The Billboard 1910-04-30: Vol 22 Iss 18 (1910-04-30)

The Billboard APRIL 30, 1910. BRIEF PERSONAL PATTER Pertaining to Vaudeville Performers In and Around Chicago—Notes of Their Plans, Prospects and Professional Doings. The Empire City Quartette, which was the biggest hit both weeks they were at the Music Hall, contains in Harry Cooper, a music publishing company. The Harry Cooper Music Co., not very well known to the world in gen eral, is one of the most popular with artists, and with Harry behind the action reins, the time is not far distant when it will be a leading faction in the competition for the produc tion of popular hits. Mr. Cooper has accepted two more sure fire novelties from the Al. Brown-J. Brandon Walsh combination, and both surely look to be winners from the start. The quartette is featuring them both—I'’m Not the Cohan You Heard About, and In My Old Town—and pulling encores galore on each of them. Harry Rogers, of the Albert Von Tilzer Music Company, has returned to New York, and Jules Von Tilzer is having his hands full to the wonderful increasing business new western offices. Kalmar and Brow the Majestic last week, were the hit i. the bill in the song branch department with Jules’ Dinah, from Carolina. Virginia Rankin, also at the Majestic, helped the house to fame by her very clever handling of Nora p Me by Phone. ge Ba attending of their 2 The Von Tilzers, who conduct the York Music House, were compelled to move to more spacious quarters and last —— —to the Oneonta Building in the of ices previously occupied by the Musi eo 3 usic House of Mr. H. Rasmussen, the local y . popular lyric tenor, who has been givin once “the city for the last few e a years, is seriously contemplating promoting entertainments—high-class and refined—which will be given monthly at the different concert halls and theatres in those localities where the more refined coteries attend. Mr. Rasmussen is one of the most enthusiastic promoters of high-class musica's in ao and om enterprise into which he y enter, wi welcomes bis large circle of Ro mc oe sees Sy Will Spillard has just returned from Fort ayne, where he has been attending to the —— . the Ted Snyder Music Co. Bill ays at Fort Warne is booke ¥ all of Ted Snyder's ke ee hits for the comi son. Also that the Temple and Lysic Tieetres are playing to capacity houses, the Temple offering one of the highest class bills in vaudeville. The Four Rianos, direct from Hammer_—— —_ . 7, were the feature attraction »mpie as week, oO vett, Chicago, this — sepattesihc ook <i The Arcade Theatre, opened April 25, with starter. There are ting on Thursdays, night. at Fulton, IIl., rea gala program as a twelve acts a week splitwith one performance a i Some of the acts on the program this week include Grace Reilly, Adams Brothers Dorothy Lamm and Company, Norman Martin. Tyson and Brown, Bob Fisher, Will H. Hunter. the Three English Girls and the Lasard Bros. mend Blee, of the Western offices of William ee is the one responsible for the Miss Lorraine, lowe last week, danghter of the of Sweden, who appeared at the Marwith Edgar Dudley, is the Countess Injraie Piassabuchenp, court with Dr. Lorraine, a Frenchr : ° e nan, caw _— . a in that country thirty years — Miss Lorraine was formerly ima ; The Red Mill oa Wauneka ee and Comin Throw Companies, and has been seagulael die noes seasons as one of the foremost character comediennes of the younger group of actresses. Al. Von Arx, the magician, Several new tricks and creased the value of the is saying considerable, Wars had Rye has introduced illusions that have inact materially. which in that Von Arx alone of the best acts of this kind before the public His speci 5 pecial feat is A new umbrella illusion that is we EO oe Jack, and worked with the lightning-like rapidity, a always characteristic of his . on x i 7 s always applauded enthuThe Majestic, theatre beautiful, o . " ed its doors to the public at Bl a PR vomington, ITll., on Major Max and Lew Goldberg are the ones back of the new enterprise, the former being the owner. the latte Guy W. Martin. the resident Bem bgy nnn ad that it will undoubtedly prove a big success the overflow of the advance sale breaking all reeords of any house he has conducted, The monster benefit at the Anditorilum, May 13. for the treasurers of the LaSalle, American Music Hall, Illinois and Colonial Theatres promises to be one of the biggest aggregations of variety ever offered to a Chicago andience. Richard Carle. Henry Miller and a number of others yt freely volunteered and the managers of the other theatres hav furnish strong talent. sieadeaaaaliaas Jolly Ruth Garnold, who is featuring Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet, in her presentation as The Curl Girl, is leying off owing to a serfous attack of influenza. Jolly Ruth