Variety (November 1922)

10 -■< •■-• EDITORIALS •_ -1 Friday, November 17, 1922 3fC 1 RiETY Trade Mark Reglitered Pabliahod Weekly by VARIETY, Inc. 81mA Silverman, President 114 Weat 46tb Street New York City SUBSCRIPTION: Annua) $7 I Poreicn.. II BInglo Copies 20 Centa VOL. LXVIII. l__ i» No. 13 HO TRAVELINO KEPRESENTATIVE Variety has no traveling rep- resentatives. A person repre- senting himself as "Phil Kobin-' son, traveling representative for Variety," has been presenting that card to mid-west theatri- cal managers. Variety has before and often published it has no traveling representatives; that no one, other than its local correspond- ents or staff members in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles is authorized to represent it in any manner or for any purpose. May Wirth, the equestrienne star, proved to John M. Kelley, the Ring- ling's legal adviser, that it was no hull when she claimed she'd ride anything on four legs. She Jour- neyed to Kelley's crack stock farm near Engelwood, N. J., last week and rode on the back of "King Jess," champion bull and the prized Kelley possession. The bull is said to weigh 2,400 pounds and is fierce in proportion. Miss Wirth balanced herself on her hands atop "Jess." Many notables gathered at the Kelley farm to see a varied pro- gram of stunts. WITH THE WOMEN By THE SKIRT y * "To L.ov«," at the Bijou. Is surely the treat of the the theatre saying, "Well, here's an ev«ninK really TOMMY'S TATTLES By THOMAS J. GRAY the Lo«w's Av«nu« B, on the East 8ide, New York, is advertising by means of one-sheet posters through- out the vicinity for talent for an "Amateur Follies" to be produced •hortly there. The local talent idea Is being taken up generally on' all circuits. Recently Loew's Gates in Brooklyn, N. Y., advertised in the Sunday dailies for amateur volun- teers for a local production. A number of metropolitan Moss houses have tried the stunt successfully as a money-getter. Grace George In season. You leave worth while." A play of much dialog, who else could hav« done It but Miss George, Mr. Trevor and Mr. Warwiclr*^ Miss George, more girlishly slender than ever, showed but two^ostumes, and each had "Paris" written all over >t. The first drees, of mauve georgette, was draped to one side, caught by a handsome amethyst orna- ment. The other side was hung with a long, straight panel. The second dress, of white satin, had the long bodice encrusted in crystal. The full skirt was attached to the waist line or Just below it with a. girdle of silver. At one side hung a long, narrow blue sash. For a second a chiffon cape cut in points was shown. The collar was sable. The one outstanding act at the Palace this week is William Faversham's sketch, "A Marriage Has Been Arranged." What a pity we IRiven't more Favershams! With Mr, Faversham is Helen Daube as Lady Aline, and Miss Daube looked the role. Her gown was of white chiffon, the full skirt cut In points and accordion plaited over white satin. The long, blousy bodice was confined to the hips by a girdle of t)rilllants from which hung three strands of the brilliants falling from the girdle to the hem. Very artistic, though odd, was a brown feather fan carried with this costume. The applause honors went to Kerr and Weston. Miss Weston chose golden brown for her first costume. This rust shade Is the most effective color on the stage, and so few women choose It. The skirt was long and full, with an uneven hem. and was" of velvet, while the bodice was of silk cross-barred with a gold belt. The lining was chartreuse color, with a plume on a brown hat to match. A white chiffon skirt had a bodice sprinkled with brilliants. A girdle of white feathers was at the proper waistline. Brilliants encircled Miss Weston's bead. Very bmart was a soubret costume of black velvet with under-dressing of mauve and blue chiffon. A small hat had a bright green leather. Miss Weston has shown extremely good taste in her selection of costumes. What a nice act Powers and Wallace do! Maude Powers, with a voice in qua:ity like Gladys Clark's, was a dainty old picture in apricot silk made with a full skirt and tight bodice. Deep cuffs and collar were of a mauve chcc\f. As a white satin bride. Miss Powers did look well. If the Duncan Sisters suffer at the Palace. It will be because of the avalanche