Variety (Jan 1906)

IJ VARIETY. AMPHION. Value Ik pretty evenly distributed over the eiglit items on the bill at Mr. Gro- ver's Williamsburg house this week. None of the features stands out conspicu- ously, and in like degree none is con- spicuously lacking in merit. Frederick Hallen and Mollie Fuller oc- cupied the most time and program space with Herbert Hall Winslow's sketch *'A Morning Plunge," but its net yield of en- tertainment was not in proportion. The plot of the sketch is light and trifling, and only the songs and dances interject- ed by the pair save it from being bore- some. Aside from the dull lines which Mr. Winslow had thrust upon her, and for which she can be in no wise held re- sponsible, Miss Fuller contributed a nat- ty bathing suit, a dance and a chorus, all of which helped considerably. Ford and Wilson, a burnt cork pair, have a fairly good line of talk as a starts rr off for their act. They have freshened up their act within the last week or two with several new jokes and a quan- tity of new business. The "sorrel" mem- ber has a good coon shouting voice and altogether the team fills in an entertain- ing quarter of an hour. Gus Williams harks way back to the Parker-Roosevelt presidential campaign for one of his jokes, but several others had to do with the last city election. His early talk was very amusing and the turn closed with a recitation in a serious vein, that caught the audience where its sentiment lives and won the monologist an enthusiastic recall. Will Rogers has been doing his lariat- throwing feats these many months, but does not seem to have gone stale on his act. His stunts are far from being spec- tacular according to vaudeville stand- ards, but he has about him a Western breeziness that marks him as the real thing from the cow-lands. His inde- scribable faculty of communicating this feeling to the audience is his chiefest as- set. The Three Roses are a trio of pretty, fresh looking young women, two playing the violin and the third the 'cello. Their trio efforts were effective. When they played a number of familiar ballads they were very, very good, but when they es sayed the more ambitious and technically difficult selections, they were bad. One of the violinists played a solo with piano accompaniment, an Irish air with a vast quantity of technical frills that may have demonstrated her musical ability but did not make for harmony. The Zazell and Vernon Pantomime Troupe were amusing to the youngsters in their knockabout act, but for adult appreciation their comedy is perhaps a little too crude and elemental. They have several rather startling stunts, however. The best of them was the performance of one of the acrobats who appeared to dive head foremost through the body of one of his fellows. The turn made for variety in the bill and was well re- ceived. The Althea Twins did acrobatic danc- ing of poor quality. Their singing was little better. Coke THE BOOKS AT LAST. Whether a music publisher may be legally compelled to produce his books in court to determine the amount a wri- ter is entitled to through the sale of his music composition has been definitely decided in favor of the writer. Judge Amend, in Part 2 of the Supreme Court, recently held a music publisher in con- tempt of court because he did not pro- duce his books as directed. It was in supplementary proceedings brought by a judgment creditor to discover assets. Fred. Hager secured a judgment of $3,000 against another music publisher in a suit brought for an accounting "up to date." It has long been the bane and worry of a music writer's existence to know the exact number of copies of his songs which were sold. In most in- stances he receives a written statement, which is all the information obtainable. That an avenue has been at last opened will be gleeful news to many who have been "trimmed" unmercifully in the past. It is causing no anxiety to the honest music publishers—but there are others. . , LOWELL IS LIVELY. Lowell, Mass., Jan. 19. With tour vaudeville theatres at pres- ent, and strong probabilities of the erec- tion of two additional ones, it is cer- tainly Ijeginning to look as if Lowell, Mass., was going to live down the repu- tation it had up to within a year of being a graveyard for variety perform- ers. Since the B. F. Keith shows made their appearance at the Opera House vaudeville has taken a new lease of life in Lowell, and the dramatic is fast be- coming a back number. The Academy of Music, which before the dissolution of the Huntington-De Deyn stock company was doing a record-breaking business, is now playing to only fair audiences. Work on Keith's new theatre in Mer- rimack Square, the principal thorough- fare in Lowell, and a capital site for a vaudeville theatre, will not be started for at least six months, and not within^ three weeks, as was erroneously report- ed by the Lawrence correspondent. Mr. Keith's representatives are in Lowell two and three times a week and this in- formation was secured from one of them. It is generally understood that Thomas F. Hennessy, proprietor of one of the skating rinks, has practically decided to renovate the rink, and make a first-class variety house. Mr. Hennessy has had no experience in the show business. Jacob A. Goldberg. FUNNY BUSINESS FOR AGENTS. Greene and Werner, of "Babes in the Jungle," were booked, confirmed and cancelled for an appearance on the other side of the "big river" without either member of the team knowing any- thing about the matter until it was all over. MULLEN A PARALYTIC. John Mullen, a well-known song writ- er, was stricken with paralysis last week. It is not yet known whether the stroke is permanent or temporary. BESSIE WYNN CAPTURED. Straight from "Wonderland" into vaudeville