The Billboard (1920)

BUY. BONDS ARTISTS' FORUM Confine letters to 150 words and write on one side of paper only. Anonymous communications will not be printed. Name of writer must be sighed and will be held in confidence, if desired. . i_jL ' ^-Letters to be published in this column must be written exclusively to VARIETY,. Implicated letters will.not be printed. New York, Sept. 9., - Editor Variety: I notice several acts claim the origin of the much disputed idea, that of liking the allies to horses. Jean Havez 1 wrote the "Race" or the "World's Handicap" for me nearly one year ago and I have been using the recitation for The Stage Women's War Relief and other benefits, for the past nine months. I have proof of the above statement. Arthur Upson. Sept. 19. Editor Variht?: In Yaribtt Sept. 13 an act doing a policeman and an Italian is accused of using material belonging to Al Haw- thorne (Hawthorne and Anthony). We are doing a policeman and Italian, and have been doing this act since February, 1916. Prior to that Mr. Roth did the same act-with Tom / Murray since 1914. Roth and Roberts. Editor Varibtt: Winnipeg, Sept. 17. Our show was the first show to go across the Canadian line since the new draft (18-45). Professionals will under no circumstances be allowed to enter any part of Canada without necessary credentials which they can get for the asking from their own Local Board. / They must have their registration card showing that they have regis- tered. They must have a permit from their Local Board allowing them to leave the States and enter Canada. This permit is a regular form bla-ok. Without this permit it will be im- possible to get into any part of Can- ada no matter what any. one in the States may say about it. Americans in Canada are also stopped often on the street by officers to show their permits into Canada and failure to have it means arrest. Several in our show were stopped here this week. I was stopped twice, and after showing my registration card was asked for my permit. Joe McShane, ^(McShane and Hathaway.) which he is staging for Emily Ann Wellman and Jack Morris. In preparation are "Sweet and Pretty," a y 35-minute musical version of "Charley's Aunt," and "The Pursuit of Happiness" an allegorical playlet, to follow Miss Wellmans' rr White Coupons," which Marshall also staged. A musical act written by Harry B. Smith and Marshall is additional. Marshall may return to vaudeville again with two girl dancers known as the Misses Cloter and Quinn. The 7 girls will probably use different names when the turn is ready. H. Bart McHugh and Marshall have in rehearsal a new allegorical musical phantasy entitled "The Pursuit Of Happiness," with the book, music and lyrics by Marshall. In the cast of six are Mildred Alain, Helen Guniher arid George Douglas. "Birds of a Feather," a new anatomi- cal fantasy, written by Leon Kimberly for Bert Ford and Pauline Price (Edw. S. Keller). "The Dummy" is to be produced by Arthur Klein from a book by Harry B. Smith with words and music by Henry I. Marshall. CALLING MUSIC MEN TOGETHER. A confidential notice sent out a few of the music publishers by Milton Weil of The Music Trades Company asks them to be his guests, today (Sept. 27), at a special luncheon at the Re- publican Club, 54 West 40th street, where he will lay before them-the out- line of a plan which is to solve some of the .problems of the music publish- ing! business.... If the representatives assembling are in full accord, a general meeting\ will be .called within the near future, when all music publishers will be asked to act on Mr. Weil's suggestions. The secrecy^ attending this first meeting has caused some speculation among the publishers. A leading pub- lisher, who has been invited, stated it was his belief, plans are about to be started to form a sort of a "Chamber of Commerce" -for the -music publish--..