Variety (May 1907)

VARIETY AS M ANY AS U NITED Klaw A Erlanger Intend Having House for House With Their Opposition "Klaw & Erlanger will have a vaudeville house to count for every theatre operated by the United Booking Offices" is the way the coming competition to the United was described by a person closely connected with the "Syndicate" this week. "Of course," said Variety's informant, "Klaw A Erlanger will not go into every 'dink' town, but in the gross number of first-class theatres they will equal the op- position. "In Chicago three or four vaudeville the- atres are in contemplation by the firm, and until the details have been arranged the Auditorium in that city with one other will furnish 'advanced vaudeville.'" In a statement this week which ap- peared in the daily papers Percy G. Wil- liams was reported to have said that the United Booking Offices would go into the production of plays by forming a circuit of legitimate theatres in conjunction with malcontents left over from the K. & E.- Shubert combination. Mr. Williams stated to a Variety repre- sentative on Thursday that no definite plan of this nature had been decided upon, but something of the sort had been talked over. Asked as to the report printed in a Brooklyn paper that he intended build- ing a playhouse for the "Independents" in close proximity to his Orpheum Theatre in that city, Mr. Williams gave no decisive answer. It was not admitted by Mr. Williams that the Orpheum Theatre in Boston and the Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadel- phia, both now held under lease by him, would be necessary for the vaudeville com- petition to be set up by the United Offices next season in opposition to Klaw & Erlanger, but the general belief is that this necessity will arise, debarring the manager from employing the houses for any other purposes. Mr. Williams' scheme of fighting the vaudeville opposition with legitimate attractions was not accepted seriously in the city. A rumor said that Mr. Williams would defer his European trip next Tuesday to be on the scene of battle during the sum- mer, but the manager said he would leave as per schedule and take an automobile trip through the English provinces. A. L. Erlanger left last Monday for West Baden, stopping off on the way at Chi- cago. It is expected that an announce- ment will follow his return, giving the K. & E. vaudeville circuit for next season. This it is said will contain a larger num- ber of vaudeville theatres than it was orig- inally stated by the firm would be used for their vaudeville. It was said this week by a person close to the Klaw & Erlanger people that before September 1 there would be fifty vaudeville theatres enrolled upon the "Syndicate's" list, embracing cities from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Canada will be invaded, and the Far Northwest cities covered, with or without the aid of the Sullivan-Considine Circuit. Rumors are again afloat regarding pos- sible deserters from the United side, but with no actual basis. The reports are caused by the list of houses secured by K. & E. and mentions managers in the United Offices who will be most affected by the opposition. The announcement that Max C. Anderson had withdrawn from the Shubert com- panies excepting the one controlling the Hippodrome caused no comment, Mr. An- derson's position having been understood. He books through the United for his vaudeville houses in Cincinnati and Indian apdlis. Mr. Anderson is reported to have been the intermediary between the Shu- bert aroTlSessrs. Cox and Rhinock, where- by the latter were induced to invest a large amount of money with the theatrical firm. Mr. Anderson was ambitious to become a metropolitan manager of note and sought the opportunity through the Shu- bert s. In the houses operated by com- panies controlled by the Cincinnati men the Shubert interest was a minority one, and no alternative presented itself when Congressman Cox made the overtures to K. & E. which resulted in the deal going through. WEBER IN VAUDEVILLE SKETCH. Joseph M. Weber will play vaudeville next season in a bit from the Weber & Fields' success, "Twirly-Whirly," assisted by Amelia Summerville and eight girls. Miss Summerville is expected to be an ex- cellent foil for the diminutive comedian. ROOF YEAR ROUND. When the repairs and improvements have been completed on the New York Roof it will leave that aerial resort in a condition to hold an entertainment throughout the year without cessation. This procedure has been decided upon by Klaw & Erlanger, but the specific amusement to be offered during the cold months will be determined later. EVANS SUIT GOES OVER. Last Saturday in the City Court before Judge McCarthy, the motion of Geo. M. Leventritt, of Leventritt & Brennan, at- torneys for Will Evans, the English come- dian, to place the case of Evans against Messrs. Williams and Hammerstein on the short cause calendar of the court for immediate trial was denied.. William Grossman, of House, Vorhaus & Grossman, appeared for the managers. Under the ruling the action will take the usual course, and will not be reached be- fore late next Winter. In the meantime it is suspected that Mr. Evans, who has been remaining here awaiting the termin- ation of his motion, returns next week. LEVI'S PARIS TRIP OFF. Maurice Levi and his band will not set sail for Paris, as planned. Mr. Levi has engaged his organization to play at Young's Pier, Atlantic City, commencing June 30, and he will go over the summer parks afterwards. Herbert L. Clark, the eminent cornet soloist, is a member of the band, and Leo