Variety (July 1923)

^ < *. _ ' • • r J - ■ OUTDOOR AMUSEMENTS Thursday, JuJy 12, 1923 WEADICK'S STAMPEDE GEIS AWAY TO FLYING START AT CALGARY 23,000 Paid Admissions Monday—More Tuesday— Johnny J. Jones' Carnival Getting Real Break— SixDay Affair With Best Riders Calvary, Canit July 11. The high spot of the Class A sum- mer fairs on this continent opened here to 23,000 paid admissions Mon- day, and slightly more yesterday, with a municipal holiday declared USING 'COVERED WAGON' IN CARNIVAL SHOWS today, when attendance records pamOUS PlayePS AdVISCCi Of were broken. _ a j* i^i Ruse—Ordinary Film ^ Guy Weadick'fl stampede, gather- 1ns all the star riders from the States and Pominlon, provides the best conceived and managed event of its nature ever seen in this coui\,- try, which knows about that sort of stuff from the inside. The contest* are thrilling, genuine and perfectly programed. Johnny J. Jones' exposition, which has the tour of big time Canadian fairs, got a great break in Victoria park, with all roads to and from the stampede leading through the main stem of the carnival. The expo Is working clean and high class, and mopping up. This Is as straight an outfit as operates. The main fea- tures this season Include Capt. Sig- bee's trained ponies, Dooley's ele- phants. Bessie Reed's animals, Jcnes' midget city, Igorrote village, Hasel Russell and May Wirt, motor- cycle demons; Goodhue's electrical and firl display, Maybelle Mack's Wild l^est", Neptune's Daughter, girl show, a great caterpillar ride, butterfly ride, joy trail, toyland. Dixieland Minstrels and some novel- ties In the way of legitimate gyps in the pitch and toss rackets. The outdoor vaudeville following the night riding is furnished by the Pred Barnes Carruthers World Shows combination and furnishes knockout entertainment. Features aro Camille Trio. Cleora Miller Trio, Tom Mills. Four Readings, Merkle Sisters, and a big girl production act, Zermaine's ballet and review, including Marie Decoie and Edie May. The weather started great and in- dications are for over a hundred thousand admissions on the 4ix days, winding up with auto hippo- droming and elimination finals. Among the best riders and touRh- •st mounts and an outdoor bufTalo barbecue on the grounds, the in- dustrial and agricultural exhibits are said by the experts to be a revelation in western Canada's pro- gressiveness and stability. In all this fair will scarrely be touched anywhere for a whilo. J^ait. Presented Famous Players has been advised several carnival picture shows are trading on the advertising received by its production, "The Covered Wagon." According to the'report made to the picture people on several of the carnival lots those running a pic- ture show are using a tent front which has the aspect of ll "covered wagon" and calling the attraction "The Covered Wagon Picture Show." They "aire not presenting the pic- ture of /'The Covered Wagon" but an ordiaary film progrram. F^IDES INSPECTION HELEN KENNEDY Now (July 12-16) I/oew'8 State, New York. The State la such an immense theatre It doesn't seem possible a dainty miss can alone hold suclr a vast audience. Assigned there, the booker surely has 'confidence in her ability. He no doubt was Influ- enced by her captivating grace, dandy singing and violin playing. Adjented by MARK LEV>^ $1,000 DAILY UCENSE IMPOSED BY MONTREAL Aimed at Circuses — Bars Carnivals and Tent Shows City Departnrtent's Attention Centred by Accident All riding devices at Coney Island have been eubjccted to a rigid sys- tem of inspection during the last couple of weelfs by the city depart- ments holding supervision over them as the result of a bad accident at the Oriental Coaster on Surf avenue recently. Six people were injured in the Oriental mishap through a stanchion of the scenic railway giving way. The Inspection covere the struc- tures and tracks, as well as the cars of the rides, and is a routine pro- cedure, but the accident focused at- tention on all rides with a call for a general Inspection.