Variety (December 1922)

r:' ■'if ■„. .■iW'.M./-' .',«D» SJC'* ^ ^ V "J-^ '"t. .. '•*-; W Friday, December 8, 1929 ' VAUDEVILLE ACTORS TAKE OVER UNIT AND KEEP ON OPERATING THE SHOW ' > f/larx Bros, and Krantz and iVhUe Hold 40% of **20\h Century Revue"---Sold 60% Back to V Former Owner—Equal Control •4^16 Twentieth Century Review* trlth the Four Marx Bros, starred Itnd Krans and White, and Olga und Mishka featured a Shubert vaudeville unit show at th^ Central, New York, this week, It being op- erated under the Joint direction of the Marx and Krans and White, with AI B. White the treasurer of the company. Clarence Morganstern, one of the former owners, is now the company manager with the attraction, and also interested, the actors having resold 60 per cent, of the show to Morganstern for $4,000. after hav- ing taken the production over from l^rganstem and Jimmy O'Neil of Chicago. O'Neil In said to have sunk 111.000 in the venture, which originally started out as a Shu- bert unit named "Hollywood Fol- lies" under a franchise issued to Finklestein A Rubin of Minneap- olis. The managerial transformation occurred at Worcester. Mass., shortly after the reorganization unit had opened a second Irip on the Shul>ert vaudeville time with the Marx Bros, added. Krans and White have been with the show •Ince It flrst opened. When produced under the direc- tion of Finklestein & Rubin "The Hollywood Follies" is said to have had an additional backer, a close friend to the members of the firm. The Minneapolis men turned over the production of the show to Mor- ganstern and O'Neil. Morganstern had been a small vaudeville booker In New York, who was sent to Chi- cago by the Shuberts to assume charge of a branch office then opened out there to represent Shu- bert vaudeville. O'Neil had been the Pantages' Chicago booking of- fice head. ■ With the original production some costumes were rented of a Chicago modiste. Maybelle Shearer, at $200 weekly. After reorganization Miss Shearer made a demand for rental due, alleging she had been paid nothing and that $2,200 had ac- cumulated against the show since Its first opening eleven weeks be- fore, up to the time the unit played Boston, week before last. At the end of that engagement Miss Shearer attached White as treas- urer for the amount, but found only $618 In the box office of the Ma- jestic, Boston. She adjusted the claim so the show could move on a payment of $500 on account It was about at this time that Marx and Krans and White resold CO per cent of the show to Mor- ganstern for $4,000, $2,000 in cash and the remainder in debts of the company assumed by the purchaser. Previously, and while the show was playing Worcester, the Marx boys and Kranz and White demand- ed the show be turned over to them, on the ground White had advanced up to that time $5,000 in re-equip- plng the show; also that the Marx Bros, demanded the transfer under pain of possibly departing. It is said White informed the affiliated offiecs in New York of the intended procedure, to which the affiliated agreed, it having cancelled the franchise granted to Finklestein & Rubin. Morganstern and O'Neil are re- ported to have decided the show should be turned over to the ac- tors, and It traveled In that way until the Shearer attachment brought up a question as to respon- sibility. At .this Juncture Morgan- stern iH said to have reappeared and accepted the suggestion he buy back Into the'production, but White insisted that of Morganstern's 60 per cent, of stock In the operating corporation, 10 per cert, would have to be depositcfl In escrow in order —that neither side could have con- trol. It Is aald there Is another In- terested party, financially. In the Rhow, an unknown person, not a showman, and who lives In Chlcafjo. The Marxes joined the unit after It had been called in by the Chi- cagoana and was about to be aban- dored. It Is reported to have done some business since restarting, V claiming $7,600 at Boston, with $4,509 for the Hartford split weeU. and believes it will go over $10,000 at the Central this week. It opened there Monday to $1,000 on the day and had a sell-out Tuesday night. through a club having purchased the house. NICKELS ONLY, GREAT SIR JOE ANNOUNCES Penny Throwers Ruined His Imitation—Show Business Getting Worster CLAYTON ACT ADDED Loew's Coast Pieture Houses Uaing Dancing Feature Turn If you look at the above picture carefully you will have no trouble in recognizing a banjo player and a man of great honest,. One to be tru.sted with bananas. It is Al Fox, my co-worker and playmate. In ap- preciation of his sterling qualities, this public testimonial is inserted. (Signed) GEORGE ROCKWELL PLAYPAYCONTRACTS , MORE UNTT PROBLEMS Bessie Clayton and Co. have been signed by the Loew circuit to play six weeks on the coast in the Loew picture houses, Including those at San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Clayton turn will include the Glorias and James demons. It la understood ah orchestra will be recruited west to go into the act Miss