Variety (September 1925)

AMUSEMENTS PRICE 20c TIMES SQUARE t Pvbllahsd Weekly at 1S4 West 46tb St., New Tork. N. t.. bf Vartetip. Ido. Annual aubacrlption %1. Single copies 10 centa Kntered as aecond olaaa matter December Zl, ItOt. at the Post Office at New York. N T^ under the Act of March I. 1879 VOL. LXXX. No. 3 NEW YORK CITY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1925 56 PAGES COAST AFRAID OF FLORIDA SMART NIGHT CLUB IN CENTURY; IRVING BERLIN'S CANAL BOAT $5 Coveur Charge in Shubert Theatre's Former Bar . >—Chez Fysher Returning from Paris to Operate It—Mizners Behind Berlin and Ray Goetz HELP CALIF. What ia promteed to be the amartest night club in Floridr. this Winter la the cabaret to be oper- ated by Irving Berlin and K. Ray Ooetz at Voca Ratan. Thl.s spot is located 32 miles south of Palm Beach on the way to Miami. It is the realty development promoted by Wilson Mizner and his brother. Addison. The place will be designed along the lines of a well known Trench caie, the locale being that of a canal t>oat transformed into a cabaret but With a number of imported features. (Continued on page 8) BABE RUTH'S $3,000 OFFER Two-Year Contract for Circus and Fairs Rochester, Sept. 1. An attempt to sign Babe Ruth as aa attraction for the Rlngling- Barnum-Bailey circus and for a syndicate of state fairs at $3 000 per week is being made by William Pickens, the promoter, who joined Ruth when he passed through here for New York. Pickens -and his associate, Alex Sloan, who knows the champ slug- ger, aHe promoting auto races and free acts for more than 100 fairs. They claim that the Rlnplinf,s and the fair syndicate are ready to back Ruth as a big draw should organ- ized ba.seball back «p Miller Hug- gln.H' decree that Ruth be .xiled from the diamond for an imleflnite period. Pickens will offer Ruth a two-year contract. The scheme, should negotiations be concluded, would feature Ruth working out in a big tent and swat- ting the offerings of local Walter Johnsons into a i)ig not. This would be nothing but hatting practice. It was Pickens who had Grovor Clev<»land Alexander booked i 1917 for 33 weeks at $1,000 weekly when the Philliea' pitcher was batting with his m-magement, but Pickpn.s' «^nd of the deal fell through when his club met Alexanders demands for more money. METROPOUTAN IS CONTROLLED BY CINEMA CO. John C. Flinn, New Pres- ident—Stromberg's Con- tract Abrogated Los Angeles, Sept. 1. Cinema Corporation, controlled by Jeremiah MlUbank and Cecil B. Demillcj, have bought the control- ling interest in the Metropolitan Pictures from Al and Chas. Christie and will enlarge the producing schedule of the organization. At the same time the contract under which Producers Distributing Cor- poration had to accept the produc- tions of Hunt Stromberg Produc- tions, were abrogated, with the re- port Stromberg in the future will make productions for release by Warner Brothers. J. C. Flinn, vice-president and general manager of tlie P. D. C, has been elected president of the Metropolitan Pictures, succeeding Al Christie. Both of the Christie brothers are to be officers in the Cinema Corporation with William Slstrom general manager of the Metropolitan concern. It is said P. D. C. pould not come to any conclu.sion with Stromberg regarding the manner in which ho handled the making of the produc- tions. It is asserted that the pro- ductions went over original cost and the time schedule for making ran beyond schedule. The deal with Stromberg calls for Cinema taking over all productions Stromberg has made as *voII as the (Continued on page 10) GERTRUDE EDERLE'S OFFER Gertrude Kdorle, the American girl now preparing for her .second atlompt to swim the English c' an- nel, has been offered vaudeville en- gagements by the Kelth-Albee Cir- cuit. The offer. In the form of • cable, was not conditional of her success la the next attempt Picture City Located by Felix Isqnan and Asso- ciates in 11,000-Acre Tract Near Palm Beach —^250 Acre* Given to Selznicks for Studio in Southland — Also Money to Build—Southern Cali- fornia Doing National Publicity to Preserve Tourist Standings RIVALRY WAXING HOT Los Angeles, Sept. 1. The All Year Club of Southern California is determined to give Florida a battle for tourists winter trade this year. A campaign fund of $1,000,000 which will be used in an advertis- ing campaign throughout the coun- (Continued on page 5) ''OUR