The billboard (Nov 1911)

NOVEMBER 4, 1911. Xtie Dillboard 7 WEEK THROUGHOUT AMERICA EXCUSE ME EXCELS ChicaiEO Rises Up to Welcome What It Characterizes "The Brightest Farce of the Season*'—All Critics in the Zephyr City Contribute Thehr Quota of Praise Cbicuo. OctolwP 25 (Special to The BUl- k»»rU).—EicoM Me needs to mrte no apoVogy Jm^ltB being—It n more leKlttmate right ta a long ana pro»peroua ataaon here than any t other comedy that Chicago has aeen to yeaxa. This was patent to the moat blase individual at tbe Studtbaker Sunday night—it then liad been such a personage after tlie flnt ict. _ New York'* flat aoe» not eonat tor macli in the Zephyr City. Uke St. Lonla, It has to be Bhown' Neverthrless. the Savage label and the fact that the Eastern metropolis has set Its seal of approval on Bzcnse Me, bnwgbt a .capacity house to the Studcbaker to witness the Western premiere of the Huffhes farce. The- curtain's rise disclosed the familiar en- rlfonmcnt of the Pnllman coach on a trans- I cuDtioental train. The very novelty and fldellty or the setting perked the audience up. and as thi- various recognizable and bumoroos types ori'sented themselves, each was greeted with I smile. Smiles grew into snickers, snickers Into laughs, and Isnghs Into gnffawg M the comic Incidents unfolded and the amnslngr sita- atloDS developed. This was helped, along by the mluKled sage and slmpip remarks of the ciilored porter, the Inebriated, familiarity or the maD about town, the Insular snobbery of the tniirluR Englishman, and the blunt Americanism I of the commercial traveler on his way to China. t The woman of the world, on her way to Eeno to seek a divorce; the minister and bis wife fwm Ypsllanti. who endeavored to travel In- coe.: a voung woman missionary on lier way to the Orient, and a pair of sweetbeuts who were vainly scekinc for' a minister to nnite them, that the youth might: take -bis bride with him on the army transport for the Pblllpplnes. these all eontrlbuttd to the merriment Ot the itory tad kept the fun liventd up to « fever pitch tlirausb the en', ire thr.- acts. All ot the Chicago theatrical aerlbea tare a good word for the farce, and tin pnUIe Das risen op to n-tlcomc'tbe "Pullman camlTtl of fUQ." Am.v I^slie In The Daily News la moat en- thnaiastlc: "Hughes has one of the keeneat, wittiest, brightest little extravaganxa plota possible to Actor Shoots Wife; Suicides Wlrhits. Kan.. Oct. 28 (Special to Tbe BlU- toard).—Bert Rodney, an actor, Hred two shots at his wife todsy and then shot btmselt through the heart. d.ving instantly. Mrs. Rodney is dangenxuly wounded, but. will ptobaUy ttemtsr. Bodney and bit wife wen member! ot tbe Kortb stock Company, wblch la playliix bere. Urs. Rodney is leading woman of the company. Jealouiiy Is asslcned as the possible caose ot the shooting. BENOIST TO REBUILD. St. Louis. Mo.. Oct. S« (Special to The Bilt- tward)—Tom Benolst. owner of the Benolst Air- craft Company, SG74 Oelmar Avenne, wblch burned October 20, destroying five aeroplanes, two extra motors and machlnetr oaed In tbe Oanufaclnre of aeroplanes, annonnees that he Will bulla » plant Dpar Klnloeb Park. He eatl- mated his loss at S20.000 with but $2,000 In- surance. The destroyed bnllding was used in tbe German Village at the World's Fair. The are, which Is bellend to have atarted from Btiontaneons combnation. snrad so rapidly through the one.«tory frame stmctnre that notb- ihb cohw be saved : with tbe exception of so- tomobilp helonsing to Bngh Robinson, tta* by- 4n!ieroDlani> exnert. An aeroplane belonging to Saxe P. Gantl ot Hapid city. s. D., who w^aa called home on ac- count of death In his family, was among those consumed. The others were exhibition aero- Planes. Tbe planes co st aboot t2.T0O aaeb. ARKANSAS FA IR A ND CARNIVAL Argenta, Arb,. Oct.' 28 (Special to Tbe Bill- A big isdnstrlal fair and carnival will be held here .November 13 to 18. Bvery DerchaDt lu tbe city has contributed sometttlng 10 the undertaking, and It promises to be a ble racn'ss. The So. 1 brancb of the CosmopoUtan Shows will hare cbarge of the eamlTal end of the fair. PERFORMER HELD. Utii,. Hock, Ark.. Oct. 27 (Special-to The till imnrili.—J. E. SmIthHon. aged 24, a perform- ,„ " "•nrnlval show company, waa bound over ™ the federal grand Jury on a white slavery cnarg.. „ftcr an examination before United states (.inimlBsloner W. 8. AUen. . Smithaon ?.