Variety (October 1922)

,i|^day. October 6, 19 22 VAUDEVILLE jca jjRPHElffl CiRCinT Win BIED .« CHICAGO BIG HME HOUSE Pirectors' Meeting Decides It—3,000 Capacit}"— Directors Approve Work of Executive' Board— No Orpheum Dividends for Another Year Chicago, Oct. 4. At a mectingr of the board of di- rectors of the Orpheum circuit, held here today, it was decMed to erect another biff time vaudJville theatre In Chicago. It will have a seating capacity of 3,000 and be located in the loop. The Ofphgum circuit Is now operating the only big time theatre in this city of 2,500,000 peo- ple. It is the Palace. Another decision of the board wa3 not to restore the passed divi- dends for Orpheum's common stoclt for another year. The board members disou.«»scd financing of new theatres and the expansion of the circuit. It ap- proved the work done by the spe- cially appointed executive board of the Orpheum. The understanding locally i3 that business so far this season with the Orphcam has been extremely satis- factorjt with the condition of busi- ness having nothing to do with the detiflTTiination not ^o immediately pay a dividend. The dividend pass- ing is )>elieved to be merely a con- fcen'ative movement. An indication of confidence Is the reported pur- chase by the insiders of 11, late of large blocks of Orpheum's common stock. BEHER SHARING TERMS GIVEN UNIT PRODUCERS 60-40 in Big Houses—65-35 In Medium Rated Stands— Cleveland 50-50 STONE EASED IN Star of "Tip Top" Becams Host to Hosts :es: NEW UNfT FOUNDATION LEAVES ARTISTS OUT Rochester, N. Y.. Oct. 4. Refonned ''Hollywood Follies'' With Marx Brothers- Chinaman ''Anger' Chicago, Oct. 4. "Hollywood Follies," the only Shu- bert unit produced out here, has had a rough and eventful voyage. After playing break-in tim* of several weeks, the show laid oft here with a deficit of over |6,000 cash besides the original investment. A China- man, Chow Toy, who conducts a Fred Stone, star of "Tip Top," ' theatre in Milwaukee, was the angel put one over on vaudeville players j picked to pay the deficit and con- In this city. Artists in local houses tiniie with the unit. got together and decided to give him a banquet. They named a committee which went ahead and planned for a reception aJid elab- orate feed at the Hotel Seneca. When they came to the tail end of the arrangements they found Stone had eased himself in as host and footed all of the bills. The party was held In the grill room and the members of "Tip Top" and tho Temple bill, to- gether with local managers, were present. An orchestra playod for dancing and Impromptu numbers were given by some of the artists. Mr. Slone sung several songs and was assisted by the London Palace Girls. Lewis and Dody sang "Hello, Hello" down to the 27th terse. Tl\e White Sisters. Six Brown Brothers and William Demarest were on th<r program. "^Vith the advent of the Four Marx Brothers, who brought their own at- torney from New York to overlook their contract, more trouble started to accumulate. It was discovered contracts made previously were null and void and the acts that had gam- bled In getting a full season's work found themselves out of a job. The Four Marx Brothers demand- ed and received the signature of Finkelstein & Rubin on their con- tracts, besides a guarantee of 30 LOEfS STATE, CLEVELAND, GAVE UNIT $15^00 LAST WEEK Lead Sfaubert Vaudeville for Gross—Jersey Split Next—Baltimore and Kansas City Weak—Bad Weather for Show Business WHEELER'S TROUBLES Globs Trotter Suffered imprison- ment Abroad weeks to be played in SG. The revue , , . , will be renamed the Four Marx ^'^h a British ofTlcer In India who Fwichard Wheeler, who, with Ger- trude Dolan, headed the All-Amerl- can Vaudeville Co. on its tour through the Far Fast, has returned to New York after a five years' jaunt around the globe. Wheeler is lotfking for new talent and In- tends to resume his globe-trotting shortly, going to China via San Francisco. Miss Dolan is no longer of the All-American Vaudeville Co., having married a British olfl- cer In Constantinople las*, year. Appearing with his show were Ed- wina Barry. Sabel and Sterndale, Jack and Sllverra. Wheeler tell* of a complication MUSICIAN RUNS OUT Claude Bertel Deserts Bride Hours After Marrying Her 12 Tho meeting of the AfHliatecl The- atres Corporation, presided over last week by I. H. Herk, resulted in the director of the operator of the Shu- bert vaudeville unit attractions vot- ing Increased sharing percentages for the producers in the unit group. In the big houses the terms were Increased to 60-40 straight. Here- tofore the terms In those houses were 55-45 up to JIO.OOO and 60-40 over that amount. Tho cities in- cluded la the 60-40 aro the Central, New York, Garrick. Chicago, Ma- jestic, Boston and Crescent, Brook- lyn. Tho Englewood, Chicago, Hart- ford and Indianapolis were In- cre.iscd