The New York Clipper (January 1917)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER January 3, 1917 FOX TO BUILD ANOTHER BIG THEATRE BUYS HUGE SITE IN BRONX William Fox has purchased the seventeen ond one-half lota at the northwest corner of Grand Concourse and Fordham Road, The Bronx, where he will erect a theatre Beat- ing 3,500 persons to be devoted to vaude- ville acd moving pictures. The new show- house will be one of the largest in the city. The theatre, designed by Thomas W. Lamb, is of the Adams style of architec- ture. It will have a system of hidden lights, so arranged that the entire color scheme of the house can be changed in- stantaneously. The lobby will have a marble finish, while all the staircases are to be of Italian marble, as will also be the orchestra, mezzanine and balcony floors. All of the walls will be covered with im- ported tapestry with a French gray and gold finish. Fox was represented in the transaction by Rogers & Rogers, his attorneys, while the Level Realty Corp., who held the land, was represented by Attorney Sternberg, of Sternberg, Jacobson & Pollack. Mr. Fox recently sold the Riverside The- atre, at Broadway and Ninety-sixth Street, to the Keith interests. INVESTIGATING ACTORS' INCOMES Agents of the United States' Treasury; Department are making an investigation in- to the incomes of actors and actresses, with a view of checking up their income tax re- turns when they are filed this year, as there have been complaints that many have failed to comply with the law. DALY CLOSING AT FULTON This is the last week of Arnold Daly in "The Master" at the Fulton Theatre. The play will go on tonr. COHAN & HARRIS HAVE NEW ONE Cohan and Harris will soon produce a comedy by Henry James Smith. "A Tailor- Made Man." It will have its premiere out of town this month. FLORA BELLA ATTACHED Newark, N. J., Dec. 30.—A writ of at- tachment was issued at the sheriff's office yesterday, against the "Flora Bella" Co., Inc., now playing at the Broad Street The- atre. The writ was issued to cover a bill of about $500, said to be owing John H. Meister, of New York, for posters, and will hold the company here until payment is made. CENTURY HOLDS FIRST CONCERT The first Sunday concert at the Century Theatre filled the theatre to capacity with a representative New York New Year's Eve audiei.ce. The performance lasted until after midnight. 0UTD00RSH0WS FORM BIG ASS'N. TO FIGHT DISCRIMINATING LAWS BALL TICKETS SELLING Sam Reider, who is in the South ahead of the Messrs. Shubert's "Blue Paradise" company, has taken orders for over one thousand tickets in the South alone for the next Inter-State Theatrical Ball, which will be held in New York this, season. LONERCAN TO LEAVE CAST Lester Lonergan is to leave the cast of "Major Pendennis" when that play goes on tour to look after the production of a French adaptation in wMch he is in- terested. Edward Phelan will succeed Lonergan. WILL ARCHIE AT CENTURY The Cocoanut Grove has signed Will Archie, the atom comedian, for a part in "Dance and Grow Thin." WALDRON JOINS FOX CO. William Waldron, formerly manager of Proctor's Twenty-third Street Theatre, has joined the Fox forces. MOTHER'S JEWELS TO FAIRBANKS According to the will of the late Mrs. Fairbanks, Douglas, the actor, receives several pieces of jewelry, including a valuable opal and diamond ring. His son receives a sixth part of her residuary estate, which is said to amount to ap- proximately $10,000. TAIT SIGNS MARGARET CALVERT Margaret Calvert will leave San Fran- cisco for Sydney January 9, where she will act the role of mother in the Australian production of "Turn to the Right." MELROSE DIED IN DAVENPORT Much curiosity which has surrounded' the death of Wilson Melrose, who has often appeared throughout New England, was cleared up when it was learned that Mel- rose died in Davenport, la., and not Athol, Mass. He was known in Davenport under his real name of Loys W. Peale. BEATRICE ALLEN OPERATED ON Beatrice Allen of the Century Theatre has recently underwent a surgical opera- tion at the Woman's Hospital. She will resume her activities in a few days. MOROSCO ENGAGES DANCERS Melisa Ten Eyck and Max Weily have been engaged for the Morosco production, "The Canary Cage," to do their special dances. LUCY HUFFAKER IN CHICAGO Lucy Huffaker, press representative of the Washington Square Players, is spend- ing a few weeks in Chicago directing the affairs of their number two company, which is playing a seven weeks engage- ment at the Plavhouse there. DeMARLO BUYS FARM MnroxxTOir, N. Y., Dec 29.—Harry .De Mario has purchased the W. S. Fuller faun near here, consisting of 640 acres, in- cluding 340 head of stock and equipment- MURDERER OF ACTRESS TO DIE Trenton, N. J., Dec. 28.