Variety (September 1919)

m m 1; .::■$$ tm - . ( STOLL AND GULLIVER UNITE TO BUY VARIETY CONTROLLING ; f . ■ Acting Jointly They Are Reported to Have Bought Majority Interest in This Circuit From Butt and De Freece. Price $1,250,000. Only a Part Paid Down. Control Passes January 1. Victoria, Palace and New Empire Not Included. >■ m m .?>.- London, Sept. 3. ' It is reported here, on the most ex- cellent authority, that Sir Oswald Stoll and Charles Gnlliver. managing direc- tor of the Gulliver Tour, acting ioint- Iv, have purchased from Sir Alfred Butt and Sir Walter De Freece a con- trolling interest in the Variety Con- troiline Circuit. The latter two are the managing di- rectors of this important circuit The deal is said to have involved a quarter of a million pounds ffcl .250,000). -•-It is understood that $500,000 has al- ready been paid to Butt and De Freece. The balance will be turned over when oaners have been drawn. I : _. : Possession will eo to the new. own- ers Jan. 1. The deal does not include the Victoria Palace or the New Em- • Pire, ' . ?***! z.i}\ • The solicitor who negotiated the %Wl:l transaction will receive two per cent. 1 commission. *r» ETHEL LEVEY COMING OVER. London. Sept. 3. Ethel Levey is to come to New York this winter to ma^e a production of a musicalired version of the farce, "Dr. Bill," which she is having adapted at this time. I Nat D. Ayer is preparing the music • for the. piece. Miss Levey lately mar- tied" Claude Graham White, the aviator, who has iust cleaned up a fortune by -selling all of the automobiles^ which the American Government had in Eng- land. He owns the largest airdrome in Great Britain and the largest aero- plane and automobile manufacturing plants there. " Mr. White -will undoubtedly accom- pany his wife on her trip to America. CHARLOrS NEW REVUE SHOWN. : .;' •' London, Sent. 3. . At the Prince of Wa'es Aup. 28 An- ; **£harlot produced "Bran Pie." his ew revne in two acts. It is modeled along French lines. There are 20 scenes, but most of these are prin- cipally a matter of lowering a drop. The majority of the songs are Amer- ' ican, and have already been published over there. : There is no attempt at a plot. After 'the usual excisions have been made this will be a bright entertainment and a probable success. THREE COMPOSERS FOR OPERA. London, Sept. 3. Isadora Duncan's manager is nego- tiating for Covent Garden to present her in the near future. He is also seeding the opportunity to produce in London a new light opera of an unusual character. Each of the three acts has been composed by a dif- ferent man. It is known that Leoncavallo, who died recently, is the author of the second act. STRIKE THREATS IN PARIS. Paris, Sept. 3. The Theatrical Workers' Federation has presented to the managers here a long list of claims, threatening to strike if all are not accepted en bloc. Thev have set the end of this month as the dead line. The Managers' Association has de- cided to resist. They are willing to negotiate through their syndicate, dis- cussing each category and claim sep- aiatelv. They will not, however, ac- cent the demands as a whole. The vaudeville houses will clpse if a stride is ordered or any establishment submitted to a boycott. The picture exhibitors have likewise refused to ac- cept the claims of the musicians. "TOO MANY COOKS" SCORES. London. Sept. 3- Monday at the Savoy "Too Many Cooks" and Frank Craven, the lead- ing player in it, both scored. The remainder of the company is generally suoerior to the American cast, in which Mr. Craven also ap- oeared. He produced the play over here. Up to last night, however, it com- menced to look as though the "Coo^s" p'ay is not a box office attraction. In- dications now are that "Tiger Rose" may be produced at the Savoy within - a few weeks. BRILL I ANT BUT DARING DIALOG. London,,Sept. 3. "Home and Beauty" was presented at the Plavhouse Aug. 30. It proved to be a slight farce with a plot occasion- ally draggy. There were plenty of brilliant, but daringly indelicate speeches. Charles Hawtrey, Gladys Coooer and Malcolm Cherry all scored. Its suc- cess is questionable. Do Courville Takes Marignr, Paris. London, Sept 3. Albert De Courville'' has leased the Folies Marigny in Paris and will pro- duce there immediately a new French play. " •' : In case this plav is a failure, he will put in a vaudeville program. His intention is to begin to present revues there six months from now. "Cheating Chester*" in Paris. Paris, Sept. 3. The French version of the American comedy, "Cheating Cheaters." was pro- duced at the Gymnasse and met with a fair reception. VARIETY'S LONDON CORRE- SPONDENT. Following the departure from London around Sept. 14 of Joshua Lowe. Variety's London corre- spondent will be Ivan Patrick Gore. Mr. Lowe is returning to Variety's New York office. T. Lumley Dann, of London, is no longer connected with Variety in any capacity. Mr. Gore's London address is 23 Regent Square, W. C. ('phone North 2766). HICHENS' "VOICE" IS CERTAIN. London, Sept. 3. Marie Lohr presented "The Voice from the Minaret" at the' Globe Aug. 26. She played the leading role. The play is by Robert Hichens, author of ■ "Bella Donna" and many other sue-* ccssful novels and plays. It is another one of Hichens' now familiar preachments about the flesh and the devil, in the course of which he supports the contention the spirit- ual always triumphs over the flesh. It is too