Variety (September 1924)

VARIETY BURLESQUE ■ Wednesday, 3. 19M PAT WHITE LET OUT OF SHOW End of Season Saturday with Mutual's "Irish Daisies" The Mutual Burlesque Circuit this week notified Pat White's "Irish Daisies" at Scranton that White's services as leading come- dian with the show would not be required after Saturday. Arthur Lannlng will supplant White as principal comedian with the show which will be billed in future as Arthur Lanning's "Irish Daisies." Joe Mack, another comedian, will also be added to the cast when White steps out. The "Irish Daisies" franchise is owned by Dr. Tunison, the Newark, N. J., theatre owner and former Columbia Circuit show operator. Tunison is one of the directors of the Mutual Circuit and h'as had White as his principal comedian since the inception of the Mutual Circuit two seasons ago. Events leading up to the notice given White arc said to have dere- liction of duty on the part of White, who is alleged to have missed sev- eral performances. Complaints from several house managers on the Mutual Circuit prompted *an in- vestigation. White is a veteran burlesque comedian, having been prominent in the past on'both the Columbia and Mutual .wheels. Pat White's "Gaiety Girls" was one of the best known burlesque attractions of the last* decade. APOLLO'S *RESS STUNT n Pass Sent by Fifi to Bloods Of the Heights V What Is looked upon as an un- usual press stunt is that launched by the Apollo Burlesque Theatre, which opened its new season last Friday. Storekeepers on the Height* and in the Harlem section received a letter, accompanied by a green card which is designated as a Ma- son pass for the Apollo and entitled two to admission after tha opening dale. ' The letter reads: * Dear Sir. Tou being a man about town, we are taking the liberty of send- , ing you a season pass for the Apollo Burlesque Theatre on 125th street. West Side. Tou will agree there is no greater thrill to watch a fast, good-look- ing, perfectly formed chorus of young beautiful girls. We've got all of that, and lots more. Spend an evening with us and you will surely become one obits many great boosters we have. Tours for a good time, 'Fifi. P. A This ticket will be hon- ored after the gala opening on Friday evening, Aug. 29. The featured comedian is Joe Rose. Another featured member is Mile. Fin, Oriental dancer. Burlesque Acts And Sundays With the burlesque compa- nies on the Columbia and Mu- tual circuits having principals and members capable of do- ing a vaudeville specialty of some nature, the question now arises: Will they be permit- ted to accept special engage- ments for Sunday, dates? It has been a practice with a number of burlesque come- dians, singers, dancers and musical acts to work Sunday dates ^n and near the towns where the company Is show- ing but where no Sunday shows are permitted. Both circuits have theatres in New York and Brooklyn, where no Sunday performances of burlesque are played. There are a number of Sun- day "concerts" with bookings available almost up to very day of performance, the bur- lesque "acts" are especially desirous of picking up the ex- tra "cush." Several company managers, just starting their season, have informed their people that they can work these Sun- day concerts, provided they do not in any way conflict with their regularly cont.if.cied per- formances or where .they are not drawn into any actual clas- sification of "opposition" to the burlesque dates. I In other years a number of the Sunday ■'"concert bookers have found burlesque acts mighty acceptable, owing to so many standard turns Invari- ably tied up for Sunday dates. The bookers find the burlesque comedy turns go a long way toward diversifying their bills, as it seems very easy to pick up plenty of straight turns . for 'the Sabbath shows. There are many Sunday con- certs ntar Boston. Where the burlesquers arc able to make train connections and reach the next stand in time for the opening performance, they are granted the right to play the special dates. The heads of the circuits have not taken any direct stand on this matter, with the company managers expected to keep their people under con- tract in line and in no way have anything interfere with the regular line of perform- ance, •v - BURLESQUE REVIEWS ' . JfOLLEE WILLIAMS REVUE (COLUMBIA) Fred Harper y Wllao K»y Klns Bobby Wilson. Comedian ."..'