The billboard (Dec 1911)

20 The Billboard DECEMBER 16, 1911. THEATRICAL AND VAUDEVILLE NOTES NOTES OF THE ROAD Personal Paragraphs Pertaining to the Vast Army of ArtJflH Who Are Popularizing Vaudeville in .. America and Abroad Combis 'Brothers are a pair of modern Her-, ■coles, recent arrivals from Athens. Greece, where they were known as the Grecian Gladia- tors, and they carry the Donors easily. They ■came to San Francisco on a.visit .to relatives and were Immediately' recognized after' a perform- ance as a pair of wonders. Theodore Combis won. the..prize, defeating hundreds of contest- ants from all over the world. In the "Perfect Man Contest." conducted by the Physical Cul- ture Magazine, for which he received in addi- tion to a gold medal a substantial cash prise. Bis measurements" are as follows: Neck. 15% Inches; arm. Hexed. 14 inches: forearm, flexed. 14 inches; chest; expanded; 43% Inches;; waist, . 32% inches; hip.. 37% Inches; calf. 14% im&es: weight," 175 .pounds. Arthur Combis is as per- fect a specimen as his brother and weighs 190 pounds. They perform many original and almost impossible feats in the easiest, and most grace- ful ' manner.: commanding ' the closest. attention. A most remarkable feat Is the handling of tne 190 pound brother by the lighter weight one, thereby-reversing the usual .order of things. They also: present' classic poses, appearing In attrac- tive costumes using their own 'special drops. -The Sights Theatre Co. opened the season at Dallas: City. Hi.;:the early part of September. »nd la now in Its fourteenth week touring West- era Minnesota and North and Sooth Dakota. Tip to the present time the season, has been .very "bad- They have three' more towns to play on the Walker Circuit, and then they go Into their old territory in the northeastern part of North Dakota. The Sights Co. states that shows are closing around them every .week, and that hy the first Of' the year there will be few In North and South Dakota- The company has been strength- ened since their opening, and is -made up of J. W.Sights. MI Stanton: Ed Tillman. Leonard 'Schneider, B. H. Doty. Lettle Colton. Jennie Schneider and Pauline Sights. -Turkey Boyd, the minstrel man, was a Bill- board caller last week. He Jnst finished eight weeks over the Jake Wells Time in the South. Mr. Boyd is stopping over a few days in Cin- cinnati to renew old acquaintances, after which he will tour the S. A C. Time. Harry M. Price is In his fourteenth week with Gertrude Elliott's Co.. playing the German com- edy role In Rebellion. This company played a return engagement at the Grand Opera House. Chicago, last week. .Mr. Price's wife. Madeline Diston. Is talcing vocal training from a well- known teacher in New York City, and Is prepar- ing a strong singing act for next season. The Mabel Kirk Stock Co.. of which Roland. DeVronde Is manager. Is meeting with success playing through Central Ontario. Carl Lawson l Is again back with the show after spending a I number of months In the South. Frances Joyce ! will return to her borne In Springfield, in., for the •Christmas holidays- * ■ - Stoddard and Wallace Comedy - Co. opened for the winter season.at Millvtlle, 3nd.. Dec. 4. to good business. This company Is carrying four- teen people and a six-piece band, of which O. J. Simon is director. They are-playing one week, stands throughout Indiana. Ohio. Illi- nois, and..Michigan. - After a separation of one year. James Dla- ~mdnd -and Phyllis Gordon were divorced in San Francisco. December 2. •'■ Mr.-' Diamond is now playing with Clara Nelson on the Orpbeum Cir- cuit. . Miss Gordon recently closed a stock' sea- son with Nat Goodwin at I»8- Angeles. Jerome and LeRoy. The Com fque and The Daisy, comedy novelty act.. closed, .a 24 weeks' .engagement-with Roy E. -Fox's Lone Star Min- strels, and opened in vaudeville for the Consoli- dated Booking Offices several weeks ago. They are meeting with-great success. - - - !. -Kenneth It. Waite. - England's' favorite -boy comedian, has just completed ten weeks for Gus Sun. having finished playing Cbas. E. Hod- .kins' Circuit some time ago. He will shortly open on his route, which Is already arranged for the United. Bob and Eva M:Ginley closed their engage- ment-at Cody. Wyo. last week, the home of -Cel.- Wm. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill). . They were highly enterta'ned by the Colonel's sister, and -the- manager of the theatre gave them a banquet after' the show. ' C. Howard Acker, leading man with the Sam Mann Players, wss' stricken -with locomotor ataxia at Log Angeles. Cal. He'has left the California Hospital for the Presbyterian Hos- pital, en.route to his home in New York City. ' The Gladenbecks have just arrived from Eu- rope, and are booked solid on the Orpheum Cir- cuit. They, met with great sue less last week at the Columbia Theatre. St. Louis.