Variety (December 1925)

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VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, December 2, 1925 INSIDE STUFF on VAUDEVILLE E. Ray Goefa claims to have the Egyptian maRlcIan Gllly-Gllly under contract for America. Goetz states that there was no controversy over salary as Intimated last week In Variety. GJlly-GlIIy la working at the Cafe de Paris, Paris, that resort having an option on his services until Fetruary. Gilly-Gilly is a remarkable table worker. He will sit down ami Btart a conversation, suddenly Imitating a chicken and producing a live chick from his mouth without u.sing his hands for the trirk. Another chick Is usually brought forth and permitted to scamper around the table. GUly-Gilly Is credited with being a great coin getter (for himself) by the table work and that adds to his salary. Art Shatz of Wheafon, 111., who is suing Red Granse on account of the famous fla.sh signing with C. C. Pylc after negotiating for three years with Shatz, was formerly In vaudeville. Shatz was Johnny Small and did a three-act with the Small .Sisters. Handicapped by mishandling of the elaborate lighting and s<^enlc effects which Dr. Hugo Riescnfeld introduced at the Hippodrome Monday after- noon, the director made a little speech of apology following the first show. Riesenfeld acknowledged the mediocrity of his offering and ex- pressed tho promise that on the audience's return he would have some- thing more fetching ready for them. Al Jolson packed the 44th Street Sunday night with his benefit per- formance for the New York "American's'' Xmas Fund. Although the advertisement stated Al Jolson and "Big Boy" would appear, many of the attendance Imagined there would be a regular Sunday night concert with Jolson headlining. Instead, the entire performance of "Big Boy" was given. No legal question arose through it being a benefit. Of the $6,000 campaign fund for Jimmy Walker collected from the Keith-AIbee agents, 50 agents subscribing $100 apiece, only $1,000 reached the Walker campaign headquarters, it is said. The agents subscribing signed their pledges to a Jimmy Walker Campaign Fund. The Kelth- Albee Circuit made a $1,000 contribution to the campaign fund of Frank A. Waterman (Republican) and another donation was made to John F. Hylan for his primary expense fund. In view of the pronounced Walker sympathy among the agents and their reluctance to contribute to any fund but Walker's, the distribution of the $5,000 haa aroused considerable back stairs comment among the artists' representatives. The agents take the attitude that the circuit could have contributed to the other candidates in equal amount If it so desired, but their $5,000 was intended solely for Walker. When the padlock was placed upon the grill of the Elks Club (No. 1) In New York last week, a crowd of members watched the federal agents place it on the door, also post the placard of notification that accom- -lianied it. The padlock and the placard may be seen from the billiard room of the club. There has been some talk of a rumored attempt to revoke the charter of No. 1 through Its admission of having violated a Federal law. Should the revocation occur, the New York club's much coveted number. No. 1, can never be again secured by it. In the natural course, It Is said, No. 1 would revert in that event to the Philadelphia lodges *^ Further particulars of "Variety's last week's story of two priests in Paris buying a "Variety" on the street off Charles Meltzer, the New York DON! ISS AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN KIETY 20TH ANNIVERSARY NUMBER The Si'ecial Issne W3I Be Out Late This Month Carry Your Name All Over the WorM—in "Variety" Small or large, your advertisement will be read in the circle of English-speaking show business girdling the The best and cheapest publicity opportunity fotr value given ever presented by a theatrical paper. GET VALUE WHEN YOU ADVERTISE Advertise in "VARIETY" Don't be pertuaded or intimidated into wasting money on useless publicity REGULAR ADVERTISING RAT^S Copy Received at Any '^Variety'* Office newsboy Belling papers abroad, are that the priests, on their way to Rome and stopping over in Parl.«. had met the Dunctui (iris while "Topsy and Bva" was playing In Chicago. Jack Mhore, colored ntusician, is of the belief there are many persons desiring to learn Negro spirituals and Is going to teach the old songs so much in ^ug:ue now. Mr. Mhore comes from tho land of the south where spirituals were so popular, the Holy Rollers In particular using the dirgelike, slow chant, slurring of notes, that makes spirituals so different front any other form of colored music. Being that a horse understands any language, Jack Fine, producer, ai'tor, roller skater. Impresario and general man about ChIc;igo, has purchased himself a "nag" with tho assistance and experience of Kenneth FIt7.patrick who sold Jack the idea, horse, membership and stable. It looks like the horse will be called for rehearsals dally and should if prove a capable stepper it will most likely be featured In one of Fine's girl acts, with the old gag, "and