Variety (April 1926)

iSEMENTS TIMES SQUARB Publlah«d WMkJr at IM Weat 4«th St.. New York. N. T« br Variety. loa Annual aubaorlptloa |7. 8ingl« coplea 1* e«nts. BntM-ed %M Moond claaa matter DaMinber St, 190S. at tha PMit Offloa at New York. N. Y., uadar tha act of March I. ID?*. LXXXn. No. 8 NEW YORK CITY, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, .1926 64 PAGES $1,000,000 N.Y. RUN T. A. WEEK GOOD FOR THEATRES BUT M SO GOOD FOR llUr ^ Acts Bring Extra BusineM to Palmce, New Yodk—CoUeelioiis Drop Off—^iglier AdmiMion BtUer Plan of Aiding N. V. A* The annual N. Y. A. Week, held all of the boiwes a^eodated with Vaudeville Hknarera* Protec- jrwu^NtlM,. opened Monday. ..eC, toe bouaea concerned in the ye ran ahort picture propaganda, '^jAlntf the alleged purpoae of drlrc^ which took the form of a eMlonateach performance in of Ute houses. Artists on the bill, except in one tpe houses, were dealiniated to *\ ^ collection boxes among loes. The collections in with former years were as leas than half for .the iOd- of tim^ Xup^ te^ laai night) of other housea. appeared wholly out of with the collection phase •aid to be considering ad- a more dignified method funds, such aa raising the .D prices for the week, with V. A. securing the differ- Ih the latter case, artiats Jf the public were not in thy they could save embar- ^CContinued on page 10) t Fish Family ProAiciBg Jazz Opera ill*. Jane Frazer. in private life . Smith B. Fish, of the Stuy- FJeh ikmUy, is the author mposer <of a new Jasz opera , - K^ven production in I tap by the Fish family and un- irJjCle^y patronage. Prazer, whose first husband, H. Frazer, was district at- of Detroit, is giving; her o«totg talents full sway with a nfittslc publishing concern, the ser-Kent, Inc., Just organized. W 21-year.old son. Allan H. now studying music in Paris, *'? * composer. The firm la lUhlng the popular song works th mother and son, with Arthur formerly asnoclated with I^nge, the arranger, in ao- ct.arge of executive and pro- •nal detalla. • Prazer-Kent Co. Is not con- "}« Wlf exclusively to the Fish -iJ'V.'*"^"*^^ having pop »■ by Joseph Nussbaum and »n their catalog. NusBhaum *n arranger, also formerly aa- With Lange. Frazer (or Mrs. Smith B. She in now known) contem- ■ extending her theatrical ac- SHOHA-OLSEN ROMAffCEAND MARRIAGE Ediel Shutla Disappeared ffom 'Xouie'* —. Mel Bandman ''Doubling^ A divorce, mysterious disappear- ance, new romance and a forthcom- ing elopement this week between Bthel ShutU of *T.ouie the 14th,'* and George Olsen, the band leader, are all intertwined. The divorce concerns the decree In favor of Miss Shutta March SO in the Chicago courts, with Walter Batchelor, pic- ture house agent and former Chl- cagoan, as the ex-husband. The mysterious disappearance concerns Miss Shutta's sudden departure the name day from Chicago, with Zleg- feld, the *lx>uie the 14th" entrepe- neur reported frantic in his search for the comedienne. It will be news to Ziegfeld and others concerned when it is her- alded in this family Journal that two days later, or Thursday night at the Hotel Pennsylvania grill- room, Miss Shutta was seen In the company of Julian T. Abelcs, her New York attorney. The occasion was a special Eddie Cantor night in^horfor of the comedian, staged by Olaen, whos* orchestra Is the chief (Continued on page 20) Young, Unknown Colored Girl Giving Concerts Marie Davis, colored, is a young New York girl who is considered a piano marvel The girl has been studying for some time but not until recently did she make her debut in public with the result that a New York concert manager ar- ranged for a series of Aeolian Hall concerts. It Is was all so sudden that Miss Davis has not even given any thought to the program she will offer at initial "big time" concert appearance. WEEKLY IINEW In for Four and Half Weeks —No "Paper^ UaUl AprH 12—Lsss BiUpettiag This Season — Peered FlcQi at Start MITTE EDITOR TRYING TO KEEP BDiY SUNDAY OUT OF TOWN Brjon £• Cooney of Montana Amerlean** Goes After Evangelist's Proposed Summer Invasion of Town—Snorting Roare «750,000 PiREVIOUS HIGH The flret foil week the Rlagllng Broa.