The Billboard 1911-01-14: Vol 23 Iss 2 (1911-01-14)

_ onineipah + ee — <a : oo 1 : : : The Billboard JANUARY 14, 1911. The Amusement Week in Chicago SHUBERT AND DUCE QUIT THE GREAT NAME fermer Charges Latter with Negligence in, Allowing Sale of | Elicits Divers Opinions from Dramatic Critics—Play Lacks Theatre Passes—W. W. Freeman to Manage Garrick, Lawrence J. Anhalt to be Press Representative Theatrical cirdes in Chicago were get ‘Ohicago, Jan. 7 (Special to The re net toe | when Thursday morning’s papers announced that Herbert C. Duce, manager of the Garrick ‘Theatre, and western representative of the Shu berts, had resigned. It was alleged that there ‘Was a wholesale selling of passes going on and that the receipts of the Shubert enterprises in ‘Chicago were becoming very small. Mr. J. J. Shubert was called to Chicago by his representative in order that the source might be de‘termined. The result was that Mr. Duce was asked to hand in his resignation which he did ‘immediately. Mr. Shubert in his canvass of ‘the various speculators in Chicago beught passes to all his local attractions. ben one of the speculators wae interviewed the claimed that these passes were not furnished ‘him by the managers, but were purchased from those who have prominent advertising space and who are generally deluged with lithographs advertising local attractions. The result is that they cannot get rid of the passes and the speculators take them off their hands. The money lost by means of this pass system is said to have amounted to thousands of dol rs. Of course, there are many rumors afloat ‘but none of them seem to be substantiated. Apparently there is nothing traceable to Mr. Duce, whe makes the following written statement: “Mr. Shubert made no charge against me other than that of negligence in the protection of the Shubert interests in the prevention of the alleged traffic in passes. Mr. Shubert claimed that twenty-two passes had been sold, but he only displayed nine that were alleged to ‘bave been sol4. “They were the regulation billboard passes, signed by the advertising agent of the theatre and distributed im the usual way through the ‘billposters. They had never passed through my thamds at all, and Mr. Shubert asked for my resignation in the presence of witnesses on the ground of negligence, purely and simply. “I had precisely thirty-two cents out of the $70,000, as ope morning paper put it, or out Singer Sues Powell & Cohan Chicago, Jan. 7 (Special to The Billboard).— Mort H. Singer has filed suit through his attorneys against Powell and Cohan, managers of @ musical attraction, touring under the title of The Flirting Prince. That this attraction Was sent upon the road to deceive playgoers and to lead them to believe that it was Mr. | Siager’s play, The Flirting Princess, is the allegation. J. C. Williamson, the Australian theatrical magnate, has cabled Mr. Singer for Australian rights te The Flirting Princess, The Golden Girl and Miss Nobody from Starland. CHICAGO’S HOLDOVER SHOWS. Chicago. Jan. 5 (Special to The Billboard).— Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, with its delight| ful story, is now in its second month at the Olympic Theatre without the least evidence of waning in popularity. Edgar Selwyn’s The Country Boy, at Powers’ Theatre, is very well acted by a cast of players who have been selected with care. (Continued on page 50.) AT CHICAGO’S NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYHOUSES. Chicago, Jan. 7 (Special to The Billboard).— Devil's Island, a French romance with just enough of the military to make the play interesting and enhance the historical event upon which it is based, is this week holding forth at the Bijou. John Lane Connor and Margaret Neville, two old favorites, have the leading parts. Monte Cristo, showing the ways of the gambler, !s the attraction at the Cri| terion. the heme of thrilling melodrama. At Piney Ridge, telling a story of love, hate and intrigue in the Tennessee Mountains, is the of| fering at Weber’s. The Man of the Hour is entertaining South Side theatregoers at the (Continued on page 50.) THE JOLLY BACHELORS AT LYRIC. Chicago, Jan. 7 (Special to The Billbaard).— On Sunday, Jan. 8, The Jolly Bachelors came to the Lyric Theatre for a limited engagement. The company is said to have 116 people in it and is headed by Stella Mayhew. The cast also includes Lucy Weston, the famous English music hall singer; Al. Leech, a vaudeville favorite; Billie Taylor, Roy Atwell. Harold Crane, Norman Tharp, Nat Fields, Florence Topham and Maud Gray. A complete list of attractions at Chicage theatres appears on page 18. of the $250,000 as one afternoon paper put it, | when I walked out of the theatre on Wednesday. But after the publication of the statement in the morning papers, friends came to me and offered me more money than I had seen for years. In addition to which I had offers of two positions. .If Mr, Shubert imagines him (Continued on page 45.) Action and Moves Along Somnolently -— Excellent Acting of Principals Saves it from Mediocrity Chicago, Jan. 6 (Special to The Billboard)— On Jan. Ist, The Great Name opened at the Cort Theatre. This production is adapted by J. C. Harvey, from the German of Victor Leon and Leo Feld. The following people are included in the cast: Joseph Hofer Robert Brand ..Henry Kolker HERBERT DUCE. VW 8 ae ae 7 U AS i 3 Sa NRLKAS 4 DSS He has been succeeded by W. W. Freeman as with offices Western representative of the Shubert Brothers in Chicago. Grand Opera Next Season Chicago, Jan. 4, (Special to The Billboard). —At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Grand Opera Company, it was decided | to continue Grand Opera in Chicago and to make | the season of 1911-12 one of ten weeks, the same as last year. It is stated that eight or ten operas new to Chicago will be produced next season. Mr. Dippel, as general manager, and Clefonte Campanini, as general musical director, were unanimously chosen to succeed themselves. The present outlook is that the present season will not only close without a loss, but may even show a profit. U. S. MINISTER BEDLOE AT THE BLACKSTONE. Chicaz> Jan. 7 (Special to The Billboard.) —The opening of the Blackstone Theatre on December 31 was conspicuous on account of the fashionable audience which witnessed the ini tial performance of W. H. Crane in Geo. Ade’s (Continued on page 50.) Said and Seen in Chicago Chicago, Jan. 7 (Special to The Billboard).