Variety (March 1924)

Wednesday. March 6, 1984 EDITORIAL VARIETY Trad* M»rti B»«l»t»red Slm» Silverman. PraMdant 114 W»«t 48th atraat New York Cltjr SUBSCniUTlON: Annual »I rorel«n II ■ind. Coplea » C«nt. Vol. i.>>xiv. «-fesa^ No. 3 YARIEH'S OFFICES Cable Addresses: V.iriely Nt-w Vorlc Viiru'iy London NEW YORK CITTf 104 West 46th Street CHICAGO State-Lake Theatre Building LCS AKGELilS Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre Building SAN FRANCISCO Clau3 Sprcckles BIdg. WASHINGTON. D. C. Evans Bu Idirg, New ".'ork Avs. LONDOiI 8 St Martins PI.. Trafalgar Sq. The Bert Levy "CJhKilr'^n's Story Hour." montionfd in V.-irlcty Inst wii-k as held nt the Strrind. Hro-ik- lyn. should h.ive read Brockton. >Ia.s.«.. under the* auspicps of the Brockton 'Paily Knterpri.se." The Plaza, V.mi Stromlstiurt,'. Ta.. h.w Iir(-n i)!^ucd in the Joe lickl offlce for lioi>k;ns.-<. ■ -v. ' Frank Vincent and family will Btail lor San franci.soo Thursday via I'an.inia Canal. Viiicetil i.s KOn- eral l)ook'r for the Orphoutn Circuit. The Klaw, New York, this week got oiit a carii for its show tiierc, reading: "Uont Jay-Walk L'nles.s Vou Are •|loli-15enl Kcr Heaven.'" The Duchess, I'oughkcepale, N'. Y., has ihanKed hands. Cliarlcs Albert and Louis C. Albe>rt have the lease, aid will operate the theatre as the Playhouse with pop vaudeville. RIGHT OFF THE DESK By NELLIE REVELL Somerset Hotel. New York King Tut Kot more publicity about hi.s promised debut than I did about my actual one. But orthopedics n^ust be more efficient than archeolo^ist.-^ because I got out and h hasn't. Maybe there were too many photograph- ers around and he's afraid of flashlisht.s. He should have tried my system and sneaked out. On the other h;md maybe he isn't well yet. They used to take the lid off my concrete every once in a while, too, and then decide it wasn't lime to let me out yet. However, it took my excavators only four years to diu tne out and it's nearly 3.000 jears since they sewed Tut up, so I'm at le.ast three moves ahead of him. If Variety's circulation nianaser h.-i.s Tutville on his books (and if \\<' ha.-Jn't It's about thf only i>lare he nii.ssed) here's a formula for i;ettins out that may help the ex-Senator from Kfrypt. Just pet a K"<'d friend to S'.rranKe his route, and a tjood p.il like Mr.«i. Clarence Willetts as advance ai,-ent and flien board a nice, easy-ridins; ambulance for the haul. And if that doesn't work for him. I hope hell try to remember that it's ■jnly the first a.'iiiO years that are the hardest. Wlion Karl Kitihen wa.s .iliroad a few years at;o they [Xis.sed the Vol- -tead Act and .is soon .I'i he t;ot ba; k to Americ.i they cLipped the lid on M-) we've iieen told. About the same ti.no ti;cj locked me up. Now Karl "ii.is taken a lonj; trek across the world to see if lie ctin't find a few laughs itnunc; the other priceless things they discovered in Tut>< Tomb and wher, ihey iieard he wa.-i back ll-.ry slammed the lid luwn on tli it. \^■llil•.• he was ;;one I K<'t out ihree times but ..^ince he is home I'm shut in asain. So I'll Kive the hand-crothelod steam shovel to the person who can ;aovc Karl Isn't the "cliampeen"- no, not chainii:iKne - c|..sin',- act of tlu world. Maybe if sonie ;,-entl'ini>n in Washington could induci' him to come i'o\\ n iheie they wouldn't h.ivi' so much trouble in pulting the lid on Te.ipot Dome. Styles in Se-iators cotde from Minr.esota thi.