Variety (Mar 1929)

44 VARIETY VAUDE-BURLESQUE Wednesday, March 27, 1929 News From the Daifies This dapartment contains rewritten theatrical news item* as pub- lishe'd during the week in the daily papers, of New York, ChicagOi San Francisco, Los Angeles and London. Variety takiss no credit for these news items: each has been-rewritten from * daily paper NEW YORK tioii of the article In question Is obscene when taken In relation to the whole. MuUno von Kluck. 17, (jrand- dausliicr of tlie German general, has quit the ranks of Berlin's deljiituntes to enter pictures. She ha!) one of the leading roles In a new Ori-man production to be called ••1813." Liui Cin-y CliapUn, whose engage- ment was announced some time ago to Hoy D'Arcy, has definitely called off the maiTlage. A check-up of rei)oits she received while away from Hollywood on a vaude tour wore found to be true and every- thing has been called off. Rea.Mon for the poor attendance at Mfke Glynne's theatres at Bay Shore and Patchogue, L. I., has been discovered. People vlslllns the theatres complained of the bad odor attached to both houses. Glvnne Is having labor troubles down there and it was brought out in court that the leader of the mu.xicians and stage hands had hired men to leave the stench pots at the theatres at every perform- ance. Police cleared the matter up and have five men under $2,500 bail for the Grand Jury. According to an aflldavlt flled In New York County Probate Court by Mrs. May Eddlnger, of Amrtyvllle, Lt I., mother of the deceased actot; Margaret Lmwrencei his wife, is not a fit person to administer his estate. Case win be heard by Surrogate Foley April 1. Betty Brown, former "Folles" girl, has filed suit for divorce in Reno against George Ellis Wldmer, wealthy manufacturer of Maspeth, L. I. They were separated in New ork two years ago. Furniture and furiiishlng.s of the Hotel FairflcUl, 20-West 72d street, for which the late Arnold Kothstcin paid $100,000. have beeii sold for $40,000 to the Caps' Holding Co. by order of the Surrogate's Court. • Dorothy McCarthy is not going to marry William Collier, Jr., as an- nounced. According to a member of the yourig-woman's family she will niarrj'' David Aronberg, an architect. French courts, March 22, granted a divorce to Mrs. Louise Mastbaum Wolf from Ellas Wolf. They were married in |»hiladelphla May 30, 1926. Tllta Rufto, basso from the Met Opera, has gone talker for M-G-M and given up opera for the time be- ing. He has contracts for 10 short subjects and two long pictures which will net him $360,000. The Boston Repertory Theatre closed Saturday night. According to Manager E. L. Sturtevant, the man- agement was unable to continue be- cause the stagehands had canceled their contracts. - '.■ Jacqueline Logan's decre<_ of dl Vorce from Ralph Gillespie became final March 22. She will remarry Larry Wlnstort. They were married before but lived apart, as a result of Miss Logan's divorce from Gil- lespie not having been made final "These Few Ashes," which had a brief New York engagement earlier in the season, will be produced In London, Owen Nares in chief role, Fire In a wooden m. p. theatre caused the death of 114 men, women and children in a Russian town near Moscow. "The Passion of Joan of Arc,' film, barred In England, has been passed by the N. Y. State Board of Censors. It will be shown In the Little Carnegie Playhouse. In an opinion of the Maryland Court of Appeals, the marriage of Claire J. Ulrlch, former "Follies" girl, to Charles E. Whltehurst, the atre owner of Baltimore, was up held under the common law of the State of New York. Decision wa based on signatures on a prayer book. Net estate of Hiram Abrams. for mer head of Vnltert Artists, amount ed to only $17,032 net, although he left a gross estate of $138,821. Ap pralsal tiled March 22 showed the e.slale had debts of $112,042. Abrams died Nov. 15, 1926. Humbert J. Pugazy, who was. the lato Tex Rlckard's rival for the big scraps In the metropolitan dl.Mtrlct Dempsey Is to receive a flat guar- antee, the amount not divulged. Circus Fan.