The billboard (Sept 1911)

SEPTEMBER 23, 1911. Xtie Billboard CHICAGO BURLESQUE. (Continued from page 0). Klilli' luit entirely now nre clever and nicely Ho made a very good Impreaalon and r. «i...nili il to several cneorca. Dainty Diane, slTiL'liiL' comedienne, submitted that act-maker tvliliU KcndlH and Paley are rcaponHlble for, iiiilv In tills Bone abe acorua bcavleat, tbough tiu.'n ninlndcr of ber repertoire la all good and Kent over well. AmonK those In the company ,ir.-- Wni. T. Bowman. Hobt. W. Muck, Jaa. M. ii,,ivni«n. Virginia Kelacy. Blllle DavleH. Dainty iihiiif. Allhea Luce, Caspar Zarnea, Joe Wca- ti.n W'm. I>. Norton, Harry Tanner, Nellie Siuvvcr DalBT Grant and a cborua of sixteen rieTiT Kirla. Bualneaa broke all recorda for tiH> present season owing to the excellent daaa of entertainment otTered this week. Ati nBBVES* BBIA0TY SHOW AT THE COLUMBIA. Klulitlr billed, Sir. Reevea, you bavo a •■tii'UiitT sbow" that any manascr mlgbt be nr.iTKl to say of: "Thafa my work; give me criHlii." It must be a real pleasure to play the Columbia,- the loop burlesque house. Tbc □wtiiiees always do a ble business owing to the favorable location. There are Just four me n with the Itcevca. show this season, but ti.cv nre "some boys." every one of them. Al Kwves George Scott, William .tnman and Andy Lewis are "It." Each ot these gentle- men niav be called comedians ot the very hlgh- ost order. There la such an abundance of good lauKhs all through the show that It Is really hard to place the credit with any particular nrrson The musical numbers are well ren- dered and well received. There's four chorus eirla in the RMves show who are going to Blake a bis noise some day. They are Cather- ine Crawford, Beatrice Morton, Lucille Manlun and Vera George. A planologue specialty Is Introduced In the second half by Zella Russell ind received with hearty approbation. Miss Marie Brandon Is a toe dancer of no mean note and made a big hit throngb her offering with the Beeves show. DISCUSSES MELODRAMA. (Continued from page 13). bis people. He knows the shows. His outcome to this, his greatest undertaking, will be watched by showmen all over the world who know the Colonel and know that when he aaya "I'll make melodrama come back to my houses," that there is something doing. I thought It would be a pretty good Idea to see and find ont bow the show printing honses felt toward melodrama. Then I nled myself up to The National Show Print in the Tribune Building, to have a talk with "Tommy" Hanks. ••Tommy" was in excellent good humor, and we talked upon several subjects, and finally came to the point. . . ^ "Mr. Hanks, do you think melodrama can come back?" "Yes," he replied; "ifa as good as gold. Ton can take it from me that the melodrama busi- ness is botmd to come back. Why, it'a as good as old wheat. They can't hand them the old stuff; that is, old melodramas. They've got to give them new shows, and then it will be > con- tlnnal pxoceasion of dollara into the box office. Yon remember In years gone by that they dub- bed, and dubbed and dubbed, until finally they whipped melodrama Into abape, and yon know the answer. But there la one thing abont pres- ent conditions of some theatres regarding the playing ot melodramas. Take, for Instance, our National Theatre here In Chicago. We couldn't get a nickel with a melodrama in that bouse because of the high-class shows that the patrons have been used to, and which we have educated them to. However, Wm. Roche has a reg- ular gold mine In the Alhambra that be has Just opened with melodrama. The folks around that hnuRe have been educated to melodrama In the olden days. If you are around that viein- Ity at any time since Col. Rocba bag gone Into melodrama, )nst drop In and see the mnltltnde. It's a cincb." •'.