Variety (Sep 1926)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

if?-** , 30 VARIETY BURLESQUE WediiMday, S«pt«nl>«r 1, 1886 TWO MUTUAL HOUSE RECORDS BROKEN AS SEASON STARTS Gayety, Baltimore, With $1»100, and Kansas City With $1,650, Set New Marks for Day's Receipts— Only One Show Mariced for ReTamping The Mutual Burlesque Circuit Qpened to unusually good business tS ttS ^ ^nulous stands turning in house records at the Gayety, Balti- more, with ) 1.100 on the day, and Kansas City with |1,6S0 for Sunday. VIM hoiMM opened last Saturday night and grossed as follows: Washington, $900; Rochester, $950; Des Moines, $700, Sunday same h^mm two performaneea, |l,300; Cincinnati, last week, $9,000; Buf- falo,. Aug. 28, $?00; Louisville, two shows, Sunday, $1,150; St. Louis, test %ii«ik,' #T,OO0; opened Sun- day this week to $1,500 on the day; Dotroit. Sunday, $1,400; Pater- son, N. J.. Saturday, $900; India- iiapolis; Saturday, $700, Sunday, $950: Chicago, Sunday, $1,700; Pittsbiltgh. Saturday, two shows, $2,100; Omaha, Saturday, |850, Sundari: fUHt -Montreal, Suuday night, $7M: KAiUM» City. Sunday. $1,650. Reports on 21 Mutual attractions ir«Mlf«d lir 1* K* Herk at Mutual headquarters, from house managers list 15 good, three okay, two fair, one bad. The okay shows mean one c hSlif ftt «ast ntCMMiittT* telr means two cast chaiigea fibS: Immediate rtoonttruetloii. ' McCLOY'S $65 NICK Court Alio Slapt On $760 for Wife's Counool 00 Legal Foe Rod-Headed Blondes Okrria Fla^fU. • • * • • • *»«'• •>4«>»•• • tFMturtd Branle MQerv.***..• ••4«.»:«i«««• • • • • .Comic ttOt franks.. m «•••*••»•• • Comic I. J. Irvine.........i...............Straight Bd Betttr Jttvanlle Oabjr Field* Prima donna Mickey Dale Ingenue GiM Lamol Soubrat Fearl Uendeteon. .**.Be«bie» Milwaukee, Aug. 29. If oayMio told us there was some- tlMng new in burlesque, we would laugh it ott. but here.iv something that is certain to set the Mutual Circuit talking. After viewing Car- rie Finnell's initial offering to tKc Mutual, one woil4or#%hy Mr. Herk did not dig this young lady out be- fore. She has built up an aggrega- tion that is probably the ^est the wheel has ever offered. Miss FInnell, advertised as the ••Queen of Shimmy" and "Girl with the $1,000,000 legs," does little in tho show, but what she docs is a knockout. She comes on second to closing in a dazzling gown and amid a daszling set. Miss FInnell can shimmy. All thoughts of vulgarity are eliminated when one gazes on , her pretty fhce, comely shape, daz- zUnp costumes and perfect rhythm. It's a great specialty and tore the housk d^#fi heroi It is not hard to sit through two and a lialf hours of this burlesque. The seonery Is new. flashy, and yet not overdone. Tho lighting effects . are at least half of the show and demonstrate clever manipulation. Another novelty is the fact that the ^ leader, Charles Grow, brings a double piano act Into the pit and the absence of the violin is not noticed. This production has a brace of comics in clover Bennle Moore, do- ing wop, and Jack Franks, Dutch. The chorus Is classy, well gowned and unique in that 14 of the girls are blondes and two are red-honds U nl es s -this stunt ts plagiarized It Will be the talk of the wheel. Eddie Butler, youthful Juvenile, sings well aiid has a taking num- ber In ••Absinthe Frappe," a "dope" typo number In which the girls WOI*. OSby Fields and Pearl Hen- derson, two flashing blondos. do a nifty old-fashioned dance followed by a black haired lass with a good voice. Cloo T-amol, who sings "blues." Next Miss ilonderson sings a snap- py Charleston step followed by , Moore and I. J. Irving, a red-head- ed, swift talking straight in the famous, yet always new, pancake bit. Probably the biggest thing, next : to Miss FInnell, is the Indian num- No, ber. Here is an example of real chorus work, the glrl.s working with musical comedy precision and Miss Fields singing with gusto and abil- ity. The set Is a knockout, the \ number well staged. Irving follows with a bit reminiscent of tabs, fol- lowed, by "My Wife, My Ilushaiul. -My God," in a little diversification ^— from the usual handling, of tlila bit. Tho first section closes with a ladder df roses finale in which rose covered swing.