Variety (September 1924)

. Wednesday, September J, 1M4 EPITORIAL ^^ VARIETY 7\KIETY J IMi KUk Regl*"** | »«*■■■■■ WMUr by VaJBIETT. be. ■tins niTsrauD. FrsstdCBt If I West etth atiee* Haw Tork Cits fc JACK LAIT and VARIETY • ■UBSCBIUTION: ....-••-It I Forelsn. c*»us .*\.. <• u own yoi. LXXVL No. S I SPORTS "Nick the Grs*k" Barred Nick Dandolas, known Interna- tionally as Nick the Greek, can- not enter the gates of any of the Pacific Coast League ball parks in the future. As a matter of fact. President.Harry A. Williams, of the league, says he will ask all organ- ised baseball leagues In the country to keep him out of their parks. The ousting of Nick came about when the League declared It was going to drive gamblers out of all its parks, especially the one at Los Angeles, where a horde of gamblers would congregate every day. Pri- vate detectives found Nick and a friend. Walter Boyle, they claim, doing something In the betting line. They quickly invited the men to leave the grandstand and took them to the club off lees, where they were told that they would have to keep out of the parks on the Coast. . Nick told them that he was gambling on th« square. That, so tar this season he had lost $100,000 on the ball games here, and that Was enough for him. and he would leave shortly for the , east.. The New York dallies recently commented upon the gambling throughout t'.ie Coast League ball parks. Jack Lalt is managing editor of the New York "American ~ Prom Variety to that! It's a laugh. * ' And yet, and before, it .was a laugh when Jack Lalt soma years ago first became associated with Variety and assumed charge of its Chicago office. For the first six months Lalt was in charge of Variety's Chicago office he divided his salary for that position among the boys of the office without anyone in New York being aware of it. In Chicago and in New York, when It became known Lalt was on Variety, everyone said Lalt must have gone crasy. Everyone believed it, Including the staff of Variety. Lalt was the only one to contradict the report. He did not give full time to Variety, nor has he given full time to Variety since In New York, coming to the latter city under contract to William it. Hearst as mentioned in a news story in this Issue reporting Lalt* personal selection by William R. Hearst as man- aging editor of the ''American." Lalt. with a staJT^of his owr. for the syndicated Sunday magaslne he has been getting out, would come into Variety's office to write his stuff and have to locate an Idle typewriter. He might receive ait, assignment to catch a "Music Box Revue" premiere or Loew's American Roof. Or sit through a vaudeville show at Moss' Broadway on a hot night when he could have.been driving his car In much cooler places. It's an analogous, or was, situation without precedent In any profession or business. Jack Pulaski came on Variety's New York staff some years ago, after having been the paper's correspondent In Atlantic City. Pfllask! was sent to Chicago, in charge of the office there, some few. months after. In Chi- cago Pulaski, by himself, developed rapidly and- was recalled- to New York, but Instructed before leaving to place a successor. New York Bike Mad New York has gone bike race mad With the sport, as conducted three bights weekly at the "New York Velodrome drawing *he fans' In large lumbers. The crowds raage from 10.000 to 18.000 with race nights Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. TKe Friday, night WO-kllometer X*VA miles) team races, point sys- tem scoring, are the most popular. Tuesday night a mixed card of ama- teurs and professional bike and motor pace followers comprise the tard with similar cards Sunday. A large percentage of the fans are' Italian, which, however, doesn't ex- cuse the press stuff sent out to the Bailies about Plant, who Is Just a C»lr sprinter and hopeless in tho- longer team races, where he is usually "wished"- on Alf Ooulet, Strictly for the gate. Ooulet Is the greatest all around performer in the game, but finds it next to Impossible to) win with Planl Just going for the rifle. ■Harris Horder, a young Austra- lian, ha*.a fine burst of speed and fconslderabie endurance. He is a Mean-cut kid and a great favorite Iwflth the lady fans, who attend In Jgreat numbers. [Willie Feen, amateur 1923 champ, wyio Just turned professional, is an- other favorite, as is Pete Moskoeps. wjorid's sprint champion, who has wW nine straight matches against some of our cracks, although he hasn't met Arthur Spencer