Variety (December 1922)

Friday, December 8, 1928 ^h. VAUDEVILLE AMUSEHEin'STOCKS RESPOND ONLY TO BEARISH FORCES It;:'' A ■■■. i-V jSeli Off on General Weak Spots, but Ignore Im- provements Elsewhere—Orpheum Notably Weak f at 19%—Loew Rallies Slightly From 18 The state of the speculative mind up to mid-week was mixed as a ireneral thing, but the tendency in the amusement group was all one \ way, and that way downward. Not that price movements were espe- . daily signiflcant, for the volume of ■v business was too trifling to mean anything one way or the other. All week long the four theatre stocks on the Exchange scarcely made a 9ingle daily turnover in four figures. It does not often happen .that bullish and bearish opinion is so evenly divided as has been the case for the last three eessions. The future of prices is too uncertain to invite a general aggressive buying or selling campaign. That being the case, partisans of the amuse- ments appear to be marking time for the present. -It would not be surprising if the insiders in all the theatre stocks are letting things drift with no other settled plan of action than to pick up whatever bargains are offered against the time when the market situation clears up sufficiently to make a re- sumption of pool operations prom-, ising. > ■ ' . Tempting Pools * Observers of this special class of securities stlil adhere to their set- ' tied view that soonor or later the cliques will return to the field. In Famous Players, Orpheum and . Lioew the situation of stocks is such as to invite a play. All three have demonstrated that they can easily be put up to much higher levels when the surrounding conditions are right. It took no violent exer- tion on the part of the Famous Players to mark their stock up to ' par and better when the bull going was good. A good deal of the early pool accumulation was reportcfO • Hone between 82 and 88, and now (Continued on page 35) MOLLIE FULLER'S ACT Shortly Playing at Palace, New York ORPHEUM CIRCUIT SIGNS UNIT VAUDEVILLE AQ Monkey Turn Opens at $650 Weekly—Foreign Act V The second Shubert vaudeville unit act to be signed by the Or- pheum Circuit is "Max and Merits," the monkeys, playing as added at- tractions with different units. The monks were signed to an Orpheum route opening in Chicago Dec. 10 at $660 weekly. The book- ing was direct, it being understood the Orpheum office bought the act- outright from A. E. Johnson, who held a pay or play contract with the Shuberts for 20 weeks* consecutive booking. The act, a foreign turn, opened on the Shubert vaudeville circuit in Oc- tober. COPY ACT CANCELED Pantages Through with Brown Bros. Imitation Mollle Fuller who Is blind, will play the Palace. New York, within three weeks. The Fuller sketch will open out of town next week. Blanche Merrill wrote several com- edy songs for Miss Fuller, Gilbert Clark is making the wardrobe, Lee Edwards writing the score, and Ed- win August directing. E. F. Albee of Keith's donated the scenery. On the Palace opening 7 Bert Savoy (Savoy and Brennan) • will play a part in the sketch. "•< •■•■, JJt TWINS TWICE The birth of twins In theatricals is a rarity but two families of pro- fessionals were blessed with the «double event within the last two weeks. At their home in New York, Dec. 5, two boys were born to Mr. and Mrs. \V. Williams, known in vaudeville as Williams and Wil- liams. The combined weight of the infants was 16 pounds. At Skene's sanitorlum, Brooklyn, on Nov. 24, two daughters were the surprise package for Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Lodge. The mother is profes.slonally known as Marguerite Daniels. The PantageA circuit has notified the Vaudeville Managers' Protect- ive Association that the C. L. Brown copy act of the Six Brown Bros, will receive no further booking from the Pantages office. The act was given two weeks' notice of can- cellation following Chicago, where injunction proceedings were brought against the act last week, which is billed as "The Original Saxophone Six." Charles Dillingham complained to the V. M. P. A. against the act playing the Rivoll, Toledo, Nov. 19, with the six Brown Bros, following them In the next week in "Tip Top." A wire was despatched to the Chicago Pan office which elicited a reply this' week. It is understood that the V. M. P. A. was