Variety (May 1909)

VARIETY RECEIVER FOR HARRY DAVIS CO. Philadelphia, April 29. Jules Mastbaum has been appointed re- ceiver for the Harry Davis Amusement Company, as a result of an action brought in Common Pleas Court No. 2 by the Finance Company of Pennsylvania and Kranken, Roman & Company of New York. The concern opened the first permanent moving picture show in this city and has large places at Eighth and Market, Ninth nnd Market and 1223 Chestnut Street. The burden of very high rentals and an effort to keep pace with the other houses are said to be the causes of the company's present financial stress. One of the man- agers stated that the effort to meet the conditions which have materially im- proved the character of the shows and in- cidentally increased the cost caused the failure. The operating expenses of the three houses have amounted to $8,100 for the past month and the receipts have netted $7,800. The houses will be operated by the receiver. WESLEY & PINCUS DISSOLVE. The vaudeville booking firm of Wesley & PincuB has dissolved partnership, Joe Pincus retiring from the firm, and enter- ing the Pat Casey office. Mr. Wesley will continue the agency, and also the booking for the Savoy, Atlantic City, in which Wesley & Pincus held an interest of some kind. The negotiations for the dissolution and engagement of Pincus for the Casey agency had been going on for some time before they were finally closed last Fri- day. Atlantic City, April 29. To convice the skeptical perhaps that there has been no severance of his rela- tions with the bookings for the Savoy, Louis Wesley, who books the house, will appear there next week as the headliner in his former vaudeville speciality. The situation here was doubtful up to Wednesday, Harry Brown7 manager of the Savoy, awaiting word from Wesley, who had been booking also for the Criterion. Mr. Wesley says he will place no more acts at the other house, attending to the Savoy only. There is a report that the Savoy will play legitimate attractions during the summer. An agreement for the Wesley vaudeville to continue there over the hot spell may be reached, but that has not happened up to now. HAIR-BALANCED ON BOOKINGS. Baltimore, April 29. Commencing May 24 Ford's Grand Opera House will have vaudeville through the summer months. Manager Ford has not yet decided through which agency the acts will be hooked, but is considering cither the Morris or the United. COMPLAINT AGAINST AGENT. Before the Commissioner of Licenses Wednesday morning appeared Harry Mountford and Denis F. O'Brien, repre- senting the White Rats, which had laid a complaint against Henry Meyerhoff as an agent. The hearing was adjourned until next Tuesday. HANDCUFF EXPERT DROWNED. London, April 10. Ricardo, who billed himself as "The Handcuff King," was drowned last week at Landshut (Bavaria) while attempting to free himself of his manacles under water. The artist jumped from Luitpold Bridge with handcuffs and chains on his arms. He did not come to the surface after striking the water. PREVENTED DIVE. London, April 17. John Clempert, who is doing a "Houdini" act at the Shoreditch Empire, was forcibly prevented a day or two ago from making a dive from the Tower Bridge into the Thames with his hands manacled. Clempert had made a wager with an East End sporting man that he could perform the feat and both posted $600. The attempt was to have been kept a secret, but a leak got to the police and when the diver arrived at the bridge in a closed carriage policemen were on hand. They seized the bridle of the horses and hurried the equipage across the bridge without stopping. At the other end the carriage was opened and Clempert was discovered in diving costume and with his hands securely chained together. GABRIEL RETURNS. Chicago, April 29. With the close of "Little Nemo" last Saturday night, Master Gabriel in his original "Buster Brown" piece returned to vaudeville at the Majestic, where both are this week. Gabriel and Co. were loaned by Klaw & Erlanger, who have a two-year contract with the diminutive comedian. Gabriel was not announced until Sun- day. His stay in vaudeville is for one week only. ANOTHER KELLERMAN SUIT. Either yesterday or to-day Jerome Wil- zen, appearing as attorney for William Morris, planned to make application to the Supreme Court of New York for an injunction restraining Annette Keller- man from playing for B. F. Keith or un- der his direction between May 3 and October 1. The suit is brought under the contract held by Morris for the diver's services from May 3, the date declared by Judge Ward in the U. S. Circuit Court at the last hearing of the Keith-Kellerman action, as ending the prohibitive period for this season, when the shapely girl is legal- ly bound to the Keith management. Judge Ward decided Keith's "summer contract" inequitable. Morris' attorneys say she rendered the "summer" agreement void by publicly repudiating it. The regaining of Miss Kellerman by B. F. Keith will cost that manager over $100,000 for the two and one-half years re- maining under his contract with her, if Mr. Keith agreed to pay the diver $1,500 weekly, the price Morris placed