^re yon doing any printing for melodra- mas?" ".Vo." replied Sfr. Hanks, "but .we are more than busy printing up other stuff for the music shows and commercial people," and a broad smile illuminated Tommy Hank's face, as I« replied again; ••Of courae, melodrama can and will come back." Lincoln J. Carter la the real fellow to In- terview on this subject, aaya I to myself, but, talk about your hard men to loeatel This can only be done with a dozen PInkerton men. At any rate. Sir. Carter fumiahes his view on mel- odrama coming back by putting out, or rather, being Interested In, two musical sbows, namely: The Cow and tbc Moon and The Cat and the Fiddle, and NO melodramas, and at one time Lincoln J. Carter waa tbe melodrama kingi Not many seasons sgo King Carter sent out fifteen to twenty melodramas and they all cleaned up b<R each trip. I am mlgbty proud to know that I was enrolled on the Carter books In capac- ilv of agent for several aeaaons, and had the nrlnce of good fellows, John B. Hogan, for a bn!i<i. siany a Carter agent and manager haa made good and are now at the top of the list. well anyway, in looking for Mr. Carter I ran acrniti E. p. Cnrrutbera of the Dnited Fairs Rooking Assoctntion, and beavlly Interested In three outlying Chicago theatres. "Ilowdv, Sir. Carruthers, can— " "Yon'll have to hnrry along with mo. and 111 tnlk It over, whatever It is," replied the piiiilest man In nine states »nd New Mexico. "C«me alongl" I slrnck his gait and got with him. He was hound for his room In tho Hotel Sherman. At Rnmiolph and Clark Streets I managed to elc- vntc my voice Of tbo abrtll whistle of a traffic onicer and yelled: "Do you think melodrama can eome baclcT" "Vnt on your life; It's not worth a cent, I. wouldn't (and by this time wo were midway arroBs the busy street, dodging all sorts ot vehicles) play one aa a gift. Why? Simply peenusn (and now wo hart entered an elevator in till' hotel, and B. F. said, 'Fifth fioor* to th» fli'vntor aviator) the claas o( people that went tn KI P melodrama in tbo old days are all In the < now, and they want and get big music "III"", and (now we're at the fifth door and Ki ll nit off) they—thero you are. See that •"lib woman or dnmoatlcT (I saw an sttache of tho i,r,tel.) Well that's the kind that's In "li"t I called the 400 a whllo ago. A few years «Ko iiiin would have been aattafied to have gone ]2 « melodrama, but now—any,. if hw ht au say melodrama to ber now—well, she IT ,' v""!!" ow 90lc»' Ask ber. (But l dldn t.) So long, mlgbtr bnsr. Mo, air. melo- drama can not come back." and that's tic un- biased opinion of one of the younger generation In hall-ahow bnslncsa. Now cornea a preiis agent's views, also a dra- matic critic's. Ralph Kettering is tbe press agent alluded to. and Ralpb "press agents" Bvc Chicago mcloilrama bouses. Erie Delii- marter Is the dramatic critic allnded to, and he "dramatic critics" for the Chicago Inter Ocean. Seems like Kettering and Oelamnrtcr '^aS a wordy argament on differences of prices for Chicago downtown melodrama and outlying mel- odrama. The glKt of tbe argument Mr. Dela- marter tells as follows: "Mr Kettering Is puzzled over something. He can not see why melodrama at t2 a seat In a downtown theatre Is perfectly good art, and why, conversely equally good melodrama at 75 ccnta a seat In a neighborhood theatre Is not gooil art. The man who owna a department atore five miles from the loop demands of him- self and his patrons throngb the poatera tbe aame solution of a bnslneas problem. Mr. Ket- tering presumes that bis premises are correct. Were this admitted as a fact, there would be no argument. There la none, however, aa tbe question was asked much as the rest ot us would inquire of each other as to tomorrow's weather. But a chance consideration of the suggestion hints that three factors enter Into the problem. It there are better companies to be found exploiting the high-tariff melodrama, are they not worthy of remuneration on the downtown scale of prices? If the prices in the one case are more convincing and less given to big Joints and awkward methods of locomotion than their, brethren, do they not deserve mnro serious treatment? And finally Is there anything in the name ot tbe rlcbly aalarled prodneing manager which gnarantees neat thrUIa Instead of Jumplne-Jack astonishment! Answer: This Is so in all three cases. Mr. Kettering granted the firm which submitted Tbe Boss or The Deep Purple would not permit Tbe Queen of the White Slaves or The Scout's Revenge to stray into a theatre In Chicago's