Variety (March 1925)

Wednesday. Match 11.1925 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY CONVENTION OF COLORED AQORS ' AT WASHINGTON MARCH 18 \<.r I Improvement on Colored Circuit Purpose—^Two-Day Meeting—Intention to Publish Colored Theatrical Paper —S. H. Dudley Directing Meeting Washington, March 10. Wednraday, March 18, has b«en •et for the opening of the conven- tion of the National Colored Actors' Union here in the Dudley theatre building. The local colored theatre •wnera and managers are to act a.<? ^ hosts, with the purposes cf the meeting defined, aiming to improve I Qie conditions on colored circuits. b Which Improvement Is character- t Ised AS imr-erntlve. It is also stated that If the colored circuits are to be ■Uiintained. due to the demand for colored acts, that the organlratlon I BBUSt be tightened up, or there will be "no more colored circuits." S. H. Dud;ey, who controls the I eolored theatre situation here with '' an estimated colored population in excess of 150,600 to draw from. Is tp handle the convention. It will run for two days^. He stated about 21 theatre owners and bookers are expected, including the president and general manager of the T. O. BKA. During the convention it is planned to launch the Brst colored Uieatrical journal. This is to be a monthly and will be known as the "Actors' Union News," with offices here. Dudley is to be the business ouinaser and editor. .This is the second colored con- vention to be held in Washington. About a year ago the colored fair owners ot the country held such a meeting, attracting considerable at- tention. It is r«f^rt«d to have re- sulted in many iioprovementa In the colored falra and colored carnivals throughout the country, principally l: in the Southern States. DISPUTE KEEPS YHLSON OUT OF TORONTO Loew's and Pantages Claimed Him for That City—Agree- ment Reached RALPH WHITEHEAD In "BIG POy at the Winter Gar- den, New Tork. » Al Jolson is aUo in it i QNZBURG'S NKHT JOB (Continued from page 5) to their seata and Sir Jos. was al- lowed to leave throai* the cellar. Got Willie Howard Set Sir Joseph wishes it called to the atteatioa ot the profession that when Willie Howard is confined to the theatre that somehow every- thing goes wrong with Sir Joseph Oinxsburg. Sir Joe wants to make the positive statement that sines he last wofked in 1911. he has been almost continuou.sly with Mr. How- ard, that he saw Willie open In "Sky High." and. after being as- sured Willie was set for the re- mainder of the season. Sir Joseph satisfled over Willie's future, lis- tened to the call of the benefit Mrent and returned to work him- self. Sir Jos. regrets that through Perth Amboy having no daily newspaper ot its own, he is unable to verify his statements, as no re- view of the show was printed, bu: he says there was a cop near tha ferry as he left and he can bring In the policeman as his witness. Sir Jos. relates the following conversation with the officer: Cop—"Are you the guy that ■Ur(ed the riot in the theatre?" 1^ Sir J.—"I'm Sir Joseph Ginsburg. uie world's greatest entertainer, • and friend of Willie Howard in ^^ "Sky High' at the Shubert theatre. New York, indef." Sir Joseph claims that through the policeman making it official I there nad been a riot in the theatre where he appeared, that the stories actuated by professional jealousy among the other acts should not be seriously accepted. Sir Joseph remarked he had or- dered the flre-axe cut down to medal size and shortly expects lo add it to his dress coat collection Sir Jos. wants it niade known that he alleges John McCormaclt. Jf- has (opped his semi-pathctl • rtecltation entitled, "The Sidewalk? i of New York Were Never Mean for Mo." In repilsal. Mr. MtCor- mack asserts he has flr.st hand knowledge that Sir Jos. has been singing the new McCormack sonj; . named "I Was Struck on the Head When Too Young to Remciribei-." ^ , I' A booking controversy over the services of Jack Wilson has re- sulted in the Loew and Pantages Circuits agreeing not to play the Wilson act in Toronto. Wilson