Variety (Oct 1906)

VARIETY MORRIS* STORM OF THEATRES. (t is not without the bounds of reason to expect that within a short time Will iain Morris, the vaudeville agent, acting for himself and interests behind him, will <'onie into possession of at least ten and possibly twelve of the Shubert Brothers' theatres. The houses arc situated for the most part in the South and West, although the Shubert theatres in New England, except- ing Boston, may be included. So much difficulty has been experienced by the Shu- berts in securing attractions to fill their theatres that such a move has been in con- templation by them since the itlea of vaudeville to fill their open time was first dtak«R iH>.^,,i______ ^^^ _ In some of the cities where the~Slit Iwrts are located there are weeks at a time when no legitimate attraction has been booked. In others plays are placed for two weeks and more to keep the houses open, when a week would amply suffice. It will require considerable capital to finance the venture, and it is understood that a company will be orgainzed. includ- ing many of the managers now booking through the Morris office. The most prom- inent will be John J. Ryan, Percy G. Will- iams and Oscar Hammerstein. MUSIC HALL IN CHICAGO. Chicago, Oct. 5. 'I lie fact* relating to the construction of i\ new theatre h(Me with .Tos. Howard as Miaimger have been withheld until to-day, when the details were given out exclusive- ly to Variety. Mr. Howard states that on February 12, 1907. the Chicago National Bank Company will break ground on Michigan avenue, adjoining the Auditorium .\nnex. for a new modern theatre to be known as the Barrison Music Hall, at a cost of $100,000. The property carries with it a lease for ninety-nine years. The Rounald Wine Company is the financial backbone of the venture. The theatre is scheduled to open October 5, 1907. It will be conducted on the lines of Kos- ter Sl Bial's old hall and a musical comedy lastinsr one hour with four vaudeville acts will make up the entertainment. Smok- ing and drinking will be allowed in the auditorium and a rathskeller in the base- ment is contemplated. ALL AFTER PHILADELPHIA. It would appear that every vaudeville manager outside those booking through the Keith Office has placed a bid with Klaw & Erlanger for the Chestnut Street The- atre in Philadelphia. B. F. Keith has one on file for the house. Of those up to date John J. Ryan, of Cincinnati, seems the most favored, he having placed a bid that may prove acceptable. For various reasons not apparent upon the surface Mr. Ryan will be in a position to do more with the theatre than a vaude- ville manager only. HYMAN'S OLD HOUSE BURNS. Johannesburg, Sept. 2. A fire which started from some un- known cause a few nights ago burned the old Empire Theatre here to the ground. Hyman's Now Empire was erected re- cently to supplant the former home of vaudeville in this city. WESTERN EXPECTS HYDE & BBH- ;:; MAN..'..:..-' Notwithstanding denials by the Elastern Wheel officials, the impression persists that Hyde & Behman will ultimately swing over to the Western Burlesque Wlieel Hide. No one could be found in the Kmpire Circuit headquarters who was will- in;; to go on public record as saying that the Ilrooklyn firm was actively consider- ing an immediate jump to the opposition, but one Western manager, who up until this time has been rather inclined to make little of the rumors touching the matters that have been in circulation for several weeks, put it this way: *WhIle I have no actual knowledge thaL there is a change impending in the busi- nes.s interests of Hyde & Behman, I, to- gether with many of my business asso- ciates, am fully convinced that the Brook- lyn firm will sooner or later be affiliated with us. It would surprise me not at all to see this happen within a very short time. That is the general impression pre- vailing in our organization. "It is entirely due to this feeling, un- supported though it may be by any actual promise or indication on the part of the Brooklyn managers, that the project of building a Western Wheel theatre in Will iamsburg has hung fire so long. The East- erners have a strong house there and our logical course would be, of course, to put in opposition. The explanation of why we have not done so is that we believe Hyde & Behman's Gavetv in that section will soon be given over to Western \Vheel shows and that any plan of ours to build up an opposition would, under the circum- stances, be a waste of valuable ammuni- tion.** . "Here i*; another phase of the situation,*' said another Western man: "Last May when propositions looking to the amalga- mation of the two wheels were flying hither and thither, the negotiations had advanced to such a point that the general understanding was that both wheels would merge. In these negotiations Henry Hyde was the prime niover and represented the faction in the Eastern Wheel that wanted to merge. When everything was practi- cally settled the opposite faction in the Eastern—the faction that was standing out against the amalgamation—won Hyde over to their way of thinking by handing him pretty much all the power there was in the Eastern Circuit. Hyde, so the story goes, has since found out that this power is merely nominal and in the essen- tials represents nothing. Hence his re- ported dissatisfaction." Bennett Wilson, general manager of the Hyde & Behman enterprises, when asked regarding the report, said: "This is the first I have heard about it. As far as I know, there i« absolutely no truth in the story." The rumor may have gained currency in much the same manner that a report of Weber & Rush leaving the Eastern Wheel made its appearance. L. Lawrence Weber was approached by a prominent legitimate manager and asked if he would entertain any proposition looking toward linking his firm with the Western Wheel. A guarantee of any demands was ofTered. The query was delicately put to Mr. Weber, who refused even to answer