Variety (December 1919)

« ■:■ ,.' ■■-■■■'■■■ ■- ' ■■,■■■-■ ,-- •■ .'•..•■•■"••.■■ :■ ■■.'■■.:. ■."■ "• . '. ..■■■..-•:.• ■ ■/■-■'":■-■■■'':■■■:. :'".: : .«-' -'m&W :■;"-.'--^"."^.^v:-" ■■■- * :■.... ■_ . ■ • - - ..-....;. .-.;...- ■■*-::. VAUDEVILLE ■ - see UNIVERSAL MILITARY SERVICE MEANS MORE FOR VAUDEVILLE Vaudevillians Will Be Offered Extra Time If Bill Goes Through—War Department Makes Extensive Plans for Entertaining Recruits-—Only First Class Shows Will Be Booked by Government's Own Agent—Major Donovan Makes Statement. '•. : -:- -... !■■:- £, ■:- ei; Vi --: i •:- ■■■■' 'V.' Washington, D. G, Dec. 3. It universal military service becomes .a national government policy, vaude- ville acts will nave the chance to play from 26 to 25 weeks during the spring and summer over the circuit or govern- ment theatres located in the various training camps and military stations. The acts and attractions booked will be high class ones only. It will be the War Department's policy only to use of- ferings of tbe very best kind. They will be asked to play territory within the limit* of Continental America alone, though there is a possibility of theatres being opened later In Panama, Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Porto Rico and China. •-■'-. The first, of the new theatres to be opened will be the one at Fortress Mon- toe, Va. A big production will mark the first performance at this house on Jan- uary 10. The performance will be attended by Secretary of War Baker, Senators and Congressmen and by General Pershing and General March, Chief of the General Staff. Major J. O. Donovan, formerly in theatricals as a manager, was at the Hotel Astor last week and made a state- ment to VARIETY that may have a bearing on the above from Washington. Major Donovan is now attached to the War Plans Division of the General Staff. "The War Department in future," he said, "will do all theatrical and enter- tainment booking formerly handled by the welfare societies. It will book vaudeville, motion pictures and any high class attraction. Tbe sole neces- sity is that it must be high class, the very best Due to the smaller size of the army at present, the department's booking plans are only tentative. "The office of the Commission on Training Camp Activities in the New York Theatre Building, where acts for the government theatres were formerly booked, was closed Dec. 1. The War Department's office in charge of gov* eminent theatres will be for the present In the Virginia Building, 1800 Virginia avenue, Washington. Later an office will be opened in the New York theat- rical district, possibly by Jan. 1." i | i RATS' FINDINGS CONFIRMED. Justice Mitchell, sitting in the Third Part, Supreme Court of New York, affirmed Monday Referee Lewis B. Scbuldenfrel's opinion in the inquisi- torial proceedings relating to tbe White Rats Union* begun on the petition of Goldie Pemberton. The case was start- ed before Justice Brlanger in 1817 and the investigation spread over 19 months, the referee's opinion being filed several months ago. Justice Mitchell's decision was:— "After a careful. reading of all the testimony and proofs submitted to the referee I am of the opinion that the referee's report should be confirmed. Submit a final order in accordance \iV-»^lth." Win T. Sapinsky, attorney for the petitioner (Miss Pemberton) Will now submit his final judgement which takes in the findings of the referee. This will include the facts that the White RatB corporation is insolvent and that it did business outside of the stipulations in Its charter. He will also ask for costs which amount to about $1,000 judgment against the defendants, which means the Rats and the officers of that union will be made defendants in the costs action. KEITH'S SUNDAYS AT AMSTERDAM. Negotiations which have been under way may or may not lead to bringing a Keith vaudeville show upon the Ams- terdam, theatre stage each Sunday night. The present plan of the Erlanger-Dil- lingham-Ziegfeld direction is to dispense with the Amsterdam's Sunday concerts following the departure of "The Follies" from the house and city. .That is to oc- cur this week. It is said that with the "Follies" gone and the intimacy of the Sunday night shows going with it through the vaudevillians'In tb.t attrac- tion also leaving, the Amsterdam would be shy of vaudeville material. •The negotiations -between the legit managers and the Keith office are re- ported to be