Variety (May 1918)

VAUDEVILLE :*= IN THE SERVICE On the night of April 5 "Somewhere in France," at one of the U. S. bases, an entertainment was conducted with Elsie Janis as the feature attraction. A temporary stage was erected by the boys and the setting was quite unique. The "theatre" was in the open, in the railway yards, the stage being built directly over one of the railway lines and even had a runway built out over the audience. Miss Janis's entrance was most dramatic, coming directly on the stage from the pilot of an American locomotive, which brought her down the isle through the center of the audi- ence. Miss Janis as usual scored a big hit with her stories, songs and im- personations. During her entertain- ment she honored our Q. M. C. "Kora- edy Four" by calling upon them for a few numbers, which they rendered creditably. The whole entertainment was a success and everyone declared it was the best show that they had seen for a long time. Among those who helped along the performance were: Privates Joel Barnett, Jack Spaulding, Irving Scott and Harry Vorichek. In this department last fall appeared an item that did an injustice to Charles Mack, now of Mack and Moran, the blackface act. It stated Mr. Mack had been taken out of a Philadelphia theatre by Federal officers on a charge of attempting to evade the draft. The facts are that Mr. Mack registered un- der the draft and he was 32 years of age at the time, registering through misunderstanding the law. He has since been placed in Class 2. Mr. Mack did leave the Philadelphia theatre that week before his engagement ended, having been called to New York on personal business. Lieut. James B. McKowen, the former Chicago vaudeville booker, who enlisted and was commissioned to serve at Camp Grant, Rockford, 111., has been renewing local acquaintances along Broadway for a few days. Since coming here on a furlough he has been breveted a captain, according to "offi- cial reports" emanating from the Illinois camp. McKowen, who served in the Philippines, has proved one of Camp Grant's most efficient officers. Some months ago McKowen's Chi- cago agency was taken over by Harry Spingold, and is now operated in con- junction with the latter's office. Gavin H. Harris, 2d Lieut., 146th Regiment, Camp Sheridan, Ala. Lieut. Harris has been detailed as manager of the Liberty theatre at the camp, which is one of the largest of the cantonment playhouses, seating 5,000 comfortably. Claude L. "Duke" Boyd, former treasurer of the Empire and Valentine, Toledo (attached to the 74th Infantry), is treasurer of the house. Harry O'Neil, a straight man with the "Burlesque Review" for the past two seasons, proved such a corking good speaker while working for the Liberty Loan in Boston recently that he obtained the appointment of chief yeoman (to report at Washington). O'Neil was in the draft. He is about 28 years old and is the husband of Flos- sie Everett, soubret with the Review. Lieut. M. S. Bentham, of the Navy, has been assigned to recruiting duty with headquarters at 21 Chambers street, New York. His boat remains in the Naval Service, but with his as- signment to the recruiting office an- other officer was placed in command of it. The Jordan Girls, a vaudeville turn, adopted Co. H of the 47th Inf. at our declaration of war. Since then the girls have been sending the boys smokes, candies and little luxuries weekly. They have taken collections on bills each week for that purpose. Jack Shea will place another large vaudeville bill for the entertainment of the convalescents at Base Hospital No. 1, 211th street and Gunhill road. Mr. Shea gives the show every Friday night, with the acts leaving his offices at six that evening. Tom Dinkins received a letter from Charles Croft, saying he had fully re- covered from the injuries and shock sustained after the torpedoing of the Tuscania, and that he had reported in England for active duty with his corps. Billy Harris, principal with Strouse & Franklyn's "Girls of the Follies," ac- cepted by the draft, had to undergo slight operation at the Post Graduate Hospital, New York, before going to camp. Joseph A. Rudd (Cohan & Harris forces), originally an Englishman who served in the Boer War, was granted his American citizen paper four months ago and has enlisted in the U. S. cav- alry. Charles D. Jordon (Jordon