Variety (May 1924)

fff Wednesday, May 7, 19H EDITORIAL VARIETY ^KiErmJ^?^^ *'"" """"^ "^^ K4 W«»t «t» BtiMt Mmt Toili Ctt7 ■IUB8CHIOTIOII1 AaawU It I VoraiSB- M Oaata yoLLXXnr. No. U VARIETY'S OFnCES CabI* Addr««««ai Variety, New Tork Variety, London NEW YOEK CIT"X 154 West 46th Street CHICAGO State-Lake Theatre Building LOS ANGELES Grauman's Metropolitan Theatre Building SAN FBANCISCO Claua Spreckles BIdg. WASHINGTON, D. C, Evan* Building, New Vork AVe. LONDOiI 8 St. Martin's PI., Trafalgar Sq. Adele Klaer, "Artists and Models." has handed In her resignation to the Shuberts. She has been out ot the cast through Illness. She intends to reappear In the forthcoming illustrators' annual show with her husband, David Rob- inson, an artist. Jacob I. Goldstein, attorney for the Columbia amusement company, has moved his ofUce uptown to 220 West Forty-second street. Mr. Goldstein was associated with the late Leon Laskl, and la con- tinuing the Laskl law practice, In addition to his own Interests. Maxine Brown, the dancer, says she will found an institution to be known as the Maxine Brown Foundation, for the purpose of building and maintaining; a home and school for orphan children whose parents were members of the the- atrical profession. George Sharp, manager of "Abie's "^rlsh Rose" at the Studebaker, Chi- cago, has taken a few days oft and gone to Los Angeles to marry Mabel Kroman, formerly of the "Able" company. George Kelly's comedy hit, "The Bhow Off," is soon to be released In book form by Little-Brown & Co. Belle Jeffers, formerly with the Shuberts, is now a legit ajtd picture agent, associated with Davldow & Le Maire. A Canadian theatrical syndicate Is In negotiation with Arthur Ham- mersteln for the -Canadian rlgbta of ••Wlldflower." The negotiators want to take over the second production of the piece which Hammersteln had made for the road and send it out on a tour of th Canadian province* early in June. Although the deal has been on for several days, noth- ing deflnite has been settled. The newspapers, published that Capt. Ingraham, the new husband of the former Mrs. Caruso, sep- arated from her after quarrels caused because her "American friends were too crude" during their Palm Beach sojourn. Inquiries among those who were closest to Mrs. Caruso-Ingraham at the Flor- ida retreat reveal that most of her friends were from the theatrical contingent which this year played Palm Beach harder and thicker than ever before, and that Ingraham far preferred the "circus" set of millionaires from other avenues of society. The following officers were elect- ed at the annual meeting, held Sun- day, of the Actors' Order of Friend- ship: Robert Haines, president; Albert Phillips, vice-president; Charles B ^Vells, treasurer; Robert Galllard. secretary; Walter Woodall, warden; George Pauncefort, Bernard A. Helnofd and Charles Dickson, trus- tees; Bernard A. Relnold, Edward Hemmer and Charles Clark, audl- ■• tOlW. 1) Lit It Ji if Of .i I 1 J ^ •. - . JI y I fc«(Ur* thm Hooa* Fmtoata Oomattto* at WairiUnc- to thm friilng at eepgrrichtad masle for an ether Mile In Ooncreea rehiWng t* eopirrlglit dittt amons etatesmea tovard faToriac fwdle. Juek why thie dHft la nnanaweraltle other than the stronar Influencee Interaated la radio's operation* and aalea. The preeent prospect la that Congressional "stalling" may postpone all action affectlnc copyright for the eurrent seaaion but there will be other seealona. The suggestion made In Washington last week by Representative New- ton to free everything under copyright the moment it may be first pub- lished ia -beyond comprehension. Still that may be ftirther proof of the drift. A picture man avowedly against the restriction on usage of copy- righted music appeared to be the only outside Interest in sympathy for the Dili Bill with the proper angle when he stated at the first hearing he wanted to be assured, before advocating the release of copyright, that that did not merely mean the removal of the restriction from the music publishers to the radio people. There had been plenty ot argument ad- vanced at the hearing to support his belief of possibilities. The Newton suggestion if carried out would paralyze the writers and authors' product of the country, also composera. Newton's idea would as well directly affect th^ newspapers using radios and which have been Indirectly concerned in the agitation over copyrighted music, that having interfered with their radio programs. The newspapers may see the radio danger and that was also emphasized this week in Washington with the remark that no looser did the hinter- land have to wait for its dally paper. Radio may look upon the decision of a federal judge In Cincinnati as a victory for the radio. Inasmuch as the opinion said via radio is not a public i>erformance for profit, but there are contrary decisions and also in the U. S. Court. If the Radio with its claim of 10,000,000 llsteners-ln each night and an Individual station claiming an au^ence of from 200,000 to 600,000 per performance. Isn't a public performance, then there Is no such thing. As to a performance for profit, the first Washington hearing on the Dill Bill made that indisputable when a letter was produced from a Radio broad- c.aster to non-affiliated composers saying the radio would send out their music on the agreebient that any profit through royalty derived should be shared with the broadcaster—and under contract. That