Variety (February 1926)

T« VARIETY VARIETY Wedncftday, February 17, 1926 NEWS FROrrHE DAILIES Thi« department contain* rewritten theatrical newa item* aa pub- lished durina the week in the daily papert of New York, Chicago and the Pacific Coast. Variety takes no credit for these n«wa items; each has been rewritten from a daily paper. NEW YORK %VilliHni Fox accepted the New York chairmanship of the United Jcwi.sh campaign and made a per- sonal donation of $200,000 to the fund. KpIIx M. Warburg is on the committee with Mr. Fox. March 20 the 98th anniversary of the lilrth of Ibsen will be ohaerved by scenes from hla dramas, the pro- ceeds to go to the Ibsen memoriaJ tund for iho erection of a monu- ment. On the Ibsen cominltle<» are Ethel Barrymore, Daniel Frohman, Eva Le CJalllenne and Lee Hhubert Donald Kerr, of the stage, is to take a hand at film actlnK in a Heries of comedies under the direc- tion of Bryan Foy. For the week of March 7 tlie In- ternational Film Arts GuiUI will continue its motion picture revival.s at the Cameo. That week will be rtev»ited to l.<ubitsch productions only. I^ee, will )i(ive its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House Friday nigltt. Owun Diivis has begun suit in equity for $250,000 axainHt Haiold I..ioyd, Hal Uoach, Fred Newnuyor and the Fat he Distributing Corp. for alleBcrt infrinRPment on hlw piny, "The Nervous Wreck," when they produced the motion picture, "VN by Worry," in which Lloyd staired. Accordinp to a London cable, prok'raniH for "Is Zat 8o?" playing at the Apollo, L<ondon, contain a tranHlatfd list of American slang words and phraecB. A mjin later identified as Anthony Pialto was shot and killed in I.^*. Gloconda, Greenwich Village reatau- rant, owned by John AricopoUl. Ac- cording to the proprietor and John AUanes, waiter, two men entered the restaurant, called Pialto to the liall and shot him. Aricopold and the waller are being held. Aasociation. announced that hla or- ganization win attend to burial. A bdxer, name not divulged, la now being sought aa BIslo Kegan'a pos- sible assailant. "Stage struck" Is thought to be the motive for the disappearance from his home in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 11 of Ned W. Savage, Jr., 17. The boy la said to have left for New York on the promise of « Job on the stage. Janet Beechor Is awardert |1,«0& counsel fees In the separation suit brought by her husband. Dr. Richard H. Hoffman, through a decision of the Appellate Division of the Su- preme Court. Tills decision was on an appeal after Ju.stlce Crain had refused counsel fees to the actress. In explaining why he had never permitted his r>l;>y« to be used for screen scenarios, George Bernard Shaw confes-^ed tliat he once was offered $1,000,000 for them by Sam- uel Goldwyn and refused. Th.it making fllms of his plays would kill their stage value Is Mr. Shaw's rea- son for his refusal to sell. , Further developments In tlie Countess of Catbcart case are that the Countess Is atlll being held for deportation at Ellis Island, charged with "moral turpitude" by Commis- sioner of Immigration Curran, whose order net^ds only tho a.ssent of Secretary of LAbor Davis to make .it final; some unnamed few became '"angry at the barring of adtnittancu to the Countess upon learning that Karl Craven, the Countess' partner in her confessed Immorality, was admitted to the United States with- out question and has been reulding In New York with his wife. The issuing of a warrant to depory Craven followed by his "escape" to Canada; much space and editorial comment by dailies, tabloids espe- cially. One tabloid devoted three and onc-iialf pages to this case M«nday; one paper in an editorial stating that as tlie Countess la here to^'sell her play, "Ashes," her press agent de.serves a bonus; a unanl- nious press In severely "knocking" Commissioner Curran, meanwlille boosting the Countess witli the idea that Hhe should be allowed to re- main. Two hundred feet of feature, com- edy and educational illins were shipped by tho Motion Picture Pro- ducers and Distributors of America to the leper colony at Balboa. Canal Zone. