Variety (Jun 1930)

Wednesday, June 11, 1930 BURLESQUE VARIETY 39 News From the Dailies This department contains rewritten theatrical news Items as pub> llshed.during the week in the daily papers of New Yorl<, Chicago, San Friancisco,' Hollywood and London. Variety takes no credit for ttiese news items; each has been rewritten from a.daily paper. CHICAGO Seth Mills, picture actresp, last week filed a ?B0,000 slandt-r. suit a;^.'iin>st Mrs. Beulah P. Jones. Sev- eral nionth.s ago, Mr.<5. Jonos' luis- band, a beverage manufacturer, filed ."juit for divorce and she filed a cross bill naniinp several -women, including Miss Mills. LQNDON Latest effort to fill theatre.s, tliis time by the Scala and the Court, is to stage shows twice niglUly like vaude. With Jack Hulbert going into a revue to co-star with Sophie Tucker, Cecily Courtneidge. will have Nel-son Kc-ys opposite her in the next Hulbert show. jCew thriller by Cyril Campion, "The Silent Flyer," had a successful tryout on the wheel. Stars Lang- thorne' Burton and Zlllah Batoman and is expected to get a break in the lights soon. After adopting popuhir prices the Duchess, which, although newly opened, has taken flops so far, start- ing again with the Irish Players, in O'Casey's "Plough and the Stars" and "Juno and the Paycock," with the usual troupe of player.s under Arthur Sinclair. Office of Works has given permis- sion for Basil Dean to film scenes .ior his talker, "Escape," being made in association with R-K-O in Hyde Park. Important because this is the first time the inside of a London park has been available to the cani- era, sign of a weakening of official indifference. City factory. Bu.'«t is the work of the American sculptor, A. Sterling Calder. Immediate members of the family were present-at the unveil- ing. T>ast ."^Tviccs for Nathan Franko. noted orchestra conductor and vio- linist, was held yesterday (Tues- day), at t?ahipbeU'.s Funeral Cliurch, Franko was formerly conductor of the M'etropolitan Opera's ordiestra. He died June' 7 in a sanitariutn at Amityville, L. I. Rosco Ails was married to Shirley Dahl Central I'ark Casino Sunday (June 8) in the presence of 200 per- .sons. Couple will spend their honey- moon at Crystal Beach, Russell Point, the summer home of Ails. "When God Stopped," African play by Molly Marshall-Hole, who, authored the recently presented "Water," is being staged by the 1930 Players. Syd Herman, better known as an agent than a trouper, died just be- fore finishing hia act at a London suburban cinema-variety grind. Shareholders in Collins' music haJl, unique grind in North London, have put the house in voluntary liquidation. House was until re- cently the last stronghold of real thick ear stuff left in town. Gladys Cooper and Gerald Du Maurier will co-star in a new com- edy by H. M. Harwood. "Darling, I Love You," British musical, with George Clarke star- ring, folds at Gaiety this week, after hot run for these days; followed by "The Love Race," book by Stanley Lupino, who will lead in it. Title of "Every Mother's Son," R. W. Fenn's play, current at the Strand under his own management, has had to be changed to "Cannon Fodder" as Britannia Films, indie unit, owned title rights. Officers and members of the Board of Trustees of the Actor.s* Fund of Ameiiea, headed by Daniel Froh- man, president, paid their annual visit to the Actors' Fund Home at Englewood, N. J., Sunday (8) Entertainment wa,"} provided by James Thornton, George and Loia Danberry, Restivo, Carol Lynn and Company, Goodall and Wade, Art Frank and Company, Tom Ross Frank O'Brien and Jarrow. "Walter Vincent and Owen Jones wei-e the m. c.'s. June 22 the officers and board oC trustees will pay their an nual visit to the Percy AVilliams Home at East Islip, L. I. LOS ANGELES Jacob Benson Luden, pictures filed .suit for divorce against Eliza beth Seltzer Luden, charging habit ual intoxication. Mrs. Luden filed a cross-complaint with the same charge against her husband. Riza Royce, pictures, filed a di- vorce complaint against Josef von Sternberg, director, charging cruel ty. It is their second divorce suit, with re-marriage after Mrs. Stern berg was granted a decree in 1027 Jess Willard, former heavyweight champ, is setting up in Hollywood US an all-night-and-day-grocer Construction has been started Vine street of Willard's store. on PROPERH MAN WILL TOUR WITH PRINCIPALS Marion Claire, former soprano with Chicago Opera, is on her way from Europe to the bedside of her father, Horace Wright Cook, who is seriously ill here. New Officers elected by the So- ciety of American Magicians are James C. Wobensmith, pres.; Eu- gene Laurant and C. Elliott Sniilh, vice-pre.s.; Royal