Variety (Feb 1928)

'Wednesday, '^ebrujary S', B tJ fe l E IS Q U E VARIETY 3? COMPROMISE KILLS OFF IRON-CIAMAGE WHEEL Firm Gets United Show Fran- chise and House in Wheel to Quit Opposition The propose^- new burlbsque clr- qalt," «ponsored- by "Warren B. IronB of Chicago (Irons & damage) «Dterprls«s, has been eliminated by the acceptance of a new show oii the Mutual circuit and the adding ct the I. & C. house, Haymarket,. ^ the combined Mutual-Columbia ■ wheel. ' ■ ■ The 'Haynia-rket, Chicago, starts ifiB new Mutual policy week of Feb.. 19.. with the attraction, "Sugar Babies" as ,the opener.; The new Irdns & damage show, . ''Puss Puss,", orcns the samie week at the {hnpress, Chicago. Under the new arrangement the ' ;plutual shows playing tlic. Hayma; iet will remain In Chicago, but •move several miles, south to ' the Empress; Definite steps had been taken by Irons*to launch a! new circuit and ]bad even gone as far as to issue ■ Ads "for burlesque performers as well aa houses for a .40-house clr- ■ cult. I. H. Herk's deal on: the .Hay-, market affiliation and a show fran «hlse to Irons & Clamage changed ihe situation. Warren Irons formerly had, ■how: on the Columbia. He and Clamagie have at different times operated burlesque stocks, having —orie-lJi—the-A-vonuc-D- etr o i t, whir .h- they operate on lease, as well .as tlie ©ne now running at the Haymarket, Chicago. . LID LIFTERS Comedluix Al HilUn- SecoiiU Couicillan..Eddie Ulo^i*. Straight ........IT 3o<3 l^'oric Utility ..Don Cauthior Prima Donna. , i,... .I'cnrl.ttmiih Soubrct > GUidy.s SiniUi Soubret « Alino RoRrr.<4 Ingenue Judy 13utler CHI ''SHAMBLES" BIG; N. Y. SHOW HALTED High average buVlesque troupe, made lip by organization of consist- ently good personnel. Hillior builds the comedy/the Smith .Sisters take Joe "'Midnight Shaniijlcs," . the shew Fred Clark- and Sidney AnsclioVl comtemplat'ed ifor midniglit per- formances at the Colu ibia. Now York, has been scrapped aftor two Weeks of rehearsals. . Anschell, Chicago conces.siijuuiro. care of the sex appeal, and; Forte gives the wliole affair a " tone | flnancihg, is claimed to have soured and background with some of the | the idea and called things off, best straight playing seen in a Wheel show for many a month; Not the lea.st.of the "Lid Lifters' " a.ssietf3 is a brisk chorus. Lewis Tal- bot|. who owns the unit, would con- fer a favpr upon the circuit by re- vealing how he gets these 16 girls to go througli a perforni.ance as though they liked it. In a general way these detixils in- dicate the sum of the show'.s effect. But a number of small dotail-s liolp greatly to put it over, A capable ca,st gives a line example of team work. Arid the result is a fast per- forihanco, helped by the active co- operation of the .chorus. . Hillier is a genuine comedian, do ing "Dutch" with a particularly complicated dialect that sharpens his gags. He work.s along mod paying the coriipany, Including James Barton^ contracted as an added atrtactiori, two weeks' salary. Chicago, Feb. 7, The Star and Garter theatre, piie tiine Columbia stand and now op-' crated by Sidney An.scholl a.s a .stock burlesque house, has inaugu- rated a special Saturday night bu^5i- ness getter with an augmented c.oni- pajiy that takes in tho Rialto thc- utri? stock. Through the dailies and one .sheet stands the theatre is c-xpioiting the name "Midnight