Variety (August 1925)

Wednesday, August 18. 198S VAUDEVILLE VARIETY LARGE NUMBER OF TEAMS SPLIT OVER SUMMER Comedians' Ego, Brought On by Comedy Demand Blamed for Break Up* Thia aummer haa seen more dis- MMutloni among vaudeville partners, •specially male teams, than in any 4MISOB agents can remember. Most of the splits are said to have h**n precipitated through come- tfians Insisting upon the lion's share Of the salary and figuring that at beat the straight was not worth tAf than two-flfths of the stipu- latsd salary, despite a previous agreement on an equal split. In (ew cases such action la un- justified for some of the straight men thualy released have made new alliances and are doing compara- tively well while some of the comics' have i>oen trying out new straight men weekly with little success. .. * The chestiness of the comics Is I said to have been prompted b<the I liaavy demand for comedy material i Ml alt circuits. Des Moines Passes Up 'Charieston* in a Hurry Des Moines. la.. Aug. 11. The "Charleston" has oome and gone so far as this town is concerned. Finally arriving here from the Blast, tiM new dance step shook this metropolis to Its very* foundation, but It also shook up H. L. Brooten, super- visor of iHiblic dance balls, who came, saw and conquered. Henceforth anyone who tries to "Charleston" oii a public dance floor Is to be ejected, ac- cording to the supervisor, who styled this ode to rhythm as "indecent." HORRIS' NEW PARTNER; FLO CAMPBEU. OUT , -4 f i-T- standard Vauddtille Team 9nd Married, Profession- m. f ally Separated -r :t: Chicago, Aug. 11. Morris and Campbell as a stand- ' ard vaudeville team Just now are kwt a bit of the past. Joe Morris Cm Beth Miller for his new sUge mate with Flo Campbell not re- ported. Other than the professional dis- ruption there is rumored pending er about to be started a legal ac- tion that may tear apart the pair maritally. Rumors of a difference | ^ l>etween Mr. and Mrs. been about for some time. MRS.ED.LFOROS[ARrS SUTT FOR DIVOR(flN cm Echo of Alienation Suit Against Herbert Williams—Hotel Registration Chicago, Aug. 11. Suit was filed in the local courts Aug. 3 by Joan Halpln, vaudeville partner of Herbert Williams, against Edward S. Ford, her husband. The bill for divorce was filed under Miss Halptn's legal name, Adelina Her- ring Ford, and cites that she and Ford were married in Minneapolis Nov. 2, 1921, and separated May 15, 192S. Ford's address is given as the N. V. A. Club, New York. The latter sued Williams for alienation of af- fections about the time Williams' former wife and partner. Hilda Wolfus, divorced him. It Is repprtea Williams settled with Ford for M.500. Williams appeared at the Dlver- sey theatre the last half of last week. At the Rlenil Hotel, around the comer, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Williams were registered. The tele- phone operator said, "Does not an- swer." -COUNTRY CLUBS HELP •oalal Resorts Buying Talsnt from ' ... Independent Booksrs Country Club entertainments In luid near New ^ork are proving a life-Haver in a dull summer for a number of independent vaude book- ttrs. Several bookers saw the pos- sibility of such an outlet and finally Mid the Idea to the cluU folk. One booker has nine of these club* on his books which give !ireekiy shows using frOm five to feevan acts and at a far more lu- crative figure than the current sal- aries on Independent time which gives both the performers and V » bookers a great break. ^J5 I. filppodronie Will Open With Same Policy • The Hippodrome, New York, will reopen Aug. Si with the aame pol- icy as last season. The only change Will be the naming of the l>o^M.af- t•^p the different States of the tmion. The SO Hippodrome girls will once again cavort under the direction of Alan K. Foster, and the same methods of augmentation and pre- sentations of acts will be adhered to. Mark Luescber