Variety (July 1923)

Wediujsday, July 4, 102$ BURLESQUE loss BY SHOW AT NEW STAND POOLED BY COLUMBIA PRODUCERS f*> iA }'.', ,.1. Brand New Rule of Big Wheel for Next Season— .> Each Show Standing 1-38 of Grots Lots So at to Minimize Lott for Unfortunate Production A new ruling effective on the Co- lumbia circuit next season for the first time in the history of that or- ganization will call for the pooling of any loss sustained by a show when playing a new Colunribia whe«'l stand put in the circuit as an ex- peirlment. '' The niU^ will work out like this: Ifithe Columbia secures a new house lf\ any given,city, and tries it out for a couple of weeks or longer, a Columbia sbow coming in and losing anything from a dollar to a couple of thoXiHand will roport its loss back to th" t?oiumbia Producers' Asso- ciation. •The ns^oclation will pro rate the 'toss an»t»"S its members, each con- tributing one thirty-eighth, if* the shows number 38 on the Columbia wheeJ next seaion. or proportlor.aie- ly whatever t!ie circuit shown may number. In that way the show un- lucky eVioufiVt to have to play a new stand that is a bloomer will not have to Btund the whole loss as in tl^e pa si. Last spasoM the Ciilumblu experi- mented wiih several houses ihjtt were dropped after a trial of two Oi- three weeksi, with the shows getting the experimental houses losing so much that it took three or four good weeks to make up for what was dropped on the flivver house. In the cu.se of a house that fails to pay when trying burlesque, as In the case of tlie National, U\ Chi- cago, last season, the good shows stand just as much chance to lo^e /•» the weaker ones. ... » , ,i? - . - / SUCCESSFUL MINN. STOCK Minneapolis. July 3. MuBlcal comedy stock for the first ttet in years has been successfully introduced during the summer sea- son in Minneapolis. Prank Wake- field, producer, and W. E. Mick, manager of the Palace, are credited with doing the impossible. Mr, Wakefield came to Min- neapolis from the Band Box, Cleve- land, six weeks ago with a company of 28 people. The contract called for 10 weeks here, and indications are that the company will be re-en- saged at the expiration of it. Billy Mosey is principal comedian. Leah White is leading lad}'. Among •thers are Clyde Hooper, Arthur Jackson, Albana and Morgan, Alice Carmen and Erin Jackson. Benny Barnett directs the orchestra. The show is playing 60 "cents top and olYerlnf? a change eN'ery weelc. The shows .ire well staged and cos- tumed BURLESaUE CHANGES the title of "Buzzln* Around" to have been used by Ed Daley for a Columbia wheel show next season has been dropped, following a con- troversy between Daley and the Shuberts over its use, the Shuberts contending It infringed on the "Buzzin' Around' title used for a Winter Oarden show several sea- sons apo. Daley will use instead "Runnin* Wild." ' Sam Aero. -Follies Of the Day." Rita Leitrh. "Radio Girls." Leo Czech, Waldron's show. Ray Roltach, Fern Miller (.Mrs. Rottach), Levitt's "Giggles." James Weedon ia manager for Daley's ^'Broadway Brevities." Eddif (Jreen. Gcrardfl "AH in Fun." Kelso Bros, and Billy De Lisle, who work their acts in conjunction, 'or Bernard's "Happy Go Lucky Burle.squeis." Florence Darley. of the KpIho boys vaudeville act, as prima donna with the same show. The title.* of three of the Hurtig « Seamon Columbia wheel quartet will be changed for next seasoji. The Bowery.s* changed three timt;* the iji.st three years, and th'Mi 2 CREDITORS HOLD OUT Spiegel Settlement Undetermined^ Another Meeting July 24 If all of Max Spiegel's creditors do not unanimously agree to Mrs. Estelle B. Mark's J3G0,000 settle- ment offer, it may mean that the Spiegel affair will be continuously involved in the courts for the next seven or eight years. . t last Fri- day's meeting, all but two of the creditors were agreeable to the set- tlement proposal, with July 24. at 10 A. M. set for the next hearing to finally dispose of the offer, Spiegel, still an Inmate of a Stam- ford, Conn, sanitarium, incurred about 11,000.000 in liabilities which Mrs. Mark, the bankrupt theatrical liromoter's mother-in-law. is seek- ing to settle foe l.'JwO.OOO in caah In full for all claims. The settlement Is contingent on a unanimous ac- ceptance. Those holding out for a full set- tlement are the Shuberts on a $29,000 claim through David Kahn, their (Counsel, and Alfred Lyons, at' torney for Irving Markowitz. who