Variety (May 1918)

' VOL. L, No. 10 NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1918 PRICE TEN CENTS GOVERNMENT WILL 0. K. ALL ENTERTAINERS SENT ABROAD Soldier Shows for France Being Arranged. Expected First Artist Contingent Will Leave Next Month. No Male of Draft Age Eligible in Any Capacity. Women Under 25 Not Accepted. Must Fill out Regulation Questionnaire. No applicant as an entertainer for the soldiers in France via the Amer- ica's Over There Theatre League will be permitted to embark for the other side until the U. S. Government has vised his application over here. The procedure will be through a regular questionnaire to be filled out and for- warded to Washington, when the War Department will adopt its own methods to ascertain that the applicant is thor- oughly American and eligible to go to France as an entertainer behind the lines. The selections will first be made by the theatrical committee in New York. There is no secrecy in their declaration that every precaution will be taken to prevent any Pro-German, alien efiemy or otherwise or any alien enemy who has been appearing on the stage in America under an assumed name, from securing passage abroad' and into the Jines of the Allies as an entertainer. The first precautions taken in New York City will be followed by the in- vestigation by the Government at Washington of the application. This phase of the provision for en- tertainers for soldiers.abroad from the amusement ranks at home was the first thought of the directors of the movement when making a general ap- peal for entertainers for the soldiers over there to the theatrical profes- sion over here. No one but entertainers may go abroad—those who will actually appear before the soldiers. An entertainer can not be accompanied by wife, hus- band, relative, maid, valet or friend. Man and wife teams or man and wom- an acts, if both are to entertain, will be eligible, or groups of players nec- essary to an act or a skit accepted for entertaining service may leave if ac- cepted, but there is no exception to the "companion" ruling which was is- sued in Washington; also that no male of the draft age, for any reason what- soever may be accepted, whether ex- empt under the Draft or through some other cause presented. The no-Draft- age prohibition is absolute and was principally aimed at any person liable under the draft from presenting to a Draft Board a plea he has been called as an entertainer, securing a letter of release from the Board and then -making his application to go across as a duly selected entertainer. Pending the approval of Washington on applications submitted it is unlike- ly the committee will issue any for- mal announcement of selections until such shows as may be compiled are finally confirmed. i/ln a way the first vaudeville pro- gram that may be sent over has been partially laid out. It is thought the composition of it will be as follows, subject to future changes: Mrs. Vernon Cattle. , Irene Franklin and Burt Green. Walter C. Kelly. Swor and Avey. Mercedes and Mile. Stanton. Chief Caupolican. The foregoing artists are among the applicants and have been selected by the vaudeville committee as a "Palace ^Show" for the first contingent. E. H. Sothern and Winthrop Ames at the Little theatre offices of the League are interviewing applicants be- sides going over the great mass of mail matter received. It is reported that about 1,000 applications from vaudevillians were received up to Wed- nesday and around 400 aplications from legitimate and other players. All classes of legit players have made per- sonal application at the League's head- quarters. Old character role actors and youthful players want to volun- teer. The conviction grows stronger daily along Broadway that ultimately it will be the "vaudeville act" only in demand. This impression is steadily strength- ened through conversation as regards the particular style of entertainment which appears to mostly amuse the men in the Service. All the showmen with any knowledge of soldier enter- tainment seem agreed that vaudeville entertains them the best. Another restriction against volun- teers is that if the entertainer has a (Continued on page 23.) SHUBERTS IN ATLANTIC CITY. Philadelphia, May 1. The Shuberts/are understood to have secured a foothold in Atlantic City for their musical cojHcdy productions, perhaps all the Shubert shows, through having the lease of B. F. Keith's Pier theatre there, owned by the B. F. Keith and Stanley Amusement Co. in- terests. The parties concerned are now in New York and the deal is expected to be closed today. The Pier theatre has been playing big time vaudeville intermittently un- der the recent resident managership of Jules Aronson. It last opened dur- ing Easter Week. A story says big time vaudeville for Atlantic City in summer may be transferred to the Nixon theatre there, reported now under lease to Sablotsky & McGurk, the local small time vaude- ville managers. The Stanley Co. is rumored to have obtained an interest with the firm, with a transfer of the United Booking Offices big time fran- chise to the Nixon, upon the Pier go- ing to the Shuberts, with the Nixon to play small time vaudeville over the winter season. The Stanley Co. recently announced a summer season of vaudeville at the Pier with Mr. Aronson to continue in command. The Shuberts have been looking for an Atlantic City opening for some time, having been mixed up in two or three deals down there with that objective, but each resulting in an unsuccessful outcome. BUILDING UP CHICAGO. Chicago, May 1. It is reported A. H. Woods, encour- aged by the brilliant success of the Woods theatre, is endeavoring to in- terest capital in the construction of another loop theatre. Elliott, Comstock & Gest are known to have been considering a project to build a new theatre on the present site of the La Salle, which has been made into a very successful house since the firm took it over. The new State- lake theatre will be up next year. Broadway, look to your lights! ROTHAPFEL GOING TO FRANCE. S. L. Rothapfel, after finishing his three-week trip in the encampments of Marines, where he will make pic- tures for records, will return to New York and then leave for France. Mr. Rothapfel has been informed that he will shortly be promoted from a lieutenant to a captain. The work he is to do in France will keep him there about a month. A Rut* mvm a bouM ■oony.—CHAS. ALTHOFF. MURRY SCOUTING. Chicago, May 1. Jules Murry, the booking man for the Shuberts, is reported going over the West and Northwest in an attempt to have*individual managers on what is known as the John Cort time secede from that circuit to accept Shubert bookings. The recent acquisition by Klaw & Erlanger of the Cort houses and time in the western territory left a big gap for a coast to coast Shubert route. It was given out that Murry had gone to Mt. Clemens, but the nearest he got to that resort, it is said, was pass- ing it on a train. The Shuberts believe Murry may induce some of the western managers who play the legitimate attractions to take the Shubert shows without first consulting Cort at to whether they shall. WEBER VOLUNTEERS. One of the first volunteers to the Over There Theatre League to assist the committee was Harry Weber, the vaudeville agent. Mr. Weber's services were accepted, and he may go over with the first con- tingent of entertainers selected by the League to entertain the boys behind the lines in France. While Weber is absent from his office his brother, who has been asso- ciated with him in the Weber Agency, will direct its afnairs. Another of the Weber staff, George O'Brien, lately enlisted in the navy, and is now in active service, stationed in New York. \ LOAN SPEECH GETS CONTRACT. Mary Moore, who has been in pic- tures, is going into the spoken drama. Her work for the Liberty Loan at the Bijou last week so impressed Clifford Stork, manager of the Mable Brownell Stock, who was in the audience, that he immediately signed her for three summer seasons with the stock, which is a fixture at Dayton, O. PLAY FOR NORMA TALMADGE. A speaking play of dramatic ten- dencies is on the tapis for Norma Tal- madge, who will likely try it out this spring with a view to continuous appearance in the piece next season. Sid Franklin, the director, wrote the play for the film star. CIRCUS SERVICE FLAG. ChicaK"i May 1. The Kingling Brothers has a service flag with 214 stars. The Ringlings operate several cir- cuses.