Variety (Feb 1929)

Wednesday, February «, 1929 OUTDOOR-OBITUARY VARIETY 67 J, A. E. MALONE J A. B. Malone, Liondon theatrical producer, died Feb. 3 in London of Dcnumonia, according to cables re- ceived In New York this week., Mr. Malohe, in addition to hie own active producing In England, had long acted as thei London repre- sentative for Charles ,B. Dillingham and the two" had been friends for years. Their friendship was such that the Dillingham office her6 look- ed after Mr. Malone's Interests on this Bide, at times suggesting cer- tain plays as suitable for English presentation. Mr. Malone was,born in Mhow, India. He abandoned the study of medicine later in life to become an actor. He later became Interested In stage management and producing. His initial production was In the Prince of Wa.les theatre in 1887 In Liverpool. Then he and George Ed- IN LOVING MEMORY OF VAN FROM JEAN • appearance was with Leo Carillo in "Lombard!, Ltd.." H<?. was rehearsing with Louis Hallett'3 vaude%'ille sketch, "The Dip" when .stricken and removed to' the hospital; Mr. Saunders was born in Batavia, N. T. Funeral wlll .be held today (Wednesday) noon from CampbeH's Undertaking. Parlors, auspices Ac- tors' Fiind with Intei-ment in PUnd plot In Kenslco cemetery. .wardes became associate, producers and this partnership existed until the latter's death In 1915. Among the Mfilpne plays prpduced in Mew York were "In Town," "A Gayety Girl," "The Dollar Prlncests," "The. Qualter .Girl" arid "The Sun- shine Girl." Mr. Malone became a director of . the Grossmith & Laurillard proiduc- ing Arm, subsequently Grossmith & Malone, Ltd. When the world war came Mr. Malone was designated a captain in the Westminster* Dra.- gobns. His father Capt. J. J. Malone of the 60th Inniskllllng Dragoons, was awarded the Victorian Cross. COL. GEORGE L MILLER Coi. George I- Miller, 48, co-owner of Miller .Brothers' 101 Ranch wild west flhow, was killed Feb. 2 juist west of Ponca City, Okla., when his • auto skidded and was ovei-tumed. Colonel Miller's tragic death re- calls the sudden demise of his brother, Joe Miller,, asphyxiated by carbon monoxide gas in the garage of his ranch in Oklahoma about a .year ago. . Geprge Miller Was In IS^ew York lar,t summer, hand 11 ng t;he 101 show during its Bronx engagement. He had taken over Its management when his brother died. Of the three 101 Ranch Miliers only Zack Miller survives. The widow and a'daugh- ter, Margaret, a,lso survive. The Miller brothers started their cowboy circus some 20 years ago and, although tliere has been almost annual reports the show was being sold, It still is Miller property and Rcheduled to start another tour In the spring. The Miller brothers inherited the original 40,000-acre ranch many yeai's ago when their father died. In addition to becoming wealthy through rancti operations, cattle and horse raising, their holdings were further enhanced when oil was struck on their land. Interment In Ponca City, 01<ia. 8AM H. EMERSON Sam H. Emerson, 40, formerly in vaudeville in the act known as Emerson, Morris and Walton, died Feb.' l.at his home In Chicago of a paralytic stroke, Emerson, In private life Sam Perry, also toured with the Robert L. Ru.ssell show until Russell's death. During the past few years he has been operating a market in Chicago. . He is the son of Frank Enierson, former magician and. lec- turer, and is survived by his wife. Hazel Caritour, two children and a brother and sister. li'amlly iig trying to locate Frank- lyn Byron, brother. Avhon last heard from he. was wt>rk.ing witli Jean Bcdlni. v STANLEy H.FORDE . Stanley H. Forde. 