Variety (February 1920)

' '■ ~~ ';..- ~. i '\'.-':'^ ... '■ 1 1 ■'/; ■• EDDIE CANTOR SIGNS RECORD BREAKIN G RECOR D CONTRACT Agreement Entered Into With Brunswick Disc Concern Galls for $220,000 To Be Paid Cantor During Five-Year Period. Contract Biggest Ever Made by Musical Comedy Artist for Record Making. Cantor in Class with Caruso, Galli Curci and McCormack. . t - '■ r-w,-.'. ' --.-:■' .V .:.. ' ■,-"-'■•.-• ' - ... ., ... \sM-i-- — y r Chicago, Feb. 25. Eddie Cantor signed a new contract with the Brunswick disc record con- cern, calling for a total of $220,000 compensation in five years, the sal* aries" being respectively, $30,000. for the first year, $40,000 for the second, and $50,000 each for the next three years. The Cantor contract with the Bruns- wick people is the biggest of its kind from a financial remuneration stand- point ever held by a musical comedy or vaudeville artist for record making. The nearest approach to the Cantor agreement in point of money is that held by Al Jolson with the Victor Talking Machine Co. ■ -The method-of payment in the Can- tor contract also marks a revolutionary .charge in such matters, inasmuch as Cantor is given a flat salary, instead of receiving the customary royalty from the sale of his records.. '.-■•"" Cantor's contract places him in the Class with Caruso, Galli-Gurci and John McCormack as regards payment for record making. v COVERING JOLSON'S ABSENCE, Chicago, Feb. 25. .... Al Jo!son's whereabouts continue a ; : mystery. He is probably in Chicago in a family hotel, though word was left at the Blackstone when he left there that he had gone to Florida. Two nays later, however, he appeared and played a performance in "Sinbad," after which he again dropped out. Now the show at the Auditorium is no longer advertising him as its star, but .. is using camouflaged billing reading "Al jolson's Sinbad" with the JolsOfi' as big as the title. After the house is seated' at each show an announcement is made that Jolson cannot appear because of temporary illness, and that those desiring to may have -their money back. The Auditorium is some- ' what remote and it is pretty'late then for anyone to be accommodated at any ; 6ther theatre. There have b«en many complaints. Jolson has not shown in more than a week and it is ten to one ! he will not again during the beat run. DEAL FOR HIPPODROME? There is a possibility that the Hippo- drome will discontinue playing spec- tacular attractions next season, and the fact that the site is being contemplated as a prospective piece of property by an organization desiring to build a de- partment store on the premises, was made known. , The Hippodrome is controlled by the U. S. Realty Corporation, with Charles Dillingham, active producer and work- ing on a percentage basis. ■.■.''•' From one who is in a position to know it was inferred that the deal is now pending between that organiza- ./' tion and the U. S. Realty Corporation. SUNDAY SALARIES HIGH. Salaries now asked by acts appear- ing at the Sunday vaudeville perform- ances in New York are at their high- est point ; Sunday salaries according to one booker who engages many of them, are approximating over three times as much as asked by the same acts four years ago. the large number of acts required for the main Sunday vaudeville shows. CARRIE JACOBS BOND COMING IN. Carrie, Jacobs Bond, who has long figured as one of the best known com- posers of high class ballads and semi- classical numbers, is going into vaude- ville. Miss Bond will break in her act next month, but it may be some weeks be- fore a New York showing will be sought Among her best known work is *A Perfect Day," Miss Bond is 55 years of age. She never before has been on the stage. Harry Weber is-handling Miss Bond for vaudeville. THE D00LEYS AND MORINS. ■ A new combination for vaudeville is composed of William'and Gordon Doo- ley and the Morin Sisters. They are iisted-to appear next week at the Al- hambra. Coloiimo Married, Chicago, Feb. 25. James Colosimo, proprietor of the internationally famous cabaret ren- dezvous, Was married to Dale Winter, the star of his carbaret for years, for- merly a vaudevillian. . ♦ Colosimo divorced his wife one day and_next day married Miss Winter in Crown Point, Ind. ..