is one of the most popular performers who ever played in a Chicago house and her ponnlarity comes not only from her jovial and genial manner, but from her ability as an artist. Frank Q. Dovrle, manager of the Chicago Vandeville Managers’ Association, has a new idea for an office. He plens to move May 1 to a greund floor store in the heart é district, where there will be no confusion of elevators where performers and managers may come and go with ease. Gilrov, Haynes and Montgomery, in their nautical burletta, called The Good Ship Nancy Lee. were held over at the Marlowe last week. Monsula and Russell, sensational serial art {ets. are in Chicago completing the few weeks booking which they have had open for the com ing summer months. Pan! Brachard, who Is apnearing with the Ringling Shows, at present, is establishing an actors’ colony across the bay from Tampa, Fla., in the heart of the citrus fruit district. whos? elopement from the Swedish | of the loon! It is reported that one hundred and sixty acres have been sold to performers of the Ringling Shows alone. Robinson and Warriner, at the Essex last week, keeps pulling the laughs by their or iginal presentation of a woman's way of taking things for granted. The male member has a most peculiar part to play—a pantomimic one— In that he speaks but one word during the whole act. Barr and Reine, who have been appearing at the local theatres with their musical skit, termed The Hebrew Messenger and the Piano Fiend, have accepted a new act written by Frank Tinney, the black-face monologist, and will offer the same to Chicago in about three weeks. The Duttons, the refined cart act with the Ringling Circus, are making a decided hit with their novelty trap. Their costumes and special electrical effects help out wonderfully and taken altogether the turn is one of the most in| teresting under a white top at the present | time. Jeorge B. Levee, proprietor of the Grand Theatre, on 434 street, states that he believes the future success of Chicago vaudeville to be so secure that he will soon construct a much larger house than the Grand on the south side, where higher class bills will be offered. Sam Levie is back at the Bush Temple after a slight vacation owing to that house going into pictures and four vaudeville acts. Sam | says that the Bush will be back soon among the best of them with bills that will be of the highest class obtainable. | dancing CHICAGO VARIETY BILLS New Acts Reviewed by Billboard Representative — Discussions of Other Acts Appearing at the Leading Vaudeville Houses in the Windy City BY-PRODUCTS, DRAMATIC PLAYLET. American Music Hall, No. 8; full stage; cial setting; 25 minutes. Seen matinee, Apr. Once more Joseph Medill Patterson the millionaire couscience, and in this, his most recent effort, he shows that an lnevitable result of hopeless poverty in the congested elty districts is disease, moral and physical. The story deals with an episode in the life of a pretty little shop girl, not wicked, not weak; yet, not powerful, not sanctified. Suffering the spe it. smites deprivations of poverty, sbe encounters the temptations of wealth, which can be hers only by her sheer departure from the straight and narrow path to which she had been born. She does depart, supposedly to her ruin, but a mantle of human defense is cast about her in such a mann r that only sympathy is expressed, even by those who would be first te condemn the al ternative which she accepts. Miss Margaret Fisher made the role of the glove girl plausible and Miss Jennie Stewart fully characterized the homely, religious mother The playlet has been effectively staged by Frederick Donaghey, though the settings look just a trifle vaudevillain. The sketch has been stamped the best offering of its kind since McLellan’s The Shirkers. FRANK LALOR AND COMPANY ING BACK TO EARTH. Majestic Taeatre, No. 12; full stage; 19 min utes. Seen evening, April 18. Frank Lalor’s smart little sketch bright fun, with plenty of good singing and and laughs from start to finish. It is not often that a headliner brings a sketch to the Majestic with which he can close the show, yet PRESENT is cleao GOLDEN BANQUET HELD AT LOS ANGELES. 1—Geo. Fuller Golden. 2—Mrs. Geo. Fuller Golden. 5—George Felix. 3—W. H. Cline. 