Variety (August 1925)

Wednesday. August 26. 1925 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY 5IG TIE AGENTS "WARNED" AGAINST TAKING TOOACKS" several K.-A. Agents Called on Carpet—Given Time to Reform—Questioned About Accepting "Extra" Commission—Picture Bookings ''on the Side" A check up on agents suapected f accepting "extra" commission rom vaudeville acta was started rheft a. Keith-Albee official Inter- rleved several agents one at a Ime. -yirliUe nothing has been forthcom- ng since the Interviews the te- le( Is that the examinations were n the nature of a warning that he K-A heads would not stand for gents accepting gratuities from acts coked. The same ofRclal is be- loved to have acted upon informa- lon and to have summoned "cer- iln" agents to allow-them. time to lend their ways before a wholesale ouse cleaning occurred among lioae known to be getting a I'kick ack," That the inquisition was confined a t few agents Is taken to mean t was more or less In the nature of warning. The matter of outside "connec- lohs" by Keith-Albee agents is also sported to be receiving the atten- lon of the same official with par- Icviar reference to acts booked in lotion picture houses outside of the offlce." » GRACE FISHER SEEKS DIVORCE 1N N. Y. Raided Husband's (Ballard Macdonald) Apartment— No Co-respondent Named VANTAGES' ELDEST IN ., NEW YORK OFnCE Rodney, 20, to Assist Milne— WHI Book Without Father's I pkay Los Angeles. Aug. 21. Rodney Pantages, eldest son of Llezander Pantages, will become aa- loclated with Edward Milne tn the tperatlon of the Pantages booking •fflce in New York about Sept. 16. lodney, about 20 years of age, has ilways shown an inteiest in his ather's business. The youth has had many ideas br the benefit of the patrons and he actors on the circuit. Some of hem were accepted by his father ehlle others were cast aside. IIow- iver, the youth did not become dls- louraged and kept on with more deas for the betterment of the ilrcuit. For the past six months the roungster has been looking out for he Pantages interests around Se- ittle and making a complete study >f the business. The young man la I college graduate. It is said, l?e has m understanding with his father [vhereby it will not be necessary o oommunicate with the latter be- ore booking acts. In the past It f^as necessary for the New York epresentatlTe of Pantages to get he ktter's consent before issuing lontrtcts. Teong PanUges, It is understood, •■ill take the place recently vacatod >y 9m Curtis, with Milne remaln- «)5 to charg* of the New York ifflce, Pantages has another son. Lloyd, •• ^ho is stilt In school. Grace Fisher, professionally, and Mrs. Ballard Macdonald, matrimon- ally, wants her freedom from the lyric writer. Mrs.. Macdonald, unanounced and unexpected, called upon her hus- band one evening the early part of last week at his apartment on West 55th >itreet Ballard was there and unconventionally. It is claimed, teaching a comely young woman how to write lyrics. Mrs. Macdonald didn't hear any of the lyrics but Is said to have seen sufficient to warrant her call- ing up S. Earl Levene, an attorney, with instructions to file a suit for absolute divorce in the N. Y. Su- preme Court. No co-respondent is mentioned by name, apparently an oversight by the wife who is said to have left as hurriedly as she arrived. Mr. Macdonald has been occupy- ing the 5Sth street apartment for about five years. The Macdonalds have been married for some time. - Miss Fisher appears la vaudeville as a "single" act, also making fre- quent excursions into musical com- edy. Autos vs. Amusements Indianapolis, Aug. 25. A demonstration of the ex- tent to which the automobile is a competitor of the amuBemeni business is contained in an analysis just completed by C L>. KettleborouKh, head of the Indiana legislative reference bureau. Kettleborough estlm.itea the people of Indiana spend |210,- 476,000 a year to operate a.nC keep up automobiles. This is an average of t526 per family owning H car. He showed that more is opent to keep the gas buggies going than the total value of Indiana's three chief crops, com, wheat and oats. VAN & SCHENCK IN FILM HOUSES Vaudeville Bookers Re- fuse Asked Salary EMIL BOREO The International Comedian Now playing in London at the Piccadilly and Kit-Cat Club, booked by William Morris. Mercl pour Messieurs Frank Vin- cent et George Godfrey pour le con- tract d'Orpheum tour. HOUDINTS ROAD SHOW QUrmNQ UNCLE SAK Waushlngton, Aug. 2«. Harry StaflTord. formerly In judeville, but who has had charge [ the entertainment for the sel- lers at Walter Reed Hospital, in wnlngton, D. C. la to leave the 7-vlce Sept. 15 and return to New ^rk. 