The Billboard 1914-04-25: Vol 26 Iss 17 (1914-04-25)

Pref PS 7. es : aa Published Weekly” The Billboard Pub. Co. 25 Opera Place, CINCINNATI, 0. Long Distance ‘Phone, Canal 5085. THE SHOW 0 a WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA Entered at CINCINNATI POSTOFFICE. — as Second-Class Matter. Branches: _ é NEW YORK, CHICAGO,. : ST. LOUIS, SAN FRANCISCO, . . LONDON and PARIS. Volume XXVI. CINCINNATI, APRIL 25, 1914 Number 17 CENSORSHIP Decision’ Upheld Supreme Court Confirms Federal Court’s Denial of Injunction Asked By Mutual Film Corporation Washington, D. C., April 20.—The United Mates Supreme Court today confirmed the dectelon of the United States Federal Court, which om April 2 denied the Mutual Film Corporation @n injunction te prevent the Ohlo State Censor Board from operating. Shortly after the law creating a censor boar! became effective the Mutua! applied for a temporary injunction restraining the board from operating. This was granted, and the board remained inactive until Judges Day, Killits and Warrington, of the Federal Court, passed upon the case aad refused to make the injunction permanent. The Mutua! immediately teok the case upto the Supreme Court of the United States, which today confirmed the finding of the lower court. As a result of the decision the law immediately becomes active and the Censor Board, H. E. Veetal and Mrs. Maude Murray Miller, to-etber with a third member, who will be appointed at once, will again take up their duties. McKEE RANKIN, FAMOUS ACTOR, DEAD. San Francisco, April 17.—McKee Rankin, the veteran character actor, who was identified with Nance O'Neill for years in Shakespearean prodrections, died here today. Following a recent brief engagement Rankin suffered an attack of ilinese, attributed to age and a complication of infirmities. In the prime of his theatrical career Arthur McKee Rankin was known to the theatergoers fm all the English-speaking conntries of the world. He began his stage career during the time of the Civil War and contiuned it actively for 50 years, He was a Canadian, born at Sandwich, Ont., in 1841, the son of a member of Parliament. At the age of 21 he was leading man fer Mrs. John Drew. All ef his three daugtters fre married into branches of the Drew family—one fe Mrs. Sidney Drew, one Mrs. Lionel Barrymore, and a third, Phyllis, married a brother of Fanvy Davenport. Los Angeles, April 19.—The death in San Francisco on Thursday night of Arthor McKee Rankin, the veteran actor, after an lllness of a few weeks, 1s of local intercst for more reasons than ove. It is ap oh! coincidence of his stage @areer extending over half a century and reach img to all parts ef the English-speaking world, fifty-three years to be exact, that he brought the first dramatic company to Los Angefes in 1871. Before his breakdown an important en gagement was staging and playing Mary Magdalena and Magda, with Mrs. Seott starring. Later he had been doing vaudewdle on Western States time. Arthur McKee Rankin was contemporary of Booth, Barrett, McCullough, Davenport, Raymond, Stockwell and others of the Golden Age of the American Theater. ACTORS’ FUND ANNUAL MEETING MAY 12. New York, April 18.—The annual mecting for the transaction ef the business of the society and for the election of officers and trustees of the Actors’ Fund ef America will be held at the Hudson Theater on May 12, at 2 p. m. A special meeting will also be held on the same day at 3 p. m. for the purpose ef voting @n and adopting an amendment to the by-lawa. JURNEY PRESIDENT OF LUNA PARK, New York, April 20.—Oscar C. Juzney his been elected presid«nt of Luna Park, to succeed James A. Nelson, by the Board of Directors of the Luna Park Amosement Company. Mr. Jurney Was assistant to the president of Luna Park. The position he vacates will be filled by Walter E,. Cleary, who has, for several yeers, been connected with Steeplechase Park. Frederick Thompson has serered all connection with the Buna Company and will devote himself solely to Toyland, the big attraction be will have at the Panama-Pacific Exposition. “DOC” KIRBY Killed By Lioness Well-Known AnimalTrainer Dies of Blood Poisoning Resulting From Poor Medical Treatment Following Wounds los Angeles, April 19.—A coroner's jury. investigating the death of William Warner Kirby. who wage attacked by a lioness at Unive->sel City last Tuesday, found that bis death was due to poor medical treatment. cireus and carnival people and made his headquarters at The Billboard office when in New York, it was hard to find anybody who knew the address of his wife and family. Capt. Kirby was a very popular man, generally well liked, and his death, and the manner of his passing, was a grievous shock to those who learned ef the unfortunate circumstance. AN APPEAL. Mrs. G. C. Bean, professionally known as Roma Stanly, is very 1 and Las been for several weeks, and will have to go to Indianapolis for an operation. She is entirely without funds and bas been deserted by her husband She hopes ber friends will see this and will help her in ber trouble. All contri utions, how emali, will be thankfully mail can be sent direct to Mrs. R. B. Neo. 1, Washington, Ind. D. B. SMOOT, M.D., Washington, Ind. no matter received. Al} G. C. Bean, Prof. Miller and his comedy dogs are playing vaudeville through Oklahoma. LONDON NEWS BY CABLE KELLY & WILDER TO OPEN. LONDON, April 18.