Variety (July 1924)

Wednesday. July 9. 1M4 EDITORIAL VARIETY ttwM MM* tMglMttn*. MB* mtnrmMM, TtmUmA SM W»«t *••* ""^ ""^ *"* **' juaa«< aUBSCRIOTlON: ,....»I i For»l«« »• VARIErr S OFFICES CabI* Vtfiaty. New Tork Variety, liondon HEW TOBK cm 1M West 4eth StrMt CHICAGO State-Lake Theatre BuiMlna LOS ABOELES Grauman'a Matrdpolitan Theatre Bultdinfl SAK nAKCISCO Claua Sprecklea Bkig- WASHIBGTOB. D, C. Evane Building. New York Ave. LOBBOa » 8*. MaHin'a PU Tr«fal«ar 8q. SEASIDE CHATS By NELLIE REVELL Chaltonte Hotel. Atiantk: Cltjr. "When is the coarse ot human eveata it become* neceaaarjr for one to live for four yeare in a hoapltal and to celebrate the nation's blrthdajr br looking at the ceiling or out of a window at the tanks on the tops of factories arid nearby buildings, and then, one Fourth of Julr one finds oneself at Atlantic Citjr, walking around in a nice c«rner room, looking at the ocean, or rolling In a chair out oa the Boardwalk, and later, drlTtag along in a nice, eaay-go4ng aatomobiie through miles o< trees, passing beautiful estates, made more beautiful bjr flowers and grasa—wouldn't you can that a grand and glorious Fourth of July? That was mtee. NEWSOFDAlffiS Justice Morschauser, In the Su- preme Court at White Ptains. N. Y., has granted alimony of ISO a week to Mrs. Dorothy Milliken McXab, of portchester, an actress, pending trial ot her action for divorce from Dunsmore McNab, actor. Cruel and Inhuman treatment Is the charge. The conviction and Sentence of WlUiAm H. Anderson, former State superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of New York, was unani- mously affirmed last week by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in New York city. Anderson Is In Sing Sing prl«on, having been convicted of forgen^r in the third degree. The New York police have been asked to be ott the lookout for the Jewelry stolen from Rosamund Pln- chot, of "The Miracle," Just prior to her salting on the Paris for Havre last Wednesday. The list of gems liaa not be'jn made public. Rosa- mund's handbag, containing money, the Jewelry and her steamship ticket, was taken. The French Line f^v her another ticket, and Rosa- mund sailed with her mother. City Magistrate H. Stanley Re- Baud, who has succeeded Magistrate Korman J. Marsh in the Traffic Court, New York city, announces he WIU flne violators of the speed law 11 a mile over the 31 mile-$31 mark. Becond offenders will be fined $50 and sentenced to two days In Jail. Vhird offenders will be fined $100, Ipse their Kcenses and go to Jail for Bre days. Marsh was taken out of the Traffic Court for his exceptional kourtesy to Abby Rockefeller, oaughter of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., On whom sentence was twice sus- t>ended for speeding. Izzy EJinsteln and Moe Smith, pro- hibition agents, returned last week to a storage warehouse in Yonkers, «■ Y.. which they raided six months *«<>. The place was locked, so they called the Yonkers firemen, who use acety ene torches and made an •f^nlnsr i-i the steel doors. The agents got 200 cases of liquor, val- Jjert at $75,000. Six months apo they »ot liquor said to be worth $50,000. George Graham Rice, who changed his name from Jacob Simon Herzig, wa convicted of grand larceny four gift's ago In General Sessions. New york city, and sentenced to serve three years In Sing Sing. The Ap- pellate Division in New York last weelt reversed this decl.sion and trantpd a new trial. Rice was Charged with appioprlatlnfr $721. to »• Invested by him In the stock orokerage business, to his own use. ««ce Is now said to be selling under another mme tips on tho races, cnarging $ioo weekly for the service. In addition to the 10 per cent 'oeatre admission tax on 50-cent ■««ts .Tnd less, the puWlc also has »ne acU-.-intaRe. now, of freedom ■worn paying the 5-cent tax on tele- J»»t>n and telephone messages co.tt- '"« 50 cents, nnd 10 cents on mes- ■ages of more than 50 cents. The !•*'"•"' "" candy, ridlns habits, yachts «'a motor boat.«i a1«o Is lifted, as '**'" as the stamp tax on drafts and notes. iN.'^r" '''*^'" '"*"«"■ t'^P Democratic Ijnationaioonventien got under way .^?roup of N*wTork women begun Spending George M. Cohan's birthday on t|;e Great Wooden Way waa a Joy that even my much boasted optimism hardly dared to anticipate. Mr. Cohan left Atlantic City, where he is stunmerins. to spend his birthday with bis mother. When here he dtvfdes honors with none save the oceaa as Atlantic City's greatest attraction, and his appearance on the Board- walk always brings such comments as—"Oh, there he !