The Billboard 1917-06-16: Vol 29 Iss 24 (1917-06-16)

esa CO nap ig ie alll tet The Billboard Te JUNE 16, 1917 eel — COLUMBIA AND A. B. A. CIRCUITS SWITCH CITIES American Takes Over Empire Theater, Hoboken, Former Columbia Stand, the Latter Circuit Transferring Shows to Majestic Theater, Jersey City New York, June 9.—The American Burlesque Association has taken over the Empire Theater, Hoboken, N. J., which was played last season by the No, 1 attractions. This stand is substituted for Jersey City, which the No. 2 circuit will vacate. The American shows have played the Academy Theater in Jersey City, but next year the Columbia Shows will play the Majestic Theater in that city. Therefore these changes mean a transfer of Columbia Shows from Hobeken to Jersey City, and of the American shows from Jersey City to Hoboken, The chief objection the Columbia Circuit found to Hoboken was that the stage of the theater was inadequate for staging seme of the No. 1 shows. The past season was the best burlesque season Heboken ever saw, despite the fact that the patronage of burlesque is dependent to cm CHORUS GIRLS SCARCZ= Managers Really Up Against Hard Proposition New York, June 9.—The burlesque producers are again shaking their heads and worrying ever the chorus girl crop for next season. Usually a season no more than closes than the offices of the producers are besieged by girls who want places for next season. Up to this time, however, the girls are very backward about applying for positions, and the producers are asking themselves if they will be obliged to go out and hunt up girls. It is estimated that sixty-five per cent of the chorus girls in burlesque have found summer work in cabarets, burlesque stock, musical tabloids, etc. The cabarets and tabloids are apt to hold onto the girls permanently, or so long that they will not be sent adrift until the burlesque shows are framed for this fall. With the cabaret craze gaining in favor, as it is, the burlesque producer certainly has cause to worry over the chorus girl proposition, for the finding of the right sort of girls in tne quantity they are needed for burlesque is no easy problem. “Q.”” BUILDING FLOODED New York, June 9.—The burlesque district was very nearly wiped off the map Monday afternoon, when a workman in the subway exeavation at the corner of Seventh avenue and Forty-seventh street stuck his pick in a water main. A violent stream of water shot into the air and the office of Gus Hill, in the Columbia Theater Building, bore the brunt of it. A crow?’ of chorus girls were drenched before they could make their escape, and for half an hour the water was pumped up against the Columba building before the damage could be remedied. Windows in the buildings were closed, but enough water got into the structure to cause considerable damage. The Gus Hill offices were flooded and the cafe in the building was a perfect sea of water before the storm abated. A big erowd collected and the excitement afforded a fine Monday afternoon’s entertainment for those who viewed it from a distance. MOULIN ROUGE PLEASES Chicago, June 8.—Tasty interior decorations of the Moulin Rouge Garden, on the North Side, have pleased its visitors. Og FACE P STAYS a Be siderable of an extent on the crews of the German vessels which dock at that port. Naturally the declaration of war against Germany has proved a detriment to burlesque in Hoboken, but, in spite of this fact, the shows continued doing a good business right up to the close of the season. LINE ON COLUMBIA ROUTE New York, June 9.—While the Columbia Amusement Company has not yet issued the official route list showing the starting points of the yarious shows an announcement has been made which shows ‘the producers and traveling managers what they may expect. The shows will follow each other in the same order as last season, and each show will open in the «ity that was the week stand five weeks ahead of it last year. The shows will then continue playing the various houses in the same order as last season, A STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION New .York, June 10.