Variety (January 1922)

VAUDEVILLE Friday, January 20, 1922 THREE NEW UNIT-SHOWS FRAMED FOR SHUBERT VAUDEVILLE Two to Come from Cantor's "Midnight Rounders," Now Disbanded as Legit Attraction—Avon Turn to Head INDEPENDENT HOUSES BARRED BY SHUBERTS The Shubert vaudeville executive department has deluded upon three new unit-travelling bills. Two of the units will be made up from the Kddie Cantor "Midnight Rounders" show now disbanded as a Shubert travelling legit attraction, to per- mit Mr. Cantor to rehearse for the new production the Shuberts are preparing for him to star at the h« ad of. The other unit-bill will have the Avon Comedy Four as the feature.* As the Avon*' unit will be new, it may be necessary for the Avons to rehearse with it for four weeks or so before that unit can start out on its Shubert vaudeville travels. The decision to form new units of the Cantor show outfit came through the extraordinary success attending the Shuberts "Whirl of Xew York" vaudeville unjt. That unit has taken the lead among the Shubert .1* vaudeville travelling units. According to report, it is the cheapest bill in salary on the Shubert time. When "The Whirl of Xew York" suspended jiMJk road attraction, the Stuberts took over several of its principals, choristers and production bits for the vaude- ville unit. It opened at the Winter Garden, New York, and since start- ing over the Shubert tour has been taking box office records. The Shu- berts produced the "Whirl" unit and play it as a regular bill, as against the percentage plan with the Bedini "Chuckles'' and the Weber-Friedlander units which take CO per cent of the gross, furnishing the entire program. The Avon Comedy Four has been ordered not to play tinder any management other than the- Shu- berts by a federal court decision. The Shuberts have the optional right to direct the Avons to appear, and if designating a unit that calls for rehearsals, it will mean the rehearsal period the Avons are to spend in the unit preparation will be without salary. Judge Hand has appointed ex- Judge Lecomb»as special master to ascertain the difference in salaries the act received on the Keith time as, compared to their stipulated .sal- ary from the Shuberts. Meantime, Smith and Dale have filed notice of appeal, The act is laying, off this week, peflding consultation to decide whether they v^ll continue working for Shubert or lay off altogether. William Klein, attorney for Shu- berts, states that the renewal op- tion on Smith and Dale's services will be exercised for the next two years. The Shubert offices claim that un- der the decision rendered in their favor in tlie matter of the Avons, they are entitled to secure from the Avons the excess in salary received, by the quartet in the Keith hjmses over toe amount the Shuberts had contracted to pay. The Shuberts' contract calls for $900 weekly. The Avons were receiving when the de- cision came down against them $1,500 a week from the Keith office. Kddie Miller, who temporarily re- joined the Avons, has left the act and may return to the Keith time in his former single. Booking Office Says Acts Can Only Appear Under Its Management The Shubert office has issued an uW-imatum to the effect that they will immediately cancel the book- ings of any act that plays an inde- pendent house- during the life of a Shubert vaudeville contract, unless the booking has been arranged through the Shubert vaudeville office. According to Arthur Klein, Shu- bert booking head, this includes the Fox circuit, houses booked by Fally Markus. John Robbins and all other independents. Agents booking through the Shu- bert office have been instructed to notify their acts that in the future the above rule will be enforced. The independent agencies when questioned as to the effect the Shu- bert order would have on them were extremely indifferent, making the point the Shuberts needed the inde- pendents to take up the slack on the Shubert contracts more than the independents need them in a season when material is plentiful. One independent branded the os- der as propaganda by the Shuberts to influence the owners of houses now booking with, the independents to place houses in the Shubert office for future attractions. Shubert acts nave t>een playing the independent houses since the opening of the Shubert circuit. Last week the Shubert office cancelled an act for playing the Hespe, Jersey City, an independent vaudeville house booked by Robbins. One independent claimed that be- fore Frances White opened at a Shubert vaudeville house he was of- fered the act at his own figure and p'.ayed her in an out of town theatre under" another name. ?ffe: - %$ > -->*-, n* OPENING SATURDAYS Pantag&s Trying It in K. C. and St. LoaT3-J3ecai.se of Jumps WHO IS SHE? THE POSTER GIRL? People say she comes out of pictures. The above picture of THK POSTER GIRL, is just one of her character studies. Managers are inVited to see this original novelty that is now appear- ing