Variety (February 1909)

▼ASXS.TY ^^^ WILL STAJD HO POOLING. It has been proposed at a meeting of the Colombia Amusement Co. (Eastern Burlesque Wheel) that should a re-occur- rence of the Tom Ryley-Hurtig ft Seamon- Whirjwiad Millers case come up, the com- pany is to appropriate $10,000 for the sole purpose of disrupting the show of the manager who attempts to take an act or person under contract with a travelling Eastern Wheel organisation. Mr. Ryley signed the Millers for 'The Queen of the Moulin Rouge" in the face of a contract held by Hurtig A, Seamon for the team. An offer of a largely increased salary tempted the Millers to fall, al- though they did not report for Mr. Ry- ley's company, as per their contract. Hurtig & Seamon are supposed to know where the act 1b. A man high in the councils of the Co- lumbia Amusement Co. (and not a mem- ber of the Hurtig & Seamon firm) said to a Vimnr representative the other day: This thing has got to stop, and we are going to attend to it ourselves if it hap- pens again. I don't see that the Mana- gers' Protective Association or anyone else does anything. Everybody evidently thinks a burlesque show is the underdog, and anything goes, but we won't stand for it any longer. "They steal our ideas on Broadway; place an author's name to it, and let it go at that; they steal our business, and they can have all that as far as we care, but if another manager tries to steal an act again, you will see the biggest rum- pus in the show business you ever heard of. We will break up that man's show if we go broke ourselves doing it." "DAINTY DUCHESS" CHANGE. Chicago, Feb. 10. A change was made in ."The Dainty Duchess" while playing at the Trocadero last week. Phil Mills succeeded Nat Fields in the German comedy part. The shifting came about through a controversy between Manager Irons and Harry Har- vey, and the tatter's threat, to quit. Nat Field's, m sympathy with Harvey, offered his "notice" at the same time. Mr. Irons communicated with Weber & Rush, the bwnevs. Harvey remains; Fields' notice accepted. BLANCHE SING. Blanche.Ring is the headliner of the program at the Orpheum, Brooklyn, next week. Miss Ring re-entered vaudeville -Feb. 1 as the feature at the Colonial. Her pictures are on the front page of this issue. As the "Grand Popularizer of Popular Songs," Blanche Ring has held a certain position among playgoers for some time. The latest number Miss Ring is "making" is "Yipp-I-Addy-I-Aye." This was first sung in the Joe Weber Show by Miss Ring, where the singer was a featured attraction. Miss Ring's stay in vaudeville is indefi- nite. She is in receipt of one of the largest salaries ever paid by the vaude- ville managers, and upon her reappear- ance has proven of great value, both as an amusement provider and a box office card. CASINO OPENING IN jSffP^WKS. The contractors commenced putting in the girders for the roof of the Casino The- atre, Brooklyn, which is to house the Empire Circuit shows next season. The architects promise that the building will be entirely enclosed within ten days. The completed building is to be deliv- ered by March 1. A forfeit of $100 a day attaches to any delay. It is probable that a considerable amount will be forth- coming under this provision. As was the case with the Empire in Williamsburg, the theatre will not be opened until next season. The Empire executives have agreed that to open it for the fag end of this season would take off the edge of the event. ARRESTS A "COOCHES." • Chicago, Feb. 10. "Cleo, 'The Girl in Red,' * was arrested st the Trocodero last week for "exhibit- ing and performing an indecent and im- moral dance," which, when reduced to cases, means "cooch." At the close of the dance, Geo threw her garters to men in the audience, al- though it is said the men had the privi- lege of purchasing them (before she ap- peared) with every bottle of beer ordered. In a museum at 310 State street, there is reported to be a similar dance given by three women simultaneously. That has been a feature at the museum for some time. WATSON'S MANY BANK ACCOUNTS. Philadelphia, Feb. 10. "Watson's Burlesquers" are playing here this week with his two tons of women and one-half ton of men, including Billy himself. Probably no one in the show business secures a greater aggregate of "press stuff" throughout the country than this same "Billy W.," but with all the items he has passed out to the newspaper men, Mr. Watson has not told one yet that he has so many bank accounts he must have his checks printed with the name of the bank vacant so he can fill in as the feel- ing dictates, which saves the expense of a check book for each institution. WILLIAMS' ENGLISH IMITATOR. An English imitator, Marie Dainton, will make her American debut at Percy G. Williams' Colonial on March 8. PRIMA DONNA HAD TO SING. Columbus, O., Feb. 10. Without notice to Manager Lee Boda, of the Southern Theatre, an understudy was put in Grace Van Studdiford's part in "The Golden Butterfly" Saturday after- noon, while the prima donna remained in- disposed in her hotel. The substitution was not announced, and Mr. Boda did not learn of it until a member of the audi- ence informed him during the first act. Mr. Boda sought out Charles Bradley, manager of the show. '"Unless Miss Van Studdiford goes on for the second act," said Boda, "I shall dismiss the audience. Tell her so immediately." A messenger bore these tidings to Miss Van Studdiford. She hurried to the the- atre and sang the rest of the performance. She was also on hand in the evening, but during the second act fainted. She man- aged to finish the opera nevertheless. Bradley explained that the prima donna had sent him a note in the afternoon bearing notice of her indisposition, but it had become lost in transit. TO TEST "PERSONNEL CLAUSE" The