Variety (October 1925)

18 VARIETY E DIT O RIA E Wednesday, October 28, 1925 '^RIETY Trad« Mark Retlatertd P^URhMl Weekly bj VAiUBTT. !••. Sitne eilvennaa. PreMdent 114 W«»t 46111 8tr««t N*y Tork C«t» BUBSCRtPTION: Annoal »t roreltn.^;.. •;;-•? BlncU Copt«a .10 C«dU Vol IXXX No. 11 15 YEARS AGO (From '•Varictu" and "Clipper") Llna Cavalierl had been engaged for a London music hall at a weekly salary of $5,000. the highest ever paid for any attrnctSon in vaude- ville up to that time. Sir Alfred Butt was reported as having made the deal. The nearest approach to this wa.9 $4,000. net, weekly, which Mme. Sarah' Bernhardt received from Sir Oswald Stoll a few weeks before. Vesta Victoria was negotiating to return foe an American engagement and asked $2,500 but Percy G. Wil- liams, with whom she was dicker- ing, refused to pay the price. John Cort's houses through the west were reported as having de- ecrted the open door policy and It was said the manager would return to the Klaw & Erianger bookings. The vaudeville rumors, which changed with the change of the tides, had shifted to the point where Marcus Loew and 'William Morris were on the point of consolidating their circuits. ^lie U. B. O. offices were talking Of maintaining a "blacklist" and talks of such a list were probably more frequently mentioned than any other theatrical subject. Re- cently some of the agents had been accused of sneaking "blacklist" acts Into Keith houses, and it was be- cause of this that a more stringent order went through. •...-...!,; i^ Freeman Bernstein was In the vaudeville agency business and had offices in the Fitzgerald fiulldlng. with a cable address, his name on tlie door and everything. Leo Donnelly and the late Jean Haves formed a llterarypartnershlp for the j^eddllng <rt stage material. Herbert Kelcey and Effle Shannon were appearing together In vaude- ville. The new Terminal building in Hoboken, having heard of the mixups which vaudeville agents en- countered In New;York, was mak- ing a strong play to have the agents inspect its facilities for housing them. The argument that It didn't take so very long to get from Hoboken to Times square was being used. KINDLY COMMENT ON 'VARIETY' By LEONARD HALL (Appearing in Leonard Hall's department, •Show Shopplnfl* tn the Washington Daily News, Oct. 23. Mr. Hall is the dramatic editor and critic of The Nevtrs.) Every Thursday morning, at 9.22. Kenneth, the nice office boy from the fourth floor, brings me my copy of that amazing publication, "Variety," the Bac«Jeker of show business, Kenneth is studying to be an ambassador extraordinary and min- ister plenipotentiary and so ho brings the paper with the air of a Houghton vi.slting a Herrick. We both bow smartly from the hips, and I receive the document In the name of the Messrs. Shubert, and confer upon Kenneth the Order of the Golden Pastepot. Then I open "Variety," and the walls of the office dissolve Into New York avenue air, and our own little entertainment circle becomes the great, bawdy, clamorous, skulldugging world of show business, written in Broadwayese for the resting hoofer at the corner of 47th street, and the top-mounter opening a show on the Pan time In Ogden, Utah, and Ethel Barryniore making up for Ophelia. In 66 pages and 20 minutes one can look at a thousand curtained windows. Grief and grins have only a column-rule between, and New Zealand and New Rc^helle arc on opposite pages. An evangelist is playing to 3,000 people nightly in South Norwalk, Conn., and the managers of the town find only a handful of the god- less in their theatres., Weber and Fields miss their first show In the long history of that knock-about team, walking out of the Palace show, In New York, because they were billed second to Marie Dressier, the blimp come- . dienne. Lawrence Weber, the Broadway producer, checks up the day-book and finds that he has had five flops, with the season only begun. Dorothy Jardon, the prima donna. Is ill In Minneapolis. Mrs. Eugene O'Neill has written herself a play called "The Guilty One." Al Jolson is plugging a new song called "Miami," no doubt a subtle compliment to the Florida Goldfleld. "Abie's