Variety (December 1924)

c^ednesijay, December S, 1M4 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY KErmACIS CANT PLAY BENEFITS UNLESS O.K.D BY HEADQUARTERS ^r lOecwlon Mailc ThU Week at Checkmate for Im- ^^' 'posters Who Have Influenced Unauthorized 11^^ Appearances—Many Perfor m er s Imposed Upon F ' Tha biff tlm« baa put the atop on •11 acta playing benefits while ap- pearing in Keith or afllMated houses unless the benefit Rfta been okehed by.,,'\V""a™ Sullivan of the Kieth The order vaa sent out this treelc t^jfjl vaudeville asents and house il^najfers and was necessary to pre- v«iu acts^^ing; Imposed upon. Ac- eojrdlnr to the Keith officials the benefit pests have become so numer- oW lately something had to be done. J^everal cases are on record where l^aople representing themselves aa odicers of the Keith Circuit have phoned to vaudeville houses request- ^in^ the manager to rush several acts • bver to such and such (t benefit per- ■ "fbrmance. «- The acta not wishing to disappoint 'f and the house manager feeling it WAS an important assignment and ^ alhxlous to accomodate in several t',<M8tance9 changed places on the bills .t^iO, as to make the benefit in time '^:.t1» go on only to discover weelcs later ''"• hoax had been consummated. f-S"! In the future, acts are to disre- ^:>C*urd any requests to appear at (''•> benefits, even when requested by ■^^tbair vaudeville agent, unless the re- A (luest is accompanied by the official !^-aanction of the Keith office. BABY DOLL LOST VAUDE PARTNER S8-Pound Pete Wedded Heftier "Buany" piTDiGE MAY PROLONG ,TOUR AROUND WORLD Offers from All Over—Seven Picture House Records Brok- Sjn —Return to Met., L A. .'" . Loa Angeles, Dec. 2. - When Julian Eltinge completes his farewell lt>ur of Si weeks in the first run picture houses, making a personal appearance, be contem- plates continuing it another S5 weeks, which will take him to Eu- rope. Australia, Japan and Ha- froll, where offera have come from tor his services. During his present tour Eltinge has broken seven of the biggest box office records whicli picture houaea have held. To conclude the tour, Eltinge before retiring to his hotel, which la now being built near .San Diego, will play a return en- (agement at the Metropolitan here, :trhere he began the record-break- Ifig tour. ,'A. A. Kaufman, managing direc- tor of the Paramount houses here, told Eltinge when he left to name his own figure for the final week 9t his stage career. Mack's Murderer Indicted, The Grand Jury Disagrreed Los Angeles, Dec. I. DespK^e a majority of a Coroner's Jury held it to be a ca*e of Justi- fiable homicide on the grounds that the sanctity of the home had been Invaded, Z. R. Southern, chauffeur, was indicted for the murder of R. B. Mack, theatrical booking agent, "by the Grand Jury of Los Angeles County. Southern shot Mack on Nov. S3 in the latter's office aa the former t-elieved Mack (o be responsible for the separation of the chauffeur and his wife,, a former cabaret dancer employed aa a stenographer by Mack. Southern, after the indictment, was moved from ttie city to the county Jail, where he is being held without ball until his trial, sched- uled for January. BroftdcastiBg Langlu HAL NEWPORT Hoke from Old Knaland SUE PARKER (harm from Vvf Kaclaod •THE LADY KlUXR" Pete Robinson's marriage last week to Bunny Smith has dissolved Robinson and Baby Doli. The latter comprised of Pete, a human skeleton weighing 58 pounds, and a "fat girl" tipping the beam at 433 pounds, tiad formerly t>een circu.