Variety (May 1922)

^day. May 5. 1982 iVAXTDEVILLE 8 ADING CARNIVAL MEN MOVING CLEAN W THEIR CALLING SO. AFRICAN PUYERS SEEKING aOSED SHOP li^et in Chicago to Find Means to Curb Dishonest Faker—Startling and Promising Turn in Carnival Scandal—Chamber of Commerce Describes One ^'Carnival" Communications sent to Variety jiig week indicate a sUrtling if l^l^ising turn in the carnival scan- ^57 which has for half^a century run riot through America, but which Ijy been called to public, concen- trated, natiopal attention within o&e year by this rtewspaper. Ifc is from within that the final, ^ most immediately effective re- f li^rm is about to come. Word from Chicago states that representatives of five of the Icad- iag caraival companies in America efctted a meeting there for the p6r- jioscvof talcing up ways and means to curb the dishonest, the indecent, the illegal bands of roving maraud- ers who. under the name of carni- vals, outrage not only the commu- nlM^s they plunder and infect, but alao the few respectable show out- «tls wiich have to share the blame ft^'the stench stirred up by the iililefactors in "The Sewer of the ghbw Business." Variety is not ready to announce the names of the several law-abid- ing carnivals that have started the movement to eradicate the swin- dlers and the panderers. The prime Spvers want to get well started their work without interruption, arid will in due time make an an- flpuncement. ;If ever there was a year for it, Uit is the one. The carnival cru- tade has become a crystallized thing across the continent. From every corner of the nation comes word of the long delayed but now rapidly developing closing in on the fakers. Just what it is that they and Variety are fighting may be gleaned from a single report, typical of hundreds of others, by the* Chamber •f. Commerce of Olean. N. Y., on one of the unclean carnivals: • "Its array of 'amusements' con- iiat of a ferris wheel, the usual fxhibits of freaks, a few low- grade shows and a number of concessions. Cheap prizes are .fiven patrons in some of these, iwhile others are purely games of _cliance. The latter Include a echanical device for 'playing the Dies,' candy wheels, a pillow %heel, ball tossing for live fowls. ttc. In the wheel games the patron places his money on one •f Si series of numbers painted •n the counter. The wheel Is then revolved and If it stops on a number corresponding to the number selected he wins a prize. As the numbers usually run from one to thirty, his chances are ■mail. "One of the repulsive exhibits Is that advertised as the 'moan- ing and groaning' snake eater, Who sits in a filthy canvas pit surrounded with reptiles. Mum- bling and swaying to and fro, the 'exhibit* toys with these, stopping occasionally to nibble at *• half-skinned snake lying near- by. "The objectionable shows in- clude a posing and oriental danoe performance — objectionable be- se of the insinuations of the rker' and the remarks of the faudience itself. The fprm«r con- fldentially tells the crowd, among other things, that if they are 'out for entertainment* they will cer- tainly find it in the performance pf the oriental dancer, who ances •differently,* the dance 'being not '"^ith the hands or (cet, but from *' the shoulders to the ankles. J^'lies arc asked to rcmnin away ' Fr°'^' the evening performance, (Waving the latter to the .sole en- •-'•Ityment of the men, who are ad- ^Uod not to 'talk in their sleep.* etc. "Following this harangue the performers pass inside, utlerint? » fow uncnthiisiastic .shouts. The ^ Posinj? lii'ludes 'Innocenre.* 'The JJalden's I"* r a y e r,' 'September Morn.* etc-. The reninrks of the spectators, however, are anything i J>wt innootnt. During the imsing I ^"6 lightly clad peiformers are I jy^Jp^tt^tl to a continuous run of ^jj«« remarks from the crowd. whose verbal indecencies are without limit, and no effort is made to limit them. "Masquerading as a comedy, another sho^ stages a number of very suggestive muscle dances, in which the women performers make a deliberate appeal to the sensual nature of the spectators, especially In certain movements. Some of the dancers engage in conversation with the men in the audience between performances.