will direct the destinies of the house, John Schultz and sUtr will book it, and Clinton Lake will again be the manager, liouls Bowers will be stage director. Toytand will again be a feature. Providence Gettii^r Ready For Pop. Vaude. Fight Providence, Aug. 11. Outdoor exploitation of film pro- Morris have I grams, long considered a dead Issue in this, as well as more sophisti- cated burgs, is again coming Into its own In advertising the coming of Chaplin's "Gold Rush" and Fairbanks' "Don Q" to the B, F. Albee Theatre late this month at a 76 cent top. The Albee, according to present plans, will play each of these films for two weeks prior to op«mlng the new policy of pop vaudeville which, local showmen say. will make the hardest season In years for the other two pop houses here aa well as the movie theatres, v^ To buck the opposition of the Keith pop policy. Fays and the Bmesy, the other two pop houses have been considering the advisa- bility of playing eight acts with a picture, or showing five acta, as at present, with a two-feature picture bill to appease the appetites of the fans in this double featured neck of woods. v.. «' ■•fr ATLANTIC CTTY-ING By ABEL '■,>,»' H ..V' t: ' - ; y ■V. «*. STEVE JOHNNY PREDA and PALACE in "BARTCH-A-KALUOOP^ Week Aug. 2, Palace, Chicago. Week Aug. 9, SUte I^ake, Chicago. Week Aug. 16, Palace, Milwaukee. Direotion: Marty Forkins CHICAGO STILL THE GREAT WTO Five Pro Divorces Last Week—Hazel Gerton GeU $10»000 Cafe business generally is picking up with the mid-August season on. Week-end trade is universally good and a tacit understanding al>out the "special nights" which each oafe is featuring Insures these going over to consistent capacity. An Inter- change of talent from the various places as guest attractions at whichever place is running a si>eclal evening further helps to promote good will. Benny Davis. Frisco, Tot Qualters. Eddie Cox. Loretta Mc- Dermott and Dorothy Oompert at the new Embassy Club (run by Kats, who had the Silver Slipper last year), is doing a corking trade, as is Jack Osterman. at the Beaux Arts. but the taxl-guldes, before any In- structions are Issued, baldly and boldly come out with their queries. One of them. "Qood Time Charlie^" ^tf^ a Yid brogue as thick as hla rear tires. Is a Character la that respect, At the hotels, the Oaylord-Young band is drawing brisk business tdr the Ambassador, and Irving Aaron- son's Conunanders at the Rlts-Carl- ton are also clicking. HEW ALEXAKSER OFENINO Los Angeles, Aug. 11. The Alexander, a house seating 1;B00, wiU be opened by West Coast- Langley on Sept. 6. A. M. Bowles, general manager for the Interests, announces the policy will be vaudeville and pictures, with the former supplied by W. V. M. A. three days a week. DEOPs vAimEynxE Lps Angeles, Aug. 11. West Coast Theatres concluded negotiations this week to take over the Balboa, San Diego, Cal., Includ- ing ground and building, valued at f600,000. The house had been in the hands of the Union Trust Co., as re- ceivers. The policy is to be straight pic- tures, eliminating the vaudeville us«d since its opening. Chicago, Aug. 11. All the brides with squawks against their hutkbles don't get the breaks that went to Haxel Oerson, ex- chorister, when Judge Hugo Pam gave her $10,000 of Arthur Gerson's bankroll and a further lien 6n same in the nature of a $60-a-week tribute to be paid by the husband for 100 consecutive weeks. Im- mediately on getting her freedom the wife left Chicago and went to Oakland, Cal., where she will invest in real estate. The husband made the money in Florida real estate. Edna Smith has a divorce ponding against Ural Smith, but as the latter Is- a mail carrier for Uncle Sam, Edna's alimony won't be so larga She is a oorn^tlst with a female band, and claims her husband didn't do all his stepping in uniform. Attorney L>eo Welskopft Is repre- seifting Herbert Branick, wlio