Variety (February 1920)

■■ - .. ■>.*.'. >'... 'i '■■:■■ -;. : >'. :•'!"■.: .'•■.■'.' .■•:.... .'•'.,.■.''•"'•'<.'" ■.■■■.'■"'■■- ■''.:'. ." ' "V -.■."' '*'• ••'■'.' ''-''■*''■:■'■ '':•..- V''•■•" ■;-■"■ -""> : '.'■-'r-' : " , ./''5 J -::"' ..i- :•"'•' .'■ 'V, >'v- .'■'-■:",-,•■.' V"^'-.' v.;- .'■.;;••/ :■' HATTIE LORRAINE SUES NOBLE HUSBAND CL AIMING MORE MONEY Legal Separation Agreed On With Louis de Wardman Hollub Gave Her $152,000. She Claims His Wealth. Is Such He Should Give Her Much More. Messrs. Goldsmith Will Bring Action Through Italian Legal Channels. i. : & ■ ''" s ■ M Hattie Lorraine, of musical comedy, who returned to the States on the Maurctania -Saturday, has retained Henry J. and Frederick E. Goldsmith, her attorneys, to bring legal action against her- husband, Louis de Ward- ener Hollub, an Austrian nobleman, to set aside a separation agreement en- tered into by both parties Sept. 22,1914, in Italy on the ground of fraud and misrepresentation. By the -terms # of this agreement Miss Lorraine received a cash settlement of $100,000 and the Hollub jewels valued at $52,000. . Signor Hollub gave his reasons for the separation to be matters concern- ing ,low finances, averring he could not support a wife as befits a nobleman. Miss Lorraine, who visited her titled husband's chateau' in Alassio, Italy, from whence she has just returned after an investigation, claims his finan- cial^ representations were fraudulent anB that he is wealthier than ever. The action will be conducted through Italian legal channels by the Messrs. Goldsmith. "RIVER'S END" IS WAGNER'S. The play that will bring Charles L. Wagner, concert agent for Galli-Curci and John McCormack, into the lent field, is entitled "The River's End," by James Oliver Curwood. It is his intention of producing one. play a year and Wagner also ex- pressed a probability that he would do it in co-operation with A. H. Woods. THE ILL. Robert Stevenson, treasurer of the Morosco, is ill with influenza, reported a serious case. Louise LaSalle, assistant treasurer of the Little theatre, is seriously ill with influenza, and was removed to the Park Hospital last week. Vera Leonard ("Aphrodite") the "flu." ■ Arthur Bell has returned to "The Man Hunt" after an attack of influenza. Charles Dillingham has gone to French Lick Springs, suffering from a severe illness. " Florenz* Ziegfeld was still confined to his home in Hastings, N. Y., the early part of the wtek, but was expected m the city in a few days. Marc Klaw, although ill, went to Bal- timore to attend the opening of "Dere Mable." ' ■ Lee Shubert has gone to Florida for a rest, following his illness of last week. Mrs. Paula Hoffman (Jewish Stock, Lyric, Brooklyn), ill with influenza. Marion and Helen Leland ("Monte Cristo, Jr."), with influenza in Canada for the last two weeks, are recovering. Jerry Flynn, assistant treasurer of the Hudson Theatre, has recovered from influenza. Salt Lake City, Feb. 4. The "flu" is making inroads here and the local papers are playing it up. "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath," here last week was noticeably off, and the Or- pheum always doing a capacity busi- ness every performance, also seemed affected. Traveling agents report that ihe "flu" is hitting the western belt very perceptibly and that the shows in towns centering around this territory like Boise, Ogden, etc, are not doing the business they should under normal conditions., Fresno, Feb. 4. Theatres in interior California taking in towns like Mercedes, etc., affected considerably by the epidemic, the at* tendance dropping off while the news- papers are giving front page "stuff' to instructions and earnings from health authorities. . ZIEGFELD'S ROOF KITCHEN. When Flo Ziegfeld fully recovers at Hastings, N. Y., home, he will rush work on the new "Nine O'Clock Revue" and "Midnight Frolic" to open there, with date now unset The Amsterdam Roof will be reconstructed and a kitchen installed, that, says. Ziegfeld, will be second to none anywhere. A' French chef is on his way. here from Paris to take charge and there will be other cooking specialists from abroad engaged. - Mr. Ziegfeld wishes to correct the error