Villas, sec. Piccadilly theatre, first talker house here, having ducked to and fro between musicals and films, will go in for vai-iety-talker programs on suburban lines. Grafton, the new small theatre built out of a flicker box in Totten- ham Court Road, s,eats exactly 150, but has a revolving stage. Malcolm Morley's latest at the Everyman, try-out theatre, is "The Blue Coast," by N. F. Webb, new play, current. • pany meeting, stated the Bankers' Industrial Development Company, government - formed corporation, ain't likely to take any notice of the British film industry. NEW YORK A motion by the attorneys for Barry K. Thaw for a new trial in the suit of Murcia Estardus, former show girl, against Thaw was denied in N. Y. Supreme Court. Mi.ss Es- tardus won a verdict of ?75,000 dam- ages. Later it was ordered reduced to $25,000. Thaw was charged with as.«ault on Miss Estardus in his flat New Year's Day, 1929. Marguerite .Sitzler Lee, show girl, who lost'her beauty, according to, court records in 1923, in a fire that burned' to death her mother and sister and scarred her face and arms, has married- John Yack, millionaire jeweler. He stated his wife is still the most beautiful girl in the world. Miss Lee brought suit against Sam- uel Lathers, owner of the apartment where .the fire occurred at 32 ^Vest 57ih street, and was awarded $70,000. T-ocw's will hav» radios on the ftage of 6G of its theatres in <lreater Now York tomorrow night '12) for the hroadra.<Jt of the world's heavyweight championship battle t"'tween Sharkey and Schnvlling. A bust of the late Israel Miller Prf...!enteu by the employees of I. Mailer & Sons, was unveiled Mon- •lay afternoon at the Long Island Marriage of Ruth McVlne, actress, and Maltland Rice was annulled at the reisquest of Rice. He a.sserted that at the time of their marriage she was not legally divorced from her fii-st husband, Hugh Huntley, of pictures. Harry Langdon is defendant in a suit for $11,500 by Leo Ro.senkranz and Otto Emme, attorneys. They claim they have notes to that amount which Langdon signed. Langdon filed a cross complaint a.sklng for the cancellation of the notes and the recovery of $15,000 claimed paid the attorneys to avoid a suit claiming alienation of his wife's affections from her former husband. Legality of marriages performed at Tia J\iana was upheld When Phillip Carling was denied an an- nulment of . his marriage to Nora White, actress. Carling claimed he was under the influence of liquor at the time of the ceremony. Riza Royce, actress, was granted a divorce from Josef von .Sternberg, director, on grounds of cruelty. She was granted $25,000 cash and $1,200 a month for five years, Charles Morton, pictures, was given a suspended $30 fine on a charge of vagrancy and being abroad at "unusual" hour.s. Liberty Productions, new film company, intends to run a reheasal of all its productions on .the stage before loc.il audiences. All scripts are adapted from stage plays. The wrTtihg staff will be in the audience for editing. Grace Valentine, actre.ss, filed suit against David Cantor, producer, for $220 back .«;alary claimed due for her appearance In "The Night H.iwk." Cleaning prices down to a buck again, since the cleaners and dyers were beating local high prices by shipping, suits out of town. 3^)utui>l has dfliniloly doi-idod to carry one stagehand wilh each com- pany, a property man bcins; assigned to each of the 3G shows. Mutual office, via 1. H. Herk. is picking o»it the new costumi's with the Mutual assuinlng llie entire ex- pense for the costuming for the en- tire layout of shows. No musical leader will ho engaged tor any oC the shows, CIRCUIT'S OWN AGENCY HAS OTHERS SCHEMING ONLY 15 STOCKS LEFT AND THEY MAYBLOW Roger Ferri. here from New York to publi.sh "The Dynsmio," Fox house organ in Hollywoo<l, will also do special publicity work for Win- nie Sheehan. T'nivfrsal n'-gotiating with Para- mount for rele;i«e of .Monia BHl to direrr "The Boudoir Diplomat. This is the .