Variety (May 1928)

Wednesday^ May 9. 1928 BURLESQUE VARIETY ST. LOUIS, NO LESS, IS SHOCKED AT UNDRESS Once Haven of Raw "Cooch" Raids Orapeless Burlesque DETROIT STOCKS QUIET Dirt Period in Buriesqua 0v9'r foe" ■ While Ariyy^ay St. Louis, May 8. The first charges oC opieratinff a ♦•dirt" performance In a St. Louis theatre in many years, was followed by a rni'l oh. the Liberty Music Hall, in the Grand Boulevard up- town theatrical district and. the ar- rest of the president of the; theatrl- cal company, the. manager of the theatre and 16 members of the cast. Th6 pliy was "Krausmeyer's Al- jey," The arrests were followed by Issuahc of.-warrants for Oscar Dane, president of the theatre; Jo.hn Chriotopheli hla house manager; •WilliA'" and Jack Montague, toraediaud; and 14 chorus girls In the company. : The arrests and the v/arrants four aaya later followed a personal visit to the thoatr© of Chief of iDetc'cA tives kxirfer. Th^.clothe.s of chorus girl.s; an a^rgregate weight of two pounds, were confiscated. . The, evening, performance, had leacliea only the 9 o^clock stage of the first act w:hen Chief Kaiser and Ms nu:>jl ordered the show stopped, loaded everybody concerned in the production Into four patrol wagons and started for the hooscgow. The main cU.Jti-ge was that tiie chorus was improperly clad; Dane, who has for more than 30 year.s been connected with bur- lesque in St. Louis, said his. show **wa3 no different from those plays . for whicli a $3 top Is charged, ex- (tept tlie difCererice In price." He aald ho would flght thj case to a finish. ■« ' D'itvoit. Mxy i, No more arcest;5 last week after the previous week's pinch at th-? Na.tlonal. All burlesque stock stands have toned down. Lieut Lester Potter ha^ Issued an ultimatum that any .offense will cause the wagon to be backed up. The National., raid was the first in the. .-Vvarmest ' burlesque .sexson Detx'olt has ever ktiown. SilK down- town theatres have burned up the. town in an attempt ' to dutdirt the other, ' PATENTS Reade Used $800 Note for Part 6f Jermbii's Share John Jermon's "Sporting. Widows" closed at. the Columbia, .New York, Saturday with the compa.ny and stage crew unpaid. ; The show' is reported to. have grossed over $8,0()0 on th^ week, but a note of around $800 signed by Jer- mon was tendered by "Walter Reade to. Jermon in lieu of the show's share. Reade Is the new operator of the Columbia. . Several members of the choru.ij who had planned to leave: for their ho'mes following the closing of the show were stranded and ted by the St. Regis Sestaurant pending some sort of settlem.ent. ^ ^ Monday the Jermon office an- nounced It -was paying off In full. Capt. ■ Goldberg'ri ^'Nlght Hawks," which closed Saturday , at Union City, N. 'Ji, is said to have given several -members of the company lOU's. Washington, M.vy 3. Dotall'id information may be se- cured on any of the following now inventions by forwarding 10 Onts along with the name and number of the pat^^nt to the Commissioner of Patents, \y.ishinqton, D.C: : Pictures u: Fii'Hi .T.»iv it. jn::«j, ,s-.T., X'V j, h. . NiDiV oluliniv l,lVu'),(r77, ' . ^ • Motion inctur" I'lrojocli'ina;i>ria.ratU3. M i.. Fullenlove, .Tol.>.l.>. 0. FiltfJ Jan. ir>,^l'.)J«, Ser. No. 8l,W.i' c'Uittii.H, J,0t«5.1;il. ■ Cameri-hold'ini? &t;ih.l. Win, Bubf-n. 5>t; lA>if\a, Mo Kll-^il-J-Vn. 2t. I'.i.T. titJC No. 102.019. One ctaim,. .l.(>'.0.T7i>. aiot ahutt;i>c m>^cUanl.-m fur pl.oto?'M>l>i>" ramer.