Variety (September 1919)

VAUDtVILLE THE SKIRT’ SAYS— (Speaking of Women—mostly) ■ By THE SKIRT The Colonial may be short on audience, but it sure is long on orches- tra. That little band of men there are in Qass lA. The opening act'this week, the De Marcos, finds the girl in a stunning polo riding suit con- sisting of white trousers and green coat. There was a soft felt hat and white stock. Now that Pearl Regay has found a place in vaudeville she can go much higher either alone or with another partner. Lester Sheehan isn’t the foil for Miss Regay’s acrobatic style of dancing. And also Miss Re- gay is already careless in her dress- ing. The green metallic cloth and mauve skirts hangs very badly, also the socks could be left to her smaller and thinner sisters. An old fashioned taffeta hooped dress looked gray in the amber light. Miss Regay’s first dress ‘was of peacock blue chiffon bordered ■in silver. The skirt had one pointed ilounce! There was a belt of red and • a large hat faced in pink. This girl will bear .watching. Marcus Loew deserves niche in the theatrical Hall of Fame for his latest achievement, the Metropolitan Thea- tre in the heart of Brooklyn. Larger than the Hippodrome, and many times more artistic, thd act must -be very poor not to go. well in such sumptions surroundings.. Anna Case, of concert fame, opened' the lengthy program, swathed in peacock blue chiffon. The gown was ankle length and made in long straight lines. Mollie King, also an added attraction, was most becom- ingly gowned in white chiffon. The skirt was long and tight, making one wonder how Miss King would dance. But an opening at the back was clever- ly done over an accordion plaited petti- coat. Narrow blue velvet ribbons bounded the hips and be.ll sleeves. Two young girls of pleasing appearance are the Brown Sisters, in the regular bill. They wore white cloth kilted skirts with middies of white jersey .and polo caps with a huge pompom. The young woman of the Jos. E. Bernard sketch wore an evening frock of last year’s vintage. You know, the pussy-taffeta with puffed hips. Anna Chandler was in the palest of mauve taffetas. The tight fitting bodice accentuated her waist line and the skirt was short- and full with narrow ruchings of coral chiffon. She also had a poke bonnet and kerchief bag, Valeska Suratt, doing the Purple Poppie in the clothes of last- sea- son, headlines at the Palace this week. The chinchilla coat is still as gorgeous as of old with the velvet gown of pur- ple underneath. Miss Suratt looks very well even if a little stouter. Ruth Roye looked better after dis- carding an unbecoming hat. Her whjte lace dress had a drapery of mauve met- allic cloth with a short jacket trimmed in silver fox and faced in green. George White of the nimble feet has assem- bled a quartet" of beauties whose clothes border on the bizarre, but are costly. Dorothy St. Clair was in a silvery frock of mauve lined in navy blue. There were two front panels and a short cape. Lois Leigh wore . short blue pants with a drapery of cerise. A large hat was trimmed high with osprey. Ethel Delmar wore Turk- ish trousers of white chiffon banded in pearls. Tot Qwalters looked very well in a gold satin affair made with long trousers and a short draped skirt. The facing was red with bands of black. A new idea in a short hooped skirt was carried out in mauve, hav- ing a double skirt. A short pale green frock was oddly made with long sleeves. A short red satin frock was the only ordinary costume in the White act. The black panne velvet of- fice frock had a steel apron. Hilda Wolfus (of Williams and Wol- fus) so. thin it must ht ‘t, after dis- carding an eccentric fur dress a^eared in a red velvet gown made indifferent- ly. A large cerise hat was faced in purple. For the cerise and purple com- bination we have Miss Suratt to thank, but Miss Suratt threw it into the dis- card many months ago. The Boyarr Troup in Russian danc- ing in native costume make us won- der will the end .of the war sect changes in that style of dress. If it does it will be one of the many things to be thankful for. NO CHANGE IN TAX RULING. The ruling given out last week from the collector of internal revenue (“Big Bill’’ Edwards’ office) presents no new phase in admissiions taxes. The ruling was to the effect that all tickets sold but not presented