Show World (July 1909)

10 THE SHOW WORLD July 10, 1909. EXCHANGE RECOVERS QUICKLY FROM FIRE American Film Service Establishes Temporary Headquarters and Begins Business All Over Again The disastrous fire which occurred late last week in the offices of the American Film Service, located in the Security building, this city, complete¬ ly destroyed the entire stock of that concern, valued at $80,000, upon which there was no insurance. It is alleged that the fire was of incendiary origin, but as yet no arrests have been made. All the books of the company were destroyed, but despite this fact the officials of the concern immedi¬ ately opened offices of a temporary will be Lew Field’s former success, “The Girl Behind the Counter.” Lot¬ tie Faust has been offered an oppor¬ tunity to star in this piece. 1 LASKEY’S PLANS FOR COMING SEASON. NEW YORK, July 2.—A visit to the Laskey producing office brought forth the following: Mr. Laskey is sending out Alfred Keppler and Audrey Maple this year, in a new act NEW YORK PERSONALS. Mile. Vera, the dancer, has a new act in which she is assisted by Charles Sabrine. Rose La Hart has gone to Cincin¬ nati on her vacation to visit her mother. The Shuberts will present Sidney Drew as a star in a new comedy opening at Daly’s theater, this city, August 2. Emma Siegel, of Hathaway and Siegel, is now working alone over the United time with a singing, dancing and talking act. Rivers and Rochester are in New York shopping and visiting. Nina Rivers expects to go with one of Cohan’s productions next year. The Hall Sisters, singing and dan¬ cing character change artists, have not decided yet whether they will ac¬ cept musical comedy or burlesque for next season. Lillian Shaw and A1 Coleman put on a new act at the Columbia last week. It lived just one week. Lillian is returning to vaudeville alone. Mazie King has joined the cast of “The Midnight Sons” and will con¬ tinue in it until the vaudeville season opens. She will return to vaudeville in the fall booked by the United. Bertie Fowler is going over the Sul¬ livan and Considine circuit next sea¬ son. Bertie has changed her billing from “The Merry Monologue Maid” to “The Blonde Dispenser of the Blues.” Jack Storey and Paul Decker, both members of the “Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary” company, are touring Europe and will return August 9 to commence rehearsals for next sea¬ son with May Robson. Shehan and Monohan, who arrived in this country just a year ago from Australia and plaved their first en¬ gagement at the Coliseum in Seattle, are also in New York and are book¬ ing through Joe Woods. Their act has been favorably received here by the press and public; it has pleased the managers and agents and their prospects are good for a bright future. Ann Murdock, Robert Edeson’s leading lady last season, is small in stature because she is youthful, but she is of the average feminine height and is by no means a “pony.” But she is young very young, and yet ma¬ ture. Sort of human paradox. When a girl at her time of life steps into the position of a leading woman the fact that she is juvenile is important. Some ladies object to have it blazoned to the world the length of time they have been on earth, but surely Miss Murdock cannot cavil. Certain it is she will never be asked the much mooted question: “How old is Ann?” Everybody knows. She is 18. Russell Summerville, whose chief claim to distinction is that he is the son of the statuesque beauty, Amelia Summerville, who made Henry Dixey famous, is going with Cohan and Har¬ ris next season. His charming little sister, Gracie. is to make her debut shortly in Cort’s new production, “Commencement Days,” and she is to play the part of one of the little convent girls. One would think she would be especially adapted to the part, as she has recently graduated from the Sacred Heart Convent. She has inherited her mother’s talent and intuition, and a brilliant future is pre¬ dicted for her, if heredity counts for anything, for their father as well as their mother have been before the public for many years and the former was known as Fred Runnells, one of Barnum’s famous clowns many years ago. HAS AN ENTIRE YEAR TO GET UP IN ACT. CLEVELAND, Ohio, July 8.— John M. Young, aged 38, formerly an actor, was given a year’s sentence in the penitentiary for larceny. He said: “I think the judge was lenient with me. I will have time to think a bit in the penitentiary and straighten up. After I serve my time I am going to Jlew York and try to break into the vaudeville game again.” nature at 118 and 122 Randolph street and began to straighten out the tan¬ gle. Rush orders were immediately placed by I. Van Rounkle and quick shipments were made. “In a way, this fire will be advan¬ tageous to our clients,” said a member of the firm, “for it will give us a brand new stock from which the exhibitors may select. From all sides we have received encouraging letters, such as this one from Aaron Jones: ‘Very sorry to read about the fire, just as I was getting ready to leave for a few days. You know it is only a loss 9f dollars, something we can all regain by work. Remember, Chicago had a fire in ’71. Then it became a city. Maybe you will also rise Phoenix-like out of the ashes and become a greater exchange than ever. Anyway, take heart, and with the rest of your boys, say: ‘We’ll try!’ Will be back Tues¬ day. Anything we can do, just say the word.’ It is such expressions of confidence that has given us courage to go ahead.” Lotta Faust May Star. One of the early productions by the Shuberts for the western territory entitled “The Greek God.” The new acts for the following season will be the “Imperial Musicians,” running 30 minutes, embracing eleven people. Their roster is William Gordon, Fred Weingetz, Alfred Banan, Arthur Har¬ vey, W. P. Hadden, Isador Cohen, May Rheinhart, Juliet Geiger, Ger¬ trude Nuttall, Clarissa Rose. The new act opens at Henderson’s this week and next week goes to Brighton. George Spink and the Shaw Twins, daughters of Mrs. Alice Shaw, will present a new act this season called “The Music Shop,” also under Las¬ key’s management. Knute Erickson will be a feature of another one of Laskey’s acts, called “At the Waldorf,” a 25-minute society musical melange, played with a cast of 23 people. Six of them are prin¬ cipals. “At the Country Club” will be an¬ other one of Laskey’s productions, embracing 13 people, opens at the Ramona Park, Michigan, July 12, and then on the Orpheum circuit. “Loveland,” “Pianophiends” and “Birdland” will also take the road in September.—REVELL. TOM D. COCHRANE Now representing all of Carl Laemmle’s interests in the east: The Laemmle Film Service, the Music House of Laemmle and the new Laemmle film manufacturing company, known as the “Independent Mov¬ ing Pictures Company of America,” the product of the latter concern being known as “Imp. Films.” Mr. Cochrane resigned a lucrative posi¬ tion as advertising manager of the New York Evening Mail to join hands with Mr. Laemmle, whom he considers “one of the business wizards of America.” THEATER MANAGERS. O. L. Elsler, who is now located at Akron, Ohio, recently visited his old home at St. Johns, Mich. Thomas R. Henry, theater manager and dramatic author, is paying a visit to his old home at Philadelphia, Pa. Fred Gillin is associated with F. K. Evans, in offering vaudeville and pictures at the opera house at Ilion, N. Y. Tom A. Boyle, manager of the opera houses at Rutland, Vt., is on his way to Seattle, Wash, to see the exposition. Fred G. Nixon-Nirdlinger is tour¬ ing the continent and remembers his friends in America with an occasional' souvenir postal. George H. Walker, manager of Hancock’s opera house at Austi^| Tex., has been appointed to a position! on the governor’s staff of that state. | Simon Ehrlich, manager of the opera house at Shreveport, La., re¬ cently returned from New York and says he has booked the best line of attractions he has ever had. To Begin Rehearsals. RICHMOND, Va„ July 7.—The “Smart Set Show” (Southern), under the personal direction of John J. No¬ lan, of the firm of Barton, Wiswell" & Nolan company, Inc., begins re¬ hearsals here on Monday, July 19, preparatory to the opening of the sea¬ son’s tour on August 4. LANSING POUCE WANT MAN WHO STOLE FILMS. Twenty-Five Dollars Reward Offered for Evidence to Convict and Re¬ turn of Stolen Property. LANSING, Mich., July 5.—The De¬ partment of Public Safety of this city is sending out the following card: H “$25.00 REWARD. ‘Some time between 12:00 o’clock (midnight) Saturday, and 8:00 a. m. Monday, June 7, ‘The Vaudette,’ a Five Cent Picture Show, was bur® glarized and several hundred feet of picture film stolen. The names of the pictures are as follows: Film Nos. “701. 950 feet of ‘Hunting Big Game in Africa,’ made bv Selig Mfg. Co. “679. 485 feet of ‘Grin and Win,’? made by Vitagraph. “679. 480 feet of ‘Plain Marne,’ made by Vitagraph. “708. 625 feet of ‘Cigarette Making,’ made by Vitagranh. “708. 355 feet of ‘Old Sweetheart of Mine,’ made by Vitagraph. “714. 345 feet of ‘Alphonse Gets in Wrong,’ made by Pathe. “714. 623 feet of ‘Miss Faust,’ made by Pathe. “Stolen by J. Cohn Phelan, alias John Conan, 35 years of age; height® 5 feet 9 inches; dark complexion, black hair; smooth, thin face; long, pointed nose; weight, about 145 pounds; smooth talker and has been in the picture show business. “Phelan attempted to sell films in Cincinnati, Ohio. “A reward of $25.00 will be paid for evidence to convict and return of property. Notify by wire. “HENRY BEHRENDT, I Chief of Police, a Lansing, Mich.” New Prize Scheme. BUFFALO, N. Y„ July 7.—Press Agent Scanlon and Manager McGill of the Gertrude Shipman company appearing at the Lyric theater, Buf¬ falo, recently offered prizes to the persons who sent in the longest list of words made out of the letters con¬ tained in the name Gertrude Shipman. Several contestants won prizes.—Mc- GUIRE. Catherine York Rescued. CENTREPORT, L. I., June 7.- Thomas Smith, a 15-year-old boy, res¬ cued Catherine York, a popular young actress, boarding at the Rice House, in this place, from drowning, after she had gone down for a third time in the channel off Mr. Smith’s house on the east side of the harbor.