\s K Oros.io. Jena. Ui'nujiiiy. l''il><l. Mar. 4, I0l>7, Sen. No. 17-',.trrv au.l in (!f-r- many. Sept. 13, 1924. . li. cUxims; .l,0w,_.'j^.2 Profi'lOtiiih color pic-fiiro.'i. Willi.nn \. l>. Kelloy, mooiayn. N; y., ' ns.iignor, .py n)6.sne 'a.<i."5ii;rimfint3, to Prisma, Irii'.,- Ninv, Jersey, f'lleil Kel>. 4, jOiO. ber. No. J;3v.- lOD. 11 cl:unif>. 1,0W>.'1.77. . , li'iltu. U(->»1.. sS. W, Warner, UounObnwk, N. J , a.<<5i«nor.-W rati>i> Exi-hr.npj», inc. niPd April 2«, 1!)<17.~ Ser. No. 13<i,0J.1. Two claim .. J.MT,.101, ' • Mean.s for preventing prem.itur"* un-Ml.tiip. ot lllm bpbbin.s, U. I., (.-hanier, New iork: (Mty, .vssi,;iior to Pji;1i.\ Kxi-h.inpe, . Inc. Filed Feb. 4. 1!>27. a.er.. No. :itJo,ttn. Biffbt claimn. l,iiii7,ri;W. . • Procp.'w for manufft^'.urinpr photoeraphlc silver hallfl emul.sion.i. W. DIetorle anil O. Matthei.H, r>e.s.snu and J. Roiiatotter, Cer- lln-Frlt'din-in, U^'rmany, asksi„'npr.'» to- I. G. Farbonindu.stri.^ AktiengfsoU.ichaft, l^'rank- fort-ott-tlie-Main, -(ierinany. Filed July 1-', 1020. Sit No: 122.03ft, and In Germany Oct 7. JU23. Three claims. 1,007,089. • Film devc'.oplnir m.^chlrie.- F, E. Garhutt and !,. M. GrllUlhi Ui.f Anpoli-.i, a-silnnors to ParaniiiHiil: Fanioun I/BAliy Corp, ■ Filfd April 2<l, 1920. aer. No. 101,009... It claims. \',im.wi»: . •■ - ■ .■ Portabl'' motion pli^tare lirojcctor. Ii, K. 'DeVry, CUicarfV), a.SHt^fuor to P'-Vry '^orp. Filed Aij^i', iv. Scr. Nj. 7^2,143. Three clairii,. 1.0l>7.7'i4. Charley Baker's Game Fling at Bowery Stock stock burlesque is making a third try to l.ind at the Royal, Bowery, New York. . ■ Charley Baker, operating the company, which opened last week, la also featured comic. The Royal,, formerly Miner's •Bowery, jnade two. un.successful at- tempts to re-establish the house as * burlesjque stand, and recently adopted an . Italian A'aude policy, which itopped,- '^Land of Joy*' Dismissals When Jake Potar, Mutual show -t>roducer, and the principals of his '"Land of Joy*' were arraigned in the Brooklyn, N. T„ courts Monday on the charge of an alleged linmoral performance at the. Star, Brdpklyn, in Marciv, the Court dismissed them all. . At the time of the pinch even the chorUsS ' girls were arrested, but wore discharged a day later. Potar and hl3 principals were held, with the trial set for May. MUSIC Elei'.lropr.f^unilllc comlrlnatiiiri itop .•\.'tiivn tr. Vf. Chapman, riiivaijo (or Oi'efan.s. Filed June 13, 1927. cliilm.s. .1,C05,2.V>. Horn resonator violin ip .a.'l Chivo Ser, No, 193,:^0Ci. 12 G. D. IlolhwoU, Six Shows Closing Six Mutual wheel shows are set to close May 19. Frank Daimsel'^ '.'High" Flyers" comes to the Columbia, New York, and disbands after the engagement. The other five winding up the same week are "Stolen Sweets" at the Empire, Brooklyn: "Record Breakers" at the Grand, Akron, O.; "French Models" at the Acad- emy, Pittsburgh; "Broadwa.y Scan- dals" at the Star, .Brooklyn, and "Sweet Sweeties" at H, & S.'s 12?th Street house. New York. Six Mutual theatres close for the summer May. 19: Empire, Provi- dence; Empire, Brooklyn; Grand, Akron; Haymarket and Empress, Chicago, and Colonial, Utica. Mutual Wheel's Meeting While no definite date has . beert set the meeting of the franchise holders of the Mutual burlesque wheel and the theatre owners of the circuit will" most likely occur the first or second week In June, Sprlnffport, Mich., a.Solsnor o.£ ono-third. to O. J. Rothwell, London, C)nt., • Canada. Filed F«b. 20. 1923. ber. No. 021,27a. .One claim 1.005,402. . , - , Clirotnatic ecalo nnd .eolo-notc fieloctmff device for or^an.s and pianos. J. W; Klfln, J/>a AngelM. Filed March 22, 1920; Sfer. No. OC.ri&l. 2» claims. 