The New York Clipper (December 1914)

5a THE NEW YORK CLIPPER. DECEkBEB 19 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER Founded In 1853. THE FRANK QUEEN PUBLISHING CO. (Limited ranpmsrosa. ALISEItT J. BOBIE Rditohui- 1HD RUSIMXII UlNlOrR. : MEW YORK, DECEMBER 19, 1914. ' Kntered June 24, 1879. at the I'oit Office it Ren York. N. V., ■■ secoud data matter, under •lie act of llurcti 3. 1870. . - Adverlliemriiia—»2-80 per lucli, single column. ' AdverMatiueata tet'wllu border. 10 per ct. extra. ' gUIISCItll'TION. ,' One rear, la advance, 81; all months, 12; tlirei nSoulIm, II. Canada and rorelgu milage extra. Single copies will be eeut, Liugtpald, ou receipt of to wcta. „ . Our Ternn nre Cnali. Till! CI.U'l'lCIl la laiueil every WICDNKSDAY, I hr FurtiiN Clnalnw Promptly uu Tueaalnr, nt 10 A. 81. I'leaae remit by express money order, check. P. 0. order or reglaleml Idler. All caili eneloteil wltb letter at rlak of tender. Aililreaa All Coiiiniiiiilciitloiia to Til ft; NEW viiutv CLIPPER, 47 Writ UeKli Street. N«<* York. .,,-.. Tel. 227a-Madlsou. Itcgdlcrrd Vahlt AtSdicn. "4UTH0BITX." THE WESTERN BUREAU of Till Gi.irpau la located at ltooin BOS, Aalilamt Mock, Olilcafo, Warren A. Patrick, manager aud iurre*limuleiil. Till Cl.HTM CtN BB OHTWFIII WII01.SSALK AND XKTlil.. at our agents, Daw'a steamship Agency, 17 Ureeu Street, Charing c.-.wa Uoad. Umi.Iuii W. <}., Kngluud; Breutiuo's newa dcjiit, .17 Avenue de l'Uuera l'arli, France; Manila lkxjk mill Sta- tionery Co., 128 Kacoltu, Manila, f. 1.1 (lordmi t Oolcb, 123 I'ltt 8lreet. Sydney, N. H. \V, Auitiulla. MERRY CHRISTMAS. Tub New York Clipfbb In this Issue carries the cards of many of Its patrons woo wish their friends the compliments of the senson. Till! New Yoiik Clipped, also wishes all of Its readers through this number, whlrb Is Issued as a holiday offering;, a Merry Cltrtttmnt. As In the past, so In the future will The CLiri'Eit rcprc'icrtt the amusement profession in all Its branches, giving each and every member, and each and every Interest the con- sideration and attention which It merits. In 1853 Tub Clipped was founded by Frank Queen to further the Interests of amusements, which In those days Included the various branches of sports, and at ill times Tub Cliitkb, us Is shown by Its flics, das taken oare of each and every one of the amusement purveyors. The prominent actors of the early days wero Tub Ci.ht'hr'h friends. When vaudp- vliie wits variety, not an event or a perform- er, big or little In that line, was slighted by Tin: C'Lii't'Kit, and vaudeville In to-day well looked nfter. It must be admitted. When burlcsquo managers and perform- ers, many of whom remain to bear testimony, wore laying the foundation for the presrnt Immense burlesque lntcrstn, it was Tin: Cur- ri.n that cbi-onlckd tlielr doings and offered its columns as the only and sure means of Information and publicity. Where Is thcro , any other record of those early doings? Other papers passed them up. but Tun Clipper did . not wait to size up this field and to recog- nize It merely ns an opportunity for revcuue, but gave time and attention when It wai most needed. The circus received Its proper attention, ' and where Is there any record of cirrus hip-' penlnga like Hint published In these columns , for the post fifty years and more. Ask any music publisher, who knows, which paper made the music buslnosa. Bach and ovcry publisher of any prominence must glvo credit to Tub Clipfbr for his success. Con- ditions may liuvo changed since the days of "Tin Pan Alley," hut the propaganda started years ago by Wm, A. Pond, C. D, Blake, Frank Harding and other early day publishers who advertised In a small way, down to 1880, When Monroe II. Iloacnfcld Issued the first scare head music ad. for Ben Hitchcock, who was daxed at the results, and so on, right up to the present day. the Ci.n-i'tit Iiiih been, and Is the sure-tiro business boomer for the music publisher. Tho motion picture business of the presrnt iiny, as Tub Clipped illes show, was de- veloped by Clipper advertising. • what other paper carried any ad. of the early Luruloro Cinematograph, the Vltascopc, the. Jtdlson-macbl nes 1 Tub Clipper's columns were the first to let the amusement profession know that the cinematograph was packing Keith's Union Square, and to make them aware of the Im- mense possibilities of the motion picture. Where did Lubln, tho Blograpb, the lCdlson Co., the Vltagrnph, Klolne, Spoor, flcllg and other pioneers place their advertisements of the new Alms and of the various projecto- scopes. Nowhere but In The Ci.ippbr. and tho success attained by these various Inter- ests must necessarily