Variety (April 1926)

▼ A B I B T T WcdaMSar, April T, 19M NEWS FROMTHE DAILIES Hilt d«p«rtm«nt oonUins r«writt*n thtatrical imws lt«mt m pMb- llBh«d during th« wMk In th« daily pap«r« of N«w York, diloaoo •fid th« Pacifle CoMt Variaty takaa no aradit far thaaa nawa itama; aaah Kaa baan rawrittan from a daily paper. NEW YORK Harry Thaw acaln hit tha P^para te-thla tlma with two talaa on tha ttrat newi pa«a of a tabk>ld. In one atory It waa told that Barry has propoaad marrla^ to Bvalyn Nesbit, she refusing and be- IBS quoted to tho effect that ahe would -rather die" than renaarry Thaw. The other atory had to do with Harry helng alapped In the face by Jeanne La Motto, dffaratte ffiii In a cabaret. Beniamlno Gigll, lUllan tenor, who was black handed out of a concert tn Detroit recently, sang In a Stam- ford, Conn., church Sunday to the acclaim of his following In thae dty. Glgll was escorted In and oat of tl\e town by motorcycle oopa. The 25th annual revel of the Green Room Club waa held before a fair audience at tha Manhattan Opera House. The engagement of Henry Ruasel. prominent music impresario of Eu- rope and America, and Liady Patricia Blackwood, daughter of the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, waa announced at Monte Carlo. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford sailed on the "Conte Blan- camano" on the first lap of their round-the-world cruise. Titta Rufto, the singer, was on the aame ahlp. Nettle Rosenblatt, daughter of Cantor Josef Rosenblatt, and Harry 'Weiss, New York manufacturer, will wed. It was announced at the Ro- aenblatt home. Olga Petrova will tour the Loew circuit at a reported aalary of |3,000 weekly. loB in Phlladalphla Saturday. Cyril Maude, who la to retire to his home in England after 42 yaara on the ataga. warned agalnat **tha growing tendency In America at writing filthy playa" Klsle Janla, at the Hippodrome. New York, was honored at the the- atre in being nuide a daughter of the Sidney Kankln Drew theatrical post of the American Lagion. Elsie was also appointed advance courier of the legion's convention to be held in Parla in 1927. 8ha wiU aaU for Paria thia weak. aad Mlaa Wooda atartad boi aocoatad kr Tacdoflon. pnlalng btm, aha want koma to bad. and waa awakened two koora kttar by a povadlas oa tha door. Tha lovo nota waa than ahovad under, panned in blood that the boy had obtained by biting hia llpa. Porraat Taylor, at praaant with "Dealra Under the Elms'* here at the Orange OrovOk plana to revive tha old Baker atock eompany of Port- land, Ora^ with hia own Portland atock company at tha Helllg and present year-round atock at a new house to t>e erected in Portland. IGODIG AFIER" BDIY SUNDAY Leonard Wood, Jr., son of General Leonard Wood, la the author, to- gether with Ilardid M. Sherman, of a play called "Sin Tax." announced for production by George McFar- lane. The piece is described as "an emotional drama of the tropica." The fasting Utle of Herr Jolly, who went without food for 44 days, being on exhibition In a glass cage all the time, in Berlin, is disputed by Frank A. Wolfe. Oklahoma farm- er, who claims 49 days as his record. Frank is eager to meet Herr Jolly In a contest to determine the 'World's champion faster." The famous flO.OOO gold and dia- mond belt presented to John L. Sul- livan by the citizens of Boston in the Boston theatre, Aug. 8, }887. turned up to be melted at the mint in Philadelphia. The belt, with its S97 diamonds missing, was brought to the mint by a junk dealer, who said he had received a little over 1800 for the metaL AT^'art Ia Warrender. air-circus stunt man, hung by his teeth from the wheela of an airplane for half an hour when he became too weak to pull himaelf back Into the cockpit at Venice, CaL He waa finally aaved when Jimmy Crossan, his pilot, fiew over a aoft aand ai>ot on the beach and let him drop to be picked up by a passing motorist. William Beaudlne win make a tour of the country following his latest picture, "Ladies First." for Douglas MacLean and one more for Warner Brothers. In her charge against Frank M. Sanford, motion picture producer, Genevieve B. Sanford, his ^ife, in her divorce suit stated that he han- dled her roughly In the presence of others. Sanford, In his cross-com- plaint, said that he was only hold- ing her hands ao she could.not hit him. About $200,000 in property is involved in the suit, Sanford claim- ing it as his separate estate, while Mrs. Sanford says it la all com- munity property. Jack Hoxle, former Universal actor, will go on a short vacation, now that his last picture under his three-year contract is completed. 