Variety (February 1920)

:■ •■—'-■»■- '] r '". •' ' ' '■■ ' .'• ■'.'. ■"'■.,' • ■'-.,'..' *':. : - : ■■•■ ' %:■■'-■: "•'. ."' - / • ■'.■,''• ' • [ II • ■ • ■ --' i- ■- ■ I?:.; SLASHING MEASURES ANNOUNCED TO SOLIDIF Y W.V.M .A. REFORMS No More Four-a-Day Except in Rare Instances Which Will Be Paid for Pro Rata. No Three-Split Bookings. Showings of Acts Will Be Systematized. No New Agents. Partitions Coming Out *■ .1" * Chicago, Feb. 25. Slashing measures, calculated to rati- fy and solidify, the reforms in the . business systems of the Western Vaudeville Managers' Association fol- lowing the "show-down" meeting of last week are formally set out in a no- tice to all attaches and artists' agents which will be issued Monday. Among the principal changes, some revolu- tionary and highly important, are the following: - . No act will be asked to play four-a- day anywhere on the circuit, except in a few isolated cases where pro rata will i be paid extra for any performances be- yond three. No three-split bookings will be per- mitted, which means the system fol- lowed in many of the principal W. V. M. A. houses of playing a first half, a second half and a Sunday stow is out— hereafter these houses wilrplay a first half and a second half, including Sun- day ; where houses play vaudeville Sun- days only such shows will continue to be booked for the one day, these ' being of great help to artists in break- ing jumps. 1 Showing of acts will be systematized. Agents will consult Tom Carmody, booking manager, who will designate the house where try-outs will take, place. He will at the same time ap- point artists' representative and book- ing representative to be present and see the act and report to htm. If. after such showing, an agent still thinks act should be booked and booker thinks it should not, another try-out date will' be set. John Na.sh and "Tink" Hum- phrey Will see the act and their deci- sion will be final, no matter what the bookers determine. If act is accepted it will be routed from the "front of- fice"; showings will not hereafter be booked for two half weeks, as hereto- fore. All complaints from agents or art- ists may be sent to John Nash, busi- ness manager, who will investigate and act with full authority in settling same for the W. V. M. A., and by working agreement Humphrey will act with him for the Keith, Western, office: any dif- ferences thereafter to be referred by Marcus Heiman. . . N6 agents now permitted to operate with the association will be eliminated, and no new ones will be added. Five shows in one day will not be tolerated anywhere, even where man- agers are willing to pay the additional pro rata. These ratifications of the new spirit of the association are in effect imme- diately. Further moves are on the way. It is said that all partitions will be removed on the floor, without private offices for anyone. Two road men will be sent out as advance guards of an aggressive cam- paign for expansion of the circuit. Keeney's, Brooklyn, about two months ago. The act was fined $50. Dunning ob- tained a stenographic record"of Arm- strong's act and presented it as evi- dence to the joint complaint board. S. P. C. A. STOPS NAZARRO PICKS. A controversy between Irwin Rosen and Nat Nazarro was avoided at the Palace Monday by the Children's So- ciety order to the latter forbidding the appearance of Buck and Bubbles, diminutive colored entertainers whom Nazarro recently added. Nazarro used the youngsters at the Audubon last half of last week and Irwin who claims he brought the picks North, was threatening legal procedure. In the event a permit ,is issued the matter may be threshed ,out in court, and Irwin will seek a temporary in- junction restraining the appearance of .the performers until disposition of their services is made. ELKS HONOR FRED GOLDSMITH. Past Exalted Ruler Frederick' Gold- smith was honored by No. 1 (New York) B. P. O. E. last week whert he was presented with a life membership. The certificate tendered him was in a heavy solid gold cade. In, addition the lodge made gifts of a baby grand Eiano and a chest of silver for his ome. Mr. Goldsmith was one of the popular Exalted Rulers and the pres- entations were in recognition 61 his services during the war period. Mr. Goldsmith is of the legal office of Henry E. & Frederick Goldsmith, who are moving to Times Square next month, They have taken a floor in the remodeled building on West 45th street which served fast summer as. 