Variety (March 1922)

V AU Uti. V ILLE Friday. March 3, 1922 N. Y. LEGISLATORS PROPOSE DRASTIC THEATRE BUILDING CODE Senate Bill Amends Labor Law to Provide for Rigid Inspection—Calls on Industrial Commission to Formulate Rules—Theatre Men in Accord I Albany, N. Y., Manh 1. A Rtaiulard rode of theatre build- ing is propositi under a bill .Hist introduced in tiio New York Stale Senate and inspired by the Knicker- bocker theatre catastrophe in Wash- ington, to cover the entire State as a principle upon which all local regulatory measures shall be moulded. The measure is in the form of an mendment to the Labor law. It was drawn by iJie State Labor Department and introduced by Senator Charles J. Hewitt, Re- publican of Locke, X. Y. Tho meas- in-e is understood to have the ap- l)roval of theatre men. It is entitled "An Act to Amend the Labor Law in relation to jilaces of public assembly and making an appropriation tlurefore." It was .sent to the Committee on Kinance as practically all measures bearing aiipropriations do in the ordinary prrtcedure. i'nder the provi^t ons of - the b i ll there is to be a rigid inspection of all theatres and places of amuse- ment in ibe Stato, In cities where lher«» are t o enforcement oilicers the State police are to enforce the regulations. The State Industrial Commis- Hioner is? directed to )>repa_re rules whii-h shall govern the erection of places of amusement and such rules Khali have the effect of law, com- l)rising a code for the whole State. The bill provides that after Oct. 1, 1922, all plans for new places of I>ublic amu.sement must be Tiled with the Industrial Commissioner and the owner must secure a certificate jf compliance with the State re- «iulrements before the establi.«?hment shall be opened. The following delinition of "a place or public assembly" i:. set down: "A place, maintained, rented or leased for pecuniary gain, where one hundred or more persons may assemble for amusement or j-e.-riri » tion." . ^ae r«-*"" Other provision"..» tv»^ "All pla'?'fti.i*» ■•'» ^'^ ■■ ' wurlc »■ "'-^ of public .'i-'Stjubly sjiaii bo so constructed, ctiuii)ped and maintained as to provide reasonable and a iequato protcciion to the lives, health and t;afciy of all persons employed or assamblcd therein." "The Industrial I'oard shall make rules to carry out the provisions of tliis article. Such ruies shall be the minimum standard required and shall supercede any special law or local ordinance incons:st«'nt llure- with, and no local ordinance in- consistent therewith shall be adoi)ted, but nothing herein con- tained shall prevent the enactment by local ordinance of additioii il re- quirements and restrictions. Such rules of the Ir.'lustrial Beard shall constitute the '.'^late sstandar-l build- ing code'* for the construction and equipment of places of public as- sembly, shall be subject to the pro- cedure set forth in sections 29 and 30 of this chapter (No. 50 of the Labor Law), may be limited in their application to certain classes of buildings or to tlie con<litions under which they are operated, and some or all of them may apply only to lliose buildings or places to be con- structed . . . in the future." "The enforcing authority shall ascertain by in.spet.'tion wbetlur places of public assembly <'ontorm to the requireinents of this article and the rules adopted thereunder. !.'■ i.uch places are foun<l to so cun- foim he or it shall issue a cerlillcate of eomplianee to that elTeet. Such certificate shall be upon a form ap- p!-oved by tl\e ln<lustiial Commis- niiMier or famished by liini an<1 shall 1)0 conspi* uous!y posinl ii[Hiri the i>remlses." ."A J\c not to « N- .ed $10 nuiy )••• charged to ai>d c«)lleet«>d from the owner, lessee or per.«;«»n e«»n<lucting the i»lav'e of assembly for the ap- pro\al of jilans and f«.>r eaeh in- spection, but not more than |20 in any one ^ear may be sa »'harge(l." j •Trom and after Oct. 1. ■".♦22, no! place of assembly shall )»o «on- ducted for pe(.uniary gain unless a certificate «>r romiiliance shall have been issued and conspicuously pOBled iliereln. Tiie enforcing au- thority may i evoke such certificate of compliance if premises are not maintained according to the pro- visions of law." The sum of iri.OOO is appropriated to cover jiew positions in the De- partment of Labor neces.sary to the carrying out of the provision.