Variety (February 1909)

VARIETY " HAMMERSTEIN'S TO HUBER'S" CHAS. KENNA MAKES JUMP 44 The Faker" Agrees to Play 5 Shows Dally; Huber Agrees to Pay the Act $300. Vaudeville cannot decide which is the meet startling; that Oharlee Kenna, 'The Faker," has agreed to play Hubert 14th Street Museum for a week commencing Washington's Birthday, giving fire shows or more daily, or that Geo. H. Huber, the proprietor, has agreed to pay an act $300 for a week's engagement. The contract which appears here, calls for five shows, or more on holidays. Mr. Kenna will commence his engagement Mon- " Kenna, New York: Oome over here. Your own figure. Dressing room to yourself. No freaks talk to you. Bill like a circus; treat you like a gentleman. Dont play Hubert first." Leo's "Split Pea" Circuit offered to give Kenna any house on the circuit if he would play eight "split weeks" at a sliding scale of $280 first week, $222.60 second week, and $885 the third week, with an increase of $3 weekly thereafter. f**a&<M* 2m ■ im vmm. A « m cast m* itmct mm mm. m. mtm o» irnn t***. »H. ■, N«w York, February 12, IMS. Ohss. Kenna: Hart booked you ono wtok beginning Monday, Feb. 22, 1900, at Hnber's 14th it. Mueeom, yon to do your act In theatre and to perform the niiual nnmber of turns per day required In Mid houie, namely, B dally; extra shown Saturday, Sunday or Holldsys ss business may require, you to receive Those Hundred Dollars for said week—*S00—to be psld you after tbe faithful performance of the abore eoodltton*, iSigued) GEO. H. nUDBR, Per J. H. Anderson, lfgr. day (a holiday), when not less than ten performances in the theatre of the Museum will be given. Last week Kenna appeared at Hammer- stein's, which has been advertising the Princess Rajah as "From Ruber's to Ham- merstein's." Billie Burke conceived the humorous idea that perhaps Mr. Huber might want to grasp an opportunity for free advertising by reversing the billing. He submitted Mr. Kenna's name with "The Faker's" consent, and Huber fell in with the plan. Immediately it became known on the museum circuits and small time. Kenna was deluged with offers. Austin & Stone's Museum, Boston, wired: "Kenna, New York. Do nothing until you get our offer. Four hundred and fifty dollars and mealrf delivered to your dressing room." The museum at 9th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, sent a wireless, saying: Mr. Kenna is booked abroad next season on the Barassford Tour in England. Thursday the cables commenced to arrive. Thos. Barassford cabled, "Kenna, New York. Shall expect you to keep your en- gagement. Accept no long run at Huber's." Oswald St oil cabled, "Kenna, New York. For God's sake, don't play Huber's. May use you on our tour." The United Booking Offices is reported to have notified Kenna that if he played Hu- ber's, it would consider that place "op- position" hereafter. On Monday twenty sandwich men will parade Broadway telling the populace that Charles Kenna, "The Faker," is at Huber's, and the bunch of sign holders will likely be around Hammerstein's as each perform- ance concludes. It is the first time a recognized artist has ever played Huber's after appearing on Broadway, or after leaving it, and Mr. Kenna is looking forward to much enjoy- BLOHDBLL SUED BY UNITED. During last week when Ed. Blondell and Company threw up their contract to play the Fifth Avenue, jumping over tne fence into William Morris' yard by way of the American, New York, a suit was started against Ed. Blondell to recover $350, the amount of the weekly salary agreed upon in the contract as "liquidated damages" in the event of a contract breakage by the act. It is understood that Blondell presented himself at the United Offices last Satur- day, reporting himself in readiness to ap- pear at the 120th Street Theatre, com- mencing Monday, last. The act is at the American, Chicago, this week. When the contracts issued for the Poli time call for his appearance upon that circuit, he will report for work, according to Blondell, who says his defense to the suit will be the inequitableness of the United agreement he signed. The artist added "If you wish, you may say that if the United wins this suit, it will be the first time on record that anyone was able to separate Ed. Blondell from his money." At the headquarters of the White Bate on Tuesday, it was stated in reply to a question that no complaint had been re- ceived from any one connected with the United against Blondell (who is a White Rat) for the breaking of his contract for the Fifth Avenue. There Is a