Show World (April 1909)

THE SHOW WORLD April 10, 1909 HEAD OF THE HOUSE TOO GOOD TO SHELVE. Early Closing of Ada Lewis’ Vehicle Deplored.—Characterizations Said To be Excellent. Ada Lewis "and her company pre¬ senting The Head of the House closed its season at the Grand Opera house, this city, -last Saturday night. It is admitted that from a box office stand¬ point the play did not win. From an artistic standpoint the closing of the company is to be deeply deplored. Not in many months has this city had the opportunity of greeting so excel¬ lent a cast of players fitted into such congenial roles as those provided by the producers of this plaything for a majority of its cast. True, the play is weak in spots. Edward Townsend, author of the far-famed “Chimmie Fadden” is a master at moulding under-stair characters and the people of the ‘submerged tenth.’ Just how much the co-author, Frank Ward O’Malley, had to do with the making of the manuscript is uncertain, but it would appear that he helped Town¬ send to make mere shadow impres¬ sions of the several characters in the play which were supposed to be mov¬ ing on the upper strata of society. Indeed, this, in the main, seems to be the chief fault with the show. The three Caldwells, the social foil for Norah and her subjects, have neither flesh nor blood, despite the fact that those in whose hands the parts were placed did their utmost to redeem the lines from hopelessness. Upon the other hand, Norah will rank with the best that Miss Lewis has ever presented to her admiring public. Quick-witted, commanding, deliciously refreshing, the character makes a deep impression and will live long in the minds of those who were fortunate enough to have seen it. And what better work has John W. Ran- some ever offered than his study of Jerry Fogarty? And the James Bar¬ rett of Sidney Toler surely adds an¬ other leaf to the crown this actor is weaving for himself. J. W. Benson as Sidney Finch was true to life. Danny Clark as played by George Leguere was frankly convincing. The work of Frank A. Lyon as Timothy Moline and that of Elliott Norcross as Patrolman Brown, Eva Vincent as Mrs. Fogarty, Nellie Fillmore as Mary—each was so crisply drawn, so frankly honest to nature that one can¬ not but regret that the whole theater- loving world might not have had an opportunity of meeting them. Some condemnation has been heard of the plot, but it would seem that the main question at issue is as to whether the authors intended the play to be taken seriously, or whether it was their intention to rank this plaything in the honored catalogue of Hoyt- like preachments, or in the Gilbert- Sullivan vein of parody. Ranking it with either of the latter. The Head of the House is unquestionably the best thing of its kind seen on the Amer¬ ican stage since the late Charles Hoyt laid his well-worn pen aside. The play will probably be revised for next season.—W. M. WITH THE AIRDOMES. Ed N. Thacker will erect; an air- dome at Frankfort, Ind. H. L. Stark will open the airdome at Lawrence, Kan., May 26. The Star Airdome Company will erect a dome at McAlester, Okla. A new airdome will open at Santa Cruz, Cal., May 17. Tim O’Flinn will erect a new air¬ dome at Selma, Ala. Bill Brooks has sold his airdome in Guthrie, Okla., to the Crawford syndicate. The new airdome at Jackson, Tenn., opens May 3. The Grace Cameron opera company is among the bookings. The Beggar Prince will be a May attraction at Head’s airdome in Lit¬ tle Rock, Ark. GIRLS FROM BERLIN AHEAD OF THE GAME It Has a Chorus of Six Girb and Expense Is Figured So Carefully That Show Has Made Money This Season. The Girls from Berlin is one of the few companies which have toured the west this season and made money. When the organization struck Chi¬ cago last Sunday it was reported to be $3,500 ahead of the game and the week’s stay will not cut into this profit very extensively for the company can¬ not be very costly. The Girls from Berlin is a musical play. It was originally known as Lola from Berlin and was written for the use of Lulu Glaser. The company began the season under the original title but