6e did not announce what company he will be with when he returns. The report that Carmela Ponselle, Metropolitan songstress, and Joseph Akston, literary agent. wiU wed is denied. C. W. Frlsa, Under Sheriff of Oklahoma, was awarded default judgment of $20,000 against the company operating the radio sta- tion KFJF, which. It was alleged, broadcast a slanderous speech. The speech, made by the Rev. Lin- coln McConnell. Oklahoma City min- ister, attacked the liquor conditions in the city. Fries oontened that the minister told of the Under Sheriff accepting a bribe from a young man he had arrested. Frlss is tho only Under Sheriff in the county, but McConnell said he was ignorant of that fact and was not referring to any particular officer. Frlss' $76,000 ault against the minister la pending. The M. Jb 8. theatre circuit, headed by Ellaa Mayer and Louis Schneider, added to their New York chain the Apollo theatre and Har- lem Opera House, both in Harlem. The Apollo leased to the Minskys. who are running stock burlesque in the house, while the Opera House Is being run as a picture house by Leo Brecher. Milton L. Meltser and Samuel Abramowlts, brokers, negotiated the dcnl. CHICAGO Eugene Cornuche, oH'ner of gam biing palaces in Deauvll^e, the French resort, died in Paris. From a waiter, Cornuche rose to a mil lionairo and the title, "King of Deauvllle." As a possible "April fool" gag, a man and woman applied for a mar riage license in Now York, giving their names as those of Ramon No varro. film star, and Katherine Wil son, playing in "Love '£m and Leave •Km" in New York. That the pair are to marry was denied for both. Park Commissioner James .J Browne defended his leasing of the Dreamland Park site, Coney Island, for parking space in an affidavit submitted to Brooklyn Supreme Court. According to Browne, the apace will cause a profit to the city of $103,500 during the next three years, although for the last three it has made only $20,126. •Tlie Fall of E^ve," one of New York's earlier flzzlea of this season, la this week's stock offering at Ascher's Adelphl. One hundred and fifty-two em ployes of the Universal Film Cor poration assembled in Chicago last week for a six days' sales convention at the Drake hotel A banquet at Rainbo Gardens, a reception at the Chicago Beach hotel, and a dance at the Trianon ballroom were amusement highlights during the conclu^'e. Fourteen states repre sented. Silvio Sciontl, professor at the American Conservatory of Music, is being sued for separate maintenance by his wife, Adele Sciontl. who charges that he-deaertAd. her lour years ago and has fallen in love with one of his students. The $100 a week which he has been giving her is insufficient, she claims. Mrs. Tessle Pena, young Tia Juana entertainer, charged with the murder of Mrs. Frances Cole, her 80-year-old benefactress, went on trial in San Diego. It In expected that she will plead not guilty and claim insanity. Charlotte Mineau. screen actress, filed suit^ for $11,200 damages against the Yellow Cab Company, charging that she was injured when a cab backed into a motorcycle which fell on her foot and prevented her from working. Mark Hyman and Larry Darmour, officials of the Standard Cinema Corp.. New York, are here to con- fer with Joe Rock about future pro- duction plans. Mrs. "Peg** Talmadge. mother of Norma and Constance, left for New York, where she will remain until Norma returns to the Coast. Three armed men entered the Crlllon cafe last week, tied the watchman to a chair, and blew the safe. The daylight robbery netted the bandits $4,000. Lucille Thomas, actress, living at 4161 Sheridan road, has brought suit for $60,000 against Robert Gross, real estate and insurance man. charging assault and battery. She said she met Gross three months ago, and that about two weeks ago he phoned her to come to the Great Northern hotel. There they quarreled and he beat her, she claims. Martin Maroney, 18, of 442 West 41st street, is indicted as the slayer of Battling Siki, who was found shot in 41st street last December. Vera, the Countess Cathcart, laden with the mournful memories of "Ashes of Love," her prize flop, sailed for England and home on the "Berongarla." Others on the same boat were Otto Klemp#»rcr, P'*ul Whlteman and orchestra. William Morris, Jr., and Maxine Elliott. Thomas Spencer. 82, one time baritone solol.st and star 'of Zieg- feld's "Follies," was killed in an automobile wreck at Camtllus, N. Y., near Syrocuse. Spencer resided In Syracuse. Only a week before he had entered suit for $50,000 dam- ages against the Duncan Sisters, al- leging breach of contract. Ere what was announced as his last farewell appearance in Amer- Fred Roesenllern, 16. former heavyweight pugilist who fought under the name of Andre Ander- son, died in the West Suburban hos- pital last week, as a result of gun- shot wounds received in a Cicero cabaret gun battle the week before. A probe of the shooting is being made. Chicago's first aviotlon magazine, "Aviator," was distributed about the state by five planes hist week. Rich- ard W. Sanger, pilot. Is publishei. LOS ANGELES Robert O'Brien, picture actor, was slightly injured when a car he was riding in turned turtle four times and then crashed into a pole In Hollywood. Five other people were in the car. Including R. S. Webb, local stock broker, who drove, all escaped injury except O'Brien. Mrs. Clara Parrott, picture