Variety (October 1909)

VARJRX* in if t'jtx ..ihwpwi ARTISTS' F6Rt£*t 4 1 ?_•_** year letters to 1M worts aadwittaea eaa side «f Beyer saly. kaaloattois will iMU fifaAM. *as» t* wilts* aast to sitae* aa4 srtjl to toll la strict ssaSfltjiee, If desired.. Letters to to published la tafi'oetaaa au^ to wrltUa ex«lat*rtly«ta YAEXSTT. letters wffl set to plated. Taa wrttor waa AafUaatoa. it appears aese, will aat to penal had tto prfoUapeuof It afala. Daplioated > Casselton, N. D., Sept. 26^ Editor Vabiety : ' I want to issue a note of warning to artists against the Webster Circuit in. Dakota. There are big jumps and poor treatment awaiting acts, on that; time un- less they protect themselves in advance. You are obliged to pay railroad even when handed a "split" week, and also your baggage hauling. We played a full week, then we were given a "split" and told we would have to pay fare between towns. We played, three days here and quit. We would not have appeared here Monday at all, but the man- ager is a fine young fellow and as he plays only one team we remained, the booking not being his fault. There are any number of artists who can verify what we say. Casey and Lynn. Lima, O., Sept. 25. Editor Variety: We note in Vabjetx^ where Rooney and Bent offer a new sketch, whereby they use a news stand also working in street. Rooney doing a "newsy." I wish to state I am the original of the title of "The Two Newsies" and have been for the past four years. We open our act in "one" (street), with newsstand. Would like to know who ,hauded the "new" idea to Rooney and Bent? Kraft and Myrtle, "The Two Newsies." > New York, Sept. 26. Editor Variety: Just a few words in regard to the criti- cism of Three Gilden Sisters by Dash. He says "they lack up-to-dateness— doing a series of old-time clog dances." This old-time clog dancing is just what the public want, and I'll put that dancing against the best "lively-step dancing," as Dash calls the present "buck dancing," which has been done to death years ago, and done by every other "newsboy" and 'bootblack" at the present time. The best buck dancers get nothing out of it. The way the Gilden Sisters put up this dance is not old and has never been done by any dancers. Dash forgot, or did not know, the difference between an Irish jig and clog as he did not mention the fact that the girls finish their first num- ber with up-to-date Irish jig dancing. Mack Gilden, Mgr. 3 Gilden Sisters. Paris, Sept. 20. Editor Vabiety: Let me congratulate you, as Variety is the only American theatrical paper that* I can find in Berlin or on the Grand Boulevard, Paris. You know I am always looking for that good circus news. /. M. Southern. FottsviHe, Pa., Sept. 25. Editor Variety : In review of Jack* Davis at the Man- hattan, New York, I wish to inform the gentleman that I am the "original Jack Davis." That is my own name and have been known in the profession' as such for the past ten years. Consicjer him using it as an infringe- ment on my rights. Jack Davis, (Davis and Thorndyke.) Central Theatre, Germany, Sept. 14. Editor Variety: * I want to make a protest against copy acts. I read in Variety of a recent is- sue ox a line used by a Broadway police- man as he quietly saunters by "39 and Broadway," remarking, sotto voice "Up stage, Boys." The line was used 15 years ago, which can easily be proven by some that will remember the old Keith 8th Street Theatre, Philadelphia. Artists will remember the stage door there led out into 8th Street, as they would step out for a breath of air and stopped to consume too much of the at- mosphere, they would be greeted with the words, "Up Stage, Boys." I don't mean to accuse one of the finest of purloining some brother officer's original material, for it may be original with him, but is is an old gag and perhaps has slept in the Quaker village all these years. I am not afraid to make this accusa- tion as I don't expect to reach Broadway for some time to come. M. Zazcll, (Zazell-Vernon Co.) LOST—ONE THRILLER. Somewhere in this vicinity there is one Desperado, also known as Frenzio, the "Human Comet," who played almost three consecutive performances for the "Two Bills'" show in Madison Square Garden last spring. J. Harry Allen, the agent, booked him some weeks ago as an important open air feature of the State Fair, now being held in Trenton, N. J. Contracts were signed and delivered in full and ample form, but when the time came for the performance there was no Desperado in sight. He had faded from the face of the earth. Desperado is likewise booked by Mr. Allen for the Brockton Fair which opens next Tuesday, but whether he will play or not—even if he appears—is a question. Allen has booked in twenty-seven acts for the Brockton display. They include 117 people, not counting Desperado. The fair runs from next Tuesday until the fol- lowing Friday, and is the biggest thing of its kind in the east. Among the attrac- Homf'this year will be a new aeroplane operated under the direction of William Curzon, manager of the Curzon Sisters. Will L. Thompson died Sept. 21 at the age of 02. He was a composer of sacred songs, and at his home, East Liverpool, O., con4ucte'q a music publishing cstab- »- I ~^~£MABSBff<WAKES KMUMW. rjjha* folio/ring 4 let£er wa» received by Percy G- Williams this week: Atlantic City, N. J. - Dear Friend: The