and Stan- ley), who has been in the service for a number of months, has been dis- charged, suffering with asthma, he is now in Ward 13, Camp Grant, Rock- ford, 111. Bartlet Campbell, son of Robert Campbell, now with the gun crew of the Florida, has arrived in foreign waters and last week wrote his father to send him his baseball glove. Eddie Atkin and Jack Hayden ("Bowery Burlcsqucrs"), ordered to re- port next week, having been granted an extension to finish out the burlesque season. Jack White (Century Play Co.), who supply stock material, reported at Camp Devens on Friday. He regis- tered from his home town, Worcester, Mass. Jerry Saumo, stage manager, and Joseph Long, electrician of the Alham- bra, Stamford, Conn., have been or- dered to report at Fort Slocum, New York. Ray Raymond ("Fancy Free"), ow- ing to eye trouble, was turned down for a commission in the aviation corps. Raymond, in the draft, has been placed in Class 2B. Herbert Heywood and Desmond Gal- lagher have enlisted in the Army and ordered to Camp Pike. Both are above draft age and members of the Green- room Club. A regular performance of "The Little Teacher" will be given at the Playhouse Sunday night instead of a vaudeville en- tertainment. The performance will be free to soldiers in uniform. Lawrence Schwab, formerly in Alf Walton's office and now an ensign, has been assigned to a torpedo boat destroyer. George McGinnis, former treasurer of the Gaiety, Brooklyn, who was with the 305th Regiment at Camp Upton, has arrived "Somewhere in France." Through Pealson, of Pealson and Goldie being ordered to report, the act had to abandon the remainder of their Pantages Circuit contract. Herbert Heywood and Desmond Gal- lagher, both over draft age, have en- listed and reported at Camp Eagle Pass, Tex. Russell Fisher has recently taken the examination for Assistant Paymas- ter, and is now at the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va. Lester Sweyd (formerly with "Chu Chin Chow"), twice rejected on ac- count of poor eyesight, place in 5th class of draft. Fraser C. Tarbutt (formerly with Marjorie Rambeau) is a lieutenant in the Royal Air Service, British Imperial Forces, in France. Edwin Cushman is with Headquar- ters Co., 106th Field Artillery, at Camp Wadsworth, S. C. He was lately with the William Faversham Co. RIVERSIDE'S BIG NIGHTS. The final two nights (Friday and Sat- urday) of the Liberty Loan campaign were exciting evenings at the River- side theatre. Cadet Schwartz of the Aviation Corps was the Loan speaker. He was assisted in the work of gath- ering subscriptions by I. R. Samuels of the United Booking Offices and Wil- liam Derr, manager of the theatre. Friday night the gross subscriptions were $650,650, which took the lead for one evening of the New York vaude- ville houses. Four hundred and twenty- five thousand dollars of the amount was contributed through the sale of a German helmet. Vice-president Wel- ler, of the Gotham National Bank, bid it in at $215,000, while his competitor, representing the A. B. Leach Co., al- lowed his losing bid of $210,000 to stand as a subscription. The Liberty Loan event for that evening ran for one hour and 25 min- utes. It contained several enlivening moments, one particularly when 23 of the French "Blue Devils" marched onto the stage. The signatures of the French heroes were sold for bond sub- scriptions to the amount of $58,000. One patron subscribed for a $10,000 bond for the privilege of selecting a girl in the audience to kiss the cor- poral of the squad. The subscriber delegated Mr. Samuels to make the choice. He picked the prettiest girl in Harlem. She objected at first, but the house insisted and the young wom- an went upon the stage, receiving the customary French osculatory salute, a double kiss, one on either cheek, be- sides a hug. Bessie McCoy bought a $1,000 bond to kiss a Boy Scout and a girl in the gallery subscribed for an- other $1,000 to meet the lips of a Naval Reserve youth. Julius Lenzberg, the orchestra leader of the house, helped the bond selling by another $1,000 through playing "Over There" by special request, and $1,000 was also subscribed when a little boy with his mother in the audience sang the song. Saturday night the Gotham Bank of- fered a Liberty auto to the highest bidder. It was won by a Mr. Kugel- man with a high