Variety (November 1923)

r- • VARTETt BURLESiQUE. ThursdajTiNovcmbac 1.1823. ST. LOUIS GAYETY MAINTAINS HAD AS TOP COLUMBIA HOUSE Did $12>334 with "Bostonians" Last Week—Mollie .WilHams at Columbia, New York, $9,20a—The Empire, Brooklyn, Did $6,800 The Oaycty, St. t,ouls. still main- tains a slraiiBle hold on first place for erosa biisiiieds on the Columbia wliPf-I. Kor the ninth consnoutlvo week the St. I>ouls house has topped kll oniiti'i:di.ra, leading In point of receipts every week by a wide mar- gin except one when the Columbia, Now York, hopped Into the lead through a technicality, the Colum- bia Brossing more comparatively In 12 phowB that week than the St. Liouls house In 14 shows. I-ast week the St Louis house did $11,334 wHh the "Boatonlans" a« the attraction, the Waldron show doing around $1,000 over "Queens of Paris' the previous week. The St Louis Gayety guvo 14 shows last week as u;'jal. An odd feature of the special nights at the St. Louis Gnycty Is holding "Amateur Night" on Sunday. The gross business of St. Louis for tha first nine weeks of the season has been $126,175, an am.ozlng total for any burlesque houEO and a record for all time In burlesque. The average business haa been slightly below $14,000 a week, which Is an<jther record. The Columbia, New York, last week with Mollie Wllllamfi' shnn did about $9,:;00. A couple of stormy iiight.s pulled down the gross, other- wise the show would have easily topped $10,000. The week before ••Radio Girls" got $8,800 at the Columbia, New York. The Gayety. Pittsburgh, which has been going along at a 'good clip since the season. started last week did $9,100 with "Bathing Poautles." Another good week's bu.slness was that of Miner's, .Newark, which got around JD,500 with "Happy Go Lucky." Several local events, such as boxlnp, tended to lower the tak- ings hero. The previous week "Step On It" petting $1«,3«4 with an added attraction. , "Town Scandals" at the Gayety. Boston, last week did $K,T30 .ind "Talk of the Town" at the other Boston house. Casino, did $7,loo The Gayety, Boston, which dropped below the Casino several weeks to- ward the end of last scasdn has ftKiiin gotten Into its strl.le .iiid h.TS lci>p(d the Casino consisti ntly finm $1,000 to $1,600 and over slneo the Season ^ened this year. Both lio.?- ton lujuscB dropped a bit last week I as uKMinst the previous week when "Nifties" got $9,300 at the Gayety. and "MolUe Williams" $7,890 at the Casino. Miner's Bronx, last week with Harry Ita-stlnRH' ".Silk StockinK Ito- vue" got $5,!sOO, the previous week doing $6,000 Willi "Hollywood Fol- lies." llurtig and Soamon's, New York, last week $7,400 with "Siep On It," and the same extra attrac- tlo nas at Newark, when the show did $10,364. The previous week at Hurtlg & Seamon'a "Jle Time" did $7,100. The Emplrp, Brooklyn, last week did $6,S00 with "Jig Time"; previ- ous week, "AU'Aboard" $6,350. York- vii;e. New York, last week, $"1,300 wlth_"Hollywood Follies"; previiu'; week. $4,700 with "Happy Days." MUTUiUS NSW METHODS IN TRAVEL, COSTUMES Shows Will Be Handled in Transportation from Headquarters MAY END SMOKING Fire Department Arguat Wfth Ma- jestic Manaaemsnt Scranton, Oct. 31. There ts an argument on Between the lire department offlei:''s !••• 1 management of the Majestic the- atre relative to the cause of the i.n which eutted the city's home of burlesque last week. The fire chief ind asslBtftnts declare the blaze re- sulted from a clRarette having been thrown on the floor and being al- lowed to smolder until It broke Into a flame a couple of hours after the finish of the night's sliow. Manager Joe Leurs aaya the fire resulted from poorly protected elec- tric wires which had been placed in the theatre long before there were any strict Inspectioa lawa. Leurs sees In the Insistence of the fire de- partment's claims an effort to pre- vent smoking In the theatre when It Is reopened within two or three weeks. A new method of handling the transportation