Variety (August 1925)

T^" W«dnesday» August 19. 1925 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY 9 DNIONS REPS. MEET MANAGERS ON COAST FOR SCALE INCREASES Theatre and Studio Mechanical Labor Included —Managers Ask Delay—September 1 Set Date for New Contracts as <-»>■ W % ■ : LiOS Angeles, Aug. 18. The Bieatre Managers' Associa- itlon of liOB Angelea met the bu8i- '^eM representatives of the Musi- cians' Union No. 47, Stage Hands' ynion No. 33, Picture Operators' 160 and Scenic Artists No. MAGICIAN'S MUSICAL Andy Wright Featuring Beverly the Great in Road Show ^ynioa flo. 883, who had submitted their in< 'creased scale for a new contract to 'go into effect Sept. 1. After the scales were submitted, :which asked for irtcreases of from 12% to 30%, except in the case of the Scenic .Vrtists, who agree to continue at $75 a week.. The man- agers informed the representatives that at the present time they didn't think conditions would warrant an increase In pay to stage craft em- yloyees and that tneir union.s allow thtt matter to lie in abeyance un- iitil conditions warranted an increase. The delegates stated that they would' report the matter back to their locals without committing themselves as to the attitude of their >«rKanixatlons. .. Prior to the meeting John J. Keliey, a former Orpheum Circuit ,press agent, was elected active sec- retary of the managers' 'associa- tioiV and will maintain ofllces in the Mason opera house. The biggest increases asked were by the picture operators for the ,,Cla8a A or de luxe houses, 26% in- crease with the salary, $57, a six- bour working day and six days a week for the de luxe houses seating less than 1,000; $52 a week is asked, a 20% jump. For the Class B, '^known as the burlesque or tab houses, $50 per week or a 29% is asked with two operators being re- quired where the performance Is ten hours per day. For the Class C houses seating 400. playing a straight picture programme a twelve hour day Is allowed with two oper- ' ators at a salary of $50, which Is ■B, 29% Increase. For houses seating less than 400 the same working con- ditions apply with a 30% increase to $46 per week. Smaller House Scales For houses seating 1.000 or over that operate evening 32% increase Is asked with the salary for a four- hour show a night being $41 per week, $5.98 is asked for the mati- nee performance. For the house eeating less theun 1,000 where evening performances aje given only the increase is 17% or a minimum of $36 per week with $6.28 for matinees. For houses playing nights only with the per- formances limited to three and a half hours the new scale is $27 a . week or a 20% Increase over the old '! (Continued on page 12) Chicago, Aug. 18. Andy Wright, local producer, will put out a 42 people musical comedy in October, featuring tlie magician Beverly the Groat and written about Beverly's illu.siona. There will be a plot, a girl jazz, band, comics and a chorus. Beverly Is now on the road under canvas. The musical will be known a.s "From Broadway to Bombay." Richman Revue with Jolson and Shubert At Jolson, J. J. Shubert and Harry Richman will be equal partners and producers of the new revue which is to star Richman. Bach of the trio has put up $25,- 000 toward the production of the show, although the gross amount, $75,000, is not the maximum. Jolson is reported to have pro- posed the pooled amount and the production. Jolson is president of the com- pany, Shubert vice-president, with Richman treasurer and secretary. B££ JACKSON FOB ENGLAin) Bee Jackson has been booked for a short tour of the Moss Empire houses in Kngland and an engage- ment at the Klt-Kat Klub, London, through the Bentham office. The Charleston dancer sails Aug. 29 for England. Miss Jackson won the Hippodrome Charleston contest and was one of the Alan Foster house ballet girls. up $25 weekly. Which explains the exclamation ofTstage as at present heard in the act: "Miss Ualperin, your gown.s are ready?" Darling Back. Eddie D.Trling returned to his de.sk in the Palace Theatre Building last Thur.'iday after a six weeks' vaca- tion in Europe. Druailla in Home Cabaret Drusilla, the dancer who has ar- rived in America after several sea- sons in Paris, will flil but one en- gagement here before returning. She has been booked for the Palais Royal, Atlantic City. Drusilla is the daughter of Dr. Tom Taggart of Atlantic City. A local theatrical weekly of a middle western city, with its columns mostly given over to local variety items, has hit upon a scheme of yearly scrvlco for actors. .So well Is the plan thou.i;ht of that the paper announces that it has been copyrighted. A charge of $15 a year is asked for the service, which includes the following, according to an aiinouncemetit: At least 12 news items of not less than six lines e.ach, published once monthly durinfj the year. Four two-mch (deep) press stories with a heading, published at leaat foiir times yearly, provided the advertiser furniahoa copy to the editor. Name of adverti.ser in weekly route list. Name of aUvertisser In Claasitled