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Puekett deny that their daughter, Elcanora Ambrose, and Maurice, the dancer, are wed. Maurice and the girl left recently for Europe, where they are dancing, and shortly after their ar- rival the marriage was reported. A paper containing a vivid de- scription of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, written by R. A. Emerson, actor, who was a meniber of tho "Our American Cousin" cast at Ford's theatre when the President was shot, was found in an old trunk In the home of one of Emerson's descendants in Alexandria, Va. The "'Orarihic" maneuvered il.'it^ir Into a libel suit for printing tho nicmoirs of the Countess t'athcjirt. he "Am<'rlr:in Weekly" h.-is \)c- gun suit against the paper to re- »:train it frton fui'ther publication of the memoirs. In the complaint it is alleged that In November, ia:;a. the niomolrs were copyrighted and pub- lished In a London paper. The American and Canadian rlglita wore purchased by the Star Company, Which later sold then\ to the "American Weekly." Attorney for the "Graphic" said his paper had taken the memoirs from u ScotclJ publlciition, but had paid nothing Tor them and agreed tiiat the •tinnphlc" will discontinue publish- ing them pending trial of the suit, set for Feb. 19. The Complainant asks $1 for each copy of the "Graphic" issued containing the memoirs. For tlie erection of a 3.000-seat theatre at a cost of $1,100,000. Boone D. Hite iiurchased a large plot at Jerome avenue and 176th street, Bronx, from the Jerome Ave- nue Exhibition Co., Inc. I'lans ;irc being drawn by Eugene De Rosa and Moore & Lanseidel, architects. The Romax building and property, 243-49 West 47»h street, was sold to the Trebuhs Realty Co.. a Shubert subsidiary, by Joseph O'Gara for the Merula Realty Corp. The building, which brings $70,000 in rent yearly, will not be torn down for the erec- tion of a theatre, as reported. waa named as purchaser for a con- sideration of $170,000. Included in the sale is the estate's right to pro- tect Itself from "Indiscriminate tMokings" in Its dealings under a "gentlemen's agreement" with the Shuberta. Marcus Loew announces the con- struction of three new theatres In Texas. They will be In San An- tonio, Houston and Dallas, and will seat about 3,000 each. Listed under "Securities at Auc- tion" In the "Times" were 100,000 shares of the Shubert Film Corp. and 50.000 of the William Brady Picture Plays. Inc.. at $8,606.50 the lot. According to the "Graphic," Flor- ence Mills, In denying that Belaa- co's "Lulu Belle" is based on her life, said that she had refused the title role, now being played by Le- nore Ulrlc, because it "degrades her race." Miss Mills Is 24 and married for the last seven years to U. 8. Thomp- son, the dancer. Boston, Mrs. Ponzi and two others are Indicted for having part^iken In illegal realty transactions In Florida. Suit. In which the plaintiff asks appointment of a receiver for tho theatre, was filed In Supreme Court by Charles L. Wagner, through his attorney, Joseph Sullivan, against the Wilkes Theatre Corp., lessee of the Sam H. Harrli^ theatre. Accord- ing to the complaint, the Wilkes Company failed to carry out an al- leged contract with Mr. Wagner. For this alleged breach, the plaintiff is also suing for $50,000 damages. Earling Mickelson, violinist, of Brooklyn, leaped from bis window in his bare feet and underwear, landing In a snowbank, after being extricated by three cops, broke away and was sub.tiequently hit and knocked unconscious by a passing tnxicab. Into which he ran. He is In a sexlous condition. "The Influ- ence of Jazz music" is attributed to having caused Earling's mad flight. As a plan to relieve traffic con- gestion. Cornniissioner of Police Mc- I.aughlin supge.sis, only, that taxi- cabs, buses and privately owned cars be barred from the theatre district during ct-rtain hours. I'Vank Farrell, 60. sportsman and onco owner of the New York Yan- kees, died Feb. 10 after a heart at- tack In an Atlantic City hotel. Following its revival of "Emperoj- Jones" this week, the Provinceiown Playhouse wMl present that old standby, 'East Lynnc." A bill to rai.se the automobile highway speed limit fr»)ni 30 to 35 miles an hour wais introduced in the State Legislature at Albany. Maijorie Brown, 17. and John Harvey, 21, were discharged by Magistrate Macreary after being hailed into Night Court by John Crauford, who charged them with "necking" in tho Chelsea theatre. West 60th street, of which he Is manager. The idea of the Shuberts in re- serving