Iralds a $1',500 claim. If the settlement is finally dis- posed of, another situation faces Ed- ward Hymes, the Spiegel trustee. Samuel Pett, long before the Spiegel bankruptcy was fUed, recovered a $200,000 judgment against Spiegel as a result of realty tran.sactlons In- volving the Spiegel theatrical hold- ings. The trustee has yet to nego- tiate a settlement of this large claim. Friday's meeting was held in the postofflce building. New York, be- fore Referee in Bankruptcy Harold P. Coffin. Mrs. Mark, mother-in-law of Spiegel, and an officer of the Mitchell H. Mark Realty Company which operates the Mark-Strand theatres in New York, Brooklyn, and other cities, is desirous of swinging the settlement so aa to obviate Involving the corporation of which Spiegel was a director. Over $500,000 in forged securities are outstanding against this and affiliated corporations, which Mrs. Mark has offered to settle for 25 cents on the dollar; general claims, 10 cents on the dollar. Valid out- standing stock certificates are, of course, redeemable at par. NEW ACTS in resiimcil during last season, will bf C.lll(>*i Days,- Re\ lie' l''*ollies, ■Viriif:^ of 1923": "Social *^itl r<k*« the title <»f ' Hftppy ■tnd "GretMiwJch N'illuK*"' will be railed "ilulivwood "Sieji On it" will lomain fh*' auiP as list siason. Th.- ^Ro.ket.««- shnw opeir.ted by H-.irfia: * ''^♦'•Tinon lji«-r >e u* will not b^ haiidi«»ti by til., lirm. the Clark .V: Wo(.',iii,,noh .iiow • MonUey J-^hinos" takioR the p- K-e of ' Rook-ls." Britt Wood, who ha.<» not played for the Keith offlce for over five years, has, through his agent. Alf Wilton, received a big time route for next season. Saul Marshall, in 'I>atigliing Med- icine," comedy siiifilr', by Bill Dugan and Any Rice. Elliot Hall and Moi^^'mary Newell, two-act. ^ Mary Goss (Pauli and Goss) and Charles Barrows (lirowa and Bar- rows), in skit. Vera Michelcna and Fred Hille- brand, comedy burlesque skit. Four Johnnie*" with Constance Evans. Bill Dooloy (Dooloy and Storey) and Irene Delroy, two-act. Miss Delroy is engaged (alone) for the next "Greenwich \'illage i'-ollies." Helen Higgins (Higgins and Bates) and one of the Blossom Sis- ters, sister act. Natalie Bates is to join a production. Mark Hart and (Jirls (:•, comedy act. ■ ' ■, - ' -- •^'''' i.'v John Byam .in«l Helen Carring- ton. two-act. William !•'. inigan bus written new next geason'>i vehicles" for Chic HAYES4iFFEY REVEAL ''COMMON LAW" STORY Dave Nussbaum Lays Claim to Gertrude Hayes—Laffey Denies Engagement • • • • Boston. July t. The announcement of the engage- ment of Gertrude Hayes, Jr., of Gerard's "Follies of the Day,' to Jo- seph Laffe,v, a Boston business man. made about the middle of last w^ik was followed closely by fireworks from Dave Nussbaum, a former stage partner of the girl, and a pianist. As a result the local dailies had plenty of material furnished them for sensational stories during the week. The wind-up locally came Sunday when Miss Hayes left for New York with Nussbaum on the same train. Coincident with their departure came a story, in which Laffey was credited with saying there was no foundation to the report he and Miss Hayes were engaged to be married. Laffey is a widower, 34 years old. Miss Hayes' age is given as 19. Laffey wa* in Ctalvago when ihe story broke, and up to a short time b«fore he returned and issued his statement Miss Hayes was stopping at his home in Maiden. The story quoted Nussbaum with declaring that Mi^s Ha3'es was his legal wife of the "common law" tyi)e. and that they had lived together in several cities along the route of "Bozo" Snyder's show. Miss Hayes had de- nied that she loved Nussbaum, and denied that she had ever I<ved as big wife, or was even engaged to him. In his statement denying that he intended to marry Miss Hayes, Laffey stated that his absence from the city had prevented him making the denial earlier. Nussbaum, when the fireworks first began, was credited with having retained two attorneys to bring a $50,000 dam- aged suit against Laffey fov liieiia- tion of affections. /..' z^f <r?^ ELECnON OF OFnCERS INDICATES MUTUAL'S CLEAN-UP PURPOSE '.sH Max Landau, former vaudeville agent, has been appointed manager of B'eiber & Shea's Miles Hoyal The- atre, Akron, O. Geo. E. tothrop Now Mutual's President—25 Weeks Next Season—Censoring Board Formed—Fran- chises Restored •s.