Variety (Nov 1906)

VARIETY NO BURLESQUE MERGER. With the burlesque season well on its way the talk leaves the "get-up" and "business" of the shows and travels toward the prospects of the two opposition Wheels finally agreeing upon terms for next season which will do away with the present battle. Up to date the strife has been one continual strain, causing finan- cial loss and much worry to the mana- gerial minds and pockets. For self-pro- tection if nothing else when "fight" means continual financial loss, the burlesque manager ■ would come together and straighten out the curves and kinks. This week Variety prints the views of a Western Wheel manager, Thomas W. Dinkins, on the subject. Next week an interview with an Eastern Wheel man will be published. Mr. Dinkins said; "Mind, I am expressing my personal opinion and in no sense speaking with any degree of authority for the Empire Circuit (Western Burlesque Wheel) when I say that there is not the slightest prob- ability of the two Wheels pooling interests within the next half dozen years. The circuits are further apart just at this time than they have been since they have had separate existence. "The operations of both sides in secur- ing new houses this year has contributed to this condition. There is too much cap- ital invested by each to permit of a mer- ger. "The Empire has now some thirty-five houses and needs but four or five to com- plete its season of forty weeks. We could enter that many cities in which the East- ern people have houses and in which we have not, whereas should there be a com- bination, the burlesque season would be burdened by an enormous surplusage of theatres and shows that would stretch it out almost twice around the calendar unless an immense number was eliminated. This alternative is positively not to be considered, both sides being bound up in contracts that make such a solution an impossibility." HAGENBECK LEASES ATHLETIC PARK. New Orleans, Nov. 2. The summer amusement resort known as Athletic Park, which experienced finan- cial difficulties some time ago, a receiver having been appointed for the company operating it, has been leased for four years to a corporation entitled "The Hagenbeck Garden and Zoo." J. H. Livingston, a park promoter, and W. E. Fuller, general agent for the Hagen- beck Shows, put the deal through. It is the intention of Hagenbeck's to make New Orleans its winter quarters and maintain a permanent zoo. During the summer comic opera or vaudeville in the park will be arranged for. The Hagen- beck Show winds up the season here on next Wednesday, going into winter seclu- sion at the park immediately. NORFOLK PLAYS VAUDEVILLE. Norfolk, Va., Nov. 2. The Majestic Theatre which has been abandoned by the Eastern Burlesque Wheel, owing to the alleged crude local management, will play vaudeville, obtain- ing its bookings through the office of Will- iam Morris in New York City. The last burlesque show played here on October 27. KEITH TYING UP ACTS. The United Booking Agency is actively engaged in endeavoring to secure the sig- natures of as many of the standard acts as they can corral to blanket contracts for thirty weeks for the season of 1907-08. Some artists have already signed, but most are fighting shy of the proposition, pre- ferring to await developments. They realize that good acts are growing scarcer every day, and as the salaries are regu- lated by the demand they feel reasonably sure that they can command more money through delay. Of course a contract calling for thirty- weeks work in the future is an alluring bait and one worth considering, at the regular salary or even at a reduction; but the artist has the idea that he will be entitled to more money as his reputation is enhanced and that the demand will be greater for the right kind of material, it becomes a difficult matter to convince him under those circumstances that he should accept any amount of booking at the present time or salary. Another important fact to be taken into consideration is that the Keith Agency contracts prohibit an act from playing in any opposition house for either a week or a Sunday concert under penalty of a cancellation of the remainder of the route. That Keith intends to enforce this clause was demonstrated last week, when Maude Lambert was taken ill on Wednesday and unable to play at the Victoria. Clarice Vance was appearing at the Keith-Proctor Fifty-eighth Street Theatre and William Hammerstein wanted Miss Vance to help him out by finishing the week at both houses. Miss Vance was willing to oblige, but permission was refused by the people for whom she was playing. BERKELEY LYCEUM IDEA REVIVED. The failure of "Mam'zelle Champagne" at the Berkeley Lyceum and advance no- tice of the closing of the theatre under the Bluinenthal management to-night caused negotiations to be again resumed by Mark A. Luescher for the control of the house. Mr. Luescher's original scheme was to place exclusive vaudeville features in the theatre for an exclusive clientele. It will be settled on Tuesday next whether he will assume the future management on those lines. ANOTHER ORPHEUM OPENING. Leavenworth, Kan., Nov. 2. There are two theatres now building here which will give vaudeville. One under the management of Hankins & Griffin will be opened by January 1. It wil be listed on the Orpheum circuit and Leavenworth looks forward to good vaude- ville. The other belongs to Maurice