the pit eeat.s In His Maj- esty's theatre, London, where their "The Student Prince" Is playing, Is abandoned. Their attempted defy of English tradition severely aroused the ire of London's frequenters of the queue. According to the will of the lat© Abraham H. Hummel, made pub- lic at Portland, Me., the estate ot the one-time famous divorce attor- ney will go In equal shares to two sisters, Mrs. Sophie Kaffenberg and Bertha Hummel. The will falls to mention tho name of Henry D. Hummel, who claims ho was Hum- mel's son and legal heir and who will contest the will. CHICAGO Police are looking for the man who late one night turned in four Are alarms, calling the stations and saying that the Studebnker theatre was In flames. Mrs. Helen Mary Peterson, expert high diver, won a decree from her hsub.and after Informing the court that he left her because .she refusod to support him. Guy Massey, 27, composer of the "Prisoner's Song," which is just earning popularity, dleJ pt'nnilcs.s at a military ho.spllal in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The will of the late Abraham H. Hummel Is filed for probate In Surrogate's Coifrt. James II. llornherger, Irish tenor, knovvn professionally as Colin O'More, is ordere<l by Supreme Court Justice Profkauer to show cause why he sliould not be com- mitted for contempt of court for failure to pay his wife, Madeline, arrears in alimony Amounting to $600. The Hornbergers were di- vorced about a year ago and Horn- berger ordered to pay his wife $30 weekly. Tli.at he has failed to pay- since September, last, is charged. Mrs. Hornbergcr Is running a tea shop In Port Lauderdale, Fla. William F. Hart, corporation at- torney, of 302 West 78lh street, was taken to Broad Street hospital after having taken poison. No reason for the suicide attempt was learned. Hart has reinesented F. P. Proctor. A firand Rapids couple, doing tlie Charleston f<ir but three months, were decided winners of ihe Trianon National Charleston contest at the Trianon last week. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars, thought to be a record for outdoor advertising, was paid by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. for a lease of the sign on the He^'ust building, Columbus Circle. An audience of 10ft filed orderly out of Central theatre, 771 Ninth avenue, when a Are In the projection room destroyed about 200 feet of film. The n.xt six-day blko race will tiegln March « at tho new Garden. According to Arthur Williams, officer of the New York Edison Co., there are 17,000 electric signs in Manhnttnn lielow ISSth street. Res-' taurantH lead with about 2.800. barber shops have 1,300, and tobacco adverti.scr.s 1,100. Theatres place seventh with 706 signs. The closing of "Chariot's Revue" at the Selwyn Is set for March 6. The show will proceed to the Coast, where the Lawrencc-Llllie-Bu- chanan combination may work in pictures. Mrs. David Belasco is seriously 111 after having suffered a third stroke in the home, at 71 East 52d street, of her daughter, Mrs. Morris Gest. The elopement of Ida Beecher, 15, of Brooklyn, and Rob Brown, said to be an actor, was frustrated by Id.a's sister, Sadie, who trailed tiie pair to a house in Brooklyn. Sadie, witli the aid of a cop, broke Into the house to cause the arrest of the pair, but Brown had fled. Ida wa.s taken to the Children's Society. Those who attended the preview of the "Sea Beast" at tlie Goodman theatre were treated to .another pre- miere. Mrs. Samuel Warner, for- merly Lina Basquotte of the "Fol- lies," appeared In a, female tuxedo, white vest and everything. Mr. and Mrs. Warner cjime to Chicago espe- cially to attend this opening. Indictments were returned last week by a Federal grand jury against 14 alleged drug peddlers in the government's campaign to stamp out the illicit sale of narcotics in tho loop. Those Indicted were charged with possession and sale of 8,749 grains of cocaine. All were held under heavy bonds. Involuntary bankruptcy proceed- ings were filed last week in tho Federal court against the Illinois Automobile Club In behalf of threo creditors, whose aggregate claims amount to about $1,500. The peti- tion states that the assets of the firm are $10,000, while its liabllitlea run to $56,000. One womnn :ind l.T men were ar- rested In a raid on the Blue Ribbon Pleasure Club, Brooklyn, N. Y., on disorderly conduct charges. The woman and a man were found smoking oi>ium. The eighth annual dinner of the Grand Street Boys will be held Sun- day at tlK^Hotel Commodore. Humiliated by her expulsion from Berlin society circles because siie had married an Italian, Marchesxi Gabrielo DIsera, noted (Jciman actress, committed suicide. Slie was formerly the wife of a German banker. Seven men are being held In Tia Jll.Tna, >'eyl,o, for att ic-.s on Audrey and Clyde Petoet, American Klrl.