Variety (February 1921)

p- . i ■V - • Friday, February 4, 1921 VARIETY'S SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE an Jf rancfeco LOEWS PORTLAND HOUSE. c- m Harris Announces Oregon Deal for $750,000 Theatre. San Francisco. Feb. t. Announcement was- made last week by Sam Harris, of the Acker- man-Harris circuit, that a theatre larger than any now in Portland would soon be constructed in that city fof the Ackerman-Harrls-Loew syndicate. It will be used as a vaudeville and picture house. The proposed theatre will cover a site of approximately 100 x 200 feet. The location will not be announced until a final real estate deal now pending is made. The cost will ex- ceed $750,000, according to plans. Harris declared that this house would be the home of the "two-a- day-Loow vaudeville" when the time comes. PINCUS ENGAGED. San Francisco. Fib 2. Charles Morris IMncus, house manager of the Califoi nia, and Viola Jaeoby, popular in this city's younger society circle, announced their engagement at a pretty d Inner at the St. Francis Hotel lust week. No date has yet been set for the wedding. , The bride-elect is the nieee of Mrs. J. Mey»rs. PinQUl is a nephew of Ralph Pincus, manager of the Columbia and president of the Wig- wam theatre. Sol Pincus, assistant manager of the Imperial, is also an uncle. LOEWS, OAKLAND, SPLIT. Fan Francisco, Feb. 2. During the latter par* of this month Loew's State, Oakland, will install a split-week policy, using road fthOWl intaet, with a picture. Since the opening of the house several months ago only three acts have been used. Because of the big business and the fact that there la only one other vaudeville house in Oakland the Ackerman-Harris of- fices decided on the change. Morrison's Divorce Action. San Francisco, Feb. 2. Albert J. Morrison, local artist, last week filed suit for divorce from Alva M. Morrison on the grounds ef ajleged desertion. The couple were married in Au- rora, 111., in 1913, and have been separated since 1917, according to the complaint. Mrs. Gladys Boden Receives Divorce San Francisco, Feb. 2. Giving testimony that her hus- band disappeared while she was fill- ing a concert engagement in San Diego, Mrs. Gladys Boden, singer, was granted a divorce from William J. Boden, non-professional, last week. PRINCESS, 'FRISCO San Francisco, Jan. 28. Bert Levey's. Princess, in the Fill- more district, is enjoying one of the finest business seasons, the house playing to capacity crowds at both shows nightly. With prices at 25c- 30c, each of the 1,750 seats is usually occupied long before the time for the second night performance. The program consists of a feature pic- ture, a comedy, pictorial news and four vaudeville acts. StarT and kinder, a mired team, in ' one" have pleasing popular •ong« and piano numbers. They opened the vaudeville carrying good applause, The comedy of this end waa supplied by Berry and Bell, two men, one straight and the other a rube. They brought plenty of laughs with a nifty layout of gags. although a few have been heard here before. The straight possesses a good voice, and, with the assist- '"''• of the rube, puts over a har- monious song. The Wilsons, mixed team, closed fhe vaudeville with a weight-1 ift- ng and jaw-swinging net, using 1 !I stage, and carried away the hit 1,,n ■" with some fine' strength mal« .t.s r.".!;^a»*m-.-< *o : it< Ntsruing work, using his partner rr the w.-ight. Th<> girl is at- 'tive and well groomed for her : 'i- The :iet carries some heauti- 1,11 settings which, with the Roman's elaborate wardrobe, gives ■' ' ; " and hlgh*dass impression. 'i ' With a Violin that he pla \ R n ' getting- good applause In re- \ »»'». eomph tes the vaudeville* '"' !| ' I'r.'c • of Redennpl ion" headed , '" picture »> erings. An entertain* 1 '"•. dy Mini a snug pile; of ) ' ' ' 1*1 '»' b> Sig Itlosley were well i •I ro i- now bouk, n | < .ileii." •Vn FRISCO'S TOUR B HOUSE Ackerssan & Harris Take Lyris for Loew Circuit. San Francisco, Feb. I. The Lyric, in the Fillmore dis- trict, has been taken over by Acker- man & Harris for Loew and will soon Install a split-week policy of Tour B shows, booked from the San Francisco office. The only other vaudeville house in the Fillmore district is the Prin- cess, owned and operated by Bert Levey. The Lyric lias been showing pic- tures only for the past three years. * FRISCO NOTES. San Francisco. Feb. 2. Charlotte Dawn, from picture*. Opened ;.t Marquard's cafe last Sun- day night. Howaid Ilormr has replaced Miss McCabe hh press agent for Loew's