Variety (February 1923)

I Thursday, February 22. 1923 OUTDOOR AMUSEMENTS 7 MONTREAL WINTER CARNIVAL FLOPS BADLY; LOSES Project Severely Criticized—"Mi** Canada" Com- petition Became Beauty Contest—Everything at Odds and Ends Montreal, Feb. 21. + The Montreal Winter Carnival has officially- petered out with a deficit of $J0,000. f Lack of public enthusiasm was evident from ita start When the scheme was Drat broached, late last aummer, an ambitious program was decided upon and the co-operation of all the hotels and railroads prom- nival with a buffalo barbecue, but this has fallen through. The carnival is over. It created less of a stir in Montreal than the Stillman case. Winnie Blair of St. John, chosen as IflsaV Canada, denies that she will enter the movies. ' Yes, I have heard loads and loads of reports, but you can say R. L STOPS GAMBLING ! FAIR AND CARNIVAL MEN NEAR BLOWS Order Covers Stats and May Affect Race Tracks for me that the only offer that has Ised. A winter sports committee I been made so far has been that of was formed, headed by one of Can-; a royalty to allow my picture to be ada's best known hotel men, and ' u8 ed on the box of a candy firm." the project was launched. • It later transpired the carnival - „a, pumn, a, odd. and ,nd._ In fl^yy WINTER STORMS the first place, the project wa verely criticized as being too long. In former days carnivals lasted one or two weeks, not one or two months. Then, again, the argu- ment was set forth that In Montreal the* skiing and skating form part of every winter's sport and the city !.*»» long been the home of profes- sional hockey. The Canadian railroads did not get much benefit from the carnival, as the large part of the advertising appropriation was spent in an en- deavor to entice American visitors to the city, who would naturally travel on American lines. The one successful enterprise of the Winter Carnival was the "Miss Canada" competition. Even this was bad' » and hopelessly balled up. pities throughout the Dominion were called u,.on to choose a candi- date, Miss Montreal, Miss Winnipeg, Miss Regina, etc. In some cases candidates were chosen for their "beauty or charm, and In many cases the candidates would not know a skate from a Tutankhamen relic. ' When all the entries for the final, the "Miss Canada" competition, ar- rived In the ctiy there was a lusty howl from many of the candidates, who believed that they were enter- ing a sporting contest and not a beauty contest. The candidate of the Montreal Amateur Athletic As- sociation withdrew, for she had en- tered as a sporting candidate and not a beauty contest. In no In- stance, so far as the Montreal can- didates were concerned, did sport- ing ability play any great part. Miss Mount Royal (Helen Mor- gan), candidate of the Mount Royal Hotel, was disqualified because she Was an American citizen. The upshot of the competition was an indignation meeting held by all the out-of-town candidates at the Mount Royal Hotel, and for a few days It was a ease of touch or go. Many of the candidates, alleg- ing that they had been misled, wanted to withdraw from the com- petition, and It was only after a great deal of persuasion that they remained in the contest. The general impression ©T~ the public in regard to the "Miss Can- ada** com petition Is that it was a "pink tea" affair. One of the can- didates was quoted as saying she did not come to Montreal to be banqueted and feted and "pink teaed," but she did come to match her athletic ability against the choices of other cities. The Winter Sport Carnival, to the layman, merely suggested a series of banquets for this and that, at which wine flowed. It cannot be said otherwise than Montreal's winter carnival flopped. Montrealere. season sportsmen as they are naturally, didn't know half the time, and if the American vis- itor to our fair metropolis had asked the citiaen on the, street, "What has the carnival committee got on Its program for tonight?" he would have been stared at In sur- prise. The carnival started off with what at first promised to be a mon- ster float parade. Upwards of 50 floats were promised, but less than half that number came across. Comparing the famous Quebec tercentenary In 1908, It wMI be re- membered that the pageant alone took over a year to prrpare. A high-priced expert was engaged to work on this end of the carnival and a well-organized publicity com- mittee handled the exploitation. What Montreal's wlnte.