% resulting in tho suicide of the i-ntlro Peteet family. Following the attack on his daughters, Thomas M. I'eteet gathered his faintly In a rouni .•111(1 tu'iied on t'l" iris. '!'>>' ■ Is sold to he an Instance of the rrlm» preralent at the Mexican race track. The seven accused men are Mexicans, one is a hotel owner, another a bartender and the others taxi drivers. As a result of this crime and many previous ones Gov- ernor Rodriguez of Lower California li.Ts ordered all women entertainers snd suspicious rh.iracterfl di'i>orted from Tla .Jiinn • !in<l ail -i'dm-' ; placed Under fcish bond.s of $10,0(*0. Mme. Ernestine Schuniann-Helnk Will discontinue her <(>nceit tour to rejoin the Mctropf)lltan op<r.i Co. The Catholic Actor.V GulW benefit Was successfully held at tho Man- hattan Sunday. Tex Rlckard announced that the Madison Sciunre CJardiii Corp. will erect a luit,'e Hpo!'t8 arena and coii- vtMition h;ill In MI;inil to scat ir>,000 • t ft cost of $3,000,000. .lohn Aldiiii Cai'penter's jazz t>:illct. "Skyscraper," staged by Jiiiln>rt Edniimd .lon'a :ind Sammy Vera, the Countess of Cuthcart, was detained at Ellis Island by im- migrilTlon officers upon her arrival on tho Carmanla last Tuesday for no stated reason. The countess la In America to negotiate the sale of her play, "Ashes." John A. Weaver, pl.aywrlght. and Mia. Weaver, wlu> is I'eggy Wood are mourning the death of their baby girl, who died at birth last Wednesday. Mrs. Weaver is resting "t Lir>plncott's sanatorium, 667 Madlson avenue. Hugo W. Romberg is to produce ".Soft Co.il.' by Bernard S. Schu- bert "Hello, l»la" win be suc- ceeded by "The Virgin" at the Max- ine Elliott next week. .. .Helen Menken is now starred Instead of featured in "The MakropmUo^ Secret.' Poultney Bigelow, author, will sue H. C. Wells f(ir $50,000, charging the English novelist with having called him .a "boie." Tho body of the girl whoso bullet- plcrccd body was found In a snow heap in East 52nd street was identi- fied as th.at of Mrs. Elsie Regan, bur- lesque and cabaret chorus girl, the adopted daughter of Hugh McCor- mlck. of Ottawa, separated from her husband and mi>ther of a son, 3 years old. The body was identified by Eva Davis, with whom Mrs. Regan lived at 800 8th avenue, and Marjorie Whitney, friend of the dead wom- an, l>oth of whom were in a Colum- bia burlesque show with Mrs. Regan In 1924. According to Miss Davis, when the show stranded last June they came to New York to dance at the Fulton Gardens, Brooklyn. Mreu Regan, through drinking heav- ily, lost the Job. At tho Coolidge Hotel police learned that the mur- dered womnn had lived there until tw»> weeks ago when she checked otit, leaving llie .Sth avenue address. I'olice are now /icarching for the murderer, a, man about wliom tliey gleaned some information from Sam Fletcher, theatrical producer, of 901 Fox strepf, the Bronx. The identification of Mrs. Regan culminated a search ))y police throughout the city's cabaret and night resorts, the dead woman hav- ing been a well-known irequenter of theso. Supremo Court Justice Tierney reserved decision in tlio suit for separation of Mrs. Beatrice W. Bourne .against Arthur K. Bourne, Jr., heir to the Singer sewing ma- chine millions, In which Peggy Shannon is named as co-respond- ent. A bill asking that .a ro<^eiver bo appointed for the Flanders Hotel was filed In Federal Court last week. The bill alleged that the hotel com- pany had defaulted on principal and Interest on bonds of $36,550. Tha tof.al hond issue outstanding Is $1.