The Billboard 1913-10-25: Vol 25 Iss 43 (1913-10-25)

OCTOBER 25, 1913. The Billboard 21 LONDON NEWS LETTER October, 8, 1913 (Special correspondence to The Billboard.)—Sailing for America today, Wilkie Bard says he is taking his marriage Unes with him, Happy Fanny Fields will leave England on the Mauretania, on November 8. She is all the time receiving an immense number of farewell good wishes and gifts. Marie and Billy Hart, after a most successful time here, are leaving for New York again, to fulfl U. B. O. and Orpheum time. Gaby Deslys received a tremendous reception at the Palace on October 6, when she revived the “Gaby Glide."’ Harry Pileer, who was with Gaby when the ‘‘Glide’’ was such a great draw about a year ago, again danced as her partner. The famous dance was introduced into A la Carte, which bas been greatly improvea by a new comedy scene for Lewis Sydney, and this great laughter-maker also scored heavily in a duolog with the vivacious Gaty. One gets accustomed to wonderful work by acrobats, but the somersaults of Cunningham and Marlon, the Americans, who were making their bow at the Palace, are really deserving of special notice. One of the successes of the Coliseum pregram is W. C. Fields. He makes one laugh and wonder, and wonder why one laughs. A wise thing wisely done seldom provokes a emile, Not so an !diotic thing cleverly accomplisht. Mr. Fields surprises you all the time by the disparity between b's alms and bie achievements. His fancies are so funny, his fortune so remarkable. He sets himself to do things obviously not worth doing and does them in a manner of which Cinquevalli m'ght be proud. One wishes that Hazlitt were alive to write of him as he wrote of the Indian juggler. I bear that W. C. Fields—who Is one of those honored by inclusion in the stupendous program for the royal command performance at the Coliseum on October li—is golng back to the States for a bit early in next year. He its to take op a part in a comedy which Charles Dillingham is to produce. That will come as a surprise to some people, who are under the tmpression that ‘‘the silent humorist’ is a juggler and nothing more. Very few realize that be has taken part in plays before—notally in that cheerful production, The Ham Tree, one tour of which lasted for two years. He appeared, too, at the Manchester Prince’s, in & pantomime produced by Oscar Barrett. Cesare Nest is a fresh attraction in Oome Over Here, at the London Opera House. He is the Itallan tenor recommended by Caruso. Carmelita Ferrer continues to do well at the above house, where She has several more weeks to fill before sailing to America to dance at the Victoria Theater, New ° Gertrude Barrison is making a hit with her dancing at the Coliseum. She styles herself Danish-American, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is the youngest of five sisters of the dancing Barrison Family. Irene Dillon scored heavily at the Finsbury Park Empire last week. She singing Popsy Wopey, You're My Baby, and mt Say Goodbye, Miss Ragtime. ; Griffin and Ardell were unablebto show at the above hall last Monday—two otper turns deputised for them. 4 Anna Chandler is meeting ith her usual succese here. At the Walthamajow Palace this week she is doing remarkably 1. Another addition to the Aatbrican sketches cow being played at the music Shalls here is, It'e Up To You, which was produced last week at the Battersea Palace, Lond@, with E. D. Nichols in the title role by arrangement with George Arliss. Eddie Reed, the cowboy entertainer, continues bis successful tour, his business including the story of his career and ragtime songs. The revue business is still going strong In this country, altho there art critics who find, with every fresh production. the beginning of the end. For example, one of the latest to be toured this fall is Hello. Little Miss U. 8. A. This will visit all the big English cities. Frank Tinney, whose visit bere last #ummer was all too brief, is coming over here for a longer spell next summer. His act made quite a sensation bere and received the special flattery of being heavily burlesqued In the then running Pmpire revue, Everybody's Doing It. R. A. Roberts, the protean actor and the best tn the business on this side, is seriously ill. Roberts Is always a top-liner and commands a very big reputation over here. Vrino and Green, a very attractivy American singing and dancing double turn, deputised for him last week at the Empire, Edinburgh, &eotland. Harry Lemore sails for America on October 15, to fulfil engagements. R. G. Knowles celebrated his Mrthday yesterday. A good many of his friends must have the date 'n thelr d‘aries to judge by the mall he had. rence Turner continues ber vandevil tour here. She is well received everywhere and is new working the provinces. As is the case with all famous pleture players who appear in the flesh, the general remark {s, “She is small, isn’t she?’