Variety (June 1925)

.i '^VARiBrry •I VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, June 3, WtS mmm salary deduction ON FLASH Aa GETTING $258 t^ Example of Independent Vauderille and How "^t Handles AcU—^Management Claims Intufficieikt Number of People in Turn ' *^l>« Dancloff sn«inenta," an ''. •Igtat-people dancing fUsh, prodqoM I br ArUiur. H. Dalton. dtebaiided » After i^yin» the Crescent. .'.Perth V Ainhoy.^ N. J., last week, yrhpn Jerry •; ^uchbtnder, manager, deducted pne- >^ «i(rhth of the etlpukted BaUiry for :^'What he alle8*ee was an Incomplete ^ act with <only seven Instead Of eight 'i.ipeople, for which-the contract-called. Fi« • DaMon' made good' the deflcieiHcy to the dancers and shelved the act ^ ta disgust, datming there were Ifoo many headadies connected wtth at- temptinsr to produce flashes for the ''-« ridiculous salaries offered on the ' Independent time. The disbanded ,' act had been unable to better |]50 ,*". .^er week for eight people; and wlxeA % Buchbinder shaved that figure it ft was too much for Daltoa. V Dalton elafana be is going t« ftle . complaint against Buchbinder and f ■ -Jack Linder, who books the house, I with the Vaudeville Managers' Pro- ;.. tectlve Association. ,|t' Ijfaider and Buchbinder claim they \ will welcome arbitration. Also., tl^lt ~: the deduction'waa legitimate in that the act appeared with but six dancers and a musical director In- . stead of seven danoers and baton "^ wielder, for which the contract V called. After the matinee. Buch- 's binder went back stage to Investi- gate as to the act being one per- former short and there met Dalton. '. who represented himself as the ';' eighth player, according tq Bbeb' i'' binder,'clahnlag to be the mananger. : Buchbinder cMlmed he needed ino LOEW'S AFTER "NAMES" The Ijoew Circuit is protecting fts S9u)lt«|)m ti&ie py lining up »e^ k^ this early date and booking: ahe id tintil next Decetfiber. , •jThe cbijkpgp Is «aid to haye' l^n precipitated through experiences enqountered last season, l The Loew Circuit is also going ^li heavier for "names" next season than In previous years and has iki.* structed Its franchise agents |to hustle mainly for names and s^rf fire oonledy acts. When the right material is ofTere*! tha circuit ia signing it immediately although soma of the iKwkinga do not begin uatU. late la July. ;of August. . ... : n . := . Miisic^ tabs ix>ok Qoo4: As Summer Substitute Musical t«ba ^nicl' nave largely supplanted reguladcn vaudeville in the out-of-town small time inde- pendent houses have been gvtUng a real break lately through the clos.- ing of burlesQue houses for the sea- son. It has given the survivors a monopoly on the glrl-and-music line of entertainment in their respective { towns. ^be tabs have already demon- strateij their drawing power in sev- eral stands and may become a r I '7ARIETr ADVERIBING ' • By PAUL WHITEMAN i . 4-lJJ lfPR|$ PETROFF («AULfi[T MASTER) '• ' and DOROTHY BERKE (PREMIER BALLERINA) Cotnblning work with pleasure at the largest dancing claas In the country. ' Clieh's Gardens, Denver ' Thanks to Messrs. Balaban & Katz and FRANK CAMBRIA foe re.-engaging ua (or naxt season. managers aroand, and therefore i permanent feature in these houses would make tho deduction. ^r at least until the novelty passes Both Under and Buchbinder were off. ^ i, !«„ expensive than the surprised to learn that Dalton had | vaudeville inajiimuch as the Ubs are contemplated V. M. P. A. action. Linder claims the same act play«d the same botise for him about a'ytor ago and had shown up with sevaral dancers shorL, Reductions were made, and there was bo squawk about it. . Buchbinder claimed that when ., first, apj>roacbed, Dalton represented himself as a carpenter with the act, but when catied upon to show a union card admitted that ho was the manager. Pro Rata Reduction Linder also claims that the re- duction is in accord with hla con- tracts, which call for a pro rata reduction when a turn show's up with less than the stipulated num- ber of players or cancellation at discretion of the house manager. Too much cheating on the part of flash producers had prompted him and other independent.producers to insert the deduction clause. Linder ■ said. He also claimed to hav6 played the act at the Opera House, New Brunswick, N. J., the previous week and reviewed it with seven dancers and musical director on that show- ing and had boohed it.