<*; "That's him"; "Look, there's George Cohan." Last week, as he passed a group of professionals, one remarked "When the good Lord looked America over and saw what a wonderful people we were, in order to show His appreciation of us He gave us George M. Cohan as a birthday gift." INSIDE STUFF OH VAUDEVILLE A cabaret booking agent, figuring on a dull summer, thought he'd beat It by developing pop price orchestra combinations composed for the most part of Individual musicians applying to his office for Jobbing work. He got several units started, but no Jobs. To keep them In readiness in case the ofHce should get a hurry call be has been compelled to grut*- stake the boys so they won't walk out on him. Three weeks of this has ra»de stxch inroads oa his reserve anaaces the agent is about ready to throw up the sponge. , While Nora Bayes was playing for two weeks at the 400 Club (cabaret) In Paris she collected her daily or nightly salary each evening before appeartnc. There Is another one of our "Georges" near here, too. George ("Be That As It May") Monroe, with a delightful, small estate at Somers Point, a short motor trip from here. Mr. and Mrs. Monroe keep open house for the profession, and frequently are hosts to corn- beef and cabbage soiree. Jim Thornton always stays all night, so that he.can get the hash for breakfast. Yes, and there are other Cohans here. Willie, but his Is spelled with an "e" instead of an "a,' (and any time It isn't, it's a typographical error). Willie has a s.)lendid home here, a nice automobile and is always busy making the visiting profession feel at home in the "World's Play- ground." Willie and Joe Vion drove me out to George Monroe's, where George informed m<) he was not in happy retirement, as I stated last week, but that he and James Ttiornton were planning a dout>le act with which they hoped to illuminate some production the coming season. An actor had an automobile stolen over here. He retained possession of it until he had a bright idea how to leave a car in the street without risk. His bright idea consisted of chaining sne wheel to a lamp-post. As automobiles gO; this was a good otte^ but it was of the kind that 1^ advertised to possess "interchangeable Wheels." When a tire bursts the driver has only to take tlie wheel off and put the spare wheel In Us place. Every auto crook knows It, too, so when the actor came to look for bis. car, all he found was the wheel be had chained to the lamp post. The first trip of the Trans-continental Air Mall Route brought me two letters. One from J. Kenneth Marceau, formed Keith treasurer, who is now in San Francisco, and the other from Johnnie Cantwell and Rtta Walker, at present In Chicago. The envelopes will be highly prised as souvenirs, for they are marked "This letter came on the flrtt through schedule involving night flying on trans-continental air mEtM route." Johnnie seems worried about my i)ermanent wave. He needn't—"there ain't no such place in Kentucky." The ocean has the only permanent wave I ever met. But, at that, a permanent wave is a great time saver. Be- fore I had my hair "permanented" I used to curl it at least once a day, but now I save all that time, liecause I know It won't stay in, anyhow. Dear Eddie:—Thanks for the bathing suit. It Is beautiful to look at, but you know how strict these beach-censors-are. Ulrlc Collins, who is company manager with "The Sable Coat," plays a detective in the last act of the new Brady drama. Making his stage ap- pearance between his manifold duties out front, Collins was given a hearty reception by attending agents and managers of the summer show colony here. All of the stories of the effect of the Democratic convention upon New • York business as far as benefits are concerned have been correct. The hotels, expected to te certain profit makers, since they do some bualneas. fTgure their net loss ab.