comes Bessie Wynn. Her success in "The Wizard of Oz ' and "The Babes in Toyland," together with her exceptionally pretty face and good voice, all tend to assure her success in the continuous. Miss Wynn will sing three songs, opening in one of the Williams' houses, probably the Colonial. %^ GOULD WANTED BY K. & E. William (Billy) Gould has been ap- proached by Klaw & Erlanger to take Victor Moore's part in "Forty-five Min- utes From Broadway," the George M. Cohan piece now playing at the New Amsterdam. . Mr. Moore has been in receipt of ex- traordinary offers from vaudeville man- agers to return to the continuous, and is considering the matter. If he con- cludes to give up the part Mr. Gould will step in. PRETTY WORK. Charles Bornhaupt, the foreign book- ing agent, returned last Saturday on the Amerika. Shortly before embarking on the other side he received a cable from his New York office with the informa- tion that John Ringling sailed the same day from this city on the New York. Mr. Bornhaupt asked the Marconi op- erator on board the Amerika to let him know immediately the New York was within the radius. He was promptly informed, and communication opened with Ringling through the wireless. In mid-ocean Mr. Bornhaupt booked "The Cannon King" for the Ringling circus this season under a contract which amounted to $20,000 gross for the en- gagement. - . IT LOOKS BIG. "The Theatre Scene" from "The Bil- lionaire" is going to be shown In vaude- ville in its entirety through the efforts of M. S. Betham. Mr. Betham has pur- chased the rights from Klaw and Er- langer, also making arrangements with some of the original cast. It will be pre- sented for the first time next season. About fourteen people will be carried and supers engaged in each town played to fill up to the required number on the stage, seventy-five. It will run thirty minutes. THE NEXT "COUNTY FAIR." -Melville and iShulthelser were so suc- cessful with their "County Fair" lately seen at the Madison Square Garden that the firm has decided to give it again next October, after which it will become an annual. The length of the next en- gagement will be three or four weeks, one week having been found too short to accommodate the crowds. RENUNCIATION. EARLB REMINGTON HINES. The Master came upon me suddenly. "What are you hiding, child?" My heart beat wild. "'Tis but a rose I plucked so long ago In my mad misery. See, it is no longer red. I do but keep it out of memory." .■- I faltered, eyes cast low. "Lovest thou me?" he said— I raised my head, And looked upon His face so sweet; Then I knew not by what power My hand was opened; In a shower The ashes of the red rose fell Before His feet— And once again that heavenly voice In accents mild Spoke, "It is well; You knew not, child. It was the Rose of Hell!" ; SIMILARITY IN SONG TITLES. The observing person, and more ta- pecially Ihose with an "ear for music," notices frequently the similarity in mel- odies of popular songs, and others even more pretentious. The titles of many songs are even more similar. If a popular song attains popularity through what is believed to be a "good title" with a catchy melody, other titles lased on the same idea »vill continually spring up thereafter. There are about eleven songs having "Beca'i.^e ' as the first word on the title page; over twenty with something about "I Love You" to describe them. Since "Daisy Bell" had the refrain of "A Bicycle Built for Two," we have had "In a Cottage Built for Two," "A Pic- nic for Two," "In a Hammock Built for Two," and "In a World Built for Two." A song writer will go back years for a title. Twenty years ago "Where the Gentle Corn is Waving, Annie Dear" was being hummed. Now it is "Where the Goldenrod is Nodding, Nellie, Dear." At the same time "Down in a Coal Mine Underneath the Ground; now "Down In the Subway Underneath the Ground." And still again, "Wait Till the Clouds Roll By, Jennie," and "Wait Till tho Sun Shines, Nellie." Such as "Old Rustic Bridge by the Mill," and "Old Rustic Bench by the Stream" displays the more careful word- ing without losing the Idea. "Good-bye Liza Jane," "Down on the Farm," and "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" have done service twice as titles for different melodies. "When the Roses Bloom Again" has been responsible for a great many songs of the same character with the name of the flower changed. A song title is a commodity. A good one is very hard to think up. It is the most difficult part of the song often. Try it. MINNIE KAUFMAN LEAVES. Minnie Kaufman, who is the star of the Kaufman Family, now exhibiting on bicycles al the Hippodrome, will leave the troupe to appear with her husband Chinko, the juggler, at Hurtig and Sea- men's on Jan. 29. After that engage- ment they will return to Europe. CHALLENGED FOR "TIME." "Jim" Plunkett, chief clerk in the of- fice of Myers and Keller, somewhat re- cently established a reputation for i)ug- nacity through having a verbal argu- ment with a vaudevillian, and making a few wild swings. To revive his mem- ory of that historical occasion, Mr. Sully of the Sully Family in writing the office for "dates," addressed the letter to "James Edward Britt Plunkett, Esq., Champion 135-pound Vaudeville Agent of the World—and Yonkers." Not satisfied with this horrid slap, Sully indited the letter to read that he "challenged a date for the following Sunday night—Newark preferred." Plunkett wired the date, and Sully wired back, collect "Your're on. Condi- tions: A full orchestra and a full house, and if I win out you may got full, too." Tom Nawn has met with such a greet- ing with his old sketch "One Touch of Nature" since its revival over the Will- iams circuit that he has concluded to continue using it for some time.