Variety (Dec 1929)

Wednesday, December 18» 1929 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY 35 Keith s Stops Money Advances To Actors, Agents and Others; Over $150jl00 Now Outstanding Keith's ho longer wHl be an easy- touch for actors, agentp or pro- ducers. It's not goine to be touched ftt alj, according to the decision reached by the new heads of the • B-K-O booking office. . On the Keith books as adva:nces to either of the three classes is 1160,000, mostly gotten before the domination of Keith's by ' Radlo- Kelth-Orpheum, The few who have ■Ince borrowed from Keith's are reported no more prompt In their repayments than have ie^n the others. Most of the advance ac- cumulated In the E. F. Albee days when Ted Lauder, in charge of the bdoklns/Office, -wras the good time Charlie for the touchers. The practice, started through ad- vances to act producers, to aid them In completing productions, .Afeents who said they wanted to produce started to ring* In. When Bome actors found It was pretty easy to ease Into the Keith bank account, they commenced to pile up. Soyr the padlock Is on, With acts and agents who say they must have some money In advance to find they are talking to themselves If In Keith's booking office. Since Keith's has almost stopped playing act- productions by outside producers and making no request for this style of turn, ,the producers no longer have an alibi for fiugar ahead. Most ' of the borrowers have promised to pay ofC In weekly in- BtallmentSj these amounts to be de- ducted from salaries of acts, or re- paid by the agents with their ovfn checks. Instead It Is said the debt- ors have i3talled Keith's, which has carried their accounts. In some cases the acts or agents believe^ they have Keith's in the box and feel secure In their position or route; that Keith's must carry them along to get Its money back. Traveling $10,000 One act is said to have borrowed $10,000 from Keith's. When leaving Keith's for picture houses. It In- duced thei new agent to take up the Keith's Joan. When the new agent found after some months the act had paid nothing on account, the agency suggested a new agent once morie. With the act changing again the latest agent assumed the tour- ing $10,000 loan. It still remains the same 10. During' the recent stock market breaks Keith's Is reported to have been flooded with applications from Its peopi" "/'vances. It turned down all of them. Keith's has been the only circuit •0 liberal with its money. Ctosmg Epidemic Epidemic of act closing 4s spread- ing. About 10 acts have been pulled •r cancelled after th? first or second ■hows In Keith New Tork theatres recently. Two closings on one bill at the ■Jefferson last week rallied the total to an unprecedented amount. So ilar all of the sudden closings have "Occurred In New Tork. Cancellations are attributed to the' •cts' weakness, practically all turns closing being booked and bought cheaply, In some Instances the presence of k money "name," or transient picture player, placed a prohibitive limit on the salary avail- able for supporting turns. . $2,000 for Ripley Believe It or not, li. Ripley is . going Into vaude for 11 weeks at »2,0OO. Cartoonist, who built his idea Into • syndicated newspaper feature and a volume, opens In Boston Jan. 11 and then comes to the" Palace, New Tork, where he Is penciled In for two weeks. 7 gfATE'S AIX-aiRL SSOW Grace and Marie Eline, all-girl nnit, replaces the customary six acts at Loew's State, Ne'<v Tork, ^eek of Jan. 4. Frisco Dancer Says Auto Salesman Attacked Her San Francisco, Pec. 17. Mrs. Fern Barnett, local yaude dancer, caused the arrest here last week of Max Quintel, auto sales- man, oh a statutory charge. She accuses him of assaulting her twice In one night when he promised to drive >er home. Dancer, giving her age as 19, said she was the wife of Clifford M. Barnett, Los Angeles theatrical man, MONTGOMERY AGAIN; THIS TIME-STEALING iBilly Montgomery was found guilty on a chargiB of shoplifting before Justices Herbert, Kernochan and Healy In Special Sessions, New Tork, Monday. The BO-year-old for- mer stage comedian"and ex-husband of Florence Moore - gave his ad- dress as 348 West 48th street. New Tork. Montgomery was remanded to the Tombs for sentence Dec. 23. Three years In the penitentiary can be Im- posed on him under the charge. His arrest was caused Dec. 9 by Frank- lin-Simon, department store, charg- ing him with stealing a suit and overcoat valued at $99. Last yiear Montgomery was picked up In New- Tork for possessing narcotics and sent to the work- house for a six months' cure. A press announcement circulated in New Tork Monday stated Billy Montgomery would be among the old timers In a revue to be pro- duced by Win Morrlssey. Bill's Routine Montgomery has been around the Square of late, looking better than he has for years. Well dressed, he frequented the hotel lobbies, . ex- plaining he was running a speak near by and playing the piano him- self. . It's a spiel he has used for five years. When finishing. Bill adds: "Now If you will just slip me a little for the last time, you know how I'll feel, but don't let