of the Mutual wlfeel shows was placed In effect this week by I. H. Herk, the now executive head of the organization. Hereafter all railroad movements of the 23 shows will be siupervtsed by the New York office. The tickets for each movement will be furnished to the company manager out of the main offices and all payments made from the same source. Harry Uoerlng, of the Lehigh Val- ley, will have charge of transporta- tion for the Mutual. The appoint- ment Is honorary, Doerlng acting In the capacity of transportation man- ager without recompense. Doorlng will continue as usual as theatrical transportation repre.«entlve for the U V. Another change In the Mutual's operation Is that every show owner will be given the costumes and scenery of his show at the end of the season. The costumes and scenery of the Mutuals have been rented by the Mutual Burlesque As- soclatien, and while the show owner paid $76 weekly rental In turn to the Mutual, this did not act aa an In- stallment payment. The Mutual made a deal with the Berrcns, costume people this week buying all the costumes used, the new deal supplanting the rent.il b.inls. The Mutual added a couple of scouts to Its staff this week to locale houscH tliroughcul the coun- try. MUTUAL SHOW CLOSED BY mm OF HEM "Smiles and Kisses" Had ' Stormy Week In Buffalo- Finished at Scranton In a recent ^ss'uo''of Variety it was mentioned burlesque t«'the m«ii. difficult for reviewers and can be Judged only from the trad* angle. K|» Armand de Maai of the New York "World" excepted to the statement. In conaeciuence Mr.' de Mas! has reviewed "Town Scandals" at th« Columbia, New York, this week for Variety. His review below is para> lelled with, that of Variety's staff reviewer, Con (Jack Conway). Mr. Conway was unaware of thia arrangement whan seeing the ColumbU show Tuesday evening. He turned in his copy that aama night. Mr, tt%, Masi's copy reached here Wednesday. Mr. Conway is of the throe Variety reviewers deemed capable df competently criticising a burlesque attraction. One of the other twg it Bell (Harry Ennis). (Columbia Wheel) Tlie Soubrett* Micky Smwiey The Inifenue l.«ttl« Holies The .SlrnlBht Man Rar King Tho C«med>nn» Lillian Bcaaon The Prima Donna F.xlo IJlJtIfr Th« Dancln» Foot J. Hu<»|ln« "W'antoa Raaala"....Harry (Hlcky) !>• Van TWO WEEKS Mabel Ingram t' Quit Her—S;.j (Robert, Actor, for Divorce Cli;ea[,"o, Oct. 31. Mabel I.. Iiisram. who retired from the cast of •('l.et*!' Clo," burles- que shew, last week, has Institutfd an action for divorce against Itol)- ert Inqram, vaudeville performer, of 24S West 51st street. New York, ^liinpinK ile.'iertion. Tho complaint Bllepes th.nt pli' m.nrrled lORram In -New Voik A\ig. 16, 1919, and on Au?. ,10 of th.ni year w.is (1< seiteil ly him wl-.iii they were playint; in I'etroit. The case will be trli'^l .at the Detornbcr term of the circuit court. Buffalo, Oct. SI. "Bmilea and Kieaeo," the Mutu::l bur;es.iue show which v/aa c'.osod laot week by order of I. H. KtrV. weathered a stormy seven days u". the Garden during the lact wcclc o' Its erlotenee. The show llxpsd Into toT/n minus a half do=en [lr"3. but who wero recruited at the lar.t mo- ment from local ranks, and the pro- duction In general waa the pcarjat cf any liutuai show »een here t>i= season. Stern and Rosa, w4io were car- rying the leado of the show, sarycd notice two weclco before tito IJuffclo (late upon Fred Straus, the owner, of the cancellation of their contract. Etrai:a wired them to roxjxln In the show oaylng that ha would not accept thetr notice and during the week In Buffalo suddenly chlpyoi In another tean to fill their plr.ce wr.h Ir.stnictloca for Stem and Rose to give up tho. ghoat on Saturday. The team cl£mcd dama^oa for failure of the managencnt to give thorn proper &dvertislns tis con- tained In their contract and also for .1, nuir.ber of other Items wRlch they alleged had not been lived up to. and threatened to e.tta.ch the shOT/ unle.'B the damages were mcde good. A;tc:- a E6r;e3 of confercncca t'aeir cia';r.» were af'Justed ar.d tho eliow j::n-.ped to Scranton where It Tr«>.s cl.