The Billboard 1908-11-28: Vol 20 Iss 48 (1908-11-28)

NOVEMBER 28, 1908. The Billboard NEW COIN-OPERATED MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. The latest moving picture device is the Sceniscope. The Sceniscope Company of Chicago expects this will be the coming amusement, especially in small towns and surburban localitles, where expense of operation is a factor. The Scenisco is really an individual moving jeture mochine in which films 600 to 800 feet length are used, magnified, reflected on a mirror and then projected on a screen. The moving picture is about 15 by 20 inches, to the es of the person who drops a penny in the slot to see it. The exterior of the Sceniscope is a panel cabinet of polished oak or mahogany, 46 inches high (exclusive of signs), 39 inches deep, and 82 inches mean width. The front has three ls set at angles, the tops of which slant ck like a desk, forming a triple base on each section of which is an ornamental viewing window, allowing three people to look into the machine and enjoy the picture at one time. e interior of the machine contains a continuous reel of film set on edge, and from its tnner circumference feeding down between powerful lenses and an incandescent electric light (60 C. P.) It rewinds itself upon its outer circumference. The machine starts upon receipt of a penny (can be adjusted for a nickel de ited in the slot directly under each view window. The time of exposure can be regulated to suit. If A, B. and C, each deposit a coin several seconds apart, the machine will continue for the last depositor, but will cease exhibiting for the others when the time Hmit expires. The mechanism is ingenius, but simple, easily understood, and not Hable to get out of order. The pictmes shown are 50 by 20 inches. When the machine is not in use, the power is shut of ang the light is automatically extinguished. Coin-operated moving picture machines have heretofore been in series of rapidly moving cards. They have no doubt served a purpose, bet they bear no comparison to the Sceniscope. which machine in fact has no competitors and probably never will have. The Sceniscope probably will be ai great boon to the men who have started in the mov picture business, but who have not been -able to receive sufficient patronage in their Beighborhoods to enable them to continue the business. The lack of expense of operation makes this possible as it Is even cheaper to run than would be a penny arcade. The arcades are rapidly adopting the Sceniscope also, as a new feature, and in the localities where they have been used, they prove ten times as good & money maker as a phonograph. One feature that would prove popular to the amusement men who have been In the habit of building up businesses whose profits are it by the next door neighbor, is that the niscope is sold with territory rights. A trade that a man builds up belongs to him and can't be shared with a neighbor. Each Sceniscope contains nine sets of films and while the shows are only one cent each, exence proves that the average patron spends 5 to 20 cents. In a twenty Sceniscope parlor there would be 180 distinct shows with the ible gross receipts of $1.80 from each invidual spectator. e of these machines experimentally operated for a penny in a Chicago arcade, showed earnings of over $100 per week, with a Sunday of $23.70. It is withont doubt one of the greatest money makers ever invented. © people, a mechanic and a girl cashier can run a Sceniscope parlor of any size, and the expense of operation is no greater than in the case of a penny arcade. MOVING PICTURE NOTES. The Aurora Theatre, Topeka, Kan., bas been taken over by the Aurora Amusement Company, recently incorporated. The Synchro scope, talking and singing moving picture -machine has been installed, and regular exhibitions Will be given, beginning November 16 The Officers of the company are: F. J. MacKie, resident; G. W. Hackney, vice-president: D. T. ote, secretary, and Herbert L. Hackney, treasurer. D. T. Mote is the local manager. Carl Tolan has now taken charge of the Grand Moving Picture Theatre at Escanaba, Mich., after spending some months in a large m house, and also in a moving pleture theatre in Kansas City. He is doing a very good business and putting in use the novel and attractive effects that he learned while he was away. L. F. Trimble has severed his congections