Variety (February 1920)

Jk^-.-Y-i.^r^A 10 BURLESQUE I ■:'■■•: : COLUMBIA BANS BIDDING FOR OTHER SHOWS'ARTISTS Producers Must First Get in Touch and Find if Any .Re- engagement Is Probable. Fellow Producers Declared to Be Entitled to Co-operation and Consideration. '• No Intention of Hampering Artists. Expenses Getting Prohibitive, Scribner Says in Letter. WORLD BEATERS. -. ■' ■ The Columbia Amusement Co. has placed an official ban on burlesque pro- ducers operating shows on the Colum- bia Wheel next season bidding against each other for the services of artists. The Columbia Wheel takes the stand an 'artist's present manager has first call for next Reason, If any producer contemplates engag- ng an artist under contract until the end of the present season, the pro- ducer must first get in touch with the present management and Ascertain if any negotiations are in progress for a re-engagement.. The circular letter sent out regard- ing the maltcr by the Columbia Amuse- ment Co. Follows: "A condition of affairs has arisen, and the producers are'in a large meas- ure responsible for it—where the sal- aries and expenses of our road com- panies are getting almost prohibitive. This comes in a large measure from the firoducers bidding against one another, 'or instance, an actor who is playing this year with Mr. Jones will call on Mr. Smith and offer his services for next season at a much larger figure than he is getting. Mr. Smith prac- tically engages him, and then he goes back to his present employer and says: 'Mr. Smith has offered me so much for next season. If you»want my services, it will cost you that figure.' "Hereafter when an actor comes into your office seeking an engagement for next season, before'talking business with him you will immediately get in touch with, his present employer (as his present employer always has first call, or should have first call, on his services for coming seasons) and find out if his present employer contem- plates doing business with him for next season. If he does, then yqu lay off entirely. Do not under any circum- stances or conditions make any offers or inducements for the coming season. An actor may say to you that under no circumstances does he intend to play with his present employer next season; but that is none of your busi- ness. This corporation shall expect everybody to come through clean in this matter, actors as well' as pror- ducers. "There is no desire, intention or pur- ?ose on our part to prevent anybody rom getting everything that is com- ing to them in the way of salary or otherwise, but your fellow producer is entitled to your co-operation and con- sideration, and there is a moral obli- gation on the part of every employee of any kind to his employer. "Yours very truly, "Columbia Amusement Company. "By Sam A. Scribner, Gen'l Mgr." Hi J3 MANAGER ACCUSED AND ARRESTED Norfolk, Va., Feb. 25. The Bnster Brown Musical Comedy Co. "busted" upon the close of its en- gagement in the local Colonial last week. William Lamar was arrested on the charge of intent to abscond with $2,531.13. The scenery and effects were attached by Nathan Fedman, as- signee, who also brought suit against Lamar for $3,000 damages. Marie Adele Archer, leading woman, said the company was on the road 8 weeks and that Lamar never provided the members with proper hotel accom- modations nor paid salaries in full. Lamar denies he - intended leaving Norfolk without arranging to take care of the members. The individual claims as set forth in the petition filed in the Circuit Court! of Norfolk county, are as follows:—James Corbley, $335; Jas. Elwood, $196.44; J. Hooke Wright. $260.99; George Fey, $84.47; Edward Ferguson, $37927; Fred Waldeck, $113.47; Helen Butler, $17224; Amy Mortimer, $208; Margaret Miles, $162.50; Marie Adele Archer, $227.35; Gertrude Ecker, and Mrs. William Ecker, $115.50; Alice Molitor, $64.49; Cecile Mayhew, $64.49; Pauline De- 1 incy, $64.49; Elsa Kelly, $64.49; Muriel Dawn, $64.49; Bertha Rider, 6449, and Alice Elverton, $64.49. • "Half the amount claimed due the members of the company as salaries would cover what is really due them," declares Lamar. "When we played Lynchburg receipts were small- on ac- count of an epidemic of the flu, as had been the.case in several towns, and I called the company together and ex- plained the situation, at which time they agreed to come on to Norfolk. After the first performance in the Co- lonial I realized that the show must disband and was making arrangements to pay the fares of the members of-the company back to New :York when they took the case into court. "I have done the best I could "and, being innocent of any intentional wrong, I propose to stay in Norfolk until the case is settled as satisfac- torily as possible." JOHN M. WARD DEAD. Detroit, Feb. 25. John M. Ward, manager of the Gay- cty (Columbia Wheel) died Feb. 20. He was about 58 years of age and among the best known burlesque house managers in the country, s The deceased tame here some years ago, first managing the old burlesque theatre and transferred to the Gay- ety upon its opening. He married Nellie Dunbar, 