> with bavlng lured away Bertie '•'"Bch. II aeTentePD-yearuM LitUo Rocli girl. MOBILE AVIATION MEET; iM.iiJf!"''o Oe»- W (Special to Tbe BIU- Ti^S^^r'l''";"*'"^ Jonllinn of lh« Oidt Coatt CuX? i/;?!; ."""s signed a <»>otract with tbe hiil , ^llJIWtlon Company for tbe appearance nere ,r ..j,,,^ De»ll"Martln. Tbe-exhibitions Pl*"* November 24 and as..^ In the imagine. At drst it starts as a sketchy etch- ing of characters and caricatures—people com- ing into a train. Very much tbe sort of thing Uajorie Benton Cooie does so delightfully de- scribing a suburban trip. Then tbe story Is rubbed In after the fashion of a painter mb- iiing In elauda. .so tliat before the train starts tbe plot li knee-deep and in a farce ineatle (Contlnned on page 91). NEW 0PER4£0MPANY Maude Lillian Berri» California Cantatrice, Will Own and ^^^^^^^ —^Is Richest Comic Op^a Singer in Arnica . Chicago, October 25 (Special to The BUl- lH>ard>.—Maud Lllllau Berri the new "alfalfa** queen of California and the weatblest comic opera singer in America, is in Chicago with plans for .the organization of an oitera com- pany under her own name and her personal management. On Friday, the 13th of tbe cur- rent, flaonth, she was banded her tlnal decree In the dlv4»ce proceedings against Comedian Frank Ionian, and sbe sayg It .waa a Incky day and HENRY WOODRUFF. date. Tills happened at EVesno, Csl.. ber CaU-a fomia home. On the same day she etdd ono *. of her ranches, located wltbln tbe city llmlta -; of Fresno—a matter- of 200 acres at $500 am acre—Just $100,000. This la only a smaU slice of tbe fortune her father, the late Capt. Fnltoa Beixi, one of CaUtoinla*B ploneeta of .'40, left : in her name when he died two years ago. One - of these legacies is an: Immense alfalfa ranch. ^ She*s repnted to be worth something - over, a- balf-millMn dollars—in real money, not«itase , I've got almost enough money to buy any . kind of a trinket I want,, and I've decided to > invest in an opera company for the PaidflC : Coast," she said last night. "Just before leav- ing Califomia I had a conference with Jobn Cort, at which I told him my plans. We agreed to meet in his New York office early next ; week and dose the-contracts by which I am to organise the' company and be will fuimiab. tbe bookings in all of bis bouses west of Clil- cago. The company will be organized in <yhi- cago, but will probably not play in this city." Since leaving Chicago three years ago Uias BeiTl was feanred lor two aeasoiu wltb Koib & DiU, whose popularity reigns on tbe Coast, and with them she shared this wonderful pop- ularity. It is on this account that Mln Berrl has decided to enter the California Held as a star and manager. "Will you use Mr. Moolan as your comedian?" she was asked. "Not-according to my present :, plans." she replied; "I understand that he has Just been married agala, and new^yweds nerer contribute to the. harmony of a comic opon company." Miss Berri will spend the week end at her Lake Beulab, Wis., summer borne, wbicb alie will close for the -season and whiclr abe bopcs ■:• to dispose of before next season. Then aha ^ EOcs to Xew York for tbe John Cort Interview. El Barto, the conversationar trickster, opened on Western Association Time October 9. at Ann Arbor, Mich., booked by Norman Jetferles. The act is reported golntr great, and booked for. Uia entire season.. As a child nine years ot age, Mr. Woodruff appeared at the Fourteenth Street Theatre, Mew York, in 18>9, on the circuit of a children's production ot tbe Pinafore. Promotlona in favor at the young actor were repeatedly made, and be appeared later in tbe part of Boatswain and Ralph Rackstran-. I.ater be waa eusagul by Daniel Bandman for tbe part of Karclsse. FoUowlag this be played boy parts wltb Ailelaide Nclisou, scoring particularly in the-production ot (<ymbeline. Vol two seasons he played "Ned" Ita The Black Flag, wltb Edward Tbome, and in 1887. loInInK tbe Stock Company ot the late A. M. Palmer, at Madison Stinare. Garden Theatre, making bis llrst appearance as Jack Ralston In Jim. The Penman. He also created tbe part ot I,athrap Page, In Alabama, by Augustus Thomas, and Arthur Hubbard, In Surrender, by the same author. He appeared aa Ben Bur, an adaptation ot General Lew Wallace's novel, and during the season of 180S,4S-7-8. starred in Brown, of Harvard. In 1908-9 he appeared In The Prince of To-ni^t.