wih the Amusement Palace at Corry, Pa., and C. P. Northrup. the owner, will dis Continue vaudeville, reduce the admission to five Cents, and play nothing but pictures and illus| oe songs. The change took effect November Ransom and Woodward have purchased from Drake and Thompson, the Star Theatre, Mason City, Ia., and will continue with high-class vaudeville and moving pictures. Prof. Zimmerman has sold his interest in the Oriental Theatre, Kalispell, Mont., to local parties, and hes returned to his former home in Owosso, Mich. EDWARD P. TEMPLE AT OLYMPIC MUSIC HALL. Another sign of the aggressive policy of the Management ef the Olympic Music Hall, Chi cago, was evinced when Edward P Temple, well known as having been connected with Dun. ay & Thompson's Hippodrome, New York City. arrived on the Twentieth Century Limited. in response to an urgent call from Mr Murdock. Mr. Temple brought with bim his own orchestra leader and special scores for the big forty-five Minute musical act, which is to be featured on the bill of the Olympic, and with his reputa on earned in connection with the Castle Square and Savage productions insures to the [ae of the new musical hall something of teresting merit. FINNEY AND CONNOR ENGAGED BY THE MESSRS. SHUBERT. The Messrs. Shubert announce that they have signed contracts with Jameson Lee Finney, the Roted juvenile actor, and Harry Connor, the faMous comedian, by which both of these play ers will have prominent roles in the Clyde Fitch version of The Bine Mouse, which ts to be pro duced immediately. Mr. Finney, who has played Juvenile roles in’ many notable’ New York pre ductions in the mast. end Mr. Connor, who ts known over preetieally the entire English-speok ing world for his seciation with the Hoyt forces in which he starred, are both new recruits for the Shubert forces. Miss Jane Laurel has also been engaged for one of the feminine roles. The Blue Mouse, which has been localized and adapted by Mr. Fitch, is a comedy of Metropolitan life that bas taken all Europe by storm and is now running for a second season in Berlin. The Messrs. Shubert promise that they will offer the American production with a cast every way equal to the best of the European companies now performing the play. NEW ORLEANS, LA. The New Orleans Philharmonic Society announces that the following artists will appear under its management in this city, at the Athenaeum: lLhevinne, pianist, November 28; Elman, violinist, January 19; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, March 6 and others. The Merry Widow, with Miss Rosemary Glosz, and George Dameral, in the leading roles, continue to draw packed houses at the Tulane. This excellent attraction, in its second weeks’ run, is still pleasing large audiences, and is the talk of the town. The Thief, with Charles Dalton and Kelcey and Shannon in the leading roles, will follow. Old Kentucky is back with us again at the Crescent, and is playing to big business. This favorite play has lost none of its popularity and is meeting with big success. A fine company is presenting the play, which is beautifully staged. Corrine, in the Klaw & Erlanger production, Lola From Berlin, will follow. The vaudeville bill at the Orpheum this week is as follows: George Leslie and Company, in The Naked Truth; Imro Fox, conjurer and illusionist; John W. World and Mindell Kingston, song and dance artists; La Vine Cimaron Trio, composed of Oliver La Vine, Charles H. Cameron and Miss May La Vine, in Imagination; W. S. Harvey and Miss Madge Anderson, in A Room Upside Down; Harry Klein and Miss Pearl Clifton, in The Dummy’s Holiday; Mlle. Ines and Mons Taki, musicians, and the Kinodrome. The bill is a fine one and big business is ruling. The Lester Lonergan Stock Company is presenting The Moth and the Flame at the Dauphine this week. The play is beautifully presented and is drawing packed houses. The Last Days of Pompeii will be presented next. The New Lyric Stock Company is presenting Jim Bludso, at Charles E. Blaney’s Lyric this week. The play is making a big hit with the Blaney clientele. The vaudeville features between the acts are J. Bernard Reilly, in illus trated songs, and the Blaneyscope. Next week, The Fatal Wedding, with vaudeville between. Col. Charles A. Dunlap’s big Winter-Garden Hippodrome opened to big business. The opening bill was as follows: The Fountain of Youth, The