Variety (May 1921)

fridsy, May 6, 1921 VARIETY'S CHICAGO OFFICE Chicago STATE-LAKE THEATRE BUILDING FOURTEEN INDEPENDENT CHICAGO AGENTS GET AX EARL'S l-LAKES Agent Founding Actors' Summer Colony in Michigan. J. C. Matthews, Loew and Jones, Linick &. Schaefer Booker, Cut* List from 24 to 10—Dropped for Failure to Secure New Material. Chicago, May 4. J. C. MatthewH, head of the local Marcus L»ocw Circuit, and also chief booker for the Jones, Linick & Schaefer. called a meeting in his offices in the Masonic Temple build- ing last Saturday of all t£e inde- pendent agents doing business with his office and gave them a list of rules that hereafter would govern bookings going through him. Matthews cut down the list of agents doing bugincs.) with him from 24 to 10, claiming the other 14 did not show any initiative in securing new material. Those now allowed th ) privilege of the floor are: Lew Cantor offi- ces. Krnle Young agency, Kramer & Levy. Horwitz fr Kraus, Jack Fine. -Schallman Urothers. Arthur Linick, John Bently, Kz Keough, Emerv Kttleson. PLUGGERS BEAT AGENTS. H oakum Game Ends 21 to 17—Gets Laughs. PAGEANT-FAIRJN CHICAGO July 20 to Aug. 14 Set For Giant Exhibit. Chicago, May 4. Mayor William Hale Thompson announces an annual World's Fair to be known as the Pageant of Progress, the first to take place this year from July 30 to August 14 on the |S,000.000 Municipal Pier which runs out into Lake Michigan and has enough space to accommodate a huge exposition. The Pageant will be educational, industrial and entertaining. It is not a money-making venture and no commission or profit is to be de- rived from assignment of floor space for exhibits. Aquatic sports, carnival acts and band concerts will accompany the exhibits. The Pag- eant is expected to draw many strangers to Chicago. Chicago, May 4. The independent agents staged a baseball game against the song pluggers at Lincoln Park that was full of highlights for the wiseacres. The game was put over for a $500 side bet with Col. Gimp starring for the song boosters and Emery Ettleson featuring the 1 eavy work of the agents. Col. (limp covered every position during some portion of the nine innings and succeeded in pitching the last three innings without a hit. Frank Clark, head of the local W. IS. & S. offices, furnished plenty of laughs. Across his baseball shirt in letters of red four inches high was initialed T. N. T.. beside sell- ing peanuts during innings, out of a backet with a sign reading "Buy peanuts to rave the starving song pluggers." Jimmie O'Neil, head of the local Pantages office, and at one time touted as a big leaguer, lost the game for the agents by keeping his eyes on the fair rooters. The contest finished 21 to 17, in favor of the pluggers. Kocco Vocco. manager and brains for the local song team, is now looking for games with any team in the show business. Chicago, May 4. Lew Earl, vaudeville agent, an- nounces that he is now parceling out building lots on the L-Lakcs property in Michigan which for I several years he ha; had under pro- 1 cess of surveying, road -building and , p'ottlrap. Ear 1 '* realty, venture h»,s | nothing to do with his agency, but is a fad. Some years ago he started } Muskegon, Mich., off in a similar ! way. and it is now the biggest actor's colony west of the Atlantic. The L-Lakes ground, which takes ! in many square miles, is going fast among local show people and actors. L-Lakes is near Baldwin, Mich., near Grand Rapids, a splendid fish- ing and hunting section, accessible but wild, cut by three remarkably fine trout streams and surrounding a chain of lakes alive with bass, pickerel and other flsh, and, in the fall, famous for ducks, partridge, deer and other game abound. Earl wants to confine the settlement to theatrical people and is at present selling to no others.. Among the first takers of lake-front sites were C. S. C , Tink ,, > Humphrey, Frank Clark, Rae Samuels, Pat Barrett. Tom Carmody and Morette Sisters. CHICAGO VAUDEVILLE SHOWS KEYES BOBS UP. 4 HAYMOW" TITLE AGAIN. Chicago, May 4. A. H. Woods has decided to take •Gerties Garter" into New York, ■ndcr its original name, "Up in the Haymow." Woods also goes on record that the show