1,M5,5'.>3. Saxophone cord. A. S. Lantj, Jamaica Plain. Ma."i3. Filed Dec. 17, 1920. tJer. No. 155,43.2. Five clailm.-i. . 1,005,7*5. Valve action.") for pipe drprans. H. F. Wafers, St. Lu.ula, Mo. Filed. Feb. 10, 1927, aer. No, .109,400. Xl claims. 1,005, 808, . . Accordion keyboard. F, Umbralaco, New Tork City. Filed March 1, 1927. Ser, No. 171,730. aix claims. 1,007,089. „ Reed for musical wind Instrument, P. Brockm'an. Jr., East Yonkera, N. Y. Filed MAr.cJti-.l.^, .JLSr-^i... 3e r. No . 175.47a . One olalrti. 1,0C7,83^». Miscellaneous ; Di.tlrlbutlon ot proerram« over wires. X. F. Toomey, Now York City. oaHlRnor to American Tel. ond Tel. Co, Filed July 12, 1924. • " Ser. No. 720,0-13. Three clalma 1,000,154. . „ . News projection mochlhe. B. A, Proctor, Now York Oily, aaslgnor to News Projec- tion Corp., Now York City. Filed Jan. 10, 1920. Ser. No. 82.293. 23 clalm.<). l,0C0,3Oo. Ticket issuing apparatus. A. C. Asplnall. Chl.3Wick, London, and L. E. Cowey, Kew Gardens, England. Filed March 18, 1920. Sorl No. 95,030, and In Great Brlta.ln March " 1923, 10 claims. 1,008,180. Burlesqae Routes Week of May 14 1* Bare r'\.rt>—Empire, Toledo. . Bowei Y Burle.stiuera — Columbia, Cleve land. Bright Eyes—CadHlac, Detroit. DImploil Darlings—Haymarket, Chicago. • Dlxon'i Big Revuo^Eropre-'JS, Chicago. 'F«SnSh~M7)diiIs=^Aiatdemy,''Pltt^bTirgh^^ airls.from the Follies—Howard, Boston. Girls from Happyland—Lyceum. Canton. .Oirls of the U. S. A-—14-10, Majestic, Al- bany; 17-19, Colonial, Utlca. High Flyers^Columbla. N. T. C. •Naughty Nifties—Lyrto. Newark; Parl.si.in Flappers—Empire, Providence, Red Huts-Oay.ety. Brooklyn. Stolen Sweets—Empire, Brooklyn. Sugar Habie.i—Gayotir, Montreal., 'Sweet Sweeties—Star, Brooklyn. . TAB MEETING MAY 15 Owing to the Illness of Nathan Appell, the proposed meeting In the Hotel A.stor, New York, of the new musical tab circuit has been post- poned to May 15. Appell, at his home in York, Pa., expects to be out by next Monday. He Is one of the main factors back •*f thi> proposed circuit. BENNETT'S DETROIT STOCK Jim.Bonnett has thfe Cadillac, De ■ roit, for summer , stock burlesque, pen in g=--M >y-2:T. Bennett, In New York, has signed Ann Coria, Ella Sears, Jack Rey- nolds and Bud Purcell. La Vine and Allen as Act Cliarlie. Ia Vine and Al Allen clo.sed with "Sporting Widows" at the Columbia, New York, last week, and will return to vaudeville for the summer. They rejoin the burlesque show ne.xr seasou. Williamsport Stock Harry M. Strouse has taken over the Majestic, Williamsport, Pa., for a summer season of stock burlesque which opened at the hou.se this week (May 14). Houses Opening K5ith^l^lbeTf-,^Huntlngtonr W."^^^^^ opened May .7. Seating capacity is 3,000, with policy of five acta and pictures. C. E. Tipton la manager. Downingr Building, Marshalltown la., has been leased by C. C. Dunsr- moor,, who will convert It Intp a picture house sealing 9.00. Hoiise will play films and presentations Opens as the Capitol about A-Ug 15. Ames Theatre, Ames, la., operated by A. IT. Blank and Joe Gerbracht, will be rebuilt during the summer jgivlng it a 1,050 capacity and pro- viding for stage presentations and Vitaphone. Opening Is scheduled for Sept. i. '■ Fally. Markus h.is . tak.?n ovor bookings of tlie Capitol, New Lon- don, Conn., frorti the ' K.-A.-O. agency. Markus has also: acquired the Capitol, Middletown, N. Y., for- merly booked by A. & B. Dow, and the-iPalace.