^ freaks. Just as the Baby Doli act had l>een set and routed for independent I vaudeville, along comes "Baby" Bunny Smith, whose po^indage (467X betters that of Baby Doll and cops Pete for a strut to Mendel- sohn. After the ceremony Bunny made it plain the partnership with Baby Doli was "out," and any future vaudeviUing Pete miglit have in view would be with her. The act had been booked into the Liberty, Irvington, N. J., for the last half, but cancelled because of the dissolution. Pete and his newly ac- quired spouse are now rehearsing a new act. Despite the booker having held a play or pay contract with the team, he haa no intention of penalising Robinson for the walkout, taking Into consideration the extenuating circumstances. GEORGIE WOOD Rehearse Dec. S for "WYLIE- TATE' production of "MOTIJER GOOSE" at "The HIPPODROME." LONDON. BNG. Other Fi»*pl*'> 0»ialiaai I.VDIANAPOLIS NEWS uld: "You win remember him after yoa have rorcottrn noma of tha other*, for hia la the abllitr that requlraa talaat. Be it aald that be haa It." •El Dred* la WINNIPHO TRIBUNH •aid: "Thla clever actor painted laatlna pic- tures of homa life with Ita lova and laushter. It was a rich treat." All communications to. care of ERNEST EDELSTEN, E>SQ., IJS Shaftesbury Ave., LONDON, BNG. April, 1»2S, sailing for Australia. Perhme Bootlegging Perfume bootleggers have been working back stage in legitimate and vaudevilla houses with quite some suc- cess recently. How they slip past the doormen la not dla- closed. The men travel in pairs, one waiting outside the theatre stage door with an aasortment of stock. Expensive brands are offered at a price 60 per cent, under the market to the actresses who know per- fun)es and a higher rate to others. It la alleged the bottles are reflUed, the original liquid be- ing extracted and cheap per- fume aubatituted. When a man was caught by one actress visiting another, he offered to make good by a gift of a real bottle of the sweet smelling stuff. it is a petty form of grafting but some of the aales back stage are known to have been IM high as {33 to a single per- son. ' "opposmor in "BOOKING" AMATEURS Eldridge Lays Down L'// at Banquet to "aients** ^ GATE CRASHER'S Aa Tammany Toung. wocld's cham- pion gate crasher. Is to Invade vaudeville via the Keith Circuit in a single turn now l>eing written by Damon Runyon, the sporting writer. Young's turn will include a spe- cial drop which will give some idea of the number of gates through which Young haa "ChUaeled." Gowns hy Air Mail from Brooks' with $27 Postage There'a aomeone around the Brooka Coatume'Co. plant at 142T Broadway who can give many a press agent points In turning out publicity copy. The following received by Va- riety tells its own story, concisely and completely: Nellie and Sara Kouns, better known as "The Famoua Kouns Sisters," opened Sunday with new wardrobe at the Orpheum the- atre, Kansas City, although the Brooks Costume Co. was still busy on their dresses w.hen the sisters left New York Friday aft- ernoon. A sudden booking Wednesday rushed things for the Kouns Sis- ters. They wanted l^ew dresses having but recently played the western houses and not wishing to repeat with wardrobe. Charles I,eMaire quickly de- signed new frocks. The sisters itad their dresses fitted before train time Friday, and $17 in U. S. Air Mail stamps on a package which left New York Saturday morning got the dresses to Kan- sas City in time for the Sunday matinee. LEW WELCH'S SETUBN Lew Welch will shortly return to vaudeville in "The Prodigal Father," the skit he shelved two years ago to appear in a road company of "Able'a Irish Rse" from which he recently withdrew. Don Costello and Sadie Hoffman will appear In his support BULIE REEVES COMING OVEB Biille'Reeve.s. best rememl)ered as the "souse" in Karno's "Night In an EnglLih Music Hall." will return tt New York this week to appear over btgt In a \'audeviile aklt. . SIRJOEWANTSA STRAIGHT MAN FOR NEW Aa AH Dolled Up Pretty- Cane, Spats and Monocle Sir Joseph Ginsburg had to show his accent in Variety's ofllee before anyone there would recognise the world'a greatest' entertainer. He was compleivly disguised with Ji new suit, including cane, spata and monocle. On top of the auit waa alao a new