-Barnum-BaUey CSroua will play at the new Garden wtU. from indications yesterday, show a box ofBce return Qf approximately $2(0,- The flffiiree are baaed on the bufllnaM MMMKitx Monday when there wag a wtf-out for the matinee and the night performancee and the re- oelpta on the day raq a little over $40,000 at IS top. Ob stz days this would meaa a (Continued on page 60) $6011,(1110 OFFER FOR AL JOLSON A. H. Woods llldie* It for Famous Players POUCE BENEFTT NOTALBEE^ mis YEAR Strange Happenings in Suburban Towns on die Bostcm Road A. H. Woods on behalf of Famous Players (Publia Theatres) offered Al JoUion $000,000 for 40 weeks in the Publiz theatrea, appearing four times daily and singing two songs at each appearance. The engagement was te com- mence next season with the open- ing of the new Paramount theatre. New Yorlc Jolson refused it. NON^INNERASCASTER Jimmy Duffy was dls^^h^rgcd from Ward's Island Monday. Greeted by a theatrical ac- quaintonce anent the possi- bility of Karl Carroll's reception .should he be convicted trnd sent to the Island, Duffy re- marked: "I^t he who is without sin o:i9t the next 'Vanities.'" Ouffy authored some of tho ( ornedy scenes and appearod in he original "Vanities." AO New Rochelle and lArchmont are wondering what happened after all these years that resulted la the police of N. R. announcing that their annual benefit would be di- rected by Flo Ziegfeld Instead of E. P. Albee. Heretofore the benefit was a joint affair by the N. R.-Larchmont police with "Mr. Albee" ^he big noise. E^verything was "Mr. Albee" this and ''Mr. AlbeeT that, but things have undergone a change since last year. The N. R, cops are going it alone and are tickled pink over having Flo SUegfeld's name as back of their show which will occur some time la May. Another surprise up New (Continued on page 48) Hq^ Price Radio Stations It is said there is no radio station around New York purchascable for less than $600,000. The high figures have been brought about through the limited number of licensed stations at pres- enL From the accounts the £lhuberts have be«n seeking a radio station to buy encountering the stiff prices. Children Playing In Orpheum's St. Paul. April f. A contest for children playing iiarnionlcas on the stage Is b^ing )i#*M by the Palnco-OrpiioMm on the Orpheum (Mrcult. It 1b tccepted Ir»< » "^i^n of tho '.loHpcr.ite Htralt:^ \ imist ':o to to attempt a revlvul oC busi- ness. Butte, MoBt. April ff. B at Cooney, editor of tho '^Montana Aiaericaa»" Ja Its ourreat Issuer takes up his editorial spaee to eendema Billy Sunday, the evan- gelist, who has picked on Butto for the cou I nr sunamer. Mr. Oooney started his oampaifB against Sunday "cleaning up mo towa for cola** in this wise. The paper Is earryUig a ballot for the aatfves to tou whether thor waat flundsy la towa or not. By BRYON ■. eOONBY The cltl^eas of thls^ e^mmuaity are about to make a moMeatons de- cision in their eoatomphUed Impor- taUoB of Billy Sunday, the P. T. liamum of the religious world. Tho camparlson Is not entirely fair, bo* (Continued ca pago If) N. V. A. Wed[ ■ L A. Starts WfODg 2 Ways Lios Angeles. April 1. The inauguration of N. V. A. week opened to a flop here. A member of tho hill al the Orpheum refused to go on sad make a begging appeal for nsoney. The Pantages house dldnt pass the plate for the N. Y. A. At the Orpheum plekings were slim, the afteraooa attendaneo be- ing off. due to wet weather. Harry Ilngllsh, looal representa- tive of the N. Y.'^A. took up 10 minutes acolaiming tho virtues of tho organtxation. The audlenoe coughed. Flat Feet-Weak Hearts Sun PranHico, April 0. One hundred and thirty-four out of 500 applicants were accepted by the local Navy rerrulting Hervice in March. This is far lower than tho usual percentage due to the Charles- ton, said Lieut. Commander A. R. Mack. He Kald that flat feet and weak hearts huve increased greatly since the f«Ht (lance. OK GOWNS ea UNIFORMS LKASM TO SAV BR.OOKS' I 1437 BAOAOWAY - TtL 5560 PEN.