Variety (March 1921)

6 VAUDEVILLE Friday, March 25, 1921 COMED SELLS-FLOTO IN CHICAGO APRIL 9 Added Attractions Signed for Only Four Weeks. ' •>•* #■ .» I ' »■ » » I »' i •>■'» »> A' J 1 S ■> ■ » ► A- fc i" Will TheMuggivan-Ballard podpl open the combined outfit t be known under the Sells-Kioto name at the Chicago Coliseum, April 9, probably for a three-week engage- ment. From there it Roes into St. Louts for another week. The new owners of the Sells - Floto property apparently propose to make a brass band beginning of the season and, after getting the publicity for the Chicago opening, reduce the outfit. Several New York agents have booked extra at- tractions with the show for four weeks, understood to be three in Chicago and one in St. Louis. After the St. Louis week it is the i urpose of the managers to break up the combined organisation into its units and send the three oi four outfits out on their own. It is esti- mated that the show in Chicago will represent material enough to make up an outfit of more than 125 cars, using the usual measurement ap- plied to tented attractions. SUMMER POLICY FOR TWO. BALTIMORE^CIRCUS TAX. Council Passes Ordinance—$150. First Day—$100 Daily Aft«r. FORUM Keith's Hamilton and Start May 16. Jefferson The Hamilton and Jefferson will adopt summer policies beginning the week of May 16. The Hamilton will play six acts and a feature picture on a split week basis, the Jefferson playing eight acts and pictures continu- ously for three shows a day, as now in force at the Broadway. Both are New York city week stands playing Keith big time vaudeville booked by Dan Sim- monds. The only theatre so far declared to clone from June to September Is the Colonial. Others remaining open include the Coliseum, Alhambra, Riverside, Palace and the new Ford- hanvexpected to give its Initial per- formance in May. Baltimore, i March 23. An ordinance increasing the lic- ense fees of big circuses from $50 to $150 for the first day and $100 for eneh «uoceeding day has passed the pity. Council, whore it was referred to Mayor Broening Monday' night. It also revises upward the fees charged theatres, entertainments, exhibitions on open lots and small circuses. Fees for theatres and entertain- ments are based on seating capac- ity with the present tax of $50 as the minimum. For exhibitions on open lots, with ganv'S of skill and other diversions the charge Is fixed at S5 per week. The ordinance seems to be aimed chiefly at the big circuses, the small fee of which has been a bone of contention for years. The fee on circuses has not been changed since 1879, when the exist- ing fees of $50 a day was fixed at a time when the circus was not such a popular amusement as it is now! Since the circus following has ad- vanced so rapidly in the past few years, the Mayor feels that it would be better to charge enough for the license to have it more in keeping with the amount of business done on their visits here. Following the lines of the old ordinance the new one does not limit the number of days a circus may remain in Baltimore. The largest circuses always have stayed here only two days, the city receiving this new tax effective before the annual spring visits of these large shows. The fee for a circus or feats of horsemanship "in a building per- manently erected,** as the new ord- inance puts it, is $10 for each per- formance. Licenses for tightrope walking, dancing, bird and animal shows are to cost $5 for each per- formance. New York, March 11, 1121. Editor Variety: In a recent Issue of your weekly you published an article stating that the Modern Yiddish Theatre Co. "had operated an independent Yiddish theatrical company in Philadelphia, headed by Jeanne -Valerie, oa-ctar of the German Stock Company and had lost $31,000." As this statement may lead to wrong conclusions, I beg leave to correct It. The fact is, that I was for the last two years and still am under contract to the Irving Place Theatre in New York, and have never been directly connected with any theatre in Philadelphia. In May-June, 1920. I played in Phila- delphia In a post-season series of performances under the manage- ment of Messrs, Wilner & Schwartx and supported by the company of the Irving Place Theatre, but as we played to crowded houses, this ven- ture cannot have been responsible for the failure of the Philadelphia theatre, to which your article refers. Jenny YaUiere. (last of dreamland sold. Fox and "Little Tim's" Widow Buy Coney Island Land—$407,750. GODOWSKY'S FLYER. Near Death on Texas Aeroplane Trip, but Escapes. KEITH'S AMSTERDAM, N. Y. OPTION. Vaudeville Interests Reported Head- my Option in Rialto. Schenectady, N. Y., March 23. An option has been secured by the Keith interests from Edward Klapp, owner of the Rialto in Amsterdam. Together with his mother he oper- ates the Rialto, vaudeville, Shuber,t- 1 looked; the Regent, pictures, and the Amsterdam, alternating legiL \nd burlesque. Whether the option covers all /hrce theatres could not be learned. It expires April 1. Keith vaudeville Is now at the Strand, Amsterdam, operated by Samuel Wood. NIRDLINGER ADDED WEEK. Putf on Two New Houses, Playing Five Acts Each ».