The Billboard 1914-12-26: Vol 26 Iss 52 (1914-12-26)

DECEMBER 26, 1914. The Billboara 19 Doe is a fine elem, ang the members of the Asso.iation are ditto. Charles Phillips, poet and presa agent, and who this season is ahead of Eugene Walter's play, The Better Way, has joined tue Association of Benedicts. It happened in Milwaukee recently while Puillips was there in the interests of his attraction. The Fiske ‘O’Hara Company was playing at the same time in this city, and with the company was Etbel Von Waldron, taking care of one of the ‘leading roles, The couple decided, after a courtship of over a year, that it was om the better way’’ to Items of interest for this department will be thankfully received and acknowledged. Five companies of A Pair of Sixes are on the road, but the name of one agent only has found its way into this column, and tuat in Foster Moore. How about the other four? Let us hear from you, as we are sufficiently prepared i wear taat A #aic of Sixes is beating all bands, and raking in the mazuma at every stand. The New York company, after eight’ months at the Longacre Theater, moved the deck around to the principal villages of the Kast and ‘‘capacity"’ was the only word used at any stand. Thanksuxiving week in Philadelphia netted the neat little sum of $14,000. The Western company has been doing an average business of $10,000 per week, and no sign of the wolf at the door. The other companies are doing well in proportion. H. H. Frazee bas certainly been bolding a good hand with his five companies of A Pair of Sixes. A special invitation is hereby set down for the advance and press agents of this winning pack to drop a line for this column. Don't let us khwe you in the shuffle. James Fleming is jourveying ahead of Millette’s Comedy Company in the Seuth, and has forgotten that poor business ever existed io that section. The attraction has just finished thivteen Weeks in Southern Georgia to fair business, and an all-winter tour is on schedule. Let's hear from you, Fleming. Whitle Anderson, half owner of The Girl Outlaw Company, is also doing the work ahead in a most notable manner. The show plays New York State, Pennsylvania and Ohio. and when Anderson gets through bannering a town the natives are all looking fer the circus Whitie has the same idea that is fostered by the bard. working Maurice Cain, that good billing ts the tirst aid to injured business, and both of these agents are in the A No. 1 class when it comes to letting the people know that their attrac tion is headed toward town. Anyone diving into the secret depths of either of these agents’ bill-trunks can find a brush and a hammer that bave not had a chance to rust from lack of use Ed C. MeClure has signed contracts for the comimg tent seasen with Dickey, Terry and Jones’ Uncle Tom's Cabin Company. and will be right on the job in advance, with the Cabin trailing after. The show will open early in April, aceyrding to the present intentions of the.management. KE. (C. Jones, nef handling the winter show, will manage the tented attraction. Mr. MeClure will bave one billposter with him ahead of the show. The management also has plans to put the Ne. 2 show into the hduses after the tented season closes next fall. At the present time Mr. McClure is *enjoying home life in Beardstown, Il, and will remain there } until after the Christmas festivities. Art G. Keane desires to express the season's greetings to all brother agents. Mr. Keene its the general agent for Stetson’s Uncle Tom's Cabin Company, aud does net fall to read the Press and Advance Agents’ news each week, Thanks for letter, Keene, it was certainly ap-, preciated. Max C. Ellicott, the wildcat agent and ager, has closed a twenty-seven weeks’ engagement with the Prof. Eph Williams-Silas Green Shows, and is in Atlanta, Ga... rehearsing a monster Pe for the American Federation of man Labor. T money brought in by the benefit pe forman@ Will be distributed among the union men who sre out of work in that city. A worthy cause, Elliett. Elliott sends season's greeting to all. | J. C. Bowers is the genial press agent for the Galety Theater in Kankakee, Ill, of which J. Remington is manager. One Girl in a Million was a winning attraction at the Gaiety not many days ago, and for two performances the house was sold