Variety (January 1918)

VARIETY 11 fiKIETY fiSrt VTSf JS&Tt ^Tork. «dv ths ▲* ef 1 With tho world of wrestling agog as to who the champion will be succeed- ing to the title vacated by the death of Frank Gotch, there were a series of bouts held in Dr. Roller's gym adja- cent to the Lakewood Hotel at Lake- wood, N. J., over the holiday week-end, at which an almost champ was de- veloped. The almost was +outed as The Original Masked Mystery." He appeared in the -first bout with Pro- fessor De Bell as his opponent, the former winning in 18 minutes. The second bout was between W. E. Turner, "The Michigan Whirlwind/' and De Bell and was won by the latter. The final bout was 'The Masked Mystery" vs. Dr. Roller. As the latter was about to place the shoulders of the "M. M." on the mat he piped up in a Jewish dialect: "Just a minute, just a minute, I got an important telephone call to make." Then the house was let in on the fact it was a hoax and that "The Original Masked Mystery" was none other than Lou Brown. A number of theatrical celebrities had arranged the "frame-up" in holiday fun spirit. They were Aaron Fox, who acted as an- nouncer; Will Von Tilzcr, time-keeper, and Harold Gaum, referee. With the thermometer registering 14 degrees below zero Sunday night, E. F. Albee and A. Paul Keith notified the Police Commissioner they would keep their theatres throughout New York and Brooklyn open all night to pro- vide lodging and warmth for the poor. The Commissioner took advantage of the offer and stationed policemen about the houses for protective purposes. In the houses south ")f Times square and in Brooklyn a number of people took advantage of the offer and were served hot coffee and sandwiches at the ex- pense of the house. Monday morning everyone was supplied with sufficient money to keep them in meals and lodg- ing for the balance of the week, this also being contributed by the Keith- Albee interests. Jack Lait has an eight-year-old son among the other smaller Laits in Chi- cago. The younger Lait wanted a dog for Christmas. His father promised it when school closed before the holidays if he behaved himself. Friday before Christmas the junior informed his dad school was over and wanted to know where his dog was. Mr. Lait reminded his son of the condition, saying, "You know you had to be a good boy to get that cfog? Have you been perfectly good?" "Well, then," answered the kid- let, "get me a cat." Rock and White are to spend six weeks in vaudeville in New York play- ing but two houses in that time, Royal and Alhambra. The contracts were settled this week. I. R. Samuels tied them up for the two houses of the Keith Circuit in New York that he books. They will open at the Royal Jan. 21 and remain there two weeks, then come to the Alhambra for two weeks, returning to the Royal Feb. 18-25. Meyer Cohen resigned as business manager for the Harry Von Tilzcr Music Publishing Co. last Saturday. Ben Bornstein, professional manager, will replace him.- Harry Von Tiuer is opening offices in Pittsburgh, Bos- ton, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Frisco. Ileen Poo, on tour with the road company of "Mary's Ankle," has se- cured a release and has been engaged by the Shuberts for the role in the Chicago "Maytime" company origin- ated in New York by Gertrude Van- derbilt The Auditorium, Baltimore, is play- ing vaudeville for this week only, to fill in a period of darkness at the legiti- mate house. Fred Schanberger, who also manages the Maryland, is booking the Auditorium, with Grace LaRue headlining. The ShuborU "flirTed" with the New York dramatic critics by sending each one a large box of Pall Mall cigarettes for Christmas, each packet containing 500 smokes of various sizes. Last season the firm sent boxes of cigars. The Avon, Rochester, is not "person- ally managed" by T. H. McCarron, as erroneously reported, but by W. B. Mc- Callunv McCarron is the New York booking representative for the house, which formerly played International attractions. Mary Moore, daughter of James Moore, who feeds a great number of York, next week, and the Orpheum, Brooklyn, the week following, after which she may leave for Cuba. Daring the absence of Mark Levy, who recently enlisted in the Quarter- masters' Corp, Arthur S. Lyons will look after the Levy agency. Max Silver has signed a three years' contract with Gus Edwards as general manager. • P«giT Coudray has returned to the leading role in "The Punch" on the Loew circuit. Billy B. Van joined "Words and Mu- sic" at the Fulton Monday. The co- median was last in "The Rainbow Girl." The quarantine for meningitis was Cartially called off this week at Colum- ia, S. C, with no theatre affected. Jake Labia, Loew's booking man- ager, will spend his vacation next week (Jan. 7) at Lakewood, N. J. Saol Abrahms will leave the Century this week and become treasurer of the Longacre beginning Monday. Fred Stone did a roping act with four horses at the Hippodrome, New York, last Sunday. Mollie King opens in New York at VARIETY FREE TO THEATRICAL MEN IN THE SERVICE While the war continues VARIETY will be sent com- plimentary to any theatrical man in the U. S. Service, Name, with address, should be forwarded and proper mailing address sent at once if ordered elsewhere. The list will he maintained also for re-mailing letters sent care VARIETY. those in the profession, made her stage debut last week with Emmett Corrigan at the Palace. Previously she has ap- peared in film productions. "Turn Back the Hour.," Mabclle Es- tclle starring, lost two performances on its Indiana tour last week, owing to the inability of the railway to furnish a baggage car as promised. The stands were Terre Haut: and Evansville. Robert Hjrmtn and Virginia Mann did not join a Philadelphia stock com- pany as recently reported. Both arc in "Seven Chances" at the Ft. Pitt, Pittsburgh. Harry Newman, salesman for some years for Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, has