Variety (February 1925)

IVJQSI^TStM^.VriaiKfPAIFZIBlrl r'^T^i^Anr'. 14 VARIETY Wednesday, February 18, IMS Rewritten newt items which have appeared within the week in the NEWS OF THE DAILIES Dmly Paper* of NEW YORK CHICAGO COAST This d»p«rtfn«nt will eontinu. U conUin r«writt«n theatrical n«ws it«m« ■• publiih.d during th« waek in the daify pap«r« of Naw York, Chicaso and tha Pacific Coaat. i Variaty lakea no eradit for thasa n»yM* itama; aach and tvry ona haa baan maraly rawriMan from a atory appaarino in soma daily papar. Thay ara praaanUd in thia mmnMr to provida tha thaatrical prefeasion vwith tha theatrical n«w» of tha country as printed in tha east, mid-wast and far wast without Variaty k" raMurse to uaina Bny of thasa atories in the regular newa way aa its own, and permitting Variety to continue to publish in each iasua the'largest number of excluaiva news'storiea ever printed at one time in any newapaper, a record Variety has privately enjoyed without reference to it for many years. NEW YORK New York, Feb. 17. Abraham P. Waxman has eued Channlnu PoUock »"<» Arch Selwyn in Federal Court for $1,000,000 which he claims they made on "The Fool" and which is an alleged In- fringenent on a play written by Waxman called "Soldiers of the Common Qood." or "The Second Coming." Wa»man sUtes that his play was written In 1910 and was copyrighted, and describes his play aji Attempting to show a man who patterns his lite after that of the Sivior. Between 1912 and 1922 Waxman asaerts that the datendant entered into an agreement with Pol- lock to present the play. He states that "The Fool" was a successful play, that It payed the defendants more than 11.000.000 and that mo- tion picture rights yielded them 9150,000. Waxman asked for an In- junction restraining them from fur- ther presentation of the play on the stage or In plctnresi Louis Mann, the actoAwno walked out of "Mllgrim's Protreas" at the end of the perfornaance a week ago„ was served with a sumohoas and the' papers in «n action for a $100^09 damage suit. Hills-Strauss, Inc.. producers of the play, Is the plalrx- tflflt. alleging breach of contract. Ac- cording to Strauss, Manit'refused to go on after Saturday night because the box offlce would not honor paaaea which Kann bad Issued in bis own name. The plans for four new theatres to be built on Fiftieth and Flfty- llrst streetsk where the Seventh ave- nue car barn now stands, have been completed. Blng & Bljtg, Inc., will bolld the theatres, which will cost ^bout 1437,500 each. of the Patchogue theatre, struck another car which was standing at the side of Merrick road near Oak- dale. Bernsteln'e neck was broken. Glynn was not hurt. They were on their way from Patchogue to Baby- lon, Long Island, to attend the open- ing of a new theatre there. MlsB Beatrice Llllle, revue actress, became Lady Peel by the death of her father-in-law. Sir Rol>ert Peel, Bart. The new baroBett.Klu LlUle'* taaalMuid. la a ravue manager, now Ui Australia. Mian LIlUe ia In Chi- cago in "Chariot's Revue" and win rietum to London wtth the company. District Attorney Banton will take steps to suppress "The Good Bad Woman" at the Comedy the- atre if the play Is the same as the manuscript which he read. He said he would not stand for anything but the withdrawal of the play If Its lines and actions coincide with the script. After a conference with Commissioner Enright Mr. Banton said: "When I conler with Mr. Brady I will tell him that in my opinion there Is no ellelon or alteration In thfe dialog or acting that can make the play In question morally fit. I say that, having read the manu- script of the play." Mr. Banton showed a telegram from Mr. Brady, who denied refus- ing to change the text of- the play. Mr. Banton's attention was drawn to the play when Helen MacKellar announced her Intention to leave the cast because of the objectionable lines she had to speak. The benefit performance of "The Grab Bag" at the Globe Monday for the benefit of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine yielded (3,485. A report from Los Angeles states that Lou Tellegen Is married, but no one knows who the bride is. Pola Negri and Patsy Ruth Miller have denied participation. It Is reported that XiOrralne NhtjL- vUle, heiress of most of the Man- vllle millions, and Jay Gould, both of the cast of "Plain Jane," are married. Miss Manvllie is the daughter of the head of the Johns- Xfanvllle Asbestos Co. Eddie Garvle, of the cast of "Hell's Bells," at Wallack's theatre, shot Clifton Self, another of the ca«t with a revolver that he did not know was loaded. Self was wounded in the arm, the bullet passing through his right arm, and, just missing Shirley Booth, Imbedded itself In the wall. The revolver that Garvie bad used since the play oi>ened had been misplaced. Garvle was arrested on a charge of viola- tion of the Sullivan law and taken to the West 80th street Ht.