Variety (March 1922)

VAUDEVILLE Friday, March 3, 1922 1 t'i» tt. v... ^ I i ^ TOO MUCH NEWARK VAUDEVILLE FORCES ONE HOUSE TO STOP Eight Theatres Lately Playing Variety Bills—Sixty Theatres for City of Half Million—Strand Going Back to Pictures Newarlv, Mai\'h I. Tlie Stratid, indi'jxiidoully bookc'd, *clll diflooiUinuc its jiroMtiU nop vaudeville policy uithln lhr«'C W'fekf», the house rov^TtiiiK iit that time to its former straight picture policy. Viuupvlllo has proved impro!it- able, larpTcly due to ♦he number of lu)u«es with a similar policy in the Fame locality. The opening of vaudeville in the Strand a few weeks ago constituted three Tiew Ijial vaudeville house * this season. The Shubertfl opened the Rialto with vaudeville in September, with I.oew's State, p". ing continuous vaudeville policy, o. ening a few month.s later. The two new houses, boih of large capacity, drew busi- ness from Keeney's and Proctor's, both located a few blocks from the Loew house, but som- distance from the Rialto. BusinecR has been off in the ma- jority of the houses during the past few weeks, blamed largely upon the number of theatr'^s playing vaude- ville. Newark, with a population of half a million people, has 60 theatres, incliiding picture houses, with eiKht employing a vaudeville policy dur- ing the past few weeks. Permit was granted last week for the construction of another large picture house on Kliza'eth avenue, near Hayes Circb\ FIELDS MOVES TO MURAT Cincinnati, March 1. The Lew Fields' Shubert va\ide- ville unit bill will mf>ve from here Saturday to the Shub<'rt-Murat, Indianapolis. It will be the Jir; t time the Murat h:is had a Sliubort vaudeville show. BOOK ORPHEUM, JR.'S ON COAST, FRISCO HEARS Anyhow, Beck Is Due in Frisco and Rumors Are Plentiful San Francisco, March 1. Martin JJeck's return visit to Sun Francitco lliis week is expected to develop important changes in the Orpheum staff here, according to rumors that are flying thick and fa.«t about the Uialto. As yet, no n.'imes have been given out otncially as identified with the new (Jolden Gate, the Junior Or- pheum house that Is to open here .March 20. The Junior Ori)heum in Los Angeles will open its doors on March 19. One report that seems to have been given credence is that con- cerning the opening of a bookinj: headquarters by the Orpheum on the West coast, probably in l..os Ange'.-s. The Los Angeles otTlce, if opened, may be utilized to serve tl)e Junior Orpheum houses in the AVesi. it is reported. STRAND, HOLYOKE, CLOSES Holyolvc. Mass., March 1. The Strand, formerly housing .'^plii week vaudeville booked through the Keith office, closed its vaudeville Sunday and v.ill play pictures indef- initely. With the doain.'^. I..oevv's \"icto!-y rf-main.s the onl:, \aud<'vllio thet ^r.* hf-rc EDDIE VOGT VACATIONING AUur.KS, c.nre of American Kxpresa Co., Haymarket. London, Knglantl. BOOKING SWITCHES The Strand, Hoboken, .switched It.s Sunday vaudeville bookings to Jack Llnder commencing this week. The Amphion, Brooklyn, formerly hooked by Jack Lindcr, has changed to the KM Sobel office. The house plays a musical tab in conjunction with its vaudeville bill. The Boro Park, Brooklyn, switches its vaudeville bookings commencing next week from John Kobl.ins to Fally Markus, The h »u<c plays six acts on a split wrck. NAN STERLING LOHSE and STERLING Touring the Orpheum Circuit WHILE AT MAJESTIC, CHICAGO Lohsc and Sterling, the best look- ing two people doing an acrobatic act on the stage of this man's land. Ralph does his usual routine, in- cluding the chair and uccordeon stunts. All of ihe work of this team is well executed with a speed that is refreshing. Nana Sterling knows how to .veil what she executes. She wore a blue