oe traced to this pub- licity, dlrest'tf In the only channel that existed In those early days. The success attained by The Clipper has beon won strictly upon its merit and Its ■ honorable and straightforward business methods. At no tlnm In Its long career has It affiliated with any particular taction, nor has It formed any questionable connection or combination to advanoe its own Interests nt the cxponsc of any part of tho amuse- ment profession. It lias never mado ma- ' llclous attacks upon any one, nor indulged In' sensationalism of any kind whatever, i Its chief aim has been to attain a reputation for rcUahlUtu, and what appears In Its columns Is gcnflrally accepted as authentic, as far n* It Is possible to tnako It, We i ecenre our pstrons and friends that thcro will be no change In the future policy of Tub Ci.irPEit, unless it be In tho line of , development and lu keeping fully abreast ' w!'h the times in everything that will make it more valuable to the various Interests It represents. ANSWERS TOCORRESPONDENTSa DRAMATIC. Pnors.—The- Cross Printing Co. 601 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, III. A. McN., Hnrtford.—At the Galoty Then- tre. "Sumnruu" was the attraction at the Cnslnn. M. C. W., Troy.—J. K. Emmet died July IB, IS01, at Cornwall. N. Y. Yes, the Initials nre the same. AAAAAAAAA^MMAAAMWAAA^AAAM^^^WWWWWSA'WVVUW THE NEWSPAPER DRAMA In these sad tlixles a light,' pleasing., play's tbe thing. The theatre, being erst'' of all anil'principally a place of enter- taicrment, when Ufa itself Is too full of* tragedy. It should be as a haven In a at inn for people wrought wltb* fear and gloom. People depressed over the terrible European War and Us resulting HI effects upon commerce and business generally do not want tragedy Id tbe theatre/ They must have something' to lighten their burden, to cheer them. One of the chief fnnctlons of the theatre Is to enter- tain. But how can one be amused with- out being made, for the moment at least, to forget tbe cares and troubles of the work-a-tiny world 7 A play to be success- ful In suc'i times as these must be such a one as to lift oneself out of himself. That is what the thentre Is for—to save peoplo from the tortures of themselves. Life about us Is a theatre in the larger s^nse, especially In times like these. The greatest world drama of all times, in point of magnitude and In Its relation to the march of human events, Is being staged In France, In Belgium and lu Poland. And for one penny we may rend a far better, far greater story and irama —of tho war—than any piny ever pro- duced or ever to be written could possibly tell. This Is what I mean by "The Ncws- pnper Drama." The newspapers every day, and more particularly, of course, now, publish more real, vital dramatic stories than are told In three-fourths of all the plays, new and revived, on the stage. Moreover, the newspaper drama is better constructed than are most plays. And, what Is sl'll more to the point, the newspaper drama is a living drama. It strikes home, The newspaper story con- tains every essential of the drama— love, hatred, revenge, suffering, sacrifice, outrage, hunger, deeds of heroism, every- thing that every drama should possess and far more than Is found In most plays. Bo what can the poor dramatist do when, after all, what be tells is only make-believe? In times such as these, unless the theatre holds forth real enjoyment tbe average cltben Is going to remain at borne and read his newspaper, In which, as I have said, he will find far more real, vital drama than at the playhouse. And In our great metropolitan cities are thousands of men and women who have either friends or relatives in the war tone, many of whom are on tho firing line. Naturally, this mabos tbe news- paper drama of more importance to them titan anything else. All that tbey read strikes home. One has only to look about him to find men hurrying home to their big easy By DAVID BELASCO rn > 11 mi ' /WW ,chalrs.from business each day wltb large '-bundles of newspapers tinder their arms, .Do you suppose anything short of the nnu.iual and the most pathetic "hit" In the" theatre in'going to lure ^hem from their fireside and newspaper drama? I know if I were.a business man that 1 ' would gather inrihe latest editions of all the newspapers/1 could carry and hurry home to spend-the evening reading tb3 ' greatest,of all dramas, •• To offset' this state of affairs we man- agers must search high and low for plays that possess tbe same note of truth and equally as good a story ss the news- psper drama. And, having at last found such a play, It rests with ns to so present it to the public that the