Variety (May 1924)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, May 7, I924 COMPLAIN AGAINST FUPPANCY BY AaS TOWARD AUDIENCES Rebuke People Who Don't Laugh at Aged Laughed- Out Gags—Monologists and Comics Complained Of—Booking Offices Take Notice A constant stream of complaint!! from patrons of small time and in- termediate houses sent to the man- agers have been coming in to the Keith offlce the past season, the burden of which is the acts, and especially comedy acts, have grown into the habit of disrespecting their audiences. Almost every complaint received by the small time Keith managers mention the playful custom of many monologists and comics of two acts remarking that the audience prob- ably doesn't understand English if a gag is missed, or doesn't get the laugh expected. It is surprising to note amonr the complaints that the audiences frequently understand English very well. The complaints in large num- bers call attention to the fact that the gaga not laughed at were so familiar they lost their laugh com- pelling powers; Several house managers have hung up instructions, addressed to comics of the type that immediately jump to the conclusion that the audiences that refuse to laugh at everything offered are stupid, for- bidding offensive remarks on pain of being strictly dealth with. The instructions are obeyed In each house It seems after an in- fraction of the rules has occurred with a resulting reprimand, but the following spilt, or week's engage- ment the same tactics have been employed by the comics, who do not appear to take the reprimands seri- ously. A rule with teeth in It will be promulgated by the Keith people shortly to curb the practice. A Keith booker who handles a large number of houses of the inter- mediate grade said, in regari^ to the habit of belittling audiences, th.it the really stupid audiences of 10 years ago that patronized the small time are of the past, a new gen- eration having come up that is not only literate, but vaudeville-wise. The latter day audiences have tol- erated the offensive remarks as long as they are going to, and it Is only a question of time when a revolt will take place that will ruin the pop house business In the smaller cities unless the evil Is remedied. REPEATING OLD ACTS UNDER PROMISE OF NEW Independent Bookers Resolve to Stop Repeats Within Sea- son—Have Cost Bookings VICTOR'S NEW RECORDS Small time independent bookers are kocping a weather eye on acts that have been in the habit of garn- ering repeat dates on their circuits on the pretext that tlicy were do- ing new acts. Heretofore the bookers have taken their word and booked repeat en- gagements within a few months of their previous showing at tlie same hou.se. When the reports came roll- ing in and subsequent kicks from house managers, the bookers were prompted to install a check-up sys- tem. Taking the attitude of the old pro- verb tiiat an ounce of prevention is better tli.an a jKJund of cure, the bookers liave decided that hereafter they will not play repeat acts within a season, i-egardless of whether or not they are doing a new act. The bookers explain that "re- peaters" have gotten them into all sorts of jams, witli the houses lig- uring that they were penciled in be- cause of the otlice having but a lim- ited supply of talent to draw upon to make up their bills. In some instances it lias caused houses to shift tlicir booivinga to another agency. MINERALAVA SUIT Asks Damages from Vivadou— Valentino Tour Cost $187,000 Will Play Four Selections—Two on a Side The first of a series of disks hold- ing four selections each, two on a Bide, will shortly be released by tlie Victor Phonogrraph Company. The records will be 12 inches and will coat $1. There will be small space between the selections on each side so that the person play- ing the phonograph can pick either piece. The plan, which Is a new one, Is the nearest approach to the Edison scheme of having both instrumen- tal and vocal arrangements of the same song on one side. It is believed the Victor Co. will try to place numt-ers published by the same firm on one side, but not necessarily on the reverse side. The Scott's I'reparation, Inc., manufacturers of tiio Mincralava Beauty Clay preparation, started suit in the New York Supremo Court, Monday, against V. Vivadou, Inc., for breach of contract, with damages placed at $841,265, The suit is based on a 21-year agreement, from Decemtier 30, l'JL'2, vesting the sole selling agency in Vivadou. An improper accounting of the merchandise la alleged. It is set forth in the papers that the plaintiff expended $187,000 on sending iludolph Valentino on tour in the interests of the beauty clay. This being in keeping with the Scott company's agreement to spend $1,000,000 a yeiir in advertising and exploitation, part of this plan being the national beauty show in Madi- son Square Garden last fall. Mineralava has been advertised exten-slvely in theatrical programs and through tie-ups with actresses. PAUL NOLAN B. F. Keith's Hippodrome, New York, this week (May 5), and fol- lowing the elephants, that Is, the elephants are third and Paul is fourth on the bill. The Swede juggler Is now finish- ing his twelfth consecutive YEAR of Keith bookings, arranged by BILLY GRADY of the Keller office. INSIDE STUFF ON VAUDEVILLE 4 REDUCTION SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER SHOWS 30 Small-Timers Cutting Bills During the Hot Months— Booked by Independents Some of the out-of-town small- timers will adopt a reduction sched- ule for the summer months, cutting their bills from the usual five to three acts and most dispensing with vaudeville entirely on the first