Variety (May 1909)

VARIETY BEACH "WAS" COMMENCES. The first shot in the "Battle of Brighton Beach" to be fought during Uxg^fuquner months was fired Saturday last, when the Inter-City Advertising Co., the party be- hind the throne in the management of the Brighton Beach Music Hall, applied for an injunction restraining the David Robinson Amusement Co. from using any part of that title for the Robinson Oo.'s new amusement edifice on the Beach line, about one-half mile from the present "old" Brighton Beach hall which Mr. Robinson managed last summer. The argument will come up next Tues- day in the Supreme Court of Kings County. The Robinson Co. will enter as defense that it has not yet. named its place, and intended to have the choice decided by popular vote at the first per- formance. 'The Parkway Music Hall," "Brighton Theatre," "Brighton Palace of Varieties," among other titles, are claimed by Mr. Robinson will be balloted for by the patrons of the new theatre. The "Old Hall" (so termed to dis- tinguish) allege that bills have been cir- culated by Robinson giving the title of his house as "The New Brighton Beach Music Hall," an infringement upon their trade name. The battle will wax spirited as the warm weather progresses. Both music halls will open around June 1, each re- ceiving its acts from the United Booking Offices. This condition has been made by the big agency to prevent either one fall- ing into the Morris and "opposition" line. Both halls seem satisfied with the book- ing arrangement. Arthur M. Hopkins will manage the "old hall." Dave Robinson will direct the "new." A campaign of billing will likely follow the opening. Each manager believes in "paper" and publicity. The extensive ad- vertising the Beach resorts will provide is expected to attract many who have heretofore not frequented the seaside vaudeville places. Big features and plenty of them, are also looked forward to aid business. Among the first attractions booked by Mr. Hopkins has been Alice Lloyd, who will play an engagement of two weeks. Mr. Robinson has secured Eva Tanguay for a couple of weeks, one at the commencement and one towards the ending of the short summer season. Robinson has also con- tracted for the exclusive exhibition rights of the Jesse L. Lasky and Jos. Hart pro- ductions at his Beach theatre. The Casino, on the premises, has been leased to the Walton hotel management of Philadelphia for ten years. Mr. Robinson is searching for .a feature attraction to dedicate the new venture at its opening. The honor of serving as first headliner was offered to Irene Franklin. Miss Franklin replied that she would gladly have accepted the proposition but is under contract to appear in Newark, N. J., the week of the "new" Music Hall's opening and had taken passage for Lon- don, sailing June 10. Mr. Robinson's staff will be Dudley Clements (Crescent, Brooklyn) and Que Collins (Montauk) in the box office: James Collins (Greenpoint), stage man- ager; Harry Jacobs' Orchestra (Green- point), and Jos. Curran, electrician. William G. Hall, stage manager at the Orphcum, will direct back of the curtain for Mr. Hopkins. FIRST NIGHT FAS FROM HOME. Think of having an opening perform- ance of a comedy drama on, the other side of the world! That's what befel the Hugh Ward Comedy Co., who pro- duced for the first time on any stage "The Fencing Master" in Calcutta,' India, about two weeks ago. The piece was written by Herbert Hall Winslow and turned over to the Ward Co. without a title. "The Fencing Mas- ter" was the selection of the players, that title being copyrighted over here. Next season the company will give the piece through Australia. This instance is said to establish a rec- ord for an opening of an American piece in point of distance from Broadway. |0oo f ooo WITHOUT DETAILS. Chicago, May 0. Louis Seelbach, owner of the Seelbach Hotel, Louisville, is building a $100,000 theatre in that city, also a theatre and music hall representing an outlay of about $600,000. No other details have been given out. "BROKEN IDOL" IN BOSTON. Chicago, May 6. Whitney's "Broken Idol" will play the Tremont, Boston, commencing May 31, with Otis Harlan still leading the cast. After the Boston engagement the show will appear at the Herald Square, New York, for a summer run. STEOER ON THE FENCE? A story that Julius Steger and his latest sketch "A Way to the Heart" had received an offer from the Morris Circuit and owing to the booking con- ditions at the United that offer might be accepted by Mr. Steger caused some talk around. It could not be confirmed. Mr. Steger has always been considered to have the personal direction of Martin Beck in his vaudeville time. It was the universal opinion Mr. Steger presented an artistic and otherwise successful produc- tion in his latest piece, and as he has been steadily appearing in United houses since entering vaudeville, there was a great deal of curiosity over the supposed "break" in the Steger-United relations. At Hammerstein's, where Mr. Steger is appearing this week, he remarked: "There is nothing for me to say. I am awaiting the return of Mr. Martin Beck, with whom I intend to consult regarding my future bookings, as I have always done in the past." MARRIED BETWEEN SHOWS. Between the matinee and the night show at the Orpheum on Tuesday Arthur Huston, the comedy juggler, was joined in wedlock to Czynka Panna, the Hungarian violiniste. At the evening performance, when Mr. Huston appeared, he was greeted with showers of rice and old shoes from the wingB. The happy young couple after- wards sat in a box while Vesta Tilley sang "Jolly Good Luck to the Girl Who Loves a Juggler" (Sailor). Next week Mr. and Mrs. Huston will start on their delayed honeymoon. ROGERS RETURNING TO NEW YORK. Back to New York comes