Variety (October 1921)

VAUDEVILLE Friday, October 7, l!)2l \ SHUBERT VAUDEVILLE HOUSES PLACED IN BUSINESS GROUPS #- Good, Fair and Bad' Given as Verdict Thus Far—This Week Starts With High Vaudeville Attendance Everywhere—Reports From Out of Town. A vaudoville man daiming to be conversant with the box olBoe con- dition of the Hhubert ▼ttudeville cir- cuit, claHsified all of the houses in n business wny, up to the end of last weok, in three groups as follows:— Good -Winter (iarden, 44tli Street, New York; Apollo, C'h'cafo; Chest- nut St. (). II.. Philadelphia. Fair—Euclid Ave., Cle^'olnnd; Shu- berr, WashinKton; Shubert, Detroit; Shubcrt, Pittsburgh; (!*rescent, Brook- b'n; Majestic, Boston. Bad—Academy, Baltimore: Rialto. Newark; Liberty, Dayton. This week starting from Monday* and for the tirst two days, good busi- li-'ss reports came in from vaude- ville houses all over, especially in the larger cities. Other than Day. ton and Cleveland with possibly Bal- timore included, the Shr.bert theatres were reported as holding capacity a< all performances for Monday and Tuesday. The New Jewish New Year was held responsible in the main. Around New York the days being devoid of ball games was accepted as a better reason, with none of the legit houses giving :i matinee the first two days of the week. Colder weather ^as ao added and decided help. All the New York and Brooklyn theatres of every description re- (Continued on Page 20) SHIjKERTS' "INTACT BILLS" ABANDONED e- Indications Through R plaeemenis Original Booking Idea Given Up The last minute shifts and (^hunges in the Shubert bills last week pre- dicted the abandoning of the iK>licy of moving bills intact, the original policy of the vaudeville booking staff. The original plan is proving impacti. cal, owing to the array of **iiame8" the Keith bookers have been con- centrating* particularly the Palace, New York. A Shubert bill moving into the Winter Garden intact frQm one of the Brooklyn or out of town houses would hove to be strengthened con- siderably. The Winter Garden Is the only Shubert vaudeville house above the dollar top established by the circuit, another factor that requires strong shows to compete. A. Rql^bins, originally billed i\t the Crescent, Brooklyn, was switched to the 44th Street this week whilf Clark and Acaro, also on the Crescent paper, were diverted into the Winter Garden to strengthen the show there. The headlining of George Stone and Etta Pillar who were to split the top line this week at the 44th Street with Wliipple Huston and Co., was pointed to by the Keith office as indicating a scarcity of heudliners in the Shubert camp. DUFFY'S DAUS Invites Utcrmptars To Matt Him at Stage Door—Leaves Bill But Returas FRED SAMMY FENTON and FIELDS ^ Splitting equal billing with "INTERMISSION" at Keith's Palace. New York, This Week (Oct. 3) ROSE' L CURTIS, Exhibitors. Jimmy DufFy walked off the .stage at Mo«s' Broadway Monday night, fol- lowing a demonstration which broke out in the gallery and descended to the lower floors. Duffy wiUi his "Horrors of 1021" was in their opening number, when a voice from the gallery yelled out "liOuder." Duffy requeKted the speaker to meet him at the Ktage door and attempted to continue bis act when the noise spread a'l thru the house. Duffy again requested the demon- strators to meet him jjt th<« staffo door and left the stage. He re- turned to the theatre Tuesday and continued the engagement. According to witnr»sRes of the in- cident, Duffy's speaking voice was inaudibfe on account of the rush of REPORT PROCEEDINGS STARTED TO CLOSE WOODS' ATLANTIC CITY Uncon^nned Reports at Seashore Sound Vague as to Procedure—City Authorities Said to Be Investi- gating Theatre's Condition—Information Refused -^ LOCAL UNION NO- 802 CLAIMS 11,000 Old and New Unions Housed in Same Building —New Method of Con- trol for 802 Atlantic City, Oct. 5 Though not the final count, it was claimed that local No. 802 thc^new mnaical union of the Federation of lluaieiana has a membership list of 11,490. In A. P. M. circles the in- creased number of players is consid- ered proof that thc^ Mutual Musical Protective Union which was known as local No. 810 and which was ousted from the Federation, never complete- ly