** There are not less than 200 "car- nivals** touring America today which would, with minor changes of per- sonnel, answer to the above frank, true description by the organized business men of a typical Ameri- can town. HERK HAS TIMBERG Will Produce Two Unit Shows for Shubart V«ud«vill« Herman Timberg was engaged Tuesday by I. H. Herk under an agreement that calls for Timberg to produce two units for the Shubert vaudeville circuit. Timberg will ap- pear in one of the units as well as producing it. He will make one production for George Gallagher and the other for Ed Beatty. ANOTHER JAMES B. CARSON James B. Carson, an actor, ar- rested last week in New York charged with liaving stolen a diamond from Edna and Grace Dreon (in vaudeville), is not the comedian of that name who has ap- peared in vaudeville and musical comedy for several years. The original James K. Carson fs at present playing in the Ziegfeld "Frolic*' in Chicago, and has not been here since the show opened some weeks ago. RACING LOSS NOT DEDUCTIBLE Albany, N. Y., May S. Losses at the race track may not be deducted from taxable income under the State Income Tar Law, the Court of Appeals held in a de- cision handed down this week in the case of Gustav Koenlgswald of Brooklyn, who sought tc deduct a loss of $5,000 at the Saratoga races in 1919. While the State law rermits de- duction of losses other than in busi- ness ventures, the State Comptrol- ler adopted the regulations made by the Treasurer of the United States regarding the application of the Federal Income Tax Law. by which it was held losses in gambling, be- ing a violation of law. should not bo deducted ;.s a matter of govern- mental policy. Koenlgswald Instituted the pro- ceeding to compel the Comptroller to readjust his tax return for 1919 and allow the deduction. Chorus People Are Demanding Six Guineas and Fares LOEfS NET PROFITS EQUAL TO REGULAR DIVIDEND RATE Statement to March 12 Shows Improvement—Price Held Down Until Operators Accumulate—New Top for Orpheum at 21—Goldwyn Reaches 9^ The feature of the amusement studios probably will be annoimced stocks over the week was the pub- lication of a new statement by Loew, Inc., showing net profits for 28 weeks from Sept. 1 to March 12 at the rate of about $2 a year a share of the outstanding common after provision for all charges and Federal taxes. Orpheum touched a new peak - 21 under relatively large transactions and Goldwyn got as high as 9% after suffering a minor setback from its previous top of 9»4. The puzzle in relation to Loew was that in spite of Its substantial improvement as disclosed by the new income and profit and loss ac- I count the price on the New York Stock Exchange remained station- ary. The only explanation that seemed plausible was that the is- sue is in the hands of a market pool which is still engaged in a campaign to ke p prices down un- til it has completed its plan of ac- cumulation. Bank Loans Reduced Not only was the statement of profits extremely favorable, but offlcials of the company declared that since the financial survey was made further betterments had taken place in the reduction of obligations to banks, and the forecast was made that within a few months all bank loans would be liquidated. The published statement to stockholders signed by President Marcus Loew is dated April ^C and sfiowj the con- dition of the property as of March 12. Up to March 12 "current lia- bilities" (another name for ca«h liabilities) had been r. luced by $1,000,000, and between ^Iarch 12 and April 26 there was a further decrease in bank loans of $845,000. ''Other obstacles to the stock's ad- vance also were out o{ the way. The president's note to the stock- .holdcrs said: "The company'^ building program has been com- pleted except for the Warileld tbo- atrc and ten-s*ory ofilce building nt Market and Taylor .streets. San Francisco, which will bo opcnod May in." Tbi.s di.spo.sos cf the company's bigffost probk-m. and tb«' situation wotikl seem to be especial- ly favoral)le in ronnrcticn with the diminislKMi outstanding loan . If i<^ n-ported that bank loans, including the indobtedn.^ss of Metro, are now down to $1.0L'r..OOO. and tlii? anmnnt is expected to be rr«»Hsed off slu.rlly It is under.Uond in the tradr tliat Metro is in better position than for a long time, due to prolits from "The Four Horsemen" and I .- erraf'od actlvitie.s In the West Const shortly. 110348.000 Receipts The statement for March 12 shows box ofllce receipts for the 28 weeks as $10,848,646. Other income swelled the total to $11,612,936. 