-^ of the bill, but shall not be available until such positions shall have been described and approved. MEN AT SING SING LAUD THEIR WARDEN Mutual Welfare League Says Major Lawes Stands for Them Despite Attacks Si.njLisiDE. X. Y.. MarchJ^__ In its customaij manui-r of acknowledging the volunteer ser- vices of artists and managers in providing entertainment for the prisoiurs, the Mutual Welfare League, through th«» suspension of the prison >>ulb'tin, requests N'arjety to publish the following: GENEVE BUTLER OP FLANDERS and BUTLER "A VAUDEVILLE CONCERT" "Of the more delicate sort is the act given })y Flanders and Butler, the latter an extremely pretty woman. Miss Butler does every- thing but yodel with runs, trills, st.iccato atid high notes trimming an old song as perhaps it never was before, and Flanders plays jazz so it really sounds like music."—SAX FKAXCISrO CHHOXICLE. ORPHEUM CIRCUIT Direction BURT CORTELYOU MURPHY ESCAPES ALIMONY Kitty Letraunlk, who motion in the Supreme have Samuel Letraunlk sionally Senator Francis punished for contempt of failure to live up to an made a Court to (profes- Murphy, court for alimony The :\Iutual Welfare League of Sing Sing Prison again wishes to express its gratitude to Briggs & O'Neil and Mr. Mills, of the Vio torla theatre, Ossirnng, as well as to the artists for their kin<lness in ap- pearing at the Institution Friday evening, Feb. 24, to help entertain the men. At a time like this when everybody seems to be engaged In the favoiiti.' indoor sport of 'kicking the fellow who Is down," the magna'^■'r<; the arti.sts come- tHu^rtr ot shine ♦- '*K'S ijKc a ray of su)i- I J'-CC/ the men confined behind The walls. It is through the kindness of our warden. Major Lewis E. Lawes. that wo are permittevl to enjoy these nets each F.'iday night. Our war- den has shown the true Christian spirit of brotheihood when in the face of attack by the reactionary elemems and those who would de- stroy ..11 vestige of maulion<l left in us, ho still persists in his faith in human nature and continues to help the nien in his care to fed that there are some who nie willing to aid them in their efforts to re- habilitate their li\es. We are en- deavoring to prove to Warden Lawes and to the many friends of the league, that gratitude is a virtue that is not dead within us. I cau but quote in extenuation of our appeal for assist«ince from the outside public, William Russell Lowell, in 'The Vision of Sir Laun- fal," when the knight went in search of the Holy CJrail, and Christ .said unto him. "Xot that, which we give but what we share, for the gift without the giver is bare." The fir.'^t act on the program was Clark and Beahan, comedy jugglers. In addition to being good jugglers, . they have SF)lendid comedy whU>|-'^-^ CONNERY FOE CONGRESS went over exceptionally well. - i'ewis. The second act was J. C Jr., and f" '•• ' ••■i.--;»^ ^ etfy skit. This juvenile act is one of the best we have been privileged to see here in a long time, and the children took the house by storm. The la.^t act was"the Gordon Duo, in harmony singing. Both Miss Gordon and Mr. Kennedy of this duo have excellent voices and the blending of their voices in some of the numbers brought forth a volume of applau.«e from the audience. All acts were compelled to take en- cores. We enclose the evening program with a five-reel feature from the Fniversal Film Co., "Shattered DreaiTis,' with Miss Du Pont. B'WAY PANTAGES, L. A., LEASED BY PANTAGES New Pantages Holding Up With Pop Vaudeville Los Angeles, March 1. The Broadway Pantages theatre has been leased by Alexander Pantages to Dalton Brothers, own- ers of the Burbank and Follies, for a five-year term. The Daltons will probably play tabs at the Broadway. That Is the policy of their other two houses. The new Pantages with vaude- ville, pictures and extra attractions is holding up well, although Eva Tanguay did not reach box office expectations. She was taken ill last Wednesday and out of the bill for the remainder of the week. Two boys replaced her. The Broadw^ay I'antages has a good location and was a money- maker last year for Pantage.s. Since remodelling around the first of the year, it seemed unable to come back. For three weeks the house ifsed a Will Morrisey rtvue, but changed to a combination program last week, after Morrissey had been taken ill. The change did not benefit. Loew's new State, with Loew's road shows and pictures is doing a splendid business in the best loca- tion in town. Just now, though, it 4s also feeling the flu <»ffects.