Variety (August 1919)

V-. .-. ■';• ■ ' • ■: .' ■ '■ •' ' ■ ma * VAUDEVILLE . ■;■; ,•-.-. . . , .... • - ' '. * ■:■•/■ ';•;. Y. M. C. A. WANTS ALL CREDIT FOR ACTORS' WORK OVERSEAS :l:: r '. r ':: Profession Feels Latest Move on Part of Association Another Desire to Offend. Over There Theatre League Origi- nated and Formed by Theatrical People. Y. M. G. A. Issuing Pins and Certificates for Service. ; < i ,\ ■■• ::■« : , ■■■■■: ■-:,:■ •■:•■■ > ■: d* ':■•■'<'■■ It may be coincidental that the Young Men's Christian Association usually manages to offend the theat- rical profession. Several artists be- lieve the latest move of the Y. M. C. A. in connection with the show business is but another instance of it. • This week entertainers who went abroad under the auspices of the Over |f; 4; There Theatre League received cer- sfev ' tificates of service from the Y. M. C. A. m The certificate states that the holder S: "Served as an actor with the Over- ^W;'■"':"■■ .seas Theatrical League."* The Overseas Theatrical League is the name of the Y. organization that took over the affairs of the Over There 5 '-: Theatre League. The recipients of the • : !i certificates do not understand why the Y. wanted the entire-credit when the Over There Theatre League was form- ed by the theatrical people at the re- quest of General Pershing to. take up Ipj .■'■ : a department the Y. had neglacted at home and in France. The Y. has also sent entertainers an .i- enamel pin, indicating service over '*!> :.;.;: there'. ERNIE YOUNG BACK HOME. Ernie Young of Chicago is back in Chicago. Mr. Young picked last Mon- day to end his summer Broadway run, that lasted with the new vaudeville manager for about three weeks. He went to Philadelphia, then hied himself westward. Mr. Young has attracted quite some attention theatrically to himself of late through a series of advertisements in VARiETr, announcing his new agency business in Chi. Mr. Young laid out a campaign of advertising, using Varibtt, and started it with several pages in one issue. While in Mew York he favorably commented upon the benefits received through the publicity. His visit to the metropolis was more in the way of renewing old friendships than for any especial business reason, though while in New York he arranged for a mutual business representation between the Ray Hodgdon and his own offices. LIGHT'S ANNUAL CRUISE ON. The Lights' annual "cruise" campaign started Monday, and the first three days' receipts showed a vast improve- ment over previous years. The "cruise" is members of the club for this week only, playing one night stands through Long Island and New Jersey. The net proceeds go to the club. Monday night in Plainfield the gross was $1,187. Tuesday at Freeport, L. I., (local theatre) $1,373. E. F. Albee donated $1,000 in the fol- lowing letter. >. The Lights, Freeport, L. I. Gentlemen: As has been my custom the past two years, I am enclosing you a check for One Thousand ($1,000) dollars to add to the receipts of your yearly "cruise." Your organization should meet with great success, as it is founded on the proper principles for enjoyment, help- fulness to its members and good fel- lowship, which all makes life the more worth living for. Please accept this check with my very best wishes that your club with each succeeding year, will grow in strength-, importance and prosperity. Very cordially yours, (Signed) E. F. Albeo. HOUSES OPENING. The following houses, dark for the summer, will reopen as follows: Prin- cess, Montreal, and Lyric, Hamilton, Aug. 18; Shea's, Toronto, Aug. 11. The Dominion, Ottawa, will close for one week, from Aug. 2, for improve- ments. ■'. • Shea's, Toronto, will open Aug. 11. $10 More Weekly Asked by Musicians. Youngstown, O., July 30. | The musicians and stage hands, act- ing in concert, have demanded a raise of $10, weekly each in all of the local theatres. The managers are opposing it. RICHARD WHEELER'S SIDE. In a letter addressed from Cairo, Egypt, Richard Wheeler (Wheeler and Dolan) tells his version of the trouble in Bombay, where he was imprisoned for five months early this year. The charge against Mr. Wheeler was as- saulting Captain Webb-Johnson, a military surgeon. The Wheeler and Dolan AH-Amer- ican Vaudeville Co. opened in Calcutta July 11, 1918. The tropical heat af- fected many of the artists, so badly that they had to have medical atten- tion and Capt. Webb-Johnson was called in. From that time on Johnson was a daily visitor back stage, and im- mediately started to force his atten- tions upon Gertrude Dolan, Wheeler's dancing partner. Mr. Wheeler warned Miss Dolan and the other