Show World (October 1909)

30 , 1909 . THE SHOW WORLD 27 great advancement in VAUDE VILLE BUSINESS late of Illinois Alone Boasts of More Houses Today Than |l Entire Country Did Quarter Century Ago. BY CHARLES MORELAND. me Infancy of Vaudeville. L dav I met one of the old school Udeville artists of twenty-five years 1*0. Not having seen this member ing old guard, our conversa¬ tion naturally drifted back to the olden business. We talked of New York city, the cra¬ dle of variety. i. the times when but one __in the business, and he was t Fitzgerald, who did most of the "pg of what we now term “the big I The London Burlesque House on the kwery in those days was the Criterion variety House, where the ambitious mingsters were tried out. Every Mon- >}y afternoon the acts were given a (hance to show what they could do, and Is that day most all the Variety Man¬ gers of New York and Dick Fitzgerald, tie agent, were in the audience, and then an artist or act passed their criti- J1 inspection the performer’s future fas assured. But should an act or per- wmer fail to please the magnates, that las his or her finish, as far as New fork work was concerned. It was at »V* house *at such public favorites as jW- Kelly, Wheatly & Trainor, (Lew) iawkins & Collins, Emerson & West, Hrnello Bros., Bobby Gaylor and Leon- W & Jones and many others first found JJW FM the pubic through the fore- of Fitzgerald and the managers. , King and Castle v period. The necessary agent has come to dispatch business for house manager and artist alike. The field is so large that every town boasts of a vaudeville house, and today vaudeville is a busi¬ ness pure and simple for the artist, man¬ ager and agent. Vaudeville is a sys¬ tematized affair as well as any other business, and the agent who has come to stay is a necessity as much as the broker in real estate or any other busi¬ ness that requires an experienced mid¬ dleman. And the sooner the artist un¬ derstands that in this the age of special¬ izing the agent must and will always be the factor between manager and actor, the better it will be for both. ville in a new vehicle, a sketch entitled “The Umbrella Mender.” Morris will be assisted by Jessie Mosely and George Cole. The tryout was at the Columbia theater this week, and Sam says it is going big. . with Evansville and Interstate time to follow. Billy Baker and. the Pony-Boy Girls first half of the week at the Century theater, Mishawaka, Ind., and closes the week at Goshen, Ind., at the Irwin Opera house. Carter 8S Claire, the singing and talk¬ ing act, were seen at a local house this week, and I was gratified to note they (treet, between Clark and LaSalle. After i' 6 dissolution of their partnership, forge Castle opened independent offices i rk street opposite the entrance to ympic, and for a long time after- ooked“variety. agent ln the local houses of those days were ademy of Music, managed by Bil- nett, where Variety was given be- the acts of the thrillers that were t day all the rage. The other where Variety reigned were the iiC.“ e i ater on De splaines street, after- f™ 3 .known as the Lyceum; Jerry r,? r0 , e 3 theater, State street, between TtL ana ,T Tay l? r; Garden theater, State, [| etween Van Buren and Harrison, man- by King and Long; also the Cri- J .? te ?! managed by Charles En- nd i h « Park theater, built by King Long in the year of ’82, and nu- halls, where specialties T ,he jumps out of Chicago jfk Louis, Kansas City, Quincy, Wro Louisville, Joplin, Mo., St Cincinnati, Peoria, Detroit, Toledo, JSsrtavTfe'B SA,"*"” “ ,h “ t the Variety houses of these (wtoed winerooms and bar- Performers were booked for two weeks, according to the 3 jemmanded. If the artist per week and booked was given $80 for the ? °1 Per week. Sometimes We^rK 0t V 0 ^ S -P y en« jgy“3 ^‘contract ouT h? always' >t of th2 m n e P n vt at i° n t0 ‘ he manage- L npL"ext house to be played. is on 8 ?!?© Sfi er ^ house mana &ers to ley were a « b pm,2f week with whom - saa Si,',^ today* 5 There^was^more so- If that da°v e 1 ? ri ® nd | hl P The ar- ’ and Uve i from Land to one Apr the little one sees amongst the profession med to h 0 Se ts times , tl ! e s P‘ rit ot !| ng in the P nnci Pal reason nMor"ois?v P h/l ss i on i an<3 artlsts eemed more business people ‘l*«ttoe h ? Ped °“^an?th h er mlanS Wh ° ■I the p ast ha f s ®* r t tai f>>y changed things i- «ate of lii^, e M ty ', five years - Today '’“"than the^fhole^eoun tr y S had°a t™hat Western Bureau WM. MORRIS, Inc. J. C. MATTHEWS. Western Rep. 167 Dearborn Street CHICAGO Phones Randolph 3301-2-3 _ the hit of the bill. These boys will be heard from soon in the big time, and from what I saw of them I pre¬ dict they will go big. Senator Francis Murphy, the mono- logist, is booked solid, and will conse¬ quently work steadily the winter through. Mr. Murphy will play the Coney Holmes Interstate time. Charles Mack 8c Company arrived in the city last week. The sketch entitled “Come Back to Erin,” used by Mack, has been a knockout everywhere. (Doc. Bioward O’Neil, the university monologist, who was obliged to lay off at Rock Island, is rapidly recovering under the care of Dr. F. W. Brown, a noted throat specialist, and resumed his tour over Western time at Water¬ loo, la., October 25. Faulus, the little corporal, will soon play the big time in a new act by Dave Wolf, entitled “At the Dinks.” Mr. Paulus will have the assistance of Ar¬ thur Clippinger in the playlet, and an- ces that the title has nothing in common with any sausage works as the name would imply. Jones, Williams 8b Company, present¬ ing the English playlet, “Crushed Strawberries,” write that they are hav¬ ing much success on the Coney Holmes time, after which they play the Web¬ ster circuit for twenty weeks, finishing at Vancouver, April, 1910; they then sail for Australia, their home, the first time home in eight years. Billy Williams, their brother, leaves London about the same time for home. Lottie Gilson, best remembered as “The Little Magnet,” who a few years ago was a headline act, is playing the local houses around Chicago. Lottie’s singing is as good as ever, and I won¬ der why she can’t get the big time, as she would make a hit on any bill. Joe Withers writes me that he has tendered his resignation to the Melroy Twins and “Kid Kidders” and will close with that troupe at Bloomington this week. He will use a new act written by himself entitled “The Lost Locket,” assisted by Cecil Lorraine and Carmyne Jefferson. Kelly Brothers, singing and dancing act, open on the Western Vaudeville time next week and have booking for several weeks. , R. J. Lindsey, blackface monologist, arrived in town after several weeks over the Paul Goudron time, and is flirting with the agents for bookings. -- Bisley 8c Reno, Chinese pantomimists, low. have arrived in the city and are soon to ’“ r ’ 1 play the Orpheum time. Edmonds 8c Boyle did not play Dan¬ ville as they expected, but were can¬ celled at the last minute. In conse¬ quence, they lose the week. Shaw & Sargent report that their !*■*■’- for, ant "'Pa Rmialina.” was city from the east to play the Western Vaudeville Association time. Manager Seigfried, of the Bijou, De¬ catur, Ill., was in town last week look¬ ing after the winter’s bookings for his house. Walter Barnes Leivas Company are in town. Adolph Meyers will pilot the act over the Western Vaudeville Associa¬ tion time. Murray K. Hill, who has just closed with one of Jake Sternad’s acts, will play dates single with his monologue at Bush Temple next week. Nick Santoro, best remembered as the scrappy little pugilist who met all com¬ ers in his class with much credit to himself, now has a vaudeville act writ¬ ten by J. Brandon Walsh, entitled “The Grand Wind-Up.” The papers all seem to think the act the classic amongst fighting playlets, and at Streator, Ill., last week, Mr. Santoro and his com¬ pany, including James M. Cassidy and Adelaide Carter received an ovation which would have been a pleasure to the most noted star. From the press no¬ tices, this act will have no trouble in getting all the bookings it can handle, and will certainly play repeats. Next week, Kensington, Ill., the big time to follow. Lenard & Drake, who are at Shindler’s theater this week, have a new act which is a great improvement on the old one used by the team. Lenard’s imitation of the dry cocktail used in the old act is still meeting with favor. The team went big Tuesday night and the new act will be a big success wherever they Thomas 8c Payne, colored singing and dancing comedians, are playing the Western Vaudeville Association time. Shannon & Straw, the comedy sketch team, just arrived in town from Grand Rapids, and report big success. The Majestic Quartette arrived in town Monday and are preparing to play the Pantages time soon. The La Moine Trio, who have been playing the county fairs, will open ' ___ ‘Pasqualina,” was a riot at Ra- 'Cine, Wis., last week. They play the Castle theater, Bloomington, Ill., this week, and Joliet next week, with the Western time to follow. Harrison Greene and Kathryn Parker open next week on the Interstate time at Lexington, Ky., with all this agen¬ cy’s other time to follow. Ada Rogers, formerly of the Rogers Sisters’ musical act, has arrived in the Secure your Acts through the Managers Attention E-R“ d °>PliS “**’Room 7 HI lull IIUII Phone Main 1887 CHICAGO CARMICHAEL & WHEELER, CANDO, N. D. Daly 8b O’Brien, the tanglefoot dancers and talking comedians, are working at the Gaiety, South Chicago, this week. Pongo 8s Leo, comedy revolving pole, open at St. Joe, Mo., Monday for a two weeks’ fair date; Des Moines to follow. The Muliners are playing the Cali¬ fornia theater, booked by the Morris of¬ fice. The act is going nicely. Lambs’ Mannikins are playing the Julian this week, and report that it has been a very pleasant week and hope they gain as many friends at the President