talky, but, despite, its defects, is certain of success. ' The first scene is Drobridge Vicar- age, the second the Lord Gordon Hotel at Drobridge, and the third (and last) Sir Leslie Caryll's flat in Savoy Court. Miss Lohr herself scored a great personal success as Lady Caryll. She was ably supported by Norman Mc- Kinnell, Arthur Wentner, Henry Vi- bart, Ernest R. Hollway, E A. Walker, Vane Featherstone and Ellen O'Mal- ley. , SACKS, LTD, REORGANIZING. London, Sept. 3. Announcement will shortly be made officially of the reorganization of Sacks, Ltd. VAHrBTT recently announced Sacks had purchased all the outstand- ing stock. Monday the capitalization of the concern was increased to" $5000.000. Two hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars of this capital is immediately available for production purposes. The balance will be held in reserve for building ourposes and the buying of leases. Sacks will start construction ol his London house immediately and begin carryings out his provincial scheme later. The entire capital was furnished by one man. He is a millionaire banker whose identity is withheld, but who is known to a few. The new arrangement does not al- ter the standing of Wilson and Voegt- lin in the concern. Thev remain as the personal partners of Sacks. FORBES ROBERTSON LECTURING. London, Seot. 3. Percy' Burton has arranged with William Feakins to send Sir Johnstone Forbes Robertson on a lecture tour through the United States that will last ten weeks. He is due there this fall. LOSER TURNING WINNER. •* London, Sent. 3. After losing $55,000 at the Garrick, "Nobodvs Boy" opened at the Black- pool Grand last week and broke the house record,, previously held by "Chu Chin Chow." . ZELLA NEVADA'S ARRIVAL. The first appearance of Zella Nevada in eastern vaudeville will hannen the last half of next week (Sept. 11) at the Fifth Avenue. New York. Miss Nevada is from musical com- edy. She has played West in the twice daily and was favorably noticed out there. Her eastern debut is under the direction of Pet Mack. Max Dearly'* Revival - Paris, Seot. 3. Max Dearlv has revived "Nothing But the Truth" at the Femina. Constance Collier Sailing for Home. London, Sept. 3. Constance Collier sails Sept. 6 on the Aquitania for New York. "Domino" Continues at. Empire. London, Sept. 3. Yesterday arrangements were made to continue "The Lilac Domino" at the Empire.. VAUDEVILLE BRANCH'S MEETING. Wednesday handbills were scattered about announcing an open mass meet- ing Friday evening (Sept 5) at the Am- sterdam opera house, West 44th street, of the vaudeville branch of the Four A's. The call is for 11:45 p. m. The call announces the mass meet- ing as of "The Vaudeville, Circus and Burlesque Branch of the Associated Actors and Artists of America." It states (hat Francis Wilson will be in. the chair, with the speakers Big Chief James William Fitzpatrick and Harry Mountford. Besides the title of Mr. Fitzpatrick in the Four A's (which is that of International Vice-President) it states that Fitzpatrick is "President, F. A. V. A." If the initials are those of another name for the vaudeville branch of the Four A's or of a new title succeeding that of the White Rats, no one around, the'strike headquarters Wednesday afternoon appeared aware of it, nor did any of the Actors' Equity Association officials called on know of it or the proposed meeting. The same negative reply was received from Hugh Frayne of the American Federation when he was asked. A general invitation was extended on the bottom of the call to "all actors and actresses in vaudeville, burlesque, circus, cabaret, concert and Chautau- qua." ROOF GARDEN ON CLUBHOUSE, Plans are'being drawn for a new roof garden atop the N. V. A. Club House. During the summer months all meals will be served atop the roof. It. is expected to open sometime between now and the first of the new year. CANTOR ENJOINED. Flo Ziegfeld announced Wednesday he had served an injunction order upon Eddie Cantor restraining that comedian from appearing in any en- tertainment other than the Tollies." The announcement says Ziegfeld has a contract with Cantor for 45 weeks. VANH0V I JAW THOMPSON'; VAN HOVEN I vras thinking while 'walking with a friend one night along the beach what a wonderful adver- tisement it would be if only I could get a cannon ball that would throw my name, VAN HOVEN, against the sky, and then, when up high in the air, to burst and all the world could sec that name, with the papers full of it. In a Pub the next day I heard my friend telling the others I was off my nut. They told their friends I was off my nut. It got to the pa- pers and became common talk. On the Gus Sun time In those oth- er days that may- be weren't so bad after all. they laughed at me when I sot up night after night writing letters to managers who never answered. Even Gus wouldn't answer unless he needed a fill-in very badly. And then I rarely lasted over Monday. The actors thought I was awful, but I knew I was good. I wonder if they could see what Ned Wayburn writes about me and if they know that Flo Ziegfeld wanted me for a comic with his "Follies" this season and that my bookings over here made Jt Impossible to ncccpt Mr. Wayburn's kind offer, what would they think? The cannon ball story got them talking. I've several thousand cannon ball stories. They can all Inugh at me. I like It Regards to Gus Sun. • Van Sown. . '--:ik»..'-'U < ' ' ■