— Anna Fitzhugh, recently of Lower Berth 13, will soon take a fiyer in vaudeville with ten girls in an act called Poppyland. Gus Sohlke Is staging the piece. Joseph M. Harris has leased the old Pineapple Opera House, in Thirty-first street, east of Indiana avenue, renamed it the Oubliette, and Is running it on the two-a-day system. His brother, Chas. K., is not interested in the theatre, (Continued on page 50.) THE DAWN OF A TO-MORROW AT GRAND. Chicago, Jan. 5 (Special to The Billboard).— The Dawn of a To Morrow, which last season was successfully produced at the Grand Opera House, returned to that theatre on Monday night, Jan. 9 with Miss Gertrude Elliott in the (Continued on page 50.) ..Russ Whytal | } | } | | Rupert Lang ..Harry Mestayer Ludwig Manhard .._ .. Samuel Edwards Wigand so os ..Andrew Robson Tristan . ..Robert Tansey Stephanie "Delius .. .. Gertrude Dallas | Mrs. Hofer .. .. ..Liggle Hudson Collier Clara Brand «» «+ «Frances Gaunt Isolde Brand be as ..Ruth Chatterton Mrs, Aspinwall .. .. .. .. .. ..Elsa Lorimer ie. eo «8 es : . «Dorothy Walters Frederic Hatton, of The Post, had the fol lowing to say: ‘Entering timidly and unconfidently into the province of musical terminology, we would define The Great Name as andante rather than allegro. It wanders along in a leisurely and unhurried fashion, but we found it thoroughly a comedy of character; it grappled our interest, and when it was all over the feeling remained that star and play. taken together, had provided a pleasant evening’s entertainment.’ James O'Donnell Bennett, of The RecordHerald: ‘Mr. Kolker has fervor, feeling and refinement and his acting is vivid. Mr. Whytal was lachrymose, as he usually is, but, as usual, he was rather real about it. His method is fine and exact. A delightful girl named Ruth Chatterton played an ingenue part exquisitely —nothing cloying on the one hand nor brash on the other—just natural, vital, fresh am! clever, and in a strain of lovely moderation.” CIRCUS NOTE. Chicago, Jan. 7 (Special to The Billboard).— Maj. C. F. Rhodes, general manager of the Young Buffalo Wild West, returned to Chicago from Lexington, Va., last Thursday, where he had been to attend the funeral of his father, F. B. Rhodes, one of the local mercantile men of Lexington. His father was 75 years old. Chevalier at Princess Chicago, Jan. 7 (Special to The Billboard).— Albert Chevalier, the distinguished London comedian and coster singer, came to the Prin. cess Theatre on Sunday night, Jan. 8 in a comedy of which he is part author called Daddy Dufard. In this production he is given opportunity to sing his famous ballads. In this play Chevalier appears as an old French comedian who has wasted the best part of his life in the laziness of a Bohemian career and is worshipped as a good-fellow by all who know him. However, there comes a time when something of greater importance than mere fun de mands his attention. This in the shape of his beautiful daughter who is eager to become as famous an actress as was her father an actor. The opportunity is given her but It requires the assistance of her old father to lead her through the many obstacles of a jealous rival who is high up in theatrical circles and who has set out to win the affections of the map who loves and is loved by the daughter. PATSY CLUB GIVES CHRISTMAS PARTY. Chicago, Jan. 4 (Special to The Billboard) —The Broilers of The Time, the Place and the Girl Company (Western) have organized a club and named it the Patsy Club. The members are Eloise Moody, president; Rose Williams, treasurer; Daisy Cornell, secretary; Norfne Dunham. Marie DeMace, Emily Foltz and Lillian Foltz. They gave a Christmas party on December 24 in their dressing room in the Grand Opera House, at Seattle, Wash., after the matinee per formance. They had the room decorated in the usual Christmas style, necessttating a large tree, which was there in all its splender. The honor of being the only guest fell to Mr. Ives, the property man of the theatre, he and the members of the organization being the only ones present. THE PRINCE OF PILSEN RETURNS. Chicago, Jan. 5 (Special to The Billboard).— The Prince of Pilsen now in its first week at the Garrick Theatre is back in Chicago for a two weeks’ stay at that show house after having played many successful engagements io the various metropolitan centers of the world. The show is now in its eighth season with ® (Continued on page 50.) NEW SHOW INSTALLED AT THE COLONIAL. Chicago, Jan. 6 (Special to The Billboard).— Victor Moore renewed his acquaintance with Chicago in The Happlest Night of His Life. last Sunday night at the Colonial Theatre. The production is made by Frazee & Lederer, while the book of the new piece is the joint work of Junie McCree and Sidney Rosenfeld and the (Continued on page 50.)