Variety (Jul 1926)

Wednetdar. July 21, 1926 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY 2r OVER 80 FILM HOUSES NOW ARE LISTED FOR ACTS NEH SEASON These in Addition to Picture Theatres Playing Presentations Only—Besides Are Film Houses Contemplating ^'Names'' Nqw and Then Motion picture housea that will plar vaudeville acts other than those playing presentations next season will include from two to six weeks' Balaban & Katz around Chicago; Fox's, Philadelphia; Fox's, Washington; Academy of Music. KewTork; Colorado, Denver; Cam- bria, Johnstown. Pa.; Strand, Al- toona. Pa.; Metropolitan, Morgan- town. W. Va.; Roger Sherman. New Haven; new house in New London. Conn.; Palace, Toledo; Universal houses in Detroit and Washington. D. C; Stanley houses, eight weeks; CapltoU Chicago; Wisconsin. Mil- waukee; Circle* Indianapolis; World, Omaha; Alhambra, Milwaukee; Flnklestcln & Rubin houses, Minne- apolis, St. Paul and Duluth; Clinton & Meyers houses in Minneapolis, St. Pai^l and Duluth; Strand, New Orleans. Circuits to play presentations will be Loew's estimated at between 15 and 20 weeks, and Publix 13 weeks now, with West Coast Theatres 10 weeks tor presentations. In addition many houses unlisted are contemplating playing "names," "acts" and "attractions" occasion- ally. Many of these houses are tsolng after singles, doubles and small six-people group acts. ARMlSTRONG ACCUSED OF DOING AGENCY BUSINESS SUN'S SUMMER TABS Chicago, July 20. Homer Neer, general manager for the Gus Sun Booking Exchange, has Just booked the following min- iature musical comedies for the summer: Curly Burns and Howard Padan's ''Cute Little Devils"; indennlte Maryland theatre. Hagerstown, Md. Powell & Johnson's "Sahara"; in- definite. Victory, Wheeling W. Va. Raynor Lehr's Musical Comedy; Indefinite, Lyceum, Canton, O. Howard Hall's Players; indefinite, Dixie, Union Town. Pa. "Some Show," Princess, Youngs- town, O., indeflnite MABVIN WELT SET IN K. T. Marvin Welt, the Chicago vaude- ville agent, is now located In New York and associated with Rose & Curtis. Keith-Albee agents. Welt will probably produce sev- eral vaudeville acts' during the coming season in addition to selling Rose & Curtis acts to K-A and Orpheum. ROSA ROSALIE AND COMPANY la Chaniet«r of Ronira la Mmmj LOEW CIRCUIT Direction, Irving Cooper Many thanks to Loney Haskell License Dept. Inspector Ob- tains Summons—Clara O'Brien's Allegation A summons charging W^lli&nci Armstrong* 146 West 46th street, former tramp burlesque comedian, with operating a theatrical agency \yithout a license, was obtained l>y William Gill, Inspector of the Li- cense Department- When the case was called before Magistrate McAndrews in West Side Court, Armstrong asked for an ad- journment until Aug. 5. Gill ob- tained the summons for Armstrong following the arrest of Clara O'Brien, who was taken into cus- tody during a raid downtown. It was stated the young woman said she haxl received her employ- ment through Armstrong and that she had paid him $4. Armstrong denied he had placed the girl and Insisted he had never seen or heard of her. He said his business was casting and that he was not conducting a theatrical agency. LEVEY-UNDER COMBINE REPORTED POSSnUf Awaiting Bert Levey's Arrival in N. Y.—Jack Linder Agree- able to Merger Acts from Outside To Fill in in L. A. Los Angeles, July 20. Nick Lucas, scheduled to play the Orpheum here last week, left July 14 for Newark. N. J., where his father is critically ill. Lucas was booked in at that house for two week*. Eddie Lambert, playing in Will Morrissey's Music Hall Revue at the Majestic, across the street from the Orpheum, doubled Wednesday night when Lucas left. Thursday Fauntleroy and Van. male team, rilled in for the remainder of the week. 'The policy of using outside acts, instead of turns from the Hill- street. Junior Orpheum house here, was installed by Frank Vincent, who arrived here recently from New YorTc. HARRY ROTE'S NEW REYUE Harry Roye (Roye and Maye) has produced a new dancing revue, "The Red Follies." The cast Includes Lola Syrell, Bland McConnell, Alvin Klcy, Anna Gillen. Lenore Scfiaflfer, Monie Don- ovan, Lucille Cartler and Viola Belasco. The act is set in five scenes. The lyrics and music were written by Clirt Hess; co.stumes and scen- ery (by Henry Dreyfuss. A merger of two Independent cir- cuits which would provide 36 weeks next season Is pending with Jack Linder, Independent booker, and Bert Levej, head of the Bert Levey Circuit (PaclflcCoast), aa the prin- cipals. Negotiations have beeb going on under cover for two weeks. Linder admitted it upon returning from White Lake. N. T., but said no defi- nite action on consolidation would be taken until Levey arrives in New York Aug. 1. The condition of the 'merger would make necessary the forma- tion o| a new corporation to be known as the Levey-Llnder Circuit, with Linder handling all eastern bookings, both working an inter- change of acts with the western material working In from Chicago. Kenneth Daly. Levey's right hand man, who came on to New York from Los Angeles to relieve George King as eastern booker, is reported as first having sounded Linder on the prospective consolidation. • Everything thus far has been satisfactory ^with Linder awaiting the arrival of Levey froni the coast before giving out further details. Linder's acquisition of the Schine theatres this season would provide ideal Jump breakers for acts head- ing eastward or westward. With Linder handling bookings of the western chain it would also save the Levey circuit the expense of a New York headquarters and staff. Levey's Circuit now has 15 weeks with a .promised expansion to 25 weeks next season. Linder has 10 weeks of split week stands in addi- tion to a number of one and two- day stands. Should the merger go through it would make the new combination an important factor in the inde- pendent vaudeville field. INDE. PANIC'S ON The annual summer