—Kelly & Wilder open at the Granville here Monday, April 20. NEW MUSICAL SHOW, London, April 18.—Toby Claude and William Smythe produced a new musical show at the Chelsea Palace last Monday, under the title of A Knight for a Day. Dances by Clay Smith were a success. SUUETDEUUCETUDEOUUOUUTEEEEOUUOESEEORUEEEEEODEEEREEEETEEUEUUOU TER EEUETEREU ETTORE TEER TEETER PETS Cincinnati, Ohio. NO TOWN TOO SMALL. =) | We Want a Representative in Every Town Turn those idle moments into profit by representing The Billboard in your community. Billboard Publishing Company, Billboard Building, CUCUEUEERERCEODECEDECECECRDECEEEUEOECREEO RECT EE REESEE EEE EEE ES REET EEE Address Dept. F, NO CITY TOO LARGE. Kirby was known to everybody in the show business, He bad just recently taken chartze of the amhnal department of the Universal studio, and was attacked by the lioness during the taking ef scenes for the release calkel Adventures of Lucille Love, whieh the Unive-sal Film Co. és now featuring in connection with a number of Bewspapers throughout the country. Discusston to the effect that Kirby bad cume to his death because of the inattention of assistants was stopped at the inquest. It was shown that the door ef the cage in which the lioness was confined tad become shut py some agency net known; the assistant testified that he bad left the door ajar, and that it had teen accidentally closed. When attacked Nirby was entirely out ef the cage with the cxception of his right arm, which wae caught in the claws and fangs of the lioness. The laceration was treated at the time and was not considered dangerous. Later blood poisoning developed and Kirby was removed to the Good Samaritan Hospital, this city, his death occurring Friday. Kirby was an experienced lion tamer, apd had been a member of the Rainey African expedition, Further investigation of the hospital corps et the plant may be made by the police, as a result of the coroner’s jury. New York, April 18.—George U. Stevenson has been making every possible effort to Mecate the family of Capt. W. W. Kirby, killed by a lioness yesterday, at Universal City. Cal. While the unfortunate man was welb known among BELLCLAIR BROS. RETURNING. —_— — London, April 18.—Bellelair Bros. return to London in Gctober. This is a wire act, and created a sensation when put orm at the Coliseum in January, 1910. BARNES ARRIVES. London, April 18.—George Barnes, with Irene West and the Hawaiian Sextette, have arrived here, Their coming engagements will, no doubt, prove successful. LADY BOXERS WELL RECEIVED. London, April 18.—Karl Hooper has introduced several French lady boxers, who have been well received by London audiences. WAYBURN’S BEST. London, April 18.—Ned Wayburn’s The Honeymoon Express, produced at the Oxford, Easter Monday, is conceded to be the best thing he has done on this side. The p#@ce is receiving great praise from both the press and public, and at the close of the opening performance Wayburn was forced to respond to numerous calls from the audience. HAPPY DAYS FOR STOLL TOUR. London, April 18.—Happy Days finished a four weeks’ engagement at the Coliseum today, and will immediately start playing the Stoll tour. DEATH OF FRANK LAWTON, London, April 18.—The death of Frank Lawton has just been reported. Consumption is assigned as the cause. Lawton is survived by a widow and several young children. VIVIANS, SHARPSHOOTERS, SUCCESSFUL, London, Apri 18.—The Vivians and company, sharpshooters, have played to capacity in several coal mining towns, despite the fact that strikes are on in that section. A Glasgow engagement was also very successful. HULLO, TANGO, COSTLY. London, April 18.—The second edition of Hullo, Tango, will probably set a new cost mark for a revue, $75,000 being the announced figures. Ethel Levey will have a futurist cubist dressed song scene in the new production. SOMETHING BIGGER PROMISED. London, April 18.—Frank Allen and Ernest Wighton, of the Moss Empires, state that the vaudeville show, to be given on board the S. S. Aquitania, May 29, is simply the germ of a more elaborate scheme which may be worked out later. . NOT LIKELY NEW ALHAMBRA REVUE. London, April 18.—The new Alhambra revue title will be Not Likely. This is a joke on Mrs. Pat Campbell's swear word expression in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, just produced at His Majesty’s. Mrs. Campbell uses the actual word, and has greatly shocked the critics. SHACKELTON PROMOTES FILM COMPANY. London, April 18.—Sir Ernest Shackelton, the Polar explorer, is promoting a new educational film com pany. THIS ISSUE OF THE BILLBOARD IS 40,000 COPIES Increase over corresponding week of last year 4,244 copies.