overcoat that Sir Joaeph re- fused to keep buttoned, aa he aald the people must see hia new med- ala. One of hia medala was a fire- man's badge with a forget-me-not red bow on it. Sir Joaeph certainly did look pretty and admitted It. Ha turned around lliree-quartera and on«-balf so ttuit nothing could ba missed, then put on the monocle and took it off, saying he had put It oa the wrong eya. No Inatallmant Outfit An outburst came from Sir Jo- aeph when It waa suggested he had made himself up out of an Inatall- ment plan houae . Nor would ha sOand for the reason he had become a con man to explain hia new out- fit. Warned by the Variety bunch that If any installment' man came into the oflflce to seize hia clolhea Sir Jos. would be given nothing ko wear to replace them. Sir Joseph sniffed as he said everything he had on had been paid for In cash by Willie Howard. Besides the munificence of Mr. Howard. Sir Joseph added, WiUie and Eugene Howard had written a vaudeville act for him and had sent him to Variety to advertise for a straight man. The Howards, said Sir Joe, would also stage the turn, but he mimt have a good atralght man. who looked nice, alao talk, sing and dance. Sir Joseph giggled when asked supposing the straight man looked better than be did, what would happen to the act? Sir Joe aald that couldn't be and ahowed his spata, saying no atralght maty, knows how to properly wear spats. Credit for Ad Sir Joseph wanted to write the advertisemenr right away, but the Variety fellows got cagey about an ad on credit for a comedian without a straight man. They asked him about the coin. Sir Joaeph aald Wil- lie had thought abouC that, too, and passed over an order signed Willie Howard authorizing Variety to publish an advertisement for Sir Joseph and charge it to the Howard boys. Sir Joseph cla*in%d that Wltlta had advised him that since the Howards must leave vaudeville to go with a production. Sir Joaeph ahould hurry along hia two-act to replace them. Sir Joe. added that maybe the Ginzburg act wouldn't get aa much at first as the How- ards, but he wasn't going to ask aa much. When fl'.OOO a week was mentioned for the Ginsburg turn aa break-In money. Sir Joseph aald he thought- that a little high to break-in and $750 would be a fairer price. "Diamond" Waa Qariio Jack Pulasid grew curioua over Sir Joseph's outfit and dug a new watch out of his vest pocket. Sir Joe aaid Willie had given him that also. Jack wanted to know if Wil- lie had given Sir Joe the new dia- mond ring he waa wearing. Upon Sir Joe answering Willie had. Jack examined Itie ring to find the "dia- mond" was a piece of garlic. Before leaving Sir Joseph said that aa Variety alwaya had been nice to him and Willie told him to offer aomethlng for Variety, Sir Joe wanted to know what could be done by him. One of the crew asked Sir Joseph if he would' mind wearing hia monocle when leaving the Va- riety building, ao that people-paaa- Ing might appreciate the claaa of trade Variety drawa. Sir Joe said he would, and did. Moreover, after he got on the street Sir Joseph patrolled up and down in front of the office for SO minut^a, frequently taking off the monocle, however, through alwaya getting It on the wrong eye. After half an hour Sir Joseph waa thanked and allowed to leave, aaaured that everyone on 4(th atreet now knew what classy cua- tomera Variety geta. Sir Joe kindly offered to come back and* do It over agnln any time Variety wanted him, with or without Che monocle. "Opposition" exists in the ranks of amateura. according to authori- tative sources. The opposition ban was sprung by Harold Eldridge. the largest amateur night booker, at a banquet recently given to hia talent Eldridge declared that opposition bookers had stolen houaea away from him by cutting prlcea and un- derpaying amateurs and that he would l>e forced to take cognizance of this condition. In future