to 65-35 straight for all grosses. Two towns, Detroit and Wash- ington, where the terms are 55-45, could not be immediately altered, towing to the theatres playing un- ifier contract that forbade It. It is fiald the Shuberts are negotiating with the Belasco, Washington, to Increase the percentage. Loew's State. Cleveland, will play ton a 50-50 sharing agreement. That house has a total capacity at the Shubcrt unit scale of over $40,000. Last week, after opening Sunday, September 24, to $4,100 with "The Echoes of Broadway," the house did 118,000 on the week. The Garrick, Chicago, has a money capacity at the .scale of over $20,000. The Clo\^- land State Is under a $200,000 aa- Hual guarantee to the Loew Circuit. SThe Shuberts are paying $95,000 yearly rent for the Garrick, Chi- cago. It is claimed these houses are expensive to operate, also the Central, New York, which can do ti trifle under $14,000 gross on four- teen performances, but costs $4,500 ^veekly to operate. Shubert producers have been Complaining the percentages were graded to give them a large sharing percentage in towns that could not return extraordinary business. The Herk crowd says the towns not looked for for big business at the Outset of the inauguration of Shu- bert unit vaudeville have been doing JiUrprisingly well so far. ^DIVORCES BOBBY HEATH Plilladelphla. Oct. 4. Tiillian Crane-Frear securod a di- vorce hero last week from her hus- band, profcs-sionally known as Bobby Heath. The couple were married .Tune 8, 1917, two weeks after Heath's first wife had divorced him. 7'*^^^—^ Syracuse, Oct. 4. Twelve hours after marrying Marion I'ieke. 19, of this city, Claude Bertel, 26. deserted her. He is miss- ing from the city. Bertel Is the leader of the orchestra at the Rob- blns-Eckel theatre. His flight oc- curred when a young woman from Oswego appeared at tho theatre and demanded that he return to her. Thereupon Bertel decamped. He withdrew $500 from the bank, but left all personal effects In his room. Mrs. Bertel says her husband was brought into court July 24, 1916, at Oswego by the Department of Char- ities to arrange for tho support of a child he was charged with being the father of. Bertel Is a graduate of Syracuse University. $4,200, 3 DATS, FALL BIVER Fall River, Mass., Oct. 4. Sunday concerts have been dis- continued by Shubert vaudeville units here, playing the last half. "Gimme a Thrill" got $4,200 in six performances, missing its opening matinee, due to delayed baggage. Owing to restrictions. It was an- nounced but a limited Sunday show could be given. The acts on the bill improvised a performance that was booed by the audience. The top was 85 cents. ': ■■ > ^ " The "Town Talk" unit was to have played the Capitol, Springfleld. Mass., the flrst half last week, but found the stage there too small. It played the last half here. Monday the Empire opened with Keith vaudeville. It seats 2,500, as against the Bijou, the Shubert vaudeville, seating 1,000. The stock closing at the Empire after twelve weeks may reopen at the Academy, now being remodeled, seating 2,200 and owned by W^illiam Dunn. It's an upstairs hou«e. a 'BABIES WELCOME'' Chicago, (^t. 4. "Babies Welcome" is the new sign placed over the box offlco of the Englewood theatre, since taken over by the Shuberts for their vaudeville. The sign informs pa- trons a maid is in constant attend- ance to care for babies while mothers and families are within the theatre. Brothers Revue. The artists with the original unit are still trying to collect their last Ai-eek's pay, which they received In check form, the checks failing tp clear. It is said that a music pub- lisher also went for $1,200 in this unit. The stars were given a 80-woek contract at $2,000 a week. Few of the original principals were re-engaged, with Julia Edwards and Olga and Mischka being the only two held over for the new show. Kranz and White. Allen and Canfleld and Joe Whitehead are now not with the show. I called him an "American coward" as a result of an altercation In- volving Miss Dolan, reported some months ago. Challenged to a f\ght within the confines of the British barracks. Wheeler states he suf- fered arrest as a result, and four months' confinement awaiting trial In a civil court, and five months' formal sentence, without the Inter- vention of an American consul. KING DECLINES 75 WEEKS Pantage Offer of 5 Weeks Sn Each of 15 Houses—To Try Stock San Francisco, Oct. 4. Will King, who wi^h his' musical comedy organization has just closed an engagement of several weeks at the Pantages theatre In Los An- geles, where a new show was pre- sented each week In conjunction with Pantages regular vaudeville bills, has been offered a 75-week route by Alexander Pantages whereby the King show was to ap- pear for five weeks at each st.and, offering a different show weekly in 15 Pan houses. King