Illusion Is preserved and the theatregoer Ig taken out of himself and mado happy. The task Is not always an easy one, as yon may have Imagined many times. Were I to tell of the hours, lasting over periods of weeks and months, of sleep- less toll and unceasing thought, during which time I barely ate anything, that I spent In planning and working out my production of "The Phantom Rival," for instance, the theatregoer would better understand what makes for success— lasting success—on the stsge. But, if I wero to do this It might rob the play- goer of a pert of the Illusion for which he pays the price of admission to the thentre to experience. I have spoken principally of the enter tainlng factor of the theatre, since In times such as these this is paramount, But, do not misunderstand me by this. I wonder how many playgoers appre- ciate the signification of the theatre? Few, I suspect, realize the Import of this simple phrase, and yet It means so mucb. To the aggregate public tbe theatre may rarely spell entertainment, but Just as one reads many books—not consciously to accumulate a collection of encyclo- pedic facts—but rather, all unconscious- ly, to absorb a certain culture, so the theatre should be significant, not as a dry-as-dust Instructress, or as a medium for the predilections of tho morbid or tbe vicious, but because It should teach, without arrogating to Itself the airs of a magistrate; because It should Inform, without seeking to proselytize; became It should link Into' a lovers' knot the strings of tbe heart with those of the Intellect and the understanding. The theatre signifies much; it should, and I believe It will, signify more, in a tuttim which is hidden for us now in the drifting clouds of the future. That future is In the hands of the earnest tow who before all else work for the love of the working, and In whom the spirit of curiosity in human concerns leads evor to the door of Truth. A TESTIMONIAL TO TUB THEATRICAL MANAGERS OF 1-ITTSIIUHftII, PA. n u m d. j. rox, N. Y. Clipper Oorre»ponicnt, The writer takes this opportunity to put In print expressions of appreciation to tho .various Pittsburgh theatre managers .lor the kindnesses shown during the 'past several Scarp, which, despite apparent .silence, have cen greatly appreciated. > - ■ , Id looking over tbe at of worthy- gentle- men who are associated wltb-Pittsburgh theatres, cariiig' for the needs snd wants, as well as the jvartouo whims of their many patrons, It Is an honest opinion that wo have been well favored by having the best crowd of good fellows that could be placed in a single city, each .one a real prince. In bis own way. and it is therefore with great plensnre that I am able to write a few word3 of nralse, which must necessarily bo read in various parts of tbe world by performers in every branch of tbe profession, and I might add that these expressions are made without regard to any flattery. The largest and best known local firm of amusement furnishers is the Harry Davis Enterprises Co., a large and very successful firm, under tbe guiding hand of the most experienced of men. The Enterprises Co. contiols the preseLtation of high class vaude- ville at the Grand Opera House, Bhubcrt shows at the Alvin, a real stock company of merit, called tho Schenley Players, at the Scbenley Theatre, and they are now build- ing a new bouse, as yet un-named. In addi- tion to these they have two of the largest motion plcturo houses in the city, and oper- ate the Davis Restaurant, Poo], Billiard and Bowling Alleys, said to be tbe largest and rioat elegantly furnished In the country. Harry Davis Is president of the firm, and give* close personal attention to everything, and l.i well repaid by a large and constantly rowing patronage of the best of people. Jnder the general management of John P. Harris, things are always the best possible, for this worthy gentleman has no equal In getting satisfactory results, and sees nothing too large or too small to handle. The I)nvls and Harris Interests are also In control of the Garden Pier Theatre, In At- lantic City, and the New Strand, In Cincin- nati. Mr. Harris is the organizer nnd presl dent of the Harris Amusement Co., operating tbe Harris and Sheridan Square Theatres, this olty, as well as the Family Theatre in Detroit, presenting popular priced vaudeville. The success of all these houses has been nothing short of marvelous, playing to capa- city audiences at all times, Winter or Bum- mer. Mr. Harris has a pleasing disposition. 