loop without some degree of subjugation for the extravagance which delighted tbe gleesome gallery god of the old Criterion a decade back. He opines that the titles would be amputated first of all." Richard Henry Little, the feature "Round About Chicago" writer on the Chicago Tribune, also doubles "theatrics." When ssked. he said: "What? Stand back T. North and allow me to glance at thy features! Of course, you're sane! Sure! Ask not the qnestion or ask not what the answer shall be. What? Well. Jnst tell 'em I said 'Nevah.' and then I shrieked 'NO.' In such a s sonorous voice that Lincoln Carter, Krelmer. the one-time melodrama Al Woods, and Hfll Held thought Frisco was volplaning onto the Great White Way! Xo, T., melodrama can not come back!" Jack Lalt, who keeps Chicago American renders advised as to things theatrical, said: "Tes and no. Melodrama a la tabloid, sneb as Paul Armstrong's Romance of the Under- world, for vandevllTe. or WIsner and Arm- strong's Deep Purple, for houses sutifa as Mc- Vlckcr's. yes. Outlying bouses all want and get mnslcal sbows and dramas. Bnt no more 'mel- ler-dramas.' " J. H. Handley of the same sheet, said Lalt had voiced hia opinion. Boh Clark of the Chicago Infer Ocean, said: ••Come back? Why no. not a chance. That Is, not as long as moving picture houses educate." There's an answer, eh? ••Doc" "Hall, the one best bet for dally the- atrical news In CTilcago and who tells •,»ni about It In the Jomnal. said: "Sure, the right kind can come back, but not tie old. a la Desperate Desmond stuff. That's gone; dead and burled, and much of the Interment of .°ame lays at the door of the advancement of tbe one-- time melodTama theatregoers. They're educat- ed to lilgber and better things now. and they patronize them. Instead of tbe gallery, they now go to the balcony, and former balco:iT- goers now throng the lower floors, and the theatre mana^rcr niust give 'em the goods and the real goods. But they wouldn't patronize one of the old melodramas of the inrld kind." Mollie Morris of the Chicago Dally News, aald: "It seems aa though the melodrama has gone, and tben again it seems and looks like It is still with us. but not In the 'l-shall-get- yon-yet' etyle. or 'In-yonBjer-!hllls-5!l*-«l»eps- llttle-one.* or any of that sort of melodrama. l%eatregoer8 of Chicago have advanced two hundred per cent in their knowledge of plays and authors in tbe past two years, and mana- gers must now show 'em," Percy Hammond and James O'Donnell Ben- nett, the former on the Chicago Tribune, and the latter on the Chicago Record-Herald, would have both remarked something like this (that is if they could have been found): Ctinrageous striving for a high artistic ideal deserves commendation In Itself, and In no form of amnaemeht Is the tmth of tbe statement so fully verified as in tbe everlasting affection which we all treasure for the Shakespearean era, etc. Ashton Stevens of the Chicago Examiner, was ■•among those absent" also, bnt R. F. Btck- son. part owner of tbe Crown and Imperial tiieatres (Chicago's two finest outlying honses). Bntsbed the story when he said; "Two ot us are now building a theatre on (Stlcago's North Side that will cost S125.000. and open next Starch, and there will be NO melodrama appe:ir there." 'Nut sed. Finis. MAJESTIC; CHICAGO. (Continued from page 9.) and may be safely called the hit ot this week's bill. The boys have a cross-fire gag on aviation and aeroplanes which mlrht be Improved upon. Af- ter singing Alexander's Band, in German, tbey completely atopned the show. It may not have been Intended as aucb. bnt It was really a great bnrlesqiic on Dr. Wullner. Una Clayton and Comnanv present a comedy playlet called A Child Shall Lead Them. The offering la reviewed under New Acta. _ Big Scream Welch. Sig. Mealy and Ed. Mon- trose are there as usual with /'the big laugh stuff:" Messrs. Mealy and Sfontrpso do sotne excellent acrobatic work, while Welch keeps the nolac up. The act haa not been changed In any manner since last seen here. Tbey are still using tho • ball game" as a closer and gel away big Dr, Ludwig Wullner, aaalated by the fammia accompanlat, Conrad V. Bos. appears OMt, Introducing songs in German. Mf-.