ia absolutely clean, no ■latter what the critics say. THEATRICAL and STREET FOOTWEAR c DESIGNERS MAKERS *-• RETAILBOS AISTONS INC. 14 W. WAS M | MOTON STRUT CHICAGO 0AVLEY-OUKRAINSKY BALLET SUPPERS «# KAHL IN THE EAST. Chief Orpheum Jr. Booker Hunting Material. Chicago. May 4. Sam Kahl, chief booker for the W. V. M. A., left for New York, to be gone a week. He will look over new material for the West, issuing blanket contracts running from 30 to 40 weeks. This is a forerunner of the "bet- ter times" for the Western agents, several of whom are now in New York. C. S. (Tink) Humphrey, head of the B. F. Keith (Western) will also be in New York next week. The Western Keith offices have added Indianapolis and Ramona Park to their growing lists. Charles Klass (Klass and Ter- mani) has joined with Saul Brilant. recently doing a single, for a double turn. I»i0 ROOMS Under New Management HOTEL SAVOY 3000 Michigan Ave., Chicago A Home for Theatrical People at Theatrical Rates !*> ■*:..4 fr.,i,i Loop "I." and Surface. TltANSPORTATION: <*»*> In Cnnnri (ion Telephone: CALUttST tfft-MfS 3G54 91.50 Par Daj] Weekly Kate $7.00 nnd I p. Moderate I'rireH. . »* • x- BLOOi S7aT£-LAi(C at Do ChlCACO 1*0 N. STATE ST. Phoru Randolph 3393 LARGEST AND BEST EQUIPPED POSING ROOMS IN THE COUNTRY GRAND PIANO FURNISHED FOR ALL MUSICAL ACTS ALL KINDS OF mCENtflY AND SPOT LIGHT. OPEN SUNDAYS Former Equity Agent Offering Film on Unique Term*. Chicago,. May 4. J. MiiiriiH Keyes, ex-local boss of the Actors' .Equity, has taken up the promotion of a new film re- garding spiritualism. "Do Ihe Dead Talk?" This is being put out on a State-right basis in characteristic Keyes style. They are demanding a $500-cash deposit from each traveling manager "to show good faith." The film had a downtown show- ing several weeks ago. It took a dismal flop, falling to show any d'dw. H00L LOSES CASE Must Pay $35,000 to Wife Who Makes Ugly Charges. Chicago, May 4. James A. Hool, real estate repre- sentative and manager of the State- Lake and many other theatrical buildings, was hit for $35,000 and some property in a divorce judg- ment given his wife, who retains their son. Mrs. Hool testified that Hool had many "affinities" and brought them to their home while Mrs. Hool was away. She also claimed Hool beat her and their son, who is a cripple. Hool had sued his wife, who countered with the above and other charges. LE MAIRE SIGNING ACTS Shubert Agent Offers 20 Weeks Out of 24. Chicago, May 4. Unfile Le Maire spent thj week- end here, leaving for Milwaukee on his tour of seeking material for the Shubert Advanced Vaudeville. lie offered 20 weeks play-or-pay con- tracts to be played iti 24, and signed up several acts here. The salaries offered were, in the main, not noticeably larger than those being paid by the Keith and Orpheum ofllccs. SUE PEORIA PALACE. Aschers Again Scored Because Contract Disregarded. Chicago, May 4. Suit has hern filed against Asrher Brothers by am Ben Hassan, owner of a troupe of Arabs, for $257.50, rep- resenting a half week's salary for tLo. _ta:lurc. c.C ibe ..Aschex. Drjnthe.rfi to play the act at the Palace, Peoria, III. It is only one of many suits filed against the above firm for it-; failure to honor contract! Issued on th« ii Peoria date. YOU'VE TRIED THE REST NOW TRY THE BEST "THE 13th CHAIR <; PETE" Soteros Next Daj;- to Colonial Theatre. 30 W. RANDOLPH ST., CHICAGO V/:>ere 3tca!:s a~d Chops Are Relished by the Best of Men. — ARGUE CHILD BILL Hprlngfleld, May 4. forme.' Governor K, K. Dunne and lane Addams <>f Hull House ap- peared before tin Senate committee on education this afternoon f«»r and against Senator Spence'i bill to amend Ihe child labor law. The formei governor fa\«»re<l iho bill, which WOtlld permit child pel formers In theatres where a showing wis made ilist 11 ■ * - child"! health or education wun not being Imperiled or neglected. The bill was reported favorably. MAJESTIC, CHICAGO. Chicago, May 4. Business off, though weather so very kicky. Emily Ann Wellman provided the novelty and applause hit of the (lav.. Mi?s Wellman knows vaude- ville both w&yft—how far she can go and how far she should go. There- fore "The Actor's Wife" is a show- manly