Variety (June 1924)

^^''- Ht r.Jan.4UM yAUDEVICUE '-!f?^''?v>' .T-r^r'.■^: J '*$.'• ':■• THE DRESSY SIDE Br SALUE "Qrand 8t. Folliaa^ Sound* Good ' Th* Nalcfaborhood theatre ia unique and lU current choir, '"!%• \ firand Street Follloe" shares honor* with "Chariot's Revue." ^ A. blacsk and white effect on paper announce* the next feature. Albert Carroll aa Kmlly Stevens ("Fata Morgrana") In orange chiffon ^-^ith hlonde wig 'was splendid. So was his Elsie Janta wearing as head- 'v'*f^m (Instead of Elsie's huge paradise) a duster of plumes. \ Th* theatre, art and politics in engaging fashion for throe houra of \ 4eIlcloua fun 1» the "Grand Street FoUlea." \: "Miami" a Thrill Betty Compson la wearing a simple ankle length gold dreaa with wrap of gold trimmel In velvet. Her feet are dressed in gold and hor bobbed bead parted i. center dressed in a velvet band tied with a bow. LAlie Worth never aeemed more attractive. "Miami" is one of the week's thrills aa far as pictures go. Lawlord Davidson was perfectly groomed in evening clothes until the police dog ungroomed him. ^ rr. ^ Gilda Gray at the Hip 'I Cllila Gray at the HlPPOdrome this week hiis an act beautifully dressed. *Th» drop curtain of purple is a splendid backgrotmd for her IS girls in i^White tlghti, white silk basques and white hats with white slippers. '• Mi."*3 Gray wears the same style costume witii a huge white silk bow at 1 the throat. Ag-.ln in her southern melody song the girls wear chiffon full short «kirt.< with bodices Of roses and Mi.<J3 Gray wears a yellow skirt of silk Irlrse with yellow bodice. |> Hit of "Let's CU)" ? The Golden Goose Cafe of Paris is the hit number of the Columbia's "Let's Go." The girls in attractive costumes of violet and green extremely th >rt with blue socks and slippers dance to tuneful melodies. Alice Lawlor in green and gold brccade with long trailing train and lieail-dress of rhlnestones and slippers and stoclcings of green with a flo.ving scarf caught at the wrist of brocade and Nan Palmon l0 black vatin with husu Spanish black comb, are two attractive stage pictures. 1X§IDE STUFF ON LEGIT—TWO COLUMN MEASURE The sweeping victory in favor of Mrs. Grace A. Fendler who sued Oliver Morosco and Richard Walton Tully alleging authorship of "The Bird of Paradise" Involves approximately $1,000,000 in royalties from all sources. Justice Erianger has yet to appoint a referee to take an account- ing for the purpose of estimating the royalties and profits due the plain- tiff. It is the belief by the press boys that the decision will be reversed on appeal. -t has been a very unique proceeding in the courts for over 12 years. Mri^. Fendler alleged she submitted a play "In Hawaii" to David Belasco, Morosco and others wliich was rejected but that later "The Bird of Paradise" with a similar theme was successfully produced. Belasco on the stand, for the defense, could not recall Mrs. Fendler or her play. Justice Erianger, who is a brother of A. L. Erianger, decided from the l>ench after several days' trial. He has written some very able opinions •nd adjudicated many important theatrkal litigations. By a freak, through the many shows closing Saturday, "The Shame Woman" at the Comedy In its 3Sd week now runs second only to "Abie's Iriijh Rose" aa the longest Broadway run. Incidentally, every manager turned down this lAilu Volmer play before Gustav Blum for the Inde- . pendent Theatre, Inc., accepted it for independent production. CABARET The Salvia places, according to Report, are to be called upon by the federal Revenue Department for an cxplitnatlon of their tax charges on Restaurant checks. The tax for cabarets is 2 per cent of the total tunount of a check where a cover ehnrge Is made. The revenue people are reported •n.ilile to flx the exact amount the Balvin places charged the customers aa a tax and the exact amount JIurned over to the government. The revenue end of the investiga- tion. ha.s nothing to do with the re- cent padlocking of the Salvin placgs Ihroush the charge of liquor selling violations, but the two combined are ■aid to have entered Into the Sal- yins' consent to the closings. SONGWRITERS TAKING UP OTHER UNES MISS OLIVE of STEWART and OUVE Vaudeville's mospt versatile dancers. Scored tremendously at B. F. kBITH'S NEW YORK HIPPO- DROME, hist week (May 26). Featured^ dancer the' past four s«a»ona with Eddie Leonard. Personal direction : EDWARD 8. KELLER ENTERTAJNERS IN CLEVELAND NEXT WEEK INSIDE STUFF ■f •.