(Ui ^ tor the Perth Ambby house. *^ - Buchbinder. mindful of his previ- ous experience, anticipated cheating and when one dancer was short in* vestlgated and deducted on a I>ro rata basis. VERA QOBDOK'S WSV FLAYLET Vera Gordon will continue in vaudeville next season with a new playlet. "The Surprise Happens," by Mary Bourn. « ' J'our ethers will appear in her fiupport. Brennan and Rogers In "A. A M.*^ Engaged for the new "Artists and Modela" show, Brennan and Rogers have cancelled their London con- tract. ■ ' ■ They w«re to have sailed this week to open. booked dil-ect #ith the bouses on a percentage basis with owners only having to hold the bag for the regu- lar overhead. Films are generally used in Conjunction with the girl shows, the latter running one hour and a half usually allotted to a six- act vaudeville bill. The tab pro- ducera,are equipped with an attrac- tive Une of paper for bllHag )t>ur- poses and also share on newspaper advertising after the fashion of a legit traveling attraction. Bookers, who had refused ' to bother with the tabs whan the vogue for the musicals ushered in several months ago In a small way are now lamenting it Only one in- dependent booker saw a continued vogUe for this sort of entertainment and is currently the only one hav- ing a' number on his books. This has protected his houses for him. He will be drawing bis regulation commission during the summer. BEMiSTEiN'S TIP Publicity Bureau '^aehlngton, June %. 'When Congress some years ago appointed a committee to light the ^me of the capitol from the ex- tarlor, this committee went to the show business for its effects and via tho hidden spots, etc., there wais created a lighting effect on the dome that sets all the tourisU talk- ing. Now Congress is being introduced to another phase of the show busi- ness. This tlnie 'tis a publicity bu- reau, . one such being opened last week with its chief function b«tng to keep the constituents back home advised of their respective repre- sentative's activities. This press service is stated not to be a government-sponsored af- fair, although from good sources it Is learned that a Urge group of Congressmen, are backing It. It is located jiear one of the entrances to the .Hou»e Office Building. Returning to New Tork from the Kentucky Derby and in a stateroom were Billy HanleV and Earl Bands. Bill some years ago was an entertainer at dhanley's while he was studying law. Now he's the county judge of Hudson county (Jersey City). Into the stateroom came Freeman Bernstein, who uM to Sande: "Didn't you tee me waving to you from' the grand stand?" After passing around the cigar* Freeman looked at Bill, saying, "I know you." "You ought to," answered Bill, "you have seen me enough." "1 sure do now that I re- member; you were doing a blackface single and I booked yon over tha Sullivan-Const- dine time." "Nope." said Bill, "I never appeared in vaudevilla." "Oh, yea, I remember." con- tinued Freeman, "you were in the White Houiie when I used to call on. Joe Tumulty." "Nope, wrong again," said Bill, "but I satf you with a fel - low on •Variety.' "What's your business?" asked Freeman. 'I'm a lawyer," answered the Judge. "Come on' outside, I want to talk to you," and Freeman leA the Judge outside. Some weeks ago Variety printed a story about Freeman Bernstein, in which it was stated that he had been wising up lawyers to sue Variety, in order to make the. paper settle before trial, when he could split with the lawyer and neither have much to work at or worry oiber. It must have given Freeman tha Idea, for this Is tha exact account as Judge Hanley told it Monday: "Here's a pro|>ositIon," said Freeman. "Tou don't know ittki paper, hut I do. and we can titst some money Ait of it. It has slandered me, libeled