Variety (April 1923)

■.vi:4ii*'^L/y •^ Thursday, April ft, IMS ^'■'■^'i^^^f^v-'*;*** "^-^T: f^"*'*"^^' r.^^. V I BURLESQUE vpll^p- ■I I c I Ft^. r IN ON FRANCHISES DaUy. ©•rard •««l ••rnard Oiirid* ■'■ ^ 8cHbn«r-Coop«» 8h»w» E4. Daler. who operate* the -•Broidway Brevitlwi" on a leased f^nchise on the Columbia wheel. «ill have two ahowa next season, JavinVbeen allotted the "Big Jam- boree" franchise also. It was one of the shows the late James E. Cooper operated for Sam Bcribner for a number of years. Scrlbner controls the franchise and Daley will stagro the show and operate it on an arrangement with Scribner. ^ .. Barney Cierard will operate the other Scribner franchise heretofore called -Keep Smiling." Gerard will nroduce the show on a 60-50 part- nershlp arrangement with Scribner. This wlH give Geru.d two shows. the other being 'Follies of the Day." in conjunction with the Miner es- tate The James K. Cooper individual franchise. -Folly Town." ha.s been awarded \o Hughey Bernai-d. the latter resident manager of Mmer's Bronx U^iis serxson. and previously operating )>urlesque shows on sev- eral wheels. ^ "' DIXON SET ' Columbia Circuit Shov»^ Under Cher- idan Contract Next Season Henry Dixon i« slated to operate the Phil Sheridan Columbia fran- chise next se.'»son, the papers whfch Will give Dixon the privilege of run- ning n Columbia ehow being sched- uled for signatures all around by Thursday of tliis week. The Phil Sheridan franchise last season was operated by George Jaffe, the show being titled "Step Lively Girls." Prior to last season, for several years Arthur Pearson produced a Columbia show in the Sheridan franchi.«e under various tltle^s, in- cluding "Step Lively Girls." . Dixon had a Shubert unit show this season and for 4 years pre- viously operated'^he "Big Review^ on the American and other burles- que circuits. He had a Columbia show about 1(J >'ears ago. CLARE A. LUTES OF LUTES BROS. The act that puts the added punch to your bill. Now playing Keith Eastern bookings. Norwich and Holyoke. this week (April L*). Direction. GLADYS BROWN, Hennessy Office. TOM POWELL. Western Reoresentativo SUMMER SHOW MAY 14 Postponement of One Wook Aliov\/: Watson's "Beeftruct" to Return OLYMPIC OFFERED Columbia Burlesque May Take Legit House in Chicago Chicago, April 4. The 01>Tnpic, a legit house, booked by Klaw & Erlanger last season, may take the Columbia bur- lesque attractions next season. The Columbia people have been ap- proached by the house. The Columbia Bhows play the fitar and Garter and Empress in Chicago. The addition oC the Olym- pic would give the Columbia three week-stands In Chi unless they Aropped one of the other two. • ♦•»• DODQING BETUEN DATE The *Al Reeves Columbia burles- que attraction will not play the Co- lumbia, New York, the week of April I. the date having been allotted to JTacobs Sc Jermon'a "Bon Toj;n." Both would have been a return there. The Columbia ofncials are reported as ordering the last min- ute switch in bookings on account of the comparative grosses of the two attractions, it being desired to have a strong attraction at the Co- lumbia the week following Easter .Week. • The start of the summer run at the Coiumbia. New York, for the Dave Marion show has 1 en post- poned until May 14, from its first May i date. Through the protest of Georce Rife the extra v.eek was added on to the Columbia's .season. It per- mits Biily Wat.son'8 "P.eeftrust" show playing a return date ;rt the Broadway houre. Rife is interested in the show. The Columbia people wlien set- ting the date for the Marlon sum- mer run were aware that the