Variety (October 1914)

to VARIETY OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN EXPLAINS ANNOUNCED SALE OF HIS STOCK Dates Back to Affairs of Family. Foreclosure Proceedings Under $100 9 00* Mortgage Pending Against Victoria Theatre. U. B. O. Franchise Not Involved— Held Individually. A notification was mailed out Tues- day in New York, to the effect that Oct. 28, next, at the Exchange Sales- room, 14 Vesey street, through Adrian H. Muller & Co., auctioneers, 3998 shares of the Hammerstein Amuse- ment Co. would be sold by the Equita- ble Trust Co. The notification contained the fol- lowing information: The Hammerstein Amusement Co. is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York, and the above mentioned shares include all but two of the shares of capital stock of the company. The Amuse- ment Company is the owner of the Victoria theatre with its equipment, at the northwest corner of 42d street and Seventh avenue, in the heart of the theatre district of New York City, standing on a plot 100x131 feet in size. The theatre stands on ground leased to the company for 21 years from May 1, 1903, or until May 1, 1924, at an annual rental of $37,000, the lessee paying the taxes, which in 1914 amounted to approximately $20,- 000. The company also owns a fran- chise or contract with the United Booking Offices of America for the exclusive use of so-called "big time" vaudeville acts in the Times Square district. Oscar Hammerstein, when seen by a Variety representative, said the sale of the stock was an aftermath of an agree- ment entered into some time ago con- cerning members of his family. Mr. Hammerstein added he intended taking no steps to secure nor protect the stock, as foreclosure proceedings were now pending against the Victoria, he stated, to collect a mortgage for $100,- 000 on the building. This mortgage is understood to be held directly or in- directly by Mr. Hammerstein. Oscar also called attention to the misstatement in the notification, which said the Hammerstein Co. owned the United Booking Offices franchise for the Victoria. This franchise, stated Mr. Hammerstein, is in the names of Oscar and William Hammerstein. Neither is it an exclusive franchise for the Times Square section, as an agree- ment was reached some time ago be- tween the United and the late William Hammerstein, which permitted the B. F. Keith Palace theatre to also play vaudeville from the U. B. O. CHANGES IN TOWN. "Evidence" closes at the Lyric Saturday night. "The Battle Cry," a play adapted from a novel of the same name by Augustus Thomas, will be the succeeding attraction. Early this week it was stated the Shuberts would send "Evidence" to Chicago. It was also stated that William A. Brady, who is a partner in the production, was in favor of doing the play in pic- tures immediately with the theatre cast. Nov. 2 is at present set for the date of the New York showing of Joseph Weber's production of "The Only Girl" by Victor Herbert and Henry Blossom, at the 39th Street, succeed- ing 'The Third Party." On the same evening Marie Tem- pest will begin her farewell tour at the Comedy, following "Consequences." Miss Tempest will be supported by her entire company from the Playhouse, London. "The Story of the Rosary" left the Manhattan opera house last Saturday and is at the Majestic, Brooklyn, this week. The Rosary show took to the road to give the new William A. Brady spectacle, "Life," the use of the stage for day and night rehearsals. In the new "Battle Cry" show head- ed for the Lyric will be William Far- num, Grace Elliston, Forest McCom- bcr, Harry Hadfield, Beatrice Allen and Donald Gallagher. TANK MANAGER HELD. Cincinnati, Oct. 23. The police of Lima, O., are detain- ing Ferdinand Grahmme, proprietor of the Grahmme Stock, a repertoire troupe, found wandering the streets of that city, barefooted, hatless and coat- less. According to the authorities the company disbanded at St. Marys, O., last week, following an alleged insult on the part of Grahmme toward one of the women in his company. Her husband shot at Grahmme in the midst of the play. The audience became panic stricken and fled. Grahmme was not hit, but he was still walking fast when the police discovered him. The Grahmme Company has been playing the gasoline circuit of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, for the last IS years. NO MOROSCO DEAL. Pittsburgh, Oct. 21. While rumor persists that William Moore Patch is working on plans for a new stock theater here, he denies that Oliver Morosco and he are in- terested in a lease on the Duquesne. He would not answer an inquiry as to whether Morosco is interested in the new theater plan. The Morosco office in New York this week denied Mr. Morosco was in- terested with Mr. Patch in any enter- prise. "Miss Tabasco" Disbands. Pittsburgh, Oct. 21. Eva Tanguay disbands her company playing "Miss Tabasco" Saturday night. She will go to New York. ORDERED TIGHTS ON GIRLS. Philadelphia, Oct. 23. Police Lieut. Smiley attended by a bodyguard of plain clothes men and patrolmen visited the Lyric last night, stopping the performance of "The