^tlon. He wae later released on |500 ball. Abraham Brown, 28-year-old coal salesman, was held In the West Side Court on a charge made by Mrs. Theima TauSf, former chorus girl. Mr* Tauff testified that Brown ap- proached her soon after her hus- band left her In a restaurant at 3:30 a. m. and told her that her hus- band was waiting for her In Brown's room upstairs. On entering the room she was forced to fight Brown, and six hours later she was able to get by him to the hall so she could telephone for the police. Brown denied the charge and said Mrs. Tauff had a "mania" that he was wealthy. He said that she canae to his door and oCFered him a drink. When he refused her request for money she threatened to call the police, which he dared her to do. He will iiroduce his housekeeper, who admitted Mrs. Tauff Into the house. Frances Marlon Thomson, scenario writer and wife of I-Yed C. Thomp- son, former world's champion all- around athlete, Is going In heavily for Hollywood real estate. She recently consummated two leases which call for an aggregate rental of 11,344,750, and the erection of two buildings to cost 9225,000. CHICAGO Chicago, Feb. 17. Cecil B. de Mille, who recently resigned as director general of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation t« ally himself with the new 910,- 000,900 Clneoia Corporation of America, came to Chicago Saturday to attend a conference of the Pro- ducers' Distributing Corporation. Upon his arrival he gave out inter- views In which he declared the new alliance would "change the enilr«> situation into one of open competi- tion." Frank A. Gaszolu and Thomas H. Hanks, managing directors of the Studetnker, sailed from New York Saturday on the Toloa for a three weeks' stopover 4rlp In the West Indies. John Bernaro is acting manager for "The Dream Girl" en- gagement Attendance at the "Chariot's Re- vue" was reported to have been stimulated by the publicity given Beatrice Llllle, when the latter upon the death of her father-in-law. Sir Robert Peel, became "Lady Peel." Mfs. Scott Durand. wife of a Lake Forest millionaire and who recently made another fortune for herself by a little filer in wheat, has entered the motion picture field as^ backer. She announces she Is Interested In a company to be known as the "Gold Coast Pictures, Inc.," with Mae Marsh as Its star. Benjamin Levin, Indicted by the Federal authorltien with George Bentel, of the Ascot Speedway, for alleged connection In the promotion of the Oliver Morosco Holding Com- pany, gained his liberty here by the dei>osIt of 12.000 bonds. He ahio waived removal hearing. Federal agents assert the public was mllched of 92,600.000 through the exploitation of the Morosco Holding Comimny. The Indictment was returned against Levin and Bentel In New York^ Another West Coast Langley The- atre Circuit house Is to b« erected Immediately at First street and Vermont avenue, Los Augeles. The house will seat 1300. Of the 1,800 seats 63 i)er cent will be on the lower floor. Charles Dan. Collins, self-styled financier, but declared by the police to be a screen actor, was arrested on suspicion of being an embezaler. The police say that E. W. Camp, an automobile dealer, gave Coljfns 91,000 to Invest In a motion picture eoterprise and that Collins had the stock put In his own name and collected the dividend. Collins' wife, police say, is an Oklahoma Indian with a lurgc In- come from oil lands. An organization has been formed In Hollywood styled Friends of Music. It has 60 members and In- tends to promote the Interests of miislc In Its home city. The Motion Picture Directors' As- sociation have elected new officers (or 1925. They are: William Baudine. director; Harry L. Franklin, assist- ant director; Thomas Ricketts and Henry Otto, technical directors; Harry Shaw, secretary; Murdock MacQuarrle, treasurer. The executive council, which Is the govenlng Iwdy of the association. Includes: George L. Sargent, Thomas Ricketts, Henry MacRae. I-^rdlnand Earle, Henry Otto, Wilfred North, Edward Laemmle, Frank Cooley. Nerval MacGregor, Harry L. Frank- lin and Clarence Badger. Prince Youcca Troubelskoy. of Russia, passed through Chicago last week en route to Hollywood, where he will act for Universal. . PACIFIC COAST Los Angeles. Feb. 17. Two weeks was enough to con- vince Marie Cook, who declares she Is a former Follies girl, that she had made a mistake In marrying Donovan Lee Cook. She brought suit for annulment alleging that Cook posed as a man of means but that soon after the marriage she had to provide him with cigarettes. She charges also that*he wanted her to go to work as a cafe enter- tainer. Rupert Hughes and his bride, the former Mrs. Elizabeth Patterson Dial, are bac^: In Hollywood. They returned from a honeymoon trip to New York. Major Hughes said he will start work on a new story of his called "The Girl's Rebellion." He will continue with Goldwyn-Mayer and denied the report that another producer was seeking his services. t-. Ellen Terry, famous English