Variety (June 1922)

^^^^^H^^H mm^m^h VAUDEVILLE Friday, June 2, 1922 i BURLESQUE'S CHARACTER COMEDIANS OUSTING VAUDEVILLE'S POLITE COMICS CONVICTS PLAY "Very Good Eddie" Given oners at Auburn Pri«- Vaudeville Bookers Note Ease with Which Low Comedians Make Audiences Laugh—Roger Imhof Was First—Plenty Now—Burlesque Worried YOUNG PANTAGES HERO Circuit Manager's Son Saves Three From Drowning The day of the dress si.it comic in vaudeville is fading, and an in- flux Of character comedians from burlesque and other fields are be- ing eagerly snapped up by the book- ing men. Among the recent new comers, most of whom qualify as low comedy and character acts, are "Sliding" Hilly Watson, Harry Steppe; Harry ("Zoup") Welch, Bert Lahr, Harry Welch, Lew Hil- ton, Harry "Dutch" Ward, Bobby Barry and Dick Lancaster, Collins and Pillard, "Rags" Murphy, Harry ("Hickey") Le Van and Glaire Levine, Al K. Hall, Jimmie Coughlan, Jess Wise and Patty Moore, McAllister and Shannon, Sid Gold and Bro., Max Kields and Anna Fink, Mildred Campbell, Joe Marks, REEN'S ALTMON ILES Los Angeles, May 21. Bodney Pantages, son of Alexan- der Pantages, a high school student of this city, became the idol of beach visitors at Santa Monica last week when he rescued two girls and a man from drowning, after they had traveled beyond the break- ers and were unable to swim back to shore. He brought the girls in on life preservers. Bert Yorks, Jack Pearl an<J. Ben Bart, and a host of others. The ease with whl low comedy acts have been cleaning up on the local vaudeville bills has convinced the bookers the public want this type of act in preference to the "re- vues" or the dressed "up comic. R.^er Imhoff started the invasion, jumping from burlesque into stan- dard vaudeville circles with his low comedy Irish characterization. Jack Conway, another Irish comedian from burlesque, followed. Solly Ward, now playing Sam Bernards role in "The Mu*ie Box," also hopped Into vaudeville from bur- lesque, making good instantly with his "dutch" character. Burlesque producers are reported as very much worried over the de- mand for their comedians by the vaudeville bookers, figuring that those who qualify and are not tied to burlesque contracts for next sea- won will elect to remain in the two and three a day, where the remu- neration is necessarily much higher. It will probably be the beginning of the long-term contracts for bur- lesquers, who are liable to be in de- mand after developing. Harry Brcen was arrested Thurs- day night, May 25, while playing an engagement at Hender. en's Coney Island. Detective Tom Smith, of the Coney Island Police force, arrived at the theatre with a warrant for the actor about 8.15 p. m. Alimony arrears were the trouble. Alex Weiss, manager of Hender- son's, prevailed upon the detective to allow Breen to conclude his per- formance at the night show before taking him into custody. After the performance Breen was admitted to bail of $500, furnished by Lem Blakeman, owner of the Parkway Restaurant, Coney Island. Breen was arraigned in the Coney Island District Court Friday morn- ing and adjusted the legal tangle. WILLIE WESTON'S ESTATE The final accounting of the estate left by the late Willie Weston has been approved by the Surrogate's Court in New York, and his widow, May Weston, as the administratrix, discharged from her duties as such. Mrs. Weston, who lives at 1 West 83d street, New York, accounted in her statement for $800 in cash, de- posited in the Hudson Trust com- pany, which she stated was all her husband had left. Against the amount were liabilities of $875.50, all of which have been paid, ac- cording to the accounting. Mrs. Weston stated she had added $75.50 from her own purse to settle out- standing obligations. Among these were claims from Campbell s under- taking parlors for casket and cutter case, $300; livery, $98; death no- tices, $15; receiving tomb, $45; flowers, $50; complete funeral ar- rangements, $112.50; attorney. $50: bond premium, $10; J. J. Koff, drug- gist, $20; Dr. Edward M. Coverton, $50; Dr. R. S. MacDonald, $125. In addition to his widow, Mr. Weston was survived by his mother, Rachel Levy, and seven brothers and sisters, all residing at 25 East 98th street, excepting Gertie Wald- man, one of the sisters who lives at 1448 Sterling place, Brooklyn. The father of the deceased was living at his son's death, but has since passed away. Willie W r eston was about 35 years of age and a native of Paooklyn. He had been ill for about nine months previously. Known as one of the best character singers in vaudeville, he has taken to singing Owen Jones' Temporary Blindness Owen