Variety (May 1926)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Wednesday, May 5, 1926 test at the St. Louis World's Fair. He quit minstrel shows In 1915 and went to work for Henry Schroeder, manager of the Morosco soon after. The old minstrel man claims the distinction of having opened the first taxi door for "Abie's Irish Hose," which first played here. Mao West, in collaboration, wrote the story of "Sex," the humid play ■he is starring in at the 63d street, New York. It was adapted from a book. Playing a strong man act in cheap houses on a $10 nightly salary has Its obstacles. There Is one youngster, not yet 21, who is showing his act around the small time houses in Southern California. The boy, In- experienced and not so long away from Bulgaria, got a nt*v manager. The boss told him that he was to play tv»o performances a day on the next stand. Coming to the theatre, the manager met his meal ticket carrying the props. The boy went through his act smoothly and after the number brought the props, off stage. These consisted of steel bars tied in knots, spikes driven into boards and other bent hardware. "That's fine," the manager said. "Now get out your iron for the next show." The boy replied that he did not carry anything else. "Me bend 'em right back into place," he said, and proceeded to re- verse his entire act. Now he is playing twice his regular number of shows, two on stage, bending the bars and two in the dressing room, flattening them back again. Another incident came up when the act ran out of phone books. The strong man tears on© In half every performance. When the manager made inquiries and found that old Los Angeles phone books cost 40 cents apiece from the company, he figured the "nut" too high and now usually drops into a drug store or telephone booth near the house he is playing and gathers his props there, neglecting to mention the fact to the store owner as he walks out with the directory under his vest. Farming out of acts by straight vaudeville agents through one subter- fuge or another is due for an open expose from independent agents who brp.nd the practice ab unfair competition and claim they will go the limit to protect their business. Having felt the Inroads made by the circuit agents in regular season it is more noticeable now since the Independent field is over-agented and the "stand in" fellows are cutting Into their possible revenue. The independent agents claim that the other agents have the edge and usually can undersell them with .better material than they can BETTY SMITH TRESKNT8 NIGHTLY Her Revue "DE JEUNESSE" at WOODMANSTEN INN secure because of the performer's false idea that unless they do as the big-time agents tell them they won't get a look in on the bigger time. It is this mainly against which they complain. They figure if the big- time agents worked legitimately they'd get a break on these demand acts when having open time and get a price that would make their com- missions worth while. The squawkers have served notice on the agents who have been cutting into their business that unless there is a readjustment they are going to expose their dealings to the straight vaudeville heads. The Palace, New York, is placarding the outlying suburban towns with heavy billing, to offset the attendance slump at this ace K.-A. house. Towns throughout New Jersey and Long Island have been heavily plastered with one and three sheet stands of stock variety and modestly projecting the Palace as "The World s Famous House of Vaudeville." Time was when there wasn't enough capacity in the Palace to take care of the transients. HOUSES OPENING A picture theatre seating 2.000 is to be erected at 173rd street and Third avenue, by the Bronx Theatre Circle Building Corporation. The cost of the structure will be $150,000. The Strand, Walter Reade's new theatre, at Long Branch, N. J-, opened last week. It plays Ave acts on a split week booked by Fally Markus. The Gotham, Brooklyn, will not go into stock burlesque as reported, but will continue Its present policy of Italian stock on week days and a mixture of American and Italian vaudeville Sundays. The Paramount, Ogden, Utah, will play vaudeville every Tuesday and Wednesday, with shows booked by the Ackerman-Harris circuit via Edwin A. Morris, Orpheum thea- tre, Salt Lake. The Ames (la.) Theatre Co., Joe Gerbracht manager, has obtained a site on Main street between Kellogg and Burnett avenues with plans ap- proved for erection thereon of a $76,000 theatre. Policy determined later, but likely pictures. The new theatre planned for North Main street, Rock ford, 111., will play pictures, a syndicate of BETTIE GALLAGHER A NEW MUSICAL STAR IN THE MAKING THESE LOS ANQELE8 "TIMES" By Edwin SchalUrt A hurry call may as well be sent to George M. Cohan to come West. For if he ever should see the Coast production of his "song and dance show," "Little Nellie Kelly," he would probably be just about as well satisfied as if he staged it himself. Bob Carter and Bettie Gallagher stopped the per- formance early with their almost tireless efforts in an athletic type of dance. LOS ANQELES "EXPRESS* "Dancing My Worries Away," by Carter and Miss Gallagher, was a tremendous hit in the first act, but "When You Do the Hlnky Dee," by Lester Cole (the hero), Carter, Miss Alice Cavnaugh (the heroine) and Miss Gallagher was so much better that the audience kept calling for more until the dancers were nearly all out of breath. TOOK ME TO THIS LOS ANQELES HERALD "Patsy," the Los Angeles produced musical com- edy, is now in its second week at the Mason. Dancing, staged by David Bennett, is the outstand- ing feature of the production. Cute little Betty Gallagher nearly steals the show with her person- ality. Gloria Foy and Lou Holtz play the leads. GUY PRICE, LOS ANGELES "HERALD" "Patsy's" in town. She came In on a whirlwind of dancing staged by one Mr. Bennett, who answers to the name of Dave, and parked her worldly goods at the Mason. Yes, dancing is the