he has a contract calling for Ed- die Cantor to be starred. Mr. Ziegfeld remarks the Cantor agreement starts after the run of the present "Follies," that the agreement is for two years and provides 'that Cantor, shall be fea- tured in a musical comedy.' TO ARTISTS GOING ABROAD. It is the wish*of the Trustees of the Actors' Fund to call to the attention of all artists who go aroad and are asked to participate in the ship's concerts, which is customary on every trip/ to , think of their own charity, the Actors' Fund. Requests should be made to the pursers that one-half of the proceeds of these performances be sent to Daniel Frohman, president of the Actors' Fund, and that a memorandum be sent as a voucher. The success of these ocean entertain- ments depend entirely upon profes- sionals' aid and their own charity should reap some benefit from the pro- ceeds, says Mr. Frohman, president of the Fund. STERN HAS OPERETTA RIGHTS. Jos. Stern & Co., the music publish- ers, have secured the American pro- ducing rights for "Count Habernichts," an operetta, which has passed its 300th performance in Berlin and 200th in Vienna. The piece, with book by Jean Kren and music by Robert Winterberg, ib reported from Europe to - be another "Merry Widow." H. H. Frazee and Chaa. Maddock have both made bids to produce the piece over here. "SUN-HERALD'S" DRAMATIC MEN. The first edition of the Sun-Herald Sunday was the first publication of the Sun and the Herald combined. It at- tracted much attention in and outside of newspaper circles. John A. Logan ("Herald") and Lawrence Reamer ("Sun' 1 ) are both retained. The latter has been appointed the Sun-Herald dramatic critic while Logan, formerly of the Herald, is now the combined daily's dramatic editor. "ANGEL FACE'S" UNIQUE RECORD. "Angel Face" is leaving the Snicker- „ bocker next week for a-tour which will include the coast. It has established a unique record for New York. . In spite of influenza the'box office, pace has not approached the stop limit and it is claimed that it will have been the only musical-organization at tfie Knickerbocker which went out with- out going under the minimum figures set in the sharing contract. ''Angel Face" also is one of the. few pieces going to the road without first trying for aid from the cut rate agen- cies. An offer from the Public Service agency to handle $2,000 weekly for cut rates was not accepted. The Geo. W. Lederer show is figured- an exceptionally good road attraction. NINE SHOWS AT WINTER GARDEN. Through an agreement reached Monday between the Shuberts and rep- resentatives of the Chorus Equity As- sociation a special contract to • cover the Winter Garden was' arranged. Starting Monday Chorus Equity mem- bers appearing at the Winter Garden will play nine shows without extra compensation, instead of eight, The Chorus Equity contract arranged fol- lowing'the strike last'fall called for eight shows at the Winter Garden and one-ninth pre rata extra for the ninth performance. The Shuberts put in-the claim that the Winter Garden had al- ways given nine performances and it was "the custom of the house.",. In return for the concession the Shuberts agreed that a clause be in- serted in the new contract whereby all Chorus Equity s members be guar- anteed 15 weeks for all Winter Gar- den shows. RALPH KOHN FUND. Upon the death last week of Ralph I. -Kohn of the A. H. Woods office, the producer immediately started the founding of a trust fund for Kohti's family. Telegrams were sent to' all those in the Woods productions and the response was so heavy that over $20,00& was received by the end of the week. It is Mr. Woods' idea to establish an endowment fund of $50,000 with him- self and Mrs. Woods making up--the deficiency between the amount col- lected and -that figure. That means that the manager may subscribe around $20,000. The interest from the fund is to be given .Kohn's widow for the sup- port of herself and a year-old child and also a posthumous child expected. Should Mrs. 