- the first the- atre which" they plaved since their arrival. Ben Linn, featured with. Jesse L. Lasky'a Planopfaiend Minstrels on -the Orpbeum Circuit, is creating a big sensation with his new dance which he cans The. Heavy-weight Dance. Mr. Una tips the scales at .310 pounds. . The Jenkjns- and Barrett's Comedy Co.. is playing -one. Week stands through Minnesota, with a large audience every, night. They.will close December 22 for . the holidays, opening again the second week in January. .". Musical Silvers: have Jnst;eopyrighted . three new comic songs, entitled He's- Coming Back. Maybe and But of Course. It's No Business of Mine. These songs will be used in one act by the Musical Silvers only. The Four Casting .Campbells - are' and will be booked with the W. V. M. A. until April. This~ts their first appearance in the Middle . West. Their set is. well received everywhere-. - Four Musical Hodges opened Dee. 4 at Colnra- T " —ii" Tf iniimniiir^inriiii Considlne Time. They recently dosed a success- ful season at.the New York Winter Garden. -Wayne Lamar was warmly greeted on her ar- rival at Huntington. W. Va., by Leon and Ber- tie Alien, and had a very good, week with Fran- da and Lewis and Four Musical Hodges. Boscoe and Sims were offered the entire Grif- fin Circuit after their first performance at the Majestic Theatre, Toronto. Williams and Sterling opened on Butterfield Time recently at Kalamarop, Mich., with seven THEAT RICAL N OTES Dramatic, Music, Play House and Stock Company News Gath- ered Here and There by Billboard Correspondents, Boiled Down to Paragraph Form Manager Ermlcb of the Davidson Theatre, Fort.Scott. Kan,, is well pleased with the busi- ness this season. .Attractions have been some- what scarce but all bookings so far have had satisfactory attendance. The outlook for Jan- uary and February is very promising, and the entire season 1 promises to average ' better than the last two or three. The Pictnreland Theatre, which recently added vaudeville, and the Vau- dette Theatre, which was recently acquired by C. B. Blnbaugb, are two Fort Scott picture houses that are doing an excellent business. MABEL DAINTRY, Appearing in Gus Hill's production of Mutt & Jeff. weeks to follow. After that they will play the W. V. M. A. Chicago Time. . Prof. J. H. Barnum.' magician. and veotriio-' qulst, is now playing the coal mining towns throughout Southern Ohio.- ' Business has been very good with blm. J. Hunter Wilson and Effie Pearson will begin a tour of 24 weeks at Columbus, commencing January 1, being featured over the Sullivan * Considlne Circuit. ' • Boy MacDonell, manager of Shadow of the Cross Company., who was badly, beaten in a hold-up at Galveston, Texas, November 22, 14 out of danger. -■May Bretonne, supported by J. E. Fredericks, are meeting with their usual success a the: East with the.r playlet. Never Again, on Western' Vaudeville Time. Delavoye and sFrits are playing the Phlladeli phla and Pennsylvania' time; after 14 year* absence, and are'meeting with usual success. The entire company of the Cowboy Girl (Northern) was enrolled as ' members of the Actors' Fund of' America November 20. * Billy Jackson, the producer, is meeting with big success, putting on musical comedies at Peoria,- 111. Montgomery ft Moore will Join the Hanky Panky Show at the American Music Hall. Chi- Fields and Hanson have cancelled all their iiiiii>i«iniri^iii>nii^iTMMlinrtm Mr. Mat Saunders, who has bren acting as assistant manager of Poll's Theatre at Wilkes- Barre. Pa., was summoned to Norwich, Conn,, on Saturday night. November 23, to assume the . management of Mr. Poll's theatre In that town. ; Mr.-Saunders has made a host of friends during ' his stay in WIIkes-Barre, and has the well wishes of all who knew him. He is well quali- fied for the position he.has assumed, as he has had years of experience in all branches of the | show business, W. P. Bauer, owner of the opera house at La Mesa. Cal.; is having the building slightly remodeled so that living apartments mny !>•• 1 equipped on the stage. It Is understood thllt . Mr. Bauer, will move, his family here and occupv ' the' opera house; reserving the stage for dwell- ing, and renting the remainder of the building I for; entertainment occasions. •On November 24. Are totally destroyed the j Nixon -Theatre at Washington. Pa. The loss on the building is estimated at (30,000. The ; loss to M. Rels, the lessee of the house, is 'Un- known. "This leaves Washington without a the- atre playing attractions, but work will probably be started at once on a new. up-to-date house. Wednesday, December 6, will bring the open- ing of. the. remodeled Auditorium Theatre, which has been out of commission all season while extensive changes "and Improvements were being msdej'!!.'