—The meeting held last week at which the officials of the American Burlesque Association met for a conference with the producers and house managers of the circuit Was a step in the right direction. The results of that meeting were published in the last issue of The Billboard, but much transpired in the way of heart-to-heart talk that the public is not permitted to know about. It would be wise if these meetings could be held at regular intervals, for there is much that might be accomplished. Burlesque is looking up constantly, but there is still much improvement that can be made in every branch of the business. While most of the houses on both circuits are well conducted, there are others where lax and deplorable conditions exist, and these conditions should be remedied. There are houses where the employees hang around the lobby smoking and blowing the smoke in the faces of the house patrons. There are houses where the managers’ offices are used a good part of the time for card playing, tn which the house manager, show manager and agent test their skill at cards. There are places where the box offices open about any old time the treasurer sees fit, when a _ theater box office should open every day right on the dot like a bank. Out-of-town patrons do not take kindly to calling a theater by phone after the advertised opening time, only to find that the box office is closed. Like everything else in the business world burlesque can only be conducted successfully on business principles, and where the business proficiency is lacking the circuit officials should step in and remedy conditivns. —» THE BURLESQUE AGENT New York, June 9.--The Billboard holds no brief for the burlesque agent, but there are some questions apropos of the subject which continually raise themselves. Why is it, for instance, that so few agents are fixtures? Why is it that so many are floaters, serving this season one master andg next season another? Why is it that many producers who are prodigal in every other branch of the game think that the cheapest sort of an agent is good enough? It has been proven that a show can srrvive without an agent, but it is a case of hold on and catch-as-catch-can. The fact is that the producer—the average producer—is too apt to give the agent no credit for good results, but to hold him fully responsible for bad results. The opening that a show gets is largely ‘ependent upon the work done by the agent. If he does his work thoroly and conscientiously, other conditions being favorable, the show secures a favorable opening. If he lies down on his job and neglects his work the show {fs practically assured of poor Monday business. But if an agent secures a big opening and the show is so bad that all the Monday patrons go out after the show and inform the world that the show is wretched the agent can hardly he held responsible for what follows in the way of business, A poor agent is little better than none, a mediocre agent isgnot good enough, but a firstclass agent is worth wore money than any agent on either the No. 1 or No, 2 wheel ts paid. He can give the show its start, he furnishes it with an impetus at the beginning of the week which it would not gain until the middle of the week if left dependent upon its own inertia. As said before, The Billboard holds no brief for burlesque agents, but it does know that every show needs one, that it needs a good one, and that it is dollars and cents in the show’s coffers to have a good one. Jack Reed is playing the summer season in St. Louis at Mannion’s Park with his musical comedies, changing bills every week. THAYER’S THUNKLETS New York, June 9.—Harry Williams, brother of Mollie Williams, will manage the Mollie Williams show next seaéon. ‘Kyra, the dancer, bas been engaged for the new edition of The Charming Widows. The Maids of America has a new burlesque face to show next season. The new addition to burlesquedom is Dolores Leon, who will have an ingenue role. The Girls From Joyland roster will include Bobby Barker, Billy Gilbert, George Brown, Dan Diehl, William E. Barker, Beulah Kennedy, Ruth Barker, Joe Woodman, Ida Nicholai, Joe Scullen and John Burke. The Theatrical Operating Company announces its business staff for next season as follows: Twentieth Century Maids, E, W. Chipman, -manager; Fred Jacobs, advance; Million Dollar Dolls, Charles Falk, manager; Harry Abbott, advance; The Bon Tons, Ira Miller, manager; Jack Leslie, a‘vance, Lewis and Dody return to burlesque next season when Hurtig & Seamon will launch them in Hello, America. Manny Rosenthal will manage the show, and Frankie Metzger will travel in advance, Drulard and Morgan is a yaudeville team which Peter 8. Clark has secured for his next season’s edition of A New York Girl Company. Next week the Burlesque Club will have its election. Sam Lewis has declined the honor of running for president of the