Variety (June 1918)

VAUD£VILLE "The Midnight Revue" on the Cen- tury Grove is a good roof show now regardless of what it might have been when opening under the manage- ment of Elliott, Comstock and Gest. Someone has knitted the performance into a blend of looks, clothes, music and fun that gives a most enjoyable entertainment. The hit there ip laughter and applause are the Dboley Brothers. Next is the "Ignatz Plutus Troupe" ("The World's Worst Acro- bats") led by Jean Bedini, with the company composed of the male prin- cipals in the roof show. It's the same bit which Bedini had in his burlesque show. The Dolly Sisters are the big fea- ture, so pronounced they won't appear in the finale ensemble. The girls have a couple of new dances, one with Kuy Kendall as a trio, although it appears unwise for them to become part of a trio while doing a specialty. Georgie White is also there, very much so, doing one neat number with the girls and another alone. There is a polish to all the number productions of the regular performance. These were staged by Edward Royce. They are the best produced numbers of any cabaret show in New York. But the "Fortune Tellers" number should go out. It is too intimate, and only af- fects a few of the front tables, with no entertainment to it. The real effect of the number is to merely hold up the performance such as a bad wait would do, but it's a great opportunity for the show girls to tell their phone numbers. The close similarity in the general outline of the Century show to Ziegfeld's "Midnight Frolic" perform- ance cannot be missed by anyone who has seen both. Most of the Ziegfeld choristers the Century first secured appear to have left. Three of the former Ziegfeld squad are still there, however, Sybil Carmen, Frances Prit- chard, and Arlene Chase. They do one of the prettiest trio singing and dancing bits any show has shown for years. John Henry Mears is manag- ing the Century Roof. He wrote the lyrics for several of the numbers. The waiters and kitchen forces are talking of striking; that is, they were talking before the War Department issued its announcement concerning necessary and useless labor. That war order appears aimed to take in present useless male labor which may be re- placed by females. But there is a state statute prohobiting the employ- ment of women as. waitresses in any place where liquor is sold. That puts a problem up to the restaurant and hotel men, who are quite apt to suffer a heavy loss of help through the enforced leaving of waiters of draft age. The restaurant and hotel associa- tion held a meeting last week to talk over the attitude of the waiters, who threaten to walk out. The waiters want more salary. While the hotel men don't brag about it they know that many of their waiters receive no salary at all. No one but a restaurant or hotel proprietor would admit that this is proper. It's a matter of tips, head waiters, etc., that only the hotel people really understand. An arbitra- tion committee, if appointed to decide a waiters' strike, would never under- stand it even if they wanted to. With the waiters having the same basis of claim as other working people just now—high cost of living and so on— it's not- unlikely some concession will be made if they insist upon a show- down. What a chance of an argu- ment hotel people would have nowa- days before laymen for a refusal to pay waiters more salary 1 Any waiter could come forward with two bills of fares, from 1913 and 1918. It wouldn't leave the hotel men a leg to stand upon. They have raised everything they have to sell and kicked against the raise in everything they buy or pay for. Shanley's in Yonkers, N. Y., is said to have lost the influence which en- abled it to remain open all night, with competitors in the road house business in that town obliged to close at the regular hour. An unofficial opinion of why Shanley's was favored said it came through location, as Shanley's dis- turbed no one, while the Park Hill Inn was in a residential section. This was drawing a line which might have satis- fied the locals, but its sense never ap- pealed to the transients who played the place after hours*. However, of late Shanley's has been closing on sched- uled license time, following a short term, according to report, during which a Yonkers policeman was stationed outside its doors at 1 a. m. The other night several autos stood outside Shan- ley's around 2 a. m., listening to ex- planations, but the resort was dark. It is posible the drop in after-hours business at the Yonkers all night res- taurant had something to do with it, indirectly perhaps. Shanley's in Yon- kers of late hasn't been getting the crowds it did. Perhaps the taxi fare from Broadway ran too high or those who owned cars preferred longer rides on warm evenings, or maybe it was the roughness allowed to develop in the place after hours. A great many peo- ple have avoided Yonkers through fear of some trouble that would bring them publicity. There are a number of taxi drivers who may moan their loss of 10 per cent, on the gross of each "check" they "steered" to Yonkers. The Maxim revue has been aug- mented lately by additions, some re- placing withdrawals, but the restau- rant still retains its principal, Georgie Manatt. Miss Manatt has been at Maxim's for several months, and is a huge favorite. She is among the best number leaders in revue work, and is the sort of a girl production managers look for. There are few left around like Miss Manatt, who is blonde, petite and pretty, with a singing voice, be- sides being an agile dancer with plenty of ginger. The Maxim show has an- other peppery dancer in Miss-Press, of Scanlon and Press. That team who became known in Time square when dancing with the Valeska Suratt act has separated. They entered the Maxim show together, but Scanlon re- tired last week. Miss Press is now doing a double turn with Lucille, who was with Sydney DeGaven in vaude- ville. Lucille appears in boy's clothes when doing the double. She has a big and melodious voice. Monday