one point, aside from the .sale of radio sets, equ'--lent, and the equipment of the radio sending station itself, which all means profit to <-ome one, seems sufficient. Where there is a payment made to entertain is that entertainment, or a performance for profit"? There are paid employes If not entertainers engaged by all radio stations, while the announcer, absolutely essential to each station. Is admittedly under salary. The question of public service as will probably arise may branch in another direction since it Is the entertainment, programmed and announced, that now invites the llsteners- ln, without the conceded charge by one radio station of so much per minuto or hour for advertising or of another of its employment of a sending station to promote its sales of radio sets, with this latter radio company through its annual statement showing an increase of profit of 500 per cent., or (10,000,000 in money, within three years as the radio fad has developed. Radio may be but a fad or a novelty but it bears the prospect on Its face of permanency, for some value; if not entertainment, then informa- tion. To release the copyright for the benefit of radio is to deprive writers of their income, or their livelihood; whether of the printed word or the musical note. Radio's propaganda is proving deadly. "The Clipper" this week is pub- lishing a letter it received from a radio bug somewhere in Iowa giving that paper the flta because "The Clipper" published the fact that the radio stations broadcast propaganda and the public has fallen. Protests by the thousands, perhaps mllllons,v-hav» reached Washington statesmen against curbing the radio by such a little thing as a copyright. After the theatrical managers have stopped fighting arnon^ themselves and with the actors, the entire amusement world should combine to pro- tect Itself from the radio. ... Anything that keeps i>eopIe at home hurts the theatre. Nothing but entertainment will keep people glued to a radio all of an evening. The news could be told through the air within SO minutes. Entertainment la what the theatre is supposed to sell, notwithstanding Loew's WHN and its attempt at a superior entertaining ether program nightly. THE DRESSY SIDE By SALLIE Negri end Men Dimitri Buckowetzkl had Pola Negri in mind without a doubt for "Men." It is different and gives Negri's foreign temperament all sorts of outlets. After much suffering and distrust in men, she finally marries a poor devoted slave. . ., The carnival scene stands out. In the music hall, Negri dances in a dream of feathers, reed skirt, tiny tight waist, and the feathers fall from the. waist. In the Baron's drawing room (in Paris) with its polished floors, luxu- rious walls, and tapestry furnishings, she is stunning in an all-white pearl embroidered low neck dinner gown with a cloth of silver train dropping from the low back waistline. Her bobbed raven locks and vamplsh eyes need no dressing. The Banker Duval, Negri's lover (Robert Edeson) wears a cape coat with velvet collar and does the best work In "Men" of any of his screen pictures. RIGHT OFF THE DESK By NELLIE REVELL Somerset Hotel, New York. He doesn't know I am writing this, and, in fact, he would prefer that I did not. Without fall, whenever he does something of this sort, he im- mediately goes out and flnds a bushel basket Just so that he can hide his light under it. Yet I feel that I must publicly express my admiration of the generosity and humanity of my friend, William Morris. Some months ago I carried a paragraph about a former vaudeville actress who was ill and in flnancial straits In Chicago. Now I have a letter from her telling of the liberal check sent to her by William Mor- ris, a check that paid her doctor's bills, settled her back rent for weeks, bought her some much-needed clothes and turned the clouds of her sky inside out so she might glimpse the sliver. Mr. Morris' philanthropies have been no secret to me, whose privilege it has been to study the inner nature of every man in the show business during the last five years. When my book was first released Mr. Morris bought a large consignment and sent them all to patients in the health camps at Saranac. In every instance the recipient wrote me of the kind- ne.'is of the donor. When there are such men as William Morris among us, there is no need to despair of the human race. Many of our theatrical people are doing wonderful work such as this and neither a.sklng nor expecting r&cognltlon for It. I am aware of many of Tilxie Friganza's philanthropies, and there are probably as many more 1 know nothing of. It is inspiring to think of the devotion of Blanche Ring to a certain paralyzed woman and the financial assistance she has rendered her for a long time. Sophie Tucker's charities are proverbial. There are so many others that my column would not sufllce to mention even a fraction of them. Funny Stuff on Screen Beginning life as a poor girl in a small Canadian village with a blizzard raging. Alma Rubens, as the heroine, goes to the aid of the injured (Conrad Nagel). It is the thread that makes the audiences seeing "The Rejected Woman" gasp at the passage of time and journeys accomplished at top speed. Aeroplanes have worked wonders in the movie world. The girl arrives too suddenly from France in Canada with costly furs, not to make her townspeople wonder. Miss Rubenr, wears a broadtail coat with chinchilla collar and a