Variety (February 1920)

) V VARIETY ^ •■■•-•■ ■ . ■ ILL AND INJURED. - > . ■ ' ••• -. . ON VAUBEV1LLB ■ ■ ■ " ; / ■ r ■ - - '/ - .' "" ; ■ I ■ . i i . • - Kyra is doing a shimmy dance on -the Century roof that is a wonder, as a shimmy, which it isn't, or as a dance, if one wishes to so class it. Kyra also does her snake dance, earlier in the performance. Bat when she reaches the shimmying moment, Kyra cuts loose in. quiet way, fitting the tempo of the dance- to the vary- ing straths of .the oriental music As a shimmy dance it's quite the broadest yet seen and is helped along through the snugly made* clinging gown the dancer wears. / Is Frisco over-imitated? His mimics have been-N.as plentiful as were those of Eva Tanguay in her day and George M. Cohan in his. Some people have seen so many "Friscos" they Relieve it isn't a jazz dance unless the dancer has a cigar. "Imitation is flattering and good publicity*when bringing the. original into first notice, but after awhile it palls, like a melody too. of- ten played, and then the original us- ually suffers, especially in this instance of Frisco, a dancer with a set routine. Frisco, however, is breaking forth with a new act, composed of himself and four, young women. That may bring out something different he will do. New York was good to Frisco, who came from Chicago. It's funny how many jazzers and shimmyers of both sexes came from Chicago, to find more or less fame in New York after they had been unable to even make themselves heard outside of cabarets in the Windy City. Which could be said to say that after all Chicago is the wiser town.' - ".- * . - * - : • ■ ■ lie Health Commissioner's order last week to stop smoking in the thea- tres through the prevalence of influ- enza was handled hy various theatres in various yrnys. Most theatres which permitted, smoking posted signs .prominently inside and outside the theatre proper that smoking had been forbidden. Some theatres kept the or- der, in mind but politely informed pat- rons who started to smoke, after they were inside, that the Health Commis- sioner had requested smoking stopped. The people stopped smoking and re- mained to see the performance. Many of those who' saw the signs outside walked away. And as all theatres obeyed the order, it seems to have • been merely a matter of business judg- ment by those in charge of the front of the theatre or that department of a circuit. " ^^^r ■ . < "Getting away with murder" as an expression to cover a lot, is nothing to what was done lately by a travel- ing indoor circus. This circus usually appears under the auspices of a local society. In one town that looked promising the promoter got in with the leading order of the city. Meeting a committee, he outlined the cam- paign and informed the committee members the usual way was to give the society 25 per cent, of the receipts. The percentage was agreeable to the committeemen and other details were completed on the spot. Then the.pro- moter pulled his ace. He bluntly told the committee that through the h'gh percentage it was unlikely his show could make any money on the engage- ment and it was customary when that large percantage was. granted for the circus to have side attractions, "little devices and games" where the towns- people could innocently gamble, but that the circus made it an inviolable rule that no one should wager over 50 cents at any one time, to prevent any heavy winning by the circus. As proof of good faith, the promoter said, the circus insisted that the society furnish the cashiers for these games and devices, as the society's percentage of the winnings would be the same, twenty-five. He insisted the commit-' tee appoint the cashiers, as his circus never permitted anything else and was known all over the world for the fair way/they dealt The circus played the stand, everything was allowed to run wide open, and when it was all over, every game showed a loss. This hap- pened through the circus having its shillers (or "cappers") make all the winnings to take up the losses of the natives, with the cashiers' sheets showing deficits.. After the circus en- gagement was-over the committee called the promoter before it. They expressed their regret the circus had suffered such a heavy .loss at the games and it looked to them as though the engagement had been a losing one, so would the circus accept an invita- tion for a return date under the same : agreement, excepting the society would only exact a percentage of 10 per cent, the next time, to- aid the circus in recovering. And the circus made the return date I ^ \4 Wild tales of wholesale decapitations in the Western Vaudeville Managers' Association (Chicago) organization are childish. Sam Kahl will be booking chief "and John J. Nash will continue as business manager. Tom Carmody's position is the only important one still dubious. He continues to act as book- ing manager, but-just what goes with that is not clear, except