48, actor, died In Jewish Memorial Hospital, New York,., Jan, 28:, after a Aye months' illness. ■ • Mr. Forde had. spent considerable time in inusieal comedy, possessing a fine baritone voicei Among some of his last engagements were "Castles in the Air" and "Princess April." One of his most notable engagements was in the revival of "The Mikado" in .1925. . \ Mr. Fordie, In'July, 1912, was niir ried to Mrs. Helen Hilton Story, former wife of Allen : Lawrence Story and a daughter- of Col. Albert B, Hilton,. Hackensack, N. J, EDWARD J. KELLY Edward J. Kelly, veteran .show manager, brother of William J. Kel iy of "Brothers" ca.st, 48th street theatre, New York,, died suddenly of heart trouble In the Warwick Ho tel. Philadelphia, Feb. .3. .Mr, Kelly was there managing the Jane Cowl Go. In "Jealous Moon" for Brady & Wlman. The body was . taken by the brother to his honiejln ■ Newbury, Mass., for intermoht. For two seasons Mr. K6lly had been with Brady & Wlman rnanag Ing Grace George in "Ro.ad to' Ruin' last season, and Ml.<Ss Cowl this season. For a number of years he was with William A, Brady, Sr., shows and when his brother headed Stocks for several years Ed. Kelly managed them. During the New Yorlc engagement of "Jealous Moon" Mr- Kelly became ill of erysipelas, but recovered suf- .^ientlyj^taketo- the,road.aUh Qugh his heart condition beoamp aggra- vated the moment he left hi.'^ bod. JOHN ROOT SAUNDERS John Root Saunders, 69, oharactor actor, unmarried, died in 'Dellovuo Ho.-^pital Feb. 1 of heart tnnihlo. Mr. Saunders in 1920 appeared In "Tho Elixir of Life"; In 1924 was with Otis Skinner and also with Dorla Keane in "Romancf;" and In DAVID W. WATT . David W. Watt, 79, circus man died Jan, 27 in Janesville, Wis-, of infirmities of old age. Though blind ih the last years of his life Mr Watt Was always In cheerful spirits, When a boy he Joined the Burr Robbins circus as a ticket sclier Ho became manager of the circus in 1880. After two years as head of the Robbins outfit he joined Adams & Forepdugh as treasux-er, Later he was with the combined monia. Miss Washington's nxost Important engagement was. with 'Put and Take," which Irvin C.Mil- ler produoed oh Broadway several years ago. WILLIAM R07 \\ WillJiun Rothi, 63 bandmaster anil owner n£ the Lincoln Conservjvtory of Music in Chicago, died Jan. 30 at his homo there after a Ihigor- ing. iilneas.. He was conductor of the Rlvor- vlcw park biirid for some time. The mother, 70, of William Dem- arest, died Jon. 30, at Mount Sinai hospital, Olondale, Cal. Besides William, another -son, Rubin, also an actor, survive. Edmund (Srnilihg Eddie) G. Dan- neir 61, nt one time ticket .«:ollor at the old Eden Musee in west 23rd street. New , York, died Jan. 31 pf heart disease. The mother of Mrs. Seymotir Felix died in New York last wieek. The mother, 90, of Edward W. piinn, died in New York Feb. 2. Mr. .Dunn was an inseparable cpin- panlon of his mother. Fred Reynolds* 28, chorus mart in "Lovely Lady," Chicago, committed svilclde by leaping from • a sixth floor window. ln the Berkshire hotel in that city. Lloyd. B. Taylor, prefiidenV C. A Taylor (theatrical) Trunk Works, died Jari. 13. The mother of Nick Feldmiin, vaudeville ageiit, died recently. Fred Obeck, 4^,' screen actor, found dead in his home in Holly- wood, Jan. 31. Death due to heart tj ouble. No known relatlveis. MRS. FLOSSIE HUNTER Died February S*. 1919 Gont but Not ^^5rgotten By FRANK HUNTER Barnum & Bailey and Forepaugh showji. When he retired he en- gaged In selling real, estate in Janesville. Wife and son survive^ DEATHS ABRQAD Paris, Jaii.. 23. Jane Arbiart, French vaudeville singer, died In a Paris. hospital. Daphne Floyd, 20, English dancer at the Moulin Rouge. Paris, died in a French hospital following ah op eration for appendicitis. Mary Sylvia Beyer, 73, prominent worker for the Theatre Girls' Home in Paj'is, w-as killed by an automo bile on tho Champs Elysees. Carlo Rosaspina, Italian, actor died in Rome, , :Maurice Boucher, 70, French poet died in Paris. Carlos Allen Perkins, .75, former wellrknown Spanish comedian, died in Madrid. Deceased retired several years ago. M. Lebreton, former stage man- ager of the Casino de Paris, died in Paris. Kliuulular i'xiH'rinu>ni.s on guino.i I)igs, .niinj*' iiiKl moulvoys attnicte.'' iititntiiin sKino liino ai-i>.re.