Variety (March 1924)

Wednesday, March 6, 1924 VARIETY NO TAX PUBUC HEARINGS BEFORE SENATE'S COMMIHEE Industry Affected May Delegate Representative Who Can Be Heard, Says Senator Smoot—Jack Con- nolly's Hard and Good Work Washington, March 5. There will be no public hearings on the rtvt'iiiie bill when it is taken under con.siileration by the Senate Finance Committee, states Senator Keed Smoot, eliairman of thi' eom- tnittee. Tlie Senator modilied this, howevir. to tl-.e extent that should any ineniUer of tlie coniniiltfc' de- sire to have a roiircst'ntative of a particular industry affeited aiiin'.ir, that he would not (diject to heisrin;,- their case. In the line-up of the Sen.ite the hill faces just HUch comi)Iexities of orHiiiination as it did in tlie House. Here. lhou>;h, will be found one nieinlur. Senator Chailes Curti.s, (IJ) of Kansas, an avowed oi)i>o]ieiit of any reduction on the amusctnetil tax. he flesirinj; to \i!-t^ funds from this source to pay the 'soldiers' bonus. Those w.atchini; tlw situa- tion see hei-e the Kcoundwoik for an interesting fi:-;ht- Those conversant wiili t'.ie situa- tion here concede all credit shoulil go to .lack Conn<dly, '\Vaslutii;ton rei)resentatlve of the Will Mays or- panJz.ition. Connolly worked piac- ticiiUy d.iy .and niRht. C(Uistantly In touch «ith the situation from all ant;!e8 he was in confeccnc?, under the direction of Will Hay.s .ind the committee appointed la.st f.ill at the me(,'tinK in l''rench Lick, with members of the Ways .and Means Committee and other intiu- cntial members of the lower legis- lative body. The final week when thi- nie.isnre wa.s before the entire body. Ci>nnelly kept goinj; contrary VINCENT LOPEZ MONDAY. »'••!>. 2.->lli.—l-.'-nli'.-.. W.i.^^liiinloii. r>. r. Fir.xt v:u-:4l!.in In tlir<v> y.'iir.i Hnrt !ilii\o.'it ti'miifit to Ri'tiil I'lll souvenir txij-liMTds. Trip I'nioy.vl l.j- i\ll. Ini'tu.linK !>"rl-r, «?io Mhoulil I'a n sonit wriliT, oivlnc to lii.s altitity to pr-xlurft "n.-ituralN." Uvty.s out i'arly ."•iKlilsiMinB nnd rli.liiiii; overvlhinpr In .'(icht. !tUl IT.iniillon atill IrvinK to loratn Tea Pot l>oti\i>. Miitin.-f* wortli coDiInt; miles* to .to, V'ole.l hy .'verylio.ly fis P.iilily of ttiom all. Ilirry Uurn.l of VanitleH on li^inil ALirm clorka diHcanleil for reninmiler of weelt. NitflU allow perfeet. H.irry r.urn** tn np;iin. aeoonipaniei l)y tele- t>hono cJirectoi^. F3ven fi thlff couldn't steal a \vinl< of Klecp tonight. Tl'K.SI>.\V, Veh. Sfltli.—Out for early ptroll nloniir O Street. Toutjii town to Ket loat In If you don't Unow the nlptiabet. Two of the l»oys n..iUpil t>olieernan for direetton.s to point of interest and he told them to ko to H. I.iiriehi-on wi'h iiew.HiMjier men with Ink beinp spilled from fount.iin pen.s instead of Rla.'^aeM, Matinee p!e-iM:int to take. NiKht tthow just h.** ple;i.s:int. .\ewsp;it>er men on hand for party Ht road hou.so. Hospitality wond"iful. "Wniiinij for the 8unriso" voted a» nptirciiiri.ite selection for the week. HKI)NF„S|>.\V, Fell. 27th.—Hoya sllll wasting Him with all c|iiesii..nH l>ein« ati.swered In the negative. No reli, arsals this w-ek. uo hoyj* .ire I'layipR .loUes In.^tead of rnusie ttne wanted to re«i.ster a letter and was .vent to tlio ('on;;re3Miimal I.ilprary. I'laylni; to raijncity at theatre and irlove.** are not worn during? jterform- ance. J>istlnj;uished audlenro with the hoy..* ll|..stair<4 lending miieh rolor. llolh nhown wonderful. Kxhihlllon by llirry ISurna tonl,{ht In how to con- trol spauhettl without the use of a knife. TIM IISI>.\Y, Felt. "Rth,—ttp early for eoneert at Walter Keed Hospual for th.: l)o.