or Cecil Walker to date. •*''' $100 Reported for Firpo Harmanus Bleeker Hall, Albany, N.' Y., playing Columbia burlesque, had Luis AngAl Firpo as a spe- cial' guest for the Thursday night performance last week, and doing s toVhaway business that night. . it was reported around Albany that the fighter received $100 for. his appearance on the stsge. If this is true, it is in marked contrast to Jack Dempsey, who appeared at several public affairs while he was training at Saratoga Lake, a year ago, for the same and never charged one cent. In fact, the heavyweight champion always was glad to help out, especially a charity affair. I.. i Moving Earl Sande Earl Sande, premier Jockey of this country, badly Injured several weeks ago as a result of a spill at Saratoga, was reported Monday to have left the hospital at 8a rate, i to be transferred to Roosevelt Hos- pital In New York. Late yesterday afternoon Inquiries at Roosevelt brought forth the reply that Sande whs expected at the hospital but h.vrts't arrived: 'Whether" Sande is to be trans- ferred by, au\o or ,r^ll it fion\A not bo Teamed. Dr. tyijftej), tfpfi, ft .ft " Pulaski wired he thought he could get-Jack Lalt to take the office, and the wire went back not to let Jack Lalt kid him. Then Jack Lalt sent word he wasn't kidding, Daily thereafter for a couple of years another wire was expected from Lait that he was through, having had all of the fun he wanted out of the Job! But that wire never came. RIGHT OFF THE CHEST By NELLIE REVELL - Hotel Clarldge, New Yolk. The first year! Next Saturday it will have been juvt that long ago since I wa.> reborn into the world, left the hospital and came back to my own again. It has been a busy, eventful and most always happy year, but as Frank Craven says of married life in his play, the first year of conval- escence Is the hardest. But I would not trade it. with Its multitude of Joys, thrills and oven its few heartaches and dlsllluslonments for any other year'In my life. It has been a fitting sequel to the great adventure of my four years in the hospital, and in It I think I have learned more of the quirks of human nature than. I did In the four preceding years. I have learned that there are more sore toes outside of the hospital than In them. I have learned the difference between friendship and charity. I have learned that many of the people who stand at the foot of our beds and tell us to use our minds to help us get well, call tour doctors when they get a pain. I have learned that the number of people who are sick and don't know It exoeeds those who aren't sick and think they are. I have learned that It Is so much easier to give advice than take It. I have learned that one good understanding friend like Mrs. Clarence Willetts or Mrs. Clarence Jacobson was worth all of the nurses I. had the whole year. " I have learned that my real fight for health and a place In the world has just begun. I have learned that this Is a dandy old world to live in and that my job is to make myself fit to live in it. And when the Hearst contract was submitted to Lait for a post in New York that was so important and lucrative he moved his family and self from his net town, Chicago, to accept it. Jack Lait insisted upon and pro- cured a clause in the Hearst contract that his exclusive services to the Hearst syndicate did not include Variety. ' ■ It wasn't Lait's aim, as is the aim of so many who prefer working on a theatrical paper, to grow familiar with theatricals through that connec- tion, for Lalt, long before; he was a Variety: man, had written a Chicago-record run hit in "Help Wanted." It must have been something else. Maybe sentiment, maybe the work, maybe the paper, but whatever the maybe was. Jack Lait and Variety would make Just as good a story as Jack Lait, the author, and among the leading short story writers of all times, ever has written. Aa a writer. Jack Lalt is gifted—he has a gift, a gift not given to one writer in one million. He can write by impulse or force, and does write by instinct. As a grammarian without. a blemtah. Jack Lalt may not stand alone, but as that and without ever having had a day's real schooling, he does stand alone. Critically reviewing as he has been doing on Variety, is not new to Lalt. He had done that in Chicago, as he bad done sports or any other special story, he was called upon to do. Jack La it's story on the Franks murder, in Chicago, sent through Unlversar-News Service, was admittedly the best story sent .out when that case was uncovered. Lait always has been a star at anything he tried. On Variety his reviews, whether of the legit or vaudeville, were never questioned. His knowledge was expert and his expression magnificent. Variety, with its stuttering typists, accused of and acknowledging that they are Just make-believes, had a star in Jack Lait. But it is true that Jack Lait steps from a Job without a desk on Variety to the managing editorship of-the New York; "American." ——. ■♦ 6h» boy!