reg- ular course of the wheel's route called for the "Beeftrust" company to appear there the May 7 week. The change automatically set May IS as the new date for the Burlesque Club benefit at the Co- lumbia. FINNEY LEAVING WALDBOK Frank Pinncy, for the last 16 years associated with Columbia shows controlled by Chas. H. Wal- dron of Boston, will leave the Wal- dron management at the expiration of the current season. | J^nney has not announced 'future plans* CLOSING APRIL 14 Columbia's Final Official Date—Sup- jilamantary Season Follows The ofUcIal closing date of the Columbia shows set (or April IS and later extended to April 30, has been finally decided for April 14. Any Columbia .*<hows playing after that date will All supplementary engage- ments, the ,bookings of this type generally being made direct by the shows with the theatresi The closings already listed with the Columbia routing office are: "Town Scandals" at Star and Garter, Chicago. April 7; "Temptations of 1922," Gayety, Kansas City. March 28: "Record Breakers," Gayety. Kansas Cfty, April 7; "Folly Town." Gayety. Kansas City, April 14; "Hello Good Times," dayety, Kan- sas Cit3', April 21: "Maids of Amer- ica," Gayety, Kansas City. April 28; •Broadway Flappers," Empire. To- ledo, April 21; "American Girts" Colonial. Cleve:and, April 21; "Big Jamboree," Yorkeville, New York, April 28: "Frank Finney Revue." Casino. Boston. April 8. "Youthful Follies," Hurtfg and Seamen's, New York, April 22: "Beef Trust Wat- son." Gayety, Rochester, April 14. Closing dates for other Columbia shows have not been set. SHOW'S GROSSES NIAGARA FALLS LEADS Started as Experiment by Mutual. Percentage Exceeds 9200 The Cataract, Niagara Fall?, which the Mutual wheel started playing as an experiment four weeks ago, has developed into one of the b?8t stands on the circuit. The house was. an optional one with the Mutual shows played di- rect by the show on a percentage arrangement instead of the Mutual's plan M the house buying the show for 11.160. The Niagara Falls stand will be extended to a regular three- day split next season. Every show that has played the house since it opened claims a profit considerably larger, than the $200 awarded the show when playing the regular Mu- tual houses. ~- How Burlesqu* Did Holy Week- Business Generally Off V I ■ Business dropped all over the Columbia circuit last week (Holy Week). The Columbia, rsew York, did 17.100 with the "Greenwich Vil- lage Revue." The date was a re- peat ai>d the show did better tlie second time than in the previous engagement (Aug. 12). YorkviUe did 13.500 with Ed Daley's "Brevi- ties." Bruii-c. 13.800 with Let's Go" and Hurtig St Seamon's $:t,l>00 with the Frank Finney Show. Gerard's "FoUi^^-s" did $6.n00 at the Empire, Brooklyn; "Chuckles' did $5. 227 at Minneapolis, Gayety. and "Broadway Flappers," $5,000 at Gayety, Washington. The Gayety, Boston, last week beat the Cnsino for the first week in a Eeveral. the Gayety with "Wine. Woman and Song" doing $6,400. Th? Casino-had the "Big Jaml»oree Show" and did $5,400. "Radie Girls" at Montreal, got $3,000. and Worcester In its final week with "Step Lively," $4,000. MARRIAGES - - Announcement has been made In New Britain, Conn., of the mar- riage in New York of George Campbell of that to'vn to Betty Weber. The bride has been in vaudeville and musical comedy. William J. Mack, director with the Warfleld stock, to Marie Kelley, a dancing instructress. In Oklahoma City, March 20. Cecelia Jackson atid John W. Tay- lor, both 25 years old, in Holyoke, Mass.,., March 31, during an engage- ment at the Victory theatre. They