Variety (July 1924)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, July 9, 1924 -•ff SMAU UNE SEASON'S ROUTES HELD FOR NEW FACES AND ACTS FRANK SHUBERT ARRESTED Actor, Chargtd With Extortion. Had Fake OfRcor** Badga. Bookers in Second Division Following Big Turns— Obliges Acts to Hang Around Offices Instead of Vacationing—Agents' Signatures Not Accepted Small time circuits are follow- ing the lead of the big time in so fur as the holding off of routing acts for next season is concerned. t^mall time bookers justify their hesitancy to clutter up their bool<s with material at hand as a pro- tective measure against a possible booking jam when the new season begins. The bookers say much new ma- terial will be displayed during the summer months and they art hold- ing oft to give the newcomers a chance with the idea of signing as many new faces over their routes as possible. The action of the bookers has not been enthusiastically received by the small time standard acts. In previous seasons they have gen- erally left town at this time with their contracts for next season in their trunks. This year they have been compelled to remain near at hand in order to be on the ground in case the booking office should want to sign them. Several tried to remove the con- dition by vesting power of attorney with their agents until they were told that the booking offices would not accept anything other than their uigpatures on the contracts. REHEARSING ON WIFE Judge Tell* Colored Performer to Cut It Out Washington, July 8. The colored vaude team or Win- field and Winfield made their last local and joint app.;arance here in the police court. Recently closing at one of the colored theatres, Ras- tus Winlield was arraigned on a charge of having assaulted his wife, Matilda. Mrs. Winfield changed her mind, however, after getting in court and stated that she hit her liusband first. She charged that her husband destroyed her stage costumes with a pair of scissors. He denied this. The male member of the team was cautionel by the judge against rehearsing any portions of the act on his wife. KEITH ADDS GLENS FALLS Glens Falls, N. Y., July 8. The opening wedge of Keith vaudeville in this city was driven when Will Higgie's Balahiika orches- tra played the Ilialto. The theatre has always had a straight picture policy but when it was taken over this spring by a group of five men connected with the i\ew York office of the Keith circuit, announcement was made that vaudeville would probably be presented in the fall. Later the Keith people decided to start booking acts for the Rialto during the summer months. The booking of Keith acts at the Rialto means the Empire is no long- er to have a monooly of the local vaudeville field. The latter is owned by Ollie H. Stacey, who with John Coutts operates the Knicker- backer Vaudeville Agency. NELLIE REVELL AT CLARIDGE After thoroughly blisttring the , rubber tires on her wheel chair at I Atlantic City, Nellie Revell returns to New York today (Wednesday) and to the Hotel Claridge. Mif^s Revell left the Hotel Sonier- aet for the seasi'Je, to escape the continuous performance in the blasting and building of the new office edifice on 46tli street, back of the .Somen»et. Drillin'g on the building commences at 7 a. m., and runs into overtime; it ;ilso ran onto Nellie's nerves. CRAFTS AND HALEY PARTING Crafts and Haley have signecl in- dividual contracts with the Shu- berts and will enter a production next seacon, dissolving their vaude- ville partnership. Williams and Van Nessi separated last season under similar circiim- ■tancee, the Shuiierts le.iturlng the latter and dissolving the team througli giving Misa Willianiv u minor role. RESORTS' SMALL TIMERS OPERATING AT LOSS Turning From Vaudeville to Pictures—Late Summer Discouraging A number of small timers oper- ating in resort towns, have at- tempted to keep in vaudeville for the summer, figuring on a play from vacationists. They are about ready to throw up the sponge after several losing weeks. So..11. of the theatre owners were In New York this week trying to influence their booking agents for a release from contracts made earlier In the season. Despite at- tendant loss of revenue In dull summer, many of the agents ha»e agreed upon the release to retain the bookings for autumn. Other managers have been talked into continuing with the argument that the summer is young and that resorts will get their real business during the next two months. The wise ones, howeve-, are drop- ping the vaude bills and operating with pictures. Eight houses are reported dis- continuing the variety bills after this week with as many more to stop in the next fortnight unless business improve-'. The closing decision will affect a number of