~>3ed by order of the Mutual c£i-, cials. "Smiles and Kisses" had been out about tlx weeks prior to the clos- ing, and v/es reported ur.aa'.;c'r.G- tory all a!c>und. Salai!?3 we.-e paid on Wednesday instead of 3aturd.''.ya in order to keep the company t3- KCthor for the next Jump, £j\d rr.'j-h (lI.'j.'^a'-Ifif.Lction wa.'i reported on the p;i:l of f>JI meT.'oers of tho e,on".pfiny. CONFLICT IN SONGS Same Throe in 15 Shows—690 All in 38 Shows There are 690 different songs now being used In the 38 shows on the Columbia wheel. The btirlesque nudlencea like the sob stuff, nccorilins to the report, but al.io falls for the more common Jazzy melodies with spicy lines. Three songs were singled out as beUib' ovti'vlorie, eaeli uued in 15 shows. AMERICAN'S SUIT WITHDRAWN An order of di.'conlinuarico was filed last FViday In tho New York Supreme Court by the American Burlesque Association, Inc.. In Itn suit against the Columbia Amuse- ment Company, J. Herbert Mack. Jules Hurtlg, Rud K. Hynlcka, Sam A. Scribner, John O. Jermon. War- ren B. Irons .and Thomas Henry This was the conspiracy suit charging that the ColumVla people had destrp^'cd itf buslnes*.. , sinob that time thie A. B. A. has .gonie Into bankruptcy with, the damage •iAlm ll«ted «a an mmC OaSONS DRAWS Denver, Oct. SI. Tlyj Empres.s did a gross of $9,833 last week with Tommy Gibbons as the headllncr and almost as much the week before without anythinc special In tho way of attr.actlon. Gibbons proved a popular drawlnc card. PALACE, NOT PRINCETON Last week's Variety Inadvertently stated the Princeton Ilottl had been sold to John G. Jermon, the bur- lesque man. The paragraph should have read Palace Hotel, New York, Instead. Trying Hudson Another Week The Hudson. Union Hill, which wfint into the Columbia wheel route as a wcik stand for an experimental two weeks, h:ir, bad the testing proc- ess extendiid to a third week. ^ The flrat week <I*3t week) the HudKon did badly, about $3,000 on U shows, the hou.se playing Sun- days. This week there will be "Amateur Nights" ».nd otlier special busliiess boistei-i lilaCed In effect Bad weather bit th6 business last week t« « oonalderable witant CAUCEL "HIGH SPEED GIRLS" Torre Haute Ind.. Oct 3V The Fred .Norman "Hieh Speed Oirls" have been caiicfe'ied from Consolidated Realty and Tlic.itre.s corporation houses throu;hout Indi- ana. Poor box-office receipts at the Liberty and continual walk outs 'luring the performances la said to have been the caur.e. The show v an taken out of the Liberty and three acts of regular Keith time subsl- tuted. BURLESQUE CHANGES Walter Leslie took over the local management of the Columbia, Cleve- land, Monday. Buccecdlng Otto Kleves. The Columbia will give Kleves a traveling assignment. Arthur Powers, Irene Perry, Chas. Abbott's show. Fred Hall, J. Herbert Mack's ahow. Harry Hedges in Advance Harry Hedges has been engaged as advance agent for "Follies of the Day" (Columbia wheel). He was formerly manager of tho Olympic, Cincinnati Majestic, Scranton, Reopens Nov. 12 Scranton, Pa., Oct. $1. The Majestic, badly daniaRed by fire Oct 18, Is being repaired, and win resume with the Mutual wheel shows Nov. 12. Irons & damage came over to the Columbia Circuit from the American, the No. 2 wheel, several seasons ago, but the western producers are still producing second-wheel caliber shows. "Town Scandals," at the Columbia this week. Is another of their west- ern products, which doesn't mf.i.'^urp up to wheel standards. Hurry (Hlcky) Le Van, the principal come- dian, uses double entendre and blue material for almost every laugh be secures. Le Van does a Patsy Boli- var, pulling his off-color stuff, fol- lowed by Eisnlllcant pauses to let It sink In and using all of the art of the burlesque comic cf a decade ago entertaining a stag gathering at the old'Clympic, on Third avenue. Johnny H'iclrvlna. a colored-comic and (linccr. who Flops the show with hooflnpr and cops all comedy honors with Ills plavlni; of the knlfe-throw- Ing Kcene In act two. deserves the feL'.urir.'