-. Houston, March 2S. I^eopold Godowsky, famous pian- ist, visited Wilson Praser here for a few days and Sunday he started to go to Edgerley, Louisiana, to look over some oil property he is I interested in, flying there accom- panied by Mr. Fraser ir. another airship, intending to fly back from there to Palestine, Texas, and catch the Sunshine special In time to get in Chicago Monday night and play an engagement. On the return, near Beaumont, the airship that Godowsky was in, owing to engine trouble, had to land. Owmg to The roughness of the field they landed in, his pilot got out and tried to signal the other plane not to land, Godowsky evidently got his foot against the Control and kicked the throttle open. The plane ran sev- eral hundred yards, turned turtle, rammed Godowsky's head in the mud and saturated his clothes with gasoline. Aside from a bruise on the kr.ee he was unhurt and con- tinued the Journey to Longview, the nearest place to connect with the special just in time to miss it. Pittsburgh, March 20. Editor. Variety: At last I have had the pleasure of making the success Variety said I could do 15 years ago. I got my chance last week, and can assure my friends I made my best success of five years. When a man at 55 can say that and have all on the bill to prove it he must be a wonder. All the' acts, stage hands, ushers, and also the manager of the Harris (Pittsburgh) were present and helped me to win a good success. It's a pleasant date and you get a pleasant word at the Harris. I am in good health, happy to be home, and dancing as good at 55 as I did at 25. Mike Scott. (Wish for a kind word—that does it all.) A syndicate composed of the widow of -Little Tim" Sullivan, Eugene F. Wood and William Fox purchased the last parcel of Dream- land, Coney Island, at foreclosure sale this week, paying $407,750 for lAito -285-foot' frontage- along- Surf avenue. The rest of the property has been acquired by the city. The sale was ordered by the Ap- pellate Division at the instance of the holders of $750,000 first mort- gage bonds. The Sulllvan-Fox- Wood syndicate held $200,000 of the bonds as a minority and sought to prevent the sale. Gustavus 'A. Rogers argued their case before the Appellate Court and repeated a report that a plan was on foot for former-Senator William A. Reynolds to capture the prop- erty at a bid of $370,000. Reynolds was present at the sale in the Brooklyn Real Estate Exchange, but did not bid. It was the gossip that his representative carried the bid- ding up to $350,000. Samuel Gem- pertz of Coney Island participated in the bidding, but retired when the price reached $325,000. Offers began at $200,000 and went by $5,000 ad- vances to $380,000 where the jumps were by $1,000 and $500. The new owners are said to have no present plans for the property. PANTAGES BUYS LOWS PORTLAND HIPPODROME Ackerman & Harris to Build New Loew Home There. San Francisco, March 22. 'Purchase of the Portland Hippo* drome, the Ackerman-Harris-Loew theatre in that city, by Alexander Pant ages for a sum said to be $400,000, was announced here hist week. It is reported that $100,000 was paid down on the property and a $300,000 mortgage carried by the Pantages interests. The deal came as a surprise aa the Loew lease still has five years to run. It is thought, however, that the fact that arew building is to be put up in the northern city by Ackerman & Harris for Loew, led to the disposal of the property and holdings there. METROPOLIS SOLD. Frank V, Storrs Buys Bronx House from Henry Rosenberg Philadelphia, March 23. The Nixon-Nirdlinger office has added another week to its bookings, the additions being In Cumberland, Md., and Martlnsburgh, Va. Both houses are new, having been built by Washington, D. C, Interests, also in control of a number of picture houses. The new theatres will open Mon- day with vaudeville, each house playing five acts and a feature pic- ture, on a split week basis. It will give Niaon-Nlrdlingrr five full weeks. Frank Wolf, Sr., will have charge of the bookings. DAVENP0ETS NEW OFFICE Danny Davenport has opened a Chicago branch office in charge of Ed Keough. Davenport ar.d Mickey Curran, his associate, have added a bur- lesque department to their indepen- dent apreney. FOX'S ALBEMARLE OPENS. The opening of the Albemarle, the newest William Fox house, located in Flatbush. Brooklyn, drew a ca- pacity attendance March 17. The opening bill held five acts and a feature picture. The house plays five or six arts and a feature picture twice d;ily except Saturday, Sunday or holi- days, when the threc-a-day policy prevails. It is opposition to K» ith's Flat- bush in that Brooklyn n«ighborhood. International Producing Alliance Walter Percival returned from London last week, where he effected a vaudeville producing jf 11 lar.ee with Fred Duprez, for the presentation In England of Ameri- can, vaudeville acta, San Francisco, March 12. Editor Variety:—As you no doubt know, Alexander Pantages has a very terrible idea of letting acts out when they get to 'Frisco, Oak- land, or Los Angeles, and very few of the acts have the nerve to say they will quit and then stick to it, but since Walton and Brandt pulled that stunt over Pan's eyes, the acts have started to think and they have decided that what is good for the goose Is also good for the gander, and now they are going to quit when their contract is up, whether Pan likes it or not. We are one of those acts, and we are closing here this coming Sun- day night unknown to Pan. We are supposed to go Into San Diego with the show, but Instead we are jumping East. ■ If Mr, Pantages wanted to give us our notice he would have told us this coming Saturday night that we were through, and how sorry they are that we can't finish the circuit for