. i.:..,.. .. .... . Carl Gran of 'Baylor. Texas..; has Jnat re. soon be ready to give shows. He has Just re- cently purchased a complete set of scenery and stage outfit from the Kansas City Scenic Co. The house will be called Grau'a Hall, and will bare a seating capacity, of 600..' Hayes' Opera House at Weathetford, Texas, has reopened under the management of J, B. Macon. .The house has undergone some improve- ments that make It far more acceptable as a playhouse, including an automatic steel stair la the rear to be used as a Ore-escape as well as a stage'entrance. . Lyons Hall at Cerro Gordo, 111., has been purchased by the local lodge of Knights of Pythias, and is being refurnished and thor- oughly remodeled. The hall will be used for entertainments an'd shows as well as for a lodge room. F. A. Bowdle Is the manager. Shelby McFarland. an enterprising colored man, has converted the building at 518 Fourth Street, Evansville, ma.. Into a theatre, to pro- vide amusement for the colored people. The house opened up. December 1 '.with -vaudeville and moving pictures. DRAMATIC NOTES. The Bnster Brown Company was scheduled to play the Nixon Theatre. Washington, Pa., December 5, but the fire that totally destroyed the theatre November 24, forced the cancellation of the engagement. H. M. Addison, agent of the company, tried to secure the old opera house to play in, but the mayor of the town refnsrd, taking a chance on losing the fire in- surance by putting shows in the old building. The many friends of Manager Dennlson of the Nixon, will be sorry to hesr that he has been on the sick list since the fire, and that owing to the lateness of the season be Is greatly worried concerning the balance of the season. Messrs. Forrest and Roberts are already at work ou plans for a new theatre. Nick A. Baker Is with the Commercial Trav- eler Co.. under the management of F. W. Richardson. The company opened in Dallas. Tex.. September 18. snd are still going, now playing Ohio. Mr. Rlchardmn will close week of the 17th, resting at Canal Dover. O., for Christmas, and then resume tour Went, .playing many return dates. * --. -^: . . The Keith Stock Company will play a return engagement at the Orpheum Theatre. Zanes- ville, O., this making their third trip to Zanes- vilte in one season. -v The Taylor Stock Co. Is now playing the Schultz Theatre. ZanesTllle. O., putting on two shows a week. • - . ■ . Charles H. Aldrldgc Joined Stetson's Oncle Tom's Cabin Company at Altoona. Pa., Novem- ber 9. -- v> - STOCK COMPANY NOTES. Louise Bockly and her superb stock company are now carrying-one car load of'scenery and ef- fects and playing cltv theatres, from four to six weeks' rnn. Miss Bockly Is one of our youngest stars and says "Just watch The Bill- board for my future." She extends best wishes lor a Merry Christmas to old Billy Boy and its friends. The Mayabeil Marks Stock Company has been out since August 31, and are -meeting with great success. Mayabeil Marks, star of the company, is adding new friends to her long list made when she played the same cities the past season. The Franklin Stock Company* opened at the West End Theatre, TJnlontown. Pa., November 27. for an Indefinite period, succeeding the West End Stock Company, which Just closed a six weeks' engagement-at that house. . The Russell Henrici Stock Co., playing its third week at Mt. Sterling. O., broke the house record there for attendance November'30. " MUSIC NOTES. Merle H. Norton, sole lessee of The Missouri Girl Company, who has recently returned from a five weeks' visit with his Western Company. Informs us that" his three shows are doing an exceptionally good business this season. The Eastern Company opened at Bay Shore, L. I.. August 1, with Frank F. Farrell and Hiss Wan Ita Wallace in the leading roles of Zeke and Daisy. The Western Company opened at St. Cloud. Minn., August 0. and Is now tourlns California,: where the-cast, headed by Fred Ray- mond, Jr.. and Miss Bonnie Male. Is creating a furore. The Central Company opened at De- Kalb. 111.. August 12. and is headed by Ring Cushman and Lillian Morris. They arc creat- ing' most favorable .comment In the Middle West cities. Two sots of special scenery are being carried for large and small stages, a union stage carpenter, union leader and two promoters of publicity, s Musicians Union No, 402 of Moundirlllo. W. Va„ met December 3, and named officers for the coming year. AH four bands in the city were represented. The following officers wero elect- ed: President, William Bryaon; vice-president, William Culloms; secretary, Roy McGtll; treas- urer. S. M. Tlcher; sergeant.st-arms, Chsrlcs Klmberly: directors,- Percy Downs, Charles Conley, Roy Lowe, OHle Hlgglns, William Arn. John Garuesl and George Callahan. " Adelaide Herrmann Is playln; mm