of harmony sisters that have swept through vaudeville following them. The Duncans* wardrobe and voices cost no money. Their one set of rompers aren't even of an out-of-the-ordinary material. Ann Pennington wore rompers of peacock blue taffeta with a tiny lace pinafore and baby cap. Her lovely hair was in two long plaits tied with huge bows. A Javanese dance was done in a skirt made of green silk petals, the entire waist being bare. A doll dance was done in yellow silk edged with lace and ton bed up with blue ribbon.s. A brown velvet f/ock was red lined and had a tqp of bronze. The Stewart Sisters* with M^s"Pennington, had some of their songs taken over by a young man with an excellent voice. The sisters were first In ladles' maids' costumes of gray silk, then In yellow fringe skirts and gold tops, and finally in plr.k chiffon made in tiny ruffles and silver bodices. Supreme Court decided that Japa could not become citizens of the United States. This will probably reduce the vklue of the prizes at those summer resort rolling ball games, if such a thing if possible. That Is one of America's greatest outdoor sports. Spend $22 to roll up 600,000 points and get a 10-cent pickle dish. And then you have tp buy your own pickles. "By these lines ye shall know them": "I'm gonna bust you so hard on yo' head '• (Double black face act.) **I beg your pardon. Haven't we met some " (Flirtation act.) "Jenkins, pour me a drink. I'm nervous tonight. I " (Dramatic sketch.) "And now the married ladles who love their " • (Song plugging act.) "On my way to the theatre I noticed a small boy. He " (Mono* logist.) • "Now we'll take chances; show you dances " (Dance act—neck swing finish.) "If you try this every morning, you wlll- -" (Talking acrobats.) Show the ladie^ and— "What do you do before you go to bed? (Dog act.) "I gotta a home-a-ya-a In a-ya-Dixieland-a-ya " time single.) i "Our Impression of " (Imitations. Frisco or Gallagher and Shean finish.) ■ ■■ ^ ,:. ■ . ,. „;„■ ■ - ^. ■ \ A . ■■...■ .. . .V (Russian rag-i It is rumored that there are four or five actors on Broadway who are not'interested in some cabaret or restaurant, t ., ^*- Practlce of calling actors out of the audience to be funny for nothing is being revived. If some of the actors who fall for It were asked to da an extra show by the managers who are jMiying them, they would shout -Murder!" But there are a lot of fellows \vho do not be'leve they are funny until after 12 o'clock at night. Sunday papers are doubling their comic sections, which will make ^ome comic artists steal twice as mary gags from vaudeville acts. It is Just about this time of the year lemonade go into tlicir winter quarters. that circus peanuTs and red Baseball man.'igers are thinking of thking the hot frankfurters, sand- wiches and scorccards down South to train with t*lem next season. All-American Band Eleven '' The season for picking the all-American^football eleven will soon be on us. Why not pick an ail-American band olev#n^ while,the craze is on? Here's our choice, picked late at night under peculiar circumstancer: Vincent Lopez, piano; Art Hickman, piano; Saxie HoUsworth, saxo- phone; Paul Whiteman, violin; Ben Bernie. violin; Paul Specht, violin; Ray Miller, drums; Brooke Johns, banjo; Bert Kel'y. banjo; Ted Lewis, clarionet; Arthur Pryor, cornet. his A. D. Mattfetdt, known in bur- lesque circles through having charge of candy concessions for the Empire Circuit) for a number of years, and more recently operating as the con- cessionaire for some 12 Columbia wheelhouses, died Tuesday at St. Joseph's Hospital, Kansas City. He was about 48 years old. Death fol- lowed an operation. Glen Hunter's name will ring loud find long on Broadway for excellent performance as "Merton of the_Movies," now at the Cort. The inner workings of the movies are'always interesting, but is it wise to put the public wise? Mary Nash, in a real Mary Nash part, did a surprising little bit of acting In the last act. It isn't a dressy play, but Miss Nash showed one evening gown of beautiful model. Of a new shade of yellow, the material was soft and clinging, but with a little more body than chiffon, and was sprinkled .all over in crystal. The skirt, full and long, was relieved by four side sashes of plain chiffon. The long, full bodice was held Into the waist