'uring the war Stafford organ- ' the War Department theatres ^e" as many of the soldier units ♦ M^ **"• entertaining in them wid, the actor has been "booked" "ncle Sam for over nine years Ann Suter's Husband Pleads Guilty of Fraud Washington. Aug. Si. When last week Vincent Magu- relll, alias Marchant. alias Magna- relli, alias Marchettl, husband of Ann Suter. Yaudertlle single, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on a charge of defrauding the Government by having tha War Risk pay a woman, not his wife, compensation as his wife, the aa- nulment suit ot tba Taud«TlIl« player filed In th« aummar ot ltS4 again flashed up. While Ann's husband, whom she states selected the wrong one of his four aliases under which, to marry her. is languishing In the District Jail, the actress and her parents have moved to have him deportM. Dr. W. a.' Suter, the actress' father admitted that his wife, who always travels with Ann when ea routa, had appeared before the Immigra- tion authorities seeking t9 deter- mine the legality ot the husband's entrance into this country. The parents declare that m» far they have not been able to dlaeorer from whence and where came their daughter's husband prior to his en- listment In the army at Fort Slocum. In his cell the husband stated: "Ann and her parents have taken a dislike to me. I supposo I wim toe good to my wife. I did the housework. I cooked her breakfast, served it to her in bed and quite often dressed her while she at*. "They may have me deported or send me to Jail for 20 years but they'll never break my spirit" Miss Suter has refused to talk, she believing that the "Valentino torture" undergone when the hus- band insisted he was as good look- ing as the film star and made her stay in all day and look at him to prove his claim, is evidence enough of the mental agony she has been subjected to. HE .TILLER DANCING SCHOOLS Number of Pupils •"rtyal* I.«<i«oBa ri,ii. ""'"'» "f • OF AMERICA, Inc. 226 West 72d Street NEW YORK rtioaei MARY KRAP 8«cret«rv Harry Houdlnl leaves today (Wednesday) for Pittsburgh, w'.ere he opens next week with his legit road show. Houdlnl, under the management of I* Lawrence Weber. Is using a 60 foot ear of scenery and apparatus and 30 assistants. Playing at a |2 top. his entertain- ment wilK be divided Into three parts, the first of which will be "Magic Our Grandfathers Saw." the next his escape tricks, while the finale will b« hla spiritualistic expose. William How* Is agent for Houdlnl. At Smith is back with the troupe, and Jo« XjO* Is travelling a week ahead as general representa- tlT for Houdlnl. He has accom- panied Houdlnl on several tours In the past. WIFE SUES HUSBAND'S FRIEND FOR ALIENATING Frederick Roy Dandeno Left Helen, Urged On by Henry A. Torstenson, Is Allegation MBS. TIHHET IN ACT Harry Stoddard and Band. Mrs. Frank Tlnney and Irring Eidwards open next week as a Taudevllle act The booking will mark the return of Mrs. Tinney to vaudeville since last appearing la Frank Tlnney's specialty. Irving Bdwards la a vaudeville single. The act will break la out of town and coma la for a metropolitan showing. Chicago, Aug. 25. Helen Dandeno. of the California Trio, vaudeville, has filed suit for divorce against her husband, Fred- erick Roy Dandeno. She alleges Dandeno was a good husband until he met Henry A. Torstenson. son of J. A. Torstenson, Lincoln Park Commissioner. The wife olalraa Torstenson filled her husband's mind with Ideas he was too good for show business and toe good for her and that, aa a result, the husband left both and went to Uve with Torstenson at 2S26 Colfax avenue. Through Attorney WUliam F. Ader Mrs. Dandeno has filed suit for $100,000 damages against Tors- tenson for alienatloB of her hus- band's affectlona Van and Schenck will open a tour of the large motion pictura houses at the Century. Baltimora^ Aug. 81. to be followed by two weeks at the Aldlne, Pittsburgh. The bookings followed differencea regarding salary between the sing- ers and the eastern big time book- ers. It is reported the teant asked for a raise over their last eastern vaudeville salary, basing their re- quest upon their proven drawing ability. The refusal of the big time ta meet the Increased demands waa Interpreted by the several agents aa the attitude toward Increases tbU season, and as a reaction from.tha addition of the picture portions ot the programs and the increased cost thereof. Wni ROGERS STARTING LECTURE TOUR OCT. 1 No Routine Shaped Up as Yet —Musical Adjunct— Open- ing Up-State WM. DESMOND'S SKETCH Los Angeles. Aug. 2t. WllllaiB Desmond Is deserting the films for a short time and will open in a dramatic sketch on the W. V. M. A. circuit at San Jose this week There wUl be four persons besides Desmond. VAUDEVILLE ON BOTH CONTINENTS MOSHY IN NEED OF SHAKEUP London, Aug. It. "What Tarloty needs is a shake- up." So says William Morris, who la well