half. The summer policy will affect 30 hotises. It became known this week when the managers of the houses signed summer contracts with inde- pendent agencies. Included in the list are a number of houses that usually shut down fur the summ..'r, but are planning to remain open this summer with the reduced schedule in effect. CATCHING NEW ACTS Keith's Bookers Instructed—At- tending in Squad* MARTA FARRA UNIT Heading Keith's Intact Show Next Season for CHILDS' AFTEE BEAUTIES Chica^ro, May 6. Instructions have been received from the headquarters of the five ChildB' restaurants running here to dismuss all their old waitresses and replace- them with the prettiest girls they can get hold of. The Idea is a commercial move to re-establish the Childs' restaurants on a basis of pretty girls, the man- agement figuring that the girls will draw the customers, where the cof- fee and fc^ans would not. It has been suggested that they try and get chorus ^Is as waitresses .^hen possible. NEW ACTS Cliff Dean and Co., in comedy drama, four people. Benny Rubin aid company of seven. Benny Rubin and Sherrle Mat- thews are heading a vaudeville turn Biftd* up of three scenes from "Scandala of 23-24." Marta Farra, the strong woman, now at Keith's Hippodrome, will head a unit that will travel Intact over the Keith circuit next season The unit will include an elephant turn and po.ssibly a horse act or some specialty of a circus nature, in addition to a singing and dancing and talking turn. The unit will probably have an advance man to work up interest for It. J. J. Murdock will personally pre- sent the Farra unit. An order was issued this week to the Keith bookers on the sixth and fifth floors, big and pop priced book- ers, that every booker in the organi- zation must "catch" professional tryout acts at Proctor's 125th Street and Proctor's 23rd Street houses on Monday afternoon and night. The bookers are then required to report their findings and ability to play the acts witnessed to Beyton W^egefarth, of the Keith oRice. The acts will be incorporated in the regular bill, and the time tables outside the house changed to In- clude the added starters »o the audience will not be able to distin- guish the acts added to the bilL The bookers will be divided Into two groups, one half catching the matinee at one house and alternat- ing at night Murk Murphy books the new de- partments In both bouses and will continue to do so. During the week Eva Tanguay played the Majestic, Dallas, the hom» management took out $2,000 rain Insurance, which added J700 to the ove,, head. The stipulation was that It must become sufficiently wet between tli« hours of five and eight to register 3-16 of an kich. Nothing happened until Friday when the afternoon brought a show« that cleared up before the night show, but left enough moisture for th» house to coUeit the insurance and a satisfaidory amount of front pag, publicity. Details unimportant perhaps In New York are just as Important in Lon. don when attached to London news as New York details are in New York. Apropos of Ernest Edelsten, the London showman, who Is associated also with Julian Wylle in the London Hippodrome productions, taking a good sized wallop by letter at whoever in Variety's New York ofl:ice rewrote th» cable on the opening of "Leap Year" at the Hippodrome. The cable in Variety said the Hip had a hit, in fact it said everythlnj to the satisfaction of Messrs. Edelsten anl Wylle, excepting it failed to mention Mr. Wvlie as the producer. That would have been overlooked la ill probability had not Variety given the credit for the production to Albert deCourviUe! And, again, continue-" Mr. Edelsten in a most captious strain, notwith- . standing he is otherwis. an all around good fellow, when Mr. Wylie pro- duced "Brighter London," Variety's careless riewrlter in Xew York, credited Charles B. Cochran with that production, likewise a hit. Ernie can't Jurt understand It. Once—maybe, but twice and it looks 8us« picious. Ernie didn't exactly say that, but he Inferred it, with doubt, '■ however, for Einic has been reading Variety a good many years now and he Itnows news items ar<j not handled in that way, knowingly. Which is why he wrote. When Mr. Wylle was producing "Brighter London" at the Hippodromt, Mr. Cochran was producing a musical at the Empire, London. Try as h« might, the rewrite man could hot always differentiate. In the speed of j the moment, his carelessness consisted of not sending for copies of tits''» IMiper of the week or so before to make certain, the frequent cables | not continuously repeating details. Similarly when Wylle was producing "Leap Year," deCourville wm It work on another show In another London house, and here's another instance of Just that thing. The writer can't recall the name of ths deCourville's show. Although it Is midnight and without being just so busy at this moment, he prefera finishing this rather than to make positlvs deCourville's show's title. Coincidents happen at home, too. Some years ago it wa.s not unu.