state. Oakland. Sam Willeford. former naval offi- cer, Is the new assistant manager at the Oakland 1'antages. M. Anthony Linden, Hrst Mute with the San Francisco Symphony Or*- chesfra. is the new leader of Ye Liberty's orchestra, replacing Paul Ash. who is at Loew's State. Oak- land. Mrs. Kmmy Linden, his wife, is playing the piano. PANTAGES, FRISCO, San Francisco, Feb. 1. Pantages this week has am excel- lent bill, with singing numbers the rule. The Imperial Quintet easily carries off the honors, with excep- tional singing In Italian of operatic bits and popular folk songs. All the singers are possessed of good voices. Rowland and Meehan, next to closing, Hcored favorably with their comedy talk and Irish songs, both showing good voices, No-Moe Japs, two men and a woman, held the closlvtg spot with pleasing Japanese athletics, the demonstrations of the girl being especially good. Billy Chase and Charlotte La Tour, in "Pink Stockings." have striking personalities and good ma- terial, the result being that they draw laughter and applause with their humorous chatter id songs. Dorothy Lewis received excellent applause in return for her well de- livered songs. The show is opened by the Girls of Altitude, who reveal ui.usually ;•.....i aerial acrobatics and some surprising weight swinging feats with their teeth. 17 PANTAGES THEATRE BUILDING OBITUARY HUGH NIXON-FRANK RI3DALE. Hugh Nixon, 62, and Frank ltis- dale. 60, died in Bellevue Jan. 21, within an hour of each other, and were burled together Jan. 30 under auspices of the Actors' Fund. Nixon, a native of New York, had been on the stage 44 years, among the later productions in which he William Rose, former treasurer of the Victory theatre. San .lose, is now a member of the San Francisco Or- pheum's box-office staff. Blake Rice of the Oakland Orpheum in also connected with the local-box office. Joe Meyer, song writer, leaven for the Usst soon, where he will write songs for musical comedy. Arthur Freed will accompany him. The Orpheum, 'Prftaco, review In Variety Jan. 7 had Kenton and Fields mentioned as No. 2 on the bill. They were next to closing the show Instead. Wire transmission probably caused the error. Two-year-old Marian, daughter of James P. Conlin and Myrtle Glass] on the current bill at the Oakland Orpheum, was under the surgeon's knife last week for a growth in her throat. Members of the San Francisco Bohemian Club attended the Or- pheum Jan. 26 evening to hear George MacFaulane sing. Mac Far- lane is an active member of the Bohemians. Nina Gilbert has been added to the Alcazar's stock. Tessle Darling, who replaced one of the girls in the Lightner Sisters and Newton Alexander act at the Orpheum two weeks ago when the girl sustained an injury, is now filling In for frene Smith, another of the girls who is ill. Harry Marquard, wealthy cafe owner, sentenced to six months for violating the prohibition laws, is serving at the Ingleside county jail as a farmer. He Is caring for a little patch of ground. William Kelly, 24. a laborer, one of the 75 victims of the collapse of the temporary wooden walk built over the excavation in front of the new Loew theatre site, which oc- curred last New Year's morning, succumbed to his injuries last week. He is the first fatality from the accident. Lawrence Richards, formerly with "Havana Bound," has replaced Jamea Brennan with Georgs W. Stanley. ORPHEUM, FRISCO. San Francisco, Feb. 2. The Orpheum bill this week is ex- ceptionally tine and equally bal- anced. William Seabury and Co., In "Frivollca," scored tremendously. Honors to little Beth Cannon. Joe Uiehman, at the piano, drew strong applause for himself. Simior Frisco, nexl to closing, another hit with his fne xylophone Work. Beatrice Morgan ind CO., In '*Moor<Hghl ?>ia:ia-'f-W :'t.j"^. well received. The aci seems to lu< ^ punch, although if. is suggj tive of "Midsummer afndnet s." Bobby Randall, romedy hit <>f the bill, with his nut conif.'dj conver- sation about army 1 re, Convoy and Howard, bubbling over with personality, supplied the bill With mu< h fun. iv Flrenh n n nd Brot I opened well with som • v i der woiic, tin- nun's p rfor.mnnec stn'ullng out. Tin- I >. Girls h lovers, repeat <i pit md Cireus hi 'd wi IJ in 11 ■ • • ii i ,. man" i>. ■ mi.! HIP, FRISCO. San Francisco. Feb. 2. The Tiippodrome continues to play to capacity, the current bill. better than the usual calibre at this house. A change was made in it. Dance Originalities, Wander and' Srals and the Ethel Levey Trio being transferred to the Casino. Edwin