me, called m^ everything, and I'm going after it. if you want to. We will split. "I<et's sue it. Tou do the work, and 111 steer, because I know those guys and I'm tell- ing you this Is a pipe." The Judge told Freeman he would think it over, but it was three hours later before the Jockey and the Judge could ease Freeman out of the room. I advertUe In Variety for Just one reason: I know It will reach everybody who , 1* anybody in the show business- otar her* and aver there. I know that Ziegfeld ahd Dillingham and thejiroducing maa- agers read it reIlglou«;y. I know it reaches every Important vaudeville and picture manager '.n addition to the legit, cafe, concert and ballroom executives. ..... What struck we very lorcUaly when 1 was in London wks the man- ner in which it is received by t<ie LoDdea manae(%|^ IVs a weekly eyex^t with them' knd they wait fbr Variety with eitraordlnary delight. This, to me. Is exceptionally note- worthy considering the home trade j^pers published in London. like "The Stage," "Refei'ie." "Bncore." etc. , There isn't a place in the Unltiid States that Variety isn't encoun" tered in spots worth while. On ihy recent concert tour, particularly,: is the local manager who buys his at-J 'traction individually an Impo, :jint factor. And it Is here where this flict "becomes most impressive be^- c&Qse they, unlike the vaudeville ahd legit circuits, are not centraUy booked. < This applies even more so af re^ gards the picture managers who look to Variety as' a central source. of information, especially as regards new atXractiona. Variety's advertisements are ad- vance agent's tor available <icts. I know that anytime I use Variety forthcoming. Some exceptionally "sweet" otlvrm hava reached me frook the picture houses as a result and! I Will aeoAVt «6S>«( this summer. "Qood Will" Advertiaing i am not egotiatloal In stating that more often th«n not I am not in need of any engagements for man; months to come but Variety to mi represents itself as an exceedingl; worthy medium for "good will" pub licity. "Good will" is something rather Abstract. I cannot define it as beint worth tfty hinch and sb tmich to iiie, just as weiie the case it I se cured bookings dh the strength of ihy advertising; But tt is a very tdngible asset to show paopUB in general and to tdt, hidWIdually. The anniversary covers- in Va- riety, taken by mM for two consecu- llv* years, for-Inatance. personify my idea of a'"good wIM" csphtlta- tion medium. Bach year I have given the Whltemart orchestra pob- llcity on Variety'* front cover 'a-hd hope to continue this year again as my annual expression of the saa-^ hoh's greetings. ' Aside from thO professlclnal worthiness of Variety for helt>cx- ploitation, all of which has long been conceded. It' sarprises me to what extent the old n>lblc" reaehea ■ the lay crowi^.. In many restaurants throughout tha south and west. Va- riety is featured on the racks along with the other periodicals and news- papers. Perfortners in such res- taurants are generally greeted with a copy of Variety to while away the offers for bookings are immediately time between courses. BOBBY WATSOH'S BREAK Wife Failad to f^P9*mr in .Court- Complaint Dismissed 15-Min. Marriage SpoUed By GirFs Film Ambitions ^ Syracuse, N. y., June 3. Breaking his silence since fais ill- fated marriage to Margaret Duafeeb actress. Jack Albrighter places the blame for the wreck of his romance on his girl-bride's ambition to stai; ia pictures and also on the ambi- tion of her mother. Josephine Dun- fee, "the Syracuse Jannie Lfaid." Explaining how he lost his bride IS minates after they were married, Albrighter said that he met B^iss Dunfee last spring at the horse show at St. John's MlliUry Acad- emy, Manllui>, N, Y. They were soon engaged. Mari« Saxon ("My Girl") to Sidna "On her 18th birthday we went tp Silverman (Variety) in New Tork Fulton and tried to gatf a license, I oity May ai. but ^s neither of us lived there, we | Jeremiah J. JUvey. Jr. orchestnf^ Bobby Wataoa ('Koescher) got a real break Monday «rhen his wife. Mrs. Rose Kuescher, failed to show