Variety (July 1924)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, July 9, 1931 6REITBART CLEANED UP $25,000 IN INDEPENDENT VAUDEVILLE $10,000 Guarantee for Four Weeks at Grand St.— Perfecting New Tricks Abroad and Copyrighting Hi^n—Sailing Saturday Sigmund Breilbait, Iron man, de- layed hin proponed trip home for a week in order to play a five-day date at the Premier, Broolilyn, last week. Breitbart went in on a guar- antee ot $1,200 for three daye, and, according to the management, broke all records at the large house. Pull- ing capacity on the three-day en- gagement, he wiiB held over until »lday. Prior to the extension Breitbart had pledged himself to appear at a benefit out of town Saturday, re- fusing to remain over for the en- tire week. Breitbart has had conwiderable success playing dates in indepen- dent vaudeville since concluding his Keith engagements. Prior to play- ing the Premier date he appeared at the Grand Street, New York, for four weeks on a percentage basis, with $10,000 guaranteed for the en- gagement, and Is reported to have even bettered thr "u.Trnnteed money or the four weeks' run. Breitbart is sailing for Europe Saturday. While abroad he will perfect a number of new stunts, which he will have copyrighted be- fore showing and, as he cl.Tims, forestall any attempt to copy them, as has been done with his present act. From a reliable source it Is learned that Breitbart rolled up the nifty sum of $25,000 through play- ing Independent 'dates. ANOTHER ENGLISH REVUE OVER HERE IN FALL SIMONE'S JEANNE D'ARC AMONG PARIS' PUYS Bataille's Last WorR Another —Feature of Mogador Theatre Paris, Ju.ie 30. "Vn Drjime dans le Monde," by I'aul Bourget'^nd K. Caico. is to lie presented at the HenalMBance next ■eason after which Mme. Simone. V ho sails for New York, Oct. 4 to remain until Dec 10, will jiroducc "Jeanne d'Arc" by her husband- poet. Francois Porche at this house. "IVlanon, Fille Ualant," the lant work of the late Heniy B.itaille, will be given at the new Treatre de la Madeleine, now neaiing comple- tion, with Kaimu, Andre Brule and "Valentine Tessier. The future of the MogHdt>r is still unsettled, but Jac<nies Hebertot (who has control of the The.itre des Champs Elysees) will probably «li- rect its de«tiniefi for a time. Cora Lapareerle, in reliiniuishing the lease after her unsatisfactory trial here, reserved the right to run the Mog.idoi-. Edward Laurillard Bringing Over Show With Stanley Lupino and June London, July 8. In September Edward Laurillard will take over a revue company to New York. It will appear In a Broadway theatre selected, but un- named. Heading the company will be Stanley Lupino and June. The success of the "Chariot's Revue" in New York has induced the Laurillard venture, no doubt. Stanley Lupino is of the Lupino family of England, famed for danc- ing. June in an ingenue-soubret, now playing in "Toni" in London with Jack Buchanan starred in that show. June is a strong English fa- vorite, only on the stage about three years. She first appeared in Lon- don with Nelson Keys. Mr. Keys is now with "Chariot's Revue," where he succeeded Buchanan. ACaUIBE NOTTINGHAM HOUSE London. June 30. Moss Empires have taken over the Theatre Royal. Nottingham, which will be redecorated before openir.;: Aug. 4, with Owen Nares in "Dip- lomacy." The policy of the new manage- ment will be a series of West End successes. MOULIN ROUGE IN OCTOBEB Paris, June 30. Work has been resumed on the Moulin Kouge building, and accord- ing to assertions the new music hall will be opened in October. BILLY WALSH INJUBEB Chicago, July 8. Billy Walsl], blackface comedian and danier, slipped and fell in Walla Walla, Wash., when doing his, act, and injured himself internally. He was mai<ing the Ackerman Ai Harris tour. The acts on the liill with him undertook to move him from point to point and care for him but last advi(es was that his condition w.is so seriovis the plan would h.ive to be alianiloned. Legacy of ''Charley's Aunt" London, June 24. When Brandon - Tht mas wrote "Charley'B Aunt," he did not imagine he was laying a foundation stone for the high- brow drama. V^et that may prove to be the case before many years have passed. Hia farce continues to be performed without interrup- tion. Its profits are providing stepping-stones for the careers of the three younger Bran- don - Thomases. Amy, the eldest, has made several at- tempts to establish herself as an actress-manager, but lack- ing suitable playe has not suc- ceeded. Sylvia, the young- est, who is still in her teens, is training to be a ballerina. Jevon, the son, is the most enterprising of the three. After several promising be- ginnings as an actor, he has now decided to become a pro- ducer. The latest example of his work in tfcis kind is "The Kat." But, though he was content to have his name in the bills while the piece was touring, he decided that, though he was financially in- lere«ted in the production, he did not wish to have his name