**, with hidden elec- tric lights, drop from the loft for the prIiMMpals while tho chorus "boosts thoil in the nir." TtfiB second half is tho usual song and Dtt routine, all well handled. From all slants a winner for the Mutual. .I. J Israel Fred McCloy must "kick in" $65 weekly to Ifrs. Roxanna Mary Mc- Cloy, his wife for 23 years. Jus- tice Walsh in Supreme Court, in ad- dition, assessed the burlesque pub- licist and maMTor an additional $760 as counsel fees lor David Fried- man, attorney for Mrs. McCloy. Under a separation agreement of Dec. 1, 1925, McCloy had been con- tributing at that rate to his wife until July 23 last, when he raideid his wifd's apartment for divorce evldMio#, Implicating Alfred H. Olena, Brooklyn, T.. ponoll man- ufacturer. Mrs. McCloy countered the di- vorce procoedinf with an aetloii for a separation, asking and being ac- corded the full $65 for separate maintenance, pending trial. *The divorce suit will not oome up for hearing until November. Mrs. McCloy's affidavits are re- plete with past and present indis- eretions ranging from alleged Ille- gal thirst-quenching to otheiT alle- gations, implicating Florence Court- ney (the present Mrs. George Jessel, and of the Courtney Sisters) among other things^ McCloy's income is set at $500 a weiBk. M^ McCloy's lawyer originally intended to ask for $150 a week alimony and $2,500 counsel fee, but in view of the $65 written separa- tion agreement he was barred firom petitioning for more. Benjamin S. Fanger. 258 Broad- way, represented McCloy. FIELDS' NEW VENTURE Former Manager of Chelsea Opens Mook In Harlem Stock burlesque opened at the Superior, Third avenue and 31st street, last Saturday night under the direction of Solly Fields. The prin- cipals include Harry (Wurst) Sey- mour. Cress Hillary, Marton Lee, Paul Byatt; Walter Weber, Fhuicei^ Cornell, Sylvia Pearl, Mary Kane and Nettle Kulse. The house will play ten acts of vaudOTttla'iind pietiiros on Sunday Jean Garcia Innocently Received Stolen Sillcs Joseph Thompson, 34, 17 West 63d street, who the police say is known under several other names, was held without bail for further hearing when arraigned before Magistrate Ooodfian in West Side Court on a charge of grand larceny on com- plaint of Edward Mohrlust, 88 West 181st street. According to. Detective Butler, West 68th street -station, who ar- rc.stcd Thompson, he walked up to where Mehrlust's automobile was parked and took two suit cases con- taining silks and disappeared. The theft was reported to the detectives and after an investigation he lo- cated Thompson and arrested him. A visit to the 68d street house revealed that some the stolon prop- erty was there. The detectives also learned that Thompson had pre- sented some to Jean Qargia, bur- it s(|uo actress, who was a roomer In the house. As Miss Garcia, now out of town, had no knowledge the silk presented to her had been .stnlon she was not taken Into cus- tody but, the police said, would be called as a witness. SOUBNER SITS IN ON HARION'S SHOW Syracuse, Aug. II. Sam A Scribner spent Saturday here, the guest of William R. Cahill of - tho Tomplo. SerihMc^g yrtMnce in Syraevst was oooaatontd by the opening of tlio Cdttetiia ioaaon at tho Tompla. That houao wiU h&m^ tho WhaaL mttraetlons this season, Columbia returning horo aftor an absoneo of four years. Scribner caught the Dave Marion show and passed upon it