1b always congenial, and Is well liked by all who have been fortunate enough to meet him. He Is also director in the Pittsburgh Base- ball Club, and his advice is eagerly sought by a large circle of business associates. In the Summer months Messrs. Davis & Harris furnish us with a hippodrome, at Forbes Field, at prices ranging from ten to fifty cents, and entertain an average of twelve thousand persons nightly, with twenty sterling circus acts. Closely associated with these gentlemen, and upon whom rests considerable responsi- bility in the proper press work, Is Eugene L. Connelly, who Is general press representative of tbe Davis Company, and vice president of the Harris Amusement Co. Mr. Connelly's wide experience la this parlcular branch mokes him the most valuable In tbe city, and In connection with his regular routine, he censors various performances, etc., end Is al- ways deemed fair In his verdicts. He is of plc.aclng personality, and enjoys the greatest confidence of his associates. Among the resident managers of our the- atres, we have Jobn B. Reynolds, In charge of the Alvin. and the Davis interests are to bee congratulated for their choice, as Mj. Reynolds' wide experience has served him well In caring for this large and beautiful theatre. He was originally a Plttsburgher, (pfyat gou and ^ours may rjatfe a Merry ^fistmas ar\c\ a ^ear full of Peace, ^a^iness and prosperity, is thje Wish of Miss Winifred St> (Haire and Gar! D. §ipe Kokomo, Indiana. CAMPANINI 87JBB BANDMASTER. Cleofonto Campantnl. director of the Chi- cago Grand Opera Company, has brought an action In the Superior Court. Chicago, for iro.ooo damages against Abraham Nuss- 1'Aum, a bandmaster. He alleges defamation of character growing out of matters con- nected wltb the Chicago Grand Opera Com- pany. MARGHIti.TA JARMAN AND SARAMB REYNOLDS, of the National Opera Co. arrived from Europe Dee. 8. ' 8URBOaATni FOWLER signed an order last week directing George W. Young, husband of Lillian Nordlca Young, who died last May, to appear in the Surrogate's Court Dec 20 and deliver to the temporary administrator of Madame Nordica's estate, property alleged to be in his control belonging to the estate, and to be examined regarding his knowledge of his wife's property. He must also produce all books, writings snd memoranda that In any way bear upon the business affairs and transactions of the late prima donna. HENRY MILLER starts his starring tour, In "Daddy Long-LcgB," Dec. 24. but left here a number of years ago n , ■ later became identified with the Bhu'bert ' having been in complee charge of several o their largest annpanies. his last connectioV was with 'The Midnight Bona" He hasi be V, in charge here fox the past several yea . and it is to be hoped he will remain Indei nltely. unless something of greater value ai' responslbiHry should come his way. when I IB certain he will be equal to the occasion" Dennis A. Harris, manager of the bdu,, •ley Players, is also a local product, beine brother of John P. Harris, and allTraV rlso to the top has been carefully watch, il feby his many friends. Breaking into ti.o ' Dullness a number of years ago, he tw.t : ■ Bmall parts In Hie old Harry Davis Stoi•? Co. when that organization played at tli' Grand Opera House, and later at the Du Suesne Theatre. Close attention to even etail. front and back, has made him u valuable man, and his selection of pl«vcr« and plays for the stock company has proved beyend a doubt that he thoroughly under stands the wants of the people. At tho Harris Theatre is Managpr C It Buchoit very popular with all who know him. His capability to care for the manv requirements of the varions patrons of the Harris, which, I might say, number unwarri : of 80,000 weekly, puta him In a classib» himself. He is popular with performers as well as patrons, while his many employees nre ever ready to give a word of praise F. H. Tooker of the Sheridan, is also well known locally, having been general manager of one of the local hotels before becomln • affiliated with theatricals, and has been In charge of several.of the Harris and Davi-i houses. Manager Cliff Wilson, of the Lyceum is indeed a well liked and pleasant gentleman and is experienced in every branch of tbe business. He was formerly connected with the late R. fot Gullck, and "at the latter'n death Mr. Wilson continued the policy which had made tho Lyceum famous for mnnv years He Is a. well known and highly es- teemed Shriner, and numbers many of our best business men among his friends. Ills ever pleasant greeting assures you of wel- come at all times. Harry A. Woods, chosen from many other managers by Charles Miles'when be opened bis new house here several weeks ago, has taken hold and made a hit with all who meet him. Always smiling, this popular person never fails to make an Impression