Variety (August 1907)

VARIETY V MEYERHOFF SUES ARTIST. Papers have been served in an aetion brought against Stanley, of Murphy, Stan- ley and Murphy (The Emerald Trio), by Hans Meyerhoff, who alleges that the ar- tist uttered libelous statements against him. The plaintiff asks for $10,000 damages. The Emerald Trio was complainant against Meyerhoff in a case brought be- fore License Commissioner John N. Bo. gart recently. TJhe artists demanded the return of transportation, and the matter was settled by the payment of the amount. It was shortly after this, Meyer- hoff declares in his moving papers, that Stanley injured him by making false statements concerning him to fellow ar- tists. House, Grossman & Vorhaus appear for Meyerhoff, while the defense is in the hands of the Actors' Legal Aid Society. ACT PLAYS AS AGREED. The Avon Comedy Four are playing at Morrison's, Rockaway, this week, as per the contract held by them to do so. At one time the Quartet was on the verge of playing Keith's, Philadelphia. Hugo Morris, who has charge of the bookings for beach theatres, called the at- tention of R. C. Mudge, president of the White Rats, to the case. Mr. Mudge wired the act and received a message in return from Joe Smith, the manager of the Four, saying the Rockaway Beach agreement .would be lived up to. CELIA GALLEY WILL SUE. House, Grossman & Vorhaus, as counsel for Celia Galley, declares that the foreign artiste will start an action to recover from Klaw & Erlanger the amount of $5,250 which she claims is due her under contracts with that firm. Miss Galley held contracts calling for 20 weeks' work but only worked five. Thomas Q. Seabrooke and Louise Allen Collier have been considering a partner- ship to play vaudeville with a new sketch. NAT WENTWORTH. When Mr. Wentworth ■MntneO the assistant management of tbe ICiMlon Thentre, San Fran rlaco, he ronnded out a career of marked v«>n»n tllity. Mr. Wentworth holds tbe i • <ord run as bulla dint at the Mission. His micreil on the Pacific Coast uns Influenced him to iv.iect several flattering offer* from the oth<T shit- of *he Rockies. SETTLEMENT DENIAL FROM CHICAGO. Chicago, Aug. 2. The report that the United people had offered Klaw & Krlanger $4,000,000 in ten annual payments if they would stay out of the vaudeville field is explicitly and most emphatically denied by the Chicago managers, who refer to it as '"a brazen falsehood without any basis of truth." An authoritative representative of the Kohl & Castle Company said: "This is not the first time announcements that we have a desire to pay Klaw & Erlanger fabulous sums for keeping off the vaude- ville grass have come out. Last spring they testified to a certified check for $250,000, which our people on bended knees were supposed to be begging them to accept. All of the bombast about new theatres and international trusts has not shaken a single plum from the sturdy vaudeville tree that has been flourishing for many years. "Our people show no disposition to pay tribute at all to the dramatic mogul. In fact, they are not proposing to pay any- thing. It is a long time since they were disposed to be frightened by hot air or East wind." The Majestic Theatre officials are ap- parently reticent as to the outcome of the impending opposition here. Four theatres of Kohl & Castle's will be in full swing next season, while the Auditorium is scheduled to open with vaudeville in Oc- tober, under the Klaw &, Erlanger ban- ner, giving Chicago five houses with high- class variety entertainment. K. & C. SAY TWO MORE. Chicago, Aug. 2. A statement from the offices of Kohl & Castle gives credence to the proposed building of two new vaudeville theatres in Chicago by a company of which Chas. E. Kohl is the leading factor. Whether the demand for vaudeville in this city en- couraged the project, or the invasion of Klaw & Erlanger next season actuated the desire to build, the announcement has been authorized bv Mr. Kohl. The downtewn playhouse will'be erected on State street between Jackson boule- vard and Van Burcn street, in tl.e "loop" district. The location of the other has not yet been mentioned; but it will be or. the Xorthwest side, in the vicinity of Mil waukee avenue. The enterprise will be operated in conjunction with the other Kohl & Castle theatres, but will not in- volve the interests* of the firm in other respects. McCREE SIGNS FOR STOCK. Junie McCree has given up vaudeville next season to accept a position with the stock company at the LaSalle Theatre. Chicago. The news at first caused some comment along Kroadway, in view of tin- fact thai Mr. McCree is a vaudeville fea- ture, but the amount of salary to be paid the comedian weekly by the theatre peo- ple. $400, explained the move. MOZART HAS BOOM'S HOUSE. Pittston. Pa., Aug. 2. The Family Theatre, which was under the management of D'Kst t & Boom last -<Ms<m. has been secured by The Pennsyl- vania Amusement (V... which controls the Mozart Circuit. The house will open Sept. 2. NEWSPAPER DEFENDS THE BRIT- TONS. Quite recently there appeared in Va- niKTY an advertisement, forwarded by Johnson and Dean, colored, from Russia. It has led to "The Freeman," an influen- tial sheet, printed in the interest of the colored