and gold folly costume which was rather decollette, but she was a dream in it. Direction HA^^ WEBER CHINKS TIED UP Horwitz Recovers His Celestial Turn by Bonding It SHUBERTS SOUTH Atlanta and New Orleans Men tioned for Vaudeville Next Seaeon Now Orleans, March L Shubert vaudeville seems certain for a section of the South next sea- son. A reported plan has Atlanta and New Orleans in the Shubert routing. The Shuberts hold a long lease on the old Orpheum here and this year have been playing legitimate attractions at the theatre success- fully. With the Krlanger-Shubert arrangement one of the legit houses may withdraw. The plan has Atlanta following Washington and New Orleans after Atlanta. The Shubert acts would lose a week after the local date, as do those playing at the Orpheum. Atlanta has not had big time vaudeville \x\. years and is cherry ripe for that brand. New Orleans will support two better class vaude- ville houses in greater proportion than it has a couple of legitimate theatres. There has not been big time "op- posish" In New Orleans since Wil- liam Morris operated the American music hall, now the Palace, the South's greate.st vaudevi!!c money- maker. MINNEAPOLIS BOOKS SHUBERT VAUDEVILLE Finklestein & Rubin's Palace Starts Next Week, Booked from Chicago Office Riley, Moso' Biooklyn Marr.fjor IMward I'lley hria boeii proni'dt-ti to .^upervl.sor of tlio Mos^s' i'rook- lyn houses. JIo w;ll give up active management of the riatbu^Ii to be >;ucct('ded by Jerry ch? Uosa, f.om tilt* Cameo. J)o(' Kilcy has l-crn appointed manager of the I'.tniro. 'ROSE GIRL'» UNIT 'The no.«<e Girl," originally pro- duced by Wllmer & Romberg, which op« ned the Ambassador, New York, and later taken over by the Shu- norts, j:oes into rehearsal this week to be condensed for Shubert vaude- vilb'. Fn d llildelirand. of the original c.-jst, will be fewtured. Tlir unit is to be ready in two weeks, with tin* tiriginal production to be carried barring .'<omo eut'.in.'T of I lie book. Arthur Ilorwitz, the I^oew agent, proliting by a costly past experi- ence in dealing with Chinese troupes, slipped »>ne over on bis competitors tiii:? v.c^k by ji rather nifty ruse, the res\ilt of which tinds ihe Iloyal I'ekineHc Troupe at the I.oew State theatre with a Horwitz contrui't for li5 coni^ecutive weeks and an (ijition f«.)r l'* additional we< Ivs, A few months a^o Ho/witz tied up the Choy IJng Koo Troupe and booked them for .a TJ-we»-k run on ih«.ir way to New Vork from Chi- cago. The Chinks got as far as tlie .Metropolitan, IJrooklyn. when a big lime agent apj.reached them, and although Horwitz had bonded them rt»r .a detour through C.inada, the Orientals were commercial and de- serted for the big time. Laf^t week Horwitz passed the word that he was going to Atlantic City for a rest. Instead he jour- neyed to Washington and procured a permit from the Immigration au- thorities allowinsr the •I'ekincse Troupe to enter America from Montreal. Horwitz was forced to liost a bond of $2,500 for < arh Chink. From Washington Horwitz fast- ened to Montreal and tied up the six Pekinese with a personal con- tract for the 25-week run at $050 weekly, gambling on the i)ossibilily of selling the troui)e in New York. Wh< n he returner! he submitted the a -t to J. H. Lubin and immediately after their oi)ening I^ubin routed tli'> (^hinks for the stiinilatcd time listi .1 on the Horwitx contract. THYOUTS BOOKED BY FOX 'I'la<<' out of ^I.v try-out aets ulii'h showed at the City Monday (•r List week were given Fox con- • raets by Hdgar.VJlen. Dorman and St.inby. new in the lla.st. and Ches- ter and Warren, talking and acro- batic team, were given the Fox vaudevilb.