Shambles'" starting at U:.30 Saturday night and wind- ing, up at 3 in tlie morning. The iiiohidq 64 NEWS FROriHE DAILIES This department contains rewritten theatrical news items as pub- lished during the week irv the daily papers of New York, Chicago, Sari Francisco, Los Angeles arid London. Variety takes no credit for these, hews iteriis; each has been rewritten from a daily, paper. NEW YORK yilina Banky i.s' an exami'lo of a porsohago who has attained a po- sition whei-e publioity is almost iiu-. tomatio.' Thiv other day .she ' apr jSeared at the Btu-go Ollioe to btiy a. retiu-ii perniit, and , most of the tabloids blew the story up to carry a cut. : Hero's whore old publicity counts. Pi'oity much all the news- papers in the'«'ounlvy have'stock cut.s of Vllnia In their litorgues, a big.itoni in puhlioity. Frequently city editors have a stai-k of items in front of them, to ho used or re- joetod acoordiug to whether there is a stock cut avaihihle-; If th'ore is a cut available the. .story runs. It not.it goes on t)vo lloor. That's wh("/e. good distr.ihution of photos count-;; in nioutli l)y inilnth free iinetige. . sive took -upon herseli' the lurange- merits of his fiineral and iwi'id for all. the .expi.M).so. , Dti^ane at .one tijne i.iade a prep.aratlon-of a .I'l-rt.'iin kind of perfurhe 'R'hleh Jio ile'dleatijd to Miss .Moore. It still i-arries her label. ., , . combined companies erately qyiet lines in business, but ■] chorus girls and 20 prineipals. The! some of . his stuff is pretty, broad ih I seating'capacity of the house is 2,- double meaning. . HowCve^r, if ha.<5 the saving grace of spontaneous fun, aridt tliat alibi doesn't, go for most of the hiodcrn comics. Kddie Lloyd doesn't get much chajicc in the bits, working as eccentric without dia- lect, but his inning conies'.in his spe- cialty dancing and in a. couple of blackouts, tiauthier i.s a jtivenili* of almost t'evuc class in appearahce, a nice dancer and agrcGabIc .singer. Forte is a real asset to a bur- lesque show. A suave feeder and a .capable worker on his own. He had one of -t-ho.so—.sonpf—nwn-Ui-'-K 200. The admlsi^ion prices are $1.0r> main floor, $2.20 boxes and $1.10 balcony. The house has been tloing near capacity buslne.ss on each mid- night performance. The people in the cast all getting extra njoney foi' the extra show. The .show is run on revue policy with Leo. Stevens producing; : Albany Of f Wheel , Alhnny. N...Y.. Fc-b. 7-. MUTUAL AS TITLE FOR BOTH WHEELS The merged Columbia-Mutual in- terests . will operate as the Mutual Circuit for the remainder of the season, without adoption of the United Burlesque. Circuit title until next season, If at all. Conditions of the^ merged circuit are gradually working out to satis- faction, with L H. .Herk in full charge and keeping check upon both shows and houses. Business, has Improved generally Irt both Mutual and Columbia wheel houses since' the guarantee ar^ rangement on. shows went In, with producers equally satisfied-. worked up into a dramatic episode, and for once he tnadc it >;tanil out, Most of .these things are cruilc, but this one is .so well handled it get.'