Show World (May 1909)

May ft I 909 ' THE SHOW WORLD 5 ganization to Better Condit. Among Acrobatic Acts. [ Ar thur Hill, of the team of Hill and I Svlviani, intends to inaugurate a com- I bination of gymnasts throughout the I fountry, according to his present ■ Mans "believing, as he stated, that a union of acrobatic performers would I rve to remedy many evils now ex¬ iting in the placing of such acts on vaudeville bills and would establish, |jf possible, a central gymnasium ‘where the performers could rehearse I their stunts. . I Hill was in Chicago during the past week and attended the meeting of the White Rats which was held at the Sherman House last Friday night. Preceding the meeting he talked to a number of Rat gymnasts of his plans 'and managed to interest several well (known acrobatic teams in the move- I m Mr. Hill said: “I think the time is J about ripe for the gymnasts to get together for their own good. We have to face conditions in this coun¬ try which would not be tolerated abroad. We are given the worst . places on the bills and our merits are not permitted to be proven to the au¬ dience. Europe is way ahead of America in its appreciation of acro¬ batic acts. Here, where every man i apparently works for himself and a (standing army is unknown, very little , attention is given to physical perfec¬ tion or feats of acrobatic skill. I be- however, that the American B e would appreciate gymnastic , if such work were once called jto its attention in a proper manner. iThe circuses are our best friends, be- - cause they will give us due credit for rwhat we accomplish. Vaudeville jrhich is supposed to be a pot-pouri all sorts of entertainment, should at least class us with other ‘talent.’ ' “I cannot quite believe that the American public has no appreciation ! of the amount of gymnasium work ■ which is necessary to make our acts presentable. While a dramatic sketch ” may be put on after two or three re- 1 hearsals—as I have known them to be 1—we have to work many weeks; fej WMg a several years to attain a ’ degree of perfection. I think this ; ' : work should be appreciated here. 1 “What the performers need is a - union of'some kind, which will take care of their interests and which will 1? afford them an opportunity to use a 11 gymnasium for their rehearsals. Such * an institution should be established in “(New York city, where by paying a :; nominal sum per hour we could go ' and get our acts in trim for public (presentation. As the matter now f stands we are charged a high fee for ■ the use of such an institution.” Mr. Hill left for New York last 'f Thursday, after having talked his :l *#lans to Fred Herbert and Abner Ali M the White Rats, both of whom are ^keenly interested and will do all in weir power to further the organiza- ;; f Asa parting word Mr. Hill said: ( “I wish that every gymnast in the «(country who is interested in this pro¬ mpt would address me in care of the it White Rats, New York city. The order, if it is finally formed, will I bably be known as the Interna- tal Association of Gymnasts. It I have its headquarters in New rk city and will establish a nerma- jyflent gymnasium for rehearsals there. - It will be aside from the White Rats organization, and any acrobat of good may become a member.” 3 .standing m Broadhurst in Spokane. :* Spokane, Wash., April 30. George Broadhurst is here to su¬ it Pcnntend the production of his new i W The Mill of the Gods.—SMITH. ; Nordica in Law Suit. suit to break the will of the late " s «'t to break the Mrs. Allen.—LOU. CHAPPELL-WINTERHOFF COMPANY GOES TO LIMA Opens at Hoover’s Park on May 15—Mabel Paige at Richmond— Stock Company Notes. The Chappell-Winterhoff company, featuring Helene Carral and Carl Winterhoff, will open at Hoover’s park in Lima, Ohio, on May 15, for an indefinite stay. The organization is now three summers and one winter old and has a splendid reputation which the company engaged for the summer of 1909 is well qualified to sustain. The company was organized here. It includes Helene Carral, Carl Win- terhoff, Mrs. Lida Hall, Earl Elver- son, Lucy Wagner, Donna Rich, Ben Greenfield, Curtis Benton, Joe Schae¬ fer and Charles H. Eastman. Harry Chappell, the manager, left Chicago Monday night for Lima. The com¬ pany left the city Thursday with the exception of Miss Elverson who closes with Eleanor Gordon, who is in vaudeville, at Indianapolis, May 8. The opening bill