Variety (October 1909)

VARIETY 15 MAN AND BEAR FALL 40 FEET. A trained bear fell from a landing, forty feet above the ground, at the Tren- ton State Fair at Trenton, N. J., last week. Not having been trained in the act the animal struck Ernest Alba, his trainer, who had fallen first. The trainer suffered internal injury, but will recover in time to take up a tour of the Sullivan- Considine Circuit, opening Oct. 18 at Winnipeg. Alba's Bears were on the platform at top of the incline at the fair grounds. It has been especially built by the manage- tent and led into a pool, also constructed, hile arranging the bears for their posi- tions, one slipped over the side. Alba grabbed the brute quickly, but too late. Bear and mnn went to the earth, the man underneath, the bear striking him in the pit of the stomach. Alba held bookings on the United time following the Trenton engagement. He had secured permission to play the fair date. Two days l>efore his Trenton open- ing, the animal trainer was notified by the United that the permission was with- drawn, and he should appear at Keith's, Syracuse, on Monday (Sept. 27). This Alba declined to do, stating the Fair management had gone to an expense which morally obliged him to fulfill his contract. Whereupon Alba's Bears had all its United time canceled, accepting the Sullivan-Coaidine Circuit then offered. SOMETHING ON THE CIRCUS. Chicago, Oct. 7. • Side show business was never more thor- oughly considered; never viewed from more angles, and never before the subject of such intelligent discussion as one night last week \vhen Hornmann, the comedy magician, paid a visit to Sol Stone, one of the features of the bill at the Star. Sol 1ms been with circuses for manv years, in this country and abroad. Horn- mann had so many years of it that Stone, wonderful calculator that he is, cannot reach a total. The result of their deliberations, the de- cision reached after taking into consid- eration the terrible consequences' to the circus world of a hasty resolve is: That vaudeville has something on the circus business. BICYCLE LEAP PICTURED. Schnectady, N. Y., Oct. 7. A moving picture camera man will be on hand Saturday when Dare Devil Schre- yer will make the longest bicycle leap into a water tank in his career. The per- formance will be a special one. following ^he closing here of the Fall Carnival. The measured distance from the bottom of the incline to the edge of the tank is 165 feet. Schreyer already has films of twelve dives of lesser extent but wants to add the record distance to his moving picture collection. This afternoon's dive will be the 1,713th that the rider has made. IN THE NORTH OF MEXICO. "Young Dick" Bell will open his circus season for Mexico this month at Cananea, in the Northern part of that country. It is said he will remain there during the winter, not invading Mexico City at all. The Kansas State fair made $0,000 this year and improvements which are counted *a a permanent investment bring the profits up to $11,000. CROP FAILURES, CIRCUS LOSSES. Reports come into New York from the Carolinas that the partial failure of the cotton crop and the short yield of peanuts has worked to the disadvantage of the sev- eral circuses which are just now working that territory. Among the shows in the two southern states at this time are the Barnum- Bailey, Sells-Floto and Howe's Greater London Shows. These are widely scat- tered and there has not yet been any close opposition. CHILD INJURED BY LION. Trenton, Oct. C. A baby son of J. R. Smith, a local resi- dent, was seriously injured here several days ago by a lion in the menagerie of a "jungle show." The youngster was per- mitted to roam close to the cage. Reach- ing inside the bars, he attempted to stroke the big cat. The child's arms were badly torn. SHORTRIDGE LEAVES Y. R. SHOW. Kansas City, Oct. 7. F. M. Shortridge, who has resigned as press agent of the Yankee Robinson Show, was here this week visiting Tom Hodge- man. LEAVING "TWO BILLS." A score or more of the workmen who started out this spring with the "Two Bills'" show have returned to New York before the close of the season. They com- plain that a reduction in the cook tent appropriation gave them insufficient food. A statement by the management of the Ar-Sar-Ben festival shows at Omaha, Neb., is to the effect that the attendance is forty-five per cent, less than last year. The falling off is attributed to the street car strike which has also greatly affected the theatrical business. The Policeman's Benefit at the Audi- torium, Chicago, did not prove the success its promoters anticipated; several reasons are being assigned. Some say that the investigation recently, reflecting on the police department, is responsible for the lack of interest while others claim the commonness of the show is the cause. The sales on the opening day are said to have been $25,000 behind those of the previous year and box office takings were ,1; isappointing. It is now confirmed that Paul Ruez, of the Parisiana, will assume the direction of (he Moulin Rouge, and that he will keep to vaudeville, although he intends turn- ing the garden into a ballroom. Mr. Ruez was at one time managing the Parisiana, Olyinpia. Folies Bergere and Printania— :i handful for one man, but the last three have passed in separate concerns. James D. Dc Wolfe, who wa* compelled by ill health to close in California as one of the "relay" story men with Ringling Bros. Circus, is at his home, No. 163 South Eighteenth St., Columbus, O., where he will remain