does publicity wt>rk for Sells-Floto Cir- cus. The husband claims his wife, Dori|i, non-professional, had an un- restrained tendency to bite, kick and throw things. The more familiar charge of de- sertion is made by Josephine Krayer, vaudeville dancer, against Charles Louis Krayer, while Mari- ana Bropst Peroey, also a raudevlUe dancer, adds cruelty to desertion in her -bill for divorce against Or. J. Frank Percey. Night life here is as wide open as ever, if not inore so. Allegedly good beer at SO cents k openly peddled across the bar without discrimina- tion or any pretext of mailing sure of the custom. As "good" beer it Is above legal alcohol average, but of etherized quality. Mixing Is rampant and accepted as tiM usual thing. The taxi-drivers, from any time- aft«r S a.m., tak* It for granted that stag parties want to be wised up to "certain" places, some not even entertaining the sus- picion that occasionally the stags might want to be driven home. Such things as getting home before dawn h^ve been heard of in Atlantic City. On the Baardwalk .^s On the Boardwalk over the week- end: Al Jolson. Arthur Klein. Mr. and Mra Clifford Qrey, Bufus La- Malre, George LeMalre, Con Conra4, Jaok Bobbins, George Meyer, Saul Bernie, Ben Meroff, George D. IjOtt- man, Arthur Johnston, John J. Fag- gen and Lou Faggen, Sammy Kahn. various members nf the "Gay PareeT show, at the Apollo last week. Jolson antf Conrad are chumming It once again. The duo, with B. O. De Sylva, got off two new numbers. "There Goes Fanny," and "Miami." which wfll be Introduced by Jolson In "Big Boy" wtien It reopens at the Apollo. Atlantic City, next week, going into the 44th St., New York, thereafter. "Pretty Puppy" Popular The 'pretty puppy" man here may becom^i national character. He ia a Greek who vends "hot dogs" to tha accompaniment of a peculiar "pretty puppy" yodel which is a laugh pass- word everywhere. It sells more dogs for him than anybody else on tha Boardwalk. The yodel defies any- body, no matter jhls Intelligence, as an arresting exclamation. It will stop any1>ody and everybody (or a few minutes Just to take It In. It haa (Contlnaed on page 1S> Hall Rescues Hall- Fred Allen** Vacation Boston, Aug. 11. Fred Allen, monologlst and comedian, has been spending bis summer vacation period In this city, taking dally courses In oratory and elocution. RUSSELL ACQUITTED — . J Anthony Russell vaude actor, waa acquitted in the Court of Special Ses- sions last week on a charge of vio- lating the Sullivan Law. Russell had been arrested three weeks ago In a waterfront restaurant in Oreea- wich Village. HeWas in the place during a police vaitation when the latter were making a round up of suspicious characters. Arresting of- ficers alleged that they found a loaded revolver on Ruasel's person. Russell waived examination and was held in $1,000 ball for the Grand Jury. Friends of the accused re- tained Raymond J. Riley, attorney, to represent him with ^the latter suc- cessfully winning exoneration des- pite an alleged confession. Under rigid cross-examination the police ofllcers admitted the revolver bad not been found upon the person of the actor but underneath a table next to the one at which Russell had been sitting. Russell at the time of hla arrest I was and still Is on parole through a,«. x.„ a^«««.. ;r*T, ' "*""""•" '"^ "" "'"• BOOKING AGENT FINED $350 Frank Davw» St. Lotut, ''Got Fresh" with Girk St Louis, Aug. IL Frank Davis, manager the ACualoal Maids Theatrical bureau, wait flned $360 In police court on a tecbnloal charge of "disturbance of the peace,** as a result of personal Interview* with girls who called at his office la answer to an advertisement for giria looking for stage careers. Charges were brought by twa girls, one 17 and the oifttr 16. who alleged that Davis asked them< Em- barrassing questions when he pro- ceeded to measure them for tighta. SIVORGED