Variety (January 1922)

VARIETY'S SAN FPANCISCO OFFICES B>m Jf ranctsco PANTAGES THEATRE BUILDING Friday, January 27, 1022 SAN FRANCISCO SHOWS Vivy ORf HEUM, FRISCO San Francisco, Jan^ Tiu- Orpheun turned qui a entertaining program this wa !« with plenty of life and eon>id< rablo « "tn- tdy. Eddie Busteli la "A Man of Af- fairs," by Daniel Kuscll. is niiew out lure, but the house held iho usual Sunday capacity. Slussell as a wise- cracker from a small town estab- lished himself tram the start and bad the house JatfJniiUs' continually through the vnrfouT peonr^, which fairly bristle wit a smart materia] Which contains heart interest as well. The supporting east was good and the act was voted a big sir.-ecss by the Sunday night* is. Nat Nazarro: with Buck and Bub- bles, a couple of colored lads, proved the surprise feature, arousing more enthusiasm than anything els*-. Tin- phenomenal dancing of the tall darky and piano ability of the other abetted by the Nazarros tied the show up in a knot. Cliff Nazarro and the Darling Sis- ters alro won popular favor in sec- ond f:pot. Cliff easiiy establi ;hed himself with his songs and ifty stepping. The sweet-lo.king Dar- ling Sisters also stand out in a pleasing routine, but an firi' able mule stopped the exodus. Beatrice Sweeney with contortion* and aerial feats starts the show off rapidly. Miss Sweeney has a npvel opening and dandy finish Jaw whirl in mid-air, with her nether extreme itTes entwined around her neck. Joe Morris and Flo Campbell, held over, repeated next to closing in great style, as did Gladys Clark aim Henry Bergman with their same routine. Iallian Shaw alflO holding forth for a great hit. Josephs. PANTAGES, FRISCO San Francisco, Jan. 25. Pauline, headlining, dosed a meager five-act bill Sunday and pro- vided the only laughs. Billed as an eminent French scientist, he an- nounced emphatically ho is not a hypnotist, and after gathering nine plants from the audience puts them through a lot of funny stunts In a master showman's manner. Howls \v< re the result. Pantheon Singers is a mixed quartet, with a woman alternating at piano and violin and receiving excellent appreciation for an excel- lent singing routine running to bet- ter class numbers. JIayden, Goodwin and Bowe gave a good account of themselves with popular numbers in second spot and an operatic bit In rag time got them away nicely. A ballad by the pian- Irt is weakly put over, and the routine should be freshened. Class, Manning and Class started t*»e bill with wire stunts getting lit- tle. Josi pka. HIP, FRISCO San Francisco, Jan. 25. Pretty good entertainment first half. De Lyons Duo made a good opener with strength feats, and Ted and Daisy Lane, song and dance team. vary their routine with comedy talk nicely handled. Tho man did some fancy acrobatic stunts for a good finish. Paul and Georgia Hall fiddled and sans? entertainingly. Bird imitations on the violin by the man and atmos- pheric song numbers by the girl round out a pleasing act. Collins and Pillard scored a big hit next to closing. The comedian, besides being a good comic, plays ihe cornet and clarinet and dances exceedingly well. vSong and Dance Heview" concludes the show. There are two girls, a woman at the piano and a man dancer. The thin girl stands out on her good kick (larn.M and acrobatics and also delivers a song acceptably, but the Yiddish number is ununited. The others arouse little, especially the male, wlr» appears to be breaking in. Josephs CASINO S.m Franeiseo. Jan. -•"»• Will King scored a comedy knock- out with bis,chorus girl contest thai drew big business last week at Loew'a Casino In connection with his musical extravaganza, 'The Spark Plug." The contest occupied more than an hour, while the main shOW was boded down to 30 minutes. Chorus girls' contests are no un- usual thing for San Francisco, but none in the past has been ataged with the elaborateness with which King presented this one. Bach act was staged in a special stage set- ting with special costumes, and de- veloped an amazing amount of talent among the girls, A large score beard was kept on the stage on which the verdict of the audience at each performance was recorded and Upon which tin- final winners were awarded the prizes. King hung U P a purse of $l!00 for the girls. Th«' Knight Sisters with "A Night on the Bow< :\v" carried off first