'Kohn re-marry the in- terest will go to the support of the children with the principal given over to them upon attaining their majority. THIRD ATTACHMENT. For the'third time within some four months, William Cary Duncan, author of "Sunshine," the Jed Shaw-Alex Johnstone production starring Ttichard Carle, has had occasion to attach the box office receipts of the show in order to recover back royalties. The last attachment occured in Pater- son, N. J., Friday, the amount being $540, which was immediately paid. Only a fortnight previous Duncan attached, the show in Atlantic City, it being also paid at o'nee. However, hearing on the first attachment which occured in Muskegon, MicH., last November, is due shortly. O'Brien, Malevinsky & Driscoll rep- resented Duncan. ' J. J. DELAYED. The illness of J..J. Shubert's young son has caused an indefinite postpone- ment of his trip to Europe He was to have started overseas this week. Mr. Shubert stated, however, that it had never been, considered for Rufus LeMaire to accompany his abroad. BROADWAY STILL TIED UP. Although the-^wise ones figured that bookings would aga^jn be normal after the first of the year, conditions are.as chaotic as ever. More shows than ever',. apparently are waiting-to get into New York but with Jew exceptions the proposition seems hopeless, unless, the producer is especially favored. The only remedy is to raise, for the time being, the stop limit of $10,000 for mu- sical pieces. 7 . ', Of the shows headed for New York; those on the K. & E. string are worse off than those booking for the Shu- berts because, firstly, there are-fewer of the former houses in New York and, secondly, most of the shows listed in the K. & E. box are making too much money to be withdrawn. The first break came when "Angel Face" was slated out of the Knickerbocker, headed for Baltimore. Its place is to be taken- by ""Shavings"- which has drawn quite well on the road and is looked upon as a mild hit But that ■ it is going in the Knickerbocker shows what condition bookings are in, for that house is recognized as a musical comedy house and it is also, too large for a more or less intimate comedy. There seems to be no other break in the K. & E. box imminent for some time and there are three-or four shows doing exceptional business on the. road that would apparently draw well on Broadway. One is the Ed. Wynn Car- nival, now out for ten weeks. Willie Collier in "The Hotentot^L getting big money in Philadelphia makes for the assertion that it looks like the best piece Collier has had in five years.' So far there is a_. rumor on the street that he may follow Laurette Taylor in. "A Night in Rome," at the Cohan. These and more want to get on Broad- way but apparently they'll have to pitch a tent in. Times Square, if'they want to do it Another attraction that looks* strong for New York wait- ing time is Marc Klaw's "Dere Mabel." In Baltimore where it opened at .the Academy it did $13,000. ■ t O'BRIEN'S MINSTRELS IN N. 0. v .New Orleans, Feb. 4. •• Neil O'Brien's Minstrels have been ' patrolinp the tanks for some time and slipped into the Tulane here Sunday when an overflow assemblage, greeted them. The show is there for the tanks,-, but not for the big- places, according" to local critics. It lacks the essentials of modern ministrelsy. The, humor is of the almanac type and is bereft of '. sparkle. CANT CAST 'THREE KISSES". "Three Kisses," the second piece which Wilner & Romberg were to have essayed is off. According to an execu- tive of the firm, inability to cast the leading roles with the proper talent is the reason. *.' .'. Instead the next piece which is to be done is a v play' by Ben Harrison Orkow called "Rado," changed from the original title of "Right Angle.'? WALTER JORDAN'S THEATRE. . -Walter Jordan will begin the erec- tion of a theatre on West 41st street, directly opposite the stage door of the Amsterdam. WILLARD MACK RECOVERING.. Willard Mack is now understood to be recovering from a serious illness which began" sometime since. The fact of his illness and its seriousness has been a secret closely guarded by his friends. - -» John McCormack III tn Cleveland. Cleveland, Feb. 4. Bronchitis prevented John McCor- mack from appearing here Sunday. Since then he has been confined to his hotel, but is expected to be in condi- Hon to leave there today or tomorrow.