>:f3|t^' gS TAUDSmiE « ' A Josoph R. Smith last Janilary became an alderman of New York City from the Washington Heights section. For years Jacob (Jack) Friedman had held the Job and drew down only (3,000. Just as the clash camo between Friedman and Smith tor the plaice, the salary of nldertnan was tilted to $5,000. Smith got in on the flrat whack at the $2,000 ralsa. For some 13 years Friedman had been hoping the raise would come. Joe is by oc-^upati(^ a vaudeville agent, yet he la trying bla best to make a good aldermffk. He has striven for civic improvementa up in his section, an'l is working with the Committee on Playgrounds, He made it possible for the appointment of J. L. Bourland (Tom Lewis' father), who haa the band in the skating rink at 180th street, to recruit bands for concerts in public in some of the uptown parks like Ishnm park and Hlghbrldge park during the summer. Ttiese concerts start tM« week and will continue twice a week until further notice. Joe Smith has another year to run at the aldennanlc sideline ol IS.OOt^ yet Joe, to mix in politics, will spend that much and more before bla term i« out. ,: , . .^ , ,,,.„ , , ,,. ,' ' ...... .,...,■. In London a vaudeville agent ia about to be nKmad aa oo-rwipo«d«Bt' in a divorce suit to bo brought by a well known nuin-aboat-towa against his wife. Recently a bachelor brought a woman to spend the week-end wMd hlni and for companionship, the agent and another woman were InvMed. The agent's friend was a married woman and her husband has brought tba divorce suit. The husband has also subpoenaed the baohelor and his fair companion &a witnesses. The hard part of it is that the bachelor's companion h^ since married and doeent know now about the affair—but will when the case comas to, triaL fi=' Hotels Being Jammed By Re- pubKcans—Lucky Legit and Vaudeville Attractions An act back from playing Cana^ dian' time, says drinks are under resirictlons in Ottawa. The usual "under cover" system produces the libations. Some of the professionals played the Fontenac English and Dow ale for $1.75 a case, with 50 cents refund for the empties. The ca.ses were of quart bottles. State of Music Publishing Business Reason— Max Silver Managing The sad state of ths music busi- ness has caused a number of song writers to desert the profession en- tirely. Sidney B. Mitchell is selling clothes in Ben Rocke's Times square place; Sidney Claire Is in the shlrt- maklng business; Archie Qottler Is selling insurance. AH three are song writers. Maxwell Silver, one of the best- known business executives in the industry, last with Maurice Abra- hams, decided to step out of it re- cently, and Is now managing the Audubon, New York, for Fox. Others are sinking their capital In side lines. Billy Rose and Con Conrad are "In" on several produc- tions On the money end and not as authora In the basement of )the Beaux Art.i on 40th street a lloor show has been quietly running for two yeai-V, getting a steady play at $1 couvert nlglrtly and $1.50 Saturdays. It Is a small place, but shrewdly arranged for capacity. At present the show consists of the Versatile Se^ctet, Christine, "Woovl Sisters, Rosebuds (six girls a I.i Tiller troupes), and Jane Marr. Al Ltntz leads the orchestra and sin;^.'!. the rest of the boys doubling as they did in vaudeville in en- senilile faipging and entertaining. CLEVELAND OPPOSISH The Rendezvous has closed its door;i. "1 his-action w.