Variety (June 1911)

VARIETY NEW HOUSES PLACED ON THE BURLESQ UE WHEELS Western Circuit Adds Star, Chicago, and Park, Phila- delphia. Eastern Wheel Going in St. Paul. Western Wheel Drawing. Chicago, June 7. The Empire Circuit Co. (Western Burlesque Wheel), has secured the Star theatre, from Jones, Linlck & Scheffer. Negotiations were closed for the Wheel by Herman Fehr. The Empire Co. buys the property for $275,000. A company will be formed to take it over, the Empire Circuit corporation subscribing $50,- 000 to the capital stock, each director $5,000, and the traveling road shows on the Wheel allotted each $1,000 worth of stock. Possession will be taken of the house July 1. It will be a Western Wheel spoke commencing with next season. Th e first report of the transaction said that the Western Wheel had rent- ed the property for eleven years at $14,000 yearly. The Star has been playing "pop" vaudeville* Besides the Star, Chicago, the West- ern Wheel closed this week for the Park theatre, Philadelphia. The Eastern Burlesque Wheel will play its attractions the coming season at the new Shubert theatre, St. Paul. A contract is in St. Paul now, only awaiting the signature of a local man- ager (Cooke) to bind the negotiations. The rental of the Shubert to the bur- lesque people will relieve the Shuberts of a stand in that city, which has been a large source of loss to them. St. Paul Is a notoriously poor show town. The legitimate end of it is now wholly in the care of Klaw & Erlanger. The Western Wheel has the Star there. Montreal Is a town in which the Eastern folk will have a theatre of their own for the season of '12-' 13. Plans are now going forward to bu'ld one by that time. The Western Wheel held its annual drawing June 2 at the Bon Ton the- atre, Jersey City. It denotes the opening points for all the Wheel shows next season. While thirty-three are upon the list, there will be three more shows added to the Wheel, as the new houses at Newark and Paterson are completed, with the extra week creat- ed by the addition of the Star, Chi- cago. A meeting of the Empire Cir- cuit Co. was to have been held yester- day to settle these matters. This will increase the strength of the Wheel to thirty-six houses, with as many shows, all week stands, unless a change should hereafter arrive. Richmond and Norfolk may have burlesque when the season opens in the fall. It is understood that Jake Wells has made a proposition to the Empire Circuit Co. (Western Wheel), which carries a guarantee with it, for the playing of the Wheel shows next sea- son. Nothing definite has been done by the Empire people. The matter was under discussion at a conference held after the drawings took place last week. The drawing for the opening posi- tions resulted as follows: "Jardln De Pari*," Folly, Chicago. "Bohemians," Avenue, Detroit. "Zallah'a Own Company," Lafayette, Buffalo. "Pat White's Gaiety Girls," Star, Toronto. "Watson's Beef Trust/6' Royal, Montreal. "Yankee Doodle Girls," Howard, Boston. "The Umpire," Columbia, Boston. "Follies of the Day," Bon Ton, Jersey City. "New Century Girls," Trocadero, Philadelphia. "Jolly Girls," Miner's Bowery, New York. "Empire Show," Casino, Brooklyn. Miner's "Americans," Empire, Brooklyn. "Avenue Girls," New Century, Kansas City. "Cherry Blossoms," Miner's Eighth Avenue, New York. "The Ducklings," Columbia, Scranton. "Big Review," Luzerne, Wllkes-Barre. "Girls From Missouri," Empire, Philadelphia. "Tiger LUUes,' Monumental, Baltimore. "Miss New York, Jr.," Lyceum, Washington. "Sam Devere's Own Show," Pennsylvania Cir- cuit. D. S. Walker's Show, Academy, Pittsburg. "Moulin Rouge," Apollo, Wheeling. " iventucky Belles," Star, Cleveland. "Star Show Girls," Empire, Chicago. "Whirl of Mirth," People's Cincinnati. "Cosy Corner Girls," Buckingham, Louisville. "Merry Maidens," Empire, Indianapolis. "Lady Buccaneers." Standard, St. Louis. "Broadway Gaiety Girls," Century, Kansas City. "Darlings of Paris," Krug, Omaha. '•Imperials," Star, St. Paul. Williams' "Ideals," Dewey, Minneapolis. "Girls From Reno," Star, Milwaukee. PRODUCING ALL FIVE SHOWS. For the coming burlesque season Dan Dody, the stage director, has limited himself to the production of the five Hurtlg & Seamon shows on the Eastern Burlesque Wheel. Mr. Dody will find no time to construct other attractions, excepting a single engagement made by him to put on "The Merry Maidens" for Butler. Jacobs & Lowrie. "The Maidens" will go out next season with a new two-act musical piece, book and lyrics to be written by Sol Aronson. TOM MAHONKY ENGAGED. Jack McAleer has been engaged by B. E. Forrester to manage the "Belles of the Boulevard" next season. Twen- ty-four chorus girls will be carried. Tom Mahoney was signed this week to play one of the principal parts. OLD TITLE HOLDS OVEK. The B-owman Brothers, lessors of the "Vanity Fair" show franchise, on the Eastern Burlesque Wheel from Gus Hill, will not change the title, but will put out a new burlesque in which they will be featured next sea- son. Ben Bolan, who managed the tour of "The Midnight Maidens" last