out. Mr. Bowers was even euthusiastic about the show, and when a press agent really gets worked up about a performance it surely MUST be some show. Seven Keys to Baldpate, the Cohan & Harris attractien, followed the One Girl, and with the temperature down to the cypher mark the business was fair. Many changes have been made by the managers’ association in Toledo, O., recently in the publicity end of their houses. “Fred Kessler, formerly with the Lyceum Theater, of the Progressive Circuit, has taken over the Empire Theater, on the Columbia Circuit. James Lathan, who has just returned from one of the Gus Hill attractions, is managing the Anditortum Theater. Frank M. Brown, who had his own company of Musical Maids out in Utah, closed in that State in August and accepted the position of general agent with Narder’s Greater Shows, and then was made legal adjuster back with the shows. He says, “I have been Seuth ahead and back with a great number of attractions, making my first trip in 1898 with Col J. H. Wood's New York Aquarium, and have never seen it as tough as at the present time. We thought 1893 and 1907 were pretty bad, but they were only summer dreams compared with this wenson.'’ However, there is some bad in the best of everything, and next season is coming with better times, we ho’ Ed Wilson is still doing the front work for Ole, the Swede, in Nebraska, and not lopg ago had the pleasure of being with Terry's Uncle Tom's Cabin Company for three or four days, He says Brother Admire is an agent of the first water, and that FE. C. Jones and his sixteenPiece band are entitled to all they can get. Yes, Fil will again be wits the «te crops in April, more than likely with Bill Hoffman. Harry Yost, who adm-rs that Cincinnati ts bis former fiome, was in the Queen City a few dava ago looking after the advance interests of Bringing Up Father, one of Gua Hill's attractions. It will be remembered that Yost wes at one time treasurer of the old Fountain Theater in Cincinnati, but has since worn off that exPerience with several trips around the world, Frank (Dave Devil) Dougherty f® pavirg the advance math for the Adair and Dawn Musical edy Company, which numbers twelve peorle, Hingh MePhillins ie seven days ahead of the Knickerbocker Stock Company, and is leading have the knot tied while t.ey were both together in Milwaukee, and so it was. Mr. Phillips is the present time. | waiter Kechtin, who only recently was managing his own cowpany of players, bas turned his attention toward a new show which he will attraction through West Virginia at the his bride next season. H. Ben Oliver is the business agent ahead of Ashton Earle’s Ten Nights in a Barroom Company, and is being followed up by Tom | Ryan, second man. Twelve people are with the attraction, and the Ten Nights is proving as popular as of yore. Special scenery and paper oven about the first of the year. Turning the clock backward to the old days of good billing ang likewise billers, we have ney Montreal, nestling snugly about half are carried way ween us and the land where the natives See ; a feed on gum-drops and candies, jis the only Pe need thing as —— pep ign gp eity on the Columbia Circuit that makes a@ te ey le " : call a few of the couriers who are now in front courier feel like @ real honest-to-sure-enough of the footlights: agent once again, with the word a-g-e-n-t spelled with a capital A. Anyway, we have gotten it from a reliable source that Maurice Cain looks at it that way. The old days of sniping is still going on in Montreal, and when the traveling agent leaves the city he can deposit bis weary form in the plush of the ear seat and murmur: ‘‘Well, if the natives don't come to see my show they can stay at home, (deleted) ‘em, for the work of the agent has Abe Leavitt, John F. Sullivan, Chas. F. Edwards, Potts Bros., William Hexter, Charles Dobson, Harry Smitb, William Bailey. Frank Brown, John Beymer, Harry Leslie and George Leavitt. Others there are, and we would like to hear from them in order to taak their names onto the list. Wonder if Lou Gilbert will ever go aiead of a show again? Guess not, as manager of a burlesque show is better than being av ageuf. been done and DONE RIGHT." The Gayety | How about it, Lou? Theater, conducted by a real manager, by vame George Leffler bas an interest