Variety (Oct 1906)

VARIETY ALL OVER THE WORLD DESIRABLE FOREIGN ACTS. By CHARLES LEONARD FLETCHER.. '^ (ilasgow, Scotland. ' I am on my last werk in Scotland. With no matinees I am playing golf, breathing big chunks of Scotch ozone, and eschew- ing all other forms of dissipation. Am neglecting everything for golf. An> turn- ing myself into a goat, walking over hill and dale ei;:Iiteen miles daily. ,. ,. , , Am too f:«r a way from London to get good news hot ofT the griddle. Variety each week thoroughly chronicles the news and it is devoured greedily by the artists I come in i'ontact with. It makes us all honmsick when we read of the activity that is going on in vaudeville at home. 1 have run across several small acts in the provinces who seem to have been over- looked by the American agents. They would be glad to go to America, even at a small figure, and could make good. There are three girls, billed as "Dolly, Agnes and .Maude," who are genuine Lancashire fac- tory girls, with good voices, possessed of health and beauty. On the stage they make pasteboard boxes, singing while at work. The act is a genuine novelty and could be booked for $150. But I'm not an agent and simply call the attention of American managers to their worth. Then there is Flo D'Orville, a young woman who sings coster songs. A snuill turn, but a female Chevalier. One liundreil dollars would be cheap for her in America and she would jump at it. Ted and May Hopkins, brother and sister, both native Welsh people, do a novel talking and sinking act in "one," so absolutely humorous and pathetic they would appeal to an American audience from the very start. CouM be had for $1(M) and worth $250. They made a big hit at the Coli- seum last year, but no American agent noticcil it. Then there is Frank Hartley, who bills himself as the "INx'ket Cinque- valli," a wonderful little juvenile juggler. I sup|)(»se he gets about thirty dollars here. Worth a hundred in America. I (ouhl mention a score of good snuill turns «»ut here who ought to be snapped up. I note thsit .Jack Lorinier is booked for the Williiun.s time. IIo will make good. He is an unctiious crazy little Scotchman, full of talent and magnetism and can not fail. Also note that (JcJirge Mozart is booked. There is a doubt in mv mind about him for America. He is funny, yes, very funny, but rather of the sjapstick kind. Whv don't vou get hold of (ins CJarrick? His Inimor is of the extreme ec<'entric kind, but you can't help but laugh. Harry Ford is ajiother comic singer who ought t«) be had. His style and material could not fall down. He is high priced here. .And Harry Handall. Ah. there is a nam*', and wiuit a <'omedian I Hut I doubt il he has any oj)en time for America. For intelligence and healthy comedy commend me to Harrv Handall. Tell vour agents to make a bid for him. .T. K. Hnnvillc savs he has (((fers for .\merica. I say ''don't.'' He is funny after twelve at night, but not for .Xmerican refined au<li- ences. Lillie Souttar is the best in Vesta Victoria's class here. If she ever goes to America, an instant hit. Get her if you can. V Cmo after Millie Lindon, an artiste whose songs and personality suggests no one I ;. GERMANY. i • By EMIL PERLMANN (Editor "Der Artist"). ' UutTalo Kill finished September 1) his tour through (Jermany, which was crowned everywhere with a big success. After having paid a visit to several towns in Helgium he closed hiti season on Septem- ber 21. Richard Havemann has returned from his American tour. Before starting his engagements over here he will take a vvell-earne«l rest. I^ Comtessc de X., a famous latly trainer, intends to put "Red Riding Hood" on the stage with real wolves and a beau- tiful girl. The entire story will be acted. The idea is (piite new and there may be a rush to secure this novelty. Luigi and .Anita Rossi are back from your .side after a Mtay of fifty-five we<«ks. They are now a feature at the circus Albert Schumann with their musical liorsc Emir. The Walhalla Theatre in Rerlin, the o|)ening of which I described in my latest notes, is already in diflficulties. The director wrote all artists engaged cancelling their engagements. The prospect of business does not allow him to engage many high- salaried acts. As the director is a well- known man among artists I think he will moot with no refusal. —^'he new Thalia 1'heatrc in Klberfeld will have a stage which will be a model in all |)oints. For every act there will be a suitable set. Director Martin Stein has engaged a great number of first-class acts to open December 1. ever saw, A gold mine for American man- agers, yet T never heard of an offer having been made her for America. She is a jewel. .Albert Ix» Fre is a comedian and graceful dancer who has never been of- fered an .American engagement. He has brains, originality and talent. Clinch him. I^its of talk here about what Ceorge Lash- wood would do in America. I'm a bit doubtful. For musical comedy, yes. but for vaudeville where the matinee girls do not freipient I think that Lash wood's •'Beau Brunjmel" methods would prove a frost. I see '*The l^ricklayers," a knockalmut farce presented here for years by the Bois- sett tn)upe. are mentioned for a possible •American engagement. It will never do. Nothing but a rough-and-tum})Ie act with an unnejossarily big ca.st, Frank Lynne has some new songs. I think he would fare much better for a return trip to .America and I'd like to see him go back. 1 am sure he would now more than double his last season's success. I've been over here so lotig that I have a thorough knowledge of the values. I am working amongst them and I believe I am in a better position to judge of an act's value here than the average agent. I may be wrong in my estimation of some turns, but I watch them from the "front" as well as "back." and I'd be willing to gamble real money on most of their chances at home. AUSTRALIA. By 0. G. SEYMOUR. Sydney, Sept. 3. "The Squaw Man" did not do as w«'ll as was expected here. It ran about six weeks in Melbourne. A good production and should have done better, but I don't think any American company coming over here would do well, and I advise anyone thinking about bringing a company out here to give up that idea and save money. Collier did nothing and Kolb and Dill went to pieces. Tom Nawn's company went to the wall and he had a hard time of it. Henry Lee wax a big loser here. I know of no show that has done anything out here. Even the American acts have had a hard time of it trying to please. Occa- sionally an act from America does well; I am one of the fortunate ones. Dick Knowles just left here on the "Sierra" to open in Frisco. He deserves a lot of credit. They tried to keep him off and did all the damage they could, but Knowles is a sticker, fooling them all. The Bicknells, dancers, have been here for three years, not doing as well as I should like to have seen. They have a good act and will do well to remain at home. Eddie Lang, formerly with the Ciothams in America, is over here working with his wife. They also have a good show. The Bicknells are leaving for Eng- land in a few days to try their luck there. T>ang and his wife will go to America soon rtnd give it a try. Vic Kelly, of Kelly and Agnes, is also going to give America a trial. They are doing well here. Kelly is funny and a good comedian and should drop into something good at home. The funniest comedian that I have ever seen is here in this country, Fred Bluett. If he ever goes over he is good to remain for life. Some American manager is going to grab that fellow if he ever gets a line on him. Burlesque managers at home are always clamoring for good soubrettes. Here's where you can get some good cheap ones that know how to sing and dance. There is no money over here for the Australian artist. They have to take what is oflTered, and that is very little, as there is no oppo- sition to speak of. If you play for Rickards you must take the first steamer back as soon as your engagement is up or lose your fares, and if you stay he can prevent you from work- ing for anyone else. The others are all small places that don't pay any money. The "Motor Oirls" opened here Saturday and is the biggest kind of a frost. Rickards is making a big blunder in booking so many English acts, as the ma- jority have nothing that is novel, and there is not much novelty in England. A'asco. "the Mad Musician," and Alex- ander and Bertie leave here on the "Sono- ma" Friday, the boat that carries this mail, and they will open at the Orpheum in Frisco. They will play a tour of the States. ■<.: SHEA AFTER BIG FEATURE. Buffalo, Oct. 6. The advent of William Morris' "All Star Vaudeville" into Buffalo is playing havoc with 'Mike" Shea's peace of mind. Mr. Shea is. the manager of Buffalo's recognized vaudeville house and added to his bill this week after seeing what the billboards had to say about the Morris show. ■,^..,. _ .,.. _ ; „..,, . Under the impression that the opposi- tion next week would be the troupe trav- elling with The Great Lafayette, Mr. Shea announced Geo. Fuller Golden as the com- ing headliner. When the Morris list for the second week was made public the Bison City manager discovered that La- fayette's aggregation was simply a por- tion of the whole. The balance caused him to wire to New York for a "big" act. In the telegram he named "The Futurity Winner" as the feature he would like, but owing to a previous booking made through the Morris oflfice Mr. Shea could not ob- tain it. As yet his "strengthener" has not been made known. SHAPIRO-REMICK SUIT. The suit of Maurice Shapiro against Jerome II. Remick will shortly come up for trial. When Shapiro sold his inter- est in the firm of Shapiro, Hemick & Go. he received notes for a sum aggregating some $.35,000 and an agreement calling for a royalty of one eighth of one cent per copy on all sheet music sold by Rem- ick for a long term to come. .After accepting the notes Shapiro made .11 flying visit to Detroit, where he dis- counted them to Remick, signing a re- lease of all claims of "whatsoever na- ture, etc." Shapiro's contention now is that the release docs not include the roy- alty payments of one eighth cent per copy. The Majestic Theatre at Columbus Cir- cle will have Sunday vaudeville concerts comnlencing October 14, booked by Myers & Keller. HELF & HAGER SPREADING. Helf & Hnger are negotiating for a lease of the entire building in wliich they now occupy but one floor. If they are unsuccessful in securing it they will look around for new quarters in the vicinity of Fortv-second street. D«ar Editor: Tust to iet you Know «9 nlslald the laot Varlet/ you <»^nt u» and wo wont to the NerB Agency In t.Us town (UarflJvUtown, la.) to got one. They told us that thoy hal sold out. i^ciad that not maKo /ou mad? ^ ^ ^._, Chllde »ind outm.