Theatre: Sent to the Cleaners

Since the days of Bartholomew Fair, and before, professional carnivals have been held up as examples of ungodliness. In 1922 Variety launched a scorching drive against carnival evils. Of 240 carnivals in the U.S., it found only 20 entirely free from such vices as crooked gambling and lewd sideshows. In one year, Variety kept 26 "black" carnivals from getting bookings, to this day will accept no carnival advertising.

Variety gradually came home from its crusade, but fortnight ago the American Federation of Actors, setting out to unionize the 312 carnivals in the U. S., took up Variety's dusty cudgels. A.F.A.'s...

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