Variety (February 1921)

=33= UNDISCOVERED 'TERRY" ACTS 1 two of the ferries arou v York permit musicians aboard on e_jh trip ns official orchestra- r the traveller* The ferries are those plying across the Hudson, from 1> ' man street to ood, a*. J the " ->rt trip off the other ^nd of Staten Island, across the river to Perth Amboy, N. J. Both of these water stretches In the line of auto travel are >e high- ways for many automobiles. Swarms of cars are marooned during the voyage acrost the river, whichever it may be. and their passengers must perfbrce listen to the "music." The musicians on the ferry boats run to accordeon players, though a violinist appears now and then. In years gone by the musical players were mosily old men and accord- ionists. Within the past two sea- sons younger men with more mod- ern tunes arc on the bjats. Whereas the old fellows, with their instru- ments thought "Annie Rooney" still popular, the younger newcomers are not over a year behind In their melodies. • About a season ago when "ac- cordeon acts" descended In flocks on the small time it was suspected the small-time agents had raided* the ferry boats for new acts, but as the boats continued the past summer to carry musicians Just the same, the Impression went abroad the vaude- ville agents who owned cars did not frequent these routes. Still the musical ferryboat combinations kept on playing the year-old numbers, passing the hat as religiously as the boat made its every trip, probably taking up the collection for the pur- pose of purchasing a corduroy pair of trousers, or in the hopes to savs enough to rent a tuxedo suit for ths first split week. On one of the boats In the after- noon of a hot day last summer a collector from the trio of musicians on the boat received a quarter in his hat. He immediately signalled his two companions who, thereupon, stopped playing. Asked why that had happened, the man replied, no one would give a quarter unless it was to have the mnslo stopped. This stamped the player, who handled a violin as a future "act In 'one/ " music and talk. The musicians probably pay for the "concession" of pouring out their music onto water that has no oil, and as the magnates who own the ferryboat lines never travel on them, they care little about the nerves of their customers, although if they did take a rid* now and then they would marvel at the ntive of the "musicians," Counnihan e\ Shannon will recon- struct the Plainfleld theatre, Plain- field, N. J., at a cost of $75,000. The house whon completed will sea*. 1,100 on the lower floor, xe bal- cony being designed to accommodate 100 and loges will seat 200 addi- tional. The house has been controlled by the firm since 1905. It has been playing road attractions, with burlesque one day weekly. Vaudeville may be the policy when the house is remodeled. The Palace, Bristol, R. I., Is play- ing three acts on a weekly split. The house formerly played pictures. Kitty, Ted and Rose Doner have been booked In one of the Moss Em- pires, London, next summer. MR. AND MRS. NELSON of San Francisco, Calif. MR. AND MRS. CHAIN of Salem, Ohio PRESENT THEIR SONS EDDIE DELL A N D THEY CAN'T BE ALL WRONG Picked by Chicago's four most eminent critics, ASHTON STEVENS, PERCY HAM- MOND, AMY LESUE and O. L. HALL, as the HIT of the Show. FANCHON AND MARCO IN "SATIRES OF 1920" A REVUE FROM THE GOLDEN GATE THEATRES Californians at the Olympic Present Their Musical Revue. By AMY LE8LIE. The Olympic was filled with pec pie who applauded and laughed. There are one or two people Flo. Zlegfeld might give the once over before he hires Haggin to unveil an- other picture as the only means of making the Follies come to town. Clever Young People Eddie Nelson, rather an unusual and unctuous young clown, would be a And for Flo. Nelson seems to be able to sing and dance and it blessed with as droll a countei.ance as George K Fos or Harry Hunter, Mr. Nelson has an Ingratiating per- sonality, too, and a wit quick enough for him to burlesque a mind reader in impromptu, and that Is a test. There is a balmy absence of story or modern humor or acting except by the youthful Mr. Nelson, clever and not at all unaware of his talents. By PERCY HAMMONO. The hit of the show are a vaude- ville duo called Nelscn and Chain, bully humorists and Imrlesquera, who manage to make a lot of fua without once Insulting their audi- ence. Their mind-reading travesty la a masterpiece of its kind. By ASHTON STEVENS. But although Fanchon and Marco