women of the company of Captain Webb-John- son's reputation, and they gave him a wide berth. Finally he was forbid- den by the management to go behind the stage. According to Mr. Wheeler, from then on Webb Johnson did all in his power to hurt the show and the reputations of the players, both men and women. The iatter's actions so incensed.Mr. Wheeler that on meeting Webb-John- son, later in Bombay, where he con- tinued his persecution Wheeler gave him a sound thrashing. Mr. Wheeler was later arrested, charged with as- saulting an officer in uniform and sen- tenced to "five months', rigorous im- prisonment." Shortly after the trial and convic- tion of Mr. Wheeler, Captain Webb- Johnson left' India. v Al Swemon, William Townsend, Nor- man Wendell and. Edith Spencer will replace Dave Herblin, Maurice Frank- lin, Fred C. "Barron and Rita Davis with the Orpheum Players. Montreal. Harry Anderson succeeds Walter Clark Bellons as stage director of the stock. Crescent Policy Undecided. \ ' Syracuse, July 30. The Crescent Theatre, Syracuse, playing pop vaudeville last season, boo':ed through the Family Dept. of the Keith Exchange, may play bur- lesque next season. CLAIRE STARR with WILL KING IndeCiilUly RAYS FROM THE LIGHTS. (From tbe Light? Club, Freeport, L. I.) Last Saturday night the master electrician who operates the switch- board up iii Heaven produced one of the most spectacular "storm effects" that New York and vicinity has ever seen. The rain came down in torrents and the lightning flashes were dazzling in their brilliancy. The -thunder was ter- rific. The storm lasted for about three hours, during which time it did much damage to property, and made the j Long Island roads almost impossible to travel. . . During severe electrical storms, an indicator down in the village gives . warning of dangerous lightning just before the flash comes and all the lights in the town are turned off until - alter the- danger is passed. Saturday night the lights were switched on and | oft every few seconds, matting it rather disagreeable far our guests, for the ; duration of the. storm. Wednesday was supposed to be Hal- lo we en, but our entertainment com- mittee was so busy preparing for. our annual cruise, that they failed to ar- range the usual hallowe en games, etc, •' for that evening. Those present had a very enjoyable evening and seemed pertectly contented with the dancing;' and the ad lib clowning. There was a double-header on our baseball ground Saturday afternoon. The nrst game was between the Lights and the N. V. A. and the second be- tween the Nassau Athletic Club and the Lights. We thought we were go- ing to beat the N. V. A. and up to the sixth inning it looked like it could be done, 'the score was lour to two in our lavor, but the N. V. A.'s got three runs, one in each of the last three in- nings, without giviug us- a chance to get any more ot our men home. So the game finished five to tour, with the N. V. A.'s the victors. We beat, the Nassau Athletic Club three to nothing. - Skipper Albert Von Tilzer gave us a show Saturday night, and the club was packed to the doors. We had to turn quite a number ot people away. The show started with Wilbur Sweat- man and his Jazz three, and how he did start itl That's Jazz what is Jazz! Wayne and the Warren Girls, Eddie Miner, Val and Ernie Stanton, Eva Puc«i, Alex. Carr, Geo. McKay, Dooley and Sayies, Freda Leonard,and Wm Kent were the artists that decorated our stage and collectively and indi- vidually they were a tremendous suc- cess. There were two surprises in the way of clown numbers that helped nia,te Skipper Von Tilzer's night one of the best yet Victor Moore and- Herbert Williams (William and Wolf- us) put on an old-time two-men act; boob make-ups, a couple of newspapers and some of the oldest gags that mem- ory could dig up. Their act included burlesque paper-tearing and cartoon- ing while singing pathetic ballads. Needless to say, they were a scream. Then came The Bowery After Dark. A : real melodrama in two acts, with an all star cast? Tom Dugan was the soldier-hero, made up as a dashing ju- venile. Frank Tinney was the heav£ with a typical ten, twenty and thirty" "dirty worker" make-up. Lew Kelly- was a "Chink" and tool of the heavy.i Eddie Carr was "Little Nell" and Frank Westphal was "another good woman gone wrong." Harry Sullivan was a policeman. The melodrama was very well played and every line was a "yelL" We had a great night in spite of the storm, and we want our brother and sister professionals to come down and brighten their Wednesday and Satur-, day nights. So long, see you ad lib. % m t