Variety (February 1922)

(PAiRIETY'S SAN FRANCISCO OFFICES E ^an jfxmtisito PANTAGES THEATRE BUILDING Friday, February 3, 1922 SAN FRANCISCO SHOWS , ORPHEUM, PRISCO San Francisco, Feb. 1. V Comedy holdovers and new Comedy brought in made tho Orpheum bill this week a good laughing 8howr. The practical hit was Al Wohl- fenan, appearing second though pro- grammed fourth. Claudius and Scarlett, taking the latter position, went over in tine shape with their banjos and had the audience sing- ing old-t:no songs from slides, but the program switcli did not improve thP" running order. Wohlman is strong on appearance and an expert song deliverir. "With dandy comedy numbers and an ad lib style of talk he kept things go- ing at a lively rate, being compelkd to offer numerous encores, lie was permitted to leave only after he had made a speech. William Gaxton and Co. in •*Kisses" and the Cameron Sisters had the top billing. The tlrst aroused considerable laughter in third spot. The little playlet had ; been here before and with Gaxton's ' finished style giving it much class was again welcomed. Tho Cameron Sisters with Grant XlcKay at the piano held attention all through with their well dressed and neatly presented dances, win- ning especial favor with their black and white costume dance and the perfect unison of their kicking work. Gaxton clowned with the girls at the linish, bringing laughs that swelled the applause. Al Lydell and Carleton Macy were a clean-up next to cloying. I-ydell got a big reception and his dance finish brought heavy ap-, plause. i:ddie Buzzell and Co. re- peated their big success, again liolding sixth spot. Nat Naziirro's act accomplished tho unusual by holding th« house though closing and In their second week. The Five Avalons opened the show, starting well on the wire and with acrobatics, but were compelled to finish abruptly due to trouble with the apparatu.s. Joscplis. Waldron and W'inslow, in closing position, offering songs and dances of big-time calibre in every respect. Uyeda Japs gained considerable attention opening, their foot Jug- gling and comedy business with a bari'el winning much favor. Dana and Loehr went over nicely second. The man is versatile. He ofhciates at the piano, delivers songs and Is 'a good acrobatic dancer. Tho girl is pleasing and wears nice gowns. Octavia Handsworth and Co. went with a rush. The audience was roaring a good part of the time. Dave Thursby pot many laughs with his tramp monolog next to closing. Josephs. PRETTY GIRL HEIPS BANMT ROB THEATRE OBITUARY TEN COAST WEEKS Los Angeles Firm Booking Film Houses Open Frisco Branch San Francisco, Feb. 1. Meiklejohn & Dunn, who are con- ducting a general booking ofllco in Los Angeles In the Majestic Theatre building and claim to have ten or more v/ccks' work for acts in that vicinity consisting of one and two day stands, principiUy In picture houses, are opening oflices in this rcity in the Pantages Theatre build- ing. PANTAGES, FRISCO San Francisco, Feb. 1. A good bill and big business Sunday. Ferris Hartman and his Prima Donnas headlined, he as tho music master, they as pupils, with Bobby Toft at the piano, making a good frame-up for vaudeville. The primal have good voices, especially Fleurctto Joffrie, who . dragged down big appreciation. Hartnian's monolog starts things well and good comedy is injected all through. The act went big. E. Charles Benseo and Florence Baird garnered tho show's hit next to closing. MisS Baird's funny $125,000 POR SINGERS San Francisco, Feb. 1. Frederic Shipman, of Sydney, ar- rived here last week and announced that a fund of $125,000 had been raised by Australian music lovers to obtain contracts with American .singt-rs to make a four-months' tour of the Antipodes. John McCormack, the tenor, is credited with having inspired the plan. Cash Drawer of Fulton, Oak- land, Cleaned Out San Francisco, Feb. 1. Working with a pretty girl con- federate an armed bandit walked up to the box ofllce of the Fulton Theatre, in Oakland, last wt?ek, and forced J. E. Hansen, the treasurer, to lie on his stomach while the thief looted th9 cash drawer of several hundred dollars. While the robber was stuffing his pockets with green- backs J. R. Ryan, assistant man- ager of the house, walked In and was held at bay until th? bandit completed his work. Hansen and Kyan were then both locked inside the office as the bandit and his com- prtji)on made a getaway in an auto- mobile standing at th3f curb. Sev- eral dozen people were standing on the sidewalk at the time of the holdup, but none was aware of what was going on. According to the police, the bandit sent the girl-to the box ffice to re- serve a seat and to get the "lay" of the place. Soon after she left the wicket the man walked Into the lobby and, putting a gun to Hansen, who was just about to step out of the box office, compelled him to re- turn and open the cash drawer. Hansen tried to reach an emer- gency burglar alarm, but the robber was too quick for hlr.i. The police secured a good descrip- tion of the bandit, but were unable to apprehend