contradictory report about that the United has orderd the cancellation of Blondell for the Poll time, but that the cancellation has not as yet been mailed. It is rumored that before the Poll manage- ment will take upon Itself the liability which may follow the cancellation of its contract, it expects the United to deposit an indemnity bond for its protection. GARVIE OUT OF "THE GIRLS." Chicago, Feb. 18. Ed. Garvie, playing here as principal comedian of "The Girls of Gottenberg" (Illinois), will leave the organization in about a week, to head the new company which will follow '"A Broken Idol" at the Whitney. Garvie will probably be succeeded by Giis Weinberg, formerly of the Olympic Stock Company. BOOKED UNTIL 191 x. Philadelphia, Feb. 18. The Heim Children have been booked by Norman Jeffries, the agent, until 1011. A MARRIAGE BOOM. Chicago, Feb. 18. Minnie Young, a chorus girl with "Miss New York, Jr.," was married recently at Philadelphia to Frank Metzger. This is the second marriage in the company. It is said others are in contemplation. ment during the week. Many of the Eng- lish people in the city who saw Kenna's performance on the other side have al- ready arranged with Huber's for box parties while he is there. The prices of s d mission to the Huber place is ten cents to get in; ten cents to sit down in the theatre after you are in, and twenty cents if you are fastidious and insist upon a seat in a box. Huber's Museum is reputed to be worth $3,500 weekly to the manager through its box office, that amount being the average gross takings. Huber has accumulated a fortune from it, K.-P. ADDING "ACTS?" It is reported that before many moons shall have come and gone the Keith-Proc- tor theatres now playing pictures in and about New York City will add vaudeville acts to the programs, following the trend of the times in that direction. The report says F. F. Proctor is now figuring upon a picture policy involving four shows daily in the houses, with two "shifts" of acts, the first shift working the first three matinees of two shows each, taking up the evening performances for the remainder of the week. This is similar to the policy used in Lubin's Pal- ace at Philadelphia where nine acts divide up the many shows daily. The houses which may come under the new scheme are the Union Square, 23d Street, 58th Street, Harlem Opera House, Keith-Proctor's Jersey City, Proctor's Newark, and one or two others in the near vicinity under the booking direction of the United Booking Offices. The report further says that the United will not book these houses, it having been found impracticable for a large agency with the "best time" to induce acts to reduce salaries to a point made necessary by the admission prices, the vaudeville people declaring the salary accepted from a United booking may be quoted to them in the future when better time is under consideration. It is said an outside agency making the placing of acts in the combination houses a specialty will be given the bookings. LOOKS LIKE MONEY FOR GUS. It looks as though there would be some money soon falling into the coffers of Gua Edwards. Mr. Edwards' music publishing plant is established in the office building adjoining Rector's restaurant, near Broad* way and 43d Street. Charles Rector has purchased the corner where Edwards has located, and will tear down the building, as per his announcement, on May 1, lev- eling his own restaurant at the same time, and erecting upon the site of both a twelve-story hotel. Mr. Edwards holds a lease on his prem- ises until Sept. 1. The cafe on the corner has received a large bonus to vacate, and Mr. Edwards is waiting for some one "to come and see him," or he says the couple of floors employed by him have to be left untouched until the lease expires. During the construction of the new ho- tel, there will be no "Rector's" in New York. Joe Adams is angling for the trade, and will probably get most of it. PRINCIPALS FOR "BEAUTY SHOP." Jefferson De Angelis, Marguerite Clark, Geo. MacFarlane, Helen Lord and Billie Norton are among the principals for tho Comstock & Gest production of "The Beauty Shop," to first catch the glare of the footlights March 15 over in Philadel- phia at one of the Shubert houses. It is due at a New York house soon after. KEENEY TAKES THIRD AVENUE. The Third Avenue Theatre, New York, has been taken over by Frank A. Keeney, and commencing Feb. 22 will play 5-10 cent vaudeville and pictures, the arts booked by Ed. Gallagher. Frank Bush will headline the bill at the Third Avenue next week.