4—Earle Reynolds. Texico left for Detroit this week, where he opens on Coney Holmes’ time at the Majestic. Tex. reports that he is still working on his new act but unavoidable delays in the delivery of scenery have kept him from booking the new stuff on this trip. Johnny Kling, of baseball fame, will be one of the new acts appearing at the American Music Hall this week. Clark and Hamilton, At the Sound of the Gong, and Alfred K. Hall, are also among the new oncs to appear at the Morris house. Doe O'Neil opened on the Interstate time at Little Rock, Arkansas, last week, where his witticisms were so well received that he almost stopped the show. This didn't come from Doc, either, but from The Blakes, on the | same bill. Chantecler Cackles and the Chantecler Craze are two most popular melodies at the present time in Chicago. The first is from the pen of Harry Alford, the last from the composers con nected with the House of Christopher. Al. Brown and Lew Cooper, with material furnished by J. Brandon Walsh, opened last | week on the Orpheum time at Minnesota. They were one big hit at all the W. V. A. houses at | which they appeared in Chicago. Janette Adler, who was the big hit at the Franklin last week, is featuring Ted Snyder's Grizzly Bear and that it is a knockout is put ting it mildly, every than six and seven Morgan and Thompson have changed the name | of their new song and dance act to Stage | Fright, a title which is indeed appropriate and under this billing they are appearing at all the Doyle houses in the city. Laemmle’s Chieago music offices have been moved to the film offices of the same concern on Lake street. Homer Howard, who has been house demanding no less encores. in charge of the Chicago office for Laemmile, has gone to New York. Miss Marion Blake, the popular character | comedienne, who has been with the Lady | Buccaneers all season, closed last Saturday night to re-enter vaudeville. She will open on the Western time. The rink at Sans Souci will be changed to a music hall and Rathskeller for the coming sum mer, the remodeling to commence May 8. It will be changed back to a rink at the close of the season. (Continued on page 44.) that is what took place last werk when he brougat back to us the best part of The Candy Shop. With him he brought Florence Morrison and Mile. Reyo, the former playing the part of the shrunken mummy of ancient queen, who swoops down upon Lalor in one of his dreams. Lalor is an expert in picturing the miseries of man, and his manner is that of the most polite of clowns. Miss Morrison has an effeccive personality and a goo! voice, and her bulky appearance helps out the fun considerable, WILL B. HUNTER, SCOTCH COMEDIAN. Marlowe Theatre, No. 4; in Seen evening of April 19. Using songs and a Scot quite evident intention of imitating well-known comedian of that Hunter fails in his purpose would go better did he depend on his own originality and individuality, but, as it is, Ih suffers woefully by the comparison he ev! dently Invites. With the fad for Scotch comedy and singing at its height, he would get by, perhaps, but his work in this act Is hardly en tertaining enough to deserve more than the rip ples of applause he received. some make up, with the a certain character, Mr. He, perhaps, APOLLO. The headliner offered last Robt. L. Levy was Walter Shannon's playlet, entitled in connection ent, consisting week by Manager Beatrice McKenzie and original musical comedy More Ways Than One, which an elaborate congregation of tal of Leon Morris’ Indoor Circus, the Four Johnson Students, Jack Davis, and the Gali Sisters, made it a banner week both in popularity and the box-office barometer. The McKenzie Shannon sketch, dealing with = the struggles of a young composer rising to fame, made even a bigger hit than the previous week when they appeared at the Crystal, and the tn door cirens act pleased the children immensely Jack Davis, supported by his wife, was billed as The Merry Minstrel Monologist, and the up roar of laughter which greeted his funny say ings, proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that there are few minstrele who have anvthing on Happy Jack. The Indian club juggling of the Four Johnson Students, and the singing and) dancing of the Gall Sisters, were all apprectat ed to the fullest extent and showed that Mr. levy knows the bills which will please his coteries most. LINDEN. The Jay Circus, one of the best knock-about comedy acts in the business, was the feature attraction provocation, the Linden, and Sherman, DeForest, ‘have the liveliest production which bas ap peared at Manager C. 8. Hatch’s house this season. Springolt and Gerard, in a classy protean act—a detailed account of which will appear under New Acts next week—Little Christine, the ventriloquist, and Coe and Boyd, comedians, completed the bill for the first half. Sherman, DeForest and Company were held over for the last portion of the week with the Trevette Quartette, barmonizers and entertatners, who will also be reviewed under New Acts next week. Maxine Wells, a beautiful } and talented character comedienne, and the Yamamoto Brothers, world’s leading wire performers, as added attractions. STAR. The RBootblack Quartette carried away the honors last week, their barmony and comedy being of a nature that appealed strongly to the patrons of the Milwaukee avenue house, and were