Variety (June 1918)

. VAUDEVILLE ~.- ^.j VAUDEVILLE VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR CAMP SHOWS I i United Booking Offices Agree with Chairman Reber to Fur- nish Bills for Cantonment Travel. Camp Theaters Losing Money. Need Attractions. Volunteers Furnished All Expenses. Probably Play About One Month. Through an arrangement made Tues- day between J. Howard Reber, chair- man of the Entertainment Committee of the Military Camp Commission, and E. F. Albee and A. Paul Keith of the United Booking Offices, the U. B. O. people agreed to furnish the Liberty threatres of the camps nearest the largest cities vaudeville programs, to appear without cost to the Govern- ment, others than the expenses of the players. Volunteers have been called for, to take part in these shows. They may be out about a month. The expenses include transportation and hotel bills. Acts wishing to be enrolled as volun- teers can send their names to William J. Sullivan at the Palace theatre build- ing, New York City. The camp theatres have been losing money at an alarming rate of late, which may be accounted for in part by the large numbers of boys recently gone across. The same reason to some extent has affected the regular vaude- ville houses throughout the country. The losses at the Liberty theatres have been so large it is said the Com- mission felt itself free to call upon volunteers to help hold down the gross expense and strike a fair average. Mr. Reber stated this week he in- tended to take cognizance of a charge made by a Chicago paper that one Carrell, of the Consumer's building in that city, had become a "ten per cent, agent" in the booking of acts for vari- ous cantonment shows. The paper charged Carrell was collecting that amount, netting himself $600 to $800 weekly. In New York it was said Carrell was indirectly connected with the Redpath Lyceum Bureau through the Redpath's representative here, a Mr. Brown. New Yorkers appeared to think neither Mr. Brown nor the Redpath concern knew of Carrell's alleged charges. Mr. Reber said the Redpath shows seldom cost over $400 weekly. The Redpath Bureau has gotten together a very large num- ber of camp bills, but knowing little about vaudeville is though to have gone outside to secure some one familiar with it. Carrell was selected through Brown, it is said, although Carrell has never been well known in variety circles. OVERSEAS BILLS DELAY. That there is an unexpected delay in securing programs of entertainers by the Oyer There Theatre League for the soldiers in France is being ad- mitted by those officially concerned in the promotion of that organization, headed by Winthrop Ames and E. H. Sothcrn. It is working in harmony with the Y. M. C. A. This week Edward Darling, of the United Booking Offices, was called in, to lend his assistance in arranging overseas bills and securing desirable material for entertainment over there. Up to Wednesday it was said Mr. Darling had been unable to make any headway. James Forbes was also add- ed to the Ames staff this week, to aid in completing an organization. A somewhat definite account says the Over There Theatre League has about 50 available applicants from the vaudeville ranks. Of these the best known are Mrs. Irene Castle, Frank- lin and Green, Hunting and Francis, Wright and Dietrich, Billy Gould, Ce- cil Cunningham, Nate Leipzig, Craig Campbell. The remainder are turns unknown excepting in the pop houses. Irene Franklin is said to have ex- pressed a willingness to entertain abroad provided she could select the program or approve of the one Frank- lin and Green would appear with. Lillian Russell has stated that she expects to go abroad about July 1 to sing for the soldiers. Her daughter, Dorothy, is to accompany her. It was not mentioned whether Miss Russell leaves under the auspices of the League. There have been some reports that the Over There League may reorgan- ize, to obtain more certain and swift results. Another story is that the League will send first the Leo Donnelly unit with Billy Gould's or Tommy Gray's the second. The Margaret Mayo con- tingent, which will have Will Morrls- sey and Ray Cox included, is also expected to be one of the early outfits to go. These volunteered from outside vaudeville, excepting Gould. NAVAL BAND GOING OVER. The Navy Jazz Band which created a sensation when it played in several eastern vaudeville houses during the Third Liberty Loan drive, is "going across." The band originated at the Charles- town (Mass.) navy yard and is now at an Atlantic port awaiting sailing orders. The work of the musicians was so highly regarded by officials it was decided to send the band to en- tertain in the rest camps of the Ameri- can Expeditionary Forces. MARY CLARK ARRESTED. San Francisco, June 5. Mary Gray, known in vaudeville as Mary Clark, of Clark and Agnes Muir, was taken into custody at Oakland last week on a charge made by her brother, Charles Gray, who accused her of em- bezzlement. The Burns Detective Agency, on her trail since March 18, allege she removed from a safety de- posit box. owned by her brother and herself, in a Chicago bank, $6,000 and' a diamond ring valued at $500. She told her brother of her action, but when he arrived in New York, she had disappeared, leaving no trace. Agnes Muir, with her here, was not arrested, but she volunteered to return to New York with Miss Clark, when the detectives started east with their prisoner. EDDIE LEONARD STARRING. An announcement was sent out this week that Eddie Leonard next season will appear in a three-act comedy- drama, "The Wandering Minstrel." under the direction of Klaw & Erlanger. William R. Myers and Jack Gorman arc stated to be the authors. "Why Worry?" Fannie Brice's Show. "Why Worry?" is the title given to the Montague Glass written piece for Fanny Brice, when she opens about Aug. 5 as a star under the manage- ment of A. H. Woods. Besides the Avon Comedy