GANG'' KID IN SHOW "Sunshine Sammy," Colored, to Star in Musical "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison, for- mer colored juvenile comedian of "Our Gang" (Pathe) comedies, who cama east some weeks ago to play vaudeville dates, is to be starred In a mu.sloal comedy entitled ".Sunshine Sammy." Jesse Shipp, who wrote the former Williams and Walker successes, ia writing the book, while Jimmy Johnson and Cecil Mack are pre- paring the .score. Leonard Harper will stage. The show will go Into rehearsal this week. Sammy will be as.nlsted In the play by about half a dozen kids who.se ages will permit them to work In New York without legal molestation "MIRACLE" AJ EXPO. Philadelphia. Sept. 1. ThrouKh an arrangement roaoli'-d by Morris Gest and Julo.s Ma.st- baum, Mr. Mastbaiim will erect on the grounds of the Centennial to be held here next year, a theatre especially for the presentation of "The Miracle." Over 60,000,000 visitors are ex- pected In Phllly during the Exposi- tion. TRANSFERMEN'S WALKOUT FAILS TO CRIPPLE NEW PRODUaiONS Strike Called This Week Had Been Anticipated— Stage Crews Will Handle Transfer of Own Attractions—Not Affiliated with Haulers' Union Necklace of Padlocks Texas Gulnan, to keep the mind of herself and associates in the Del Fey Club always on the Job, is wearing a necklace made of gold padlocks. The padlock has been chasing Tex with regularity since she be- came the premiere "hostess." It got the El Fey Club then the Texas Gulnan Club, with Texas' present idea being that if she wears padlocks, she won't dream of them. VERYSMART NEWSPAPERMEN Washington, Sept. 2. A very smart deal Is said by realty men and bankers to have been accomplished in the promo- tion of the new Press Club build- ing of 11 stories, Including theatre seating 3,300, stores, office suites and club rooms. Through the club's committee, composed of John Hays Hammond, Jarvis William Bryan and John J. Edson, the Press Club will have its space free of rent, with the uild- ing reverting to them In due course of time when the bond is- sue of .'(even or nine million dollars will have b tn liquidated. That this proposition hais been put through before construction cominoncod seem.s to be the talk of Washin'gton. The committeemen went out to sell *pace and show Income before calling In a con- structor. The building to be erected on the site of the Ebbitt House was first calculated at cost of .-ound seven millions. This was Increased, It la said, to nine millions after the con.'itructor looked over the pros- port, while the bonding concern stated if the Prfss Club would sell 500 rooms of the offlre space brfore building, t^e bond Issue will be guaranteed by them. This, the club believe, It will have little difficulty In doing. $1,000,000 in Rents l'"arnous Players has r<<nt"'d the theatre at >175,000 a yir, for "5 years. A department store ha.'- (Continued on pa^c 13) Presumably dated so that mana- gers would be embarrassed by ham- pering the movement of productions to Broadway theatres for the start of the new season, transfer men employed on theatrical trucks walked out on strike Monday night Anticipating trouble, a number of productions were rushed to com- (Continued on page 9) nor MUSIC IS COLIX ON STAGE Vaudeville Man TeUt Leader to Play "Nice* .»» The newest trend in vaudeville bands as requested by the big-time officials is for straight music of "nice" arrangement, featuring plenty of melody and eschewing "blues." The Fred Rich orchestra from the Hotel Astor, New York, which opens for K.-^ Monday at the Broadway, New York, was In- structed by W. Dayton Wegefarth in the K.-A. office that the smooth syncopation purveyed on the roof is very suitable, and that "hot" numbers are not desired. The Rich band is being primed as the ace vaudeville combination to play the , metropolitan vaudeville theatres in conjunction with the Hotel Astor to succeed Vincent I^o- pez, who Is readying a new show, and Ben Bernle, who is signed for the Rlalto theatre In addition to the Hotel Roosevelt. FAIRBANKS' NEXT IN COLORS D'lMUhiH Fairbanks' next dim will be ilone in the Technicolor procejjs. Although this has not I<<'en an- nouneed, contracts between the two wre signed recently. ITPSTUMEC ^w> GOWNS--UNIFORMS V^ FOR EVcfiyeOOV who is ANYBOOy ON THE STAGE OR SCREEN.. EXaUSIVE OESiGNS ey Li;AMis sryif creators I tty P^C^^M^^ NEW yoRK iltJ. ALV) iiOOO COSTUMSSTO MMT-