Show World (December 1909)

4 THE SHOW WORLD December 11 ,1909, Alice Thompson, formerly of the Thompson sisters, of the Buchanon Dancing Four, left Thursday night for New Orleans to join her husband, who is with a show that has been touring the south. Her husband, J. C. Donahue, has accepted the man¬ agement of the Grand Opera house at Grand Forks, N. D., and he and his wife will go to housekeeping at that place. The Buchanon Dancing Four, with Foley and Earl as recent acquisitions to its list, are playing at Winnipeg, Manitoba, this week. The act is mak¬ ing quite a hit. Barnyard Frivolities, the new act in which Douglass and Van are being featured, opened recently at the Ellis Avenue theater and made a favorable impression. The dancing of Douglass and Van was the best thing in the offering and their work scored. Ed. Drury, of the “Free-Setters” quartette, was given quite a send-off the other evening before he departed for Winnipeg, and some original songs were rendered for his benefit. Drury is some singer himself and he sang a few pathetic numbers on the side. Dan Sherman and his merry com¬ pany in the former’s own piece, “A Jay Circus,” will be an added attrac¬ tion at the Star and Garter next week. During the offering the Sherman and Morrisey trapeze act will be given. Dan’s many friends will be on hand to give him a rousing reception. Joe Tinker is getting along swim¬ mingly with his rehearsals in his new vaudeville act, which will be styled “A Great Catch.” He and Sadie Sherman are going to do a lot of kidding in the act from all reports. One of the “bits” will be an imita¬ tion of Mike Donlin dancing, which Joe is said to have down to perfec¬ tion. Jake Sternad is having no trou¬ ble in getting time for Joe and Sadie. The Luigi Brothers, formerly a fea¬ ture with Van’s minstrels, are play¬ ing vaudeville again, with their acro¬ batic act, and their work was enthu¬ siastically received during their St. Paul engagement. A. Sigfried, after a recent trip to Chicago, has returned to Decatur, Ill., to tell the patrons of his new Bijou theater that he has lined up a lot of big acts for the season. The new Bijou cost $50,000 and is a beauty in every respect. Sigfried is mighty proud of his house. There’s a reason. Wal Brooks recently sued Thomas M. Murray, manager of the Thalia theater for breach of contract and the matter was amicably settled last week. Ed. Biederstadt of Madison, Wis., has settled his difficulty with the vaudeville team of Vinton and Clay¬ ton and harmony again prevails among them. Anna DeLisle, who is playing vaudeville in “The Price of Friend¬ ship,” is said to be meeting with suc¬ cess. Harry W. Schumm is one of the prominent members of her com¬ pany. The act during its Joliet ap¬ pearance gave the management of the house at which it played immense satisfaction, as the week was a rec¬ ord-breaker for it. Miss DeLisle is playing the California theater here this week. Al. H. Tyrell, “the man with the kimona,” is going to play my home town during Christmas, week and he is scheduled for a big time, as all the LaFayette (Ind.) boys know him of old. Al. and Dave Maurice, the man¬ agers of the Family theater, are bound to pull off some merry stunts that will make the home boys sit up and take notice. Al. spent two weeks there last summer and he’s on speak¬ ing terms with them all. I hope he orders a few extra “10’s” from Homer Fry for me. The Princess Theatrical Exchange of Louisville, Ky., is anxious to get all kinds of vaudeville acts, and through its president and general manager, Irwin Simon, has sent a let¬ ter to the Actors’ Union here, asking that the artists wanting dates give the Exchange attention. Several acts VAUDEVI LLE V AGARIES By MARK M. VANCE. have been sent to the south by Sec¬ retary Ricardo. Coney Holmes, general manager of the Casino Vaudeville Booking Agen¬ cy, is now snugly ensconced in new office apartments adjoining the Jake Sternad agency, at 167 Dearborn street. Holmes is as busy as any of the agents and recently acquired the Plaza theater at Norwood, Ohio. The Plaza is a brand new house and will open Dec. 15 with a special bill fur¬ nished by Holmes. He will also book the Casino at Zanesville and the Elec¬ tric at Coshocton, Ohio, tne houses exchanging bills during the week. The Plaza at Norwood is said to have cost $60,000. La Crandall, the graceful wire ar¬ tiste, with the Napanees No. 2 show, during her engagement at the Tem¬ ple in Fort Wayne lost a gold watch and belt, and heroic work on the part of Grace Koehler failed to restore the valued treasures. An “ad” in the Fort Wayne papers read as follows: “Lost—Gold watch and red belt, Fri¬ day, by one of the little schoolgirls at the Temple. Return to stage door and receive reward.