$50,00a on the convention. The Hotel Men's Asso- ciation subscribed $15^,000 toward bringing the convention to the bic city. Of that amount they calculate they have not received over t^M,00* despite the long session. The length of the convention has been a con-' trlbuting cause toward the loss, since it held the usual transients out ot New York for a longer spell The theatres subscribed about $200,000 to the convention's New Tork fund. Theatres can't even estimate their loss. That the contribution is a total loss is not denied. With the radio holding its Uateners-in by. the hun- dreds of ^ousands. no transients In town called spenders and the late night meeting daily at the Garden, the theatres "went plenty." And hair dressers complabi the wives of the conventton crowd hava been no more liberal in tips than their husbands. One of the high lights of "The Sable Coat" performance is a stage f.ght between James C. Pall and Arthur Ludwlg, which, for downright realism and fast action, takes first honors. To cap the excitement. Pall throws a decanter half way across the stage ait Ludwlg, who, to save his (ace, quickly snatches up a tray, upon which' the glass missile, smashed dramatically. It Is doubtful, however, If Mr. Brady will permit the continuance of this dangerous bit. On Thursday, Ludwlg, in the excitement, did not hold the tray high enough and a piece of flying glass cut his forehead severely. The Steel Pier has unconsciously afforded a new recreation for the bathers. Any afternoon dozens of fair bathers may be seen under the pier dancing in the cool breezes to the -Jazz tunes from the band on the pier. The pavilion opposite the Apollo theatre is known to the visiting profes- sion as the "office," a'nd what 42d street and Broadway is to New York that pavilion is to the trouper. And, if one sits there long enough, he will meet every member of "Ink and Paint" who is in Atlantic City. We all congregate there, leave messages for each other, and it would be hard to show up any time of the night or day that there would not be some one there associated with the theatre In some capacity. The police have about the same time keeping that spot clear of actors as the ones at 42d street and Broadway do. Last week the sad sea waves were cheered by such luminaries as Fred Goldsmith, theatrical lawyer, and his wife; Ed Wynn, who left his father's sickbed In Philadelphia to run over here for a short time; Lew Fields; Leonard Bloomberg, manager for the Shuberts in Philadel- phia; Larry Shubert, manager of the Lyric; Harry Coote of "Irene" fame; Joseph Schrode, "Follies" stage manager; Gus Salzer, musical director; Mr. and Mrs. Phil Benedict; James B. Hughes of box office. Poll's Washington; Thomas Grady, Rochester managor; Bob Camp- bell, who now has a house at Schenectady, and his wife; Al Duchemin and wife; John Rogers, and no wife; Ernest Ely, manager; John Stout is here with the "Ten Commandments"; Charles Scott, manager of the Le-Xington, Ky., opera house, who is summering here with his wife and daughter; Charles Blake, Caldwell B. Caldwell; Lew Morris; Hairy Kvanson; Lew Talbot; Bert Bertrand; Joseph Howard, manager of the Bijou, Philadelphia; Lew Watson, manager of the Orpheum, Paterson; Mr. and Mrs. Christie Wayne; Al Raymond and son; F-ank Smith; Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Park; Mr. and Mrs. Will Cook, who pLiyed the Apollo concert Sunda. ; Dooley and Sales; Eva Tanguay. to Invite women delegates to the conventiori_iA accept the hospitality of their homes. This was done pri- marily to lift part of the financi.il burden caused by the prolonged .ses- sion. The movement was growing as last week came to an end. Many delegates were glad to leave their hotels. A letter writti-n by a ni.in from an army camp and leaving his $10,000 war Insur.inre to his si.Kter consti- tutes a valid will, according to a decision handed down la.-^t weeU by Surrogate O'Brien in New Yoik clt>. A brother contested. The Martha Washington Holol f4r women '!» t6 h!»»«» a rival. Hlinin have been filed In New York city for the Hotel Irwin for Women, at 308-312 Weet 30th street. cffiida Bergere, motion picture scenarist, sailed for France July 6, and after establishing a residence in Paris she will file suit for divorce from C;eoree I'ltzmaurice. film di- rector. Dr. Menjamln H. Vance, assTstant niedk-.ti exiimiiicr in .\ew York city, performed an autopsy on the body of Kstella Klynn. 