Variety (November 1917)

VAUDEVILLE SHUBERTS' UNIQUE SCHEME IN GARDEN'S "OUTSIDE LIGHTS" Selling Space to Minor Principals in "Doing Our $25 Weekly, to Have Names in Illumination on Front of Winter Garden. Two Important Principals 9 Names Replaced by Ambitious Novices. at The opportunity to be featured in the house lights at the Shuberts' Winter Garden was offered all members of the cast of "Doing Our Bit," the current show at that house, this week when the management conceived the idea to charge a nominal fee of $25 weekly for any one who cared to see their name encircled with the star of in- candescents on the theatre's front, the offer being extended to chorus girls as well as principals. The lighting feature of the Winter Garden, obviously a copy of the Cen- tury style of electrical advertising, was given free to principals during the opening week. Among those in lights were Frank Carter and Ada Lewis, the latter a Winter Garden principal for the past several seasons. When Shu- berts' mercenary plan attacked them, they found two minor principals will- ing to part with the amount asked and through lack of space they felt forced to relieve Carter and Miss Lewis of the honor of being featured in the house lights. Beatrice Dakin's name adorned the house front early in the week. Miss Dakin being a former Winter Garden chorister who has been elevated to a small part in the current production. Only two alterations were made nec- essary, otherwise the names of Frank Tinney. James J. Corbett, Ed Wynn, Henry Lewis, etc., might have been pulled down to make room for a string of lesser lights who thought more of the lighting feature than their weekly stipend. "70 CENTS" AT LIBERTY. Lew Cooper, who claims prior rights on the "70 cent" scene which com- prises the principal comedy part of the present Winter Garden show "Do- ing Our Bit," proposes to offer the "bit" in vaudeville with Arthur Thorn- ton and Dorothy Clark, notwithstand- ing the announcement Frank Tinney has now the sole performing rights of the scene. RENEE ON TRIAL Sigmund Renee, right name Engel, and who some years ago aroused at- tention in Chicago when he was-dis- missed from the Interstate Circuit's boking office for alleged irregularity of accounts, was brought to trial Monday before Judge Mulqueen in General Ses- sions, New York. His name on the police records is Dr. Karl von Edwards. The charge was the larceny of $35,000 worth of gems from Mrs. Minnie Strangman, the widow of a Buffalo brewer. Renee seems to have been running wild since leaving Chicago. He has sported at least six aliases since then. As "Sig. Wallace" he got away with a pearl necklace belonging to May Ward and valued at $1,500 and as "Brooks" obtained $12,500 from Cora Milan, an actress whose home is in Salt Lake City. In both of the latter cases he prom- ised to "make" both women stage stars. He is indicted on those two counts also. Although the trial will consume a number of days there was much damag- ing testimony against him introduced up to Wednesday. If Renee or Ed- wards is found guilty, he may be im- mediately tried on the May Ward in- dictment. If convicted on both he has a good chance of being sentenced for life, as the second offence for grand larceny stipulates that as the maxi- mum punishment. Renee started testifying that almost everyone victimized by him and those connected with them, were concerned with him in a pro-German conspiracy. None of the witnesses against the accused was allowed in court at first, so Renee gave free reign to his imag- ination. He said he had never been in court before, but it was in the same room he was freed of a white slavery charge last year. When the district attorney asked him if he was a physi- cian Renee said he graduated as such from a university in Vienna. The prosecutor then asked how many bones were in his head, and Renee, after re- fusing to answer, admitted he had never practised. It was through Variety's expose of Edwards as being the same individual known as Reqee in the west that Miss Milan learned he was the man who defrauded her under the name of Brooks. Under this name he was in- dicted in Denver for the Milan offense. She was in several girls' acts and was persuaded by Renee to have her mother turn over her father's estate and prepare an act for the big time. Renee went into court with forged documents and obtained the proceeds from the estate. Then aft*r obtain- ing several thousand dollars from the mother and rehearsing the girl for eight weeks he suddenly vamped with her jewelry and new costumes. Variety's story, which brought out the Renee camouflage, also brought on several Chicago detectives, who stated to the district attorney there was an indictment in the Interstate Circuit matter against Renee. It is not likely the man will travel west for some years at least. Wednesday a number of the man's lies were laid bare. Jeremiah O'Leary, whom Renee claimed to have had dealings with, took the stand, testifying he never knew or heard of "Edwards." Assistant District Attorney Sullivan was^ aided in obtaining evidence against the prisoner by Herman L. Roth, who represents two of the victims. MERCEDES OFF PANTAGES. Chicago, Oct. 31. When "Intelligence," a mind read- ing act here, rushed suddenly to Los Angeles this week it was learned that Mercedes had again broken out. Mer- cedes some time ago went on the Pan- tages circuit. The local association im- mediately booked George Lovett, who went Mercedes several better by in- troducing an entire jazz band instead of a single pianist as foils for his mind reading tricks. It is stated definitely that Mercedes is now off the Pan time. The Pantages office here refused to discuss the mix- up. GILBERT-FRIEDLAND PUB. CO. Tendering his resignation as orofcs- sional manager for Jos. W. Stern & Co., L. Wolfe Gilbert leaves the con- cern tomorrow (Saturday). Shortly afterward he, with Anatol Fricdland, will embark in a music publishing en- terprise of their own. Both are quite well-known song writers and of late have been making a joint vaudeville tour. ELTINGE ASKS $3,S00. Los