Variety (October 1925)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, October 7, 1925 K. K. K. VAUDEVILLE ACTS AND MUSIOANS IN NEW ENGLAND Reported Actors Giving KIux Entertainment at Preaque Isle, Me., Members of Organization— Orchestras to Tour K. K. K. Strongholds St. John, N. B.. Ort. 6. Vaudeville is being used by thp Ku Klux Klan in its gatherin^.s and celebrations. In Preaque Isle, Me., a K. K. K. stronghold in the potato growing belt, about 12,000 attended a Kluxer celebration. Vaudeville acts provided the enter- tainment. Each of the performers was a member of the ori^anlzatlon, It Is claimed. After a parade the entertainment was started. A K. K. K. song leader led in the Binging of "Nearer, My Ood to Thee." "Onward Christian Soldiers' end "America" by massed voices. The K. K. K. is organizing or- chestras and bands. A number of bands are being founded. One may tour the country, playing in the K. K. K. strongholds only. The or- chestras will make appearances at various Klan locals in northern New England. Some of the musicians destined for the leadcr.ship of the niu.sical organizations of the Klan have heen charged with the duty of comjjos- Ing and writing Klan songs suitable for massed singing as well as* ren- dition by the musical bodies of the K. K. K. The various Klan locals are manifesting a particular interest In music and are apparently anxious to have their own musical organiza- tions as well as their own vaude- ville. The Klan leaders believe ♦heir Interest in music will stimulate en- thusiasm (or the hooded order among the members and also be a means of attracting others to mem- bership. In other words, the mu- iiical exponents wiUk be recruiting agents. CORSE PAHON COMES IN "TOM" niM OPPOSES Played in Picture Houses— May Go Out Again— $10,000 Investment RAE SAMUELS RUSHED TO OEVELAND PALACE Playing Keith's Palace Against Van and Schenck Ne^t Door at Loew's Cleveland, Oct $. Rae Samuela is faeadUainc at Keith's Palace, rushed bere at the last moment to offaet tho headline. Van and Schenck. at Loew'a State, next door. Mias Samuels was to have appeared at the Palace, New Tork. this week. She will be there next week instead. Miss Samuels holds the box office record of 'the local Palace, while headlinlngr In the house, over 186.600. Irene Franklin is at tb« Palace, New York, this week, booked upon the removal of Rae Samuels to Cleveland. DIME MUSEUM Corse Payton's tabloid edition of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" came ,to a temporary halt in New Bedford, Mass., after several weeks of pic- ture house dates In which the tab did big business, it is claimed. Payton says he has several more weeks of tentative bookings which were canceled with an explanation the picture house man figured the appearance of the tab would take the edge off of the film version of "Uncle Tom" which Pamous- Laaky have in preparation. Payton brought his troupe back to town in an effort to straighten out matters and probably direct the remainder of his route else- where in sections where it may not conflict with the picture dates. The Payton version runs 60 min- utes. It has been booked into the houses in conjunction with picture programs. The outfit carried a camt of nine in addition to a band and 10 jubilee singers with musical numbers and dancing In the plan' tation scene. Pat Casey, lolntly interested in the act with Payton, may arrange further bookings for" the piece on the K-A family time. Nearly $10,000 had been Invested In scenic and other equipment. POLLY MORAN IS DEBUTTINGAS BEAITTYDR. MONQLOGISTS OF IHE STAGE By J. C NUGENT When. In ancient days. Couriers came from distant battle lines, to describe the fray to the villagers. the seed of Drama was born. After the wars, the mure gifted of these stury-tellers passed their talcs on to fuUowlng generations, who Anally Illustrated them with groups of actors. Gradually, Combats as a subject gave ^ay to other subjects.' but mnnlniT parallel with the serious •tory-teller went the Clown, the Buffoon, finally the King's Fools. and so on to the time of tho earlier American humorists, then the "Stump Speaker," and as we began to take our single entertainers scri* ously and professionally, we found a pretentious name for him. As we had a dialog and duolo^. why not monolog? So—Lo! the Monologlst. ^Of those who entertain singly were many who could hold up a po- sition on the variety bills by the aid of songs and specialties interspersed with bright "talk." Into this division most fall James Thornton, old as the oldest, young as the youngest, greatest in his line, and as good as ever. And with him "Honey Boy" George Evans of ever- green memory: &na Joe Flynn, ori- ginator of "Signs" and author of that famous old song, "Down Went McGinty." Al Jolson, the least o< rf TRIAL UP (Continued from page 1) for 10 years at an annual rental of 120,000. The place itself is called ilubcrs jii'JoC'jrrt,-- Jti? Kame Tjcing taken from an establishment on 14th street of the same nature, popular years ago. This almost completes the removal of 14th street to 42d, for the street pitchmen were followed by a Bhnot- Ing gallery, and the owxiers of the shooting gallery, Schaeffer & Shork, !