Variety (October 1913)

VARIETY LONDON'S SHOW SEASON HAS VERY GOOD START Music Halls With Two Exceptions Doing Very Well. Many Current Plays Drawing. Holiday Productions j| Will Revive Interest in Drooping Houses. {Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Oct. 1. Since the fall season opened in Lon- don most of the West End music halls have been fortunate with business. But two have felt a slump, Hippo- drome and Tivoli. The Hippodrome closed its "Hello, Ragtime" revue last week and followed it in with an Italian opera chorus which did not do any- thing. The slump, however, is only tem- porary, as a new production around Christmas is bound to bring the busi- ness back. The Tivoli, on account of closing'at some near date, has been going easy in the way of bookings, and business has not been up to the mark in consequence. The Palace has Gaby, and though some parts of the audience show disapproval the French artiste is packing the hall nightly. The Alhambra is on the last week of its revue, "Eightpencc a Mile." Business is only fair, but the revue was a popu- lar one and must have netted a big profit. The Empire follows a revue with a short musical comedy that is attracting fair business. The Colise- um with Bernhardt did big at the open- ing, but not the business of former years. This week, however, with a few add- ed features, like Arthur Bouchier and Florence Smithson, the house has tak- en a turn for the better. The Pavillion up to now has done big business for eight weeks with the short revue, "Step This Way." The Oxford has been doing average business these past four weeks. The London Opera House has been filling the cheaper parts, doing fairly in the downstairs section. The Palladium has not looked back since the beginning of August, when Harry Lauder started things there. The press and public of London have not been exactly kind to most of the new productions this fall. Only about half the new ones can be voted successful. The most successful current plays are: "Joseph and His Brethren" at His Majesty's, "Never Say Die" at the Apollo, "Sealed Orders" at the Drury Lane, "The Marriage Market" at Daly's, "Within the Law" at the Haymarket. "The Great Ad- venture" at the Kingsway, "The Ty- phoon" at the Newcastle and "Diplo- macy" at Wyndham's. Two melo- dramas doing well are "The Ever Open Door" at the Aldwych and "The Beggar Girls' Wedding" at the Ly- ceum. "WINKED AT A GUY," $100. Kansas City, Oct. 1. Eighteen-year-old Ethel Hogue picked up too much worldly wisdom in her vocation of moving picture singer. She kept a diary of her experiences. It was read in the North Side Municipal Court a few days ago when Ethel had to tell why she ought not be put under control of the welfare board. "I sang 'Have You Got a Room to Kent, Dear, in Your Heart for Me' last night," read one entry in the diary. "I winked at one guy and sang the whole chorus to him. When I went out he and the Jane that was with him were waiting for me. She tried to bawl me out." "You should be put over a barrel and spanked," said Justice Burney, and fined her $100 in order to bring her under control of the welfare board. The girl's parents had asked the police to find her. THE J., L. & S. TIME. Chicago, Oct. 1. Announcements from the press de- partment of the Jones, Linick & Schaeflfer offices state that their vau- deville agency is now booking the fol- lowing Chicago houses exclusively: McVicker's, Colonial, Wilson Avenue, Crown, Willard, Star, Hippodrome, Plaza, Schindler's, Franklin, Colum- bia, Virginia, New Oak Park theatre, Iris, Palace, Bijou Dream and Pre- mier. This firm also provides attractions for theatres in the following towns outside of Chicago: Cincinnati, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville and Detroit, in conjunction with houses in Springfield, 111., Kankakee, 111., Cen- tralia. 111., Lincoln, 111., Terre Haute, Ind., Gary, Ind., Logansport, Ind., La Porte, Ind., Hammond, Ind., Findlay, O., Norwood, O., Beloit, Wis., and Janesville, Wis. EVELYN NESBIT THAW. Evelyn Nesbit Thaw has the centre oval on Varibti's front page this week. Sh^ commenced this week a starring tour under the management oi Comstock & Gest, opening at the West End theatre, New York. While urged into theatrical pi-omi- nence through her family connections, Mrs. Thaw has shown quite some abil- ity for the stage, and is at present fea- tured in "Mariette," her starring piece, in a difficult pantomimic role which she handles extraordinarily well, con- sidering it is very unlikely any pre- vious stage training prepared her for the part. In the dancing act presented by Mrs. Thaw and Jack Clifford at Ham- merstein's for eight weeks, Mrs. Thaw created a favorable impression, both as to the actual work in the turn and her appearance. Mr. Clifford's pic- ture is also on the front cover. Mrs. Thaw has proven to be a phe- nomenal drawing card, holding the record for a long run and receipts at Hammerstein's, besides receiving the largest salary ever paid to any one in American vaudeville, excepting Sarah Bernhardt and H? ry Lauder. POLICE QUIZ AGENT. The New York Marinelli office has received a cable from Berlin, bringing