Irish Rose" nov/ holds all world's records for the run of a non-musical attraction, having passed the run of 1,466 performances held in London by "Charlie's ' Aunt." Two chorus girls step out of stage door In M<iKeesport, Pa. "You're a dizzy peroxide blond!" sayft Mazle to Florrle. Wham! A general brannignn begins, after which four of the ladles of the en- semble are transported to the booaegow, and are fined $10. One lady had a stab-wound In the shoulder. Gilbert Miller, son of Henry, is ill. Jack Pickford has gone to California without seeing his wife's new show, and It Is whispered up and down the main stem that he Is jealous of Marilyn. Wanda Lyon has handed Earl Carroll her notice, claiming that the con- tinuous rehearsing^ of "Oh You" has worn her to a blond Irazzle. So It goes, up a'nd down Times Square and far out In the open spaces where the road troupes break their jumps to Frisco at Col- orado Springs, and the company managers, counting up on the fingers of one hand, curse the day they were bom and everything west of the Palisades. At page 36, with the Benny Davis ad, the walls close In again, and I see the estimable Thornton glowering across the room, tearing telephones out by the roots and throwing them at Joe, the Swam- poodle Flash, who carries copy when awake. 1 turn wearily back to the Saturday reading notices. The Thursday Morning 'World Tour for Little Shut-Ins is over. VOTE FOR WALKER NEXT TUESDAY Over confidence lias licked many a Championt Over confidence that State Senator James J. 'Walker will tJeiTj;^ heit" Mayor of New York might mean the defeat of the Clmmpion of iht elec* torate next Tuesday. Everyone In the show business should bear In mind and that h ti go to the polls next Tuesday, Nov. 3, and cast a ballot for the Champion of Show Business and for Show Business, James J. Walker. Broadway has a chance for once In Its life time oi placing a man tt the head of the civic affairs of Greater New York who understands In 4 fuller measure the needs of show business and of Broadway than poi^ slbly any other man In public lire. That man Is Jimmy Walker. In the event that his opponent should achieve victory it would meaa that the city wouM come under the rule of a Republican who would li^ all probability make things as unplea,sant as he possibly could for amuse<« mcnts, just to please the reformers. Let show business be able to say next Wednesday Jimmy Walker." "Hail OUR Mn yorg RIGHT OFF THE DESK By NELLIE REVELL This scribe would rather miss her menls than a meeting of the Cath« olic Actor's Guild. There is more real wit In them than in a dozen musical comedies. Sunday night the Guild held its first of the season at the Beck theatre and this column's reporter was almost the fir.'?t one there. The humor started even before the program did, for at the doo? I was met by Loney Haskell, Charles Feleky and Arthur Rosenfteld, They escorted me to a seat beside Mrs. Blumeuthal. It recalled the story of the Irishman who asked his prie.qt: "Wor St. Peter a Jew, Father?" "Yes, Cassidy." "And St. Paul and all the Apostles wor Jews?" "Yes, Cafisidy." "And phwat wor those wise old Jews iver thinkin' of to let the Italians an' Irish take the Catholic Church away from them?" INSDE STUFF , ON LEGIT ■ With tlv^ idea of urging legitimate attractions to raise the curtain on time, the Baltimore "Evening Sun" has clocked the actual rising minute, carrying a notation above each review. The paper has been at it for several years, during which time the opening curtain time was changed from 8:15 to 8; 30. However, the situation is no different than In New York, shows starting five or more minutes later than scheduled. ■ ^ Earl Carroll tried desperately to b\iy from Lewis and Gordon the entire Brendel and Burt act. Jack Laii's "Just Gus," as it stood, adding Lait's royalty and Lewis and Gordon's investment and potential profit, to split the act into scenes for his "Vanities." Lewis and Gordon declined to Fell, having booked the eight-people turn for the Palace this week. My admiration for Wilton Lackaye has never been very heavily dis« giilsed and anyone who thinks I'm wrong should