are members of the Four Madcaps act. Freddie Bachman. traveling gen- eral manager for the Ernie Young agency and attractions, wn«t united in marriage March 30 in Chicago to "Mickey" Major. Ernestine Cpru (vaudeville) to Herbert Fertic, it* Attleboro, Mass.. March 27. Harry J. Barnett of DeHaven Studios, Chicago, to Mary Bloom, sixter of M. Bloom, ChicaKo theatri- cal photographer, March 25. NO PERBOT TO PARADE The Lew Talbot show, "Wine, Woman and Song," planned to spring a surprise on Times square Monday morning and each morning thereafter during the current week by holding a street parade as a publicity Blunt. Failure to secure a permit squashed it. The stand taken by the city authorities, ac- cortling to Mr. Talbot, was that any sort of parade on Times square would torul lo create too much con- gestion of traffic. r^ ■V THREE SHOWS LAYING OFF Through the dropping of the Majestic. .J,>rsey City, and New- burgh and PeiiKhkoepsio. n. Y.. in the Ka.'5t la.st week, and the elini- mation of IndJanapoli.i on the Col- umhia wheel .M^me time ago. three ^^oliimola shovs :tro laying off thii (li.u.stor, wcHc. ;^*Jf "^'Ow.i are "The Fla.Mh.iKiits." MHMn, (i„o t t Tlm t'T;." airrt ^Lrr'n Co. • BURLESQUE ROUTES ^*7'f-f' ^^''' *'"t'^^ ON /vu/f; _Jh^'/four in ThU I»H(tc —^ \ ILL AND INJURED Johnny Walker of the Chas. Mad- dock production turn "Son Dodger." was taken to the Flushing. L. I., hospital Monday suffering from a severe attack of the flu. Boris Thomashefsky, Yiddish theatrical manager, is recovering from a serious operation In the Jewish hospital. New York. His son, Dr. Milton Thomashefsky, an interne at the institution, i>erforuied the operation. Sam Bernard underwent an In- ternal operation last Friday. It was not serious. Charles P. Morrison, of "Molly Darling," was removed from a pri- vate sanitarium in Philadelphia to | the^ Masonic Memorial Ho.spital, Utica, N. Y., for treatment and rest March 30, following a break- down while playing at the Forrest, Philadelphia, March 3. Mrs. Mor- rison (Henrietta Lee) is with him. Ruby Wynn was taken from the N. V. A. Clubhouse Monday after- noon to Dr. J. W. Amey'.<? sanita- rium, 306 West 75>'th street, in a critical condition. Abe Cohen, marian?r of the Mid- way Hippodrome, a vaudeville the- atre on the South Side, Chicago, is very ill. Lillian Van Biildvvin (Van Bald- win Trio) sustained three ga.shes jn her forehead Monday, while playing at the Majeftio, Elmira, N. Y. The accident was duo to the coIIa|».s,-» of a pedestal upon which the arti.st was. standin^v, supporting two men in the act hy strap.s from a teeth ht»ld. A bolt from a ladder u.«ied in the act struck her, cutting her acros.s the forehead. ' GrifC ha.s !)eoii conflne.l lo his hotel in New YoiU for ."-'^veral days due i to an .ittack of pnoumonia. Rose A<'.^lIo .';ustainv<l a fra.'^tfrel a rm recently v.hile app carii'.g v.iili a stock company J;\ i;;'0(n:i."i *.\. $7,100 at.Columbia on Return Hurtig &• Seamon's "Greenwich Village Revue " got $7,100 last (Holy) week at the Columbia on a repeat engagement, as against $5,100 the preliminary week it played early In the Reason. Last week's booking was the reg- ular date for the show at the Co- lumbia. Early In the season a week before the season opened the show jumped Into the house without ad- vance billing and on short notice. This Is the second of the repeats at the Columbia. The week previous Bill Campbell's "Youthful Follies" did $8,200 on Its second appearance. