Variety (April 1910)

VARIETY POLAIRE STARTS SOMETHING. A foreign act started something this week in New York before making an ap- pearance here. Mile. Polaire, playing at the Palace, London, will open an American engagement on Hammerstein's Roof when the season for the aerial place starts. Next fall she is under contract to play for the Orpheum Circuit. , The Orpheum agreement, arranged by Martin Beck, while abroad stipulated that Mile. Polaire should not appear on this side of the water before fulfilling the Orpheum agreement. William Hammerstein, deciding with himself that the prospect of Gertrude Hoffmann for his Roof seemed very slim, negotiated for Polaire, and upon the point of closing, discovered the prohibi- tion clause in the Beck contract. Mr. Hammerstein asked Beck to release Polaire for New ork over the summer. At first Beck declined to do so, and it is reported sharp words followed between the two managers. It was afterwards "fixed." Meanwhile a statement was sent out to the New ork newspapers Tuesday evening stating the circumstances and in- timating that the collision might lead to a break in the relations between the "East" and "West." The same evening the statements were recalled. , When the story was got up some thought it was an attempt to gain publicity for Hammerstein's Roof attraction. Others figured that if Beck had objected to an Orpheum Circuit act playing New Nork before opening on the Orpheum Circuit, he must have had a very good reason. The ever present argument when or where the Orpheum Circuit will locate in New York City was again brought up, with the Polaire incident as an extra attrac- tion for the discussion (Special Cable to Variety.) London, April G. Mile. Polaire has been engaged through the Marinelli office to open at Hammer- stein's around June 1 at a reported weekly salary of $3,500, and Sundays ex- cepted. CALLS FOY "SERIOUS COMEDIAN." When John R. Rogers pulled out a watch on Tuesday to wave the signal that the Western Union should drop its noon time ball, he remarked while fondly gaz- ing at the timepiece: "That's from Eddie Foy, the only serious comedian I ever knew. In all my years of managership, Mr. Foy has given me my only present." DIXEY'S CURTAIN RAISER. April 11 at the Colonial Henry E. Dixey will start upon another short vaudeville tour, placed through M. S. Bentham. The vaudeville offering will be "Over a Welsh Rarebit/' which the actor presented as a curtain raiser at the Garrick, New York, some time back. NEW "TERRIER" PRESIDENT. Griff, the comedy juggler, receives no- tice this week that he had been elected president by the Terriers, an English or- ganization resembling the Actors' Fund in the States. Griff is the first artist who has been chosen for the office. The last president was G. P. R. Burgess, a promi- nent attorney in London. Griff sails for London May 18, on the Lusitania, ORPHEUM TAKES DOCKSTADER. $1,500 weekly will be the stipend the Orpheum Circuit will turn over to Ix»w Dockstader for all of next season, com- mencing in September when the man in blackface opens at the Majestic, Chicago. Pat Casey fixed the contract. Ben Harris, the Atlantic City vaudeville magnate, has taken the personal direction of Mr. Dockstader's • wanderings in the variety enclosure. Lew Dockstader's name will shortly be- come familiar in tobacco circles. The min- strel man has decided to embark in the cigar industry, together with one A. H. Schlange, an experienced cigar manufac- turer and personal friend of the cork artist. The firm name will be The Lew Dockstader Cigar Company and will be in- corporated under the laws of Illinois with an authorized capital of $50,000, says Tobacco, the official journal of the trade. Mr. $chlange will be the business manager. "FOLLIES" EXTENDS SEASON. "The Follies of 1910" will have its sea- son extended long enough for the show to appear a*t the New City Theatre on 14th Street, following the engagement of "Miss Innocence," which opens the house April 18. The extension will probably carry the show into May, delaying Eva Tan- guay, the "Follies" star, from re-entering vaudeville. Miss Tanguay is figuring upon making a "production" of her reappearance in vaudeville, but may conclude to come back as a "single" once again. A contract for all next season in vaudeville is possi- ble. A CHEAP EXPERIMENT. Boston, April 6. Mrs. Sara Eleanor Puffer, the actress- dancer who made her dramatic debut at the Castle Square Theatre last year, has been granted a divorce decree nisi from the Reverend Charles H. Puffer, pastor of the First Universalist Church of Salem. Theirs was the famous "trial divorce" case. In 1907 the Puffers agreed to live apart for three years. At the end of that time, if either husband or wife wished to continue the separation, application for divorce was to be filed. During this "trial divorce" Mr. Puffer paid his wife $75 a month. Mrs. Puffer secured her divorce on the grounds of desertion. She is now liv- ing in Brookline. DARK SCHEME FLOPS. New Orleans, April 6. The Temple, which has offered all-whit'; vaudeville acts to all-colored audiences, has stilled its swinging doors. Vacant seats the reason. Mr. Edwards' liabilities show that sal- aries are yet due acts from last week. MYSTERIOUS BROADWAY HOUSE. Rumors were in circulation this week that plans were being drawn for a new amusement place to be located at 50th Street and Broadway, the specific corner of the four not being mentioned. The plans show that the lower floor will be forty feet in height and profusely decorated with foliage, while tables will be set about and a cafe run in connection with it. From the vague descriptions that have "leaked" the proposed place seems to be modeled closely upon the plans of the music halls in Europe. ERLANGER WILL SEE STOLL. *, t On Tuesday A. L. Erlanger sailed for Europe and will