\-4 who iliil their share "over Ih.'re" What an auJien.e: If It hadn't lieen for the th.'aire, we would prohal.ly he there yet. Don't foiKet. when playinK Washinifton. do not overt, .r)k thia wondorful cause, V..u will never forKet It. Place It In the eal.'Kory of a benent If you mu.Mt, hut reiieniiier you will bo the one to ITotlt. .S. It. o. still hi evidence at ilie.itre and very little of that, A louifh spot for Hat feet and f,ii:en areh.'.H. siiii burninir the iiiidiu^lit oil. hut In no way connected with the iceiit sian.lal. FKIIIAV, Feb. Sftlh. — Whi-iked •irounrl to variou.s point.i of Inierest. the chauffeur proving his capability '.» not miHsini: a bump. Vi.oted llou.ve of Itepriseiitatlvcs. where Kill llanijltiin insisted upon pailini; Harry "eber l.un.h.'on and thence t,) the- atre. Interviewed liy lady reiiorter on "oiilful music ami wondered If she ha.l been in«pire<l by the pavem.'i.l iru.-hers In the (•,illery. Iiinner at liot-1. Hack to theatre an.I th'n,» f,i lam.,I Slalloii, where we l.ro nb a.lte,I ior th.- aecoiid lliM,) this w<-ek. To I .iradise Cif,. fur n little enjovio.'ht. which Uev.•loped Into a very l)i« nii.'lit .•*\Tri{|)\Y. Miirrh 1st.—1'p eirly 'o Icn'.l ei.|.oinlll.e|C to meet I'le-e- ■I'lit '''.oijdK,,. whose imld m.intifjr l'l.lniMtl;||,.|y „,.{ I,,,, n l|,;,.se, MU'IO "I'.' tlll'li: of I'mn .rsnio,., alol T.l...ise, | '" '■ aril .,f hi.,, loicliie.ss f,,r ,,.ame" .M.'t jiirry Iturii-; an. I Irei... Hi. ,ir.i,.. the I'-'ideTC beii,^ ||,i. toidi: of conversa- Moll. Many insiais ho is a lnuuer man than tin, I'resid.-nt an^l Jumped on ft s.,al.. to pro've It. lioih yhnws over and u week-end parly b,:i.koninu "1 'he .llvtamo. Don't Kol te,,'ve.l. Moridieu.^. we'll pay you o.'ertlni« eeit week, irnyh*. to the ordera of two physicians who stated he should be in bed. It a member ot Congress said that he was opposed in any reduc- tion, Connolly. whom William lirady dubbed "The chamiiion 'pus- syl'ooter' of the world," would be found out of town, most probably in that iiartlcular member's ilistrict. No representative of ;iny other pi.'tiire organization took an active part in the tight here. That there was a break between the legitimate interests ttnd those of the pictures is now iidmitted. Ucp- resentatives of Augustus Tbom.is. who made sucli a valiant light for the higher admissions, and who is still fighting for relief th(>rc, is re- ported to /have aiiproached Con- nolly asking that he, Connolly, switch to the horizontal cut (re- ilticing the ta.x from fen to six jier iC'Pt), that originated with Mr. I Thomas and the legit-producing managers. Connolly is reported to h,t\e doclineil to change. "It is the small motion picture exhibitor that must be helped." was Connolly's reply to these overtures. Kollow- ing this Thomas switcheil his light to other sources with .a liifferent plan (cutting the tax in half above the 50 cent gate), with the result tis recotmted in Variety last week. The committee Is as follows: Keed Smoot. (R) ftah. chairman;: Charles Curtis, (R) K.'in.; Dttvls Klkins, (R) AV. Vfi.; Robert M. La Kollette, (R» Wis.; fjeorge P. Mc- I,.ean. (Ii» Conn.: .lames K. Watson. |R>' Ind,: David A. Hee.i. (R> I'enn.: Mcdill McCormick, (R) HI.; Richard 1'. Krnst. (R) Ky.; Robert Nelson Stanlield. (R» Ore,; Furnifold M, Simmons. (D) N. C; Andries A. .roues, a")) N. M.: Peter O. Gerry, tD) R. I.; .Tames A. Reed. (Dl Mo.; David I. Wal.sh, (D) Mass.: Pat Uarri.son. (D) Miss.; William II, King, ^D) trtah. One of the numerous press opin- ions on the performance of RALPH WHITEHEAD as .Jerry Conroy in Oeo. M. Cohan's "I.ittle Nellie Kelly" at the Oxford