Variety (Nov 1906)

VARIETY TATE CANCELS WILLIAMS' BOSTON. The exciting vaudeville question of the week has been whether Harry Tate, the English vaudeville artist and producer, would play "Fishing" at Percy Williams' Orpheum Theatre in Boston on Monday next, where he is billed and booked. Mr. Tate on Tuesday said he would not; Mr. Williams as late as Thursday said he did not believe Mr. Tate would break his contract. Outside of the inter- est felt in the situation by the manager and artist, it becomes of importance for the reason that if Mr. Tate does not play the Boston engagement it will probably mark the beginning of open warfare for acts, and in other matters, between the Keith and Morris booking offices. The presumption on its face is that the Keith office "persuaded" Mr. Tate that it would not be to his best interest to fulfill the Orpheum engagement, as by so doing he would be in opposition to Keith's theatre, and inasmuch as the Keith office has Tate's "Motoring" under contract for a long length of time it might be deemed a breach of etiquette measured by the Keith standard of ethics, with a resultant loss of contract. Tate's brother Robert heads the "Motor- ing" company booked over the Keith time. Harry Tate says he is justified in not playing Boston for Williams, and in conversation with a representative of Va- riety explained his position as follows: "When I signed the contracts for an American appearance with 'Fishing' at Marinelli's office in London, I understood the conditions existing between Keith and Williams owing to the Boston Orpheum, and expressly stipulated that I play no- where outside of New York City. Upon arriving in New York I was told that Bos- ton would be one of the weeks. I ob- jected, but was informed that unless I signed new contracts I would not be al- lowed to open at Hammerstein's the fol- lowing Monday. Considering that my sig- nature was being forced under duress and believing that the original contract took precedence, I signed the contract offered me which contained a clause giving Mr. Williams the privilege of 'shifting 1 me to any theatre, but I understood that that ap- plied to New York City only." Leo Masse, the Marinelli representative in New York City, when asked regarding that portion of Mr. Tate's statement re- ferring to the London office replied: "When I tell you the contracts in London were signed in May last before Mr. Williams even thought of Boston, as far as any one knew, that disposes of that point. Mr. Tate signed to play for Williams, and I believe Mr. Williams is entitled to every consideration in this matter." Percy Williams, when asked for his views brought forth the contract, saying: "Read that. You will notice it specifically mentions Boston. I brought the original Tate company to this country and I brought Mr. Tate himself, paying the sal- ary asked. Last Monday I called upon him as a man and a gentleman to fulfill his contract. He told me he would do so. If he does not I shall be very much sur- prised." The general understanding is that if Tate does not present himself at the Or- pheum in Boston on next Monday Mr. Williams will proceed in a vigorous man- ner legally against the artist. LOTS OF THEATRES ON PAPER. Chicago, Nov. 16. There does not appear to be any end to the numerous reports of new theatre pro- jects here. During the week a rumor be- came current that two new theatres other than those mentioned in Variety some time ago would soon be built by Chicago capitalists who are interested financially in the ventures to the extent of the prop- erty. According to the information received Hannah and Hogg who own the Hotel Bre- voort, are figuring on erecting an imposing playhouse on the west side. The plans have as yet not been completed, but it is said that if they secure a certain site in West Madison street they will build at once. Other sites for theatres have been favor- ably looked for on Madison street near California avenue, about a mile and a half west of the Haymarket. The fact that property in the down town district is too valuable or cannot be had has obliged the promoters to look elsewhere for desirable locations. If the two pro- jects materialize there will be four theatres on West Madison street; the other two being the present Haymarket and the Empire building, which the Empire circuit (Western Burlesque Wheel) is now remodelling at a cost of $125,000. The theatre will have a seating capacity of 1,455, and, according to the architect, S. N. Crowen, the house will compare with any down town in attractiveness and safety. Mort H. Singer believes that the new theatre on Clark street and Jackson boule- vard, for which plans are now being drawn, will be opened in September next. The structure will be 75 by 120 feet and will comfortably seat 1,500 persons. A roof garden that will be open all the year round is contemplated. In the winter it will be enclosed in glass. The building will cost about $150,000, exclusive of the furnish- ings. Burlesque and vaudeville will be piven there. Milwaukee financiers are said to be interested with Mr. Singer. MISS LOFTUS AT CINCINNATI. Cincinnati, Nov. 16. Cissy Loftus opens her deferred vaude- ville appearance at the Columbia as the feature on Monday with a sketch loaned to her by Charles Frohman, entitled "The Lightning Express." After a week in the Ohio town she moves on to the Majestic Theatre, Chicago, for a similar period, closing there to come to New York im- mediately for rehearsals with the new pro- duction now making ready by Joseph Weber for his music hall. THINKING ABOUT "BRIXTON'S BURGLARY." With a run of five thousand perform- ances to its credit in London and a New York success record, the vaudeville man- agers are considering whether "Brixton's Burglary," with several of the original American cast, would not be a good feature condensed to about thirty minutes. Fred W. Sidney, the author, is in New York at present and he could be secured to play in it. Elita Proctor Otis, May Vokes, William Ferguson and others who played the piece while it was enjoying a New