honors. This was an exceptionally amusing character singing skit. .Jackie Adair, offering' "Blue" num- bers, was a big favorite, but owing to her position on the program was handicapped. If she had been placed further down she. probably would have had a much better chance. Another act presented by Alice Morris, Jewel Lorraine, Nellie Chick. Jessie Perry and Vera* Pollack, and entitled "Forty Pink Toes," proved a corking good act. It dealt with life in a theatrical boarding house and the relationship between chorus girls and landladies. With another title it probably could be utilized as a vehicle for vaudeville. An acro- batic act recently played Pantages time was called "Thirty Pink Toes." The other acts were: Clella Van Pelt, in a classic dance; Jessie Col- lins, character songstress; Kitty Biuuch and Florence Thorpe, &ong and dance; Lucky Pollack and Vivian Banff, "A study In Black and White"; Evelyn Jordan, "In Jazz"; Ethel Burr and Ruth Phtpps in "Now and Then"; Bernice Stuart, "A Sunshine Minstrel"; Ethel Bur- ney and Clare La Valle, "Just Chat- ter," and "The Dance of All Na- tions." featuring Peggy Green. Bva Wilkinson, Georgia Richards, Claire Hollo way, Beita Boyet, Dolly Am- buhl, and Gladys Medford. King himself has been o t of the cast, confined to his room with III- aeas. He is under the doctor's cure. During his absence Lew Dunbar Is being featured in his "Doolcy" char- acter. 'FRISCO BUSINESS San Francisco, Jan. 25. P.ivlowa did close to $38,000 on her week's engagement at the Century theatre hero as against $4:\i»00 on her engagement last year. Much comment has been caused by the fact that during her Los An- geles and Fresno engagements Pav- lowa charged but $3 top, while dur- ing her San Francisco engagement she boosted the price to $4 May Robson, appearing in "It Pays to Smile." at the Columbia theatre* opened to but fair business. The play seemed to catch on, how- ever, as the week progressed and business is picking up gradually. FILM STAR'S SKETCH San Francisco, Jan. 25. Louise Lovely, the picture star, ig booked to open in Fresno on Febru- ary 1 for personal appearances in the Loew houses, presenting a sket ;h that is being written for her. She will play all of the Loew houses except in San Francisco, where she is scheduled o play the Strand in conjunction with the showing of "Life's Greatest Ques- tion, '• a picture made in San Fran- cisco and in which she co-starred with Boy Stewart. WIGWAM'S STOCK San Francisco, Jan. 25. Kd Redmond is preparing to open at the Wigwam theatre in the Mis- sion, presenting a musical comedy stock in conjunction with a vaude- ville bill. The vaudeville will be shown the first half of the week and will be booked by the Bert Levey circuit. Heretofore the Wigwam has been playing pictures and vaudeville, usirg acts from the Loow circuit. YOUNG FULLER'S RETURN San Francisco, Jan. L'5. Benny Fuller, Jr., son of Sir Ben- jamin Fuller, head of the theatrical firm in Australia bearing his name, will leave here March 3 to return to the Antipodes. Ben, Jr., has been attending to his father's business In San Francisco for the i>a>t two years. He will be succeeded by Brodie Mack, who is being sent from Australia and who is expected to arrive sometime In February. FRISCO ITEMS Sin Francisco. Jan. Jack Joy, orchestra leader Marquad's Cafe, is leaving. for Bryan Foy. of the Foy Family. playing the Orpheum t.ime, has been engaged by Bailie Fisher, appearing on the same circuit in "The Choir j Rehearsal/' to write a new act for j her. CAPACITY AT $o San Francisco Jan. 25. Leslie McCabe opened the new- California theatre in Coalinga last week presenting* "The Bat," which he bought outright for the occasion and for which he charged a top price ° 1 ' M, The house, which seats 1.400, m a modern and beautiful theatre and was packed for the opening. The Wilkes Stock Company in Sacramento closed Jan. 21 after an engagement of several months. The Salt Lake Wilkes house is also re- ported to be closing. Following its San Francisco en- gagement of the San Carlo Opera Company the organization will play a week at tho Century theatre in Oakland. Jack Bussell, heading a musical comedy, was scheduled to open, but owing to the San Carlo booking his engagement has be» n B< I back a week. ROOF FOR WILBUR San Francisco, Jan. 25. Dick Wilbur, facetiously styled 'The Frohman of the