have been at the Cath* olic Actors' Guild meeting Sunday night to hear the brilliancy of th«l impromptu speech he made. But Wilton Lackaye has always been noted for his sparkling Im- promptus. About 18 years ago he and Percy Williams met in Europe and the actor Informed Mr. Williams he had bought the American rights to a Hungarian play. They saw each other In New York the following year. "Have you found anyone to produce that play yet?" asked the vaude* vllle magnate. "Produce It?" returned Lackaye. "I haven't found anyone who ca«i pronounce it!" Never before In a good many years of theatrical experience had I seen five famous "single" women on the same bill, such as happened at the Palace last week. Fancy being able to enjoy Marie Dredsler, Cissie Loftus, Marie Cahill, May Irwin and Yvette Rugel in the short space of two hoursi All of them except May Irwin had a piano on the stage with them. Miss Irwin said there wasn't room there for both h»?rBeU and the instrument. 50 YEARS AGO (Frow "Clipper':) Edwin Booth had opened at Daly's, using Pescara as his first character, but this gloomy imper- sonation hurt business so much that it took all the eloquence of his "Hamlet" *to .•eturn things back to normal. Clara Morris was booked to follow Booth. P. T. Barnum had announced that he was preparing to dispose of his wild animal menagerie, but this ■was not Interpreted to mean In the -show world that P. T. wa.. prepar- ing to quit the circus business. At the Park theatre, Mr. and Mik. W. J. Florence wore playing "The Mighty Dollar" to the best bup'- ness In town. . . . "Led Astray" was In the Union square, while al Booth' a piece called "Humpty- Dumpty in Every Clime" had just been put on with success. ^Marie Saxon and Harry Puck of "Merry, Merry" have been selected by the New York "Journal" Saturday magazine and Hearst syndicate to illustrate and author a series of "Charleston" lessons running 20 weeks and reaching a circulation of more than 15,000,000 readers across the continent. . The switchboard operators of two of the biggest producing concerns are barometers to the thcspians as to their standing In that office. That same thing probably goes for tho other manag'jrs In view of the girls' "Inside track" through li.stening in on the switchboard, but this particular duo of producers seems to go in Etrong for confidential In- formation over the wires. Accordingly, the actors In the casts of cur- rent productions or new shows, when calling at the offices of these man- agements, can tell by the switchboard sirens* "hello" just how "strong" they happen to rate currently. During the performance 1 had tho pleasure of visiting all of them In one dressing room. (Yes. it was the largest one.) I loarned while there that Miss Dre.><8ler is leaving the stage to sell Florida real estate. And that Miss Cahill is negotiating for a new show, as yet tinnamed, written by Maravcne Thompson, a newspaper woman. And that Miss Loftus is returning to En.t;land In December to play the Alhambr.a and then in April will give the first performayee of her life in Paris at the Champs Elysees. "While wo were talking of this she received a rahlegrnm from her mother. Marie Loftus, now retir*>J, saying that Cissif's 14-year-old son had just passed the crisis of an ojieration. People have noticed that Miss Loftus upon the stage lias pntty chest- nut hair. Bvit that is a wig and the hair she wears in the dresiwing room is even more beautiful gray. She confided that sho had opened origin- ally with gray hair but that a manager advised her to we.ir a wig be- cause the putjlic 'Hdn't like to see gray hair on* tho stage. Yet the same manager pl.iys Nora Bnyes and Trixie "Frlganza in all the glors- of their gray marcels. My opinion is thut the public would like Miw.s Loftus with hair of any color or no hair at all. "~~^- May Irwin, while waiting for her eue, w.'jr croohoting f.incy borders on guest towels for Christma'f gifts for her friends, and the rest of the "'•ingles" were helping her to learn a new song which shf> I'ljpcted into' her act later. It was called, "I Love My Alimony. But Oh, You Lone- some Nights!" The first Pat Rooney (father of the present star, and grandfather of Pat, 3rd) was playing in the vari- eties with George B- Knigli.. . . . The father of Frank L Frayno (cur- rently at tho Cort in "Made in Amerira") was playing 81 fllocum ^nd^ doing the bit whert in he shot an appTe from a girra head;; I 15. L. Davenport was shortly o revive "Julius Caesar" with himself as Brutus. Lawrence Barrett as Cas.