Directory, Use of newspaper ollloe when in the city. Copy of paper delivered weekly to advertiser for one year. In lineage the total amounU to 288 lines, with 184 lines promised a« pure reading matter. The western piper has been wabbling along for some months, with the expectation that it may pass out at any time. Gregory Lewis Pollock, known as Lew Pollock, Loew agent, la now Dr Pollock, with an oftice on West 58th street. While Pollock waa agenting he was mixed u-p in a suit against the Long Island Medical College, which sought to hold up his diploma on the ground of gradua- tion from the institution under age. Loew Inc., does not intend to increase its $2 annual dividend to $8 now or at any future time. This is contrary to reports that credited the recent rise in Loew stock quotations to an anticipated dividend tUt The statement there la to be no Increase is on the boat of authority, which also says that if there is to be a larger dlvimon of proHt from Loew earnings, it will be in the form of a split-up of some of the surplus. INSIDE STUFF OH VAUDEVILLE Although Billie Sh.aw has gone to London to play a series of stage dates there, a story by her entitled "Broadway Rose," appears in this week's issue of "Liberty." As the title implies, it's a modern tale with plenty of present day slang thrown in. Miss Shaw will stay in London at least six weeks. ^ "Will there be any change In vaudeville this season?" was asked the other evening at a round table. "Most probably." replied one of the group, "the full weeks will change to a Thursday split." A request recently sent out under the signature of E. F. Albee to all city editors is in effect that stories carrying the vocations of women arrested as "actressea" be investigated before the statement is made in print that they are actresses. The Boston "Post" of last Friday carried a comedy story about a noon hour raid oh a restaurant at Tremont and Stuart streets wherein Lew Brems, Will Loker. Mickey Flynn and Joe Baker were taken in tow as supposed desperate characters planning a murder or a robt>ery. When explanations were made and credentials shown at the poUce station the four were released. It api>ears the theatrical bunch gathered In the eatery and Brems mentioned a stage "bit" which Joe Baker wanted. In outlining it Brems became quite stagey and the words of "hit him over the head" and "don't draw that gun" were used. A layman overheard, and, sensing a gang of desperadoes planning a murder, rushed to the station house. Hence the raid and wagon. The Brems of thtf story is the bass singer with the Bulck Pour quartet. Flynn Is attached to a song publishing house, and Baker is a tab showman. On the evening that Dr. Robert Pauline, "vaudeville hypnotist, was arrested In connection with the dropping of a waiter from the ninth floor of the Hotel Flanders to the roof of the Cort theatre, he wajs booked to attend a theatre party. With a Dr. and Mrs. Alvin Barber, Pauline was to see "Kosher Kitty Kelly." The Barbers stopped' at the hotel for him, and he complained of not feeling well, and tltat he would see the show the following night. REISENFELD'S JAZZ AS ACT •fr .Picture House Director Sponsoring Vaude Unit as Propaganda ■0f Rtesenfeld's Classical Jazz goes out as a vaudeville act next month. Dr. Hugo Rlesenfeld, managing di- rector of the Rialto, Rlvoll and Cri- terion theatres (pictures). New York, will lend his name and effects V to a unit to tour vaudeville, acting as a "plug" for his picture houses. Shea Paying Whiteman $8,500—1 Week's Salary Buffalo, N. Y., Aug. 18. Paul Whiteman and his band will play Mike Shea's Hippodrome (pic- tures) week of Sept. 27, with Shea paying the b.andmanter $8,500 for the engagement. It exceeds by $1,000 the amount Whiteman will receive week of Aug. •1 at the Hippodrome New York. Eddie Kane HI Eddie Kane, with Harry Carroll's act on the Orpheum time, has been forced to leave the turn bO'Mii.se of Illness. Bert Wheeler, who will play on the .same bills with Carroll for several weeks, will Sub.stttnte tem- porarily, doubling with his own act. Kane will go to Saranac I^ake to recuperate after be returns to New York. Sophie Halperin, sister of Nan, is now the unseen part of Miss Halperln's act. Sophie has Invariably accompanied Nan on her theatri- cal travels. When designated a dialog deliverer for her sister with the dialog to be spoken offstage, Sophie rebelled. She would not be an unseen actress she said. Nan got a maid who handily delivered the talk, but on pay day set back Sophie, the boss of the checV book, for $25. Whereuipon Sophie decided it was better to be unseen than to give (I'liuto by IntornatlonftI Newarccl) JANET RETURNS Photo shows the girl who is known the world over as "Janet of France." She is Mile. .Janet Martiiie, who returned laHt week on the Homeric, to appear in a new vaudeville skit, "The Stolen Melody," by Paul Gerard Smith, and under Uie Uireclioa ot Ed K. NadeU A couple of agents selling to Independents and also doing a little ' booking as a side line sprung a darb la.st week by notifying