* Hal! and Earle. who returned from America a fortnight ago, speak very well of their transAtlantic exnerlences, Willle Solar ts now due to play ten weeks at the London Hippodrome and is bookt for the coming Christmas revue there as well. Frank and Vesta were at the Ruston. London, last week and the approval of the audience for this act was immense, The new Alhambra revue tells us to ‘‘Keep Ailing.’ and we do our best. It is the easiest during the too trief moments when a couple of American comedians—one plain, the other ‘olored—possess the stage. The black one, a person with that expression of fixed indignation, ™ easy to the negro countenance, Is cheering. The other one whistles and sings us into feeling heppy. The revue runs thru many scenes and, like all others of tts kind, seeks to achleve as uch fun a8 possible out of personal allustons ‘© prominent people. Possibly the personal note was a trifle forced in the customary political allusions, Still, there is so much genuine fnn tod high anirite, to say nothing of tuneful numbers, in Keep Smiling, that one can scarcely help doing #0, The characters not only enter trom the front of the house, but also now and then come out to sing there. We have a burlesque of Drury Lane drama with knock-about business and a hero who escapes in duplicate with the plot of the revue. Hence we are not surprised to see Lee White, a cARarming American girl, at a railway stution with a lot of trunks, on which as many girls do A ‘‘breakdown.”’ The black and white messenger buys (Manny and Roberts) from New York, show how they ean dance and sing. “Cute’’’ little school girls revolve in fair rings, and the popular Robert Hale makes his appearance as the h‘nd legs of a comic horse. He sings about an artful maiden who to every quest‘on answers, ‘‘What a fool ['d te?’ A “‘silent and discreet’’ telefone operator, with much private business on hand, mixes up two pairs of line-crossed lovers so that mutual recriminations soon take the place of kisses. Particularly good was the playing of Marguerite Haney here. A brief pause, and we have more wild dancing at a ‘“‘Tango Tea,’’ by clever Miss Monkman and the agile Oy-Ra. Then Mr. Hale gives laughable impersonations of the challenger for the American Cup and a popular comedian. Celebritfes again come in for some good-natured chaff In a catchy song. An early-Victorian girl dances with some young women who smoke cigarets and wear x-ray skirts. The whole ends with the Alhambra etaircase dance, not the first, but sufficiently steep. This was a magnificent creation of a wide staircase, reaching from close to the footlights to the far heights. Wonderful were the things the company did on these steps. Most sensational dancing is performed by Marguerite Haney and Clyde Cook. The very stimulating thing was the ballet, which was pitchforked into the middle of the colored amusing nonsense, It has what is, I think. a new note In decoration—the Assyrian note. It Is produced by Kosloff, and has exzellent Russian music conducted by Landon Ronald. The strange, rich setting, the mighty yellow columns, the rich extravagances of dress and dancing make up a strongly spiced dish of sensat‘ons. Alice in Wonderland was assured that the gestures of the messenger were ‘‘AngloSaxon attitudes."’ The dancers fell into weird Assyrian attitudes, with pleasant lapses into Russian ballet-dancing. No one seems to have thought of Assyrian attitudes before. Faith in the continued prosperity of the big film was strikingly shown in the purchases last week ty Roffells, of the British rights in Antony and Cleopatra, at the enormons sum of $40,500. This film cost over $80,000 to pro duce, and is 8,000 feet long. To recover such a sum, with profite§ required to justify the capital outlay, the film, which is limited at this figure to Great Britain. will probably make bookings extending over the next three years. The methods of police film censorships in thie country in some instances leaves one gasping. A case in point occurred the other week, where. at a provincial house, the manager was ordered to withdraw a film on acconnt of a safe-robbing Incident, screened as follows: A man entered a room, unlocked a safe with a key, took out some papers, and walked out again. As the man in question had ro right to do so, the scene was not to be shown on the grounds, presumably, that it was teaching crim?nal methods to the young generation. One is constrained to ask what earthly difference, in