Variety (Oct 1906)

8 VARIETY VARIETY NEWS ERO It is rumored that two hundred man- agers are now in the Anglo-Continental combine and they hold their meetings as secretly as if they were ashamed of the alliance. The very worst of Continental confidence men—who close people on the three-day clause, the discretionary clause and the obligation to obey the house rules; who even send capable people the twenty- four hours' notice and close them before they open—must now be referred to as "brothers" by the English directors. It's a strange mix-up, but to speak with brutal frankness, some EMglishmen arc easily worked by exponents of the double en- tendre contract. A good supper and a few bottles of wine will do wonders and make the honest and guileless Britisher swallow all kinds of nonsense, besides voting his deceiver a good fellow. By C. C. BARTRAM. VARIETY'S London Office, 40 Lisle street, In two European publications conducted in the interests of artists it is never al- lowed to puff or praiKC a performance. 'J'he idea is good and then again it is bad. If a man jumps from the stage to the gal- lery and then turns a somersault back you flare not call it a "a good jump** in either of these journals. Even if the cow jumped over the moon you could only state the frtot plainly—the same as Mother Goose iKd. In court proceedings the worst of the German dirt doers ridicule the sworn affi- davits of English and American directors and tell the bench their judgment is no good. If they want to affiliate with them you can take my word for it that they want to try and manipulate them. The Pavilion is doing roaring business, as result of the "roast" given it by W. T. Stead, and from which he excepted T>a Milo, the living white statue, and Radford A Valentine. I-<a Milo and her manager Cruickshank have since taken tea with Mr. Stead, and as both he and Cruickshank are old newspaper men there is little doubt how things were worked. The history of Carl (Little Pich), now at the Empire, is interesting. He is a Buda- Peath Hebrew and was getting about $125 monthly with a theatrical company when Little Tich came to the Wintergarten, Berlin. "There is something for you," said Oscar Dreyer, a Berlin theatrical agent. "Watch that every night, and when you pet it down I will finance the act." Obedi- ent to instructions, Carl was there every evening and when proficient Dreyer got about $025 monthly for the act, "Little rich" jfottinjf nbont $2.W and the rest swelling Drover's purse. He broke away from his backer and growing bold billed himself on one occasion as "Little Tich." Bills of this were sent Harry Tich in Ten- don and there was such a "kick-up" in "Der Artist*' that his name swung back to "Little Pich" again. Having reached a wage of $875, his highest salary up to that time, Pich was fired with sudden ambition nnd said he "must go to London." He has never done so till this year of grace and then had to change his name. So far the original *T.ittle Tich" has never noticed his advent. Marie Tempest Ik making; nn unqualified success at the Palace and packing it till the walls bulge. There have been four statements, each a rise on the other, put out about her salary, and you may believe them all if you are a good believer. w '-■ '■'•■•■•■ -^ •:: •;■ .■■'■'. ' ■• ■.■ ■■"' Sidii. The courts arc now taking the opin- ions of the German "experts" as to the dilference between Dida and Sida. - A Yorkshire chorus of 291 selected vo- calists has gone to Germany to tour Dus- soldorf, Cologne and Frankfurt, and with such a large bunch let us hope their con- tract is well scratched. The Oxford has been extensively "fixed up" without stopping the show while al- terations were pending. Eight London stiburban theatres have turned music halls—Sadler's Wells, Britannia, Surrey, I>uchess, Metropole, Ealing, Richmond and Brixton. Since 1902 no one has had the courage to erect a new dramatic house in a liOndon suburb. The Palace Theatre has dpclared a five per cent dividend, and $15,000 ha* been placed to a special reserve fund to meet any alterations or expenditures suggested by the TiOndon County Council. The high- est dividend on record here is twenty-five per cent, but of late times have been rather hard, affecting most London halls. The present outlook is excellent. A new director is to be elected in the place of the late chairman, Count Max Hollender. Mile. Genee, who trips "the light fantas- tic toe" at the Empire and has perhaps the highest reput-ation of any European ballet dancer, may go to America in 1908. Her great success there would be beyond nil question. Socially she has hiph stand- ing and off the stage dresses in quiet good tnsto. Mme. Katie Lanner is back at the Empire, actively supervising the next ballet. Henri Gros, president of the Proprietors* Association, is out with a big kick against the municipal employment of singers in the parks to do two songs twice daily. He calls the attention of ratepayers to the "very generous salaries" that have been already oflTered, and says London managers will be in a peculiar position when barring those who can take away their licenses. Artists will not object to the new move. They say "the more the merrier," and it tickles them to be offered "generous sal- aries.