Clayton may remain two weeks at each of the Loew houses designated, playing the dates In conjunction with the feature picture and being the only vaudeville act on the bill. She opens in San Francisco, Dec. 17. The original booking is for six weeks, but she may be continued in- definitely. According to report, the act will receive $1,760 weekly. PORUA SISTERS 0. o UNDER namous name "Ol Mir! OI Mir!" grunted the very versatile Great and only Sir Joseph OInzburg as he burled his worried physog in a monster crum cake, having completed the opera- tion of ducking it In a saucer of steaming coffee at Freeman's eat- ery. "It's no use. its no use. this show business is getting worster and worster every day. To think that me, the Great Sir Joseph Ginzburg. who has entertained the fine ladies and rich gentlemens should have such achlimossel as to appear before such bummers and low llfes what throw pennies to me on the floor while I am imitating Sir Harry Lauder, ober he is a Scotch Sir, but not a Great like me," "You «ee," continued Sir Joe as he shoved the remainder of the crum cake down his throat, "it's my trouble that I got such a good heart. I like mine work because it is mine art. Here there is some rich kibetzcrg around here who now want to star me In mine own pic- ture—From a Stable to the Winter Garden—but my friend Willie How- ard told me to hold out for more money and I holded out until this kibetzer gets cold feet and decided he will star somebody else, maybe Ben Schaeffer ober Dave Clarke. "Now there is a birthday party or maybe it's not that kind of a party, but anyhow they give a party to Willie Howard because he is leaving the Winter Garden for the road. They want to give Willie a good supper ober he don't need it or not, so they ask me to make my speeches and entertain the people who are at this party. I get all mine medals, my new derby hat and my royal clothea all ready and the flrst thing you know, somebody throws a Quarter at me. Quarters I don't mind or half dollars or even dimes and nickels, but when those low llfes start to throw me pennies, it's not right that I should have to stop singing*to pick them up. ober If I don't snatch them right up quick, those waiters will take them and I'm the loser. I would like It put In Vai iety that when the Great Sir Joseph entertains, no one should throw him pennies, ober they should save the pennies until they get five and then tkrow a nickel at me. "From now on no more engage- ments I take unless that arrange- ments Is made, that no one can throw less than a nickel, ober I stop flinging and walk right out on the party if they do." ACTION FOR DAMAGES FROM AaORS' nCHT Danny Watker Sues Dave Kramer—Both with ''Spice of Life'* Unit Producers Leaving Unit Time Financially Tight—May Place Acts W. E. CASTLE DIVORCED Fay Kesselman was granted an interlocutory decree of divorce against William R. Kosselman by .Judge Faber of the Supreme Court, Kings county. N. Y., last week. The suit was uncontested. The husband Is professionally known as Castle and is of Castle and Robblns, vaudeville producer.*?. I Alimony of $20 weekly was award- ed the wife and the custody ,vL •! nve-year-ol ddaughter. Henry R. Rosenberg repre.scntct" thc complainant. FRANCES WHITE ADDED Frances White will be an add"' attraction at the Central, New Ynrk for the Shubert unit show tlr.M-. week of Dee. II. Affiliated Circuit producers who are being forced to close units on account of financial difncultlei are faced with a problein with regard to acts holding pay or play contracts. Most of the unit producers had to guarantee the acts 20 or more weeks when casting the units. These contracts are still In force, forcing the unit producers to unload or stand liable for the amount of the contracts, ' ." v The straight vaudeville policy of the Shuberts Is a separate hooking agreement and doesn't relieve the producer of any responsibility un- less the act voluntarily waives ''lalm. It Is understood that "The Rose Girl," one of the Shuberts' own units, reopened last week to take care of the pay or play contracts the Messrs. Shubert had Issued to members of the original unit and others. As most of the retired producers are in straitened circumstances, their only salvation seems to be the independent vaudeville circuits and burlesque. This week several unit comedians were reported as having signed with burlesque attractions of the Mutual and Columbia cir- cuits. :■-■' '■•■ '■;..'