Variety (December 1911)

VARIETY BIJOU, CHICAGO, FORSAKES MELL ERS AFT ER SO YEARS Cancels Stair & Havlln Booking Contract Through Scarcity of Suitable Attractions. Picture and Illustrated Song Policy to be Installed. Changes and Shifts In Connection with Switch. Chicago, Nov. 29. With the last performance of the Marvin-Roche stock company's produc- tion of "Chinatown Charlie" next Sat- urday night, the Bijou theater will cease to be a link in the Stair & Hav- lln chain, and incidentally for the first time in over half a century the Halsted street playhouse will desert the policy of melodrama for pictures and illus- trated songs. This rather sudden and quite unexpected change of policy is the direct result of a scarcity of 'suit- able Stair ft Havlln attractions. With the closing of the Bijou, Resi- dent Manager Ralph T. Kettering will shift the Bcene of his labors elsewhere. He will continue to be general press representative of the Mort H. Singer attractions, a position he has held for the past year, and will take the man- agement of the Marlowe theater. In addition to those responsibilities, Mr. Kettering has closed a deal with Will- iam A. Brady whereby he will be the general western press representative for all the Brady attractions playing out this way. Colonel Billy Roche still continues at the head of the Bijou-Academy company, as well as the active partner of Charles B. Marvin in the producing enterprises at the Alhambra. The cancellation of the Stair ft Hav- lln booking contract with the Bijou was brought about in a satisfactory manner through the mediation of Colonel Roche, who has been success- ful in effecting an arrangement with Mr. Havlln whereby the latter is to send the Marvin-Roche productions into the Havlln theatre in St. Louis and in return will continue to play Stair ft Havlin shows at the Alhambra or any other house that may be con- trolled by Marvin and Roche in this city. A late announcement from the Mar- vin and Roche headquarters indicates the Alhambra will discontinue playing road attractions at the conclusion of the return engagement of "The Smart Set," week of Jan. 21, and will be a permanent stock theatre after the fashion of Marvin's other house, the Marlowe. HARRY FISHER IN "PEGGY." Philadelphia, Nov. 27. Joseph Mitchell, of Mitchell and Qulnn, has been working on the book of "Peggy," which is being prepared on the road for a visit to New York. Harry Fisher will open with the show this week. Mitchell has built up a strong comedy part for him. Alva York, of the "Peggy" show, has been enjoying a lively chase by attach- ment servers owing to a contract al- leged to have been broken by her. Miss York was signed to appear in vaude- ville but accepted an engagement with the musical piece. The contract is said to have carried a provisional clause to protect the booking agent, who has lodged attachments twice. Bonds were filed to permit Miss York to go along with the piece. MAUD DANIELS' COMPANY. Chicago, Nov. 29. Somewhere around Chicago Dec. 23 Maud Daniels will present her newest formed Wilbur Opera Co. Miss Dan- iels is rehearsing the company gathered by her at the Whitney. ROSE 8TAHL GOING TO LONDON. Henry B. Harris will send Rose Stan 1 to London with "Maggie Pepper," opening at the British metropolis some time next April. FRANK PAYNE DISABLED. A couple of days after Frank Payne, the press representative for Werba & Luescher, returned to New York, he was informed by a surgeon that a couple of his ribs he had allowed to get between a car and a truck at New Orleans would have to go to the hospi- tal. Mr. Payne went with them. He may remain there to look the frac- tured members over for a few days. "SHORTY McCAHE" XMAS. Chicago, Nov. 29. Lederer ft Frazee's production of "Shorty McCabe" with Victor Moore, will open at the Cort Christmas Eve. "The Master of the House" will leave there the day before. REORGANIZING "GIRL" SHOW. Chicago, Nov. 29. "The Girl Who Dared," which closed recently, will again go out, under the title of "The Beggar Prince Opera Company." Etta Morris, wife of manager Frank Wade, attended to the reframe at Des Moines. The show opens tomorrow night at Ogden. "RED ROSE" at C. O. H. Chicago, Nov. 29. Valeska Suratt in "The Red Rose" is slated to open at the Chicago Opera House Christmas Eve., succeeding Mar- guerite Sylva in "Gypsy Love," unless the Sylva show takes an extraordinary spurt In the matter of receipts. "Gypsy Love" is playing to good business here, considering the season of year, but nothing to warrant its re- tention beyond the Yuletide. STOCK AT WHITNEY'. Chicago, Nov. 29. Permanent stock will take the stage of the Whitney Opera House Christ- mas Day. Willard Mack and Maude Leone will head the company. The Whitney will likely remain "dark" until that time. FIELDS AND DRESSLER. A co-star engagement for Lew Fields and Marie Dressier is on the cards for the spring at the