Variety (February 1924)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Thursday, February 7, 1924 THEATRE BUSINESS UPGRADE, SHOWN BY GOV'T TAX REPORT! Increase of $40,000,000 in Admission Tax for Last 6 Months of 1923—December $222,000 Above Year Before (Variety-Clipper Bureau Evans Building) Washington, Keb. 6. Tli* gross receipt* of the theatre*, concert* and cabarets for the last six month* In l! 1 "^ totaled over 300 million dollars, according to Uncle Sam. This was an Increase of over 40 million for the mm. six un nth.-, July l to December 31, In 1922. This is based on the figures just made public by the Internal Rev- enue Bureau on the amount of rev- enue derived by the government from the admission tax. The government states that for the last s.x months of lt»2S tin amount collected under the 10 pc cent. tax totaled fi<< .'.;!0.7r».36 Which was $4,703,482.79 in excess of the amount collei led in the same period in v.<T2. The collection for the latter period il»22) being $31 - 8: , 7,25«.57. That tlie business in the theatres i« constantly increasing is shown by a comparison of December, 1923, collection in this tax again*t De- cember, 19_ l" . in the one month alone in 1923 the government real- ized $7,(H7.S7t>.17. In Dec-ember, 1922, the collections amounted to JG.8i5.-49.N0. The December just passed disclosing an Increase of 1222,627.17 o\er December in 19L'2. The statistics as given to the public by the Internal Revenue Bu- reau do not segregate by the sev- eral states, giving the amounts only m the aggregate for the entire coun- try. A slight decrease is noted in the revenue derived from this tax when comparisons are made be- tween December of 1923 and of 19J2. The one month alone in ItHS brought the amount of $33.723 62. which was ll.4S3.62 less than De- i ember, 1922, the amount collec'rd for this month, states the govern- ment, was $35,207.21. Taking it all in al! the .v inure- ments of the nation ar«t contribut- ing considerably toward the ex- pense of the operation of 'lo go\ - eminent. GETTING IT TWO WAYS, PERFORMER CASHING IN Induce Manufacturers to Con- tribiiie to "Country Store" for Publicity * FIGHT IN OHIO IS ECHOED IN LONDON, ONT. Story .of Blanche and Andy Devere, Two Theatres and Two Managers Andy Devere 'Blanche and Andy Devere) has started a civil action against George .Stewart, manager of tl>e Patricia. London, Out . to re- cover $125 salary which Devere al- leges is due him. Stewart canceled the act after Devere missed a Id: 30 rehearsal, he said. Devere claims to have ar- rived at the theatre at 9 a. m. His trunks were in bond. He visited a .surgeon to have a carbuncle on his neck dressed and didn't return to the theatre until 1 p. m. Blanche Devere was at the house at 10:30, however, according to De- vere, and. although the act wasn't supposed to go on until 4, they were summarily cancelled. Devere blames the incident upon an altercation lie had with George Sarvis, manager of the Liberty,! Warren, O., the week before. After i playing six performances at the | Liberty, Devere claims Suvis phoned bark stage and ordered the house. Devere went out with Sarvis and was told to leave. On his way to the street, where they had mutually agreed • settle the matter with their lists, Sarvis struck Devere from lohind, indict- ing the neck wound, he claims. Devere left the theatre and Sat- urday. Jan. 4, had Sarvis arrested. charging him with assault and bat- tery, intent to kill and defamation of character. The case was post- poned until Tuesday, .Ian. 7, but Devere had h leave for London. r.oth of the bouses involved ate (Jus Sun houses honked out of New Yi.iii. -Devere aci-epieJ l o rata for rix shows after appealing to the Vaudeville Manager.*' Protective Association. Mons. EDMOND QUERY SUSAN TOMPKINS MUSICAL ACT DELUXE - Feb. 4, Franklin, Ottawa; Feb. 11, Lyric, Hamilton; Feb. 18, Keith'*. Syracuse; Feb. 25. Shea's, Buffalo; March 3, Shea's, Toronto; March 9, Princess, Montreal: March 16, open; March 24, Keith's, Cincinnati; March 31, Keith's, Indianapolis, and April 7, Keith's Columbus. Direction of ALF T. WILTON; associate, FRED B. MACK; West- ern. CHARLES CROWL. INDEPENDENTSCONTINUE TO HURT THEMSELVES to a stage hand act out of the front to consult Several manufacturers >•' food products and other housihnld com- modities .in- utilising liic "Country Store Night' features in l..ca] small lime houses as a method in which to popu'aiizc product, chalking up the expi ns< as advertising 1 . Tin idea was sold to the manu- facturers n> a former p rformer who term* him«lf as :. 'psycho- logical sa'cman" He has capital- ized this idea into a lucrative In- come i"i himself by petting i: both ways—fiom the theatres and the manufacturers. Twentj In m • ii" pa> ing him a retainer ranging i om trtOfl in $"".0 a yesr to p'isn their products acivss the f< ii-lichts on cm iN t lights, Mau> thcatif-.. are givina bim s situ - ranging ft i m J.Ij to $ .ti i.iuh'ly fn this feat nre. In addition t* i hi uiD • . • J font! Wands he interests loi ■.