Tbe.'itre. London. An Americtin newcomer, Mr. Ralph Wiiitelu'ad, became highly popular with the audience, and showed tViat he can act a souk as well as sing it—more Cohan method." —Lt)NDON "KVKNINQ NEWS' VAUDEVILLE'S GREATEST FLOP ENTERING POUHCAL ARENA Efiie Cherry Dead Set on Running Cedar Rapids— Doesn't Think Much of Men—Girls Now Opcrat- ing Bakery . AGENTS MUST HUSTLE, LOEWS BOOKER SAYS Jake Lubin Tells 'Em—Get Out of Rut or Get Out! liOew ftRents were hauled up on the carpet yesterday by Jake Lu- bin, booking chief. Thoy wore In- formed to get a hustle on and dig up new m.aterial or lose their book- ing privilege In the Loew olHce. In a straight from the shoulder talk Mr. Lubin said that If the present bunch of agents couldn't deliver anything but the usual number one and numl>or two acts, he h.'id a bunch of applications on file for franchises which would be useil to inject new blood into the agents' ranks. According to the agents present, the Loew booking man said that most of the new material, feature acts and flashes were being brought into the office by a few live wires, with the rest of the agents In a rut and going along with listfl of obsolete material, and acts that have played the circuit over and over until their usefulness is ex- hausted. New faces are wanted by the I>oew bookers, and it is up to the agents to go out and secure same or lake their little black books elsewhere. One fault said to have insi)ired the ultimatum is that the agents don't get around nights and see acts as they should. If thelr social duties are so Important In future they can de\ote all of their lime to them as f;tr as the Loew ciicuil 1.^ concerned. HEIMAN ON WAY BACK Chicago, M II ell 4 !Crar< liar ir"Tll i:i r i 'r e t nrnrd to C iit- cigo Ihirt wc"k, fidlowitig all in^pf'- ; I .on trip t>f the western Orpiieuin I ho\l.-:eS, I After .a general meeting of th- I Orpheum heads here rio.\t week, I llletnan will rttttirn to the Orpho-jin [ heid'itiar'.ers :n Si-i York Cltr ADVERTISE FREE SEATS FOR PRIVATE SHOWING •'Reprisals" Gets the Paper Send-Off—Reviving "Dip- lomacy"—Notes TWICE NIGHTLY ON COAST Orpheum Experimenting at Sacra- mento Sacramento. Marcti 4. An experiment is being tried at the State (Orpheum Circuit), whire the matinee allemlatice dropped off to almost nothinj;. Two shows jii'C now being given nightly. The house [ilays the senior Or- pheum bills the tirst half itnd only on Sundtiy will the regular routine be followed, then ut $1 top. Other nights the ailmission is 50 cents all over the hoiisi-. If the exi)eriment is successful here it muy be tried in other cities where the matinee attemlunce Is unsatisf.iclory. JACKING UP LOEW ACTS Rehearsal Tardiness and Cutting .... Supper Show* Christopher Elmwas, who writes plays, in despair of their acceptance by the ordinary manager, has ar- ranged for one of them, "Reprisals," to be given at a private perfor- m.'ince .at the CSarrlck. To assure a large audience It i.s advertised that free seats may be obtattned upon fipplication to the promoters, known as the Sunday Players. The cost of building the new For- tune theatre h.os Increased so much that, in order to secure an adequate return on capital, the price of tlie seats to the public must be In- creased at least 50 per cent. This, at a time when there Is agitation against the ordinary prices. Afirents looking acts on the Loevt- Circuit h.