Marvelous Mells, Olive Swain and her dogs and horses, and others. The bill this week will include The Two Aitkens, contortionists: Gulliver Lilliputians, composed of Princess Isabella, Prince Louis and Major Charles, in a novelty act, and others. The bill at the new Alamo is Signor Ricci, violinist; Miss Marion Mitchell, singer; Lew Suly, tenor; Larry Norica, coon-shouter; Myron J. Wickoff, the Pittsburg vocalist, and the Cameraphone talking pictures, and {illustrated songs. The program is a strong one and the Alamo {is packing them t the doors at each performance. The vaudeville program at Wonderland this week includes Miss Eunice Levy, illustrated song singer; moving pictures, and others. Big business. The Dream-World ts offering an excellent bill this week in Miss Eunice Levy, soprano singer, moving pictures, and others. Fine business is resulting. The Grand is presenting a fine vaudeville bill this week, talking moving pictures being one of the features of the bill. Big business. Mr. Roy Crawford, of moving picture fame, is in this city looking after the interests of the ©. T. Crawford Company, of which he is a member. The Crawfords are lessees of the Shubert Theatre in this city, where they are presenting their up-todate moving pictures and vandeville. It is rumored that refined burlesque will be presented at this house in the near fu ure. Mr. W. J. Hennessey has resigned as manager of the Shubert Theatre, and has been appointed manager of the 0. T. Crawford moving picture business in this city, with headquarters in the Shubert Building. Major John M. Burke is here in advance of the Big Buffalo Bill's Shows. Major Burke is a charter member of the New Orleans Lodge of Elks, Local No. 30. Another new moving picture theatre has opened. It is known as the Star, and Mr. P. Moses is manager. Some excellent films and vaudeville acts and illustrated songs, are presented here and they are doing a fine business. The Golden Crook Extravaganza Company is the attraction at the Greenwald this week. The show put up by this company is a strong one and is drawing big crowds. Sam Scribner's Big Show, will follow. Talking moving pictures, vaudeville and illus trated songs is the bill at the Elyseum this week, which is a good one Crowded houses. Buffalo Bill's Big Shows will give six per formances here, at the Fair Grounds, November 13 to 15. The shows are extensively advertised and capacity business will result. WILLIAM A. KOEPKE, AN AMUSEMENT WORKSHOP. The Windecker factory is working night and day filling orders for all kinds of amusement supplies. Mr. Alexander Windecker, the magician, is general manager and treasurer of the firm and he reports large sales for his department of magical apparatus and illusions. The fact that artists in any line receive courteous and prompt attention at their offices, has been quite an inducement to the profession, Their papier mache plant is considered to be one of the finest in the world and their costume department second to none The malil order end of the strictly up-to-date dering by sideration. well-known : firm is run on principles and customers ormail receive accurate and prompt con NEIPAGE BROTHERS. Professionals visiting Toronto, Canada, during the season, should call on Niepage Brothers, the well-known American tailors, whose place of business fs 166 Bay street, convenient to all the local theatres With their fine stock, splendid work, and very reasonable prices, they heve built up a fine reputation with the artists who have appeared in Toronto during the past and present season MUSIC NOTES. Tabloid drama and musical comedy have been presented frequently in vaudeville, but it has been left to Gus Sohlke te provide a decided novelty, in his production, Western Life, the new version of which, with book by Frank Tannehill, was produced at the Garrick, Wilmington, Del., last Monday. The act has three distinct scenes, with complete costumes and make-up changes by the entire company of twenty people. Horses are carried for the act. The book provides ample comedy to a story of cowboy love and tragedy, and the act closes — an elaborate staging of the song, Rain Ww. + Joyland, Gus Sohlke’s act, in which he will feature Clara Belle Jerome, is one of the most elaborate allegorical extravaganzas in vaudeville. ‘The act opened at the Garrick, Wilmington, Del., November 23, and in addition