Variety (August 1907)

8 VARIETY London, Aug*. 15. The old Romans, 2,000 years ago, said of those who peddled fanciful schemes that they were "selling smoke." A good deal of smoke has been sold in the past few days t>y~the world's amusement ex- ploiters, though of course there may be some fire behind the smoke. No doubt both your great combines would like to control the European market, but their happy thought schemes are jumped into the papers rather prematurely, while re- porters add extravagant remarks which make the matter worse. All this stuff is read with cold storage faces by the man- agers of London. Why didn't these men with millions to burn come and make a bid for the London Coliseum? If they are going to stand Europe on its head, how is it Keith has spent so many years at not getting open in London? For some time past stage wrestling has been having quite a boom among the Irish. —O. H. Chirgwin's wife has presented him with a little daughter, and the name he gave her—Joy—is sufficient index to bis feelings over the event. The Alhambra Music Hall in Brussels, which is now being renovated for early opening, was sold to Mr. Barrasford by no less a personage than Joseph Chamber- lain, who fell heir to it through the death of a relative. The opening will not be before October. Everybody is glad to see Mr. Barrasford securing a start on the Continent, and we might note that his house in Paris has been extremely suc- cessful. There is no doubt Brussels will be a seven times winner, but Berlin is the town that is aching for an up-to-date for- eign manager. Do we prognosticate? Prince Robert de Broglie and wife are back here to fill English dates and com- plain that certain demonstrations against them at the Salone Margherita, Rome, as well as in Paris, were prearranged and discreditable affairs of a kind not alto- gether unknown on the Continent. A provincial paper notes the welcome given Vesta Victoria on her return from "the gold-strewn shores of the United States." Big pageants have been going in the provinces. The one at Oxford rather amazed Mark Twain, and now Liverpool is jammed to see one with 1,500 partici- pants. London has thirty-nine people to the acre, and Liverpool that number re- versed (93), so it's easy to scare up a crowd there. At Coventry La Milo has done her Lady Godiva ride and had immense free adver- tising. La Milo would not have been allowed to ride in tights if she hadn't put sunn! transparent chiffon around them, '/be ride, of course, was bioscoped. The cool summer has made: a hard sea- «on tor tbe pierrots, and there's talk of a targe revival of "negro minstrelsy" next season, on the yellow sandfl. In theatres Livermore starts his touring minstrels this fall. J. W. Vogel threatened to come to see us from the States, but seems to have changed his mind. Arthur Roberts, Ruby Celeste and a chauffeur were all thrown out of a motor car in collision with a brake en route to Yarmouth. Miss Celeste was found un- conscious and taken to a hospital, where at last accounts she was slightly better. Roberts hurt his leg but is working, and the chauffeur escaped with a shaking. Carlton, the lanky magician, writes from Australia that he is now an expert at boomerang throwing. August Van Biene, the 'cello player, is Hearing 5,000 perform- ances with his broken melody. English licensing authorities are getting rather particular and have lately refused licenses to a number of places on the fire- trap order. George Formby at the Liverpool Olym- pia this week, the popular singer of "Walker Walked Away," has been talking of his bitter busking days ere he broke into the business and how he once walked eight miles without shoes or stockings through a blinding snowstorm to Hull, begging assistance from artists who re- fused him but are to-day proud to shake hands with him. At one time he was so thoroughly disgusted with the art of en- tertaining that he worked two years as a loom builder, but the footlight fever re- turning he drifted to "free and easies." Then a touring engagement for $7.50 per week made him think he was in clover, and when an agent offered him $25 per week —$5 more than Harry Lauder got the first trip—he thought his fortune was made. T. E. Dunville recalls when his panto- mime salary was "one pound a week and clean the pony." A late cinematograph film now making a hit at the halls shows the Indian fights and wild wood adventures of one Daniel Boone, the pioneer of Kentucky. George Gray, "the Fighting Parson," has been dubbed by some one the "Music Hall Messiah," for though not a teetotaller he blames nine-tenths of English crime on drinking and declares that next winter he is going to lecture against it in all the principal cities; likewise against gam- bling. Gray is said to be the only English music hall artist who has never bet on a horse race. At a Coliseum meeting last Wednesday the last reconstruction scheme, involving the ultimate payment of about a million