-ive posted notices con- tinuing .acts on their books against tardtness at rehearsals. According to the notice malef.ac- tors will be i>eii.'ilized by being dropped from the liooks. The agents are also jacking up acts on the matter of cutting their material at the supper show.s ac- centuating the net must run its full time, as well as the other perfor- mances, regardless as to the si/.e of the audience. n.'isll Dean will stage another C.alsworthy play at the St. Martin's shortly. This Is named "The For- est." "There Is only one female char- acter, to be played by Ilermlone liaddeley. ARTISTS REPOBTED COMING London, March 4. Roy Roystoa and June are re- ported going to New York, probably for the Shuberta, although June ia under contract for the cabaret at the I'iccadlUy HoteL ELSIE JANIS' THIRD WEEK Elsie Janla^ now In ber second week at Kelth'a Palace, Neiw Tork, will hold over next week for a third week. Ml.s» Janla wiaa tentatively booked In Buffalo next week, but at hor rcTuost It waa cancelled. AMATEURS IN "SCHOOL ACT" Leon Kelmer, manager Keith's Prospect, Urooklyn, has the Idea of having the locals In the Prospect neighborhood appearing In a school- room scene at the night sbowa. JACOBS-YATES BEVUE Willi.iin Jacobs, a Chicago egent, and Irving Yates, a vaudeville pro- ducer, are at work on a musical comedy which wlU be produced late in the summer. Nat Nazzaro's Prodigy Nat Nazzaro thinks he ha.s dug up another prodigy In Sonny Hinne, a IG-year-old college youth, who is a musician, vocalist and dancer. N,'i7.zaro wlU sign the lad and in- clude him In the stable with Buck and Bubbles. Shadowgraph in Provineea Ijondon, March 4. .\t leajit 20 touring shows through tin provinces <are using the shadow^ ir'ipli stage effect, ■ rii.' Bmt Obtalnabit lnitni«tlM at 9 NEDWAYBUni STUDIOS or STME DAIKIIK 1841 Broad wav NEW ACTS Reniiy Rtilun. in two acts, with a MisH Fiiaw. The Kliksmitli bisters have re- uniteil. doing their former act, (Coast.) Morris, Creeii and Smith, three mln- l.ature musii'.il comedies to be pro- duced next summer, each with six people. The liooks are fiy Harry Charlen flreen and the music liy Charles M. Smiht. Lillian Allen (IMieste and Allen) and Kthel King (Rose and King), sister act. "Temptation," .Sidii>'y I.izarus and Arman Kaliz's musical revue, revived •and In reherusal under the direction of Kallz, 10 people. Goldle Banter and a flvc-idece Jazz band. Margaret Petit (formerly wit|^ t),e "Greenwich Village Frdlies") In "Tidbits." six people, siiujlng aid dancing, i'roduced by Krivit and Rooney. "Katy's Kisses," tabloid version of legit farce, with FloreU'e Rotiin- son featured and four others In cast Ij.arTy i'^umii^r and Rubye Clin- ton, comedy s.nging and d.am'lng. "Rube Kolll(?s," four jirliicipals and five-piece Jazz band. "The Honeymooncrs," one of the comedy skits from Jack I/alfg revue. "Spice of 1921'," has been converted Into a vaudeville act. In the cast are Dorothy I'.iaiin, F.dward Chl- nelll, Margar"t I>e Von, Marg.aret Daly, Ann Hums, James Ciaylord and Harry .Starnes. Dorothy Cameron (Cameron Sis- ters) and Jack Rock, 2-act. Gertrude Vanderbilt is to enter vaudeville with an act by Kdgar Allen Wolfe. Two men and a woman, besides Miss Vanderbilt, are Included in the cast. Closing with "Adrienne" Saturday, Billy B. Van will return to vaude- ville within two weeks with a now partner. Writ* for Aft rail •MkM MARRIAGES Siun I, e d II o r, sitge manager Whites '.Scandals," to Alico Wllk''. chorus girl with 'he show. In I'itts- tiurgh, Feb. 2 Dorothy Fllen Redding and Jack M'lcllryde were m.irrled in liun-i'o. I'ob. 2H, Tli e eass o? i ' h ' irKM Kl u ii "r 15 ■'• ■ Mroadw.iy. tlek"* broker, was liivit I before .M.'ir; 4!rate Rytl"iil>ei'g, Mon- day, and was .idjjtirii -d unlii .March M, wlicn lie ■ sf's of a nijinber of other tick"', ^ijkors 'aIU come uii for