anyonie see you slipping me in here." Landis Can't BiU Wife as Former Femme Support Major Donovan has restricted Cullen Landis from using the name of Helen Wilson as his assistant in his act, "There Goes the BHde," now on the R-K-0 time. , Helen Wilson complained to the Variety Managers' Association she has not appeared with Cullen Lan- dis since May, and that his present- assistant Is his wife, Loca Hern, billed as. Helen Wilson. Almost a Repeat Motoring through Bridgehampton, L. L, the same place where Harry Kranz was killed, and other show people Injured, several weeks ago, Benny Ross and Ethel Costello, vaUde team, narrowly escaped wh6n their car turned over in a ditch. Couple were but slightly Injured, but severely shaken Up, and had to cancel a date in Easthamptdn, L. T,, at the same house the Kranz party was bound for at the time of their crash. N. V. A.'s New Year's Eve Reservations are being accepted for the N. V. A. New Tear's Eye celebration at the club Tuesday night, Dec. 31. Midnight supper, dancing and ehr tertainment are Included In the $10 plate ..charge^l,.^^^,^,^,^^^^^.^ Nick Gyory continues as manager lor Lita Grey Chaplin, and was not >«Placed by James McKowen as re- Ported. Rubin's Term Hollywood, Dec. 17. Benny Rubin's six month trial contract with M-G has been super- ceded with a term optional ticket calling for double the salary. It also places him In a position to write his own stories as well as act in them. DOUG RUTH LEAVITT and LOCKWOOD In "Hit-Bits of 1929" With Ted Eddy and Band, the Seven. Hayden Gloria Girls, Babs Day and Gattlson Jones and Elsie Elliott. ' This week (Dec. 18),' .Grpheum, Oakland, Calif. Costumes by Saul Burger Modes, Inc. . birection CHAS. H. ALLEN Comic Lays Off as Asked; Last Half Bill Over Budget Ken Murray will lay oft the last half of next week (18) Instead of playing. the Madison, Brooklyn, as booked, in order to help the RKO booking office avoid exceeding the house budget. George Godfrey, head of Keith's eastern booking department, and personally booking the Madison, Is reported to have declared his staff would be criticized for going over the cost of the average bill the week before' Xmas. Murray was asked to remain idle and acquiesced. On the same bill at the Madison Is Chester. Conklln from pictures. Conklin la reported asking $2,500 for vaude. It was Conklin's salary, from' accounts, which pushed the Madison last half bill over the budget, with . the booking office forced to ask Murray to cancel. Adagioer's Fall Pittsburgh,. Dec. 17. Hazelle, of MalinofC Foursome, adagio quartet, narrowly escaped serious Injury here last week while playing Stanley, when two of her partners, tossing her through the air at third partner on opposite side of stage, let go at different times. She went hurtling to the floor. Girl managed to break fall with knee, saving her hedd from crashing solidly on stage. Number was only half over, but pluckily Hazelle picked herself up and went on with the most difficult part of routine as though nothing had happened, She had to be/as- sisted from the stage when the cur- tain fell. Act had two or three other nar- row escapes during week, due to limited space on Stanley stage. Sullivan Disappears Joe Sullivan, Keith agency part- ner of Nat Sobel, has disappeared without leaving a forwarding ad- dress. . According to Sobel, Sullivan blew without notice. No trace of. Sullivan could be found at his formeir New Toi-k resi- dence, and up to yesterday (Tues- day) his whereabouts was unknown to. Keith's. Meanwhile, Sobel is do- ing a solo with the bag. Settle for 50% Ruth Mix, recently in one of the. deposed RKO units, has bieen re- leased by the Keith office. Miss Mix still had seven and a half weeks to go on her contract. Reported that Keith's made a compromise settlement by taking up the.Gontract;on a.,5j0^per^C5nLbasjS' Looking for Pollard Upon receipt from Australia of word from a sister of Fred Pollard (Charles Bindloss) of Davis and Pollard, vaude, the N. V. A. has started , a search. .. Pollard was last seen in New fork vaude offices seeking dates. Esther Ralston Taking Chances On Her Life in Vaude, Thinks Fihn Star Lunch Clubs Rile Frisco Mgrs. Over Phoney Billing Sari] Francisco, Dec. 17. Business . m,!en's hmoheon clubs here have rouSejd the ire of the the- atrical managers. Before thei advent of the talking picture, acts appearing at the loca,l vaude houses w^re coaxed to these luncheons to do their stuff.' In re- turn, tiiey got a meal and may- be a . line or two Iii the papers When vaudeville went out a dearth of talent set In. Pressed for enter- tainment, the luncheon secretaries or committees began recruiting per- formers from any- source iand pre- senting them as "recent stars of such-and-such a show or picture." Most recent Instance of alleged niisrepresentation, kccordlng to the complaining theatrical managers, was the appearance of two mediocre singers a.t a big luncheon, one of whom was introduced as having played "four weeks at Keith's Pal- ace, New Tork,". and the other as "one of the hits of rHollywood Re- vue'.'' Singers h?id neither played the Palace nor been In