qualified to speak, having had his finger so long on tho pulse of this form of entertainment, and knows exactly what ita ailments are. He also knowa how they are to be cured. Recalling the daya when the ex- pressions "BngUsh Invasion of American variety" and "American Invasion of the EngHsh music-hall** first became current. Mr. Morris em- phatically declares thes^ grievances were actually blessinga He himself was largely Instrumental In bring- ing them about. In New Yotic Morris advertised hie houses as "the only English music- halls in America'* and introduced Harry Lauder. Alice Lloyd. Vesta Victoria and Qeorge Lashwvod to his i>atrons. There waa the usual complaint that such a policy drove American artists out of employ- ment, although the novelty Increased interest In variety of all Mnds. To balance matters. Morris ^obtained London engagement* for a number of American stars—with the result the Variety Artists' Federation was troubled about his intentions. Again Morris had to point out that the Inct-ease of public Interest which follows the Introduction of any nov- elty, native or foreign, benefits everybody in the long run. The Example of Whiteman "Take the latent instance" nays Mr. Morris. 'When Paul White- man'.s band made a hit at the Lon- don liippodrome, Kiiglish muNicluns grumbled. In conseq lence of his visit however, there wa."! an unurere- dentcd demand for baiidameh. Jack Uylton owes his chance to the vogue ereatad hjr Whiteman for when^the Aiherloaa Jass expert was due to leave England, the newspapers run a stunt to create a British conductor to take his place. Many bands were formed at the time. "Next came Lopez. Again the complaint was made that muslc4an8 were being thrown out of work. But when Lopes left the Hippodrome, hla place waa taken by the 'Jaxs Mistress* with a British band. Meanwhile a woman's band was en- gaged at the Coliseum, and another boom for musicians waa created. "The public must have something new. Lack of novelty Is the cause of stagnation in variety. I cannot see where It Is to come from on thla side, but I can see why It is not found. There are no smalltime houses In the West End where un- known acts can get a chance to be heard. The 'public audition' hall in Charing Cross Road provides a little extra employment for acta of various sorts, but It Is not the equivalent of the small-time hounes of New York. If an act is not im- portant enough for Sir Oswald Soil's houses—the ColLseum and the Alhambra—'It has no chance of a hearing in the vVe.st Knd. That is why London aees so little new ma- terial. But whert> there la a de- mand the supply will soon follow. The novelties are aure to arrive and better buslne.ts can bo prophesied to start within a year from now. "The magician lives forever— \vhon one is falling', another Is gut- ting ready to take hlu plane. Th.it in equally tru. •( varl^tv-^in amusement thitt has l.i.<ited so Iotik will survive all temporary spells of bad times. Variety Is already com- ing back." Win Rogers will open his lectora tour Oct. 1, at Elmlra or Bingham- ton, N. T. The humorist expects to speak nightly, seven times week- ly, and in the majority making an- other town each day. The Rogers lectures will bo pricsd at 12.60 top at the gate. They mar be In two sections with ■ musical Interlude furnished by the DeReska Sextet Mr. Rogers has not framed a routine of talk but will complla a lecture at length, touching upon many subjects and derive from thaf his permanent discourse. While Zlegfeld "Follies" is not expected to depart from the Amstar> dam. New York, for the road untM about Oct. K. Rogers will retlra from the cast a few weeks hefore^ ROUTE DISPUTED ACT Gene Barnes Booked in Skll Questioned by Jimmy Hussoy Gene Barnes has i>een routed la "Getting a Ticket." Tha act haa been the subject of conalderabla controversy between Barnes and Jimmy Hussey. This act was written by SMdie Can- tor with Barnes playing it for • short time. Hussey then played it in vaudeville. Barnes alleging ho held the sole vaudeville rights from Cantor. Barnes further alleged hla straight man. who also appeared In the Hussey act. waa responslbla for the version Hussey used. Colorod 8how Every Threa Mentha The Colonial. Slouz Falls, a D.. has announced a four-act colored show to bo offered regularly every three montha This is done to please the less than 100 Negroes who live there amid a white population of 15,000. INDEX Miscellaneous 1 Foreign 2 Vaudeville 3-6 Vaudeville Reviews , 6 Bills Next Week 10r Burlesque 8 Times Bqusre 7 News frem the Dailies... 11 Legitimate 14-17 Legitimate Reviews M Pictures 18-28 Editorials 13 ''icturs Reviews 25-23 House Reviews 28 Music .. 30 Outdoors .....*... ..,riTr. 31 Inside Stuff—Pictures!... 21 Obituary 31 Correspondence 34-56 Letter List 5? 1