while on the Loew Cir- cuit last season accepted a Pantages route. He had previousl.v agreed to play Toronto for the Loew Circuit, date for Jan. 5. Loew'6 set the booking back one week after a change in its route occurred when Loew's took over two split week houses in Chicago. Wilson pleaded Illness when notified to play Toronto for Loew. The Pan route also included Toronto. ^th local houses ad- vertised the blackface comedian as positively appearing exclusively Tor each. After his plea of illness the Loew people laM a complaint before the VaudevUte Managers Protective Association, alleging they had Wii- aoa booked and would insist upon him playing Loew's, Toronto, t>«- fore appearing at the Pantages booked houses. . After a long wrangle it was finally agreed Wilson would con- tinue his Pantages route, but wiU not play Toronto in opposition to the Loew bouse. McCORMACK, JR., IN COAST-TO^AST TOUR RADIO AGENTS (Continued from i>age 1) lancey; Orient, Jersey City; Hughes and Pantheon. The Bronx; Lefferts, Brooklyn; Strand. RockviUe Cen- tre, L. I.; Tork. Bronx, and others Still more are tailing in line. Stem and Green, the Utter Will Green, formerly In Nick Schenck's office in Loew's Inc., and also Harry Green , former studio technician of WHN, are so confident that there is a public demand for their shows of radio artisCB that they proceed on a novel booking theory. They put in a show in a manager's house gra,tl8 and after the performance ask the manager hov much money above the usual it brought into his t>ox-office and agree to accept whatever the management deems the added attraction worth. From then an arrangement for a once- weekly booking is entered into. Because of the Green brothers' close association with the WHN (Loew's) radio station, their knowl- edge of radio as a popular attrac- tion Inspired them to ureate this new form ot theatrice.l booking. The artists who broadcast regu- larly, primarily for publicity pur- poses, thus find themselves attract- ing remunerative attention. On a larger scale stellar artists like Roxy's Gang, N. T. G. (Gran- lund), Jimmy Clark' Kntertalners and others have been making per- sonal appearances, but the Stern and dreen combination Is the first serious attempt to route the aver- age radio entertainer and make ra- dio a box-office attraction aimed directly as dyed-In-the-wool radio fans who are beat acquainted with the names billed as the extrn at- tractions. CLARIDGE SALE (Coi)tinueii Umn i>age 1> posed of sometime ago. Ooldir Is also known in financial circle.'^. The price paid Arli.igton for hi.s Clar- Idge lease was 121.1.000. In steppinf, out of the Ciuridge. .\rlington scoured the Colonial, a sort of rr.iidenlliil hotel nt 81st street and Columl^'is avenue. Ho still ronlrols th - llotol Itichmond and the San Itacfol hotel. Arllnctun is nt present in Mia nl f»'-. *. Fn^ ......,.; —■ Regluar Actor and Salesman on Side—Wore Out His Samples John McCormack, Jr., in a letter to Billy Hawthorne, the agent, who occasionally finds employment for the unkiue radio entertainer at clubs and private parties, delilHfv- ately takes a slap at Sir Joseph Ginsburg. In the following letter written to Hawinorno by McCor- mack, the entertainer brags of his fourth independent vaudeville tour and the contracU for five nights' booking In Jersey City that he holds. Mr. McCormack acts as a sales- man on the side. McCormack was representing a shoo company for a time and was wont to carry a sam- ple pair of shoes around for pros- pective orders until the tenor got tired and wore them. The letter to Mr. Hawthorne speaks for itself: Dear Friend Billy: I am sending you the followii^g write-up which kindly have in- serted In Variety for me titled, "Hitting ^wo Birds With One Stone." Following In Jimmy Clark's footsteps, I am leaving Broad- way, New York, for my fourth independent vaudeville tour, this time on the strengtth of my for- mer radio broadcasting over Sta- tion WHN. I already hold con- tracts for five nights' booking with option of a hold-over In two Jersey City hideaways and two other theatres in Jersey City, contracts pending. I am booked at a substantial salary for five nights. If I show Ginsberg these contracts he would drop dead. I am also carrying along four different selling lines, rep- resenting the following four firms thereby "hitting two birds with one stone" (see title of write-up). (The names of firms followed). What do you think of me be- ing an actor and salesman both? My independent tour will extend to the Pacific coast and may be bask. I am also enclosing one of my latest handbills. I .