Variety (September 1919)

V - • BUY BO N D S HEAVY SEASON IMPENDING IN NEW YORK ROOF SHOWS “Frolic” May Go on Road, Succeeded by Another Production. Century Putting on New Show in Month. Minstrel First Part Feature of 44th StrcePs New Policy. Flo Zeigfeld’s current “Midnight Frolic/' in the Amsterdam Roof, may be sent out as a regular road attrac- tion on Klaw & Erlanger bookings about Nov. 1, at which time it will be succeeded on the Roof by a new pro- duction; ' It has not "been settled whether Bert Williams will accompany the “Frolic” on the road. The present show will be used as a basis for the traveling at- traction, to be augmented through the introduction of novelties from former “Frolic” productions. There may _be a “cabaret” set to the performance;, for the easier introduction of specialties. The “Frolic” did a capacity business through - the summer and/Vthe warm weather proved the Amsterdam Roof’s best season. . During the hot months the Amsterdam downstairs had “The Follies,” an attraction that aided the attendance above after the theatre hour. Exactly to the contrary was the condition at the Century Roof, where the theatre was without a show, and the Roof in a bad drawing location had td struggle along as best it could until the house below started. As a conse- quence Morris Gest, who is about the sole operator of the Century Roof, lost money over the summer, but is regain- ing it in part at present. The Century will produce another roof show in four weeks. Of the pres- ent company there about the only one certain just now^ of retention for The next production 's Mollie King. The Shuberts when reopening the 44th Street Roof with a midnight per- formance on the regulation order will have for a feature of it a minstrel first part. The Shuberts are preparing for the opening, due to take place around Nov. 1st. HOWARD 3R0S. PINCHED. When next Willie and Eugene How- ard make bets bn -a horse race or start any kind of an argument it will be in some' quiet spot where a Broadway cop can't see or hear. Last Saturday afternoon the boys engaged in considerable confab. about a certain horse or two running some- where on eastern tracks, the placement of a het being engineered in the open at SOth and Broadway. The Howards are pretty well known around that corner and w hennot discussmg things in common,' aside from horse racing, invariably attract friends and admirers. A crowd collected. With the crowd came a policeman who surprised the Howards and expostulating friends. The bluecoat refused to alter his mind and escorted them to the West 47th street station where the charge of blocking traffic was entered and the Howards released on $500 bail. Every- thing was settled later but the How- ards came close to missing a Winter Garden performance. DIDNT NEGLECT “KICK BACK. ” A check for around $30, representing the refund or “kick back” for adver- tising commission of a theatrical at- '■■■'''traction on"Brdad'Way''w'aS'‘'S'e'CUfed”b^^ the representative of the show from the management of the theatre whicn secured the "kick back.” It's an unprecedented incident in the- atrical annals, made more unusual and probably possible through the three per cent, commission refund represent- ing “extra advertising” for the show. The theatre refused to share in the extra advertising. The bills for it amounted to about $1,100. Suspecting the “kick back” the show’s agent made a demand for the returned amount, since the theatre had not shared, with the $^ check as the reward for his vigilance. LOST WEEK PAID IN FULL Claf-a Hovvard is looking over the Broadway plays this, week, with a check for her full salary for this week placed in bank Tuesday, when she arrived in New York. Miss Howard was to have played the Temples, Detroit and Rochester, this week and next. Last Saturday she received a wire saying that through some booking confusion, the two weeks were off. . / , When arriving at the United Book- ing Offices to learn what the confusion had been and stating it was no fault of her own. Miss Howard was pre- sented with the full salary check. The Vaudeville Managers' Protective Asso- ciation is investigating to place the blame, either upon the booking office or Stoker & Bierbauer, Miss Howard’s agents. Whoever is deemed respon- sible will have to make good the amount. Miss Howard was placed for .next week, to fill in the Rochester mistake, and then resumes her regular U. B. O. route. “ALMA” NOW AN ACT. “Alma, Where Do 'You Live?” in condensed form by Milton and Sar- gent Aborn, with the original book lyrics and music; is set for vaudeville. In the cast are Florence McKensie, Bertha Whiting, James McEllhearn, Oliver C. Reese, George O’Donnell, Lee Doddy. The act is booked direct and is a Palace theatre possibity for next week. “4 HUSBANDS? FINE SHOW, “The Four Husbands,” _ formerly known as a vaudeville tabloid act, has been stretched into a two-hour show under the direction of Sullivan & Buckley. It plays the Klaw & Er- langer theatres, opening at the Lyric, Allegheny, Oct. 4. BOSTON SPECULATOR FINED. Boston, Sept. 2S. Keith’s Boston, has again taken up ' the cudgel against ticket speculating with its coupons. Monday Fred Apt, a local spec., was fined $20.' TWO ENTERTAINERS LEAVE. Two more entertainers have sailed under the direction of the Over-There League and Y. M. C. A. They are Marian Schaeffer, singer, and Marian Dana, pianist. They will appear as a unit, though without specific title. This increases the official total of entertainers sent over by the League Jean Gait Vaudevilling. Jean Gail, recently in pictures, has a new^act entitled “The Loot,” de- scribed as a melodramatic comedy, by Martha Oakland .and Edward Baker. Gordon & Lewis are the booking re- presentatives. WILD OVER VOUmTEER SHOW. France, Sept 1. Editor VAMBTr; Knowing always that you are await- iing real good scandal or as they used ito say before the draft, here's real (dirt, i.e. To-night, in one of the dirti- est worse lighted theatres that Lever Ihave liad the good fortune to be in, 3 vwiitnessed the cleanest and most •swonderful performance there is or (ever will be. I saw like in a dream the IPalace Theatre, a real ten francs ($2) (Show and it brought me back to Broadway and 47th street. Gee, I could just feel myself grab- Ibing two glasses of Keith’s lemonade. iMiss Mayo and her associates certain- ly brought Broadway as near to iFrance as it ever can be done. If it (Only did the other boys as much good .