for an inH°finite time. His condition is a source of great concern to his family and friends, and at present he is sleeping in a tent in the hope that open air will benefit him. Cheering letters from his manv friends in the circus fra- ternitv will no doubt act as a welcome tonic. CICUIT FOR COLORED ACTS. George Archer, of the Victoria Theatre staff, New York, is framing up a circuit of ten weeks, to be played exclusively by colored vaudeville acts. Archer hopes to produce a New York house and make up the other time in and around Chicago. Negotiations to that end are on between Archer and a Chicago man who operates a chain of theatres catering to the colored population. Archer is now handling Sunday evening concerts at the Palace Hall Theatre, 61st Street and Seventh Avenue, taking such colored acts as happen to be in the city for his bills. The concerts are for a charitable object, some of the profits going to the sick fund of the Colored Artists' Bene- volent Association. Last Sunday's performance, the first, included Miss Ringold, Ray and Williams, C. Arthur Rhone, Black Carl, "Five Lico- rice Sticks" with Nettie Glenn, and Cler- monto and Miner. Black Carl, a colored magician is asso- ciated with Archer in the Sunday concerts. "MONK" RIVALRY IN CHICAGO. The "monks" are now in town, Martin Beck's "Charles" and William Morris' "Consul." "Charles, the First" is at the Majestic in its third week. The Majestic is do- ing a big business. "Charles" goes over to the Haymarket next week. At the American "Consul" was added to a program which already contained Paul- ine in the latter's second week. There lias been a marked increase in the attend- ance at the American since Sunday. W. W. ("Doc.") Freeman, for so long a time confidential agent for the Ringling Bros., is now a member of the Shubert's executive staff, permanently located in New York. His special function is to look after the scenery and properties of the Shubert productions as they come in off the road or are sent on tour. Sam McCracken, general contractor for the Ringling Bros., was in New York this week contracting for feed and ar- ranging other details for the arrival of the Barnum & Bailey Show in winter quarters at Bridgeport about Nov. 23. The Ringling Bros. Show will again win- ter in Baraboo. The annual "stag" and smoker of the Theatrical Mechanical Association will be held at the Long Acre Athletic Club Sun- day evening, Nov. 7. Before the smoker nominations for the new officers will be made. James H. Curtin, who has held the post of president for three years, will probably be urged to accept* a renewal of his term of office. The elections will be held at the regular monthly meeting of the Association the first Sunday in December. Frank Elliston and Co., an organization ot English sketch players, have applied to M. S. Bentham for American time. Among the pieces the troupe has in repertoire are "Mv Lady Betty" and "Long Live the King." Mitchell E. Friend, a son of the late Emanuel Friend, and a brother of Al (Friend and Downing) has been nominated for the Assembly in the 31st District of New York. BILLY THOMPSON DOES IT. Chicago, Oct. 7. A private wedding yesterday united Billy Thompson, manager of the Chicago branch of J. H. Remick & Co., and Pearl Elaine Roberts, formerly of the Four Rob- erts and more recently the soubret in "The Alaskan." LITTLE INCIDENT DEVELOPING. Philadelphia, Oct. 7. The little incident of Joe Morris en- gaging a boy from "Shapiro's" store at Atlantic City is growing into a large and fervent feud between the two music pub- lishers. Since the boy thing happened, "Shapiro" has established a selling store next to Morris's place here, and each now is ad- vertising a song resembling the other*! in title at least. Morris' is "Singing Bird"; "Shapiro's," "Song Bird" is fea- tured at the opposition shop. HIGH DIVER KILLED. San Francisco, Oct. 7. The Great Towers died here Wednesday from a broken neck. He was injured Sunday afternoon while making a high dive at the Chutes. Towers, real name, John Mangels, was making an 86-foot dive into a four-foot deep tank of water, around the edge of which spouted flames. Sunday night he missed his footing and seems to have struck the water at the wrong angle. He did not lose conscious- ness up to the time of his death. To the doctors Towers declared he could not explain the accident, saying he did not strike the sides or bottom of the tank, but after landing in the water found himself unable to move. The accident happened at the last performance of an eight weeks' engagement. Towers was twenty-four yearn old and made his first public appearance twelve years ago at the old Chutes. He was then a dancer. The funeral will be held to- day (Thursday). HEADLINERS NEXT WEEK. NEW YORK. Harry Lauder, Plaza. Mabel Ilite and Mike Donlin, Hammer- stein's. Yvette Guilbert, Colonial. Alice Lloyd, Alhambra. Cecil Lean and Florence Hoi brook, Fifth Avenue. Arthur Prince, Joe Boganny Troupe, Empire City Quartet, and Genaro and Bailey (splitting top line), American. George Fuller Golden, and Levi's Band (joint) Fulton. CHICAGO. "Electrical Girls Review," Majestic. "Charles, the First," Haymarket. Ethel May, Star. Claude and Fannie Usher, Criterion. NEW ORLEANS. Karno's Comedy Company, American. Claude Gillingwater and Co., Orpheum. "Wanted, an Angel" is the title of a new sketch which Mildred Holland will launch herself on the seas of vaudeville, under the direction of Edward C. White. Miss Holland has l>een identified with legitimate productions.