The Billboard 1911-12-30: Vol 23 Iss 52 (1911-12-30)

18 The Bi llboard DECEMBER 30, 1911. Kaleidoscopic Review of Amusement BALTIMORE, MD. Contrary to the usual custom of opening a new theatre as soon as the roof is on, the management of the new Empire Theatre has delayed the opening of this new playhouse until it is ccmpleted entirely. Opening a new house in a hurry always creates a bad impression in the mind of the public and elicits much unfavorable criticism. However this building is an ambltious step for the promoters and it is thelr ain to win the highest commendation of the patrons. This theatre is without exception @ beautiful structure inside as well as outside. The exterior being in white terra cotta and murble makes a striking appearance. The iaterior decorations are as artistic as an artisan can produce. The promoters have expended considerable money on this enterprise and the theatre is up-to-date in every detail. It embraces every feature that a human mind can conceive for the convenience and comfort and the safety of the public. ‘Ihe house has @ seating capacity of 2,400 and a point of interest to the seating arrangement is that patrons can see the performance from any angle without moving or turning. The theatre is fireproof throughout and this matter was given particular attention behind the footlights. Special attention was given to the construction of the dressing-rooms, which usually afford some danger for the possible out break of a blaze. These rooms are built entirely in concrete. Hooks have been imbedded in the walls. The finishing touches will be completed and the house was opened for public inspection December 23. The Garage Skating Rink on Charles Street and Mount Royal Avenue, which was the first in the field, is the last to leave it. George Miller, the proprietor, has announced that the rink will be closed after January 1. The Mar-Del Company, which uses the first floor for the display of automobiles, will make use of the entire building for motor cars. Alterations and additions will be made to the building. Whatever the opinion of the Detroit officials may be regarding the performance of Mikail Mordkin, the Board of Police Commissioners refused to interfere with this dancing artist and he was allowed to appear for his performance at the Lyric, December 14. Mordkin was arrested in Detroit for appearing with bare legs and was not allowed to go on without donning tights. With this experience in mind, a representative visited the office of the commissioners and explained the circumstances. The officials approved the performance and in granting their decision stated that anyone objecting to the dances of Mordkin must be a foolish prude and lack appreciation of this dancer’s wonderful art. The Automobile Club of Maryland is arranging a big show, which will be on a larger scale than previous exhibitions. The Baltimore Auto Dealers’ Association met at the rooms of the club to formulate the plans for the show which will be held at the Fifth Regiment Armory February 20-28. The affairs of the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Soclety, which conducts the Timonium Fair, were much in the limelight during last week. The society is composed of wealthy and prominent citizens and there was a fight among the minority of stockholders and the old fair men won. The society has been in existence for 35 years and this is the first time that there has been a fight for the control of the Board of Managers. The meeting was held in the Courthouse at Tawson, December 13 and the gathering of the fair stockholders was the largest attendance in ¢he history of the society, There was a fight for the control of the Board of Managers as charges of mismanagement against the present board were presented. After counting the ballots, the result showed that the old board had been re-elected by an over whelming majority. James E. Hare, who was formerly press representative for James L. Kernan, and is now connected with the publicity department of the Western Maryland Railroad. Years ago, he was associated with Frank C. Bostock, who con‘nected a zoo in this city at Maryland and Mount Royal Avenues. and which was destroyed by fire. Mr. Bostock is now the proprietor of a zoological exhibition at Kensington Mansion, Earl's Court, London. Mr. Bostock recently sent Mr. Hare a letter in which he stated that he wanted to be remembered to all his Baltimore friends He said be met many of them in London during the big tubilee. J. Reed Haman, a magician. was hailed before Justice Llewellyn at the Northeastern Po‘ee Station for the non-support of his wife. Although he is capable of producing coins from anv part of the air, he could not provide his r'fe with sufficient funds for her support. As Haman could not get employment in his profession, he will get a position in other work so as te support his wife. The magistrate dismissed ‘he case and will help him to get a job. As was previously stated in a Baltimore letter, Miss Marian Wilson of The Little Boy Blne Company, lost her trunk while appearing here et the Anditorium Theatre. The trnnk was found by the police and William