that he may act as chairman of the daily bookers' caucuses, which, for the first time, are how really in session daily, from 3 to 4 p. m. It would, surprise no one if a berth is' provided for Tom in some capacity connected with theatre man- agement, at which he is a veteran ex- pert. Unless some such change is con- templated he will continue on as he is now-doing. The Fair., and Park department will not be moved to New York, but its office will be moved downstairs with the rest of the departments? Charlie Freeman will come out bigger than ever. Several legitimate emoluments have been cut off'his weekly gross by switches from his list to Kahl's, but the Association is making it up in salary and he now is responsible to the Association' alone. .J There is no question that vital re- forms have transpired in the booking methods since conditions some mouths back caused a bit of unsavory talk,_ The houses now are all prospering," and full salaries will be the rule in- stead of the exception. The try-outs will still prevail at the American and Lincoln, but acts will not be made to play both, as it was,formerly charged' they had to, to show, and such turns as appear at these houses from the regular, accredited acts will be paid the. same on Kahl's sheets as on the others. Martin Beek made it clear that above all—far beyond a profit ^balance—he wanted the Association to be managed so that its sponsors would be proud of it, and that individuals were to be submerged and absorbed as only fac- tors in the institution. The same poli- cies mOst be followed which are set for the parent circuit, the •Orpheum. On this line it should soon come to pass that the Middle West will cease to be a bugbear. y The spectacle of a young woman in a production act at? the Palace Mon- day night in a condition that seemed quite plainly attributable to intoxi- cants was realized by the entire audi- ence, long before the act finished. The inexplicable of it was that the girl was allowed to go on. If she'could not hide her mental state before the audience, she certainly could not have done so back stage, and whoever has charge of the act or stage manages it (not the theatre's stage manager) should have been aware of the facts. Nils Granlund, press man of the Loew Circuit, recovered from "Flu." v , Julia Rooney (Rooney and Clinton), was taken ill Monday with influenza. Payton and Ward are confined to their homes in New York with grippe. £ Grace Tremont "did not play last week owing to an attack of flu. Little Billy, the midget, is confined to his room at the Friars' with an at- tack of influenza. / Bert and Patty Taub are in Denver, suffering with throat trouble and nerv- ' ous breakdown. The wife of Victor J. Morris, man- ager of the Orpheum, Boston, will un- dergo an operation this week. Eddie Foyer, having recovered from the operation on his eye, opens at Keith's, Washington, D. C. George Lane (Lane and Mbran), taken ill last week, is recovering and opens next week. Tommy Curran, booking on the United floor, is ill at his home with a severe cold. - Mrs. Minnie L. Cummings, formerly a well-known actress, now 70 years of age, is in Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, in a serious condition. Sam Mersing, assistant manager of Loew's Orpheum, Boston, is back at work after a three month's' siege of rheumatism. .-''•' > Harold Goldberg, assistant to Edgar Allen, of the Fox office, was operated on for an abscess by Dr. Ennis at a *i sanitarium on West 72d street. Frankie Wilson is recovering from influenza and Intestinal trouble, from which she has been suffering for the last five weeks. ' ' Flo Lewis playing with "Tick Tack Toe" was stricken with pneumonia Sunday in Atlantic City. Pearl Eaton will understudy for Miss Lewis, until she recovers. George Le Maire was out of the Ziegfeld "Follies" for several perform- ances because of incip'ent "flu," and Gus Van blacked up and played his several scenes. Four girls in "The Sight Seers" met with an accident in Montreal when their sleigh collided with a trolley car. They -were Betty Adams, Shirley Young, Marie La Mont and Lillian Isabel!. <■ Carleton Macy (Lydell and Macey), while laying off at Memphis due to the fact the theatres were closed by r influenza, became ill and the act can- celled its date at the Orpheum, New Orleans, this week. Manager Arthur White secured Edith deLys, leading soprano of the French opera troupe, ' to replace the turn. The American Theatrical Hospital, . Chicago, reports following cases under supervision of Dr. Max Thorek: Jack Coonleigh, secretary American Theat- rical , Association, influenza; Mrs. Harry Waterfall, wife of the ticket broker, discharged after operation; Art Northqjp, Jimmey Hussey com? pany, pneumonia; Harry Hirsch, treas- urer Wilson Avenue Theatre, hernia; Jack Block, theatrical newspaper man, abscess of ear; Ben Benjamin, carnival manager, hernia; Harry Heicks, Al Barnes' Circus, treatment for