Variety (July 1923)

iihir«d»y , July ig> ^^ EDITORIAL 11 ^KIETY Trmd* Muk R«KtiUr*d j^natr* W«ekly by J/ABlVTt, 1mm, f Btm* Bilverman. Prealdent N*w York City flUBSCRIUTION: >«Al 9r si Forel»B.....^..M i# Copl*Mt •••••• *'' ^ jy^XJCXL Cent* 'rf**!!* No. « VARIETY AND "CUPPER" Th« publishiofl of Variety and "Clipper" under kindred direction and from the same offlcea means nothing more than a natural deeire that an/ trade paper publisher might have, to cover the entire trad«( ' '' That through thUi '*€lipper^ has been removed from the dramatic Journallatlo field meanr about Juat as much. "Clipper" was taken over for Its name only. That was about all left of the magnlflcent efCort of the late Frank Queen who founded "The New York Clipper" In 18St. When Mr. Queen left l*- the paper was doomed. It ran alon; for some years and was prosperous because It had the theatrical field to Itself. Had another Frank Queen followed the original, there always would have been the "Clipper" In the forefront of all theatrical papers. It is even more than doubtful If th« "Clipper*' under competent direction would have encountered serious opposition. '^ The oity government of Saranac XAkAi N. T., la getting out an Ulus- ; jrate4 booklet of the advantages of " Ijarsnac as a national center for the t;reatment of tuberculosis. The book- |l|.ia part or whole will be published MT Ml newspapers and also dls- tflbnted. Sir Harry lAuder la men- tii^ed twice in the booklet. Wil- liam Morris is a prominent and Bopular summer resident of Saranac. In fact. Bill Morris wh.en tiring of th^ 4how buslnea scan retire to Sar- ftnius' and be Its mayor for the rest o^ hli life If he wants that Job. It's about the only one around there he baa missed so far. ■ J ■ — -The- will of Sadie Marlon Ryan, known professionally as Sadie Mar- telle who dien April 23. filed and admitted to probate at the Hudson County (N. J.) Surrogate's Court. directs her estate, after all debts are paid to be divided between three sisters and a nephew. Joseph Davis of 112 34th street. North Bergen, N. X, Jennie Reid, without bonds, were named as the executors of the es- tate. The will was executed March 8S and witnessed by C. Edward I0tewart of 821 Danforth avenue, ^^rsey City, and Aaron B. Dobbs. of 411 Bergenline avenue. West New ■ Tork. But somehow through all these years of carelessness and neglect the "Clipper" waddled It, and maintained Its good name. For "Clipper^ has a good name. In and out of the show business. It is a better known name as a theatrical paper today than all of the other theatrical papers of the world, which of course takes In "Variety." It is a fact we admit. ■w f I WEEKLY DIGESTS IN VARIETY AND "CLIPPER*' In each Issue of Variety will appear a weekly digest of the leading articles published In the same week's Issue of "Clipper," while "Clip- per" the same week will carry a similarly written digest from Va- riety. As Vartety Is a general theatrical weekly and "Clipper" an out- door amusement publication, the digest In each will give both papers a thorough resume of the entire show field, in connection with their own matter. ,, Parks are entering a demand for thrillers for their free open air enter' talnments without sufficient supply. ■ -• . • r Variety has become fairly well known through years of plugging news- paper work; "Clipper" made Its name long before many of us ever entered, and the name has gone along. In the outdoor field where "Clip- per" dwelt for a while to the indoor field where It finished under its (ormer management. Whether read or not it was not forgotten; it's still "The Clipper," but the best thing Frank Queen would have said for It If lie could have returned to see the ruin brought to his origination, would li9ve been; "Well, any way they kept clean the name I made." And that's .".omethlng—enough to make It worth while to tfy the name and paper in another division of the show business. OtherwI.se it was useless, this ' Clipper," after 70 years, to the shame of those who lost their chance meanwhile. LfOng Branch as an outdoor summer amusement place appears to have undergone a come-back. The Jersey resort la yw very lively. Variety will continue to serve the Indoor branch, while "Clipper" Is cxc'lusively for the outdoor. Through the change of policy "Clipper" will 1*e the single paper solely devoted to t^ outdoor show business. That is something the outdoor showman won't object to. His business is as important as the indoor; there's a mammoth Investment In the outdoor {unusemcnt line, much more than the Indoor show people are aware of, and It may need a trade paper to exclusively cater, to it. ,;.T ^, Fight promoters in the big arenas over the au m — r te have started to clip down the top admission scale. JSealdea the oppoaltlon, the wise fight fans won't pay unless they believe the card la worth It The Tex Austin rodeo at the New York stadium neat month will hair* IS contests, each for a wortd's championship. • The outdoor business certainly does need news; It wants It and It's something the outdoor business never has had. It has had advice, aug- festlon, comment and attempted coercion; It has been told where to play and where to buy Its paper, but the thing It wanted—news—It never got. ' Clipper" will try to give that to the outdoor business, without any of the rest of It.,.:. .. . ■■■•■ - ..■:■' >,'..■^.