-as it did me. Well, we will be in (Germany damn soon. Tommy Gray is the only Dough Boy that can put the real snap in a isalute. It would do your heart good •tb “see those wounded boys from all <patts of the country. One said, "I am going to get wounded if I can see tfhese theatre folks. They are good.” If you could only see Miss Mayo rpull her classic dancing. She is no 'Ruth St. Denis, but, oh my, hear those ginks roar. Elizabeth Britel (God, it was a treat for a god. She as better than any time she ever worked with Charlie King. Will Mor- rissey I well, if I keep telling how good - (they were, including little Lois Mere- dith. As one soldier said, “It’s damn bad they don’t keep it open all night, I would like to hear that cute little girl recite.” Miss Mayo’s company bas plaifed about a week to an audi- (cnce of legless and armless soldiers. All yon can say, they are doing a greater bit than we are. Oo«stion: Can you tell me where Tommy Gray i j getting all the five franc notes to give away. Maybe he (doesn’t know they are one dollar in American money. But he is giving them away like complimentary tickets and the boys are certainly ^lad that Tommy Gray is here, for he is a gen- erous guy, Hurrah, hurrah, for the Over-Seas Ga. Yours, A Real Buck Private. WRITING SOPHIE TUCKER’S PLAY. Before Jack Lait left New York for Chicago last week, he started on the story of “A Fat Chance,” which Wil- liam Morris will produce this fall, starring Sophie Tucker. Others en- gaged thus far for the show are Ed- die Carr, Dave Ferguson and Joyce Fair. Miss Tucker has been routed for a few weeks in vaudeville with herself and “Syncopated Kings,” receiving $1,- 000 weekly. LOST BETWEEN JUMPS. Trixie Friganza, at the Alhambra and Royal this week, left her home Monday night aiid went to tlj^e Alham- bra in her auto for the evening per- formance. At the conclusion of her act Miss Friganza hurriedly dressed and left for her car and the Royal. When reaching the machine she found her $750 sable scarf had disappeared. No trace of it could be found. ACTS OUT OF HIP. Four' vaudeville turns are out of "Everything” at the Hippodrome, the Ladellos, Yoscarrys, Will Evans and George Gifford. Eliminations left the turns with ' nothing' tb'dbf 'The Lad(fflbs' m^ turn to the show if a spot can be made for them. Fannie Brice on the Roof. ' Fannie Br^ce will join the “Midnight Frolic” nepefi week. Laugh and grow, fat with CHAS. ALTHOFF. PROPAGANDA ACTS. According to plans formulating, vaudeville may see a ftttmber of acts on the patriotic order. The Govern- ment has notified the picture industry to first product those pictures which have mainly o do with the further- ance of war propaganda'and the pic- . tare market is concerned in their early distribution. The dramatic stage is concentrating its energy in produc- ing, war plays, and the music publish- ers are furthering interest by popu- larizing songs of patriotic appeal. That the vaudeville field will shortly find itself employing acts of the "propaganda” type seems fairly cer- tain, ^ The influx of propaganda acts Will start next week and th^ w;ill be pre- sented by men in the Service. german SPY RESENTED. Florence Pinckney, who plays the German spy in the vaudeville version of “An American Ace,” has been en- countering difficulty of late in pror ceeding through her role. At a per- formance last week when walking across the stage with a defiant speech after being uncovered as a spy, a wom- an in a stage box threw a missile at Miss Pinckney, striking her on the side of the head. At another performance later in the week, when the German spy asked the American comthanding officer what he intended doing with her, a woman standing up in the audi- 'ence, shouted, “Kill the cat.” , . The “Ace’’ production, presented by Harry Weber, has been given q, full season’s vauiievillB route at $2,250 weekly, witK transportation. It car- ries ^ people. MONTREAL'S FIRST HOLD OVER. Montreal, Sept. 25. Mile. Nitta-Jo, at the Princess this week, has been held over for next week at that house. It’s the first time the big time vaude- ville theatre of this city has held oyer a turn. The French woman’s success at the Monday shows was sq^ em- phatic the decision to retain her was immediately reached by Clark' Brown, who was here that day. Mile. Nitta-Jo is a new act to vaude- ville, arranged and produced by H. B. ■ Marinelli, showing for a half Week only in New York, before booked for this city. She formally opens in the Metropolis in a couple of weeks. VENITA GOUlTaFTER HUSBAND. ^ Chicago, Sept. 25. Venita Gpuld got into the local papers again this week through a dis- turbance at an apartment at 225 Mar- quette road, when she was said to have found her husband, Harold J. Jones, in the flat with a woipan named Florence Nelson. This i^ the second chapter in thb domestic difficulties of the pair. Miss Gould got into difficulties recently through a “joy ride,” in yyrhich she and Hattie Lorraine and a couple of men participated. ' $1,000 WEEKLY TO CO-STAR. An offer made to Blanche Ring add rejected by her is said to have been $1,000 weekly, for Miss Ring to co- star in “Hitchy Koo” with Raymond Hitchcock. RUINOUS PUBLICITY. Immediately after the publication of a paragraph in -Variety a few weeks ago that Lillian West, of Freeport, L. L, intended to enter vaudeville with ' a ' ' e reared at her country home the gallffs^ domcsticus assumed all the airs of a headliner and affected ail the manner- isms of a prima donna- Only upon, special occasions now can it be persuaded to perform its .stepl-s. which renders it worthless, as ' 4 . cojnmercial proposition. i"' f^'