'strike headquarters in the A. E. A.-' P. M. A. affair. TO PROSECUTE KEITH SUITS. Boston, Feb. 25. John F. Cronan, the lawyer, will prosecute suits in equity and at law against the executors of the A. Paul Keith estate. He was granted permis- sion to do so by' Judge Crosby in the Supreme Court. l/i the equity action Mr. Cronan asks for specific performance of a contract alleged to have been made by A. Paul- Keith and" Edward F. Albee, under which, if- successful, he was to have ,one-third of the value of> the Keith theatrical interests. Mr. Cronan, In the action at law, sues on the con- tract and also for services rendered to A. Paul Keith. % JULIA RO0NEY ALLEGES "LIFT." AFTER FANNIE BRICE'S HUSBAND. An outright "lift" ot-material and \ The indictment of Jules Arnstein, costume is alleged by Julia Rooney alias Nick Arnold, and other names against "Last Night," a vaudeville pro- who is the' husband of Fannie Brice, duction Clinton and Rooney recently as the "master mind" in the plot to appeared in. Now the team is with mulct Wall street of $5,000,000 in ne- the Toe Howard production act ("Chin gotiable securities, was last week-end's Toy). news sensation. -Arnstein is missing Miss Rooney with Walter Clinton and he is supposed to have decamped played with "Last Night" for several with more than $1,000,000 in cash and weeks. It is a Lawrence Schwab pro- securities, it being thought that he fled duction. Upon leaving it after cus- after the arrest of "Big Bill" Furey, tomary notice, the "Last Night" act The latter is well known around 47th secured Anna Francis, who replaced street and Broadway and a number tif Miss Rooney. Miss Rooney's charge other persons known in the district is that the producer, Schwab, of "Last are supposed to be "in" on the gigantic Night" allowed Miss Francis to do robbery scheme^ With the courts or- Miss Roon ey's entire dance, in routine, dering that all monies in banks and which includes an imitation of her safety deposit vaults throughout the brother, Pat Rooney, dancing; also the country, held in the name of Arnstein, distinctive costume Miss Rooney wore Fannie Brice, Borach (Miss Brice's in "Last Night" and which she. de- signed, though Schwab purchased the material when Miss Rooney joined his turn. maiden name) Arnold, James Wilford Adair, MacCormack, etc, be held until further notice, the personal deposits of Miss Brice were also tied up.. She had several conferences with the Rooney's is one'worked out by herself district attorney's office, saying that and which she has been doing on the the maintenance of her eight-room stage for about 12 years. apartment, motor car and four serv- A complaint filed by Clinton and ants, came from her salary of $600 per Rooney with the National Vaudeville week for appearing in the "Midnight The dancing routine of "Miss ■ i. ■ ' >t " :. ■:.' '■' T.; : ' . '■:", '■:■. •;; ■'■'■■ -■;/•■• cm ..-; ■ Eg •JtSSffi - v M ,, : . I . \,. ■ Artists reached the Joint Complaint Committee of that organization and the Vaudeville Managers' Protective Association. It was decided that since Miss Francis is giving an imitation (without announcing it) of Miss Kooney, and Miss Rooney having given an imitation of her brother, Pat, in the same act ("Last Night") there was no reason to restrain Miss Francis from continuing. It was' furtfftr de- cided that as Schwab had purchased the material for Miss Rooney's cos- tume, her successor in the production was entitled to be similarly clothed. Miss. Rooney and her friends believe these decisions are against all the un- derstood rulings in vaudeville, which are supposed\to govern the Complaint Bureau in its decisions. Clinton and Rooney are protesting against the de- cisions and are taking steps to have the points reconsidered. Their' espe Frolic." She also said that Arnold wis a "family man" since her marriage to him several years ago, although she admitted that he had been in trouble before. Arnstein or Arnold is alleged to have been in the Gondorf wire tap- ping ring and about three years ago was arrested for claimed "blue sky" manipulations in Wall street. His bail was arranged at $25,000 which sum Miss Brice raised by pawning her jewelry and borrowing the balance. Arnold ■ was convicted and served a little over a year'in Sing Sing. Upon hif