small turban, landing; in her old home town. In the home of John Leslie at Lthe^nner party^. she U gorgeovalM abtiredi In a ^hiie eveaing gowa loapght . ti jc; It .ffj»i/5[ '..rsrici la.'fii >/. tiiir«i]|i> Anyone who has a hankering to search out his family tree and dis- cover how hi happens to be here had better first consult Senator Francis Murphy, It may prevent much embarrassment In the end. Mr. Murphy was telling mo of the old Irishman of his acquaintance who felt sure he had descended from Brian Boru and finally saved enough money to ro to the old country and look up his family tree. The Senator ran Into him on the streot six months later. "Well, Mr. Connelly," he a»ked, "did you find out anything about your family tree?" "I did," said Connelly, "I found out enough, so that If It will Just let me alone, I'll let it alone." I've just read advance copy of "White Lights." It was written by O. O. ("Odd") Molntyre, whose syndicated newspaper column, "New York Day by Day," is read wherever a linoty|>e sputters. "Odd" has violated all the ethics of modern book-writing by flr.st studying his subject and knowing it backward and forward before writing about It. "Odd" know.s more about Broadway than the man who Invented it. He knows the real name, home address and private telephone number of every Broadway personage. He can trace every dollar Invested in. theatricals and knows the difference between, "angels" and "Schnoockels." He has inside information on what it costs to finance the "Follies," to tho price of a sandwich at Reuben's. He can almost tell you what the sandwich is made of. He can tell you what subway guards and house- detectives think about, and a man with all that knowledge couldn't help but be fascinatingly entct-talnlng. If what Irvin S. Cobb, Meredith Nicholson and George Ade say about the Qualities of "White Light Nights" is correct, here is a book which is going to keep the printing presses hot for a long time. Everyone has heard the story about the restaurant proprietor who was out to lunch when the Irate customer wanted to complain to him. Nat Vincent, the song writer, thought he had caught tho story in real life the other morning when he discovered Jim and Jack, owners of the res- taurant of that name, at breakfast at the St. Regis. Inquiry spoiled a good story or else Jim and Jack are quick thinkers. "Our place," they answered in unl.son, upon being cross-examined, "isn't open yet." Recently I had occasion \o go throush the "Positions W.anted" sections of the advertising columns. Though I did not discover what I wanted— a nurse—I did find a surprise in the number of people who advertise that they want to place their secretary or their butler or some other employee. How people advertise Is their own business, of course, but having been both employer and employee at various times In my life, I wondered it such help Is exactly fair to the employee. If people are unable to hunt jobs for themselves, what would they be able to do for us if we hired them? Dig or Dodge You people out in the West and the Northwest who are already supplied with copies of "Right Oft the Chest" had better keep them on displiy because Senator Murphy and Harry Greene and Mrs. Clarence Willetts are headed your way, and If they find you without one It means that you'll have no peace until they get your name on the dotted line of an order blank. I don't think there is anyone on the Orpheum circuit or the western route of "Sally" company that they have missed, but if so please advise, for I know these agents of mine will see that the error Is corrected. AU three seem never to pay a hotel bill, buy a cigar or get a "wave" without selling a book to the owner and proprietor they are dealing with If the show business ever goes on the rocks they needn't worry. With ' their salesmanship they could make big money selling the "Sat. Eve Post." I take this opportunity of thanking the managers and staflfs of all the Keith, Moss, Loew and Orpheum circuit houses for their generous con- tribution of program space to my book and their untiring aid In promoting Its sales. = »- a There are no doubt many of our profession who will be Interested In knowing what became of the widow of Bert Clark (Clark and Hamilton). Bert Clark, when many other comedians are forgotten, will always be remembered for his "saw-sages" and "blow-ters." Last year he passed on, leaving his wife and two children. Only one of the babies still survives, and Mrs. Clark has turned her energies toward newspaper work. She is getting out the very attractive fashion page which appears Saturday in the "Evening World," signed Florence Clark. Add personal embarrassing moments: When you Insert a "blind ad" In the paper for a nurse and, in reading over the replies, find your own nurse has answered it. Vy — — __ to the side with Jewelod ornament and feathers and a Jeweled band In her hair, and In the restaurant scene she Is simply dressed In a one- ' piece frock with coat and small fur collar. Not Much Left for "Peg" Tho season's sparkling musical shows, "Kid Boots" and "Stepping' .Stones," seem to have exhausted and absorbed all of the new ideas™. That makes "Peg o' My Dreams" tame but tuneful, and In spots of much' melody. Susan Keener, though short on dialect, has a channing voice an(l' / ■> t«.j ,,..,1 t ;,i II ii.<t!fi41nued,99,aagj„^V,.,o ,,( „ .,1,,,, ».iii>:il a-/ w coD» li bil »l ir.r:h..-i if- It.v .!)j'nn))jl