Variety (Nov 1928)

46 VARIETY Chatter in Loop ■Chicago, No v.. 1:7. • Inaccurate Blpgraphies . Ben Piazza Ben (Hpts.tuff) -riazza is Kfnfral western hianagor £or R-K-O, has a wife .an(3 .one chlicl. Once, upon a time-he. was an actor. Before that in the navy a:s. a sailor or sonae- .tiiinE:,'.lobkins .very funnyi in . his euit. or uniforrn, or •outfit, or" wliat- ever. sailors wear if,-he were a. sail- or, if ainything; But ho sure lopkod funnyI . -: Hots-tuff's favorite showman .Is. Mort Singer...-Hotstuft .was given his 'flrst .break in show busineas,.as a theatre hianagfstr . in New .Orleans, bjra-irian-named. Mort-SiTiger.-Hotr: stuff's, favorite film producer . is Robert Vignola.. Ildtstuff was given a beautiful hbme in Los. Angeles , by an uncle of his named Robert Vig- nola. kotstuff's favorite _actress i^ his wife, who acts like he's. a. great guy. , - As a boy^ Piaisza was nobody to speak to. He just sat arouiid, get- ting up: to eat when somebody whistled.; Before knowing it he was a man. One. day his father called him into the living room and cough- ed in embarrassment. *'Sori," he said, '•you're: a man how." •^^'You're. another," retorted Piazza. . "There's something you oiight to said said' know." said the pater, . biting Ills nhgornails. . . "You mean abnut life—and. man and. womaii—and- tilings like that'.'" askfd young piazza. . "Yes," said the elder Piazza.' 'Do vou. already know?'' , " "Supe.'! replied Hbtstiiff; "I al- ready khoAv." .. _ "Well,", murmured th.o . father, . i guess thei-e's nothing I can tell ybu." "I gue.ss not," agreed Hotstuff, : "I gues.s'not," agreed the" father. . "I guess I'll go and eat," said Hot- stuff, . ■ "i guess you-might as. well, the failier. "Well, goodbye; 1. .guoss," ^Hotstufi:. ' . . .- '. ■• . ■'Giiess'tcTTTQlI 'out Of here,' said ■Pop. ■ ■. . ■■: .. ■ .■ ■ . I And that was Ilbtsluffi even then, before, now and after. ' Ashton . Stevens, the obscure writer'on the Herald-Examiner un- til, discovered by this department, says, that'with so many Negro ac- tor.s on the 'white man's stage, it looks .'as though white men may. have to - pick the next cotton crop and white, w'omen cham'bermaid the Pullntah sl.or-pers.. ; . Mr. Steyeris is .ju.st but ,o£ ; the hospitai.'He can do. lietter. Sport's 1^16; Big Shot : U. J. "Sport" Herman is now the biggest political factor in this town's TIMES S Q U A R E theatrical realm after the vlctprj' of the Deneen-Emerson ticket. Herman split with the Thompson- Crowe outfit to go with the Deneen faction, which elected Emerson, the now governor of Illinois.. Deneen now , has complete control of state and county. . \,t, Abe Freeman, relative of. tne. Balabans & Katzea, ia starting along the same lines once employed by his relatives. Before they ever had a picture house In the Loop the B & K. boys v^ere running the Movie Inn, hanging pictures of stars all over the place and angling for oelobrity trade. \ Freeman has opened the Movie Grill, with photos aud .everythingr. ' ■ '; Wednesday, November 28, 1928 YORK THEATRES WILL ROGERS (Rnch-Hltttng for Fred Stone) and DOROTHY STONE I n A Rou slrig Musical Com«dy <<THREE CHEERS" D'jl & 46 St Wed. & SHU GLOBE The Smartest Play In Town THE HIGH ROAD A Comcd> by Frederick Lonsdale CIIITAN'O! St. w. of B'y ifivs. rULIUn8:30. MaU. Wod.-Sat. The Last Laugher . Just another example of the guy who laughs laat. Eli Abelson. once had a jewelry store in the State- Lake theatre buUding. Ben Kahane of the Orpheiim eircuifs legal- de- partment didn't like the way Abel- son ran his shop, and attempted to have him kicked out of the build- -ing.' ■ ■ . ■ '.