will be A Soldier of the Empire. STOCK NOTES. Clara Turner will play a season of summer stock at the Mishler theater at Altoona, Pa. Many of the favorites of Dick P. Sutton’s former resident repertoire company at Butte, Mont., have left the big copper camp for more lucra¬ tive fields of endeavor and where chances are better all around. Irene Lorton goes to the Curtis at Denver, Lulu Sutton accompanying her for a visit to Miss Lorton’s mother; Rilla Willard comes to Chicago; Frances Gray, who was engaged for but four weeks to put on her celebrated danc¬ ing chorus numbers, also comes to Chicago, where she will open with the Zinn Travesty company May 9. A1 C. Newman is said to be going to Denver to join the Curtis stock, which will be directed by Frank T. Lindon. Sutton’s musical comedy company has been strengthened by the addition of Comedian J. W. Clifford, very well known for his work in the west the past five years; also by Clif¬ ford’s wife, Luella Temple, who comes to assume soubrette roles. The Mabel Paige company opened in stock at the Academy in Richmond, Va., April 26. The Baldwin-Melville company will occupy the Bijou at Birmingham, Ala., this summer. Arthur Lewis, of the Manhattan FIFTY-SIX ATTEND WHITE RATS MEETING. Fifty-six members attended the meeting of the White Rats held at the Sherman House last Friday night and all evinced great interest in the various matters which were brought up for debate. The announcement that the Voss bill had passed the New York senate and was in the hands of the governor for his signature aroused great enthusiasm, as the Rats have urged the passage of this measure since its inception, believing that it would better many conditions with which they have to contend, par¬ ticularly in ’the matter of booking agencies. Gillen Visits Home. Oswego, N. Y., April 29. Fred Gillen who for the past sea¬ son has been managing the Earl Bur¬ gess theater in San Antonio, Texas, is visiting his parents here. Mr. Gil¬ len has been very successful in the theatrical profession. He expects to remain in Oswego about two weeks. —DODGE. _ Hearn Arrives for Duty. Charlestown, S. C., April 29. Harry B. Hearn, formerly manager of the Altoona, Pa., Orpheum has arrived here to take up his duties as manager for Wilmer and Vincent’s Academy of Music. Keith vaudeville will be continued.—PLANK. stock company,' was taken suddenly ill at Findlay, Ohio, on the night that the company closed its long engage¬ ment there. He has recovered. Harry McKee will open a stock company at Millbrook Casino in Portsmouth, Ohio, on June 6. The Conness and Edwards stock company at Bayonne, N. J., holds re¬ ceptions on the stage every week. Frank G. Long and wife, Nettie Long, who have been playing leading business with the Grace Hayward company this season, have organized the Columbia stock company which is to appear at Hyatt park, Columbia, S. C., the coming summer. Louis Von Wietoff will be featured as the star of the Armory stock com¬ pany which begins a summer season at the Armory theater in Binghamton, N. Y., on May 10. He will be sur¬ rounded by a cast of superior excel¬ lence. The rehearsals were held at the Gotham theater, Brooklyn, where many of the cast had had a long and successful run. High class produc¬ tions will be played at Binghamton opening with In the Bishop’s Carriage and followed by Strongheart, The College Widow, Brown of Harvard, A Texas Steer and At Piney Ridge. The stock company at Poli’s in Waterbury, Conn., opened Monday with Held by the Enemy. J. An¬ thony Smith is leading man and Min¬ nie Radcliffe the leading woman. The company includes: Carroll Daly, Thornton Friel, J. J. Fitzsimmons, Anita Zorn, Edith Bowers, Gene La Motte, W. F. Clennett, Thomas Ma¬ her, Ruth Handforth, Marie Coleman and E. J. Caldwell. Walter Dashiell is stage director. George Osburne opened with the Valencia stock in Frisco this week. True S. James, late of The First Violin, who is at his home in Minne¬ apolis, played Morgan in The House of A Thousand Candles at the Lyric last week. Cedar .Point, Sandusky, Ohio, will open June 12, under management of Geo. A. Boeckling. Jno. A. Himme- lein has leased the Cedar Point the¬ ater and will inaugurate the theatrical season on June 20 with a first-class stock company, playing all well known plays, with a semi-weekly change of bill. CECIL SPOONER TO STAR IN MY PARTNER’S GIRL. Brooklyn, N. Y., May 7. Cecil Spooner