< over sfilendidly. Forte starts a sen- timental .song in "one" and earrie it into a special fuH stage set of a cabaret, where the ..song lyrics tell a story of a sweetie double cros.sing a good follow. The idea is really a lyric . sketch, Interesting and well done. Another elaborate bit out of the BIRTHS Daughter to Mrs. Mary Dunston, formerly Mary Downes of "No Foolin'," at the Shore.Rbad Hospi- tal, Brooklyn. ^on to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin R Berger In New York. Mother was formerly Charlotte Davis of "The Chiffon Girl" and "The Vagabond King." Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Wh.alen, In New York,. Jan. .31, daughter. The mother is a daughter of Tom Kirby of the Pat Casey office. Mr. and Mrs. Leon. Leventhal, in New York, Feb, 5, son. Mother is the .daughter of Joe Leblang and the father the general manager of the Equity ticket agency. JUDGMENTS Hotel, Inc.; Morganstern; Burlesque has: passed into loeal oblivion with the announeement the Capitol will play, only legitimate at- tractions. . "Frivolitic.rJ of 1928," booked for the last haif of the week, 'wjil be the laist United wheel show to appear in Albany. Oscar Perrin, manager Of the I Capitol, where burlesque shows have [boon stagcdi. the last half, of the i\vcek for the la.st tiiree sea .sons, has been urging the new policy for •AVild animal y.oo attacks are al- ways nt'w s. 'Hie story of Al. G. li:irn'('s being" hurt by' i\ ;i-i-if,-htei.u>il Zebra in his Liis Angeles winter liuarters .was ean ied by A. 1'. from coast to .coast. . Hanies was re- ported- in tlio hfi'^ptlitr-with .bites and. bruises. . ilvlen Wainwright. Ihillaiid,. .swimming champ, ^v^•ll an anmil.r meni. of her wild inarria,'.;c to a Dallas oi'gaiii.st; one-ot llVnse "da.re" things. ■ ,• , Trafllcviolations again.st a num-. ber of the picture colony eame up in munieipal court in one day. In Judge Valentine's court, M»rshall ^ Neilan, directoi', was ordered to . i.oriie in on a bench warrant when , he failed to appear to answer to a tag, t-Muirles Rogers, seret^n leading tnah, also failed to show., but was .given another- day, as it wa.s his first offense. June Collyer, Wanipas baby star I)f this year, didn't get off so' eaKv.' Judge Valentine (ined her $10 • on a plea of guilty. 'AYallaoi^ Beery, md .loseph Koluldkraut bTithre- • eeived f<lips to appear w)"'''^ ^*^^ith . Chatterton was also notiiled to ari- swi-r. Three others pr(>'s('nl<^d with tags for violations were Rowland V. T.ee. director, Milton .'^ills and Paul- ' ine .(laron. Federal Judge Knox recei ved dCr ei.sion in the pl;^.^iarisln suit of Clara Lipinan Mann against Kdg.-ir a^lAV-yji_a.ml-lidw444 iwl-Xi^ i e- charges •"Dancing- --Mothers" . is. a eopy of h(>r j)lay, "Ladies of Wcst- ehester." Coiut said he would read both M."MS. ordinary is the auto sales room | ^oUse for some tinie number. Comedian is supposed to be auto salesmen, showing the va rious models to customers, the ears being the girls in union suits. Dia log gives opportunity for sonic pretty blue lines, biit brings indi- vidual gii'ls to front like piekout I local sports promoter, the Illinois number, always a popular bit with Boxing Conimls.sion has finally sane the mob. ' ., tloned wrestling In theatres. Most of the body weaving and Some time ago wrestling matches shape revealing is done by Gladys L^-gre staged In the Haymarket and Smith, and remarkably well mi'"- I star and Garter burl est lue houses Wrestling in 111. Chicago, Feb. 7. Through, the efforts of Joe Coffey. Guy ("'. Harrington, of the Lambs, (Lpplied for letters of administration on his dead wife'.s estate, but her relatives, opposed, asking., that an intorloi.'tory deer«>e of divorce ob- tained by the wife bo made final. The court in Bingbaniton, N. Y,, refused to make the writ final. The wife, Kmnia <')lga Ilarrinigton, was killed in her New York apartment in December, apiiareiuly beaten to death. She was an actress. Marie Dodds, picture act;..