■, - : '.. ' ■ . After Kahane had rung In sortie of the classiest legal talent iii the, state, Abelson and hid little shop- finally .were kicked out. Then Abel- son went into bankruptcy. Today, juat a few years, later, he is within speaking distance of his lirst million. • He. is part owner of the Steinite Radio Corp., and holds ita western sales rights. He's not sore now. at Kahane. Lester, the cdstumer, throws ia fashion show every Friday after- noon in his Lake St. salon. Show people eat cocoa end cookies with local socie'ty lights while looking at Annapolis. Radio catchllne used by. Art Kas sel, Terrace. Garden. prcl: estra lead er, is "Kassel'3 on the air." Curbstpne Comedy Two sidewalk' hoofers hitting'up curbstone comedy: .. . "I'm going up. to see that big time booking agent with a rug on the floor." "That ain't no agency; tHat's riiassage parlor for .girls." For *how people, as well as laymen, this Guide to general amusement* in N.w York will be published weekly in response to repeated request^ It may servo the out-of-towner as • time-eaver in selection. ^ PLAYS ON BROADWAY Currorit Broadway legitimate attractions are . completely listed jnd .ommented upon weekly in Variety under the heading: "Show. \n N*y$ York and Comment." In that department, both In the comment and the actual amount of ih. dross receipts of each show, will be found the necewary lnforrnailoi* M to tha most successful playa. also the scale of admission charaed. NEW FEATURE PICTURES OF WEEK Capitol^"Masks of the Devil" (Jphn Gilbert). „ , . Cor6nv—"Gan{r War" (Pathe talker), second week, and Benny Rubin. Paramount—"Manhattan Cocktail," Frank Fay and Singer's Midgets. RiaIto^"Wings" (run). Rjvoli_^"The Wpman Disputed" (sound) (run). Roxy---AU talker bill headed by "Napoleon's Barber. Stpand—"Outcast" (Cprrine Griffith) and talking shprts. SPECIAL FEATURES WORTH SEEING .C «F6ur Devil^" "Alias Jimmy Valentine" "The Singing Fool" BROADWAY GUIDE (Chang^B Weekly) "Lilac Time" "On Trtar' "Interference'* NIGHT LIFE ifeetter get a Ipad of Claytpn, Jackspn and Durante at the Silver Slipper befpre the padlpck gpes up. Frivolity also slated for the. legal veil. Mirador has new flash revue. Casanova and Richman doing the peak biz with good entertainment and no selling. Furnace, Whoopee and Black Birds clubs for wind-up and "hPt" moments; must be known. Other open-door spots just SO-so, with radio, personal pr other follow- ings. Qf the notable radio successes is Will Oakland s Terrace (the old ^Nlte Ufe"is" shot. Everybody rooting for Zlggy to put over his "Mid- nite Frolics" atop the New Amsterdam roof when it opens next month, counting on the psychological effect tp help everybPdy. RECOMMENDED SHEET MUSIC "When Summer Is Gone". "Crossroads" (from "Show People") "Judy" ("Romance of Underworld") "Querida" "Bon Soir Cherie" "Blue Hour" On the Square ZIEGFELD Mats.. Tliurs, 6 Av. , Sat. "SHOW BOAT Norma Tcrrld, Howard MarBli, Eva Puck. Sammy White. Helen 3l6rean, Kdiia May Oliver and CIlARIiCS WINMNGER ' I YDI^» 42a St., • Wo9t of B'Wb3^ : LI Till/ MRtB. TnOUS. &.-6AT. DENNIS KING in -..3 MUSKETEERS VIvlenne Segal, Lester Allen, VIvU enne Osborne, Jos. Ma'auloy. R'S'^ nald Owen,' Harriet Hector, John Clark and' Yvonne D'Arle. • 318'Ucservoil Seals JIM Hoi OITlce CAPITOL B'way & Blst St. Midnight Pictures Nightly 11.30 Tnlivi PTTUTJTI'Pln .Metro - Geldivyn- J Onn lTlLJ>i!i.ttl]^i,ivor'H Sonnrt Picture The MASKS DEVIL 'JLKT'S CO/ a Re\'ue with Dave Schooler New Guest .Conductor ■ of Capltollans Cy: Landry7^32 Chester Halo Girls— Francis Whit on, Metro-Movietone Capitol Grand Orchestra, David Mcndoza,' . ■ Conducting . Workmen's compenaatlon rates in Illinois havei been raised to lt»c oi> $100 for actors and 43c on $100 for stagehands. Practically all Ibcal m. c.'s with enough hair to make it look right are endorsing hair tonic for a re- ward. Paul Ash waa the prize en- dorser. One of the town's theatrical law- yers makes a specialty of giving bouncing checks to ticket, brokers. Every broker haa at least one. , In nasoclallon wllli E. Hay OocU . MIICIP DMY Til- 45th St. W. of iVlUolL DUA Br'dway—ISvoa. 