-,Nor3viCh,_ConnL,.__^^ TO former plays five acts on split week and the latter five acts on la.^t h:x\i. Pictures and vaude supplant dra- matic stock at the Majestic, Jer.sf-y City, next week: Stamford, SUmford, Conn., ha.9 added presentations to Its picture program. Derby, Derby, Conn., opened Sun- day under tlio management of Stopiien Dzladik, ■^C'on'i'- i-'.I Crop.i :o.i->'>■'■'' novelty act fi-om Greece, with ..a Dig bvg .'of tr;-'l;--«_ ;AI-r i^vobv.t^-.Vi.ic ••• and.Robcrl Garland in a co'mody skit euriMo'.l ' iv.v-.c r.UMmoio A,i an added attractionHyu Rya.>U .x«.?isfM .by O^oVi--- DJ-vw w. x <^v^:v^^l:■ playlet ehtUled "The TouoU:-'. . . . ■ . Anyone of the'-tCfcilh-AilM?.-.'..>r.t;i-M.,m.'l'M.vMi.>'Hvr-^nt d^szr.-^'i'.U- tlie' switching of idea.'s on '> >okiu>; ^ in tli i', jtrp'v Ono d.iy- on oi-d.^r . comes o'ut to cut evcrytlxltm koop.o.-xi .vV. Mve bill d.nvn. ; Th>- nexC ; day .Is reported' what- Touv.M-i'Jc or T-?d lioWM .1:1 ■ 'weok bol*-*'*"';. wlvm the^cry cpiuea out tbat na.ines are the .^iluff ^--S'^';'l.i'/nrvin:?!.-.: It must hoop the K-A.-6 mou up .m' th^'osr. To. th^ onlrtok-r^ U.'.i . funny in it.'* way,: .sirioo whv .tii-^'K-A'-0..n:t>--tv-:>re.gropinjy.ubont,: unal»l'»^ to settle upon, the pii'lvire i)')'i.i')l>:'. who hAvoiV.t .i».».»n. .-.in. tlie vAfi-ity '>.''r;'V" . nc33 for..'35 yoa'r.^,'loVig feiiioe'l^.v^^tul out.' You don't have to sit In.the K-A-O'ofTloos t.o .=50 ^ tiil.i .Tak> Vo;-i?ty. for this .week as reported in the picture d.eparttnent oE, tlU.i l.s.su>\ Tom. Mix panicked the Orpheunv and the entire town oi: ICausafi Ciiy li*f week while-^Ted Lewis was giving the. Orphoum-lioruVeplti, Mlnur-'-Y.poUs, . more business than. It expected to get for a month. And on th^ o'ther. side the K-.V-O people telling the booker.^ to cut down, to clip flash acts inside of $i..;OQb, don't pay any. Incre.t.-^ed srxl.arles, and the other many 'thing.s'thu go to show how denvjrallzcd vaud-^vlUe ' appears to be ju.st, r.ow." . ': ■ The'Vaudeville Collection A;3:ency, a Iveith-AU)eo-Orpheum c-xs/ n-.on.>y Institution,, may fade out, froni roport.i around. This is based upon a story that with K-A and Oipheum now merged and their sto.ck on tho market, with banking :lntere.s.tfl behind are not highly elated over the CQllectlo'n part of the K-A-O buslne.ss that oiico wag the subject oC a federal-Inquiry; The Collootibn Agency's' report' must appear In the IC-A-6 flnancial' report; wliich m.ay. account- for the bahkers' . reported . dislike;':.'- '• ' • ,^. ,. Kelth-Albe:e and the . Orpheum have; been the only circuits In thi3 country and "probably the woi ld operating a collection agency to collect agents' conimissiohs for acts woridng for K-A-O by dedugtlng those commissions from the actors', salaries on pay day. and charging the agents one-half of the arhoUnt collected for thhs. nominal service. 3Jy reason of that K-A-O Is virtually charging an act. 7 per cent commis- sion for working fb-r the-circuit, through the K^A-O booking agency charging on top of the. agent's commission of Ave per cent,?^ Ave per ceht for Itself, with the actor paying 10 per cent, total commission. By reducing the agent's income, arid a;ct3 demanding more money In- order to' pay all of the conimissldns and "other things,".