means, there is between the owner of the safe unlocking it with a key and a thief unlocking it with a key? Both use the same means, and yet ove teaches criminal methols’ In rich«¢s end beanty of ornamentition the Coliseum promises to present, next Satnccar evening, a pleture net on-orthy of an Arabian Night's entertainment. That {3s the date chosen f. the G.od Sinaritan per*. mance, orginized by Lord Lonsdale and Madame Sarah Rernhardt. on behalf of the Charing Cross and French hosmitals The occasion is to be distinguisht by the presence of the King and Qneen, while !n order to faciliare preparations, Oswald Stoll has just decided that there shall be no matinee on that day. It is particulerly requested that (Continued on page 53.) PARIS NEWS LETTER Paris, France, Oct. 2, 1913. A very unpleasant play is that which was this week brought to light at the Renaissanee. It ts called Les Roses Rouges, and if red reses siguify human passion then the piece is well named. Romain Covlus is the author. We find, at the beginning of Act 1., George and Francine Jeannequin celebrating their fifth anniversary. When they became man and wife Jeannequin was Only a struggling author but Francine, having inherited a fortune, changes ber husband’s luck, and fortune is now smiling its sunniest upon them. However, all is not well, as one might say. Francine had been an actress and George’s friends has said that she could never settle down for long to such a quiet life as she would be compelled to lead ag the asuthor’s wife; and evidently they were right. Francine had two admirers; one the rich Etienne Bucqaoy. “‘The man with the red roses,” as he called himself, and Etienne’s partner, Andre Puysieux. The latter is, in reality, her lover and has been for the past two years, while Etienne, to show his passion, daily sends great, blood-red roses to Francine. Again the plot thickens as the old-fashioned kero used to say. The Jeannequins have an adopted daughter, Marthe, and Marthe is in leve with Andre. Francine knows her own liaison with Andre is dangerous and, wishing te break it off, urges Andre to marry Marthe. A quarrel ensues between the guilty pair and George comes upon the scene. To save the situation, Francine tells her husband that Andre has come to announce his bethothal to Marthe. Act II, finds Andre and Marthe married. Franeine and Andre. however, cannot resist the temptation to renew their liaison. Btienne suspects Andre and a violent scene takeg place between the two men, George coming upon them in the midst of it. His suspicions are sToused now and in Act IIl.. by a more or less clever ruse, he wrings the truth from his wife. Then he leaves her forever. Marthe, of course, divorces Andre, end so the two, thus freed, are united. Not a great theme as we understand theme, but strictly in keeping with the best traditions of the modern French theater. The Galie playwright must follow this formula else throw his pen away. So we'll not quibble over the topic so long as it is well handlicd, but Coolus has done better things. Mme. Cora Laparcerie is the star, she appearing in the role of the wife, Francine. Dummy, Arquilliere. Juvenet, Marder and Dormal are the male support. WOMAN HAMLET. Once again an actress has attempted the role of Hamlet. This time it is Mme. Suzanne Despres, Shakespeare's masterpiece being translated into French and staged at the Theater Antoine. All in all the presentation is not so bad as it might have been. For instance, Mme. Despres at first thought of wearing a beard but some very far-sighted succeeded in dissuading her. As it was, her wig. necessarily made large to conceal the actress’ own abundant hair, dwarfed her appearance. Her admirable delivery of the Prince of Denmark’s lines, however, is worthy of high praise, winning for her the complete sympathy of the audience. M. Lugne-Poe was the Dolonious of the play and a capital one he made. In fact much of the success of the production is due to him, he having conducted rehearsals. NEW REVUE. Tangui—Tango, Pan! Pan! La Tanguinette. Such is the name of the new revue at the Seala. There are two acts and 16 scenes, both acts and all the scenes being quite Parisian. The authors are Gardel Herre and Monteux Brissac. : THE AMBIGU DRAMA, 4 La Saignee ts the title of the new drama, in five acts and seven scenes, produced this week at the Ambigu. It {s by Lucien Descaves and Noziere. It is melodramatie. the scenes going hack to the Second Empire for background and leading up to the bloody days of the Commune. AUSTRALIAN LETTER Sydney, N. S. W., Aust.. Sept. 20. Among the passengers on the American mall steamer ‘“‘Ventura,’’ sailing today for the U. 8. A., are the Mangin Troupe. who