Variety (November 1921)

id«r, ^Ip^^cr % W21 ni/iuRts 41 »• INSIDE STUFF—PICTURES Henry Ford's weekly Is currently carrying a series of articles "showing p" the Paramount franchise system. Without specifying any particular' •ace, as the weekly's policy, it features Adolph Zukor and other members the Jewish race as the controllers of the picture Industry that dic- tates to the exhibitor. It mentions the Pauline V. Dodge case in Morris- 25e, *Ji., looting ^vdaey-fi. Cubcn's organization, the M. P. T. O. A , In Ike matter, among others. On Eighth avenue, near Columbus Circle, New York, Is the Tlvoll, a picture house of good else and competing with the Broadway film palaces. The Tlvoll is scaled lower than its Broadway relations. Through that it is drawing from the younger of the show people who reside more or less permanently in New York. They know the scale is cheaper than on Broadway, and of course with special features. It's a saying amongst them, when someone of a group suggests visiting a Broadway theatre or picture house, to remark, "Let's wait until that picture is at the Tlvoll," meaning the saving effected by the waiting. The Tivoli of late has been ballyhoolng on Broadway. Famous Players Is going to have one real try at the production of hectic scenario. It is an original story by Elinor Glyn, entitled "Beyond the Rocks," with Gloria Swanson in the steller role, and Rudolfo Val- entino enacting an especially passionate lover. Mrs. Glyn Is* coming all the Way from London to work with the director and scenarist on making it a "nifty." From professional ball playing at $50 a month less than 10 years ago to the head of Southern Enterprises, Inc., Is the pedigree of S. A. Lynch. It is said he draw3 a salary of four per cent of. the gross takings of ull the Southern Enterprises theatres In the South. They say Lynch wants to buy the Vitagraph company and go into picture producing, but is debarred from so amusing himself owing to his agreement with Famous Players. The fact that narcotics are still available In Los Angeles to those who are in need of that sort of stimulant is apparent. A certain male ■tar, who is an addict, showed up on the lot of the producing organ- isation for which he is working, and was under the influence. The studio manager started to "bawl" him for not having been on the job the previous day, at which the star insisted that he had been in the studio and worked like a dog. The pity of it is that^at the time he was making the statements, he was so charged up he really believed it. In the Fox studio there Is a female star who is totally bald. "She has two wigs, one for t,he street and the other for her picture posing. sistant general manager of both circuits. When this wus about to be confirmed and Herk-had located in the Columbia's headquarters, Scrib- ner suddenly shifted his attitude, declared against Herk, and Herk declining to accept any -other post or pass up his independence, left the Columbia offices, returning to his own in .he American suite, leav- ing the situation exactly as it had been before. With the result, how- ever, that Herk thereupon declared the American would be a real bur- lesque circuit or nothing. He, accordingly, commenced to lay plans to place the American wheel and shows in the position he wanted them to be with the current fight, as Herk's plans developed. The no..-ttfttrw's Stat-^-Los Angeles, opening Njc. 12 was attended by a full quota of the Hollywood picture stars with Governor William D. Stevens of California and Mayor Cryer of Los Angeles also there. Marcus Loew, Sam Harris and Irving C. Ackerman represented the theatre inter- ests with a long list of other officials and managers attending. The new coast house is playing a popular priced vaudeville policy, employing six acts and a feature picture. The bills are being laid out by Ella Weston of the Loew, San Francisco, who selects the acts from the Loew road shows coming into San,Francisco, from where she routes a number of the acts into the Ackerman & Harris houses prior to reorganizing into road shows for the remainder of the Loew western and southern time. A picture director In a New York studio Tuesday of this week used j ■uch abusive language while directing that the female star of the picture' collapsed. She had to be carried to her dressing room. INSIDE STUFF—VAUDE (Continued from page 5) fee] they can tax their membership for the admission under the present condition. One of the club agents stated that four of his best clubs, using a show costing $1,000 or more for the evening, have already in- formed him they would postpone their annual for this season. The Shuberts' suit against the Keith people over the Syracuse Keith vaudeville franchise and Keith's theatre there, stripped of the legal phraseology, is in brief that the Shuberts declare that they are or should be in on the Keith big time vaudeville there to the extent of 60 per cent., no matter how or by whom conducted. Some two years or more ago when the Shuberts first thought of