be over there a few days, long enough to visit with Oswald Stoll. What Mr. Erlanger will talk about, with Mr. Stoll isn't reported, but the sudden- ness of the Erlanger departure suggests something important. There is said to be no offer now stand- ing for'Klaw & Erlanger's New York The- atre. An old story was revived last week with Martin Beck's name connected with it, that the New York would pass over to the Orpheum Circuit. Reports connected the New York Her- ald as a purchaser, but the facts seem to be that K. & E. will sell the site upon receiving their price, $3,500,000, and that William R. Hearst has been the only one to meet that figure. Mr. Hearst, however, does not care to take the property over just at this time. Some years ago at the foreclosure sale by the New York Life Insurance Co. the Sires bought the property in for around $1,000,000, and it is said the New York Theatre building now stands Klaw & Er- langer about $1,500,000. Mr. Hearst wants a large office and newspaper building in Times square, with his printing plant working behind large plate glass windows on the ground floor. HAS GERMAN COMEDIENNE. Through the Marinelli office the Shu- berts have engaged Gussie Holl, a German comedienne, who has been at the Passage, Berlin. Melville Ellis located the girl in the German town. Several managers have sought her, and she is engaged to follow the summer season (Lew Fields' revue) at the Palace, London, Alfred Butt having Fraulein Holl under contract. The Shuberts have also taken the Ger- man comedian, Matzner, for the Fields show, and have the Jackson Troupe of seven dancers for the same production. MARTIN BECK'S MONTHLY. ''The Spectator" is in line to be chosen as the title of Martin Beck's monthly magazine, to first appear around May 1. Edward E. Pidgeon, of the Orpheum press staff, is giving the publication his at- tention. It will be a magazine of sixteen pages or more, printed in New York for gratuitous distribution in the several Or- pheum theatres in the west. The merits of the Orpheum attractions will be extolled in readable form by Mr. Pidgeon and Mark A. Luescher, who are to be the associate editors, while space will be devoted to each Orpheum town. "MIND-READING MONK." A "mind-reading monkey" is the newest promise of an animal trainer, one Felix Berol, who has a vaudeville act. He is rehearsing the "monk" on a New York stage during the mornings, and declares that he will put it over with a little more practice. RUBE WADDELL MARRIES AGAIN. St. Louis, April 6. (Seorge Edward "Rube" Waddell. baseball Htar, divorced two months ago, was li- censed here on Monday to wed Margie Maguire of New Orleans. They met while playing in "The Stain of Guilt" several seasons ago, SINGES LEAVING LA SALLE. Chicago, April 6. The final decision of the Appellate Court concerning possession of La Salle Theatre will ^doubtlessly be rendered Thursday or Friday. Anticipating the ruling and be- lieving that business on the road for three weeks of a spring tour would exceed that period at Le Salle, Mort Singer will ter- minate the run of "The Flirting Princess" with the 240th performance April 16. The present company and production . will be taken intact for a tour of one nighters, ending with one week in Milwaukee. Asked concerning the move, Mr. Singer said any decision the court might make would be agreeable to him, for he had fulfilled his vow to finish the season at the La Salle, when Harry Askins, who fought Singer for possession of that thea- tre had declared that he (Singer) would be thrown out of the premises. When Askins was requested to state if he had any plans concerning the La Salle in the event the court gave him posses- sion, he answered he was in possession now, and that Singer was paying rent to him. As between landlord and tenant he added he had given no thought to the matter of a production, but his manner did not carry conviction. An effort to gain some definite information was thwarted by Aakin with the air of a man who imagined that if he went down to Lake Michigan and stuck his finger into the water he would leave a hole upon pulling his finger out. Regardless of Askins' stled disregard of the La Salle future, there is a report that Johnny Young, who has been playing in the road comedy, "The Girl and the Money," which toured on bookings made by Askins, will be presented at the La Salle under the Askin's management some time in May. Iff is not known whether "The Girl and the Money" will be made into a musical piece or whether a new vehicle will be provided. Only Askins knows this. At the other Mort Singer house, where "Miss Nobody From Starland' is running, there has developed a tense situation by the precipitate withdrawal of Ralph Ilerz to go into the Frazee-Lederer production at the Colonial. Walter Jones was an- nounced to open last Sunday, but could not get up in the Herz part. Jones will take up the role about Saturday. Mean- while George Moore is playing it. Though Herz left, the newspaper advertising in- cluding today's papers has Herz's name continued, as it has run all along, in e<|ii;il prominence to that of Bessie Wynn. When Herz suddenly withdrew, a report leaked out that Bessie Wynn might be superceded, but a Variety representative upon interviewing both Singer and Miss Wynn found that each agreed that her engagement would not end, unless the un forseen happened. Singer says the piece will run on indefinitely. As Miss Wynn's contract with Singer stipulates that nobody shall be billed above her. the introduction of Jones to the cast is awaited with some interest, aside from that which would naturally at tend the return to Chicago of a loeal favorite. Luciano Lucca replaced the Countess Rossi on the Hammerstein bill this week Lucca, who has a couple of different voices in his chest, is under the personal direction of Aaron Kessler.