Variety (Sep 1928)

Wednesday, September 86, 192? BURLESQUE VARIETY 47 14 Colored Shows on New Majestic •With the opening of the season laUTiGhed by the newly formed booking circuit for colored theatres, the Majestic; Circuit, Inc., at least 14 shows have been booked. With some new houses yet to be added, other shows will be brgan- ized at once. The last oC the 14 opened this week. In addition to keeping the colored houses booked with a Majestic show. Jack Goldberg Is using .spe- cial attractions at the houses will- ing to pay for them., aside from, the regular house card. Of these specials, Jack Johnson, extra at the Lafayette, New York, -last week, is at the Pearl. Philadel- phia, this • week and Mamie Smith at the Lafayette this week and 'Newark next week. . • A roster of the 14 Majestic shows is herewith given: ' "Nifties of 1928," Berhle Iloss (white), manager; Shclton BrooU.s, featured;: Hunter and Warfield, Dotson and Yvette. Lena Wilson, White and Margai-et, Charles and. Lawrence. "Getting Hot," Roy Jones (white), manager; Speedy Smith, featured; Billee Wilson, Teddy Smith. Sadie (jrawford, Sudora! DoOaston, George Lynch, Vivian Wiirien. .Jessie Love. "Steamboat Daiys," Jack Gee (col- ored), manager; Bessie Smith, fea- tured; Sam Davis. Bthel Williams, Bootsie Swan, Millie Hdlrnea, Hack Back, Lloyd HoUins, Kid Collins, Beulah Bembo. Bandanna Days," . Sam Goodman . (white), manager; Hboten and Hooten, featured; Ruth Trent, Wil- lie Williams, Billy McLaren, Teddy Fraser, Arthur Hunter, Troy Brown, .Trixie Smith. "That's It," Newton Frackman (white), manager; Edgard M.artin and Elizabeth Smith, featured; Peewee Campbell, Edward Farrow, Albert Jackson, Slick 'Chester, Myrtle Russell, May Dixon, Hazel Vanvelah. "Ophelia Snow From Baltimore," Arthur Harris (white), manaprer; Andrew Trlbble. featured; Billy Mitchell. Elvida Brown, Buddy Green, Hazel Lee Trio. Frankie and Arline. "Old Man's Boy," Louis Azor.sky (white), manager; Charles Gilpin, starred; Charles Moore. Carrie Huff, Blanche Berry. Natalie Long. Alma Bvnum. Julian Costello, Al- len Vlgal, Trvin.c; Jone.s, Coley Tries to Scare Manager By Drinking Ammonia Wilhcut Kiving . any explanation, Mrs. Tliclnia MacCoy, 23, chorister with Jack Kcid's "Record Breakers" on the. Mutual Circuit, is in North Hud.'ion Hospital, Union City, N. j., i-ecovcring from the alloged drinking of a quantity of household amm&nia. Hospital oilVcitils stated Mrs, Mac- Coy was "rocbverlng. Mrs.' MacCoy is reported having- swallowed the liquid during a per- formance backsta.Ece. It is under- stood that when Mrs. MacCoy leaves the hospital she faces a trial . in I'nion City before Recorder Morris Umansky for .violation of the dis- orderly persons' act, ' ' Believed .piqued over some dis- plinary action of . Reid,. Mrs. Mac- Coy took the ammonia witli the be- lief that the .manager would become scared. Explanatory Ootroit. Sept. 26. Press rigcnt fur the .Natiiuvtil. slock burlesque, doesn't waste any words. The marquee contains this story: "Lips, llips and Pips." Ghorus Girl Loses Sight of One Eye; Front Row S BURLESQUE A BUST IN WETTEST JERSEY TOWN MRS. MINSKY LOSES Bad Check for $1,500 Fitjure.