8:30 Thursday and Saturday.Matlnoes, 2:30 IRENE BORDONI in ''PARIS" A MUSICOMEDY with Irving AaronMoii'a "THE COMMANDERS" MARK STRAND Broadway & 47th Street MIDNIGHT SHOW NIGHTLY AT 11.30 10.30 A. M. stl't, 35c '{PI CORINNE GRIFFITH Greatest "OUTCAST" SOUND! Picture , . j with J'^dmund Lowe nnd Louise Fazenda /•Warner Bros. Vltaplione ProHontatlon ,l!'6X .M0V1I5TONE NKWS Th. 50 St&Tth Av. Mta. Thu-Sat, 2.30 . In America's <Jr«'ftto«t Rc\'ue EARL CARROLL W. C. FIELDS EARL CARROLL VANITIES with R.\X DOQMSY—JOE FRISGO 'DOROTHY KNAIT ami 50 UKADTIES VINCENT LOVEZ (Himxelf) & Wb UAND 7'rH AVE. & HOT II ST. Direction of S. L. nothatol ■ (lloxy) ■\VIIXIAM rOX rrPHentn 'I'lip ."^iiiikcii Screen l>i!""i__.. "NAPOLEON'S BARBER" All-TiilklMB Comcily-CLARK and McCULLOCH in "THE Il.VTII llETWEEN" SlHBo Sdcc'UcIo 111 7 Kiilsiulcsi ^Tableau* Napoleon Ilo.ty .'^ymiihiniy Oroiii-.-itni: Kino Unpco, mniluct- Inu-llnllcl l"or|>a—;!2 lloxycKes—Cliot.il .Kiiscmlilo See - NOW - Hiar Theatre; Guild Vroductlons" Major Barbara GUILD THEATRE West CSnd St.. Kve.M. 8:30 Shiirp. Mats. Thura. tind Sat., 2:.".0 Sharp.' Euf^ono O'Nolirs ploy STRANGE INTERLUDE John Golden Th., 58th, E. of B'way EVENINOS ONLY at 5:30 ON T R WARN Ell «ROS VITATIIONE All-Talking Picture I A L WAENER Bros. Thea. HUC)'AinVAY_and C2nd SJ1\ m IXNITE .SlioW SAT.Tl:l.'i AL JOLSON SINGING FOG Winter GardenllSR nOTii 'SHOWS TWICE DAILY 2:45-H:lu EXTRA (i o'c.look . Sliow S AT. & • ..SDN. "Whole World Down on Her/' Says Miss Dale "When you're down it seems the whole world la down on you," said Frances Mary Dale, 26, of Des Moines, and until a few days ago stopping at the Belvedere Hotel on West 48th street, when arrested by detective George McNulty, of Head- auarters, charged*' with "beating" the hotel out of a board bill of $43. She will have a hearing this week in West Side Court. Until six weeks ago Miss Dale was doing a specialty, dance with Billy Carr at the Paramount the- ati-e. she told reporters. Cairr went on the road and she said her money ri>n low. "I have no intention to cheat the hotel.- If- I am given .a . chance I'll pay them what I owe theni. I am just 4P against it," and she quoted the old saying. Football Device Brinig Crush to Astor Hotel Astor had to call in five cops to ease the lobby pressure. Saturday afternoon around the entrance to the grand ballroom where a new auto- - matic football device, similar to the mechanical reproductions of worlds series .baseball games, was being exhibited at $1 a head. The 3,000 capacity was sold out early in the day. and the late comers made the management regret having ever rented the. ballroom for that purpose. . The game being mechanically reenacted on a miniature gridiron waa the Carnegie Tech-N. Y. U. melee and the local team's victory further addeil to the bedlia-m resulting/from the rabid, enthusiasm amo'ng the N. Y. U contingent. . . The . college boys were consiaerably smartened up on keepmg gate- crashers out, having suitable guards stationed at all exits and entrances to the ballroom. More Stolen Cars Stolen cars are getting so numerous that the police have been supplied with a new list of the numbers and licenses. Several show people coming Into New York with an outside license plate have been subjected to Close inspection. From time to time missing cars are picked up in T. S. through this procedure, altho'ugh the "examination takes, up considerable time. Even taxicabs are on the cops' lists. Long Marque A marque for the 43d street side of the Paramount theatre. is.how in the course of co"nstructi6n. As there are nine double exit doors on that side of the house the overhead protection when completed will be the biggest thing of its kind in New York. lOth -MONTn PI.