Variety (Sept 1906)

VARIETY By CHARLES LEONARD FLETCHER. By C. C. BARTRAM. VARIETY'S London Office, 40 Lisle street, W. The latest Coliseum proposition is made through the impresario Colonel J. Henry Mapleson of operatic fame throughout the world. He is now president of the Inter- national Society of Music, the principal members of which have offered $800,000 for the building, retaining a reserve of $200,000 for working capital. The offer will be submitted to the debenture hold- ers, and if the scheme goes through grand opera will be given on Continental lines, while a roof garden like that once planned for the Hippodrome will be built, if the London County Council, rather opposed to utilizing roofs in this way, will give in. "The Financier" says the creditors could fare as well under the arrangement as they could hope to under any other scheme. The Lyceum will revert to drama in the fall. The name of Albert Gilmer, who is now supplanted at the Oxford by C. Blyth- Pratt, is mentioned in connection with a new music hall a stone's cast from afore- said! Oxford on Tottenham Court Road. This is the site just off Oxford street once sought by the New York Hippodrome and on which the Warings are erecting a huge building designed to include either a the- atre or a music hall. Just what is not definitely settled, but if Gilmer gets in there he will give his late boss a stiff fight, just as Sparrow will fight the Cam- berwell Palace he left with his new Cam- berwell Empire. Following the shift at the Oxford come indefinite rumors of a change in Palace management. No hint of this has reached' the London papers, but we hear from pri- vate sources that Manager Pickering of the Tivoli, Cape Town, will be the man to assume the guiding reins in the fall. One would think the position of the pres- ent incumbent rather strong, as he mar- ried the daughter of Count Hollender, the lately deceased chairman of the Palace directorate, who left nearly half a million dollars. Perhaps this has caused a slack- ening of ambition and' will account for the rumored retirement. Since manager ho has been quite persistent with agents about percentage splitting, etc. At the Crystal Palace is shown a mon- key variety theatre, a miniature stage with proscenium, boxes, orchestra, etc The, ^iiMuiana and their leader are mon- keys and so are the critical gentlemen in the boxes. Monkeys change the turn num- bers, bring on the props, etc. One in a box drinks more than is good for him. He makes much fun and the same can be said of the orchestra leader and the stage assistants. On the stage are mon- key acrobats, equilibrists, motorists, bi- cyclists, etc. On the Stoll Tour just now are four dachshunds which "loop the loop." E. Leslie Conroy has resigned!?) New- castle Empire management. While in of- fice he raised' $7,500 for local charitable institutions by pushing a collection box under artists' noses when he paid them their salaries, and the thankful towns- tolk will give him a testimonial. A Paris theatrical ballot on the mati- nee hat question shows "hats off" was voted by 58.310, -small hats" by 51,707, while 1,(550 voted "no interference." An Australian actor who said he lost everything in the San Francisco earth- quake was arrested as a stowaway on the Castle liner "Britain" trying to get to Cape Town. He was fined $50, which was paid' by sympathetic friends. "The Financier" says variety conditions are improving in London, but the Moss Empires will hardly equal their record of two years ago. Harry Fragson says open-air summer music halls (a la American parks) would l>e a success in London as in Paris. (Doubt- lessly, if it didn't rain an average of three days out of seven such places could suc- ceed here.) Griff, the comic juggler, advertises that he almost made an engagement for Aus- tralia, but unluckilv Harrv Rickards came to see his show. This is said to be Cinquevalli's last trip on the Moss Tour. He follows with Pavne. « opens with Percy Williams October 8. and goes to Berlin for January and February. 1007. Paul has a beautiful home in Brix- ton and he means to enjoy it before long. At the Camberwell Empire, which opens September 3, Jesse Sparrow proposes to make a specialty of introducing "special- ties and turns new and novel in London/' Good idea, as some of these halls boil the same shows over and over till they lose all flavor. Some Londoners don't think any turn really great till they have seen it a thousand times. Then thev think it must be great or it wouldn't be shown so often. Agent Harry Dawn's shift of office to the Camberwell Empire is now easily ex- plainable, as he has formed an agency partnership with Manager Sparrow, whose twenty-seven years of experience should make him an invaluable associate. The new firm will be called the Universal Dramatic and Variety Agency. La Domino Rouge, according to the ever active press agent, saved a boy from drowning just before opening at the Pal- ace, jumping into the water just like a Newfoundland dog. She made quite a hit at her debut, taking four curtain calls. There were cries of "bravo," "good'," etc. and the beautiful girls who danced with her unveiled were some compensation for the veiling of the fair premier. At the Tivoli Ada Reeve, back from her big South African engagement, opened the same evening to a warm welcome. It is interesting to note what a tempest has been stirred up among the American artists here over the remarks Ted I). Marks made in his published interview in the last Variety, which reached here Mondav. T. I). M. claims that there is ■ not one American turn in England getting the figure paid him in America. He de- fies one to cite a single exception. Permit ine to accept Mr. Marks' chal- lenge. TeuMy is a prolific talker and generally knows what lie is talking about. What he does not know