AETEH 6 II0HTH8 East Liverpool, O., Aug. 11. Mrs. Ethel PCtts Sannasardo, ae- tress, and formerly of this city, has been granted a divorce at Cleveland from Arthur Sannasardo, New York impresario, on grounds of cruelty and gross neglect. The husband did not contest the suit. The couple were mrrled last Feb- ruary. Helen Hall, member of the Hall Sisters, had a na'rrow escape from drowning at Lake Hopatcong, N. J., last Thursday, when seized with cramps while attempting to swim across the lake. Miss Hall bad gone down twice before being res- cued by. Burt Hall, actor, but no re- lation to the sisters. Hall had been canoeing on the lalw and was* attracted t« the drowning girl when he saw a hand stretched abojjfe the water. The act- ress suffered submersion and ner- vous shock and was taken to the family cottage where she Is recov- ering. The Hall Sisters had finished a vaudeville tour two weeks t^K) and Joined their family at Hopatcong previous to reopening their act on t^e Pantages Cirouit. BULT DELL'S FLASHES slaughter in New Jersey. REFUSING ''BREAK-INS'' Ind. Booker* PIsytng ftafe—fear Losing of Clients With competition among inde- pendent bookers keener than ever, those with open houses are taking no chances and are flatly refusing to handle "break-Ins" or other ma- terial that Is not personally known to them. The measure Is a protective one, with the bookers not wanting to brook the displeasure of their clients and also the possibility of having the' houses drop out next season. Weber A Elliott Separate Weber & Elliott have dissolved. Weber has formed a n^w partner- ship with Billy Murray and the duo will shortly be seen in a new act. ALHAMBKA'S PICTUllia The Alhambra, New York, for- mer blg-tlme stand, will continue its current policy of straight pic- tures at popular prices throughout next season. The house plays two features dally.. The film policy wm tried during the summer months. Is Billy Dell, Independent agent, entertaining the producing field. Dell is sponsoring three new flaNhes. The first, "Eileen," a tab- loid musical, goes into rehearsal next week, >vith a cast of eight- The others are "La Itomas Revue," a seven-person act, and "Broad- way Scandals." a nine-person of- fering. CASTOONIST'S ALIMONT On reargument of the separation suit by Irene Rubino against Me- nottl Rubino, the latter was as- sessed |G0 weekly alimony and (500 counsel fees by Justice^Aaron J. Levy in Supreme Court lauit week. Rubino is a cartoonist on the staff of the King Features Syndicate (Hearst). Cruelty and non-«u|>(K)rt were alleged. Arthur Leavltt aclwX for Mrs. Rubino. LEO BEERS "WALKED'* Failad to Show U|» t« Open Na. t at Palaoe. Monday I^eo Beers gave the Palaoc, New York, air Monday morning. Re- heai-sal time ciUne around but Lm didn't. , ': Mr. Beers must have advised hla name was in the number two slot for the week. Intuition told ttaa^' house bunch that Leo would rather walk than play No. S, so Oeorga Lyons was sent for, returning witk his harp and no objections. Ind. Vaude. Hoiue Drop First Half Shown An additional wave of economy has hit the Independent vaudevlUa houses with practically all discard* Ing first half bills and running wltki last half Ahows only. <Some are playing pictures the first halt but those ia towns overrun with cinema theatres lire closing down the first three days, claiming that no matter what Is billed early In the week, they won't come In. Corse Payton "Doubling" The tnblold edlUon of "Unci* Tom's Cabin." starring Corse Pay< ton and sponsored by Pat Caaey« will open at Amsterdam, N. T., next week. The act is routed over tha K-A Circuit. Payton will double as Abraham Lincoln and Marks. His support in. eludes Joseph Green. Dave Weblv BIy Browne, Lorraine Rayburn, R. J. Barrel. Frank Smith, G. N. Dunn, Iferirlelia Browne, Hilda Dayrell and Wllliiim Herbert. The tall is in sev«n scenes and wU| run one hour.