next week. The Original Quaker City Quartette played the Wilson Avenue theater last week and met with big success through the introduction of a new Swedish character. The boys play the American Music Hall next week. Otto 8s West open at the Mable thea¬ ter November 1 in a new act entitled “Who Discovered the Pole?” Jessie Russell 8c Company, who have been playing the Charles Doutrick time with a new electrical novelty dance, has arrived in the city for a needed rest. (Emily Page, the petite singing comed¬ ienne, is hooked solid for the winter. Emily does a neat act and should be kept working all the time. Billy Moore, singing and talking comedian, has arrived in town from over the Pantages time. Bill says he saw more performers here in an hour than during all the time he was west. William Sanguine 8s Company will he seen shortly in a new comedy sketch yet unnamed. Will and May Reno, in the comedy sketch “The Rube and the Show Girl,” are at the Vaudette, Evanston, this Musical Schneider keeps filling the lo¬ cal theaters with melody. George Thompson, singing imperson¬ ator, is working the Acme theater this Maud Tanner, the soubrette, has plen¬ ty of local time and likes it. Prank J. Cummings is now working single in a comedy singing and dancing act. His wife, Kitty King, is not work¬ ing at present. Mr. Cummings just closed with one of the Rowland & Clif¬ ford attractions. Kid Wilson and wife, the “King Pins of Unionism,” are working the Doutrick time. The Kid manages to keep on the job. The Levigne Sisters are playing the Quin Opera house, Goshen, Ind., the first half of the week, with Mishawaka to follow, the last half. Van Avery arrived from Cedar Rap¬ ids Monday; rests this week; opens at Davenport, la., Monday next; then the Interstate time. Roy Lee Wells arrived from Marion, Ind., Monday. Wells is booked solid until January. The wife and baby are Ve webb^Romalo Trio, novelty acrobats, are filling in a few weeks in the city before going on the big eastern time. John W. Considine, of the Sullivan- Considine office, is hunting in Oregon. The People’s theater will have vaude¬ ville between the acts beginning Mon¬ day next. Paul Goudron booked the vaudevillians. Perry 8c Whte, the premier sketch ar¬ tists, are the big hit at Des Moines, la., this week. This act is one of the best acts of its kind and is dressed in a manner fitting a high-class number. The big time audiences have taken to Perry & White like a duck to water. Richards 8c Richards, singing, talking and banjo players, arrived in town Mon¬ day from the Sullivan-Considine time. Grace Robinson, singing and acro¬ batic girl, is playing at the Garrick the- Burlington, la.; Ottumwa to fol- The Mallard Brothers are playing a new act entitled “Back to the Old Dig¬ gings.” Chuck has a new banjo which he says cost him many a thirsty day. Turno 8s Honegger Trio, pantomimists, hand balancers, jugglers and contor¬ tionists, and lots more, are laying off this week, but play the Ashland next H. P. Joseph, the singing and dancing comedian who came to the Haymarket from Detroit, is making the audiences sit up and take notice. Ben Harney, of Harney & Hames, is sojourning in the city. Just came in from Streator, Ill., to see the old bunch. Al. Case, the fat musical artist, is keying on the job. Al has not lost a Jessie Rapier, of Rapier & Rapier, while doing her dancing specialty last w)eek, fell and fractured her wrist, which necessitated their closing the act until Miss Rapier recovers. Woman Displays Pilms. Miss Frieda Klug, representing A. Schultze, a prominent foreign film firm, with headquarters in Turin, who recently arrived in America to study conditions in the moving picture field here, gave an exhibition of independent and trust films before the members of the Young Women’s Christian associa¬ tion, at 238 Michigan avenue, Saturday evening, October 24. Some very in¬ teresting historical, scenic and humor¬ ous films were shown and Miss Klug, secured these films through the courtesy of the Carl Laemmle company and the Chicago Film exchange. Miss King was assisted in this exhibition by W. R. Sims, of the Chicago Film exchange. Stock Melodrama Begun. CLEVELAND, O., Oct. 26.—Henry Belmars has leased the Coliseum the¬ ater on East Fifty-fifth street, and will open on Nov. 1st. Stock melodrama will be the policy of the theater.— YOUNG. question whether it will be issued or not. Lots of worse chaps than Bill in show business. Riesner & Gores, singing and talking sketch, arrived from the west hunting Harry Robinson, brother of Ethel Robinson, of the Western Vaudeville Association, tendered his resignation last Saturday, and stepped out. Sam Liebert 88 Company are playing the Kedzie theater this week with a sketch entitled “To the End of the World with You.” It’s a knockout. The Viascope Special FIRE PROOF! NOISELESS! FLICKERLESS! NO VIBRATION! Guaranteed Forever Against Defective Workmanship or Material Viascope Manufacturing Co.