Angeles, Oct. 31. His pockets bulging with telegrams and letters offering picture contracts that a few months ago would sound incredible, Julian Eltinge, whose stage description long has been "the best dressed and most beautiful woman on the stage is a man," left here this week for New York to confer with film managers regarding his future on the screen. Eltinge is not yet entirely through at the Lasky-Paramount plant. His contract has expired, but Adolph Zukor, president of that organization, wants him to remain, and. it is said, has made him a flattering offer. Zukor is in the west now conferring with the star. However, it is not known what Eltinge will do, although his friends claim he has an idea he wants to make pictures for himself. The star's first film productions have proved big box office winners, his popularity, gained while before the footlights, standing him in good stead, and there is little doubt but that Mr. Eltinge will before long be one of the topnotchers in filmdom. Eltinge's love for pictures led him this week to turn down a proposition calling for a weekly salary of $2,500 in vaudeville. "But.' he explained, "I will have a little time occasionally for the stage and I would accept $3,500. That is my price and it's final." He expects to be in New York Several weeks, after which he will re- turn to California to resume his duties as a shining mummer. CHICAGO PUBLISHERS MEET. Chicago, Oct. 31. A general meeting of all Chicago representatives of music publishers listed as members of the Music Pub- lishers' Protective Association was held last Saturday at the College Inn, the meeting being held after an in- formal luncheon had been served in one of the Inn's private dining rooms. Regular semi-monthly meeting was planned for the future, the Chicago music men deciding to hold their affairs the first and third Saturday of each month, allowing time to receive any information from the New York meetings that may be of interest to them. Thomas Quigley, the Chicago man- ager of the Witmark firm, was ap- pointed secretary of the Chicago meetings, and will attend to the details of such gatherings as will be held there. NO DUES FOR SERVICE MEN. The dues of all members of the National Vaudeville Artists who have enlisted for service in the army or navy or selected for the army via the draft route will be suspended during their activity in the war, the execu- tives of the organization deciding to carry such members in good stand- ing pending their return. Those professionals who have taken up federal duties will receive a card marked "Paid in full for the duration of the war," provided they notify the organization officials. The N. V. A. will shortly decide on some form of entertainment to be held for the benefit of enlisted members, the proceeds going toward a Christ- mas box, which will be shipped all members in the service. Just what form of entertainment will be utilized to raise the funds has not been decided upon as yet. BEttE MONTROSE CHARGES LIFTS. The receipt by Variety of a com- plaint from Belle Montrose, of Mont- rose and Allen, which act has been broken up through the draft (Carrol A. Allen being a corporal at Camp Up- ton), alleging that certain portions of her act have been lifted, opened a new field for Variety's Protected Mate- rial Department. This specific instance may not prove to show intentional lift- ing, but it does serve to bring to notice a possible meaty field for piracy and Variety offers the services of its Pro- tected Material Department to all acts affected by the war whether the acts have filed a transcript of material with Varibt/ or not. Miss Montrose is to appear again when she finds a suitable partner. She objects to the amateur character as done by Al Rauh, now with Olive Briscoe and formerly of the Four Vol- unteers, saying that the idea and busi- ness were originated by her. Investi- gation shows that Miss Montrose has been doing an amateur type for sev- eral seasons, but since there is a dif- ference in the sex of the artists con- cerned, there has not been obtained a definite line on how much alike the two types are. Had not Rauh been doing his character for some time also, Miss Montrose would appear to have a clear case. Mr. Rauh answered a query from Variety this week, stating he has never witnessed the Montrose and Al- len act and that he is at present doing the same "boob" character which he did for the past three years when with the Four Volunteers, a singing quartet. Rauh's reply is legitimate enough re- garding the time and performance with the Volunteers. It is possible that this is a case of coincidence and it may be a matter adjustable between the art- ists themselves. There is one point of sameness between the Volunteers act and that of Montrose and Allen, and that is that both display a card reading "Extra" at the beginning of their re- spective turns. No claim has been made for originality there. But one man enters at the beginning of the quartet turn, he asking for volunteers, two coming from the audience—one of those was Rauh in the aforementioned "boob" role. Miss Montrose also charges that Frank Westphal is employing in his billing, her own explanatory opening lines which are "This is my first time on the stage. I am not a regular ac- tor." Miss Montrose has been using those lines. Westphal has but lately been doing a single. SYRACUSE CORNERSTONE LAID. Syracuse, Oct. 31. The corner stone of the new Keith theatre here was laid yesterday. A party of New York theatrical men, in- cluding Maurice Goodman and officials of the U. B. O. and Keith circuits, at- tended the ceremonies. Julius Tannen delivered an address on behalf of the profession, and among other things placed Billy Sunday on the pan, because of the evangelist's failure to keep faith after having pledged his word not to attack the stage and its people providing Ray- mond Hitchcock ceased his impersona- tion and arraignment of Sunday. Mr. Tannen held up the picture of the stage keeping its word while a minister of the gospel broke his prom- ises. WAR TAX STORY in this issue on Pages 8 and 9