-"-. r. MACKEYS IN PATHETIC TRIAL One of the most unusual cases of brother against brother was brought Out in the 96th street Municipal Court last week in the suit of Charles Mackey against Edward J. Mackey. The action was based on a claim of $690 alleged to be ' money loaned by Charles. The latter was recently in "Civilian Clothes." Edward Mackey is also an Since the claim dated from 1912 the statute of limitations was invoked but Herman L. Roth who defended the case showed that the sum actually ; owed Charles was $45. # / • *F. F. Mackey, prominent in the Ac- tors' Fund and one of the deans of the theatrical profession, testified ip behalf of Edward. .■' Lillian Trimble, wife of Charles, also appeared as a witness. ; ■ Testimony in which the mention of the principals' mother who died last year was mentioned and the circum- stances led Judge Spielberg to remark it was one of the most pathetic cases he had ever listened to. Evidence tended to show the action never should have been brought to trial ■;./,.•.'.,:■........ NORA BATES MARRIED AGAIN. Nora Bayes was married Tuesday at Springfield, tit, to Arthur Gordon, Who recently left the Bessie Clayton act to become leading man in "Ladies First. This is her fourth marriage. Gordon was formerly- of Fisher, Gordon and Lucky. ... ■ •; ..■.■-• DE LYLE ALDA-S DIVORCE. Chicago, Feb. 25. De Lyle Alda, prima donna of the Ziegfeld "Follies." testified at divorce proceedings against Henry Leitzel, a- railroad engineer, her husband, charg- ing cruelty. The judge indicated he would grant the decree. ■ It is generally understood that Miss Alda will soon marry a theatrical agent in the east, who was divorced some months ago. Miss Alda was mentioned in those proceedings.: ■->s 11 gfc m Fasjan and Geneva Do Well. > London, Feb, 25/ Fagan and Geneva, the American wire walkers, opened well at the Fins- bury Park Empire. New "Joy Balls" with Pollard. London, Feb. 25. There will be a new edition of "Joy Bells" in about two weeks and it w probable Daphne Pollard will return to the cast* .'•■, "Phi PM" Version at Garriek, .London, Feb. 25.. C B. Cochran's new revue^t.the gar- rick will be a version o^PbtPhVUs presented in Paris. .< Esmond on His Own. , London, Feb. 25. ft V. Esmond will produce his, own »lay at the Ambassadors early in arch; &%£?¥$&&&&. -Yellow Room" a Plaj^S ^ "The Yellow Room," founded on the French myatery^novel, Js to topeti^at the Oxford, where "The Eclipse* closed Feb. 2L ■;.;;■'.;..;; ; ;' "Kiss Cell" dosing ■**«*'.£ £ : V London, Feb. 25. t* "The -Kiss Call" will close at the,; Gaiety March 6. • '•■ '.^V' '_;,'• r~™'- ■r. Hohebfel. Dead. _ .Paris, Feb. 25. From Vienna comes a report of the•,,.;•. death of Stella HoheBfels, an Austria* actress. ,"■-'>-.: -"•;- ■£? >VV'"*- ' Stratford Festival March 8. , ' : V London, Feb. 25. ,: The Stratford Shakespearean festivals will begin March a ... 383: ■■'■ :s.r $■ ■••Vi-f* > ™T«* :■*.■■■'■: !■:>.'■'*■• x ■ Producing "Irene." . . .„ London, Fib. 25. - Tom Reynolds has arrived to produce "Irene" for J. L. Sacks. Hawtrey't Condition Unimproved. - London, Feb. 25. ' The condition of Charles Hawtrey remains unimproved. v •/. NO U. S. SLUR, BARD SAYS, .Boston, Feb. 25; During the last week, he played here Wilkie Bard took every opportunity to -correct the statement credited to him that he had slurred the American army and the country, while playing at Toronto. He "gave a performance be- fore the inmates of the Chelsea Naval Hospital and made an a*tempt to give another to wounded soldiers at a Boston hospital. The latter attempt was. unsuccessful because, of traffic con- ditions. •'..'.. "... Jimmy Barry, on the same bill with him at Keith's last week appeared on the stage with Bard at each per- formance in the hope this fraternizing would convince the audience Bard was in right with the American acts. Bard denies making the statement in the form it assumed, and also denies that all the American acts playing on the bill with him signed the letter of protest against his speech. ■:.,,= v e .■*.e« rg^ ^:, MAY W1RTH jars ago. ' • .-■<; v *H ■ • . ■- ; jo* extrctamg a lltua this week (Feb. The increase is said to be through hroth«r», eousuu. etc 23) et the Palace, Mew York, Divorce for Edna Leedyni. Edna Leedyni, Melnotte and Leedum, Was granted a divorce from William Edmunds recently. , : • ^- Edmunds is on the Orpheum circuit. The Leaks In • Divorce Action. : . FranceiLeah has brought suit for abiolute dirorce against Frank Leah. Both are in vaudeville at present. '■ 9 s m L52L--'. ; : '." ■ ■ i '-. if$j .;• •;•. ■ -■ 'i, -:• '<-i.-,' IV.- ■; - .• -i '~-~"'F-