>ro the owners of the new museum of "living wonders." Zip, the "Whatisltr* from Coney Is the star freak. He is also work- ing for-a brief scene in "Sunny" at the Amsterdam. In addition to Zip there is a woman who writes with her feet, two midget Filipinos, a I'unch and Judy show, a "human en- cyclopedia," an "astrologer" (this being a selling attraction, as is a lUHK-tcsting machine which carries its lecturer), two fat women who do a sparring bout, two Indians and sevf-ral booths. Shapiro, who has Murray's un- der U^ase, has had the large hall in .which the freak shows are quartered on his hands for more than a year, and Schaeffer & Shork, in lensin? it. have lirokon through to 42d Rtreet tlirduph what forrtiorly waa a book Store, thereby giving themselves a , 42d street" entrance. The nipht toj> The long pending suit by Bryan Foy, one of the Eddie Foy tribe against Edward Gallagher and Al Shean for $25,000 damages as a re- sult ol the famous "Mr. Gallagher^ and Mr. Shean" song and is slated for trial tomorrow (Oct. 8). Foy, who was 1 ast week elevated to a directorship of Fox film comedies where he- had been "gag man" for some time, is coming into New York for the trial. Gallagher and Shean are also now open for trial, the action having been de- ferred time and ^ again through- cither side being unavailable for attendance In the New York Su- preme Court. The misters' defense Is that Foy made them a present of the song and that they al.so gave him a clgaret case In appreciation for the courtesy. The song "made" the G. & S. com- bination and the Income from the publication rights was tremendous, the number being an extraordinary seller. Anything Lifted, From Watches to Fac Studio in Parlor IjOs V^geles, Oct. •. Polly Moran is going to become a beauty doctor. Our Nell Streriff has located a studio in the front parlor of the bungalow that hides the Moran estate. As a beautifier Polly says she will lift anything, from watches to faces. Our N^l wants to advertise her beauty shop in Variety and says not to print this until she has the ad all ready ag ehe's-g>oing after thft^ .^rOiesBional trade. She will teach 'em how to make-up, and how to be booked, while her treatise on how to escape <rom the extra class is rumored a classic. Polly confesses she is no raging beauty herself but that, she says. Is the punch of her selling talk for the beauty place. For, adds Polly, she is going to tell everyone that it she had only thought of it years whose bag of marvck>ua tricks Is Ilia talk—Is a super-nioi.o'.o-jlst, and for the same reason, eo l>? l'\i(5i(j Cantor. George Cohan has ?! e sane distinction without having tvcr hi>d to even try for it. Hut the tiu-j monologlst cn'^ertains by i Uk .1 ,n»-. Disposing of Will Uoger? as liis present super-monologist by crat- ing that we are now concerned oiily with Vaudeville—one opims tli-.t vC tho thousands of "Acts" of the purt and priscnt the Ia£t 35 year.-, have sifted down to us less than ;; dazea of the di-at order. Tim* Only Proves Only the test or time can prove such a cluim, and time mu.st prove that a man ci the first order must be original and can never be suc« c«iMfuily imitated even though he may have given bread and butter to thousands of unsuccessful imi- tators. This is his claim to a place in the gallery of Art. To make good in fast company surrounded by group -acta and mass acts be- fore the miscellaneous vaudeville audience with its lack of precon- ceived standards, with Us total ir- reverence for past performances^ and to make good with talk alone has proved too much for all but such a few that a successful monol- oglst,-Judged by those standards^ must be accounted rare and great. (Continued on Page 15) HOODOO KO. 13 BOOM Chicago, Oct. 6. Dressing Room No. IS at Balaban & Kats's new Uptown theatre has been'^lminated and is now No. 12B. While using the room Jay McOee with the Syncopation Week Show lost his voice and missed several scenes. He alleged his jinx was the "13" dressing room. He immedi- ately recovered speech when the number was changed. HEALYS OUT Leaving "Vanities"—Harry J. Con- ley Follows In Frank Howen Is lecturer for most of the attractions, dolnR his stufT In evcninpr clothes, while Homor Sil)lcy Is iiianapor of the place. The own- ers, Incidentally, own the Cryst.il Palace, a large pcnn.v arcade in 14fh Street, and probably the largest penny arcade in town. Their .shoot- ing gallery next to the New Amstor- dnm has prospered. AGE CANCELLATION Rudy B. Gerber Drowned Rudy B. Gerber, manager of the Hotel Miirkwell, New York, was drowned at Miami, Fla., Sept. 29. The deceased was well known to theatrical people. lie Is survived by a widow. Burial occurnid from bis home, Englewood, N. J. MAAIE DKESSLER'S RETURN A Weber and Fields bill will play at the Palace, New York, week Oct. 19, with the stars headlining. Other turns so far engaged are Ci.'