night Edna Mays, from the Coast, opened at Maxim's, featuring an "Egyptian Jazz Dance." To help it along Edna wore a veil. Her dance was a small time cooch, which spoiled it both for the Egyptian and jazzing ends. The Six Brown Brothers will open in "The Midnight Frolic" on the Am- sterdam Roof Monday next. "The "Frolic" is filling in its cast of prin- cipals prior to "The Follies" opening. Jack Robert's Revue for the past two years at the Paris-Louvre cafe, San Francisco, closed there last week. Beatrice Palmer has been engaged to sing numbers in "The Midnight Frolic" on the Amsterdam Roof. Eleanor Harte, at the Ritz during the winter, will be with a Jacobs & Jermon burlesque show next season. PAY TAX BY JUNE 15. Many professionals and others have not yet received their income tax bills, but failure to receive notification from the revenue collector is no excuse for not paying the income tax by June 15. The collector's office verified the regulation which calls for payment of the tax on that date and all delinquents are liable to an added assessment of 50 per cent, of their tax plus a fine of from $20 to $1,000. Professionals who are on tour will probably not receive bills or notifica- tions within the time limit, as all the bills will not have been sent out until the end of this week, because of the enormous number handled by the col- lectors. MRS. JAMES REMARRIES. Chicago, June 5. Word has reached here from Seattle that Mrs. Marie James, the former vaudeville agent, has remarried. Her present husband was formerly her chauffeur. There is a disparity in their ages, the groom being around 24. Early in the spring Mrs. James was divorced from Freddie James and shortly afterwards the agency was sold to Lew Shean. Freddie James has returned to the stage and will tour next season with "Yes or No." .French Bit An Act. "Somewhere With Pershing," the trench bit in the "Odds and Ends" show, is to become a vaudeville act next season. The turn has already been accepted and is being cast by Tack Norworth. Arthur Klein will handle the offer- ing. Irene Franklin Back to Garden. Though it has been* reported Irene Franklin and Burt Green were among the first to volunteer for overseas service as entertainers, sailing during the summer, it is also reported they have re-engaged with the Shuberts. The couple are listed to appear in the fall production at the Winter Garden. Just now they are appearing in vaudeville. QUEENIE WILLIAMS The popular Australian comedienne, fea- tured with "MAnniED VIA WIRKMtSS," Colonial, New York, thin week (June 3). VAHIKTY'S notices have been most lauda- tory. Si me said, "She Is an excellent dancer or the hixh-klcklng, wide-moving kind. . . . The girl's place should he In a production. M Wynn said (Royal, New York, May 27), "Queenle Williams, who Is featured, is a smart little ingenue, particularly nimble In dance, and a talented comrdirime. Here Is production timber, for this girl carries all the qualifications essential to a musical com- edy soubret." CHICAGO FIRE-PROOFING. The Vaudeville Managers' Protec- tive Association, has issued the follow- ing notice, calling attention to the fire regulations in Chicago, in reference to scenery and drops. "Vaudeville acts, booked to play any theatre in Chicago, should take notice that the fire regulations of that city require that all scenery, drops, etc., be fireproofed, and that unless it is, the act will not be per- mitted to store or use it in any theatre in that city. In such cases as an act arrives to play with scenery, drops, etc., which has not been fireproofed, local managers in Chicago will in- form artists where the work can be quickly done, so as to bring their material into conformity with the regulations." CARNIVALS BARRED. Youngstown, O., June 5. This city has placed a ban on all carnivals on the ground they are un- desirable and unworthy entertain- ments. One of the smaller traveling organi- zations attempted to restrain the city from interference, and even went so far as to obtain a writ of mandamus against the city officials. Mayor A. W. Craver, however, refused to issue the license. No carnival of the usual type will be permitted to show here this summer. Ordinarily there are half a dozen or more during the season. EDWARDS SINGLE. Now that his "Song Revue," with Olga Cook, has been placed for an Orpheum Circuit route, Gus Edwards is about decided to essay vaudeville. all alone, singinging the Gus Edwards' songs, of course. If Mr. Edwards accepts bookings, he will play only in the east. Motion to Reopen Tanguay's Divorce. Chicago, June 5. The correspondent attorney here for Herman L. Roth has been in- structed to make a motion to reopen the divorce of Eva Tanguay and Johnny Ford, on the grounds that neither principal was a resident of Il- linois. This matter will be disposed of be- fore Ford's divorce action will pro- ceed in New York. New York Agents Going West. The annual summer trip west by Maurice Rose (Rose & Curtis) and Hugo Morris (Morris & Feil) will com- mence shortly in Harry Spingold's Mercer touring car. The party, with Mr. Spingold driv- ing, and Mrs. Spingold-watching him, will start westward on the Lincoln Highway, picking up Mr. and Mrs. Fred Nixon-Nirdlinger at Philadelphia in another car. Two Poli's Quickly Closed. The Poli theatres at Scranton and Wilkcs-llarre have been ordered closed to vaudeville this week for the season. Next Monday a stock company will occupy both theatres. The stock at the Academy, Scranton, will move to Poll's there, while the stock from Poli's, Dorchester, will move intact to Poli's, Wilkcs-Parrc. Will Form Team. Dave Jones, who was recently dis- charged from the army on the grounds of physical disability, will team with Muriel Hudson in a vaudeville turn. Miss Hudson has been in legit. Garrick, Frisco, Quits Vaudeville. San Francisco, June. 5. The Garrck, in the Fillmore district, which a few weeks ago inaugurated a vaudeville policy, closed suddenly last wek. Acts bonked from the A. & H. Offices received their salaries from the agency.