Variety (June 1922)

rrfday, June 2, 1922 VAUDEVILLE —.-— : x FAMOUS PLAYERS' FRESH TOP- 10 FOR GOLDWYN TURNED DOWN Broadway Story Accounting for Behavior of Gold- wyn Issue—Company Seeks to Buy Sam Gold- wyn Out—Famous Goes to 87 There were fresh developments galore in the amusement stocks over the holiday. A circumstantial story was spread around that the new Goldwyn Co. management had made a flat offer 0 f 10 a share to Samuel Goldwyn for his stock in the company; that Goldwyn had declined to entertain the tender and the movement of the issue on the New York Curb hung on this circumstance. Famous Players moved up Mon- day under heavy trading (amount- ing to around 11,000 shares for the session) to a new high for nearly three years of 87%. It was the general gossip in market and trade circles that the old pool had been reorganized and was in the market In earnest to shove the stock well up. ± . Orpheum Gain* Orpheum made a splendid show- ing, getting back Monday to within a fraction of its old high and hold- ing its gain during the Wednesday trading. It appears that the new regime in Chicago is at work in a constructive way and its future pos- sibilities are being discounted. The daily turnover got back around normal, and the movement had the appearance of a substantial char- acter of strong buying. The improvement in the other amusement stocks was reflected necessarily in Loew, but there re- mains a wide division of opinion as to its future and as to what policies should be followed. There is a con- fusing assortment of circumstances surrounding Loew. One line of market argument tries to make it appear that the safe and forward- looking thing for Loew to do is to concentrate—for example to confine its operations east of Kansas City and thereby make its organization cohesive. The opposite view is that the strong element in Loew is the extent of its operations. The more houses it has on its books the more time it can offer acts and the great- er number of playing dates it can Offer to picture producers, a consid- eration that showed, but doesn't give Loew an advantage in buying material (vaudeville acts and film features.) Figuring the Aliens Advocates of concentration point io the difficulties which lately have beset the Aliens, As long as the 'Allen interests remained content to Operate In a modest way in Canada .they made money and the organiza- tion began to weaken only when it reached out too far. Probably the fcltter fight between Loew and the Allen in Cleveland contributed con- siderably to the weakening of the Dominion firm. Loew has on its hands a number of similar battles In other territories, particularly in the West. The question is whether the Allen difficulties will not spur on these other competitors to re- newed effort. One side of the argu- ment is that this added impetus to Jght will involve Loew in many dif- ficulties. The other side takes the ▼iew that fighting in business profits nobody and trade rivalries always lead to compromise and amalgama- tion. Commercial America is just now S the mlll8t ot a wave of mergers. !? irst it was the combination of several independent steels and others likely to come in. Oil. rail- road and tobacco interests are being more and more concentrated, so are several of the chain candy stores. « Loew and Loew's comptitors both Wse money in local fights the logi- *1 thing to do is to compromise' *°d get together. All these things are more or less -remote and concern only the funda- mentals of business. More imme- • jjiate in Its effect upon stock mar- Jet prices is the financial backing or. Loew and the possibilities of manipulation. Strong Wall Street interests are deeply Interested in ■ L, °ew's nnrt *«,,««• «,.~.*—f i» #~- interests could retire without too heavy a loss. On this argument the failure of Loew to move far in either direction would indicate a favorable situation. Besides all of which the last two Loew state- ments have shown surprisingly well in liquidated bank loans to date and promise to clear up other obli- gations so that the company will be clear of outstanding paper by mid- July or thereabouts. Famous Players' Peak Famous Players suddenly took the aggressive on Saturday. After a long period of turnovers between 2,500 to 5,000 shares a day. trading jumped to 13,000 shares in the Sat- urday half-session. For many rea- sons this was a remarkable cir- cumstance. Ordinarily the week- end is a time of cautious dealings, mostly of an evening-up character. The fact that Tuesday following was a holiday ought normally to have intensified this caution. When operations more than doubled, it was apparent that 'something was doing," and the Monday turnover (day before a holiday) reached 11,000 emphasized the importance of the change, particularly when prices continued on the upgrade to a new high of I7H, the best in about three years. The explanation was that there had been a realignment in the pool. It is said the present personnel of the clique is the strongest so far, and it is intent upon driving Famous Players beyond 90 and pos- sibly to par. There was a slight setback on Wednesday, when a low of 85% was touched in the late morning on profit taking, but