heart disease; Freda - Knore, operation. WITH THE MUSIC MEN. Harry Stepp has Joined the piano playing staff of Job. W. Stern ft Co. - A oenefit for the Beth David Hos- pital will be held at the Plymouth Sun- day (Feb. 8) and the following artists will appear: Sophie Tucker, Avon Comedy Four, Harry Fox, Anna Chand- ler, Donald Bryan, Lloyd and Christie, 'Kohn Sisters, Gilda Gray, Kaufman, Fields and Kaufman, Nonette, Julia Kelety, Nip and O'Brien, Frisco. I. A. T. S. E. NO. 2 BALL. Chicago, Feb. 4. Local No. 2, I. A T. S E., will give a benefit ball at the First Regiment Armory, Feb. 12. The profits will go to the sailors' and soldiers' fund Of the union. Vaudeville and musical comedy notables in town at the time will participate and give a show. Bob Russak ot the Jack Mills force* 'left on a western trip today tor his firm. Billy Travis has Joined the profes- sional staff of Gljbert * Friedland. t- —:— Chaa K. Harris has signed a year's agreement with Hatchette ft Co.. of Paris, & for the latter firm to handle the Harris --. catalog In Trance. _____ .. rM ' McCarthy and Fischer has been awarded the muslo publishing rights for - Herman Tlmberg'e "Tick Tack Toe" and -■% John Golden's "Dear Ma" j Harry Hoch and Arthur Benin have written a song after the picture titled "At the Rivers Bad.", Both are of ■Wat ere on, Berlin and Snyder's staff. Mose Gumble left New York this week, on a trip for Remlck ft Co., which will embrace the principal cities where that firm has branches. Mr. Qumble's first stop was Baltimore. '■. George Meyers and Artie Mehllnger will dissolve as a vaudeville team after playing the Orpheum next week. Mehl- inger will Join the Remlck professional staff. Meyers is "also connected with* It / -. ' Billy Jerome and Harry von Tllser have written a new comic based on the present spiritualistic craze, entitled n OuJla, Oujia, Tell Me Do." Henry Lewie will introduce It -for the first time Mon- day night In "The Frivolities of 1920." Al Beilen, the new professional man- ager of the Broadway Music Corpora- tion, Is sporting a new Masonic ring which was presented him at a banquet by 60 Chicago business men. prior to his departure for New York. Mr. JBellen was formerly manager of the Windy City branch of the Broadway Music Corp. Mack Stark and Rubey Cowan, Inc., opened their new offices on the ground floor of the Piantadoal Building to the profession Tuesday. Cowan, besides preparing most of the present catalog, is taking care of the professional floor, as- sisted by Billy Joyce. Stark is looking after the business end. The new Arm is v featuring "Oh, Doctor," "If You'll Come .'. Back," '"Yon Can Stay" and "Buddy."- ——— Pete Wendling, the song writer, Skvs meeting with much embarrassment lately owing to an impostor, passing himself to be Mr. Wendling, has been purchas- ing phonographs and supplies at-various places, paying them with bogus checks^— or having them delivered on credit Mr. ; Wendling, who Is known by the name to the trade through his connections \ with the Q. R. S. Music Roll Co. and as <i a song writer, meets with no difficulty .• in the way of credit and the Impostor ~ has been trading on this fact. Christ-'" man & Co. have shipped a talking ma-.i^g chine to Buffalo In Mr. Wendllng's name,—; as has Landes & Co.. a Fifth avenue," concern. Mr. Wendyng has engaged-.-.. Abner Greenberg, his attorney, to take . care of any legal entanglements should^ they arise. - CRITICISM. ■ - - >.' Trimmed to. Scarlet. A comedy In four acts by William,' Hurlbut at the Elliott, February 2. :& Mr. Hurlbut has set Miss Elliott no easy task, for his play Is not very plaus- jjj Ible. not very Bmooth, not strikingly true c-.j to Ufa Times, gg About all the falsity and staleness that could possibly be crowded Into the three hours of a bit of stage Action made diffi- cult the homage which the audience was eager to pay to Miss Elliott's perennial radiance. World. My Golden Girl. - A musical comedy in two acts. Book . and lyrics by Frederic Arnold Kummer; .. music by Victor Herbert; at the Nora : Bayes, February i. ••.'.: "My Golden Girl," staged high in the, ft air. carries a fair promise of high rank among the season's frolics. World. iM As a comedy "My Golden Girl" achieves V 7 a degree of success before its finar cur- tain. Times, Tke Night Boat. A musical comedy In three acta, founded on a farce by A. Blsson; book and 1 lyric by Anne Caldwell; music by Jerome Kern; at the Liberty, February ' "The Night Boat," launched last night at the Liberty Theatre, ought to enjoy a long cruise. Tribune. This Is the funniest musical comedy ot the season. San. May Wirth, with the Wirth Family, had double hard luck during the act's recent Cleveland date. In addition to the death of one of her prize ring horses which was a present from John Ringling, Miss Wirth also lost the dia- mond from her engagement ring. She was married to Frank Wirth (White) in New York last Thanksgiving Day. 7 .:.- 1