Redding and Co. present nitty country store skit with some tine lines. They close to substan- tial applause. Newport and Stirk bring laTughs galore with their nut work and close to a great hand for their routine of clever drunk falls. Pitser and Deyo, a country rube and a bretty girl, have good comedy material with songs and da nets interpolated. They are good for laughs throughout. "The Bower of Harmony," six musicians, receive well merited ap- plause Jor their playing on various instruments in the closing spot. The Sterling Rose Trio, two men and a woman, open with spectacular trapeze work. The woman does a pleasing novelty dance, playing a mandolin as she dances. "The Lure of Youth" was the film offering. IN I O V I N (i M K >l O It V Of Our Dear Sister EVELYN KELLER Who departed this life February '<. JIM & BETTY MORGAN appeared being "Get Rich Quick Walllngford" and "Life." Rlsdale was horn in Australia, and for many years was in musical com- edy, lie was with the (lallo Opera Co. durins the season of 1919-20. WILLIAM AYRE8. William Ay res. for more than 20 years a staice Carpenter for A. L Erlanger. died Jan. 28 at Miss Als- ton's private hospital in New York, following an operation for cancer of the stomach. lie was CO years old and Is survived by his wife and son Ayres for l"i years was carpenter for "Ren Hur" productions, and at the time of his death was attached to the George M. Cohan theatre. LOEW'S CASINO. San Francisco, Feb. 2. Comedy took the lead at the Casino with the rising of the curtain and continued for two and a half hours. Outside of an old Sunshine picture, which appeared rather fami- liar to the audience, the bill was a good one, and although a bit of drama would have lifted in nicely to offset the comedy, it proved pleas- ingly entertaining. Jean McCoy and Ralph Walton, billed as "A Few Mcments With Ouija," succeeded in stopping the show, a feat in itself at the Casino, with a nifty routine of gaga and some low comedy that waa well worth the hand. The girl is at- tractive and a good soft shoe dancer, besides being well fitted for her part as a "scrapping wife," With her partner she brought continual laughter and easily carried away the hit of the vaudeville section. Alvin and Kenny, two men on the trapeze, one straight and the other suggesting Joe Jackson, in the open- ing spot, had some clever and dar- ing stunts when not supplying laughs with comedy work, and closed to substantial applause. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hill and Company, with William De Mille's "Boor Old Jim," a home skit with tha drunk's spirit coming back to life, registered well, getting some fine laughs. Joe Brennan as the "Irish Yankee" had many gaga, some new, some raw and some old, but th-»y brought plenty of laugba, He could easily do away with the one about sitting on the Kaiser's picture, which is old. He closed to a good hand that warranted a song. Little Alma Astor singing "It's All Over Now" scored the week's hit in the Will Kin*? show, which came in the usual position. Her voice waa phasing to the extent of three cur- tains. Madia du Frasne also re- ceived solid approval for a Chinese toe dance that was fine. King and Lew Dunbar supplied material that called for lauglis a.« •':•<' musicians;- althoughv Will Hays, as Hamlet, was the hit. This is a in w character portrayal for Hays. i • o n s 1 h>s spot, with of v. e'l ic i M •••! v i o pt Going Ahead on Moss* New Grsnt. 11. S. "Moss will renew construe - Hon work on the Grant theatre Feb. l.*». The Grant Is to be located cor- ner of Tremont and Webster ave- nrie, the foundatl. .« having been laid for several months. The hou e is to seat 3,000 and will play p<»p vaudeville poi. >« h doled to open ahout Ja.n. I, LIZZIE GOODE. Lizzie Goode, mother of TCda Bolhner and an actress well known on the legitimate and vaudeville stages, died .Ian. 27 in the Lenox Hill Hospital. New York, and was buried Feb. 1, under the auspices of the Actors' Fund. Her Inst op- pearance was in "The Bat." She was the divorced wife of George Bothner. a piano manufacturer, who is a cousin of the npfed wrestler. C. J. COLEMAN C. J. Coleman, manager of Loew's Victory, Bronx. Newark, died Sun- day night while seated at his desk in the office. The cause was high blood pressure. 