- ' And he can come back anytime he wants to while there ts a Variety and again to find that idle typewriter. And we'll say that William R. Hearst is some picker. And just one thing more. Someone recently and Jocularly said it seems as if all the self-made men, to be self-made, must sell newspapers when a boy. Jack Lalt sold newspapers when a boy, he peddled them as a kid, when .he shoul 1 have been in school and in bed, and on the Bast Side of New York—a boy like many others, driven and dragged up, working and getting up. until he Is now on a plane with the brainiest, big-minded great writers and newspaper men of America. R's a double honor and ' distinction. Jack Lait deserves both. chief visiting surgeons at r.oose- velt. has been attending Sande. The reason given for the transfer, it was learned is that Harry Sinclair is about fo leave Saratoga and Dr. Russell has made many journeys to Saratoga to attend the famous jockey. • The bringing of Sande here will make it more convenient for the surgeon. The Slnclalrs will stop In this city to be near the noted rider. Doctors at Roosevelt said that Dr. Russell was favorably Im- pressed with the progress being made by Sande. He was expected to arrive some time last evening (Tuesday) Dempsey's Seek Indications are that Jack Demp- sey will engage in no major match this year, although there is a chance of smoking up a match for him with the winner of the Wllls-Flrpo fight before the weather chills, but those who know him well say the champ takes splendid care of himself and the long lay-off will not be injuri- ous. Even when h'e was appearing as a vaudeville attraction out West a year ago. Jack appeared to-be at his best. He eats sparingly for a man of his type and abstains from tobacco and' hoor.e. Dempsey'k ability to hit is'a won- der to the world beit no seeret to in- ; i slders. When he was doins; bis number of stand-up fighters. He always maintained his style of box- ing the light men and immediately socking the Mg fellows. On one occasion' a colored' scrapper, Jack Taylor, came In crouching. The champ reached out his left, snapped it on Taylor's head, and the colored boy dropped to his hands and knees Later Taylor said to Jack Kearns. 'Hot damn. Mr. Jack (Dempsey) sure can sock. I thought one of your, men drapped a sand bag on me from the flies." Come On, Brooklyn! The tightening up in the pennant races of both the American and Na- tional leagues is crowding other sports in Interest. No better indica- tion can be had than the support of New York baseball bugs of the Brooklyn team last week, when the Robins nicked the Giants several games In succession and approached within reaching distance of the Na- tional league leadership. Attendance at Ebbets Field was 25,000 both Friday and Saturday, virtually capacity in the Brooklyn plant. The demand for tickets in the agencies Saturday was bigger for the' Brooklyn-Giants contest staged over the bridge thar for the Yankees-Washington contest at the Stadium. That was a surprise since the Senators had pushed the ik-aWs dutofArst iiafceVV' ^\y\ Looking back, I can hardly realise how rapid and how marked has been my Improvement. It ts true that I am not as yet entirely hitting on all Six, but a list of the things I can' now do th&t I could not do a year ago proves that the year has not been wasted. The pain has almost disappeared. • I can sit up nearly all day long. Walking is getting to be a habit for me Instead of an experience. I have given away my wheel chair. A cane Is my only support. The medicines I have to take can be numbered on the fingers of one hand,. Instead of an adding machine. While braces and casts are still my constant com- panions, the need of wearing them Is more than, counter-balanced by the many blessings that are mine. ' , • .The year, also has not been bdre of other than physical accomplish - ments. It has been a Ausy one snd therein lies, I believe, a major reason for the recovery I have made. In that time P have had my book released, have distributed it and