personally. The show, as now framed, has Ma- rion's company working in tho first part, with "Darktown Strutters" forming the second half. The Ma- rion portion ran 90 minutes, way too long, and needs cutting and trimming. It is weak in comedy, and the male principals overshadow the feminine contingent Tho col- ored revue has mors spood,. but it needs comedy doctoring and a gen- eral tightening up. One song number in the white half of the show'aroused Sortbhor's ire. Handled by a team, the man was guilty of considerable pawing which at times was highly sugges- tviie. Scribner ordered tt out forth- with. While here Scribner announced that the failure of the minstrel try- out Would see eithor **Raln'* or **The Cat and the'Canary^* added to the Cdlumbia line-up shortly. "Rain" is the likely choice^ favored be- cause of tho box-offloo strength manifested by '*Whito Cargo/* Scribner said. Mutual Unit Starts Wen Minneapolis, Aug. 31. Tho iOayoty (Mvtital Burlesque) also is off to a flying start and re- ports the best opening weeks' busi- neso in years. This houso con- tinuog its last yoaifs otistom of giv- ing a special midnight show every Saturday. With "Round the Town" this week it did about $5,000. Very flno, oonsldoring tho ftoat. Errors in Mutual Hou^e At Syracuse With Start Syracuse, Aug. 31. As a result of Emmett Callahan's appraisal of the burlesque situation here, the Savoy, whtdi Is playing the Mutual attractions for the first 'time this year, will have an ex- perienced burlesque man as man- ager. William HsKtor, engaged by Callahan for Morris Fitzer. owner of the Savoy, is due to report on Wednesday and will be given a free hahd in an attempt to put over the Mutual in opposition to the Colum- bia at the Temple. Callahan spent a week in Syra- cuso as advisor to Fitsor, who heretofore has been strictly a pic- ture exhibitor. The^ first week of the Mutual attractions at the Savoy was a financial flop. Thoro were several reasons for it. The Williams and Jordan show. "The Tempters," was still in the rehearsal stage, and far from running smoothly. Second- ly, the Savoy's erstwhile stock clientele declined to stand for a 50 per cent boost in the box office scale. • Fitsor advanced the' price from 50 to 7S cents as an experi- ment. It was a costly one. A re- duction to 50 cents is in prospect for ne«t week. , The plan to spjit the show Into two parts to permit a mid-week change of bill also was a failure. The second act of **Tho Emptors" ran only 45 minutos, too short by far. Tn the future^'Fitzer will boil the entire production to 90 minutes and play the oondonsed version all week in connection with the usual picture bill. LOEWS 1^ HOUSES (Continued from page 28) neck. Premier, Hillside, Bay Ridge, and tho following to bo built. Canal Street. New Rochelle, Weodsldo, Fordham* flsoOBA AT^tl%' tfth Street Of an th6so housaa. but two are 'cut' weeks, the White Plains and the Palace, East New York. In addition to these vaudeville houses thoro aro St' wooks on tho road, giving tthe Loow Circuit 40H weeks in about a year, exclusive of the picture presentation houses, which will oonstituto about 1^ weeks. All of tho now liOow theatres with but an ogceptlon or two, will be in opposition to either Keith-Albee or Orpheum Circuit vaudevillo. L.oow's Rsoord of 28 The matter of the opening dates is perplexing the Loew staff. As is customary with that circuit Its new theatre openings are made gala events, locally. It will call for nice adjustment to handle the openings without conflictlon and to avoid loss of time for a oomploted house. A record previously made by Mar- cus Loew was the building and opening of 28 new theatres within two years, at tho time of I^oow's last building campaign. A conflic- tlon arose at that time. It was felt that through press of openings, not