? l:o Ooesi. t receive. Joe Mack, the second comedian, proved a very llfrht "Dutch." He rep:ccpd Pre.r.k O'Nell, who was pro- rram.'d. The ether male member v,r..s Ray Kins, a clean-cut straght with a fair f.ingi.nB voice, who held up Le Van in a couple of scenes. Of the woman principals Micky Sv^eeney, the soubret, had a few numbers, handling them okay; I*ltle Boles, a p'ump pretty blonde, worked with Le Van In his old piano spe- cialty; Exie Cutler, the prima donna, appeared to advantage In her cos- tume changes, and handled a aaxo- phone and yadllnsr specialty early In the evening to generous returns. UlUan Benson, the other principal woman, had the appearance and fig- ure of the females, and shone when dancing. Her attempt at sellfng "My Buddy" with a recitation patter version on tbe end was miles away. Her big moment waa- In a Hawaiian uance becked by the chorus In Oriental costumes. J.'ost of the scenes are holdovers from lost season's weak effort or re- cruits from other damage & Irons attractions. Nothing can touch the knife- throwing bit for laughs. Hudglns as p.n inebriated coiored boy hired as a knife target Is lrresist:lbly funny. Uivea the proper material this chap locks like another Bert AVilJlams. The t'lirowliisr of the knives Is made cenvincing and real by the trick Dceti'iod used. In "The .Music Shop," with Le Van handling a uke and "Interrupting" Hud^fins' dance, the latter again ties up the shov/, the applause continuing until the trio reappear in the next number, wlloh is the first act finale. The show drags woefully on two occasions, tho lapse* being more ap- parent due to the absence of real comedy. The posing of Andrew Lydon's three girls in seven poses eiivcloiied by a special set got very little either of appreciation or applaus*. Another holdover ntimber from last year w.i8 the new songs versus the old .'own near the finale of the second net. Itay King sings the old songs, hacked by half of the chorus as Old I'ashioncd Uirls, with the other half jazzing. "Silver Threads," duelled by Kint; and Barrie Lydon, was en- C( red. but they were walking out all through the number. "The Photograph Shop," with Le Van aa a "dame," appealed to the women, especially his wrestling with the corsets, but the scene was also spoiled by Le Van's Insinuating de- lU'cry and material. The choristers were an 18 average looking bunch, nicely costumed and peppy, looking well at all times with- out being allotted anything much in the way of diflicult stepping. The production of the two acts and 12 scenes couldn't be complained of. most of the sets being newly painted. None of the drapes, drops or flat pieces Is new this season, but all In good condition. »\rthur Clamage takes the person.al direction billing on the program, with Ktta Donnelly sponsoring the musical numbers. The book, dances, etc., are probfibly Le Van's or his- tory's, judging by the ground cov- ered by the dialog. Le Van, with a strong comedian to help him and a blanket on the stag stuff, could lift this show Into the sacred circles, but unless thov give him blinders he will run Into a fence between here and Boston. It's Just two hours of show In It's present shape. Con. Fay With "Folly Town" Cus Fay baa returned to "Polly Town" (Mutual) aa one of theprln- dpai •onalea. ^4 BURLESQUE ROUTES WILL BS FOVND ON PAGE Fifty <» thia i*iue By E. ARMAND DE HASI ; (NEW YORK "WORLD.") Greeted by a moat aombre-faced chorus when the curtain arose on Irons & damage's "Town Scandals" at the Columbia Monday night thlt' reporter and, judging from Its atti- tude, the rest of the audience that comfortably filled that hub of the countrj''8 burlesque, thought for a while they were attending some- .: body's wake. ' .' <* The girls, with the exception oi ^ •*' few only passable on looks and shapes, appeared as though they had just gone th'roHgh an unpleasant session with their manager behind the Ecenes or as though they were playing Auburn or some other one- night stand. * The show opens with a prolog in "one," prosrramed as "Crooked I.ane," with (7.