Variety (May 1921)

VAUDEVILLE l2y % May C, 18£1 ac*; MAY 1 UPSTATE BRINGS GRAVEST INDUSTRIAL CRISIS IN 25 YEARS Thousands Added to Previous Long List of Unem- " ployed—Paper Workers-Refuse 30 Per Cent Cut —Strike Called "Outlaw"—Bright Spots. 22 KIDS FRONTCANAL ZONE Importation of Youthful Swimmers for Madison Square Garden Troy, May 4. May 1 Ushored in a series of Strikes and walk outs, precipitating the gravest industrial crisis tills section has faced In 25 years. Thousands were added to the pre* vlous long list of unemployed. Twenty-five hundred paper work- era in Glens Falls, Fort Edward and other points in Northern New York, went on a strike, refusing to accept a 30 per cent, cut in wages. At the last minute a few of the smaller companies gave in, but the larger ones, headed by the International Paper Co., remained adamant. . A walkout will take place in a num- ber of additional mills on May 11, unless a new agreement is effected. No papers were printed in Glens Falls Monday and Tuesday, some of the men going on a strike for shorter hours and increased wages. Officials of the international union have been asked to order them back to work. It is claimed that the strike is an "outlaw" one. The tieup In the printing industry ia general throughout Fulton county. Between three and five hundred of the building trades in Troy and Cohoes refused to take a 25 per cent, reduction in wages and did not re- port for work Monday. Union offi- cials, however, claim that a num- ber of- their members have nego- tiated agreements with their em- ployers and are not out. The forces at the various railroad hhops are practically depleted, a number being laid off last week. A few bright spots shone through the darkness. Nine hundred men were taken back at the Bolton Iron Works in this city and the place will run on full time while the or- ders last. Machinists in the Ludlm.i Steel Co. accepted a small reduction In wages and were held on. The threatened strike of the molders did not take place, a com- promise being effected. Masons and bricklayers iu Mechanicsville voluntarily offered to reduce their rate of pay to a dollar an hour. SHUBERTS OPENING AGCY. Reported Hugh Frmyn% Selected to Take Charge The Shuberts who are reported as disposing of their theatre holdings to devote their entire time to the booking of attractions are contem- plating opening an agency for players in the dramatic and musi- cal comedy field. Hugh Frayne (not the labor man), who for several years has been as- sociated with the agency business, is reported as having been selected as the Shubert agency manager. J. J. Shubert is reported as being in favor of the immediate estab- lisment of the agency, with Lee prefering to remain inactive in the Meld until the fall. PHILA. JACK COMPLAINS English Jack O'Brien Ordered to Change Billing Englixh Jack O'Brien, the mono- logist, who has been playing the va- rious vaudeville circuits for several seasons, has been ordered by the V. M. P. A. to change his name or drop any billing that would confuse him with Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, the ex-pugilist of note several years ago. Philadelphia Jack comp'ained the the Jack O'Brien in vaudeville was embarrassing him by creating. the impression he was the original Philadelphia Jack. The latter is now conducting a gymnasium at Madison Suare Garden and has re- tired from active ring work. The grotto intended for Madison Square Garden this summer will have as Its opening feature twenty- two children from the Panama Canal Zone, sent north under spe- cial permission from the Panama administration. The children range from five to twelve years of age* wfth' brie bt 'the boys sixteen, holding the world's record for long distance swimming under water, 343 feet, starting from a high dive. Tho children come to New York under the direction of Harry Weber, who saw the advantage of exploit- ing, them as an attraction when re- cently spending a vacation in that Country. All of the children are of parents employed by the Panama government. They will be at the Garden for four weeks, with Tex Rickard reported to have deposited $20,000 for the month's engage- ment. MOUNTFORD'S MEETING FOR APPLICATIONS Several Speakers at Bijou Theatre—Well Attended JACOT'S HOTEL CLOSES Boston, May 4. Jacot's Hotel, located in Boylston street, which, for over 40 years, had been patronized almost exclu- sively by members of the theatrical profession, closed Saturdav and will not be reopened. Paul Jacot and Madame Jacot. owners of the hos- telry," declare they are going'to rest for the balance of their days. N. V. A/S C0RRES. SCHOOL The National Vaudeville Artists I are conducting a straw voting test to see whether the organization will institute an educational and busi- ness correspondence course. If the course is instituted it will be free to N. V. A, members. The following studies are to be included: English agriculture, illus- trating, advertising, Spanish, French, Italian, mathematics, chem- istry, public speaking, stenography, journalism, civil engineering, sales- manship. Should the vote be favor- able, the course will be Instituted at once. The above list of sub- jects will be greatly augmented, if tho course becomes effective. 