actress, was Invested with the Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire by the King and Queen of England. William Bernstein, snid to be a New York theatrical man, was killed when an automobile owned and driven by Mike Qlynn, manager George Edwin Joseph. New York lawyer, has brought action here against Pauline Frederick, seeking a lien against the actress' Beverly Hills property. Joseph was given a court Judg- ment of 928,694.26 for unpaid com- missions, and now says Miss Fred- erick has transferred her property to evade this Judgment. The Los Angeles "Examiner" is announcing the life story of Jack Dempsey to be written by W. B. Seabrook. The divorce suit filed Hfy Mrs. Evelyn Kenyon against Albert G. Kenyon, scenario writer, has In- volved Rosemary Cooper, film ac- tress. In the action, brought before Judge K. Van Zante, Mrs. Kenyon amended her complaint and asked, instead of a divorce, merely separ4te maintenance. Miss Cooper, accused by the wife of being "the other woman," was In court to defend her name. She denied the charge. An Interview with Kenyon which appeared in a motion picture maga- zine and In which he advised scenario aspirants to be ready to disgrace their mothers and fathers and break all other commandments was read In court. Attorney Acret asked Kenyon If those were his sentiments and he replied: "Certainly, and I'm proud of It." Eric Von Stroheim, picture di- rector, fell from a parallel while directing scenes of "The Merry Widow," at Goldwyn-Mayer Studio, and tore several ligaments in his leg. Zane R. Southern, sentenced to life Imprisonment for the murder of R. E. Mack, theatrical agent, was denied a new trial by Superior Judge Crall. Southern alleged that Mack had had Improper relations with Mrs. Southern, who was employed by the theatrical agent as a stenog- rapher. Southern gained the sobriquet of the "cry-baby killer" by reason of his tendency to burst Into tears at frequent Intervals during his tilal. B. M. Putnam, 26, and E. O. Parks, 29, were arrested here by the police on suspicion of being Involved In a mysterious plot against Henry "Pathe" Lehrman, picture producer. The men were picked up in an auto- mobile which was identified as the same which two men escaped from •In front of Lehrman's house after holding up Larry Richardson. In reporting the holdup Richard- son told the police that two men covered him with guns and apolo- gized, saying "Beg pardon, I thought you were Lehrman." The men, Rich- ardson said, fled without making any attempt to rob him. The suspects told the i>oIlce they were riding In the machine, hot that they had been drinking considerably and had no recollections concerning their mavements. DIRF SHOWS STIR NATION (Continued from i>age 1) an investigation as to what action was being taken by the District Commissioners to prevent the pres- entation of "Improper" plays here, show business lost one cf Its great- est friends. This Is the belief of other members of the lower legis- lative body. One Congressman stated empha- tically that show business had brought this on Itself. "That the move should be made by Mr. Dal- llnger, who on every turn has shown his Interest In the theatre, both the dramatic stage and the motion pictures will give the na- tion a little insight as to the situ- ation," said the Congressman. Before delving into ' Mr. DalUn- ger's staten.ent In connection with the resolution let it be stated that It was he who, as chairman of the Committee on Eklucation. hr.s with- held all action on the now famous Upahaw' bill, which would provide for a Federal reguL tlon of the motion pictures. A censoring bill, it has been termed, in the truest sense of the 'vord. In bringln^Korth Us resolution Mr. Dalllnger cited the Boston cen- sorship board as a model, and urged that a similar board be es- tablished In the District of Colum- bia. The Congressman states that though he has not seen any of the plays which have been recently shown in the theatr«s uf the dis- trict, "It Is clearly apparent from the newspaper and magazine ac- counts, as well as from the con- versation with those who' have seen them, that they are the worst which have appeared on the Amer- ican stage for a good many years." Reformara Jubilaat Today the reformers and church workers are Jubilant. They state that '"show business was given eaough rope, with the natural re- salt that they have hung them- srtves." These reformers have re- peatedly stated that if Washing- ton^, the capital of the nation, can be brought under control the rest of the nation.win fall into line. So, far their efforts, first with censor- ship for the movies and then the Sunday closing proposition, have failed, but now the Congressman that stood firmly against such ac- tion has himself introduced the resolution. It was stated here yesterday that in the following resolution, as in- troduced by Mr. Dalllnger, some of those styled as the nation's "great- est producers" can