playing vaudeville, Variety printed a story from Lee Shubert as to why he looked upon vaudeville as a desirable proposition for the Shuberts. At that time Lee said that while it was the commercial aspect of vaudeville that beckoned to him, still he was aggrieved at the Keith people, through having lost their interest In Syra- cuse, also because the Keith office objected to its acts playing Sunday Bights In New York in the Shuberts' Sunday night concerts. After events over the Syracuse tangle seemed to have been that the Keith crowd offered to let in the Shuberts on 25 per cent, of Keith's, Syra- cuse, but the Shuberts Insisted on 50 per cent, or nothing. Later it was said the Shuberts sent word they would take the 25 per cent. Interest, when the Keith people returned a reply it was too late. The Keith angle seemed to have been that while the Syracuse franchise had been Jointly operated by Keith and the Shuberts at the old Grand up there, the Shuberts breached the franchise when allowing it to lapse over the period specified' when vaudeville must be played under it to keep the fran- chise alive. While the Syracuse incident irritated the Shuberts until they openly expressed their opinion of it at every opportunity, the barring of Keith aots from Shubert houses is what mostly got under the Shubert skin. Though no doubt the Shuberts attacked vaudeville commercially, the feeling worked up between the Shuberts and Keith's was also an incentive. J. J. Shubert had been wont to remark that vaudeville was as much a part of the Shuberts* theatrical business as anything else and he would stand to see no one keeping people from playing for the Shuberts, meaning Sunday vaudeville. This ban by Keith's against acts playing for the Shuberts sometimes extended into musical comedy production the Shu- berts were casting. T'ntil the records arc searched or some one gets an adding machine, there will remain a mystery in Pittsburgh, as to which has most seats, the Sam S. Shubert or the Davis. Variety's Pittsburgh correspondent recently reported the Shubert as having the larger orchestra capacity by about 300 seats, relying on a report from the Shubert management and believing It true from general appearances. The Davis management took exception. The correspondent's passion for truth was aroused by so weighty a matter, and on asking the Shubert people again, the latter insisted their first statement correct, though the actual figures were not at hand. The suddenness of the battle within the burlesque ranks surprised most all show business when Variety printed the details last week. The «h(»\v people had supposed burlesque w»« sorrrrn, out**i«lo of the de- pressed business, and that it had settled to its usual operation following the ending of the open-shop movement by the burlesque people. How- ever, that open shop thing but started it. Variety published several guarded stories about burlesque for a few weeks after the open shop attempt failed, in order not to embarrass the burlesque executives or their enterprises, which had been left in a hazardous condition through the confusion of the open shop try, also the settlement and the lateness of their season's opening on Labor Day. While there is a battle on between the burlesque factions (Columbia and American wheels) and each is going after the other in the usual ways of those theatrical disturbances, the strife actually seems to be directly between Sam A. Scrlbner on the Columbia side and I. H. Herk in the •American end. The open shop movement first created feeling between those two men. An effort was made to smooth it over, following the open- ing of the season, when Herk was offered and accepted the post of as- COLUMBIA AGAINST AMERICAN Continued from page 10) catting days of burlesque, before the advent of the wheel system of book- ing shows. It has had a varied ca- reer as a theatre, its most recent policy having been small time vaudeville booked Independently. The Lyric is at present controlled by Dr. Tumson. Warren Irons, of Clamage & Irons, the Chicago burlesque producers and theatre owners, resigned from the board of directors of the American Burlesque Circuit Wednesday of this week. . A telegram accompanied the resig- nation which is to take effect imme- diately, and which will be accepted by the American Burlesque Circuit. Irons also notified the American Burlesque Circuit he will discon- tinue playing American Circuit at- tractions at the Haymr.rket, Chicago, after Dec. 3., when Rube Bernstein's "Broadway Scandals" will be there. American Circuit attractions will continue to play the house despite Mr. Iron's resignation, according to I. H. Herk, president of the Amer- ican. In the event that the Western men attempt to change the policy of the Haymarket, Herk will go Into the courts and seek to enjoin them. Herk stated the Haymarket was leased by Irons & Clamage from the Columbia Amusement Co., with a stipulation in the lease that tho house must play American Circuit attractions. In the event the receipts fell