Variety (Sep 1928)

do VARIETY V A U D E VI L L E Wednesday, September 26, 1928 MAX RUBEN ABDUCTED, BUT SAFELY RETURNED Detroit, Sept. 25. Mysterious abduction of Max Ru- ben, business apent of the local op- erators' union, Avas solved with the arrest of three men in Toledo by Inspector Honry J. Gavin. There is still considerable mystery at- tached. , . Kay Gagnon, president of the union, refuses to reveal to the po- liob or the press any details of Ilu- ben's kidnapping or the means, financial or otherwise, that secured his safe return. Police are reported angry with the attitude of Gagnon and other union officials and Intimate that the unionists purposely seek to block prosecution. Ruben was abducted Sept. 20 from his office in the Hoffman building ANN GARRISON and Co. In ••THE dBCCS" Introducing My Original Dance Creation "Stomplns It Down" Wc«k Sept. 80 Orpheom, Sprincfleld anU Orphenm, CliampalKB Tonrlngr Keltli-Orj'lienm Clroalt Direction JOHN SCUUIiTZ by cifihi arnii'd nuniin the pi-esonce of union iilllcials ;uul employops. No word li.'id biH'U i-i'ooivCil imtil yes- t<'r('ay iinlo.Sf- u.iulisvliJSX'd by Oiip- non. ■ Two wi'ok.s or so priur . to the actual kitlnappini,' an attempt at same w;is made on the stre(>t down- town. On that occasion Ruben eluded his would-be abductors. Po- lice claim they received no. roport of the affair and it .was not made known until the successful grab. No motive for the kidnapping has; been offered and no requests for ransom were made, so far as the police know. Though Gagnon would not talk, he asked for permission to carry a pistol shortly after Ruben disappeared. There has been no labor trouble involving the operators recently, with the Detroit wage situation having been straightened out Aug. 1 when the operators were granted a iRve per cent increase and con- cessions Inwired theatres. Several times recently Ruben Is said to have boasted in public that the Detroit operators had $400,000 in their treasury for use in case of a necessary strike or possible lock- out Until Gagnon refused to divulge whether or not the abductors sought ransom, the $400,000 nest egg wais believed to be the motive. Ruben's Powder Ruben is regarded as the most proficent business agent the locaJ operators have ever had. He is also somewhat of a power nationally, having been one of the standout delegates at the stage hands arid opeartors' convention held here in June. He wais prominent In a tiff over the talking picture question that Involved Tom Maloy of Chi r cago and others. Recently the Detroit local pre-^ sented Ruben with a $2-,000 salary Increase and a $4,000 automobile He planned an auto trip to the east with Mrs. Ruben and would. have left this week but for the kidnap ping. Inspector Gavin received the To ledo tip over the week end and de- parted for the Ohio town Immedi ately, arresting the alleged kid nappers shortly after arriving. Un- less Ruben or other union offlcial/s supply Information, it Is possible the police will be without evidence against the trio now held. Listen In on Code Somewhat of a turnstile arrangement has gone in on agents peddling acts to inde- pendent bookers whereby they can no longer crash en masse, but must enter one at a time. The order Is said to have been precipitated through rival agents listening in too atten- latlvely to a competitor's salesmanship spiel and idoing, much repeating later. Despite the code gag which Is Greek to the casual visitor, the agents are getting an earful, on uhdersellers and other rackets. The agents don't like the bench warming decision and figure the next thing the book- ers will be doing Is giving them numbers when they enter an agency. Forester and Carpentier As Vaude Combination Jack Forester, comedy hoofer, ap-. pearing at the Casino de Paris, Paris, closes there Oct. 1. Forester Is coming back to New York planning a yaude combina- tion with Georges Carpentier, the French boxer, with a girl In the act. Forester has resigned