about conditions en this side of the water is hardlv worth knowing, for does he not always live at the Ade!phi. right in the heart of the theatrical Rialto, when he is in London? And u'oes he not drop in at the Hotel Provence and the (Jcrman Club, where the creme de la ercinet ?) of the profession con- gregate, and is he not looked upon here as the "Wise Guy from Fortv-seeond Street"? When he goes back to Broadway is he not sorely missed over here? Yes. We are surprised' that the modest and retiring Ted I), should make such a bold statement. I do not doubt that he thinks what he savs is true, but he has unwittingly erred and must stand correction. And in order to be accurate in making my disclaimer I have canvassed the American contingent aim' only mention such names as belong to the category which Mr. Marks designates as working over here for less money than thev receive at home. First, let me mention Mike S. Whallen and Fanny Fields. Roth artists receive here more than double their American sal- ary. Mr. Whallen has built up such a repu- tation in England that he is practically booked for life, and by the time he com- pletes his present contract he will be thinking of retiring rather than resuming In* professional career at home. Rarton and Ashley came over here four years ago on a short contract and have not played America since. Whv? Reeause thev. too. get n'ouble their American salary and are booked years ahead. Terry and Lambert have had four years continual work here and have no intention of returning, excepting for an occasional visit to relatives. Thev have a beautiful home in London and won't be idle for years to come. I am not permitted to mention their salary here, but it is an eye-opener. Maude Courtney, now a big success at the Palace, laughs when an American contract is mentioned. Roberts. Hays and Roberts are topping the bill on the Stoll Tour and get an American head- liner salary. Frank and Jen Latona di- vide their time between England and America and are satisfied with the English salary. Fre-! \iblo will soon lie home most extraordinary run at the where his original engagement was ex- tended. Were it not for his interests at home compelling him to return. I doubt if he would give up the opportunity he has hail of giving only seven shows a week at the princely salary the Palace manage- ment paid him. And (). K. Sato. Well, those who know <>. K. would not suspect him of taking less here. .lames Marha. formerly nf Heely and Marba. now of Marba and Veri- ty, remains on this side from choice ami saves more money, he says, than he could at home. Relle Davis and her Pickaninnies have been a fixture in England and the Continent for a long while. Hal (lodfrey is a newcomer, and it's up to him whether he prefers English money to American currency. Margaret Ashton deserted the States five years ago and receives a higher salary than any straight singing turn 1 know of from America. If space per- mitted 1 could mention a score of others whose earnings refute most emphatically Mr. Marks' statement. There iff, of course, many American turns who remain here at less money than their American earnings, but the work is much easier, less travelling, and the ex- pense of living is «o much cheaper that they are able to save quite as much as they could at home. I have yet to meet an artist who wilTadmit he likes England better than America. All suffer from homesickness, but the financial gain over- comes the longing for the sight of old Broadway, and they cannot be blamed if they seem for a time unpatriotic and wait until they have made their little pile be- fore returning to the only couutry. There is little news to chronicle this week. The only real live topic is the in- teresting little spat now going on between Edna Aug and Daisy llarcourt. MLss Aug accuses Miss llarcourt of appropriating BOOM of her songs, patters and business. Miss Auk. by the way. caught on with the Glasgow audience at the Empire, and Mr. Stoll engaged her this week as a special feature at the Empire, Manchester. Mabel Hardine u» considering an offer from Sidney Hymnn to take her sketch, "Nell of the Music Halls." to South Africa at the completion of her engagements on the Stoll Tour. Elia Shields is on the Stoll Tour at the top of the bills. Her coon work is so ex- cellent that she seems to have been able to revive an interest in that sort of work here, for the Engli>h public were tiring of coon songs. Hransby Williams sails next by the "Caronia." Here is an actor with astound- ing versatility. If is work in the various picken characters is responsible for his fame. 1 hope he will give the Americans a view of what 1 consider his very best im- personation, that of an old broken-down showman. It is the acme of cornedv characterisation and without doubt will be thoroughly understood and appreciated by an American audience. His take-off on how various comedians would play Hamlet is another splendid bit of versatile work. If he blends his serious work with at least some of his excellent comedy there can be no doubt of his success in America. I not only wish but I anticipate for him a splendid reception. At a mere glance 1 counted H*> Amer- ican Minis on the various bills for this ^^fcswi \ve«k. Not ;i li.nl number and thev are ^% t%>- .i\oo. American turns are about the best liked shows in Eng- land to-day. Cooke and Hot her t will be with you soon. They go to Paris Wednesday, as Miss Rot licit is purchasing a number of fascinating Parisian confections to dsxsle the eyes of the New Vorkor. S. K. llodgdon has been absent from h ; s d<\sk in the Keith office this week owing to the death of his mother, who died at her home in Biddeford, Me., last Sundav. The funeral tok place on Tuesday. As a consequence Philip K. Nash has been do- ing double duty at the St. James Building.