Cunnig- ham. That will open December 1, although both houses may be delayed through the customary building troubles. BARNES' AGENCY N. Y. OFFICE. F. M. Barnes, of Barnes' Western The- atrical Exchange, has been in the city this week looking about for a location for a New York branch of his agency. An office will be opened here by December 1. Mr. Barnes' permanent headquarters will remain in Chicago. Mr. Barnes makes a specialty of fairs for his bookings. He has never booked a fair east of Cleveland, but has on his books over three hundred to which atten- tion by the Western office is given. AUSTRALIA'S SUMMER PARK. Melbourne, Sept. 29. Australia is going to have its "Coney Island" in this city. The Salambos' fine summer park, modelled after your 'Dream- land," is nearing completion. It has the- atres, domes, kiosks, turrets, gardens, etc., and has already added a new feature to St. Kilda, Australia's principal seaside re- sort. KEITH NOT AFTER MAJESTIC. George H. Nicolai, general manager for Stair & Havlin, denies that any negotia- tions are on at present for the purchase or lease of the firm's Majestic Theatre in Brooklyn, or any of its other houses, for the use of vaudeville. / "The Majestic was built because it was needed by the circuit," Mr. Nicolai said, "and if it were not required it is evident that we would not have made such an investment. Of course, everything can be bought, and if we were offered an attrac- tive price we could not reasonably refuse to sell. As to our other houses, we haven't one too many and are well con- tent to retain them all." TOO MUCH MONEY TO WORK. Ray and Bennedetto, the aerial ladder and balancing team, have parted, at least for the present. Bennedetto in communi- cating the news to a Broadway agent ex- plained the dissolution of partnership by declaring that he had been left a com- petency through the death of a relative which made future toil in the glad field of amusing a captious public not longer necessary. The bequest, according to Ben- nedetto, consists of real estate holdings in Pennsylvania. JOHN L. STILL A FEATURE. John L. Sullivan has been booked for ten weeks over the Eastern Burlesque Wheel beginning with Sam S. Scribner's show in Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 10. Walter Plimmer, the booking agent for the Western Wheel, says he arranged the time. It is declared that the "ex-champ's" compensation has undergone some changes since last year, the big fellow now de- manding $600 as well as a percentage on all receipts above $5,000 on the week. "THE CANDY" FOR "NERVE." Gus Edwards, the music publisher, is persona non grata in at least one vaude- ville theatre in the city. Not long ago he sued Maurice Boom, proprietor of the Grand Street Family Theatre, for the bal- ance of salary alleged to be due his "Postal Telegraph Boys," and was defeated in the courts. Subsequently in the search for places for his gratuituous songsters he ap- proached the young woman who warbles popular ballads in the Boom institution with the request that she use some items from his catalogue. The request was re- ferred to Miss Wineberg, the chief official of the Grand street institution in the absence of Mr. Boom, and she plased her immediate and emphatic veto on it. VAUDEVILLE WHILE YOU EAT. London, Oct. 25. Joseph Lyons, the great popular price caterer of this city, who may best be de- scribed to New Yorkers as "The Childa of London," has announced that he pro- poses to lease and build a series of music halls and winter gardens, where "refined" entertainments will be given, the visitor* to which to be supplied with luncheon and temperance refreshments. According to Lyons, there are a million and a half of people in London, not count- ing the floating population, who fear to enter the present music halls on account of the bars. His winter gardens are to be constructed along the lines of the French cafes. Smoking will be permitted but no intoxicants are to be sold. Coming from almost any other outsider than Joseph Lyons an announcement of this kind would be regarded as somewhat visionary, but to those who know the caterer of the Crystal Palace, Olympia, Karl's Court, Trocadero Restaurant and the owner of over one hundred popular priced eating houses, the statement must be given credence. He is a very wealthy man and could readily put such a scheme into effect. WILLIAMS PLAYS LANGTRY. The contract held by Lily l^iugtry from P. (j. Williams calling for three weeks commencing November 12 will be played. Mrs. l^angtry will open at the Orpheum in Boston, afterward playing the Colonial in New York and the Orpheum in Brook- lyn. Although not decided, it is unlikely that she will appear at the Williams' Al- hambra in Harlem. NEW MAGIC CLOCK. Felix Berol, formerly of Berol and Berol and a brother of Max and William, with J, Warren Keene, have devised a "magic clock" which will tell the date or birth of any prominent person. It is called "Askme." The face of the clock only is used. That is transparent glass, fastened to a small box. An exhibition was given this week in an agent's office. The clock may be used in connection with Mr. Keene's own act. The Standard, Davenport, la., will put in stock burlesque next week to run for the balance of the season. Clayton Kennedy and Mattie Rooney Who will sail on Tuesday next for a four weeka engagement In London, returning at the ex- piration to open on the William* Circuit.