Jackson and William Jefferson, both colored, were arrested on the charge of stealing the trunk. The contents of the trunk were never recovered. The prisoners were on trial in the Criminal Court December 14 and they were sentenced to 18 months in the Penitentiary. Miss Wilson came to Baltimore in response to a reouest of the anthorities and she appeared against the prisoners, After the trial she hurried back to New York to join her company. A new moving picture theatre will shortly be erected at 1118 Light Street, and bidders are now figuring the cost. The contract will_be let and the work will start in a few weeks. The theatre will cost about $20.000. The plans cal! for an entrance on Light Street with « long lebby. When completed this house will be the handsomest In South Baltimore. The Armory Commission, which has charge ef the plans for the new Fourth Regiment Armorr, hes chosen a site, but will not make it public until after the Legislature assembles at Annapolis next month The proposed building will cost $1.000.000. The idea of with holding the site is to prevent anv attempt to ratee the price of the grounds. An effort will be made to have the legislature make the appropriation as soon as possible so that the ! work on the building can be started without delay. This building will provide this city with another big building for large public exhibits and conventions. Messrs. Pearce and Scheck, the Victoria Theatre were examined by Grand Jury for giving Sunday performances. The Lord’s Day Alliance were responsible for the trouble. Sergeant Forrest and Patrolman Harry Leineman of the Central District, were assigned to pass upon the show given December 10. They characterized it as a cheap vaudeville show. These so-called moral reformers consider it a crime to give clean picture shows on Sunday and their eyes are blind to the alleged violations in saloons and disorderly houses. Some people are lucky and John T. McCaslin is a lucky man. He is the only theatrical agent in Baltimore. When he entertains visitors he does not care how he spends his money. Recently he took several friends to the Emerson Hotel for luncheon. He was seated at a table the in the Chesapeake Room indulging in raw oysters, which is one of his favorites. He bit on something hard and discovered a pearl in his mouth. He found several more and quietly placed them in his pocket. He had the stones mounted on a stick pin, which now adorns his cravat. This trinket has attracted much attention and those who frequent his office have started to eat raw oysters and as yet the efforts have been stoneless. SYLVAN SCHENTHAL. PHILADELPHIA, PA. Bobby Heathe, the well boy actor and composer, is making a hit at the Bijou Theatre, having recently opened an engagement with Mr. Dougherty. This being, however, his first time alone. Mr. Heathe has been very successful as a song composer and writer, having composed and proprietors of | BUFFALO, N. Y. Gus Edwards was induced to make a second week at Shea’s; he was the big hit of the bill. He put up $100 for the Newsboys’ Christmas | dinner and dedicated a new chorus song to the newsies, A protest being made by the Italians in the city, the police suppressed the Italian-Turkish films which were being shown at the Hippodrome Theatre. Managers of other picture theatres were also notified that they could not present the pictures. A wedding took place on the stage of the Garden Theatre December 14, after the evening show. Two members of the Jersey Lilies were united in marriage. Burdette Hunter and Mable Marsbaw. Rev. Dobson of Kenmore, officiated. The audience were invited to remain and witness the ceremony. An informal wedding dinner was tendered by the company. Masquerading as a white slave, & ballyhoo of the Grand Theatre was arrested by the police and fined $25. He was parading in front of the theatre in women's clothes, which was violating a city ordinance. The White Slave pictures were suppressed. The Felare World Tours which have been at the Teck as a Sunday attraction for a number of weeks, bave made a big hit and are supported by the best class of patrons, Work will be begun soon on Concert Hall in the Teck Theatre Building. It was burned two or three years ago; $50,000 will be used for its restoration. Plans have been prepared and it will be made fireproof. Sarah P. Robinson will build a moving picture house on Grant Street, 25x88 feet near West Delevan. A piece of film puffed into a flame at the Lincoln Theatre Sunday; 200 people were in the house but all escaped. Damage about $50. PRINCESS THEATRE, FORT DODGE, IOWA. oA oe of : 2 a ; es & Opened November 22, 1911. written the Pony Boy, Summer Time, Ask Her While She is Smiling, and Nothing to Do ’Til Tomorrow, which have made a great hit throughout the country. Everywoman, the morality play, is one of the early bookings at the Lyric. Other plays to be seen at the Lyric or the Adelphi are, The Boss, Over Night, Bought and Paid For, Bunty Pulls the Strings and the Neverhomes. The Pearl Maiden is the title of the new musical comedy in which Jefferson De Angelis wil appear at the Chestnut Street Opera House for two weeks, beginning January &. Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford comes to the Garrick January 8. The same date will bring Henrietta Crosman, in The Real Thing, a society comedy, to the Broad. Maud Adam’s engagement at the Broad in Chantecler is announced to begin January 15, and lasts two weeks. Following her, Mrs. Fiske will be seen in Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh, by James Harry Smith. The Littlest Rebel, with Dustin and William Farnum, will be seen at the Forrest, beginning January 15. Harry Kelly comes to the Grand as the Christmas week attraction, appearing in his Honor, the Mayor. The Christmas week bill at Keith’s will have Lolo, the Indian girl, mystic; Eddie Leonard, the minstrel; Will Rodgers, the lasso thrower, and the Stanleys, silhouettists, amongst its prominent entertainers. The Orpheum players, at the Chestnut Theatre, will be seen Christmas week in the rural drama, Sky Farm, and the following week in Forty-five Minutes from Broadway. For some time there has been a talk of a syndicate going to build a new theatre in Germantown, and that Mr, Fred Zimmerman was going to lease same for many years. But owing to a disagreement as to the building site, Mr. Zimmerman, however, bas withdrawn all intentions of having any connection with the theatre. As the week previous to Christmas, the mind of the public is usually occupied in preparations for the holidays, the managers, Mr. T. Kelly, of the National, and Mr. Frank Howe, of the Walnut Theatres, have decided to close thelr theatres this week, and will reopen again on Christmas Day. It is wecoming the custom of late years for the big dramatic productions to lay off the week before Christmas, which, with Holy Week, is one of the dullest theatre weeks of the year. It is generally impossible to secure a satisfactory attraction for this week. F. A. BAILEY, WASHINGTON, D. C. Two of the big theatres recognized the strenu osity of the holiday shopping trade, and have closed the regular business for the aveek prev ceding Christmas, giving the employees a brief , respite and a chance to recuperate. The latest anent a new theatre: Plans are | being prepared for a theratre to be erected south of Franklin Park, between 13th and 14th streets, Northwest, the structure to be completed and ready for use by June 1, 1912. Bates Warren & Company are at the head of the enterprise. In big headlines we are notified that the thea tres in Washington may henceforth use gas After being in force for more than twenty years, the regulation requiring that only electric lights may be used in theatres and public halls bas been amended by the District Commissioners to pro vide that gas fixtures may, under certain restrictions, be installed, to be used for emergency purposes only. After an absence of many years, Mrs. Tom Thumb will be in the city the entire Christmas week, appearing at the Casino. Last Thursday, Mr. Erlanger came over from New York to take a look over the Pink Lady at the National, which he considers about his best production this season. The question is frequently asked: “Is George Peck, manager of the Gayety Theatre, the same George Peck who was Governor of Wisconsin. and wrote Peck’s Bad Boy?’’ We are authorized to state that they are two entirely different Georges, the one being a theatrical manager and the other an author of a theatrical play. The resemblance of Charles B. Hanford to William Jennings Bryan is common knowledge, and this fact was utilized to good advantage at the late Gridiron dinner in Washington. Even those best acquainted with the two gentlemen failed to catch on. In the midst of the dinner and at a hilarious point, it was announced that a gentleman well known to all of them had un expectedly arrived and dropped in to greet them. Mr. Hanford entered the banquet hall, decked a la Nebraskan, and the welcome was most cordial. The shouts for a speech of course followed, and the supposed Mr. Bryan responded. He declared that after having looked the field over carefully and sized up the various candidates, he found that he had no use for such Democrats as Har mon, Clark, Wilson and the rest, bot that he would support Taft for re-election, and expected him to win. Sensation? Well, that is putting it mildly. Consternation was — as good a term at that particular time. e cat was let ——= out opportunely, but even under the regular guise, not a few failed to comprehend which was which. Unnecessary to say that the aftermath Was more pleasant for some than the few winutes consumed in making the speech. The representative of The Billboard was at the Union Station some time ago to see a certain theatrical company arrive. it was a Sunday forenoon, and a large crowd was outsile. The company contained an unusually large number of pretty girls, and on this occasion most of them were encased in the hobble skirt, which seemed natural enough. It was when the girls wanted to mount a lennsylvania Avenue car that the assembly became greatly interested. They could not ascend the step, no matter bow frantically they tried, and it was interesting to sev them try. Just as attention was