Variety (January 1925)

'i^^Wl'/llv'.j^w ■"-''-' :;- ifsi TBat fca a^ VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, January 1, 1925 s^: ♦-^ ■•r^ PLAY FAIR IF YOU EXPECJ FAIR PLAY I feel that thei condition printed below is unbusinesslike and shows an irresponsibility on the part of those who transgress on the conditions of their contract. ^ : tuTu. i; . v The managers are doing everything possible to make conditions in vaudeville agreeable and pleasant, and if the artists are not going to reciprocate, at least to the extent of keeping dieir obligations^ I am afraid we are going to slide back instead of going forward. There is not one legitimate excuse in the different reports for hbt appearing in time to go on in tfieir regular place, and I feel that these shortcomings should be broadcast. I am writing all of the managers to write me of every condition of this kind, and if I find there is no improvement, I shall advise them to cancel the act, if, in their judgment, they do not give a very good excuse for being late. We can't successfully run vaudeville and pay salaries on Saturday night iinder such nonsensical conations as the following report sets forth: »•* ivl ^>• o-; ^^ ■-.t -:. '-'■ <ti\. V' •ri>>. iVrt December 13, 1924. PAUL SPECHT AND BAND —^Arrived at the last minute at Mount Vernon and could not hang scenery for first show. During the Fifth Awnne engagement he cdled up at 2:50 on Friday afternoon and requested to have the show changed around so ^t he could finish some recording for the Cohin^a Phonograph Co. he was thjpn doin(^. If e finally arrived too late to go (m in his scheduled position,! and in order to go on ^t all we wert obhged to place him next to donDg and have bis lanjo player play selections in one in order to set for the closing act/! . ' \; If'., < -.,■■. ■ * rAYAN AND LEE— At State, Jersey City. The theatre notified me * • at ^^50 on opening«day that Mt. Ryan did ndt; §how up. Miss Lee w^s at the tiieatre/lnit did not know where her ek-nusband was stopping. The agent called up the Friars* Clul> and learned that he !, ■-■;.- ^ had just left for Jersey City. He got over five minutes before he was to go on, and instructed the manager that if he could not get Ips trousers pressed he could not appear. With a lot of persuasion dbe manager induced Ryan to go on after the finish of the show. The manager was forced to make an announcement t}iat the act was in an automobile accident and that they would appear later. FRANK SABINE—^Union Hill. The second day of his engagement Sabine failed to arrive in time to go on. His excuse was that he missed Ae ferryboat. Put him on after the big feature picture. i;.':. •t., MOC^IE, MILLER AND PETERSON CADET O^'^HESTRA— Opening day Thanksgiving Day. This act sent one of the musicians to YoiJcers to rehearse and take care of the baggage, and fang scenery. We afterward learned that he knew nothing about the baggage. At 12:30 the theatre called up and wanted to know what had happened to the baggage. Wfe immediately got in touch with Jersey City, where the act closed the night before, and at one o'clock discovered th^t the baggage was sent fo the warehouse because the act failed to give the truckman proper instructions. It being a holiday, the warehouse was closed, therefore had to locate the proprietor and persuade him to open the warhbdse. The manager sent a special . • truck from Yonkers to haul the baggage. The act went on at the ;, ^ . niatinee in street clothes and naturally gave a very poor showing. ' J.!,. They did their full performance at de supper show. - ..' HARRY GREEN—State, Jersey City. .Arrived on two or three occa- ::. .. sions during this engagement just in time to change his coat and : . '. go on. This, of course, kept the manlagement in suspense at every "' ' ■ performance. - ;f --— • ^ ^ z^. r-v ^^^^ ^ ^ • MOSS AND FRYE—Arrived at the last minute to 8:0-on. When sions during his engagement just in time to,change his coat and that he was "Just late." WEAVER BROS.