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Burchill, In Chicago. March 28. son. The father is a booker In the Western Vaude- ville Managers' Association offices In Chicago; the mother was for- merly assistant to Earl J, Cox, who conducted a vaudevillo booking agency in Chicago, and her maiden name was Grace Van Buren. A bachelor member of Variety's staff wanted to accomplish a mir- acle for Mrs. Allen Lieber of 25 Gautier avenue, Jersey City. Mrs. Leiber (Betty. Armstrong) Informed Variety her infant daughter was christened Betty Meta March 25 at the Little Church Around the Corner, with the godparents also mentioned. Betty Meta was born four months ago. The Variety fel- low evidently didn't care much for the christening end of It, but tiiought as that must mean a birth. it was a birth, so he wrote it under "Birthb" as of now, keeping the christening a secret between him- self and those at i\w ctrrfmouial. Immediately, says Mrs. Leiber, a flood qf congratulatory me.iHages commenced to arrive at her home. ENGAOEHEl^TS Catherine Cornell. Gilbert Emery, Nccl Tcarle, "The Enchanted Cot- tage." Lew Fields. Lulu McConnell, •Jack and Jill." Lennox Pawle, "The Mountebank." Virginia O'Brien. "The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly." Walter Abel, "As You Like It." Charles Judels." Jack and Jill." Perclval Vivian, John O'Brien, r"As You Like It." Hal Skelly. "Lily of the Valley." Alan Bunce. "Roger Bloomer." Moffatt Johnson, "The Devii:« Dis- ciple." Tom Powers, Fanla Marinoff, "Tarnish." Spencer Charters, "In the Moon- light." Murray Bennett. "When Love Is Young" (vaudeville, replacing Tom Douglass). ' Bob Nelson, Bal Tabarin (Shu- borts). OBrrUARYT ' KERRY C. MEAGHER ICerry C. Meagher, aeed 03, for- merly head of the Western Yau<f - ville Managers' Association. Clii- 1 ago, and later In charge- of the pu i- iicity department of that booU;,ig agency, died suddenly at his home at 716 Central avenue, Wilmetto, March 30. The Great Reaper could hardly have exacted a toll which would have caused greater conster- nation and sorrow among the show folks of the mid-West. / - Mr, Meagher was n prominent _ figure in the association for many years. Since his retirement there had been constant talk he would again become Identified with the or- ganization. He was for some years in the ticket wagon of the Ringling Brothers' Circus. When vaudeville began to as.sume powerful propor- I In Memory of Mj IIaIotchI Pntfcor ROBERT S. CLEVELAND. 8R. Who VtH!^9d Thl.1 I.lfff April 2d 192 RK8T IN l*KA('K BOB CLEVELAND tions In the miu-West some year.s ago Mr. Meagher became prominent with Us promotion and contributed largely to the building up of booi;- ing activities there., Although acquiring quite a for- tune and able to retiro when ceas- ing to be the head of the W. V. M. A., the deceased preferred to bo in the harness and accepted the di- rection of the publicity department. He was twice married and some years ago donated I3.S00 to th4 American Theatrical Hospital, Chi- cago, founding a ward In the mem- ory of hig first wife. C. W. PARK C. W. Clark, one of the original repertoire managers to present dra- matic shows under canvas and also owner of the colored ahow "The Smart Set." died suddenly March 31 at Blackoak, Ark. He is sur- vived by a widow, Mary Orton Park, and James A. Park. Charles Francis Park. Sam J. Park-and Laura May Park. Burial waa at Blackoak April S. NEW ACTS Milt n;itton (Frank and Milt r.iitton> with Dot Dawn and mixed juxenile band. Klizul ?lh NeL-^on and the Barry Doj H. blackface act. "riaiTlnge a la Vnudeville" with Dorothy IIi«hmond, Ted Adams and llol-ert Robson. PALACE SPECS (Continued from page 1) it was said the specs had been un- able to secure