..., Corned I * n ..straight Character Morton and Mayo Bebe Almond Principal •■»)* CorfcaU Ingenue LI Man Pearl Prima Donna Motile WillUme John Mack.. Dancer*... • Soubrette... RALPH WHITEHEAD Again in America after a long stay in England, where success was Instantaneous, both in vaudeville and "Little Nellie Kelly." Permanent Address LAMBS' CLUB, NEW YORK DIXON SUES COLUMBIA FOR $41,300 DAMAGES Alleges Broken Contract—Un- able to Route Show Over Wheel SPEEDY STEPPERS (MUTUAL) MUTUAL'S SICK FUND Charging Ten Cants on Passes as Nucleus Jules Hurtlg, as vice president of the Columbia Amusement Co., was served Friday In a $41,300 damage suit by Henry Dixon against, the Columbia burlesque circuit. Dixon's complaint covers three causes for damage for being pre- vented In routing his burlesque show on the major burlesque wheel, although having entered Into a con- tract April, 1924, Tor a Columbia franchise. Dixon alleges through Kendler & Goldstein that "plaintiff, relying upon the said agreement, and In order to perfect his production, en- tered into contracts for the pur- chase of scenery and costumes and thereby incurred an expense In the sum of $8,000," and that he further obligated himself to performers to employ them for a period of 36 weeks and "thereby Incurred an obligation Xo said performers in the sum of S15.300." Breach of contract is alleged through his cot J>eing permitted to play and present his show on .the Columbia circuit, which is the ba- sis of an additlnoal $20,000 claim, totaling $41,300 in all. TAAFFE MANAGING GLOBE Kansas City, Sept. 2. Tommie Taaffe, former manager of the Century (burlesque), has been appointed manager of the Globe and has stepped into the new job. Mr. Taaffe has been actively identified with Kansas City theatricals for the past 20 years. He became manager of the Century for the Butler estate In . 1916, and remained in that ca- pacity until the house was taken over by the Shuberts. He was also manager of Fairmont Park for a number of years. The Globe is owned by Louis Op- pensteln, former police commissioner, but since the death of "Cy" Jacobs, a number of months ago, had been without an active manager. The Mutual Burlesque Associa- tion, with a personnel numbering some 2,600 persons in its 36 com- panies" and 48 theatres, has decided upon the establishment of a sick benefit fund for its artists and em- ployes. It has been decided to charge a tax of 10 per cent on all free ad- missions other than those issued to the press to provide a nucleus, but it is expected that other means will be adopted to add rapidly to the fund. Foe, the present one of the direct- ors of the Mutual Association will act as tfiistodlan, but a separate cor- poration, modeled somewhat after the Actors' Fund of America, is con- templated. PEARSON IN UNION HILL Takes Hudson Theatre for Mutual Wheel Shows Arthur Pearson has taken over the lease of the Hudson, Union Hill, N. J., and arranged with I. H. Herk, president of the Mutual Wheel, to play burlesque there. Its first Mu- tual show in will be "Miss New York," opening Sunday (Sept. 7). In the former routing Mutual shows were slated to- go from the Prospect, Bronx, to the Gayety, Brooklyn, but with the Union Hill house now added, they will play the Hudson between Bronx and Brook- lyn. The Mollie Williams "Snappy Re- vue" at the Columbia, New York, this week Is woefully weak In the comedy departments. The comedy scenes in the first act died standing up, due to lack bf finishes, although one or two of the bits bold possibil- ities. The show from a production standpoint will compare favorably with any on the circuit. It is well cast and has a good-looking chorus of 18 girls who have been given lav- ish wardrobe, but the book by Billy K. Wells lacks a punch. • The nearest approach to a gen- uine mirth provoker was a burlesque boxing bout, labeled "Bits Athletic Club." The idea is similar in treat- ment to Clark and McCullough's similar scene in "Peek-a-Boo." Fred Harper, as the challenger, imbibes a magic fluid which gives him abnormal courage. He and Bobby Wilson—the champion—thereupon stage a funny boxing 'bout which will develop into a howl, with work. The finish—a double knockout—Is light. This Is.the dominant fault with such scenes as "Out at Last." Here the two comics are shown as ex- cons leaving "stir." They promise the warden to go straight