*l8s) Parrle Lydtm as the crook, Frank O'NclI as the cook and Ray King as the doct6r. Miss Lydon sings ahe stole the Ideas for the show many years ago and claims credit fcr It O'Nell sings that he cooked up the Ideas and that he It was who produced a brand new show, while King sln^ that he "doc- tored" the show Into Its present shape. The trio then warble that It takes a crook, a cook and a doctor to make a show today. Harry ("Hlcky") lie Van Is feat^ y ured comedian, and plays a "hick* lad with a crop of very red hair, a funny Ilttie straw hat and an un- canny knack of making his eyes look weak, somewhat like those of an albino. I The aUdleAce gets Its first real en- tertainment In scandal 3, when MIsa '. Butlfr den»onstrates unusual versa* 1 tlUty for a prima donna by playing two saxophone solos In "one," fol- lowed by a yodeling stunt as an en-, core that makes even a bigger hit " and brings her back for more. Johnny Hudglns, a colored boy who does a "struttln'" specialty In "cne" for the fifth scandal, carries away the audience for the second high spot. He has a special curtain depicting a chicken—or is It a roos- • ter?—crowing away atop a dice with the deuce and five-spot showing. Kls costume Is a pip—a purpla tuxedo trimmed in white, with pur- ple and white striped bow tie, purple satin sailor hat with white band and edse, a purple cane with white han- dle and tip, and black patent leather shoes and white hose. In his encor* he displays the rest of his get-up—a silver waistcoat trimmed In purple and a be.ided watch fob Oiat Is some neise. A red flower In The button- hole completes his unique apparel. "Hlcky" and King do a specialty entitled "The Hunters," topped by Ray's singing "Mother of Mine." for scandal 7. Their bit on the "scoppus woppus," which "always files back- word to keep the wind from blowing in Its face." is clever, and the audi- ence appreciates It. Khtg displays perfect diction and a very good vole* In his "Mother of Mine," winning him a well-deserved encore. , The music shop scene—scandal t —winds up the first act with a bang. This scene has a lot of good mate- rial in it, and with Hudglns In at th« flnlsh for some more of his fancy struttln', aided and abetted by "HIcky's" really funny Interspersed comments, leaves the audience In decidedly good humor and applaud- ing noisily before It goes out for the Internilasion. An Oriental ballet, with eight of the chorus In very pretty Oriental costumes of red, with red and green fans and green, cerise and orange plumes In their hair, and the other eight In picturesque Hawaiian cos- tumes In every color of the rainbow. Is a veritable galaxy of colors. Miss Boason leads this l>umber with a specialty dance. i Scandal 10. with King leading » eight old-fashioned girls and O'Nell eight modern Jaxz hounds. Is one of the best In the show. The last "sctindal" la perpetrated In a photograph shop, with "Hlcky" as the "lady" photographer. He dresses for the part on the stage, and draws many laughs with his corset-lit ting scene, really funny. Miss Holies, charming in a blue gown and big cerise hat. helps him on with the corset after he uses it as an ac- cordion for a roar from the house. Miss Reason appears in a very attractive transparent wliitrt gown with loops at the hips, through which she once more displays her shapely flgiirc when she poses for a picture and "Hlcky" turns down the liglits In front and turns on those in back of her. "Is my smile all riffht?" she asks sweetly. "V.'as you smll- in'?" 'Micky" asks lnno--<Mtly.'k "Why, didn't you notice It?" More roars. And then comea the, I'Crand "■ nale," with everyone sipKlng My Sweetie Went Away,'' Incidentally this song and "Struttln' Jim," In tha