Variety (September 1908)

VARIETY MERGER PROMOTORS CLAIM 80 PER CEN T. OF ENGL ISH HALLS Macnaghten's and Broadhead's Now Reported to Be only Circuits Outside Proposed Consolidation. (Special Gable to Variety.) London, Sept. 24. From all appearances, the merger of the English vaudeville managers is drawing to a close. Oswald Stoll, who promoted it, now claims eighty per cent, of all the halls, and this week's developments indicate a partly new line-up of forces. The booking plan for the combined forces will be modeled after the United Booking lOfflces. Report says that Moss-Stoll, Barass- ford, De Frece, Payne and Gibbons are in the deal, while Macnaghten's and Broad- head's circuits, with the Empire, Palace and Alhambra, London, will remain inde- pendent. It will not be accepted that the Barass- ford bouses have gone over to Stoll until an official announcement to that effect is given out. The position of the Tivoli and Oxford is not defined. They are Henry Toiler's halls, and practically in the Payne syndi- cate as far as booking is concerned. Will Oollins, formerly of the Moss-Stoll forces, is now with Toiler, having lately severed his former connection. The Macnaghten-Broadhead houses, with the London halls mentioned as independent, all prominent, could put up a fair fight against the merger. With Barassford, the opposition would be considerably stronger. Well-informed variety people here say Barassford can not afford to link himself with Stoll. The artists-agents' warfare continues as strongly as ever. There will be a good- sised change in the agency situation in England when the merger deal is finally accomplished. OPPOSITION COMING IN MONTREAL. Montreal, Can., Sept. 24. A very important theatrical deal came to light in this Canadian city during the week, and coincident with it arrived •Oh**. W. Bennett of the Bennett Circuit. A Variety representative has been re- liably informed that the Canadian Pacific is negotiating with the Sohmer Park Com- pany for the purchase of the park as a terminal. Upon this transaction going through, the Park Company will build a big vaudeville house in Montreal, bring- ing it into competition with the Bennett theatre here, unless some arrangement is made between the Bennett Circuit and the opposition. Just at present, that is not a likely possibility. Yabiktt's informant says that un- less the Bennett Circuit is given at least the handling of the bookings for the new novae it (Bennett's) will build a large novae for the cheaper brand of vaude- ville, placing the new building in the east end of the • city as a means of protecting its interests in Montreal. The presence of Mr. Bennett in Montreal at this particular time evidences that the manager of the Bennett Circuit is not resting easy over the Montreal prospect. Jt is said the; Cohmer Park Com- pany has no intention or inclination to combine with the Bennett Circuit, and it is already figuring on placing the book- ings elsewhere, presumably with William Morris, of New York, although no negotia- tions with the independent circuit have been opened. General Manager Larose of the Park Company will not make any admissions regarding his project. Mr. Bennett, when seen, laughed the questions off with a re- mark he was in Montreal on private busi- ness. The sale of Sohmer Park to the rail- road will give the Park Company plenty of available working capital. LEPEVHE-ST. JOHN MARRIAGE. Schenectady, N. Y., Sept. 24. Johnnie LeFevre and Frankie St. John, who recently formed a comedy dancing and dancing act, were married here Sept. 21, while Miss St. John was playing at a local house in a single act. The ceremony was performed quietly before Justice Fair- lee, and was to have remained a secret. The pair will again essay vaudeville as a team with a new act being written by William N. Famous. UNKNOWN BACKER FOR OPERA. Washington, Sept. 24. On Monday "The Golden Butterfly," with Grace Van Studdiford as the star, opens in this city. The book was written by Harry B. Smith, who also wrote "The Second Fiddle" for Louis Mann. Reginald De Koven composed the music. Everything possible seems to be known about the production excepting who is backing it. That is a profound secret which even Miss Studdiford seems able to keep to herself. A St. Louis brewer is given first choice in the guessing. WILLIAM PENN SOLD AGAIN. Philadelphia, Sept. 24. The William Penn Theatre has been sold again. This is the third sale v\ Hie un- finished structure by the sheriff. This time it was to satisfy a mortgage, which with accrued interest amounted to $21,647.22. It was bought without opposition by Frank P. Prichard, counsel for the builder, P. J. Hurley. The sale, it was explained, was a mere formality, which was gone through for the purpose of perfecting the title to the prpp- erty conferred on the builder by two pre- vious sheriff's sales. REFUNDED $a,ooo. Ithaca, N. Y., Sept 24. Manager Max Gutstadt refunded $2,000, the amount taken in at the box office of the Lyceum from Ithacans who wanted to see Isadora Duncan, the classic dancer. Cornell College students were particular- ly anxious to survey Miss Duncan, but she failed to appear Wednesday evening as billed. The company's baggage and scen- ery came to town in due order, but the star was absent. ST. LOUIS TALKING. St. Louis, Sept. 24. There was some disgruntlement here in the camp of the Bros. Oppenheimer when the latest issue of Variety setting forth the uncertain tenure of