*' As to barring clau.se troubles, they are willing to see the managers have them. Tn Berlin "The Creation of a Wonian Out of Nothing," that simple trick which pulled Hammerstein's purse so hard and was given away in burlesque shows, now figures in the courts. The alleged inven- tor, Herr Rosenfeld, hired a man to show it under the name of Dida, but he made some improvements and stole it, calling it l^'or poor little Dot Stephens, who fell out the side door of an English railway car and lost both her feet under the wheels, the I»ndon Era has raised so far about $10,500 and is still enlarging the fund with a view to a yearly annuity. Miss Stephens is a sweet-tempered, patient suflTerer and her case is most deserving. It has just come out that Henry Irving*8 only appearance on the music hall stage was at a benefit for his friend M. Georges Jacoby, composer of 103 ballets and twenty-six years at the Alhambra, whose <leath has made such a gap in musical circles. ■ There is every chance of a new theatre being built in Oxford street not far from B. F. Keith's Princess's Theatre. The Messrs. Warings are the backers in the scheme. The hou.se will be devoted to va- riety. There will be the barring ijuestion to be considered, as it is within the radius of the Oxford, Pavilion, Palace and Mid- dlesex halls. The team of Wood and Bates have split. Win. B. Woods will do a single turn. The new Hicks Theatre in Shaftesbury avenue is nearing completion and will open December 10. Walter Gibbons has added another house to his list trie Brixton Theatre. It has been a legit ininto house for years and will become a "twice-nightly" variety theatre in October. Some justified kicks arc being made by Americans on the way they are handled at twice-nightly shows in the Provinces. One comedy act of high salary and in- ternational reputation is constantly being put on to open and close the show and is often cut to five minutes. This is not only very poor showmanship, but a bad return for the flattering way good English acts are treated in America. From the artistic stand'point twice- iiiglitly is a nuisance, as programs are overcrowded so that many names can be l)illed and excellent turns cut down to six or seven minutes. One artiste on the Stoll Tout getting $75 did one trick only out of a long fine show, clearing the stage in three minuti's. There is little inducement to learn new stuff when there is not enoufjh time given to do it. A rumor that the Empire would revert to a dramatic theatre has been started and denied. It first opened as a legitimate house on December 21, 1887. It is booking turns two years ahead at present, but pos- sibly has decided to use fewer of them, in- troducing in addition to the ballet more light musical and operatic sketches. SOUTI1 APRiGA ; By NEWELL AND NIBLO. Empire Theatre, :, Johannesburg, Sept. 2. We left New York on July 17, arrived in liondon in due time and sailed for (^aj»e Town on August 4. Arrived there in seventeen days, after a very pleasant voy- .i,';e. \Aiu\ over in Cape Town until the iifcxt morning, which is a new way, as formerly all artists left on the day of arrival. .•.",■•', The Cape (lovernment Railway has re- • cntly ad«led another train, which makes the jump in fourteen hours less time, with a dining car all the way and fairly good sleeping accommodations. We had been dreading the rail journey, having heard of its hardships, but now it is different. We reached ".loburg," as all the natives call Johannesburg, on time Friday morn- ing, and were met at the station by a crowd, among whom were our old Ameri- can friends Phil and Nettie Peters. They have the nice habit of sitting in their seats here until the show is over. The theatre is new, larj^e and beautifully furnished. Dressing rooms ample and nicely fitted up; windows opening on to a court, which gives plenty of fresh air. A nice green room for the artists to lounge in. Regarding the treatment of the women it may be well to go into details, owing to past conflicting stories. The Empire <»of to day is not the old Empire. Then the audiences were practically composed of men. Since the building of the new house society has taken it up and it is not uncommon to see half the lower floor filled with ladies and the Wednesday matinee, which is the only one given, is principally composed of ladies and chil- dren. If a single girl comes out here and chooses to behave herself she will positive- ly not have any more trouble in doing so than in New York or Tiondon. Of course, if she wishes to go out to wine suppers and have a good time she will be jliven plenty of opportunity. To men who contemplate bringing their wives I can say with assurance that they have noth- ing whatever to fear. The women artists will be treated with as much courtesv and respect here as at home and possibly more, 'lljc position is exactly the same as at home. It all depends upon the woman. Joburg used to be a very expensive city to live in and is still for that matter, but things are growing cheaper every month. One can find all prices to suit their purse and individual tastes at about <me-third more than in New Y''ork. Drinks are expensive, twenty-five cents being the regular price for all drinks served across the bar, except home-brewed beer, which is twelve cents of our money. Clothes arc about double London prices; so are shoes. May say to those considering the trip that it is not only a very pleasant engagement but profitable as well, and they will find the Messrs. Ilyman most solicitous for artists' comfort.