" this sea- son.