^ual' if a V^ariety reviewer did not check up his vaudeville nrogram act by act, to omit mention of a turn In his notice. That was stopped through ad- monishment, and for years there has been but seldom an omission up to | (ibout a month ago. " One recent week at the Hippodrome, New York, the Gaudschmldts wero omitted and they had a choice spot on the bill. The reviewer was Greea (Abel). Mention was made in a succeeding Issue. That settled that, with no one omitted again until last week at the 81st Street, the Gaud- Schmidt's, No. 4 on the bill, were again not mentioned In the Slst Street review by Conway (Con). • ; •Ihe Gaudschmldts cculd not understand it. nor could the V.ariety r» " viewers. But the coincident became the more peculiar to the Gaudschmldt'i' IS they mentioned they owed Variety nothing and had had an advertise*' ment In each issue of the paper the omissions occurred. So you see, Ernie, It doesn't look as though our minds arc on ouf| business here or abroad does it, dear? The demolished buildings on the north side of West 4t5th street, just' east of Broadway (but not taking In the corner), will leave a site for • reported 16-story offlce building with a Broadway entrance, it is t**' ported. The plans have not as yet been filed with the building depart*' ment. The I. Miller shoe firm owns the corner, now occupied by a drug storst with its lease one more year to run. At that time the Miller firm, about the largest maker and retailer of class shoes in the country, may put up a building there for Its own or office uses. It had been anticipated for several years that the northwest corner of Broadway and 46th street would sooner or later bold a theatre, taklnt the corner for an entrance and extending east along the side street for ft considerable distance to get a large capacity. Through this general belief, Louis Bernstein (Shapiro-Bernstein & (»■)» who owns 155-157 West 46th street, which would have been a necessaiT plot to a large theatre plan, has held his property at about $250,000. With the plan changed to an intervening offlce building »buttlng on Ko. ISii it Is possible Mr. Bernstein, one of the most astute realty operators In th* big city, may convert his two present apartment bouses into an ofBcO building or bachelor apartment house. The Broadway front for the new 16-story building will be between tio present I. Miller shoe store on Broadway, Immediately north of the drug store, and the Palace Theatre Annex building. Just south of the Pal««« theatre. ADMITS THEFT OF VIOLINS In West Side Court, Monday, be fore Magistrate Jean Norris, Ed- ward Hattista, 18, musician, pleaded guilty to a charge of grand larceny and was held in $1,000 ball for the grand jury. Itobert Desmond, who said he Is a theatrical producer, charges that Battista entered his room several days ago and stole two German violins, valued at $166. When arrested, Battista admitted the theft and he Is assisting the poljce to recover the stolen property. THEATRE CORP. FAILS Rockford, 111., May 6. A petition in 'oankruptcy has been filed against the Alhambra Theatres Corp. The theatre is under con- struction, but laborers who worked on the excavation months ago have not been paid. The Alhambra failed to pay its corporation tax In 1923, is not listed on corporation files in the county, and Arthur Willoughby, secretary and general manager, is the only known officer. HOUSES CLosmo The Jefferson, Auburn, N. Y., closes for the summer May 10. The £)e Witt, Bayonne, N. J., will switch from pop vaudeville and pic- tures to straight pictures next week, resuming regular policy Sept. 1. Orpheum theatres in Sacramento and Fresno ended their season last week. It is reported that Bert Levey, the coast agent, Is arrang- ing to book the Fresno house. Keith's, Cincinnati and Indian- apolis, closed last week for the summer. The tour of the Paul Whlteman Band Is going out under the Copplcia | (concert) management. Under what arrangement as to terms is not < known. It was reported that a 'Whlteman managerial proposition was V^.f before William Morris. It called for Morrrls to guarantee "Whlteman, per-, | sonally, $1,000 weekly, to assume all expenses, including the bandsmen'^ i salaries, wid divide with Whlteman 50 per cent of the net. '." This arrangement would have required that Morris practically mana«% * the Whlteman's tour under a $12,000 guarantee. Morris is said to hav*-= countered with an offer to undertake the management, assuming an/; lesses, on a 75-26 division of the net with Whlteman, which White*, man declined. According to report, Morris ascertained that he could start out with Whlteman playing on percentage and guarantee and have $10,000 weekly guaranteed before leaving New York, virtually ensuring the tour as far •• Morris was concerned, but he did not like the 50-60 split for his assump- tion of all risk, possibly remembering Miss Bayes, among others. Whlteman is reported to have the Salvins and Jimmy Thompson inter- ested In his managerial direction, which may have been the reason the bandmaster demanded a sufficient share to protect his partners, for Whlteman seems quite loyal to the Salvin group, saying that notwith- standing everythlnij else (even Harry Fitzgerald) they gave him hl« chance on Broadway from which with him everything since has developed. And everything seems to be again lovely between Paul and Harry, for Fitsy but recently offered the Whlteman band to vaudeville, at $4,000 or $5,000 weekly. The managers In their daze couldn't remember which. Harry Fitzgerald was Paul -Whlteman's first representative when the coast leader came east. They parted later. Little has been heard of late of the recently formed Treasurers' Union of Greater New York, formed apparently with the Idea of taking In aU of the houses in the greater city. It's said that the union suffered a blow with seven Keith treasurers dis- missed following the union's formation, while the old line, or legit, treas- urers, as represented In the Treasurers' Club (an organization purely social and beneficial and of many years' standing) would take no cog- nizance of the unionize! attempt Whether the charter Issued by the American Federation of Labor j« be ng held back for a more propitious time or whether organization « being conducted sub rosa Is not disclosed.