acts that had been set for this summer work. FARRS AWAY FOR YEAR Albert and Pauline Stuck Up Oil Stations Cincinnati, July 8. A surprise was created here sev- eral days ago when a woman de- clared she was the deserted wife of Albert Farr, 25, of Chicago, a cabaret singer, who was sentenced to serve one year in the Ohio peni- tentiary for sticking up a number cf ('incinnatl oil stations. The woman said the prisoner's name is Albert Valentine. He was arrested with Pauline Farr, 22, who claimed to be his wife, and who, likewise, was sentenced to a year's vacation at the same all-year- round resort, for holding up a Greek confectioner. AUTO SONGS CLASH Chicago, July 8. Jack .St.inley wrote one song called "Ann and Her Little Sedan" for Shaiiiro-Bernsteln, and another called "Ray and His Little Chevro- let" for Milton Well & Co. While the words, rhythm and mel- ody are different, Shapiro-Bernstein feel the Weil song is a "colorable imitation" and threaten to bring suit. ANNETTE KELLERKAN SUED Los Angeles, July 8. Annette Kellerman and her hus- band, James R. Sullivan, are de- fendants in a suit for $3,000 asserted to be due V. Talbot Henderson and his wife. The plaintiffs allege they performed services for the defend- ants fsom March 15, 1921, to Jan. ], 1923, of a total value of $4,400, and that the sum being sued for was still due on this amount. CLARA MORTON'S DECREE Detroit, July 8. Cl.ira Morton-.Sheen, of the Four Mortons, has been granted a divorce from her attorney husband. Cru- elty and non-supi)ort were charged. An arrangement satisfactory to both lias been reached with regard to the custody of the three chil- dren. PEARL REGAY HARRIED? Atlantic City, July 8. The frequenr. with which Pearl Regay and Fred Rcrnard are seen together have led to the report they are married. Bernard will neither deny nor affirm it. Miss Hegiiy is at the Palais Hoval; Ueriuud Is of BernArtl and (!;ny. Frank Shubert, 35, actor, was ar- raigned before Magistrate Ober- wager in the West Side Court Fri- day, charged with extortion and held In $1,000 bull for the grand jury. Detective Maney and Flood, of the AVest 47th street station, found Shubert in the grasp of George Tay- lor, of 113 West 46th street and Taylor was yelling for the police. Taylor explained that he is a shoe merchant. He said Shubert visited his store two weeks ago and ex- torted $18 from him. He said the fellow "flashed" a special officer's shield and threatened to arrest him for violating the Volstead Law. Taylor paid the $18, and Shubert said he'd be back for more. Then Taylor gave Shubert a check for $200 and stopped payment on it. On Thursday Shubert came back and wanted to know why the check had been stopped. Taylor said he would go to the bank and have the check O. K'd. At Broadway Taylor yelled for the cops. "That was a poor act you staged," said Magistrate Oberwager, to Shu- bert, in holding him. ORPHEUlVrS SEASON OPENING EARLY; HEADUNERS BOOKED Denver Starts July 26, Winnipeg Aug. 4—Some Acts Opened in Summer and Will Continue Over Full Circuit's Route NEWARK'S BLD& CODE SLATED FOR ADOPTION Stringent Provisions Made for New Theatres VAUDE, NOT STOCK, MANAGER TELLS BOOKER Don't Want Repeats on Small Time Within 2 Years— "Stand-in Acts" Some of the Independent small timers have queer ideas as to acts repeating In their houses. Most have issued an edict to their agents that hereafter none will play a re- peater within two years of each date, regardless of names or drain- ing power. Too much repeating by acts hav- ing "a stand-in" with bookers is said to have precipitated this ulti- matum. One manager wired his booker this week making a squawk agalnet a repeater that had played the bouse six months before. He tagged the squawk with the remark that he was operating a vaudeville theatre and not a stock company. NEWS OF DEATH WITHHELD Peggy Connors, wife of Ekidie Landau, vaudeville, who was drowned at Lake Hopatcong two weeks ago, has recovered from her recent operation and will leave this week for Bennington, Vt., to spend the summer with her parents. Mrs. Landau was passing the crisis when death claimed her hus- band. She was not Informed of his death until this week. She and her husband had ap- peared together in vaudeville for the past five years under the team name of L,andau and Connors. Newark, N. J., July 8. Newark's new building code, evi- dently slated for adoption next week, contains some stringent pro- visions for the erection of thea- tres. Among them are the following: Seating capacity above the or- chestra floor shall not be over 35 per cent of the total. The capac.ty of the foyers, lob- bies, and rooms, not including aisles or toilet rooms shall be sufficient to accommodate all the persons that can be seated on