* carnival lacked was organisation. It had been planned te finis's up ths car- PRESAGE DRY SUMMER KAFKA and STAWEY the American aerlallsts, In their re- markable act. "Limits of Daring and Endurance," are creating a furore In England with their sensa- tional trick of "forward heel drop" and are the first acrobatic team to receive billing and position in any country In the world. They were accorded second headlining at the Palladium, Holborn Empire and Victoria Palace, and can remain in England indefinitely. Outdoor Construction Hamp- ered. But Statistics Bring Comfort COLISEUM MARCH 25 Combined Sells*Flete and Hagen- beck Shows Start with Ringftnga Providence, R. I., Feb. 21. Rhode Island, long known as the "Monte Carlo" of America, received the surprise of ita life this week when Governor William. S. Fllynn ordered' every gambling house in the state closed tight. Attorney (ieneral Herbert' I* Carpenter strengthened the Chief Executive's proclamation by threatening prose- cution to violatora. Private notices of the general shut-down order have been served on all the notorious gambling houaea The most popular ones m*c located In suburbs of Providence, Cranston, Marieville, East Green- wich, Narragansett Pier and other summer resorts along Narragansett Bay. If bookmaking is prohibited, which, according _o the order, haa been done, the horse races ct the Woonsocket t. ting park will not pay. Preparations for this year's racing season havs ..lready been made at the Woonsocket track, but the promoters have assumed a sud- den standstill position to await further developments from the i FLOATING SHOW QUITS MISSISSIPPI TRADE Vv>athtr bureau figures for the Atlantic seaboard show nearly 60 inchea of snow since Jan. 1, and ex- perienced outdoor showmen predict that a dry aummer, favorable for the park and clrcua business is. pretty sure to follow. There were 26 snow storm in January and February has been a succession of miniature blizzards. The theory is 'hat a g'vsn section goes through the year with about an average of precipitation. A winter of heavy snow is commonly followed by a summer of little rain and the reverse. The records go to corroborate this trade belief. The winter of 1900-01 had 68 snow and rain storms in the East and the fol- lowing summer still stands as a record one for the outdoor business. March and April of that year had IS inches of rain. The following June had less than an inch and July and August were about normal with about 5 inches each and September with two. The following year marked the opening of Luna Park at Coney' Island and the summer was one of disastrous weather. It is recorded that during part of. June and July there were 40 rain/ days. The records show t Inches of rain In June alone. The winter fall had been below normal. Last winter was a conspicuous example of mildness followed by a bad summer. There was little snowfall and the season was one succession of wet week-ends. Figures for snowfall bear out the prediction of the showmen. For the entire winter of 1900-01 the total was only 5 Inches from October to April. J. K. Burke of the Kei i Exchange, a pioneer In the develop- ment of parks in the »0's, when most of the 50 resorts In the coun- try were controlled by Mark Hnnna, declared that his experience went to show that a winter of heavy snowfall was normally followed by a dry summer and a prosperous season for the- outdoor ahowmen. There Is an unusually large amount of construction work In progress In the parka thj* winter and this will be hampered and de- layed, but the time lost can be made up at the last minute by doubling up construction crews at the last minute. This will Involve an extra expense, but If the weather prophesy runs to form the showmen will cheerfully make up the added costs. March £5 is unofficially reported as the opening date of the Sells- Floto and Ilagenbeck - Wallace shows at the C ilcago Coliseum. This matches the Garden opening in New York of RIngling Bros.