-.this collection agency stuff has been estimated to have cost, since It waa placed In oper- ation several years ago, hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kelth- Albee and Orpheum In increased salary, through those clrculta not secur- ing the good will of tho agents and actors wo"rking for them. With other circuits or managements, the agent foV the actor receive.3 his full commLssion and with some circuits where the actor books direct, he paya but five per cent. Booking direct with KrA-O la also but five per cent, although the desire to' add to the collection agency's eamlnga allows but few direct bookings by k-A-O, INCORPORATIONS NEW lOBK industrial Plctares Corp., New York, rhovine picture fllma and. screen produc- tions; 200 shares no par value; Samuel EpBteln, Pauline Epstein, Evelyn Stern. Piled by Albert S. Goldberg, 1640 Broad- way. New York. _ ■ . .Educational Broadcaaten, Inc., Man- hattan; enuago the eervlcea of orchea- traa; concerts, advertising, brbadcastlng oe education; '100 shares no par value; Jaimes- H. Gould, Georgo I..ewlB, Irving Gordon. Filed by Gordon, Tally & Gor- don, 347 Fifth ave.. New' York. American Xrl-Wgon Corp., Manhattan; dealing with the art o£ synchronizing lh9 voice, sounds, and music with the production and reproductloa of motion pictures; 1,600 BhareB-r6P0 shares pre- ferred stoclt 106 par value, 1,000 shares common stook no par value; William Fox, Jack G. Ijeo, Charles 6. Levin. Filed by Saul E. Rogers, 850 10th ave.. New York. Clnelab, Inc., Manhattan; printing and developing motion pictures, fa's.000; J. Harold Smith, Herbert Smith, ■WlUlam McAdoo. Filed by Ronald Jarvis, 627 Dekalb ave,, Brooklyn. Phil MorrlA H H. C. Greene Prodac tiono. Inc., Manhattan; manage theat fi'csrwffdncHlttnroTJerare'amusemerit-en- terprlsea, $100,000; Harry C. Greene, Phil Morris, Carl Timln. Filed by Edward E, Hoenig, 36 W. 44th St., Manhattan. Hbboken Theatrical Co., Ltd., MianhaA- lan; manage theatre moving pictures; 300 shares no par value; Mabel O. Craw- ford, Prances Davis, Toby Cohen. Filed by Conrad MHUken. 3S W. 44th St.. New York. Oscaria Theatre Corp., Manhattan; rhanaglng theatres, motion pictures, 120,- 000; Minnie Thorno, Augustus Thome, Ella Holden. Filed by Nathaa Ziprln, IS Park Row, Manhattan. Lawyont' Dilemma Corp., Manhattan; manage theatres, $10,000; Bes!»le Simp son, Kthel .Simpson, Theodore H. Simp son. Piled by Alexander ICarlin, 1^0 "W. 40th St., New York, Radio Broadcast inip Corp. of New York, Inc.; Manhattan; operate radio broadcasting .station; 100 shares no par value; . Theodore Core, Abraham Schwartz. Thomas Parley. ■ Filed by Maurice F. Cantor, 45 W.-I>7th at:, Man hxtian • . . ENGAGEMENTS St.-'phanle W.all for the Capitol, Montr-^al, opening May 12 in con- densed VL'f.sion of "The Mascot.' ehnrlr's-Jonefi-dl recti ng;=~-= Mi'-luel MoCormlck, tf^nor, for Grand Strc-et Follies, opening at the Booth May 24. Hal Munhis, Dor- othy Shirlt-y, Richard Dale and Iloss Moberley, mufjlcil director, with Arthur J. lAmbK' production, "Why Widows Worry," now In rehearsal. Dennis O'Brien and Cll£f Heck enger for Emmet DeVoy In a new Ferdinand. Zlegle and Gilbert Fiuser in a. vaudo acU A mo'st peculiar situation Is that hovering over the vaudeyUle booldnga of Famous Players Canadian theatres, with two ofnces booking the circuit. The larger of the two agencies, Canadian Vaudeville Association, booka the larg'er houses, while the smaller agency places talent for the hokey- pokeys* The oddity results when the auditor, in going -over the books, finds the smaller office has played an act for half as much as the same act received when playing the better houses for the Canadian V. A. The latter contends the acts accepted. the