- fol- lowed by'tbe Gcnios. in ISUI-U. This seasm be la appearing In Tbe Prince of' TO-nlght. nnder tbe direction of Mr. Mort Singer. ' Acts Drop Out OfBffl New Tork, Oct. 28 (Special to The Billboard). —-Two ot the turns who were billed at Hammer- stein's this week -were not present in the b-11 offered after Tuesday nigbt Tbe first act was Hlbbard and. Wanen. who were leplaced by Bose, Tonns and Fried, a three-act ot the rathskeller type.": The otber act to drop ont was Will BlUon. Billy tried to make Hie aodlenes'langb at the Times Square comer for three performances, but gave It np as a bad Job on Tuesday night and quit. He was replaced by Richards and Grover, who were rushed Into tbe breach by tbe management- The latter act Is -weU knows In the West, having but recently dosed a tonr ot the Orpheum Time. This Is their first real opportunity In New Tork. From Indications the latter part of the week It would seem as tbongb tbey bad made tbeir mark wltb the Eistetit managen. BOSTON I. A. B. P. & B. OF A. Marie Doro In Premiere Atlantic City. N. J.. Oct. 26 (Special to The Billboard).—A Butterfly on the Wheel was pre- sented st tbe Apollo Theatre to-night for tbe first time In America. Marie Doro appeared In tl% leading role, that of a flighty, frivolous vnnng woman whose flir- tations with her husband's friends gets her Into such a compromising position that ber husband ■uoa for divorce. ^ , Tbe cast Included Sidney Valentine, Cbarles Mlllward, Cbarlea QuarMrmaIn, Eddie Daven- port, Albert Sackett, : Olive Temple, Feid. Gottsdwlk and Lanretta Wells. Jolly Bachelors Company Disbands New Orleans, La., Oet. 21 (Special to The Billboard).—^Ttae Jolly Bacbelora (Company, com- prising abont fifty people, disbanded bere Sat- j ixfday evening after an unsuccessful week's en- ! gagement at the Dauphlne Theatre. Tbe eom- I pany waa unable to reach Baton Rouge, where ■ an advance sale of seats bad been made. < A benefit performance will probably be given I by the members of the company to defray ex- f penses borne. 3bada Xoyal will open bis winter attractions at Talbot's New BIppodmms Theatre In St. Lonts, abont tbs Ont ot>K«rember.- -- Klla I. Halmrose is being featured by The Boyal Slave Company, now playing in Kansas and Missouri, In a spectacular musical specialty' which la given betwe n'the acta. Miss-Ualm-'i rose Is attracting more than the. usual atten-r tion with ber excellent TOice and dever aet- ilng, ■ Revere, Mass., Oct. 27 (Special to Tbe Bill- board).—After, .being out ten weeks on a strike In Boston, Iioeal-17, I. A. B. P. & B. of A.. Is on good footing again, the strike having been settled, satisfactory- to alL Dick Armstmng^ is advertislnj; agent in the Hub. Ijonie Harvey.: and Abe Christie are-at the Sbnbert and: Majestic, respectively. Tbe. Globe and Grand ^ Opera House have started window -work for the first time In three years. Oscar Kelvenaar Is at the Globe and Jackals at the Opera House. Harry Peyser la doing clerical work for the big houses here. • Joe Budd. Is bere in the interests ot Tbe Thres > Someos.'r.Dave' Sonerlon has left with the^ Red Widow Company to bill Baltimore, Wm. Hale bas returned to his old position in tbe Ma- jestic, jobn E; Lynns is wcretaiy ot tbe la> : cal, with offices at 5 Weaton Street. - ; - W. E. NANKEVILLE DEAD. . niUadelpbla. Pa.. Oct. 26 (Special to The Bmboard).—^W. E. Nankevllle. a one-time prom- inent theatrical manager, died yesterday at tbo resldeix» cf bis sister In this city after a long lUnssa. NankevUIe was for years connected with popu- lar-priced melodrama attraetlans. He retired from active management about five years ago. POWERS LEAS ES N EW THEATRE. Decstor, III., Oct, Z7 (Special to Tbe BUI- : poazd).—(Aarlea O. Powers has 8lgned'~a Bve- :; year lease for a -vaiMlevflle tlieattre. laT-tbe. uem^y building that I. - J. Uoran and >othwst axv. ta-f bnlld at Water and North Streets. >iThsvientd '- 18 said to be »«.000 a year, i' " The new theatre will be on the Sullivan Jt Oonsldlne Circuit, and will'rent'1,080. 'W'!» hoped to have it done for a firat performaace SB February 1. •