club again, and Henry C, Jacobs has been nominated for that office. Miss Fritzy Van, character woman with the Sam Sidman Show last season, left yesterday for her home, 4916 West Kedzie avenue, Chicago, where her vacation will be spent. She has not made any plans for next season. Marty Weigert, who was in advance of the Mollie Williams Show last season, will not be connected with that organization next year. Lon Hascall bas gone into hiding. He found it impossible to frame up the Singer show while within reaching distance of Broadway. He, therefore, made a hermit of himself, and is hard at work shaping up a book. With the exception of The Revue, the Spiegel shows for next season are being pretty thoroly overhauled. There will also be many new faces in the Spiegel rosters. George A. Florida blew into town Monday, trailing behind the inevitable stogie. George has said good-by to one carnival and was on his way to investigate a connection with another. Frankie Smith states that he is about to throw ap his job at the Strand, Newark. He says he expects to get sent to the front and to be shot, and the less money he leaves behind him for his friends to-fight over the better. Owing to a change of plans at the Grand Theater, Hartford, Irving Engel will not go there next season as treasurer, aS was expected. WEATHER HITS SUMMER SHOows New York, June 9.—The first appearance of hot weather has had an effect on summer bur. lesque which has caused more than customary alarm. The few really warm days which the shows have had to contend with were marked by a big falling off in theater attendance. The weather has been so cool that the change produces a most marked effect on theatergoers, and it is pretty generally conceded that it wilt take only a short, continuous hot spell to make all the summer stock burlesque ventures run for cover. NEW MANAGER AT HARTFORD Hartford, Conn., ae 9.—Charlie Finberg, for the past two seasons manager of the Gran! Theater, Trenton, N. J., succeeds Dan D. Seullen as resident manaiger of the Grand Theater here for Max Spiegel. The coming season will open about Ag@gust 15 with a Spiegel production. FRESNO (CAL.) NEWS Fresno, Cal., June 7.—Jim Post and his musical comedy company are making a record run at the Plaza Airdome. The house holds nearly 1,500 people, and is practically filled at every performance. Manager Hugh Sparkman, of the Airdome, is an enthusiastic booster for Post and his company. Following is the cast with Post: Lew Dunbar, Minor Reed, Dolly Bunch, Velma Steck, Alma Astor, F. W. Budd, Billy Cochrane, Bert Carlsen, Buster Lorenzo, and the following ponies: Mary Logan. Grace Astor, Doris Dunkle, Addie Beer, Ethel Burney, Poney Beer, Lila Croneste and Grace Riley, Walter Pugh and Kenneth Dailey opened at the Theater Fresno for two nights with a new Hawalian show. Their company is composed of native Kanakas just arrived from Honolulu. Their route is thru Central California. Frank Hesse, well known as the manager of vaudeville houses here for many years, is engaged in the auto truck business, and runs the Theater Fresno as a side issue. He closed the house June 3 for the summer. SHINN AT CAMP WILSON George H. Shinn, formerly in Mark ‘Linder’s sketch on the U. B. O. Time, has enlisted in the 21st Field Artillery, Battery £, and is stationed at Camp Wilson, Texas. ALHAMBRA CLOSES JUNE 16 New York, June 11.—Keith’s Albambra Theater, up in Harlem, which a few weeks a® adopted a picture policy closing its regular vaudeville season, will go dark next Saturday night, June 16, to reopen early in the fall again with Keith vaudeville. Harry M. Bailey continues as manager. FUNNY BONE No. 5 is the latest issue of this famous ‘‘fourtimes-a-year’’ encyclopedia of stage com edy. Price 35c, or for $1.25 will send No’s UNNYBONE PUB F , 1052 Third Avenue, MAGAZINE 35s" Sample copy (44 pA ie ) yh -months’ trial, 25¢; = year. New Magic ta MAGI THe EAGLE MAGICIAN, «~ 7th, Minneapolls, Minn. . NOTICE THE TITLE MADE IN U.S.A. is produced and on the road by the KEENE KUTTERS YOUR FRIEND “‘LOUIS” will make it pleasant for you in Detroit. LOUIS VAN DALL, famous for Baby Lobsters, Michigan Ave., three doors from Cadillac Theater. Grill for men and women. *Twixt Folly and Cadillac stage doors. Drop in, folks. How To Become a Great Singer Wonderful discovery. Including invention. Copyrighted and translated into English and Italian. Send 25c for instructive pamphlet. PROF. I. CALICCHIO, Monmouth 8t., Jersey City, New Jersey. =" 2) 0