Variety (September 1922)

- -. ,- H VARIETY Friday, , 1922 ILL AND INJURED Gladys Greon suffered a sprained nkle at Salt Lake City while on the antnges circuit. She was obliged return to her home in Chicago. George Kann, manager of the Al- ambr i. Brooklyn, has returned to Is duties having fully recovered rom injuries sustained in a recent automobile accident. Mildred King (James. Anderson land King-"Rose Revue") is con- valescing at her home, 2212 Divisa- dero street, San Francisco, after an Illness of 22 weeks, following an operation. Bob Zeno, who apeared In vaude- ville as a member of Zeno and Man- del, prior to launching in the hotel business In Chicago, where he con-1 trols the Miland and Huntington hotels, suffered a nevrous break- down |.i.-4 week and Is said to be in a serious condition. 15 IN SHOW "Broadway Belles" (Mutual) Open at Majestic, Albany STOCKS s * r MARRIAGES William H. Coyle to Jennie M. Brennan, non-professional, Aug. 23, at St. Ann's R C. Church, Philadel- phia. Mr. Coyle was professionally known as Billy Clasper on the va- riety stage before retiring to author stage material. Helen LaVonne to Jack Squire, Sept. S. Miss LaVonne is with White's "Scandals." Mr. Squire was last with "Two Little Girls In Blue." 4 "" • y BIRTHS / 4 Mr and Mrs. Arthur Glnder, at their home in San Francisco, Sept. t, son. The father is the trombonist with Max Fisher's orchestra, in that city. IN AND OUT *' Ruth Budd refused to open at the \ Astoria, Astoria, L. I., Thursday of la.st week on account of her billing. Tlie H^gedus Sisters did not open Monday matinee at the Riverside through late arrival from out-of- town. Waller and Emily Walters, doubled from the Palace, for the first .show. Thomas and the Frederick Sis- ters were unable to open at the National, New York, Monday due to illness. Carter and Conners sub- stituted Green and Burnett dropped out 'at the M< tropolitan, Brooklyn, Tues- day, one of the members becoming 111. Tommy Gordon and Co. filled the disappointment. Conn-' O Donne.1 (O'Donnell and Hurst) left the bill Monday at the Orpheum. San Francisce, but the art was expected to return during the week. Moran and Mack loft the Keith's Syracuse bill Tuesday, with Milt fcJollins substituting Wednesday. Albany, N. T.. Sept. 6. For the first time in its history the Majestic played burlesque this week as the theatrical season opened here, the house presenting the attractions of the Mutual Bur- lesque Association, opening with "The Broadway Belles." Albany burlesque lovers for years have been accustomed to the higher grade shows of the Columbia wheel, this city having been one of the best on the circuit. While they jammed the Majestic at the opening shows on Labor Day, the class of entertainment fell far below their expectations. • Manager Oliver H. Stack exten- sively advertised the debut of bur- lesque at the Majestic, using big spaces in the Albany dailies, the main line in the ad saying there was "a cast of 35 people." When the first show was presented Mon- day afternoon the entire company numbered only 15 persons. There was a chorus of eight girls, while "a chorus of 16" was announced in the advance notices. The prin- cipals were Al Barlow, Myrtle Andrews, Dot Leighton, Art May- field, Anna Toebe, Lew Lederer, Billy Hagan. Veteran theatrical observers were amused at a sub-headline in a local paper on a Majestic reader which stated that the theatre was added to "the big time burlesque wheel." Four performances are given daily, the shows being on a split week. Dan Carroll, of the "Times-Union," is handling the publicity for the Majestic. • I M EMPRESS, CHICAGO, DID $3,700 Chicago, Sept. 6. T he "Empress, on the south side, started its burlesque season with a fair gross last week. It touched close to $3,700, with the matinee playing practically to an empty house. This house formerly played vaudeville. It is located In close proximity to the Knglewood, which will open within the next few weeks, playing Shubert vaudeville unit shows; the Stratford, a big movie house, and the National, stock. NEW ACTS (Sid Townes, formerly of Bernard .end Townes, and Hidney Franklin, [former pianist with Charles King and Co. i "An Arabian Nightmare." comedy 'revue.