Zimmermann, the trom- bonist of note, also belongs. POLICE CLOSES FRISCO THEATRES. San Francisco, May 3. A capacity audience gathered in the Globe Theatre upon its scheduled opening day, April 29, only to be dismissed, the police refusing to allow the performance to go on. The courts had served a re- straining order upon the manager under the charge that some building ordinance had been violated. The opening of the theatre was to have marked the entrance of Sullivan-Considine vaudeville circuit into San Francisco in opposition to the Lubelski-Westoh people. The refusal of a license to the Globe is but an incident in a general crusade to im- prove the building regulations. The Grand Jury is active in prosecuting the same work and the police are exceedingly vigi- lant. The Lyceum was closed by the police on Tuesday. MAY TEMPT SAM BERNARD. Chicago, May 3. Sam Bernard, the comedian, is a pos- sible candidate for vaudeville. In an in- terview with a Variety representative, he admitted that the United Booking Offices approached him with an offer for next sea- son, but it was declined. Mr. Bernard is not over anxious to enter vaudeville, but admits a strong desire to get a share of the "big money," and the impression is he is holding out for a large figure. BIG ATTENDANCE AT PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia, May 3. Reports of last week's business in the opposition vaudeville houses here give the gross receipts at the Chestnut Street Opera House (K. & E.) as $12,602. The amount of money taken in at Keith's is not known, but the house rec- ord in point of attendance was broken, over 32,000 people visiting the theatre dur- ing the first week of Vesta Victoria's engagement. Keith's gives continuous performances. No Sunday shows are al- lowed in this city. VOTE FOR POLL New Haven, Conn., May 3. Talk in local political and business cir- cles points in no uncertain way to the probability that S. Z. Poli, proprietor of the S. Z. Poli vaudeville circuit, will be nominated at the coming primaries to run for mayor of New Haven. Indeed, the Poli boom for the nomina- tion is well advanced. Several of the State papers have taken up the move- ment and are commenting favorably upon the choice of the vaudeville manager to headline the city ticket. SONG HIT IN COURT. Suit has been entered for trial in the New York Supreme Court by M. Wit- mark & Sons against Maurice Shapiro and Seymour Furth, eo defendants, in the matter of the publication of the comic song "No W T edding Bells for Me." Witmark & Sons claim damages, alleg- ing that Furth wrote and sold the com- position to Shapiro while he was under a contract to write exclusively for them. Hearing will be had next week in the Supreme Court, when the defense will be entered. ANOTHER HOUSE FOR WILLIAMS Percy G. Williams will add one More vaudeville theatre to his Metropolitan circuit next season. The property at 177, 179 and 181 Calyer street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, has been purchased by Mr. Williams at a cost of about $65,000, and he will erect a theatre upon it to be opened before New Year's. Greenpoint is a suburban part of Wil- liamsburg not heretofore tapped by va- riety, although several invasions have been threatened in the past. Mr. Wil- liams will have a population of about 100,000 to draw from. This will increase the Williams' vaude- ville holdings in Greater New York to a circuit of six. The Orpheum, Boston, is also attached to Mr. Williams' chain, al- though not booked directly in conjunction with it. ........ VICTORIA PLAYS AT ATLANTIC CITY. Philadelphia, May 3. Vesta Victoria will play two weeks at Atlantic City commencing June 3, sur- rounded by a vaudeville company under the management of Bert Cooper. The Em- pire City Quartet and Mile. Dazie have been selected so far. The engagement will be at the Savoy Theatre, it is ex- pected. Miss Victoria closes at Keith's to-mor- row. From here she goes to the Keith- Proctor Twenty-third Street Theatre in New York for a week, then plays the Orpheum in Brooklyn for another week, closing her Williams' engagement at the Colonial, New York, May 27. After playing Atlantic City, Miss Vic- toria returns to London to remain until the fall when her contract with Klaw & Erlanger goes into effect. At the request of the Actor's Fair man- agement, the English singer this week forwarded to be sold next week the original dress, veil and hat worn by her when she first rendered "Waiting at the Church" in this country. BLANCHE RING WAITING. Waiting for the season of the Lew Fields' show to end, Blanche Ring has notified her agent to procure vaudeville engagements from then on. The Fields' piece closes about the middle of May. If, S. Bentham, her agent, will book Mi*9 Ring for a few weeks in the local houses after that. A TEXAN MARVEL. In a letter to a New York agent one (J. B. DtfTy offers his talented services in the task of uplifting the stage. He is a resident of the busy community of Houston, Tex., and signs himself as "Playwright, comedian, singer, dancer and song composer." As he modestly sets forth his peculiar talents he observes that his latest productions, "The Grip of Death," and "The Art of Hate" are sure winners. In conclusion the Texas genius observes quite casually and as an incidental of his overpowering intellect that he recently "wrote 105 melodramas and composed 10 songs in two weeks." The agent who received the commuuica tion was of the opinion that Texas w u no place for such a person, but Utilised to be instrumental in bringing him forth to startle the world just at this time.