work oftener and harder in their revue than Mr. White doea in his, yet they, like htm, are not their own real stars. A couple of vaudeville boys, Nelson and Chain, who talked knowingly, appeared to be the prin- cipal entertainers last night. They are youths of lusty voice and mag- netism, just the lads for that arc hale specialty known as the medley parody, and when one of them went among the aisle seats and the other gave him the Christian names of those seated. It was perhaps the funniest thing In She line of second sight • \ Special Material by GUS KAHN and BOB HARDY FANCHON and MARCO'S "SATIRES* Virginia Pearson Is announcing • In a curtain speech the sketch "The j Second Chance," In which she Is supported by tier husband, Sheldon Lewis, was written by him. The program gives Sam Tauber credit. OLYMPIC THEATRE, CHICAGO—INDEFINITELY "The Money Spider," the first playlet by the novelist, E. Fhllllps Oppenhelm to be shown here, was shown in the try-out houses this week. The turn is one of a reper- tory brought here by the English actress, Evelyn Beresford, who is appearing in It. The Oppenhelm sketch' 1* dramatic. Thcr* are Wo male players In support Circus people have received the '"tip" the Barnum-Balley-Ringllng circus will open at the Garden on the regular nehedule of late In the last week of March 24 or 25. Felix Adler and Francis Rose are to play one week for the Boew Cir- cuit btfore sailing for Europe. The comedian will probably draw the American and Metropolitan nr-xt week. Blackstone, the magician, lias gone under the management of Augustus Titou, INSIDE STUFF ON PICTURES (Continued from page 20.) over a foundation of satin. One side of the skirt had tlay flowers trailing from the waist to the hem, where popples and form formed a deep border. jut.ctlon with Wallingrod and Stockwell, it was offered In New York ! . about a decade later. The dip-back into the play's pedigree links, up again the first associa- tion of David Warfield and Belasco, the former being then an usher of the Belasco Alcazar. Wltift vho > fH H hi gh spot Broadway controlled by on* or ano»±>cr of the big picture producing corporations, the independents, determined to have a spot to show their wares, are again pooling Interests and seeking the promotion of a Main street drag to show, their wares. The advent this week at the Strand of Sessue Hayakawa, »n the new old one, "The First Born," marks a step toward the goal the independents covet. Overtures of one sort and another have been made to theatrical men who hold control of Main stem theatres given to regular theatrical shows, bonuses, advance rent and percentages on sales throughout the country of films being included in the bait being offered for a Broadway opening spot. * The Palais Itoyal folk were approached with the proposed alteration of the building for film use. So far, the plans are hopes only. The hectic straits to which film play promoters are being driven In illustrated anew in the resurrected Frances Towers "First Born," used by the Japanese star for his Broadway re-entry, his first appearance on the street since 1018. Originally produced at the old San Francisco Alcazar in the late 8t)*s, when the house was being run by David Belasco, in con- The injunction proceedings brought by John Underbill, translator of "The Passion Flower," in which he seeks to restrain Richard Herndon and Joseph Schenck from releasing the feature film of that play, brings forth the elatrn that as the translator, ho has an Interest in att forms of the play as presented In English. Underbill's claim was made de- spite that Herndon secured the world picture rights after Underbill had declared he could not secure them. Herndon produced the play In English last season. Underhlll was then commissioned by tho producer to secure the picture rights from -Benaveiite, tho Spanish playwright. Herndon gave Underhlll s chpek as advance payment on the screen rights. It was discovered that Bena- vente had sold the film rights to a 1'arisian agency, Herndon succeeding in ouying out the Paris agency's film rights. Trior to that Underhlll had returned the check, which had been certified and which he had in hlfl possession for six months. The feature film was then made by Schenck with Norma Taltnadge starred. The picture was Completed about four months ago and is due for release soon, unless the Un«h rJiill proceedings prevent. Elijah W. Zoline is defending the action for Herndon. Newman SHW* ga3 represents Underhlll.