^ time, the bookings being f*»r tln-ee and a half we^ks. Katherine Stang, a violini'=5te, is tlie third try-out booked. She is <oivsldered a find and was given 15 we; ks, that taking in the Fox pic- ture and vaudeville houses. She opened Sunday at the Japanese roof garden and will appear four v.eeks at the Academy of Music. Miss Stang will be worked as a single in the Fox vaudeville houses following tin; pieturo appearances. HENNEPIN, ORPHEUM, JR., CHANGES POLICY Three Shows Daily Now— Two Acts Dropped Out— Business Good rvlinneapoii.'', Marrli 1. The II e n n e p i n, Orpheum Jr., here, has cut its admission scale and changed the policy. The new l>oliv'y calls fni- three show.i daily from each of the six acts, as against the Stale-Lake policy. wh»»re six acts did three shows with two «b»in:; four, making continuous vaude- ville. I'nder the* Jiew arrangements tv%o acts are droppe<J and liie perform- ance will be continuous fiom 12:45 to 11:,30 p. m., V. ith the vaudeville starting at 2:45, r.:.'50 and 9 o'clock. A similar change h:is been inaugu- rated at the .Mainstreet, Junior Orpheum, Kansas City, and I'alace, Milwaukee. The new policy and reduction of .scale may have been inlluenced by the announcement that Finklestein & Itubin's New Palace is to open Sunday night with six acts of Shu- bert vaudeville and pictures. Birsiness at liie New Hennepin continues good, with strong bills and "names" continuing to till the house at popular prices. It started off a few weeks ago like a hou.se atire, smothering everything el.se in town, but the change indicates the tjait did not keep up. The local I'ant.jges house Is re- ported listed for a switch to straight jiictures nnle.«3 busi)iess improves. Hurton Meyers an<l Jack Quinlan are trying to bolster uj> attendance. Meyers represents tl^e sio< kholders. while Quinkui is Pantage;*' i)eisunal overseer. Minneapolis, March 1. Shubert vaudeville will open Sun« day at Finklestein &. Rubin's now I*alaoe here. The house formerly ))layed the I.oew road shows, but was withdrawn from the Loew othce recently on a mutual arrangement, although the booking contrac t bad a year more to run. Six acts, feature picture and news reel for full week stands three times daily at 35 cents toi>, >n ill be ihe policy of the Palace after Sunday. Tlie vaudeville acts will be suj-pbod by the Shubert Chicago otilce by Charles W. Morganstern, who suc- ceeded J^uve licehler as oJflej man- ager last weelc. The opening if the Pala-e ui-.dor " the Shubert banner mark.s il:e ad- vent of the Shuberts into the hjcal popular priced vaudevlMo lij-ld. The Palace, like all the other Twin City hou.'^ea, has suffered Io:s of patronage since the opening oC the Hennepin, Junior Orpheum, aiid has been seeking a Shubert booliing connection to strengthen its bills. Two of the acts Iksted f.r the opening pn gram are L t ' ^ Mayer and Diving (Jlrls and Kir.ntz and White. The latter have play::! .Jl of the Shubert eastern ivme. n>..th turns wciv l)c...cd - . . .iie "hi- cago ofllc\ Al (iillis, %>ho has been I ieaii.ied with F. & R. for the prist iv.j years, v.'ill remain as bou.'e manager. W'ally iievker will l»e hou:;v- jnv-.s^ agent. L A. SITUATION Plenty of V'audfvillo with Crphcum, Jr., Opening Tab as Stcck A iM;isieal eomedy tab stt>ck com- pany uiukr tlje management of II. C. Fassio opetjs March C in Fleni- ingtim, .\. .1. The company, itielud- ing ten peoj^le, will play a circuit of three tnwns, appearing two diys in each, wirii a ehange of 1>I1I w e' uly. AUDUBON TRYOUTS Tb(> Amiubon, the Washington Heights Fox house, will add pro- fe.^slonal try-outs next Thur.sday to the regular vaudeville bill. The house has a dancing contest Mon- day nights and other business pro- moters ,Mre to be exi)eriment<'<l with. The Audubftn is situated between the Mop.s Coliseum above and the Moss Hamilto?! beluv*', and has had v.arying bu^ine.'