along rental lines, with Keltb handling the house the same as it does the Century and Manhattan on Sundays. - TRAILING EVELYN NESBFT. That the Federal Income Tax Depart- ment is loath to see professionals "get away" with any part of the legal tax is attested by the fact that they have begun issuing attachments on perfor- mers' salaries or, as tbey are techni- cally called, warrants " of restraint Whereby a performer's salary is tied up at the theatre at which be or she is en- gaged pending the settlement o: the Government's claim. This happened to Evelyn Nesbit at the Orpheum Theatre, Brooklyn, where she opened her vaude- ville tour a fortnight ago. It seems a female Government operative having gone over Miss Nesbit's books came to the conclusion that there is a total bal- ance due the V. 8. amounting to $915, covering the years 1913, 1914, and 1916. What Miss Nesbit termed "profes- sional expenses," the female sleuth con- cluded to be more in the nature of per- sonal outlays. The sura, besides the alleged shortage, includes interest on the principal plus a certain amount for penalties. Miss Nesbit has placed the matter In the hands of her attorney, Alfred Beek- man of House, Grossman & Vorbaus, denying her liability and reiterating the necessary wardrobe and other expense deductions had more or less to bear directly on her professional work. MRS. R. G. KNOWLE8 IN BUSINESS. Mrs. R. G. Knowles, widow of the monologlst and lecturer, bos gone to the coast en route to China. Sho has or- ganized a syndicate for the establish- ment of a chain of antique shops in the principal centres of the world. Mrs. Knowles is regarded as an expert In that line and will act as the pur- chaser for the' stores. One is already established in London and branches are. to be opened immediately in Now York, Chicago and San Francisco. N TICKET AGENCY BARRED. At a meeting Tuesday of the Produc- ing Managers' Association the first ac- tive move was taken against ticket speculation when the Broadway Theatre Ticket Co. was barred from receiving further tickets after next Monday. Just why this particular agency was chosen as a victim was explained by the fact that one of its men was convicted of selling tickets at more than the 50-cent premium provided for in the city ordi- nance, the magistrate fining the sales-., man $200, with the privilege of going to the workhouse.. In theatre circles-surprise was occa- sioned at the order against the Broad- way ticket concern, for it is not included in the group of agencies regularly guilty of "gyping."' Managers say that the agency, has always taken its allotment and that dealings with it have been satisfactory. The P. M. A., however, state that its plan is to bar every agency convicted of overselling. There was some question In agency circles whether the order against the. Broadway would actually go through. It was stated the move had a certain motive and that since certain interests were financially concerned with the Broadway concern that the ban would not become effective. ' * Leo Newman, who was barred by several managers last week, apparently did not come up for similar treatment by the P. M A. FRED HALLEN SERIOUSLY ILL. The present illness of Fred Haflen has greatly alarmed his friends. He is at the Post-Graduate Hospital, New York, where be has been for four weeks. Last week Dr. Erdman operated upon him. A complication of diseases brought about the 'operation. No particular hope of ultimate re- covery Is held out by the physicians to Mrs. Ha Den iMollie Fuller). Miss Fuller has hopes her husband will re- cover sufficiently however to allow his removal to their home at the Hotel Palace, West >J5th street. New York. The doctors have expressed no.definite opinion upon the probable length of Mr. Hallens illness. Hallen and Fuller played Lowell, Mass. five weeks ago. During that en- gagement. Mr. Hallen, thoroughly well up to then, became ill..and his removal to the hospital followed. Fred Hallen is 03 years of age. There is hardly anyone better known In the theatrical profession. Of the team of Hallen and. Hart (Joe), in the old days, both members became famous years ago. Mr. Hallen and his wife were married in 1888. IMPORTANT LABOR CONFERENCE. There is a possibility the conference of the American Federation of Labor to be held in Washington, D. C, ■' Dec. 13 may take action affecting tbe theatrical business, according to a labor man con- nected with one of the stage unions. The conference has b.