Variety (September 1907)

8 VARIETY ARTISTS' FORUM Confin* your letters to 180 words and write en ene side of Anonymous communications will not be printed. Name of writ held In strict confidence. If desired. only. must bo signed and will Chicago, 111., Sept. 15. Editor Variety : In Variety of Sept. 7 I read the re- view on the Seven Qucirolos, a foreign act playing the New York Hippodrome. It gave them credit for a new trick, viz.: building a bridge of five people and doing a complete turn. I enclose you a pic- ture of the trick we did three years ago. Last winter I had the Webb Troupe of five people—two women and three men— doing the "five bridge," and several nov- elty tricks, but the vaudeville managers, who claim they are always looking for something new, would not give enough work to warrant keeping the act to- gether. I suppose a trick or act to be good must come from Europe. Win. B. Welb, Webb, Romalo and Webb. (The above illustration Is the trick mentioned in Mr. Webb's letter, and the picture from which the cut has been made is under a heading reading "Webb Troupe."—Ed.) New York, Sept. 17. Editor Variety: In the review of "The Colonial Belles" in the last issue you do us an uninten- tional injustice when you say that owing to the size of the stage at the London Theatre their entire first part set could not be used. In spite of the fact that the setting of the first part is exceptionally heavy, the entire set was used exactly as provided by the management, though to do so we were compelled to set against the back walk and to lower the curtain in order to strike the same. It was the first time in my recollection that the curtain has been dropped during a performance in the Lon- don. Trust you will make a correction in your coming issue in justice to the London's stage crew. Frank Howe. (The statement referred to by Mr. Howe was made upon the authority of Charles Falke, manager of "The Colonial Belles."—Ed.) Editor Variety: Cincinnati, Sept. 16. In Sime's review of Edward Gillette's Animals, under New Acts (Variety, Sept. 7), Sime claims Glllett's act is a copy of the act of Chas. Bamhold, giving Mr. BarnhoM credit for being the first to show that style of act. In making that asser- tion Sime is ALL WRONG. I showed * dog pantomime first in May, 1904, and one of the salient features of my act was a "drunken dog at a lamppost." I played the act in and around New York as early as March, 1006. If the "drunken dog" is being done by acts other than mine I think I ought to receive the credit for whatever success others may gain through the use of my ideas. «7. A I. Coin, Owner Coin's Dogs. Chicago, Sept. 16. Editor Variety : Your correspondent in reviewing the bill at West End Park, New Orleans, states my billing ("The Man with the Tables and Chairs") seems to be an in- fringement on the title used by The Kea- tons. I had not noticed this before and wish to thank your correspondent and paper for calling my attention to the fact. I had the pleasure of being on the bill with the Keatons, week June 10, and even this did not cause me to notice the simi- larity in billing, but now, in justice to Mr. K eat on, I have written him regarding the matter, and if he thinks my manner of billing an infringement on his in any way I will gladly change it. I wish to be as square with everyone as possible, and Mr. Keaton probably used his title while I was being spanked for playing hooky from school. This is simply a letter of thanks to you and your valuable paper. Harry De Coe. Sioux City, Sept. 15. Editor Variety: Several weeks ago Mr. Bert Levy stated in the Artists' Forum that he did not draw a cartoon of my act, using my name, and also stated about a trial performance, etc., in the St. Paul "Dispatch," Feb. 16, '07. On my way to Winnipeg, Can., I stopped off in St. Paul, and got the said paper with the cartoon, etc. I have mailed it to Bert Levy, just to prove that it was so. He did it. A. K. Caldera. Ft. Wayne, Ind., Sept. 14. Editor Variety: It has just been brought to our notice that Will Von Tilzer is producing an act under the title of "The Gainsboro Girl." We do not know what the act is, but the title is one that was used two seasons— 1902 and 1903—by Youngs and Brooks and still retained by them. So would think that line at the bottom of his ad- vertisement reading "Pirates and others, keep off" could be answered with that old adage, "People that live in glass houses should not throw stones." Will C. Youngs. LAFAYETTE OFF TO GERMANY. The Great Lafayette opens in Berlin on Oct. 16 with his full show, booked by the Marinelli office. Mr. Lafayette is expected to remain for the balance of the season on the other side. • London, Sept. 11. Walter Gibbons is booming along mer- rily, and about Christmas will have three more new houses going, the Standard, Shoreditch; Islington Grand and Terriss, Rulherhithe. Gibbons is on the rise, and it looks as if nothing would stop him from being one of the music hall kings of London. Joseph Lyons of the Winter- garden scheme is