^lus and F. C. Bangs as Marc Antony. ' .' : • .■> - This week in .Synf^use. where Houdinl Is appearing at the Writing. Joe Leo, his ailvunce agent, h.-is thrt'e serijils running in as many Syra- cuse dailies. "The Telegram" is Mslng one story for 11 d.iys; "The Journal" another for 10 days, and "The Herald" one for eight days, all upon different subjects but ea.'h pertaining to the Houdini spiritual- istic or magic p«>rformance. Each serial started five days before Houilini opened. The Houdini show is playin? at $1.50 top. Lewis and ^^ordon's second show of the season, "Eawy Come, Easy Go," has Otto Kriigor of their "X'-rvous Wreck"' cast, featui'ed. In the opening scene, which has Krug«r and Victor Moore hoi>ping a Pullman after cracking a safe, they sink to chairs while people around ask what's the matter with thrm. To which Kruger has the line: "Don't mind me, I've be^n n nervous wreck for two years." ' " ' It was a howl to the Broadway gang. Bamuel Ruskln Golding Is not the only legal light who Is also a'play- wrlght on the side. Arthur Prcvin, another attorney, has a show, "Toss of a Coin," placed with Walter Hast for fall vroductlon.. :.V .'' ■ The Jewish papers are agitatinc against the presentation of a Yiddish drama written by a foreign author, The piece will bo done. It Is Said, by one of the Yiddish companies In New York. The tb^me is of a father and daughter, the latter leaving her»for^1gn home when three years old, to n^^xt meet her father In America 18 years later. They meet aj) strangers, fall In love and mnrry. ' '' * ■• . -• ^ ■•■•i • • k. *Last week's entertainment piece de resistance for the writer consisted of dining at the Lyceum theatre ai'.'irtmeni of D.'.r.i.-; Krchmnr. ihp part- ner .saint of the actor. To h<-lghien such a pUMsure there is nothing like having as fellow guests--, Channing and Helen Pollock and Mr. and Mrs. Hewlett Howland, Mr. Howland ha-.lng 'omc to Now "^'ork recently to guide the d'btinl^s of the "Century" magazine. B^ing Mr. Krohman's guest tb^re is like having a cliiime to see a theatrical Who's Who of the last quarter oentury. Everywhere the eye strays it lights upon pictures of famou.s Frohman stars anil the host is ready with a wiuy anecdote about any and everyone of llicm. Com- menting on a phi>tf)^;raph of Mary Andfrson, we licard that .she and her titled husband and their family are living happily in London juvt now. And a glance at one of Mrs. Kendall '^llcited the news that Mr. F'roh- mnn's sister is visiting her in England now an.l that the glorioiis star of yesterypar, though old. Is still hale and full of cheer. If the cinema art is to be commfroializ'»d, I would prefer to h.Tve It done as my friend, Fnmk Gould, ert^twhile editor of the "Metropolitan Magazine,' does it. Some days a^^o he invited me oyer to the Cnr.avel I'ictures Studio for tlie purpo.se of seeing a pro-view of ;i !'rl:ii soon to be released. Arriving, I found several pietme revicweis. Tliey pro- ceeded to run off tho picture, entitled "So This is E-lpn," and soon the critics and I found ourselves engro.--.-od in th*» tiouhles of a jonng ni.-ir- rled couple. The drama had a good plot and excellent ilirection and whoT» the crisis »rrlv«vl we began to wonder how on ear-.h ti'e thin? would be Jjrmiglxt to a ha.ppy ending. ^'^JLlund onU The ^""'"""'^ I '^'^.t') all his wlfen problems by present in tj n^r w'th a Hoover v.i< uimi clca-rt+* <fr#o ailvertixemcnt.) Not until then did it dawn on u's that .vi.ilc the picture had not been Intended as :i comedy, he joke was on >^. f"'' •' w.'is an adverti-ing film. And Wo enjoyed tlie joko. With advnne«s like tttis, adv» rli.sing is rapidly oaii.inA '1'" ''''■' be oailed'«»»» Fifth Estate.' .,. ! to tsa>s*«'*aa4ti<«*a>«k»ji.i »< i'!«• 1