3LACKFACE EDDIE ROSS • PENNA. TAX BILL (Continued from page 3.) been already approved by Governor William C. Sproul. The biggest victory of the oppo- sition to the series of theatrical measures was that gained in pre- venting the theatrical tax bill and the billboard tax bill from passing. The Governor had made up his mind that these tax measures would go through. In his message, read personally to the Legislature last January, when the 1921 Legislature convened, ho suggested the need for such tax measures along with other revenue producing bills designed to bring in $20,000,000 a year. The theatrical tax bill provided for a one per cent, tax on the daily gross receipts of all amusements in Pennsylvania- Numerous hear- ings were held on this measure as well as on the billboard tax bill. The Governor believed that the pro- posal of a tax of five per cent, on the gross receipts of the billboard companies was an error and within a few days of the adjournment of the legislature he had an amendment prepared providing that this tax should be five cents a square foot. Both bills passed the House but died in Senate committees. The Governor has approved the bill that makes it mandatory to display the American flag at all places of amusement or public gatherings, other than churches. Under the provisions of this act no street meeting or gathering in a tent, hall or auditorium can be held unless the flag is displayed. And the flags that must be used must not be less than 52 inches wide and 66 inches long. Owners and lessees of halls and auditoriums are held responsible for the enforcement of the new law as are those responsible for open air meetings. From $35,000 to $85,000. The Governor now has in his hands the only other bill of interest to tho theatrical or moving picture companies. This is the bill of Sena tor McConnell, increasing from $35,- 000 to $80,000 a year the payroll of the motion picture censors and their employes. A similar bill was de- feated in the House early in April, after having -passed the Senate. It was redrafted with but slight changes and introduced a second time in the Senate. After passing the upper house the bill came up for final action during the closing hours of the House, Everything was then in confusion. The vote, to which few members paid any attention, was announced as being 123 to 21, but as a matter of fact the bill was counted through by clerks as were other bills in which, because of the closing hours, there was little interest manifest by the legislators. This bill could be vetoed by the Governor on the constitutional "grounds ' Iliai A bill once deft* icl cannot be passed a second time and approved, but there is little likeli- hood of this being done, for the ad- ministration of Governor Sproul is to increase the size and expenses of all departments of the State govern- ment. Two years ago the items in the general appropriation bill approved by the Governor for the motion pic- ture censors amounted to $133,600. The general appropriation bill this year carries $174,520 for the cen- sors, that amount covering increased salaries and all other expenses. All other bills relating to the theatres and other places of amuse- ment died in committees. The.se bills were those placing a tax of ope cent a foot on all Alms ex- The orchestra floor of the Bijou theatre, -seating 607, was nearly filled Thu.rs.flaw night /JLJJMA week for the meeting of the American Artists' Federation, opening around mid- night. Harry Mountford was the principal speaker. Others were Wilton Lackaye, Echlin Gayer, James P. Holland, Hugh Frayne and William Fitzpatrlck. Fitzpatrick is president of the A. A. F., and Mountford its secretary. The gathering was called a "Mountford meeting" through the impression it had been promoted by him. Nothing new nor important was developed. The announcement that John Emerson, president of Equity, would not be there seemed to dis- appoint a large number. To those present who recalled the old White Rats meetings, the Bijou proceedings seemed quite similar. Speeches were made along the same strains and even some of the old "points" again dragged out. Mountford closed the show. At the end he told those in front if con- vinced they should fill out member- ship applications for the A. A. F. when passing out. The Shuberts had donated the Bijou. Mountford eulogized the Shubert vaudeville circuit to come. Arthur Klein, connected with the Shuberts vaudeville, was back stage. Messrs. Holland and Frayne are union labor executives. Mr. Gayer is of the Equity's staff. From the remarks of Fitzpatrick and Mountford the object of the meeting appeared, to be a drive for membership in the A. A. F. JACK LA IT COMING EAST Crosses His Love for Chicago and Will Locate on Hated Broadway Chicago Is losing one of its best known people and pluggers in Jack Lait, who is coming to New York, the city of his birth, to make it his home in the future. In the last few years he has insisted he hated the big town and especially Broadway, but Lait came on so often he was .regarded ass. cornsouter ... mt ... ^ . It required soifte extraordinary Inducement to entice the famous Lait from his loving lair. He prob- ably knows more people in Chicago than any other person of that town. As he walks along the streets the asphalt waves to him and Mr. Lait will find the pavements of New Fork as friendly—in the hot weather. . > Lait's life to date reads like an Horatio Alger boy story. Born on Henry street on the East Side in New York, he migrated early when his family moved to Chicago. He has filled every position en a news- paper and is conceded to be one of the best newspaper men of this country. In removing to New York Mr. Lait will not separate from his newspaper conn«M»tions