$ Criminal Action in Mrs. .M.ollio .MlnsUy.dC iJiT. West lOnd awnue, owner of tlio firand I ih'e.atrc, Oran.d and Ulirystio streets, " j and wife of -one. oC tlu- Minsky Stock burlostiue stranded-TiV; ^^^'^ j. \ji..o.thers, burlesque mana^er.s, ap- Lyric, lloboken, N. J. in midweek last week, when the cast refused to give a performance on hint that the, backer of the outfit had withdrawn and that .the house would not gtiar- antee salaries Grant. "20 Darl (white), n. and Grace .s," M. Fliesehnick . -,;ei-; Owney ^ Johes Uector, featured; Johnny Snow. Silvers and Wiley. Lottie Harris. WilHnm Brown, Fritizi and Jazz Lips. .T.r. "Syncopated Sue," Alex Stevens cwhite), manager; Melinda Brown, Geneva Beckett, Edna Taylor, Mabelle, James Collins, James Rob- inson, Willie Gross, Alberta PugR.sy. "Frivolities of 1928." C h a r 1 e s Cohn (white), ma.na.ger; Eddie Lemons and Olive Lopez, featured; Alice Ram.sey. Baby Kid Hall, Babe Jackson, Willie Ogelsby, Eu- gene Taylor, Daniel Winated, Slim Russell., "Raisin' Cain," Sammy Roth- schild (white), manager; Ida Cox, featm-cd; Matthews and Wyles, Mae Williams, McKenzie and Mc- Kenzie, Charles Anderson, Gussie Gould, Stew.irt arid Yorke. "Dusky Follies," Harry West (white), manager; Skeeter Winston, Eleanor Wilson, Lena Curry, Lena Leggett, Thomas and Walton. Lovev Austin, Mamie (Racehor.-^e) Smith. "Georgia Peaches," Irving Fillet ■ rwhiteT.~ mam^ kins, Bertha Idijiho. Idaho Jdrdon, Herman Higgs. Billv Petway. Wal- ter Smith. Hattie Snow. Jessie AVil- son. George Green. "Sugar Cane," Sarii Kuhn (white); manager; Hard Sros. Rand, fea- tured; Sox Jenkins, Dewey Mark- ham. S. H. Dudley,. Jr.. Oencva WashinRtori, Jessie' Cryor, Mary Williams. Harvey J.ameS. Willio Green, Florine Jenkins. Piedmont. Each of the .<?hows. carries, a chorus of 10 Rirls, Columbia's 3 Shows Tlil-'ec shows daily start " at the Columbia, New York'; next Monday. Deci.slon was reached by the house lessee, Walter Reade, at a confer- ence with HCrk regarding the Mu- tual shows playing there agreeing to the hew tri-shbw daily plan. It's the first instance of a. Mutual house offering such a policy. The Columbia wiil open hereafter at n a. m., present pictures up to p. m., when tlie first Mutual per- formance will begin. Another aft- ernoon show will be given by the troupe witlt only one full burlesque show at night. • i Sid Rankin Divorced Chicago, Sept. 25. Jessie Rece, in a Chicago stock burlesque, obtained a divorce here Saturday from Sid Rankin. The decree, was granted by Judge Sabath. No alimony was granted. The RankinS were married in June, 1025. ^ Park, Brooklyn, Staff Shifts The Park, Brooklyn, stock bur- lesque underwent a general reor- ganization of staff this week. Dave Sidman went in as manager, Marie Daley as number producer with Nat xViortan. agent, as casting director. peared in Sp\s ial Ses.<ions as oom plainrint ajrain-^t Peter Danzile, 3() law clerk, of 2S41 BacheUlor avvnuc Brooklyn, and Feliciane Aeiernc, 61. theatrical manai,'er, of 2124 Avenue p. Brooklyn, whom she oliargcd The stock supplanted vi^ude the j ^^ith issuing . a fraudulent. chock, week before and.played.:to-bad busi-| r.oth men,, were discharged on the Res.".. The company . was paid off roconimendntion. of tlie district at for the lirst-week but-.still have a tornc v. half week's salary coming,. Tlie two dvfcii.dants vcere arrested Ainos Spear,.who backed the pro- . Alareh after Mr.