-ss,' whO (Vi-':^ not want alimony from her husliiihd,'was given a divorce f);.om Kd'v.avd Dodds, Univers;il .employee, <)n gi-Duhd of non-.supiioi-t.-.' Actress • agreeil to accept $15 weekly. hoWr ever, for the support of tlieir-.child, whose "ni.stodj.- !ihc was ;^>"'n'.ed. • Gliai-les Craver,. .mu.^-lcian, ..Was- frced of charges of failing to pro- vide for his child by an all-woman Jury. His .attorney brou.c,l:t in tcs-. tirnony 'inUi'catmg the j«i;-L lue of tlie mii'thcr was doubtful. Harold F. McCormick, Chicago millionaire, denied lm))iMiding, ru- mors that he will divorce Gunna Walska, opera singer. I'ress dis- r>atch carried this from Santa JiASFli, hara, whero McCioniiick is visiting. aged, considering this soubret is of the petite and boyish form model w^hcreas the gang likes 'em plump The girl gets over the. handicap by playing "teaser" bits across tlu as added attract!on.«=, with the af- fairs considered so "preconceived" thoy were ultimately proliihitcd. It is probable an attempt will be board, always being a little short of made shortly. to instalT matches in Rurns M. Lcf- Gi^encourt Bros., $1,359. Clarence W, Slade, et'al.; $527 Anton F. Scibjlia, et al. kowitz; $1,201. Edward Margolies and Ed Mar- golies & Co.r Inc.; John Connellu & Co.; $Sl6. . . Macy-MasiUSi Inc.r PolygrapUic '-Co.. of Am., Inc., $3;27S.. :; ; .. frank revelation, but threatening to go the limit. Once she did her hip waving behind a wrapping of news- paper and several times under shel ter of a Spanish shawl. If she'd come Into the open with her 100 pounds of gii-lish figure she'd have been blah, but coquetting this way she was .a wow The other , sister, Pearl, has the curves, but doesn't u.se 'cm except in discreet .stepping, leaving the way open for the other girl tr delivei: Aline Roger.s is another girl of opulent .shape who doesn't go very far In sex exploitation, but leads several numbers agreeably wearing trunks and wai.st, which is consid- ered all muffled ftp in burlesque Judy Butler does the gracefully po- lite throughout, her department be- ing thp vocal one. She has a first- rate soprano for this grade of show, with a good clear high note, T^< \ s-ufes she does .i'violin .solo by^w.Ty of specialty. - Most-of the people have si)efoalty i)f some sort and all dance well. .thr> girls a:s well, as the men. Ixn^h. eastern burlesque house.s. CANTON ON WHEEL Lyceum, Canton, Ohio, .will play United. Burle.squo wlieel show.'^, be- ginning... ncx.t week, wi.lh^ ")>,:ire Facts" the. first .show.. H, CLAY MINER TBAVELING A trip south' to be followed by a vi.sit to Alexandria, Egypt,. to see his son, \yas .started this wer-k by II; riay Miner.'- ■ ■ The southern trip takes in H;i:-. vana and Florid.n. At Alcxandi-ia the younger '.VM;i>-: is in ehavge of an adverti.-;iji4 cam- paign for .Gen.er.al Motorf!, takinj:.in several foreiirn countries.'