Show World (August 1909)

12 THE SHOW WORLD August 14,11909. THE shovClJorld ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY (DATED SATURDAY) -BY- The Show World Publishing Co. 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, M. S. PATRICK, Secretary and Treasnrer Entered as second-class 1907, at the Postoffice at inder the act of Congress .£ March 3, 1879. NEW YORK OFFICE 201-302 Knickerbocker Theater Building, (Telephone 2194 38th SO NELLIE REVELL ST. LOUIS OFFICE 2Q1 Gem Theater Building Telephone Bell Olive 6. BASIL WEBB ADVERTISING RATES: NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. The Last Advertising Forms Close Wednesday at Noon. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1909. EDITORIAL. STAGE STATISTICS. The State Commissioner of Labor in New York has just made public his quarterly report. Its figures, from a theatrical standpoint, are highly in¬ teresting. One thousand, two hundred and ninety-one members of the theatrical profession have walked the streets of the Empire State since last January. Of this number two hundred and eighty-three were disabled. This in it¬ self is a most remarkable showing, and probably exceeds that of any oth¬ er similar period in the history of modern theatricals. But the part of the report which will undoubtedly be of the greatest interest is that the actor’s average earning in New York state is seven dollars and nineteen cents per day. This must be gratifying indeed, even to those who are not earning half that much at the present time. There have been one hundred and seventeen labor disputes among the members of the profession, which does not argue very well for their peaceful natures—or may mean that the actors* are at last fighting for their rights. The bulletin further states that the number of members of the theatrical profession and musical lines who re¬ ported as wage earners was twelve thousand five hundred and fifty-four. The aggregate earnings of these en¬ tertainers for the quarter is set down as three million three hundred and twenty thousand, two hundred and eight dollars and seventy-two cents, -which is twice the amount of any oth¬ er wage earners listed. The percentage of idleness in the theatrical profession is shown to be quite large, nine and seven-tenths be¬ ing the exact average. Of all the industries or trades met within New York state, tl\p theatrical profession came fifth in the list of those, to which large amounts of money were paid. The building trade heads the list, with an aggregate wage list of over fifteen millions of dollars. There are one hundred and thirteen thousand, six hundred and ninety members of unions represented under this head. Transportation employees, numbering sixty thousand, eight hun¬ dred and sixty-three, and representing engineers, many of whom are liberally paid, comes second, with a wage list of over ten millions of dollars. The printers come third and the metal workers and clothing and textile workers hug the stretch for fourth place. In all of these trades and in¬ dustries the number of members ex¬ ceeds materially that of the theatrical Wicked Theatricals. Dean Shailer Mathews of the Uni¬ versity of Chicago has been saying some very stinging things regarding debauchery of moral ideas which he claims is being encouraged by present day theatrical institutions. Some of his remarks are directly to the point; others may be somewhat tinged with pedagogy, but whatever else may be said either for or against his opinions, he has added some epigrams to the lore of stageland which may long sur- Here are a few of his observations: “Unless a man be ultra-puritanical he recognizes the value of the the¬ ater, if properly maintained, as a source of legitimate entertainment, but anyone in the least acquainted with things theatrical knows that the play¬ house too often panders to sensuality. “We are under the ministration of a commercialized stage; we are becom¬ ing callous to sights and words which would have shocked our fathers. “It is sheer hypocrisy to justify a tawdry musical comedy, with its vul¬ gar exhibitions of dancing and im¬ modest dressing, by an appeal to the real possibilities of the stage. “Theaters grow sensual because overworked or overfed men and wom¬ en like to be sensualized. “The church must teach temperance in amusement rather than the sinful¬ ness of being amused. “A public opinion -and a public taste realty inspired by the social ideas of the gospel would not permit the legit¬ imate function of the theater to be prostituted. “It ought to be possible for a man to attend theaters without his capac¬ ity for religious life being lessened. And what is more evident, it ought to be possible for him to escape the the¬ ater’s constant attack upon that re¬ serve concerning the relations of the sexes which is one of the truest safe¬ guards of the home from sensuality and divorce.” Rhoda Royal. Rhoda Royal, whose likeness adorns the title page of this issue of The Show World, occupies an enviable position in the amusement world. From an obscure beginning, Mr. Royal has, through consistent en¬ deavor, climbed the ladder of success, until today he is recognized as the coming circus king. Mr. Royal is not only a keen judge of horseflesh, as is evidenced by the equestrian features of the Sells-Floto shows, for which he officiates as director of the big show performance, but he has made a deep study of the circus business in general, and if current reports may be relied upon, the pinnacle of circus showmanship may be attained by him much earlier than even his most san¬ guine well wishers could hope for. BIRTHS. Carey—A son to Mr. and Mrs. John MARRIAGE. Bainbridge-Perrine.