cofEce and cake booklnga from the smaller office as a means of filling In, while refusing at the samo time to play the big houses at the same salaries. Also that the only standard turns submitted by the small agency are those booked Into the country by lis big brother, and that the former would find no atandarda available without the existence of the C. V. A.. Meanwhile the smaller one Is grabbing off the C, V. A.'s standard stuff ai3 It comes In, With the latter forced to cancel acta playing the java dates; Many standard acta consequently lose the better engagements rather than hold out against the hokeya. The peculiarity la that while booking the same circuit, tho'ugh not the same housea, the two booking offlcea ore in deadly opposition, with the C. V. A. making the declaration. . "I/ihdbergh la the king of the air. But who will beat .the seven cents fare. We Americana, W» Americans, etc." , Tha;t was the gist of a topical lyric sung by an act playing a small time vaude and picture house near Times Square one day last week almost as soon" as.the headlines In the New York daillea had given the news o'C the 7c court decision. Desertion of writers ot vaudeville material to pictures, and other branches of amusements, la blamed for.the current lack of originality and the sameness of acta, In most Instances. - j.,^,. So! scarce haia the vaudeville writer become tliat one writer, now titling and doing comedy construction on the Coast, has found It profitable to make an annual-trip-East and unload material on f.omo.r. clLcnta. AmiM^-^ Andy Bice, now with Fox and writing for Movietone, haa dropped hv.i vaudeville cllentele^ altogether. . i* Aa a result, a new gag la pounced on by a dozen writers the moment It seea the light via word of mouth or otherwise. No protection aeema poa-. Bible and acts have ceased filing complalnta with the N, V. A., claiming it means nothing and has no authority. ,^ Another angle Is the . claim of writers that anythinff they write toe vaudeville is. liable to. be liCtcd for pictures, without any co'mpensatlba. for the author. ' ' ■ • ■ Several acts have alleged that after playing the Orpheum their acta have beaten them into Milwaukee In the shape of two reelcra. With the Mae We.=Jt show, "Diamond Lrll," doing.around $16,000 weekly In New York; the ahow la dividing a net profit o'f around $2,900 between MIsa West as Its star and the company operating tbe attra.ction. Another mxater, of royalty, around $1,.260, la equally shared by Miss .West with Mark Llnder, her co-iauthor, who also Is an actor In the piece at $100 a week. Mae West receives no salary for acting, her share being the royalty and 50 percent of all profit Jack Liinder, the vaud agent and brother of Mark, v/ho produced tht show. Is said to actually hold about* 16 percent of the company's stock .He has salary of $200 weekly as the show's manager, Llnder's ro^.ltiv•>.^ hold the remainder-of the outstanding stock, and siiare In the other. l'.j.!'l "of"th'€T«'5fltsriijr"-vilMf"the=T^ duction cost was off the first two woelcs. James Tlmoncy, usually Miss 'WohVb partner, h.ai -w iifoct itit-T.-st In "Lil," but may be sharing with M 1.33 West. Joseph V, Shea, manag-jr of the Orpheum, Gardner, Mas'?, hri |iO that came from nowhere. Someone with a cori,jci-;nce sent the {'.0 en-, closed In a letter, explaining., that the writer at one time had t i}:-n ad- vantage of a ca.shier at th'-; hou.H<j, who gave him moc' rti.'u-.i;" '.h.n he should have received. Lett-.T bore atJ slsnature.