Variety (July 1919)

'•'•""'.' '•'•:'"'- i^'V-i : ABOUTION OF "TIPPING" STAGE HANDS HAS OTHER SIDE One Turn Obliged to Pay $35 For Week at Rate of 50 Cents Per Each Appearance of Stage Hand in Act. Convention Abolishing Tipping So Ruled I. A. T. S. E. Can Not Alter Condition., May Mean Less Material in Turns. r The abolishing of the tipping system of stage hands by the I. A. T. S. E. at the annual convention at Ottawa has caused a condition that is being bit- terly opposed by all vaudeville artists who require the assistance of the crew's for bits or setting. According to the union interpreta- tion, any member of the organization who is forced to appear in view of the audience must be paid at the rate of 50 cents for each appearance. This sometimes runs up a big total. A prominent team recently at the Co-' lonial, New York, disgorged $35 at the end of the week. Dumb acts are par- ticularly hard hit for it is very rarely this kind of act doesn't require the assistance of one of the crew while on the stage. In an uptown house last week an act which called for the removal of signs from a stand was forced to pay the sign boy at the rate of 50 cents a per- formance. Local managers who have appealed to the union say that the I. A. T. S. E. officials can give no relief, and that if the ruling isn't modified it will re- act against the quality of their shows. They contend that an artist that will be justified in discarding everything of a special nature that will require stage hands handling and will stick to the house props and the bare necessi- ties. Acts may also eliminate "bits'* and the utilization of stage hands for the creation of comedy situations. WIFE WON'T REMAIN DEAD. Chicago, July 9. Bella Belmont (in private life Mrs. J. J. Mack) desires to make known that the recent publication of her death was largely exaggerated. She states that Feb. 14 last her hus- band (Mack and Ferguson) caused her death notice to be published in the trade papers. In a statement to Variety here Mrs. Mack says: "My husband at the time he published my death notice wrote and asked me to say nothing about it. At the time I thought I might let it go at that, but I have found it neces- sary to work in the profession, and it's pretty hard for a live one to get a job nowadays, let alone a dead one. So please let the world know that I am alive and well." was backed by the anti-fortune-teiling ordinance. Mm*. Wanda's manager protested she should not be classed as a fortune teller and that she had ap- peared'in Ogdensburg several times before without interference. The po- lice, However, warned him that an ar- rest would be made if she persisted in continuing. Mme. Wanda stated that she would contest the right to stop her engagement. Extra billing of tne act read that Mme. Wanda would tell questioners how long they would live. *'T5SN r HAEPERIN 'S FIGURE. A salary of $1,000 weekly is reported to have been set by Nan Halperin for her return to .vaudeville. Meantime Miss Halperin is in nego- tiation with the Shuberts, with only the matter of the conditions of the contract to be agreed upon. A. H. Woods is said to have pro- posed to the Shuberts, if they contract Miss Halperin, to turn over the agree- ment to the Woods office, which has the leading role in "The Unexpected Visitor" listed for her. The piece is to be produced by Woods in September. "SECOND SIGHF ACT STOPPED. Syracuse, July 9. Upon complaint of Mayor Kelly and Alderman Lynch, of Ogdensburg, N. Y. the engagement of Mme. Wanda billed as a "psychic seeress," was stopped yesterday at the Hippodrome in that town. The authorities stated their action COLD DRINK IN LONDON. London, June 25., Talk about Allcock—or all the other pioneers and discoveries of ten cen- turies 1 Your correspondent has got them all fadedl He has found a public place in London where a cold drink can be bought 1 It is a little chemist's shop not far from Piccadilly Circus. On the floor, in plain sight of all who enter, is an enamel pail and in it- marvel of marvels—a good-sized chunk of icel Gracefully grouped about this are a dozen round bottles that look like hand grenades—containing i a charged water which the chemist de- clares is a "tonic." True or not; at least it is wet and cold—and so far as known the only spot in the United Kingdom where ice and water are per- mitted