but beat a moll for her ankle watch, then plant the turnip on the head screw, or, to translate, they steal her watch and secrete it in the warden's pocket, A search reveals him as the suspect. The scene is as point- less as the closing quotations in marks and as unfunny as a piece of white paper. It should go out. The dancing specialty of Harper and Wilson, spotted way down in the second act, could go up here nicely.. It would give them a strong start and make their entrance more In- gratiating. Scene 10, programed "Exploring Exhibition," Is a weak counterfeit of George LeMaire's "Osteopath" The girl, Lillian Pearl, as the strong arm nurse, manhandles Harper for some laughs, but again the finish is blah. The only laughs in the bit came when Harper became coy over re- moving his garments and lying on a couch. Another 20 minutes wasted is the Inevitable sketch which has become a Mollie Williams trade-mark and which ended act one. It 5s a weird attempt at dramatics authored by Lon Haskell, and has Miss Williams cast as a South Sea .charmer, the daughter of an Amerlcan'trader and French dancer. A villainous slave dealer attempts to kidnap her and is very properly shot His side kick, another rough boy, is choked by Mollie's native guardian. Although the episode is south seaish Mollie's slang is very much Forty-seventh street. This is alibied by her al- lusions to a myethical American lover, who must have known all of the. latest cracks. The sketch means nothing and slows up the first act, which is punchless except for the excellent staging of the num- bers led by Lillian Pearl, Ella Cor- bett and Bebe Almond, all pretty, soubretish and good dancers. "Merry Widows," led by Ella Cor- (Contlnued on page 26) > \ Boston, Aug. 19. i First Comic" ma* Backs Second Comic .Lee Hlckmaa Straight .i Tom Brlekefl Jnyenlle Billy Dal* Character Man ..........Dave Harris Prima Donas. ...........Olalre Volple ..i -J*** Taayar u ...« Marie Gerard] 6oobr*ue,....r. Olaays Hoaaton Sooorette Dancer ' LOU Cottschalk's "Romola' Lou Gottschalk has composed the theme song of the Glsh Sisters' newest Inspiration Picture, "Ro- mola." Dalley Paskman did the lyrics. Robbins-Engel, Inc., will publish. UiTOBOUlH" INGENUE LEAD with Harry Levan's "TOWN SCANDALS" * 1V24 26 1 FRANK FINNEY ON COAST Frank Finney is on the Pacific coast, touring with his musical stock, "40 Laughlanders," the com- pany bemg under the direction of Charles W. York. In the Finney troupe are . Ruby Lang, prima donna; Hazel yah Hal- tren, ingenue; Martha Belle, sou- brette; Lilyan Mason, character; Jack Meeker, juvenile, and Robert Carlson, characters. It looks as If the word had gone! down the line that the Mutual shows; are to "give 'em what they want" and to establish a sort of a renais- sance in- the burlesque of a decade ago. The turkey and tab outfits are the troupes that can do it and that la exactly what this Mike Sacks out- fit is which is busting into the Mu- tual wheel. It howls with hoke and old school burlesque and the rough- er Sacks worked the more they, yelled for more. Playing at the Howard Athenaeum only a few steps away- from Wal- dron's Casino (Columbia) where the Mollie Williams show was opposi- tion, the comparison for the week was interesting and brought the old . timers Irtte the district to check them against each other. The Mollie Wil- liams' show, actually gorgeous In costumes, girls and. settings, proved, to be practically laughleas and the house was light and the panning in the lobby on the way out 'was heavy. The Sacks show, still minus much of its sets and draper, and rather drab throughout, was one continuous laugh with the house sold solid for the week and a heavy turnaway. And the lobby chatter was to the effect that it was a real old-fashioned burlesque show. Of course, against all this is the fact that the Howard is practically stag. On the "other hand, both shows are clean as regards any deep-blues. * How far Sacks will go when he leaves bis home territory and gets away from the heavy-handed cen- sorship of John Casey is a ques- tion because he is obviously out to give 'em what they want. Even in Boston,- he worked from the floor of the house against censorship or- ders, even to the extent of looking for cooties in the head of a patron in the third row left aisle seat. "The Speedy Steppers" -Is pro- duced by Sacks and Thayer, both