connected in town with a show that had little or no artistic merit. He is out to make his name in plays that will please the critics. He has set himself up as a producer with Hugh Gee, previously one of Basil Dean's scene-designers, as his part- ner. As "Red Knight Pro- ductions," they have taken of- fices in Wardour street and given an exhibition of model sets. Somj of the these are of scenes that have been used— in "The Lure," "The Rat" and "A Magdalen's HustKind"—so that the show has a practical air. A brilliant view of a Chinese garden has l)een bought from them for an im- minent revue. In addition, there is a series of simple yet imaginative settings for a fairy tale. What ■ strikes the observer emphatically is that the mod- els concerning plays already produced, are better as the artist de..iened them than as they appeared on the stage. This applies to a scene (Jee painted for Dean. COLORED REVUE IN BERLIN Some years ago the colored team of Charles Johnson and Dora Dean were well known in vaudeville, the duo working in (Jerman theatres for a long time. Johnson and Dean have reunited to head an outfit of colored enter- tainers, who are going to present a levue in Berlin. Music and lyrics for the revue are tjeing written by James Johnson and Eddie Oieen. The revue Is being staged by Leonard Hari>er. DEPORTING KITTY R/Iy English Performer Entered Coun- try Without Paying Head Tax Huffalo, July 8. Floiinie KIsie Bell, an English vaudeville artist known piofessiun- ally as Kitty Kay, is in the Ki ie county lodging house here without funds and awaiting deportation back to England. M.SH Hell came to tliis country on A|,ril ]. landing .'it New York. Thtre she was informed by inmii- giation authorities that no head lax would be i<'<iuire(l. inasmuch as she was a vaudeville performer. While playing her lirst engage- ment at Niagara Falls she was taken into custody by an ininiigrn- tion officer and held for deporta- tion because she had enteitd this country without paying a head tax. Without funds she was sent to the lodging house and has been compelled to •-emain there, owing to an epidemic of measles, which has held the Institution under quaran- tine. Her deportation Is expected momentarily. Meantime she ' has been entertaining the inmates of the lodging house. SIR GEO. TALUS BUYS AUSTRAUAN nVOLI CIRCUIT FOR WILLIAMSON Just Started With Big Time Vaudeville by Harry Musgrove—Sir George Sailing From Sydney Today on "Ventura" •♦ _—. SMALL TME AaORS-WAIURS AT MOUNTAIN-SHORE RES0R1S Over 200 Placed—Outlook for Dull Vaudeville iq Hot Spell Decides Performer*—Forty DoUari, Board and Throw-Money Monthly 1 CUFF NAZARRO LEFT 3 GIRLS OF AQ STRANDED Complained to Managers' As- sociation—Hotel Also Complains After playing an engagement rt the Strand, Louisville, a Pan house, three girls of the Cliff Nasarro act were stranded when .Vazarro left them without paying off. The girls received )140 from the hou^e to be distributed among eight. It left them without transportation after they had settled their board bills. The manager of Keith's, Louis- ville, was appealed to and advanced the necesaary fimds to enable the trio to return to New York. The girls have filed a complaint against Nazarro and a producer as- sociated with him with the Vaude- ville Managers' Protective Associa- tion. That body also han received a complaint against Nazairo from the Hotel Rochester, claiming a bill due from him. The Niriarro act had just com- pleted several weeks of the Pantnges tour when the wnlk-out of Nacarro occurred. ELLIS' NEW HOUSE Partnershi|) Players Entering Sub- urban Theatre London, June 30. Anthony KIlis, high mogul of the Partnership Players, announces he has secured a theatre where they are to co-operate. This 'is a sub- urban house named the (Jrand at Fulham, a distance of four miles from the center of things. Lately the house has been used as a cine- ma, though before that it was de- voted to touring companies. The opening production will proh* ably be Arnold Bennett's "Don Juan," and Ellis afterwards threat- ens to revive ' Liliom,' which was a dire failure when he previously did it as "The Daisy." The company is made up of ac- tors who have invested at least t2,000 each. The constitution of the Partnership Players allows for the calling in of other actors for the filling of particular characters. Syndey, July 8. Sir fienrge Tallis has purchased the Tivoli Ciiouit, mntn lied by M.irry Musgrove, (leoige iJickinson and S«'l Cieiri. lOac li held one-third ,in<l pooled t»i sell, to (<'mpicmise a law suit tiroiiglit l)y Tallis against Musgrdve for t)reai h of sale of the same circint luevioiisly. Sir (leoigo s^nls from here tfanor- row on the 'Sentuia." He is the h« ad of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., the theatriial legit inuite firm with in- terests nil over Aii-lrHlia. The Tiviili Circuit of Australia conii-riscs houses in .'Sydney, Mel- bourne, Prisbane and Adeljiide, with (cookings extending to theatres