thank them- selves for ringing the death knell of freedom for the stage, first In the capital and then In the entire nation. The resolution follows: Whereas, Plays have recently been staged In the theatres of the District of Columbia so obscene and Indecent In plot and language as to shock tlie moral sense of the community, and to cause the Just condemnation of newspapers and periodicals In other parts of the country; and Whereas, Under the Constitution the Congress has exclusive jurisdic- tion over the District of Columbia; and Whereas, It haa delegated to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia the usual powers enjoyed and exercised by municipal author- ities elsewhere In the United States; and Whereas, In the exercise of said police power the Commissioners of the District of Columbia have au- thority to prevent the exhibition of Improper plays by revoking the licenses of places of amusement; therefore, RESOLVED. That the Commis- sioners of the District of Columbia be and they ore hereby directed to inform the House of Representa- tives what steps. If any, they have taken to prevent the stlging of such Improper pla/s. , .. • ,: shows throughout the country and on Broadway in particular, In an effort to salvage the drama from official censorship, has been launched In New York City this week. A publicity yarn premeditated to Jack up the grosses of a mediocre play of the "dirt show" variety la respansible for having kl|fked up the dust and arresting of afLtentlon from public officials that may not only prove a boomerang for the at- traction Involved but may also prove a blow for several othsr strong language and "dirt" shows which had been continuing without molestation but which are now under fire with "A Good Bad Woman," the William A. Brady pro- duction starring Helen MacKeUar currently at the Comedy and which Is credited with having set off the offleial fireworks. Investigation Into the dirt show situation gained Impetus last week following a declaration credited to Miss MacKellar In which the star notified Brady that unless certain passages of dialogue and several situations were changed she would resign from the cast. The dailies went to the yam with auch display as to attract attention of District Attorney Banton, who has not only branded, the Brady production aa "filthy beyond redemption" but la also directing his attention toward four other attractions. Including the David Belasco brace, "Ladles of the Evening" and "The Harem." One angle hit upon to forestall official censorship of the stage in New York City Is the contemplated revival of the Citizen'.s Play Jury system, which came into belnc dur- ing a prevloua dirt show crusade but which has practically lain dormapt since Inception. Under the plan a panel of 300 Jurors qualified to pass Judgment upon what is and what is not objectionable In t'..e theatre, would be drawn upon to hear charges against objectionable attractions with an understanding from all aidea that the verdict qC this Jury would b« finaL It would also differentiate from our present Jury aystem In that majority iii> atead ^f aolidlty would rule. Under prevloua plana the Jury was to have been under the super- vision of the Commiaaloner of LI* censes. In the present arrange- menta it la generally believed that this power should be vested in tha Police Department, inasmuch aa it was Its province to keep the drama within the law and to investigate complaints of indecency. Mr. Banton, Police Commissioner Enrlgh^ Commissioner of Llcensea Qulgley and several aides from Banton's office met yesterday to outline plans of procedure and have called another meeting for later la the week when a full outline of their campaign will be disclosed. Helen MacKellar, who had threat- ened to withdraw from "A Good Bad Woman" this week, remained after certain lines and situations were toned to her satisfaction, fig- uring that the play would be of- ficially closed before the week la out. The Actors' Equity Association has also pledged Its whole-hearted 8upi>ort to District Attorney Banton In curbing the growth of "dirt shows," both In New York and on the road. In pled^ng Its support. Equity has called attention to a spe- cial clause in all Equity contracts giving the performer engaged the privilege of abrogating their obliga- tions when a show Is branded suf- ficiently Immoral to attract official attention. Meanwhile the current dirt showa are reaping a harvest through the sensational publicity given the move to curtail them. New York, Feb. 17. A nationwide campaign to purge the stage of immoral and obacena Cincinnati, Feb. 17. Mayor George P. Carrel explain^ that the secret censorship commit- tee for plays, which he proposed and probably has appointed, "Is an ex- periment by the city and has not been created as a permanent board." The mayor thus qualified the re- cent announcement of the appoliA- ment of a committee of nine, to (Continued on page 55} .^^