to associate together. (Incidentally the chemist proudly confided that "presently" he was going to do an unprecedented thing; install a regular refrigerator to supplant the pail!) NIBLO DEPORTED. It was not known Until late last week that Victor Niblo, his wife and four children were ordered deported from this country and- sailed for Eng- land under the order June 28. The cause of the deportation is said to have been through Niblo virtually making his family a public charge. Niblo has appeared in vaudeville over here with a bird act, known as Niblo's Birds. A complaint to the authorities by some relative of the family is re- ported to have been made, alleging that Niblo's wife was in a public in- stitution at Central Islip, L. I, and that his children had been taken in charge by the Gerry Society. All the Niblos are English. After an investigation, the order sending them back to Eng-\ land was issued. HOLTZ CANT SING SONG. Justice Hand, of the Supreme Court, handed down a decision last week, whereby Lou Holtz and George White, respectively performer and producer of "The Scandals of 1919," were tem- porarily enjoined from employing Mc- Carthy & Fisher's published number, "You Don't Need the Wine." The firm had previously granted Flo Ziegfeld the sole production rights to use it in his current "Follies." Holtz' de- fense that he had been using it in vaudeville prior to his engagement with the revue, wa.s of no avail in staying the Court's decision. The argument to affirm the perma- nency of the injunction is scheduled for next October, when the matter may be "dead" as far as both producers are concerned. S.-B. GIVEN SONG VERDICT. The first dispute over prior rights to a popular song to arise between two music publishers and left to the Arbitration Board of the Music Pub- lishers' Protective Association for set- tlement .was decided this week when Maurice Goodman, acting as arbitrator ordered that Jos. W. Stern & Co. im- mediately suppress in whole or with- draw from publication the song enti- tled "Dixie Is Dixie Once More." The case arpse through a complaint made by the Shapiro-Bernstein Co., that contended its song of the same title had the prior privileges of publi- cation. The Shapiro-Bernstein song was written by Billy Tracey and Maceo Pinkard while the song found to be a "copy" was composed by Leo Turner and James Karp. Theodore B. Richter acted as counsel for Stern while the Shapiro-Bernstein firm was represented at the hearing by William Grossman. ' The arbitrator also insttucted the Stern firm to recall or withdraw a let- ter which had been previously mailed to the trade in which the Stern firm advised the Shapiro-Bernstein firm ■was trying to put over an imitation song. Mr. Goodman contended this letter was uncalled for and a full in- vestigation of the Shapiro-Bernstein side of the matter should have been made before the trade was circulated. Anna Chandler testified that she sang the Tracey song in vaudeville Dec. 9, 1918, while the Stern song was written later in the same month, al- though the latter firm beat the publish- ers of'the original to the copyright, this being the sole basis of the Stern firm's claim to priority. Mr. Goodman decided the writers of the Stern song copied the lyrics after hearing Miss Chandler sjng it, the composers of the "copy" living in the neighborhood of the theatre where it was .originally sung. • The decision was a wholesome vic- tory for the Shapiro-Bernstein forces since the Stern number will have to be promptly taken from the market while each publisher will be assessed one-half the costs of the hearing. The Stern firm proper was vindicated of any actual theft, the arbitrator feeling they had acted innocently in publish- ing the number, but the rebuke in ref- erence to the letter circulated through- out the trade rather reflected on the business methods of the Stern com- pany. Pending the hearing both firms have held up action on the song, but the Bernstein firm now propose to go after it since it carries all the earmarks of an early hit. "ZOUAVE" ACTS AGAIN. Battling the ramparts of the vaude- ville booking agencies these post-war days are more wall-scaling acts of the old days of vaudeville than have been pedaling around in a long time. Fol- lowing the Spanish-American War, a number of acts of the kind popped into