^ullner has a great amount of dramatic ability whlcb Is nicely utUIicd In Ma songs. The act la te- vicwod nnder tlio heading of New acts. Mary Norman, In her Impersooatipns of "Some Women I Have Met." Is enthaslaatleally re- CARNIVAL, CELEBRATION AND HOLIDAY GOODS COLLAPSIBLE ALUMINUM DRINKING CUPS Largest and cheapest line. Crepe Paper Panama Hats, Later Day and Columbus Day Buttons, Badges, Pemuinta, Canes, Confetti, Serpentines, MaacTwirlers, Wire Tail Dogs, Shakers. Hat Bands, Burnt Wood Novelties, Halloween and Thanksgiving Goods, Gas Lighters, Paper Bells, Xmas Deco- rations, Electric Light Covers—all the Latest Novelties. POSTCARDS. Free Catalogue. W. F. MILLER. • 158 Park Row, NEW YORK. celvcd. Her character work la extremely clev- er. She offers impersonations of women in all spheres from tbe wife of the mUllonaire who finds shopping In America such a bore, to the girl who takes her first auto ride. In this bit Miss Norman is a positive "scream" and had a hard time in getting off. Howard's Musical Shetland Ponies and Dogs were billed aa tbe closing act, bnt owing to the Illness of the star pon^, Mr. Howard was forced to cancel at the last mlnnte. The Brom- leys, in a novelty casting act, were substituted and offered a very clever act In this line. Some daring feats are carried out, which made a big hit. The bill for the week of the eighteenth will be beaded by Bntb St. Denis, In ber Hindu dances. Manager Glover feels confident that with such a beadllner business wlU be excep- tionally big. Those who know will realize that "there's method in hia madness." WILSON AVENUE BILL. ((yontlnned from page 9.) one and are costumed very nicely. Miss Wright makes several changes of costmne during tlie offering and the time consumed by her In this is utilized by the boys to very good advantage in single and team work. Some new and nov- el Eteiis are Introduced whlcb won hearty ap- plause. As Miss is featured, one woald nat- urally expect more from her, but the work she does convinces the andience that she Is an ex- ce;-.tlonalIy clever girl. The trio took sev- eral encores. Lopez and Lopez appear In a neat musical offering called tbe Act Beanttfnl. Scnor and Senorlta Lopez have provided a beaotlfnl setting for one of the prettiest and best musical acts ever seen In Chicago. The act is unique and novel througliout and fairly stopped the show on Tuesday night. The CThurch City Four followed Lopez and Lopez and finished their first number before the andience could he convinced that Lopez and Lo- pez would not respond again. However, the Church City Boys were not long in showing their Usteners that there was ''some singin' goin' on-'* Their rendition of the Rosary was put over In a truly artistic maimer and the ap- plause proved to the boys that their good efforts were not wasted. The command of i>ar- mony In this quartet Is wonderful, and abetted by tbc excellent work of Bert Reed at tlie piano.- carried the act to the hit spot of the bill. The boys appear in full dress and each one knows Just how to carry It to the best advantage- Their stage presence ts easy and natural and all b»l5terousneS3 or roughness is pleasantly eliminated from one of the brst straight quartets In the business. Will J. O'Heam and Company (and a car- load of special scenery, so the program says) presents a sketch called A Romance of Kil- lamey. Mr. O'Heam is a clever artist and Is supported by clever people, but there's no bottom in the sketch. It is emptv, plotless, and meaningless. There is a great amonnt of clever talent being wasted In the present ve- hicle used by Mr. O'Heam. The act Itself is a failure, but the good work of the players was appreciated and well applauded. PASSERS-BY ENDORSED. (Continued from page 4) " 'My boy knows when to smile.' she says shortly, when the derelict Boms and Little Peter see each other for tbe first time, and the two child minds meet. A tender and appealing situation this—it brings the second curtain down. There Is grace, too. to the writing of the passage in wiiich Margaret, at the piano, sings an old song, with Peter's mind wander- ing in the past and his