the revue film, according , to : the managers, who are squawking plenty. JOHN HONAN DIES IN BOSTON DRESSING ROOM Just 15 minutes before Helen Honan and Folks, vaude act, went on at the old Howard theatre, Bos- ton, Dec. 13; J'ohn J. Honan, 65, collapsed In his dressing room. As a • doctor worked over her father. Miss Honan. and her grandfather went on and did as much of the act as possible under the circum- stances. Mrs. Honan, also In turn, remained at the side of her hus- band. Cause of Honan's demise was given as acute Indigestion. Honan act went to Bpston to play a double date, appearing first at the Bowdpin Square and then walking to the Howard to repeat, only a short distance away. Body was brought to J^ew Tork, the N. V. A. arranging funeral ser- vices from St. Malachy's church yesterday (Tuesdiay) with In- terment In Gates of Heaven Ceme- tery, near Kensico, N. T. Two Chi Divorces Chicago, Dec. 17. Marriage Is a great institution, but It Isn't for the care of husbands. Two showgirls proved that last week. Lucille Massanarl and Peggy Row- land complained to local courts that they were tired of supporting their mates and charged them with cru- elty and non-support besides. Courts agreed with the. girls, for they're now. using the entire pay check for themselves. Collins Out Again johrihy Collins Is through as a scout for Keith's. He Is understood to have sent in his resignation from Chicago. .Collins has been on the road for several weeks making his head- quarters In Chicago and Montreal. He was assigned to scout duty upon returning, to Keith's after a pre- vious dismissal, :■ . Vallee at Par, N. Y. Harry Rich man goe-! Into the Paramount, • Brooklyn, for four weeks starting Jan. 3, replacing Rudy Vallee as m. c. Vallee re- turns to the New Tork Paramount for Indefinite stay. The start of Esther Ralston's vaudeville tour has been anything but pleasant. Miss Ralston already feels she has been through the war. Now if escaping with her life sh* will consider hei'self lucky. "It has been awful,: simply awful," Miss Ralston panted, as she rushed into her dressing room from off the stage of the Palace, New Tork, "It's not only the hard work but the things that happen to you." "What has happened?" the pic- ture girl was asked; "What has happened! I've al- ready had my back sprained, my hip strained and two bones In ipy right foot broken. I still have It strapped. . ■ "At. this rate I won't be alive when I end my tour. I'm going around the world, you know; that is, If T can stand the ordeal. "It's aOi dreadful. I've had a sore throat and a cold, too. And when you have a sore throat a,hd cold when doing picture work, you stay home. But not In vaudeville. No matter how tired, br .lised or s.Ick I am, I ha,ve to be here and there knd meet a lot of p^iople. Tm worn put," she sighed.. Slapped and Pinched Even coming a:cross the continent Miss Rialston suffered bbdily Injury from her film fang. In different, places fans who had often written to her turned out to see her. In Chicago her hand was almost, torn oft by a man who tried to snatch her glove, iii another place a girl fan whom she had spoken to slapped her as hard as she could across the back as Esther got Into a taxi. Other farist pinched her and snatche.d at her dress. The whole world seems to be out to beat her up. Miss Ralston thinks. The film star feels about ready to., retire. If she had Hot gotten in vaudeville she would have. The chances are that sl;ie will never re- turn to pictures, Miss Ralston said. She has been at them 13 years. If the talkers had wanted her, Miss Ralston might have remained, but she doesn't feel at present like making any great effort to return. Miss Ralston looked pretty snappy In spite of iall she's been through. She Is preparing herself for any future dangers. May get used to it lu time, she says. Trailers for Acts Keith's is considering produc- tion of sound trailers for as many as possible. Trailer made by Es- ther Ralston Is said to have insti- gated the Idea. . If It Is .'found that the making of trailers for every act cannot be done due to cost and other difilcultles, circuit win likely only make trail- ers of the Intact units and headllners or such attractions as have been ^Iven long routes. Probable system will be an okay on a trailer If aufilclent time hai^ been laid out on the turn. Abe Brin had been placed In charge Pf the trailers. Trailers will probably be made at' the RCA Giamercy studio. Sam SidmanV School Cleveland, Dec, 17, Sam Sidman, veteran comedian, has started a school of acting here. Titled the Cleveland Dramatic Academy. Dancers in Films Hollywood, Dec. lY. Radio has given contracts to thietse songsters and dancers: Dorothy Baker, Alice Ada:lr, Vloletta Ray, Charlotte Ray, fiernlce Graves, Liee Kinney, Sylvia Blrdall, . Dorothy Hahn and Marjorle Crosby. ^ Bargain Xmas Qift \KiETY For Two (2) Years, $15, Sent Anywhere Nothing beats "Variety'.' for a steady present to show folks, friends or relatives interested in the show business at home or abroad One Year's Subscription (Regular Price), $10r Two Years (SpeQial Price), $15 HOLDS eOOD UNTIL NEW YEAR'S