act- ress, was cut and bruised when nn automobile in which she was ridinp was overturned near Lancaster on the Lake Elizabeth highway. Araico Tacdo^on, ZTj, Filipino, was arrested when Iris Woods, 19, and a classic dancer, declared he wrote hor a mash note in blood. After danc- The State Supreme Court affirmed the manslaughter conviction of Nor- man Selby (Kid McCoy) and over- turned the decision of the State district court which had granted the fighter a new trial. Robert Frederick Lamar, former director of music at Trinity Meth- odist Episcopal Church In Los An- geles, started an 18 months' sen- tence for violation of the Mann act at McNeil Island, where he was sent after being tried In Seattle. His bride of a few hours, formerly Edna May Kenzel, and his nine months' old son were left to wait for him. He had married the girl prior to his going to prison on an 11th hour attempt at atonement. N. V. A. WEEK (Continued from page 1) rassment by remaining out of the theatres. Many acts picked as "surprise" turns, to appear gratis in various houses, begged to be excused on one ground or another. Good for the House Much dissatisfaction wns regis- teiW by acts not in a |.<j8itiun to re- fuse the requests on the grounds that the appearance of "surprise acts" boosted business In the houses, as evidenced by the Pal- ace, New York, selling out Mon- day night and matinee for the first time in months, but the only sat- isfaction the "club" got out of it was the revenue from the collec- tion. Other headline and name acts expressed themselves as against the "surprise" appearances on the ground it reacted against future bookings. Lay-ofT acts were u.sod as "surprise" turns in houses they had unsuccessfully tried to book and headllncra claimed it took the edpe off future appearunccs. In several pop-prior J houses numerous patrons walked out or sought the sanctuary of the dress- ing rooms and rest rooms durirn? the collection. Others refused to contribute, passing up the boxes and expressing to the manajremont afterward their dissatisfaction with the whole procedure. fObotliimd fima pac« 1) <!AiMa Earaum saTa them aomathing for thair monay* la tt adTlaabla tor this pulpit ballyhoo to move Ib on a oommun- Ity which BOW haa many problems —none of which ka will aolva—and many oC which ha will render more complex? Are tha citizens, merchants and newapapera going to be bludgeoned into contributing to a cauae from a standpoint of sheer cowardice? It has been done before and it may be done again. Is Butte going to dig up real money for thia evangelical acrobat to come and spit in the face of thia none too prosperous com- munity, herald Its faulta to the world and leave with a aack of gold from the almple-minded. Civic Suicide This paper has been on the right side of every question in its 12 years of existence and it is right once more when It declares that to bring Sunday to Butte for the monttts of June and July will be a form of civic suicide for which it will pay dearly. Bill Dunne, the Soviet organizer, was handcuflted and incarcerated for saying less than Sunday will probably say about Butte and Its people; but Butte is asked to pay him for it. What has become of our red-blood- ed people anyway? Within a few days our citizens will be virtually black-jacked for contributions, and will get them from men too white-livered to take the bit in their teeth, tell wh|it is in their hearts, and say, "No," with- out stammering. I am told, and I have been advised, that my po- sition is a daring one to take; that it will be dangerous and unprofit- able for me to write as I do. But I am used to daring things and none of my truth-telling campaigns have been profitable. I would rather be right than be popular; I would rather be broke telling the truth than rich lying: temporizing, acquiescing and grovelling before the mob of sim- ple-minded morons who plan to bring Billy Sunday here. Sunday has bled white every city in which he has appeared. He has taken away money needed for the grocer and the butcher and the merchant and the coal man and the milk man. The attitude towards Mr. Sun- day's promoters here so far has been rather tepid. The three civic clubs refused to be stampeded into endorsing him. Rotary, Elxchange and Kiwanis heard the plea and said nothing. The daily papers, knowing well the Hippodrome char- acter of Sunday's contemplated in- vasion, have not showered him with commendatory editorials. They have confined themselves strictly to the news In connection with his coming. "Worked 'Em Air Everyone who haa traveled in the past five or six years knows that Billy Sunday is a played card. He has worked all the metropolitan centers, and he is now playing the 'Sticks"; evidently he places Butte in the class of remaining "rube" or hick" towns yet to be mopped up. Butte was pretty sick of Bulgin before he got through In this city. He told a friend before leaving that the Montana American's exposure of him cost him $16,000. But Bul- gin was only a penny edition of Billy