for. the summer show at the Casino next year. Gus Sun's Tab Idea Not Over with Mgrs. Gus Sun Circuit's proposed at- tempt to scrap'-'vaude this season for an entire tab circuit has not ma- terialized thus far. The • idea was. subject of much discussion at the annual conclave of the Sun Circuit executives and theatre operators this summer, with announcenicnt at that time it had been practically set to obliterate vaude. ' Despite the hullabaloo the 20 or more houses on the Sun time which played vaudeville laist season are still playing straight vaude shows but the Sun Circuit still sanguine of swinging them over to the all tab idea ^before the season is much older. pen MGRS. LEAVE New Haven, Sept. 26 Oliver C. Edwards, manager of the Palace, New Haven, ace ^oli house, and Maurice Rosenthal, man- ager of the Majestic, Bridgeport, are the latest to go, with the Fox men operating. WORCESTER SPIITS NEXT WE. Fox'S' Palace, Worcester, Mass., Is playing a full week this week with a Fox bill booked out of New York. Starting next week It Joins the other seven houses that Jack Loeb is booking on a split week basis MORRIS ACTS AT AMERICAN Chicago, Sept. 25. With Keith showing acts no longer at the American, the house will con- tinue with the same policy as bcr fore by booking five acts with the William Morris office on a three- three and one split. Harry Santley, of the local Morris office, is handling the booking. 10-Act Sunday Show Shubert theatre, Newark, starts 10-act. Sunday shows, booked by GouttS, Sept. 23. Houses In High Bridge, N. Y., and Port Jervis, N. Y., have been added to the Coutts circuit. HADRAK Silence—There shall be sllencfe wider than the sea's before the tides return, ere wldo wastes waken at an ancient word, and on the headlands sunset beacons burn. There shall be silence echoless as peaks before the winds of day spread noble pin- ions to unconquered skies, and o'er dawn's flaming heights find fearless way.-— Arthur Wallace Peach in New York "Times." (Isa 14:29, 42:9.) Tishman-Yates Suit Irving Tishman and Irving Yates's dissolution of vaude part- nership' was followed by Tishman filing suit against Yates to recover $3,000 cash and $7,000 in commis- sions. The case may be adjusted outside of court. The Yates agency continues as formerly . with Irving Yates in charge. Carroirs 10 Acts A 10 act vaude bill will be booked for. the Earl Carroll theatre Sunday night, Sept. SO.. No afternoon show will be given. Harry Shea is the vaude placer. . ^wX- • ■ ■ . V.'.*.-.*;-. '. jMESSSbsb!.-,'.:'^ MARINO AND MONA LOEW'S STATE N NEW YORK N w Week Sept. 24 w Thanks to JAMES DEALY LEE and ROSALIE STEWART ATTRACTIONS B. S. STEWART (Associate) MARGARET ANGLIN-IN GEORGE KELLY'S "SMARTY'S PARTY" GLENN HUNTER—IN A NEW ONE-ACT PLAY, "DRIVEN" MEL KLEE AND HIS COMPANY OF 20 IN A BIG UNIT SHOW CHICK YORK AND ROSE KING WITH TRUE YORK PEDRO RUBIN, MEXICO^S FOREMOST DANCER (LATE FEATURE -RIO RITA") CLIFFORD AND MARION FRED STRITT THEODORE BEKEFI & CO. ANDERSON AND BENNETT RUTH ROBISON & CO. ROGER WILUAMS SIR CECIL ALEXANDER HOULTON AND WHITING GRACE ADELPHIA & CO. FRANK ROWAN & CO. HELEN MAYCOX AND NOLAN BOYS SMITH & STRONG "Tin Type* POWERS AND WALLACE JAY VELIE COUNTESS SONIA & CO. BUTLER AND PARKER EVA MANDELL WILLIAM EBS with Roy Fant and Madeline Lee DOHERTY AND BREEN' IMPERIAL COURT SINGERS GEORGIE HUNTER FID GORDON "LEAVE IT TO RUTH" NEW ACTS NOW IN COURSE OF PREPARATION: Lucille Lanier and Rex Mara With Cameron and Thomassen May Ediss in Rachel Field's One-Act Play, "At the Junction" Sterling Halloway and Dorothy Morrison pft<*AI IF STEWART PRODUCER OF "THE SHOW OFF," "CRAIG'S WIFE;" ETC.; ANNOUNCES THE OPENING JAMES FOftBES' NEW PLAY, "THE PmAL FLING^il A?' THE^ A^^^^^^ ATLANTIC CITY, OCTOBER 1, AND BROAD STREET THEATRE, NEWARK, OCTOBER 8. THEN NEW YORK. ' THE CAST INCLUDES BERTON CHURCHILL, DOROTHY HALL, EDWIN NICANDER, JEAN DIXON, FRANK LYON AND ILKA CHASE. 226 West 47th Street, New York City Phonefr—Chickering 7820-7821