sea- son, will look after "Vanity Fair" this season, while Sydney Ranken will go in advance. MARTELL TUNING THINGS UP. Harry Martell and his lieutenants ar« getting things in shape for next season on the Empire Circuit (West- ern Burlesque Wheel), and some of the principals have been signed for the three Whallen & Martell shows. "The Whirl of Mirth" will be the new show to replace "The Pennant Winners." It will be managed by Charles Daniels. William F. Flagg has written a brand new burlesque entitled "The Morning After" which with new scen- ery and costumes will be produced in "The Kentucky Belles" next season. Among the principals will be Topak and Manning, Byron and Benson, Mr. and Mrs. Lester Pike, and Relyea and Helene. Sixteen chorus girls and six male choristers will be carried. "Sam Devere's Show" will be Per- sonally managed by Lou Stark, who has engaged Ward and Emmett, Early and Late, Gertrude Lynch, Phil Mat- thews, Charles Rentz and wife and Lillie Stevens. Six chorus men and sixteen girls will be with that com- pany. BUILDING IN PATERSON. Maurice Jacobs has verified the re- port that Butler, Jacobs & Lowrie are building a new burlesque house in Pat- erson. Mr. Jacobs said the theatre will be completed by next September. It is to house Western Wheel shows. OonilriK Boon to tho Odeon Cafr, San Fran- cisco, ufu-r which on extended engagement In Honolulu will be played. MUST KEEP KM LIGHTED. One of the now orders placed in effect by the Western Burlesque Wheel is that its circuit houses must be light- ed up during a performance. A full display for next season is demanded, inside and outside of the theatre, the front portion commencing to glare from seven p. m. COLLINS HEADING "MIRTH" SHOW Eddie B. Collins has been selected to head Whallen & Martel's "Whirl of Mirth" show next season. The piece was written by Dave Ma- rion. There will be thirty-three peo- ple carried. SELECTS A PRIMA DONNA. Marie Parks, last season with "Naughty Marietta," has been signed as prima donna for "The Girls From Missouri." the burlesque show which Lewis Talbot will manage on the Western Wheel next season Frank P. Murphy and Eva Mull have been engaged as comedian and soubret for next season. EASTERN'S NEW BOARD. As reported in Variktv, last week, the annual meeting of the Columbia Amusement Co. (Kastern Burlesque Wheel), June 2, brought the changes predicted. (Jus Hill was added to the Board of Directors, and John G. Jer- mon replaced L. Lawrence Weber, re- signed. Mr. Weber's resigned office as treasurer was filled by the election of R. K. Hynicka. The Columbia officers are J. Herbert Mack, president; Jules Hurtlg, vice- president; R. K. Hynicka, treasurer; Sam A. Scribner, secretary. Directors, Charles H. Waldron, Gus Hill, John G. Jermon, Edward Slegman, Charles Barton. The subsidiary companies of the Co- lumbia, Including the Baltimore Thea- tre Co. (Gayety theatre); Gayety Thea- tre Co., Louisville; Chicago Theatre Co. (Columbia); Toronto Theatre Co., (Gayety); Kansas City Theatre Co. (Gayety); Washington Theatre Co. (Gayety); Columbia Building and The- atre Co. (Columbia, New York), also elected officers and directors. Sam A. Scribner is president of each sub- sidiary company, with J. Herbert Mack, vice-president. Other than the Columbia Co. (parent), Mr. Hill was elected to the directorate of the To- ronto company only. The election of Hill is probably by arrangement, to settle all pending liti- gation. Mr. Hill was backed up in the factional fight made against the Columbia Co. by Fred Irwin and Harry Bryant. Mr. Irwin left for the north after disposing of his shows for next season. What Mr. Bryant has re- ceived out of all the noise made, no one knows. All that Mr. Bryant wanted, according to report, was a complete statement from companies in which he had invested money. Hill wanted recognition, having been re- vengeful since forced out of the office as treasurer of the Columbia Co. two or three years ago. From the returns, Mr. Hill has received his recognition, but another thing the "faction" made oath they would break, "The Voting Trust," still remains. It is "The Voting Trust" that still runs the East- ern Burlesque Wheel. The peacemaking may go on until perhaps Fred Irwin will yet talk and be talked to by J. Herbert Mack, or Gus Hill take lunch with Ed. Rush. In these days of wild words and little doing, no one would drop dead were they to see Gus Hill and Larry Weber having tea together. J. Goldenberg, once of the faction, ducked from under when the going looked bad. Another factionist, Pete Clark, who signed his name often enough to Bee it in print once or twice, was early pronounced harmless, be- cause he was not a stockholder. At the election of the Columbia Amusement Co., it developed that the Irwin-llill-Bryant faction had 54 votes, some by proxies The regular ticket brought out about l,7(»0 votes. Mr. Bryant is reported to have left in the middle of the meeting, much disgusted. The increase of the hoard to nJiH|- members permitted of the insertion of Mr. Slegman. The next meeting will take, place in July.