* The Thompson Scenic R&llway people own the Orleffltal Coaster. CIRCUS BLOWDOWN Top Worth $3,500 Destroyed Staten Island K. of C. Circus at i; PRETENTIOUS FAIR Dry Goods Association Anticipates Record Turnout The promoters of the National Merchandise P^air, scheduled for July 23-Aug. 3 under the auspices of the National Retail Dry ,C3oods Association, expect a record turnout and have decided to open the ex- hibition halls at 9:30 daily, <!lo.sinK at 6. The garment division will ex- hibit under the auspices of the J.'a- tional Garment Retailefs' Associa- tion at the 165th ReKlment Armory <the old 69th), on Lexington ave- nue and 25th street, New Yor:.-. The ether will use the Grand Central Palace. The fashion pageant will be dis- played nightly at tke Lexington the- atre, excepting Saturday, with a matinee on Wednesday. This :s the most pretentious fair in the history of the t'ry goods in- dustry. BARNES' PRESS MAN ILL Syracuse, N. Y., July 11. I!^ank A. Cassidy, publicity repre- sentative for ftie Al G. IV»rncs clr- __CU8, is a ptomaine poisoning victim, and seriously 111. ————^— As a result, the publicity and ad- vcitlsing of the Barnes circus, now touring through this section, is run- ning behind. The circus is due here next Mon- day, but no newspaper space was used until thi week, Monday, when Thomas Dawson shot ahead ox the circus to place copy. It will he the first visit of the Barnes circus, a West Coast outfit, io Syracuse^ The Knights of Columbus' benefit circus at West New Brighton, Staten Island, suffered eevercly in the brief storm last Friday after- noon. The big top (100-foot round top -with a 50 and two 20-fo^t centre pieces) was whipped off the poles and torn to ribbons, causing a loss of $3,500. The rigging of Maude Vortex. loop-the-loop rider, was overturned and damaged, but none of the per- formers or working people wae hurt. No show was given Friday night, i)ut by quick work Director Keeler got a corral in place, and the show had a sell-out Saturday evening. The show was made up of Six Arabian Whirlwinds, Starrctfa Animal Circus, McLlnn and Sully, Mme. VerA, Marie Keeler, Frank Rowen and hla comedians in clovvn numbers. Stroller Sisters and D. Robinson, knife thrower. Montreal, July 11. Traveling tent shows and carni- vals have been officially barred from the city and district of Montreal. Drastic action prohibiting the ap- pearance of traveling tent shows on Montreal's public p4rks was taken and confirmed by the city council, responding to an- unprecedented and unusual public clamor. According to Jules Crepeau, the director of municipal services, no permits will be issued hereafter. Six carnival outfits, exhibiting on private grounds in Montreal, were ordered out of'the city by the coun- cil. "No circuses will be allowed on public parks or on private grounds," Stated Mr. Crepeau, dealing with another phase of the situation, "un- less they pay a license fee of one thousand ($1,000) a day. Small shows, of course, cannot afford to meet this requirement, Io naturally, they will be completely'shut out." ^The order as passed regarding fees for traveling shows reads: "That the Executive Committee be requested to take the necessary measures in order that certain amusement or attraction companies may not be able, sometimes under cover of charitable, parochial or other works, to come and give per- formanccs'in Montreal without pay- ing any dues to the city and this, by abusing, in several cases, the good faith, not only of the public, who are thus imposed upon, but also of the societies or organiza- tions which retain the services of said companies." DENVER'S TAGEANT OF PROGRESS' COST HmtOO-AND A FLOP $15,000 GroM First Weclc^Dance Hall Concession-^ aire Paid $6,500 for First Week's ReceipU of $100—Exhibitors are "Sick" - -^ mmQ PEP ANTIDOTE FOR FAILING EXPO. Los Angeles Centennial Being Panned in Chicago—Show- men Given More Leeway Ix)s Angeles, July 11. An effort is to be mnde to instill pep into the Monroo Exposition, open since July 2, and w^hich is being generally panned. A mass meeting of the exposition officials, exhibitors, concessionaires, and others inter- ested is being hel4 to discuss ways and