Variety (February 1909)

VARIETY CHICAGO 44 TEY-OUTa w Chicago, Feb. 10. Every Friday morning is "try-out" at the American. Any act desiring booking may "•how" for Elmer F. Rogers, general manager of William Morris, Inc., and James C. Matthews, representative of the Morris Chicago office. The Majestic, Kohl k Castle's best house, also allows new acts trial performances, no particular time being set aside. As a general rule, if an act is at all favorable, the "private" performance for K. & CI is not necessary, as a "try-out" is given at the Star, the Chicago house for the Western Vaudeville Association, where new numbers are usu- ally placed for a week. NEW HOUSE III MEXICO CITY. A new vaudeville theatre opened its doors in Mexico CSty, Mexico, Jan. 29. It is called the Folies Bergere, and is a mod- em house. On the initial bill were Three Graces, Francis and Francisco, Prof. Sineay, Ida Fuller, Three Rohrs, and Wallace Qalvin. The admission prices are from $3 to 60 cents for the night performances, and from $1.50 down for matinees. A booking representative was in New York a month or two ago looking up at- tractions for the place. He expressed himself as being dissatisfied with Ameri- can material for his purpose, and sailed for Paris, declaring he would book over there. Both Paris and New York, how- ever, seem to be represented in the first bill. A COMEDY MELODRAMA. "10-20-30" the next production to be made by John B. Hymer, who wrote 'The Devil and Tom Walker," and who plays the "black face" part in it, wiU be a com- edy melodrama. The story is of a "bum rep" company striking a small town in Texas and giving a performance. It will be in three scenes, an entire "drama" taking place in twenty minutes. There will be the usual "thrillers," in- cluding a "slide for life" with the differ- ence that on the "slide," a rope may break allowing the hero to fall upon the heroine's head. In the "blowing-up-of-the safe," through a miscalculation of time, the villain (who has been locked in- side) will blow up with it. An "advertising curtain" of gause al- lows the audience to watch the settings for three "scenes," and the company, be- sides a large cast, will carry a carpenter and "props." Mr. Hymer will place the production In rehearsal about July sjt per- haps before. TRIAL OF ANCIENT SUIT. ~ The trial will come up shortly of a suit brought against the old music pub- lishing firm of Bernstein, Shapiro & Von Tilser by Dick Jose, the tenor. The case was originally started in 1899, and is but just reached on the calendar. Jose asserts that he agreed to sing the bstlad "A Bird in a Gilded Cage" for the publishers, and they la return promised him a gift of diamonds for his wife. Jose say he kept his part of the compact, but the publishers failed. House, Grossman & Vorhaus will de- fend the suit. SPECULATORS NOT WORRYING. The New York theatre ticket specula- tors are resting in a state of security, fol- lowing the advice of their counsel, Louis Marshall, in all that the members do. No political influence has been sought or solicited in the speculators' battle against the ordinances, passed or proposed, and they have been informed that any measure passed which may affect their business will be contested on a constitu- tional grounds. ♦WARE THE SNAKE! Somewhere in a quiet Jersey City boarding house there nestles a lively 7-foot snake, quite harmless, but of awe- inspiring mien. It gave some trouble to Ed Miner Sunday night, but that won't be a marker to what will happen if the snake decides to emerge in the bedroom of some neryous woman one of these nights. It happened this way: The snake was a part of an Egyptian dance in Ed Miner's "Sam T. Jack" com- pany. It traveled peaceably about the road, but when the troupe arrived in Jer- sey City it contracted the wandering habit. The show's property man took it to his boarding house, and while feeding it in his bedroom the thing escaped and disappeared through a rat hole. Monday morning it was replaced by a 10-foot constrictor, so the show will go on all right—but when the lost reptile makes its reappearance in that theatrical board- ing house—WOW! SKATED 96 HOURS. Evansville, Ind., Feb. 10. A new record was made at the Elite Rink here this week when Robert Vise, a local amateur, held out in an endurance contest for 20 hours and 5 minutes. Against him was pitted L. Waterbury, a long distance piano player, who stuck until a few seconds of that time. The test started Feb. 6 at 8 p. m. It was almost 11 o'clock the following even- ing When Waterbury, who bad never stopped pounding the ivories, pushed back his stool and, wobbling on his feet, ad- mitted that he had had enough. Vise was still circling the floor, the rollers on his skates having been in continuous motion since the previous evening. He said that he could have kept going until the 30th hour. OPPOSITION IN YONKERS. Yonkers will have opposition vaudeville, made up of "Morris" acts at Blaney's in that burg Feb. 18, 10 and 20. Joe Wood has booked a show in there for a local firemen's benefit. It is composed of Blake's Circus, Wil- lard's "Temple of Music," Mosmo Troupe of Arabs, and six others. Harry Leon- hardt's Orpheum has the United franchise for Yonkers. Jack Lormier will Lincoln Square. March 1 at the MATERIAL FOR "GIRL ACTS." Chicago, Feb. 10. The chorus girls engaged in the former Olympic Stock Company, will, in all prob- ability, go in vaudeville, as several "girl acts," to be organized by J. J. Murdock. There are about thirty choristers em- ployed in the present piece, "A Little Sis- ter of the Rich," at the Majestic this week. Only about