. Burlesque Changes Donnelly and Leo .have left "The Merry Whirl," to return to yaude. Vinnle . Phillips has replaced Marion O'Neill in "Kandy Kids." MorHs "Walnstock leaves next Saturday to^JoIn the "Hello Jake" (Mutual) as company manager. Joe EJdmonson, long attached to the New York Columbia Circuit quarters, In the auditor's depart- ment, has become company man- ager of the Lena D.iley .show (Mut- ual). STOCK AGAIN AT MYRTLE stock burlesque lias again sup- pla.nted t he tab p oli cy at t he Myrtle, Brooklyn, N. "STT the new poTicy go- ing in this week. Company Includes* Billy Dollnrian, A. Green, iBetty Harrington, Marie Boots, Jules St..Clair, Phoebe Dun-; ham. Callen, Anna Barber, Pearl Qrall, Helen Hewill, fJrp.ci.'i Palmer and Dody Dawn. THE TIME—SUNDAY NITE, FEB. 12 The PLACE PALM GARDEN 52D ST. AT 8TH AVE: FR Olil "Xl r^Ble"^ .WILL BE THERE The GIRLS BURLESQUE CLUB BALL and ENTERTAINMENT ''DON'T BE SILLY"—BE THERE DODY STAGING RUNWAY Fi'ed Clark has .sue >eeded Dan Dody a-s .stager of the rupvyay num- her.s- for Isabel Van .and girls at the Columbia, New York.. Dody Is on tour in.s.talling sirnil.ar runway ensembles in oth"r wheel h(iu.«.es, most of which will .even- lua.ly adopt-the feature. An examph^ of good puVdieity method occurs in the story, of Mr.s. Margaret Mann's elevation to a fea- tured . role in Fox's "Grandma Bernle Learns Her-Letters," climax of a long career as an extra, Instead of being broadcast as. a roiitino publicity item, it .somehow got to the New York"Evbning Post" as an cxeiusivo feature an'd Avont for a column of space.. From here it wa.s picked up in all manner of ex- changes. Personal newspaper eon- tact frequently open.s the way for an exelu.sive of this kind, and there is ho hotter way of bre.aking a hu- man interest story than to get it a single spread .somewhere. High Hat (ilub, 150 West BGth street, and Spirit of Paris, 63 "West 48th .street, went the , way of nlight clubs. Federal raids. Cops and dry agents said they paid $30 for a quart in the Oxford club, 72 We.'it 51st street, which they later raided. Martin Dwyor sues Thea Ra.sch, German aviatrix, for $100,000, alleg- ing he arranged flying stunts for her in America, got ber movie contracts and prepared to get her theatrical engagements. Girl had sailed be- fore filing of .'^uit. . linger Kahn'.s. new l ^ell anca .aero- 7)l.a he. Jusi d(;TiveredTl'ia .s' 1)een grjt- ling more, newspaper attention than the new Holland tunnel. A couple of .the Wilmington du Ponts toolc a ride in it last Week. . Midway Hip for. VaudfiJm • r))5.-;igo, J'eb. 7 Midway ilippodrbni", C:lrd and' '■I'Hjig.t.' Grove, will di.-cominije hur- ^'lui.- March 1 and in^iall v.'iud'iln LOS ANGELEiS J. .10, .K(dl. jnule iriunei-- with ■ •in.-u.s. w.'i.s gi antc.-d a divorV-e' from his wife, (inu.-i' Koll, by- .Supcrioi (.'ourt. .Judge IJoWron, K.olj. elaimed thatliis wif*! called him a mule skin- ner. It mad'j him very angry, as hi is a niule. trainer and thf'i-e j.«' a. bi>? ili.stin*-tion between the,two, he.say,"--. Mr."'. I'fo'pe I'hillips, H:iri Franciscc) actres<^-, was etjiivictr-d of iiian- .slauglit' r in .