- ing industry which will make it a dis- tinct factor. WAR SONG CONTEST SPREADING. The War Animated Song Contest, started at the Fifth Avenue last week, and having its final there Tuesday night, is going to go over the Greater New York small time circuit booked out of the United Booking Offices. This week the Greenpoint started a contest. It will follow into the 34rd Street, Keith's, Jersey City, 425th Street and 58th Street, as far as at present laid out. At the opening of the contest Mon- day night at the Greenpoint it's re- ported the box office showed $200 more than on the Monday night previously, although in New York Monday night of this week was "off" in the vaudeville theatres, generally. . . The Fifth Avenue Tuesday night held lamost complete capacity before eight o'clock. GEO. YEOMAN-BIG TIME. Indianapolis, Sept. 25. This week at Keith's, Indianapolis, is George Yeoman and "Lizzie," with other big time engagements to follow including a tour of the Orpheum Cir- cuit startng Jan. 12 next. It's 12 years since Mr. Yeoman last played a big time house. He has been monologing since and now has a turn written by James Madison. "The Liz- zie" of the title is a mythical person Mr. Yeoman talks to and about (hiring the act. • JAZZ BAND OF 20 PIECES. A jazz band composed of 20 pieces is the objective of Irving ("Suggs') Bochner, who is now in New York, attending to the matter. An amusement promoter,, says # Mr. Bochner, suggested the 20-piece jazz- ing aggregation. PLAYING FOR MOSS. Danny Simmons, of the B. S. Moss office, has signed Welch, Mealy and Montrose, Old Homestead 5, and Gal- lerini Sisters for eight weeks on the Moss Circuit. SHACKELFORD RESIGNS. Atlantic City, Sept. 25. Ernest W. Shackelford has resigned from the management of the ~ Million Dollar Pier. He will leave the resort about Jan. 1. He has been in charge of the pier for the past three years, said to be the most successful since it was built. Mr. Shackelford was formerly man- ager of Young's Ocean (old) Pier. He has many outside financial interests. HENRY MARSHALL STAGING. Henry I. Marshall is actively en- gaged in the production end of vaude- ville^ He is concerned in the staging of several acts of his own and others Harry Bailey Managing Camp Theatre. Sol F. Klarberg has been transferred from the Buffalo theatre, Camp Upton, L. I., to the management of the Lib- erty, Camp Pike,-Little Rock, Ark. He was "form'erly - " associated 1 with the Iri- terstate's Southern houses. Harry A. Bailey recently of the Al- hambra, New York, is now in charge of the Buffalo at Upton. There is also a Liberty theatre at Upton. It is the big house of the camp, managed since opening by Geo. H. Miller. COLINI CLAIMS LOYALTY. William Colirii who has a dancing act in vaudeville known as "Colinis Variety. Dancers," has recently been annoyed by several rumors intimating he was not an American citizen. Colini arrived in this country 20 years ago and played for the western vaudeville managers and other cir- cuits. *»'••• He became a naturalized U. S. citizen in Chicago, in 1905 and married a Chicago girl of Irish parentage. Her father held a Chicago city job for many years. Since the war started his two broth- ers enlisted) and are now fighting in France. /, His act has taken part in many bene- fit performances for the Red Cross and other war charities. The act is now on the big time under the direction of H. B. Marinelli. STERNAD*! CAMP SHOWS. The first of the Jake Sternad camp shows, consisting of seven acts, will open a tour of the cantonments at Camp Dodge, Oct 3-4-5-6, while on the same date a Sternad vaudeville outfit will start at Camp Custer with still a third of the Sternad units to open at Camp Grant Oct. 7-8-9. . Sternad has an understanding with the offices controlling the camp book- ings whereby if the shows.he books fail to, meet satisfaction they can be cancelled, or Sternad can cancel them, if the camps do not prove financially satisfactory. B. B. Circus Closing Nov. 2. Chicago, Sept. 25. The Barnum and Bailey Circus has arrived in the southwest after a coast tour. Business at the coast was bad. The outfit is now playing the Texas stands. It will close its season Nov. 2 at Memphis. The Ringling Circus is closing two weeks earlier than last season, being Oct. 18 at Clarksdale, Miss. , The Hagenbeck-Walace show, which has fared badly this season, closes Oct. 6, some weeks earlier than last year. Billers Strike in Jersey City. A billposters' strike is on in Jersey City. Some of the agents in there with feature films and also the local amuse- ment places had some trouble for several days getting up outside bill- ing, with the local press relied upon. Muriel Worth Back in New Act. Muriel Worth, who left vaudeville when marrying "Dutch" Leonard, the ball player, is returning to vaudeville in a new act carrying three people. Herhusbajnd has ..been drafted. ...