Foothills," who has been presenting a tent show in Honolulu, has so caught the fancy of Hawaiian theatre- goers that he has been engaged to abandon his ttnt an.', present his future shows in the new Hawaii theatre in Honolulu. NEW PRODUCING CONCERN Los Angeles. Jan. 25. With the election of officers by the recently formed National Picture Finance Corporation, a million dol- lar company organized to finance in dependent stars and producers in and around Los Angeles, . ive op- erations are to commence. In addi- tion tO Laurence A. Lambert, presi- dent, the directors are F. 1). H. Moots, w. w. Damron, B. J. Schroedcr. Alfgred G. Roberts, II. I?. Cook, Karl Merris, R. L. Caru- therS and M. Parcel!. Schraeder is also vice-president and treasurer, Ho was formerly a banker of Mis- souri. A SHOW IN ITSELF COFFEE DAN'S SAN FRANCISCO'S FAMOUS MIDNIGHT PLAYGROUND Service and Rates to the Profession HOTEL TURPIN 17 Powell St., Near Market, SAN FRANCISCO One Block from All Theatres "SUNSHINE MARY" SUED Los Angebs, Jan. 25. Mary "Sunshine" Anderson, an ingenue at the Vitagraph studios, is made defendant in a suit for divorce filed here last week by Phlnny Goodfriend, assistant director, who charges her with desertion. They were wed in 1 'Jl 6 after Goodfriend, then an assistant cam- eraman, had rescued "Sunshine Mary" from a real snowstorm dur- ing the filming of some scenes in Truckee. VALENTINO'S CONTRACT Tho contract between Famous Players and Rudolfo Valentino is for three years at a salary of $2,500 a week, giving the star the right to pass on all stories. "Sheba" at Pop Scale Los Angeles, Jan. 25. After pTaying hero for a run at $1.50 prices, the Fox feature, "The Queen of Sheba," is back at the Al- hambra in tho fourth week of ita second local run, doing good. WITH THE MUSIC MEN Although not appearing on tho stage at any time. Laurette Tay- lors new "National Anthem" star- ring vehicle, authored by her hus- band, J. Hartley Manners, carries an orchestra which plays off-stage in the course of the action. Judge Augustus X. Hand has for- maiiv discharged the recelvera W equity of the Otto Higel Co., Inc., music roll manufacturers. The Q. R. S. Music Co. has ab- sorbed the catalog and imtents of the Imperial Roll Co.'S catalog. The Imperial, located in Chicago, will continue marketing its electric roll. J. Milton LVleamp. songwriter and music roll recording artist, has connected with the Ampico Co. in charge of the wholesale department. The "songwriters' union" reor- ganization appears to be "cold," according to the songsmiths. Though business la somewhat better than it was last summer, when the song- writers first conceived the idea of organization, for some reason or other the majority of the writers seem unwilling to identify them- selves with the project. Many con- cur that the negotiation of con- tracts is a matter of individual bargaining and not collective busi- ness dealing on the theory that an established writer deserves better terms than a novice. Two meetings that were Called shortly before the holidays both fell under the 25 quorum attendance, although the Lyric Writers* and Composers' Guild of America boasts almost 200 members. Some free lanoe writers not contractually pledged to liny publisher still Insist that another reorganization meeting will shortly be called. Noble Sissle and Eubie R'ake have written a new "b in. s, ' which Witmark will publish, The Edward P. Marks Music Co. is publishing the music of t'om- stock & Gest's forthcoming presen- tation of "Lq Theatre de la Chauve- Souris' (Russian Bat Theatre), with Nikita Palieff. The music in- cludes a Composition titled "The Parade of tin- Wooden Soldiers," well known iti Europe as "La Pa- rade dea Soldaa de Hois." charges that the title, song, melody and construction Infringes on ths Remick song 1 . Berlins state they 8 e. cured permission to use the title from Remick, but that other than that it never saw the other song Jentes' attorney, who is preparing the papers in a Federal Court ac- tio, i. is naming Remick, Berlin and Perlin, Inc., as co-defendants. Tho action will involve a point of law in that under his contract with Remick, Jentes-transferred and as- signed his right, title and interest in the song and its copyright to Remick. Jentes* attorney has also taken up the alleged infringement of "Tuck Me to Sleep in My Old 'Tucky Home'' with Berlin, Inc. Jentes says that in lfllS Fe'at pub- lished a song. "Take Me Pack to That Old-Fashioned Shack," writ- ten by Billy Jerome, Milton Ager and himself, claiming "Tucky Home" is a melody infringement on his song. Berlin, Max Winslow and Saul Bornsteiu state that if any- thing "'Tucky Home" i, adapted from "When You and I Were Young Maggie." Bel win, Inc., have turned over two more songs to Shapiro. Bernstein & Co.. titled "Never Mind," by x at Sanders and Louis Rr»a\!, and "Lola-Lu," by Breau. The latter also wrote "I Want My Mammy." which the S.