and will re- main on Variety's staff, making his headquarters at Variety's New York office. For some years now Mr. Lait has been in charge of Variety's Chicago office, which be joined through his fondness for theatricals, a fondness that has ever been with him. His of the paper's chief features since he joined it. Lait has never missed a chance to tell what he thought of New York in comparison with Chicago, with New York always on the dirty end. 2 ACTS BOOKED FOR 2 YEARS Joe Cook and Alexander Bros, and Evelyn have been booked jointly for two years in the Keith houses. The two acts will jointly receive $1,000 weekly. In addition to appearing in his own act, Cook will appear in the Alexander Bros, and Evelyn turn. The two acts have been routed on the same bills for several weeks past, with Cook doing comedy in tho Alexander turn. Piantodosi and Walton Dissolve. Al Piantodosi and Bert Walton dissolved last week, after having been teamed for a year and a half. Piantodosi is to do a vaudeville act with two assistants, and Walton will continue in vaudeville as a sin- gle. Kitty Gordon Not Sailing Kitty Gordon, reported as sailing for London early this summer, has called off the voyage, at least until August 1, the Gordon act having been booked in the east over hero up to the date mentioned. NEWS OF THE MEN A few publishers aro being ac- cused of voluntarily cutting the full royalty claims due them by law for the privilege of inducing tho roll and record people to list their stuff with the bona tide hits, figuring a demand for the sheet music will be created in this manner and balance the percentage loss on the mechan- ical statements. One of the big mu- sic roll companies has also been ap- proached by certain boll-weevil mu- sic publishers to record their song gratis. Tho offer was rejected. It is said that by secret arrange- ment one or two of the companies have been recording rolls of infe- rior songs at a cut in royalty under the usual 10 or 12 cents, as the case may be, as low as eight and nine cents. Record companies also are not averse to putting on a song on the back of hit for the privilege of paying only one and one and a half cents royalty instead of the full two cents. One of the aggrieved music men righteously complains, "Any wonder the music business is being killed off?" • That the "mechanical" sales have made no inroads on the sheet music sales, and might otherwise be held accountable for the present s'_mp. is evidenced by the fact that the public is not buying even rolls and records to any great extent. In quantity these are selling less now than during the winter months, and wirat is more,•-prices- fm- them-fcswt been cut. The Columbia record, formerly $1 retail, sells once again at 85 cents. The word rolls also also have been cut from $1.25 to $1 each. Yet despite these seeming in- ducements, people are not buying music in any form whatsoever to (Continued on Page 33) Duplicating his late Palace and Alhambra Succes ••<•* it KEITHS Mst STKKKT, NEW VOIIK, THIS WSsW ■ MAI 2) seats in a place of amusement; pro- hibiting the sale of tickets to seats from which a clear and uninter- rupted view of the stage was im- possible; prohibiting deductions for commissions from actors' salaries for corporations and companies out- side Pennsylvania; prohibiting the showing of tllms in places other than those specified in the lease; pro- hibiting the leasing of films EQUITY DRIVE (Continued from page 1) Sherman refused. The Equity play- ers withdrew and he got an organ- ization entirely non-Equity. Despite the generally published policy of the A. E. A. not to inter- fere with companies containing no Equities, Sherman was at once threatened by the Equity office here that an opposition all-Equity com- pany would be framed to play against him everywhere and that the entire A. E. A. fund would go behind this company, no matter how much money was lost. A tent was ordered and a call was issued for players. Sherman proceeded with re- hearsals. Thereupon a demand was made on the Federation of Labor to pull out Sherman's stage crew. So far this has not been successful. Notice was also served on the agency which supplied Sherman's non-Equity players that henceforth r.o Equity member would be al- lowed to book from his olHce. The system employed by the local Equity offices as against dram- atic agents at present is not only making of these agents solicitors for membership, but collection agencies of Equity dues. The Equity is attempting to enforce a provision that the agencies must demand" a paid-up Eqtilfy card from each player before signing him. A duplicate of each contract must be sent to Equity head- quarters. Disobedience of these regulations causes a bulletin for- bidding Equity members to use the agent, the black-list in such in- stances being posted with no at- tempt at secrecy. In numerous instances lhes« agents have been compelled to either lend money to Equity mem- bers in arrears of dues, or Indues the managers to advance the amounts. where advance deposits were amined by the censors; lncreasingl^manded and prohibiting the sale the hiunictpal tax rate on all amuse- ment places; prohibiting the sale of tickets in excess to the number of df N N£ket8 at higher rates'on holidays and other special days than at or- dinary times. Hyams, Mclntyre and Daughter. John B. Hyams and Leila Mc- lntyre, with their daughter, will appear In a new act next (Seasdn. The young girl has played a in I net part in their present act. ■