which is lasting. He is a "risen from the ranks" manager, and, should It ever he necessary, could Jump In at a moment's noMco and take the place of any of his crew, r.s well as several of bis orchestra; as he Is a member of tbe associations and has served his time in all branches. Tbos. F. Klrke Jr. Is In charge of the Nixon, and is one of our popular young man- agers who has made good. At one time Mr. Rirke was in charge of the Alvin but when the Nixon was built he was placed In charge of both houses, which he cared for for several years, deciding to cast his lot with the Ndxon, which he has managed for tbe post several years in a very capable manner. His friends are innumerable. At the Gayety the home of the Eastern wheel burlesque. Is Henry Kurtzman, the right man In tbe right place, popular with all, nnd wearing a sunny smile at all times. Mr. Kurtzman Fa well liked, has a large and admiring circle of friends, and his care of the Gayety has made it a popular place of amusement. At the Victoria is Geo. W. Gallagher, at whose house Is run the shows of the Colum- bia "Added." Prior to coming here he was connected with a house In Lawrence, Mass., and from the Impression made we nave found him rightfully placed. Tho Academy, the real and original bur- lesque house of this city, which has housed all the present and old time stars of the profession, Is still doing buslnesB at the old stand, and many of Its patrons have been held for as long as thirty years. Manager Hnrry J. Smith is in charge, and while this is Ms first house, it can be said with surety that he has ."made good." He has proved popular with his patrons, and usually cares for matters in a very diplomatic manner. His pleasant greeting assures you of wel- come, and the placing at the writer's disposal of his offices, etc., axe gratefully appreciated. flo has surrounded himself with a working force of sterling gentlemen, and all are de- scrying of a word of praise. In the closing lines of this piece, It Is my pleasure to exend to the theatre managers of Pittsburgh, Pa., their associates, their em- ployees In front and back, as well as all attaches, a word of hearty thanks for their Joint courtesies, and I trust I may merit a continuance of these in the future, and with best wishes for the best of luck, I extend the season's greetings with "A Merry Xmas and A Happy New Year." VAUDEVILLE CONTINUES. The management of the Fourteenth Street Theatre wish us to state that the house con- tinues to play vaudeville. In addition. Prls- cilia Knowles will open Dec. 21, in a series of stock sketches. » ■» THOSE THREE GUYS. Arthur L. Guy, of the famous Uuy family; Bessie L. Guy, bis wife, and Arthur G. Guy. their progeny, began an extended tour or the West, opening at Pantngea'. Winnipeg, Dee. 7. They are meeting with uniform success with their musical melange, "Mlnatielsy a la Carte." ^_ On Nov. 10 they Introduced, at the Em- pire Theatre. Pittsburgh, Edw. Le Roy Itlcc s latest conception, "Some Celebrated Corkers, a unique offering, showing famous minstrels of days gone by, with snappy verses accom- panying. The entire act goes wltb a bang. 4« > RBNBfl KELLY SELECTED. Renee Kelly has been selected to play the role of Judy In the Pacific Coast company ot "Daddy Long-Legs," in which Its producer, Henry Miller, will return to the stage after an absence of several years. The company opens in Toledo on Christmas .Day for one performance, and then Jumps to Reno, Nov., lor one night. From there tbe company goes direct to the Columbia Theatre, Ban Fran- cisco, Cal., for an indefinite stay. _ , "Daddy Long-Legs." with Ruth Chatter ton, will remain at the Gaiety, New York. ♦ »» NEW THEATRE IN AUSTIN. Fivo business men of Austin, Tex.—•■Eugene Tips, Wilbur Allen, John Butler, E. H.rcrry and O. H. Mulligan, are erecting a theatre In Austin, Tex., to he cnlled "The Gayety. Tho house, wthlch will open about Aug.l,^'' bo one of the most beautiful in tbe Boutn. More than $200,000 will be spent on it ine present idea Is to present vaudeville »«" pictures. Mr. Tips Is now in New York to make booking arrangements with s" nl1 - agency. «»» — FRITZI SCHEFF SUED. Henri Bendel, «ealer In women's wear, has brought an action In the Supreme Court agnli'St Fritzl Scheff to recover $082.60. >'•■" to be the balance due on a bill for BW«; varcR and merchandise and alterations tiiif'^ to, obtained between Sept. 18, 1013, nnu Feb. 18, 1014. ««» DYLLYJf KEPT BUSY. J. Rcrnard Dyliyn has «»l»c«' 1I f£, 1 i , "ih Dove in the scene with Bert Williams " •fie Follies," at the Illinois, Chicago, i "• Follies" remain lu Chicago until Jan. • • then to Cleveland, Detroit and Cincinnati.