left that firm, intending going into the music publishing business on his own ac- count. the Riverside Jan. 14. Scott Gibson, the Scotch "single," sailed last week for South Africa. Jack Robbins is now connected with the Richmond Music Co. Hal Crane is reported going into the army. John R. Rogers celebrated his 77th birthday last week. The Palace, New Orleans, playing vaudeville, opens on Monday, com- mencing this week, closing Sunday. It was formerly the reverse. Max Steiner, director on tour for 'The Rainbow Girl," is at present di- recting the orchestra at the Princess for "The Grass Widow." Fred Grant Young has been appoint- ed to the post of man back and press agent with "The Grass Widow" at the i rincess. The Mozart, Jamestown, N. Y., ends its vaudeville policy of two acts week- ly Jar.. 5 ; but may resume it later with five or six acts. Helen Murphy, Chicago's little agentess, has arrived in New York for at least a three weeks' stay, looking at local vaudeville shows. Bernhardt plays the Riverside, New SAVING MAN-POWER. By ROBERT SHERMAN. Chicago, Dec. 31. Now is the time when the whole world is talking of conserving man power. The theatrical profession is not exempted from this demand. And yet the amount of man power in our busi- ness that is daily going to watte is appalling. In our business there is a great deal of wasted energy. It should be stopped. Now is the time for us to show our patriotism by doing all that can be done to cut waste. Every hour's time thrown away makes some one else work that much harder and retards the creation of wealth, so essential to pro- gress, and particularly today, when we need everything we can summon in the way of money-and-man-power, to in- sure the success of our military opera- tions. That the world must have amusement is universally admitted. In these times relaxation is more necessary than under normal conditions. We are the purveyors of that most necessary com- modity—relaxation. It is our patriotic duty to supply it with as little waste as possible. Every student of economics knows that the burden of labor should be properly distributed. Yet we have cases in the operation of amusement enter- prises where many people are actually performing no functions at all. I have in mind cases brought about by the arbitrary rulings of labor organiza- tions. In peace times, when man power is not so vital an issue as it is today* the issue is still debatable. Now, such procedure is not less than unpatriotic* and therefore criminal. This condition prevails mostly in the mechanical and musical parti of our organization. There are shows on the road, for instance, with one set remain- ing from one day to six months in one place, and yet the show is required to carry a crew of men far more than necessary to do the work. What would be the result if this condition existed in every business ? It would work ruin. I have known of cases in the city: where a play was running and a road, crew was being paid without ever even coming to the theatre, thereby reducing the man power just that much end making parasites of the men who re- ceive pay without tendering services; the very thing progressive labor lead- ers object to and are trying to do away with. All these rules and regulations should be abrogated in war times. No man or institution should be compelled by any organization to employ more men for a given task than required for the proper and satisfactory perform- ance of that task. In the musical end of the business the same things apply. The Govern- ment is anxiously seeking musicians. Every cantonment is shy of men who can help the morale by music. And yet, regardless of the wishes of the man- agement of a theatre, in most towns the number of men in an orchestra is prescribed—not by the man employing them, but by the organization to which they belong. p , Men at the head df these unions are usually high-minded and patriotic If properly approached, with a detailed version of the situation as it exists under present war conditions, I believe they would understand and appreciate the problem, and would doubtless con- sent to some arrangement whereby no one would be required to use more th«»n necessary help. It would be far better to ask us to pay the difference in the form of a tax, or as a donation to the Red Cross. The idea is not to save money for the em- ployer, but to conserve man power for the nation. In the case of one me- chanical crew or one orchestra, it doesn't mean much. But multiply it by the thousands of show organizations throughout the country, and it becomes a formidable matter of prodigious figures and consequences. Why not let us get together on this —employers and unions, and use our patriotic and economic common sense in the solution of this problem— not for ourselves, but for America? The Grande Taverne, a cafe" in the Faubourg Montmartre, Paris, is dos- ing. In Paris Theatres: "The Thirteenth Chair" (Rejane); "Potash & Perlmut- ter" (Varietes); "Quinney's" (Gym- nase) ; "Grandpere" (Porte St. Martin); "Marchand d'Estampes" (Athenee); "Compartiment des Dames Seules" (Palais Royal); "Madame ct Son Fil- leul" (Bouffes); "Nouveaux Riches* (Sarah Bernhardt); "Course au Bon- heur" (Chatelet) ; "Occupe toi d'Amelie" (Scala); "Cloches de Corneville* fGaite); "Marraine de rEscouade" (Vaudeville); "Les Butors et la Fin- ette"(Antoine) ; "Systeme D"(Ambigu) ; "Manee du Touring Club" (Marigny); "Dragees d'Hercule" (Renaissance): "L'Homme a la Clef" (Apollo); "Petite Bonne d'Abraham" (Edouard VII); "Grande Epouvante," etc. (Grand Guig- nol) ; "Femmrs a la Caserne" (Dcjazct); "4 Fenimrs et 1 Capora!" (Cluny); il Go- bctte of Paris" (Fcmina); "Mme. Bou- c'ou Ba-da-Bouh" (BoufTrs du Nord); "Affaire des Poisons" (Odeon), reper- toire at Opera; Opera Comique, Come- die Francaise, Trianon. Revues at Casino de Paris, Folies Hergere. Cigale, Capucines. Michel. Ba-Ta-Clan, Pie qui. Chante, Gaite Rochechouart. 1