Jones, of the Keith Club department, was stricken blind Monday of this week at his home in New York City. Mr. Jones w^s leader of the Pal- ace, New York, orchestra during the musicians* strike. His physicians report that the blindness is from overwork HOLLYWOOD SINS (Continued from page 1) scurrilous for the mails and of that type generally discredited in better circles. The book, which made its appear- ance in Hollywood last week, is said to be a vicious account of motion picture life and seems to have been written by somebody who knew every social detail of picture folk of the past four or five years. Many of the stories are branded as false- hoods; others are considered false in parts; none are considered even somewhat true. It is said by the persons who purchased the books that just so many were printed and were to have sold at 50 cents each, but that the call was so great that many buyers paid as high as $10 for a single copy. The books are as scarce as ancient heirlooms and cannot be had today at any price. It is reported that all of the picture colony has glanced over its contents and the gossips are now in full bloom. The Hollywood Board of Trade is said to have started an investiga- tion regarding the publishers, but are known to have encountered an unconquerable gap because of the inability to locate the headquarters of "The Hollywood Publishing Com- pany," which company is said to have printed the books. It is now history that the company existed long enough to get out the first issue, which is said to have spilled every- thing and to have been so strong that a second publication of similar facts would.be impossible. Nearly every known star is given a page or so in the booklet. Their intimate lives are made known, with their alleged domestic activities laid out bare. A number of prominent film folk who are known to be free of any scandal whatsoever are given prominence which, according to the postal authorities, will probably re- sult in libel suits. There are 225 pages in the publication, covered with cloth and it bears a photo of Mephistopheles, a beautiful girl and a motion picture camera. So far nobody has lesrrned who the author is and it doean'C seem any one will. Auburn, May 29. Tht chapel of Auburn Prison was well filled last week when the Mu- tual Welfare League of the prison staged its semi-annual show to the public, "Very Good Eddie." The quality of the performance indicat- ed well that here is talent inside the walls which has made hundreds laugh on the professional stage. In the cast there were a few old- timers, men who have been in other Auburn Prison shows, bu* there were new faces also. The many transfers from Auburn Prison of recent months and the large in- flux of new convicts sent from Sing Sing were reflected in the changed make-up of cast. The Mutual Wel- fare League band added to the en- tertainment. That the rare comedy and ap- pealing lines and situations of "Very Good Eddie" lost nothing through convict presentation, was indicated by the applause of the large audience. "NAMES" NOW BOOKING IN MID-WEST HOUSES Chicago Agents Placing Soma Bookings — Tanguay Is Booked by Fine "RINGS OF SMOKE" AGAIN Joe Sullivan has brought togefner the original company, with Pat Booney, of his "Bings of Smoke" act. It reopens at the Talace, New York, next week, then goes to the Orpheum, Brooklyn, f or a week, with another month of playing around New York laid out for it. When the turn closed in Kansas City on the Orpheum route, through the Orpheum closing five or six houses before the "Smoke"' pro- duction could play them, it cost Sul- livan quite a bill to jump the 'oupe back to New York from that point, besides not allowing him time to get out on his investment. The Brooklyn Orpheum is heavily billing the "Bings," saying Pat Boo- ney will appear in every other act on the bill that week, besides fram- ing an afterpiece with all of the turns in on it. Chicago. May 31. Chicago hooking agents are plats ing a great deal of talent in leading picture houses, west of New York. Eva Tanguay has been booked ia Cleveland, Allen theatre, next week, by Jack Pine. Frisco played pic, ture houses last week and in Kansas City this week; dates arranged by the same agent. Joseph Sheehan, star of the opera organization bear, ing his name, is playing the Al. hambra, Milwaukee, this week, and goes to the Capitol, Jackson, Mich., and then to the Strand, Lansing, booked by C. L. Carrell. Jan Ru- bini, violinist, at the Chateau, Chi- cago, the last half of last week, at the Strand, Ft. Wayne, Ind., this week, and to the new Miller, Wichita, Kan., next week. LOU GOLDBERG MINUS