York run are available. Percy Will- iams and Mark Luescher are the man- agers figuring the plan out. WILLIAMS ANXIOUS FOR PHILA. Now that Percy Williams has firmly es- tablished himself in Boston he is devoting himself seriously to the immediate in- vasion of Philadelphia. He long ago se- cured a site for the building of a house in the Quaker City and plans for its erection have already been drawn. But he prefers to open at once and to that end is seeking the lease of one of the houses there. Un- less this can be accomplished immediately he will at once make building contracts for the erection of a new playhouse. KEENEY'S BIG OPENING BILL. New Britain, Conn., has shown a real- izing sense of the enormity of the Keeney opening vaudeville bill, which will play mere on Monday night. The entire lower n i oW~oT z the theatre Mr. Keeney recently leased has been sold to the Elks in the town. The prices for the first show run from one dollar down. Afterward the admission will be less. Edward E. Rice's condensed version of "The Girl From Paris," in one act and three scenes, with 25 people, heads the bill, followed by Josephine Cohan, Fred Niblo, Ratlin's Monkeys, H. V. Fitzgerald, Mer- ritt and Ireland, La Tour Sisters, Laredo and Blake and the moving pictures. "Pat" Casey, of the Morris office, who booked the show says, "That's going some, I guess, for New Britain." MAY BOYCOTT JERSEY CITY. There would appear to be some rough going ahead for the new Keith vaudeville house in Jersey City. The paper is out in the town announcing its opening next Monday. At the same time there is talk among the labor unions looking to a move- ment to withholding the patronage of their members from the establishment. The work of construction was held up many weeks owing to a strike growing out of the charge by the iron workers' union that the girders for the building were made in non-union shops. The crew, orchestra and advertising organization for the new house are said to be all non- union. Jersey City is a strong labor union town. ARRESTED FOR WORKING. • Ben Beyer, the comedy cyclist, was ar- rested at the Grand Opera House Sunday night last for appearing in costume. He was arraigned at Jefferson Market Court Monday and the case was continued for further hearing. This is the third con- secutive Sunday night on which arrests have been made at the Grand. In each case the stage manager was likewise taken into custody. The arrest of the artist instead of the manager occurred through the recent de- cision of a police magistrate that the per- son performing was the one breaking the law. "GIRL ACT" GOING ABROAD. "The 8 American Beauties" will be the name of the "girl act" Jos. Hart will send over to Paris about January 1. Allie Gil- bert will head the octet Hr. Hart rises to remark that he will show the Parisians something in the line of American beau- ties that will keep their eyes off the boulevards for awhile. BUTT'S BABY BELLOWING. Alfred Butt, the manager of the Palace Theatre in London, who has sued Variety and its London representative, C. C. Bart- ram, for $10,000 damages, is growing ex- tremely tiresome with his childish attempt to excite sympathy for himself and the belief that Mr. Bartram committed a libel against "the human joke." Variety in its issue of April 21 last, while Butt was in New York City, called the manager "the human joke." In other issues while Butt was here it said things about the boy manager that allowed Mr. Butt plenty of latitude to test the libel question had he desired to do so. Instead, however, the petted wonder of the music hall business in London waited until Mr. Bartram said on September 1 in his column in this paper that Butt might retire from the management of the Palae to be replaced by Manager Pickering of the Tivoli Theatre in Cape Town. Bart- ram also said that Butt "has been quite persistent with agents about percentage splitting." etc., but the sentence does not say whether Butt "split" the commissions or refused to do so. In retaliation for what Variety printed in April Mr. Butt in October brings a suit practically against Mr. Bartram, although including Variety, on this slim foundation. To secure further publicity and impress the vaudeville profession of England that he really is a manager Mr. Butt in the last issue of "The Entr'acte" to arrive in New York tells his sad story. Butt wants "vindication," but he is not averse to accepting some money and an 'apology." The Butt boy is always out for an "apology." His offer of settlement of the Variety libel suit is $500 in cash from both Bartram and the paper with a "printed apology." The case will probably be tried if Butt will go into court with it. Butt's letter in the English "Entr'acte" reads as follows: "Mr. Alfred Butt and 'Variety/ "To the Editor of The Entr'acte: "Sir—With reference to the paragraph which appeared some little time ago in the American paper Variety, and which made a very serious attack upon me, I think it only right in my own interest to let you know that I am doing all that I can to vindicate myself, and have commenced an action for this purpose, and no time what- soever will be lost in bringing the action to trial. I need scarcely tell you that there is not the slightest foundation for such an attack. Yours faithfully, Alfred Butt, Palace Theatre, W., Oct. 30, 1906. JUST PLANNING, THAT'S ALL. F. F. Proctor has in contemplation an elaborate production of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" for a sort of Christmas pantomime to run for about a month at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. The idea is to have Paul Armstrong write a sketch for a cast of six people. Those mentioned for the parts are Winsor McCay, Jr., for Little Nemo, Garry Owen for the Queen and George Howard for Flip. A pony ballet of twenty is to be employed and drilled by Jack Mason. All of which has been very carefully planned but will probably fall f'trough, owing to the engagement of McOay in Cincinnati and Baltimore for the same period at the opposition houses, booking through the Morris office.