Variety (March 1924)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, March 5, 1824 1 1,000 AaS LAYING OFF WEEKLY THROUGH VAUDEVILLE'S NEW lURNS Bands and "Picture Acts" Shove Former Steadily Employed Turns Out of Engagements—Orches- tras Get Big Salaries and Carry Several People One thoii.saiifl vaudeville .'!■ Is an- tflimattc) as continually l.'o "i^- off tills si'ason ilur to the iiisasioii nf vauilt'Viiie by picture ;irlists, nuis.- riil t liiTifiiy, Ifgitimate ptopie aiul juzx bands. A(< ordliif,' (o the con^<nsiis of op.nlon nninn):: theatrical Wiokii k' nun, the condition is without imcc- dint or parallel in the lustory of \uiideville and the jnz^ craze Is (ii'incijially blamed. The bamls, on account of ihc number of musicians includcil iii «ach organization, have iiu^lad llu <ii-.linaiy \aU'leviI!e hcidhncr oi fi.itiire tuin into ihc liaci<i;!outid. lliroi:(;li tl.e >.ili.iy <. f Dm- li.uid bem;; lon.'^idei alii<. The picture invasion, due to tlu' »!iiit down of luoduciion on -hi roa.st, alyo affected the headline ;iiid feature aets more than any ollicrs-. as llie film ait .ilso is n«ua!iy hc.nl- lined or featund on tiie bills. Tlie result was a .suri.lus of ' iianies" ai.d the d..-ai)pi ar.iia e ol thr "revue" from tlie bill.s to ab- SOrli the "naiiii .«." Willi th( liook- Inc; of the ■name."," the numl'er two and tlirre acts were pu.slu d (cii and have, been going uloiiK I'ookiiin from week to week. THAW PROMISING Young Booker Visiting Orpheum's Coast Territory Kiank \incent Orpheum peneial manairer and el'.nny Thaw ()rpheuin bookir, will leave -Sew Vurk for the coast Vincent will sail Satunhiy via tlie I'anatn.i t'.inal. joined on the I'oist by Thaw who will Jlrst visit the northwestern houses on the cir- rii.t. Th.iw will leave in about 10 days. TIk' Hip liears out reports etn.in- atiriK f foi III Orpluuni lieadqu.irtcrs that Thaw is to be given more hotise-i to tiook in the near future. lie is on< of the youi;cst bookcr.s or: flie staff and considered a erack- a-j.ick by tlK- he.ids of the circuit. POPULAR BOOKING MAN NEEDN'T COME BACK Independent Agents Will Pay All Expenses of Gyp Booker While Away 24 It i<i liciice a Is, formerly va'uk villi-, are est im.-iied o\cr 1,000 steadily emplovcd laying off i .k h w c , "GAG" COMPLAINT Hockey a' (I Green Compi.Tin Golden's Act of ! NEW EARLE OPENING MCH I'hiladelphla. .March 5. ,IuI<s !•;. .M istbaiim, piesidcnt -of tlie ."Stanley Company, on his return from I'alm Heacli la.sl week, made I'ffieial annoiineemrnt of the ojxn- inix of the new Karle at llth and .Market streets, with Keith's vaude- ville rind pictures. This'^loiise. first exiiected to open for Chi istm.is. will debut Mari h 1!4. A scarcity of a certain kind of It.ilian marble used in the decora- tions hcM up the i-onstruetion. but the buikUMs now report all dlffi- ulties ironed out. It ha.s no\ been decided to c.ill '.!m' house thr l';ar>. It is named The thcfitre owner-booker who mi- grated to i'alm lieach h.is been call- ing libs o(Ilc« frantically over the long distance to find out why the booker of the circuit spent so and so for the bill at one of the circuit's downtown houBCS. The indoiiendent agents have been trying to iiroposition the liooker to lirolong his vacation, offering to pay the expenses of his sojouiii for as Ii r.ii as he cues to remain south. A hi'ari' was throw n into several of tho agents one day this week when they saw the gyp's car and chauf- feur outside-of the building in whiili the circuit books. It \vas a falsi' alarm. AILS ON LOEW CIRCUIT lioscoe .Ails, Kate r'ullm.ui and Hand ha\e lieen routed for a loui of the I..oew circuit. The former Keilli act will open at Loews, .New- ark. -N. J., week of .\l.irch 24, and play full-w«x>k stands. Sam I^ewi.s arranged the book- ings, consutnmated following s.il.iry difi'erenco between Ails and the Keith ollice. HENRY A. SCHMOTZER Saxophonist with HARRY STODDARD'S ORCHESTRA. Looking forwaril to our homecom- ing. The four bridges of .Manhattan will look might.v good to me. espe- cially the (Jiiccusboro liiiilgc leading to my home in Corona, L. I. HENRY A. SCHMOTZER Direction ROSE & CURTIS. MOSCONI'S REALTY DEAL Louis .MoM'oni (Moscoai I'arnily) and Dr. tioidoii, of the l^'rench Hos- pital. Iiave purchased two three- story biick houses on li-lth stieet, I'l'lween .Ninth and Tcti.h .avenues, opposite :hc l''reiich Hospital, for $13,000. This week the pair were offered $i;o,000 for their holdings, but re- fiiseil to sell. 