1893, who is his ,only survivor. NEW AMERICAN WHEEL HOUSE. St. Louis, Feb. 25. The American Wheel is to have a new house in St. Louis next season, built by the James Butler Estate to replace the Standard. It will be lo- cated in the heart of the business sec- tion and will be part of a hotel build- ing. The deal for the St. Louis site will be closed this week. BEN WELCH CO STARRING. Arthur Hammerstein has arranged to co-star Ben Welch with Frances White next season in "Jimmy," a musical pro- duction Hammerstein will then put on. Welch is at the head of a burlesque show bearing his name at present. He is a brother of the late Joe Welch. ILL AND INJURED Harry Steppe was forced to' leave Harry Hastings' "Razzle Dazzle" at the Trocadero, Philadelphia, last Wednes- day, flu. Ben Howard replaced Steppe temporarily. Irons & damage, new producing addi- tions to the American Wheel, have * good show at the- Olympic In the "World Beaters" and a capacity holiday crowd turned out to see It Monday after- noon, v •• , . The show 1b produced on a more elabo-v rate Bcale than the usual American en- semble despite the spreading of the num- ber two producers since I. B, Herk in- herited the reins. It was built primarily with enough of a book to give the two comedians plenty of opportunity to shine in low comedy hits. , ■■ The usual 16 choristers are prominent throughout and the costuming Is sensible- and appropriate, the girls allT>eing above the average In appearance and.shapeli- ness of limb. They are a well drilled group and noticeably good dancers, pull- ing an innovation in the absence of the slightest approach to a shimmy. This -should.be billed. Walter Brown and Jack Klnneard are the comedians with Brown handling the more ambitious, efforts backed up by Kinneard's inoffensive assistance. Both do "Dutch" Brown, using a red nose and a slip of a mustache. He is the type of comic who grows on one and works like a Trojan throughout. Roy Beverly does a capable straight and Is later seen In a quartette consist- lng of himself, Al Foster, Ernie Johnson and H. Blodgett. The latter trio have minor roles and one <a tenor stopped the show with a ballad, later leading an oriental number in the "Isle of Jang scene in the second act.^ Leona St. Clair Is the. aoubret and wears clothes like one of^HlckBonB models. She is a tall Titian haired girl with graceful lines and Quite a. voice handling most of the classic and seml- classlc offering*. All her costumes were lavish and she copped the appearance honors pulled up to a walk. f There are two soubrets, both fun-or pep and nimble of hoof. May Hamilton, k blonde who stands a rough Spelling in a comedy acrobatic travesty with Brown, and Louise Stewart, who flashes several bare kneed costumeB and sings P Tne Brox SlBters step out of the chorus on two occasions, once in each act. Their first appearance Is a double* I UR« Door Open and My Daddy Walked Out' . and the next In the cabaret scene where they pull some blues to uke accompani- ment that stops the Bhow temporarily. They are anjaaal little bob-haired couple for burlesque and could stay out of the chorus permanently without any trouble. Another pair of specialists were the .Misses Grey and De Bruyn In a dancing -specialty In the cabaret scene and How- ard and Downs, two more choristers with a clever routine of soft shoe eccentric . W The first act Is played In three full stage sets, the first showing the quarter- deck of a ship, scene three being a sub; marine attack In miniature showing the ship torpedoed and taking a header with a destroyer steaming up to the rescue luBt too late, and scene three the Isle of Jang, another full stage affair and the prettiest set of the piece. The open- ing number here gives ah opportunity for effective lighting effects, ^he chor- isters carrying Japanese lanterns and half horseshoes of flowers which are illuminated during the "Chinese Ensem- ble" number. , _. .-.,_ "Tukl Tong" Is sung by Leona St. Clair attired In a gorgeous silk Japanese tea gown. The number fitted the St. Clair Personality and the choristers made a pretty backround In Jap attire. _ The second act has one rull stage set in the cabaret scene and another drop (house) in "one." which Is utilized in the Introductory number an audience one With the principals Blnglng from too"; later mounting the stage to go into the ° a The e bits and business are all jn good taste, some of thorn being familiar, but a decided effort has been made to ^Inter- polate a.new twist to,the standards. The "World Beaters" Is a good show and would give satisfaction If seen at the Palace of Burlesque, the Columbia. %$m ■■■- ■ .,, : sp*j ■V. '- '. ' x !>;•■-■..■ ■"•■; .-■..■"'.'■ THE SIGHTSEERS. Aside from the costumes—and the itBMll] ■'.',;•/«< chorus looks dressed exoeptibnally well . —there Is little change In James ,». ■ .:. Cooper's "The Sightseers" over last years -., „•- 4 organisation, what changes there are :;,■;; probably being represented in several new cast faces. ' . • *•■•..>:; Gun Fay continues to feature the show as''principal comic and Gua does get. '.,- laughs. Blue at times he doesn't par- . $ tlcularly care how he gets them. That ■ : .