Show World (September 1909)

September 18, 1909. THE SHOW WORLD 27 THOMPSON LEASES THE 1 NEW VICTORIA THEATER. Handsome Playhouse in Logan Square Is Taken Over and Added to Lnain of Vaudeville Houses “FOREIGN EXCHANGE” IS VOTED A BIG SUCCESS. New Play toy Booth Tarkington Harry Boon wlls °£ ff * s l0 Glven BUFFALO, N. ’ fon^nT'Ha^rfLeon'wTlVon id' pro¬ duced by Llebler & Co., was given a successful premier at the Teck theater, Buffalo, last night. After the show, Manager Olshei of the Teck and others expressed the opinion that the play ?romises to have a long and success- ill run. "Foreign Exchange” has every element of success likely to appeal to the American people. Although the scenes are laid In France, the Ameri¬ cans metaphorically are constantly wav¬ ing the American flag and pointing out wherein the land of the free is a bet¬ ter place than France. The play gets its title from the price American girls have to pay when they sacrifice them¬ selves for the sake of a foreign title. An American heiress, married to a French count, is visited by her father and mother, a millionaire and his social- lv-ambitious wife. They find the American Countess on the verge of leav¬ ing her husband because of his numer¬ ous intrigues. An American artist aids in the development of the love story, and in the end the Americans depart from France for the land of the free. The strong cast is headed by Miss Percy Haswell, E. M. Holland and H. B. Warner. Miss Haswell scored a dramatic triumph as the Countess, while Mr. Warner won new laurels as one of America’s foremost leading men. E. M. Holland and Jeffreys Lewis have great comedy parts. The play is staged on a massive scale. Booth Tarkington, Harry Leon Wil¬ son, George C. Tyler of Llebler Com¬ pany, George Welty and Hugh Ford came on for the opening. The play goes to Chicago for several months and then will be seen in New York.—McGUIRE. TRENTON, N. J„ Sept. 16.—Leo Don¬ nelly, the former newspaper man, who delighted patrons of the Trent theater during the past week with his humor¬ ous stories and excellent recitations, was given a rousing send-off last night by the Trenton Newspaper Men’s club, the members attending the performance and then tendering him a dinner at Juncker’s cafe, on East Hanover street. Donnelly, who until a short time ago was a well-known journalist, is a promi¬ nent member of the Pen and Pencil club, the premier newspaper organiza¬ tion In Philadelphia. He has met with much success on the vaudeville stage and his marked ability was evidenced last week by his enthusiastic reception at every performance. Counselor Francis B. Lee, who was one of the party, arose in his impressive manner and bestowed on Donnelly in behalf of the club, a loving cup. It wasn’t a real one, oh, mercy no; it was only a tin tea pot with three handles— on the corners, as a little urchin in the gallery remarked. The cup bore a plate on which was engraved: “Pre¬ sented to Leo Donnelly by the News¬ paper Men’s Club of Trenton, N. J., Mr Donnelly re- ‘Toreign Exchange” Will Be Seen in Chicago and “Bo” Will Probably Foreign Exchange,” the new play by Booth Tarkington and Harry Leon uilson, will arrive at the Grand Opera House September 26. The play was seen tor the first time on any stage last week in Buffalo, where it scored a hit. The Piece deals with the international mar- <iifferent 6S t ° n ' bht^touches upon ir ’ i i-v-oiiuu, uul LuuLnejs upon it in a, different manner from the way it is ha " d > ed ln , T, he Man from Home.” Harry Asklns also announces that —w musical comedy, will brought to the Grand later in t’ ~ "Lo,” his u,„ probably be Opera House lu... .„ _ J Which James E. Young is being starred, has been meeting with success on the road. IHE VIASCOPE SPECIAL MODEL 1910 VIASCOPE MANUFACTURING CO. ROOM 6, 112 E. RANDOLPH ST., CHICACO It Is Announced that Eastern Mag¬ nate Will Have Headquarters in Blackstone and Offer New Productions Here. That good old story, that Charles Frohman will make Chicago a produc¬ ing center, has been revived once more, and it Is said that he will have western headquarters in the new Blackstone theater and produce plays here. It has been stated numerous times in recent s that Mr. Frohman would try pro- ’ —’ 1, but so far he has , _v pieces In this city. ms time it is asserted that Mr. Froh ! - lan means business. NEW THEATER PLANNED FOR SUPERIOR SOON. Negotiations Under Way for a Hand¬ some Playhouse in Wisconsin City. SUPERIOR, -Wis., Sept. 16.—It is re¬ ported on reliable authority that local parties representing a theatrical syn¬ dicate of considerable stability have been negotiating for a site in Superior. It is said that negotiations are now on for the purchase of the two lots' on the southeast corner of Thirteenth street and Tower avenue and that a S60.000 opera house will be built there In case the deal Is closed. According to the rumor, the negotiations were far enough advanced as to he practical¬ ly certain of consummation. Great Actress. SANTA ANA, Cal., Sept. 16.