- with Eugene MacGregor feat- ured in a cast of seven. I' "I Love My Wife," which played as a vaudeville act, has been re- written and retitled "Borneo Jr." It will open with Harry Ormonde and Co. Herbert Cortell and Elinore Sut'or are featured. Teas Gardella (Aunt Jemima) in singing turn with band. Henry B. Forbes has signed Con- stance Shaw, Herbert Ashton, Jr., 'Karl Mayo and Catherine Howard for his condensed vaudeville version j of the Shubert fane. "A Sleepless I Night," by Jack Larric and Gustav Blum Forbes also appears in the cist. The act will show at the 'Harlem opera house, New York, a week after next. I "The Dancing Dozen," a Ned [Wayburn turn, which was on tour with Will Roger and the "Midnight Frolic." is opening In vaudeville. I Lillian Fitzgerald, who left "Make It Snappy," the Eddie Cantor show, 1 shortly after if opened In New , York, his r-'j .:i 1 and will tour Willi it. NO RELIGIOUS REFERENCE The Affiliated Theatre Corpora- tion has notified all of its attraction managers that no "religious infer- ences" will be tolerated in the Shu- bert vaudeville units that are open- ing officially next week. The letter follows: Dear Sir: — IMease pay par- ticular attention and see that there are no disparaging re- marks concerning any religious sect or anything that may be termed as ridiculing them in your attraction. /. //. 11ERK, President* , F.D RUSH'S MUTUAL SHOW i IM Bush, of the old time bur- lesque firm of Weber & Rush, is [returning to show business after ;«n absence of several years, due t<> /illness. Hush ha- been granted a Mutual Wheel franchise and will operate a show cilied "The-High Steppers." The iddilion of "The High Step- pers" gives the Mutual wheel L'.l / si ovvH i ) start with. i HISS LaliUE IN PICTURE HOUSE nurraio, s. pt. n Th" hvidline vaudeville feature this weel; if tlw> Lafayette is Craco Laltuo, who last appeared In "Hear Mo" with II ile II imilton The Lafayette is » picture hvise, using e ' • i at»r i" i-in :. Including s/nudevi la. BEST ADVERTISING WITHIN Columbia house managers have been instructed In an order sent out to utilize the theatre itself more for advertising coming attractions than formerly. The order calls for paper and photos In the Interior of the house and lobby. The Columbia order assumes the house itself offers the best adver- tising possibilities through the pat- rons containing a, large percentage of regulars. , • tl ENGAGEMENTS Ames and Winthrop have been added to the cast of Arthur Pear- son's "Zig Zag" Shubert unit show. Harry Brown, succeeding Thur- ston Hall in "The French Doll," with Irene Bordoni. Hall is in London In the part he created in "The Broken Wing." Lolya Adler (daughter of Jacob Adler) in' "The Fool." Virginia O'Brien, as prima donna In "Sue Dear," succeeding Edith Th iyer, who succeeded oiga Sleek. The Lyceum, Baltimore, which operated with stock in the spring, will continue in that field. Edna Hibbard and Sue McManamy will be 4he leading women, with Harry Mlnturn in the offing as leading man. Horace Braham (who will ap- pear with David Wariield in Mr. Belasco's production of "Merchant of Venice") will return. Others in- clude Florence Leeds. Doris Sheerin, Josephine Drake, Gladys Feldman, with Langdon Gillette and William Sheafe, Jr., handling the scenic end. George Marshall, who operated the company last year, will be In the same capacity. Thomas Wilkes inaugurated his possession of the Alcazar, San Francisco, last week with "The Champion," with George Barnes and Kay Hammond. The entire company is new and has caught .the fancy of the patrons of this theatre. In the Maude Fealy stock opening Monday at the Orpheum, Newark, N. J., in "East Is'West," are Mil- ton Byron, Lillian Concord, Mar- garet Shackleford, Margaret Pitt, Francis Clyde, Doan Borup. Craig Nelso, Frank McDonald, with Ken- dall Weston directing. The Brown Players opened Mon- day at the Bijou. Woonsocket, Bi. I., In "Polly With A Past." In the company are Bobert Fay, Foster Williams, Earl Mayne, William Worswick, Frederick Allen, Edwin O'Connor, Leon E. Brown, Amy Dennis, Elizabeth Shirley, Elizabeth Wells Edith Brown. Thaf Proctor Players will be brought back Oct. S to the Har- manus Bleecker hall, Albany, N. Y., from Troy, N. 7. where they have been playing at Proctor'* during the summer. The stock company, which has been playing to 10-10-30 until this week, will have the same leads, Clara Joel and her husband William Boyd, the report states. feiSlftr* ■"■ - - • * 1 1 NOTES JUDGMENTS (First name la judgment debtor; creditor and amount roltows). II in y li it > chenb ich; A T. Seventh Corp ; $h::i 83, Jewell Barnett, who recently un- derwent an operation, was obliged to again return to the hospital and go under the doctor's care for a sec- ond operation. She Is confined to the St. Joseph Hospital, Kansas City. Miss Barnett asks friends to communicate with" her either at the hospital or at her home address, 3828 Chestnut street, Kansas City, mentioning in particular Lillian William Schumacher, Jr., for the past eitfht years general manager of the Shuberts' costume department, known as the Mode Costuming Co., resigned Saturday. In conjunction with Louise A. Bayer they will in- corporate as the Bayer, Schumacher Co., capitalized at $25,000, to engage in theatrical costuming. Miss Bayer up to two years ago was also asso- ciated with the Shuberts, j F. B. (Doc) Wells, former stage manager and assistant to Ned May- burn, has returned to Broadway after conducting a chicken farm at Vineland, N. J., for five years. Wells