-' i especially applies to the phonograph shop scene near the close of the show's first section. For it the ladles of the chorus" (as the program has it) are supposed to represent talking machine records, which the salesman explains to cub range from ten cents to five dollars. As each girl entranced she stepped for- ward and gave the supposed name of the number represented. Fay started when one gal announced "Just for Tonight," and Gus wanted to know If that "was a ten-cent one." Another >lana announced "She's Waiting for You" and Jimmy Holly said "for a dollar and a half," Fay replying she could wait all night as far as he was concerned. When Holly ex- plained that both sides could be used by turning 'em over and warned Gus that a new needle must be used for each, It was near the limit. Mo question that the bit drew the biggest laughs of the evening at the Columbia Tuesday night. Right there the "pick-out" number was employed and rightly too, since each girl represented a number. Fay's business built It up strongly and was at his best. On a little earlier Fay and Kathryn Dlckay put over a good comedy bit. In a situation having the supposed husband - r- of his comnanlon on the scene, he nulled ! '.■ i '■. ■ ■■ i»\l .- ■■• :■■ ■■ : ■■ •: ■ 1 of his companion on the Bcene, he pulled "■■"*..\ a strong laugh when he asked her not to "pin flowers on me yet." Miss Dickey lined up in the hits with Fay much bet- ter than with her own song numbers, quite limited now. t Gus still has his "beer tumor" with him, but there is little , or no suggestion of dialect The first act went over better and stood out more strongly than the second and the first act finale was worked up as well as any show on the wheel. It's a song finish with the several cast members rep- resenting some Btyle or classification of melody. The hit here fell to Johnnie Walker and considering hia name it was most fitting that he should handle a Scotch number. Sidney B. Eriln doing several bits, stood out there for once. 1 He sang "Paggllaccl" and It wasn't a bad try at all. Erlin appeared to save , himself for* the number, for he sang at no other time. Fay wag in at the finish i - ■. • K ■ S • ■ .'. * •-. : - BURLESQUE CHANGES. Harry 1 Young and Lew Leondar joined "Blue Birds." • Jack Perry will produce for B. r. Kahn's Union Square. Two new addi- tions are Ethel Costello and Harry Stewart. Tom Barret , closed last week. Helen Adair is on a month's- vacation. _ Vic Dayton replaced Hilda Le Roy in "Girls de Looks." Lida Eldrege, "Blue Birds." Mabel Lee replaced Kitty Madison in London Belles. Coe and Nelson replaced Walsh and Tenney in Pat White's "Gaiety Girls." with a comedy song, "Laughing Water,' making a fitting curtain. ' Flo Davis from last year's show la very much present and had more to do In the way of numbers than any other principal. Flo Is a good looking girl and a little more splurging in the way of costumes will place her with the lead- ers. Her best song was "Crazy Over Dixie." The Bhow has four feminine prin- cipals, the others being Delia Clark, a well appearing girl, and Emily Dyer, the latter from last year's show. Miss Dyer, too, is quite good looking, but she Is very slender and her costumes only accentuate that. She sports a blond curl doWn her back that must make the other girls a bit Jealous. "The Sightseers" is the only show on either wheel that sports a harpist. True, . she isn't a wonder with the instrument, but adds tone to the ancient banquet scene near the close. Marie Parks is the player; for the rest of the show she Is 1 In the chorus. There is also a musical specialist on In the second act, when * Lillian Isabella Is on during a scene change with violin and mandolin. The latter she plays in a peculiar position, resting the Instrument on the back of her neck and therefore the strings are not visible to her. Her violin playing Isn't exceptional. She was wise In choos- ing a hit for the finish and with "Darda- nella" had no trouble In encoring. Johnnie Walker as the second comic did well with the chances given him, but the long "legit" thing in the second act was hardly good for any sort of score. Fred Nolan with several com- edy bits, Richard Clay, a very neat straight man, completed the cast of ten. Several times the choristers were allotted full tlghted costumes, and there is a front row that can stand that. Mr. Cooper may be ready to shoot a new show over for the "Sightseers" next season. If the present one is to remain, it should be supplied with' an entirely new eerond act. This show has been mentioned as the -eummer attraotlon at the Columbia, and if bo, changes will be accomplished for that run. lose. m ■ i ' '.•;" .- • 5 ■m ■ .-(1 Enthoven, well known Belgian chansonnier, died in a Paris hospital, Jan. 29, after a painful illness. BURLESQUE ENGAGEMENTS. Mabel Lee with Rose Sydell show. Coe and Nelson, Pat White show. Stella Ward, of "Roseland Girls," and California Trio for Cooper's sum- mer show at the Columbia. Ada Carter, of Vincent and Carter, joined Jean Bedini's "Peek-a-Boo" in Philadelphia.