before the close prices stiffened. Beyond the surface story of an effort to acquire Samuel Goldwyn's stock at 10 the situation in that issue is full of surmise and guess- ing. Jn all likelihood there is some personal bitterness between the for- mer president of the company and its present management. Since Goldwyn has. according to gossip, refused to sell his holdings at 10, the situation then becomes one of a business maneuver, the company management seeking to force Gold- wyn's hand and Goldwyn playing a waiting game, probably figuring that by holding out he could delay the consummation of the Goldwyn- First\National deal and thus force a better offer than 10. It then be- comes a test of endurance between the contenders. How this figures In price movements Is a matter of speculation, everybody "rolling hla own." Monday the stock broke be- low 8 for the first time in weeks, but recovered to the old level of 8 ft at the close. None of the other curb stocks came out. The nummary of transactions May 20 to May 31 Inclusive are as follows:— 8TOCK EXCHANGE Thursday— Pales.Hiffh.Low I-nrt. Chg. Fam. Play.-L.. 3.400 83 82% 82% - ft Do. pf... 300 95% 95% 9ft% + % Loew. Inc. 1.100 10% 10% 10% - % Orpheum 200 20 20 20 —3% BostOfl sold GO Orpheum at 20%. Fam. "Play.-L.. B.900 84% 83% 84 +1% L0«W, Inc. 1.500 17 10% !•% + % Orpheum 100 20 20 20 Fam." na y y""-L..l2.8O0 80 84% 85% -H% Do. pf... 200 05% 95% 96% +% Loew, inc 1.100 10% 10% 10% + % Orpheum 000 19% 19% li>% -% Jlonday— „„,, , ... Fam. IMay.-L..11.100 87% 85% 80% +1% Do. pf 400 90 90% 90 f % Loew, Inc 1,000 17 17 17 + % Orpheum \m 20V 4 !!►% 20% +% Hoston sold 50 Orpheum at 19%. Tuesday— / Holiday Wednesday— Fam. IMay.-L NEXT SEASON'S BOOKINGS ARE PROCEEDING SLOWLY "BE CABEFn. FOR NOTHING" Meaning, be not overanxious, be note diroly apprehensive, be not .tfraid of what tomorrow may bring forth—provided you do your very best each day to help tomorrow to bring favorable developments—and "DEMAND THE ORIGINAL" BETTY— —PHILIP MARTIN and MOORE TALK No. 24 PAUL ALLEN ARRESTED Was Former Vaudeville Agent—In Trouble Before Paul Allen, iormer email-time vaudeville agent in New York, was arrested last week when it was al- leged he attempted to pass a forged check In a Broadway bank. Allen disappeared some months ago, at which time he was accused of ob- taining money under false pre- tenses. By means of a phoney contract for the Pantages circuit, Allen is alleged to have secured $500 from a woman single act as advance commission. Allen was reported in trouble in Chicago shortly afterward, but friends here intervened in his be- half. Recently his brother. Jack Allen, brought him east and In- stalled him as manager of a house in Perth Amboy, N. J. Paul's in- structions were to deposit surplus receipts of the house in the local bank and mail the deposit slip each night Jack Allen, after several weeks, visited Perth Amboy and called at the bank for the balance. There he was informed only one deposit had been made by Paul. The other duplicate deposit slips shown to bank officials were de- clared forgeries. It appears that after the first receipt, the brother had made a rubber stamp, dupli- cating the receipt stamp of the bank, and then made out "mind de- posit" Blips, which he sent to Jack. Allen had decamped from the town, but was picked up In New York after a warning had been sent out Tuesday Allen, who was held at the west side Jail, was released un- der $1,000 bail His case is due for hearing today (Friday). TWO ROAD SHOWS Vaudevillians Compose Traveling Organizations Over the Shubert 4.GOO sen MM M — "ft «** BR* — % ]<v* 16% — % 20 their ■ and must support it for own protection. If these inter- JrJ Wor e dissatisfied to the point j»• wanting to get out of tho enter- prise the. mos^ likely thing to hap- thn ?° Uld be ^ campaign to send no "lock up t^a level where these Do. pf WW M r.ocw. Inc 1.4U0 17 nrphcum 600 20% 1W THE CURB Thursday— Sale*.HlKh.Low/Mst Goldwyn 2,000 8% Friday— Goldwyn 2.200 6\ Saturday-? Goldwyn 1.R0O 8% Mondn v— Goldwyn 1*00 8\4 Tuosdnv— liuiid.iy Wednesday— Goldwyn S.200 8 * 8 8% 8* - % Chg. 8% fl'4 - % 9* A V, Spanish Singer for Vaudeville Tour Jose Morlche, a Spanish tenor who has achieved great success in tho Lat in -American countries, par- ticularly Mexico, has been signed for a tour of Keith vaudeville next season. A vaudeville road show under the management of Charles McDonald and headed by Princess Zuleka, a mind reader, has been organized for a tour of independent vaudeville houses, to be played on a percent- age basis. The company includes Jim and Betty Page, Mallen and Clark and Marie Clarke and Sophie Wilson. The company was schcduulcd to open Thursday at the South Broad Street theatre, Trenton. Billy and Cora Monohan are or- ganizing a vaudeville road show to play on tho co-operative plan. The company will play one and two- night stands in sui lmer resort towns, starting in the Catskills. ROBINSON'S BATHS George Robinson, manager of the Brighton theatre, Coney Island, has taken over the building adjoining the theatre on tho right, formerly occupied as a restaurant by Hcversi & Keisenweber, and other catering concerns. He will operate it as a bathing