at Proctor's 58th Street. Xew fork. Not a riot, but THE POSTER (URL is considered a classy production of real merit, • Protected by Copyright and patent. Serial Xo. 460050. MINNEAPOLIS MEN COME EAST Minneapolis, Jan. IS. 1. Rettben and M. Finkclstein (Finkelstein & Reuben) left here early In the week for New York* to consult wiiii the Shuberts. The propo se d BHubert-F. A n. vaudeville jJenl f<»r the linn's local homes seems to be up in the air at present, n Is suspected that Is the object el the western Blah's eastern \ b:it. TWO FIDDIEPS DOUBLE UP Sara n off tfnd Violinaky, U L violinists ;.i.i! «,f vaudeville t before, ha\- agreed to do a «» ,. . turn. HIPS CONTRACTS RENEWED The 20-week contracts held by vaudeville acts with "Get Together" at the Hippodrome, Xew York, which terminated last week, have been re- newed for 10 weeks by C. B. Dilling- ham. Tim producer has notified the acts the show will not necessarily close at the expiration of the renewal period, but from that time on the a»ts will b«> placed under two weeks' contracts until the closing date. Kansas City, Jan. 18. Commencing Jan. 14 the bills at the Pantages houses hero and at St. Louis open with the Saturday matinee, instead of Sunday, as has been the custom for some time. The change was made for the purpose of tightening up a little and also in order to insure ample time for the acts to make the jump from St. Louis to Memphis, without dan- ger of missing the Sunday opening there. Heretofore the acts have played Colorado Springs Monday and Tues- day, out of Denver, then missed a day and put in Thursday fnd Fri- day at Pueblo, and using Saturday to make the jump to this city. Under the new arrangements the open day between Colorado Springs and Pueblo will be eliminated and the acts brought here Fridays for the Saturday opening. , PRICES CUT, KIDDIES FREE Kansas City, Jan. 18. After a two weeks' trial of "popu- lar priced" vaudeville, the prices being scaled higher in some in- stances than any house in town, with the exception of the Orpheum, the Empress, today announced a cut to 10 and 20 cents for matinees and 10, 20 and 30 for nights, all prices to include war tax. The an- nouncement was made with a full page advertisement, printed in red and black, in the Sunday Post, the house not using any other daily paper. In addition to these prices the management states that the policy of admit tint? the kiddies free at Saturday m- tlness frill be con- tinued* For the last two weeks, in addi- tion to giving the children free ad- mission the house has been Kivinf; sacks of candy to their little guests. SILLY PROPAGANDA SKETCH SHOWS IN KEITH HOUSE Small Time Playlet and Playing Seek to Promote, "N. V. A."—Dialog: "1$ N. V. A. Bigger Than God?" Answer: "Well, N. V. A. Is Young Yet" r The propaganda sketch, called *The Unseen Hand," appeared at the 5th Avenue, New York, a Keith- booked vaudeville house, the last half of last week. It had been re- ported in Variety, when first pre- paring as a propaganda act for the National Vaudeville Artists, the club of yaudevillians given especial At- tention by E. F. Albee, head of the Keith circuit. According to the review below turned in by Con of Variety's staff, the playlet was all that the advance reports said it would be, and quite some worse. Con concludes his re- view by intimating the author or producer used dialog to clinch a route in vaudeville, with the ensu- ing conversation between a theat- rical manager and a child, the child saying: ««I think Mr. N. V. A., who helped my mamma, is the hlggest man in the world." Manager—"Bigger than Charlie Chaplin?" Child—"Yes." Manager—"Bigger than Go Child—"Well, the Mr. N\ V. A. 1st young yet." The Keith office denies having In- spired the playlet. i speech, a^d announcing Ja tat" lff*-Tiaa a tough time get* Max Burkarclt (Vaudeville) and Han \ Wilfred Rosenthal. comp< :.ud i ••• N-vtra leader, sail «>n tin' Afjui'vii '.:•• I • eruary 7. COMEDIANS IN TAN TAN" "Fan Tan Frolics." a production turn put on by Jean Bedini for the ►Shuberts, is being rewritten and re- Cast after playing a week and a half. Geprpe Monroe and Fred Heidor have hem engaged, one of the leads calling for a "dame" character to ».»• handled by Monroe, lie will also use his specialty, Moriis and Towue. who left the "Frolics,*' have returned to taude« \ ille as a team. Con's review of the act reads: "THE UNSEEN H.lND" (4) Dramatic Sketch 18 Mins.; One and Full Sta$,3 (Spe- cial Set) Fifth Ave. This is the propaganda sketch the Keith office deny inspiring. The story is constructed with a view to acquainting the vaudeville public with the benefits accruing to the actor from membership in the Na- tional Vaudeville Artist. Faulty construction robs it of any slight chance it may have had to- ward fulfilling that destiny. The act is reminiscent of Cameron and Flanigan's "On and Off'' of a decade ago. The story tells of a small time vaudeville couple touring the tanks, opening