Variety (February 1920)

VAUDEVILLE ' /- .*... ■:- * — . PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR REFUSES READE A LICENSE Trenton Official Says Former Walter Rosenberg Must Withdraw from Trent and Taylor Management Has Investigated Record. Local Career of Manager Has Been a Stormy One. Called Capital Residents Hicks. . y,: Trenton, N. J., Feb. 4. Director of Public Safety G. B. La- Barre has served notice upon Frank V. Storrs, associated with Walter Reade (formerly Walter Rosenberg), that Reade must withdraw from any connection with the management of the Trent Theatre . and the Taylor Opera House on the threat that if Reade does not retire, LaBarre will refuse to grant a renewal of the li- censes for the two houses Feb. IS, when the existing licenses expire. LaBarre some time ago started an investigation of Reade's theatrical pedigree and claims to have unearthed the fact that Reade has been a fre- quent violator of the law with respect to the conduct of various theatres un- der his management. Reade's theat- rical management in this city has been a stormy one. He generated consid- erable local antagonism by referring to the natives as "hicks" and later re- fused to recognize the orders of a fire- man at the Taylor Opera House with regard to alleged overcrowding. CHICAGO AGENTS REPORTING. Chicago, Feb. 4. The Western Vaudeville Managers' Association has served notice on all agents they must report every day and register their appearance on the floor. This official notice reveals fifteen ac- credited agencies. « the Opera house, St. John; Strand, Halifax; Empress, Moncton; Davis is booking the Palace, Sydney; Empress, Amherst; Acker's, Halifax; Academy, New Glasgow, and Princess, Truro, be- sides his other New England houses. MEMPHIS, ONLY, CLOSED. Memphis, Feb. 4. Theatres here which were closed last week because of the influenza epidemic have failed to reopen and up to today there was little prospect of the closing ban being removed for another week. There were no reported additional theatre closings anywhere up to Wed- nesday. RIALTO, ST. LOUIS, BOOKINGS. Chicago, Feb. 4. The Rialto, St. Louis, heretofore on Charles Freeman's Association book, becomes' an Orpheum booked house, Feb 23, booked partly in the east and the remainder by Sam Kahl, two shows daily excepting Saturdays and Sun- days, when three performances will be given, but not continuous. This is the,first of many policy changes due through the west in carry- ing out the plans of the Orpheum com- bination. HORwrrr toupee. Arthur Horwitz has been troubled with colds of late. He consulted his physician. The doctor asked the agent where he had the colds. In the, head, said Arthur, and it looked as though they were there for an in- definite run. The- physician told Horwitz he would like to take a look at a head with so much room in it. • When Arthur un- covered, his doc observed his patient was shy on the hair equipment. Hor- witz said he knew it, but that he had never removed his hat before except- ing when asleep. Then the doctor suggested a wig and Horwitz obeyed. Now there is a line h front of the Horwitz & Kraus office door, composed of people in the Put- nam Building, who are waiting their turn to have a look and laugh. AKRON'S TWO NEW ONES. « , Akron, O., Feb. 4 The Feiber - Shea Co., controlling three houses here—the Grand, Music Hall and Colonial—will have opposi- tion within the next year in the B.T. Keith interests, it was announced to- day. Plans for a 16-story fireproof building, to contain a modern theatre operated by the B. F. Keith interests, is to be erected in East Market street The Van Sweringen interests of Cleve- land are said to be back of the project The Grand is Akron's only playhouse offering road attractions, while the Colonial is the only vaudeville house in the city. The Music Hall is the home of permanent stock. Aside from these three houses all other-theatres offer pictures exclusively. Akron's population is now close to 200,000. Plans for the proposed Prospect hotel and theatre, which involves in lease of the ground and realty approximately $3,000,000, to be erected at East Mar- ket avenue and Prospect street were announced by R. K Crawford pro- moter. The hotel will be ten stories high and contain 500 rooms. The theatre is to be known as The Prospect -with «- seating capacity of 2,500. - . Canton, O., Feb. 4. With the incorporation at Columbus of the Abrams Co., comes the an- nouncement a picture theatre will be erected in downtown Canton, and that the company within the next year will start erection of a big-time vaudeville theatre for the city.- A. H. Abrams, owner of the first film theatre in^ Can- ton is president of the newly incor- porated company. Albert Kan* Claims to Be Actor. Albert Kane, who claims to be an actor and who gave a New York ad- dress when arrested, was held in $1,000 for the action of the Grand Jury when arraigned in court here last week on a charge of laying down a bad check in one of Boston's hotels. The check was for $100. Kane told the police he had played legitimate and vaudeville and was in town to join a show. They claim, however, to have found a record in the "rogue's gallery" here which precludes any great amount of traveling on his part of late as, accord- ing to the records, he has done time in Rhode Island and New Jersey. W. A V. Theatre in Trenton. Wilmer & Vincent in association with the Keith interests have par- chased a site near the Taylor opera house, Trenton, N. J., and will erect a new 3,000 seat vaudeville theatre. Construction work starts April L "MAURETANI A" DELAYED. Nearly 100 men of stellar prominence in the theatrical and picture produc- ing field, who were booked to sail on the "Mauretania" last Friday inad- vertently had to delay their sailing while waiting for the boat to take on coal. The inability to fill the huge ship's bankers came about as a result of the. unwillingness of the longshoremen to stoke her during the intense cold