Variety (January 1924)

'.■5" V 10 YEAR IN BURLESQUE ■■^; The pnxt year In burl»;siiu« has keen narkpd with the praeeful calm •f aa Arcadian Taraillse compared with tho exciting, rough and tough, grief laden catch-as-cat eh-can Bprips > of battles that featured the prcccd- Ing 12 months. At tho time this Is being written (toward the end of December) busi- ness on the Columbia wheel Is re- ported as 25 per cent, better for ^he period from Sept. 1 to Dtc. 15 than It was for the corresponding first It weeks last year. According to informed burlesque factors the out- look for a continuance It not a bet- terment of this 25 per cent. Increase la exceedingly encouraging for the rest of the season. ■' 4 One obvious reason for the 25 per cent, increase In receipts generally throughout the Columbia circuit, ex- cept in isolated Instances, is that the Columbia shows as a whole are much better this season than last. Out. of 88 attractions it is to be ex- pected a few weak ones wHI sneak In, and the current season lives up to expectations. There are fewer shows on the Co- tumbia Wheel this season, however. Sbat can be described as bud than there have been since the circuit was organised in 1902. The same ;oes for the class of shows that rank between bad and good, l^st season '.hree shows were oi'dcred oft the Columbia Wlieel before tbcy bad uecn out two weeks and the circuit heads were kept busily engaged waving the big stick over the large r.umber of middle grade troupes to (eep them from getting worse* as :h6 .season advanced. "Last Warning" Edict This season not one show hSs been ordered off the Columbia SVheel thus far. The "last warning" which the Columbia sends out as the final "fix up within two wecVs of the receipt of this notice or forfeit your franchise privilege" has been issued but once since the season ftarted. The sole "last wMxning" went to a i>how that had not played the Co- umbia. New York, but It might have been justly Issued to another show as well which did play the Columbia, rossibly the fact of the operators of the latter show, and which assuredly deserved tho "last warning," turning back the franchise to its owners _rhortly after the bad show had been seen In New York had a consider- able bearing on the "last warning' being held up. The elimination of fcvoral |ilands such as the Majestic, Jersey City, nhlch played to as low as {2.300 on the week, and the Oayetys in Mil- waukee and Minneapolis, both of nhich were noted for poor busines.* l.'st season, has helped the majority of the shows to forestall on almost revtaln loss in the cities mentioned. The far-western route still holds many a problem for the Columbia produrer with its week's lay-off be- tween Kansas City and Omaha, Its expensive railroad jumps and. in some stands uncertain grosses. Tho substitution of the Olympic, Chicago, for the Columbia in that city appears to have been a ^od selection by the Columbia circuit. The Olympic has been going along at a good gai^ with )7,8}6 as lt& high gross to date, and with several shows getting around $7,500. The Columbia, Cleveland, which replaced the Colonial, hasn't been doing as well as hoped for. Too much opposition from stock bur- lesque is ascribed as keeping the Cleveland grosses down to a con- siderable extenL The Hyperion. New Ilavcn, a new spoke in the Co- lumbia wheel this season, has been doing from (4.500 to 13.500 and Poll's Waterbury and Lyric Bridgeport split w:eAc. also new this year, has been averaging about the same. Tho three houses aie a decicje^ Improvement as regards business over the Grand, Worcester, which the shows played as a week stand last year, but which dropped out at the end of the past season. The Van Curler, Schenectady, and Harmanus nieecker, Albany, consti- tute another new split week this season. The two New York State towns have done an excellent busi- ness will) one or two oft weeks as exceptions for the flrst IS weeks of the season. Albany has been out of the Columbia route for a season until this year, the Empire owned by the Columbia having been sold in 1921. The Capitol. Indianapolis, another new Spoke this year, has been doias around $5,000 with the business growing and showing Indicatlon.s that the Columbia has a good sport- ing chance of establishing itself in the