sufllclont attention had been indi- vidually given. The Loejjjr people arc formulating their plans to avoid a repetition. Four Oponings This Wfok Loew's has four theatres opening" this week. Monday night the cir- cuit's lately acquired iPremiere, Brooklyn. N. T., remodeled, re- opened to the usual t>laze and celeb attendance. Tonight (Wednesday) Loew's Hillside at Jamaica, L. I., starts, with Loew's Bayrldge, Brooklyn, tomorrow (Thursday) nighj getting under way. Sunday, Sept. 5, the Victory, EvansviUe. Ind., another acquired theatre, will commenco tho new'sea- son, with Ed Schiller representing the Loew Circuit for the event. BUSLESatTE COnCS' BOOTES Two former burlesque eomedlsns have ho.'M routed by the'K-A Cir- cuit. They are Manny Kinp and Co. from Columbia, and Billy Gil- pg r t. im mi6fl on the Mutual Circuit. Charles AUvn. of the M. S. Bon- tham ottlce, arranged tho routes. Stock at Fulton, Brooklyn Loew's former Fulton In Brook- I ]yr\, taken over b^ Minsky.s, will in- stall stock burlesque next month. ENGAGEMENTS Hilda Ferguson, "^Peggy Worth. Jjillian Walker, Warren P. Leonard, Mary Schlppel, Peggy Dolan, Shir ley Gray, Kenneth Nichols. Borlh wick and Lamond, for "Prevus of 1927" (J. P. Russell). Paul Porter. "She Couldn't Say No" (A. K. and R R Riskin). Les Klicks ("The Enchanted Forest") for I>Maire's "Affairs," next season. Jo* Jackson. Coatar anil nirh John Griflln, Carolynne La Ruey Alfredo and Gladys, all for rcvno "Greater St. Louis Exposition." John Warner, Bobby Reed, Maurice Franklin, William Amsdell, Ed- ward Darney, Betty Wales, Alice Baker, Marianna Risdon. Frances Gregg, all for Woodward Players (stock), St, Loul.^. Daisy Rudd with "Stylish Stouts." gniOOBE'S SUHBAtfl Syracuse,. N. T., Aug. 31. The Temple advanced its Colum- bia Wheel opening, and played the Dave Bferloh show on 4iunday. It Is the flrst time in this city that a burlesque attraction l^as played on tho Sabbath. ^ VroM now on tt will bo « tegular thing. m mACK-JACKED" (Continued from page 23) telegram stressing that the act was "expected" to get in on the adver« tisomont, " ^ Several of the actlTars reported to have registered heavy complaints at the methods employed to black- jack thorn out of |2S while playing a "cut salaried" week in a 'grind* house. The Idea of advertising a Hippodrome booking, now that tho house has dogenorated to a "grind** policy, also was commented upon by the artists, several of whom ex- pressed themselves as desiring no publicity during that engagement. The Hip is now looked upon as a hidoway by acta. Stirred Up Actors Tho sanio methods with some slight variations employed to secure advertising for the N. V. A. Benefit programs caused such a furore among the artists approached, the k.-A. Circuit was reported to be in favor of doing away with th^r annual hold up of actors for the programs ani to eonflno its efforu to securing commoreial advertising. Many of the program advertise- ments from the first benefit remaia unpaid, acts feeling they were ob- tained under duress and while not wanting to incur the ire of "tho office" by not being represented, preferred to consent to the ad but default on tho payment. The rough method now being em* ployed by the N. V. A. house organ and enforced by K.-A. is a matter of general comment asMag. acts now playing K.