panic has hit the independent lookers with 50 per cent of independent houses putting up shutters within the past fort- nigh L Continued heat wave and notori- ous bad business during that period scared most of the house operators into closing. A few that plunged a bit to keep going report the addi- tional expenditure didn't mean a thing. The closings are more or less equally distributed among tlie rated five or six bookers handling tlie bulk of the independent business. Independent stands In resort towns are not getting the break usually theirs because of a reported in- creased vogue for moonlight bath- ing, which keeps the mob on the beaches rather than the theatres. Dance halls are getting what the beaches miss and the theatres little or nothing, with most of the op- erators ready to unload remainder of their summer lease to the first taker, but haven't found any takers. Moss' JeffersoQ Daii The Jefferson on 14th street will go dark Sunday for the second time since the house was built. It is a K-A booked Mqss house. Reopens Labor Day. Usual announcement anent re- decorations, etc., but business is re- ported to have slumped consider- ably at the 14th street house. William Fox's City, but a block away on 14th street, playing vaude and picture also, has never closed. Colored Floor Revue as Vaudeville Turn It is reported the Keith office may take the Club Alabam Revue and give it the time formerly laid out for the Florence Mills revue. In it will be Teddy Blackman, Billy Andrews, Billy Shepard, George Stamper, Ellsworth Battles Johnn Gilliard, Herman Taylor and Alabam Revue girls. Among the principals will be Abbie Mitchell and Jean Starr or th^ present Alafbam show. Inde. Takes Anodier K.-A. House— 2A This Month Arthur Fisher, youngest of inde- pendent bookers, has pulled an- other stand away from the K-A Circuit through annexing bookings of the Strand, Stamford, Conn. It Is the second K-A booked house to shift to Fisher within the month, the previous one was the Palace, New Britain, Conn. Both are split week houses playing five acts. Fishor Is lining up a circuit of 10 weeks for next season. He has eight weeks at present, with several included stands not playing vaude- ville until next month. Four others are under construction on Long Island. Fisher had been general booking manager for Fally Markus, before entering the field on his own some months ago. AMAC'S "MONTE" Decision on Priority Amon0 Mafi cians The Vaudeville Managers' Protec tive Association has decided, fol lowing complaint and investigation, that the "Three Card Monte" illu- sion used by Amac and Nicola, ma- gici.-fns, belongs to Amac through priority. Nicola has been notified of the decision of the managers' body ajid erdered to discontinue Its use Im mediately, following an investiga tion which alleged Nicola did not use the illusion previous to 192S in this country. Amac had been using it since November, 1922. Emily Stsvens Trying Another Emily Stevens has' shelved her former vaude sketch to try a new one, "Are You Israel?" John Wray is staging it. COST OBPHEUM $21 TRYING' AT BT-PAUd Final Expedient Policy, Run Pictures Many Months Old 2d Los Angeles, July 20. Vainly endeavoring to establla]| a paying policy at the former OT*m pheum, now Broadway i^alace, co^ the Orpheum Circuit around $!!00/« 000, according to local reports. When the Circuit opened its new Orpheum the old house was turned over to Will King for musical shows in conjunction with feature pio« tures. The Orpheum is said to harm figured all necessary to bring in. trade was to open tho doors. Ad- vertising and exploitation were neglected, with King informed his revues must be of the hoke typ« instead of tho book kind King waft accustomed to playing. King hooked on a 10-week oea n tract, remained for that period witlL the Circuit figuring its losses. It Ul said, at around $75,000. Then some one got an idea ther0 was not enough vaudeville in ih% downtown district and figured ih% "death trail"' or Ass'n road bil would clean up. The policy started on the King evacuation^ with four performances a day and independent features. Trade was way off from tb4 start, with the Circuit deciding ti could Just as well operate thrios daily as four times, so far as in« bound traffic was concerned. Chafging off a weekly rental at $2,500 for the four walls without the operating cost of the house and show, this type of vaudeville conv« peting against the Orpheum's Ilill^ street. Cash buyers seemed t» have forgotten the location. Whe« it was decided to drop this mode of entertainment, too, it Is said more than $100,000 was lost by the Orpheum in this effort. FinsI Try The last straw is now being trie4 In the house, which is top heavjb It has. around 1.600 seats, of whlcH' one-third are on the ground flooi^ Second run pictures on a trU weekly change^ is the current pobs icy. The pictures booked for th# opening week had their first rua many months ago and have beett shown in tho neighborhood see* tlons, with the conjecture this pol^ icy has received scant thought. At the time the< Orpheum CIm cult announced the new hous^ several legit producers offered to lease the old pne on long terms at a rental from $100,000 to $126,000 a year. The Orpheum's officials flg^ ured that if worth that amount f others, they would have a gold mln* if operating themselves. According' to statements mad« here, tho house will try the picture policy for a short time until som* showman can be found to lease It and operate either legit or dramatis I stock in it. JRHRT MARIE] SMITH AND HART Jerry Says:—"Ain't It Hot?" Direction—.SAL TUREK FAJiEWELL AMERICAN APPEARANCE KEITH-ALBEE PALACE, NEW YORK, THIS WEEK (JULY 19, 1926) THIRD ENGAGEMENT HERE THIS SEASON THE INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINER i i SAILING AUtUST 8,162d, B.S. <'MAljE3TIC," PIER 38, NEW YORK CITY, FOR BWriPNA - ROME - AlpmCWr D|AIWILLE - PARIS - LONDON Directidn HARRY WEBER