town. Indianapolis has been on the Columbia Wheel before this sea- son, but only sporadically. It looks as if IndianapoHs must 4>e educated to Columbia burlesque, and condi- tions look hopeful at least. New Dominion Towns The Grand, London, and Grano, Hamilton, Canada, two new Domin- ion towns forming another split week, have had a battle on their hands ever since they started this season, busines being too' light for most of tho shows to bre;ik even, with a few shows showing a small profit on the split. Tho Court, Wheeling, W. Va.. which started as a three-day stand this season, couldn't make the grade and dropped out several weeks ago. The Hudson, Union Hill, was experimented with for three weeks early this season, but also failed to develop sufllciently to make the house a permanent week stand. Tho ColumbL-t believed Union Hill held possibilities for the Columbia shows following the Hudson experiment 0 ' ^.M^f^m-fftrnm.'^if^fii.^'- Thursday, Janiury 3, 1924 1 EDDIE LEONARD "OH, DiPN!X IT RAIN7?, GREETINGS 6 J •«! w^ I ' i i I ChunberUiB Browa Finds Ho. 6 ZELLA RUSSELL Featured with Harry K. Morton in "The I.Ady In Krmlne,'' now playing to capacity in Boston. Miss KusDell has signed as feature artist tor Ave years with fife Shuberts. Next week. Valerie Valaire however, and negotiations for an- other try at the Hudson and an- other house in the town were opened up, iiith nothing coming of either deal. Outstanding among the Columbia houses for the flrst IS weeks of the season was the. Gayety, St. Louis, which totaled ' a gross of $192.81$ within that period, and In so doing established a new and re- markable record for burlesque grosses over the length of time men- tioned, tbct is $50,000 higher than Its nearest runner-up. The sixteenth week of the season put the gayety, St. Louis, well over the $200,000 total gross mark. The best previous Cplumbla record had been hung up the week of January 1, Itti, when the Oayety, Boston, with Barn^ Gerard's "Fol- lies of the Day" did $15,400 on 14 performances, and $4,700 on New Year's Day with three performances. That same week the "Follies" Inaugurated an innovation In bur- lesque by giving an extra Saturday i^fternoon matinee following the regular afternoon show. The Idea has been used several tlmfes since by fhe "Follies" since flrst tried at the Gayety, Boston, and other Co- lumbia houses, and other shows have likewise duplicated the extra Saturday show plan. The Columbia, New York, has been topping its last year's average gross this season, although the weather in New York has 'been un- seasonably milder and less con- ducive to box office boosting than any season in a decade. The Empire, Newark, and Gayety, Pittsburgh, have both been running along at a speedgr clip since Septem- ber, each averaging higher grosses than last year. Mutual Wheel The Mutual Burlesque Associa- tion is in its second season. When It started in 1922 It looked like a pretty hazardous experiment, but it weath- ered its initial year in good shape. At the start of ithe current season the Mutual had 24 shows and 18 playing weeks. Soon after the sea- son got under way squabbling be- ^came general among the members of the Mutual and along about Oct. 10 an election of directors was held. This brought into office George E. Lothrop, Sam Raymond, Henry Goldenberg, Hon. Nichols, Louis Ep- stein, Bert rt. Todd, S. W. Manhelm and R. G. Tunison. Al Singer, Chas. Franklin and John O. Jermon were among thofo not re-elected to the board. An election of officers was held Oct. 12 that designated George R. Lothrop, president; S. W. Man- helm, vice-preeident; Chas. Frank- lin, secretary, and R. O, Tunison, treasurer. Hardly had the echoes of the Mu- tual election died away than another election was held by the Mutual on Oct. 18 and I. Herk was elected president, S. W. Manlieim, vice- president; E. Thos. Beatty, treas- urer, and Chas. Franklin, secretary. The previous election, held Oct. 12, It seemed, w;is an IlicgaT one. and the one held Oct. 18, according to Hoyle, so I. H,^Ierk assumed con- trol. Since Oct. 18 Mr. Herli has worked very hard to put the Mutual on Its feet, and his efforts have been crowncl with success, Tho shows have generajly been Improved and the whole circuit re- Juvonate<l. Stock burlesque has h.Td a pros- perous year, the est^ililishcd slocks doing well consistently. All burlesque, org.iBlzed and oth- 'eAvlM,'efartil'tfta Vc'af ht'i!