-.s taken by the- management of its own voli- tlo;i. Ttip Gil Boag cabaret recently at- ir:iV-ir:T .attention when charges were r. filed onalnst it for violation'of the Vol.'i ead law. The Picadilly re- ni'liiH open. Babotte Busey, cx-vaude and now ho.stess in Al Raymo's cabaret »'l/i'-,eepvv;(;l» ViJiage, .pn;oy9fl th? (Continued on page ^l^iy,, >,. <, Circle (Print*) Playing "Namea" Against Keith's Cleveland, June S. Th^ Circle, managed by Martin Printz, Is offering a diversified class of "attractions" as opposition to Keith's 105th there. Prints ia understood to be spending from $1,500 to $2,000 for special drawing cards. One week Printz has a band and a picture star the next. Contracts were closed this week for Maurlne Powers, of "Notoriety" and the pic- ture as well to be the Circle attrac- tion June 15. I'aul Gray is handling the special work that will be done for Miss Powers In Cleveland while Archie Shppard wilt manage the film and the star. CleTeland, Juno S. The hotels are already Jammed by the advance guard of politicians, reportera telegraph operators and miscellaneoua human by-prodaeta of the Republican National con- vention. It opons Monday morning and Is expected to last until Friday dur- ing the cut-and-dried probability of a Coolidge nomination. The theatres will b» packed tke latter half of this week and all of next. The lucky attractions this week are: Keith's Palace, headed by Clark and McCullough and the University of California Olee Club: "Olrl Shy" at tha Stillman (which may be held over); "Mary" (stock) at Keith's lOBth; "So This Is Lon- don," at the Ohio, and Jack Nor- worth In "The Demi Virgin" at the Colonial, both also stock; "Blossom Time," In its seventh week and to be held next week at the Hanna Next week will see "Helen of Troy, N. T.," at the 105th Street and probably the Ohio and Colonial shows sticking, as no new ones are announced. David Butler in "The Arizona Express," Is the feature for the Hip for convention week, with vaudeville. Including Klass and Brilliant and Hap Haxsard. Keith's Palaco advertises "Gala Convention Week Show," with the Moeconla Sylvia Clark. BlUy Kent & Co., McCarthy Slaters, Power's Elepbanta BERLIN ON RADIO Two of the people who had engaged passage for abroad <u.d wars at Nellie Revelle's dinner at the Friars postponed sailing for that puriwae. They were George M. Cohan and Dr. Reginald Sayre. Dr. Sayre also delayed the rifle team, which he heads, for the Olympic games. Preparing for her own attendance at the dinner. Miss Revell for tw« days "broke In" a pair of shoes she Intended wearing, the first she had worn for five ycara Then, on the day of the dinner, Nellie put on for the first time another new pair of slippers she wore. The Friars' Dinner Committee received a communioation from a society of womer of which Edythe Totten is president. It wsm signed by ICtaS Totten, and aaid she did not understand why the Friars were obarvlnc $6 per plate fo'- women bA the Aator; she knew wh^e they would (ive % banquet to women at $3.50 top. Miss Totten didn't meation the nsoM of the cut rate place. The reported attempt of several independent vaudevtils tnteresUi to place the young mid-west girl (Miss Dennia) In ▼auderlUs ■sama to have flopped. Just when things we^e breaking right, the poUoo otapped in and upeet all calculatlona Secma the psychic and mind raadar, who oame to Broadway widely heralded aa the "greatest ever" and who Isndsd a lot of publicity, landed hi the toils when a client squawked to tha S. A.** (Continued on page 4B) BERYL MERCER AND OTHERS FOR VAUDE Contrary to Policy of His PublSah- ing Firm mCORPORATIONS Albany, .Time 3. Screen Press of America, Inc., New York; printers, pictures, ad- .veft^^pg; W.0P9l Gicprgfl «• Kernefr „ (Continu94 op, D^i^fe .33)1 , ;, , Irving Berlin will broadeaat per- sonally for the flrat time tonigh^ from Station WHN, the Loew radio .studio, at nine o'clock. A printed announcement sent out by Mils Granlund, atatlon master of cere- monies, says that the famous com- poser will sing "Whafll I Dor' and several othera of hia more receift ^omposltlona Music men herald the annoanoe- ment with Intereat. aa U Is a radical switch from the policy of the Ber- lin Arm. which sought recently to limit aa much aa poaalble the broad- casting of these iMurticular numbera Saul Bornsein (as