came here originally for the ill-fated Bud Atkinson Wild West Show, but who have since the failure of that venture. been playing for the BrennanFuller management. Captain Telbor and his closed at the Tivoli last niv~ht, and also sail on the ‘‘Ventura’’ for Frisco. Ry the “‘Ventura,’’ which arrived last Monday afternoon there was another contingent of American artists. for both the Rickards’ and the Brennan-Fuller Circuits, Several of these new American acts are to be presented at the matinee at the Rickards’ Tivoli this afternoon. They are: Gene Greene, the Emperor of Ragtime: Reynolds and Donegan, in a skating turn, and Fanten's Athletes. At the National Theater (Brennan-Fuller Cireuit) the following new acts will be presented this afternoon: Morris’ Wrestling Pontes; Jewel and Jordan, Davis, Allan and Tavis: Leonard Williard, Albert and Rosella. and Trent and Mermaid. We have had a plethora of high-class stare this year In the concert line and they have all done well, but the greatest success must be credited to John McCormack. who has done so well that Messrs. J. and N. Tait have altered thelr original plans, and we are to have a return season commencing on the 4th prox., of six more concerts, The new Rickards’ Tivoli Theater In Adelaide epened recently. To George Whitehead. the American baritone, belonzs the honor of harine opened the bill at the first public performance In the new theater. He was heartily encored. Of the ten other turns on the program nine were imported. The Primrose Four, carrring off the honors. Others on the bill were Billy Reeves, the Original Drunk; Carl and Lillian Muller, The Havilans, Lilly Langtry, Flynn and performing seals McLaughlin, Frank Fox, the Great Alberto. The Primrose Four ate said to have created as big a hit in Adelaide as they did here. It is doubtful if the Rickards’ management ever Lad a turn from any country that has made the impression these four fat fellows have. They are to return to America on the Sonoma, salling on December 8 T. J. West. of movies fame, sails for Europe today after a two months’ sojourn in these states, most of which time hag been spent in Sydney, where the head offices of the Amalgamated Pictures are located in a fine new build irg known as the “Film’’ House. In this building will be found the offices of the various moving picture concerns. Messrs. West, Limited, open at the Glacarium this afternoon for their eight months’ season. The inside of this enormens place has been remodeled and made into a fine place for this class of entertainment. In matters skating. this class of amusement bas been very hard hit by the smallpox scare, but people are beginning to wake up to the feet that there Is much more smoke than fire and sre beginning to resume their amusement. J. C. Bendrodt has severed his connection with the Imperial Rink. and had a great send-off last night when the old staff walkt out and the new stept in. Mr. Rendrodt was the recipient of several valuable presents including a purse of gole sovereigns. Mr. Bendrodt is not quite sure what his movements will be. He has not decided whether to remain in Sydney or go back to the United States and engage in the rink business there, There were close on to 800 cases of small pox (?) here, but there has been only one death, and that was the death of business. But things are regaining their wonted vigor, and as the country has been blest with copious rains, the outlook for the coming summer is of the very best, beth In the agricultural and manufactgring Mnes, which means a grand season all arovgd. Bonnie Leonard and The plot is too complicated to give even am idea of it here. but the heroine is of the oldfashioned sort who ig driven from under the parental roof into oodles and oodles of trouble to find riches and great happiness just as the curtain is dropping on the last scene and act. TANGO HURTS BUSINESS. Professor Max Reinhardt, the great German managerial figure, declares the tango craze has already hurt the theater business no little and will probably hurt it a great deal more. Theatrical men here are of the same opinion. Word has gone around here that society is planning great doings for the coming winter; that there are to be mone dances given here than old-timers ever remember. Men women, young and old, are learning to ‘‘tango,’* and theater people in Paris are afraid that during the coming winter society won't have muck time for anything else and that the people whe support the playhouses will have so little time on thelr hands of an evening that box-office reeeipts will be materially cut down, FIREPROOF FILM. An interesting experiment was carried out this week in the courtyard of the Prefecture of Police