—Fifth Avenue. The second day of their engage- ment at the matinee they got in too late to play in their regular spot. Appeared later in the show. When the manager asked them for an ' *' excuse they*said tliey were in a traffic jam. 1 •/ -i*?2r> 10 R U M ;--r^:. Xjettcn for thm 'Vonmi mtist not exo««<l IM words in length and wrlttm «BtolaBiV«Iy to Variety. Tbey may be on any subject p«rtalJilnc to th« diow buslnem or ttB people. TUa dopartment ntay be used by professionals to ssttle named, UtlM or priority oa i-lsbta to bits or business. Tbii prtTUico must not be abused. Confplaints acralnst Variety or its critics or critlolsins on eitbor will be as freely published here as axijr other letters. t Now York. Dec. 24. 1»24. ^Editor Variety: . '. ' In Variety's review of the Pal- ^ Aco it states "according to r^wrt" 'f. Hiss Mary Haynea's songs were t written by Miss Blanche Merrill. l- Miss Haynes's material was writ- ^ten by Miss Haynes and the under- E' signed. yod Joifce Heamey. V Editor Variety: T: '^_ In Variety's review of *ur, act '' under "new acts" at the American ^- recently, the reviewer cl^ms to L have heard our songs and material f -used elsewhere by some other 1^. team and probably released to. us fey said team. The team the reviewer has In mlnd^la Burns and Lynn, recently dlsson^. I am thA Lynn and now with Sue Creighton. We write this so that the pro- fession will not wrongly assume from the note that we have lifted anyone's materiaL Eddie l/ynn (Creighton and Lynn) Crystle Hamilton and Tony Ken- nedy) In "The Honeymoon," by Aaron Hoffman. Lewis A Gordon production. Nesret and Oliver, 2 men. Bl^e Farrell (Joe and Elsie Far- rell) and Arthur Phelps ("Fired from Tale"). 2-act ((Chicago). Don Roberts and Mildred Chan- dler in a new musical tabloid. "Fantasies of IMS," 4-people danc- ing act whh Clara tJphan, O'Brien Sisters and M. Beketl. Lorin Baker and Co. (2) In piece formerly played by Harry Coleman. "Jnst Like Father." S men. 1 wqman. with Clem Bevlns. Stewart Go6d and Vh-glnla Holland. "Burt and Dale," 2-act Joe Randal], 2 men. Songs. Harry Walman and his "De- butantes," 1 man. 8 women (or- chestra). I CSiicago. Jan. 2. Editor Variety: In Variety this week there is % review of "The Cotton Pickers." I prodacf(& an act under a similar t^tle four years ago and it is still playing, at present in the east for the.Keitb*B famHy booltings. Kindly make it known that my act la not tbo act reviewed this week. Tom PowcO, Ifarlcl Ponock and Baih Tier- man, 2-act. Scanlon and Smith, skit.- f Homy Davies and Joan Bernard, p'' 2-act. ^ Low~ LMir and Kancy ^iB«M^,- 4 ^^. women. 2 men. ^- Murray Brothers, 2 nven,' jM^ro- ^ Arthur and Helena Millar^ )-a4it. t BlUy Mack and Shirley La ftve, ;.2-act. V: ■',' Leonard Fries (Fries and wjason) -»nd Irene Cody, 2-act. I-,. !: Ned (Clothes) Norton an|. iJ^tes 'Howard (inirlesque), 2-8ct. ■'■* ■ J Minna Ravin and Frank ^elty,4- met ' ■■ * '' Oalnss and Bowen, skit. 1^ Ban Rodero and Kan Malev. skit. Betty Soothem and Clltt Stork, 2-act «om«dy skit. in Wiff inr'f f TTfj^'fli*^ i*fn'' • x/' -z. i4 Edna Buckler and Co.. S msn. 2 women. Hoskins. Frederick and Bernlce, musioa]. Sully and Mack, 2 men. Edna Buckler and (^., S men. 2 women. Farce. Dan Downing and Buddy. 2 men. Ben Marks and Ethel, skit. DsMarlo and LaMarletta, acro- Diatloi PJtaek Housh, 1 man. 1 woman, 'l^ohy Craig, Jr., single. ',B^ Jung, feminine gymuast. '.'Beaucaire Sextet, S men, 8 women. ,>|4«rcer Templeton, 2 men. Cing- hi^ and dancing. Muldoon Frarklyn and Sau-anoff and Co., with Robert Rhodes and Lyons Sisters. t^IIbur Mack, 1 man, 1 woman. Skit ' Russian Cathedral Sextet, 4 men, 2 women. Mfixle Ilka and Co. (Including CEILIHa SECnOV FALLS Pawtucket, R. I., Jan. C. ^. Two men and a wonAin were in- jured when a circular section of lathing and plaster, about eight feet in diameter, dropped 36 feet from th» ceiling of the State thea- tre dunfig an aiterneon perform- ance. There was no panic. ENGACEMENTS Billy Taylor, for "C!hlna Rose." BUnche Fredericl. for "Froces- sional." Eric Dressier, Marcia Byron, Mal- colm Duncan, HarOld Rartsell. Percy Moore, Anita Booth and Betty Alden, for "Out of Step." Eklward Brandon. Fifth