to the clever dancing of Miss Jerome, introduced eight of the smallest and fastest acrobatic dancing girls in the profession. When I Marry You, a waltz melody, by Bryan and Gumble; Naughty Eyes, by Sylvester and Weinrich: No Moon Like a Honeymoon, by Malone and Gumble; I Used to be Afraid to Go Home in the Dark, by Williams, VanAlstyne and Burt, and When Jack Comes Sailing Home, by Nora Bayes Norworth, are recent publications of Jerome H. Remick & Company. Recent song successes now provided with slides by Jerome H. Remick & Co., are There Never Was a Girl Like You, I Want Someone to Call Me Dearie, And More Yet Besides, When You Love a Summer Girl, A Night, a Girl, a Moon, Under the Evening Star. The Lit tle Old Red School Don't Go Away. House on + Miss Jessie, Moore, the popular member of The Avenue Girls Show, has demonstrateed that patrons of burlesque, appreciate both cultivated voices and high-class songs. She is singing two of the latter, and with As Long as the World Rolls On, and Just Someone, she has both good numbers and an opportunity to display her singing qualities to advantage. the Hill, and + Two very clever young ladies, Indeed. are the Misses Divine and Vancott, and they are scoring with their splendid singing everywhere they appear. One sings contralto while the other has a magnificent soprano voice, and their two songs, All for the Love of You andl Pansies Mean Thoughts and Thoughts Mean You, get them repeated encores. = Rita Redmond, the beautiful auburn-haired singer. who has often been called the most beautiful woman on the stage, displayed her versatility at the Lincoln Square Theatre last week. singing an Irish song, Barney McGee. and a novelty song. The Party that Wrote Home, Sweet Home, ae Was s Married Man. Appropriate slides for sacred songs for the holiday season are announced by Jerome H. Remick & Co., for the following publications: The Holy Light. by Reginald DeKoven; The Land of My Dreams, by Arthur Trevelyan. and In the Realms of Eternity, by Arthur J. Lamb and J. Acton Dailey. Engene Cartie, the ponular character mean in the Valencia Show. which recently played Hyde & Behman's Brooklyn Theatre, gave one of the finest delineations of the Italian character seen in a long time in his novelty dago song. Wop. Wop. Wop. * Artie Hall, the clever star of Morning. Noon and Night, end who is also a little sister of Ronita, is putting over her songs with excentional success, featuring Remick’s Room to Let and Rainbow. no The last of The Regiment Qnartette. in their semi-military act, have fitted themselves in Inst Someone and I'd Live or I Wonld Die for You, with two songs that add greatly to their popularity. ny Vaudeville’s champion singers. That Onartette, are incresing their popularity every house ther play They are now using Remick’'s Naughty Eyes and Don’t Go Away. te Rerger Sisters are presenting a clever act In which thev introdnce Rainbow. Garden of Dreams. Naughty Eve and Don't Go Away, all from the house of Remick. Eddie Morton. in singing The Party that Wrote Home, Sweet Home, Never Was a Mar ried Man. has secured a song that fits his part of a henpecked husband to a tee. te West and Burns. formerly known as Seely and West, have added two new songs to their act that sare winners. They are Just Someone and All for the Love of You. + Williams and Taylor. a very clever colored act. are making a reputation for themselves with that new novelty songs, called Take Your Hands Away. Cooea, plaving Bavonne last week. took more encores with the Italian song. Wop, Wop, Wop, than any other act on the bill. toth Charles R. Lawler and John F. Clarke are singing the new song success, Don't Forget to Write to Me Every Day. Nat Franklin is there when it comes to singing an Italien dialect song. Ought to hear him sing Wop, Wop, Wop. their Every Riches and Grover are singing of Don't Day. pleasing with Forget to Write Me PHILADELPHIA MUSIC NOTES. that there is Word comes from York, Pa., discord between the York Oratorio Society and The Schubert Choir of the same city. They had been working in harmony for the past three years, and were endeavoring to make York a musical center. The Oratorio Society have decided that they will sing Mendelssohn's Walpurgie Night and Hymn of Praise at their winter concert in February, notwithstanding the fact that the Schubert Choir had arranged to re hearse and