WIFE Chicago, May 31. According to Judge Sabath of the Superior Court. Lou Goldberg, brother of Jack Goldberg, the New York agent, also an agent and ex- actor himself, will be minus a wife this week. This will be due to the petition filed by Hazel Green Bangster Gold- berg (Hfizel Green and her 5 H*»au Brummels), which alleges that two hours after her marriage to Lou in 1912, his parents took him away from her and he has not lived with her since. Mrs. Goldberg was 15 years old and Goldberg 20 years old at the time of the marriage. and Janet Martine, professionally known as "Janet of France," sailed Wednesday on the La France for a two months' visit with her mother nervous breakdown. The condition in Paris. Upon her return she will is not expected to be permanent. offer a new vaudeville act ALIMONY CUT, BUT STILL $200 Max Hart was successful in his appeal to reduce his alimony obli- gations to Madge Fox Hart, the Appellate Division last Friday or- dering that the $200 weekly ali- mony be cut to $85, and the $1,500 counsel cut in half. However, Hart still pays his wife, who is suing for an absolute divorce, $200 week- ly because he voluntarily, by prior agreement, gives her $115 weekly for separate maintena ice. The Appellate Division's opinion provides that if Hart defaults on the $115 voluntary payments, Mrs. Hart may again bring action for the $200 weekly alimony. after starting on 15 as a dancer. the stage when FRED CURTIS' SON DROWNED The two-and-a-half-ycar-old son cf Fred Curtis was drowned May ?K at ^Greenwood Lake. N. Y. The « hild fell off the dock. It was but a few moments that bis disappear- ance was no' d. Curtis Is a booker in the New York Pantages office, where he re- turned last month. VAUDEVILLE'S DEBUTANTE VIVIENNE SEGAL MUSICAL COMEDY'S YOUNGEST PRIMA DONNA CHARLES AMBLER, Accompanist Playing B. F. KEITH'S THEATRES By Permission of C. B. DILLINGHAM This week (May 29), Keith's Orpheum, Brooklyn. Next Week (June 5), B. F. Keith s, Philadelphia. Week of June 12, Maryland, Baltimore. Week of June 26, Keith's Talace, New York. FOR LEGIT CHIEF (Continued from page 1) forming the consolidated committee cannot establish the machinery proposed for next season. One important change in the plan for a "Hays" or "Landis" to control or direct the activities of the pro- ducing managers was made. That was the withdrawal of the original resolution for a controller and its substitution of another. The new plan is that should an executive leader be secured, he is to function under the control of a board of directors, the directors to be chosen from among the managerial body. A meeting to act on the new reso- lution was set for the middle of June. The controller-directors idea may appeal more to the leading pro- ducers than the first plan appears to have done. More than one man- ager who ostensibly agreed to the original proposition that the P. M. A. needed a "leader" changed his mind between the annual meeting and that last week. Several were of the opinion it would be question- able economy to engage a man at $25,000 per year to make speeches. If that is to be the duties of the proposed leader, an individual might be secured who coul' de- liver equally as well for $5,000. The idea of one producer was that unless the association could see its way clear to secure a powerful in- dividual such as could only be at- tracted by a salary approximating $100,000 yearly, the plan would car- ry little actual value. One man- ager is reported to have written the P. Iff. A. that if the organiza- tion believed it necessary to secure a man to tell him how to run his business it was time to withdraw. It is understood the most powerful producing firms are opposed to the controllership plan altogether. A delay on the P. M. A. attitude to the voluntary play censorship idea was forecast. That followed the surprising action of the chief magistrate against "The Hairy Ape." That the court merely acted on «■ complaint and quickly returned the manuscript to Arthur Hopkins, who produced the play,' takipg no action whatever, may have changed the situation again. Hopkins was of the P. M. A. censorship committee. His play actually benefited by the stir caused by the affair in the newspapers. Efforts to make the censorship plan an actuality will be continued in light of the court of appeatf decision in "The Demi-Virgin" ease, wherein the power < f the license commissioner to close the- atres was denied, which bai Nl otticials to believe that unless » voluntary system is attained cen- sorship by statute might result. K is to avoid such legislative action that the voluntary plan wa« con- ceived. J (