-^. Minsky ject originally, is authority that Hb- j claimed . they gav<< ■ h<>r checks - anKHiniihg to .$l.5t»0 as part- pay- ment on the lease of tho .'j'.rand'tho atre. Tliey .were , held T)y. Magis- trate Simp.son. for trial in Special Sessions after it was agreed, the Ijoken is a bum town for burlesque .-VCcording.to Spear, only women and children of the town go to shews, )uit not burlesque, while the men folk who might are occupied in the .alcoholic disi)erising joints, wide 0p(m' and.- too heavy competition for biu'les(iue. The Lyric's try at burlesque was the first Hoboken has had in three years since Mutual scrapped the Hialto which wont dramatic ^itock. Time was when the same house, then known as the Empire; was one of the be.st paying stands on the Columbia wheel.: That was before prohibition made lushing a voca- tion. MISCHIEF MAKERS (MUTUAL) Milwaukee, t^epi. 2o. Viri;inia Burns, 21), Mutual bur- les.iui- (^horister, will l<ise the sight of IVer . left, eye a.s the resitlt of ioko.^ters w^ho . sliot steel staples from rubber bands to the stage to see the chorus girls .>ump. • ■ The Rirl was working in tlie front lino at the (Vayoty.wlien she wa.s hit with one of the staples.; the points piercing hor eyeball. , House attaches rushed from the stage;, into the auditorium, and col- larod two men in tlie front row, turning them over to the'police. )V>th fellows admitted they b.ad been shooting at the Rirls and gave as ■ their nvuson that it u;a ve them a kick to see the girls ivnupwheh lilt by a staple; Local burlesque houses liave been troubled by snipers fo-. some time. Girls and men on the .stage have been severely hurt b.efo.re by staples and bont pins shot from the audi- ence. This Is the first time however, that the ,shooting has cau.sed a per- manent injury. Picture theatre, owners here are complaining too that kids who get balcony .seats are punctiii-ing the charge'was a njiKsde.meanor and not screens with bent pins shot from a felony. Lawyer for the two. men | rubber bands contended that his. client.s had re- ceived no value for the checks they were alleged to have issued. Burlesque Changes The men caught- in the. Gayety are over 21 ana Araorlcah-bcn-n. For- eigners-havb been giving less trou- ble hero' than n.atlves. The men will be tried for assaAilt with intent to do bodily harm.whlch carries a stretch of from one . to to a civil coliect anytliing for hept Ruth Price , ..13ob Siiirf/miin , Ullly Li'O ..Uoho.lta Ki-Uard ,.-. .ciilcUie .Wulla Oeovso -.lloynolds . ..Ai'lhur MuUon injury. Her home is in Milwaukee and she was living with relatives while the show was hci-c for the week. WEST COAST NOTES (Continued from page 24) Natalie Joyce. James Ford and the Negro comedian, liaymond Turner. Clyde Cook and Albert Conti added Fox's "Life's a Gamble," J. Ci. Blystone directing. Betty Loraino, Marshall Ruth and' Lialani Veas added "Husbands Are Liars," Fox. Ruth Clifford added "The Devil s Apple Tree," T.