race, taking up, on behalf of The llrittons, the charge of theft made against i hem by Johnson and Dean. In the issue of "The Freeman" dated July 20, an article was printed with tbe folowing pointed headlines: "JOHNSON & DEAN STEAL TfLt BRIT- TONS'ACT. German Critics.Say It Is the Same Act That Joe and Sadie Britton Put On While There." The story mentions the advertisement of Johnson and Dean in Variety, and goes on to say that the absent pair have taken the act put on across the pond by Sadie and Joe Britton. While directly accusing Johnson and Dean of taking the Urinous' act in the headlines, the paper seems to qualify by the following paragraph: "Of course it could not be called a close imitation, as Johnson lacks the style and art that Joe Britton is crowned with." It also defends the Rrittons from the charge of theft made against them by Johnson and Dean by stating that George Primrose wore different colored suits of evening clothes on the stage over twenty years ago. "The Freeman" blandly says that John- son and Dean are better known and have a better act than the Brit tons. This lat- ter admission should never have passed by the copy reader under the circum- stances, judging from the tone of the whole article. "The Freeman" carries some theatrical advertising from members of the colored race on the stage. Johnson and Dean might have slighted someone by placing their advertisement in Variety only. Such are the present conditions among theatrical papers that the Brittons could have easily induced two theatrical papers at least, published in New York, to have taken up their battle, on similar grounds. BOOM GIVES UP MELVILLE'S BOOK- ING. .Maurice lloom has given up the book- ing of the summer parks on the string controlled by Frank Melville, owing to the sudden illness of his partner. Harry IV- Ksta, of the D'Ksta-lloom circuit of Family theatres in Pennsylvania. D'Ksta is ill with typhoid fever and the work of getting the theatres in readiness for open- ing falls upon Boom's shoulders. The Family, Chester. Pa., opens Labor Day. Improvements costing $:UMM> have been made in the house, and next Reason it will have a new equipment °f opera Chairs and scenery and an orchestra of live pieces. The Bounding Gordons. Leonie de Lau- sanne (wife of 0)1. Bordcverry), and La- vine and Leonard have been engaged through the II. I?. Marinelli ofbYe in Ww York to open at the Folies Bergere. Paris, on August 31. Mile. Lausanne will ap- pear in a new act. UNITSD CUT OFF BOOKINGS. The United Booking Offices contemplate legal action against J. W. West, manager of Avon Park, Youngstown, O., to prevent him from interfering with their booking arrangements. Avon Park was recently cut off horn United bookings, on the alle- gation that West had withheld com mis sions and failed to pay salaries. Last week, it is declared in the booking offices, West was in need of an act to fill out his show. Although he had been notified that the United offices were closed to him, he called up Keith's theatre in Cleveland, securing the team of Bailey and Fletcher, who were playing that house, on the telephone. "You are to come over here and play for me immediately," he is said to have declared. "I have the authorization of Jules Delmar for this." Mr. Delmar denies that he ever spoke to West about the matter. Bailey and Fletcher did not go. It is said that the United offices was forced to guarantee salaries of some artists booked for the re- sort. ANOTHER FRISCO HOUSE OPENED. San Francisco, Aug. 2. The Colonial theatre, situated in the burned area, opened its doors last Monday as another on the circuit of the Western States Vaudeville Association. Tommy Burns, the pugilist, was the feature of the initial bill. EDWARDS' NEW ACT. '•Rube Kids" will be the title of the new act Gus Edwards is working on. It will be presented around New York the week of Sept. 16, with Daisy Leon feat- ured. Miss Leon receives this distinction as a reward for services performed in leading "School Boys and Girls," the Edwards piece now playing on Hammerstein's Roof. The music for the new piece at Weber's Music Hall will be written wholly or in part by Mr. Edwards. The show opens Sept. 23 out-of-town, playing the new Adelphi theatre, Philadelphia, the week before commencing the season at the Broadway hall, Oct. 7. Al Levering, who was scheduled to as- sume the managerial reins of the Weber show, and Music Hall, has reneged on the job. Inducements offered by Charles Frohtnau. when that manager returned from Europe, brought Mr. Levering back into his fold, which he intended leaving to join the Weber company. CHAS. B. MADDOCK. Chas. B. Maddock. whose picture ap- pears on the front page of this issue, is an example of what can be accomplished by the right man given the right chance in the vaudeville field. Mr. Maddock came from the comic opera field under Frank Perley, and entered vaudeville as business manager of Lasky, Rolfe & Co.'s "Military Octette." When the firm of Lasky, Rolfe & Co. dissolved Mr. Rolfe, realizing his execu- tive ability, signed him as his assistant and his many friends will be glad to know of bis new position as assistant manager and general stage director of the B. A. Rolfe Co.'s attractions.