the given floor. This would, of course, spoil the present day gallery arrange- ment. Aisles must be three feet wide to start and widen towards the ex- its at the ratio of IH to 5 run- ning feet. During the performance the doors and gbtes of the corridors shall be kept open. It ia the universal cus- tom in Newark to close them. Actors' dressing rooms can not be built under the auditorium, over the stage, or In the fly galleries, but must be placed in a separate section. Entrances from them to the stage must be provided with self-closing, fireproof doors. The whole of the dressing room sec- tion must be built of fireproof ma- terial, each must be ventilated by a window that must be kept un- locked and the dressing rooms must have an independent entrance to the street. Seats must be not less than 30 inches from back to back and there shall not be more than 13 seats from aisle to aisle nor more than C seats from aisle to wall. A sprinkler system must be pro- vided under the stage, in the dress- ing rooms, prop rooms, etc., and over the stage so that every square foot is protected. A metal skylight comprising in area H the area of the stage must be built over the stage, which must open instantly upon the melting of a fusible link or hempen cord. THE DU FONTS America's Representative Jugglers With a new act (material registered and fully protected) THIS WEEK (JULY 7), B. F. KEITH'S, PHILADELPHIA (Fourth r«turn «nKae;ement) Olrectioni MORRIS A FEIL The Orpheum Circuit will open earlier than usual, starting with Denver July 26; Winnipeg, Aug. i and then the Northwest in succes- sion. The circuit has almost set enough headliners for the entire season, but has spots for the body, of-the-bill acts yet to be booked. A list of headliners, some of whom opened during the summer and will continue on the entire Orpheum tour, with the balance scheduled to open next season, are: Isham Jones Orchestra, Wee Georgie Wood, Jane Green, Alice Brady. Bert and Betty Wheeler, Richard Keen, Jean Granese, Corbett and Norton, Harry Carrol Revue, John Steele. Phil Baker, £nrlco Rastelll, Blossom Seeley, Kerr and Weston, Lou Holtz, Irving and Moore, Gus Ed- wards' Revue, Elsie Janis, Ibach's Entertainers, "Antique Shop," Ju- lius Tannen, Cook and Zardo, Roo- ney & Bent, Teddy Claire and Band, Doc Baker Revue, "S. S. Flo- tilla" Orchestra, Hughie Clark and Band, Craig -Campbell, Harry HoU man, Al Tucker's Society Orches* tra and La Bernecla. HUGH WARD ARRIVES Building Twin Houses in Sydney^-4 Bound for Paris San Francisco, July 8. Hugh J. Ward, en route to Paria from Australia, arrived here on th* "Sonoma," accompanied by William Stuart, a-Sydney architect. He Is' on his way to Paris to look ovei: bookings for his new houses. W. rd said he is building a new structure in Sydney to house two theatres, one a theatre seating 1,800, the other a roof garden with 1,600 capacity. He (s also building a de« part-nent store next to the theatr* property. The Sydney venture represents upward of $5,000,000, and the thea^ tre will be called the St. James. VAUDE IN DANCE HALL The New Arcadia Will Play Four Acts The Arcadia dance hall. In th« new building at the southeast cor^ ner of Broadway and C3rd street^ scheduled to open in August or Sep* tember, will play four acts of vaude^ ville for a full week, each week, In addition to its other attractions. Another Innovation for a danc* place Is a restaurant adjunct In th* building, which will cater to tb* better class of dance patrons. If will be operated on the plan of * supper club at popular prices. HOWABS ASH CLABE DIVOBCB The divorce granted last week la Cleveland to Ethelynn Clark from Joe Howard did not come as a sur' prise to vaudevilUans. Howard and Clark appeared iB a two-act revue. Mabel McCane cancelled her single at the request of Howard to join the revue when trouble arose and Mabel did not enter the revue. It was said at that time that Miss Clark had filed ob- jections. Miss McCane said right out that she had been treated shab- bily. Mrs. Howard said she objected to the publicity given her "out" moi remained. Joe's attentions to another woman (not Miss McCane) caused th* break. Leases Ogdensburg House Cortland, N. Y., July 8. ^James S. Burnham, who owned two theatres here, has leased the City Opera House at Ogdenburg, N. Y. The lease is for two years and the yearly rental is $6,000. Burnham has announced he will open the theatre Aug 18 with a picture, vaudeville and road ehow policy. DOHA MAU6HAN HARBIES San Francisco, July 8. Do^a Isabelle Maughan, of Hol- lls, L. I., Orpheum heatiliner, and Walter P. Fehl, member of Henry Santry's banff, were married here last week .by a justice of the peace. Mayor James Rolph left his office upstairs to «tve the l>ride awav.