- '•f 4 NEW COLUKBIA STANDS The Columbia wheel route for next season will include four cities not played for several years by the big burlesque wheel. They are Schenectady. N. Y. (Van Curler); Niagara Falls. N. Y. (Cataract); and Hamilton. Can. The present routing plan calls for Schenectady to play three days, splitting with Harmanus Bleecker Hall, Albany, or if that house is not secured, an- otlier theatre in Albany. Hamilton will split wkh Niagara Falls, the showM playing three days In each town. The house to be played in Hamil- ton will probably be the G. O. H. BIFF CIAKK 01 MUTUAL Wm. S. (Biff) Clark is sldteu for a franchise on the Mutual wheel next season. Gus Fay will be the principal comic with Uie/ Clark show. Clark has not been active in bur- le.sque for several years. He oper- ated a Columbia wheel show up to ^liout five years ago. Edmondson Assistant te Scribner Joe Kdmondson. who succeeded Tom Henry on the Columbia ex- ecutive staff recently, will act in the capacity of assistant to Sam A. Scribner. general manager. In addi- tion to co-operating with Jess Burns In making censorship inspec- tions of the Columbia shows. Raymond Given Mutual Franchise Sam Baymond, operating the Star and Gayety. Brooklyn, on the" Mu- tual wheel, has been granted a franchise for a Mutual show next season. OBITUARY GUSTAVE ADOLPH KERKER Oustave Adolph Kerker, aged 66. composer and musician, died sud- denly June 29 at hUi New York home after a severe apoplectic stroke. The deceased was bonj In Westphalia, Germany, of a family of musicians. He moved to Louisville at the age of 12 and filled local theatre engage- ments, playing the cello, which he had studied with great diligence for five years. He became an orchestra leader at 15 and reached New York in 1884. At this time he began to compose, at first without success, but gradu- ally with ever-widening fame. In 1897 he became conductor at the Casino, New York, and remained with this house until 1912. His first light opera there was "The Belle of New York," a reigning success, fol- lowed by continuous mu.<*ical come- dies, including "Winsome Winnie," "Yankee Doodle Dandy." "The Whfr; of the Town," "The Tourists" and many others. Mr. Kerker was vice-president and a director of the Society of Compos- ers, Authors and Publishers, and a member of the Lambs and the Green lloomClub. He was twice marrltsJ, fl:st to Rose Keene, an actress, In 1884, and in 1908 to Mattie Riven- he»"j». a .showgirl. 30 years hi.«i Junior who survives him. t ANNA T. GALLIGAN Anna T. Galllgan died July 'J at the home in Providence of her sister, Mrs. Owen Kelly, after a lingering illness. Born in Somerset, Ma.is.. Miss Galllgan after graduating from business college became assistant treasurer 11 years ago of the Keith's Rhode Island houses. Later she was made treasurer of the string. The deceased was one of the first women executives in the Keith or- ganization. Services will be held in Providence Thursday (July C). Sale and Mignon urul Mevoral sp(^- (ial numbers for T'.ilie Bakci-. Jacic Do'nrouvt (Warden and I»ont•oull^ and I'lanci.s Dixie (Mack Sinnett "batbitip «irr>. two-.ict. ".fun** Tiine." mini;«lur*> nin'-i'-.i! («»medy, fealurinrr .Mbottrt Dove. llarrN CJtrroll uril U-'C lish»»r. I wo-aft. CHARLES P. WHYTE Charles P. Whyte, veteran mu.^^cal comedy and vaudeville actor, died Juno 30 at hi.'* New York City home. aged 61. He had recently returned from a tour of the OrpliPum Circuit and w;tH atrictccj. with heart di«e:iKO .vlioinly after arriving at hi.s home. The decea«ed was born in Mel- bourne and came to the State's soor) after making his stage d»'but. He appeare*! in u^any musical comedy succe^-Kse.s hfi'e atid In KnT,''and. H»* t-nlered vaudeville, plav ini; .^lih lli<> AnuM'irifi Conn'ijy Fouk,- U'byie, Pt'lzrr ;ind Wliyte and the .MinHtr*-! M(Mi.ircli^ (the litsr of ihc "oid- t>mf*r" ndn in v:iud»vil|p; n« i< ■survived by Lis .viTo and n .ion, t'.or- HARRIET SHELDON Harriet Sheldon, who played In the New York company of "Blossom Time" up to June 2, died suddenly of heart trouble at her late son'.s home In Bensonhurst, L. I., June 19. The late Walter Jones, the comr>- dlan, who died .several months ago, was her only child. Mrs. Sheldon is i=urv \ca by a sister In Chicag"). Seeking rest In the Nortii countr>' to recover from the shock of the death of a oister three weeks pre- viously, Floyd Lamphtar, advertis- ing agent for the old Star, Buffalo, and later with the Majestic, in the same city, was drowned June 28, In the St. Lawranc'c river, while fishing near Black l.'