dollars for the entire assets of the estab- lishment, was recommended and will prob- ably go through. Oswald Stoll still has faith in the ultimate success of the house. The exodus to America is beginning and will soon reach alarming proportions. Va- lazzi, Hardeen, George Connor. Chris Rich- ards and wife have left for the States. Caicedo goes in a few days. Hanvarr and Lee, Stelling and Revell, three Sisters Urma, the Jees and various others an- nounce sailings. SHORTAGE OF ACTS. Even at this early date, before the actual opening of the vaudeville factional fight, there are beginning to crop up indications that the independent manager is going to have his own troubles later on. Maurice Boom, booking for the D'Esta- Boom circuit of popular priced houses in Pennsylvania, has not yet been able to place together the opening bill for his Fam- ily Theatre in Chester, Pa. This house employs standard acts up to a maximum price of between $200 and $250. It is scheduled to start the season on Sept. 2. Mr. Boom declares that he has the personal acquaintance of not less than 3,000 artists, but, notwithstanding an advertising cam- paign for acts in the professional journals, he has been unable to secure a complete program for the opening week. Replies to his advertisements have come to him to the number of 500 or more, but they are all unknown artists playing the provinces. Mr. Boom explains the short- age on two grounds: one is that the park season overlaps the opening of vaudeville activities in early September, and many good acts are employed on this sort of time; the other explanation of the un- precedented shortage is that in the com- petitive bidding of Klaw & Erlanger and the United Offices for standard acts of the middle class the entire supply has been booked up. If they are not booked up, says Mr. Boom, they expect to be when the vaudeville war opens in earnest, and are holding off to make the best possible terms with one side or the other. INTEREST FOR APPRECIATION. It was announced this week at the Or- pheum Circuit Offices at the St. James Building that in appreciation of the ser- vices rendered by Frank Vincent, the Eastern representative of the circuit for some time past, Mr. Vincent had been given a financial interest in the profits of some of the Orpheum theatres. A while ago Mr. Vincent was reported to have received a similar token in one theatre. Victor Herbert's act "The Song Birds" opens Monday at Percy G. Williams' Al- hambra. CANCELLED AT SHORT NOTICE. In their first season alone DeHaven and Sydney, the young dancers, who left Gus Edwards' "School Girls and Boys" to branch out for themselves, are receiving the usual experiences, due to arrive sooner or later. The boys open their regular season on Monday, booked through the United Of- fices. For this week they held a contract to appear at the Metropolis Roof, signed by Hurtig & Seamon, who manage it. The agreement was entered into and signed by the firm the Tuesday before the opening show. It carried a one week's cancellation clause upon notice from either party. On Saturday night last at 10 o'clock DeHaven and Sydney received a registered letter from the firm, written in ambiguous form, notifying them the date had been cancelled. This the youths refused to accept and have reported at the Metropolis during the week, ready to appear upon the stage. They say an action will be brought against Hurtig & Seamon to collect the full week's pay. McKEESPORT HOUSE CHANGES POLICY. McKeesport, Pa., Aug. 23. White's Opera House, formerly devoted to melodramas, will open Sept. 9 un- der a new policy of vaudeville, booked by Wesley & Pincus, New York agents. It is probable that acts playing this house will come into McKeesport after filling the four weeks of the Boom-D'Est a circuit in Pennsylvania, booked by Maurice Boom, in New York. Wesley & Pincus and Boom have agreed to this arrangement in order that the local variety venture may have the advantage of being an item in a series of consecu- tive weeks. F. D. Hunter, the old manager of the house, will have charge. The melodra- matic bookings are to be shifted to a new house now being erected by Mr. White and promised for opening Nov. 1. In the change from melodrama to vaudeville White's Opera House will lose its old name, being known hereafter as the Gayety Theatre. SPISSELL BROS. AND MACK. After a successful tour of Europe during which they, SFISSELL BROS. AND MACK, played the leading variety theatres In LONDON, PARIS, BERLIN, AMSTERDAM, HANOVER, PRAGUE AND BRUSSELS during the past two seasons in their acronatic comedy entitled "CAFB DE PARIS," the trio are again home, with 50 weeks of time to fulfill, through the UNITED BOOKING OFFICES. They open at Hatbaway's, Lowell (Mass.) on Monday (August 26). Upon the conclusion of their present American tour, SPISSELL BROS. AND MACK will sail for Europe, where they bare con- tracted for return engagements. Tbe act Is under the management of M. S. BENTUAM. /