Avenue Stock Co., Brooklyn. Dorothy Lynn. James McLaughlin, Rlalto Stock Playera, Hobokan. Ula Orr. with Charles Vl^beeler in vaudeville. Marty Gibbons, "Four, Husbands" (vaudeville). Jack Kane, for rMttls J«asie James" (road). " , ' '*".': "'< XABBIA^SS Arthur L. Sawtelle to Auth Mon- ■on. non-professional, of Ban Franclsca Mr. SawtoUa la super- intendent of the Orpheom, Oakland, (Jalif. Charles A. Catterlln (secretary to Sidney Grauman>, to Miriam Loulee Fowler, aon-professional, of Den- ver, at Los Angeles, Jan. 1. Colorful Hangings Preferred Acts carrying special set- tings are being given prefer- ence by bookers of the small time Independents. The condition is partly ex- plained in that the colorful ^ hangings brighten up many of the stages of tank town houses that are sadly in need of scenic rehabilitation and that these managers insist upon special sets with practically every act on the bill. The act must be there from a material standpoint, but it's really the sartorial setting that counts most. OH TBOUBLES SETTLED e theatrical union trouble In M)incle. tnd., has been amicably ad- J<isted following Field Representa- tive Tlnney's (I. A.) i>er3onal in- vestigation within the ranks of Local Ho. 292. Tlnney also successfully straight- ened^^tt the xmlon^dlfterences be- tweeonb. 271, Charleston, W. Va., and Ine Virginia, Capitol and Rl- alto theatres. He also smoothed matters with the Majestic, Findlay, O.. which was on the outs with Local No. 1»2, and effected an understanding on contracts with the Fauorot opera house, Lima. O., where No. 34» operates. Represenliatlve Brown reports union difTerences settled in Akron, O, where No. 364 was at odds with the Empress htoatre. and in Ke- wanee. 111., where i%2 was having trouble with the Peerless theatre. MAN MARRIES 3 TIMES; AINffltS IT-K FREED Howard J. Thomas, Stage Carpenter, Arrested by Third Wife in Youngstown, 0. • According to Mrs. Howard 3. Thomas,' No. S, nee Eugenie Scott of Toungstown, O.. her husband. How* ' * ard J. Thomas, a stage carpenter, last with the Al Jolson "Bonibo". ■»\i\ DAIHTT MARIE'S EZHIB. , Tuoaday afternoon (Jan. U) at 2:30, at the Vanderbllt, New York. Dainty Marie is to give an exbibi- Uon, for ladies only, of her fat- reducing methods. The Marie method is for women to roll on the floor, meanwhile los- ing surplus avolrdupola. Women attending tB<i Tanderhnt exhiblUon and wanting to tsst the system are admonished la lbs ootloo to bring along bloomera. Hi wfiii rooms will be prevlOad tat Vbm MViraats. Company, is a bigamist. Thomas, was discharged from the fouAgs- town county Jail Dec. 23, last, after admitting in court having married three women and not being divorced from either. His first wife was ,,7 Clara Schlosser, whom he married ,. in Philadelphia July IS. 1920. and ..i" who later had him in court, alleging.,!,^ that whhe Jiving with her at ths, Hudson Hotel, la Newark, which ,ti-> she own-s, he robbed her of ILOO^^fV After this there came a lapse otf ,r 10 days at the end of which, oafri? July 26, 1920. he married a Louisa; Healy In Boston. Both the women t* are -Uving. i • • April 18, 1S24. hs married EU- nT genie Scott in Denver. His lasf^i wife is at present at the T. W. C. A. i < in Toungstown, destitute of funda.*^ and Is working as a waitress In th-^*-' Touagstowi^ restaurant. Thomas is a member olf the Tntemational AI« >' Uance of Theatrical Stage'Employes, Nll«s-Warren Local No. 182. His discharge in Toungstown was on the ground of lack of jurisdic- tion, his otlKr marriogen having oc- ciirred in other states. "■ "• LOSERS BY PIRE The Wesverly opera house. West- .. erly, R. I., was completely destroyed.:;{ by fire last Friday night, the fix*,'; breaking out back stage after the night Bjiow. ^ Bev^al acts on the bill ^ost - wardrobe and effects through the fire, the origin of which is said tq have tooen faulty insulation. ,.?-/'. Among the heavieet losers wers . the White Brothers and the Musical. Spillera. The former lost their : stage clothing, while the latter ^ lost clotbinif and MveraV musical jnstrumonta. »s ^ f^j -,..» i^..<> -^