at the door must be accounted for and the tax on them paid. This has been the procedure, (he col- lector’s office checking up from the house statements when necessary. The law states that the box office state- ment must include all tickets sold (also passes) and the total tax paid monthly, from the total box office statements. The ruling of last week applies to the sale of tickets for dances, balls and so forth. Some of. those affairs have not been accounting for tickets sold and not used and the collector seeks to bring forth the admission tax on the total. CIRCUS AT CAMPS. The United States Government has awarded the contract for putting on the big Liberty Circuit circus .to Perry & Gorman, circus promoters, of New York. It has long been the plan of the Bureau of Camp Theatrical Activ- ities to include a first-class circus in the list of attractions offered to the men in the various training camps. Among those already engaged are Cap- tain Schell and Lions, Drake’s Ani- mal Circus, Flying Herberts, Jap- anese Novelty Circus, Smith’s Dog Circus,^ Beilp Family, and 16 other at- tractions. The circus will start late in October on a 16 week tour comprising the 32 theatres on. the Liberty Circuit. FAIRS DOING WELL Despite conditions, the fairs and especially those in the east have re- corded amazing attendance figures. Even the sn^aller of the county fairs this fall have fared exceptionally well. OKLAHOMA CITY SETTLED. The Oklahoma City theatrical stage labor matter has been cleaned up, with a wire received Tuesday by the New York I. A. T. S. E. executive that a , satisfactory settlement was reached. Oklahoma City came in for its share of attention when the White Rats were having their strike troubles, O. C. for some weeks being the battle- ground of the Rats. Failed to Register. Lowell, Mass., Sept. 8. John J. May, an employee of Bar- num & Bailey Circus was arrested here for failure to register last Thursday. He is 35 years of age. This was the first arrest under the new registration law. Another''Mutt ft Jeff.” Gus Hill is organizing a fifth “Mutt and Jeff” company, which opens at the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, Oct. 14. NC^OLK’S LIRERTY THEATRE. Norfolk, Vr., Sept. 18. The city has the distinction of pos- sessing the first Liberty Theatre within city confines and the house is the first one jointly designed for the exclusive entertainment of sailors and soldiers. The new house, an unused armory, opens tomorrow • night with “Nothing But The Truth.” Norfolk has 225,000 men in camp and aboar.^ships. Secre- tary Baker and Secretary Daniels ap- pealed to the 'mayor to secure some building for the men’s use. Admiral McLeary appeared before the city council aqd permission to use the ar- mory was granted. I?ive sailors were detailed to assist Edward M. McWil- liams (known in vaudeville as Jim Mc- Williams) _ to make the peeded altera- tions. The new Liberty Theatre seats 3,000. There is a balcony and ample dressing rooms. It was remodeled at a total cost of $2,200. Donation of apparatus and material were made by merchants and others. Admission is 15-25c. Norfolk is bofh a military and nayal base. t CARNIVAL WOMAN ACQUITTED. Paris, Ky., Sept. 18. After she had proved that she had been attacked by Near Parker, of Paris, before she shot and killed him, Mrs. Pauline Fleeman, an^attache of a car- nival company which showed at Baris, recently, was acquitted at her examin- ing trial before County Judge George Batterton. PLIMMER PICKS UP THREE. Walter J. Plimmer has added three houses to his bool^ his string now numbering' 19 in all (not counting the John H. McCarrqn houses. The addi- tions are the Olympic, Brooklyn; Park, Utica, and Cataract, Niagara Falls. The'^Utica house was recently taken over by the Goldstein Brothers, of Springfield, who control five theatres in Massachusetts, supplied through the Loew office. The Park opens with the new booking next Monday, with Charles E. Faust (formerly manager *of Poll’s, Waterbury, Conn.). The Olym- pic, Brooklyn, was formerly booked through the U. B, 0. Mr. Plimmer is now also handling the Sunday concerts at the Olympic, New York, and the Holyoke Theatre, Holyoke, Mass., which plays stock dur- ing the week. SOUSA’S WEDDING MARCH. John Phillip Sousa has at last made it possible for the words “made in America” to