'Operation of theatres cost $6.^07.593, and oper- ation of film distribution offices $650,292. Amortization of films pro- duced and released represents $2,- 175,701 on the cost side. All charges before estimated fedei|;al taxes and depreciation total $10,255,543. Esti- mated taxes for the period are $70,- 103, depreciation on buildings and equipment $137,388, leaving net profit for the period $1,149,901. On the annual basis of $2 a share this would about represent the regular rate. No declaration of purpose as to resuming dividends, omitted since the second quarter of 1921, has come ^ut, but from the announcement of policy as regards liquidating bank loans it would appear probable that the company will be content for the present to conserve cash for this purpose and perhaps for the build- ing up of a substantial cash re- serve before disbursements are re- sumed. Normally the new situation In Loew would have been the occasion for a brisk advance in price. An amost parallel case came out In Kenm?cott Copper during the week. A financial statement showed profits at the rate of $1.50 a share and tiie price promptly climbed into new high ground of better than 34. after hanging around 27 for a long time. Just as In Loew there was no declaration of Intent to resume divi- dends, but the income showing was sufilcient to justify a new level of quotations. The difference between the two I.«(sues probably is that the Kennecott pool had accumulated all the stock it cared to carry and was anxious to move prices up. while the T..oew pool wanted more at cur- rent levels. Some months ago wli<n Loew stood between 14 and 15 it was re- ported that a pool had f..rmed and was Katherini? stock, but since tlien lh(M-o has been no nppirent bull drive as reflected in the daily turn- over. Api)arently tlic operators liave been doing thoir buyinif qnirllv. a little at a l.m<\ During the week the rant^e was narrow, all <lealinc;.s b<'ing within t Hpr»M(l I'f \v<H than a point, top at H and botl' m at 17',i. Orpheum'* Mew Top nc-Tlnring Saturday and ron- linuing through Wednesday there was a buying movement In Or- pheum. the daily turnover Jumping from the normal total of 200 to 300 to around 1.500. Wednesday morn- ing a new top at 21 flat was estab- lished In a brisk first hour. The best previolis price for the current year was 20%. Orpheum is in prac- tically the same position as Loew as regards resumption of dividends which have been passed since the final quarter of 1921. Nothing has come out as to the board'a plan, but from the performance of the issue on the New YorH Exchange, it would surprise nobody if some news reached the public shortly. Orpheum has been behaving very well ever since the annual meeting London. April 21. James C. Aubrey has Just re- turned from South Africa, where he has been producing^ "Chu Chin Chow" for the South African The- atres Trust and playing the Oscar Asche part. In Johannesburg "Chu Chin Chow" ran for 11 weekj and 2 days, breaking all records, a success which was repeated at Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. In six weeks the entire outlay of the cost of bringing the No. 1 company scenery, dresses and principals from London was repaid. The standard of players, native or staying in South Africa, is low, but the choristers demanded a sal- ary of six guinea i a week and pay for travelling and got it. They are demanding a "closed shop." their enmity being obviously directed against the British and American artists brought over from time to time by "the trust.'* They have founded aa Actors' Oenevplent Society. Immediately on arriving a player Is served with income tax papers. Enclosed with the demand is a form stating the artist's salary, which has already been ascertained from his management. The tax is one shilling in the pound with an indi- vidual rebate of £300 as against the British £225. Other allowances are liberal. an 0-' extreme low for its career at 12>s. Goldwyn moved about as expected on the Curb. After touching its new peak of 9V4 last mid-week, it suffered a minor rece?4Bion to 8 and then, rfter a resting period, re- sumed the advance, holding pretty consistently at 9 or better. These fluctuations are typical of a stock under the Influence of a strong bull group. Prices are held In firm con- trol, and intermittent