one-third will be osed "on the road." Mr. Murdock doesn't like to "fire" the others. UNION SEEKS PROTECTION. In pursuance of the direction of the Denver convention of the American Fed- eration of Labor, representatives of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, The National Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees and the Actors' National Protective Union, met in con- ference with President Gompers, of the A. F. of L., at 26 Third Avenue, New York City, Jan. 29. The conferees dis- cussed the contested jurisdiction over moving picture machine operators and considered the course of the organisations vitally in interest regarding the efforts of some theatrical managers to transform the character of their entertainments to defeat fair treatment and fair salaries to members of the theatrical profession. It was understood that though no for- mal action could be interposed, it was agreed by the representatives of the or- ganisation above that they pledge them- selves to exert every effort to prevent the substitution of moving picture ma- chine entertainments to take the place of members of the theatrical profession, by reason of any controversy arising rela- tive to salaries, treatment or other con- ditions between members of the theat- rical profession and theatrical managers. In the event of any controversy arising, contemplated by this agreement, the executive officer of the organisation most directly interested will invite the rep- resentatives of the other two organiza- tions, parties to this agreement, to meet in conference and endeavor to effect what- ever arrangement may be possible to carry the agreement into effect. DOUBLE SUICIDE FOR LOVE. Paris, Feb. 1. The suicide of two lads at Marseilles last week for the love of two young Eng- lish dancers, playing there in a troup known as "The Oxford Girls," has caused a sensation in the old port. The two Frenchmen were very badly hit, and led to expect better treatment than a curt refusal, as the girls allowed themselves to be treated to outings, dinners and pres- ents. When it came to a question of mar- riage, Lulu said she was already engaged, while Irma frankly told her lover he was too young (they were all under sixteen, the unfortunate boys being students at a local college). "We will die, then," the youths de- clared; the danseuses laughed. The fool- ish fellows had spent all their cash, con- tracted debts in the name of their parents, and even taken money from the pockets of their fathers. DENY CONTRACTING-BREAKING. Buffalo, Feb. 10. Bob Carlin, of Carlin and Otto, is at his home here. He denies that Ed Galla- gher has any ground for a suit against himself and his partner for alleged breach of a contract under which they were to play in "The Battle of Bay Run." "We played all the time for which the act held contracts (Williams time, New York)," said Mr. Carlin this week. "Then we suggested to Mr. Gallagher that we return to our 'Dutch' specialty until next season. He agreed to this." "MUSIC HALL" TRIED BEFORE. They were talking in the lobby of the Olympic, Brooklyn, a few nights ago of the probable extension of the "music hall idea" in America after its successful in- troduction at the American, New York and Chicago, and Orpheum, Boston. "Why," said Nick Norton, the Olympic's manager, "the plan of giving fifteen acts to a three-hour bill is one of the oldest in 'polite' vaudeville in America. When I was stage manager and later manager of the Academy in Chicago under William Emmett, we followed that policy for sev- eral years. That was in '68. "The Academy was the first house in the middle west to cater to men and women with a variety program. We gave all the way from twelve to eighteen acts to a performance, including the usual afterpiece. We simply coined money. The house burned down during the '70's." To prove his case Mr. Norton produced a playbill dated Sept. 16, 1868, on which were Conchita Leo. Duncan Sisters, Three Lorellas, Sheehan and Jones, Mary Milton, Jacques Kruger, Katie Howard, Mile. Elise, Dan Mason, Three Miltons, J. W. McAndrews, Matt Morgan, Harry Mon- tague, Goss and Fox, Lillie Hall and Murphy and Shannon, beside the after- piece in which everybody took part. The Pergola, Allentown, Pa., will play two acts next week, booked by the Mor- ris office, as an experiment. It is a pic- ture place. The Bijou Comedy Trio are playing vaudeville in the middle west, having left "Watson's Burlesquers." MR. AND MRS. OHAfl. E. BRAY. The •bore Is a photograph of Mr. sod Mrs. Charles B. Bray, standing before St. Mark's Church at Venice, feeding pigeons. Mr. and Mi-h. Bray returned from a lightning trip abroad last week, harlng riilted eight cities In fifteen dayn, remaining four days In Paris, two In London, ami one each at. Berlin, Verona, Venice, Genoa, and Monte Carlo, while fire hoars were passed In Cherbourg, from which point the DeuUohland was cangbt for the homeward journey. Mr. Bray, sn Important arm of the great Or pheum system of vaudeville theatres, combined business with pleasure on the continental tour, having crossed to re-rlslt the old country as a midwinter vacation. In Psrls Mr. and Mrs. Brsy ssw four vaudeville performances In one evening, guaglng their hour of arrival In each hall to "catch" such sets as they detrfred to review. An automobile engaged n; efgbt p. m. until one a. m. ran up a bill of twen'j francs, or $4. In New York City the lesst whh h would be charged by an auto or taxi for the same time would be $25. That Is one of the reason* why the Brays vote "eye" when Europe is under discussion; they have several others equally as