declined the offer and will open a stock engagement at tho Hippodrome here next week under tho direction of Ackerman & Har- ris. Three acts of vaudeville and a feature picture will be Included on the Hip program with a top ad- mission scale of 50 cents. TWO COMEDY LINES Los Angeles^ Oct. 4. Neely Edwards, film comedian, formerly of Edwards and Flanagan (vaudeville), has two lines o( comedy. Number one nets him $206 a week on the screen and brings him fans bj^ the hundreds. Number two is a line of comedy, in his own home and brings him nothing bJt discord. ** His wife testified in Judge Snm- merfleld's divorce court that she "could get a knick out of Neely's home life comedy." Edwards is known as Cornelius M. Llmbach. He is charged by his wife. Bella M. Llmbach. with mental cruelty. The matter of her divorce has been taken under advisement by the court. Mrs. Llmbach testified that her husband repeatedly told her he no longer loved her, and she added: "He altvays told our friends that I had apparently lost my pride, be- cause I Insisted In holding him when he no longer loved me." Attorney John M. Bowen, counsel for the wife, stated that a property .settlement had been affected where- by the wife received $100 per week. <mf^^ ?>•>, ^ BIESES ESTRANGED (Milcacro, Oct. 4. It w;iM i.nkrnwn that Paul Biese, loader of on orchestra carrying his name, was estranged from his wife until two men tried to ransack Mrs. Bie.«ie'8 ho\jpe this week. Tlie stories given to tiie police niatle this i)Ialn. Biese climbod Into the hall of fame for orchestras within the pact few yearw. ^ - :.x- ^.. iSLMt LOLA and SENL\ (GIRLIE) (SOLOMONOFF) in *TERPSiCHOREAN TID-BITS'^ Dlroclion: MARTY FORKINS COMi: AXD SEr: is — Next Week (Oct. H) PALACL', ClilCAaO "Echoes of Broadway," the Butler Estate show, topped the Shubert unit list for gross business last week, with $15,500 approximately at Loew's State, Cleveland, after opening Sunday to $4,100. The Weber and Fields unit play- ing the Central, Jersey City, and Lincoln, Union Hill, New Jersey, was second with $13,800. Jack Singer's "Hollo New York" was third with about $11,000 at Keeney's Newark. Herman Tlm- berg's show, "Frolics of 1922," did $9,600 at the Central, New York. Two weak spots were Kansas City , which had the "Midnight Rounders" and did $3,100 and Bal- timore with "Oh, What a Olrl." Both of these shows are controlled by the Shuberts themselves. Llk* the previous week, the grosses above and following are estimated, the Affiliated Theatres Corpocatlon declining to give out figures. The correct gross of tho "Hello Everybody" at the Garrick of Sept. 2S was $12,600, Instead of $10,000 as reported. Otlter unit show grosses last week were "Gimme a Thrill," Majestic, Boston, $7,700; "Facts and Flgtu*es," Academy, Buffalo, $8,200; "Stolen Sweets," Detroit opera house, $10,- 500; "Plenty of P«p," Creacent, Brooklyn. $8,500. "The Rose Girl" did $10,000 at the Garrick. Chicago; "Main St. Follies got $9,000 at the Belasco. Washington, and "Hello Every- body," $9,000 at Indianapolis. The Englewood, Chicago, did $6,600 with Dixon's Midnlte Revels." ' "Mulligan's Follies" did $8,200 at Cincinnati, "Success" got $6,500 at Pittsburgh. and "Laughs and Ladies" did $7,000 at St. Louis. "Troubles of 1922," .$7,200 at St. Paul. "ZIg Za^, $7,500 at Toronto. "As You Were" at Hartford last week did $6,500. Hot weather all over the country generally walloped all show busi- ness with indications pointing to business gradually building in most stands, except Baltimore and pos- sibly Kansas City. :-. • ' FIM SALARY PAID: FOR CHANGED SPOT Collins and Hart Placed to Close Alhambra Show, De- mand Regular Salary ' * ■■ ■ ■ ■ ' ^' A contractual point arose Mon- day at the Alhambra, New York, when the management decided it could use Collins and Hart to bet- ter advantage closing the show than ai)pearlng No. t on tho program. The suggestion was made to tho turn. Sim Collins replied they held the No. 8 position as a part of their contract for the management at a cut ("show") salary; that if they were relegated to another spot they would demand that their full salary be paid. Tiie mootod matter became a gen- eral discussion, with the act win- ning out when producing a wire from the Keith booking office as- suring them their position at tho Alhambra would be No. 8 for the week. MISS DAVIS OUT Bc3.3ie McCoy Davis left tho .\r. thur I'earson Shubert vaudeville unit. "ZIg Zag," this week. The show opened at the Criterion, Buf- falo, Monday, but Miss Davis did not appear. It Is und.rstood Miss Davis* re- tlremont followed a wordy di.scus- sion between her and Pearson in Buffalo .Sunilay nicht. r DIVORCES PAUL ALLEN I li.da T:. Hold, vaudeville, wa« r,i "nl'Ml a litial decree of divorce .S.-Litombfr 24 ar CinclnnaU. O . from JMul Allen, Ntw York booking ii.evnt. :/ ■ -V V ...... ^ .