-S. Frances Hamilton added "Adora- tion," FN. Florence Midgley added "Ritzy Rosie,".FN. -DuncaJi _.Binaldo_ ._addc4_ I'S.'lf.. Devil's Apple Tree," T -S. Malcolm Stuart Boylart completed editing and titling ' '^il^y^^^^^.^.X;;, "Making the Grade" and ' Mothei Knows Best" ( Fox). Charles Klein, director, has b^en assigned to make "White Silence as his next for. Fox. Starting date not set. Story is of Alaskan.adven- ture. I'VnlurC'd prim:i I''o;iiuic(l fonilc I'Olllli.'. ."^ lUbri't. \ .,.'. Soubret... < -... SlraiKht.- ••■ Juve. With the Olympic pone, the Irving Place, is how the downtown New- York Mutual wheel stand. They're shaking it up plenty at this house, According to set burlesk stand- ards. Harold Rayinond's wheel en- try meets most of the reqmremonts Wliile tlicre is a lot of revoalment and loads of hip waving, the com- edy scenes are weak if not ancient. Permanent house runway nonp under the leadership of Marion La Marr and Wava White work hard and often, especially during the first liair of the opera, taking about a lialf dozen encores. The former is a most capable torso juggler with a likeable pervsonality and looks sot to buHd a following here; The girls run mostly to ino buxom, with looks secondary. They're always out there trying to pep'it up. but the boys seemed to tire of the cooch stuff toward the middle of the second halt and en- cores were cut. , _, . Among the principals, Ruth Price handles her assignments In .fine shape while Billy Lee, tramp com.ic*: foils neatly for Bob Startzman, fea- tured big shoe comedian. Outside of neat, but not lavl.sli tostunies, sets and drapes nptlunti in the layout is new or novel, witn the feature Startzman blackface bit late in the la-st half. Miss Lckard warbling old-time tune.s, fully draped, got something. A couple of shotgun blackouts, with Startzman and Lee figuring, liteanriKtle -STTrothing.- (Jtlier ca edy bits also lacked a laugh-pro- Lillian ..Kaye replaces Daisy Dean 20 years' with "Dimpled Darlings" (Mutual.) Miss Burns must sue in Naomi Wheeler out of tlie M;utual [ action .show. "Girls of the U. S. A." Arthiu- Malion supplanted Mack ^V•l)ite in "The Mischief. Makers" (Mutual). Jimmic Bova and Phil Hall out of "The Best Show In Town (Mutual) with Claude Matins and Billy De Gray replacing. Ruby Foreman joined "Frivol! ties"-(Mutual). Walter A. Brown, Billy Hart. W. A Miller and Rose Bates h.ave joined Billy Watson's "Chicken Trust" (Mutual). JMarie Tyler has left. Frankie Cl.ark replaced Mae Ser pas and . Benny Kanncll sup- planted Jimniic Perva a.s principals with "Lafiin' Thru' (Mutual). Joe. Rogers out and. Billy McCoy in with Terr,«<jna and "irer Radium Girls" (Mutu.al).' ' ' .. Dolly Ashton enfr;ig( d init never opened with ''Jazz Time Revue" (Mutual). Ktna M<^ore. is the new prima donna. Connie .'^t. Clair- reidaeed Babe! Herilv as a runway prire-ip.al ut the (:bluinbia, N..Y., Monday. Btttlesque Routes Week Sept. 24-Oct. 1 . Biiro Vacis—.Staio.. SprlnKflold; 1. Qrana, Host Show «n T'lR-n ■ 21-2... <>n«\" = J^lvil' Mohrnilaiis-OQ'yety. HuffMl.i: .1.-2. Geneva; liiiu-ot-y UurlP.x(|U<T« ~ ri'i^-". ^^ oIce^to^, 1, .'