periods of dullness and reaction prevent a run- away climb. Famous Players was featureless, with dealings moderate and In nar- row range, top 82'/l', bottom 80%. A statement of Eastman Kodak this week showed 1921 net profits, after all charges and taxes, of $14,- 105.861, compared to $18,566,210 the year before. The 1921 profit repre- sents $68.67 a share, compared to $92.53 of the previous year. A state- ment from the President explained the decrease in profits on the ground of "business depression and foreign competition." The stock sold on the New York Exchange Tuesday at $770. The 1922 range has been bo- tweerr 800 an I 600. Th#» nummary of traniiMctlonii April J7 to May 3 inclusive la as foli0w«; STOCK EXCHANGE LAUDER'S LONDON SHOW London, April 17. William Morris opened his annual Harry Lauder season in London last nlgtit at Princess, and the re- ception accorded Sir Harry indi- cates the Scotch comedian is as big a favorite here as in America. That Morris has booked him for an eight weeks' run in a West End house last month. In January it reached I would seem to be evidence he is Sa!e>i ITl>fh.T.nw. T.a«t. :!,H00 8')I, iV)% 8«tS IS SI 0.-. ITS 17'^ n«4 17'4 183i 18T» IMS Tliurwday— Fam. IMay-L D.». pf 'JOO fioew. Inc 4,i.'«fl Orpheum • 400 rrlJay— F.im. Play-L... 2,300 Do, pf 30«) T.OPW. Inc 1.500 17'/t Orpheum lOU 18Ts Saturday— ram. riay-I.... 2,800 82 Loew. Inc l.KK) 17'i Orpheum 1.7<>0 l»',i JtoMton Buld 400 Orpheum Mt lO^lU^^. M')n<!ay— Viitn. rtay-L... 1,r,00 82 80% 81 Do. pf 100 JU'i 1*4% »4% I.oew. Inc 1.S00 17"Si 17S 17% orpheum l..'»00 lU'i 19Vi 1l>»,i Ku.stoti RolJ 310 Orphrum at 10^. TufSd.iy-— Fam. riuy I,... 4.100 8'J'S 81 81% Do. pf <VMi P.'. 1*4% O.'i l.ww. Inc l.fMio IT'i 17'« 17«i (Mph.'um l.l.'OO y.t"* 1!>V- 111% '^loHt<Mi nnh] IO«J ('rpli'uiii mI lt)',i. \V«'<lii«»s<Ia.v— r-mi. I'lay-L... l.KtO 8P,4 «t Do pf HK> Ur, •».-> r.o<'-v, Inc tHM> 17Vi 17Vi Orp«i"um .►,... S.ltW ::i% 19',i Chic. -VA —1 - % - % 4- Vj - 'A + U +1 + % -I eight times as popular in London than in New York, where he plays for a single week each season. The star held the stage for one hour, 25 minutes, with his songs and patter in the presence of the smartest kind of an audience, at tl^c end of which time flowers were passed over the footlights and he had to make a speech. The comedian was preceded by five turns, four from America. They were Leipsig. the card expert; Her- man and Shirley in the contortion- ist sketch: Bob Milo and Princess Winona, the American Indian prima donna. The fifth Is Stan Kavanagh. an Australian comedy Juggler with a boy assistant. He Is a very clever manipulator of light articles, with a keen sense of travesty humor and gets a lot out of the manner In which he "misses'' his tricks. In many respects, he resembles the work of W. C. Fields and other jug- glens, but he is In no nense a copy- ist. His act would probably be well received In America. For the eight weeks of the Lnu- der engagement the turns preceding the star will be changed^ each week. The only one held over for the second week is Leipzig.- 'MB. FORD OF MICHIGAN" Washington, May n. •'Mr. Ford of Michigaii" is a new monologist to big time vaudeville, at the local Keith's this week. I /• 81 pr. IT'4 -«• % + % - y* 4lTi THE CURB 'nm-s.lay— f >oM vv> n l-'i nl.iy — f J'iMw) n S.i'ui<l:iy — (JiiMvvyi) Mon'liii — fJoMwyri (Itirtith 'IwH^lay — r;oi«lw>n 8.100 \V«»<ln*«.'«']«y— C;al<t.vyu l.«00 S.'tlt'H Ili<»h.Low.l4iiif Chg, 4.--'0i> 5,'AiO 700 0, MJO 101) 8% 8% 04 4% 0% i»% i- ',1 - % + 1''. The Ford mentioned spoke at the recent dinner of the Vaudeville Man- agers' Protective As«ociation in New York. WIRE WALKING CN B'WAY Kurzo. a Swiss high wire walker, will ballyhoo Loew*! State Friday by walking a rope stretched between the roof of the Aslor liolel and the upper floors of the Loew building. A permit has been Issuecl, the stunt to take place at 12,30. Kurzo recently arrived here. Ned Norton Joint With H^rry Welch The vaudeville partnership of Lew Ihlion and Ned Norton diMsoIv«»l last week. This week Mr. Norton formed anothrr, with Harry (Zoup) Wdl^h. They are pK'oing this half to 'break in." ii — I, '/■ I \t Trying for All-Summer Run Keith's will try to play vaudeville all summer, as in previous seaFOim. Should it be decided to disc(Mitinue the variety bills through hot weather, stock may bo tried. '4 i i r,-" rtAiiid