Broadway theatre, with the idea of continuing the pro- duction throughout the summer months. A piece is being mapped out for the plan. If It meets with the approval of both stars they will probably take up the matter seriously. MAY TRANSFER EMMY WEHLEN. With the reported return of Emmy Wehlen and her personal manager, George B. McClellan, from a long stay abroad, comes the report that Charles B. Dillingham, who has the singer under contract, will turn her over to Llebler ft Co. That firm has been anxious to get hold of the artist for some time. GETTING READY BIG MELLER. Wagenhals ft Kemper will produce in four weeks a new melodrama by Paul Armstrong. A company of thirty has already been engaged, with Elita Proctor Otis in the leading role. This despite the announcement of the man- agement of "The Three Romeos" that Miss Otis would not retire from the cast of their musical comedy. (It is reported she leaves it this Saturday.) The Armstrong piece is described as a regular old-fashioned blood and thunder "meller," with three scenes in each act and other accessories, such as prevailed In heavy productions a score of years agone. OPENING AT WASHINGTON. The new Marie Cahill piece, ("The Opera Ball") will be given its first showing next Monday in Washington. It is an adaptation of "Der Opern- ball," by Jerome Kern and Sydney Rosenfeld. Among the women in Miss CahiU's support will be Ann Tasker and Mildred Elaine. The German company playing at the Irving Place theatre presented "The Opera Ball" In German Thursday and Friday of this week. SWALLOWED A PIN. Amite City, la., Nov. 29. Alice Wickershaw, a chorus girl, appearing here in a local theatre, nar- rowly escaped death last Friday from the effects of swallowing a pin dur- ing one of the performances. While adjusting a garment, the young wo- man placed the pin in her mouth. In a collision with another chorister she swallowed it. Fortunately, Dr. Glenn J. Smith, a local physician, was in the audience and relieved her distress after ten minutes of heroic treatment. EDNA GIVES UP LOOKING. Edna Goodrich, unable at present, to obtain a suitable sketch for her appearance in vaudeville, has about decided to call it off. She was to have opened at the Fifth Avenue in Jan- uary, but the lack of a proper vehicle forces her to change plans. It is understood legitimate mana- gers have tempted Miss Goodrich to look their way, which, may have had something to do with her passing up the variety end. Try *a ad. In VARIETY. Juit •<* HAMMERSTEIN'S LUCKY "FIND." (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Nov. 20. Oscar Hammerstein has a genuine discovery in Felicia Lyne. Saturday she scored an electrical success in "Rigoletto" and is acclaimed as not only a great singer but a fine actress. She has a "voice of gold" with an easy compass to E in alt, a combination of Melba and Tetrazzini. The "marvel" was trained by Mme. Marches!. Hammersteln's discovery of the woman Is said to have removed all pos- sible doubt of his success, which was still problematical up to the new prima donna's debut. Orville Harold, who was discovered in American vaudeville by the impresario, has proved another triumph. GIVES GOOD PERFORMANCE. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Nov. 29. Louis Calvert, in the role of Mlcaw- ber in the condensed version of "David Copperfleld" at the Empire, gave a fine portrayal of the part and was well received. HURRIED REOPENING. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) Paris, Nov. 29. The reopening of the burned Al- hambra is announced for Dec. 1, although the repairs to the gallery are still unfinished. The Casino reopening is scheduled for some time in Decem- ber under the management of Peter Carin, formerly director of the Ca- pucines, with possibly similar pro- grams. The new Folies Bergere Revue is heralded for its premiere the evening of Dec. 1. FLEMING PRODUCING IN PARIS. Carrol Fleming of the New York Hippodrome will go to Paris In De- cember to produce the "Plantation" number from last year's "Hip" show at the Olympla. White men in black face were used at the New York house, but Mr. Fleming has arranged to take over pretty near all the colored perform- ers he can find. PLAY PUZZLED AND GRIPPED. St. Louis, Nov. 29. Frances Starr in "The Case of Becky" puzzled and yet gripped a large audience Monday night at the Olympic, when the opening perform- ance was given. The piece is a very interesting one, but somewhat harrowing, yet the audi- ence was never bored. Miss Starr appeared to great ad- vantage in the dual characters of Becky and Dorothy. Albert Brunlng as Dr. Emerson was excellent and the remainder of the company exceeding- ly good. The production Is well worth seeing and hearing. Rothwell fflrowne has been placed by Joe Wood for ten weeks on the small time. "Tho Parisian Girls," owned by Blake & Fisher, closed in Indiana the early part of this week.