will be seen as a star in My Partner’s Girl, a new play by Charles T. Dazey, at the Majestic in this city on May 17. It will be the first production of the play on any stage. The scenes are laid in Oklahoma and the “big effect” is the shooting of an oil well. Des Moines, Iowa, May 5. The Family played here last Thurs¬ day night to a grievously small au¬ dience. The majority of the women present used their handkerchiefs freely. Ethel Barrymore’s Husband Sued. New York, April 29. Russel G. Colt, husband of Ethel Barrymore, is being sued by W. U. S. Thompson to recover $1,000 upon an alleged gambling debt said to have been contracted during the Yale days of Colt. A check dated Feb: 8 1904, marked “Not sufficient funds,” signed by Colt is the evidence of non-pay¬ ment offered by Thompson. Colt says the money was lost at roulette, but claims that the amount is not collect¬ ible because he was then a minor, and because the check was given to pay a gambling debt.—WALTER. DEL SMITH ENCOUNTERS MART FULLER’S FIST. White Rat Has Bloodless Battle with Elgin Manager in Hotel Over Money Matters. Del Smith; a manager from Elgin, Ill., came to Chicago late last week, and during his stay he had a lively set-to one night in the Sherman House bar, in which he got the worst of it. There was a large gathering of White Rats at the Sherman indulging in a friendly little booze-fest, includ¬ ing Caron and Herbert, Mart Fuller, Abner Ali, Max Millian, Tom Waters, Harry C. Prentice and Arthur Hill. Fuller was helping a schooner across the bar when Del Smith arrived on the scene. Smith was exclusive and sought an unoccupied position at the farther end of the juice counter. Fuller spied him in the mirror, ex¬ cused himself from his friends and go¬ ing over to Smith reminded the latter that he would like to collect a certain sum of money which he, Smith, owed him. Smith is alleged to have told Fuller to go where money doesn’t grow except in a molten condition. Fuller Scores One. Fuller who is short of stature and light of weight looked up at Smith who is in the two hundred and twenty pound class, and locating a vacant portion of Smith’s jaw, placed his fist against it with much force. Then Fuller dodged behind a table, while Smith, threatening vengeance, rushed into the hotel corridor looking for a cop. Before he had returned Smith’s friends persuaded him to get out of the place. Smith returned white with rage and is said to have had his hand in his handkerchief pocket. Finding that Fuller had gone, Smith went out in search of him. Later, Fuller, hav¬ ing eluded his pursuer, returned and joined his friends. Suddenly Smith reappeared with two burly bluecoats and pointing out Fuller, demanded his arrest. The Rats scampered to the rescue and were willing to accompany Smith and Fuller to a police court. At this juncture, however, Frank Behring, manager of the hotel ap¬ peared and parleyed with Smith, who withdrew his complaint and de¬ parted. Fuller left to play the Majestic, De¬ troit, last Monday, and it is said he is not likely to play Elgin for some weeks to come. ONE NIGHT STANDS. The County Sheriff closed a season of 37 weeks, at Newburg, N. Y., on May 1. The Blockhead closed a season of 35 weeks, at Racine, Wis., last Sun¬ day. The company traveled 14,185 miles during the season. A baseball team has been organ¬ ized with the Polly of the Circus company, which is on tour in the one-night stands. James Jenkins is captain and plays second base, Fred Leet plays first base, A1 Trueshell is found in center field, Gil Henchey is on third base, Walter Milton is shortstop, Tommy Leonard plays left field, Joe Vernotsie is catcher, Toby Saxton the pitcher, George Cole right field, and Clint G. Ford mana¬ ger. Fine uniforms have been se¬ cured by the team. J. M. Campbell, late manager of the Lyric Stock company, is arrang¬ ing to put his own company, the Campbell Stock company, on the road again next season. A new line of plays with paper is being secured, and it is the intention of Mr. Camp¬ bell to present a company that will be first-class in everv respect. To Offer Vaudeville. Webster City, la., May 6. William Foster’s lease on the Au¬ ditorium in Des Moines expires June 1, at which time I. Ruben will take over the building. It is understood the latter is acting for an eastern syn¬ dicate and that vaudeville and stand¬ ard attractions will be offered every day in the year.—TUCKER.