means of putting some life into the event. Th^ management of the exposition itself is not at fault for the flop to date. They respected the wishes of the exhibitors and did not propose a general carnival bccausf the ex- hibitors complained that at last year's Pageant of Progress there were so many side events that the public paid no attention to the ex- hibits. Midway attractions are now being installed and the officials hope that they will do their share toward at- tracting the crowds and be the salvation of the exposition. The Chicago showmen who took over the exposition virtually had their hands tied from the begin- ning because of local interference Now, however, they are to be given full control in the hope that they will be able to pull the chestnuts out of the fire that the local wise- acres built under the €xpo. PECULIAR ACCIDENT 'TAPER" ON CAKNIVALS At the con\cnt!orv of secrctarios of Chambers of Commerce in New York folate, to be held July 21, a paper is to be read ' y the secretary of ,the Chamber of Commerce of Illon, N. Y., on carnivals. Its object Is to promote a move- ment to cvrb the carnival through- out the state. An ordinance has been passed by the city council of Warrensburg, Mo., barring all carnivals from the streets and providing a heavy fine for operating any sort of a gambling device, such as are permitted by many of the oprn-nir shows. George PioMnson, In addition (o operating the Prighton theatre, Coney Island, during the siiminor^ owns a largo Interest In the ron- cern holding the boating carousel and general rerroation concessions in rA)spect Park, Brooklyn. SKIPPER BENTHAM'S PARTY M. S. Bentham has put his yacht in commission and has arr.nged a short cruise that will bring together as ship mates several of his sea- going cronies of a score of years ago. Among those listed for the cruise are Fred Schanberger, of Baltimore; Harry Jordan, of Philadelphia; Clark Brown, Mark Luescher and one or two others of the Keith office. Bentham will officiate as .skipper. A strange accident occurred at the outdoor carnival now being conducted at Lynbrook, L. I., under the auspices of the Hebrew Asso- ciation of Lynbrook, the victim be- ing Sheik Hadji Tahar, manager of Arab and Hindoo troupA. Tahar, with his four-year-old son, was watching the evolutions of the cars in a concession called "The Whip." One of the cars stuck, then ran wild, and its occupant, a 250-pound man, was hurled clear out of it and catapulted directly at Tahar, who neglected his own safety to insure his boy from Injury. The man flew over the fence and struck Tahar with full force. The latter, a lightweight, and getting on in years, was unable to bear the strain. He collapsed, his leg buck- ling under him, snjipping the liga- ments In both knee and ankle. Being a resident of Lynbrook JIadJi was taken to his home, where he was attended by Dr. W. S, Hor- ton, police surgeon of the town, and Dr. Adams, surgeon of the Legion of Honor, who was visiting. Hadji has been confined since the accident, but is Improving and Is congratulating himself on the fact that he saved his son from injui-y. "Kismet," says HadJl, "By Al- lah." Denver, $15,000 H. =^ CIRCUS ROUTES ^ Ringllng Brot.-Barnum-Bailey July 12, Battle Creek. Mich.; 13. South Bend, Ind.; 14-22, Chicago (Grant Park). Sells-Floto July 12, Lynn, Maea., 1^ Lowell; 14, Franiingham. John Robinson July 12, Greensburg, Pa.; 13. Unlontown; 14, Somerset; 16, Hag- erstown, Md.; 17, Fredrrick; 18. Winchester. Va.; 19, Harrisburg; I'O, Staunton; 21, Charlottesville. Walter L. Main July 12, I^dysniltli. Wis.; ford; 14, Khinelandor. 