'I'iie hospital is to be a business building ere place. '1WILK BATH" STUNT IN aASS BATH TUB Empress, Denver, Recaliinj Anna Held's Famous Press Stunt—Local Girls Only Denver, March 4 The Knip:-ess (Can), in an effort to bolster up a business already showing signs of the annii.il spring inertia, announces an innovation for next week In the sliape of .i .siieci:J act entitled, "Tl.e .Milk Hath Cirls." Several Denver girls have Vieen i-izi t( il d and in its Hockey coiripiaint .Manigt rs' against M al d I lid Cireen have fii w.lh llo \audevillc I'rote'tiv<' .-Ss-oi-intion (Iidden. alleging ibc iat .■\iilinue Shop" is tisir tags, part of H •nil's ".'^1 !■ Aiii'-rici l'"]rst." The L-.u s ill di--;iilli al e ille ■ !old by \al I-:., be.I in -rh iue Shop." The coinplaiii! s j .iflel- ' lloc.il 1 ' |l|U.'St. • Ic n II. ,nd ih. K.rle. .It first .f i:ii.ic p:ominciil at )li le- W.IS used ■v v- lld -1 to. CID-TIMERS' ACT CRAZE HAS ENTIRELY DIED OUT ■y. la I VAUDEVILLIAN ARRESTED ( 'h.i: r it w i; ii h.i \ i: u- laireo; ic-^ er pu«4si s.slon. .May .\ it man. .iude\ illian. was he'd in $3"'J eff' cl, laid!' 11 in-.ict icaliy ibe engagement witli "Tl! ."^hop" through l.eo Dotii I'l.liiif'ly usi-s tie- :; I1.-.S ■\!iii liea I'"irst." The conMCllnt ■ iM.iiiied Al:: ieiie for .Special Sessions. ■IIV i: It ^aw .Sf-e ..\iM.;j. M.-.irb.'i'i ^ ■,nelly. The V. .M. • aer o'ls d fiiither- pi rfo! iii.ii. t" .11 i"i. \\ : 1.11 ■ \ r. A h.i- va:ion fi.;- I Lieutenant ,lo'-. ph .\i.„ I Meli-i lives .Mo,,.; .in,i II. .i I !■• .1 d tlie .1, ir.ss \\',.,l';, >i I ill her aiiaitnieni iit ,i '. house. i Tilt det ( , I i V ' s, art ili^ , i liial ion that diiiits wi I e 1. j in th,' viiiiiil.v . g. lined : , into th.' a p.,rt iiient ' pi si!..; .is I n .,l,li,t I A .- ■ ,il I h i< i e.i led an -if lieroin. ball 1 ,in n ar- ni.:ht . 'iiiing Pari Quickly Overdone—May Revive, Within Two Years—Pew Oid Tixr Elsewhere but Not •'. Placed ,■11 iiif' ■< iM" s lollll .s.s 11L a ' N. 0 oiiine 1 wn i.aio; rerianiejl .\;iss ],-■ V TOUGH FOR ^:e\v ( Tie iliS |-il ke;- 1. ft lieie '•; mad V, !:,i( eki ..I-- t'l SOPH \ 1 III- MOST POPULAR BUSINESS GIPJ The .-r.ize for vaudeville acts of old timeis appears to be at its lovy- I yi ebb al present. The cyide .start- eil three or four years ago ami con- tinued in iiopularily until there were over a score of such turns a \eii- and a half ago, all woikinu regui.ii ly. Toilav iliere is only one on the big time, "The .Minstrel .Moii.irch.s," it !•!■, ..,11! lourinj; the Orpheum t;ir- i I,it .l.mie.s .Madison has a ouple on the three-.i-day, atid there ate oil,, or two more, not strictly vet- eran a' IS, but containing a few old I timers in their tiist. The others, which up to a year ago hail no trouble getting bookings, lia\e In the majority of cases dis- banded, iin.ibie I this fieason. The.v it (ireeii'.s "St.iis which in tlie fall of rnlare. New York, four months^ CHh bi.iin .my lime include llocky of yesterday." i'.<22 played the three times In ;ra.,tliat have jiassed into the disiariT are "The Conn liacks," "I'henomen.il I'layers," "I'avorites of the Past." "\'eterans of V.iriety," "The Old Timers" and a dozen more. The majority of these were pnalueed by Hoeky & (ii-een. .Tames .Madison and Kd'.vard LcUoy nice. In explaining the refusal to book the nets the vaudeville executives claim the demand had been dulled by an over-abundance of such turns. I'urtherniore they were just another (ycle craze slmil.ar to the "sister." "nut," "jazz band'' and other speciflc fyi)e acts with popularity as vari- able as the tastes of the public. A glance at the names included In the veteran turns indicates that most possessed dec ided talent. Many of the jierformcrs were the top- liners of their day, nniJ the major- ity have lost but little of their skill. It was not because the ads were tlojipiiif; ibat they fell into disfavor with the booking