^.<^ lii orelty good condltloo. Hell, COLORED CANTOR HELD Thoma^ La Rue at Mt. I^orrls Theatre Thomas La Rue (the Bchwartren Chaaen), colored ca^or, reported the only one in the world, wa» re- engaged for an additional three weeks at the Mt. Morris, IKth street and Sth arenusi after his Aral week's appeaiuice. La Rue opened at the boos* Dec. SI. Tba tmaioe bcoMea beinc a singer U as ta-veator. La Rua has pa- cesxei) a life trap for elevator shafts which, it i% said, will prevent ele- vator aecMeots. 5-1 YIDDISH CUSTOM IN CUT-RATE TICKETS $100 Worth for $20—75 Per Cent Good—AfWays a "Benefit" Joe Leblang has nothing on the cut-rate system In the Yiddish theatres. Joe may sell a ticket at half price, at least make them l>e- lieve it's a half-cut. but yie Yiddish showmen really go it several better by selling $100 worth of tickets for $20. That's the only advantage possi- bly, selling in bulk. Some orgonlzatlon or several In- dividuals decide to have a "beneflt" for something or somebody. They arrange with some Yiddish play- house to purchase several hundred dollars worth of tickets, for which they pay about one-fltlh of the gross. It has the advantage of taking the disposal thereof out uf the.theatre's hand.s. It Is up to the promoters to sell them by personal solicita- tion or any other way. Sometimes most are sold. More often they col- lect about $75 of every $100 tickets purchased. MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE Whit* PI>ins House Being -Sold Under Mor.igage Keith vaudfville will bow out of thj Lynn, White Plains, N. Y., this month. The Lynn will be sold to satisfy the mortgage of $450,000 held by a local bank. The Keith people have been oper- ating the house under a lease which expired some time ago. The busi- ness has steadily improved and may cause the new owners to place it In the Keith office for booking. Famous Players is reported as in- terested In the purchase of the prop- erty and may bid on it when the sale occurs. Argentine at Paris Alhambra PaY-is, Jan. 2. Argentine, the Spanish dancer, • -opens i^t the Alhambra January 11. BURLESQUE WHEE ROW ^ TAKEN UP BY MUTUAL Herk Sends Letter to House Managers—Thinks Scribner Aiming Campaign at Mutual The Mutual whe«l through its president, I. I^. Herk, has sent out a ' letter to aH Mutual whe^ house managers, advising them that tha campaign sptarted by Sam A. Scrib- ner of a clean-up nature, as re- potted in "A'ariety" last week, may be aimed against the Mutual wheel and shows. In the letter Herk advises Mutual managers to get Into Communication with the local city government and If any question arises as tto the merit of any burlesque show to have that show looked over by the city authorities. The Mutual wheel shows are in several cities where the Columbia wheekalso has its houses. SCHAT.T.MAWS IH DIVOBCE , Chicago. Jah. 2. Mrs. Lucille Schalhnan, wife of Hyman Schallman, independent vaudeville agent, has brought suit tor divorce on charges of extreme cruelty. The couple were married In Chi- cago in 1916 and separated last October. There are two children. Fay and Carleton. Mrs. Schallman a^s for their custody. WAMPAS BALL JAN. 19 F r is c o Committee Co-operating With Pictures San Francisco, Jan. 2. Mayor James Ralph ha.s appointed a special committee to co-operate with tho Loe Angeles Wampas eom- mitleo on arrangements for the big motion picture ball to be held here Jan. 19. The, supervisors adopted a special resolution authorizing the appointment. Coincident with this a Wampaa committee that arrived last Sunday., comprising Joseph Jackson, presi- dent of tho organization; Ray N, Leek, chairman of the ball commit- tee, and H.irry Hammond Beall, an- nounced the list of screen notables that Is coming to attend the festivi- ties. There were more than 104 names. The Los Angeles delegation waa met at the train by Chief of Polica O'Brien, members of the Board of Supervisors and prominent clUzen^ JUNE DAT HAS KOBLEMAIT Paris, Jan. 2. June Day, dancer, has announced her engagemAit to Prince del Drago^ an Italian nobleman. No date has been set for the wed- ding. SEASON'S GREETINGS J.FRANCIS— —CORINNE DOOLEy and SALES