other agent* that anyone renting desk sriace in their offices would receive an exclu- sive booking franchise with them and would be given preference In placing their material with the houses they were booking. The laugh comes in that the agents have but three motion picture houses on their books, which play two or three acts of vaudeville one night a week as a summer policy and m.ay discontinue after Labor Day. The agents are aware of the possible drop-outs and are working fast to take In some of the newcomers at a figure that will not only pay their rent but also give them a profit. Seasoned agents who are in on the "know" are not queering the boys, evidently being strong for the maxim of "never educate a chump." , A story that sounds suitable for stage use, but which also may be a revival, although not heard around of recent years. Is of an old man, 80. with a lengthy white beard. His flowing beard had been a constant source of wonderment to a little fellow In the family, a grandson. At the dinner table one evening the boy asked his grandfather what he did with the beard when going to bed; whether ho slept with It Inside or outside of the quilt. Grand-dad didn't like the question and told the youngster to keep quiet. But the next morning at breakfast the kldlet went back to the subject, asking his grandfather what he had done with his beard the night before. It annoyed the old man and he told the boy so, but didn't answer the question. Again-at dinner the ^oy pestered his grand-dad to find out whether he would sleep that night with the beard Inside or outside. Angrily the grandfather walked out on the boy. Upon retiring the same evening, however, the boy's query came back to the grandfather. What did he do with his beard? He never had thought of it himself. Try as he might he could not recall whether he had slept with the beard out or within the quilt. The old man. with the thing In his mind, turned over on his left side, tucking the beard inside. He couldn't go to sleep. He tried It outside. No sleep. Fifteen minutes pa.ssed. when he turned over on his right side, twlstliig the beard under and above the quilt, but btlll no sleep. Another 16 fnlnutea. with the old man greatly worried. He tried lying on his back, with the beard first inside, then outside, and still tio sleep. . ,., ^ ., Fretting and puzzled with loss of sleep and thought of h « h«"f • during the night the old man died, and so. of course the poor Uttle kid never could find out what his gr andfath er did with his beard. Russell and Oakes missed a last half booking last week through Miss Russell misunderstanding a phone message delivered at her hotel, which said her partner wanted her to Jump over to Keansburg, N. Y. when the date was to have been Newburgh. Oakes waited for his part- ner to Join him at the railroad station to make the Jump, and when the latter failed to put in an appearance, phoned the booker that the date was off. Later Miss Russell phoned Oakes' hotel. She had gone to Keansburg, as per the message, but found her partner absent. RADIO SHOW REVIEWS (Continued from page 1) plays at 11.15 o'clock nightly but will also broadcast press matter. WHN's letter to the managers requested first night seats for Miss Johaneson but on this score several managers announced that Instead of adding to their first night lists, they would rather eliminate several of the names now adorning these sheets. The WHN plan, as outlined, states that the station has from 500,000 to 600,000 regular llsteners- in and that to these will be Issued by mall an amusement guide which will list the names of the current attraclion.s, tlie locations of the theatres, etc., and tli.it this guide will go (jut we(?l<ly The m.inagera, howov«T, are .skopti'Ml on this point. They fcan't figure wh.y suoh a big mailing list should be used by the station without expense to thom, and knowing of the (;orjinicrclal fea- *.uro of the stations, WIIN particu- larly, aro awallirig to bo xssurod that there m no fee. Ml.s.s .roh.'irieson has been on .sev- eral periofiieals. Her best known Uicatrical acWiipaper work was the news comment column she con- ducted for some time in the "Theatre Magazine." UBEL CLAIM (Continued from page 1) mentioned except In the program- list of the cast at the top. The paragraph specified wew as follows: "There were at least 35 names on the program as members of the cast. That means that 70 nice fathers and mothers were responsible for It all. Mlserlcordia!" The bill of complaint sets up: "Me.anlng thereby that the plain- tiff was an amateur .af^fre.ss and not of a profession.'! 1 .-tirvllng." The hill was filed by Finkelstein & Welling, attorneys for Mi.ss Mer- .s<»n, who i)Inys a mother part in the Llndsoy prixc-play, which is still hanging <>'< t the Prinoo.ss in tho face of i.i ; .liinous razzing by the (critics. The legal department of the Hearst newHpar>er« Is authority fo»" the .st.itement that In the entire his- tory of dramatic criticism no sim- ilar rririi[ilaint ha» been indtituled US i^rouiAd t(jc a libel action.