in New Zealand for the big time vaudeville bills it has started play- ing. Tilt circuit has as its only op- position the rmall time Fuller cir- cuit in the same ( ilies. H.'iriy Musgrove is the grandson of the late (ieoige Musgrove, the Australian theatre manager. Harry Musgrove, with Ceorge Dickinson, a mining man (who came in as an investor), and Sol flreen, the lead- ing bookmaker of the countiy, pur- (■h.ise<I the Tivoli Circuit from Hugh .Macintosh sonic years ago. Macin- tosh bad been playing big time. With I he war the Tivolis under Musgrove tiuik to the levue entertainment and weie lately announred iiy the Mus- (.love group for a big time vaude- ville revival. Representatives of the Musgrove tiianagement have been in New York and London within recent (Continued on pnge 33) MISTAKEN IMPRESSION OVER GEMe'S VISIT FRENCH CYCLIST INJUEED Paris, July 8. Abbins, French cyclist, was dan- gerously injuied wiiile performing a motorcycle looping feat at Barc«- lona, Spain. Not U. S. Government Guest— Mrs. Hackett Takes Rights to Savoir's Farce Paris, June 30. The Odeon, closing July 18, Is all agog, the actors having the false impression theit director, F. Ge- mier, is to visit the United State." as the guest of the American gov- ernment, and they arc all anxious to join. This seems to be the idea that prevails in Paris concerning the James K. Hackett invitation for part of the Odeon troupe to play a six weeks' series of perform- ances in America, commencing early in September (Jemier realizes it is not an offi- cial invit.'ition, but he is going to New York under the patronage of Inlluential people there For an official visit Firmin Gcmier is probably not the reptesentatlve French actor who would have been chosen. Mrs. James K. Hackett, formerly Beatrice Mary Beckley, states she has secured the American rights for her husband of Savoir's comedy, "La Grande Duohesee et ie c&rcon d'etage," now running at the little Theatre de I'Avenue (ex-lmperlal). Small time &ctoii> ure hiring egt as waiter-enteitalners ut moua> tain and shore resorts to esi^ape tk« heated pavements and little work around New York during the warm spell. This, summer seems doomed to be the dullest In a vaudeville way in years. An employment agency (noif theatrical) In the Times squaie sec- tion has concentrated u|H>n thit business for the out of town i«. sorts and are finding plenty anxioui to accept the employment. The compensation ranges from $30 t« $40 a month with board, althoi^h the entertainers can run it up to about $50 a week through throw- money and tips. Performers hiring out on thli basis are doing so under assumed n.imes. They figure it a break for summer, since they only work a few hours in the evening, enjoying the day time as a vacation and saviof money. The agency handling these en> tertniners claims to have placed 2M so far this Reason and has a long waiting list of others available for summer jobs as soon as positions can be secured. LIMITED STAGE ROOM Balaban A Katz'a Chicago Theatre Crowded Up by Midgets Chicago, July J. There had to be cuts in the act of Irvlng's Imperial Midgets at the Balaban & Kata Chicago the.itre (the largest In the city) this week on account of insulBcient stage room. A stairway at the rear made it im- possible for a ring, and aerial act to work without knocking another art- ist off a wire and there had to be a choice made between the ring and aerial number. BRANDON Wni RESUME HIS OWN PRODUCTIONS Leavnig S. A. Trust After 10 Years—Dickens' Revival Mediocre—Notes ;i London, June M. ' Harry G. Brandon, for over II years the dramatic head of the South African Theatres Trust, t» serving his connection with tb* firm and returning to managemeat and producing on his own. Hll first production will be the play "The Haunted House," by OwM Davis, which he will produce at Brighton under the title "An Inter- rupted Honeymoon,"" with Sidney Pease and Frank Strickland In th» leading male roles. Brandon was for many yeans • (Continued on page 32) TOWN BEGS~FORGIVENESS Called Soulless, Asks Theatrical Manager for Another Chance I>ondon, June SO. Although announcements ha** been made to the contrary It is rtOI doubtful whether the BirminphaB Repertory Theatre will reopen. TW closure occurred some months ag» after Barry Jackson had denounce* Birmingham as a city without • soul. He shook the dust of tb« place from his feet and migrate* with his company to T^ondon wher* he is now running the Court an» the Regent. Meetings were held in Pirminf- ham and a resolution passed IB* ploring Jackson to forgive and roHi* back. For a time he was .idamant but eventually agreed to do so I* the city would guarantee him aoe* quate support and a certain sum W money weekly. Other meetings of the citizens ae- cepted his terms with acclamatie* but up to now the actual giiarant««« have not been forthcoming. On arriving in Ixmdon Jnckeo* got much publicity from a story n< was a millionaire prepared to '•>* thousands yearly for art's sake.