he.it,i.fi Cedar Raptds, la.. Mar. 4. Kffle Cherry, member of the once fumoua Cherry Sisters toiiin of vaudeville. Is again before the fool- lights. KItio is running for mayor of Ce- diir Rapid.i, and in order to get be- fore the pitblio she is appearing ;it oach performance at the Ma- jestic. Manager Ray Swan found that It was easy to lure lime back to lier old hjumt-s. He then procee<l<'d to cash by selling out the house for Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday one hour after bU liral announco- ment. Fllle Is out to reform Ced ir Rapids. She believes a woman con do It. Kf cites the failure of men to enforce the 18th Amendment, the Te.'ii>ot Dome scandal and other incidents In which Ef claims mere man ia not the equal of her sex. "When I am mayor I'll liave the curfew bell ring at » p. m.," says Fllle. "Look at the way the young people carry on! It's awful! Ill have women policemen Instead of men. "Movies? The only pictures that will get my O.K. are those of na- tional events and crossing th* Alps. "Taxes? I dont know much about taxes, but I'm for reducing them. First. I'll turn the municipal golf links over to some poor farmer. All it is good for is a pasture, any- way. "Bathing beach? Til close every one of them until the women agree to wear some clothing while In biithing. "I'm not a Democrat, Repubhcan or Socialist, but I'm going to run on a 'blue' platform and I'll win." And in the me.intime KlUe will siiend her .>n.>are moments punching •he cash register In her little back- room bakery, while Addle, her sis- ter, will continue to Aump the bread pan. Ff and Ad are or were collectively the Cherry Sisters, known to f.aine as vaudeville's biggest flop. The girls floppi-d many years a«o and returned to Cedar Rapids, but again emerged and once more tried for a stage career, they lasting their usual first half. When the Cherrys first dove into grease i>aint. vaudeville was not served In splits, and with tlie aid of a net the Cedar R.aplds talent lasted the week out, although the the.',tro needed three nets during the en- ■^agement. In fact. It Is said that Rf ami Ad were the first to employ the net .as a self-protector on the sfii^e. I/ater, James Owen O'Connor, In Ids nightly muriler of Shakespeare, re- .sortcd, and necessarily so, to the name me.ins of defen.se. Mr. O'Connor, however, did not draw a.i well as the Cherry Sisters, as O'Connor was but one figure on •he stage for the gallery boys to thrf)w things at, while the Cherrys presented two objects to aim at, be- sides their art. which came through unsullied. ' The Cherry Sisters r<*»pnt being reXerred to as a flop In the theatrical portion of their Ced.ar Rapld.i rec- ord. .N'atlves think KIHe and Addie have the Impression the home ffilks still think they were a riot In "one" but that the gl.amor of the theatre did not appeal to them. The- girls are never re^-orded as li.aving eonfe,'?sed they dodged nny- thliig, not even applause, upon the st.Tge, and It Is not expected that Fflle's political opponent will m.ike riny reference to the time they went Into the show buslne.se. Roth of the girls are along In ye.irs now, and that the.v have for- gotten the stnge is evidenced In Kf s assertion she's going to close up tier home town every night, lni-!uding Sunday, at nine. No one here Is gambling on whether Kf Is going to be elected. She's a hard-working girl and so Is I her sl-'er If Kf wins, .-ihe may ap- I ji .irt Sister ehlef of police .itnl : Ai ike the driver of the deTiveTJT" wagon to tho bakery. Irving Berfn, Possibility ft IH repir'ed hat Irving Rinlln corit«riltilJlfe« Ml* 'wn-m iX^tr n«lil