- 350,000, and the action was taken to protect the bondholders, .so the law- yers said. Thirty-eight women mcmiiera of a burlesque show were forced Into the snow when fire destroyed the Grand Hotel, Newark, at which they were stojtping. Tlio engagement of Dorothy Flet- cher and Daniel Wolf, both of "Port O' London," Is announced. Luke O'Neil confesped to the stato police at Danville, O., that he was wanted In New York for tlie murder of Catherine Gore, whom he killed Sept. 13 last. O'Neii's face did not correspond with the pictures the po- lice had on their files, but his fin- gerprints did. In his signed con- fession O'Nein stated that, after the crime, he came to Chicago, where for $1,000 a plastic surgeon completely changed all his facial eharaiterlstlcs. Small scars not yet healed completely gave strength to his story. Beyond stating that ho had been arrested in several places since tlie <Tiine. for minor violation."}, O'.Vell refused to divulnre his actions since his oneratlon. He will be re- turned to New Y'^ork as soon as ex- tradition papers can be procured. Bern.iid .T. Dowling. New York State .Senator, has introductnl .a Idll In the Senate at Albany calling fur the abolition of the picture censor- whip etimtiiisHion antl repenl of ih«« censorship law. A tablwiil, in roniineniiiir on the Countess C.ithcarfs detainmeot :it Ellis Island for "moral tui |>itudc.'' likened tli.it cise to tliosc of l.s.Klor.i Duiicm. Lu's Kirpo, Countc<.s Anti.i Zarnekati and Tat Sonieiset. Marion Talley, 18, the youngest prima donna in the history of the Metropolitan, is to make her debut this evening (Wednesday) in "Rlgn- letto." Mi.ss Talley has a large followini: In her home town, Kan- sas City. S. L. Rothafel purchased a por- tion of the music library of tlie late Victor Herbert for installation in tJr^ now Roxy theatre. Josephine Trix, of the Trlx sisters, and Kddle Fields, of vaudeville, both Amei leans, wed in London. Fields described himself as Ed- ward Greenfiehl, of Philadelphia, and his brido as Josephine Y'eiser, of Newmanstown, Pa. As no rel.itIves or friends ba\e ol,limed llie tiody of tho munlcred KIsle Ke>;,in, Dave Krnu.x.s. chairm.'(n (..f the Mutual Builcfuuc Boncvtilent The right to executors of the es- tate of the late Samuel P. Nlrd- iiuKor to dispose of the estate's in- terest in the l'orrc.«:t and Ciarrick tlie-ilres. I'liilailelpbin, llie V-'ord, Baltimore, and the Apolln, Atlanlic City, was gr.antcd by Judge <^Ht In Philadelphia. The reason given by the exrent'ifs in petition for the riiiht of .sale was that "to c<iiitiniie active bii--iit'ss •••;■ \lie est itc is an unnecessary burden." Tlic Stanlej Company of Anioiir;1 A peculi.ar procedure was report- ed to have been made to halt the trip of Lya de Putti, the German ITKA star, who was to have sailed for America tod.ay (Wednesday). Berlin dressmakers, thought to Vie working in conjunction witli rival film fionpanles of I'FA, charged the actress with having failed to tiay .a hill amounting to $L'.0no. LOS ANGELES Florence Ryerson. scenario, maga- zine aiwl playwright, has filed suit In the Superior Court for a divorce from Harold S. Ryer.son. formerly secretary of the Los Angeles Traffio Commission, on a charge of cruelty. The complaint alleges that he has been spending too much time in the company of a young woman who until recently was engaged in a sec- relailal position In Mayor Cider's oHlce. Dorothy Lee. pi<'ture actress, was nameil as c(.rieHr«.iident in .a coiu- plalnl for divorce filed in the Su- perir Couit by Mrs. lone Dixon again .Mfred Dixon, picture a<tor. Tho International Theatre Expo- sition, under tiie auspices of the Tlieatre <^:ulkl, the Provlncetown Playhouse, tho Greenwich Vllla.xe Theatre and the Neighborhood I'laylioiisc. will be held in tlie Stein- way building foi- th(> two weeks be- ginning Feb. 27. ♦ .T.TMos A. Farley and William Mul- doon, who.se terms expired Jan. 1, are appointed by Gov. Smith to suc- ceed lhems<lves on the State Ath- letic Coniniissinn. Mrs. Anna Wiley, who conducted an exi lUHive club catering to tho thirst i.t picture pl.iyers, had her eslabtlshmciit raided by l-'ederal pro- hibition officers, who seized 10 quarts of gin and nine qiiarts of Scdlch and then pl.icc.l her under arrest. I^ewis Stone, picture jk tor. baa filed .suit in the V. S. District Court, In whicli he sj-cUs to rfcnver d.ani- aues from T. Hatr.i.shl, .Tap.niv se ship owner, foi- injury done to his y.aeht "Wenona 11' when It wa.s iiin down In a fog last M.ircli. .^imie seeks ti.'-ii daniagi'K and iia--^ filed a liliej — agiiinst the powi r l)<>;it "Seiyo, Charles Ponzi, the gyp wlz.ird of owned by Ha^.^slli.