Elmer F. Rogers, general manager of the Morris Circuit, to resume his duties in that capacity. Mr. Rogers will have his headquarters at the general offices in the American Music Hall building and will give.his particular attention from now on to the various Morris houses and demands of his office.' With the approaching djate of William Morris' departure for Europe (within ten days) it was necessary to recall the gen- eral manager, who so far has been found .invaluable in establishing new houses on the winning side of the Morris books. Mr. Rogers whipped the Orpheum, Bos- ton, into that division, repairing to Chi- cago when Morris secured the American there, more than repeating his Boston success. While in New York Mr. Rogers will likely give his personal attention to the Plaza, Morris' latest. William T. - Grover, manager of the American, New York, left on Monday to take the directing post at the Chicago American. Mr. Grover will startle the western town with the same extensive and unique billing matter New York has been flooded with since the American opened with vaudeville. A position of "assistant manager" will be created for the local American, with the supervision over its management ex- ercised from the Morris executive offices. LEAVITT SETTLES. The suit brought by M. B. Leavitt against Klaw ■ & Erlanger on a claim arising out of the importation by Leavitt for the "Advanced Vaudeville" Circuit of "The Congress of Spanish Dancers," which was cancelled before it had played out its time, was settled out of court Tuesday. The basis of compromise was not dis- closed. The original claim against the managers was for about $40,000. "POP VAUDE" COSTS $350. San Francisco, May 6. "Popular priced vaudeville" closed at the Novelty yesterday with a net loss fol- lowing the second week of its installation there of $350. Tony Lubelski will now take the man- agement of the house. HART SENDING TWO ACTS OVER. "Homeward Bound," the piece written and produced by Mason Peters at the Lambs' Gambol, April 25, will be sent over to England this summer by Jos. Hart by arrangement with Mr. Peters. The skit is also to be placed in "The Follies of 1009" on the New York Roof. Henry Donnelly will take one of the characters in the air. Another vaudeville sketch pointed Europeward is "Awake at the Switch." That will go across under Mr. Hart's di- rection. Douglas Fairbanks may play the lead in it. Gardner and Stoddard open at the Coli- seum, London, May 17, booked through Wieland, the London agent. The act left New York Wednesday. BIGEL0W AFRAID. A neat side step from vaudeville has been made by Charles Bigelow, the come- dian. An offer was made Bigelow by Bert Cooper, but Charles exclaimed "I'm afraid of vaudeville," so it's off. OPENS THEATRE FOR ALICE. Cleveland, May 0. In order not to disappoint the Cleve- land public which indicated an intense de- sire "to see Alice Lloyd through a largd advance, sale of tickets at the box office, the Keith management informed Miss Lloyd the theatre would be opened for this week's bUJ, with herself aa headliner. Keith's Theatre has played moving pic- tures since the vaudeville wa^s shifted to the Hippodrome. Although billed, to open in the latter place, the' English comedienne objected on account of the size of the house. NtfW "YAMA" OPENS. « Philadelphia, tiay ^6 V "Yama," the musical comedy which has been playing the one and three-night stands during the past season with suc- cess, was presented in a revised state by Alfred E. Aarons at the Walnut on Mon- day under the title of "The Girl From Yama." It was received with approval by a well-filled house and was favorably passed upon by the press. Aarons has rewritten almost the entire show and introduced several new and catchy musical numbers. The company includes Violet Colby, Nellie Daly, Daisy Leon, J. Clarence Harvey, W. W. Black and several other favorites. The famous "Dancing Dolls" scored their usual suc- cess, being given credit for making "the" hit of the show. The piece is scheduled for a summer run, and is expected to round into a very entertaining show when in smooth working order. "OH! YOU KID" MIGHT HURT. Up at the Plaza this week, Grace Cam- eron started off her engagement with the Harry Von Tilzer new song, "I Love My Wife, But, Oh! You Kid." About Tuesday the house manager re- quested Miss Cameron to leave the selec- tion out of her repertoire for the remain- der of the week, suggesting that the clientele of the Plaza might not take to the title. Miss Cameron objected strongly, giving the song its full measure of virtue, and stating it was the hit of her act. The outcome isn't known, but as the Plaza is after the "classy" crowd, the opinion is the Plaza manager preferred that the recollections of his swagger patrons should not be moved by hearing the titled-chorus rather than any direct objection to the song itself. Someone at the Plaza at the Monday night show said that after Miss Cameron finished the first verse and chorus, half the house looked at each other guiltily. "THE MIGHTY MISUNDERSTOOD." Bj J. C. NUGENT. "Tlie woman who cannot understand," 8aya the man with the yellow streak; And "The pubUc that do not understand," Says the genius without a week. And "The husband who never can understand," ^8ays the wife who bates struggling days. And the "World that will never understand," Rays the Wit of the gay cafea. Ob, some need pity, and some need spanks, And some should for being alive give thanks; Some ahould raise chickens; some play tanks, For quitting the battle and Joining the ranks Of the Mighty Misunderstood! Thora, the foreign ventriloquist, who combines female impersonations with his ventriloquial act, has been engaged for the United time, commencing in Septem- ber, placed through the Marinelli office.