—Alexander G. (-“Buzz”) Bainbridge formerly busi¬ ness manager of the Metropolitan theater at St. Paul and press agent of Miller Bros. (Ranch 101), and Miss Jewel Perrine of Oklahoma City,- who was one of the western esques- triennes with the same attraction, were united in marriage in Detroit last week. .. McComber-Hitsman. — Burton W. McComber, a magician, and Belle Hitsman, a non-professional, were united in marriage at Iowa Falls, la., last week. DIVORCE. NEW YORK, Aug. 12.—Mrs. Car¬ oline R. Gebbest, whose stage name is Caroline Fredericks, and who is a former member of Geo. M. Cohan’s “George Washington, Jr.” company, obtained an interlocutory decree of divorce from her husband, George Gebbest, a musical director of the same company. The court directed that Mrs. Gebbest shall receive $20 a week, with an allowance of $5 a week for the support of a 7-year-old child, whose custody she was grant¬ ed under the order of the Justice. OBITUARY. John Ayres., for many years super¬ intendent of theaters in New York City controlled by B. F. Keith and F. F. Proctor, died August 2 at his home in Newark, after a long illness. He was born in Boston in 1842. In 1893 Mr. Ayres was engaged at Keith’s Union Square theater, becom¬ ing superintendent in 1895. In 1898 he went to F. F. Proctor’s circuit, and for the ensuing seven years was in turn superintendent of the Twen¬ ty-third Street, Fifty-eighth Street, One Hundredth and Twenty-fifth Street, Fifth Avenue and Newark theaters. In 1906 he was interested in the moving-picture business and lat¬ er was engaged as general inspector of all the Keith & Proctor theaters in New York City. Mrs. Jane Germon, an actress, died in Baltimore last week of ailments in¬ cidental to old age. She was 88 years old and retired from the stage ten years ago. Mrs. Germon was born in New Orleans in 1821. Her father was William Anderson, an actor of note, and her mother was Euphemia, a daughter of the first Joseph Jefferson. Ladislas Mierzwinski, the tenor who was a great favorite in New York and for a short time enjoyed tri¬ umphs of unusual character abroad, died in Paris recently, after a career of great contrasts. Mierzwinski Sme to this country under the manage¬ ment of Colonel Mapleson to sing at the Academy of Music in New York and made his first appearanca as Rhodames in “Aida” in November, 1882. Three New Incorporations. ALBANY, N. Y„ Aug. 12-Three theaters have been incorporatedsdur- ing the present week in the office of the secretary of state. The Clinton theater of Albany, N. Y., capital stock $100,000; directors, H. R. Jacobs, Clair Lydia Jacobs and Walter But¬ ler. The Family theater, New York; capital stock, $5,000; directors, James S. McDonough, Thomas J. Buckley and Geral Van Casteel. The Getty Square theater of Yonkers; capital stock, $5,000; directors, James S. Mc¬ Donough, Thomas J. Buckley and Gerald Van Casteel.—CARDOZE. RICHARD GOLDEN DIES ON PLEASURE JOURNEY. Prominent Player Succumbs While on Board a Boat Bound for the Maine Woods. NEW YORK, Aug. 10.—Richard Golden, the actor, died suddenly to¬ day on board the houseboat Stroller in Gravesend bay, where he was the guest of John Newton Porter. It Mr. and Mrs. Golden were prepar¬ ing to take a trip to Maine as guests i of Mr. and Mrs. Porter when the.ac-1 tor was suddenly taken ill. His death occurred from Bright’s disease. The body was brought to this city and taken to the apartmentdff a friend at the Wenoit apartments; 604 West 112th street. Services will be held there on Wednesday and the body will be taken to Mr. Goldens native city, Bangor, Me., for burial. Born in 1854, Richard Golden made his first appearance on the stage at the opera house in Newport, Me., '« 1867. His first New York appearance was in 1877 in “Evangeline,” and m- London debut was made in 1883 ui “A Bunch of Keys.” Fame in “Jed Prouty.” \fter appearing in numerous other lys he produced at the' _ Uniot uare theater in New York in 188- •Id Jed Prouty,” of which he was rt author. In the title role of.tm> :ce he appeared nearly 3,000 time this city and in various tours oi tm untry. ‘Old Jed” was his greatest success d his most famous part. e vogue of that play wore J", ilden had appeared in various pther dr. Golden last appeared n> -■ fo in a vaudeville sketch at tfl tjestic theater. Before that he w • n in a play that was finally chr.st ;d “The Other House.” He ap ired in this piece at the Studebaker ere it was produced.