below a certain figure. Irons & Clamage could terminate the stip- ulation affecting the American Cir- cuit. The minimum receipt figures have not been touched at any time, according to Herk's figures. Irons & Clamage operated the "All Jazz Revue" on the American Circuit this season. When the Liberty. St. Paul, was dropped from the Amer- ican Circuit, the .franchise on which the "All Jazz Bevue" was operated was automatically revoked. At the American headquarters the resignation was anticipated. Irons & Clamage have three attractions now operating on the Columbia Bur- lesque Circuit. A story from Chicago to the effect that the American Circuit might utilize the Empire, a picture house owned by Herk, was denied empha- tically by Herk, who stated that American attractions would play the Haymarket until they were ready to quit or keep the house dark. Zach Harris is scouting for the American Circuit, and Is now in Chicago looking for a house in the "loop" district, and one on the west side for the American interests. The injunction proceedings begun in chancery by the estate of H. C. Miner, Inc., against the American Burlesque Association and ltichanl G. Tumison, owner of tho Lyric, Newark, to restrain the A. B. A. from booking burlesque shows into the Lyric, and to restrain tho Lyric from allowing shows to be booked into the theatre, came up Monday morning before Vice-Chancellor Brackes, who, In a brief oral deci- sion, denied the injunction. The action resulted when It had appealed in the Newark dailies that the American was to book burlesque shows Into the Lyric commencing Kflndny night. Nov. 20, the first at- traction being Jimmy Cooper's 'V.eauty Review." The Miner estate seived tin- defendant Fiidiiy, House. (Grossman & Vorhaus acting for both defendants. The Miner firm commissioned Merritt Lane of 196 Market street, Newark, to argue the motion in the Vice-Chancellor's chambers. The suit Is based on an acrce- nient last spring, when the Miner estate gave up booking American wheel shows into the Gayety and installing a picture policy, the A. B. A. agreeing not to play Newark in the future In opposition to the Em- pire, Newark, which plays Columbia wh^ei i-Hows, without Miner's con- sent. The Gayety accordingly gave up its franchise, but with the split between the Columbia and Ameri- can, the American last week decided to incorporate Newark in ita route!, and notified Miner to this effect Miner estate was unwilling to play American shows and refused to con- sent, although they could just as well have acquired the Lyric for their stock theatre. The court held that this was not equitable, as far as the defendants were concerned, as this consent might last forever. So long as both associations were working harmoni- ously this suboidinate agreement was all well and good, but with the split. It was not practical. . BOWERY BUBLESQUERS (Continued from page 10) dom, polished with the artistic phil- osophies of the elevated realms. He said: "Dolly is a pip. And that White girl has pipes like Frances White, and the little Gray baby looks like a finishing school kiddie; I wonder if that type gets over nowadays in burly-que, eh?" It was no use waiting for high- brow effusions from this. bird. He knew more about the racket than the low-brow expert. """ Therefore, let this report stagger on with no Inspired gleam of the higher criticism, but just with such observations as a trade paper show reporter can make, plus some au- thoritative inside ball slipped him by the legit luminary. Billy Foster is the principal comic. Nay, he is the sole comic. If any- body ever had a right to envy any- body, Barrymore had a right to envy Foster. Barrymore is always on the stage most of the time, but Foster Is on all the time. Barry- more can pull a sad and weary wheeze and get polite laughter once; Foster can kick it around and beat it unconscious and turn it Inside out and milk It and skin it and pick it clean and torture forth forty screams. Moreover, Barrymore is more or less limited to one man's nifties. Foster has every man's. If he overlooked one comic or - one comedy author it was indeed an oversight. He ran from switching the watch to ee-pha-soph-a-la, and that's the gamut plus the chromatic scale of all the book pieces, "nigger" acts, vaudeville specialties and Mil- ler-Madisons. Foster did make them howl, and that goes. He had to. Not a com- edy line is spoken by any one else, with the exception of Miss Sweet, who gets some smart laughs on ex- tra neat work, always in spanking togs and always alive with person- ality and true talents of the come- dienne. The White girl threatened to get a few over, but she wasn't there with the wind or something, and remained decorative purely. Her partner, Miss Gray, showed a girlish soprano voice and cute curls and dimples, but also missed when the high spots came up. The rest of the troupe played straight all the way. This season's Bowery runs through fanciful scenes such as Hell, Gar- den of Eden, Du Barry's boudoir, on the planet of