.sic Loftus, Emma Trentin and Mnio Oressler in Miss Dressler's vaudeville return. Get "Society's" Consent. Jrtcimo Mann, the juvenile artist, was forced to cancel the Pal.ace New York, this week, due to the flerry Society. Mann had pre- viously appeirod around New York at various picture houses as a member of Ben Bernic's turn. The Palace management were fttrccd to a last minute substitu- tion, booking Eddie Miller and Ben Bernard to replace tho youngster. Mann docs a singing single act. ITe is Raid to be under 16 and under contract to the Shuberts. ago what she could have done with her ownself, and in view of that no one else should miss a beautify- ing opportunity. Grapefruit Did It Polly got the beauty parlor Idea one morning while eating a Cali- fornia marble grape fruit. It squirted into her eye. After thoroughly rubbing it and then looking in the glass to see If the eye was still there, Polly discovered she had rubbed the loveliest shade of red right into a portion of her face she never before throught of making-up. Taking her flying pigeons with her Into the kitchen, Polly sat down and thought It over. Sheriff Nell when In pictures mostly played In kitchens, for there always was less chance of busting up expensive props in that setting. Reaching the conclusion that a beauty parlor Is needed In Holly- wood, Polly haS worked out the §chcn)c,,ijll|^ng only so far on the prlr'? il?lt; ""^^Mly says she may let, that go and take them as they come, for she claims as a customer comes through the front gate of the estate, she can size her up for wealth by her strut. Ted Healy and Betty Healy will leave Earl Carroll's "Vanities" to- night (Wednesday). The Healy's will reenter vaudeville In their for- mer vehicle. Joe Cook Is mentioned as suc- ceeding them, but Harry J. Conley WH apnniincej tO Joln the shOW Friday. Healy was sustained by arbitra- tion In his claim that Carroll had breached his contract, removing Healey's photos from the Carroll lobby. Charges were filed with Equity by Healey two weeks ago and arbi- tration was agreed upon. BENTHAM AHACHES FOREIGN AQ'S $900 Commission Over Dancing Act's Salary in ''Follies" in Dispute Because M. S. Bentham and Howell & Baud, Paris agents, are Involved in a difference over money patters, Robert Qulnalt and Iris Rowe, a foreign act which played in the Ziegfeld "Follies" last sea- son," has been attached by Ben- tham for $900. Qulnalt and Rowe paid the American agent at the rate of $75 weekly commission for 12 weeks, but for the remaining 13 weeks stated they would not pay Bentham as their foreign agents, Howell & Baud, claimed that money for booking them in America. Tho "inside" is that Bentham and Howell & Baud had a reciprocal Qi-rang-o ment for h ooking attrac- tions but also had a falTinK oulT each accusing the other of holding out commissions. Before Qulnault and Rowe sailed for France In the summer they de- posited the $900 In the Empire Trust Co.. which amount Bentham, through Gold.smith, Goldblatt ft Hanover, attached this week. ROBBED OF $2,000 IN JEWELRY Boris Tctroff and Dorothy Berko were robbed of $2,000 worth of jewelry at the 44th Street Hotel. New York, Monday, The Investigation of the police proved a trunk had been broken open during tho absence of the couple. Sub.seqiicntly their maid dis- appeared. The police are seeking the girL Josie Heather Headlined; Topping Current Hip*s Bill Josie Heather was elevated to headline honors at the Hoppodromc tills week where the English girl topped the bill over Crcatore and Pand; J^hn Steele and Annette Kellcrmari, the latter In her fourth week at the Hip. The elevation was suggested by the management of the house. If successful it will mean Miss Heather win be headlined all over the Kcith- Albce Circuit. Josie Heather, English, has been doing her single singing turn over here for several years, during which time she has appeared In all of the principal vaudeville houses in this country. LINDA At the New Ainst.-rdam, New York, l.n MARILYN M'^-^^Jl,-, "SUNNY" (C. n. Dillingham), at the same linic .ir>i>eaniii.' .i; \„,,e,« Hippodrome, New York, this week (Oct. .=.), and la.si wf |^ "^irfi VAUIETV (Simr) said: "AJlss Linda is a (iilArKKUL. steppmu " "J,, kicker, and LOOKS and DANCES EQUALJyY WELL,.' A most ,l"''yjc), ensngement for two weeks in association with .MiSH Ida '"^'''^Z " ,,mc«» and Miss Hilda IVrgnson. Many thanks to the Kcith-A.ix'c Mr. Mark Luescher and Mr. John Shuttz.