having been associated with Abe Marcus In the past. They cail their chorus "The California Peach. Chorus." Sacks is a nondescript comic, best described as a % red- nosed Hebrew, smooth shaven and running to comic garb. His best stuff is side-walk chatter rather than regulation bits, -and when these dialogs are clocked and run over 15 minutes without a single let-up in the laughter, there Is good) reason to believe that Sack's will ring the bell along the Mutual wheel with a rough (but not dirty) men's show. He is using the old poker game and his "I'm No Horse" dialog par- ticularly effectively and his com- raderle work with his chorus girlsv trotting them out by name to do) their stuff. Is good chatter. Sacks! is building up his girls cleverly, and his wooden shoe ensemble to a! pretty Dutch set should be running! like clockwork within a few weeks to a real wow. He is taking a full seltzer bottle poured down from hi* pants-leg at every show until It pours out from his shoes, for ml rhyme, reason or point other than ' (Continued en page 26) NEW BAND SENSATION Vernon-Owen Combo Heavily Touted from West VIOLET McXEE ABSENT > Newark, N. J., Sept. 2. Violet McKee, with "Hollywood Follies," at the Empire, had Abra- ham Droesman of 30 Prospect place. Newark, arrested for sending her an Indecent letter. She promised to appear against him, but when the case was brought up last Tuesday did not appear, and Drossman was dismissed. SIB JAMES STJBBENDEBS Jimmy Dwyer, billed in vaudeville Sir Jimmy Dwyer, states he has re- linquished his knighthood in favor of the only and Great Sir Joseph Glnzburg, feeing the latter better entitled to the distinction. Dwyer has formed a new team with Grace Orma under H. Bart McHugh's direction. ....}*. JONAS' BUBLESQUE CASTING Bert Jonas Is handling the casting this year for the" various Mlnsky Brothers burlesque stock enter- prises. He cast the show at their new Apollo on 125th street, and Js also doing other woik fo» the, firm BUBLESQUE CHANGES Dolph Singer, with Cooper's "Beauty Revue," left the show Sat- urday, at the Stnr and Garter, Chicago. < REVIEWED IN CHICAGO Chicago, Sept. 2. For the first time in local history a burlesque review of the shows Is being published by the dallies. Last week four papers car- ried notices on the show at the Olympic. They are likely written by the press agent of the theatre, but, nevertheless, get a prominent display. A new midwest band sensation, highly touted by the Keith office, Is the Vernon-Owen Band from the Winton Hotel, Cleveland, which opens Sept. 8 at the Alhambra and is booked fbr «n indef. run at the Hippodrome three weeks there- after. • It Is a 10-man combination, brought east by Mrs. Earl Fuller. "SICHED" DOG ON "TINEY" Holyoke, Mass.. Sept. 2. "Tiney" Blue, 19, member of the Columbia "Best Show in Town" company, here the first two days of last week, was bitten on the calf of one of her legs Monday night as she was entering the stage door of the Holyoke theatre. She was obliged to remain out of the show three days. Boys "sicked" the dog onto Miss Blue. PoHce ' investigated and Tuesday afternoon three boys brought a dog to police headquar- ters, saying it was the one that had bit Miss Blue. The dog was executed. CAMPBELL'S AMATEURS ! Part of Burlesque Performance—* Staged in Each Town —*- FIXING "FAST STEPPEBS" St. Louis, Sept. 2. Dan Dody and Ike Weber are here fixing up "Fast Steppers," re- 'centy p^ase^ by them., } ^ , * William, Campbell, who" has a show, "Go To It," on the Columbia Wheel, is staging the amateur fol- lies proposition at every week stand played as a business, getter for the show. A director goes two weeks ahead and gets the turn in readiness. It is then staged for about 35 minutes following . the conclusion of the regular performance. Small salaries are paid to the lo- cal .performers, but the expense of the whole thing does not run over $400 for the week. In Baltimore it did not prove to be an exceptional business getter, despite the steady draw of the Co- lumbia house in that town. Con Corrects an Error Variety's review last week of Sim William's "Happy Moments" at-the Columbia-New York mentioned the name of Herman Fay as the first comedian This wuiann error.' Lew White Is the' first comedian with the show and should have received the good notice accorded to Fay by Con, the reporter who reviewed the show.