- Barnum &. Biiley a day or two earlier. The two shown will separate im- mediately after the Chicago stand, each taking up its Individual rou'e. Last season they split at the St. Louis engagement. The Ringlings Are reported to have abandoned their project of putting out a No. 2 show with the Forepaugii' name next season. It is possible that the big show will not make its usual Brooklyn stand un- der canvas owing to difficulties en- countered in finding a substitute lot for the old Fourth avenue ground. The annual talk'from the Muggi- van-Ballard camp of a New York engagement has not been heard this year, and this fact has Inspired a suspicion in the minds of some showmen that the French Licks outfit would make a try for Brook- lyn if the Ringlings don't play the town. Last season the Sella show got as close to New York as Jersey City in May, but remained on the other side of the river, crossing at Albany into New England terri- tory. The Hagen beck outfit crossed the northern tier of New York counties, going into Canada by ths Plattsburg-Rutland (Vt.) route. Towed Around Gulf Into Wcst- ccn La. Bayou Waterways to Escape Poor Business Don Moore's Speech About Graft Rouses Frank Corey's Ire in Chicago Chicago, Feb.* 21. Frank Corey started what prom- ised to become a fistic battle with Don Moore in the lobby of the Audi- torium Hotel here last night, f. lends of both intervening and preventing the encounter. Corey, tt is said, was the aggressor, he taking of- fense a. a speech of Moore's last night, during the co'urse of which Moore aaid the troubles of the car- nival business were due principally to the strong stuff pulled by the smaller carnival companies. Corey is of Corey's Greater Shows. The convention of the midwest fal.mep's association opened late this evening (Wednesday). The middle west state fair secre- taries held an impromptu meeting yesterday, about 20 fair secre- taries and about SO carnival owners and other outdoor showmen at- tending. Don Moore, secretary of the Iowa state fair and secretary of the In- ternational Association of State Fairs and Expositions, delivered a vlctrlolic denunciation of grafting carnivals, slamming Donaldson. Charles RIngling and the Billboard. (Continued on page t) MAY SKIP BROOKLYN Ringlings' Efforts to Find New Let Still Unavailing New Iberia, La., Feb. 21. That there still exist floating the- * The Barnum A Bailey-RIngling atres as gorgeous as 25 yeara ago j Br0i . circus may have to akip on the Mississippi river. was Brooklyn this year. As reported, demonstrated to D. W. Griffith and the old Fourth avenue lot adjoining his company here a few days ago | ; h « *£* p*** &*■ **;•" br . ok * n UB when "French's Floating Opera House" tied up here and lured the Griffith company away from loca- NEW PA. FAIR A new fair and plant will be added to the Pennsylvania events this season. Pottsvllle entering the field. It will be known as the Schul- kill County Fair and is due to open Sept. S. The investment In the grounds and buildinge le being mnde by county bankers and farm- ers. The plant will have about 175 a^res and the plans are along the same lines as the Reading Fair plant, considered the best in the En st. About $5,000 will ^be expended for the outdoor vaudeville show, which will consist of li sets. Frank Wirth secured the contract. BUY CINCY'S OLDEST PARK Cincinnati. Feb. tl. This city's oldest pleasure resort. Coney Island, haa been purchased for $300,000 by J. W. Hubbard, steel magnate and steamboat owner of Pittsburgh, and W. EL Roe, a local resident. The resort, which covers 108 acres. will undergo remodeling which will make It class with any establish- ment of Its kind in ths country. The largest river steamboat in the Uni- ted States, ' "America," which Is owned by the purchasers, will be used to carry passengers to the amusement park as will another ship, the East St. Louis. The two boats belonging to the old Coney Island company were burned at their wharves last No- vember. tlon for the evening. But the old trade has lost all its picturesque - ness. * French's manager, who looks, dresses . and talks like Freddy Zwiefel, manager of Ed Wynn, says business on ths river was so bad, they had the opera house boat towed out into the Gulf and around into the Bayou territory of Western Louisiana, where things have been so much better they expect to make out a prosperous season. for buildings. One plot will be oc- cupied by a new theatre promoted by Levy Bros., real estate oper- ators. RIngling rspressntatlves have canvassed the situation, but have not been able to closs for a new lot. The Fourth 'avenue ground waa examined with a view to a new arrangement by which the top could be put up