a switch was made at Seat¬ tle and the paper cross-lined. The disadvantage of the change comes from the fact that the New York pres¬ tige,' if the play had any, is lost. The advantage comes from the fact that The Girls from Berlin sounds better to the one-night stands where the¬ ater-goers are not satisfied unless there is a chorus. The advertising matter of The Girls from Berlin is very cleverly arranged. The lithographs seem to represent a big musical comedy but there is no place where you actually see girls in great number. The management de¬ vised a scheme to give the impression that the company had a big chorus without misrepresenting in the broad¬ er sense of the word. The chorus of The Girls from Berlin consists of six girls. That the scheme worked is proven by the fact that the show has re¬ mained on the road. Many other or¬ ganizations under the Jack Welch ban¬ ner fell by the wayside and doubtless some of them were better shows than The Girls from Berlin. Corinne is the advertised star of the attraction. Her name doubtless drew a great deal of money out in the west. When it comes to the performance she stands out no more prominently than Mark Sullivan. Corinne makes Lola a different person from Lulu Glaser’s conception of the German girl, who finds herself heiress to two million American dollars. Corinne yodels in a good old fashioned way, imitates different nationalities, and when repeatedly recalled gives the chorus of “So Long Mary’’ from For¬ ty-Five Minutes from Broadway, ap¬ pearing in the makeup she used in that play. She gives broad touches of comedy to Lola and it can be easily seen that the show would make good in five out of six one-night stands. Mark Sullivan is amusing as the ac¬ tor of the old school. He sings “I’d Rather Be a Has-Been than a Never- Was-at-All,” and Eddie Foy’s “None of Them’s Got Anything On Me,” giv¬ ing imitations of Willis Sweatnam, James T. Powers and other well known comedians. Hazel Carlton leads a number and provides eccentric comedy which called forth spontaneous applause. Pearl Revare, in a soubrette role, fails to speak distinctly which detracts from her performance. Lillie May White, Henry Carl Lewis, Anna Mortland and Neil McKinley play less important parts intelligently. Stephen W. Scott plays a novelist and is per¬ mitted to sing a Cohan song.—E. E. M. MARC KLAW’S MEMORY FAILED HIM AT TRIAL When Asked Regarding the Profits at Trial of Libel Charge Against New York Press Editor. He Could Not Remember. Marc Klaw may have to see a mnem- onician. His memory became so de¬ fective regarding Klaw & Erlanger’s affairs at the hearing on a criminal charge against the editor of the New York Press last Friday, in which he is the complaining witness, that an ad¬ journment was taken to give him an opportunity to consult his accounts. The complaint is based upon a pub¬ lication in the Press to the effect that Charles Jefferson, son of the late Joseph Jefferson, furnished the money for the original ventures of the firm of Jefferson, Klaw & Erlanger, and that members of the present firm forced Jefferson out and appropriated to their own use the capital and brains of their associate. When asked about the membership of the booking agency, Mr. Klaw mentioned the names, but was posi¬ tive this agency does not constitute Mr. Klaw said so far as his recol¬ lection went Mr. Jefferson did not contribute capital to the firm of Jef¬ ferson, Klaw & Erlanger. When asked to testify as to the profits of his busi¬ ness his memory failed. To give him an opportunity to consult his auditor an adjournment was taken. Dixon-Montgomery Suit Settled. Raleigh, N. C., April 3. The sensational libel suit brought by Hon. W. A. Montgomery against the playwright Thomas Dixon and the Raleigh News and Observer has been amicably settled out of court. The newspaper printed a statement to the effect that its part in the affair was purely that of a purveyor of news and that its quotations were made without malice.