Sunday. Bulgin at his worst was only an amateur in the art of evangelistic brutality. Sunday is the original whirling dervish of the Gospel. Bulgin didn't know how to lie on his belly on the stage and shout through a knot-hole in the platform to the devil down In hell to come up and fight him. Bulgin claimed he had tuberculosis and couldn't do certain stunts—although Bulgin is still alive. But Bulgin has never been the same since he hit Butte or since Butte hit him. The American's expose of the fact that he was a crook and a criminal, which was never challenged or disproved, has been asked for and sent to scores of cities and reproduced in newspapers which arc awakening to a sense of Journalistic bravery in America. StranfTo, Is it not, that right now at a time when Butte is tense with threatened labor controversies, which even in embryonic staire h:iv(> a depresslnf,' eflftet felt in business circles, the clerical "overall ganp" Is out moo riling from none too pros- erous business men to bring to Rutte the greatest money-prabblng evangelist in history. The business man who contributes to bring Sun- day to Butte not only loses his aoBtrfbutlon but ha contributes ta a condition which will keep out of his store. oflUce or other place of buslneaa tha $80,000 or ISOOOO Billy Sunday purpoaes to leave her* with. ^ Load far Paper I don't know why It should de. volve on this publication to pack the weight of fighting mail-order crooks and stopping them from robbing tha people here; of flghtinr tha overall gang or of trying to aave Butte from the blighting ef. fects of evangelistic fakers. I guess It's Juat because somebody has to do it. There may ba a lot of latent brains in this camp. Joumalistlo or literary ability Is about as vaN uable here as the golf championship would be to Its holder in the Arc- tic circle. What the town seems to need most Is what la vulgarly known as cuts. The Mad Mullah of the gospel will come to Butte if he gets tho coin; If he don't our souls can all go to hell In their own way. Mr. Sunday has none of the weakness of the ordinary Mlssourian who in- sists on being shown; it will not do to merely show him. He is like the man from Joplin, Missouri. You've got to put it in his hand— and plenty of it. Evangalical Pugilism In return for this, you will prob* ably hear, if you attend his lec- tures, that Butte has been once more discovered to be a "hell-hole** and that you who listen to him are "llcentioua pups" and other choice expressions characteristic of evan- gelical pugilism. And the Asso- ciated Press will once more liven its wires with the alleged 111-fame of this great human, big-hearted, careless city—with the best, most generous, kindliest people in tha world. Get-rlch-quick spielers like Billy Sunday have done more to destroy Christianity than the scimitars of Mahomet, tha hordes of Oenghls Khan or the philosophies of Buddha or Confucius He has as much in common with the meek and lowly Nazarene as Emma Goldman has with Calvin Coolidge. He stands at the theo- logical antipodes of true Chrls« tianlty. Bryon E. Cooney, editor of the "Montana American," Is recognized in his home town as a friend of the show business and its people. He was a close friend of the late Uncle Dick Sutton, whom hundreds of show folks well and kindly re- calL Evangaliat in Jail ShelbyvUle, 111., April 6. Rev. "Jimmy" Delk, trapeze per« former, tent evangelist and erst- while reatauranteur, arrested in 8t> Louis on Indictment charging im- proper relations with a 12-year old girl he took for moonlight rides while conducting revival meetings In this city 18 months ago, had numerous admirers. A deluge of mall to the Shelby county Jail# where Delk is in custody, has in- dicated as much. Authorities are going to present some of these missives to the court in an endeavor to save for Mra Effie Pierce, one of Delk's dupes, a 70-year old widow, the $800 bond money forfeited last fall when Jimmy failed to appear before the bar. That Mrs. Pierce was an easy victim for the evangelist was In- dicated when he explained about her case. *'Mrs. Pierce has been a very dear friend," the former acrobat said. "One day she told me I otigbt to have an auto In my work and pressed 200 $5 bills Into my hand. I bought the car. She frequently contributed to my other work—al-* together about $6,000 or $6,000." Mrs. Pierce has twice visited the Jail to call on her philandering parson but has been refused admit' tance. 2-Gun Evangelist During his stay In ShelbyvUle be- fore the law got after him, D«l'' said that three men had fired on the Pierce home, where he w** staying. He fired back, he said— his habit of carrying weapons "fo^ protection" earning him the sobri- quet in southern Tlllnols of th« "two-Kun evangelist." Delk and hi* co-worker. Pierce Matthews, were among the 750 who atten.led » meeting in St. Louis la.st week V. which tho recall directed atrainst Mayor Miller was Initlate-V They riiid three others voted a^r'»i'ift i- Deik is 40, married and has tw» suna.