Founded in 1905 by Sime Silverman (1872-1933), this weekly trade newspaper covered all phases of show business, from theatre and vaudeville to the budding motion picture industry, offering news, financial coverage, reviews, and advertisements. Variety merged with the New York Clipper in 1924 and added a daily edition published in Hollywood in 1933. Characterized by its slangy style, Variety produced some legendary headlines: "Wall St. Lays an Egg" (front page news on the 1929 stock market crash) and "Hix Nix Stix Pix" (small towns reject rural films). Variety evolved through the 20th century, with coverage devoted to vaudeville disappearing as sections on movies, radio, television,* and video appeared and expanded.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.