inside the ball park and the menagerie outside, but.this was found impossible. Ths next move was to open nego- tiations for the use of the Brooklyn parade ground out beyond Proaprct Park on the Sea Beach line, but the The arrival of the "theatre" . authorities felt that the circus could stopped all work in this community, not be permitted to occupy public The entire population attended the show. "D. W." himself called off the usual evening scene rehearsals for the next day and saw IS9 perform- ance, which was sold out. property. The lot out in Ridge- wood, which several shows havs used, "101 Ranch" among them, has not been considered. The section Is hedged in by foreign settlement The show opsns with a minstrel ' and Is difficult to reach. first part followed by a series of | Another location considered Is the specialties add ends with an after , old Sheepshead Bay race track, with pleee in which all performers take j transportation facilities figaring part. M D. W." called ft a first rate somewhat against it show, better than "Price's Floating I A lot within a half mile of Coney Extravaganza" or "Donnelly's River i Island, with the advantages of Troubadours" which he had seen , Coney's many car lines as an im- when he was a youngster in Old- portant factor in its favor, has like- wise been among the numerous lo- cations under^dvlsement. 1&am County, Ky. OUTDOOR ITEMS David Lantinberg, general con- cessionaire for Madison Square Garden, bran bed out last week, securing the program for ths six- day bike race at the Coliseum, Chi- cago. The Coliseum is ths Chicago stand of the opposition circus of Ballard and Mugglvan and is tied up as the Garden is tied up by thp Ringlings. Lantinberg also has sev- eral ball parks around New York, aside from the big league places and a number of New York small time theatres. • Harry Baker, Miller A Baker, ride builders of New York, Is back at business after two weeks of influ- enza The doctors 1st him come to the office for a couple of hours a day. but he has not yet been per mlfted to put In a fall day. CIRCUS' OPENING DATES Chicago. Feb. 21. Hagenbeck-Wallace show wlir open Its season April 28 at Louisville, the third season that eity has been the opening point. The show win also assemble at that point The John Robinson and Gollmar Brothers shows, combined, win open In Indiana, April 21. The Sells - Floto show will assemble at Chicago and open at the Coliseum April ?. The road tour will start at Peru. Ind., now winter quarters of that show. Last season the show wintered at Denver and shipped to Indianapolis to open. This season the opening will be at winter quartern. The John Robinson and Gollmar Brothers show also makes Pent winter quarters. DUCKED THE ISLANDS One Look Enough for'Pissno, But Another Troijp Strands in Lima C0HVENTI0NS Df CHICAGO Chicago. Feb. 21 The International Association of Fair Secretaries is holding a meet- ing at the Auditorium*,today and tomorrow..which has attracted lead- ing fair men from all parts of America. The American Trotting Associa- tion held a meeting at the Audi- torium Tuesday. The International Motor Conte*: Aesoclatlon held a meeting at the Auditorium Monday. The eighth annual meeting of the Car Owning Managers Association Is being held at the Sherman hotel y es t e r day and today. Two coutrastlng tales of ventures In South America and the Indies were In circulation this week. One group of American performers v ho organized a tour on their awn got as far rs Lima, Peru. There they stranded, and had to cable friends In America for funds to get home. Ths experience of a company sponsored by Leo Pisano and George Mets had better luck, founded on better judgment. The organization was framed for the Islands. Pissno and Metz Journeyed straight to Porto Rico, but they never opened there. They made a hasty survey of local conditions and went straight away from there, revising their route to open in Panama, where about I.00Q men from the fleet, Just back ftom win- ter maneuvers were due for shore liberty this month. The outfit is reported doing satisfactu...- taffneejt In Panama, Colon and other C<n- Iral America towns. Bandt With Cireucee Ch cago, Feb. Si. Don Montgomery will have the band with the Ilagenbeck-'Vaiaee show this Reason and Al Massie w:ll havs the band with ths Sells F'oio show. Montgomery had the Sells- Floto band last season.