-m my own advance agent. My first engagement that be- gins in Jersey City was booked two weeks ahead as the man- ager of these houses Is billing me heavily at his own expense, pay- ing me a substantial salary for the five nights he booked me for, with contracts pending for the following week also, according to how I draw. My name is the magnet as the public figures I am related to John McCorm.'-ck, Sr. "aORIFYING A CRIMINAL" OUT, SAYS PRISON PAROLE BOARD Anthony Russell Stopped from Playing Present Sketch, Written Around His Prison Life— Paroled After Conviction for Murder COMMISSION SUIT OVER HOUSE ORPHEUM LOST Al Lichtman Suing for $50,- 000 in One Action— $25,000 in Another St. Loui!>. March 1«. Two damage sultj. Involving $75,- 000, filed in Circuit Court here last week by Al L. Lichtman. against Harry B. Kopar. 6596 Pershing avenue, revealed that negotiations have been jnder way for a lease of the new St, Louis theatre, under construction at Grand boulevard and Morgan street, by the Orpheum Circuit. Lichtman alleges he was em- ployed by Koplar to negotiate be- tween the Orpheum Circuit and the Metropolitan Theatre corporation, which is building the new play- house. In one suit, Lichtman asks ISO,- 000 damages, alleging that October lu^'t he was employed by Koplur and the Metropolitan company to conduct negotiations with the Or- pheum Circuit. He was Instructed, ho Indi- cated in his petition, to lease the theatre for a rental of 1100,000 a year for 10 years and 50 per cent, of the net profits realized as addi- tional rental. Lichtman avers he negotiated with Orpheum and obtained the lease. Koplar and the Metropoli- tan company refused to pay his bill for 160,000 for his services. In the other suit, against Koplar individually, Lichtman asks $25,000 for obtaining a purchaKcr of the defendant's interest in the Metro- politan Amusement Company, which amounted to half the capital stock. He was employed by Koplar on Oct. 15, 1924, he says, to find a buyer for this stock, whlcn he was willing to sell for 1400,000. At the time, Lichtman alleges, Koplar agreed to pay him $25,000 for obtaining the purchaser. The price of the slock, according to the petition, was later reduced ,by Koplar to $360,000 and Lichtman found a buyer, only to have Koplar refuse to agree to the purchase. The St. Louis theatre Is sched- uled to open In July. If the ne- gotiations with the Orpheum Cir- cuit are completed. It will probably play Junior Orpheum acts, and the Rlalto theatre. Grand boulevard and Olive street, first-run films. When Sir Jos. *Glnsburg called at Variety's office this week he was Informed that Variety had received a proposition from John McCor- mack, Jr.. for any Variety reporter who could write to become his press .ifrent. Mr. McCormack was advised ho would have to qualify his offpr to any Variety man who thinks he cm write. Mr. McCormack thought that over overnight and next day assented, hut adding a ctnidltlon that If he eti- iii\'^f:i the. ypriety ,rcj)prtcr, Vuritiy Bie TIMERS WITH LOEW'S Butler and Parker. Matthews and Myers, Radio Franks and Smith and Sawyer have been routed for the balance of this season by ths Loew Circuit. Mandell & Rose handled the bookings. would have to agree not to again print the name of Sir Jos. Olnzburg. Sir. Jos. upon hearing ot this pro- posal, didn't get excited-much. When landing on his feet again, Sir Jos. Implored the Variety man not to believe Mr. McCormack and if the Variety man did believe, he (Sir Jos.) knew positively that