time has come when I must ycu° a "qveation, 'the contemplation of which has caused me many a sleep- less night, bitter weeks of anguish, and corresponding days of anxiety. This is a subject on which I hesitate to speak to anyone, as I know the whole community is disturbed at the present moment by the same problem which agitates me. Many happy homes have been broken up by the same cause, and I dare not even com- municate my state of mind to my immediate family, as they are a bit old fashioned about such matters. In my distress I must humbly turn to you for sympathy. It may surprise youj old fellow, that I would com- municate with you on such a delicate subject, which only my heart should know, but like morning dawn, the light must come, and the public must., know sooner or later. I ask you for. your friendly advice, knowing you will understand the matter better than I can explain. In asking this great favor of you, and while you are de- liberating, I wish you would lay aside all business cares and social func- tions in order that you may properly consider the question. I hesitate to ask it, but must come to the point. Do you think it is time to put on my winter underwear T - Anxiously awaiting your reply, be- lieve me Merrily yours, Marshall P. Wilder. Mr. Wifliams replied: "Not yet, but soon. >» TOO MUCH LUNG EXPANSION. The scientific division of Harvard Col- lege has pronounced the lungs of Cora Youngblood Corson abnormal, and in- formed the young woman it will be neces- sary for her to develop the upper portion of her body until the expanded lungs may be accommodated with more ease. The condition has resulted from Miss Corson's continual playing of the eupho- nium, a brass musical instrument. Con- stant blowing has brought Cora and the lungs to a point where the physicians say that though weighing only 145 pounds, she has a development in her breathing apparatus equal to that of any man, not excepting Jeffries. Miss Corson is the leader of the Cora Youngblood Corson Sextet. There is in process of manufacture for her, it is said, an euphonium or some brass instrument which will be sufficiently large upon com- pletion to hold within it all the instru- ments of an ordinary band, including the drums. C. B. Allen, a variety artist, died of tuberculosis in Denver, Sept. 21. He was the author of several songs. lishment. Frank Appleton, aged 34, died at his home, 748 Burr Street, St. Paul, on Sept. 11, of tuberculosis. A widow, known "pwM»» fesaionally as Constance Windom, sow* '**> brother, Arthur Don, also a father, sutivfvo the deceased. ,...,;• *■ r> A §Eir MADE MANAGER TO HIS BOOKING AGENT BY J. A. MUfiPHY. (MITBPHY AJTD WHXAJLD.) (Tbe first of a series by Mr. Mu/pfaj. detail- ing the bjpothetlcsl reports end trials of s "small tltae" manager.) East Cranberry, Ohio, Sept. 20. Dear Mike: The show you sent me this week is no account at all. You cracked it up to me as something extra but it' don't take so good as some I had for less money. To begin with r I don't see what you want to send me another musical act for when you know I have an orchestra, I have to pay two small fiddlers, one big one, a flute and some other thing. I wouldn't care so much if the act would play the music for the rest of the show, I could lay the orchestra off for a week and save money by it. The black face act took pretty well but one of them got himself up as a nlgress wench and as one of the stockholders is married to a mullato, she thought it was a take off on her and got p/etty mad about it. Another one that don't amount to ipuih is Madam Hystingorse, the giftet} aoptano. I don't see any gift about it ; whqn. fehave to pay her A K for singing, three sonss, She don't sing a thing that an^^Jv, knows. The orchestra didn't know o( fcey r songs and they haven't, leajrnt,'em. .ye^/ If the actors can't sing songs my orches-. tra knows I don't want them, The Armordale Duo is pretty fair but there is only two of .them, l .expected, tbere would be, more people in their tfO#pe, The Ten Swiss Yodlers are. very cheesy and I cant see thero fqr B. O. I£. If I have to.pay that much for an act I ex.-. pect.juqre than ten peopled it, You .said you was going to send ma some elephants, and you havenXdone.it, I.would rather have an elephant Jhan Madam Hystin- gorse if I could get it for the same pride. I took in eight dollars less this Monday than I did last Monday, and the show cost ten dollars more than last week's. Xow this wont do at all, and you must send me the kind of shows that will catch on all the time and if you can't do it say so and I will give my show booking t$ Jule Ruby. Don't send them black face fellows back, here again. Adam Sower guy, Manager. SUBSCRIBERS FOR JOE PALMER. The following subscriptions' have been- received by Will J. Cooke for Joe Palmer, who is confined in a sanitarium in the west: Geo. EVan* $20.00 Julian Rose 20.00 Al Jolson 10.00 Hobby ' North 10.00 Herbert Court 10.00 Rime Silverman 10.00 Uussle Nelson 0.00 Alf Grsnt 2.00 Abe Thslbelnier 2.00 Will J. Cooke 2.00 Harry Stanley 1.0fi> Robert Nome 1.00 O. T. Flake 1.00 Joe WatHon 1.00 9100,00 < William G. Beckwith, a sometime writer of vaudeville sketches?--died on board the yacht "San Tojf,"* SWP*fi by Joseph W. Cone, treasurernof^he Amphion theatre, Brooklyn, at HdcRawa? Beach, Sept. 26, a victim of ptomaine poisoning. *V