—Grace Koehler.” The watch was a gift to La Crandall. Bobby Brown, of the Napanees No. 2 act, is out of the offering, owing to a severe attack of tonsilitis. Be¬ fore he can resume his stage work he will have to submit to an operation. Bobby is an ambitious youth and quite popular with the other mem¬ bers of the act. R. Bruce Logan is in the city ar¬ ranging to put the Apollo quartette out on the road again. He has had trouble in getting a good baritone singer, but has finally succeeded in getting his cast together. Logan and associates will feature “The Man Out¬ side,” in which a poor cabman tells his story to a trio of mischief-loving college boys. The act was formerly a winner. Warren and Francis, acrobatic en¬ tertainers, are now with Charles Le- degar and his Napanees, doing their act in the second part of the show. Lew Cooper and the Primrose sis¬ ters, Helen Dalton and Daisy Steven¬ son, made a hit with their refined dancing and singing act at the T. M. A. benefit last week, having an en¬ viable position on the big bill. Coo¬ per and the sisters left Sunday for Springfield, Ill., where they are play¬ ing this week. The act is now booked solid over good time. Jack Roache, a popular White Rat, is back playing vaudeville and inci¬ dentally playing championship pool during his leisure moments. He re¬ cently accepted the challenge _ of a newspaper man to play a series of fifty points, the loser to pay for din¬ ner to be served to five friends. Roache says it is easy money. Eva Tanguay is announced to re¬ turn to vaudeville on Dec. 18, leav¬ ing the cast of the Ziegfeld company, now presenting “The Follies of 1909,” in order that Jack Norworth and Nora Bayes may return to the Zieg¬ feld fold. The “I Don’t Care” vocal¬ ist will be booked by the United Booking office. The Harrahs, novelty skaters, are meeting with success over the Inter- State time. They play Dallas, Tex., next week. The Pedersen Brothers, comedy acrobats, put one over the managers and critics in New York City when they made their initial appearance at the Fifth Avenue theater last week. Their work was a riot, and as a re¬ sult the Pedersens were moved from opening position to closing. They will be a summer feature at Hammer- stein’s Roof next year. It was months ago when I saw them perform for the first time in one of the small time theaters, and I surmised then that they would be heard from on the big circuit, if the chance ever came their way. I rejoice in their good fortune, for they deserve the attention they are getting down east. Elsie Ferguson, who is assisting Harry Richards in his present vaude¬ ville act and who presents a girlish picture in her make-up, is a daughter of Barney Ferguson. Her work in the Richards act is quite a feature. Spingold and Girad, who recently returned from a successful trip over the Morris circuit, were well received this week at the People’s theater. Beecher and May are booked to play the Trocadero next week. Al. ■ Cameron is busily engaged in rehearsing a company for the pres¬ entation in vaudeville next week of a brand new act, “The Last of the Regiment.” Cameron has secured Lew Miller and two other vaudevil- lians to assist him in the act. Spe¬ cial vocal numbers will be featured and Al. and his associates did some tall harmonizing around the White Rats’ club this week. Avin Kolvig, magician and illusion¬ ist, after a two weeks’ illness with throat trouble, has recovered and is again filling vaudeville dates. He will play time for the United Booking as¬ sociation next week. Sam H. Blair is an indignant man. He booked the act, the Rainbow sis¬ ters, Ward DeWolfe and “Pony Boy Girls,” to appear at the Temple thea¬ ter in Grand Rapids, Mich., week be¬ fore last, and although the act re¬ ported on time, the management can¬ celed it. Blair, who represents Joe Murphy, who owns the act, will take the matter to court and endeavor to get damages and salary from Man¬ ager Churchill. Blair intends to push the case to a rapid settlement. The Mozarts, Fred and Eva, are keeping busy nowadays and are add¬ ing to their laurels every week. They are booked for Cedar Rapids next week, and during week of Dec. 27 will play Pueblo, Colo. From there they jump to Wichita, Kan., and thence to Oklahoma City. Grace Reahm, whose solos have been a feature at the Saratoga hotel for some time past, has resigned to enter vaudeville. Jake Sternad has arranged for her to appear in a sing¬ ing act with Pearl Allen, who has formerly been featured with her jock¬ eys. Miss Allen and Miss Reahm will frame up a new act. The latter will be missed by her many friends at the Saratoga. Arthur Dufty, an old friend of mine, who is located at Purdue university, was in Chicago this week. He