><pon .siblo fi'v"P.i> Y.nu' At;«\" .V-yount; Dr. Giigi', tliunii- similai' o.\p»'rim«Mit..- .ilig at i=it. M;iri:ariM's linsi^iial, in • duces tlu> wt altliy widow. Mrs. Luo- oia -Morriatn, .patrohoss of iho hos- pital, to rojuvenato hors<>lf. WidONv boxniffs .in lookhi.ir a.'«'. if she ^s ere in ■ hi-r .ao's. Sho is really a» old girl, llu.sliand had passitd on 10 years beforo. aiiil si>oin."^. slii> had h.ai. a. littlo alTair abroad oavly in her wedded life with Philip LatiniiM-. One rainy afternoon she had con fessed it to iho bishop ami being very wealthy he. hud hin'ome the curator of lu-r soul witli pU'nty. of financial suj)port from the I\U'rrlam widow. There is such constant ref- erence to 40 yonrs.t.hat it's i-ather cojifusinh'. : Anyway, Mrs. ..Mcri'iani a younK old lady with lifted face, sltndtr boilv. retouched hair, looker as Well us Kdna Wallace Hopper and Fannie \\'ard combined. She. lias summoned Philip by OaWo, but is disappointed to see h tall; white- haired, elderly inau ill need of a cane. And she doesn't like It that his opinion is that her youth la^.'^lmply mental and not actual. , liUoeia burns up >uid, to prove it violeni-ly llirls willi Freddie tJuge, the gland specialist, ', who ..Is rt-ahy in love with her granddaughter Elinor. Freddie woii't take a dare, but when the rejuvenated one sug geats their enKagenient be an- nounced, he asks her how .she gpi that way. Frcd.dic does consent to a rendezvous, but oven th.at is callec off when Luccia realizes she can hardly make the grade as a ypurtR woman, and turns, to Philip for, mar riage, •. . . ■ - ', ,. Just AVhat loadti LUocia to be her age is another opaque strain in the play. There are dissortations on surgical theory and practi.se, inter- esting to one .well. tip on the sub jcct. but hardly to the lay mind. Spring iiyington is the Mrs, Mer riam who thinks she has reclaimed youth. Rather a good lihpersona-. tion, Arllrie MacMahori was to have the role, biit walked out. Ronincy Brent as. the young doctor was gen erally interesting and likeable. Ho' llwell Hobbes did the bishop with sPme authority, and John Mlitem is rightly cast as the old lover. Mary Stills plays Elinor. . "Be Your Age" is a one-set, slx- person cast play. It Is neither fun- ny nor romantic. Too few laughs, and perhaps those will be more lim- ited after the. premiere perform ance. Rather impresses as being as experimental as the gland stuff. Al - though house and show are under the same manageihent, success ap peairs unlikely. * J.bee, ALL THE KING'S MEN Gome<Jy diaina In three acts presented b; I^ew Cuntor. Written by FuUon Ouraler. StaffPtl by Priestley MorrlHon with scttlnga bv Cirkcr & Itol'blnH. .Starring (jrant Cot Geo. MUler Killed When Auto Skidded Ponca City, Okla., Feb. 3. When his auto skiddeil and over- turned on the iVy road west of herti early i>iinday' morning Col. (Joorge L. Mill.er, of- ;Mlller I!ros. vol Kauch, was pinned beneath and instantlv killed.^; Colpnoi Miller wiis on bis wa.v to the lOl Ritnch after a local Visit. His death now leaves one surviving rneniber of the Miller trio, ZaeU Aiil- or. For many years they had sent :)ut a wild we.'rt shgiw on tour as the , ipi Ranch, named after their great, tract of Il6;d00 acres in Oklahoma. Joo Miller died about a yeiir ago. when he wag overcome by carbon nionojclde .urns In his ranch gat ape. zack Miller, , tho otlier brother, w.oa originally assoviatcd with Joe and George in the 101 Ranch show which for years was. managed by Joe Until his death and then taken over by the Colonel. Juat what effect George Miller's death will have on the 1929 summer tour of the wild west, show remains problematical. It has an eastern tour planned, with a Bronx engagement In New .York definitely set; Colonel Miller's holdings Iriclud- ing his. show stock are