the Bros, at the new American, came to hand. The fact is just coming out that Middleton & Tate control-sixty per cent, of the American booking arrangements, and, it is under- stood, the present deal with the Bros. Op- penheimer has only twenty more weeks to run. Middleton & Tate are handling their in- terests here as if the American were a negligible quantity since the new Colum- bia cut in. John H. Havlin, who is in town, while he will say nothing about the American situation, being more directly interested in the Grand, Imperial, Havlin's and the Columbia, is still putting his hand on the pulse of the situation and giving Frank Tate some sage advice based upon long and intricate experience with the local conditions, which, at present, will bear special watching. The rumors now are to the effect that were the interior of the entire situation laid bare, a slight connection might be discovered between the Oppenheimer Brothers and William Morris of New York for a renewal of their booking rela- tions which were sadly bumped when Louis Cella (John Ryan, 2nd) "blew up" in the grand scheme to hook the vaude- ville business from St. Louis to the seas, either way, and those connected with him have not yet dried out from the drench- ing. The rumor further goes on to say that Morris will make a Chicago connection, possibly also in Cincinnati, when he will take on St. Louis if any sort of a rea- sonable "jump" can be arranged. Mr. Morris is reported to have said that he would book Chicago or a point further west without any intermediate stop as far as that is concerned. PICTURES IN SAVOY. Atlantic City, Sept. 24. Comstock and Gest's Savoy Theatre, which was reported would fill the winter months with acts from the United Book- ing Offices, started this week to run a pic- ture show with four vaudeville acts. Two shows a day are given. This may be the policy for the remainder of the season. Business is good thi" week, but it is not known how long that will last. HUGO MORRIS COMING BACK. Upon the "Lusitania" leaving Liverpool on Oct. 3, it will have as first class pas- sengers or in the first class department, Harry Lauder, Hugo Morris and The Bogannys, all attached to the Morris Cir- cuit. Hugo has urged upon Paul Murray, the Morris representative in London, the neces- sity for him (Hugo) once again to see Broadway. Mr. Murray has evidently agreed to defer his American trip, and Hugo is coming home. MITTENTHALS TO QUIT? The Mittenthal Brothers, owners of half a dozen or more melodramas, may shortly withdraw from the producing end of the- atricals according to a rumor this week. Depression in the popular priced dramatic business is said to be the cause of the firm's retirement. WRITING ALICE LLOYPS MUSIC Several-musical numbej* for the new Alice Lloyd itavk. &ave been written by Schwartz and Jerome, who are attending to that portion of the production instead of Geo. M. Cohan as at first announced. John J. McNally is at work on the book. The title first given, The Bonnie Bailee of Scotland," will likely undergo a change to shorten it, and the- piece soon sent to rehearsal, being presented after election. Meanwhile Miss Lloyd and the Mc- Naughtons may accept a few intervening weeks jn vaudeville around New York City. Pat Casey will look after that. The Lloyds are comfortably ensconsed in a tidy apartment on the Upper West Side during their New York stay.' SIGNS CISSY LOFTUS. The London office of William Morris made a contract with Cissy Loftua this week for the imitator to play the Morris Circuit for twelve weeks each seaaon dur- ing the next three years, commencing Sept. 20, 1000. Bliss Loftus is now in England. No terms were announced. ODETTE VALERIE AT OPERA HOUSE. After a long engagement at the Coli- seum, London, and following a tour of the Moss-Stoll Circuit in England, Odette Valerie, the dancer, who is now famous abroad, will sail from the other side on the Lorraine, Oct. 24, to appear in "Salome" when that production is pre- sented at Oscar Hammerstein's Manhat- tan Opera House. Mr. Hammerstein saw Miss Valerie per- form in Paris. The Marinelli office closed the engagement. GEO. ABEL CLAIMS BANKRUPTCY. tn a letter received this week by a creditor of Geo. Abel, of the recently de- funct Geo. Abel Transportation Co., Mr. Abel declared he had entered the English bankruptcy courts to escape pressing claims. Abel deeply regretted the action, ac- cording to the letter, and said that some- day—perhaps—he would return to America and vaudeville. HAS AMELIA BINGHAM. The Morris Circuit announced this week that Amelia Bingham would be a feature in its houses, commencing Oct. 10. During the past ten days active bid- ding had been going on, it was report- ed, between Morris and the United for Miss Bingham. The United was rumored to have placed $1,500 weekly as the salary the actress could draw down, while Morris was understood to have sent the price up to $1,750, the amount he is supposed to be paying. Miss Bingham will appear in four of of the big scenes from her legitimate plays. The Shuberts, who held a contract for Miss Bingham's services, claimed the vaudeville engagement was news to them, their agreement still being in effect. BRIDGEPORT STILL IN ABEYANCE. Negotiations between William Morris, Inc., and the promoters cf the new theatre being built in Bridgeport, Conn., for the use of that house for independent vaude- ville are still in abeyance. Work has not yet been resumed on the building.