Mr. Mc- Cormack was broke. However, in view of the above letter and McCormack with five days in New Jersey all sewed up. It looks as though Sir Jos', rival Is in line for some coin, besides which .Mr. McCormack Is saving a consid- erable sum weekly by being his own advance agent. As between the rivals just now it does seem as touglk Variety wlU it does seem as though Variety will less Sir Jos. goes to work, too. A week will be given both of the trrrifiers to make bids for Variety's i)ul>liclty, but with Variety also entering a condition- that each ]uu!4t.do U aL Joue UikUims. Anthony Russell, former vaude- ville actor, recently released from the New Jersey State Prison «it Trenton, after having served 1$ years of a life sentence, has l>eea ccmi)clled to shelve his proposed sketch, 'The Man Within," said ♦• incori>orate his prison experiences, through an action of the New Jer« scy Parole Ooniniission upon grounds that an attempt to capital- ise his penal servitude is a viola* tion of parole. I>ue to the untiring etTorts oC friend* in the profession, Russell was liberated three months ago and placed on parole for seven year% covering the minimum period of the 20-year to life sentence he drew in 1912, after having pleaded guilty to murder In the second degree. Upon liberation Russell returned to New Tork and former professional ac- quaintances financei him for a comelmck in vaud-vllle. Russsll Wrot« Act Russell had vrrltten an act cov- ering his prison experiences and had played a few Independent dates unmolested. He played a Jersey stand recently and the prers agent of the house In capitalising upon ex-convict's appearance, got the enough space to bring the matter to the attention of the Parole Board, which summoned Russell and In- formed him that he would have -o discard his present act upon grounds that It glorified a criminal and was a flagrant .violation of pa- role cofidltions. Russell retained Attorney Ray- mond J. Riley, of 120 Broadway, who appeared t>efore the commis- sion and questioned Its right to In- terfere with his client's earning a living through the ^nly profession lie knows, with the parole authori- ties assenting to his appearance in vaudevlUe, but not with his present sketch. Ulley's appearance In the matter was entirely friendly an! mt'rely as a test case, the attouicy appredating the unlimited latitude of the parole board and not wlKhii.g to Jfo))ardlze the liberty of his client. In Sena and Dane* Turn Prior to his conviction Russell had done an act with Nina Byron, a song and dance turn. RuskcII and his partner were to have been married within two weeks of the time that he encountered dlfltcultles resulting in the prison sentence. The team had been playing a theatre In New .Jersey, and out of friendliness to a local organization volunteered to lead the march at a neighbor- hood ball. During the evening Michael Devlin, reputed as a Jersey gangster, attempted to bulldoze Miss Byron. At the conclusion of the affair Russell and Dovlln en- tered Into a healed argument, which resulted in the shooting of Devlin, for which KuBsell was sentenced. Russell bears the unique record of being probably the first actor whose profession has come within the dictates of a prison i>aroIe com- mission. The actor has agreed to obey the mandates ot tl^e commis- sion and will scrap hU act, possibly to return In ths near future with a new vehicle. KEENET AHD ALHAMBIA Frank Keeney is negotiating with the Lotw interests for the pur- chase of the Alhambra, Brooklyn, which, if consummated, will give Keeney four houses In that borough. Victory, K. C., Coming Down Kansas City. March 1$. The Victorr theatre, one of the popular priced houses on Itth sUeet, is to be torn down this spring, to maks way for a modern business building. Horwitz Enlarges Olficeo Chicago, March 10. Arthur Horwltz has found busi- ness so flourishing here that It was necessary for him to enUrge hU of- fice, llorwits was recently reln- stafpd as a Loew a«ent, although hooking out of ChLt'.ro. liOW Wefct, 11« uwiOvUUid with-kini. :'•■■•: