Variety (Sep 1927)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFVICE 8 St. Martin's Place, Trafalgar Soiwr* FOREIGN CABLE ADDRESS. VARIETY, LONDON _ 7870-2096-3199 Regent Wednesday, September 7, 1927 NEWPORT Ni wpoi t, n. I., Sept. 3. fil.jcits ot Bpeclol Jnterpst at K*«port, where they occupy a mMCnlflcent>»tnte, are Mr. and Mrs. ■J; alii^ug Munda, f<* she la pretty •lid Clever and he is rich and am- Mr. Miimi.s is licad of one of Wall iiTrwfn iiUijiAt brolcerage houses. DuiiiiK till' past decade he has made so(i:ii lu idway at a rapid pace. Sirs. -MiiiKis was Elsie Saltus, clauKhtoi' of tliat brilliant novelist. th« hue EilKai- Saltus. At one time. • geiieratirin :<ko. Saltus paid com t to .\!nni> Cioikir, wlio had thon only liTl 'wo husbaiul.s, rorter Ashe and Harry Glilit'. However, attei; betnc courted by Saltus, the CaltfOrniA heiress proceeded to many In turn Jacli Gouiaud. Alex- aiulre Misldnofl and I'riiuc tlal.it- 2ine, recently divorcing Ikt lifth kuaband. Saltus' works Include "ITplands of Dream." "The Anatomy of Xcga- ticii." "-.Ml-. Incoul's Mi.'^advcnturu" aind "Purple and Fine Women." In the of liXS, wben Mrs. Munds was at NewpoW, taking a kindly interest in ynung ( Uroxel liiddlo, whose father Is Craig Biddle, and brother, Craiu. Jr., he took a ride In one of hei automobiles and fan into another ear. injuring the occupanLs. He was charged with being intoxicated and with operatlns without a Ueenae. Mrt. Munds, as owner «f the car, was sued fer dnmases amounting to 11(10, a year later settling for t:;0,000. Subsequently George Urex- C.l BIddle married Joan Kaufman, heiress to great wealth, as a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis G. Kaufman, and recently Craig Bid- die, Jr., married Alice Thompson, •loo lit comlorUUe ' ctrcumBtances. Oebrge had previously been an assi.«tant cameraman to' William C. DeMllle, and Craig had been a movie extra in Hollywood, real •■tat* acent, iwd writer on «U«uet for a Ke«r Tdrk tafelUd. H* aset with disaster •» * tii«Btri<!aI-iltro- diKHT of a poor pla^t "Poor Meh- ftrd." ~ - _ J, Theus Mimds is a brother of Louis de I'Algle Munds, who' was recently divoiY-ed by liis wife, and it is biliived tliat Xaney Munds will now marry John Harriman. eldest son Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Har- riman and nephew of Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt. John is a widower, his late wife, as Alice Laldley, havinK acted in the movies. John's young- est i>rother, Borden Harriman, •dopMI the stage as a profession, and baa appeared with Doris Keanc and Nance O'Neill. ' In and Oiitsicl* Kewport, betnc the fashloliable roniniunity it is, is of course snob- I'isti in its viewpoint. Lapses liiat are condoned in its own members are condemned in outaMcrs. Thus although there is considerable drinking, not to say druiilienness, in the smart set. m.'uked disap- proval was recently expressed when It became evident that a . vUiiting Thespian was possessed oT an ap- parently untiuenehal'le thirst. Even liis own people, tlie most tiderant in the world, have viewed with alarm tiM habit that hfis grow n upon this actori who, although still a young man, Is very well known In the profession. One might im- agine that, for the sake ot his famllr. . .' . But tb«t'« another •tory! Why American'Prefd. Why Ameiiean plays are preferred at pr<seiit abroad, especially in England, to a percentage of around 80 per cent foreign to 20 per cent na- tive In I^oiidon, Is claim."(1 to be that the Knglish producers have found their gamble has been reduced to a minimum through securing American successes. Another reason advanced is that the English believe that Americans turn out "shows' while the English writers write tbhtu bb tub ai I "plays." Many of those plays J„„,^fj'J,7, are said to be of the oM-f.ish- AWERICAN BILL ioned liritisi, ,ira,„.-,.ic sch,.oi, "Kimlberly and Page have since been booked for more than a year, Including three return engagements at Victoria I'aiace. "Priend.ship is welcome all over the world. We t.akc tiiis riic;ins of extending sincere tii.iiiks to those Doodle" for n.ore than 20 years, and \ "'""'■•''•■'l. numerous telegrams ^ I and caiiles for success re<.'civea. Howai-d, cli.'urnian of llie exei-iiti\e committee of the Casino Theatre Company, has labored over this composition entitled "Yankee- backed tile aforesaid try-out. Not g,,j/until the last week of the season at the Casino was It olllelally an- noimced that this piece would be revived for a singi* jparfoimuMoe, which duly 0C0l»M SMufWIy morning, Moses Tayjor donated the use of the theatre, and the songs were sung by .Mme. Fely Clement, who has been stopping with Mrs, J. Fred I'ierson, and Uustave J. S. White, a Newport reaitleiit wh«i to in the real estate business, biit te musically inclined. Doubts ai« again ex- pressed that tlie production will ever reach Broadway, The International Artists LEON HELEN KIMBERLY »nd PAGE the Werid Is Our Market JOHN FULLER IN N. Y. AFTER 21 YEARS Casino Season Ends With u presentation of Shaw's *Candida," headed by Henry Hull and Pauline Lord, the season has «ndod at the Casino theatre, and the results seem to have satislicd those concerned, including the tinancial backers. So a season of eight weckfl Is now proiniscd for next isiinimer. I'crliaps by tliat linii-, havinK gained assurance, plays by Llllhin Barrett and her brother, Richard. Will be presented. Lillian has been omnipresent this season in her capacity of sc( r( tary of the organ- iiatlon un<l her brother has been much in evidence. Their father I liUJ fill < n yntirn f^iip....|,.f.,n |l pli| of the Casino, and. even thoui;h h was succeeded this spring, is stdl encountered on the premises. As far back as the Issue of July S ro'mment was made In this de- partment on Shaffer Howard. It was pointed out at that time that this elderly gentleman was the author of a "comic oper.a"' that li-id been tried out In i'rovidence and Boston before being at>andoned. Mr. Dorothy Clark Mavea In Dorothy Clark is tcm«mb«red on Broadway from bKvifng danced at the Club Lido with William Reardon. Then she gained notice from the quantity and quality of her drawing power, . VlneMt Aator, 'William Rhinelander Stewart, Jr., and Bradford Normnn. Jr.. were the rich and fashlonaMcs who fre- quently watched her dance. In March, isis, gne HUII W s w ■ t^ii m .. in Los Angeles, Stewart JovrifleyIng from Palm Beach to be best man, Normnn, whose father Is a mim- ber of the millionaire colony at New^port, an^ whole mother is a fashionable hostess, this summer rented the Booth Bungalow, near Bailey's Bc.-xch, anil the former Miss Clark Joined the smart throng for the first time. She now exchanges calls w^lth some of the people who formerly applauded her efforts as a professional. one of the first to take her up in town was Mrs. Harrr c. cusi>imr<., <A« the former Cath"- leen VaMMkflt. ■ack to Aiifeesdenla Apropos of Mr. Cu.shing, who won the heiress daughter of the late Ueginald C. 'Vanderbilt, various fashionable families of Newport are less prejudiced against antecedents than Is a New York millionaire who has never forgiven his daughter for marrj'Ing a popular songwriter. Harry, 3d, is the son of divorced parents, Harry C. Cushing, Jr.. and Mrs. J. Henry Lien.ni, the mother having been Adelaide Connfelt, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Payne Whit- ney, and grandson ot Mrs. Cornelius V.anderbllt. Sr.. married Marie Nor- ton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sheridan S. Norton. This name is said to h.ave originally been Nathan, and Mr.s. Norton was a Miss Ein- stein, daughter of Benjamin Ein- stein, who lived In Harlem. Her brother was the Hrst husband of Dorothy Solomon. daughter of Lillian Hussell. and known profes- sionally as Dorothy Russell. Frank 'V. Storrs has a box at the opera, and lives fashionably, al- though not at Ncwimrt. He w,n.s formerly Frank 'V. Strauss and made a fortune publishing theatre programs. The famous Belmont family, inciuiiing the late August and Oliver r.clTuont and the surviv- ing Perry Belmont, Is said to have transposed the name from the Oer- man to the French of "be.Tutiful mountain," hhd Wncn the fnnndt-r of the family in Ami.ii<a y,\m,- to New York to represent the Uoths- Australian Circuit Manager Bacic in N. Y.—Hard to Grasp Bigness of Development JOYS AND aOOMS OF BROADWAY was a < afe doorman with a sense of.bumor. A patron was leaving when tlie doorman bowed low and said: "Your car awaits without." "Without what7" wos the Inevitable answer. "Without lights," said a cop standing by. "Here's your ticket," Ralph Farnum On Stage Mothers This letter explains Itself: Dear Granny: , . Your comment rti chorus girls' mothers In \arlcty was indeed very ^-ood—so good, in fact, that I am going to have it framed and hang It In my ofllcs. , , - I had a very glaring example last week of this mother influence; ther* is a girl in New York, quite well-known in the night c|ubs, who is Just doing specialty dancing but who has excellent possibilities f«* an ingenue type, if she would study singing and generally Improve herself. 1 was successful In getting a Broadway manager Interested In her and the girl was greatly enthused over the entire idea. However, the mother came running up to my office one day, very much perturbed and angry that I was endeavoi ing to get her daughter to change the typo of work that she is doing. She insisted that she was perfectly satisfied to have her daughter continue as a specialty dancer in cafes and did not want me to encourage the girl further. The mother was very definite in h'er statement that a girl. In order to succeed as an ingenue In musical comedfes, has to do this, that and the other thing and had to he in a certain clique, etc. etc. You know how these interfering motlu-rs go on and on. Cranny, so it is useless to tell you all she said. But it Is Just another glaring example ot a girl's opportunity being squashed and ruined by a thought- less, nonunderstandlng mother. ... Boxers New Pants The New Y'ork State Boxing Commission has made a new ruling about foul hitting. Almost from the beginning of professional boxing any blow struck below the waist was ruU'd foul, except of course those socks to the upper legs which could do no harm. Under the new rules almost the complete toVso, save the groin, la fair territory. All this appears to have come from the much disputed Dempsey-Sharkey flght. Presumably the commissioners through the new rule Indirectly admit that Dcnipsey did strike in the intestinal tract. So that officials and spectators may notice where low blows land, fighters In New York must wear regulation silk pants, with ruffled, bands in bright colors. There are two kinds, one being black with red bands and the other purple. The pants regulation, |N|«i>M>ly WOft't .laat as It doesn't seem to w«rk4Ml intended. ' ■ '■' ' chllds, he Is said to have been known as Selioenberg, The founder f>f the f:ouId family w,is n.'imed Colli, Til. ,x, losi\'. Mr---. M,,rin S, liar.' of .\i w V.irk aTid Tuxedo, was fortiicrl>- .Mi *--. Idc, ;itu1 <'t ii-'iiially Idalia l,</n,\, of Hosion, related to 1 conferred by the King of the Ascliera of New Havca J in Australia. John FuUer remoJned away from New York at his home in Sydney, Australia, for 21 years. It's that length of time since Mr. Fuller de- cided, when tripping around the world in quest of International show knowledge, that he would repeat the trip every four years, with his brother. »\r «»n ,v.'ul\«,r, altematlna on a two-year schedule. Neither of the Fullers found time to keep their early resolve, although Sir Ben has visited New York about three limes within the period his brother promised to. Meanwhile the F\illers have grown powerful in Australia, about the sole surveyors and purveyors of popular price Indoor entertainment in that country, inclusive ot New Zraland. Of late the Fullers havi gone in for the legit, without, it la sold, any thought ot opposing the Williamsons over there, the latter having been the Australian leading legit producers for years. A(l-American "Rita" Accompanying Mr. Fuller in New York is Ernest Bolls, the Fullers' general booking manager and pro- ducer In the legit department. "They have secured the Antipodean rights to V\a Zicgfeld s "Hlo Ulta" and will play the show at their new St. J.amcs, Sydney, seating around 2,000. At $2.50 top, it will open around Christmas with an Ail- American cast of principals. Chorus will be recruited from the home folks. John's present trip Is based on a tr.avellin^ itinerary of IS moiitlis. His family is with him. From New York Mr. i'uller will go to London but expects to return during the late fall when all of the Broadway show houses shaU have been relighted. Rseellactlens Jidin's recollections of his m.ilden trip here BO long ago and liis ini- l>res.sions of them as compared to now overw^helms him, he says, al- though the Fuller Circuit has ex- p,inded and atlvaneed relativ'elv during tlie same length of time. W'lien John was here in I'JOti the Fuller Circuit of Australia was a small time vaiide chain, likened in size and policy to Loew's over liere at that date. Now Fuller s Is the largest circuit ot theatres outside of the U. S. or Great Britain. It plays every policy of Indoor entertain- ment, with