Show World (June 1909)

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14 THE SHOW WORLD THE ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY (DATED SATURDAY) The Show World Publishing Go. Grand Opera House Building Eighty Seven South Clark Street CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE CENTRAL 1577 Cable Address (Registered) “Showorld” WARREN A. PATRICK, General Director WALT MAKEE, Editor E. E. riEREDITH. Associate Editor BERNARD F. ROLFE, Advertising: Manager M. S. PATRICK, Secretary and Treasurer BRANCH OFFICES NEW YORK 201-202 Knickerbocker Theater Building, 1402 Broadway (Telephone 2194 38th St.) NELLIE REVELL Manager. ST. LOUIS 201 Gem Theater Building BASIE WEBB Manager ADVERTISING RATES: Fifteen Cents per Agate Line. Fourteen Lines to the Inch. Fifty Inches to the Page. NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. The Last Advertising Forms Close Wednesday at Noon. SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1909. EDITORIAL. Good Plays and Otherwise. In the midst of the avalanche of adverse criticism upon pornographic plays, it may be well for a moment to glimpse the other side of play pro¬ duction. “The Devil,” “Samson,” “Salvation Nell,” “The Blue Mouse,” “The Queen of the Moulan Rouge,” “The Girl From Rector’s,” “A Fool There Was,” “The Easiest Way” and “The Narrow Path” have all been classified as more or less filthy. Some are fairly decent, others are hopelessly immoral. It is claimed, and not always unjustly, that each teaches a valuable lesson to hu¬ manity. A garbage pail is an object lesson in waste. It may be said to convey the moral that man is extravagant in his food, but it may be accepted as a certainty that pails of the garbage variety are somewhat malodorous in dramatic form. And yet, with but one or two ex¬ ceptions, the plays we have enumer¬ ated herein have been well patronized by the public and, on the other hand, it is quite unprofitable.—if experience may be accepted as proof,—to en¬ deavor to educate the people. For example, Donald Robertson has found it most expedient to produce his plays in private,—to eclectic as¬ semblages, and on platforms not sought by the general public. Occa¬ sionally Mr. Robertson derives rev¬ enue from his productions, but such occasions are rare. More often, he exhibits his plays for charity,—and were it not that he has a bank book of some proportion, his adventure into the realm of producing-actors would have long since fallen flat. During the past season, Mr. Rob¬ ertson produced many plays which touched the very heights qf- the dram¬ atist’s art. His acting; hs-well as that of his selected company^ -was unbi¬ ased by thought of ’ .box dffice re¬ ceipts, hence, the plays were nearly perfett. Robertson has outlined the follow¬ ing plays for production this coming season: Alfieri’s “Saul,” - Calderon’s “Mayor of Zalamaya,” Esehegaray’s, “The Stigma,” Moliere’s “Tartuffe,” Mar- lanis’ “Game of Love,” Shakespeare’s “Timon of Athens,” Shelley’s “The Cenci,” Sheridan’s “The Critic,” Browning’s “The Return of the Druses,” Sudermann’s “Happiness in a Corner,” Heijerman’s “Link,” - Ib¬ sen’s “Vikings at Helgeland,’ Bjorn- son’s “Marriage.” They are, as may be seen, high class, ethical and moral playthings, but it is quite probable that they will not become popular,-save with that selected few whom Robertsdn has wisely chosen for his own. Erlanger a Fighter. A well known western ; manager called our attention the other: day to the reputation which A. L. Erlanger bears as a : fighter arid Observed 1 that his fame in this' regard might possibly be overdrawn. The old quarrel between Erlanger and Belasco was recalled in which Erlanger has finally “taken water.” The days of “Advanced Vaudeville” were brought to mind in' which the syndicate with great flourish of trum¬ pets started out to sweep everything before it—and finally appeared glad to retire from the field. The long- drawn-out quarrel with the Shuberts was also brought to mind, in which Erlanger was once quoted as saying that there was “nothing to it,” or words to that effect. But the days and weeks and months have passed and the Shuberts have, to all intents and purposes, gotten the upper hand of the syndicate in the fight for control of American book¬ ings. Day by day the Shuberts ap¬ pear to be adding to their number of theaters; their volume of productions and the general strength of their book¬ ing batteries, and, if present indica¬ tions count for anything, they will land on top of the heap this coming season. Meanwhile what is the syndicate-do¬ ing? It is maintaining an attitude of si¬ lence, which sometimes is, or again is not, an indication that the unspeak¬ able party is “sawing wood.” There are not many hours between, this and the opening of the fall season of 1909 and it would appear that if the syndicate intends to be a strong fighter in the present campaign, it had best “get busy.” It is all well enough for Mr. Er¬ langer to refuse to consult with com¬ binations of managers and to carry himself in a haughty manner when in the presence of those who in the past and future were and must be relied upon for his livelihood. It may be held by the advocates of the syndicate that should Erlanger have given in ; to the demands of the managers who have called upon him within recent weeks to know where he stood in the booking game for the coming season, that it would have been a sign of -weakness upon his part. Perhaps it would, but there are murmurings in the camps of the scattered tribes of theatrical managers and producers which will not be frowned down by an attitude of indifference to their in¬ terests. Whether they have suffered in the past or not is not the point. They believe it to be to their own best interests not to tie themselves down to any arbitrary agreements with one individual or a set of individuals who have constituted themselves the rulers of amusements. There will be thirty weeks for the Stair & Havlin attractions next sea¬ son. An announcement from George Nicolai in this respect ought to put an end ’to‘ the rumors that moving pic¬ tures would encroach on that circuit to such an extent that companies or¬ ganized with a view of playing the circuit would not have sufficient book¬ ings to 1 make the season- profitable. The Vaudeville - cartoon concerning B. F. • Keith - and the eviction of the mother-in-law jbke, which is' used on another page of. this issue, would have been credited to its source, ‘ had the * source been known. It is -apparently sent out by some syndicate. A few liberties have ; been • taken with it in making it interesting to showmen. From time immemorial the news¬ paper publisher has “discussed” and “resolved” but any definite reform in the conduct' of the business in certain respects has hot resulted. In this con¬ nection attention is directed to an ar- ,ticle_on.another, page regarding news¬ papers and circus press agents. BIRTHS. Klein—Born to Mr. and Mrs. Ar¬ thur Klein, of Percy G. Williams’ forces, on June 9, a girl. Harrigan—Born to Mr. and Mrs. James Harrigan, a son. Chappell — Born to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Chappell (Sarah Marion) a ten pound boy. DEATHS. Harry Botts, see circus department. Col. Collins Young, aged 29, a mid¬ get who was appearing at a park at Albany, N. Y., was found dead in bed on the morning of June 9. Ferris — John H. (“Jack”) Ferris died in St. Louis June 13. (See news item). Beatrice Valentine, of the Jackson family, bicyclists with the Ringling circus, died May 26 at Jersey City. Clemings - Gessner — Harry mings, of the Barnum & Baile^^ and Alice Gessner, one of the gi who rides in the “Autos-that^B_ the-air” act, were united in marriage at Allentown, Pa., June 4. Wooas-McMean—Ralph Woo<L„ Grace McMean, formerly members the Olympic Music Hall sto<^™ pany, were married June 10 a York city. Dixey-Nordstrom—Henry E. Dial and Marie Nordstrom, at Milwaukee, Wis., on May 3. Hodge-Hale — William Hodge -jrl married June 13 to Helen Hale^hjL , name off the stage is Helen Cogswell. The ceremony was performed by the > Rev. John Wesley Hill, pastor of Met- et ropolitan temple in New York. Be- lie sides the members of the Hill’s family, George Cogswell, the banker of Cleveland, and Mrs. Cogs¬ well, father and mother of Miss HalJ were the only witnesses. McNutt-Mitchell — Ernest McNutt, ;; son of Detective George McNutt, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Ina Mitchell both members of the Voren Tig}, cal company, which is touring tl southern states, were married at H Springs, Ark., last Friday efl The wedding was the result of a romance. Night after night the young J1 people made mock love to each other behind the footlights. Gradually the make-believe became the real and the j wedding was the result. Ti “Billy” Thompson: His Career. Few men in the song publishing^:: business are better known than-sWil-f' liam (“Billy) Thompson, who man-1 ages Remick’s Chicago branch:^P > ? is not only admired for his good fel¬ lowship but is conceded to be one o> the best song “pluggers” in the jbusi- ness. To Thompson must go the<£ credit for popularizing “The Blue and the Gray,” “Can’t Tell Why I Love You But I Do,” “Goo Goo Eyes, “Dolly Gray,” “Ain’t That a Shame, “Bill Bailey,” “Good Old Summer Time,” while he was with Haviland; “Anona,” “Blaze Away, Billy, You See I’m Lonely,” while I wit" " Hair Is, Feist; “Not Because Your Hair 1 Curly,” for Kremer. While in business for himself wit«. Ted. S. Barron, the manuscOTHV “Marriucia, Take a Steamboat,” was ■ brought to him by two unknown’wnt- J _ j, after having been refused baNewl York publishers. He saw the posst- J bilities of this song and established the foundation for that series of gopu- j lar Italian songs which followed in its wake. This firm, although small, also | brought forth “Tough Guy “Sweetie Dear,” among other melodies. Mr. Thompson was c° n - nected with Remick for two years as I eastern sales agent and general P r0 ‘ I fessional man.