-)' Association of Amer- ica will give a dinner to Wells Hawks, veteran p. a„ at Sardl's. April 2. -; • ". A big benefit show will be oltered at the Casino April 7 for the Jewish Con.iumptlves' Relief Society. So- ciety operates a non-sectarian san- itarium In Denver. Philadelphia Professional Players, which first produced "All the King's Men," win do "Mardl Gras." a new play by Flo Fields, April 3. Georg- ette Cohan will have the leading role, with Gene Gowlhg directing. Claiidctte Colbert,' formerly with A. H. Woods, but now with the The- atre Guild In "Dynamo," will re- turn to Woods next fall. She Is to be starred In a new production. LOS ANGELES Times of Monday carried a full page advertisement bought by the New York American in its <lrlve for the reduction-of the Income tax. It was a facslmllie of an American page, with reading matter and pic- tures' of theatrical producers and other prominent citizens known to Broadway, Owing to Will Rogers' picture en- gagements, Charles Dillingham Is sending "Three Cheers," co-starring Rogers and Dorothy Stone, to as many key cities as possible before June 1. Cullen B. Tate, screen director, arraigned in Municipal Judge Bogue's court, charged with drlvluK while Intoxicated. Tate made mo- tion for Jurv trial, Which was set for April 9. James Doiftielly, chauffeur for Al Jolson, ran down Lee Klnn, 36. screen extra, at a street crossing, breaking his left leg. Jolson, who was in car, drove the injured man to Georgia Street hospital, where he advised he would pay all ex- penses in connection with the acci- dent. Klnn exonerated Donnelly of all blame. Unmasked bandit, who attempted to hold up Henry Duffy's Hollywood Playhouse, was foiled when Harry Chlpman, treasurer, dropped to floor at sight .of revolver, scaring the robber, who lied to a waiting auto. Municipal Judge Guy F. Bush ordered Buck Jones, film actor, to pay claims of Loretta Fltzpatrlck, agent, brought through the State Labor Bureau, amounting to $387. Agent .alleges she booked 56 extras to work in one oi the actor's west- ern produc lions and that they were not paid. ■ Mrs. Catherine Jones, 55. wealthy widow of Hempstead, L. 1., "angel" for the Branihall Playhouse, iii 'East 23d street, is suing Butler Daven port, actor-manager, for $13,000, and wants him to vacate the place. Mrs. Jones declared In Jier papers filed, she wanted to go on the stage, and that soon after Davenport had as signed her a part in a play he asked her for money. She advanced $13,- 000. In return a deed on the thea- tre was given to her, which she asserts she deeded back to him Then a trust company deeded the playhouse back to her. Now, as owner, .she demands rent for the premises and wants Davenport to get out. In her will Mrs. Myrtle Flanagan, dancer, who died in Muncle, Tnd. last month, Ijequeathed her 5-year old daughter to her gi-andmother, Mrs. Ruth Palfrey of Camden. N. J MOULIN ROUGE (MUTUAL) . Since all of burlesque's principal women are now spending nio.st Of •their stage time taking off their clothes on well-lighted runways, the burlesque female who "teases" by removing the top layer of a series of brassieres la not so much of a nov- elty. Boys are getting wise, and; not only wise but scarce, Burlesque Isn't doing so well. These aoubrets who formerly cpoched and now Just undress aren't doing so well for themselves, ialther. Those two extra encores for entirely lethargic audl- enc;es who find It ynnecesstiry to applaud are not so helpful to one's Inferiority complex. C Maybe the same boys ha.vo seen enough undressing, the kind of un-- dressing that shows Just so niucsh and try and get more. Maybe they'd like a good old-fashioned cooch. Or maybe neither. Women—women as a. mass, that Is—have never attended burlesque shows. There are women here and there in most burlesque_audlences,. but few and far between. So since the men are drlttini; away why not have burlesque go after the women? Why not "tease" them with a couple of beautiful pien? No rea- son why a gent can't disrobe Just as mlscliievlously. No ■ reason why a well built man can'.t pose as well in front of an inanimate, runway chorus. Why not a male artists' model with a pretty face to remove his Paris garter as deftly, and as uh- reveallngly as the present soubrets slip out of their breast bands? It's a thought. Blge. Ken Maynard, sued in Municipal Court by J. R. Olme for asserted failure to pay salary due as stable keeper. Amount, $382. Trial of divorce suit of Mrs. Mar- garet Tuliy against Jim Tully, nov- elist, continued until April 18. Mrs. Tully accuses the writer of cruelty and desertion. - Cooling System for Entire Columbia Theatre Building No deal yet consummated tor the. taking over of the Columbia, New York, by World Wide film firm for straight picture policy. Walter Reade has closed a con- tract whereby the Columbia will be the first complete building to' have^its offices cooled by the same process used In its theatre. House will also be wired by April 1. If the World Wide deal .falls through, the Columbia will offer soimd films and stock burlesque this summer. R-K-0 Managers Shift General shakeup of the liouso op. eratlon and boxolfice of tl»e Fr.ink. im. 'For the good of the service, Sol Schwartz, the Franklin ager, has been transferred to the JefTersoh, with Charjcs' Hoover. slstant manager of the Cameo, as., signed as Schwartz' asslstaiit. Eddie Lester, assistant manager of the Franklin, and treasurer. Is out. Harry B'cderman, manager, Cliesteri takes tip S4hwartz' relii!