recorded In "The Cll|H>er" some weeks ago) an- nounced that the "What'll I Dor* number in particular was to be pro- tected from "death" in the air. In this campaign of restrlcUq^ the Berlin forces were only partially successful, because although vocally It has been heard very seldom, al- most every band broadcasting from stations around New York played "Whafll I Do?" during their pro- gram. One reason for this was the number of requests received for the number. The booking of Berlin Is In line with WHN's recent policy of trying I felj jOVn^p ftvef t^fU,^»rov»l;» - studio, .,i<j.ii ;il.i.J. '< »()-, ^ William Shilling Directed Num- ber of Picture "Names"— F. Mayo and G. Glass Beryl Mercer, in a sketch, "A Night's Work," will give It a vau- deville teat at the Greenpolnt, Brooklyn, N. Y., June. 16. prior to playing the Keith New York time. Miss Mercer, formerly the star of "Queen Victoria," and more recently a member of the "Outward Bound" cast, wlU be assisted in her vaude- ville sketch by two persons. Frank Mayo, now on the coast flnishlng a picture contract, will ap- pear la the sketch In which he played before. Another booking of a film star Is the Taudeville opening of Gaston Qlaas June 2S In a sketch written by James Stanley Royce. It Is this same Rojrce who has also turned out a new act for Montague Love, another picture Idol. Love \i scheduled to start the variety work July 7 upon hla' re- turn from the Bahamas lalands, where he Is now engaged In mak- ing tit picture. ° Two other bookings are Flora Finch, June 23, and Lucille Laverne. Jans N. All of the picture people have been been placed by William Shilling. $10,000 ACT SHELVED "In Hawaii" Could Not Command , |1,100 Weekly Another act produced on spec for the "big time," and finding no takers at the salary figure asked, has been relegated to discard. The piece was a South Sea J.sle flash captioned "In Hawaii." 12 peo- ple and three .seta, produced by Ar- thur Emanuel at a reported cost of $10,000. It showed at several of tho independent houses. Bookers were IntercHted, but couldn't see It for the $i,lOO asked weekly. Bipanuel claims U m„\\c f^cpt'fS CHKAGD'S NEW dllB OPENED nr NUYTTENS Night Cabaret Without Coun- terpart Anywhere—Naughty but Nice and Artistic . v^,- Chlcago, June I. A nnique institution l» operating-:iii In Chloaeo, on a dark atde street '>' near the Drake Hotel, known as Club Ches Plerra It Is run by Pierre Nuyttens, a famoua etcher and painter, and la the outer portion of his studiio,.on the upper floor oA a big and gloomy warehousa The wholesale grocery above and below runs along all day. In the evening the freight entrances are converted with hangings, canopies, etc., and the plaoe taJtes on the air of a gala reeort. Elrnle Young Is running the show, staged by Nuyttens. It is the laat word In the risque and rococo, with one set of costumes that have never been exceeded for ingenloua nudity. The orchestra worka behind a scrim. The restaurant is huge and mag- nificently appointed, hung with originals by Nuyttens and replete with novelties, including a prome> nade that la a dream. The couvert chxu-ge la |1.50 nightly, except Saturday, $2.5<i, and Chez Pierre is drawing the top play of the town. The show worka after theatre only. ' ' In the cast are Burry and No#ajr, Margo Rofero and Paul Rahn. yt^'). ton and Mayo and a dosen beautN..' ful show girls, who, In a Pierrot and Spanish number and a living picture, go to extremes, though the lighting and artlatry of the staging keep the entertainment from being a shock. There is no place In New York, ond probably none in Paris, that can approach Ches Pierre for bo- hemlan, unique. Impressive attrac- tiveness. It seats 800, and seems set to clean up a fortune. ILL AND nriUBED J<auro Jesus of the musicians in the De Marco's dancing set, a native of Liuenos Aires, was taken to the Uellevue Hoapltat, New York, last Thursday, suffering from hemoT'* - rikages of the lungs. His condition is reported serious. Dick Fitzgerald is at the Neuro- logical Hospital, 67th street and ( (Continued on pa^,)^ ^<, ^oj