-B. house ia now ex- ploiting. Cecile Silvers, a Sister of Louis Silvers, composer, is now connected with the Harms professional staff. Judgment for $1,065.20 was en- tered Fast week by Goodman ft Hose, music publishers, against .Edward u. Marks, another music man, for aheet (Continued on Page 7) OBITUARY FREDERICK GUEST Frederick Guest. Shakespearean actor, died In New York Jan. St, of heart trouble. He had played a great variety of roles in companies headed by Mme. Mojeska. Julia Otto Motzans controversy with Slgmund Romberg, which threat- ened to teach the courts, has been adjusted. Motzan claimed thar a "Wetonah" song In the current '■p.ombo" show was lifted by Rom- berg from a melody which he and Romberg jointly composed for the "Passing Show "of lt)l7." The Sun- shine Music Co. «Harms) has agreed to put M6tgah*8 name on the current song and gave him a royalty contract. IN LOVING MEMORY of our uVar l>r< ; n» r PHILIP KAUFMAN Fred Fish< is well known Den* •iiant for adopting classical mel- odies for popular songs brought to light a funny development recently In the matter of the publisher-com- poser'a latest, "When the Honey- moon Was Over." composition. A minor Philadelphia publishing com- pany accused Fisher of infringing on one of their numbers on the mel- ody end. Fisher in turn produced the original Chopin melody from which both songs were taken. Jack Neal has temporarily con- nected with the Perlin professional staff. Jimmie Monaco's suit agiinst Morris Gest for royalties was ami- cably adjusted last week for $5oo. Monaco sued for $1,500, at the rate of $50 weekly for 30 weeks, for serv- ices rendered In composing the s-ore of the 1920 Century Grove .show in collaboration with John Henry Mean and Alfred Bryan (both on lyrics). (Jest rejected the music and lyrics, stating it was not what li" wanted and retailed each of tho writers $100 checks In settle- ment for their services, Bryan ac- cepted, Mears collaborated with Pud De Sylva and George Gershwin on tho score for the drove show, which proved acceptable to (lest! but Monaco brought suit In the City Court through Abner Qreenberg, v h-> i-aptcil away January 24th, IC-IC. «'.t>no but not forgotten. iRVING and JACK KAUFMAN Marlowe, Marie Wain Wright, Otis Skinner. Henry Miller and others. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery Jan. 23. Hans Kroriold, one of the greatest 'cello players in the world, was" buried from his Bronx home, fol- lowing a brief illness with pneu- monia, this week. The deceased was born in Poland and was 50 years of age?. Ho came to this country when only a youth and played with a number of leading symphony orchestras .a this eoun* try. His parents were also of the musical typo and prominent throughout Europe. He is survived by ; wife and two daughters. The mother, age 70. of Olj nn ('on- don died Jan. 22 at her home in Tulsa, Okla. Harry Jentes has retained Abner Qreenberg to represent him in a song infringement suit against Ir- ving Perlin. Inc., arising over the song, "All By Myself.' Originally Jente s and Kugeno West had a song by that title published in 1920 by Jerome H. Remick & Co. Jentes Jane Harry, French lyrical artiste, at Bordeaux, aged 35 years. Lewia Levy, aerent for Cirque Pindar; France, aged 49 years. Max Cardiff, partner Of Pelissar, died Jan. It of pneumonia following influenza. The mother of Ooff. Phillips died Jan. 21, In Cincinnati, at tin- Bgi of !'2. The mother of "Texico" died .it lnr home in Atlanta. Ga. IIATTIK MOOSKIt- M. C. MOOSKB Aladdin Studio Tiffin Room 3C3 Suttrr St. riione Honda* &:l> SAN FRANCISCO'S Oriental show riaoe and IleaoNjtt**teni for the Profewion. When in SAN FRANCISCO MEET AND EAT With DAVE LERNER ECONOMY LUNCH No. 2 24 ELLIS STREET—NEXT TO CENTURY THEATRE SCENERY BY EDWIN H. FLAGG STUDIOS