26, acress, of Green- land. Mass.. who was found dead Saturday night in her apartmerit at g E.ast 30th street. Dr.,Vance said (Continued oh page, N) Since the death of Miss "Buster" Santas (Santos and Hayes) it was. reported that one of the main causes of her death wa* weakening her system by dieting. This has been denied by several of the deceased oooae- dlenne's friends. They say tlie direct cause was pneumoala. All efforts In the past year to make "smsUl time" vaudeville pay at tba Dyckman (West 207th street) New York have been futUe. About the only thing that has t>een a "draw" has been the' "country store nights." The house Is playing pictures (Independent) and will contbine to play tl^m. The* Keith Circuit Is ciosinc house whenever business Indicates a softening that will not hold it up during the summer. So far of the tisual list Syracuse, Rochester, Grand Rapids and Indianapolis have closed. Syracuse and Indianapolis In previous summers played pop vaudevilla instead of the seasonable Mg time bills. It becomes decidedly monotonous for reviewers of vaudevtlls showa> especially in small time houses, to watch young people who have; as * rule, but one stage asset, dancing (consisting for the moat part of routinea Identical with a thousand others, each one copying or copping steps), boring audiences with so-called comedy dialog. They either steal some big timers' gags (and Incidentally, through lack of unction, kill them) or they exchange a lot of meaningless and pointless patter, and with the greatest -self-satisfaction proceed to make the custooaers' lives miserable during the time they occupy the platform. Then the comedians go through their terpsichorean gyrations with the orchestra Jazzing it up for them and splitting the applause with the musicians they believe they have made a hit and so continue on their precarious ways. This class of young performers wonder why other acts get routes whUt they can not g jt consecutive bookings. i" '' The Newark, at Newark, N. J., owned by th« Adams Brothers, win change its straight picture policy Labor Day and open with vaudeville and pictures. The Adams brothers have desired to run vaudeville for some time, but they were blocked by a mortgage on the property, which contained a clause that pictures only could be given. This was Inserted la tha inter- est of Dr. Tunlson. who owns the neighboring Lyric. The mortgage did not expire until 1928, but the Adams took It up, and are now free from any inhibitions. . They have secured a 20-year contract for Pantages vaudeville. This will bring the Newark Into direct competition with Loew's State, bm the policy will be the same. ~" • The divorce of Joseph E. Howard and Ethelyn Clark recalls th« suicide of Irma Kllgallen, former Countess de Beaufort, heiress to coal millions. In an Omaha hotel about nine years ago. The countess, infatuated with Howard, followed him from Chicago to Omaha, where he was playing at the Orpheum. She found him secretly married to Miss Clark and took her Ufe by poison. Before that Howard had been married to Ida Emerson and Mabel Barrison and was reported married to Mabel McCane, though' there is no available record of that marriage or divorce. "Nothing to It" was the brief, emphatic reply that William F. Canavan, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage EUnployes and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States anPiganada, made to the reports emanating from the west to the effect that there was a possibility of .-. "break" between the Alliance and the American Federa- tion of Labor. The reports that have come first from Missouri, where some local trouble developed In St. Louis over the status of the maintenance men at tho Municipal theatre and then from Chicago, where the local stage hands' union has posted an order that starting July 12 all maintenance men would have to be hired by the stage hands' union, which was hinted as precipitating trouble between the Chicago stage hands and the electrical union workers. This, as President Canavan says, may be a matter of Jurisdiction which would be eventually settled through channels that are open for such con- troversies. President Canavan said he had heard nothing from ClUcngo about th ■ new order and that It was purely a local matter that the Chi- cago union might adjust to the satisfaction of all concerned, but that if it did reach the executive heads of the 1. A. T. S. E. that they In turn would carry It to the tiext convention of the A. F. of L., which will be held November in El Paso, Texas, whereupon its history would be presented to the convention, which in turn would turn it over to the committee on .idjustments. The style In vaudeville Jazz bands this coming season will tend toward the "sweet" and "hot" dance orchestras. The overplus ot bands In the Held has eliminated all the attractions that the symphonic "arrangements" in the dance orchestra once held forth for the vaudeville patron. The l^oko^sare no longer intercste'd fn t^e strfiigUt danc^e! orctvaotfa. "they demand rt ban'd With ndvclty or djonsfedy. the,\atter pi'eferreiit, ,,y,