'Mr. Coleman had been manager at the Victory for about two years, having been with it before the house was taken over by Loew. He leaves a wife and four children. MRS. ANGELINA A. ANDERSON Mrs. Angelina A. Anderson age 66. widow of John Henry Anderson. Jr.. died Jan. I at Philadelphia. Her late husband was the son of the IN MEMORY OK EVELYN KELLER Who DIS4 February 2d. 1920. MAT HEK SOUr, REST IN PEACE MB. Sad MRS. HOBIIY O'NKII.I. Wizard of the North. Mr. Anderson. Jr., performed old time illusions, featuring the suspension (levita- tlon) and his wife was a capable assistant. Roy B. McNichols, the flvo-year- old son of Roy and Mildred linker McNichols, died Jan. 31 at the Mer- chants' Hotel, Johnstown, l'a., after an illness of three days. Mrs. McNichols is professionally IN Ml MOKY OF MY DEAR WIFE MRS. FRANK HUNTER (FLORENCE DAVENPORT) WHO DIBJD FEIHUTART M, lilt FRANK HUNTER Mildred Barker (Smith and Barker) and Waa appearing in the turn at the Majestic, Johnstown, at the time of her son's death. The father of Mike Levy, agent, died In Memphis, Tenn., Jan. L'H. Th" decease^, was O'i yuars oi<L Frank Riley, blackface comedian and former member of Rfley and Hughes, died at his home in St. Louis, Jan. IX. The team had tra- velled with the principal minstrel organizations and had played all the vaudeville circuits. Hallye M. Whstley, described as an American actreaiSi died in Paris Dec. 25. Julia Tobin, mother of Rstelle Tobln Southe (Southe and Tobin) 'and James Tobla; formerly with the Novelty Minstrels, died at her home in Brooklyn Jan. '27 of pneumonia. SPORTS (Continued from page 1.) Willard secretary, and offer him location in Fort Edward. The dismissal of the indictment by Judge Mclntyre in Genera) Ses- sions Court last week against Louis Kronber. indicted for alleged "marked" card reading In stud poker, fnded what has created much talk in theatricals and among card players. The court said that as it had not been proven Kronberg in- .reduced the marked deck into the games he could not be held. The stud poker game in which Joe Sehenok and several picture people, also Irving Berlin fwho was ie- ported to have won $150,000 in it) ployed, had a table stake limit, with a stack of checks costing $1,000. The game first started around the Times square hotels, then went into the apartment homes of the players The accusation against Kronberg was made in the Sehenok home af- ter, it is said, thoy had framed for him. Norma Talmadge (Mrs. Schenek) was reported to have dis- covered some one was cheatlner in the game and informed her husband In nn interview Inst werk Miss Tl- madge verified that. Kronberg has been known as "Last Card Louie," with "last card" meaning In the gambling parlance a case reader—one who con and docs keep track of all cards played, with ability to read the last cards his opponent may hold In his hand Case rending may be done In whist, casino, pinochle, rjium and other pomes where all cards are gone through before the gnme'Ms finished. Kronberg is said to have won $20,000 in one summer at pinochle at Far Rockaway. "L. L, which in the summer boasts of some of the best pinochle players In the country, many ■>( them unconscious "ease readers." "Case reading" at cnrla is not cheating, ft requires concen- tration ely and practice. An ex- tremely good general card player must be able to know the Ia*t cards out npainst him. Using "marked cards" in a friendly game of poker is recognised as the most despicab'e form of cheating that exists In gambling. Fdward A. Mahar, formerly sport- ing editor of the Argus, Albany. N. Y., which was bought by the Knic- kerbocker Press, has succeeded Dan Carroll as sporting editor of the Times-Union, the latter returning to his old place as head of the tele- graph desk of former Governor (Ilynns paper. Directors of the Pacific Coast League last week adopted a 20- wcek season schedule to open April 5. Last year the season lasted 28 weeks. Bob Martin, heavwelght champion of the A. B. F., knocked out Martin Furke Monday night at New Or- leans in five rounds. Rlngsldera thought so well of Martin on the showing they Immediately pro- claimed him a contender against Dempsey. After the hill providing a penalty for bribery or attempted bribery of a baseball player was read m tin- Senate last Monday night, atv»ih-r bill came up amending the law In relation "to the skilling of skunlt*." Why ;>ot comlone (he tWO bill "" inquired Senator James J '.'• innocently, and everybody roared. Then a bill was read concerning "ferrets" and the youthful "Senator from New York remarked, All ,>n added starter." inn A. C. BLUMENTHAL & CO., Inc. REALTY BROKERS SPECIALISTS IN THEATRICAL FINANCING. I EASING AND CONSTRUCTION IN THE WEST. 58 SUTTER STREET SAN FRANCISCO WBN H. FLAGG STUDIOS