focused on that particular car, one of the demure creatures gracefully elevated the hobble togs. There was a generous display of fine hosiery, and the sweet thing darted into the car. Merry laughter from the crowd. One after another the rest of the girls followed in the same manner. ‘That must have been embarrassing,’’ said the representative to the manager. “Nix. Good advertising, and they like it. Do it at each place,’’ said the manager. Mr. Fred G. Berger, manager of the Columbia Theatre, brought the body of his son, Fred G. Berger Jr., from Saranac Lake, N. Y., where he had spent many weeks in the vain endeavor to recuperate from a lingering illness, to which he finally was forced to succumb. The parents made a number of trips to Saranac during the summer, and spent as much time with the son as they could possibly spare. The remains were interred in Rock Creek Cemetery. The attendance of friends of the family and the numerous floral offerings attested the affection in which the young man was held. Mr. Berger, though unusually young for the position, was manager of the Shubert Theatre at Syracuse, and had a host of friends. He leaves, besides his father and mother, a young wife and child. ED. WYNN. ST. LOUIS, MO. With the week before Christmas at hand the theatres are now crowded with business, yet we are provided with the best week of the season in regard to the class of attractions. James K. Hackett in The Grain of Dust, is playing a return engagement at the Olympic, and has an excellent production. The Man From Milwaukee, with Sam Bernard at the Shubert, is a capital comedy and the best thing we have seen Sam in; it is doing a good business, Miss Nobody from Starland, at the Garrick, has been seen in this city twice before and has almost the same cast. In Wyoming and the Echo are doing nicely at the Havilno and the American Theatres. The burlesque houses have exceptional shows in The Girls From Missouri and The World of Pleasure Company. The Century Theatre for the first time in many seasons, is dark this week. The Bop of the World Compan was booked in, but did not reach here, so the theatre will not reopen until next Sunday night, when Louis Manno will play his new piece, Elevating a Husband. The Imperial Theatre here, which has been closed for the most of the season thus far, will reopen next Sunday, December 24, with a stock company, at 10 and 20 cents, no higher. The class of attractions to be booked are of the East Lynn order, and the first production will be East Lynn, Mr. D. E. Russell of the American, will manage the Imperial in addition to his American Theatre and his wide experience in this line of productions should provide profitable plays for the Imperial. Miss Charlotte Sherman and her American Gypsy Girls, are still the feature attraction at the Gem Theatre here. They have played continuously at this theatre for two months, and are still receiving many encores at every performance. Their popularity has daily increased since they started their engagement and it looks as though their run will be for an entire season. The Jai Alia Skating Rink here continues to draw well, in spite of the general impression that roller skating is dead in St. Louis. The rink, run on the highest plane by the Oppen heimer Brothers, has been a paying investment since its inception, yet the other amusements held in this building before the present were not over successful, Sidney Belmont is in St. Louis having just closed with the Alvator Company as their agent. He expects to again go on the road, after the holidays, several offers having been tendered The Princess Theatre again is on the docket with another surprise. The productions of the Minstrel Maids has been succeeded with the announcement of the marriage of Arthur Fishell, early in January, to Miss Birdie Harburger. Arthur Fishell is associated with his brother Dan in the control of the Fishell Bros.’ Amusement Company, lessees of the Princess Theatre. This announcement has brought general pleasure to his friends and the couple will truly be accorded a royal welcome upon the return from — honeymoons, which will be spent in the ast. Miss Adele Nelson and Robert Frankel were callers at The Billboard office here this week. Mr. Frankel is a St. Louls boy that haa made a success with the Aztec Twins of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Shows last season. He will spend the next two months with his parents here in this city. The stock company engaged for the Imperial Theatre here by D. E. Russell in Chicage last week, includes: Grace Rauworth, leading woman: Albert West, leading man; Herbert Powers, stage director and comedian; Nettle Davenport, second leads; Ora Clyde, ingenue; Bruce L. Miller, character man; Anstin Grahame, heavies; Rupert H, Clark, juvenile; Bert Keyes, genera) business, Word came from Texas to Mr. Bonney, aviator for Jim Gabriel, who is conducting aeroplane filghts in New Orleans, that his father hed died and compelled his leaving, and the placing of Mr. Fowler, until his return. Mr. Gabriel's No. BR aeroplane, Miss Cheyenne No. 2, Is now making flights !n New Orleans. WILL J. FARLEY.