up in court before Justice O'Malley for the trial tK their separation ac- tion. As a result, her complaint was disiAissed by default and WaUon's obligations to pay $40 weekly ali- mony automatically stops. MABBUGES faUed." Albrighter sUted *^e came back to Syracus^, finally secured a license and were married at the home of Bernard O. Clausen. Just as the ceremony was ending. Mrs. Dunfee telephoned and demanded to know if we were mar- ried. *Ba^ told her we ware and that we Would be right over to tell her all about it We drove to the home but 'Babe' said she wanted to see her parents alone first and went in. I went to a friend's house and waited. Later Mrs. Dunfee phoned, asking -ne if I har any objections to being married by a priest at a second ceremony. I consented uid we were married again at St. Lucy's Church. ( * "Than the mother took 'Babo* to Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia and NeW York. "Whan they returned her father (Joe Dunfea) arranged for an*a{>- pointment and both parents insisted upon a divorce, saying that 'Babe' had passed Universal's screen tests and was likely te get a two-year contract in pictures and shOBld be free for that time at least. I told them that if it would advance 'Babe' I was willing to drop out, but that later if she wants to come back to me I'll marry her again. "I am going to locate in Penn- sylvania and sue for divorce on the grounds of desertion:" ■vt AND THT'KVX DABClrtEH ANTOINETTE CURTIS MUting •inoe May 20,1925 Anybody knowinjj whereskoOte, pleas^ communicate with hesrt- broken father. JQSE^f H CURTIS , 27^0tebSl4^ew York Citfv phonC aies dbtdock Bevy from California A bevy of California giris, billed as California's "All-OIrl Ensemble," is coming east, with at least one or two stage appearances here likely. These girls, headed by Agnes Cain Brown, coloratura soprano, were said to have been picked as the most attractive of 2,000 girls in Los Angeles by the (Zniamber of Com- merce of that city, i The girls'are playing vaudeville •hdtff*A.' ■ ' ' ' ' Hampton's Hie^t Collapse The first reported casualty Innhe show business due to the heat wave ii 1 Monday was-the collapse of Henry Hampton, V teran vaudevllllan, who became prostrated after leaving his agent's office in the Gaiety Theatre Building, and was removed to his' home. " Hampton recently playlngindepcn- dent dates, was to have pmyed the first half at the Woodrow, Brook- lyn, N. Y., but was" compelled to cancel with Fisher and Connors bridging the gnp at the Broi'^Jyn leader in (Thioopse, Mass., to Anna Ruth (Sahan ot Holyoke. James Grady, vaude actor' i and Miss Anna (Catherine Dooley. pon- professional af Mt. Garmal, . Pa., were marriad May 2< at Boston* Mass. " ' • ^ '^ Winona Winter to Norman Sper^ Jr. at Mexican, (Mexico) March 27. Wlllard R. Lowry and AUoa C Lawson, stock players, were married at St. John, N.. B, last week. Both had been appearing there in stock. Margaret McLaughlin to Raymond Arthur Turpen, June 18, at Pitts- burgh. The iMTlda's father.. 1«. C., McLaughlin, te one of the besti ktaown vanderille agents in Pittas] burgh. . ,' — » / .JOINT SindtER TVHHit 1 Plans are balQg made for a bi^ Joint summer plenlo by tha N. V. A. and Theatrical press Representa* tives. '.I 'i This affahr if set will be heM the latter part of July or in' early August, with tickets likely )to be sold at so much j>er. The T. P. R. discussed the matter favorably at a recent meeting, but took no definite action. "GmGHAM 6IEL" BACK TO ACT The vaudeville sketch. "A ^uin of Affairs," by Danny Kuse}!., from Which wa# Ukeh the legit bit. "The Gingham Qirl." la to be produced again, tbis tioM by Lewiis 'ft Gordon and with the latter title used. Chester Clute will play the role created by Bddie BuaceH. Tb«'>uP- porting. eaat -uolda., Ave, tuqt yot^ o^iosen. ■ J , • -'it ' >'.'i ••i.i'i*'' • 5 'EOGERS' COHCE|lT CONTKACT Will -Rogers* contract ^'th c;hdrl<M U Wagner for the Rogers cbh'cert tour Wa« to' have b*en signed this *re*lt. '^ If signed the contfa^t .'will ca" for Rogers to receive $l.i<» for ench concert. ' ' ' " ''