it. HOPKINS READY TO QUIT, r^ ; "• Variety's Chicago Ullice, ; ; ; 79 S. Clark St., ■,■:'*;;■ •;/■•>>•" ^■.: Oct. 6. The vaudeville houses conducted by the Hopkins Amusement Company in Mem phis, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky., are on the market. Col. John D. Hopkins, who controls the company, wishes to leave vaudeville and devote all time to his sum- mer park enterprises. He has two large summer amusement resorts in St. LouLs iuul Louisville. J. J. Shubert, of the Shubert Brothers, was in Chicago this week talking the matter over with Col. Hopkins. The Shu- berts want to negotiate for the theatres. The Orpheum Circuit also is desirous of securing the Hopkins theatres. It would be of aid to its present circuit, making a break to the Orpheum Theatre in Ne\v~ Orleans. The Inter State Amusement Com- pany, which books through the Western Vaudeville Association, the combination which includes also the Hopkins houses and the Orpheum circuit, object to the Orpheum circuit taking the Hopkins houses. The Inter State has a Southern circuit of its own and would like to add these two cities to its string. It threatens if the Orpheum takes over Memphis to build an opposition vaudeville house there. Nothing further can be learned of what disposition Col. Hopkins will make of his theatres. LAMKIN HAS COLD FEET. Toledo, O., Oct. 5. With the opening of the Valentine The- atre here, playing Keith vaudeville, H. H. r>amkin, manager of the Arcade, the sole Toledo vaudeville house up to the debut of the Valentine, has contructcil a case of 'cold feet" and will play the Shubert at tractions only in the Arcade hereafter, giv- ing up the vaudeville end. Mr. Lamkin's bookings with the Shuberts forbade a con- tinuous policy of variety, the legitimate attractions breaking up the week. I^mkin will continue to give vaudeville at his Bay City and Saginaw, Mich., the- atres. It is problematical whether he will continue booking through Morris. It is not thought here that Lamkin is positive himself as to his future intentions. Inside information says when Lamkin wired to New York of his decision to give up the Arcade for vaudeville he imme- diately received a reply from managers booking through the New York office of Morris that they would take the lease. The prohibitive price which Lamkin there- upon placed on it was the barrier to the deal going through. MORRIS IN ST. PAUL. Chicago, Oct. 5. The old Orpheum Theatre in St. Paul has been secured by the Morris people. The name will be changed to the Majestic. It is being remodelled and vaudeville of a high grade only will be presented in it. Arthur Fabish, William Morris* Chicago representative, left last night for St. Paul to take charge of the house. THAT MONTAUK DEAL. Kuutors were flying around this week relative to the New Montauk Theatre in Hr(K)klyn. Variety printed last week that B. F. Keith was after it as opposition to Williams' Orpheum in that borough. The Montauk Theatre Company controls the New Montauk. Ex-Senator W. H. Reynolds is president. A meeting of the company was held on Wednesday, when the matter was gone into. Keith had of- fered about $600,000 for the theatre, but the asking price was $600,000. The Ma- jestic Theatre in the same section of the town which Keith had previously nego- tiated for was at a figure of $500,000. Mr. Keith has declared that he will have aHheatre in Brooklyn against Percy Wil- liams at any price, and it would occasion no surprise did he take up the lease of the "STew- Montauk. Percy G. Williams, who^ is a stockholder in the Montauk Theatre Company, is a strong advocate of the sale. In speaking of the deal this week Mr. Williams remarked that he thought the company should accept any figure approxi- mating $600,000. 'If the difference be- tween what is asked and what Keith of- fers is within reason, I will make it up myself," said Mr. Williams. A solution which presents itself to Keith as a possible entrance to Brooklyn without a large outlay of money is the change of policy in the Hyde & Behman houses in the Baby Borough. Were the Grand Opera House to have vaudeville, and the shows now playing in that theatre shifted to the Hyde & Behman Adams street house, now playing vaudeville, it would give Keith a house within range of the Orpheum. With Hyde & Behman booking through the Keith Office the situation might satisf '• torily be adjusted along with any outside interests that may be concerned in the deal. ALMOST BOUGHT OUT RYAN. Cincinnati, Oct. 5. It is learned here from what is consid- ered reliable authority the terms of the deal which was all but completed whereby an association of local theatre managers was to have bought up John J. Ryan's Olympic Theatre, eliminating opposition to the Columbia. The local uianagers were each to contribute a pro rata share toward the purchase price, and the house was to have remained dark. James E. Fennessy, of the Western Wheel of Bur lesque, was the only one who held out against the plan. It was through his op- position that it fell through. Anderson & Ziegler afterward attempted to secure a lease of the Olympic, but Ryan raised the price and finally refused to consider any proposition at all. BECK GOES TO FRISCO. Martin Beck, general manager of the Orpheum circuit, and John J. Murdock, of Chicago, arrived in town last Monday. Mr. Beck leaves to-morrow (Sunday) night for a direct trip to San Francisco. MORRIS BEATS KEITH TO COLUMBUS. Columbus, O., Oct. 4. Unavailing efforts have been put for ward by B. F. Keith to open the Empire Theatre in the near tntnre as a vaudeville house. But there is a serious hitch with the building department and it is now un likely that the theatre will be opened at all this season. Whether they "jncceed in o])ening or not. William Morris will hn here ahead of Keith, as he opens the Shubert house on October 22 with a big vaudeville bill. The Shubert house will be given over entirely to Morris for the remainder of the season.