^land. Lamphear was accompanied on tho Ill-fated trip by r*. v.. Van V\'i«'. manoKer of the Ma- jpstif. JULES RUBY Julen Ruby, booking agent, died June 30 of apoplexy at his Brooklyn (N. Y.J home, aped 54. At one time the decea.sed v.as a power in vaude- ville bookings, when representing the Proctor circuit. He was. also bookin;; agent for Koster & Binl's. His wife. Irene McCay, and his duughler .«urvi\e liim. TTie mother (.•la.\«..it of 204 ledo. died .liine : "oT Mrs. Bl.ih'hfl living htroer, To- dt>n. boa! drama' i".- i-ilitor >>f Tli-^ I'.i J. Tbe mothci of NMnr^fif S'Trano died .luly I 'ft. her home in .\«'w York City. .Mbf was kimv^n .»^ a fioetewi and traa.slaf>»r from ;!i' I'ti-nvh ,<»nd ,^pini«h. Clean shows is the waUh word for Mutual wheel attractions next seafton, according to a resolution adopted at the annual meeting and election of ofRcers of the Mutual held in New York Saturday. This generalisation as applied to cleaning up the Mutual shows and keeping them up to « aet standard calls for the elimination of all strong dialog and situation*, songs, paro« dies, etc., and a careful watch over the "claasicar' dancers to prevent the introduction of wiggles that would put the dancing In the "cooch" class. In order that the clean-up process may be effective the five officers of the Mutual will constitute a censor- ship board, three of whom will take turns looking over the different Mu- tual attractions. The new officers elected at Sat- urday's meeting were Prssldent. George E. {jothropi vice-president. S. W. Manhelm; trsasurer. Dr. Tunlson; secretary. Chas. Vranklin; general manager. At Singer, George E. Lothrop had previously been acting as president since the resignation ot Dave Kraus three months ago. Lothrop is the son of the late Dr. George E. Lothrop of Boston. The younger Lothrop con- trols the Howard, Bowdoin Square and several other houses in and around Boston. The other officers elected succeed themselves. The officers compose the directorial board. The Mutual will have 2S weeks next season and include all of-the houses played last season. As a re- sult of the partnership separation of Billy'Vail and James McQrath con- trolling the Broadway. Indianapolis; Gayety, Louisville: People's. Cin- cinnati; Garden, Buffalo; the man- agement and control of several of the houses will change. Al Singer and Ben Levine will op- erate the People's, Cincinnati, and Abe Finberg and Duke Black will operate the Broadway, Indianapolis. The Kmpire, Hoboken, which will play Mutual shows, will be ron- 1 rolled by Al Singer and Marly Johnson. The Mutual .*«eason will start I>abor Day. . , . The officers of the 1l*utuat assert they sre sincere In their reAolution to clean up the Mutual shows. Last season was the first for the Mutunl and many objectionable features crept in tecause the officers were busy trying to establish a new en- terprise. The Frank Dam.sell franchii'e cancelled last season, has been rv- granted to Damsell. Also the two Tom Sullivan shows taken off lif Mutual wheel last season will be restored fo francbine rights next seajion. The Mutual election would iti U- rate that Interests also holding large IntereHts in the Columbia shows had won a complete victory without opposition. Somo sort of penalizing arrange^ ment is to be Instituted for show.i that break the "clean up" rule. ;«ni offenders who overstep the line more than once will face franchi«e revocation. Leo Franket, actor, who ia«t ap- peared in Lew Fields' "SnapHiiotH of 1922," left an estate not excei'dim; $500 in personality and no will when, a victim of septicaemia, be died at the Bellevue Hospital. New York, May 28; according to his cousin. Col Frankel. of 396 IV>»«» 180th street, Bronx, In his applica- tion for the api>ointment of Jamen ,T. Frawley, New York County I'ul -, lie Administrator, as administrator of the property, which was granted by Surrogate Foley, last week. Wally Howes, ex-vaudcvIlN' book- ing man and now a stock salesman, will spend his vaction In Kuropfr. Mr. Howe» la canrying around a poclcet full of battk books tbene i[a.yn. He plans ts sail for Hurope snmn time next rnnnth tl bp » ml (tuy or iivf- W(>ekH. •' John J. Toner, Tor 2f fcuvs nuin« ■.ni*-v of Jack's RestadtKint, and a well known character of Broadway's night life, died July 1 at his home in ih<> T^oTiz after a nlM weeks III-