—The murderer of Mrs. Elizabeth Dunbar, a vaudeville actress, Wilson Ashbridge, will be electro- cuted at the State Prison here this week. Ashbridge is said to have been infatuated with the actress, whom he shot to death in Camden. BEATRICE ALLEN ILL Beatrice Allen of the "Century Girl" company is at the Woman's Hospital re- covering from a minor operation. CHANGE "THE VICTIM" TITLE The title of the new Oliver D. Bailey play, "The Victim,"'-is to be changed to "The Innocent Sinner," because the first title has been applied to a Fox film pro- duction. Realizing the necessity of banding to- gether for the mutual protection and the ad- visability of a closer union at interests, the circus, fair and carnival men, together with. those engaged in kindred enterprises, have formally organized The Association of the Outdoor Showmen of the World. This organization, probably the most aus- picious in the history of the outdoor show world, received its impetus at the showmen's banquet at the Hotel Astor last week. At the dinner, an organization along the lines of the new association was hinted at with the result that a meeting of prominent cir- cus and carnival men was called for the following day when a heart-to-heart talk resulted in the birth of the organization. . At the meeting the impositions that the outdoor showman must shoulder under pres- ent conditions were brought to light by the speakers and it was agreed that co-opera- tion was the only means of stamping out "shake-downs," excessive licenses and dis- criminating laws against the outdoor show. The formation of the Association came about after the morning session when a com- mittee, consisting of Harry Pollok, F. P. Spellman and Clarence A. Wortham was appointed to submit plans for a permanent organization. The afternoon assemblage adopted the committee's report in short order, and an executive committee—repre- senting the various departments of the out- door amusement field—was elected. This committee in turn elected' the following offi- cers, who will hold office until the next meeting of the Association, which will be held in Chicago in' early February: Presi- dent, Frank P. Spellman; vice presidents, Albert E. Brown, Louis E. Cooke, Oscar C. Jurney, and C. A. Wortham; secretary, Albert E. Kiralfy; treasurer, Louis E. Cooke. The personnel of the Executive Commit- tee is made up as follows: Expositions, Albert Kiralfy and Harry F. McGarvie; parks, Oscar C. Jurney, Michael Heim, T. Schmidt and P. McSquiggene; fairs, Albert E. Brown, Frank Fuller, G. Dickinson and F. T. Corey; circuses, Frank P. Spellman,- Louis E. Cooke, J. Augustus Jones, Ed. Ballard and AI. G. Barnes; carnivals, Clarence A. Wortham, Harry R. Pollok, Victor D. Leviee and J. George Loos; con- cessions, AI. Lotto, George Harmon, Felice Bernard! and Samuel Reich; manufacturers and supply houses, Andrew Donaldson, Walter F. Driver, Louis E. Bend, C. W. Parker, Henry B. Aucby, Win. F. Mangels, Fred Clarke and G. Lowe; booking agents, Henry Meyerhoff, E. F. Carruthers and Fred M. Barnes. Plans for publicity are now under way and it is expected that the support of every responsible outdoor showman will be ob- tained by the new association. The organization has, as its prime pur- poses, the calling to time of the "suitcase" carnival man, the abolition of the "'49 show," and a general uplift of the outdoor show business. The association expects to appoint com- mittees in each state of the Union to aid bi obtaining favorable legislation. PORTMANTEAU PLAY HALTED The contemplated performance of the Portmanteau Players at the Bossert Hotel in Brooklyn Sunday night was halted by the police. The play was given after 12 o'clock. BLANCHE SHIRLEY CREMATED Union,Hiix, N. J., Dec. 24.—The body of Mrs. Blanche S. Crane, known on the stage as Blanche Shirley, and wife of James L. Crane, an actor, was cremated here. She met death by falling from a window of her apartment in New York. HAWKS AHEAD OF BALLET Mary Pickford'a representative, Wells Hawks, is to act for a short period as gen- eral advance agent for the Ballet Basse, now on tour, being specially loaned for the work by Miss Piekford. "THE SIMP" IS RENAMED "Heads Up," a play formerly entitled "The Simp," was produced last week at the Lincoln Theatre, Union Hill. The drama was written by Zellah Covington. It prob- ably will have a Broadway production in the near future. HAMILTON DUE JAN. 16 San Fbancisco, Cal., Jan. 2.—Hale Hamilton and his wife, Myrtle Tannehill, are expected to arrive here from Australia. January 16, when they will proceed at once to New York. STORK AT JOE BROWN'S HOME A Christmas present extraordinary was left at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Brown Dec 25 in the form of Don Evan Brown, a new arrival and addition to the family. Brown was formerly of Prevost and Brown. CUBAN DANCERS ARRIVE Madge Moore and Mrs. Carroll Kelo, erstwhile members of the Havana Opera Company, have arrived here from Cuba and will be seen shortly on the local boards. HIP. GETS MME. CRONIN Mme. Morris Cronin will open January 22 at the New York Hippodrome with elec- trical novelties. The "Merry Men" still continue on tour. HARRY KLINE ILL Owing to an attack of grippe Harry Kline, of the Dillingham forces, has been absent from the office for several days. FROHMAN. INC.. PAYS DIVIDENDS The Board of Directors of Charles Froh- man, voted a special dividend of $12.50 a share, payable January 2. ERIC BUND, DEAD Reading, Pa., Dec 31.—Eric Blind, the English actor, died here today of pneu- monia. He had been touring with Cyril Maude in "Grumpy." GAIL KANE TO LEAVE CAST Gail Kane in "The Harp of Life" is to be replaced- by Marguerite Lesie.