in Damaged Freq Crow, will do anything in reason that the Goods, and we hope that he will getfa next advance man may suggest. The amount of ; bank roll. Fred Mason is the man ahegd. printing put out for The Social Maids was | Agent»—Drop a line to Frank Chapman, secre enough to bill any small tent show. Just look: | tary of the A. & M, T. A., and ask fim for 2.00) one-sheet snipe, 500 one-sheet tack cards, ' «an application Plank. You should be a member 1,000 half-sheet ecards, 100 eight-sheets and 100 | of the association, three shee ‘3 ‘ All this was put out by the house John Daily reports big business with the crew, consisting of the ever hard-working house f{aze] Dawn Company. With that hustler, Lee coe nt, Joe Rudolph; Clyde Anderson, Rube and) Riley. ahead. the business SHOULD be good. ra Miller. Of course Maurice E. Cain was! JQ. Brooks, formerly of the Majestic Then along, ang an item of special note is that the ter, in Utiea, is now on the staff of Reynolds + oe was down, away down to freezing. © (roxs’ Film Exchange, in Pittsturg. Old man ea e Social Maids attraction was wel! rep| Brooks is handling the Annette Kellermann pic pig tenes and a geod business was chalked up | tures A ; at Tovonto, as well as Montreal. Cain said to cations : 7 rife ae leliemed seme “Tell the bosa to rita George Anderson is manager for his wife. Fritzl Scheff. playing in The Pretty Mrs. Smith This company played only a limited number of one-night stands. At Wilkes-Barre, on Thanks giving Day, quite a few bundred were turned! in al] they want, as the folks are al) on the lot Ald ready to get busy. The bex-office is too warm to sit in, and if you will bill y<cur show of ee seare won't hurt trade any.” yon lus «does ce E ‘ai rri! y. ahead The ety Maids. we Those -4 — _ Mike Manton reports capacity business in the net already annexed the habit slould consider S°vt! for McIntyre and Heath, the idea. j} Jack Ravelyn, manager of the Metropolitan Another ‘“‘old-timer, but still a k'd,"" was Comedy Company, is going to organize another won over to this column when our notice apCO™P#ny soon after the first of the year. Roth peared about articles from retired agents. shows will be advanced by one agent, three Fletcher Smith, the ‘‘old-timer,”’ who maintains %@YS apart. The natives of Kansas are being that he is still ‘‘s kid,’’ has experienced about [treated to some real modern vaudeville by the all the thrills that can be crowded into the Metropolitan Company. average life of a man ahead. Twenty-five years ae 9 “Ee e was migrating through Maine and the Fast with every conceivable attraction that ever | 3 Ss s. SOs depart? from the gates of Boston. some in teresting things will be chronicled in this column whén Smith gets his pen in gow! shape. Most of the agents who are spending the helldays in New York can be found putting their Stick around, fellows, and let us hear from the time to good use aroung the Agents and Manrest of you. agers’ Theatrical Association club rooms at 1431 Broadway. A few of them are: J. C. Ragjand, Johnny Black, George Costan, Dave Posner, Frank Lea, Doe Livingston, George Alabuma Florida, Wm. T. Spaeth, H. A. Morrison, Sam Leavitt, George Widermann and Manny Green burg. We almost forgot; Fletcher Smith has not Tetired. He is the man who does the big publicity thing with the Sparks’ Shows during the tented sea:on. a yf Lg is doing the advance work for syle Conce » vhie e oo + Tiger a — aie — _Jobnny Black is slate “1 to go in advance of the eight weeks ahead. No, 2 Blindness of Virtue Company. Booth Howard, manager of The Price She J. Cc. Ragland, who recently closed his My Paid Company (with Tom Lennon), has mailed | Best Girl Company, will open up another musical us a line. He says: ‘We are still in the back| “’™medy on New Year's Day. woods of North Dakota, but the business pf W'lliam Hexster is now managing the Tuxedo former’ years bas failed to materialize. MinneTheater, at Third avenue and Forty-second sota has ‘deen fair and South Dakota good. Re-| Street, for Counihan & Shannon. . cently finished a twelve weeks’ tour of the H. Harry Leavitt is manager of the Belgian war L. Walker Cirenit. Walker has all his houses pictures which are being reeled off in New York lined np and the managers are all hustlers.’”