--at the Franklin with Bill Henry as his assistant, the latter-having boen at the Jelterson. Ed. Manley goes from the Jelter- son management to'va' similar post at the Chester. There will be no new- assistant named for the Cumeo, Norman Ek remaining as mahagor. Delitiar's Hercules Role Jute Delmar, back \ytth ICelth's, left for the South Satiirday to view that territory. Atteihpt Is being made by R-K-p, through Deln;av, to. build' up the once strong but no\ir almost extinct Southern route, booked by Delmar for so many years that It was called the "Del- mar time." At Its peak four years ago Keith's Southern circuit comprised 14*4 weeks.' Present Southern Keith route has but four theatres and two weeks of time. The towns are Char- lotte, Wlnstoii-Salem, Chattanooga and KnoxvUle, all splits. Art Acord. sued in Municipal Court for $976.30 by Hunsacker Finance Company. Amount is al- leged difference between what the cowboy actor paid toward purchase of an auto, and amount realized by the finance company upon his fail- ing to keep up his monthly pay- ments. Marjorle Berry, formerly a Bos- ton telephone operator, has been selected to sing the role of Fras- qulta In "Carmen" at the Boston O H. Mrs. Marie Flugarth, stepmother to Viola Dana and Shirley Mason denied divorce from Emll A. FIu- garth by Superior Judge Pope, who declared there was insufficient evl dence to warrant decree for cruelty. Carl Lamagna, who plays In the orchestra at the Majestic, received su.spended sentence March 21 West Side Court. Lamasna fld died nightly under the window Roslta Moreno, to whom he Is en gaged. Neighbors objected. Maij istrate Farrell expressed sympathy troupe. Her place will be filled by Anton Beer-'V\'albrunn, professor In the Academy of Music, Munich, died in that city March 24. He 'wrote the opera "Don Quixote" and also stage music for "Hamlet," '"The Tempest" and other Sh.tkespearean plays. Paviline Lord has left the Theatre Guild's "Strange Interlude" touring and remarked spring was here , Ann Harding Name of Atlantic City's largest theatre has been changed from the Embassy to the Warner. A report Issued by George Engles, director of the National Broadcast- . Ing and Concert Bureau, shows that out of a total of $30,000,000 spent on music In the U. S. during the past year the broadcasting companies have contributed fully $11,000,000. These figures cover only actual per- formances In concert halls, opera houses and over the air, and do not Include what has been spent on re- cording devices. Three new playhouses are to be opened by the Film Guild Cinema, similar to the N. Y. house. In Buf- falo, Philadelphia, and Rochester, each showing what the manage- jnent refers to as "adult cine- matics." Princess theatre, known now as the Lucille La 'Verne, has been leased by Walter Greenough for three years, beginning April 1. It will resume its original name. David Belasco last week acquired a play by Edgar Allan Woolf for production next season. Greatest—-vlotory—In-.—Siv—years. against Massachusetts censorship laws was won by the legislative committee on legal affairs when It teported favorably on the revised measure termed "The New Book Bill." Amended bill was made to Include not only books, but pam- phlets, pictures and prints, which are now immune from censorship vnless it can b« proved that a por- A Eolton-Kern plec«- called "Blue Eyes." produced in London some time ago. has been acquired for this country by Ned Jakobs. Campbell B. Casad. p. a., has signed w'lth the Alden Film Corp. to Write 25 one-reel comedy talkers, Six have already been turned In for early filming. Preliminary toUr of Gracp George's play"The Hiiaband Habit" ends iii Brooklyn March 30. Announcement of a N. Y. opening date has not yet been made. Stanley Logan.'who staged Mar- Kftrei*AjigJJji:a-iilay..--Sec.iitUi'J.'-lias. been rerengnged by 'the Shuberts for the next three sea.eons. Ot's Sl>in!\T < - l.■'•^■'-t>l^ *n open In Chlcaco In -V'M-il with "One Hun. dred Years Old.": .Tark Dcmp.-ii-y has ."signed a con tr.if t to IV.'"