lips voicing the story of that dull old English home. And there is the fiare of drama In the appearance of the nnexpected Ruesta. the discovery of Margaret, Peter's strength, and tbe womanliness of Be- atrice. ••The last act, wRh Margaret waiting, fear- ing, hoping for the return of her boy. while Beatrice is at her side, and the subsequent disclosure of the sentiment that still lives in the hearts of the two lovers, brings a delight- ful blend of thtcgs that cause Uie smile or tear." Tbe World gives the ftdlowlnit eneomtnm: "C. Haddon Chambers' comedy, Passers-By, wbleb was acted for tbe first time In the Criterion Theatre, will make play-going more profitable to people of diserlmlnating taste than any other event that the new dramatic season has supplied. Its success before Its first audi- ence was decisive and deserved, not less for tbe delicate charm and fresh himior Its lines and Incidents contained, than for the skill and evenness of Its general performance, althougb against the latter there is room for the ob- jection thai some of tbe principal characters seemed to 'be more Ametlcan than Engltsb. . "It mnst be-sald tbat-Jtr. Cbamben, in com- mon with the '.oth«c.,.Jiondon authors whose pla.va periodicaHr 'teach ;our stage, has been faithful to the familiar Muventlons of com- edy. He also adds" tmobtmslvely one of tbe conventloiis' of melodrama, for. In addition to the bachelor, hia fiancee of equal social posi- tion and his former s sweetheart In lower life, there Is also'the eon, whose mother la tbe lat- ter of the women natoM.. Convention, however. Is at the foundation ot most plays. It is the nicety with which the old blocks are fitted to- gether and the fresh fiiiaic* wltb wbleb-.tbey arc overlaid, which gives tbis one attractions that arc all Its own. - " ' • "The propensity of 'Pine. -Peter Waverton'-s valet, to invite into the lodgings during ■its owner's absence tbe flotsam on tbe tide of Pl^- cadllly'a ever-Ghanglnc bumanlty. leada to the LIGHT E F F E C T S Everything Electiical for Theatres. Parks. Fn>-° auctions and Vaudeville Acta. UNIVERSAL ELECTRIC STAGE LIGHTING CO. REMOVED 238-240 Nest SOlli St, 100 Feet West of Broadway, NEW YORK CITY. Tslepliena, Columbus 7566. SHAKERS THEBI6 ONE $4.00 PER GROSS.^ Sample, lOe. S. SCHOEN &, SON. Canes, Pennants 50 Ann Street. - NEW YORK. FAIR WORKERS'AND STREETMEN'S NEW 600DS—JUST OUT Writs for onr new 1911 ninstiated Catslog Jnst off tbe press. Mailed free to yonr addreas. Send for It today. It will prove to you tliat we have the latest and best selling goods at FOS- TIVELY THE iOWEST PRICES. A FEW OF OTTS SP£GIALXIES:. The new COmbiiution Opera and Field Glass, per gross .- $27.00 Cent's Unk and Scarf Set, per grosa 3.73 The latest T-piece Gent'a Collar, Link and Scarf Combination Sets, per gross 6.00 T^e and Scarf Pin Set. per groas.. 4.80 4 piece Collar Button Sets, alnndnnm or celluloid back per gross 1.80 Pearl Ax Brooches, per gross 10.00 Bangle Brooches, per gross 13.S0 Neck Chains, with lockets, per gr«as...5.25 Studs and Scarf Pins, set with elec- trical diamonds, per gross 3,20 A large assortment of Zjadies* and Gents* Set Rings, per gross ' 8.50 Photo Srooches, per gross 1.75 Chatelaine Pina. with locketa, per grosa 6.00 The biggest value ever offered for the money. The Marksman, extra heavy, full size, 7% In., put up In boxes.- with fillera, per dozen, $1.40; per gross. $16.20. We are beadqnarten for Watches, Jew- elry, Fountain Pena and Novelties.' ALTBACH & ROSENSON WholeaalA Jenraleia, The HomA of Koveltiea, SOS W. Madlsoft St.. Ctileaoo, III*. WANTED—PEOPLE In all branches of tbe circus business: Perform* ers who do two or more turns; preference given to those who can also do a turn In the concert, also Mtxsldans, Show goes Sontb for fall and winter. Address KEYSTONE SHOWS, aa per route: Index. Va., Sept. 23; Port Royal 25; Bowling Green 26; Sparta 27. developments wblcb form tbe snbstance «t tbe play." Alan Dale lays great stress upon tbe con- dieting interests of the production and. In his . characteristic colorful comment, coincides with his fellow critics in stamping bis apmoral mi* besttatloglr on tbe new FrobBUB oSerlns*