was counted one of the biggest op- eratois of the kind in that State. His farm had over 7,000 birds. Betty Rando'ph; Urns., Inc.,; IS 14 ?ft 11. Milgi'.m A Henry Creamer; C Williams, as "\'x; $!!1S.16. BANKRUPTCY PETITION A I, Gilbert Film Porductions, rnc 220 We: I l! I *»reel (involun FIFTH AVENUE l \% (Continued from page 21)' an plays as though with real dra- matic experience. The women's names are Helene Warde and Miry Connors. It's the second season for the comedy and they continue to laugh at it. The show opened with the Crom- wells, juggling, with the 3 Hamel Sisters next, mostly music on the brasses with some opening harmon- izing and a soloed song. It's the brasses they must depend upon, and they should go in more for the pop stuff, the sort they played with the instruments muted, That is what vaudeville wants. These three girls look young, wear short skirts and bare legs. What they mostly require now is some staging. The first two-act in "one" were Jarvis and Harrison, a return in the act they showed here before. It ran along well enough in tlie No. I spot through the man's flip cross- fire. After was another return date, Fred Hughes and Co.. the company being a male pianist. Mr, Hughes Is a tenor of pleasing voice, bul he's going to h ave a hard tas k making himself stand up i. h>> is now alone. He would do much better sur- rounded. After the Kennedy sketch aqd the Gallagher and Martin punch, ltao Fleanor Ball and Brother tppearedj then Morris and Shuw. with Canary opeem tlosing R /ne. PEPPER POT (Continued from page 8) excellent comics. Goldle additionally is a good eccentric dancer and ground tumbler. He does a stepping bit in the second half, introducing rolling splits, somersaulting, cart- wheels, etc., that needs nothing to make It Important except an impor- tant theatre and audience. The same dance done by the same per- former in a house with double the admission of the Olympic would panic 'em. The production looks as If It might be bought for a dime a dozen, as far as scenery and costuming are concerned. But there's compen- sation In the fact that the show has a much better chorus than more than one Columbia wheel show seen this season. AH young girls, with a possible average age of 20 or there- abouts, with a slenderness and lack of avoirdupois that permits of a fast pace In the ensembles. The show, as far as the book goes, seems to be the last season's Joe Wilton's "Hurly Burly," which played the American wheel. Goldie and Marshall were the comics with "Hurly Burly," and may have se- cured permission to use the bits, such as the burlesque mind-reading, the "moving the furniture during a husband-and-wife-quarrel scene," "One-Bound Hogan burlesque box- ing- scene," and others. Inasmuch as most of the bits have seen pretty long service in burlesque, however, whether the two "Pepper Pot" com- ics are doing them with permission is not particularly important. Harry Keeler, the straight man, is a tower of strength. Thoroughly experienced in numberless burlesque campaigns in the past, he dominates every scene he is in. A cop and two argumentative citizens, in the per- sons of Keeler and Goldie and Mar- shall, have a comedy scene in "one" that lacks something in the finish, but it's a darb as burlesque comedy scenes go, with countless laughs throughout. Peggy Day is the soubret, pretty and shapely, singing competently and dancing neatly. Bae Leanse, the ingenue, also qualifies smartly, disclosing a singing voice that will come in handy as she goes along. Bertha Delmonte, a handsome woman of the stately prima donna type, has looks and a knack of wear- ing clothes as assets that count. She also handles a part in the bits very well. Jack Leonard is a singing juve- nile, with ability as a straight also, leading numbers and working in the comedy bits. Half of the 16 chor- isters are In bare legs and socks, the other half in white tights. The cos- tumes are old, from appearances having been used last season. Full- stage interior for first half and full- stage exterior for second, with house drop helping out for periods in one. It's clean, this "Pepper Pot" show, at least it was so at the Olympic, with comedy enough, principals of ability and hard-working chorus all combining to make it a good show for the money. it elk, OBITUARY MAY CLINTON May Clinton died Sept t at the Taunton Hospital, Providence, R. l^ from a second stroke of apoplexy. Services were held Thursday at the home of her sister in Providence. The deceaseed had been in vau- deville for several years, as a sharpshooter, first appearing with Pauline Cookc( now with the Jenie IN FOND MKMOKY OF MAY CLINTON Died September 3d, 1921 JENIE JACOBS Jacobs agency). The team of Cooke and Clinton was the first woman sharpshooting (with rifles) double act in American vaudeville. It was known throughout the variety field. Later and after Miss