prepared to go to any length to prevent the copy act from completing a tour of the Pan houses which was con- templated. Two other "copies" under the same idanagement are said to be playing the middle western picture houses and independent circuits. SEPARATION SUIT William Stewart Charged With Cruelty y •; IS JANET SAD? Oh, my no, "She Is Just portraying the photographer's suggestion. On the contrary. Miss Martins is very happy at Keith's Royal this week and the petite French comedienne is booked for the remainder of the season. CENSORSHIP fOtLOWS DUNCAN'S DANCE Critic Scores Isadora as ^'Smirching Art"—Art Posters Censored ;»tT V OPEN HOUSE XMAS WEEK The Burlesque Club of America is to have a Circus Night, Washing- tons birthday night (Feb. 22) at the club rooms on 44th street. Admis- sion of $1.50 will be charged. Christmas wctlc the club will Uocp open house for a'l burlos<iu?r8, whether meml-ora or not. P. J. SCHAFITR SAILING «|4 , Cbionfeo, De \ 0. *}. ret r J. Cchat'frr, ti .Jtnc.i. L ni--:; **nna H(iia{f;-.-. «-il» lor J";nr:.lanil oa l)t.-. It), nnd will 1 o o.' -r ihvc t;ev- oral we''l:s. W. M. Smith's $250,000 Real Estate Tulsa, Okla., Dec. i. William M, Smith has purchased the uncompleted Edwards building here at a cost of $250,000 and will finish its completion. The Orpheum tlieatre will be located on the ground floor of the building. -"■■'.'■ :*nlA. •'V^ t-r;ir-^''i^''('' mwm STUD90S OF STASE DAMOHC 729WnHS!l!$tll«wVbrk /Xf*r droaJ^Mv hi 6299 dryant- ^■^-. MARRIAGES Billy Tracey, song writer, to Ada Carter, Nov. 28, in New York. Doris Green ("Up She Goes") to Henry Herzbrun, Dec. 2, In Now York. Mr. Herzbrun is a Times square attorney known to the the- atrical world. Barry Townsley and Lenore Mas- so, both of the "Bootleggers," were recently married in New Y'ork. The secret marriage of Jere De- lan^y to Mary. Moore who played the title role in "Irene" which oc- curred in Orange, N. J., Aug. IC. at the Church of Our I^dy of Lourdes. the Jlev. Father O'Connor ofhciatirg, becnme Itnown this weelc. DeTaney is now playing in vaude- ville. Evelyn Brent who hns been one of the leading women In Metro productions and who has been en- g.itrid as loading woman for Dou;,'- lUB Falibank.^ in h\A next proilut- tU)n .'MS nnarrird to Bi^.-nio Kinoinaii i!! :;f\v Yorl<, Nov. 21. 'Ph.-r lu'irlr Irit fir the coart wiilvn a day or Fo .ift!.:" tito reromony ['j talie \i|> l.< • \.ot'< in the FulrbaaV;:'. picture Following In the wake of Isadora Duncan's performance at Macau- ley's theatr* la which she was charged with a disregard for decency, police censorship of the theatre and movies in Louisville has become operative. Two policewomen. Mrs. Mamie Oldham and Mrs. Alice Dunlop, will censor the production of local play- houses for the benefit of the Board of Safety. The Board of Safety now will notify the manager of the theater, the promoter of the show and the individuals connected with it, that they wilt all be held responsible for the nature of the performance. On the morning after Miss Dun- can's performance at Macauley's, the critic for the* Courier-Journal scored her for disregard for decency under the head of, "Isadora Smirches Art" Extracts from the criticism fol- low: "Miss Duncan may be pardoned for some of her hasty remarks she has made for the newspapers. She may be misunderstood and she may be laboring for the ultimate In art, but art cannot excuse the indecency she displayed in her final number last night "The climax came when a fasten- ing of her dress at the shoulder broke and portions of her anato- my heretofore decently confined came Into full exposure, an ex- posure the audience might have forgiven as accidental if the dancer had not neglected when the dance was ended to cover herself, thus leaving an ugly blotch in the recol- lection of those who had been sym- pathetic to her during the earlier dance." Harry Martin, manager of Macau- ley's theatre, held a conference with the Board of Safety last week In which he regi-etted the objection- able incident that occurred In Isa- dora Duncan's dance. He showed the board five posters for advertis- ing the Denishawn Dancers. The board said that one of them was obviously Indecent and that an- other bordered, on the same line. Charles F. Huhlein, chairman of the Board of Safety, stated that "if any more exhibitions are given here liice that of Isadora Duncan the perpetrator shall be Indicted. If they have left the city they should be brought back and tried.'