13, Mod TILLIE DINES ON BONNETS The elephants at Luna Par , Coney Island, are very playful and intelligent, they will eat off your hand or your head with equal relish. Their stockade is close to the dress- ing rooms of the attaches of the park. Last Saturday night after closing up, the bois looked for their straw skimmers. Not a 'straw' Lonncr. could be found, until mrriving at the stall of Tillie, the elephant, the bands of 35 straw bonnets with the natty bows looking like wet rags .were di.Ncovere<l. Harry C. Payne Going with a Circus San Diego, Cal., July 11. Harry C. Payne has rosijined as manager of the .Sprcekcls thc;itro in San Diego. Cal., and will devote ills time to a circus enterprise with which he booame connected .some months ago. He will continue to make his home in ,San Diego. Announcement has not been made ae to his successor at the Spreckels. I With oply $16,000 having been I taken in up to Saturday, the first week of Denver's "Pageant* of Prog, ress" gave every promise of being a flivver. f », The totm value of the venture. In- il eluding material, labor, transporta- tion, etc., is estimated nt $1,000,000. A large part of this, however. Is des- ignated as salvage. With heavy h attendance expected Sunday, the ;j board of directors hoped to get off ^| the nut by the middle of the second ^) week, and possibly to show : profit. The opening night, Monday, was'^ "rotten." Promoters admitted it. \: Many of the exhibitors' booths were only partly ready or filled. The crowd was so slim as to t« alarm- ing, despite perfect weather. The second night was better, however; and the Attendance of the . third night,, the Fourth, was an- i nounced as being equal to that of the first two. Thursday night fell oft somewhat, but Friday nikht com- i ared favorably to Wednesda.- night. * Exhibitors are "sick." The Ford automobile agencies of Denver and vicinity spent $10,000 for their dis- play. According to ofKcers of the company, their Investment promises* to be money thrown away. Up to Friday night the dance hall con- cessionaire had taken In less than $100, after paying $6,500 for his concession. Other concessionaires had similar stories to tell. About 14.000 $1 admissions had been received up to Saturday night, and enough five-for-a-dollar ad. missions to make up the other $1,000 in cash. Prior to the opening, special tickets, good for five con- secutive admissions, were sold on the streets and in down town places for $1 each. ' [ The gate admission admits to the free section of seats before the his*- torical pageant, which is shown ctn a huge outdoor stage. Reserved seats sell for 25 cents additionil, and boxes for 60 cents. The historical pageant doesn't hold attention. The players con- stantly are interrupted by the de- parture of patrons, who appear un- able to stick it out. In addition to the admissions, about $40,000 was received for con- cessions. The concessionaires ap- pear certain to be holding a large and varied assortments of "sacks," when the second week comes to a' close.. Financially, the Pageant of Prog- ress may pay out, so far as the original promoters are concerned. Bu^ business men, exhibitors and concessionaires who spent many thousands, will^ose. The consensus of opinion around town is that the whole show Is a flop. It is given at Overland park; several miles from the business district. The trails arc so arranged that visitors are virtually forced to go through every concession. Mayor Benjamin F. Stapleton W „ president of the Pageant of Progress' ' association. A board of 13 directors was created by 200 business men of Denver to handle the business end,--' of the venture. y * — |i| Harry Niles Shafer, widely know*, showman, was engaged as general J manager. ; ^M —-: m PARKS MEETING AT DRAKE m I Chicago, July 11. • The National Aesoclation of Amusement Parks will hold Its next a^ual meeting at the Drake hotel in Chicago, moving from the Con- gress for the reason that the Conr ^rcss cannot give sufficient space for the exhibits planned. At the last meeting the number of exhibitj- wae limited to 60 at the (Congress, and next December at the Drake it is expected to have 1*$ exhibits. In 1920 the associalloi* had five exhibits, in 1921 there wece 42 exhiliit.«i, and in 1022 there wcf* CO, which indicates the gro^wth ol the organization. ' ^-' It is found economical for m.nntt" i r. ottufrs of products ueed at pirks t ;ind for park managers to view J tlio;^e exhibits in connection with 1 the annual meetings of th^ ansocia- tion, accordin,? to A. R. Hodre. of Hivervlew, secretary of tJie na- tional organization.