• •■•■ manu- facturing concern* in ilis'r.hitle. WANT MILFAGE REHEARING Washington. ft>l». (;. The inters ate Comnter e ''■ r»i in. ,i ; ha* been |<etltior>e»l by tin National Council of Traveling Sales- men for ,i rehearing on the inter- h.uige.ible mileage ticket. The coun cil« general counsel, Samuel Blum- bo rg, fi'ed the petition on Monday and II cases re shown In support of their claim for a rehearing. The commission ins not tin- i ouin "d its decision, SWINDLERS DETECTED Attempted to Pass Check—Claimed They Were Actors Two nun are gypping merchants ! and doctors by posing as actors. i They attempted to pas* •' check for 138.50 on l>r. C. L. DaneU, of Mi. Vernon, last Week, claiming liny were actors booked Into Proctor'* I for the following week and that the Proctor people had recommended i i he dentist. The dentist filled "a lootli for oim i>£ the men and was tendered th n check .drawn on a Wilmington, Del. bank and apparently certified. Be- coming suspicious, the dentist phoned his bank and was advised not to cash the rh ■•!< as thi- cert I- liration stamp mighl be a forgery The doctor thereupon got In touch >\i;ii Proctor's arts) was informed that no one coiresponding to tin ■w o was known t hei e. It is b< lieved ' h ••• arc making u -;..' a;;-, of swindling physicians in t ho suburbs. The independent Dookers continue to snatch houses from one another, using any possible means to wean the house away from the other, even going to the extreme of book- ing without the usual booking fee and for 21,4 per cent. The most flagrant offender Is said by those on the inside to depend upon what he can make out of the act rather than from any profit from the bouse. A large independent house in the Bronx now being booked by one of the independents Is the latest melon which has drawn the atten- t ion of the independents. The owner has been approached with a dozen different arguments as to why he should let So-and-So hook the house in ..reference to the office now booking. One rival went so far as to bring the owner a bunch of old contracts, alleged to he prior engagements of every act on the bill, and for generous re- ductions over what the owner was pitying them. The independent hooking the house, when informed -of this, pro- nounced the prior contracts for- geries but It is said the owner is only half convinced, and as he has no contract with his present booker, a switch to one of the glib solici- tor-, is liable to happen any minute. THE0. ROBERTS' RELAPSE Pittsburgh, l-'eb. 8. Theodore Roberts ill here for seven weeks has had a severe set- back and has developed pneumonia as a complication. Mr. Roberts was to continue his tour here next week, but his illness forces him to cancel all engagements until at least the summer. Memorial for Ex-President Another "Strong Man" Lieut. William L. Biber, Krono.V .manager, has left the strong man. srirl I* now managing Ross--off, a new Russian Importation !n strong man acts, who came OVer late lus we*!.- VALENTINO P>\YS LAWYER Arthur Butler (ir.iiium, Kodulpi Valentino's former atthrftcy, this n i i k effected a • • -:th inent w iih tb- i.liu s'ai nut nl' court on a |4H,nmi ■laim for let: 11 ■. n s i endered, Although the suit would Itav taken about two years to he readied for trial In tin linarv course of events, Graham's motion for a pre! erential trial was granted and sus- tained mi appeal. The ii-" would ii.ivi. ordinai'l come un \'. ithin i mom h. MAERTAGES Glldu liraj' to <•', Bong, nt Chi- cago, .Ian. .'il. .Mlsa Gray is with Zlegfeld "Folib s.' ai d her husband Is the .New York restaurant man Mrs Doug ma j leu e the show »f;< Its -Mil Aaul.ee ii.< te. Rivoli Stage Screen Record and Memorial Pageant For Wilson The Rivoli last night inserted into its 6 o'clock show a screen record of President Wilson's public appearance for the last few years, assembled from the various news weeklies and produced besides a churchly n.d dignified hit of funeral symbolism. Ail dancing was eliminated from the show. The production must have been arranged in advance for the news of the ex-President's death did not Re* on the streets of New York until afternoon The series of views probably was astembled and titled sev- urn I .lays in advance. 'CATCHING' ALL ACTS IN NEW YORK UNDER NEW BIG TIME SYSTEM Heads Working Out Plan—Want All New Acts Re- viewed—Several Seeing One Turn While Miss- ing Many BUCHANAN'S SPEECH AT MIDNIGHT SHOW Chariot's Revue Draws Capa- city to "Professional Performance" A professional performance of "Chariot's Revue" was played at the Times square last Thursday at mid- night, the house going to capacity, tickets being regularly sold and a percentage of the gross turned over to the Actors' Fund. Rarely has -a performance been so warmly greeted, the English players being visibly affected by the wealth of plaudits. At the conclusion of the lirst sec- tion of the levue, Jack Buchanan expressed the sentiment of the visi- tors and their appreciation of the uniform courtesies that had been granted -them out only from the au- dience, hut tho management sn4 the men behind the scenes. It was a happy expression «f cor- dial good feeling that impre-.