„ Arthur Kelin wilt direct the turn. Sampler's New Musical Revue. Martin Sampter is sponsoring a mu- sical revue called "Are Your There," to play the cantonments. The show is said to be new and framed especially for the Liberty Theatres. ILL AND INJURED. Buhla Pearl (Mrs. Walter Buhl) was operated upon at St. Joseph's Hospital, Chicago, last week for appendicitis. Bob Dailey, ill for six weeks, re- appeared on Broadway this week, back to his normal self. Johnnie Collins, the U. B. O. booker, injured about two weeks ago in an auto accident, was able to be about Wednesday. B. Iden Payne is reported slightly better at the Flushing (L. I.) hospital, where he was operated on for appendi- citis. He was not out of danger up to Wednesday. F. Ray Comstock, who fractured his ankle while playing golf on Long Island last month, returned to his office this week with the aid *f crutches* Jo Paige Smith returned .to his office last Friday, after being confined to his home for same days. The agent has been subject to fainting spells eyer since he went northward on a fishing trip early in the summer. The following are ill at the Ameri- can Theatrical Hospital, Chicago: Seorgia Kema ("Speedway Girls"), ilda Martin (Hayraarket stock bur- lesque), William Cunningham (book- ing agent), Joseph Rossi (Chicago Opera Co.). Frank Wirth, the Australian trick rider and manager of the equestrienne act called the Wirth Family, has re- . turned to the Ringling circus, after an attack of typhoid fever. He was in a Minneapolis hospital for six weeks. While Carter De Haven and Flora Parker were going through their act Monday matinee at the Majestic, Chi- cago, their daughter, 4 Majorie, six years old, was undergoing'an opera- tion for appendicitis at the Washing- ton Park Hojspital. .After the turn , Miss Parker collapsed! The operation was successful. . MARRIAGES. Bert Taub ("Love J Farm") to Patty Dennison (Winter Garden show, Chi- cago) at Pittsburgh. Eleanor Kern (partner of Ernestine Gordon) to Sergt. C. D- Levandowski, Aviation Corps, at, Berkley, (jfal., last week. ' \ Carolyne Scoville to Daniel Diehl at Camp Funston, Kan., Sept. 16. Both members of the Milton Schuster show, playing the cantonments. Mrs. Dollie Beeson (nee Weston) to Harry Brown (non-professional) at the Little Church Around the Corner, New York, Sept. 12. They will make their home at, 907 Gervais street,/ Columbus, S. C. Thomas Robbins of Attleboro and Hattie Atwood of Profile View, N. H., were married recently in Providence, R. I. Mr. Robbins, until a short time ago, in vaudeville (having traveled . with Marvel, Priscello and other' hypnotists), met his bride while tour- ing New Hampshire. BIRTHS. Ted and Margie Banks,,in New York, Sept. 23, son. „ , ,,. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Parker (direc- tor in Douglas Fairbanks' studio), at Los Angeles, last week, daughter. Mr. and Mrs. John F. Garbrey, Sept. 19, daughter. The mother is profes- sionally known as Pauline Lonmer. « Mr. and Mrs. Al Weston, at Lying-in- Hospital, Chicago, Sept. 16, daughter. Mrs. Weston is professionally Babe Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Orkin, at Elliott Hospital, Boston, daughter. The mother is Mary Ruby of the ; . ; ^hr v ee,RuhjK:..Sis^p^ : ^ : ., ; , :T , ; ,.,., ;;T ,, v; . r ,, A ,- r - v , ; ,, t* IN AND OUT. Walter Scanlon left Proctor's, New- ark, Saturday through loss of voice. He also cancelled Poli's, New Haven, first half this week. That surefire fun purveyor. CHA8. ALTHOFF. 111111 ftHiaittl