being, while after the Civil War not to have a wall-scaling "Zouave" act on the bill was like offering a present day vaudeville program without a "single." The members of the scaling groups now trying to bust into big and small time payrolls are mostly youths from the war camps, inspired to strive for some new field for employment by the freedom and opportunities for exercise of all kinds that war camp life gave them. SWOR AND AVEY SEPARATE. New Orleans, July 9. Swor and Avey, the blackface vaude- ville team of men, have dissolved their partnership. Avey is reported seek- ing another partner. Swor has an- nounced no future intention. Bordoni and Gitz-Rice Returning. The former vaudeville act containing Irene Bqrdino and Lieutenant Gitz- Rice will resume playing about Aug. 16. Miss Bordoni will return from abroad shortly before that date. RAYS FROM THE LIGHTS. (From the Lights Club of Freeport.) T v The first few innings of Saturday's: game between the Lights and the N. V,/. ; A.'s looked like the Lights were go-.,/; ing to be kept very dim, the score be- ' ing.nine to one; in favor of the visit-: , ing team. But there was a sudden flare in the fifth inning and from that time on the Lights finished in a blaze of glory with a score of twelve to ten. 5 Saturday night was one of the best nights at the Light-House in a long: .time, in spite of the fact that poor old John Barleycorn has been laid away.;': to rest (?). Talk about entertainment! The three hundred or more guests are still talking about it. Besides the "ad lib" entertainers there were two num- bers produced which, in our own lan- guage, were "screams." They were "The Freeport Police" and "The Girl on the Magazine." Saturday night was Tom Dugan*** night and he was responsible for the ■*'■ entertainment, which was a huge suc- cess. Dugan led the "Police" number, made up as a captain, red wig, dancing clogs and all, and behind him as a chorus of plain coppers were Jim Dote; j ley, George Whiting, James C. Morton and Bert Kalmar. The lyric of the/! song was entirely lost on account of the screams from the audience. The song and wait clog were done in all seriousness which, with the slightly misfitting suits, made the number:; doubly funny. ' ;^ ^ Then came the surprise of the even- .' ing. Harry Puck sang the verse of the "Girl on the Magazine," and when he reached the chorus, out walked a bevy M of dames that made Ziegfeld's beau-' ties look like a flock of old crows. The" dames were done by Monroe Silver, y Sam Summers, Bill Riordon, Charlie Middieton, George McKay and Ftttikf.;. Tmney. The make-ups were all excel-' lent, Tinney's make-up rivaling aay-k- thing seen in that line. Several: en- cores were demanded and the laughs; just rocked the building. "\;!:s ■-.'■'i'-VW3 SviUfc . <M .<- ..••-s.sW.J V - msam ,-;mi There will be "bigger and better" shows each succeeding Saturday night ' sponsored by some prominent artist: member of the club, who will be known as the "Skipper." Geo. McKay .is - "Skipper" for July_12.. . ; .<g Sunday was the annual meeting. iot;if^^ the purpose of electing new officers. ,. m The following are the new officials and from all indications, judging from the ,^g| ■ enthusiasm displayed, we are entering \^j r •oa one of the greatest seasons this : v^j club has ever known: .!„..:...,;;: Angel—Frank Tinney. .: v: Vice-President—Albert Von Tilzer, Secretary—N. E. Manwaring. Treasurer—Frank Kaufman -I.TJA Board of Ushers—Victor Moore, Ged^u^Mill Whiting, Chas. Middieton, Bert Kaf mar, Harry Von Tilzer, Billy Murray, 1 Fred Gray, Harry Puck, Sam Summers,, Geo. McKay, Lew Kelly, Tom Dugan, J. Francis Dooley, W. M. Riordan, Jas.. Diamond, Geo. Barry, J. B. Isaac, Sonny Barkus. Al Von Tilzer worked very hard as he usually does to make the entertain^ ment successful and was the official announcer. AI is always ready to wel- come guests and seems to make them feel perfectly at home while they are at the club house. Wednesday,'July 16, is "Christmas.'* ■^ W\ ■'■rm Mg Keith, Bklyn. Houses Open All Summer . The quartet of Keith houses in Brooklyn are expected to keep open through the summer. This includes the Orpheum, which has always been dark during the hot months, but for which no closing date has been set. The other houses are the Bushwick, an all year theatre, and the Greenpoint and Prospect.