be placed afttr the wed- ding march. The familiar Lohengrin tune is of German origin, so the band- master-composer has composed an “American Wedding March,” which will be published shortly. Musical critics say that it surpasses the other two standard wedding marches in excellence. STOCK IN WILSON. Chicago, Sept. 18. Mrs. Mitchell Licalzi, widow of the late manager of the Wilson^ Avenue theatre, after a conference with Wal- ter Buhl, acting manager of the house, decided on the policy of the house. For the present—until Christmas, at least—the house will continue playing stock, with Olive Templeton as the leading woman. May Ward’s Own Camp Show. May Ward heads her own company, starting over the cantonments] Sept. 23, with the first date the Liberty, Camp Devens, Mass. The attraction is a musical comedy called “A Night on Broadway,” the old Murray and Mack piece. There are to be twelve girls in the chorus with the cast in addition having Jack Jen- nings, Jack Collins, Al. Rogers, Joe Hillard, W. I. Clark, Ed. Emerson, Eli- nore Young, Josephine-. Saunders. ILL AND INJURED. Iden Payne was taken to the Flush- ing (L. I.) Hospital, Sept. 12 and oper- ated upon for appendicitis. He is fe- covering. B.ob Conkey (Dunro;;f’s Show World) is out of the. hospital, recovering from injuries sustained in an accident Ust week. -George Davis is in Bellevue Hospital, New York, treated for injuries about visiting friends on West 46th street and fell down stairs, Grace Sachs YBilly Watson’s “E|e«i Trust ) was taken ill on the way to ioronto last'week, and is now con- fined to her hotel in care of a physi- cian. Kathryn McConnell (song and dance revue) is suffering from a nervous breakdown. She will be pdnfinl^ to her home m New York, for at least a month. , ^ Mary Asquith, the play broker, ser^ lously injured two years ago and cOn- fined to her home ever since, is now aWe to make occasional visits to Imr office. . Peggy Podols, private secretary to Charles Freeman (W. V. M. A.) was run down by an automobile last Sat- urday. Both limbs were fractured. Miss Podols was taken to the West Suburban Hospital. Dixie Norton (Norton and Melnotte) tripped over some steps last week, in- juring her ankle. The girls had to cancel the Majestic, Chicago, thi? week, returning to New York, awaiting Miss Norton 8 recovery, r John J. Collins is at the Knicker-''^ bocker Hospital, 131st street and Am- sterdam avenue, with some severe bruises, but no bones broken, asui re- sult of an automobile accident Wed- nesday night last week. Mr. Collins, alone in his car, was driving along Central Park West. At lOStj) street, the steering gear broke, and the car ran against a lamp post. Mr. Collins expects to leave ^ the hospitajl within JQ days, though the physicians are of the opinion he may be there longer. IN AND OUT. Colonial program^changes had Miss- Merle and Co., and the- Kirksmith bisters out this week, with the De- macos replacing the former and Collins and Hart the latter. The Flemings could not open at the Orpheum, New Orleans, this week, through a Draft call. Pope and Uiu> were impressed into the bill, booked ffom the Chicago office of the Orpheum Circuit. When Serg. Victor Gordon^ was . obliged to le^e the Arcade, Jackson^ ville, bill last Friday, Miss Marshall, of Wayne and Marshall, filled in the va- cancy by doing a single turn. The dou- ble act also appeared on the samd pro- gram. Dugan and Rayilood did not open at the Ffth Ave., Thursday. One of the crates holding the act’s prop auto was not off the sidewalk at 11 a. m. ' Dugan registered a complaint, Later in opening the crate he slammed the cover back, striking ]the property mail the leg, the latter letting out a yell. Billy Quaid, who was.back stage, requested Dugan to be more careful and quiet. Dugan remarked he’d quit. Mr. Quaid agreed. ENGAGEMENTS. Tyrone Power, "The Little Brother.” Forreat Wlniint, “Some Night." George Hnreourt, "Mnytlme." Joseph Creban, Bmerson Players, Lowell. Mass. Elmer Thompson, Empiro Stock, Lowell, Mass. Yvonne Garrick, to Beeman Players, Or- pheum Theatre, Montreal. Colin Campbell, "The Better ’Ole," at the Oreenwlch Theatre, by The Coburns. Ralph Bunker, by Weber & Anderaon, for the Erneet Truex part In "The Very Idea." Ann M’Donald, Herbert Raneome, Tbomaa Collin Cooke, to support Bertha Kallob in "The Riddle Woman." i ■