compelled to respond to three lengthy encores. The messenger boy is the hit of the bunch and there is not a moment that he ts not pulling a laugh, no matter how refined the selection being rendered may be. The Potter Hartwell Trio, who closed the show, gave the quartette a good race, especially when Potter plays the part of a man with two heads. They are truly a snappy bunch of acrobats, the lady in particular lending a pepperish air to their act, which drives away the lagging moments and holds the interest to the very last. Miss Grace Ayer, the popular roller skater; R. G. Hamilton, banjo artist, and Henrietta Byron, singing comedienne, all pleased, each after their own fashion, the versatility of their offerings being of an _ entertaining diversified form. Marseilles, in his beautiful contortion act, kept the applause on the increase, and | Neary and Milton, two boys still in their teens, at in this mirth and Company, (Continued on page 44.) GOLDEN HONORED BY WHITE RATS AND PRESS AT LOS ANGELES, CAL. | Fuller Golden was given a dinner in i Angeles, at Levy's, by the White Rats and performers on the local bills, George Felix and Earle Reynolds met the ex| presia: nt of the White Rats at the depot and | George escorted him and his wife to the Woodard Hotel. Felix and Reynolds immettately arranged a dinner for 11:30 p. m. At night, all the p rformers on all the bills, including managers and the dramatic critics of the daily papers of Los Angeles, put in an appearance and enjoyed a | splendid dinner, as well as some fine speeches and singing. Earle Reynolds took the chair | temporerily ant after thanking all for being | preseat and making a short speech on “What We Are All Here For,"’ incidentally remarking that ‘he mason, the man who had laid the foun dation and the builder of the greatest society for the ectors, was with us to-night. He further impressed his listeners that the man who had given his time, his money, and, most of all, bis health, for the American actor, was with us as an honored guest. Reynolds, after his to troduction and few remarks made a motion that }a gentleman who resides in Los Angeles be appointed cheirman of the gathering and named Mr. W. H. Cline, of the Orpheum press depart ment. His motion was seconded by George Felix and the vote was unanimous. Mr. Cline told of the great climate of Los Angeles and after boosting the city for a short time started on his address of welcome to his city of the first pres! dent of the White Rats of America. Later, Mr. Shirley Olympus, dramatic critic of the Herald. in behalf of the Los Angeles press, made a finc address. and concluded his remarks by saying | that the columns of the press were always open to Mr. Golden for the furtherance of his goo) work for the actor. Af‘or this Mr. Golden made one of his famous addresses, and I do not know when I have heard this famous humorist In such brilliant and elo quent form as he was at this banquet Not ip history has the actor listened to a man of the ranks making such an impressive speech. He took the society from its beginsing and up tv the present day He told how he and a number of others would travel all over Broadway and even to Brooklyn to get one of their number in order to make a quorum, so as to hold @ meeting. Golden was applauded throughout and bis remarks will long linger in the ears of those present as one of the most eloquent addresses lever delivered before any organization | After Golden's address the crowd enjoyed 4 | good show, and it is here where some novel ideas that sometimes later lead to bigger things in the vaudeville world oceur. Al. Ripon wae called wpen to do a little stunt, but Ripen sald he would be only too glad to, but he had left his dummy over at the theatre There were many offers to play the dummy, but Felix won out, and if ever a team made a hit, these two toys did. Felix played the dummy and Ripen sang in ventriloguial tones, ‘Down In the Deep." Here is a big fifteen hundred dollars-a week ect. If some of you managers want some thing great, get Ripon and Fellx to double up with the same stuff they delivered at the Golden | banquet and there will be a riot in any city in the world Ancng those present were Mr. and Mrs George Fuller Golden, honored guests: Mr. and | Mrs, Earle Reynolds, Mr, and Mra, Geo, Fells, |Mr. tnd Mra. Charles Ahearn, Mr. and Mrs Charlea Charlene, Mr. BI Seymour and friends Mr. E. Rogers and friends, Miss Ida Fuller end company, Miss Lottie Williams and com pany, Mr. and Mrs, Garcia, Mesers. Rernard ant | Orth and friends, Mr. and Mra, Grossi, Mr. | Ripon. Manager Drown, of the Orpheum: Cline, of the Orpheum; C. Clreult, Loe Angeles; Mr Mr. Nat Goodwin, Mr. Walter Kelly, De Greeae, Mr. Jack Prince and wife, Ferries, promoter of aviation meets. Manager of the 8 Rosquert, Levy's: Mr. Mr. Dick