-WINO TO CAPAOITY JOE COOK VAIN OR SHINE' SI. UUrlAN MaU. TliiuUiSg'g & tjaU. rhurs. to Sat., Nov. 29 to Deo. 1 VANESSI and HER LIDO.BOYS ALEXANDRIA & OLSON l(E(iINAT.l> DENNY "TIIE NI«HT_mKI)'^ thTs s3.ooo,6oo Yheatre" Nearly Completed Last Touches Under Way .^=_.^WIll-Onon--Siiorlly--^^^^ ■OUR MODERN LODGE rtOOMS . NOW RENTING Staw Show HARRY WATSON, JR & WELLS HK(ilNAI.l) DENNY, in OUCH . ZS* I "TIIE NKJHT ItlltD" JUPREME VAUDEVILLE—PICTURES I Sunday ALL Theatres, NOON to II—Low prices I Concoris Buckner Prefers Leavenworth Arthur Buckner, who flirted too much with tUe U. S. mails, denies hei is to be deported to Canada, but says he's going to the Leavenworth federal prison for a year or so instead. Another flirtation. "When Buckner wrote the letter he wag in the City Jail of St. Louis, but anticipated that shortly he would make the jump to Leavenworth, prepaid. Buckner was a trick blcylist in vaudeville before he got the habit of selling 11 quarters of a show producing business that couldn't stand even four partners. In "Broadway Racketeers," Johnny O'Connor, its author, devotes ft chapter to Buckner and his Ways, Secret Ritual For Joints ., Speaks wary of the card system have now resorted to signals for ent ry. A cellar Joint with glass door has a signal that's ^a darb. Those desiring admittance must press the right hand against the glass.- If the left goes up instead you're out. Waitress Sent to Home rearl Evans, 18, waitress oC 241 \Vost i26th street, pleaded guilty to petty larceny and was sentenced to the Bedford Reformatory for Worn on in Special Sessions. The complainant, Florence Mc Glelland, 18, actress, of 207 West 130th street, charged that Miss Evans stole a dress from her dress- ing room in the Drake and Walker theatre, 211 West 125th street, Nov. id. The dress was found on: a fire escape outside of the dressing room and Mis.s Evans was found on the roof of the theatre. The basement under the Astor theatre is a. complete bust as a cafeteria. The Broadway entrance haa been sealed and the space added to Kay'a ticket office. Mo'nths were consumed in removing rock from the base- ment and Walter Reade expected considerable" profit but the beanery flop was quick. Beggars on Percentage More beggars are to' be seen plying their "help me" cause .along Times Square than in years. Where some are chased away from what is regarded as one of the best paying streets in the world, they go into the subways, H.ardly a train shoots in and out of T. S. that hasn't a beggar. In 9 out of 10 cases he is blind. Where there Is a guide, the "blind" must share pn a percentage basis of the gross hand-out. IF YOU DON'T ADVERTISE IN VApiETY— DON'T ADVERTISE. Sax Player*8 Dreams -'■'I am - waiting, here ..for a yoting lady who is to give me $50,000," said Harry J-5rilland, 20 years old, saxo- phone player,. when .he was ques- tioned by John Kennedy, house de- toolivo in the Hotci Vlctori.a, 777 Seventh avenue. Walt outside for your Lady Boun tlful," said Kennedy. Brllland, vexed, made a disturbance arguing, dot ten days for disorderly conduct, not having the $10 flno and the $50,- 000 l)aby not being present. Central Park's Memberiship Club When Sid Solomon takes oVer the Casino in the Central Park, after New Year's, with Tonny Biddlfe in association, it will be a membership club. Initiation will be ?1,000 and that amount may become the annual dues. Biddle is interested in the new club on the Hotel St. Regis roof,- -where-the-annual oliarge-ls vaiso-$1,000.---^ Bouncers on View One of the whisperlo'ws in the BO's has a flock of about 40 bouncing chocks, hung conspicuously no^ar the bar. Underneath- the display of phoney paper is a black-bordered sign reading, "Yes, we cash checks- tomorrow." Back to Normalcy The Lantern, Oreonwloh Village rendezvous for the intelligentsia and others of bohemla, has gone the way ot several predecessors and re-^ (Continued on page 48>