sing the same selections at their May Festival. oo The business manager of The Quaker City Fife and Drum Band, a colored organization, was arrested last week for alleged embezzlement and the larceny of a base drum and a pair of cymbals belonging to the band. At the hearing it was stated that both the drum and cymbals had been returned to the band, and as the members were mixed in their accounts they could not state positively that the business manager had taken the money, so he was dis charged. x The real estate assessors dealt kindly witb Oscar Hammerstein when it came to putting a valuation on his new Philadelphia Opera House. Although the amount expended on the theatre and the cost of the ground aggregated $1,200, 000, the assessed valuation has been put at $400,000. The Academy of Music, in the same city, is worth $2,600,000, and yet is only assessed at $800,000. Free music schools have been opened in the slum district of Philadelphia by the Free Musteal Society. One class of ninety was enrolled fifteen minutes after the announcement was made in that vicinity. and thers is new a big waiting list for the new classes that will be formed as soon as the necessary instruments and instructors can “a o The Lehigh Valley Symphony Orchestra lately gave a very successful concert at South Bethlehem, Pa. The orchestra is composed of work ing men and professional men of that vicinity. there only being six professional musicians in the orchestra. The concerts have been warm ly praised by musical critics. + The Philadelphia Orchestra gave a very suc cessful concert in Wilmington, Del., last week, and tle patronage was so good that several more concerts will be given there during the season. A spring tour will be arranged for the Orchestra. and possibly many of the larger cities of the Middle West will be visited. Hammerstein has selected girl ushers for his new [hiladelphia Opera House, and they gave entire satisfaction in handling the crush that was present on the opening night. They are all musical students who thus have a chance to hear the greatest singers as well as earn a little money each week. tm The Aborn Opera Company. who had a sue eessful spring season at the Grand Opera House, Philadelphia, will return to the same house on December 7 for a four weeks" engagement in light opera, and after that is over will put on a number of performances of grand opera. % Lengthy musical entertainments will be given at the different department. stores during the month of December. These take place at convenient hours during the day. so that tired shoppers can rest and hear a delightful musica) program. The Franz Schubert Bund held their first anniversary on November 15 at their new quar ters, 1416 Arch street Over four bunded members and a number of invited guests attended. A banquet followed the reception. ” Mayor Reyburn, of Philadelphia, is going to ask the City Councils of that city to appropri ate $5,000 a vear to the new vocal school, which Oscar Hammerstein will open in his new Philadelphia Opera House. Mrs. J. C Chase. of New York, is to deliver a series of lectnres. one each wéek. the sub jects being taken from the operas that will he presented by Oscar Hammerstein at the Phila delphia Opera House % Fanst and Alda are the announcements of the Metropolitan Opera Company for the perform ances of November 24 and December 1 in Phila deInhia. and Caruso will be the star at beth performances. * The Dubinsky Trio will give the first of three reciteis on December Griffith Hall The composed of David Dubinsky violinist: Bertrand Austin, ‘cellist, and Edith Mahon, pianist + @ oft trio is PZ The Shubects announce through their local representative in this city, that the will send Alice Neilson on tour in a revival of The Bo hemian Girl in the spring. Me The annual New Year's Mummer’s parade will be given in Philadelphia. and al y bands have been engaged for od Dancing schools continue to thrive in Philart phia, and as all of it makes business good for musiciar o houses in Philadelph ive them engage bic orchestras Several of the fire heen presented with fine pipe organs by a « itable woman of that city. nA The Alumnae Association of the Philadelphia Normal Schoel for Is have lately given 2 number of successful neerts. Arthur Whitne in this city on The Music y will give a series of lectures T Evolution of Pianoforte RoR WATT % {