organized New York. The highest nomber of members in No. 310 is said to have been 0,000. The new local N<> 802 is directed by a new method of control. There is a board of governors, made up of nine members of the local, but ap- pointed by the National Executive Board of the Federation. Edward Canavan is chairman of the local'^ board, having offices at 210 East 80th street. That is the same build- ing owned by No. 310, but part of the offices are under lease and se- cured in that way for the new lo- cal. It is understood the new sys- tem of control is designed to elimi- nate possibilities of radicalism, charged as the reason for the dis- ruption of the M. M. I*. U. from the Federation. Many members of the new local still retain memberHhip in No. 310 to protect themselv^'H. It is not be- lieved the ownership of the 86th Ktreet building will influence members either way, aince* it is reported the equity in the property is not clear. A condition appears to ^^urrounli the immediate future of the Woods theatre here. All information looallj la refuaefl in connection. The tbea* tro is said to h*^ under iuvciitlgatioa by the authorities, but for wli&t pu^ pose or reason can not bo learned. Indirectly it is rumored the object of the investigation is roTMlenniatioB proceedings, to close the house. Mar"- tin Herman repreaenting A. H. Woods is said to have secured aa Inkling of the contemplated pro- cedure and came here last Saturdaii. It is understood "M*. nennnn aceoia (Continued on Page 32) <4 AUDIENOE" &ULE VOID Boston, Get. 5. The bars have been let down here on that portion of the censorship rules which forbade persons in an act going into the orchestra. This GOVERNMENT'S MUSIC CASE DISMISSED BY JUDGE HAND week at Keiths Hope Eden's part- people from the b^ck of the lower ^^!„f^^i^^f^^^^ ^*** audience, floor down the aisles to seats being '"'^ ^•'-''■^ ^^ *—.♦^ vacated in front. Duffy is qtioted as rayinf; that a hired 'clague' started the demon, startiou. Six Music Publisheres Co-Defendants in Restraint of Trade Action—Suit Started in August, 1920. The T'nitril Stales Government's case against the Consolidated "" usic Cor|)(»ration and the six music pub- lislnTs who were co-defendants with tlie Coiisolidnted and who, it was al- IvK<<l. roust it, It (mI a combination in rcstiiiiut of trade, was dismissed by JudKc Hand in the Fe<leral i'ourt of th<» Soatliern District of Now York. Tuesfhiv. Tlie action wns filed under the Sherman Anti-Tnist law and grew out of tlie formation o' the Consolidate*! by tlif defrndants to con- trol tho pritM- at whiili tlio word> of their vital nnmbers were to l»e gold to the mechanical reproducing companies for. At the tin)e of the formntion of the Consolidated the cxistiMit cora- panies muniifucturing rolls for the reprochiction wordv and music were of the belief that the i)iil)lishers were about to enter t.ieir field and manu- facture their own rolls. The former therefore, drew u|) u rontrnrt be- tween the 11 members then i)rodti*'iiijr word rolls under which they all agreed not to dispose of their plants to (Continued on Page 32) MIOHAEll; BACK Lubin Restores Agsnt's Loew Fran, chise After a "lonth Joe Mfchenls. who was denied the H%or a month ago, is again booking; with Marcns Locw. Jake Lubin in- formed Micliaels that his franchise was in force on Monday. The booking i)rivilege had bee.i de- nied Michaels following the booking of an act at Keeney .. Hrooklyn, after it lia<I been suggested for Ix)ew'H Met- ropoWtun and before the Loew booker hail rejrcted the turn. The agent stated he did not believe the act was up to the standard but a num- ber of elianges were made un * the act made good at Keeney's. Billy Gould on Broadway Rilly (Jonld was erroneously re- [)orted (lend 1 «.