~ year. Sin<-e Sen.ltor John- son from that St.ate ,:,'ot .>^o much publi''ity out tif beinjr a dirt farmer, all the senators liave decided to be "dirt" f.irmer«. No oil has l)een found on Senator Jolm on's farm —yet. At that mayb'? tlie other sei.ntor: are look- ing for different kinds of '•planl.'^" .and so f r the only thinp: done has been I lot of hedfiin«. If tl.ey plow deep enou'.;h they're ajit to strike oil. ihouifh tliey're reversint tlie customary proce.>.s. It's more usual to po IhroiiKh dirt to find oil than to ko tbrou;.rh oil to strike •illrl." Looks like c prosperous .■.^ason, f o ■ tlu; re cert.ainly rai n^ lots of li 1. According to crime stall tics of .New Vork Slate for the past year ther.- wore 17 act.irs convicted of a lot il of 17",! of all vocations. And 44:.' chauffeurs. Or m.iybc if*s e:;s;cr to <atcli ih.iuft'ciirs. I notice there wtren't any vvritir.. at all. Tiie.v must o.cnipt editois from jury duty. That widely-mourned leader and man. AN'oodrow Wilson, would ha\«- ;>een surprised could he ha\e read the columns o i)raise and the lout; am! ■lowini; eiilo:;ies, which h.ave ajipeaped since hi.-; p.is.sln;.?, comirin from men who fought and criticized him harhly <;urin^ his li^e. It seems th :t the Latin proverb, ".S'U nisi bonum <Ie niortuis" should be chan;ied to •say nothing Kood about a man until he is Rone." I'erhaps it Mr. Wilsoti had heard some of that applause and commend.ilion while he live.l be would not have had to be borne up "S ' .street so sadly :uid slowlv that Wednesday Thank t!od. my friends have given me my flowers while I'm hei e. "Hobohemia," Sinclair Lewis' sat- ire on Greenwich Village lite. Is to be sent out as a road show. It will be recaptioned, "So This Is Green- wich Village." Construction on the new theatre planned by Kdwiu-d V. Tillyou, owner of Steeidcchase Park, Coney Island, started this week. The building will be bix stories high and will have a frontage of 120 feel on Surf avenue, opposite Stecple- <chase Park. The house will seat about 2,500. According to present jlans it will play Keith vaudeville. Altho gh committed to a sani- tarium near Stamford. Conn., on the ground of suicidal mani.% Max Spiegel, it is rci)ortcd, has been seen along T.roadway. Spiegel's at- torneys state they are at work on & .settlement i>lan. He was origi- nally brought to New York at the invitation of a creditors' committee. There's one musical instrument upon which no one has ever given a recital at Carnegie hall, which probably never will bo u:-cd in a symphony orchestra and which even the phonograph companies have so far failed to record. But of all the instruments In the world It's the one that 1 would select to make the music for me. It's a calliope. Several times in the past week one has serenaded me and each time I heard It I escaped from casts and braces and the.se four walls melted away and I found myself on a circus lot, glorious sunlight pouring from a blue summer sky on a medley of performers, clowns, animal wagons, bareback riders and 'windjammers" making ready tor the "grande pee- lade." And lo, t'ne calliope led all the rest. I don't know what it i"" that calliope is advertising, but even if It were roller skates I'd buy a pair just to show how gratelul I am for the memories Its music brings. THE DRESSY SIDE By SALLIE "Kid Boots'" People and Clothes Jobyna Howlaml makes you bowl wlilie wearin;; iii' e , loiii'S, an I Kddie I'.intor makes "Kid IJoot.