? | fr an indefinite period. The company wil! lay off Christmas week and Ted Miller has been sectred to go ahead of one journey into St. Paul and watch other troupers | of the Belgian war picture shows. work. Thenthe territory west of Devil's Lake, Quite a few of the members of the A. & M. N. D.. will be entered. » wil! go with the Pope Pius pictures. Earl Payne wil! have charge of the advance | Brother Grainger has charge of the engaging. force with the Great Electric Photop ay Show H. A. Morrison, a well-known agent, has next season. Edwin R. Capps will manage the | Closed in advance of Barney Girard’s show. attraction. Dave Posner will be the manager with Lew It is said that Doc Mishler, of Altoona, Pa.,| Fields’ High Cost of Loving, which opens on is going to join the A. & M. T. Association. | Christmas Day in Brooklyn. "A World Wide Circulation” THE OLDEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL THEATRICAL AND VAUDEVILLE JOURNAL THE ERA ESTABLISHED 1887. Published every WEDNESDAY AT 5 TAVISTOCK ST., Strand, Lendens, W. C. 2,000 Advertisements Appear Every Week in ‘“‘The Era.” Protessional Advertisements, £15 per Page, £3 per Column, 40 per inch, Single Columa. ‘*The Era”’ is sold at Brentano’s, 5th Ave. and 27th St. Single Coples, by mall, 7 Cents. Subscription Rate, with Postage, $3.20 a Year. Artists visiting Benes te TS See Shep so tr Genes See Seen Inquiries and communications may be sent “THE ERA.” P. O. Box 492, NEW YORK CITY STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN CO. WANTS People for winter and coming tenting season. Winter season opens January 16th, near St. Louts. to double brass; Musicians to double stage; clever Topsy with seuiaiats ta bright child for Eva; first-class ‘aoe Leader; Orchestra Leader; hustling, sober and reliable Agent. Pleased to hear from last season's people. JOHN F. STOWE, The Bungalow, Niles, Michigan. WE KNOW HOW to deliver the best Theatrical Goods, Costumes, Tights, Trimmings, etc. Our lately revised catalogue sent free to any addrss. References—Our customerts FRITZ SCHOULTZ & CO. 19 West Lake Street, CHICAGO, ILL. Largest Stock In a Country ia Pet and School Plays. DATE BOOK The Billboard’s are the best and you get them while they last tor 10 CENTS EACH now working on a play in which he will star | i Donazetti will manage the roag tour ° hhecence, one of the A. H, YOK ductions. a hy Joe Edmondson jis stil; in advance special Potash and Perlmutter Company. Spring is not so many weeks hence now, and with the cropping out of the spring flowers Geo. Alabama Florida, known all over the globe as Alabam, will be returning to the circus game. Alabam’ is under the banner of A. H. Woods this winter, piloting the Panama-Pacific Company of The Yellow Ticket through the country to good business. He is among the rest of the curcers Who are spending the season of fers tivities in little old New York. Some netable additions to the A. & M. T. A are: Max Farbish, manager of the Virginia Theater at Atlantic City; Maurice Cain, the always-on-the-job agent, on the Hurtig & Sea mon staff; James Donaldson, w'th the 101 Rane) Show last summer; Fred P. Wilson, for many years manager of the Hanlon Brothers. Steadily and surely the association is gaining ground. Dave Altman is now seven days ahead of the Julian Eltinge Company, and John Montague ts seven days ahead of Altman. Wonder how Walter Duggan will feel when he meets Geo. A. Florida at the club next summer? Jobnny Black would like to meet Duggan now; also Ed Dolan ang J. C, Ragland, Phi) Fisher is doing ai land-office business with bis vaudeville agency. Hope Phil will put out some” more shows with his new bank roll. Boys—Keep your eyes open for the big opening of the new clubhouse of the Agents’ and Man agers’ Association. Something doing. Frank Lea will shortly go on the road in advance of One of the new Shubert shows, Grant Luce will open bis Uncle Tom's Cabin Company on May t, and five men will comprise the advance staff. of the WALTER DUGGAN'S NOTES’ PXTRA! And then some more KXTRAS! The New York Clearance House reports Walter Sidepocket Messenger's savings for 1914 as« $2,726,593. This amount would have been tncreased, so the report says, if the Pullman Com pany had allowed Walter to share his upper berth on all railroad jumps with more than one agent. In