suit of Gus Edwards against J. Fred Lees, the Lawrence, Mass., manager, will be carried through the courts in an effort to test the right of a manager arbi- trarily to deduct money from an act on the ground that the personnel has been changed. According to House, Grossman & Vor- haus, who are representing the plaintiff, "The Kountry Kids" was booked for Lawrence, but when it appeared to play, two chorus girls had been put in the cast to replace others who were members of the company when the act was booked. Lees imposed a fine of $100 on the act for this reason. The courts will be asked to pass upon the point whether or not a manager may invoke the "personnel" clause with- out firfcV-pre».ittg-»£Lat- the s abattfei&faQ—rf-' new people has caused a deterioration in the act. In "The Kountry Kids" act, the contention is raised that the substitution of the two girls improved rather than in- jured the performance. From all accounts, there may be other "tests" made of Mr. Lees' methods of "fining" at the Colonial, Lawrence, Mass. When the Meredith Sisters stopped in the manager's office for their weekly salary, they found the amount $11.60 short, with a bill against them for that amount for "stage hands." The sisters left the money untouched, and their agent, Geo. Homans, has been instructed to recover the full amount, the girls having sailed for Eng- land on the Mauretania. Another act (Viola Allen and Co.) is reported to have been charged $4.60 for the lunch of the orchestra, Miss Allen having been delayed in reaching the Colo- nial in time for the Monday morning rehearsal. It was a pretty fair week for profits behind the stage at the Colonial, a couple of dancing boys suffering a fine of $2; reason unknown—probably habit. NEW SEATTLE HOUSES. Seattle, Feb. 10. The lease on the present Orpheum ex- pires October, 1900, and the plans are ready for a new theatre on the site of the Sullivan-Oonsidine Building at the corner of 3d Avenue and Madison Street. A location for a new theatre to play Ihe Sullivan-Oonsidine acts has been se- lected, but not divulged. The Orpheum is jointly operated by the Orpheum Circuit and S.-C, playing the Orpheum Circuit acts. BECK HOME FRIDAY. Chicago, Feb. 10. Martin Beck and Pat Casey will return to New York Friday. Mr. Beck attended a special meeting of Chicago vaudeville magnates here to-day (Wednesday). Other confreres were Charles E. Kohl, George Castle, George Middleton, Max C. Anderson, H. Ziegler, J. J. Murdock and Morris Meyerfeld, Jr. Announcement has been made that the new Orpheum, replacing the former home of the circuit destroyed in the earthquake, will be thrown open April 14. WORKING AGREEMENT IN SOUTH. Chicago, Feb. 10. A meeting of southern vaudeville men will be held Feb. 17 at the Piedmont Hotel, Atlanta, for the purpose of enter- ing into a working agreement whereby it is hoped opposition clashes in bookings may be avoided. Sam DuVries will be there. It is rumored that the houses for which he now supplies and those operated by Greenwall will be thrown into a single circuit, handled by DuVries. MARRIAGE IN OHIO. Youngstown, Feb. 10. Charles Langley Sloan, advance agent, and Nancy Rose White, known on the stage as Nancy Mayo, were married here this week. Miss White gave her age as 21 to the marriage license clerk, the bride- groom said he was 43. The bride is a member of the "The Girl Behind the Counter" Co. COMEDY ACT AT BIG FIGURE. One of the first things William Morris did upon returning to New York this week was to order a contract issued to Wesley & Pincus for Arthur McWatters 'and TJrace"Tyson. " 'lW sjnbunt'oT weekly salary as reported is a big sum. Mr. McWatters and Miss Tyson were the two of the few hits of "The Mimic World" when that piece played at the Casino, New York. They have only re- cently decided to return to vaudeville, and open at the American, New York, on Monday. AUDITORIUM HOTEL LEASE. Chicago, Feb. 10. A strange rumor has made its appear- ance here that the Shuberts of New York want the lease of the Auditorium Hotel, the present one expiring in three months. The newspapers have printed it, and one of the present lessees (Congress Hotel Association) did not deny it. Though the Shuberts secure the hotel, it would not affect the tenancy of the large Auditorium (theatre), now under the management of Klaw & Erlanger. LOUIS WESLYN. One of the busiest writers of vaudeville ma- terial in New York is Louis Weslyn, who makes hiB headquarters with M. Witmark & Sons, the muMc publishers. Weslyn is a versatile writer and a prolific one, having written both the lyrics and music of many successful songs, and being the author of a number of sketches now running In vaudeville. He has juat completed a new farce, which Bmtl Hocb and Co. will place in re- hearsal this week. B. A. Rolfe and Pat Rooney will produce in the near future Wesl.vi s '' vaudeville act, "Fun In a Railroad Station," cnli- lng for fifteen people. A new sketch of Weslyn's now meeting with success is "Excess Baggage," played by Robert Carter, Katbryn Waters and Co., and another bright skit Is bis "Girl and the Fearl," whhh recently scored a hit aa played by Wilbur Muck and Nella Walker at the 125th Street Theatre. He Is continually writing special song numbers for various artists, being the author and composer of Rock and Fulton's "Boy Who Stuttered and Girl Who Lisped," Pat Rooney'a "Simple Simon Sim pie*' song, aa sung in the new musical act of the same title, Augusta Gloae's "Lion and the Bird " and many other songs. Tie in at present writing several special numbers for Catherine Nelson, uf Nelson and Otto, and for a new musical act s<x>" to be produced by the Pat Booney Company. Wes lyn's successful farce, "Two Men and a Bottle." played by Howard Truesdell and Co., la now In lta third Mason.