Passing Show of 1914." After a brief conference with the house and show manager, he ordered that the chorist- ers, who heretofore worked in skirts of flimsy material, to don tights in- stanter. They did. Smiley made a similar crusade on the Gaiety in the afternoon and all signs point to further activity in this direction. DANCERS ON ROOF. Commencing Nov. 2, Martin Brown and Rosie Polly, now at the Palace, will appear for four weeks on the New York Roof, supplanting Evelyn Nesbit and Jack Clifford as the prin- cipal dancing attraction up in the air. The latter's engagement ends Oct. 31. The Brown-Dolly dancing combina- tion is a new one. It is their joint debut at the Palace. Their Roof salary is reported at $500 weekly, although $700 is also mentioned. CALIFORNIA BAD SHOW. San Francisco, Oct. 21. "The Graven Image" lasted three nights at the Alcazar after its premiere Monday to a good-sized audience, un- doubtedly attracted by the "Made in California" slogan used to announce the play as the work of two local newspapermen. Tuesday the dailies stated with re- gret the piece lacked the necessary elements to insure its success. After the opening, business dropped and on Thursday night the play was shelved. "Bella Donna," the bill used the pre- ceding week, replaced it. TRENTINI SHOW PEOPLE. The Trentini show, which the Shu- berts are producing, started rehearsals this week, the number staging attend- ed to by Jack Mason. Clifton Crawford will be in the com- pany. Roy Atwell turned his part back as unsuitable to him, and Alice Hegeman also left for a "not the type" reason. Peacocke's Beauty Scenario. Capt. Leslie T. Peacocke, who wrote the scenario of "Neptune's Daughter," is engaged on a new seven-part fea- ture for the World Film Corporation, which now controls his services. No details of the new production have been announced, except that the film will call for the appearance of a prize beauty aggregation of 100 girls. English Company Coming Over. The entire company appearing at present at the Vaudeville theater, Lon- don, in "My Aunt," by Sidney Blow and Douglas Hoare, is to sail for this side shortly. The company will be man- aged by Walter Hast. Virginia Brooks in Concert Virginia Brooks, daughter of Jos. W. RTrooks, the theatrical producer, re- turned to New York Sunday after sev- eral years abroad. Miss Brooks will go on a concert tour, it is said, under the direction of R. E. Johnston. RUMSEY BUYS OUT SELWYNS. John W. Rumsey and Elizabeth Marbury announced Thursday they had decided to combine and had bought the play agency business of Selwyn & Co. and the interest of the latter firm in the American Play Co., which conducts a stock leasing busi- ness. Selwyn & Co. will in the future confine themselves entirely to the pro- duction end of theatricals. Miss Marbury and Mr. Rumsey will operate as the American Play Co., a corporation. Miss Marbury, who has been rn author's representative for 26 years, will act in an advisory capacity. Mr. Rumsey is the president and gen- eral manager of the new corporation. Among the prominent authors whom the company will represent are Augus- tus Thomas, Charles Klein, George Broadhurst, Henry Arthur Jones, Ar- thur W. Pinero, J. Hartley Manners, George Bernard Shaw, Jerome K. Je- rome, Louis N. Parker, Edgar Selwyn, James Forbes, Bayard Veiller, Mar- garet Mayo, Eugene Walters, Thomp- son Buchanan, James Montgomery and a host of others. The policy of the new agency will be to devote all its time to the interests of authors and to take the initiative in legislation to protect their rights. One of the first and most important steps in this direction will be working in conjunction with the Authors' League, the American Society of Dramatists and Composers and Denis F. O'Brien in a campaign to secure an adequate copyright law in Canada. SELL OUT BEFORE OPENING. It was said along Broadway on Thursday that Comstock & Gest had sold their interest in the new play "Experience," which they held jointly with William Elliott, to the Shuberts and William A. Brady. The play is to open at the Booth Tuesday. Although "Experience" is a morality play, the management have refrained from mentioning this, as they do not wish to have the play compared with either "Everyman" or "Everywoman," morality plays of the past. STRIKE IN DALLAS. Dallas, Oct. 22. The stage hands at the Grand opera house went on strike last night and a non-union crew handled "Oh, Oh, Del- phine!" The regular men wanted the weekly scale of wages. Manager Sasseen de- clined to meet the demand, declaring his bookings were too uncertain to jus- tify a weekly scale. He stood ready to pay for the number of performances worked. The dispute will be taken up by the National body and may spread to the other Wcis circuit houses. W. & L. Apply for Discharge. Wcrba and Leuscher, through their attorneys, have applied for a discharge from bankruptcy and the court will hold a hearing on their brief the lat- ter part of this month. Robson Show to Reopen. May Robson in "Martha by the Day" is to reopen in Kalamazoo, Mich., Oct. 26. The company will jump from New York direct.