him. GENEVIEVE REYNOLDS Genevieve Reynolds who appeared with Robert B. Mantell for the past 80 years died at the American Hos- pital, Chicago, Jan. 27, after a few hours' Illness. fhe deceased, a native of New York, had been on the American stage for the past half century, first appearing with th McCall Opera Co. and later with the Empire Theatre stock company In New York. A memorandum in Mr. Mantell's possession g^es Lynn Pratt, Lambs Club, New/ York, as one of Miss Reynol\^8* closest friends. She also has a brother in California, name and address un^ known. EMILY SOPHIA KINQ Emily Sophia ^ing, wife of Frank G. King, formerly In vc:udeville, MUSICAL STOCK DOES WELL San Fra-.rijcj, Feb. 1. Roy Clair is doing great business ill Stockton with his musical stock at the Hippodrome Theatre. The shpw is now in Its seventeenth week. None of the other shows in town Is doing particularly well. FRISCO ITEMS San Francisco, Feb. 1. Dorothy Neville, a member of the Will King company at Loew's Casino, will leave that organization at the end of this week to make an extensive tour of South America with her parents. She is a soprano who has gained much local celeb- rity during her long engagement here. Miss Neville announces that following her South American trip she will visit the Orient and ex- pects to be gone about a year. Goode and Scott Split San Francisco, Feb. 1. The double act of Goode and Scott has split. Bert L. Scott, one of the team, is retiring from show faces have the house howling, business and will live on the Pa They have eliminated the Scotcli number but retain the best of their former routine for smashing results. Sampsel and Leonhard, billed as musical comedy favorites, offered songs and dances in which classy stage hangings and good dressing figure largely for results. In spots tho routine drags. Craig and Catto with song?, talk and some good comedy verses landed big on second. This mixed couple ha\"«e good material and are there for a later spot. Tho Lunatic Bakers gave the fshow a snappy start, and Smith's Animal Noveltiej?, bears, dogs and monkeys, closed well. Josephs. cific Coast. Goode and Scott have been playing the Loew time. Golden Gate Assembly of the American Society of Magicians held an annual banquet last week in Rainbow Lane of the Fairmont Hotel. Dr. George T. Compton re- tired as president and was suc- ceeded by H. Cyril Dusenberry. Past President Frank W. Bilger de- livered an address on the growing interest in the ways and means of magic. A musical and magical pro- gram was featured during the evening. MAREIAGES William Brenner to Bee Wallace (Beatrice Brumley), in East St. Louis. The couple are with Henry Marcus' "Sawing a Woman in Half," and will continue with the act. Nicholas Karlash. and Marie Makrshansky, both o*f the Russian Opera Co., were married in San Francisco last week. At City Hall, New York City. Jan. 31," Peggy Parker to Abe Olman. Charles Rose, extemporaneous comedian engaged at Fanchon and Marco's "Little Club," to succeed Nat Carr, an'' who has been there for several weeks, Is going to leave. His successor has not been named. In an effort to save a pet canary bird from alighting on a gas heater that was lighted, May Robson, star- ring In "It Pays to Smile," last week at the Columbia theatre fell over the stove and wad severely burned mIss" R-Trker warfoi^me'rlV oFbuz- ^}l9^^ ^]?ti^^"?! ^™i^i!![!'^ '^.Pil^ zell and Parker, in vaudeville. Mr. HIP, FRISCO San Francisco, Feb. 1. The Hippodrome has an enter- lalning program this week, first Olman la in the music publishing business in Chicago. George Lovett to Elsa J. Brown, at Washington, D. C, Jan. 11. Miss Brown has been vlollniste with half, the outstanding feature being Lovetl's "Concentrations." Cafe Marquard GEARY AND MASON STREETS, SAN FRANCISCO THESPIANS' FAVORITE RENDEZVOUS FOR LUNCHEON, DINNER AND AFTER THE SHOW DANCING AND CABARET SPECIAL NIGHTS THEATRICAL NIGHT EVERY WEDNESDAY FETE FUN FROLIC siciart who was summoned recom- mended that the actress cancel her evening performance. Miss Robson, however, stayed in her apartpnent until the last minute and then hur- riedly summoning a taxi rushed to the theatre and went on for the night show. Rumors to the effect that Adele Blood, whom the local press de- scribed as "America's most beauti- ful blonde," was to wed again were denied here last week by Miss Blood, who is living at tho Hotel I St. Francis. Adele Blood came here * from Seattle, where she was filling j a theatrical engagement. She had been twice married and twice divorced. A SHOW iN ITSELF /• COFFEE DAN'S SAN FRANCISCO'S. FAMOUS MIDNIGHT PLAYGROUND ize that there was a difference. In February, 1898, Martin Lehman came to this city and secured a lease on the old Ninth Street thea- tre, which he converted into the Orpheum—the first Orpheum to be established outside of California- San Francisco had the first, Los An- geles the second and Kansas City the third. The old house had played variety, melodrama, and about everything in tho amusement line of the day, but had never been a winner and was considered