outstanding feature of the show. But, on the other hand, there is a little lady named Betty Gallagher, & local lass, who is the personification of pep. As Mary McGuIre, the ingenue, she captivates the patrons with her per- sonality, good showmanship and clever stepping. THOSE TOOK ME TO THIS Thomas Wilkes has completed the cast for "Nancy," the new musical comedy he has selected for the starring tour of Nancy Welford. Bettie Gallagher, a native of this city, Is another Important member of tho cast Miss Gallagher has perhaps the most exacting of the supporting roles. I WILL BE READY FOR BROADWAY WHEN BROADWAY IS READY FOR ME film men, headed by William N. Van Matre, Jr., sponsoring the project. The Strand, Perth Amboy, N. J., formerly held by Jack Llnder, is now being booked out of the Fally Markus Agency. The switch was made when Jack Allen wont over to Fally Markus from Jack Llnder as general booking manager. It plays four acts on a split week. Three houses were added to the books of Fally Markus this week. The list Includes the Rialto, Ridge- field Park, N. J., four acta Satur- days; West End, Newark, N. J., three acts Fridays and Saturdays, and Main Street, Freehold, N. J., operating with similar schedule. The latter house had been booked through Jack Llnder. Dahlraan's Casino, North Beach, L. I„ is being renovated into a l.lOO-seater and will open Decora- tion Day as a vaudeville and pic- ture house. It will play six acts and feature picture on a spilt week, with books billed independently. The Highway, Coney Island, N. Y., is playing five acts Saturdays booked by Jack Llnder. FORUM ' Green sburg, Pa., April 28. Editor Variety: An article In Variety relating the attempted suicide of one Flo Walsh did not refer to me. Am with the Reynolds Trio and at present using the name Reynolds. Flo Walsh-Reynolds. McCUNE HELD UP sage was received at the hotw ad- vising them to rfo to Room 5io, as a man was very sick. The manager notified John Vaughn, house de- tective Vaughn rushed upstairs and entered with a pass key. He found McCune still tied to tho bed and the room covered with blood. On the floor beside the bed was a piece of adhesive tape which the intruders had removed from Mc- Cuhe's mouth before they.left. Expected to Be Killed Vaughn telephoned Detectives Gunson and Maloney, West 68th street station, and also for Dr. Weinberger, hotel surgeon. The" doctor spent considerable time patching McCune's wounds and then put him to bed. On the ar- rival of Gunson and Maloney they obtained a fair description of two of the robbers, but McCune was ▼ague about the third. An elevator operator said she had seen three men answering the description prowling around the hall on the 14th floor the day before, but they left without finding the person they were looking for. McCune, propped in bed, said he thought they would kill him. He said he offered no resistance and believes that baved his life. Mc- Cune has been in the show business for many years. Until a short time ago he was v manager of "The Poor Nut." He is at present wdrklng on a new revue. For seven years he was manager of Proctor's Fifth Avenue theatre. When recovered sufficiently Mc- Cune will be taken to police head- quarters to look over the Rogue's Gallery In an effort to pick out his assailants. Police believe the rob- bers thought McCune hod consid- erable Jewelry and money and fol- lowed him home from a party he attended with friends the night be- fore. The slugging and robbery of Mc- Cune is said to have been a mistake on the part of the thieves They were really after another />f similar napie. The latter Is reported to have cleaned up $30,000 In a dice game the night before, and that bankroll was the objective of three men who forced their way into Mc- Cune's room. (Continued from Page 26) blackjack which stunned him and knocked him to the floor. One of the men kneeled over McCune and struck him several more blows. Taped Mouth McCune feigned unconsciousness and the men picked him up, carried him to the bed, where they bound his hands behind his back with neckties, and his legs. They then produced some strong twine and tied him to the bed. One of the men placed some adhesive tape across the theatrical man's mouth to prevent an outcry. They then went to McCune's trunk, pulled out various compart- ments and searched them. They went to a dresser, where they found 10 scarf pins- and four pairs of cuff links. Meanwhile McCune was breathing heavily. One of the hold- up men walked over to the bedside and placed his hand near McCune's heart to see if he was still alive. A three-stoned dlamong ring was then torn from the hand of the victim. One started to search an- other drawer and another went to a wardrobe and extracted a wallet from a coat containing $28. In his haste a gold card case and a watch and chain were overlooked. A short time later a phone mes- N. V. A. RESERVE (Continued from Page 26) gram issued simultaneously with the five performances and sold at each house as souvenir programs at $1 is reported to have grossed $100,- 000 from advertisements and sales. Thi» figure is in excess of last year's program receipts, although the 1926 book is said to have included fewer artists' ads than ever before. The increased revenue In the face of this Is explained by the additional commercial ads secured by K-A solicitors, among whom were num- bered some artists who sold space to business men in various cities, representing tho N. V. A. as a rep- resentative artists' club engaged principally along charitable lines. Fastest Act in Vaudeville WEN TALBERT and hla ClioeohUe Fiends Mow Headlining Pavtages Ctrce* BAND DANCFRS MINCERS HAVE Y&U SEEN ISS VIOLET cKEE "THE HIGHEST KICKER ON BROADWAY'* Now Being Featured with CHAS. KING "NOT A NEWCOMER IN SHOW BUSINESS" BUT FORMERLY BABY VIOLET, the Child Star THIS WEEK, KEITH'S PALACE, 'NEW YORK Tjkmnks to thm Numerous Producer* and Manager* far Thmir Kind Offer*. Thanh* and Be* WUhe* to MR. ROY TURK 1... >. ±,