■<' snippj at tiie t'arroll. .Miss Mowland's first dress is rose, made ..ports stjle. new si aif eil'ert, and she has a dreadful time with Ibc fruige and golf ball. She spurts a. :^rceti sport dress, one piece, at llie club. Mary K.iton weais pink chiffon, boiliie embroidered in brilliants, |iink s.itin shoes .ind stockings; .inotlier. white tulle with silver sllpper.s. The .sports tlothes Wiirn at the Ilverglades club, both !;lrls and bo\ s, are the layt word. White knickers, sport .-hirls, golf vests (kirN) aiul hand- ni.ide swe.iiers tboys) Knglisli plaid ftolf hose, white .mil t.iii sumr shoes ihiclly. Exaggerated "Daughters of Today" "I>.iiii:hlers ..f Tod.iy." .sitriii,! this week, is a much cx.iu^cra ted pU- Unc of the modern girl. r)nc t\pe. (lirls are not ijuile as frivolous or eaughty ,is this picture would li.uc them, not even the b'lapper Ciil. II ^ives the imprt'ssion girls jazz Iheir way through college and minds lie undermined by modern music road hou.xes and parents, I'.itsy Itulh .Miller wears siniiile < lothcs. one :i vshite brocaded, brbf -kill, !..n^ sleeves, and agaai a I lack co.tt wiiU huge fur collar and 1 ulTs. Ivln.i Murpha h.is a t.iilored .-uil. relir I'ai, w.iist. ;mil, at tlie 11.111.\, .1 white simple evenin'.; frock. TI;e wild night bathing p.ni.v shows little dressing, and is mic 11 the sime.is in "I'M,! niing Youlh" Kitty .McLauuhlin and Appeilo Condidli, in their 11 'I'lov itoie " iliiet, ire a tr<Mt. Miss Mcl.aiiglilin we.irs a beautiful bl.ick laci> ii\i>i' color. The Str.ind liallet is pe|«py. The blitieiHy waltz, done by Millie Klemen- ■orviez. looking charming in ,i b.allel dress of gold cloth and . hifl'on, wis iscinating. .Mr. J.ilifn was at the piano. "Outsider" Clipping It w.is oinioiis ■'The Outsider' would be the only 'Insiil.r ,il the 1 lid of three acts. It's a gii|iping ida.v. Katherine t'orncH's peiform.ui 'e is tliiilliiig. and she is most ,ilti ii ii\e Wears in the llrst act, a green suit, box coat, hat to match. In the second act. an orange chiffon lace overskiit, long wing sleeves, a girdle of paste) ,shadeH of ro.ies. The aiiplaiise at the end of the pl.iy l.tsied minul's, .Miss Cornell .sharing it with Lionel Atwill. Benefit of Fun and Frolic Doug and Little Mary's .ippeaiance in the fiont row ori hcstra .Sund iv night at the Musii' Ilox created more of ,i fiuane than anything that capi)ened- and plent.v liappened. .Mr. Fairbanks said nice things from llie stage, and then the aiidieiue was content to settle down to a Bit.irMin.; -t)I'ndid benelit for the .Minnie .Middern Kiske Kund lor Animals and tlie !;ilin Price .-^ix'j er Ilosii.lal for ..\nini ils. It was .1 bii; night. Women looked their iirettiesl. and men llieii- hai>- idest. Madge Kennedy and .