commentin:s upen these remarkable savings the Clearance House officials claim Sidepocket discovered more hotels with roome minus baths than any other human being on their books. To bring the European war right over here and plant the activities In Al Woods’ offices wouldn't cause the disturbances as were noted the moment this report was received in the Eltinge Theater offices. Everybody and everything became disturbed. Harry Lauder’s picture on the wall wept. The erasers in the auditor's department turned over and died, realizing not even they could rub out Sidepocket's earnings. Mr. Woods consulted with a daring gang of dynamiters with a view of breaking into the system employed by Messengrr in his savings. “He's not an agent,’’ emphatically declared Woods, “he’s a capitalist.’’ Leighton was attacked with exciteritis, but eventually quieted the scene by wiring a te who is en route to California via i ‘ route, ordering the Gibraltar of the agent’ 6 bankroll to stop at hotels bereafter dleis where baths may be bad with the room. He also commanded the mile-a-aminuie conversationalist to stop riding in cabooses in making towns. A detective will hereafter watch Messenger’s roamings. Mr. Woods is seriously thinking of placing Sidepocket ahead ef ‘Kick In."" The meanest man in the world is the one who claims the title of the show has anything to do with a threat from the Woods office for Messenger to think about. Out in San Francisco for the past number of years there sat in the dramatic critic’s chajr of The Chronicle a gentleman, Waldemar Young by name. As a critic he was one of our very best. His pastime, while not making life of touring advance agents comfortable, was spent in writing sketches. Finally he wrote a sketch that he thought would be just the thing for himself to act in. And he did act. He started the acting in San Francisco b fore the biggest anarchistic audience in the world—his friends. But Wally didn't falter. Coupied with Bill Jacobs Wally started out on a tour over the Orpheum Time, which brought him to the Majestic Theater in Chicago last week. Yes, curious one, the sketch has something to do with a newspaper. It's entitled, When Caesar Ban a Newspaper. Like all dyed-in-the-woo. newspapermen, Wally couldn't get away from the newspaper life when he exploded into an actor, but best of all, Wally is an actor— “without the ham for one, please.'’ Wally Young's sketch is funny. It’s more than funny —it's a scream. The Young-Jacobs duo is one of the funniest on the Orpheum Time, say the critics. We say so, too, as far as our limited comparison goes. Encountered the “big act’ in the Sherman Hotel lobby. In doing a ‘‘Tom McGrath’’ witb quite a little naturalness, we learned Jacobs is related to us in whatseever ancestry a polite, but nothing but a yolite mind may determine. Good lack, “big act,’ and may Caesar's news paper pull off many first page scoops in the shape of much success. An underground current tells as that Texas Guinan is seriously thinking of entering vaudeville with a yodeling act. She is scouting for the services of Barney Franklin, press representative of the Cort Theater in San Francisco for her leading yodeler. Just at present Barney is said to be undergoing a terrific course in yodelin’ under the direction of Walter Anthony. who, by the way, has taken Wally Young's position as dramatic critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Mike Donlin was another of our ‘‘encount:rants’’ during the week. He's at the Palace this week with Marty McHale, doing a baseball act that is credited without an error. Mike dressed up a baby dol! in Giants’ attire, and had it auctioned off by The Examiner for the poor and needy of Chicago. Keep your ear close to the ground, Mr. Fan, for you're going to hear some goml news involving Mike ere long. Fred Lawrence, the capable head of The Chicago Examiner, and Lou Houseman, have contributed wonderful assistance and direction in making the poor fund of The Examiner ip Chicago a tremendons success. We caught this pair working overtime at all restaurants and eafes with their original schemes to attain re sults for the peor and needy of Chicago during the yuletide. A musical show that is reported elsewhere to be doing ‘‘excellent’’ got $110 in Boone, $186 (Continued on page 58.)