bid of a $35,000 sub- scription. Other bids made the total $146,000 with all losing bids standing. SHOW FOR THE SAILORS. The United Booking Offices furnish- ed an entertainment aboard the "In- diana" one day last week. The vaude- ville bill was supervised by Harry Mun- dorf and announced by Billy Grady. About 700 sailor lads jammed them- selves into the mess hall to see and hear the show. On the program were Tom Murphy (Murphy and Meehan), Bowman Brothers, ack and Tommy Weir, John Dunsmore, Nanona, Johnny Neff, Cart- mell, Wright and Walter. William Leon, bandmaster of the ship, was formerly orchestra leader at Keith's, Toledo. At some future time the U. B. O. contemplate giving the boat a bill that will contain women as well as men, with the arrangement made for the performance to end in time to land the entertainers on shore before dusk. The artists and the masters of cere- monies on the "Indiana" last week were delighted with the treatment ac- corded them, in every way, from the time they went on board until they left. CHICAGO'S LIBERTY LOAN PART. Chicago, May 8. Chicago, lagging behind until the last day of the Third Liberty Loan drive, went over the top in a wonderful spurt with a $24,000,000 oversubscription, and next to the newspapers, the theaters of the town are entitled to the credit. Sat- urday all the managers in the loop threw open their houses for the Lib- erty Loan speakers. Most of the thea- tres removed the signs of their attrac- tions from the electric lights and sub- stituted Loan slogans instead. Every song publisher in town threw up booths on the street corners, with pianos, jazz bands and singers, and all over the Loop they bally-hooed for the loan, with amazing results. Of the publishers, Roger Graham did the best and most spectacular work. Roger had the best spot in the loop—the heart of the Rialto, at Randolph and Clark streets, opposite the Hotel Sherman. He had a piano, and "Slap" White, composer of many of Graham's "blue" songs, tickled the ivories while a num- ber of cabaret girls sang. The corner was jammed all night, and thousands of dollars of bonds were sold as a result. In front of the La Salle theatre Nat Royster caused to be constructed a booth, with electric lights strung across. On this booth the entire cast of "Leave it to Jane," tired as they were from a day's strenuous campaign- ing in behalf of the loan, and two per- formances at the theater, shouted themselves hoarse selling bonds. Roy- ster mounted the platform and offered passes to the show for anybody who bought a $500 bond. He handed out dozens of passes in this way. It may be mentioned in connection that this was not half-way patriotism. The La Salle show is going good, and when Royster handed out passes, he was handing out money. That wonderful opening night at Woods' theatre, a couple of months ago, was eclipsed Saturday night when the theatre entertained William Ran- dolph Hearst and a group of his stars, including Opper, Powers, McKay, Bruno Lessing and others. After the second act the house was turned over to the newspaper men. They mounted the stage, made speeches, drew car- toons and auctioned them off for bond purchases. On this one stage alone, over $20,000 worth of bonds were bought. Louis Mann, Sam Bernard and Lou Houseman acted as masters of ceremony. William Randolph Hearst won a cartoon of Louis Mann by Tom Powers with a $5,000 bond purchase. BIG TIME SHOWS FOR CAMPS. Although further road vaudeville shows for the cantonments have been arranged, the bills now being provided for fill-ins are of big time calibre, as predicted several weeks ago. The bill which played Camp Upton this week and booked by William Sullivan of the U. B. O. is referred to as a 'Palace show," it having seven acts: The Foy Family, Bert Leslie & Co., George Augustus Dewey and Military Four, Cook and Lorenze, Johnny and Winnie Hennings, Jonah and her Hawaiians (5) and Dupree and Dupree. This show is at Camp Dix for the last half, practically intact. The big time show of two weeks ago, also booked by Mr. Sullivan was so well received that it led to a policy of continuing that class of bill. My dear wife and I, also our dear brother and sister Mr. and Mrs. ALBERT WHELAN are much comforted by the many beautiful messages we received upon the passing of our beloved boys, Alwyn and Cyril. BERT LEVY