tells me that the new Colonial theater in Indianapolis is a dandy, and that the show he witnessed there the other week was immense. The Colonial is controlled by William Morris. There are few comediennes in the limelight today that have attained the popularity that Miss Hardie Langdon enjoys, and all the boys have a good word to say for her. She is playing at East St. Louis this week and her work is'receiving favorable comment. When it comes to facial expression, Hardy is there with Elfie Fay. She has just concluded a successful en¬ gagement at the various Chicago houses, playing Morris time. Walton, comedy magician, is mak¬ ing an impression with his work. He has gotten out a novel post card, which draws attention to his act. Will M. Cressy, the vaudeville actor- author, who has written all the Hag¬ gerty sketches for the Ryan-Richfield Company, is at work on the fifth sketch of the series, to succeed “May Haggerty, M. D„” now making a successful tour of the circuit. Walter C. Kelly, who proved a genuine hit in London, tells me that he is going back again as the man¬ ager of the houses in which he played insisted on him promising to return. And, of course, what could Kelly could? The “judge” has been work- . ing under difficulty this week, owing to a severe cold. From the way. the Haymarket audiences laughed and ap¬ plauded this week, they didn’t seem to mind his hoarseness. Earle Reynolds, of Reynolds; and Donegan, the fancy skaters, who are closing the show at the HayiiHn I this week, is another of the La Fay¬ ette (Ind.) boys, who has made good on the stage. When I wasn’t bigger than a minute, but old enough to know what a pair of skates meant to a kid, Reynolds was playing on the La Fayette polo team, which won the championship of the country, and his playing had mueh to do with landing it. Reynolds tells me that his “home¬ coming week” at La Fayette recently Mabel Hite never loses a chance to ! kid her husband, Mike Donlin, during their act, and at the Majestic here the ! other week, she scored one that got a big laugh. Mike was watching her put over some hot ones and couldn’t refrain from laughing himself. Mabel turned on him and said, “There’s an j empty seat over there (pointing tp the east side of the house) if you’re go¬ ing to laugh go over and sit down.” 1 She says Mike is getting to look more like Robert Hillard every day from the way he is combing his hair. John T. Thorne, in his present vaudeville vehicle with Grace Carle- ton, says that all that the poor In- lian now has left is the Indian sum¬ mer. The joke is going good even at this time of the year. Bert Harold Colton, who recently, hit Chicago from New York, is a happy man. His folks strenuously ob¬ jected to him leaving home, but he started for Chicago anyway minus his trunk. His father took pity on him, after Bert had been gone a month, and sent him his baggage. Colton | now has clothes to burn. The Bowery Trio has returned from a successful trip through the south. It comprises Banks Whitfield, ^bari¬ tone; Elsie Madison, first tenor, and Billy Madison, second tenor, ’with Whitfield doing the comedy work. I The trio is featuring popular songs and is making a hit. Whitfield. was formerly a member of the Chicago Newsboy quartette. Jeanette Childs, who gives an imita¬ tion of Bessie McCoy in her “Yama Yama” dance, furnishes one of the best things in the Edwards’ “Kountry , Kids” act and does some really clever work. Horn and Horn, enterprising come¬ dians, who have been working hard with their new act, “A Can Factory,” are being booked exclusively by the Western Vaudeville Managers’ Asso¬ ciation. They are getting a lot of good time. The act is said to be a decided hit. The comedians will spend Christmas in Chicago, being booked at local houses. Florence Arnold, singing come¬ dienne, has just completed a tour over the Western Vaudeville Managers’as¬ sociation time. Her work is said to have given much satisfaction, j She returned to Chicago to arrange fur¬ ther bookings. Art Bowen’s entry into the vaude¬ ville arena created quite a stir among the newspaper men. He should stand high among the profession and it is a cinch he draws well. (Joke.) | Ethel Warren, a blonde of prepos¬ sessing appearance, who possesses a sweet soprano voice, has been en¬ gaged to sing at the Saratoga hotel, succeeding Miss Grace Reahm, who recently resigned to go on the stage. Roy S. Sebree, manager of the Sar¬ atoga hotel, is leaving no stone un¬ turned in his efforts to please botn the patrons of the hotel and the cate He is always Johnny-on-the-spot ana his efforts to please are being appre¬ ciated by the public. While one of ‘the youngest hotel managers in the west, he is one of the most popular and successful.