wave that passed over New York City^ Friday and Saturday. - Scheduled to leave the following Tuesday she was again reported de- layed and did not actually depart until the latter part of this week. New Houses in Springfield, Mass. Springfield, Mass., Feb. 4. . Springfield will have the largest vaudeville house on the Poli's circuit. S. Z. Poli has purchased the block be- tween Main, Taylor and Worthington streets, running 270 feet on Worthing- ton and Taylor streets. The property purchased includes the present Poli's Palace. The Palace will be enlarged. William Fox recently announced a new theatre here of 3,500 capacity. The new Capitol, a picture theatre seating 2,000 lately opened. Dividing Nova Scotia Bookings. The bookings of the Nova Scotian houses formerly handled in the Keith Family Department by Fred Mack have been divided between Roy Town- Icy and Jeff Davis, with Mack super- vising. Townley is supplying the bills for Sues Golding Studios. G C. Wade, of Wade and His Div- ing Girls, is suing the Golding Scenic studios, through Alexander R. Tendler, his attorney, asking a writ of replevin, to recover a tank in the possession of the Golding Studios. Keith'* Cleveland Plane Gone Over. Cleveland, Feb. 4. J. J. Murdock was here until Mon- day going over specifications for the building of the new Keith theatre. He left for New York on Tuesday. Maurice Rote Representing Chariot. Maurice Rose of Rose & Curtis has been appointed American representa- tive for Andre Chariot. Eva Lynn Going to Australia. Eva Lynn has been booked for Aus- tralia for one year to appear in Ameri- can productions. LEAVING HOWARD AND CLARK. Maurice Diamond tendered his no- tice to leave-the new Howard and Clark act at the Riverside next Sun- day night Ruth Reid will also leave the act with Diamond. Diamond was dissatisfied with his billing while the act played the Palace. Martin and Fabrini, a dancing team who recently joined this act, tendered their notice to become effective Sun- day night at the Palace. It was un- derstood that Clinton and Rooney re- cently with Lawrence Schwab's "Last Night" will replace the latter team dur- ing the Riverside engagement HONORED BY KING. Stephen. Cortex (Cortea and Peggy) of "Always You" has received an en- graved coat of arms from the King of Spain for introducing the Spanish ball room dance "The Fado." The King witnessed the dancer's per- formance last August and the coat of arms was presented last week by the Spanish Ambassador representing the King. ENGAGED BY WIRELESS. After Charles Cochran sailed last Saturday, negotiations were completed by wireless for Evans Burrows Fon- taine, the dancer, to follow on the next available boat to appear under Cochran's management in London. Charles Bornhaupt acted for Miss Fontaine on this end. IN LONDON. (Continued from page 4) "His Happy Home," presented at the Comedy on the afternoon of Jan. 5, is a horse of quite another color. It is just the usual farce-comedy with all the usual Palais Royal situations and is, of course, adapted from the French. Ben Webster, as the love-making poet has a part quite to his taste and gives a ■ '.. brilliant rendering. Other roles were more or less well played by Susie Vaughan, Mary Forbes, David Miller and John Wickens. "His Happy Home" in no way interferes with the evening show, "Three Wise Fools," which continues its successful career. Owing to the success of "Arms and the Man" Robert Lorraine finds three matinees weekly necessary at the Duke of York's. The management of the Globe an- nounce that Marie Lohr will be out of the cast of Robert Hichens' "The Voice from the Minaret" for some weeks having been ordered away by her medical advisor. During her absence , Susan Claughton will take her part Sir James Barrie has fallen a victim to the Russian ballet and has written - a one-act play, "The Truth About the Russian Dancers," in which Thamar Karsavina will appear at the Coliseum March 15. George Robey's Hippodrome eon- tract holds him there until May so we have sometime to wait for the new Alhambra revue. Up to now it seems . certain that .Violet Lorraine; now- in *- Monte Carlo, will not return there. When Andre Chariot produces his new musical play Phyllis Monkman will return to the Westend stage. For some time she has been playing in Paris. The old alleged fued between church and stage is rapidly coming to an end. Recently the Bishop of Bristol met members of a local pantomine company at the station and welcomed them to the city. The other evening Canon Scott went onto the stage of the Palace. Manchester, and personally invited the company to a special service for mem- bers of the theatrical profession to be held at the Cathedral. ** Matheson Lang, now busily engaged in rehearsing "CarnivaF for produc- tion at the New, has been the victim of a peculiarly heartless, practical joke. Some idiot purporting to be his son sent notices of his death to the news- papers and press representatives. The actor has no son. MAYNPS DEATH DENIED. The report of the death of Lester D. Mayne published in Vabtjitt last week was found to be incorrect upon in- vestigation. Following the publication of the r eport of Mr. Mayne's demise, Vambtt received a communication signed Mrs. Lester D. Mayne asking the report be denied. The letter con- tained an inference that Mr. Mayne might know something about the false report of his death, received by Vambtt in the form of a letter. Mayne called at VAiusrnrfs office on Monday in person to deny the report NOT FOR WOOLWORTH. Bernie Grossman, Billy Baskette and Billy Frisch deny the report that they are looking for Woolworth. The bovs are members of the new act "Hitland," composed of ten song writers, ^and point to their agent Pat Casey as the answer to the Woolworth rumor. As Casey is general manager of the Music Publishers Protective Association it is hardly possible they would seek him as their vaudeville representative if they were planning a war against the nfusic publishers,