■.,-. Bootlegging competition is forcing down the price of Scotch whiskey in New York. A "Clipper" story says It can be purchased for $48 f. o. b. IjOng Island, while the story includea a acale of coat to the bootlegger from the boat to shore. The acale is |S8 on t>oard outside the three-mile limit, 15 a case to the motor boat running it in, |S for "protection," and |t for hauling from dock to place of delivery. V'.ttA The wife of a aide show man has aued for separation, charging her hurt>and obliged her to be a snake charmer. Answering, the huaband aays there will be an alienation ault yet If ahe peraiat« in trying her action. He defends the snakes. George Spern of the Fox vaude- Tllle forces in New York, attended a i>erformance at the Star, Lexing- tbh avenue and 107th street, July 1*. Leaving he stepped off the side- |«raik Just as a motorcycle speeded bj. Before Spern could step back the cycle struck him with full force. The driver did not stop nor did any- one get his license number. When' tricked up Sporn was unconscious. After an examination It was found he had suffered a compound frac- ture of the left arm. He Is able to get around, but his arm is In a plas- ter cast In which it will remain for some time. "Clipper" will try to operate along the lines Variety laid down In its flrst editorial announcement 17 years ago; lines It has never deviated from. "Clipper" will print the news without partiality or suppression; it wants just to be a newspaper, like Variety has tried to be; to obtain and hold the confidence of the outdoor show business as Variety hopes It has gained the confidence of Its readers in the Indoor business—to be fair and to be honest, and If "Clipper" can do that besides giving the out- door business the news It wants, "Clipper" trusts It may live to some day return Its thanks to the outdoor as Variety does now to the indoor theatre business which has so graciously supported it. . . Otherwise no change Is contemplated for Variety; we just want to go along turning out the best paper we know how, hoping you will like It. A shark story, mentioning Coney Island and published in the New Tork dailies, has affected all of the bathing beaches around the metropolie. In 'SlJlIpper's" story of the Flrpo-WiUard fight there la an Impreaaion left that Willard laid down, knowing he waa beaten and not caring to »• beyond the eighth round. Varlety'a story of the fight Ukes an opposite vie\T. Iboe wrote the story for "Clipper" and Con for Variety. Both writers saw the fight together. The nofthwest Is looking forward to a bumper crop with cons^uent optimism prevailing. The new Boardwalk at Coney Island continues to be a disappointment to concessionaires. Paul J. Bolger, of Bolger Brothers, banjolsta, left an estate of about 14.500 in realty and about |100 In t>ersonalty and no will when he died, t)ec 28. Letters of administration tapon the property were Issued to lUa mother, Elizabeth Bolger, of 9 I4th street, Elmhurst, L. I. In ad- dition to his mother, Mr. Bolger is turvlved by his father, Pet«r W. Bolger, 60 years old, who waived his l>lghta aa first choice to the grant- ing of the letters. An accounting of the estate left hf Max C. Anderson, theatrical 'manager, who died March 8, 1915, (and over which distribution by his widow, now Nora Howard Ander- aon-Willlama, as the administratrix, there waa no litigation for over jllght years, waa last week approved by Surrogate O'Brien, who upheld 1 {he report by the referee and signed ^ the decree discharging the widow irom all further responsibilities as kuoh. Because Bert Kalmer and Harry itaby did not write an act for her lUi tontracted, Flo Neary estimated liirself damaged $2,000 and eued to recover the amount In the City Court. At the trial Judge Hartman 'Advised the matter be dropped, and S. Howard Sundell. representing the writers, arranged a settlement. Miss Neary agreed to pay $500 for the authors' services, but had actually advanced a fraction thereof, Which was refunded to her. Policy of Clipper in Outdoor Field The policy of the Clipper, which will make the following declaration in Its first Issue as a weekly exclu- sively devoted to outdoor amuse- ments, is news. There Isn't the least desire, though we could, to ten outdoor showmen how they should run their business. Thla paper starts fresh in its new departure and with a clean slate. May It remain that way. . A summer colony of German vaudeville artists has been estab- Ushed at Greenwood Lake. N. Y. Among some of the performers are Selma Braatz, Willie Schchck. the McSoverigns, the Bryan t.s, Bob I^ha, Pippafax and Co. and .Walter Manthey. . ' ' y%. .^'KesBfer's theatre on the East filde. New York, is complicating its ^brld policy by adding Italian Opera Thursday nlghte. Otherwise, *>r the summer it rounds out the Week with Yiddish vardeviUe and American pictures. In regular soa- •^ it is a Yiddish stock housa. " • , .-, . . . ,, . .^i\>..<.