^en called to deter- mine the attitude of labor toward Sen- ator Cummins' proposal to extend the anti-strike provisions of the railroad bill now pending to all basic industries. If Senator Cummins' plan is carried out, the theatrical labor official stated, it is remotely possible a general strike might be called that would affect all unions connected with the A. F. of L. The theatrical unions will send dele- gates to the conference. GRACE LA RUE WALKS OFF. Qrace La Rue walked off of the Al- hambra stage at the* Monday matinee when the gallery "gods" started a shower of pennies In her direction. The interruption was during her fourth song, "Your Eyes." Miss La Rue did not re- turn to finish ber act. Seven pennies were located at the Air hambra. At the Colonial several weeks .ago the gallery tendered a gratuity of 17 cents to Miss La Rue. There was no interruption of Miss La Rue's turn at the evening performance. TEAT LINCOLN NEBR.! .; .* Lincoln, Nebr., Dec. & That truth must prevail and show that Walter C. Kelly was right after all, Thanksgiving, Nat Renard (Renard and Jordan) was notified to call at-the police court the following day for smoking a cigaret In the cafe of his hotel, while eating a meal. Renard was the first victim of a law passed some time ago by the Lincoln ordinanee makers and then forgotten. It allows the sale of cigarets to any- body over 21, but tells where they can- not be smoked.. A restaurant Is one of the prohibited places. _ The police say they had heard about some violations but hadn't noticed any until Renard was noticed smoking. Just what brand of cigaret Renard was smok- ing and what kind the Lincoln police are pljgging didn't become known in the proceeding. :*• Mr. Renard being an actor, and Mr. Kelly's friend. Con McCargor, still being in town, some suspect a connection, but no one wilt venture to moke the direct assertion, but all professionals coming to this burg agree with Mr.- Kelly, that it is an awful place to stop a train at WALTER DONALDSON'S FIND. Finding a $60,000 pearl necklace and returning it became a detail in '-'the existence of-- Walter Donaldson the other day. The owner, non-professional, was living at the Hotel Claridge. Mr. Donaldson located her through. an ad- vertisement. With Mr. and Mrs. Joe Young, Mr. Donaldson was on his way to the Fifty Club last Friday evening. At' Broad- way and 'Fifty-fourth street, . Mrs. Young kicked what looked like a regu- lar necklace* on the sidewalk, "It's a phoney," said Mrs. Young, looking down. "Having been up against every other kind of a brace, I'll take a chance on this one. too,'' remarked Walter as he stooped and picked up the yard or two of pearls. Noticing its catch was of diamonds and platinum, Mr. Donald- son further observed he should inter- view a jeweler, which he did. Restora- tives cost him $372. but what reward, if any, came around for the return of the necklace by the song writer isn't public property just now. . ACT OFFERS PRIZE. ■' Chicago, Dec. 3. "Cecil Gray" is the title of a new act whlc" Ernie Young is getting ready for the East Mr. 'oung offers $600 If three people out of ten cat uesa Whether ray is a man or a- woman. The act, which will be ready In January, is a novelty and aL n* the lines prcsent'd by Hettie King and ' eorge Bramwell in New York some time ago. DUPLICATE AVON'S ACT. A duplicate act Is being sent out by Max Hayes,' offering "A Hungarian Rhapsody." It is a copy of 'the Avon Comedy Four's turn. The duplicate was arranged through Max Hart, who di- rects the bookings of the Avons, whom he booked with the Shuberta for two years. The Hayes act, It was under- stood, was framed for Western terri- tory exclusively, but * was reported that if* had also secured time in the East, including New York. This would be in conflict with the Avons, who are doing the "Rhapsody" in the "Passing Show" at the Winter Garden. It is not known if tbe Hayes turn Is to take the name billing or not. Burns and.Kisen and Harry Weston aire to be In the sec'-, ond "Rhapsody" turn. St. Denis Act on Pantagea Time. Los Angeles, Dec. 3. The Denishawn Dancer- 1C people, have been routed over the Vantages Cir- > cull at $1,200, net, weekly. Neither Ruth St. Denis nor Ted Swan appear in the turn, vhlch is composed of pupils from their school here. The act was booked, by Pantagea out of this city, follow- ing the recent fire at the.Shawns' home.