<«-r<-fn title of "Com- mand to Love." Warners reported trying to farm out Vivlenne Segal. T:nderst;md- ing is the studio will not-renew her contr.net. ' Miss Segal, with two more WJ{ pictures to mJike, rnay g' t a settleiii'-nt on her <ontra<t if some other eonij-any doesn't bor- row her. Fritzi Scheff, at the last show at the Palace last week, .slipped and fell at the conclusion of her act. Florence Healy. with the "Little Show," got a contract with Colum- bia Pictures last'week, as winner of the "Miss Columbia" contest. Joe Brandt, president of Columbia, in town for the regional convention, handed her the document. Courts last week issued a tempo- rary Injunction restraining the 39'20 Lake Sliore Drive from preventing Dr. Max Thorek, chief of staff at the American liiD.spital, moving into his apartment. Dr. Thorek charged that the company sought to keep him out of the co-op apartment on account of religion. PerSihing Ballroom, following the lead of the Merry Garden, has started a marathon dance. British Film Field (Continued from page 6) with cancellations of billboard and newspaper space arrangements, and now the picture will either have to go into one of the theatres after it has been p-e-viewed, or will have to have an immediate release. And as Universal has set a release date some three months ahead, that's difficult. Metro Also Affected Another set of cancellations came from Metro, which was getting a campaign under way for "Rogue Song," and then changed its minds when It saw what it wasn't doing at the Empire. With the sudden rush of sun to the sky, and the approach of \Vhlt- sun, there's been a heavy slump in talkers all over town this week. Most notable flop is Astoria with "Show of .Shows." New Gallery, fair with "One. Romantic Night." Tivoli moderate with "Hit the Deck." British Equity No Like Still making Galsworthy's "Escape" for R-K-O, Basil Dean got a per- mit to u.se Hyde Park at night, first time this has been done. So ducats were .shovelled out to night clubs, chorus girls and legmen to come see the sho\v and eat. Also drink. Good racket for getting swell extras for nix. British Equity horned in, one of its members having got one of the gilt-edge invitation card.s. and after arranging with the elec- tricians, who are trade unionists, not to work if amateur extras were used, went to Dean and said ■wot abaht it, guv'nor?.'/ Dean made a virtue of a jam, and agreed to use 50 of Equity's members in the mob for the three nights he is working in London's leafy hideaway. Gossip Ernest Torrance is here. P. D. C. called their George Clarke four-reeler "His First Car," and called It a version of Clarke's com- mand performance sketch. Louis Wylie raised a yell in court, claiming he wrote the sketch and held the rights. So P. D. C. has had to give an undertaking not to use the title or refer to command performance till action Is heard. Maxwell back and silent. His re- lea.se end looks like taking Ufa product, at present distributed by Oaumont here. Thl.s, with R-K-O- Columbia going on their own, leaves Gaumont short of three outputs pre- viously handled in this field. . (Jraham Moffatt shaping to make a talker of "Bunly I'ulls the Strings." Wiirwiek Ward replies to the re- view of "Woman He, Scorned," de- clining the reason his voice sounded like an Oxford pansy, as "Variety" review .«;ild and he doesn't deny, is he didn't do the talking, As i-evlew suggested, voices were dubbed on silent film, and AVard siys he doesn't know who doubled for him. Here's telling him it seems to have been R. E. Jeffries, formerly of the Kiitjsh Bro.'idcasting Co. and now with the Klstree outfit. John .Murray Ander.son in town and ducking; also RRjirdo Cortez, ditto. "Sergeant Grischa" at Marble An-li I'avllion •• fCiaiimont-Hiitlsh house) June 2 for extended run. Outside agents are coiiciMilraiin;; upon Indcpcndenily OporiUod stock for revenue next season and arc'ty- ing up .now before Mutual cops the cream of available talent for Us rotary slock plan next season. With Ike Wi'lier installed as head of Mutual's casting dci)arim»>nt and compulsory ruling that all talent must be booked through AVcber, the outside agents arc 'sewing up com- ics and other pi-incip.'ils on esclusivi representation and pointing out that performers booked it going through Mutual would have to pay double commissions,, one to Mutual's agency and another to the agent. Emmett Callahan, a.ssistnnt to 1. H. Herk and formerly head of Mu- tual's casting agency, has been pro- moted to post of eastern supervisor of shows for next season In addition to his other duties as assistant gen- eral manager of the Mutual Circuit. rercent.ipe of stock burIos«ue took another dive last w^eek^when five of the former 20 quil for the .season. Closers include Hudson, Union City, N. J.; City, New York; West- chester, Mt. Vernon, N. Y.; Troea- dero. Philadelphia, and Gayety. Bos- ton. Of the 15 stocks operating most are on a week to week basis and tnay melt at any time. Plenty of salai* chops among principals and choristers have been keeping the weak spots going. With everything cut to the bone, closing is the only alternative if business does not improve. Ed Daley Goes Legit Ed Daley, former Mutual pro- ducer is not going to be counted out of the producing racket through Mutual's edict of self operation next season