<t.itf, .'SiirlnKflol''. _ , IlurU-Sfiui- Hi'vlew — Caiini.io. Dettolt, 1, '"'^An'^i-OM Akron; 1. Oayety.: "ijTi'int'y Don.^T.yrlo, Dayton; 1, EmprcMS, Dimplf'l DaHlnRK-irudson,- I nion City, '■tH^n^ V/[;:"'hJ:I-l..w--^Rlran.], . Washing, ton: 1. A.a,lomy,,Pl.tsbu.Kh.^^^_;__^^^j^^.. ,^ 1, Mu- Sunday Booking Cold The deal pending between the Mutual Wlieel and John Coutts. f(U' Coutts to book Sunday shows in .15 Mutual wheel stands- has col- lapfjed. Most of the houses involved could not get together on (he cent ml hooking .srheme. More Irons-Ciamagc Stocks 'riie lille of '•i''og," Charles Kl-in lir.si direct.irial effort for I'ox. has iH en changed to "Blindfolded. y Mcflrcw Willia, sc'enarist, •^iKned by F'''.ix to.adajit "Spcakea.'^y. Irving Cnihminirs to direct. Leslev .Mason titling "Prep and I'ep" and •r.liufirolib'il" (V'ox)- i Alichael V.iviteh. Russian, fo- Warner \'ir,iphone -Desert SonK. dueer. . ■ i In a pick-out number- Miss Price called the girls out by nationalities. As a erosser, the dames responded with bits of verse about the Amer- ican cities they hail from. To top it off, Atlas the .Great, rang^' iron-^jaw boy. showed feats of strength, using an anvil and iron bars as pron.s. Before going into his final iron bending .stunt, he gave the announcer the oificc to blow and in a hic:h-pitched voii>e told the folks that he owed his grfa. strength to his perfect molars. Then followed one of tho.se four out of five" discu.^sions, the stronc man winding up his spiel hallyboo- fnir liis own make of tooth paste on sale in the lobbv by chorus rirls. We.l;!e.«da- j.iprht is auction niKli*- at the irvinf,' l>lacc, permitting tlie customers to seo the show and at. ; (he same lime lay in a supply of \\<'arln£r apparel. Hi-Hatting in Vain R6(be.«ter, Sept. '25. . Dcsiiite efforts of Victoria thea- tre . management where one of Dewey Michaels' burlesQin.' stocks is operating, to carry the public im- pression that .it's "musical comedy" and not "burlesque" that's the pol- icy, the. local sheets have been labelling'it "burlesfiue." The \ic people liave been billing "musical comedies" and haye oven put up signs "N'ot Burlesk" In front of the house.. Ray Averlll, who came to man- age the Vic tw o weeks^go^ ha.s been^Transferred' to . Mrcha«>ls' 13tiff falo stock. Balto Stock Set William Proctor has eompleted his . stock roster and. returned, to BaUlniore to pvepar*; to open- Oct. .1 at tiie Palace, The Co.. includ<>s Jack Hunt. Cliarics W<'Sson. Jlftbljy' Taylor. Walter Blair, Lloy.l ; P( drick. Bee Bee Almond, who h.'is been rehears- ing with the Bozo Snyder-Mollic Williams Co.; M.-H'ie Bergman, Matioii L.'iMarr ami .Marjorie Ad- .ams. Irons & Chimage are adding two new houses to their circuit of stock burlesque theatres by taking over the Empress, in St. Louis and the Standard In Cinclnn.atl. Both will be operated under the policy now at the Haymaiket here^ fir.«t run plct\M<sH ftnd Ptoek hm*- le.'Jime. ('Ivarle; ilfr Case il'ari. George' Walk-r, Cliiek Bernard Helical, Lawrence .added "Redskin" (Par). .Collins .>-;teer.