upon her services. The girl's original contract with Keith called for $300 each week. The plans on the Keith side include an appearance on Hammerstein's Roof this summer for a run by the swimmer, who holds over next week at the Fifth Ave- nue. She is advertised in Cleveland to ap- pear at the Hippodrome there May 10. BUYS "RED MILL." Chicago, April 20. Martin & Emery, the Chicago managers and producers, have secured the road rights to "The Red Mill" and will send two companies on tour next season. The same producers will star Lee Kohlmar in a new musical comedy, and they also have in preparation two companies to play •'Parsifal." Shea's, Toronto, closes for the season May 29. MR. AND MRS. GARDNER CRANE. Clever people who can write and produce such successes an "riXLRY'S PRODIGAL PARENTS" are rare, and It la to be hoped that the returns of vaudeville will be sufficient to keep MR. AND MRS. GARDNER CRANE In their piefcent field of ci.denvor for a long tlrno to coin*. MRS. CRANE has produced one of the bout pieces of legitimate fnice on the vaudeville Btage to- day. She has not only achieved a distinct success in the pottrayal .if n character new to vaudeville, but In the writing aa well. Sketches for vaudeville, particularly comedy sketches, are as difficult to get ns water In a desert, and "PIXLEY'S PRODIGAL PARENTS" will long continue to lie n source of refreshment to theatre patron*. Thla sketch of the Cranes makes Its appeal not only to the mind but to the eye. Prom the rise of the curtain on the pretty, well-kept suburban home, showing Plxley struggling with a borrowed lawn-mower — every grouping and situation, while constructed for comedy. In artistic ami replete with detail. "Atmosphere" has been the cry of the legitimate managers for years. It haa crept in by degrees Into vrnide-!!'«•. but has seldom been n« completely exempllllcd :t« In "PIXI.EY'S PRODIGAL PARENTS." Another cry of the Hroadway managers has been "cast" - -no play can succeed without good actors. MR. AND MRS. CRANE have surrounded themselves with tm si capable people, who are given every opportunity to make all that is possible out of their Individual parts, the Cranes evidently iK'lleving that a wel! rounded, well mounted, well-played sketch pleases better than a "atar" show. ARRIVED LATE BY AUTO. Baltimore, April 29. Nat Wills came near giving Manager Kernan, of the Maryland, heart failure Monday by not appearing at the playhouse until shortly before his act at the matinee performance. Wills' appearance had been heavily billed. At the usual morning re- hearsal Wills did not show. Col. Kernan began to worry. He telephoned the hotels, but none claimed the comedian as a guest. Two o'clock arrived. The house was crowded. No Nat. Inquiry at the railroad stations brought reply that there waa no train from New York arriving that after- noon that would enable the comedian to reach the theatre in time for his place on the bill. The curtain had fallen for the intermis- sion. Kernan was standing on the steps, literally boiling over with rage, when with a "Honk, honk," followed by "Chug, chug," Wills drove up in his 75 horse-power tour- ing car. Ready hands carried his trunks from the car to his dressing room and the comedian did a lightning change from riches to rags. After his act Wills told the story. He left New York the night before in his car, reaching Philadelphia (where he spent the night) without incident. Leaving Phila- delphia early Monday morning for this city, the sport began, he said, adding that he was the sport. Twice he was arrested for speed- ing, but managed to get off at the trifling expense of $40 in fines, $800 worth of "gags" and "con" talk and more cigars than an army could smoke In a week. Added to these were three "blow-outs." NEW ORPHEUM AT KANSAS CITY. Kansas City, April 29. It has been announced here that a new Orpheum Theatre will be finished by Thanksgiving to seat 2,400. It will cost $400,000, and will be a replica of the pres- ent Orpheum at Minneapolis. The site is at 11th and Central Streets. The three stories high building will have forty hotel rooms. The Orpheum Circuit has a lease for three years longer on the Orpheum, which now plays vaudeville. The policy there will probably be changed to a cheaper form of variety upon the opening of the new house. LEASE ORPHEUM so YEARS MORE. Boston, April 29. A lease to William Morris, Inc., has been executed by the Harvard University, the present owner of the Orpheum, where William Morris plays his vaudeville shows in this city. Morris' present lease expires in Septem- ber, 1011. The renewal runs twenty years from that time. $50,000 POR MAJESTIC. The People's Vaudeville Co., in which David War field and others are interested, is understood to have made a proffer of $50,000 a year for the Majestic, Broadway and 59th Street, during the two more years for which it is under lease to the Shuberts. The People's Co. wants the place for moving pictures and vaudeville. The house is the property of the Pahst Brewing Co. and is under loa*e to th<> Shuberts only until 1911. After that it i* understood Frank McKrr will he a, bidder for its possession.