\li xanibi Woolli olt. in their one-a<t di.ini i, were , scream. .Miss Keiinedy looked the youthful, be.iutifiil queen hi red ' elvet, tight bodice, long sleeves .llld jewelled gold dp. .le.inne i:,igels, as the child in "At Liberty' skit, bad a while luflle,! I'.'ess. blue sash, socks anil piinip... bbtck mils and long blond curls. This 'as written by .Mirc Connelly. |;isie Janis, In a gold dress and canary lai.i/lise headdress, was :i.s ii.iiil eharniirig in songs (chiefly l-'i enih» wiUi'h applail.se. Irving l;erliii '■ siic.;iii;' ot "Lav.v" ii, tiie iiiiisi,. o; piiil Whilctnan's band '•■as ,a riot, and thifi Mrs. 1 i; l^e m (in,, act of Mrs. P.umpstead-l.eigli," i\e ,1 beautiful pi rroriitani e. Inokiiig well in costume and hat of brown Lynn l''i.ii!anne. Ilriiest Tiiiex and Ibdind Voiing, in our 'Vivid Itnslics " iMomd lip an eveniag of iiiiiili run md frolic for a most woillis c.nu". Spanish Prima Donna (>iic 1.1 the lunciiil opiMa- of l.i I week at Ihe .Met. 'Tra^i.li l:ild an Hided al trillion .iiid drlighl I iil!\ costumcil 'Caniille' in Linretia lloii, who has n. bit modeiiiized Ih.it iici iod into present-day ch.arni of dressing. Mori li.is a voice of varierl ran/e .iid line achievement. Kspecially so were the jimib.ir arias giv. n in Ihe third act SiMirday afternoon to .i respon.^'ve iiidience. This per,e<ll\ gowned prima ilor.n i from .s-'|miii will rei>e.l Icr line pi ; formaine. A quarterly dividend of 50 cents a share, iiay.ible ,\l,irch 31 to stock- holders of record on March 15, was declared Mond.iy by Loew's, Inc. ENGAGEMENTS Charlotte Hough, with Heorge Hayes (vaude). Pred Lawlor, Al Johnson, with Bud liernie (vaude), Kdwin Korsbcrg replaced .John Parks in "The Chiffon Oiri" Mon- day. Prank Dotiegaii, for musical. ".My Lady Ki iends." I.iillian Shrewsbury, "Abie's SiKin- ish Kove'- (vaude). .'\tn;ii..ta Diirgeon, "Putting U Over" (vaude I. •laeK- Sniilh. "P.irasite..-." Cicorge r.i' ;;el, "Paradise Alby," Variety's Press Day This issue of Variety went to press Tuesday night. Tuesday as press day for Va- •^'ety may be continued. If Senator Francis Murphy ever gives up the sta,~e he coiiM certainly be a gre.it success as a book-.agent. And I'd like to get an option on hi."! full-time services. I'm glad you liked my Ijook. Senator. 1 hope you w ill rcul it someUmes, enjoy it, but never exiK'rience it. The Broadway theatre has a new stage-doorman. I!. .S. Moss has made still another friend and a former celebrity of the theatre is back among his own. All of which happened because Mr. Moss has a memory of f.-<ces Not long ago, according to Charlie .VlaclJonald, manager of the Uroad- w-.iy, Mr, Moss was waiting for a train at the Gr.md Central sl.ition. The train was late and for huk of something better to occupy l\is time, Mr .Moss fell to watching the people in the waiting room. The face of one man. who limped as he p.iced up .and down, was very f.imiliar but the theatrical magnate coul'i not (|Uitc place it. The failure piqued him and in.illy he walked over to the man .md cisinllv a-I.ed if Ih'-y hid n'lt met before. A conversation briiiii.'bt out the fad that 111- f.iiii liir i ..unninnce vvi> INSIDE STUFF ON VAUDEVILLE .■hat»of Ben Lodge, who some yeaij ago pl.i.M ,i 'Kok. in the 'Mikado, U .If H.i|i|)er in "W iiu,-.' 