refusing to book contestants working for the price shading opposition. Eldridge books more than SO houses employing the amateur night feature in and around New York. DSESSmO BOOMS SACKED Allentown, Pa., Dec. t. Wardrobe attire and personal be- longings of members of Ned Way- burn's "Honeymoon Cruisers," tab- loid musical comedy, which showed at the Colonial theatre here the last half of last week, were stolen from dressing rooms Saturday morning. As a result, the company had to ap- pear at the afternoon and evening performances in make-ahift coa- tumea. some of them being com- pelled simply to wear their street costumes. It was the first week out for the company and the total loss is put at over $1,000. WILTOH A WIZ A bit of a wis In tha booking line, Alf T. Wilton has procured a route up to June next on the Keith time for Mabel MoKlnley. Miss McKlnley bad been out of vaudeville for soma time prior to the present i^turn. When first play- ing the twice-daily she received con- siderable publicity through her re- lationship (niece) to the late Presi- dent McKinley. Floyd Stoker Quito Agenting Floyd PK>ker haa given up agent- hls now (duties today (Dec. J). of the Rlalto, St. LouU, from the Orpheum circuit Mr. Stoker has t>een a Keith and Orpheum agent for several years. He will assume hit new duties Dec. 1. IVARE OF FAKIR Chicago. Dec. 2. Beware of • man who uses the name of aoma Influential peraon connected with the profeatlon to ob- tain a loan. He Is around tha Mid- dle West right now. but may got East He la veraed on theatrlcala and can converae on any aubject Using tha name of some well known manager or actor ha ap- proachea hia proapect with a story he has numerous caaea of liquor stored away but Is short about |1C to transport it. He promises that for the small favor rendered he will reciprocate with six bottlea of liquor piua the amount loaned withia a couple of houra. Sometime ago he waa around Chi- cago and nicked Fred Allen, ualng the name of Ace Berry, manager of the Circle, Indianapolis. Last week he took tha aaslstant manager of McVlckara. using the name o( aoma Indianapolis organlat in conjunc- tion with Be^ry. Hia "aucker Hat** contataa trnta* influential peraona, having their fomlly history ta guide him. Bob Benchley, "Single** Direct from "Life" and for vaude- ville Is due Robert Benchley. who gets the classificatloD of "single" through doing an act with himself aa the only prop. Mr. Benchley baa been on tha atage before, having a theatrical record quite aoirte yards ahead of another near-actor. Heywood Broun. Mr. Benchley waa In the "Music Box ttevue" laat aaason. also In the same ahow last aum- mer Broun loat hia acting rep In. Despite of all of Mr. Benchley'a acting. "Life" haa atuck to him. "Life" Is a funny papw. HABBOLD'S ZMAS CAROL By way of putting out a special holiday film, the DeForrest Phono- films will make a Chriatmaa carol, with Patti Harrold handling tha vocal end. At preaent no plan of reUaae la announced, although 1,000 feet of the animated-vocal feature will b* flntahed before Dec. 25. now or DAHCE ACT "The Immortal Pierrot" la the t^tla of the new dance ensemble turn tha .roklne Dancers will preaent with MIchto Itow featured. Basldea the Japanese star eight of Michel Foklna'a aeiectad puplla will appear. Alf T. Wilton repreaents tha turn and la arranging for an opening date around Dao. II. CHILD FILM ACTOR'S ACT " Mickey Bennett the child actor who haa appeared In aeveral plc- turea. la ahortty to be preaented In a vaudeville act by tha MacLaan Wilson Producing Company. The act la described aa a Chriat- maa comedy with a' oompany of three. . , New Caat In "Bleapinc Parak" Jack Ilaasard and Beaale Rempal in Rosalie Stewart's act. "Tha Sleeping Porch," hare been replaced by Walter Baldwin and Oeraidina Blair. BrRHM DURNA RCKCHILI. I.VNN by pnmr Horn* praiTl ROMK « CVmtM CRRrNPOINT MOW (DM, 4-7 r