* Syracuse, N. T., Dec, •. Willam Stewart of the vaudeville team of Bryant and Stewart, play- ing Keith's here this week, was served with separation papers in an action by his wife, as he walked off the stage. ^ Mrs. Stewart asks that a sub- stantial alimony be grunted her from the $350 week'.y salary re- ceived by the comedian, married only 18 months. Mrs. Stewart said that their troubles started while on their honeymoon, spent traveling around the Keith Circuit s Branding her marriage life as a round of abuse and discord. Mrs. Stewart mentions Cleveland and Montreal as two of the cities where she was beaten. Wliile in Cleveland she said her eyes were blaclcened and her lip3 bruised by punches. In Montreal she charges Stewart l>eat her into unconsciousness. She also said that the same thing happened in New York City in their apart- ment. Stewart says he met his wife at a party given by Frank Tinney 18 months ago and that he has not seen her In 17 months. He says he never took the marriage seriously and is just as anxious that a separ- ation be granted as Mrs. Stewart Stewart declared today he does not fancy being looked upon as a brute on the "say-so" of a woman who was just as foolish as he had been. Mrs. Stewart's accusations consists of non-support, cruel and inhuman treatment. FOREIGN AGENT LEAVES WITH AMERICAN PSAYS Lee Ephriam Traveled to Coast and Back—Closed for ^ V "Thin Ice" CENTRAL CUT RATES Shubert Units' Broadway Stand Oe- buts in Ticket Bargain Bazaar For the first time sino« the Shu- berts started to play the unit chows at the Central. N. Y., seats for the house were on sale Saturday of last week at cut rates. "Midnlte ^levels" was the attraction. This weelc for Marx Bros. 20th Century Review" the cut rate plan was continued, and seats were on sala on the ticket bargain bazaar from Monday on. *. '/ MURRAY-CHARLOT OFF London, Dec. 6. The partnership of Paul Murray with Andre Chariot is dissolving, though the firm will continue to hold its joint management of "Snap" at the Vaudeville theatre and the "Mid- night Follies" cabaret ;^how at the Hotel Metropole. Murray is joining the Alf Zeitlin agency and is at present confined to his home with tonsilitis. Chariot is now on the Continent. The dissolution has been l>rought about through the men having no further productions on hand. , STOCKS CLOSING WEST (Continued from page 1) «eason. always a dull period in tlic- atricals, has frightened the man- agers into this decision, it is re- i i-orte«l. Even overtures from the I players to accept half-salary for I iJu- holiday period did not Interest I the managers. ! The NI*'K«empyor stork at tlie Shulcrt, Milwaukee, has already tinscd. The Butterricld stock cuni- JEKSEY INVESTS (Continued from page 1) where, according to report, prin- cipally In the east at present, on Long Island, where several thea- tres have either been built or are proposed with a list of local sub- scribers. The Inducement to the Ijong Islanders, it is said, is that the theatre will play all kinds of attractions, including legit road shows, with vaudeville not over two days weekly, owing to limited drawing population for any one policy. Lee Ephriam, > the English the- atrical a^ent representing Daniel Mayer & Co. of London, left this week on the "Mauretania," &bout two months after ne reached N«w York. . ' Among the closed attractions ef- fected by Mr. Ephriam over here were the purchase of the British rights for 'Thin Ice." "It's a Boy" and '"Her Temporary Husband." Several other deals are pending. •Thin Ice" will be produced I'n London by Percival Knight, Its author, who will a'so play In It over there, as he is now doing In the run of the piece on Broadway. While "It's a Boy" was lately closed In Boston by Sam H. Harris following its New York try, Mr. Ephriam be- lieves It will do on the other side. Another transaction completed while In New York by Ephriam was a coiTtract for five pictures for D. W. Griffith, to be made by Ivdr Norvero, looked upon as a strong contender for all film honors when appearing on the American screen. Mr. Norvello abroad has been In the pic- ture productions of "Carnival," "Bo* hemian Girl" and "The Blood.