the horse lost 108" used as a tag line. Prof. T. (ji. Richards, who conducted the Royal Mountain Ash Chorus of Wales in their Amerleah vaudeville debut at the Hippodrome is one of the oKIest anij most active i)ersonnge8 In show business. Prof. Richards is now 70, unusually active and a veteran at arranging male choirs throughout Great Britain, in addition to his native Wales. The Welshmen are of international repute, and will play picture houses under Arthur Spli-i^i's direction. . Hauling bagpase and operating an express office Is the daytime occu- pation of Joe White and Ima Button, wlille at night when at leisure they play various stands around Los Angeles, doing a comedy acro- batic and singing turn. This couple for a number of years played on the various vaudeville circuits in ttie east and came to California about two years ago. As work was not any too plentiful. White decided that he would go into the theatrical transfer business and established the "On Time Express" company. He got a truck and handled the theatrical hauling, while his wife operated the office. Their love for the theatre did not give way when they went into the commercial enterprise. They worked out a plan to have a few evenings a wee-k for theatrical occu- pation The express business for the couple has proven lucrative with the result they are now orcr.iting two trucks and employing considerable help. White does a good deal of the b.iggage slinging himself and drives one of the trucks. The couple are now building a home In Hollywood. They say no matter how good the express business is or how much they may make out of it, they will always have a longing for the theatre and try to do all they can for it by playing a couple of times a week. Alexander Pantages is said to hold a contract to play "The Big Parade" as a part of his regular house program at Pantages, Salt Lake. The contract was Issued before Metro-Goldwyn decided to road show the picture. M-O has been trying to have Pan void the Salt Lake agreement but so far has been unsuccessfuL After the Dr'^'orest Phonofilms had taken the "Chauve Souris" com- pany and skits in their entirety, with Balletr, It Is said that the entire film had to be thrown out through Balteft not getting over with his voice. The colored professionals call It the C. B. A. club, from Its official title. Colored Benevolent Association. It is at 434 Lenox avenue. One of the prime factors in its operation is Bob Slater, former vaudeTllllan. A big bunch of colored pros make the C. B. A. their headquarters. The Komedy Klub, colored, had its opening Nov. 2S In Washington, D. C. Its officers are given as follows: George Watkins, president; "Boots" Hope, secretary. The main purpose of the klub is "social,'* with only members of the profession admitted. A woman, known as the member of a sister team once highly regarded, has been making it a practice of going about to various agencies In Chicago, booking little dates for the team but Invariably showing up at the theatre at the last moment with the tale that her sister is HI but she Is ready and willing to do a single. In a good many cases the managers have allowed her to go on as a single. The offices are begin- ning to wonder what the angle Is about the sister who never appears. Tears ago when Ben Bentley, Chicago booking manager for Bert Levey, was Musical Bentley. he played in Australia and got all the free lager he could drink by mentioning the name "Spaight's Three Star Ale" during his act. At the same time another American performer, I.,awrence Johnson, ventriloquist, was advertising "Ward's Beer" and getting all he could drink, too. Recently Bentley received a letter from Johnson who is now a Justice of the Peace in Boise, Idaho, but wants to get bffck in the business. He thought he was' writing to John Bentley, the agent, but when Bentley, the booker, mentioned "Spaight's Three Star Ale" in reply It all came back to Johnson. Bvldently the good old days when men were men and 16 shows a day Was considered only a workout, don't mean a thing to Tony Williams, the veteran legitimate actor who has been appearing with ''Stars of Yesterday." Williams, according to report, refused to go to Boston with the act when he learned they were to do four shows dally at a Marcus Loew house. ^The act was tho first of the veteran turns which became so pro- lific a few seasons back. INCORPORATIONS New York Blum Theatrical Corp., Manhat^ tan, pictures; capital, $20,000. IM^ rectors, U, Blum, F, Clayton, H. M,- B. Forbes. Attorneys, Bllberman * Stelnfeld, 215 Montague street, Brooklyn. Norton Amusement Corp., Roch^ ester, theatrical; capital, $160,000. Directors, Nathan Kaplan, Kathryn Thompson, W. Bommershelm, all itochester. Attorney, Charles B, liechiold, Rochester. Saiand Film Laboratories, Man* hattan; capital, $10,000. Directors, Abraham Weinsteln, Joseph E. Mar« golin, N. Seaman. Attorney, M. Uosenzweiff, 51 Chambers street. Cinechrome Film Corp., Manhat- tan, picture film; capital, $20,000. Directors, Arthur Gross, Morrla KInhorn, Stella Bcrthoft. Attorney, L. C. Schultz, 1674 Broadway. Macfadden True Story