melange of melodrama, pro- tean surprises in every department, change of speed, comedy, punch and food for the imagination and the amusement digestion. Miss WVll- man herself, artiste of broad strokes yet fine shades, dominated the ac- tion as well as the conception. Rich- ard Gordon, her lead, is a strong and splendid player. Angeline Mar- tell, ingenue, touched every point with charm and cheer. The entire company is competent. The stag- ing presents a wide study in the use of lightings. The construction of the swift sketch is kaleidoscopic, intense, mysterious and clutching. Plenty of demand for individual and company bows and curtains. Well- man gives a whole lot to vaude- ville. William Seabury. his sextet of girls, piano player and special pro- duction (the last item no mean one) split the line with Miss Wellman. Seabury is a queer sort. For a dancer who does very little himself, yet who share., headlines, he takes his life aa lightly as though he were fishing on a holiday. His insolence is magnificent. And the strange part is that this bird gets it over and makes t!ie customers like it. Kasy of foot is this Seabury, and, when dancing, a star. But he loafs about, introduces his pretty girls with almost a yawn, darts into wiz- ard steps now and then, and leaves the rest to fate, the ticket buyers, Joe Richman. the little Hope Bis- ters and his four other superbly trained dancers of variegated meth- ods. Starting with a slow and al- most inaudible song by Seabury, this act worked up to a solid ap- plause getter and closed strongly. Seabury got off after 5 at the matinee, with Wilson Brothers and Pewy Jfremen and brother. yet to.. „ come. The U'usona starred in high with their low comedy and yodles, and, the clock considered, held them in well. Miss Bremen got all the worst of it, as the crowd started be- fore she did. J. C. Nugent, vaude- ville's most accomplished monol- oglst. mellow, unotuous, wise, crac- kling, meaty, colloquial and classical in swiftly changing moods, delivered with a bang earlier. His extem- poraneous subject-handling was ef- fortless and effective. Nugent la an institution that seems eternal to vaudeville, but never grows monot- onous; no set routine memorised off a hunk of paper here. The man has a head, which, alone, distinguishes him from the herd which may choose to label itself hia competi- tion. Just a natural wit, observer. . raconteur, typically native and en- tirely with the times, Nugent has developed and monopolised a one- man field. Claude and Marion drove in bull's-eye laughs on Miss Marion's facial and physical accompaniments to her points and Claude's dying- daisy submission. Marion waa In spectacular voice and her ballads rang to the echoes and the echoes rang back with applause. Went as well as anything on the bill. Frances Prltchard and her two whirlwind dancing boys, Edward Tierney and James Donnelly, held No. S with hurrah footwork by the boys and fragile fascinations of Miaa Prltch- ard. who looks like Annette Keller- man and registers refinement and modesty. Herbert Brooks let loose a lot of (Continued on page 9) ACTS: Have You Fully Understood] The recent announcement about 1921-1922 booking conditions in the mid-west? Do you know there mrm 30 TO 40 WEEKS, SMALL JUMPS, NO LAY OFFS between Columbus, O., and Kansas City? CONTRACTS NOW. Charles Crowl Asjeaef Suite 301 Woods Theatre Bldg. Charles Nelson AHenry Suite 609 Woods Theatre Bldg. Eagle & Goldsmith A gear? Suite 504 Loop End Bldg. Powell & Danforth Ag.mv Inr, Suite 302 Loop End Bldg. Earl & O'Brien Ageas* Suite 302 Woods Theatre Bldg. Tom Powell Suite 304 Woods Theatre Bldg. Jess Freeman Agency Suite 1413 Masonic .Temple The Simon Agency Suite 807 Woods Theatre Bldg. Lew Goldberg Ajrency Suite 305 Woods Theatre Bldg. Harry W. SpingoW \*in. .» Suite 405 Woods Theatre Bldg. Beehler & Jacobs Agearjr Suite 307 Woods Theatre Bldg. Billy Jackson Agtmrf Suite 504 Loop End Bldg. Burt Cortelyou \grnry 1607-08 Masonic Temple Helen Murphy Apeaejr Suite 306 Woods Theatre Bldg. The above agencies, in Chicago, booking exclusively L with W. V. M. A., B. F. Keith (Western) and ail affiliated circuits. YOUR NEW YORK AGENT CANNOT BOOK HERE DIRECT