-A. bookings. Tho acts feel the money spent is wasted and at tlie same time resent the way the advertisements art solicited with the head of tho eiroult's nam^ used as the club. PANAOBMA IN CAR-BABN A panorama of the World War, 450 feet long, an invention of a* French Inventor, has been secured by C. C. Pyle,. manager of Red Grange and Suzanne Lenglen, to- gether with Herbert Lubin, for ap- pearances in this country. The pair plan to Show tho panorama In tho car bams on tth avonuo and SOth street. Barney Lubin* brother of Harbert* is on his :way to Paris to concludo negotiations for tho , Amorican rights. ILL AND INJURED Bob Keeler (Keeler, Travis and Keeler) recovering from fractured knee. Jack Winn, actor, broke his foot Aug. 24 while working in a scene for •^lll Orllnes' Progress" <F. B. O.), at the Hollywood studio. Port Major, West Coast Theatres booker,, is recovering from a minor operation tn Los Angeles. Alyce Mills, fllm actress, recover- ing after a minor operation at the Good Samaritan Hospital, Los An- geles. -Melville Brown, Universal direc- tor, injured in automobile collision at San Francisco Aug. 24. Slaymah All, head of the All acro- batic troupes, had his knees Injured In Hollywood Aug. 7 when an auto- mobile backed into the car In front of which he was standing. Six stiches were taken in one knee cap. All has been confined to the Holly- wood Emergency Hospital and has not been able to walk for three weeks. All bookings were canceled. Salem Tutt Whitney, operated upon last week at the Harlem Hos- pital, New York, Is much improved. Marguerite Hill (Hill and Margie) has recovered from threatened ap- pendicitis oporatlon aiid ths act has resumed on the K-A time. Miss Hill was suddenly attacked Aug. 20 at the Greenpoint Brooklyn, N. Y. To avprt the operation she was packed in ice and temporarily at least has "beaten It." «^Around tho Worid" Opens James Thatcher opened "Around the World," musical burlesque, at the Hyperion, New Haven, Aug. 30. The musle for this production is by Charles Tarr and book by Al Jackson. Staging was dono by Busby Berkley. : MARBIAGES BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Asher, Los An- geles, son, Aug. 14. The fathor is with West Coast Theatres. Mr. and Mrs. Leo McCarey, LiOS Angeles, daughter, Aug. 25. The father directs comedies for Hal Roach. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence LanRner. son. Mr. Langer is author of "Hen- ry—Behave" at tho Nora r.aye.=! and is a director of the TlKutr.^ Guili*. Mr. and Mrs. W. Spe ncer Tupman In Washington, D. C, son. Mr. Xupman Is the director of tho Hotel Mayflower orchestra In the capital city. Mr., and Mrs. Alex Hanlon, dauqhter. Mr. IT.inlon Is the inde- pendent vaudeville booking man. This is their second child. Perrin G. Somers, stage director, Harry Miller Co., New York, to Anamae McCart^, at Lake Oaorgo^ N. Y., Aug. 25. Bess Drucker, secretary at F. B. O. exchange, Los Angeles, to Jack Drumm, in Los Angeles,^ Aug. 5. Effle Smith, actress, and David E. Golden, theatrical man, just re- vealed in Bridgeport, through tho filing of marriage returns. The couple were wed in Saugatucic, Aug. 19» by Justice of tho Peace Jo^ seph Martin. Miss Smith described herself &s "actress," age 19, birth- place, Somerville. Ohio. Mr. Golden gave his occupation ar "thsatrloal,** and birthplace and address as New York city. He Is 37. "Wind River Bill," restaurant owner,. Universal City calorlhg to fllm cowboysi, to Violet Slovey, pic- ture extra, at Los Angeles, Aug. 27, JUDGMENTS Roy Aitken; Consolidated Film Indu.strios, Inc.; $7,956.67. Gus Sperl; Boulevard Hudson- E.^sex, Inc.: $325.58. Acierno Amus. Corp.; Franklin Fire Ins. Co.; $159.59. Sarvger A Jordan^ InCi^'Chas. H. Tut tie; $3,r,65.41. Bertram C. Whitney} Trailers Ins. Co.; $340.38. ) Theatres Opening The Nehio, Johnstown, planning Ave acts in addition to the feature mm. .Kffer.son, Auburn, N. Y., Aug. 29. rictures first half and live acts last half. R. J. Kearney, of F. A S., booking. The Aniprioan, Lodl. X. .T.. i a ld- Ing vaude to its picture >' ,in8 Sept. 23 playing four nct.s t i\ ihe l is t half Looked by Frank i:. Imont through the Jack Lindcr Agciu-y. The Capitol. Haverstraw. N. T., will reopen Sept. 15 playing five acts on the lM.<?t half booked by Jack Lindcr Agency*.