pavilion. The bathing pa- vilion will be ready for business about .June 15. Miss MacDonough's Final Decree Ethel MacDonough- received her final decree of divorce fr^j C. P. Stockhtuse la*t week. The action i\a* heard last October, the nctross waiving alimony and asking for the restoration of hor madden name which the court granted. Keith's Livened Up Last Week—Booked 20 Acts, All Comedy—Big and Small Remember Conges- tion of Last Season A survey of vaudeville booking conditions discloses most of the circuits proceeding very cautiously in routing acts for next season. There are several reasons for this condition, some affecting one cir- cuit and not applying to the other, and vice versa. In the Keith office about one-half of the acts usually routed ahead by June 1 are booked. The greater part of the turns routed by the Keith people are the smaller acts, those taking the second, third and opening and closing spots on the bill. Very few headliners have been engaged for next season by the Keith people, aside from those list- ed as ofllce acts and under threo- year contracts with Keith's. One of the most important reasons why the bigger acts are not booked ahead by the Keith people is that a general request for salary cuts have been made to most of them by the Keith agents, and in other instances headline turns asking for an increase have been turned down. Another reason in the Keith offices is that the bookers, remembering the congestion that obtained all last season, want to avoid a repeti- tion of that condition next season, and are exercising extreme care in the number of acts selected. The' booking meetings of the Keith people are held regularly every Thursday and acts submit- ted by the agents, but the booking managers appear to be taking plenty of time in making decisions. Bookings ahead by the Orpheum circuit appear to be normal for this time of the year, the usual quota of acts having been routed. The Orpheum circuit, through its houses being in the far west mostly. It appears, cannot afford to take chances in securing desirable ma- terial, if waiting too far into the summer to make their bookings. Among the acts routed for the Orpheum circuit for next season are Henry Santrey and Band, Robert Pandur, Harry and Anna Seymour, Jessie Busley, Claude and Fannie Usher, Dave Roth, Mildred Harris, Jean Grancse. Hyams and Mcln- tyre, SIgnor Friscoe, Lillian Leltzol and Moran and Mack. The Loew people are also pro- ceeding slowly with next season's bookings, through the congestion that also existed in the" Loew book- ings throughout last season. The Keith office Issued about 20 routes last week, mostly to comedy acts. Previous to this, tho office has less acts on its books for next season than ever before at this time of the year. A few weeks ago, It .r&a reported the Keith people were slow in issu- ing routes, but that comedy acts in "one" were In demand. The last batch of routes Issued seems to ver- ify this report The word has gone out that the Keith people are not encouraging the large producers to any lavish expenditures for the revue type of act for next season. Booking men se to think the office will be more Inclined to buy comedy turns. It la the prevailing opinion In booking circles the public has been surfeited with the "revue." FRANCIS X. BUSHMAN AND BEVERLY BAYNE in "POOR RICH MAN," by EDWIN BURKE KEITH'S PALACE, NEW YORK Next Week (June 2) Direction: LEWIS * GORDON PIER VAUDEVILLE Markus Booking Over 8ummer for Former Keith's, Atlantic City The Garden Pier theatre (former- ly Keith's) Atlantic City, under the management of the Progressive Amusement Co., of which J. A. Waxman is general manager, will install vaudeville for the summer, commencing June 24. The pier the- atre will play a two-a-day full- week policy, booked by Fally Mar- kus. Tho house played Keith vaude- ville for several seasons, the Keith leaso (held by the Stanley Co.), ex- piring at tho time the house was purchased by its present owners. BUEHL REPORTED DYING Walter Duchl, who has been at Saranac Lake, N. Y., was reported dying Wednesday. He had been un- conscious several days, Duehl went to tho mountain resort six months ago in an effort to allay tubercu- losis. Ho was formerly manager of tho Wilson Avenue theatre, Chicago, but camo to New York several years ago. D00LEY SEQUEL Cincinnati Girl Brings 8uit for $7,500 Against Palace Cincinnati, May 31. As a sequel to the row between Bill Dooley, comedian at the Palace, and three girls in the audience last week, Margaret Plucker, aged 20, of 4204 34th street, Oakley, a Cincinnati suburb, filed suit for $7,500 damages against the Palace Amusement Co., declaring she was one of the trio and alleg- ing that she was ejected by two ushers. The "humiliation," accord- ing to Miss Plucker, has made her exceedingly nervous and her repu- tation and character has been damaged. Dooley said the girls annoyed him l»y laughing almost continuously during his act, and at the wrong time. Miss Plucker charged that the ushers threatened to have her ar- rested. While walking out of the theatre, she asserts, she fainted and was unconscious half an hour. Dooley did not complete his week's engagement at the 1'alacs. i