-.ed thi hundreds of American players out front. Buchanan s;i U1 there had beei some idea that Americans did not feel kindly towards visiting Kng- lish players, but that he and the others of the Chariot artists felt there was no basis for such a con- tention and that American players were just as welcome In London a' they had found English player. were here. The performances of Buchanan, Beatrice 1/llie and Gertrude Law- rence S pi eared to be a revelation te many in the audience. It is the tlrst time the trio has worked to- gether. London never saw them in combination. Miss Lillie was Originally in the "Nine O'Clock Revue," which failed here, but doubtless, would have landed with her in it. Miss Law- rence was in "Rats," a Chariot re- vue, and Buchanan was the Juve- nile abroad in "Battling Butler." Miss Lillie stopped the. show last Thursday night, not once, but twice, London show circles appeared skeptical that the Chariot product would get over here. It is rated one of the season's musical hits. CH00S' SUMMER REVUE Reported Will Be Made Up Vaudeville Production Turn Without Spot of A summer revue will he produced by George Choos. Report says it will be an elaborated version of Hockey & Green's "See America First." a vaudeville production act. The Hockey & Green turn ran into a booking surplus on the big time that left no "spot" for the remainder of this season. Choos' own big act, "Fables," lately produced by him. was in the same booking Jam until a headline turn fell out on the Orpbeum cir- cuit, leaving the spot open, with Choos' act to take It, opening at Milwaukee Sunday. ORCHESTRA ROUTES Over 500 names and nlaying dates or addresses of popular paying bands and orchestras in every issue of "The Clipper." SHOW PEOPLE INVITED Chicago, 1'<I>. 6. The Kellogg .company of Battle Creek, Mich,, requests Variety to announce that theatrical people visiting Battle ("reek will he wel- come guests at its plant there. B. .1. Freeman of the eompan> asserts there is nothing too good for the theatrical profession and anything ihe Kellogg concern can do for them while visiting Bnltb Ci'i'l; will he done with cheer. Jimmy Duffy and Mrs. Billy Rock .liir.my Duffy t Duffy * Sweeney! and Helen Buy Rock, widow of Billy Rock, have formed a vaude- ville partnership. Duffy is wiiiing the turn which opens inx; week on the Kel'ii cir- cuit Ralph I'avnum arranged tic uvok'ng. The Keith and Orpheum Circuit heads are working out a plan whereby every new net shov ing in a Keith or affiliated house in the vicinity of New York will he "caught" Iry iV booker or his assist- ant. The plan calls for all new acts io be handled in assignment fashion, and not as at present, where the hooker uses his own judgment. Vnder the present system live or six booking men will see one act. due to the persuasive powers of the agent, and pass up many other acts playing around. One case where an act was seen by two out-of-town bunkers and played 11 weeks then had to Come into Xpw York for a showing all over again and was finally lost to the office because only one New York booker saw it on the repeat showing, is cited as a concrete Instance. If any booker or assistant under the new ideu doesn't want to pass judgment on an act he Will report back and another man will be as- signed to review. JOE DARCEY EVADES BANDIT Met Stickup Man While Driving on Post Road Joe Darcey the black face single now at the Hippodiome eluded two motor car bandits .Monday afternoon while driving near Dai ion. Conn., on the Boston post road. Darcey was enroute to New York when confronted near the Darien- Norwalk town line by two men in a truck which was drawn up across the road. Suspecting a Stickup, Darcey took a chance and grove off liie road to get around them. They yelled at him to stop and fired a shot which pierced his rear tire. «> The overling newspaper reports give Darcey credit for great pres- ence of mind and courage in acting as he did. "Innocent Eyes" Ins and Outs Several changes are' reported in the cast of "Innocent Kyee," the Shubert musical now on the road. Lean and Mayfield are said to have handed in their notice effective next week. Vanesel (Williams and Vanessl) has received a new contract from the Shuberts.which insures her feat- ure billing and an Increase In salary. The Williams and Vanessl team from vaudeville negotiated separate contracts, both being in the produc- tion. NEWSPAPER "WAR" (Continued from page 1) of the "Saturday Kvening Post," which is one of the aie products of Curtis. The latter Is reported planning a dally picture paper to compete with the "News." John Wheeler, who. has handled newspaper syndicate matter. Is named as editor for the "Trib's" new magazine. Newspaper men who have sur- veyed the Held say it is likely that Munsey, with his new combina- tions, will be drawn into the battle, and probably also the Hearst pub- lications. When the "Evening Mail" was absorbed by Munsey two weeks ago and merged with the "Telegram" there were 579 in the "Mail's" or- ganization. About 70 were invited to remain with the combination pa- per, but bow many will stick is guesswork. Several are being re- tained because of contracts, and included are Alfred MeCann, the food expert (under salary, but not writing in the "Telegram"), and .lames Craig, the "Mail's" dramatic critic. Of the latter neither haR written for the combination "Tele- gram and Mail"'so far. Last year Munsey bought the "Globe" and combined it with the "Kvening Sun." It is estimated that Ihe absorption of the "Mail and Globe" forced .ilioiu 1.000 men out of Ihe Xew Y<>i I. i" > sp.iper fle'd.