Palace tickets. Pre- viously they had "dug" them or bought Palace tickets from the regular agencies. The Palace of late has been sending about 100 tickets a performance to the larger agencies for convenience of hotel guests. Speculating with Palace tickets appears to have proven so remu- nerative the street agencies han- dling them carry little else. They arc said to bring $3 and $4 apiece often, while the theatre has knowl- od^e where one street speculator sold three Palace tickets for a Sun- day nipht performance at |18. The .specs* never charge under a pre- mium of )]. Thens ia a chance the Palace man- agement will decide to adopt the plan of curbing the specs that Keith's Alhambra, Harlem, em- ployed—holding all tickets in the box office until just before the per- formance, giving advance buyers a .'*lip calling for the seats purchased. The plan worked vefy well at the Alhnnilira, discouraging the specs in that neighborhood. CHARLES M. BAQQ Charles M. Bagg, owner and man- ager of several Buffalo theatres, died March 28 at the General Hos- pital, Buffalo, following an opera- tion. Bagg at one time managed the old Lafayette When It was a burlesque house. He also owned Bagg'8 Hotel, one of the Uest known theatrical hostelrles In Buffalo. Bagg was a graduate of Hamilton College and, a prominent Mason. MARGARET FITCHETT Margaret Fltchett, widow of George H. Fltchett and sister of the late Mrs. Richard Hyde (Hyde & Bchman), died March 18 at her home in Brooklyn, N. T. The de- ceased was 77 years old, and Is sur- vived by her children, George H., Ben. T. and Julian Fltchett and Mrg. Minnie Parker. ALGOT NYBERG Algot Nyberg, associatp manager of the Cape Cod Vaudeville Bt- change. in Falmouth, Masa., died recently. He was 19 years old. =i' Morris Rosenthal has RUccM-led i IN'i.cr VV. Murp'iy as inana?;;er ot llie Strand in Walerluiry, Conii. Mv. Murphy ha.s been c<»Tinerle'l with the 1N>U circuit for 15 yoar.i. .ii;d .Mabtl Ferry tfrom "Ciiory") , AlUo Ko.«»s a.id Jf r:. ie Zach of the "Piantalion' caharoi levue, t'vo- act. Alrna fJra^'. Australiati comcdie.nn" and <|aiuMr. and .limniie Brown ( "A Tiip to Ififand'i. two-act. Ivrn Bankoff and Co.. Including lutli Cannon, Amy Maynard, Piflle lUnioii, and Clifford AdaniH, under Chauncey A. Monroe Chauncey A. Monroe died at his home, Reading. Pa., Friday, March 30. He was a vaudevillo actor, ap- pearing for some time In a skot«'h "A Business Proposal." His mother survives. The mother of Mario Ro.slyn (Pierce and Roslyn) dietl at her homo, 1406 South Eighth street. Tone Haute, Ind., March 18. The remains were held, pending the ar- rival of Pierce and Roslyn from I^on- don March 28. Margafet Fitchett, widow of the late Geo. H. Fltchett, died Sunday, March 18. at the age of 77. The deceased was a sister of the late Mrs. Hyde iUyde & Bchman). The wife of Ralph Lingley, the comedian, died March 28 at the home of her parents In Scarboro, Me. :■■'{?'•: The father of Guy D'Kmrry, with the Pre.ildent Players, Washington, I). C. died Miirch 31 in San Fran- cisco. r rt c;oi*clon (Cordon and Ford) (he management of Dr. Charles Mar- »■< li'i prenenting a dance revue, have completed a {ouv Week.s enKagement In Honolulu and are en route to the (Mient. The mother of Marlon Cleveland < Claude and M.'\rlf>n. vaudeville). The mother of Marlon Cleveland (Claudo and Marion) died March 23 at her homo In Somervillo, Mass. Th* mother of catll»ltiir~T>i3lTrir~~" died March 5 at her home, 70iri Clyde avenue, Chicago. The mother, aged «1. of Edgar Faber of the Palace. New Orleans. dfd In Somerville, Mas.s., March 2& died last week.