—A mon¬ ument made from a bowlder weighing more than nine tons has been placed at the foot of Modjeska Mountain at Ar¬ den, the former home of the actress. On the face of the monument Is a bronze tablet with Modjeska’s name in¬ scribed upon it. The position of the memorial is a beautiful glen, where Modjeska loved — —.... -. —^ She in the Making to Erect the Barg- t Covered Arena in the World for This Sport. BOSTON, Sept. 16.—The largest cov¬ ered ice skating rink in the world will he erected on St. Botolph street at a cost of $150,000, and will be ready for use this coming winter, is the an¬ nouncement which greeted t)je sports of this dity this wees. The building will be known as the Boston Arena, and is being backed by a number of the wealthiest men in the Back Bay. The ice surface will be 90 by 250 feet, and all the winter sports FIREMAN’S GOOD WORK AVERTS A BAD BLAZE Frank Walters, a city fireman, by his quick work and presence of mind averted a bad blaze at the Trocadero last Sat¬ urday afternoon. A film being operated by Charles Fosberg became overheated and a fire started. The flames threat¬ ened to spread to other parts of the theater when Walters, after turning in an alarm, appeared on the scene with a hand pump, and extinguished the flames before they done much damage, and be¬ fore the audience was aware there was any danger. The house, which has hith¬ erto been devoted to burlesque, is now offering moving pictures. Passes Shut Off. MONTGOMERY, Ala., Sept. 16.—A no¬ tice to the effect that the free list has been entirely suspended has been posted by Manager Hicks at his flve-cent the¬ ater. Mr. Hicks was interviewed by the representative of the Show World, and said that he did this on account of the employes of the Grand coming in full force, and that he had cut out the press and all theater employes of other theaters. He also stated that the man¬ ager of the Grand would in the future pay the regular admission price. This notice has been received with much indignation by the members of the local press and theater employes. This theater runs pictures only—admis¬ sion price 6 cents. How this manager has been made on his house since this has gone into effect, and it is said by reliable authority that six applied for admission, making the small fee of thirty cents. Hicks says he will show no courtesies to the press in the future, as he was running his theater. Mr. Hicks has lived in a small village not far from this city, so it is clear that he has peculiar reasoning. This is his first year as manager of a theater.—L. Grand Opera for Baltimore. BALTIMORE, Md„ Sept. 16.—The season of grand opera is assured, al¬ though the subscription fund has only reached $61,000. Manager Ulrich de¬ cided to select a committee of ten from among the largest subscribers to choose what operas are to be given for the 20 performances and on what evenings they will be presented. It is possible that the first ten will he given on Wednes¬ day and the following ten Friday nights. The first opera will he given the second week in November. The interior of the Lyric will be greatly beautified and handsomely improved and decorated, al¬ though the general plan of altering the interior will not be carried out for some time. The Lyric will he open for independent theatrical productions as well as the usual symphony concerts, lectures and other amusements during the season.— CALVERT. Season On at Portsmouth. PORTSMOUTH, Ohio, Sept. 16—The Majestic theater opened Aug. 30 with a series of acts, furnished by the Wil¬ liam Morris vaudeville company and the decorations of the house, made dur¬ ing the summer, highly pleased the many who attended the opening per¬ formances. The lessees of the house are Simon Straus and Henry Frowine, two prominent local amusement pur¬ veyors, and their manager is Floyd Lewis, an experienced man, who has been connected with various Ohio thea¬ ters and parks. He was formerly as¬ sociated with Harry Hamm at Dream¬ land and at the Apollo in Chillicothe. The Portsmouth house will have a resident scenic artist and decorator. Straus and Frowine have placed car¬ penters at work in making a new en¬ trance from Sixth street, which will do entirely away with a stairway and make a gradual slope to the auditorium of the theater. . The Orpheum theater also opened its regular vaudeville season here Aug. 30, instead of Labor Day as previously an¬ nounced, and Manager Russell announces that most of the 150 foreign acts, now starting in Keith’s eastern circuit, will play Portsmouth. The lessees of the Orpheum are Messrs. Sun and Murray. The opening of the house at an earlier date was made in order that the opposi¬ tion might not have everything its own way in the local vaudeville field. Shuherts Open Albany House. ALBANY, N. Y„ Sept. 16.—The fall theatrical season .began in Albany Au¬ gust 30, when Hermanus Bleecker Hall, devoted to the Shubert interests, opened with "The Man From Home.” The Gaiety theater (burlesque) has been open f‘ - -’-■* J - ‘ T ' r ' / ~' rr ™ i number of days—CARDOZE.