autographed many hundred copies- There has been thl- columi te keep up, one in the "Evening Telegram" and another for a syndicate of out-of-town papers. I have attended a number of theatres, been guest of honor at a Friars' dinner, haVe been motoring, have had dinner once again in a private home (two of them), attended a luncheon of the Theatrical Press Representatives, been to Coney Island once and to Atlantic City twice and—haVe had my hair bobbed and .a permanent—tolerably pe/manent—wave built Into tt. One of the greatest compensations for having lost so much during the four years of my rest Cure has been the great thrill that conies with regaining them again. Hat. I gone on as healthy and prosperous as I once was I could, never, have appreciated what It means to see a beautiful tree again, to watch the ocean rolling .in upon a sandy beach, tq feel a train gliding away from a station and know I was going to some place else to see new things and have new contacts with humanity. ' doing to the' theatre has* been almost like getting back home again. No matter where I went there were old friends to greet me and new ones to' meet me. There were some changes here and there, some theatres that had been built since I had been on Broadway Inst^but there ts one thing that had not changed, and that was the spirit of friendship and humanity that always will characterise the greatest playground in the world—The Theatre. i I had the thrill of seeing my book. "Right Off the. Chest," displayed in a book-store wlndew, and began to think of all the things that volume hod brought me in this last 12 months, 'of oil the new friends, of all tho letters that had come from almost every part of the world saying that it had inspired hope and courage to someone because it proved' that fights could be won. There were times when I had almost reached the limit of my endurance to get the copy .-for the book and write it, but the" knowledge that it had a "carry on" message for suffering humanity and the thought that I was the despatch-bearer selected to carry that message shall always be to me the greatest privilege of my life. Yet for all this thoughtfidness on the part of those Who. cared fur me, the first.year of convalescence Is a difficult or.o. .Tho reconstruction period after any war is a time of stress and the pains of readjustment are most evident then, The soldier who returns to his home towp.finds many changes in his relations with his fellow cttisens. He cannot change them to fit his ways of lite; he must alter himself to fit theirs and tt la, sometimes, a painful operation, - •' '. During my recent indisposition many of my well-meaning friends sat alongside of my bed and said—"You are God's perfect child." I hope that I am God's child, but I am far -from perfect. Even If Eugene O'Nell did Write a play entitled "All Qod's ChtHun Got Wings"—I happen to be one that hasnt got them, -thank God. And oven If I ever did have them these last few years of hell that 1 have been through would have pretty well singed them. But it was a wonderful adventure, and I wouldn't have missed It for anything in the world. I was getting to the stage where I didn't believe there was such a thing as the brotherhood of man, that no -one ever did anything f>r anyone without a purpose; I didn't believe In Santa Claus and, I almost questioned the existence of God, and then came the crash—I was shipwrecked on JUte's ocean—sunk without warning. I hit the bottom with a thud. ' • My friends answered my distress signal and came to the depths for me and salvaged me, and according to the Court of Admiralty, when a shl;> is salvaged, the property goes to the rescuers. And the rest of my life will be devoted to making myself worthy of these friends. I may have disappointed some of my friends in the course of this year. I am afraid that I have I can only plead that it would have been difficult to have pleased them In a clrclo so wide and composed of ho many varied opinions. But If I have done so. It has not been for lack of appreciation and gratitude; it has only been because I am just human and perhaps sometimes do not understand as I would like to. All In all it has been a year which could go nowhere else but on the credit side at the ledger of my life ils good has far outweighed Its bad. Its Joys a thousand times counter-b.'.ianoed Its sorrows. Lhave kept most of my promisee made in the hos|>ll il to myself and to my VWiends. It has been ateat bf drehms-ccrhcltrtfe. * I, 1 ' , '" /V2-S ilftl