^s funce the Heights invasion. For a time Proadway feature pictures and a symphony <»rehestra with several vaudeville acts seemed to be the solution, but after a brief period of stimulated attendance the liouse drr>pi)»d back again. NORTH ONE-NIGHTS Vaudeville Will Play Six Towns in Six Days During Week Watertown, N. Y., .March 1. Northern New York's latest vaudeville circuit will embrace six- towns of this section, playing a bill of acts and pictures in theatres formerly pl.jying pictures only. Commencing Monda.v weekly the show will appear at (Jouverneur. Ogdensburg. .Malone, Mas.sena, Pots- dam and Carthage. It's a new i)laying seheme for northern N'ew York. l.os Angeles, Ma'vh 1. Willi t!i.^ .Tunio.- Orpheum ready to open liie middle of thi.s month Los Angeles will have anothe;- huge downtown tiieatre, I.oew's bg and new Stale has the most advaj.itage- ous location. Alercander I'ant.iges Is operating two houses here. It means lively competition lor the vaudeville business. The Piintages bill weekly includes a special sketch, usually i>resentcd by the owner of the circuit through .irrans<^nient ^ with some tilm .star or lead who ap- I>ears in person. Of late the Pon- tages shows have been exceptionally good for the smaller time house. Hoffman Brothers, of Southern California, are jireparing for the opening of two picture houses. The Hegent and the Temple, in resident tial districts, open within the cnm« ing three weeks. Another. Carden, will soon be erected by this s\ndi- cate, which is to be known as the Los Angeles Theatres, Inc., dealing principally wlih theatres in tli'^ up- town section.'?. WEBSTER IN SHUBERT Chicago, March 1. CJeorge Webster, late of tbe C. I.. Carrell vaudeville agency here, has been added to the staff of the West- ern Shubert vaudeville ofllce. lie will serve as aid to Clarence Mor- gcnstern, who is the new business manager of the offlco, and direct the bookings of several of the* houses on the Western ofllce books. BETHLEHEM'S SPLIT WEEK The Kurtz, Dethlehem. Pa., will use a four-act .split-week vaudeville policy commencing Monday, booked by Fally Markus. The house has? been playing pifcures, and started the Reason as a .*5hubert vaudeville house. dfr .1^ WHITEHURST AGREES TO PAY The suits by the American .Stuirty of Composers, Authors and Publish- ers which were pending in jtalti- mt)ro last week against Charle.^ K, \\'hiiehurst, owner of a chain of picture tlieatrcs, were adjusiod I'oN lowing conference between J. C. Rosenthal of the society and the defendant. The executive represent* ativG of the plaintiff society, after two hours' conversation with Mr. Whitehurst. showed that the writers of the mu.sical seleciTons used as part of the musical program accom- panying the pictures were entitled to some recompense for their efforts. Whitehurst agreed to pay the annual tax demanded by the society, as a result of which several other suit.s still pending in Paltimore against other exhibitors will ♦ ven- lually be adjusted. ORPHEUM, JR.. ON COAST The Orpheum Circuit is arrang- ing bills for the opening of two of the new coast houses to be lifted under the junior Orpheum route, the Hrst to open being the Hill St. the- atre, I.,os Angeles, March 21, with the Colden (Jato theatre, '^i^y\ Fran- cisco, opening the following week. P.oth houses will play six acis with a fe;jture i)i<.'ture, giving three shows daily. Miles' Hcuscs Keeping Open The Miles houses at C'.ev. l.i'i'l and Whecliii;;. j-eporled elos;n:<. ^\l" remain oi)en indeilnitely. The houses got a break wi'h Charley Murray, thp film (.M»m"<i "'• who did big b.j.:Ine.ss a: ImjUj ' .i ''"•