—GRAINGER. Keith Wins Kellermann Case. New York, April 5. By a decision of Judge Ward in the United States Circuit Court, Annette Kellermann was restrained from ap¬ pearing on the stage under any other management than that of Benjamin F. Keith. The restraining order held that Miss Kellermann could not per¬ form for any one else than Keith without his written consent in the re¬ mainder of the “winter season of 1908- 1909 and the winter .season of 1909- 1910.” The decision did not cover the summer term. Miss Kellermann received $300 a week under the Keith contract, and the injunction proceed¬ ing was begun when she appeared un¬ der the management of William Mor¬ ris, Inc.—WALTER. Evelyn Vaughn is to become a Broadway star under the management of David Belasco. Vaughn Glaser, matinee idol, sued 11. A. Tilden and Thomas W. Lane for $225 on a promissory note given in March, 1908, during his Cleveland engagement Connie Ediss is recovering from a recent operation and her return to the stage is assured. May Desmond, of Brookline, Mass., has signed as contralto with Hammer- stein’s grand opera company. Elsie Gilbert, of Mr. Hamlet of Broadway, is a daughter of John Gil¬ bert, of the famous Natural Gas Com¬ pany. WHERE TO ADDRESS YOUR ACTOR FRIENDS, Routes of Attractions Traveling Out of Chicago or In Which There Is Special Interest at This Time. THE COW PUNCH ER-Sious City, la., April 11; Yankton, S. D 12 HARVEY STOCK COMPANYNn I— Rock Island, Ill., April 12-17. A BROKEN IDOL—Louisville, Ky., April 13-14; Lexington, 15; Frankfort, 16; Dayton, 17. A STUBBORN CINDERELLA (Eastern)—Brooklyn, N. Y., April 12. 17; Philadelphia, Pa., 19-May 1. PARSIFAL—Sault Ste. Marie, Can April 12; Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., 13; Alpena, 14; Traverse City, 15. KEYES SISTERS STOCK COM¬ PANY—Clarksburg, W. Va., April 12- 17; Cumberland, Md., 19-indef. A KNIGHT FOR A DAY (Fra- zee’s)—Aurora, Ill., April 10; Chicago, II- 17, where season ends. ISLE OF SPICE—Jefferson City, Mo., April 10; E. St. Louis, 11, where season ends. FACING THE MUSIC—Toledo, O., April 11-14; Ann Arbor, Mich., 15; Jackson, 16; South Bend, Ind., 17; Hammond, 18. BUSTER BROWN—Kansas City, Mo., April 11-17; St. Louis, 044; Springfield, HI, 25-28; Peoria, 29- May 1. THE MERRY WIDOW (Eastern) —Cincinnati, O., April 12-17; Colum¬ bus, 19-21; Indianapolis, 22-24; Chi¬ cago, HI, 25-30. LORIN J. HOWARD STOCK COMPANY—Kankakee, III, April 5- 18; Bloomington, 19-May 9; Racine, Wis., 9-23. THE PHANTOM DETECTIVE- Indianapolis, Ind., April 12-ll7^t Louis, Mo., 18-24; Kansas City,^ 25- May 1. BEN HUR—Cedar Rapids, Iowa, April 12-14; Des Moines, 15-17; Dav¬ enport, 19-24; Jacksonville, HI, 26-28; Springfield, 29-May-l. THE ROYAL CHEF-Scranton, Pa., April 10; SUnbury, 12; Williams¬ port, 13; Latrobe, 14; Youngstown, 0.. 15-17. THE MERRY WIDOW (Western) —South Bend, Ind., April 9-10; Mil¬ waukee, Wis., 11-17; Minneapolis, 18- 24; St. Paul, 25-May 1. A ROYAL SLAVE—Meadville, Mo., April 12; LaClede, 13; Linnens, 14; Bevier, 15; La Plata, 16; Kirks- ville, 17; Glenwood, 19; Memphis, 20; Kahoka, 21; Warsaw, HI, 22; Cuba, 26; Canton, 27. A KNIGHT FOR A DAY (Whit¬ ney’s)—New Britain, Conn., April 12; Winsted, 13; Norwich, 14; Williman- tic, 15; Attleboro, Mass., 16; Fall River, 17; New Bedford, 19; Newport, R. I., 20; Taunton, Mass., 21. THE FLOWER OF THE RANCH —Youngstown, O., April 12-14; Wheel¬ ing, W. Va., 15-17; New Philadelphia. O., 19; Canton, 20; Akron, 21; Ash¬ land, 22; Tiffin, 23; Fort Wayne, Ind.i 25, where season ends. AL H. WILSON—St. Paul, Minn, April 11-14; Minneapolis, 15-17; Wi¬ nona, 19; Red Wing, 20; Stillwater, 21: Superior, Wis., 22; Duluth, Minn., 23- 24; Calumet, Mich., 26; Hancock, 27: Ishpeming, 28; Marquette, 29; Esca- naba, 30. CHARLES B. HANFORD-Grand Junction, Col., April 12; Leadville, 13; Canon City, 14; Pueblo, 15; Colorado Springs, 16; Victor 17-18; Boulder, 19; Fort Collins, 20; Greeley, 21; Chey¬ enne, Wyo., 22; North Platte, Neb., 23; Kearney, 24. FATTY FELIX— Dixon, III, April 10; Aurora, 11; Pontiac, 12; El Paso. 13; Bloomington, 14; Pittsfield, 1“. Berry, 16; Hannibal, Mo., 17; Quincy. HI, 18; Carthage, 19; Plymouth, 2«. Rushville, 21; Astoria, 22; Virginia. 23; Springfield, 24; Peoria, 25; Canton, (Continued on Page 24)