-^ • Phillips Holmes for "Hi." Private Life," Menjon's c'lrrent picture (Par.). =^Srel ll^'MOWiiSTffey-:? I ay' n9=-===-^ Stella MorrlHsey, who headed her . own Mutual show last season hut ' produced a new Mutu.al, "The Parisian Flappers." this sea-«-on without appearing In It. has Joined as a principal. Flora DeVere remains ae a fea- tured member of the unit. DES MOINES STOCK I.)es .Mone.u, Iowa. Seiit. 2G. Tlie I'rin'ess here will be re- (ij,. ni (1 lhi«'_seiis»m by Don Dixon's "D( line,'j()onf:." muMe-'il stock, with a-(;arnrian-y=Jif=22^JCli'=aioil^^ the Halidi Bellamy I'layers la."t year. As!.o<-Iat«<l with Di.son i.'^ Onier Kenyon, who xnari.'iged tlie fJarriek for Mutual burles'iue here last. year. F. A. Dixon, father of Don. wi..l be ,businfr-s m.'inaKer. i'oli'v two-a- jday at pop price.s. Flapper l'-<)lllps - Oaytly, > '.rtyeiv, ,'!rrimlon. , , ,,, rn ncli Mo.jplf -(^aypty, Louisville u;il. In.ll'ui.npoll.s.. •. • l.VivulUI.>s--('oluinbl!i. N. V. C; J. <jay- ilinnor (ilrl.«(-Jlow;inl, Uf>.ston;. J. Oolum- ''o'irH from" Happylan.l - IT & S. ApbUo, V y I. ICnu'lrn, IlrooUlyn. ' birl.i from the Folllc»--10mpiro. NowarK',. S.»n'»^:/l:a:l,aav..y.,n^^^ (Jlrls of tho V. A.-Hypoilon, Now lh;)\i-> I'VTCi'- KmiyrfHit, Oijclnnnll; 1, »jfty- Oty. lyOUlHVlllf. , , , .„ HlRli Flyot.s-Hmplrc. Urooklyn;.!, Troca- dero, PhlbKJflphla. , , ,„. i Hindu nolli-'fl -Lycnum, •< olumbus, 1, I-yrlc, Daylori. • , , . » Jan/.ilmi! Ilcvu<!-aaycty, S<Tanton, I, Gayly, Wlllciwhurrc. , . ■• Ku<l<Illn'B KutiM—tjrand, Itartford, *, HyjiPrlon, Nr\p. Havon, I>ttffln' Thru-Oayety. Montreal; 1, How- ard, ISoHton. . • . Merry - Whirl-Gaycty. Milwaukee; J, Kinpn'-s.-), rniloago. • ^ MlHchl'f .Makers-Empire. Providence, li (J:iy<?ly, Iloflon. ■ _ < Moonlight Malds—Empres*, Chicago, 1, (-•adlllac. Detroit. . .„ „, .Moulin IlouKe Olrls-Gaycly. naltlmore, 1, ,<trand, WaPhlnptoTi, Naujfhly NiftJefj.- Caye ty, Kanna H City; 1 , IMaza. "Worci'slVr. • ... . « Mto Tilfp In . Parls-'-I-yccum, r.anton; 1, Grand, Akr'>n. , I'arWIan Klnpj)»>rs -On>h'>uin, Palereon, 1. Hud.siin, iTnlon-City. • • I'utiK PUBs-^Ma,joHiI<-, Albany; 1,. Coloniftl, Ctlra. Radium Qupon.t—Empire. Toledo; 1, .Co- .lurnbia, Cli'Vfland. . _ V... < ' Hffor'l Hronkor."*-IrvInK 1*., .N.-T. C, l, Hnvplie. Provlderice. • t-' J'.cd irot'-!- I 'olumbia, Cleveland;' 1.. L.y«« coum, Canton.. ' ' Round thp. Towri.-Tro'-adf-ro. Plilliidel-- I)hia; 1. fJayety. naUimorr. , a.. P(.< ral Maid*-I.yri'-. )^rl■l^'.•p^>rl; 1. 11 * S Apollo. N. V. C. .^|.(.(..J Olrl.s -CoiohlaJ. L'tl'ra; 1, ''aytyi MoTil rp.'il. Y 1 ■» Si'orly , ■Wlilowt!-<rari lf.k, St. I.^aLs, i, Oayf.-iv, knns.'i.s ''l.ty. ' i, „ .-:i.HP A.onK-Sl.ir, Jtruokly"; 1, Orpl.ium, p'''l'-lvf.;y Clrlf Oaycly, M nniupolis;. r. ■(;a\( ty, . .\Iih" ••I'll:.'--^ ' ,,„_ On It .M.jlual, Indl;;!!/'!")!:."; 1, OaT- rlfk. ,-"t', J.oui'<. , Sl'.'-i) swfc;.-. 21, T.yri.'. A'lfnlown*. L'.'.-'J'i, Orph'^iirii. ll>'ad.nr; '-K l':iiaee, Tr'-nl'.T,: 1. Jitiii'lrf.- .Sr-v.arK . fu>.M- Habit- -.\'.Mlrn-y. Plf"u-Kh; 1, T.v - i;;r;. ("'"lutnb'j:-. W.ip , vV'Oii.ifi .'^'11'; fJa;!-' b in '• J I, •1 i;, ,.\,li.:.i,iwri. I'.il.i.'f. T'l-i. \VI:k*>i»- I il-J:'i' UM), Cutting Runway rr.ltirij; tltr.eri the o\I'ib" .-nl .it tho ('(.h.tiiM!!,. t)!i^■ wei'l;. No ex.lra a< ts and the runway Kal li'-'t h;is hteri redueed fr<ini 20 to This means $160 off the pay- roll.