Variety (February 1909)

VARIETY 11 PARIS NOTES BY EDWARD 0. KENDREW. Paris, Feb. 8. H. B. Marinelli evidently has another niotto besides "Up-to-date" and that is "All or Nothing." His program at the Olynipia for February must be one of the most expensive he has ever brought to- gether in Paris, and I fail to see how he can make it pay. The working expenses are greater than at any other hall in this city, the rent and taxes being considerably more than at the Folies Bergere—at which ball, by the way, the takings for the past month have been on an average of $1,000 each performance, whereas those at the Olynipia, according to the returns of the charity commissioners who take over nine per cent, of the gross receipts, have been $700. But Marinelli has the means and the energy, and if his health does not fail him I anticipate a big success for his plucky undertaking. For February at the Olympia we have the same revue, the same ballet and six new vaudeville numbers: Ethel MacDon- ough, the drummer girl; Baron, with his amusing menagerie; Tan Kwai Chinese troup in a sensational act; the Merrills, clever cycling; Rebla, comic juggler, and Anally Berzac, with his donkey and won- derful ponies on the revolving table. I hear that Berzac has a clause in all his contracts that the management must fur- nish five persons nightly to go upon the stage, and make the fun of the show. As there is no seat at the Olympia under 3 frs. (67 cents) a public likely to accept Berzac's challenge to ride his mule even at $10 per minute, is difficult to find without specially engaging "stage hands' tor that purpose. The hall that must make the profit is Barassford's Alhambra, where they have less expense than at the other large re- sorts in the west, but always a capital show, and consequently a big paying audi- ence at from 20 to 75 cents. Mr. Neigh- lx>r, is this month presenting Ariel and Astarte, gymnasts; Bertisch, physical ex- ercises; Nitta Jo, the Hectors, Maud and Gill, with their acrobatic dogs; the La- faille Troup of gymnasts the Balsamos, comic bar act; Mignonette Konk, eccen- tric dancer (who has caught on with the French public, but whose Scotch dance is unappreciated), followed by her husband, Galetti, who causes much laughter by the antics of his monkeys; Joe Marion and Lona, acrobats; Canova, with her studies in old china (none other than Mile Serris, whose tableaux vivants were such a draw in December—but ber reproductions of pottery is not so good); and the Ongars, dancers. The attraction is Joseph Hart's "Futurity Winner" done into French by a local sportsman, and the sketch is said to be now much superior to when seen in America. This is specially improved by a revolving panorama at the back, while the horses are racing. The success of this act may encourage Mr. Ban-as ford to Frenchize other English and American sketches. Isadora Duncan's series of matinees in Paris have been an artistic success, but unfortunately passed almost unnoticed by the general public. Mr. Leamy and his aerial girls are 6hoitly leaving for Chicago, for a short time with Ringling's circus. The Lorch Family also sail on the 27th, for two sea- sens with Ringling Bros., including six- teen weeks at the New York Hippodrome. I hear that the Eldorado-Casino at Nice is to be rebuilt and made into the most sumptuous music hall on the riviera. I know that part of the country, and can safely say there is room for an up-to-date hall during the winter in Nice, although there is plenty of amusement there al- ready. Messrs. Radle and Anty, directors of the Paris Kursaal, a oheap music ball in the Avenue de Clichy, have been con- demned by the Courts to pay their stage manager his full salary for the season for which he was engaged by contract. This contract, however, was made by their for* mer manager M. Aber, with whom they likewise have a law suit on hand, but the court decided that other engagements made by the same manager were not dis- puted and although Messrs. Radle" and Anty had not themselves signed the con- tract, it was concluded on their behalf and they were cognizant of the fact. They are therefore responsible. The judgment is considered an instructive one for art- ists here. ED. GARDENIER A SUICIDE. On Wednesday at his home, 61 Penn Street, Brooklyn, Ed. Gardenler, the author and lyric writer, committed suicide by severing his jugular vein. Mr. Gar- denier had been suffering from hallucina- tions for some time, and it is supposed that during one of these spells he com- mitted the act of self-destruction. The deceased has to his credit some of the biggest song hits in the country, among which are "When You Know You're Not Forgotten by the Girl You Can't Forget," "Some One Thinks of Some One." These were written before he be- came connected with Gus Edwardes. Since then he has written "See Saw," "You're Just the Boy for Me," "The Calendar of Love," "Everybody Loves Me But