The New York herald., 1921-02-20

TIME protection of popular song
by the courts OH the ground
that the composer took his
theme from an aria in a well known
opera may have serious results for
the singers in vaudeville II it be ex-
tended TO all ditties based on well
known operate compositions. One of
the songs which earned large royalties
FOR it's composer and served many a
vaudeville chanter was the quartet
from "Rigoletto" with the change in
tempo as the principal difference in
the original and its copy. Another
tune beloved in the two-a-day until
it became a pest was based on the
Willow Song" from the last act OF
"Otello." Then Il popular hymn
served as the base Of ballad that
enjoyed an almost frenzied favor sew
eral years ago. But on these tunes
the copyright had expired. so it was
not possible to prohibit their use.
1T is hard enough now. said one
of the vaudeville agents yesterday, TO
flnd popular songs for the performer
who must appear fourteen times a
week. and II publishers get so strict
Il viii be harder than ever. All the
musical comedy and review songs are
Copyrighted and II Is not possible t.
get any OF them for use. So the com
posers Of the new Tin Pan Alley, tho
one finger Beethovens. have just now
the opportunity OF their lives.
"one of the easy ways of iinding sood
material was to announce an act as az
imitation All the singer had TO DO was
say i will give you an Imitation OF MISS
Tottie Coughdrop singing Oh NY
Love- or some other new melody, ana
then sail right III with tho most popu-
lar number in comic opera. But tne
managers soon got on to that smple
means OF stealing their stun and the
singers cannot get away ~ith Vnal
method any longer. Now IL mas oeeu
made additionally difficult by having al
so-called piagiarisms from familiar airs
forbidden by the courts
To Keep IL Under Ills Eve
A. IT. Woods will not transfer The
White villa" to Chicago. as he hFst IN
tended. hut will keep the play here under
his eve. noting the daily indications OF
lts fate Already Il has becu shortened
by half an hour. ana viii continue TO be
performed indefinitely at the extra
matinees.
There's another Richmond IN the hald'
that Is to say. more exactly another
Mary stuart Ada sterling is the autnor
OF a new play on tho subject OF inc
Queen OF scots. but She VIII not wait
| for any dawdllng manager. Tie new
play, which Is dedicated 20 Jula Arthur,
wili be first seen In book form
Mrs Flske has wisely cxterminated
| the puppets who acted their little pan
| tomlme before the prologue Of Wake
| Tn. Jonathan" and the play nov gets
| IL start to the delight OF the audiences
awaiting the art and humor Of Mrs
Fiske more promptly than y did on the
| nrst night at the Henry Miller Theatre
The Winter Garden is really begin
ming 10 grow up. The popular institu-
| ton will celebrate its tenth birthday
on March 90 Al Jolson. Willie Howard
and some OF It's other favorito sons wiz
take part
he "Arty" and Bc-Chcnp.
one OF the certain results OF having
! high principles of art In stage decoration
| "a economy. Indeed II Il almost possi-
| bic 70 say that the more determnedly
| artistic one Is the more inexpensive Is
the resulting mise-en-scene sure to be.
| one Of the most artistic-in the best
sense OF the word-Sew York produc-
| ,lons or recent years was on view for
i "a u4nvsbr pnuf nwiwfna i.