expected to be ;left to hlis widow and dauehter who survive. Clown Footifs Estate Paris, ;Jan, 22, The French courts trying the family squabble In the family of the late English clown, Pootlt, decided the children by the second marriage are the lawful Jielrp to the Httle Angio-Amerlcan bar off the Champs Elysees, which the popular circus star opened after his retirement *>• ifrom the rlngr It.waa ruled by the judgei thiat as Pootit was of EnglLsh nationality, though he had played. In a Pari* circus for over 20 years, his estate could be distributed according- to British law. As the clown had married a secr ond. time, the ceremony taking place In England, and had issue, his legal heirs are the children by the second marriage. •Two sons, Harry and Tommy, by: the first marriage were hon-sulted. LEE R. McLaughlin Lee R. McLadghlin, 29, treasurer, Maryland theatre, Baltimore, died of pneumonia Feb. 4. Mr, McLaugh- lin was associated for many years with the James L, Kernan The- atrical Enterprises and was trieas- urer of the old Academy of Mu.sic under the Schanberger regime, later go in g to the- Auditorium- an d. t o th c Maryland. He is survived by his widow, daughter, a sister and four brothers, including Leonard B. Mc- Laughlin, manager, "Maryland., the- atre. EDWARD FROELjCH Edward Froelich, until a nioritb ago treasurer of the Broad Street theatre, died in,a Philadelphia hos pital Feb. 4 after an Illness of sev eral weeks^ Mr. Froelich was moved to the Erpad from the Aldine (film hipu.se) about a year ago. He was one of the youngest and mo.st popu- lar of the local treasurers and Am til his complete collap.se a month ago, was apparently in the best of health, A widow survives. MINNIE TRACEY Minnie Tracey, 5n, opera singer, died in Cincinnati. Jan. 29, Miss J!i-acg.v^lD earl y ymrs jiad a vpire of unusual range. She became a Ireful of Ma.ssenet and U'as sub.sequently cast for creative rolr-s in some o his operas. Miss Tracey also sang In Covont Garden. Jx)ndon, In late years shf had devoted her time to voice in titrlic'tion. THEO WASHINGTON Then Washington, (vjlored actress, ' Cheating Cheaters," His last loiiit di'-d Jon. 29 in Kcw York of pntu- BOAG AND LOPEZ Gil Boag and Vincent Lopez have hooked "lip, Boag exploiting the band leader. Boag is In on a percentage ar- rangement for any new stuhts that he promotes, otherwise the Lopez partnership with Gene Geiger re- mains the same; .Mr.s. by Cirkcr & , MItclicll; Mnyo Mothot featureil. tori. New York, Feb.: 4, $3.8S top Mrs Khodea.. .. . Junior Falr'hlld' Walter FJilrrhlUl. Florence WenOell Gilbert !Ja>lor... At Fiil- Jaoques' Martin nobby Mullln ,........<inint Mitchell Mayo Mp.tbot ...... .. .11 uph Huntley DASH WRIGHT'S PROF. MGR. '. ' London, Feb. C, ' Irwin Dash has been" appointed professional manager for the Law- rence Wright (miteic publishing) company, Dash succeeds Billy Mason, who occupies a similar position, with CampbeiKConneiiy. PLAYS ON BROADWAY (Continued frotn page 64) starred.. in "Redemption." It Is Moisslls ..second .visit to this coun- try, under the GiBSt direction. This .production Is by the inter- natiPhaliy famed Max Reinhardt. There is nothing in' it or to it that a dozen Americans of, first rank couldn't do at least as well. The actors, from the. best companies Jn Germany, are again competent and beautifully cast for types. . JjOtt. BE YOUR AGE ■ ConifMly In Ibrec .ict8 by Thomas P. Bob- Ineim and I'ViMifr Wlllartl Ha:ies. I'refiented Feb. 4 by Hichard Hcmdon at the Belmont. Slag(!(l by Ira HarUs. minor . M'.Trlam....; Mary SUUh Forb'-a Edward TJrnadlfiy rtiHhdp Hradfnrd Holllwell ifobbes Jir. Oace..