release when pardoned he was sued for divorce by Carrie Arnstein who at the same time started action for alienation against Miss Brice. j> The* decree was granted and.soon afterward Arnold tricked his wife into settling the alienation 'suit for $1,500. Soon afterwards he was married to Miss Brice and there is a six months cial pleas are that the Pat Rooney old son as the sesult of the union imitation by Miss, Francis is done as Arnold's Wall street scheme was di- a part of a "lift'' of M/ss Rooney's |en- tire/dance routine, and that the. cos- tume, being an original creation de* signed: by Miss Rooney, remains her sole vaudeville property. \ The two acts are being routed from the same Office, Keith's. MIKE SHEA PAID IN FULL / Buffalo. N. Y., Feb. 25. The artists on the bill playing at Shea's last week prepared an ackowl- edgment to Mike Shea before separat- ing at the end of the engagement, testifying to their appreciation for having been paid in full, although the house gave but ten performances. The opening Monday no show could be given through transportation dif- ficulties following the storm. vulged by runners who were caught trying to make a get-a-way with $42,000 worth of securities. Other youths in similar positions were also caught They had been promised'.a settlement in cash and a college edu- cation in Canada in return for steal- ing and delivering the securities. ■-,y ■■■•• 'ft. I ' ■::> ■ 3 '- ■ ■ ■/ ■ '.■■:/•:• .-• 4 ■ -■ '■■:■■: ' ■/■'.■ •..■-•;'' STOP COPT GOB ACT. Acting on the complaint of Philip Dunning, manager of "Everysailor, 1 ' the joint complaint board of the N. V. A. and V. M. P. A. decided last week that the act recently put out under the title of "The Sailor's Revue" is a copy- gob turn and steps will be taken towards the withdrawal of the latter. It is claimed that "The Sailor's Re- ~yue" was put on by Harry Armstorng, formerly with "Everysailor." Arm- strong left after a fight back stage af NEW BROOKLYN THEATRE. Construction work has been begun on the 3,000 seat pop vaudeville the- atre that I. Schwartz is erecting in, conjunction with the Henry Miner Es- tate, at Kings Highway and Coney Island avenue, Brooklyn. It will be completed June 1. * FRIEDLANDER'S DRAMATIC. The first dramatic act to be produced by William B. Friedlander is "Mary, Myrtle and Jane," a four-person play- let which opened' out of- town 1his week. It was written by Harlan Thompson and staged by Frederick Stanhope. Another Friedlander act ready to open.is "Cave Man Love," a music and comedy turn with a cast of five. Jack Weiner, fOrmerlv in "Sweeties," is now managing Friedlander's office. New Act for Doner. Ted Doner is putting on a new act which will carry special settings and seven girls. Among them will be Rose Doner, who appeared with her sister Kitty during the tatter's appearance in vaudeville. Arthur Klein and H. Robert Law are producing it, Sheedy'i BIttghamton Booking;. Binghamton, N. Y., Feb. 25. The new Strand, opening here March 8, seating 2,400, will have a pop vaude- ville policy, booked by the Sheedy agency of New York. The house will play six acts, splitting the week with Amsterdam, N. Y. Local capital erected the theatre. AVAILABLE ACTS' LIST WANTED. The Keith office has issued instruc- tions for agents booking through the agency, to submit each Saturday, not later than three in the afternoon, a list of available acts. '■:''.: The order is to secure immediate in- formation for the bookers, in matters of disappointments on bills. * \i POTSDAM, LOEW EXECUTIVE. Charles Potsdam, former manager of Loew's American and latterly in the agency field with his brother Jack, has returned to the Marcus Loew off- fice as an executive. At present he is acting as relief man- ager, which position he will retain pending the building of Loew's new Statey Theatre at- 45th street and Broadway, of which he may he made manager. LOEW'S ST. LOUIS HOUSE. St Louis, Feb. 25. The new Loew house to be erected in St. Louis will cost approximately $1,000,000 and will seat about 3,500. The plot has a 135 foot frontage on Wash- ington avenue, running back 226 feet on Lucas avenue. The plans were drawn by Thomas W. Lamb. Gersten Has U. S. Theatre, Hohokem. Frank Gersten has bought the U. S. Theatre, Hoboken. He will continue the pop vaudeville policy. I -I",;!...' ■: ■ -■■---■ ■ ■:>■■ i >9» w ■■:■!.■■ ■-■■ ■ -;"•;■. t - ■■ ■ m