-" SCHENCKS' DIVORCE Mrs. Joe Schenck Names Liliu Broderick in Chicago Action Chicago, March L Mrs. Amelia Schenck In start inf a divorce suit against her husl.;ind, Joe Schcngk (Van and Sch(m k), hero last week, named Lillia . Ihod* erlclc as the other woman. Latter playinfc Majestic here this week with Tom Bryan, admits she was the co- respondent named. Schenck, who, with bis i)arlner, Gus Van, has been with the Zieg. feld "Follies" for several seasons, ia alleged by his wife to be wi.rth $300,000. Ills wealth was accumu- lated, say3 Mrs. Schenck, through stage salary and royalties. The Schencks were married .Tuly 12. 1912 at Jersey City. They luive one daughter, I'eggy. decree, had the motion denied by Justice Ford last week. The court ruled that, since Murphy »iad proved victo:'ious in a counter-sunit for annulment of marriage, the mono- logist was not bound to pay alimony under the previous 5t^»?tfaiiCfl decree. Lynn. Mass.. March L Friends are grooming William P. CBilly") Connery, Jr., of this city, private secretary to Mayor Ilarlond A. McPhetres. and for a number of years in vaudeville as a monologlst, as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Congre.s^'man from the Sevetith district next fall. Act Goes Into "Scandals" Clayton and Lennio opened with White's ".Scandals" Wednesday at Washington, replacing fieoi^ge I..e- malro. The two-man act had been given a T^oew route after leaving the Shu- beit vjtvuleville time. They secured a ■ • for the prnduction engage- mer^t. AKKXATJSTS AS UNDERSTUDIES Kan.sas City, March L The Jordan Sisters, who opened the bill at the Orpheum last week in a double wire act, substituted later for lOihelyn Clark in .lo.«?eph Howard's offering. Miss Claik wat out of the act on account of illness. The si.«<ters were extrenu'ly easy in the new parts and many faileil to recognize the wire dancers until the finish, when Mr, Howard in ;i i lever little speech gave them crrdii. 7TH REGT BAND FOR $3,000 The Tlh Jteglment Military |{;ind, composed of members of the Na- tional (Juard on the reserve list, has been formed for vaudeville by Francis W. Sutherland. The latter during the war period rated as a first lieutenant directing the beat assortment of players in the A. E. F., representing the 10-lth FieM Ar- tillery. The act consists of n:. mem- bers and tlie offering for vaudeville is priced at $3,000 per week. "AWKWARD AGE" PLAYLET Kve Lynn and Clyde Dilson. both of the legitimate, are the leads in a new playlet with music. It is called "The Awkward -Age,' written by Herbert Hall Winslow, tlu_- num- bers coming from Harry Archer and Harlan Thompson. Miss Lynn was prima donna in "Fitter Patter** last season. Dilson was in "Cood Morning, Judge. BRITT WOOD PINED $100 Ilockford, 111.. Mar.h 1. The police court at Dixon, 111., im- posed .1 fine of $100 and costs on Britt Wood last v/eek on the ch.irge of transporting liquor on a juiblic highway. Helen Keller Recovers Houston, Tex., Man h 1. Helen Keller recovered from th« illness that interrupted her •ntragac ment with the Interstate circuit in Dallas and opened In Houston Sunday. ALEEN BRONSON COMEDIENNE "THE SUNSHINE OF THE STAGE" <iets a pen picture (nm\ fwiy jS viewer in «'aeh »ity she ap:"»ears for he)' laugh winning ability which she is t^o .vpbjididly displaying in her eomedy .«t|>ecialty entitled. * Uue Again." PICTURE LOST IN TRANSIT JOSEPH H. GRAHAM STAGE DIRECTOR TOLEDO THEATRE, TOLEDO, OHIO ".No artiele about the Tobxlo Theatre would be comi)let<; \\.i)i<>ut t.ientioning the truly ftinazing work of Stage Director, Ja**eph 11. «'.ra- bam. Ills Is the d.siuimie personality that whips into shape the wu:." of lims, f«»rn)s .nd so\:nds which the patrons of the theatre see oiily^a'^ f beautiful ant -wished production."-THE OHIO WO.MAN'K MA'JA/l^*"^ tn's, f«»rn)s jnd : ^'luiiful an 'I -^is I