here. The makers of a so-called fire proof motion picture film gave a demonstration of their article before the city officials. Ap parently the results were quite satisfactory. First, the ordinary films were set on They caught easily, burned very quickly, with a big, hot flame, disengaging a large quantity of dangerous gases and smoke. e new ‘‘fireproof’’ film proved to be difficult to ignite and when it finally burned, the blaze was not as big as a small plece of paper would cause. The officials were quite imprest. There is now talk here of forbidding the use of -ordinary films and of forcing film-dealers and picture theaters to adopt the safer film. SOME NOTES. Miss Kitty Cheatham, the American «# who bas toured the Continent and the Bri Isles, is leaving for America this week. M. Paul Mounet, one of the stare of the Comedie-Francaise, is said to be oe a epee made to him to tour the United ates. Madame la Presidents, the Pierre Veker-Hennequin farce has been revived at the PalaisRoyal, taking the place of La Cagnette. M. Leon Poirier, director of the Comedie des Champs-Elysees, was this week the victim of a serious accident. While in a pit in his garage examining the machinery under his auto, he . dropt a match into a quantity of spilled gasoline and was very badly burned by the fire which resulted. His sight was saved, but it will be some time before the burns about his head, face and body are completely healed. Two new theater managers wil] make their bow before the association of theater directors this fall. They are Louis Benlere and Serge Basset. These two playwrights have takes over the heater Femina from M. Richemond. M. Besset will stage-manage the productions, while his partner will look after the administrativ end of the house. A new revue goes on at the Moulin Rouge this week. Max Linder, the celebrated cinematograf actor, is just recovering from a severe attack’ of indigestion. He “caught it’? eating spaghetti before the film machine. The action called for him to eat six huge portions of the Italian delicacy and, taking the part in earnest, he crammed it all down. Shortly before that he was being filmed fn a suburb of Paris, as a jockey, when his steed bolted and ran, Iickety split, thru the streets of Levalois, net stopping until the gates of the city were reacht. Linder is waiting, trembling, wondering what the third calamity will be. Once again comes the report that M. Jules Claretie, director of the Comedie-Francaise, is going to resign, and this time the rumor ap pears to have some foundation. That the famous director has actually handed in his resignation has been officially denied. but that M. Claretie intends resigning has been practically confirmed. It seems that he fs simply waiting until the summer vacations are over and the cabinet officers get back on the , the Under Secretary for the Beaux Arts being In a sense, his ‘“‘boss’’ since the Comedie is a subsidiary playhouse. There is much talk over who are to be the directors of the National Opera to succeed Messrs. Messenger and Broussan. All sorts of combinations have been advanct by the newspapers, but the truth very probably is that the present directors will succeed themselves. Most of the Paris theaters are now opeR. Fut revivals, as a rule, are on tap. The real season will net begin before November, by which time the old successes will have spent themselves. Triplepatte has been revived at the Athenee. Les Requins, by Dario Niccodemi, in three acts, is In rehearsal at the Gymnase. en Guitry will interpret the principal role. A play based on the life of Rachel, the famous Italian actress, ig being rehearst at the Altho the weather has been unseasonably warm for this time of year, the American Rink Seint-Didier has had its full share of skaters. Miss Annette Kellermann is a big hit at the Alhambra. She toplines a strong bill on which sre Oswald Williams, La Pia, the Leslie Bros., Leonard Gautier and others. Tango dancing is a feature of the Bal Tabarin now. Dranem has been added to the revue at the Folies-Bergere. where the Willette ballet, Moatmartre, is still the big feature. The new film program at the Gaumont Palace includes A Child of Paris. an intensely dramatic drama of the City of Light. There are also some clever variety turns, Made in Montmartre is the title of a new revue seen this week at the opening of the new Moulin de la Chanson, itself in Montmartre, Yvette Gilbert is arranging a series of per formances at which she will interpret oldfishioned French songs of different periods. Les Travaux d’Hercule, the Robert de Fliers and Gaston de Caillavet operetta, has been revived at the Theater Femina, the urst show under the new management,