the One I Love," "Some Day, Sweetheart, Some Day," and most of the songs in the musi- cal comedy "School Days." Through the untimely death of Ed. Gardenier America has lost one of her foremost lyric writers. A sister in not too any affluent circum- stances survives her dead brother, and Gus Edwards has headed a subscription list for an Ed. Gardenier Fund with $50. Subscriptions sent to the Fund may be forwarded to Mr. Edwards. CHARLEY WILSHHf WEDS. Charley Wilshin, of the William Mor- ris office, was married Wednesday even- ing to Sadie Folly. Both are known to a host of professional people. The wed- ding took place at Vienna Hall, 133 East 58th Street, New York. Daly and O'Brien returned to New York last Sunday. They will leave again for the other side in June, 1010, to commence a tour of eighteen months. CHANGING ACTS TITLE. Upon receipt of a communication from Newton Newkirk, of the Boston Pott, informing him that the name "Bingville" in connection with a dramatic piece has been copyrighted by Mr. Newkirk, Ed. F. Reynard, the ventriloquist, twisted about the name of his new ventriloquial pro- duction, "A Morning in Bingville" to "A Morning in Hicksville." Mr. Reynard has placed the future bookings of the act with Jack Levy. Both sides of the vaudeville fight have tendered offers to Mr. Reynard for next season, since he opened at Hammerstein's, Monday. The Curzon, Sisters leave the other side on March 10 to return to New York. INTERIOR OF THE AMERICAN, CHICAGO. Showing the view from the orchestra rail to the stage In the foreground. The seating capacity la 1,200. Running parallel with the orcbettra are long rows of boxes, with a promenade In the rear, where refreshments are served at tables. It Is the former Qarden Theatre, renamed The American Music Hall, by William Morris. Mr. Morris has said that had he designed the theatre It could not bnve been more Ideally arranged for the very purpose for which It la now employed. ALF ST. LEON DIES. On Feb. 14 (Sunday) at Rutland, Yt, Alf St Leon, the circus man, died after having rested in the city for six weeks. The deceased was highly respected among show people, and a gentleman of the old school. The entire St Leon fam- ily Is composed of circus people and are well known. They have been appearing in "Polly of the Circus," and will continue with that piece, their father, the deceased, having managed the act Chicago, Feb. 18. Arthur Henry Rackett, father of the Rackett brothers, died at Chicago on Feb. 6 in his seventy-fourth year. He was the son of England's leading early nineteenth century musician (Barnabas Raekett). Mr. Rackett when a young man was a noted cornetist and bandmaster in the British army, and one of the last surviv- ing veterans of the Crimean war. " He came direct to America from the siege of Sevastopol, settling in Canada, where he was married, and subsequently removed with his family to the States. For yean he directed an orchestra on this aide of the border composed of himself and sons. For eight years he was bandmaster of "A" Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, stationed at Kingston, Canada, and was one of the original members of the fa- mous Carncross and Dixie Minstrels of Philadelphia. Mr. Rackett was of good old HingiWh stock, and in his veins flowed some of the best blood in the south of ifaigi*™t_ On his father's side he was of French Huge- not extraction, descendant of a refugee (De Raequette), driven out of France by the revocation of the edict of Nantes. On his mother's side he was of the Lefbridges of Devonshire. The deceased is survived by a widow and eight children. Among those better known in vaudeville are Henry J. (Three Racketts); Arthur H., Jr. (Rackett and Hazard); William D. (Musical Lamlnes); Alfred O. (musical director, Folly, Chi- cago): Ernest A. (Two Racketts). Mr. Rackett was a Mason (life member of Lodge No. 2, Philadelphia). Sydney, Australia, Jan. 1. John F. Sheridan, an Irish-American comedian, known as the "Widow O^rien," died suddenly at Newcastle, Christmas Eve. The show, of which he was pro- prietor, was to have opened next day. Sheridan was born in Rhode Island some fifty years ago, and his fame as "The Widow" was almost world-wide. In the early days he was a vaudeville artist and with a partner worked as Sheridan and Mack, a song and dance team. The comedian was immensely popular and a large number of the profession followed his remains to the Roman Catholic sec- tion of the Waverley Cemetery. A double sorrow came upon the Otto children this week through the death of their mother, Mrs. Lena Otto, in Bos- ton, on Tuesday. It is but a month ago that their father suddenly died, and his death probably hastened the mother's end. The children, all in vaudeville, are Katherinc, Nelson and Elizabeth Otto (Nelson and Otto), Frank Otto (Oarlin and Otto), and Ernest and Arthur Otto (Otto Brothers). Mrs. Otto bad been ill for some time.