by a gold girdle. Gladys Feldman was on for a moment in a regal costume of flame velvet trimmed with monkey fur. Her hat was black lace. Over a sailor dress she*carelessly threw a magnificent ermine cloak. The trouble with our stage is that golf have to argue about. is the only sport the aHori It's almost time for the coal miners to pull another strike, working nearly a month now. They been Santa Claus Is hoping people won't think he Is wearing a beard be::aup« he has been swept away with the Russian craze. Hey, there, Nellie Revelle! If you don't be careful, we'll go down there and do that act you panned us for at the Alhambra. That's our idea of cruelty. Alice Brady In "Anna Ascends." at the Rialto, Is her prettiest as the Syrian girl in the first part of the picture. After blooming forth as a prosperous writer, her hair and earrings give her an elderly appearance. The impression one carries away from this picture Is bushels of earrings, yards of bead necklaces and row upon row of bracelets. Nlta Naldl and Littleferry, N. J., (vaudeville). Is Miss Brady outdo each other In the earring wearing. Miss Brady's dresses now booked by Fally Markus. Sol Brill has taken over the Palace and the Strand, Lakewood, N. J. The Palace will show only pictures, while the Strand will use four lacts and a picture. The vaudeville will be booked through the Fally Markus office. INSIDE STUFF ON VAUDEVILLE Pantages, Spokane, with the man- agerial berth vacant through the recent suicide of E. Clarke Walker, ■will be managed by George Calvert, transferred from Pantages, Tacoma. Louis Christ, who was acting man- ager at Spokan^, may be shifted to the charge of a Pantages house Ea.st. The Keith Family Department added the Scenic, Pawtucket, R. I., to Its booking list this week. It will play five acts on a split week basis, with Carlin and Hutchinson supply- ing the bills. A. Zeller has taken over the Ly- ceum, Amityville, L. L, for vaude- ville. Four acts and pictures will be the policy. The Park Theatre, Nutley. N. J.. management R. Suchman, will play vaudeville three days a week, be- ginning Nov. 20. Lola and Lewis sailed for Aus- tralia Tuesday to head the Musgrove Christmas pantomime company. They open in Sydney. Sam Hearn did not leave "Spic^^' ©f 1922" at Pittsburgh, reaching an Agreement with the management to remain. ., Walter Griffith has replaced Louis Caperstein as manager of Bristol theatre. Bristol. Conn. were mostly of the afternoon type, of rather heavy materials for pictures. The one evening gown was of white with black lace sleeves, the lace forming also a cape. Miss Naldi has developed Into q\i44e a buxom figure, a little too heavy for the vamp type. Her lace dress of a round design was most effective. Very good looking was an afternoon dre.ss with the low girdle, full blouse and uneven skirt. With an evening dress, Miss Naldi wore an I unbecoming skull cap. And the enormous earrings, worn at every oppor- tunity, ^ . : V Eva Tanfeuay, as the added attraction to "Facts and Figures," a Shubert unit, packed the Harlem opera house Tuesday night. Miss Tanguay went much better at the State theatre last week, where her striking costumes and stage setting showed to better advantage on the State's big stage. Her first costume was entirely of sliver strings of tinsel, such as employed for Christmas tree trimming. Black paradise was profusely used as a decoration, and a huge red fan was made of straight quill feathers. Another costume was made entirely of coral feathers tipped in red. The feathers stuck out in all directions. It was a cyclone of plumes. Very handsome was a meline costume of every conceivable shade. Bunched well on the hips with large roses, the loose ends formed a skirt over the well-known white tights. Roses as large as cabbages hung from every spare point. And then the tight-fitting tunic of brilliants with the fur sleeves finished this original wardrobe. * .