Four, George Sidney has also been engaged. B*lnnln| and md of • Mrf«t ruto-CHAS. ALTMOFF. NO SLURS ON JEWS. Philadelphia, June 5. The tendency of some artists in vaudeville to secure a laugh while on the stage through reference to Hebrews and the war has been noted by Fred G. Nixon-Nirdlinger. Mr. Nirdlinger has caused the fol- lowing notice to be conspicuously posted in all of his theatres: A SUGGESTION AND A NOTICE. Tens of thousand of Jewish boys in the army and navy of the United States are offering their lives in the defense of the nation. Slurs and gibes upon the courage and sacrifices of the race to which these fighting men belong are obviously impudent and indecent, and will not be tolerated on the stage of this theatre; least of all from Jewish performers, who have been the customary offenders in this matter. * If you feel that you cannot get your act over the footlights with- out insulting brave boys who are going "over the top" please con- sider your act cancelled. (Signed) Frtd G. Nixon-Nirdlinger, AGENT KIRBY HELD. Thomas A. Kirby, an agent in the Putnam building, was held for trial in Special Sessions, under $500 hail, Wed- nesday last on the technical charge of operating an agency without a license. Inspector Gill of the License Com- missioner's office made the complaint on behalf of a musical act called the Bryant Four. The act testified $50 had been given Kirby in advance of a booking to play for Paddy McMahon in New Britain. The salary was to have been $225, but all the act claims to have gotten was $125, whereupon Kirby was asked to refund a portion of the fee. Upon his refusal the matter was placed be- fore the License Commissioner. Kirby's defence is that the money paid him was not for booking but for having rearranged the act. MANAGER EGGLESTON ENGAQED. Indianapolis, June 5. The announcement has been made of the engagement of Charles Roltare Eggleston, manager of Keith's, to Elizabeth Line Primrose of Philadel- phia. The wedding is to take place in Philadelphia June 15. Mr. Eggleston came to Indianapolis two years ago from Philadelphia, where he managed the Keith house. He is president of the Indianapolis Theatre Managers' Association, an active Rotarian and prominently iden- tified with various civic enterprises. BENTHAM VS. WEBER. Two vaudeville agents-M. S. Bcn- thatn and Harry Weber--have arrived at the period of hatred toward one another where llciithaiu's anger against his brother broker resulted in a complaint to the Navy Department. Bentham charges Weber insulted the service uniform which lleutham wears by virtue of his rank a* a lieutenant in the navy. Weber denies the allegation. In a statement made to an investigator from the Naval Intelligence Office Weber claims he showed every re- spect for the uniform through the re- mark he passed regarding Bentham. Weber says that remark was: "I'd knock his block oft if it weren't for that uniform he is wearing." Lieut. Jjentham heard of Weber's fondness for him, and in his line of duty as a naval officer felt it in- cumbent to report it to the depart- ment. The secret service agent, when call- ing upon Weber, did not mention the name of the complainant. It seems no secret, however, in the Palace theatre building that Dentham entered the charge. Weber was informed by the investigator that he appeared to stand very well otherwise as a patriotic American, but the department wanted his version of the uniform remark. The feeling between the agents arose Over disputed rights to nook acts. Lieut. Dentham is more than ordinarily sensitive regarding hit agency business while he is serving his country, a voluntary act on his part. He volunteered his' yacht and ser- vices, although considerably over the draft age, volunteering before the draft law was passed. Weber protests his office has taken no advantage of Hentham's personal absence, and that such matters as plight have arisen between them were in the usual course of the agency busi- ness. These were not serious enough. Weber claims, to prefer a charge of any kind against him with the Federal authorities. Weber was informed by the secret service investigator he would be duly advised of the findings of the depart- ment after its investigation had been completed. The feeling between the agents in- volved commenced when Weber book- ed Joseph Santley in vaudeville some time ago, after Bentham, who had di- rected Santley'.* vaudeville engage- ments for years, considered Santley his permanent client. More latterly Weber lost a desirable act for book- ings when Bentham placed Bessie Mc- Coy in vaudeville, after Weber thought he had concluded negotiations to rep- resent Miss Mc(7oy. Before her mar- riage and for years back, while of the McCoy Sisters, Bentham was her rep- resentative, in between these more important items of bookings other matters crept up to inflame the exist- ing differences l>etwccn the two men. JOE WELCH IN SANITARIUM. Joe WeNh was last week committed to Spring Hill Sanitarium at Hastings* on-IIud.soii, declared by Dr. Carleton Simon, prominent alienist, to be suffer- ing from paresis. Welch had been acting peculiarly for some time now. He attended a per- formance at the Columbia one night during the recent Liberty Loan drive, and when subscriptions were called for he offered to buy $10/900 worth of the Government bonds, giving the name of lames Madison. Jake Welch, brother of Joe and Ben Wclrh. \v;i-. reported to have died in New Vol k | niie A. MABELLE FONDA TRIO (Bert Dell, Mfihcllc I'oihIii nnd Joe lieuttle) "VerstiH lirnvitiition" I*roctor's Fifth Avenue, New York (June .T-5) ; Colonial, l4inr«nter (June fl-9) ; II. O. II., New York (Jun* 10-12). U. B. O. Direction, IIL'GIiliS A SMITH. New Scenario for Lions. A new scenario hat hecn procured hy George Maarck, the lion trainer, for his aggregation of wild heastS. The playlet will he produced next season, with the lions brought into the finish of the story.