^^ , llomnoy Urent i'hilljj I-iatlrnf-r J.''hn Mlltorn "Eo Tour Ago" Is a biological comody writf n several years ago. Onr- autlinr w;i.s a student In Dr. liak'T's 41 VVork.'Jhop at llarvardj I5ak'-r now . carrying on at Yah;. Collaborator is said to have also been, "on'jcrned with Bak'-r's Har- vard classes, Pl.iy was first ralht.l 'Indian Summrr." Kegr.rdl'••sf, It irf a very gabby affair. Vtronoff und bleinhofl; whose Another wooden Indian bites the dust; TP the numerous casualties of the current theatrical season may be added this doleful Cantorlan presentation, a comedy draima that becomes a farce before the first act is over. And, a.s in the majority of cases with tho.se others who have met .swift death through the Indifference of ticket buyers, even a superficial diagno-sis of its ailment shows that this production is suffering from lack of ah interesting play. The script in its presentation Is a mild .«iory which could be told in 15 minutes as easily as in two hours. It is a .series of long-winded apeeches, jn words which have be- come fiat and meaningless through repeated usage, in set forms, and St~ all" tim'eiT^^ithont the• .slightest spark of. frc.shness. Tho characters, the incideht.s, fa.il to grip at the opening. With the passing of the first act the climax coming toward the end of the sec ond doesn't hold. The problem whlth is here presented la not of the- kind likely tp- appeal either to ] the hoJ polloi or the moro intelli- gent- , , Concerns a widower; possessed oi a son, who again marries.; The girl is warned by ahothur man who loves her that she would never enjoy life as wife No. 2, that the memory of the fir.st woman would always be before her, Girl takes the chance, and all goes , smoothly until she Is about to give birth to a child. The boy falls sirtk in Europe and the husband, without considering his second wife, rushes off to bo near him, fJrant Mitchell, as the widower, is endowed with a role whifh obliges him to be a matter of fact lover, unromaIltir^-but--inte^^e,*4Ung,;^lIft=is, never intr-resting, his brusquenesa of speech, chilling every effort as a lover. Df.'livery Is mechanical, cold and lIfr-]"Hs, n«'Vcr'buttonholing the ,'iudlr-nff'. It's the same with the gir), Mayo Mplliot; Mrs. Ja'f|n<rH Martin, as the old nurse, scored repeatedl.v in a i»art wbifili had llttl" htrength and a ffw bright )inf-.«, but all d"p' tt'lin.K on her capaVjle playing. Can't .«iay long, .Wort. Canadian Fairis V . Chicago, Feb, 5. At the Canadian Fair meeting in Winnipeg Earl Taylor (Independent) contracted, to book ha.lf,of the Cana- dian f aim with Larry Boyd (Wirth & Hamid) getting the other half. Royal American Carnivals will play half of the B circuit while Conklin and Garrett play the other half. Barnes and Carruthers. will book the Canadian A circuit with .Johnny J. Jones' carnival feature attraction on this wheel. Dick Faces Charges as Chicago Cafe Owner Chicago, Feb. 5. Detective LeP Sweltzor was dis- charged from service by the police trial board, accu.sed of being part owner of the Green, Mill cafe. Swoitzer .also faces a federal charge becau.se of the alleged own- ership. CLUB GIRL CHIEE WITNESS St. Louis, Feb. 5. "Rose of tho Night Clubs," other- wise, and better known to her ma- ma and papa as Rose .lokerst, the other, wornan In tho GoodtimC Ch.ar- ley Mitlock murder .case, will be the principal witness for the state when Mrs. Helen C. .Matlock Is placed on trial In Criminal ..Courts here for the murder of her hus- band In Miss Jokerst'B apartments last November. Self-defense and temporary In- sanity will be the defen.se of the. wife who sat for two hours, pistol In hand, waiting for her hubby to arrive and open the other woman's apartment with a key. Rose ,Js no piker on looks, even after these two months of pitiless ))ublicity and there'll be r.i nn-ii on tho jury, if the state has Its way. New Brunswick Fair Acts Kt. John, N. B., Feb. 5. Dlroftors of the St. John Exhibi- tion have contracted witli fl-K-O for tho vaudevillo tree afts at the 1029 local fair. ^/^^refment pr-<;\jd".s for nin" a< t.'a, including a divin.i; hor;.-<.' with woni- jan ridfr. Wiliiams Carnival haa [ulbo been ,",ign':d for tho midway*