** V.'hile other engagements are re- ported to have been made by Mr. Ephriam during his visit here, which included a trip to the coast and re- turn, the English agent would not discuss any matters but those fin- ished. He did admit, however, the story of how he secured "Thin Ice" the same afternoon he witnessed the performance. After sovlng the play Mr. Ephriam called upon Mr. Knight in the latter's dressing room, said he thought the piece suitable for Lon- don and asked the figure. Mr. Knight named one amount, and Ephriam countered with another on the condition Mr. Knight staged the piece and played in it abroad.. The duo then repaired to the Shuberts* office, and before six It had been completed. Mr. Ephriam made manr>' observa- tions while over here, and will be a more frequent visitor to America in the future, Jw stated. The Dan- iel Mayer agency Is one of the largcFt theatrical agencies In the world, liandling all .classes of at- tractions. ^ • seen In the Royal, Brighton. Feb. 12. Iris Hoey will be the leading lady. After a short provincial trip, the play will come to the West End. Another promised production of hi.<, •The String of Pearls," has been postponed until later in the spring. Joe Nightingale will take A. W. Backcomb's place in "Snap" at the Vaudeville when the latter goes into pantomime. "BATTLING BUTLER" DELAYS London, Dec. 6. A postponement may be announced for "Battling Butler," scheduled now to open at the Oxford Friday night. The piece stars Jack Buchanan and Phyllis Titmuss. Postponement may be occasioned through Miss Tltmu'js' sudden illness. IN LONDON (Continued from page J) dent of the Cinematograph Exhibi- tors' Association. Maisle Gay, who has Just returnel from Australia, will talce Clarice Mayne's place In "Snap" at tiie Vaudeville, This l.s only one more of the changes made by the arrival of the pantomime season. Practically the whole of the origi- nal cast will appear in Sir G-rald du Maurier's revival of 'Bulldog Drummond" at Wyndham's on Box- ing day (Dec. 26). After this re- vival, he will produce a new play by Alan Parsons, entitled "The Danc- ers." EKGAGSMOrS r.i.id line Camf ron, "iSLr uvbtM'fv I .'iiiJc' (Lc'.If r«'r). Mi.plyn A.bul-.lo. -CM fMI. :vi. IV Marry De f, Kf. !i ene M;irtyn. Tl'.ir.n GiJin'^s, P.on l»ya:ir Harrioitr T.ro Nellie Gialinm I'Jertt, i!ort i Donn, "Sun Showers." The most notable event of the holiday season will doubtless be Arthur Bourclilrr'« production of R. L. Stevenson's "Tf^asiire Island." This dramatization is the worlc of J. D. Fagan and the Incidental mu- sic has been '.«<poclally composed by I'rcderii! Coimr. panics in Michigan an* also closed. Coast Bert Levey Due in Chicago Chicago. Dec. 6 Bert Levey. ■ who operates « vaudeville clrvuit on the Pacific Coast. Is expec'.eil to reacli Chicago , this week. Lord Livr-t:- 1, iia.s loft for Aniertca to Appear i«k it«'> New k'orlc produc- tion if "(ml I'.ill. M. P." Bruce Bairn.sf/ithcr will not go over for the prod'iclioi'.. . *> »n Julian FrrinU, who rrtn "The Kdge of Iieyon<l" ho «urcc»«Bfully at \he CJarrIcK, has .wquirod the dramatic rigiits of <.uc or the late Charles CJarvlct'.s \tvp.l novels. "JuKt a Olrl." "The dramatization will be originally The frst of the Pinero C;'cle, "Mid-Channel." finishes at the Roy- alty, Dec. 2. The revivals will then be transferred to the Ambassadors and "Sweet Lavender" will bo seen Dec. 22. This will be followed by "The Benefit of the Doubt." Leon M. Lion and J. T. Greln have ac- quired a long lease of the theatre and may Interrupt the Pinero Cycle by the production of a new play by*' George Moore. -„ "Whirled Into Happiness" will An- ish at the Lyric Dec. 19 and the company will start a provincial tour. It will be followed by "Blossom Time," the musical play which has the composer Schubert as the hero. Ernete Zaccone, "the Henry Ir- ving of Italy.'* will shortly be at the Court. London, for a short season. He will probably appear In Ibesen's "Uhosts." three plays by d'AnnunsIo and "Hamlet" or "Macbeth." The Britislj visit is being arranged hT'- Bert HowelL . '» - ;..«!.•:. After the Comedie Francalse, thifc Scottish players. They open at th# Coliscum Jan. 1 in "A Valuabi* Rival," plofylet. : ^ .. Following the Empire run "The Smith Family" will play Newcastle- OQ-Tyne for four weeks. ■ ■ «•*