but is going legit. Daley will produce two road shows for bookings oyer Erlanger circuit, "Black and White Revue" and "Broadway Scandals." AMERICAN MIDTOWN STAND FOR MUTUAL COLORED STOCK Criterion, Brooklyn, dark for sev- eral seasons, will relight next month with colored musical stock man- aged by Rufus Carroll. Carroll Is also featured comic. Others are Mamie Harrington, Sybil Spenc?r, Luke Thayer, Thomas Downe.s, Julian Raymond, Lew Washington, Mabel Trineer, Ja/.z- lips Car.son, Fred Gains and chorus of 12 girls. Haymarket Back Aug. 15 Chicago, June 10. Warren Irons, now playing pic- tures at the west side Haymarket. reverts the house back to burlesciue Aug. 15^ On the Mutual wheel, with stock chorus and rotating principals. NEW ACTS Eddlo Allen, from the Fied Stone show, "Ripple.s," with 10 Tiller Girls, opens R-K-O time June 14 at the Albee, Brooklyn. Leo Reis and Art Dun'ii," radio team, for R-K-O, opening June 18 at Proctor's 58th .St., New York. A ' "Theremin," a mec'lianisjp which Is supposed to draw muHlo from the air, h;is been routed over the Loew tinr.o for 10 weeks, com- mencing June 21, opening at the pay Ridge, Long Island. IJonel Partages. an 18-year-oId youth, works the modiiinlsm and will travel with the act. Mark Ueiiinger, the columnist, has gone the way of Heywood Broun and has been engaged fo play Loew nujlropolitan theat/'cs for 20 weeks. Ilellingei- opens this Sat- urday (June 14) at the Boulevai-d, Bronx. He will have a cast of five to support him. Theatres Proposed nhifrton, Inil.—(4&,000. AVnHtilriKl'in A JohnHon kik. fnvrif.-r, .M. IJiinivy, j\ri hl- tP' t, K. J. Urou-n. > • IJelroll.—J27.-.,()(in, IH "\Vf,t A<l:iin« St. Ownf-r. il-K-<). y\ rrhit<:<-i.M, Kii'-rfon A- Ifnmniond, Tnil.-, U'--''''''0. ('uluinrt .TVc. nnil ("(irrc/U Ht. Ov-n'-r, ('iiluiiih.;i Theutro forp. .A rf liit'il", H, J.cvin'! K- <:<). Policy not Kivrn. Ifnmntond. In<l. ■ tl'iD.Oon AImo y\ttrif. f'niijm't h Ciiirf.ll iwi", (nvii'r, M, r. I)own'-y. Af li.lfcl, ly. C )f''i''. I'Mi.y not K'^'-n. 1.4)11(5 Knineli. X. .J. j:;0((,00n. fiwn*T. Tle.iiln Thoati'-'l Kn! fTl/i If'-H. AniiiK'l, I.pf.n Ciibljf.f ly. J'oliiy not Kiv<n. ' St. .UtMvh. Mo. lJOO.OO'J. 'Ill A RoubMloux. AI>iO liol<) (iviliil (1. I.. 1Iiirrii.;in (■ori>'ii 'Ji lion f.'o. Ai'l.ii*:!. A. \l. G*niry. American Mtisic Hall, New York, will he uptown stand for the Mutual wheel next season 'replacing the Columbia, taken over by Radio Pic- tures. Mutual operdting on a 60-day no- tice clause. Mutual ia in with others on cur- rent stock policy now, but will as- sume full control of house in Aug- ust. There is also possibility that if the current heat wave holds in tho stock shows may be shifted to the American, Roof for remainder of the summer. Besides, Tights Cost % Slock burle.saue 'was sloughed last week at the Empire, Riverside, N. J., with town officials delivering an ultimatum against tho undress of femme principals and choristers. Ruling that gals would hereafter don fle.shlngs or else. Jack Peabody, lessess of t^e Em- pire and operator of the stock, ac- quiesced to the demand this week. He will tako the matter to court upon premise that vaude flashes playing the- town have not been similarly penalized, and that the dress up edict of the dames takes out whatever kick there Is still left In bui'lestiue. Heal K, 0/» City Oily, I4th street, which has been playing stock burlCKfiue since Nov. 30, clo.sed for tho summer June 7, EIz was hard hit by last week's heat, which brought the shutdown. Mansbach & Froellch, lessees, are not giving up the City, but plan to reopen it around Aug. 25. They may decide upon a grind policy, openinqr at 11 a. m. with plc- tur.es and giving three stage shows a day. ' All the principals and chorus wero paid oft in full. National Will Stay Open Mlnskys have .shufficd plans again and will continue the stock at Na- tional Winter Garden, New York, throughout summer. Stock was scheduled to close last week to permit alteratlon.s and r«- decoratlons, but with business hold- ing up at the East Side stand the stock stays in. 125th Street Resume* Tab burlesfiue stock and pictures on a grind policy go In next week at the 125th Street, New York, sup- planting current film policy.- House formerly played stock bur- lesque, but folded .several weeks ago when house went Into plclure.s. Myrtle for Films Bnile.«f|ue tab stock folds at the .Myiile, Brooklyn, next week wlih houxe goin,'< Hti-.ilglit pictures for sunm)ei-. House \\)\\ ln.«-tall dramatic .«to''k Iiclif y L.'ibor Ila.V. Trenton Collapses Bi»ile.m|M<' is out after three weekh at the Park. Trenton; N. J. The .-.toek followed In dramatic .stock and was a louei all the way.