The billboard (Nov 1911)

America's Leading Amusement ^ekly THE BILLBOARD PUBLISHING COMPANY. Publisiher* W. B. DONALDSON 416 Elm Street. • • • • • Clnclnaetl. 0.hl« ; IN THE LIMELIGHT Intimate Sketches of the Careers and Personalities of Men Powerful in the World of Amusement, Whether or Not Prominent in the Public Eye MAR TIN B ECK. That there is no more interesting and dominant figure in vaudeville tkan Mar- tin Beck is an assertion that -nrili donbt- less meet with no centradietion. The rise of this man to the heights of a great bnnness—^and vaudeville as Mr. Beck lees it is a business—^is a story of real interest, a story that serves aa an ob- ject - lesson ta young men starting out in their combats with the werld. Not many years ago Mr. Beck was an actor vbo bad to cope with the trials and vicissi- tudes that fall to the lot of tje "struggling genius." His start was in New York at the Thalia Theatre. From the Thalia he took his first significant step forward and to- ward greatness bv joining the Waldcmer Stock Company in St. Louis. This step was an Important move, as it started him on his march to the West, where fame and for- tune awaited him. He sprung to the top of the lailder in leaps and bounds from the time he went to the Pacific Coast, and became as- sociated with Morris Meyerleld Jr., in the Oligiunl Orphehm The- •trc of San Francisco. After drama, opera "d tho concert had failed to make any money, vaudeville was tncd in this theatre. Mr. Beck's belief that vaudoyille would be a success proved to be correct. Theatres in other wtiea that were secured by the same in- terests V at owned the Frisco Orpheum ««do money from tiio start, and thus cut down the long jumps that it was neces- for acts to take in going to the west. This plan of spreading out the wphciini Circuit has developed it into «w powerful organization of today. inrouKiiout the West the best in vaude- »"ie IS known as the Orpheum shows, «na thi> reputation for a superior class »« vaiKloville in these houses is cele- Mated m all tho vaudeville eenters o£ Mfl World. The c ircuit now reaches from Chicago rj.™l' fi-anciaco.ahd froiiiNew Orleans », Winnipeg, with many theatres in all we prominent cities, and more being ««"«t II nd opened every year. As one house after another was added to the circuit, it becanie necessary^ for the executive ofSces to be'moved: near to the base of supplies. The head offices were for a while located :ih~Chiesgo,^bat four years ago were inove&'io'New York. Branch booking pfiiees - are maintained in London, Paris ani3 Berlin. : The real estate holdings of this'circuit are alone worth several million "dbllam;' ' ■ LEW FIEbDS. In all the domain of, theatrical pro- ducers, there is no more typical repre- sentative of the 1911 theatrical promo- ter than Lew Fields. Commencing his life, as he did, in the metrepolis, and breathing caught but its atmosphere and environment throughout the whole period of his early commercial eareer. MARTIN BECK. The Orpheum Circuit has joined forces with the vast European interests in its afliliation with the Variety Controlling Company ot London, thus making a world-encircling Chaiii of prominent the- atres, and in the management of them the most striking and influential .person is Martin Beck. ^ Mr. Beck is a man of most ardstic taste and wonderful jndgiiient in theat- rical affairs. He believes, that the-clien- tele of his theatres want the best and most artistic offerings the amusement world affords. This he gives them, and that his judgment here is correct is proven by the success of all his theatres. Martin Beck has accomplished so much in the business department of the thea- tre that it is difficult to adequiitely re- count his various, achievomests. With- out doubt he is one of the most unique IS'oottnued oo pice 5S.) LEW FIELDS. this active producer can bo' considered a purely metrOj.olitan prod.ict. He was born in New I'ork City on January 1, 1867, and showed early inclinations to- ward a theatrical career. Mr. Fields confesses that with U's boy partner, Joseph Weber, who bad before that time been, a fidus Achates and devoted play- mate,-ne started jat a salary of $3.00 a weciv, doing tnirt5f-si."C turns a day in a music hall. This was at the tender age of ten years, and the-two youthful friends used to accomplish these duties after school hours. At the age of fif- teen, Mr. Fields entered the professional ranks by performing at the old Globe Museum on-the Bowery in several ca- pacities. • - -Weber and Fields were.-first profes- sionally known as "The Dutch Sena- tors." For several years Weber and Fields played in vaudeville houses, and in -1885 they formed their swn company, BtiU continuing their knockabout .acta. Ten years later they leased a small the- atre on Brpa'dway, New ■ York, - and founded the eintertainment which quick- ly became famous, and continued, as a successful partnership until 1904. . During the period of this company were employed such well known players as Lillian 'Bussell, Fay Templetibn, Louisa Allen, Mabel Fentqn, William Col- lier, David _^ .Warfield, -De Wol'e Hopijaer, Sam Bernard, . Charles J. Boss, Louis. Mann,: John T. Kelley^ Fritz WiUi lams and the late Peter F. Dailey," and 6tber8 almost equally - well known. The firm of "Weber & Fields enjoy- ed the utmost of pros- perity. During that time they produced many successful musi- cal . entertainments, chiefly written by Ed- gar Smithif^with music bv. John'^omberg. In 1904 the fifitt of Weber and Fields was dissolv- ed, and ' Mr. Fields formed a partiiership with Henry Han{^jDrand .TnUan > M^itchelljrfl^Jg^ educing < simila£r--^ft^g tainnients.* "'Mr.*;jKelds ? also:i.leased.- a theatre ^uilt.- oh; iWest fgorty- se^ond, ■ St.reet,s'IJ;e w .Ybrky - andirwH^medJ it .pJeldsVTti^atie. f-.The •iseason • of - jigoiB, how- ever^ he abandoned this and leased the [Herald . -Square Theatre,,-New York. The Low - Fields Theatre, now; the Harris, was opened on West 42d Street ■ near Eighth Avenue, .with the comedian and manager as a sole star in the Victor Herbert-Glen MacDonough operetta, It Happened in-Nordland. .Since that time Mr. Fields has starred in such produc- tions under his own management. as About Town, The Girl Behind the Coun- ter, Old Dutch, The Summer Widowers and The Hen Pecks; He is the lessee of the Herald. Square Theatre and -the Broadway,in which-lattexvplayhottse havev been produced-, such' entertaininents 'aaj : The Midnight Sons, The Jolly Bachelon;; The .Summer' Widowers and The;.-'HeK Pecks. Mr. Fields is also-the taanagur." of William Collier,' who is' shortly to. j>rotf < duee Take My Advice^ at Williun. Cbl|' lier's Comedy - Theatre,' and .r-was -' oxial^ recently in-:;a^oclation\-witii .I^k^-jM^;:' (Oontinued oa paie S8.)