-t week along I»r<;ad- way. The f^tory oircniated notwitli- stauding (ioiild had not been seriously ill. Gould has been appearing on Broadway in his usual health. JOHN STEEL AS ACT John Steel opfned for the Keith office last week at the Hipp, rieve- land. and will continue in vaudeville indefinitely. The tenor is out of the "Follies," through an arrangement with Flo Zicgfpld. * Steel was called into the 'Follies'* to replace John Clark, who is back in die show. It was said Steel was not satified with his 'Follies" as- signment. Steel's last appearance for the Keith office netted him $8<K) weekly. I lis present salary is reiorted at Sl.OtX). The Keith people tested out this rule when Fancbon and Marco played the house several weeks ago and w^re told it could be done. Censor John Casey putting bis O. K. on the stunt. The rule was originally made to prevent the runway being used in shows playing here and as far ns those shows are concerned the bars are still up. N. V. A. Conplaiats The following complaints have been filed with the National Vaudeville Artists Complaint Bureau. Alexandria against M n n d e 11 Brothers (Joe and W'ille Mandel) claiming infringement on "property man and dark stage opening.*' Three White Kuhns against Dave Harris, infnngement on bass violin hit Harris is now doing with Dave Harris and Band. GUS SUN AND KEITH BOOKINGS AGAIN POSSIBILITY-DEAL ON Sun's Circuit May Return to Keith's 5th Floor— Details to Be Arranged—Sun Cramped Through Opposing Circuits. A deal pending between (Jus Su». and the Keith office may place the Sun house hack on Xb'* fifth Hoor of the Keith Kxehange when final de- tails have been arranged. Sun reached New York this week and has been in conference with J. J. Murdock arranging the transfer of his string. Booking relations between Cus Sun and the Keith office were broken off in AuMst, 1920, when the Keith peo- ple notified Run that his booking rep- (Continued on Page 32) OABDEN RUNS 8livbertt PiMnlRfl to Hold Ovar Turna at Their Broadway Hoata Holding turns over for from two te five weeks may become a common oc- currence at the Broadway home of Bhnbert vaudeville, the Winter Gar* den. Arthur Klein expressed himself to that extent the other day. saying he believed the Garden could handle a feature act for at leaat that length of time, if not longer. Mr. Klein wouhl not say when the innovation mirht take place nor who he bad in mind for the first try. LOBW'8 MET CItvelaiitf Haasa Atfapla Five Wtak VantfavfUe The Metropolitan, Cleveland, for- merly a picture house, has been taken over by the I^ew Circuit and will install vaudeville contmenoing Oct. 10. The house has a .^eating capacity of 1,400. It will play vaudeville a full week, the policy formerly em- ployed at the Liberty which will shift to a split week. The Liberty will play the south- ern Loew road shows out of Day- ton, with the Metropolitan taking tht regular Loew bills. BROWN LEAVES DETROIT Detroit, Oct. 5. The managerin/ direction of the Shubert-Detroit with Shubert vauu«- ville was resigned from by Chris O. Brown, before its first week of the new policy bad iiasseil. Ed Cohen has been ap<>ointed iu his place. Ilti will also manage (h# local Majestic, wheu that opens wilu Hhubert pop vaudeville and ])ictures at 50 cents top. The Majestic is due to open Oct. 17. It will piny likely a live-act program with a featuf film, tailing two acts away from the Shubert bill headed for Dayton, and ;»robahiy fill* lug in the remaimler from Chuagi^ : or the nearest other Shubert sjiow. Chris (). Brown his res'gned as manager of the I>etroit opera house, now playing Shubert vauOr^ville. Ed- die Cohn, foimerly v.itli K. * K. )■ named as successor. Brown is said to have withdrawn following a mil- up over the price of adniissiuu IB the Detroit hoi.sc. Tickets sent on from New Y»)rk were markr-d ;:t $1.«>0 top. Brown ud\ :sed the Sliuberta the Temple, playing Keitli's vaude- ville, had tt top scale of S-'l cents. Brown was instructed to make the Opera House scale conlovm to :' dol- lar top hut in the meantime received orders fropj the Shuherls Chicago ofliee to o/mmi at .Sl.HO. Tlie niix-up was finally settled with tlie house holding to the dollar top i-olicy. new tickets being printed in Chic g". It was necessary to dis«-ai(l tlic tirst eight. weekH* tickets, origin iM} r** reived from New York. Whippic-Huston Act—Shubcris The Whipple nnd Husfou nt at the 14th Street this week, w? ; idaced with the Shubcrts hy Max llarl. Hart also has booked Hw ika I'p^' sie McCoy turn with the -^auu- liii"- Lampe Managing Apollo, ChicaflO ' Chicago. Hd. .'». William (i. Lampe h.is Ih.ii ap- pointed permanent manager »>i lb* local Shuberts' Apollo. ^ PAGE 0 J