^ir > -u-ipi- '.1,1 in Hip promo--i-'i ' L 1 V'^u^s . with Mrs. Tom Mix (professionally ■Victoria Forde, screen actress) re- turned to Beverly Hills after seven months In Paris. She Issued an em phatlc ()enlal that any divorce was contemplated. Raw Shows Set Pace Los Angeles, March 26. After operating the Follies (down- town) for several years as a mu- sical b'urlesque, T. V. Dalton has let down the bars and productions now are running strong for nude- ness and ofl-color lines. Manage- ment contends that so long as. the Main street honky-tonks are 'per- mitted to- get away with It there seems ho good reason why they should not get some of the easy, money. One of the principal femmes has Introduced a Parisian atmosphere, appearing bare from the waist up. Jacqueline Logan announced she will marry Larry Winston, Los An geles broker, as soon as a dlvoroe decree from Ralph Gillespie be comes final. Wedding Is expected to take place soon. Rowland Brown, scenarist, filed suit for $100,000 through Attorney M. G. C. Harris against Christie Film Company in Superior Court charging plagiarism. He alleges he submitted the scenario "Dapper Dan." or "Somewhere in Chicago which the defendants made Into a picture called "Thei, Carnation Kid Douglas MacLean, featured In "Car- nation Kid," named as co-defend ant. ■ Ynez Seabury Costello. screen actres.s, filed suit in Superior Court for divorce from Walter W. Cos telle. She charges he refused her dancing lessons necessary to ad vancement .)n her prbtesston and that he 'was Jealous dnd slandered her. - Couple were married six months ago. After serving 60 days In Jail for producing an Indecent show, Sam Landsman and John R. Ward, op orators of "Paris' After Midnight,' Main street honky-tonk, reopened and were sentenced to $800 fine or SO days In jail apiece on second cliarg.e..^™ Alberta Vaughn, filed suit In Su perlor Court for $2,000 against Trlh ity Pictures Corp, She charges she was employed to make two pictures, each'requiring a 'week to film, at weekly salary oif $1,00(1. Pictures were to be made last October, but Miss Vntighan asserts site haa never been, called on foe s^rvtcea. NOT BEOUIABLT Mutual shows are not to play Oshkosh or Kenosha, Wis., regularly. Permission was granted the Lena Daley show, "Step Along," to play those stands, as that Is Miss Daley's old home town section. . Mixed Team Sequel Vesta Wallace, through Julius Kendler, l»er attorney, served Al Trahan In a $20,400 damage claim while .the latter was at Keith's Richmond Hill on the inaugural bill of that new R-K-O stand. A three- year partnership contract from March, 1927, Is alleged. l,ast Sep- tember Miss Wallace was dis- charged and Trahan took Lady Marie Duval as a nCw pard. Miss Wallace claims the 20 grand as accrued profits of the partner- ship, which they were to have spilt 60-50. Seek Summer Dates Keith's New York Family De- partment, under Wesley Froser'a supervision, will make a drive for fairs and vaude one-nlghters this summer to fill the annual gap cre- ated by Independent houses drop- ping vaude during the hot season. As part of a fair department build-up Fraser has brought E. M. Jacobs, Keith's fair man in Bostoiu to the New York office. The New York fair division, as now planned, will be a part of Fraser's "fifth rtloor". vaude department. New York Keith's has been with- out a fair book for several years. DOW ADDS THBEE A. & B. Dow agency is now book- ing three more theatres. Thornton, Riverpolnt, R. I., win start Its new bookings March 31 on a split week basis. Palace, Stan- ford. Conn., makes its first booking April 18. Agency will also furnish a ■weekly Sunday show to the Mu- tual theatre, Jamaica, L. I., for- merly Shubert's Jamaica, but no'W run by I. H. Herk. Globe, Bethlehem, Penn., Is back with Dow again. Herk Due Back I. H. Herk, Mutual head, is ex- pected'in New York the end of the week. , Fred Bowers. In Unit ■ Los Angeles, March 26. Frederick V. Bowers, old. time songwriter, signed by Fanchon and Marco as m.c. for one of their B units now in rehearsal. Yvonne D'Arle .in Vauds ' Yvonne D'Arle goes R-K-O vaude April 7. Booked through the M. S. Ben tham office. - Lucas Says $2,(XN> Los Angeles, March 26. Nick Lucas states his vaude sal- Tnyls"$2;06(r'TrecklyrTK»t"$l;2p0 '05 reported, . . Murray at $2,600 ' Chicago; March 26, J. Harold Murray la topping the Palace bill this week at a salai'y of $2,30.0. ' EESSLEB ALONi: Aaron Kessler, former Keith agent. In partnership with Abo Felnberg. withdrew from that asso- ciation. , Kessler will operate his own of- fice, booking with Independents. S Acts Replace Band Detroit, March 16. Grand Riviera, In band presenta- tions since opening over two years ago, goes full 'week vaudfllm next week with five-act bills booked through Keith's, Clilcago. Loverldge to Ft. Worth. . John Loverldge will belnterstate's new manager In Ft. Worth. Lo'v'erldge was brought to Keith's by J. J. Murdock years ago to man- age ithe 6th Avenue, New York. Conlin and Glass' 2-Reeler Conlln and Glass are making a two reel talker for Warners on the Coast. ■^■eouplcrTecently"'back-from-Auss„ tralla. are also playing Orpheum vaude along the Pacific. Marry Hines' Tab Harry Hlnes opened In Portl:u>'i. Me., this week with a hew tal>. •i'' eluding 28 people. It Is tourlup n « Ihdie houses.