1,1, to pl.iy foi a loi.g el.s oiicht to have sor Dick Deadeye" in "Pinafor" ' ind wi- with Iii • Wli.it are >■ u doing now .'" iskd .Mi. Moss. •■.S'othing," was tlic reid; . And ils ,i roic 1 ■. ■ time." "Put you ought to be doing something. KM.-ryl sot t <.f duly, It keeps up )our mor.-ih:." "While," Lodge wanted to know, "c.ti, I find .inytl.ing to do? \V ho s L-oiiii; to give :t cripjde l ike m,\self ,ui en.; ilc niet.f.' 1 suppo.se I mi«lit ~t-t a job ip a faetory >M .solne jd ire lIK i' t ti tt — l iii l .. i i .\ uiii i liiali pver If-i. ic Ihe profession woul ' ii'lier polish bra^s in a •lieiti' tha occupy a rosn-cariicled, mahogan.\-d. sked office in som<- oilier business." lie that as it may. Lorl'v is now the St, I'eter of the stage-door at -S. isroadway, where his feel can tread sored grnini. his ears can heir \..~ own languige and his e.\es see llios" of his own ' lafl aiid liis ow ri i, ind Hawthorne .Springs, .Saratoga, li is nolhing on iln' .M u un \'.'- \- ...pi ii.'< in 4.'Jlh sheet, west of .Sth .avenae. Hock has a lot theie on whieli he is ;4oing to bmld an .s.)Ii:ed' ;ii ■.ii:.! some day. .\t present all buildirn; operilioiis liave ceased, because the e.\. i, Hon is full of water. A number of s|)iings have beeti iineartbi d. I p lo Friday there were six of these ritruleis, e.n b one willi a good ii'.ilihy llow and the contruetort think licre are loors. It Is up to the contractors to dry these sprini;s Up he'coe biillii.:; i.per.itions can be continued. .Mc.inwbile M.irtin Pci k is in IJiirojie probably al l?id';: 1; iden. Las; week .VIC Wilton went down to Port Ui<'hmoniI, S. I., lo look over ill let. He was introduced to Tod .ludge, father of llie famous Tod .Iii'lge family, who is doorkeeper at the tlieatre there. I'pon being introduced. .Mr. Ju<lge remarked, ''Gl.id lo nieci \i,,\ .Mr. Wiltcn. I ktiew your father, the liooking agent, 3.") years ago'' Wilton b'dieved i', althoiigb he concedes le may look a few yc■lr^ oMeP 111,in when he hooked Ihe Tod .ludge p.imily whicb he .idniits wis ,:,') •■(■uc^ aL'o, .\! the l.oKan, Chicago, on Sunday nighl. where Cerirge H Weh.xir looks 10 v.i'.ide acts iind < ills i' ,i mote sionil n-^iie, the iiir;aiii was inn.; lown on two acts .aheid ol time, ,Mo!ly Pellher Uevue, a < oloicl slm;ing, danemg .i>id musical off".i!cr. •lid the Argentine |»uo. dnie.i ., wet-., (lie Iwo a'l.n on whi'h liie lUii mi I ine llow n be|oi»> llnii \\u\- w is half o\er. It h.is not been ib tertnlnid vvlictl.. r Ihe IlilipodromP, N'ew Y.irk, wll! ■ontinue its present v.iude. die poPcv ovei the summer Such long eon- ir.icl.<i as have been Is.'Jiied for i' i ill for the season. The big hoii.in m.iv run Into Ihe warm we.ither .as far a^ bii^lne,s« remains profitable, Df.lii i;...I t,, l.'ally Mirkiiy I- Ibis jiirotly oi; What I)o You Po .-sundi .M.iry'"" which is a cinreni .h tors slogan, ■ Wtr-re ,\ , we work M(ind.i\. ■vliere do we work Tnesda.s, .Mirkus'"" ei, , Alexander Pantagi-v eiiililfeir V^ i^ l l |i"HiM I I I . 1 ■ ■oi tli in mfi %A-, 111 I.'i." .\nirele.>t reeenlly on a eti.irge III .sj.eeding. The t:\r w.i'< ret iirr'.ln .; troni Til .luani with Pin"iges iii it TSe irri t wa- made on 'he eon,. I'.iirl o;' r lie diiver oi" .irci':''i i i- '.■.!. el., .,) ihe iMniUeS oUr an I (•'oli'ill.,. I ■., ■■ . >)