Venus and the Queen of Shcba's throne room. Joe Hurtig has costumed his show wise- ly and effectively, und the sets are far beyond those customary even in latter-day burlesque. There were evidences of a book. and some of the language was so good that nobody but Senion know- how to handle it. and he seemed quite at home with the polysylla- bles. There was a book between Foster's speeches—when lie .spoke it was all the books. That baby sure- ly put himself together a fat part, Without » oinjM-i it ion, and, apparent- ly, without the knowledge of the police. His was an endless patter and sputter of gagging, tearing its way through a framework of real burlesque, like a Ford through the noonday traffic of nobler vehicles. Some lighting efTects showed in- genuity, and the whole hhow re- vealed an earnest and honest effort to sell the goods. (July the prepon- derance of the red-nosed Foster in- terfered. With this comic always on. the show wept for comedy re- lief. Jt was ul) along the same line. and almost all with numberless repetitions of the same business, the same gestures, the same stvlo of repartee, the aame "raspberry" punctuations from the lips, the same whacking of both his th.'ghs with both hands, the same mugging, the same running around and the same situations of making love to Miss Sweet, until the comedy en- tirely rested on the larceny of other men's quips, and nobody else got a chance to do anything but help along this unnatural and unneces- sary ono-man dominion—unnatural and unnecessary even by the stand- ards of commercial burlesque com- edy. Miss Sweet Is a finished come- dienne and should have at least an occasional scene without the op- pressive and monopolizing hoakum of Foster, who smothers the rest of the cast. The audience loved her and was glad every time she enter- ed, always radiant in her gorgeous wardrobe, smiling and vibrant. But the pleasure was as pften short- lived, for Foster was breathing on the back of her neck pronto, and after that It was Foster, and noth- ing was doing except his pawing her some more and again revising that old one: "I'm not bashful, but I'm careful." Otherwise It's a tip-top show. Lai*, AIUKHTT 8TASDS (Continued from page 5) open the testimony, and subpoened the Keith Vaudeville Exchange. Mr. Monash, the Keith auditor, testified Carroll received a personal salary of $600 weekly and that his "Varitiee of 1921" haa been work- ing steadily since August of this season. The act receives from 12,200 to $2,600 a week. Mr. Monash also testified that the Carl- ton Hoagland-Harry Carroll pro- duction, "The Love Race," has been playing steadily and that the new Paul Morton-Flo Lew la act la a Iloagland-Carroll property. Carroll testified he owned half of Carlton Hoagland-Harry Carroll, Inc., and the referee's hearing averred he had not been working all summer. Carroll's gross booking for the year was about twenty-five weeks, according to hla testimony. Mrs. Carroll at present is con- fined to the Mlserlcordla Hospital, New York, with a general break- down that started about five woeka ago. She may have to undergo an operation for appendicitis next week, according to present symptoms. SPOBTS (Continued from page 27) censured for accepting . -e deslslo-i from the wild-swinging left-hander. Fighters who hit low many times usually sink gently Into oblivion. Eddie Mead will take Andy Cha- ney and Joe Lynch to England for a series of bouts. Major Wilson, tho English promoter, offered Mead 2,000 pounds and transportation for Cha- ney to box Joey Fox, featherweight champion of Great Britain. Fox boxed Chaney in this country and was knocked out at Hartford, Conn,, in five rounds. This was the only time the Londoner suffered a k. o. Lynch will go along, as he Is a card in London, where he fought great battles with Jimmy Wilde and won a 20-round decision from Tommy Noble. NOTES The Keith Circuit issued a little Thanksgiving Souvenir booklet that was distributed to the audiences in its houses this week. It contained three Thanksgiving poems and the story of the origin of Thanksgiving Day. Jack Mason, through his attorney, Leon Laskl, is taking Lina Abarba- nell Into supplementary proceed- ings. Miss Abarbanell is now play- ing in the Belasco production of "The Grand Duke" at the Lyceum. Last March Mason secured a judg- ment ag; Inst her for $181.70 for services and In an effort to collect this he has summoned her. Jean Moore has started action In the Municipal Court to replevin a drop made for her by the Buell Scenic Co. and used by her in an act, "Call a Taxi." The drop is being held as a lien undor a claim of $150 due. Miss Moore Is repre- sented by Maurice (JSoodman. Hess & Kahn are representing the de- fendant. 8neak thieves gained admittance to the dressing rooms at the Hip- podrome, New York, during the Tuesday matinee performance and escaped with several pocketbooks belonging to members of tho ice ballet. The thieves made their en-"* trance by way of the tire escapes and departed before tho theft was discovered.