-■iipcri<>i' eourl for driv- ing a ear iliat killcfl aw(/inaii. Sii< is ffM-in;i a sfinienee of. one to J' '.ear;.: in Qiieniiii periit<'nli.ii'i'.. App<;al Is on file in Superior Court of Tom V. Dalton and Robert \vhalen w^lio received a, jail sentence and line in connection with the "Hot Mama" .show ca.se. A hearing was set for Fob; 17 before Judge Hardy. Pair got 150 days and $500 line after conviction In Municipal Court. Two separate suits were filed In Municipal Court against Lionel Bar- ry more and Jack Piclcford. Broad- way Florist shop Is suing Barry- more for $54.80 bill, while Brand- statter's Aigloh cafe claims IMckford owes |207.25. for food. Mrs. Helen Cooke ■^ni.son waa given an interlocutory decree of dl- voi'cC from Han-y Leon Wilson, novelists at Salinas, Cal. Grounds were desertion. Superior Judge Treat had the caae under advise- ment for several months. Mi-s. "Wilson received a property settlement of $86,000, approximately half ;of Wilson's fortune. Albert Hay Malotte, fornuT 'pic- ture house organist now conducting a school, was sentenced to jail for three days. He was hold in con-., tempt for failing to make alimony payments to Mary Jane Malott©, cabaret and vaudeville j'ctress. She was granted $150 a month by the court. Boris Saplro, 18, Lithuanian actor, was detained by Immigraiion au- thorities at Los Angeles hiirhor to det<'rminc whether he was u minor alien without visible mcan;^ of sup- port. Saplro told the federal ofllcers ho was a. friend of Emil Jannlngfl and asked to get In touch with the GpiTTTiarTit:fuixs""fltaTT~Th<f"bdy-ar>^— rived liere from South Anrerlca on the "Mongolia." He has no relatives in this country. Unless he o<l,h get someone here to vouch for him Sa^ jpiro will be deported. - . Edward Faust and Charles B. Dreyer, owners, of "Peter the. Great," film dog, recently , awarded $125,000 from. Fred Cyriacks for the death of the. dog,, must go through another trial before collcCtirig; Judge Marsh, of s\ip'.'rlor court, thougkt the Bulaa-: was too excosaive and 'set at^ide the Verdict, ordering the new trial. The clog was killed three years ago dur- ing aTi alleged ai'guni(nt between the owners and Cyriacks. ■ l'rii;<-e (•;iv)c) .M'div.'ini, h.u^h.'riid of I . ■ I • .Mae .Mill I a'., Wli*^ iiliiem.-il lo)- ,U-o.r^jiliiiUgM==pii;Jjjm^.^^^^ .;I.•■• contract, with the .,Mu,>--ieiiUi''- I'liieji expire?, and it ('.ar' (.'it dov.n ihe sf'V<'n piece rn Icii'If ."que. e .\1 div;, .u:,ii j.s a. b'otlier f)f Sert^i. ni, I'lil.-i .Nr-Kri • InL-rbaiid, u:-.'- v.,.,.iT-,, rf fpiir'd j ;.''.iiiif .''.") (>i\ 'a. main ^li-e'.-r.. I <'Olle( iiMf;ore Jiiad.e good BURLESQUE ROUTES wii V.I-- found on pa?'" f'-' in .Ihi'-- !<.-<.'!!e. h' 1 ,i|-urnise to llr, I). \V. r)iiarie. on-'e Ii seie-nt !.•■-! and wriii;-. \\)i<' died [)e)iiii|e-->.- ju 1 ( e ll'ei a 1 ho |i;t,'ij offer a Hn;.''riiii-' iJl)ll•^.'-, .Mi. • .\lofir<- ofl'eii d to,aid hirn,iipoti h aii! ' i I.:' o' ;:,- '' (i)id iI ion ■ jii i'pi i u i i- idei'l. . Af'e.' hf- .)i;id ynyyd ■ J. . -.S(')U<)graph Corporation, expl'^'tlns a W W sound device to he. s.viiehron- ' Wi\ with pictures, were Kin ii a per- mit by Die !st.ale corrjoralion depart- merit f (j issue $1,000,000' woi'tli of antlioi-izeii cijiltal, The company is a •<'.-ihlo.i-iii;i'. corpor.'ition wiili caj)- itjijizatinn of .jO.fjoo sh.'in .-• at par ^'fflTlr-TT'f't.'iV' rt^i^iT^Tti^ j ri- f <il u < itrlt^ the in-.< 111 ion (/f 10. H. .'Fole.v (Mllcera of I'll.- '-ei'ipany. are A. 11. .Slaton,. pr<' ii!'-rii; I. A. Rk'n-kledni-. .secre- r.ary; i'. fl. .-iF-'ir'.vood, denl ■ ' .T. ■ I J. K reidrr,' ch.-" ;< W Mufehln.'--(.n ■presl- ' v'-;i.'--i;irer; '' '.nV.. ,)■< I; 11, lull*-! .V .wid Iij,. / /I. I ! ( ' 1 ' I Je. ol .\ : ' (C. ralfiued on p. • on the .'• lO.T.ah- 02)