the shows. Their Infant accompanies them. The curtain rises on a dressing room in a small time western theatre. The mother is tidying up. The small boy ar- rives. He and mother discuss daddy. From the conversation one may deduce that daddy is partial to the flowing howl, gambling and other ills of the flesh. The author has saddled the kid with some wise cracks that would be sophisticated enough for the wis- est of the adult wise crackers. A sample was, "Why does your father always win at cards and lose on the races?" The child: "Well, mother, he can't shuffle the races." (Inciden- tally, this gag belongs to Spencer and Williams.) ' Other portions of the dialog are reminiscent. Father arrives. He and the wife have'an argument, she pointing out the futility of paying $10 a year to the N. V. A. She contends it's all right for eastern acts and head liners, who get the benefit of the club house, etc. He de/ends the organization. A bearded stage manager Informs them that they are late, and they go into "one" as the baby lies down to sleep In the trunk. In "•one" the couple offer a song and dallCe, fairly Well delivered, and follow with a mind reading song, Ringing verses about thoughts of different members of the audience. This bit is well handled. At the conclusion of the song the male is suddenly stricken ill, and they leave ihe stage abruptly. The stage man- ager explains the act can't continue on account of the illness of the artist. The act goes hack to the dressing room. The mother is Weeping pro- fus.ly over the death of the father, with the child trying to comfort her. she is frh ndlesa and alone. The manager enters and reads a telegram Of condolence from Henry Chesterfield, and informs her her husband's $1,000 Insurance has been forwarded, for which he hands here check. After a second's black out, the parents are back at their dressing tables; the baby suddenly awakes, and from the trunk wails for his daddy. They explain to the child he must have been dreaming, which explains •everything. AS a vaudeville act on its merits, it's small timey in theme and play* ing. As propaganda, it is punch- less. The big moment, when the In- surance money arrives, leaves the audience befuddled. That the dues covered the insurance also had not been previously planted by the dialog. The beat moment was the child stepping into "one" at the finish for a travesty on the usual vaudeville curtain speech, part tha ting the act together. He also re- marked he has had three mothers and four fathers since opening. His final line was: "They were Jewish and I'm Irish." The producer may have dreamed of a long route for this playlet oa the strength of the story, but unlesa the "office" adopts It for the appeal of fhe propaganda, his dreams will probably dissipate. TITe" ambition of the author may be gleaned from dialog between the kid and the man- ager. The latter has handed over the check, and the youngster is thanking him. The manager ex- plains he should thank the N. V. A, The kid counters with, "I think Mr. N. V. u . who helped my mamma, is the biggest man in the 4 world." Manager—"Bigger than Charley Chaplin?" Kid—"Yes." Manager—"Bigger than <3od?" Kid (thoughtfully)—Well, .Mr. N. V. A. is young yet." Con. HILL-SHUBERT Gus Will Condense Into Tabs for Vaudeville Gus Hill will start vaudeville pro- ducing, having arranged with* the Shuberts to condense a number of his former musical farce successes into tabs. The first Hill production to be boiled down for vaudeville purposes will be "A Hot Old Time" with Frank Lalor playing the part taken by Johnny Ray for so many years* "Mutt fcnd Jeff in Chinatown,'* with a Chinese chorus which Hill already has prepared for vaudevhie, will open shortly on the Shubert time. Other TI ill pieces will follow in order. CASE OF "MISTERS" APPEALED The Shuberts have appealed from the decision denying them an in- junction to restrain Gallagher and Shean's appearance in the Keith houses. Charles H. Tuttle and William Klein, arguing In the" Shuberts' behalf, contended that the actors' services are unique and that they were induced to breach their contract with the Shuberts and go over to the rival circuit at a larger salary. The respondents' argument at the appeal late last week was to the effect they are not considered unique and extraordinary and that the plaintiff, having failed to live up to the terms of a contract where- by they were to appeal' in a'musical comedy production, the defendants are released from all further obliga - tion or liability thereunder. PALACE'S CHANGED STAFF Fred Wagn« r, whii lias been treas- urer of the Palace, Xew York, for the past two season*, is now act- ing assistant manager to Walt 21 * Neal, who has heen in charge pt the house since the Illness of Klmer Rogers. • Bill Milne, formerly manager of Keith's .1. i -1 v City, sue '• eded W'^S' ner, with Harry Cair. formerly of the chestnut- Street «.; era bousci Philadelphia, assistant treasurer.