them. We Intend giving him a dose of his own medicine by calling him up Monday and telling him how sorry we are that we can't finish his circuit for him, but other duties in the East are calling us in there, so we must go. It is about time acts got together on this thing, to try and make Pan- tages do as they want him to do, although we don't care to ever play his circuit again, as far as we are concerned, and the sooner the acts get wise to themselves and make him issue circuit contracts like the other Western circuits are doing the better it win be for the artists and their associates. That is all I have to say in regard to this at the present time, and my only wish is that everything will come out O. K. flpd Mr,fantagjes..gets taught a les- son, by acts leaving him flat, and then he will soon realize that acts do mean something to his circuit. Harry Stone. Frank V. Storrs has purchased from Henry Rosenberg the Metrop- olis on Third and Alexander ave- nues and 142d street, the Bronx. Possession will not pass until two years hence, when he will alter the interior, removing the stage and de- voting the place to an exclusive pic- ture policy. These changes will in- crease the seating capacity. Saul J. Baron acted as broker in the tran- saction. league is clean-cut and the one real method. ANTI-BLUE LAW LEAGUE OF AMERICA. F. C. DAILY, Secretary. "THE LIVING DEATHS The following was sent to various Loew house managers by J. H. Lubin. It was written by Terry Turner of the Loew publicity forces. The guy who sits And says "my show Is punk" And labels all new Ideas As common tiny junk Reminds me of a corpse They once forgot to "bunk"; It lay too long, and Consequently "stunk." The guy who wins Is the guy who grins; He gives and he takes Good and bad breaks. Loew once had nothing:; He failed at the start. But our Jobs and theatres Come of stout heart. He kept giving battle To grafters and "goofs," Who thought that all show business Grew back oi their "snoots." He started a circuit With shows that were bad, Andvnade money aplenty With acts that were "sad." i+ Chicago, March 18. Editor Variety: Will you please publish the fol- lowing in your next week's edition: Harry Walman, of Waiman and Berry, secured a divorce from Irene Berry in Chicago' on Thursday, 1121, on the grounds of The act will continue its Irene Berry. (Walman and Berry.) March 17, desertion. bookings. HARRY HOLBROOK Baritone with ONA MUNSON Co. at th<" BROADWAY This Week. A Voice of Unusual Quality and a Hit at Bvery Performance. Personal Representative, CLARENCE JACOBSON ■- Editor Variety: Unless we quickly round up an army of the voting population in the country, all Americans, we will be unable to overcome that fear the legislator has for the fanatical min- ority. The only way we can round up this tremendous force is by the aid of every agency interested in defeating "blue laws." Wo do not ask contributions or donations; will not accept them; employ no solic- itors and pay no commissions, so we are able to stand any Investiga- tion, but can only secure a big membership through the aid of tho interests in assisting to sign them up. We ask all theatrical publications to aid us in arousing the inter- We're getting the "gravy," We're getting the cream; Loew chewed the gristle And left us the lean. And when No. 1 opens And takes a bad flop, And No. I staggers And quietly stops. Your headliner weakens, It can't stand the gaff; Old four's bound to wake *em, Getting nfaybe a laugh. Dont' run to your office Disgusted and sick; Prance right back stage. Where your actors are licked. Be free with the glad hand. Give away all your smiles; Act like a father • With the actor—your child. Just cause they're flopping Is no sign they're bad. Mebbe that audience Is "pig bladder" mad. When acts know "you're with They'll work all the more. And come close to licking "Hard boils" through your So here's to the guy With a grin and a smile Who'll always be leading "Bull Grouch" by a mile. For he who says "rotten." Thinks all is so "punk," Will soon be a corpse Of the kind that did "stunk. 1 •* door. est of the interests, for we f<el our entertained. HELENE "SMILES" DAVIS. Despite not being costumed as above, Hcleno "Smiles" Davis was a whooping success, the sole enter- tainer, at the V. M. P. A.'dinner at Hotel Plaza, New York, March 22. "I Took It Up With Casey," by Edna May Fosti r, was greeted up- roariously. The applause and re- quests were so insistent Miss Davis was Compelled to encore with "Smiles." Probably it was duo to her long experience of singing to our boys "over thero" that the gen- I erals of the theatre- were so well Dedicated to that particular species of mankind in our theatra world who really "wrote" show bus- iness, but due to the worry of han- dling large sums of money prefer managing rather than owning • strmff of the-airc*.-- MICK WOULDN'T STAY. Memphis. March 23. W. E. Mick reached here a week' ago from the Palace, St. Paul, which he had managed, to take charge bt the new Pantages. Some misun- derstanding arose between Mick and General Manager Cluxton, of tht Pantages circuit, who is temporary lly in charge. As a result of tho clash. Mick re- turned to St. Paul threo days after- ward. BENTHAM ALL EIGHT M. S. Eentham, vaudeville af«jj| who broke his leg three months ago* and was forced to remain inactive returned to his desk Monday* Mr. Bent ham will have to USJ » cane for a week or two. but ha. otherwise regained his norma health.