a hoo- doo of the first class. At that time it was out of the regular theatrical district and most of the better class refused to go to It. Mr. Lehman, after much time and trouble, ar- ranged his opening bill, the best he could secure, but the regular thea- tre goers failed to come and the patrons of the old variety house did not care for the show. Empty seats were the rule for a number of weeks. Fully believing in his en- tertainment and that the town folks would like the Orpheum vaudeville, if they could be lilduced to sample it, Mr. Lehman started out to call upon the ladies of the city. He gave them tickets and personally invited them to come to his thea- tre. The response was slow, but business gradually increased, jil- though the loss- tho first year was enormous. The s^ond year the house just about broke even, the third year, there was a profit, and since then there h^as been a steady increase in the profits, which have run into the thousands. The old house soon proved inadequate to accommodate tho Orpheum fans and December 26 the present beau- tiful new house was opened. The final performance in the old house was given In the afternoon and the entire show moved to the new house for the evening opening. The hou5?e has been operated continually through the regular theatrical season since the opening 24 years ago, with but little change In its policy. In the summer of 1920 it was kept open during the summer months, giving vaudeville at popular prices, but that was the only time that it operated during the heated term. Frank Allen, property man, and Ann Braxton, In charge of the female help, were | among the original crew when the house opened and still on the job. M. A. Lenge, leader of the orches- tra, and the oldest leader in the city, joined the Orpheum forces in 1900, and is considered ono of the originals. In tho propelty room of the present house there are huge frames of photos of thousands of artists who have played the Or- pheum, and among the collection, Frank Allen, the ov/ner^ pointed out the pictures of four of tho acts on tho openmg bill, as given above. Tho American Biograph, featured on the opening bill, was the first to be used here and created a sensa- tion, proving tho feature of the en- tertainment offered by the new theatre. The Hungariivi Boys Band was also heavily featured and held here for three weeks. IN FOND MEMOBY OP MY BELOVED GRANDMOTHER ESTHER "Who Departed Thl« Life January 2^th, 1917. THINKING OF HKR ALWAYS EDDIE CANTOR where they were "known as King and Rose, died at her home in New York, Jan. 28, of pneumcnla. The de- ceased recently toured Australia un- der the name of Pear! Lovcll. John Hickey, who was with "Fink's Mules" and who died of tuberculosis on Jan. 24, was burled with honors in San Francisco by members on the bill at the Orpheum where Hickey war playing. His death was very sudden. He Is not known to have any relatives living. Georges Lordier, on Jan. 7, in Paris, at the age of 38 years. The deceased was a well known picture IN*MEMORY OF JOSEPH KAUFMAN Died February 1st, lOlS ETHEL CLAYTON KAUFMAN exhibitor, renter and producer, also owner of Le Cinema, a French weekly motion picture organ. He had been in* weak health for sev- eral months. Irwin Welch, age 13, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lew Welch, died Jan. 29 of pneumonia following a three- day illness. Arthur Nikisch, the Hungarian conductor, died in Leipsic, Jan. 24, aged 66. MRS. IMOGENE HYAMS Mrs. Imogene Hyams, age 81, died at her home here following a fall when she broke, her hip. Mrs. Hyams had claimed she was the first American to play "Eva" In "Uncle Tom's Cabin", preceded only IN FOND RKMEMBR.%NC£ OF MY "WIFE MRS. FRANK HUNTER Who Died February 2, 1919. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. FRANK HUNTER by an English actress. She created the mother role In "Way Down East* and was on the stage until about 10 years ago. % The deceased was the widow of two theatrical men, William Shires and Nay Hyams. Mr. Shires Is said to have originated |hc matinee performance In America, while man- ager of the Pike opera horse. ilATTIE MOOSEK- -M. C. MOOSEB Aladdin Studio Tiffin Room 303 Sutter St. Phone Dongia* 39T4. SAN FRANCISCO'S Oi:pnt.il Show Place and Ileod.tuarlert for the Profession. K. C. ORPHEUM (Continued from page 1) bring back remembrances, to many of the old timers, of how Martin Lehman, witli his poclcots full of tickets, used to personally visit the residential section of the city and present the tickets to the ladies and beg them to come to his theatre. Twenty-four years ago vaudeville as it Is now given at the Orpheum was an unknown amusement. Kan- sas City had vnrioty theatres, and that was the trouble, for It was a hard matter to make the average citizen, especially the women, real- When in SAN FRANCISCO MEET AND EAT With DAVE LERNER ECONOMY LUNCH No. 2 24 ELLIS STREET—NEXT TO CENTURY THEATRE Service and Rates to the Profession HOTEL TURP 17 Powell St., Near Market, SAN FRANCISCO One IJlock fiom All Theatrcsi SCENERY BY EDWIN H. FLAGG STUDIOS