^ The Jack Gregory Co., In the unit show, had the two women In green and white striped skirts and sweaters matching. Jed Dooley's very pretty partner was In a short costume of red velvet banded with b-ack fur. A small red turban had red cherries hanging from one side. A second change has a yellow skirt over blue pants. Edna Charles (Twinette and Boila) was nicely draped in red velvet, with hat and fan to match. Myrtle Rosedale (with Frank Burt) was in a black net dress sprinkled with Jet. . f I have never seen n more indifferently dressed show than "Maids of America," at the Columbia this week. That takes in the principal women as well as the chorus. The opening of the second act, with the girls in the flowing robes of the Orient, was the one pretentious costume. Its materials, of metal and gauze, made a pretty stage picture. Feather trimming was the most popular for most of the dresses. A Dixie sbng was done In purple veUet spangled bodices and skirts of different rows of colorings. Alfaretta Symonds dressed not at all like a prima donna. Two of her dresses had the extended hips of a season ago. As a maid of Persia, Miss Symonds looked her, when reciting a long and dlflflcult poem. Florence Devere. a none-too-refined miss, wore one passable red tulle dress with the bodice outlined in beads. » Mildred Franklin disappointed with her poor assortment of soubrel costume.". One silver dress faced In pink was fair. The production seems to depend solely upon the men. and it seemed the men changed clothes more often than the women did. There's small chance of Loew's Victoria in Harlt^m playing Keith's big time policy up there, through the supplanting ^f Keith's small time at the Harlem opera house by the Shubert unit ihows. That left the only Keith's bill (big time) In Harlem at the Alhambra. The first report said Keith's pop bill might play the Alhambra and the big time policy shifted to the \Mctoria under an arrangement with Loew's. The LoeW people .say the Victoria (^s making too much money with its present pop vaudeville shows to be diverted ^rom that entertainment and they question if Keith's could or would guarantee what the Victoria would require to turn It over. The dressing rooms of the new Keith's Palace, Cleveland, are named after states. Instead of numbers, in the usual manner. When asked what dressing room they are in acts answer "Kentucky," "California," or whatever state room they may have been assigned. Artists calling at other dressing rooms say "Guess I'll visit Tennessee" Instead of men* tloning the act in that room by name. Among the many floral tributes delivered at the newk, Keith's at la»t week's premiere for the big time vaudeville theatre was a huge basket covered with roses and bearing bunches of real grapes. The basket stood In the lobby with a boy guarding It, but the guard did not prevent the New York crowd from sampling the fruit, sent by Harry Davis of Pittsburgh. . Of the several anecdotes that follow the death of Marie Lloyd Is a humorous one concerning another London music hall artiste, at the time closely approaching Miss Lloyd's premier rank in the English halls. Her sister artiste complained to Miss Lloyd of neglect by her husband: that 4 he said she never dressed up and were flannels at night, with other com- ! plaints. Marie told the girl ,)er husband was right; how did she expect to hold him with a sloven'y appearance which would as a natural course : drive him to neater women? Miss Lloyd told the other girl what to do and, to start the new program immediately. Marie loaned her a silk house gown to be worn over silk negligee, also loaned to her. The other girl wenfhomc that evening, gowned herself in the new outfit and sat there until her hu.sband arrived. As he walked in, .«he arose and started to greet him. He took one look and punched her In the eye, saying, "Who have you been waiting for?' \ The Shubert unit producers appear to be divided into two ranks, those from burlesque and those from other fields. I. H. Herk, president of the Affiliated Theatres Corporation, which operates a unit circuit. Is a bur- lesque man. Just how the Shubert unit circuit will be lined up J"^ authority with a portion of the attractioii's unit shows and other pro- grams carrying straight vaudeville has not as yet reached a dKscussion. It has provoked some talk outside, however, but with no deflnlteness, iot the talk is purely guess work. The presumption is that the Affiliated will continue to be the operator, while the Shubert vaudeville booking offlo* will once again resume activity. It ceased active functioning other thaO ^ to collect commissions when all of the unit producers were permitted t4»j , book their own acts and principals. j :r^/