■ ,'•'■. NEW ACTS Finley and Swift have joined the Calvert and Shayne act. John Swor and Frank Conroy (Conroy and Le Maire). Andy Taylor (Taylor and Ia Claire), assisted by a girl partner, in new two-act. "Eight Spades," colored revue, five women, three men. Eddie Vogt and Frank Hurst, two-act (Hurst's former partner. Connie O'Donnell. is temporarily in a Denver sanitarium). Al Bernard, phonograph singer, and Frank Bridges, last of the "Parsing Show." "The Birthday Party," with ten children. "The Elevator Boy," recast, with llarxy Francis, Jake Dowel and Blanche Allen. M. Thor is prepar- ing an act wtih five people and four .special scenes featuring Lillian Price. "The Bachelor Girls," five people. Ferris and Armand, two men. RoRs Boys, singing and dancing. Sid Loyd and Dixie Onell, two- icr. Master Gabriel and company. In "Captain Kiddo," deep-sea farce, with 8i>cclal setting. "JugRling With Shakespeare" with .Moiia Morgan. , "Delafour Twins, In musical revue William Courtney will shortly en- ;er vaudeville witli a Hketoh. Ho h- ;it i)reHent appearing in "Her Tcni porary Husband." Audrey Maple and Joseph Michel Daley, two-act. Jerry Jarnagln will hereafter be ho piano accc>inpanist for Irene I'Yanklln. Danny Walker and Dave Krqpner (Kramer and Boyle), both members of the "Spice of Life" Shubert unit, had an altercation backstage of the Central, New York, one recent aft- ernoon. Reports of the encounter were heard along Broadway, fol- lowed with the descrlptton of how Walker was corporally chastised by Kramer. The matter has finally reached the courts. Walker is asking for $2,000 damages from Kramer to reimburse him because he "suffered great mental and bodily pain and anguish; his feelings and sensibilities wore poignantly humiliated; ho ruffcred keenly from nervous shock and alarm" as a result of the flsticufT battle wherein the "defendant pub- licly, vindictively, maliciously and brutally struck and asHaulted" Wal- ker, according to the latter's alle- gations In the formal complaint. The injuries are listed as two black eyes and sundry contusions, with the right optic severely damaged, leaving a permanent scar. Kramer generally denied all alle- gations through his attorneys. Davis & Davis, his separate defense being Walker attacked him with a chair and that he struck back in' self- defense. • Impartial reports of the backstage battle has It that Kramer playfully stuck out a leg In Walker's path. The latter took offense, and the war waa on. MONEY FOB AFFILIATED A report during the week said that last Friday night at a meeting of the Shubert vaudeville circuit some money was raised in some manner and turned over .to the Affiliated Theatres Corporation, the Shubert vaudeville circuit's operator. It was admitted by one of the men Interested this week money had been raised and turned over, but the means employed and the amount were withheld. f , Played Trial Performance for Nothing — Pleased Eddie Hayman at Kedzie, Chi. Chicago, Dec. C. The standing of the Portia 8is« . terfl in showdom is believed to hav« been established once and for alL If this is true it will remove a matter of controversy covering a long period and will settle a ques- tion on which different authorities have been widely at variance. It will bring a satisfied smile to // the countenance of B. Verheyden. husband of one of the Portia Sis- ters, and manager of the act for many years. It came about this way. The Portia Sisters hav* been playing with some sort of a tour- ing organization in the west and decided that they did not care to attempt a long Jump from Tulsa, Okla., to Seattle. Wash., and so gave In their notice and closed. El. Verheyden attempted to book them but without succesa So the young women themselvea. hearing that Eddie Hayman, one of the owners of the Kedale, Chicago* personally superintends the booking of that house applied for work un- . der the name of "Oladjrs and Venus". Mr. Hayman ecplained the Kedsie audience had had TMide- vllle for years and was not satis- fied with anything else thaar the best of the material seen In the best small time. The young ladles In* sisted they were confident of their ability to please and finally agreed to play at the K^dzls at the matinee last Friday, without salary but with the understanding If Mr. Hayman considered them "good" hs would book them In at ths thsatre the firit half of next week. It is possi- ble a concession in salary was made. Mr. Hayman was Interested, the act gave the trial matinee performance, was classed as "okeh" and booked for the period opening next Mon- day. It did not leak out until early this week that "Gladys and Venus" were the Portia Sisters, reported by the Western Vaudeville Managers' As- sociation authorities as "not up to the standard". The test which the act underwent In showing free and under a new name Is taken by B. Verheyden as a most fair one, since ths bookei who passed on the act has had loni experience. Is Interested In the fi- nancial success of ths theatre, and , could not very well give the "okeh" to an inferior act. Bddle Hayman started In show business as oflAce boy for Martin Beck, when Mr. Beck booked ths Orpheum Circuit, later became his' stenographer and private secretary, and for many years had the most important set of routing boQks in the Association. ' Academy, Bsltc, Temporarily Closes " Baltimore, Dec. 6. The Academy, playing Shubert unit shows, will close until Christ- mas, when It Is reported the Shu- berts win resume with straight vaudeville. TRIXIE FRIGANZA Her flrst t>ox lunch nn loration maWng "MIND OVER MOTOR.* directed by WARD LASCELLP. . , ,^, ^. » ut