news of the seizure by the police of that city of the books and correspond- ence of the Passport office, which acts as an agency abroad for the Orphcum and United Booking Office circuits. The authorities wanted to know, said the Marinelli cable, whether the agency was violating the law, which prohibits a person acting as agent and manager or theatre owner at the same time and receiving commissions from artists for his services in booking. An inquiry will be made along these lines by the German authorities, said the Marinelli cable. (Special Cable to Vabibtt.) Paris, Oct. 1. It is reported here the Berlin police seizing the^l^oks of the William Pass- part agency m^tljat city created a sen- sation among the vaudeville theatrical people there. H. B. Marinelli in an interview says he has no animosity against Passpart, but only protected himself against the attacks made on him by the United Booking Offices of America. (Special Cable to Vabmtt.) Berlin, Oct. I. The action or complaint by H. B. Marinelli against William Passpart as an agent here is not looked upon as a serious matter. Passpart books for the Orpheum Circuit in America. Contracts made through him for that time are usually executed or completed in London. It's a question if the Berlin author- ities have jurisdiction over Passpart as an agent. SWAPPED FARM FOR THEATRE. South Bend, Oct. 1. T. C. Whitehead, of Albion, Mich., has complained to the prosecuting at- torney that he was bilked by Arthur G. Hull, who operated the Columbia theatre here. Whitehead says he agreed with Hull to take over the Co- lumbia for $5,000, which he paid partly by the transfer of a farm. Then White- head says he learned when he came to take possession, that Hull did not own the theatre which he had agreed to turn over. Hull was in Chicago this week, and action was put over until his return. The Columbia has been a hoodoo house for a year. OKLA. RANCH CLOSING. The closing date of the Oklahoma Ranch has l)ccn set for Oct. 20 at Springfield, Mo. The wild west winds up its Texas dates the 17th, and after playing a Saturday date at Hugo, Okla., pulls into Springfield for the windup. Part of the outfit is expected to be taken to South America by Edward Ar- lington on his recent agreement with Roy Chandler. Olga Nethersole arrived in New York Tuesday. JACK LEWIS* OFF-8TAGB WORK. Albany, Oct. L The Lillian Russell road show, which played here Monday, has, athong other acts, Fields and Lewis. Jack Lewis enjoys t^ie reputation of knowing more people than any other performer in the country-^and when he doesn't know a person, feels it his first dtuy to rec- tify the omission. After the matinee Monday Lewis called on Governor Sulzer, approached ' the man of troubles," shook his hand and wished him luck. Sulzer thanked him nervously and walked away. Nothing daunted. Jack transferred his proffer of friendliness to Mrs. Sul- zer, who showed him about the grounds and graciously acknowledged the visitor's friendly conversation. When Fields and Lewis played a middle-western city some months ago the house manager told them he could not get the *'nice people'-' in town start- ed to his theatre. Lewis asked who the local leading light was. He was informed the president of a bank sat at the head of the "400." Next morning Lewis called on the banker in his office, said he was sur- prised he hadn't been to the vaudeville theatre—the banker must have heard of Fields and Lewis, and if not he wanted the banker and his family to be there that evening, for Fields and Lewis had come especially from New York to show them what real vaude- ville was. Jack "bulled" the banker into accepting a box. The family was there in the evening, and the theatre has not complained about the neglect of the society people attending since the Fields and Lewis engagement. '*AT SWITCHBOARD** COMES IN. "At the Switchboard," the "surprise" sketch which made up part of the in- itial bill at the Princess, is being put into shape for a tour of the vaudeville houses. The playlet discloses only one person on the stage, an operator at the switchboard, and the dialog comes to the ears of the audience as conversa- tion on the wires. "At the Switchboard" was used in an unauthorized version in "The Follies." JERO.ME HAS LEVI BAND. Chicago, Oct. 1. Ben Jerome has bought Maurice Levi's "Invisible Hand." He will re- arrange the act and offer it for the vaudeville circuits tmdcr the name of Hen Jerome's Invisible Hand. Jerome is now leading the orchestra at the La Salle. Ih* wi(»tc the nmsic o» "A Trip to Washington," the cur- rent attraction at that house. If joa don't ttdvartlM In VABIETT, don't advertise at all. "High Jinks," Arthur Hammerstein's new production, is due to open Oct. 2.3 at New Haven. I.\( IlKASK COST OF BILLS. Chicago, Oct. 1. Heginning next week tlijL* Wilson and the Willard will play bigger and more costly bills. They have been play- ing five acts and pictures. Under tin- now policy tlicy will frame their hilU to include seven arts at a cost of $1.- 500. .Straight vaudeville will be the entertainment. McVickers', also a Jones, Linick 8i Schaeffer house, will add two acts to its seven-nutnbcr pro- gram.