Cooke had engaged in the agency business, Miss Clinton appeared with Beatrice Baker. BERNARD BERNSTEIN Bernard Bernstein, a prominent Jewish actor died Aug. 29 at the Lenox Hill Hospital, New York. The deceased, who was 61 ^'ears of age, had appeared in this country for 31 years. Prior to that he played in several European countries. He at one time was part owner of the IN MKMOKY Or MY I.ONO TIMS FRIEND MAY CLINTON Died September 3d, lilt PAULINE COOKE Grand Street theatre and appeared at the Windsor, Thalia. Thomashef- ski and other theatres on the East Side. A widow, three daughters and two sons survive. The sons are known professionally as Herman and Fred Berrens. . RUDOLPH WAGNER Rudolph Wagner, an actor giving his home as Buffalo, became ill the night of Sept. 3 in the Fulton Street elevated station in Brooklyn and was removed to the St. JohrTs Hos- pital where he died shortly after. Wagner, before losing consciousness. ',/' BIG FUN SHOW, (Continued from page fjr -* posedly Inexhaustible versatility (which Watson is not). Apart from Frank Mallahan, a roaring bad-man type, who bellows all through the show, Watson's comedy support is on the shoulders of Bonnie Howard Piatt, who is an extremely Indiffer- ent and apathetic Hebrew type, there being neither personality nor enthusiasm in bis yaia. quest fori laughs. The wow of the shorr Is a colored trio of male dancers and a demure little sprite of a colored girt Their big dancing specialty In the camou- flaged olio Is the only atop in the show. They were picked up in New York and when their amateurish- ness wears off, if they don't loose their balance, they should be the high spot of the show. The female contingent comprises Inez de Verdier, a statuesque blonde lead with a vamp role; Ethel de Veaux, a conventional soubret, and Lillian Harvey, a comely straight playing the role of a newspaper woman, but dominating the show's vocal end with a deep-chested ren- dition of blues that ultimately won the house. Ed Loeffler has a French count sort of a straight, and Joe Manne, as a wholesome Juvenile, had a real w)ice and put it over. One number is put over with full chorus banked on a staircase In a condensed flood and with a baby amber spot on Manne, with a sub- dued counter-melody that was ef- fective because a little away from the crash-bang atmosphere of the balance of the show. A quartet number, with a weak tenor, and flanked by Miss Harvey, closes the show, and it Is here that Watson is leveling his guns at the present time with hopes of building up the first of the many high spots in the production which he fully realises are due aft<>r a reasonable period of recuperation. Costumes, sets, cist and chorus will nil pass muster. The show is n )t only r!em. hut there U little IN LOVINO UEMOET OF Mr Friend and L.at« Partner CLINTON [ Who Passed Away September Id, 1941 Nev«r to Be Forgotten hy BEATRICE BAKER informed the police he had Just eaten a meal In a Brooklyn restau- rant and was on his way to New York, where he was stopping. The ambulance surgeon who attended him did not diagnose the case. WILL CLENDENEN Will Clendenen died Aug. 30 at his home in Ridgewood, N. J. He was connected with . McBride'e Ticket Agency, but had been ill for some while. Formerly the deceased was treasurer of the New York theatro when under the Klaw & Er- langer direction. He was a member of the Treasurers' Club and other* organizations. PAUL BENEOEK Faul Benedek died Aug. 27 at his home, 29 west 81st street, New York, at the age of 67. For several years the deceased was with the Shuberts. Within the past two year* he bad started the Dictator Pen Co, A widow, Helen Chaplen J3enedoj$ survives, | ■ J present are S •'behind the trenches* specialty fulT of bombs, shooting, etc., and a dialogue scene that li really good from the old-school point of view, showing him being in- structed in what he has to do to be a movie "dare-devil" hero. His well-known sliding walk and his double-range comedy voice are worked effectively all through the show. If Watson keeps plugging and de"-' veloping the show at the rate he has worked during the last three weeks, starting when many of the others were "ready to go," he will have MM tie cause to worry. The fact that he* has an "old-fashioned burlesque* t£! : '" T etl as even vulgar, show" in a season when books and LIl I?.'! . of a woman dancing "advanced burlesque" are the target i£?wi& slronRor comedy support of so many franchise owners, may V^t^li 0 !' J tOUCh , f novpl,y h^,™' 1 ^ hi « P*th much rosier than f£«, » ™ *", ° nc \ or tw 2 moro hu ""! honnal, because there are still those SSmSSTA -12? M a V«**rdsI thousands who consider anything ?hi« li i u° rk w,,, " ,(lrs for ! that is not tricd-and-true old-school w.f^n^*™ 1 >th - hour , , .Induction, burlesque as being high-faluting, Watsons two personal high «,,ots at heterodox "«bstlti*»<Va lAbbcu