rebuilding Exeter Hall, and while there is some mystery touch- ing just what he is up to, he has cer- tainly applied for a singing and dancing license at the forthcoming sessions. Lyons is also quite active at Rupert and Cov- entry Streets, but here also is golden silence. The Camberwell Empire has celebrated its first anniversary with much jubilation and a packed house. Though right under the shadow of Mr. Stoli's Camberwell Palace, it has paid ten per cent, the past year, and we are all glad, as it is always at command for Federation meetings, Harry Bawn of the directorate having been an artist, and not forgetting it. His associate, Manager Sparrow, is a leading Terrier, and widely popular. Vesta Vic- toria is a prominent stockholder. Cline and Clark have returned from their trip to South Africa, and have opened very successfully at the Holborn Empire. The woman is a model for cor- sets in a feminine shopping resort, and the man a clothing store dummy next door. They are an American turn. —Dave Carter, of the Manhattan Comedy Four, who has been with Knowles, opened with his single turn at the Canterbury and made a great success for four weeks. Will likely be back there soon.—Gus Drawee has shifted from Copenhagen to Palais d'Ete, Brussels, after which he makes a long tour of South America.— Carl Hertz has made a big hit in South Africa. At Manchester the Tivoli management, which had been evasive on the great point of payment for matinees, grace- fully gave in before the Trade Union pres- sure, arranging matters personally with the Arbitrator. There are some few signs of trouble with a house in southern Ire- land, whose manager seems to think he is one of the "Kings of Cork." We are hopeful, however, of persuading him to be good. The directors of the Pavilion Glas- gow have signed the Federation declara- tion, "to abide by the award." At the Manchester Hippodrome Gus Sato (no relation to O. K. Sato the jug- gler) while cycle riding with the Bud Sny- der combination fell and fractured his thigh, necessitating his removal to a local infirmary. He was only out of a London hospital three weeks at the time, having previously met with an injury to his face. The London halls are just now well loaded down with sketches, not all of thorn the best. The Cambridge is shifting its Thursday matinee on Monday. The Lim- erick craze lias invaded the music halls. The rhymes areNm couftons, and the judge who awards the lucay guinea nightly is assisted by two from the audience. Miss Nydia, a blindfolded second sight pianist, is working them up on the con- tinent, and has the psychologists, etc., on the string. She falls in a hypnotic sleep, and then a program of 20 selections is passed around, the girl playing the indi- cated piece while her manager stands 50 paces away with his back turned. Thomas Barrasford has already begun booking for the October opening of the Alhambra, Brussels. It will be noticed that this shrewd gentleman keeps right out of the Continental combine. The great Hansa Theatre at Hamburg is also a conspicuous absentee, and there are others. While the biggest managers are adher- ing to the award with great honor and in- tegrity, there is one well known manager in the Midlands who is hedging a little and trying to beat around the bush. The situation is strained, and is growing daily more interesting. It is not impos- sible something might happen here, in which event this manager threatens to re- taliate by dropping variety and playing melodrama all over his circuit. Despite this "bluff," the boys are standing firm. A drunken man was arrested the other day at the Elephant and Castle who may have hailed from Ringling's or Barnum's. He was holding out handfuls of money and trying to buy the elephant. The Music Hall Ladies' Guild moves next week from remote Battersea to No. 2 York street, Covent Garden, and Marie Lloyd will be prominent in the house warming of the new premises, her last function ere leaving for America. This guild feeds and clothes the poor we have always with us. All the wrestlers are now getting after Hackenschmidt, and Agent Cochran, who no longer represents him, is booming a new found Galician wonder with a double-back-action name, Zbysyko. Walter Gibbons opens Willesden Hippo- drome Sept. 2, Percy Gallagher in charge. The music halls have a Salvation Army recruit, Charles Bailey (no relation to "Old Bill"), who thinks he can make more money on the boards than in the army of the Lord. He introduces "A Musical Nightmare." By a curious coincidence both the Al- hambra and Empire based forthcoming ballets on "The Clocks of Corneville," but the Alhambra was first in the field, and when its announcement came out the Em- pire quietly withdrew. The theme chosen by the latter house is not yet announced, but it will be modern, though touched here and there with a flavor of ancient in- cident. It will probably be the last pro- duction in which Gene6 will spin upon her toes for her many friends in London ere she dawns on America. You will like Gene6.