the Fullers of exeep- tionjil influence, - Sir Ben was Knighted alxHit six or seven years ago, with the Aus- tralian P.'fcrliament enacting a bill siiortly afti'r that no other n.ative should receive a knighthood without a special net to authorize it. No other knighthooil iias hcf-n since upland England's W«t Summer London. Aug. 27. Pr<iprietors of seaside cinemas are piM-haps the only people in Kngland who have benefited by the rainy sum- mer, the worst experienced in many years. Notices have been hung out- side picture theatres at the resorts announcing that la ca.se of rain shows will commence at 10 a. m. NOISE OR BOOMS OF OLD FRAUDWAY By NutTinG (With no apologies) Psrrenial Baby ■We took a look In at the new Cipjip Club and guess whom we lO' t there? That hardy vetcr.ni of the '40 8, Fannie Ward! Which brought us back to the days when we dis- covered Fannie. Great little girl, Fannie. We were rooming at the Astor and one day while walking into the dining room, we were accosted by a hungry looking femme. We asked her to Join us at dinner, but she immediately turned us down. "I'm not that kind ot a girl." she said, "and besides I have no money." She had evidently mistaken our Intentions. We told her that the treat was on us, and so she con- sented. We had a Jolly good din- ner and she confided that* her am- bition was to go on the stage. We Just knew she had the talent, and so we IntrtKlucetl her to Ccorge White, then producing the first ot his "FollWs." He took her up and she made the hit of her lite. We are alwavH proud to say that we <liseovered that gal. was Just a vaudeville .act before we took him in hand. He had been playing picture houses on a split week policy, and when laying oft played baseball. We dropped in one day and noticed that the boy had talent, but It was obscure. Well, that boy has certainly clean- ed up plenty since tliat time. We don't s.'iy we did eveiythiiig to help put him across, but we did plenty. Jolly Texas A few nights ago, ran into Texas Cuinan. She's certainly got the gdotls and how she can put it over! We rctiicmtier the time we first met Tex. .^he was playing Louise In a touring company of 'The Two Orphnii'--.'* We singled Tex ns a girl with talent. Her name was Yetta Svon- si n then, but we rechristened her "Texas," AVrote some nmterlal for that girl. Sad Days It may he the weather or It may be that we are growing old, but haven't been to a Loew oix-nlng In a week. Well do we rcuo-niber the time when we attended as many as three Loew openings in a week. But, as Cal Coolldge would say: "Marcus does not choose to open' any new theatres," Great boy Cal, by the way. We knew him way Itack In 'Vuhmont, where we used to play marbles to- gether. He is one of our proudest disroveries. We put the presiden- tial idea Into his head before he was out ot school. One day we were playing "Wish- es," and wo s.iid that we would like to ho president ot these hero Fnlted States, and Cal, who waa never very original, said. "So would 1," and then we said, "Tou'U beat us out by a nose." (This wise crack h.is gathered dust by now, but we originated it.) And our predkstlon came true. 'We are certainly proud to have given Cal a helping hand. One of a Famous Team Jake Shuhert. of the Shuliert boys, is back in New York after a lengthy tour of Europe. Jake haa an abundant supply of new stories, hut he always likes to reminisce. He took us liack to the time when he was an usher In a Poughkeepsie theatre. ■We happened to drop Into the theatre one day and noticed the bright lad ushlng. Immediately we sensed that he had producing ability. He is one of our most fa- mous discoveries. Irrhtfj Tirutm<M» 8721 Avenue L, I'.rooklyn. N, T. (Contributed) Then lntro<iueed f liT I B r' ,UH i^un. the vaude wizard. Ho signed her up and fhr was made. You know where she is now and her name's still Tex Gulnan. I'm Blue All Day Sunday Si».ikiri; of Tex reminds us of I'.illy Sutiday. He's the guy the popular fong Is named after." Billy SAILINGS Sept. 26 (New York to Berlin), Mary Carr (Dresden). Sept. 24 (London to New York) EHeanor Blake (Atiuitania). Sept. 10 (New Y'ork to London)- " " ' r Fnrnu i u (li e d » Fn i r"" Sept. 7 (London to New York) Trahan and Wallace (Olympic i. Sept. 6 (London to New York), Newell and Most (Aurania). Sept. 7 (London to New York), .Mice Delysia (Parisi. Sept. 14 (London to Ni w Vork>, Will Oakland, Syd .Moorh.o-'. cooper .and tialf (Majestic).