Pictures, Manhattan; capital. $100,000. Direc- tors, William Thompson, G. L. Har- rington an^S. H. Wood. Attorney, Joseph Schultz, 522 6th avenue. Futter Productions, Manhattan, pictures; 120 shares preferred stoclc $100 each, 120 common no par value. Directors, Walter A. Futter, M. L. CJreenberg, I. Schmal. Attorney, N, V'idaver, 25 W. 43d street. Bershop Theatre Corp., Manhat- tan, theatrical, pictures; 200 shares common no par. ^Directors, H. Am- dor, H. E. Cohen, Bernard Shapiro. Attorneys, Licht & Licht, 1467 Broadway. Bob Custer Productions, Manhat- tan, pictures; capital, $50,000. Di- rectors, Julius Chapsky, J. Joel. Mil- dred Spiro. Attorney, M. M. Blaclc, 720 7th avenue. Non-Stock The following non-stock corpora- tion was chartered In tho office ot the Secretary of State last week: Artists and Writers Club, Manhat- tan; directors, Langdon McCormlclc Frank McCoy, Edward B. McMullen, Fred Hosli, Thomas B. McDonald. Attorneys. Goldstein & Goldstein, S68 Broadway. Share Increases A certificate of Increase of num- ber of shares was filed in the offlca of the Secretary of State last week: Mineola Theatres, Mineola. from 1,500 shares preferred stock $100 each and 1,000 common no par to 2,600 shares preferred $100 each and 1,260 common no par. — k JUDGMENTS Hildor Amus. Corp.; Metro-Gold^ wyn Distributing Corp.; $5,066.70. Aralma Film Co., Inc.; Collison ik Klingman, Inc.; $349.79. Marc Klaw; A. L. Erianger. et aLi' costs, $137.50. Leo Edwards; M. H. Grossman, et *L; $323.90. Judgment Reversed Chaa. Geoly; 8. Osgood Fall * Co.; $3,681.26; Jan. 16. 1925, Judgment Vacated Playgoers, Inc., and MacGregor Kllburn Corp.; B. Friediand Co.; $1.142.E0; Nov, 13. 1926. Bankruptcies Albert Restaurant A Amus. Co., Inc., 1508 Broadway, New York (In- voluntary petition). TWO-ACT FOR FOUR TEARS Hamtree Harrington and Cora Green have been signed for four years by the Keith-Albce Circuit. The colored artists will do "No- body's Gal," their current vehicle. The contract runs to 1930, the book- ing being reported direct througli the "Speciarcontract Department." Harlem vaudeville houses catering to colored audiences are dodging "blues" singers. They are not considered much of a draw up there any more. There are a number of colored women who have achieved no end of popularity through m.-iking "mechanicals," their records heavily Belling down south, yet in New York this popularity has not proven much of a box-ofllce draw. Mike Shea will keep his Buffalo theatre open one week longer than intended in May to play Alice Lloyd on her return from the Orpheum Circuit. .A Chinese producer who has encountered innumerable setbacks with some of his recent vaudeville productions has become superstitious. While rehearsing one of his acts a girl nonchalantly opened an umbrella. The producer upon seeing it called off rehearsals for the day. NEAR SUICIDE (Continued from pitge 6) Russell had been despondent for some weeks. Carlos, who had be- friended him, cl.nmis the actor h.i'l been brooding because of his inabil- ity to obtviln work since liberated from the New Jersey State Prison Isat sunim<r, after h.ivlnij been pa- roled aftfr a mlnimiim ir'vn for m;.r!»:auKhter. The parole board ll'irraled him after having sery^-l ,n the Ire of the , aroie au'.horities through announcing his reappear- ance in vaudeville in a dramatic playlet, "Inside the Walls," said to have incorporated liis prison ex- periences. The act, authored by the ex-convlct performer, a frame-up story and the conventional tag mak- ing the convict tho goat. It created a furore among tho parole board, with the lattei" prohibiting Russell's further appearance in the net upon tho grounds it was in violation of the provisions of his parole. The parole conimi."<slon l.s said to have taken particular ex('oi>tIon because 12-yeaT fe*-ntenc(.. .■\rtcr liberation Russell ar.insel' Uus.scll had entered a pica of guilty j of manslaughter. while the playlet made him a victim of circumstances who had been in- nocently railroaded to prison. Tiireat of Eight Years After Russell had opened in the act his performance was reviewed by his proljation officer who report- ed to the parole board. Uussell was subsequently summoned before that body and told that further continu- ance would precipitate Ills return to prison to finish out the remaining eight years. Despite the parole commission's action no further booking h«d been proffered, since most of the independent houses were none too enthusiastic about the dramatic sketch. Russell, however, had taken the parole board action to mean that he was barred entirely from vaudeville. This is said to have worried him for some time. After tho attempt to take his life was relayed to relatives, one of the hitter appeared at the rooming house Friday and took Itu.sscU away with him. No forwarding address woa left. Russell was sentenced from Jer- sey City in 1912 upon the charge of having shot Thomas Sheridan. The row was the aftermath of a dance hall brawl. Russell claimed the act hud been commltleil in st-lf-dofcnse, and the aufhoritle.s, which had orip'- nally Indicted him upon a rhar^c of fir.st decree murder, accepted a p!ea v^