^ What we would like to do la to dignify the outdoor business. We want to print the news of the out- door in the newspaper way, not the way of the outdoor nor in the ver- nacular of its amusements. Nor shall we publish the news In the form of the show slang. Ncr shall we accept advertisements (if they are offered to Clipper) written In the slang of the trade. Let the ad- vertising copy plainly tell what it means; if it doesn't and we are not permitted to rewrite it into iSaIn language we shall not print It. And neither shall we print It if we think It is undesirable copy or if we know that the advertiser is an undesirable among the desirables in the outdoor business. This being our intention It should be on the record. news only that has been created by some one else. If that some one else doesn't like It because Clipper prints It he may blame himself for creating and making that news pos- sible to print—not blame Clipper for publishing it The reviews are going to be writ- ten wholly impartially of anything Clipper reviews. There will be no antagonlstlo reviewing on outdoor attractions aa far aa the relations of those attractions may exist with the public Clipper will not review for the public but for the trade, and the trade knows more than we do. We have nothing to do with the public or the layman only in so far aa the ahow people and the lay peo- ple may cause newa of the outdoor division. > An editorial announcement of "Cllpper'a** policy under Its new direc- tion aaya the paper will be conducted only aa a newapaper to report straightforward news without malice, partla/llty, secrecy or auppression; that it intend- to be a trade paper of the outdoor field, printing newa believed of interest to the trade and will take no part but the traders part. The editorial pointedly states "Clipper" is not of the reforming class and wants to only trail with the good element of the outdoor business, aiding as far as possible in signifying outdoor amusements. •' *■ - - * . y Itf;.. . * . *'. , .; ... 1 ■ Among permanent departments established In •'Clipper** ts a Nellie Revell weekly column, commenting on circus and outdoor life (entirely apart from her weekly column In Variety), reviews of disc records hj Ahei (recognized by the record trade papers as the most expert criticisms pub- lished of disc records), also weekly reviews of carnivals, circuses and of amusement parks. Sanger's Circus of England la the oldest circus In the world. A Chautauqua lecturer In New England, making a pro-Qerman speech, was abruptly halted and left the halL The town where the incident oc- curred haj decided no more Chautauqua engagements shall be made for it. We want to see this Clipper made interesting enough for any one In- terested to read and In reading to form the opinion of the outdoor business this Clipper is representa- tive of from the tone of the paper. That tone must be up, not down- ward, in its text and In 1'.«j adver- tisements. Clipper Is going to print the news of the outdoor show busi- ness to the best of Its ability, such news as Clipper believes is wanted by the outdoor people. It Is going to suppress nothing In the news way that Is considered of that im- portance and It is not going to cre- ate newa. Clipper will publl.sh the Under Its new direction Clipper la going to tell the truth about every- thing aa far aa it possibly can for the infaamation of the trade. What doesn't Interest the trade in connec- tion with its own business won't Interest us. We want to make that plain and understandable^ There Is no outdoor showman who needs to fear Clipper In the operation of his business In connection with the public. This paper Is no reformer, no organ of any reformer, no organ of anyone; It's Independent and wishes only to print the news, not to coerce or dictate to the outdoor field nor attempt to in any way. Clipper is opening this week a new acts department. It wUl describe acts In vaudeville suitable to outdoor performances. New York's Commissioner of Welfare. Bird S. Color, la not oppoaed to clean carnlvala playing in New York. "Clipper" is printing aome of the correspondence passing between Commissioner Color and Police Com- missioner Enrlght on the subject International air races will be^held at 8t Louis widi some of the world's fastest filers entered- ;.>, *• r - . ^ ; > A row Is on Internally amidst the toy and doll manufacturers, fixing is alleged. Pries r-'»' Two new rides of (his season for outdoor amuseffients are deaerlbeA. ■ ill ■ ^ Europe Is shipping many wUd animals to this country through a leaa native market. -^ ; : ' "Clipper's" reviews of carnivals, parks, circuses and outdoor operas ia this week's issue. The six-day bicycle race at the Olympla, London, this week. Is drawing no business and no publicity. v There never has been a branch of the show business that didn't have its good and bad. The good survives the bad. We prefer to trail with the good and will let the bad take care of themselves as far as we are conoornod. The Clipper would like to aid. In building up the prestige of the out- door show business. We hope we ran—we are going to try. Wo want the good of the outdoors with us and trust wo will have them. Open air picture theatres are doing their best business of several years this summer. The "jinx" on the Al Q. Barnes circus continues to pursue It over ths eastern terrltotv the circus is In for the first time. The Province of Ontario. Canada, has ordered no papers containing In-* formation aiding odds on racing shall be allowed to enter the Provloceir— The order is now In erect. • Cone/ Inland as a whole is not optlml.tllc this summer. Solls-Floto cirrus bunked by a yokel in Now England, who sold tf ro.servedrscats received for upthinK. at cjJt rates Just outside the lot. . ., tU' ^^ ..*>.« ¥.%.%' IffH Luis Flr'pO. the AfffPtitlne frelnht-rar, In rr?c«rlvir»g $5.00« to Appear thre» nights at Braves Field, Boston, a I/oew F)Ooking. ,'. ' ')»'>'- I'll »*-•' » "fj >»• ili^t-'r'- ^^- **^ * H -tittj HJj tt