men, but because they were losing out as business- gitters. While an audience .almost always enjoyed and applauded the turns once in the theatre, it was not a|it to be as large an audience as might have been attracted by III her names in the billing. The "old timer" aii'ile had lost its novelty and appeal through la ing overdone in the usual vaude\jlle way. The disbanding of so many jnt.; I has left dozens of the vaudeville I veterans joidess. A few, like Annie i Hart of the "V.leiaiis of \'ariety," ; have been fortunate in beii:- place.i i with other turns. : The l;irger share hiv,' li.id no ^ip-li I III k. and as there Is pioM icaliy no demand for them in any other lines , ii f ' h i ii how bu i d i ie i I , ih i' V . selected to appear in the act, thtj projierties of which will consist of »■ plate glass bathtub, a bath mat ana h.ilf u dozen big bath towels. The girl.s are to he dressed in ■lose lilting bathing suits, made of silk and flesh colored. The gl.'ns tank is to be lilled with milk. The girls will take ;i bath in thi milk three tiines daily, emerging drii»piii)f with the white lluid, and will be xigorously rubbed by atlenilarils in charge of the Turkish towels. The act will be an elabor.ilion of tlu famous .Anna Held press story of i'a years ago. The Kmpress management tuo. poses to give dcmonstVations of the lienellcial effects of iniik on iln feiii- iniuo skin. i.nd to charge the usual admission. The Windsor Dairy Cohipany, a Denver milk distributing ( oncern, grabbed at the eh.iiice and offered to supjily all the milk needed. The day followin,^ the ap|ieaiance of classilied ads in a local dail.v, several hundred girls besieged tie stage door of the Kmpress. lookiiiy for jobs. PANTAGES IN TEXAS? Dallas. .March 4. Paiilages vaudeville as opposition to the Interstate Circuit in sever.d Te.van cities is a possibility, the j Dallas "Dispalcir' prinliiii- what it dcciareil to be exclusive iiiforinatioa . th.at Alexander I'ant.iges will build j in the state. I'antages l.s said to have taken I over a lease in Koi t Woitii with I .'i I years to run and a Ihealie is now I being constructed on the site. .\zby j Cboteau. .(r., formerly (.general man. ager of Interstate. Ii.is privately j niuinecd he is to be manager of the I new house. John Jon"s, owner, and V. G Cameron, manager of the Mellia, declare that they talked to a I'an- tages representative in New York recently and claim that they ob- tained an option on Dallas. "AUDIENCE ACTS" OUT ON ORPHEUM TIME Too Many Wore Off Novelty- Roy La Pearl Readjusted His Turn The Orpheum Circuit has p'.n i-l a bnn on audience acts on the ground that there are too many to sustain the surprise novelty these turns originally were until fveiy.. body wanted to do a similar act. The ban does not affect a-'ts al- ready routed over the Orpheum, but merely hits newcomers. Hoy La Pearl, who has been do ing an audience act for years, us:n? two wop plants, Is opening on the Orpheum In two weeks. Upon n,l-; vice of the booking office he ha."! readjusted hi.s act and now uses the wop comics on the stage. Kii- genc flordl (Mack and Gordl) h.ia been added to the act and Is han- illing the supposedly Impromptu comedy Working as a wop stage- hand. BAJIftUET FOE FLEET A b.ii.iniet and v.iiideville yh"\V will be tendered the otfleers of the I'.icllic fleet, now In the Hudson riior, tonight (Wednesday) at the Hotel liiltmore. New 'Vork. The Keith ollice is HUpplyiiig tlie enli'rtiiiiimetit. which will he .in bill looked by Atlhiir •ight-acl Hlondell. -*Ui. in Cabaret for Keith 1 irr Man with Henry W, Savage's "Lollipop." Big Knickerbocker Theatie, New York, Now. Dolly Kaye Back Dolly K .aye closed __^_^ hope that the 'old liniei" sit ii,it ion !" •■'*'* >' '"I''' •' tling at cat w,l; become a cr.ize again. | *'"ik. She opened Monday a! This seems entirely possible, but | l''''-l<-l"'i, Pbiladeli.blii, liooked I nm r.Mil at least ii couple of years I''<^''"'''^''>' '^J Irving Yates. [elapse. .Me.intiiiiP several of the pr<.,illieei s intend to renssmnble their veleran troupes and ende.ivor to pin Mr .I'ld Old the a-ls ag.tin neM .■^lasoii ilieir Imnn st BIRTHS Mrs. .loseph \. IVb. :"i,- si,n