Variety (September 1907)

VARIETY JAKE WELLS FIGURING. Jake Wells, who controls a circuit of legitimate theatres in the South, is fig- uring upon the profit he may secure from vaudeville acts playing at his Southern houses. The talk of vaudeville managers invad- ing that part of the country has set Mr. Wells athinking. As other theatres op- orated there for variety shows will have to he erected, Mr. Wells is said to have estimated he would have a full year's start. A visit to the office of William Morris this week by Mr. Wells started a rumor that the Bijou in Richmond, also the Bi- jou, Atlanta, Ga., would open this sea- son, and play bills furnished by Morris. No confirmation could be obtained of this report, although Messrs. Wells and Morris had a long and earnest talk upon the occasion of the former's call. MORRIS AND FISCHER AGREE. The controversy between William Mor- ris and Clifford C. Fischer, the agents, over the question of commissions on the for- eign acts imported to this country for the Klaw & Erlanger circuit has been amicably adjusted, according to state- ments made by both sides. The terms upon which a settlement was arrived at were not told, both Messrs. Fischer and Morris stating they had gained their point. A. L. Erlanger acted as arbitrator. NEW THING IN PICTURES. ' Chicago, Sept. 27. Thomas Vaughn haaopened a film bureau in the Majestic Theatre building and con- templates opening 26 picture theatres in Wisconsin, besides supplying others with films, which he eventually intends to manu- facture. An innovation in this branch will be local subjects, changed daily, (Jeorge Cornish and Roy Simpson, of Oshkosh, are financially interested In the enterprise with Mr. Vaughn. COULDN'T PAY SALARIES. San Francisco, Sept. 27. The engagement of the Jack Golden Company at the Davis came to a sudden end on the evening of the 10th, when Golden, on behalf of his company, made a demand upon the management for money due. It appears that the houses had been lib- erally "papered," and he was frankly in- formed that it was impossible to comply with his request, and furthermore the prospect for securing a settlement at the end of the week were very slim. The company on this showing declined to give the performance and* the house was dismissed. Golden holds a four weeks' contract with the Davis manage- ment, and unless some adjustment is made will institute suit. JOHNSTOWN'S PARK OPEN. Johnstown. Pa., Sept. 27. The Park Theatre, playing vaudeville hooked by William Morris, of New York, opened last Monday. The first week's show is headed by Mine. lOmraey's Pets, and includes I^aredo and Blake, Chummie Lamara, Adams and Guhl, Burrows-Travis Trio, and pictures. . VICTORIA WITH ROAD SHOW. Following her present engagement at the New York, which will probably ter- minate next Saturday night, and a run in Chicago when the Auditorium there opens with vaudeville, Vesta Victoria will head a road show, traveling mostly in the West. Miss Victoria arrived here last Satur- day, expecting to open in the K. & E. house in Rochester or Buffalo. Instead she was informed that her first stop on the return trip was the New York the- atre. This left her entirely unprepared, end when singing her new songs on Mon- day, a young man stood in the first en- trance to prompt her. AUDIENCE INTERRUPTS BURR McINTOSH. Boston, Sept. 27. Burr Mcintosh is playing at Keith's this week. On Monday he talked on the Philippine Islands situation about thirty minutes, and injected his personal opinion about politics, etc., which some in the audi- ence did not care for. One man asked, "Is this an entertain- ment or a political discussion?" Mr. Mc- intosh answered him politely enough, but another took the cue, and for a few min- utes it did resemble a political convention. On Tuesday afternoon Mr. Mcintosh announced that in future he would drop politics from his talk. ELIZABETH MURRAY. Ulsafcttl Murray Ik MM of the pOfmlW ■Is gf 'n who npnear btfON Hk> vamlevllle footlights \v|:li charnctrr kouk«. MIsh Murray hits two viiluahh- nss»-t*. Sh»> Is an excellent delineator In dialect r'hI IMisscKses to an unusual degree a pleantsg personality, comtdncd with her grace tn wearing inodi-n ((tstumcH. It la In the singing of "too*" and Irish songs that Miss Murray excels, although she dots not altogether cling to these nuuihers. Fast establishing herself In the field she has selected. Miss Murray has reached the distinction of being known as a "standard act": that Is a number In vaude- ville which has merit, class and quality, ittwl CSS always be depended spaa. PINCUS STARTS CIRCUIT. The first of a proposed chain of vaude- ville houses to be operated by Ilcnry Pin- cus in New York and New Jersey opens Monday at Passaic, N. J., with the follow- ing bill: "Philadelphia Jack" O'Brien, in a monologue (first stage appearance) : Charlotte Townscnd and Company, Paul Burnet and "His Six College (iirls," Dove and Lee, \V. F. Woods, Annette, and Ches- ter and Jones, Inside moving pictures. (Jeorge L. Macfarlane, who has been Mr. Fluent* press representative on the Madi- son Square Roof during that manager's summer occupancy of the place, will be resident manager of the Passaic hoti.se. Little (!arry Owen and Company, in a new comedy act called "A Trip to Laugh- land" by Jack Gorman, will play at Ferth Amboy, X. J., next week for the first time. VOLTA GOES THE LIMIT. Boston, Sept. 27. Kit her Volta, the electrical wizard, play ign at the Orphcum this week, has a super- abundance of nerve, or a shrewd press agent. This week he called at the state prison, s-at in the death chair, and asked the war- den to turn on the juice. The warden didn't care to eventually occupy the posi- tion himself, and refused, but the news- papers talked, and that was just as good. MORRIS WILL BOOK ANN ARBOR. Ann Arbor. Mich.. Sept. 27. The Majestic, a theatre now building, will play vaudeville hooked bv William Morris, and it will be billed as "Advanced Vaudeville." The opening date has not been set, but io not far away. RUMORS OF NEWARK. Repeated rumors have been going around that the Klaw & Erlanger "Ad- vanced Vaudeville" theatre (Shubert) at Newark would shortly pass from the di- rection of the United States Amusement Co., and probably be leased to the West- ern Burlesque Wheel, which has been anx- ious for a Newark opening for some time. At the K. & E. headquarters, no posi- tive information could be obtained. It was not denied that some such scheme had been broached, but the immediate prospect for the future of the theatre would not be discussed. It was said that patronage in Newark had picked up lately, and if the improvement continues the house was likely to become a money maker. One report said the Shuberts wanted to allow the burlesque managers to have the house, but that A. L. Erlanger vetoed it. The price of the lease is understood to have been set at from $26,000 to $30,000 yearly for the Western Wheel. "CHICAGO CIRCUIT" UP TO o. Chicago, Sept. 27. Vaudeville is to invade the West Side in the vicinity of 12th and Halsted streets this season, according to an announce- ment given to Variety by John J. Mur- doch of the Western Vaudeville Associa- tion. The location is one of the most desirable in that section. It is in the midst of the business and residential district. The near- est vaudeville theatre is the Haymarket, precisely one mile north of the site chosen for the new house. The district has been overlooked by pro- moters since the vaudeville epidemic be- gan until it attracted the attention of the association, which was the first to enter with the capital to swing the project suc- cessfully. The new theatre will open about Christ- mas time, and D. II. Hunt, late manager of the dramatic stock at the Chicago Opera House, will assume the management. Prices will range from 10 to 30 cents. The acts will be supplied by the Western Vaude- ville Association, giving the booking de- partment nine theatres in and around Chicago. RUEZ ALTOGETHER OUT. Paris, Sept. 15. Paul Ruez is altogether out of the man- agement of the Folies Bergere, Olympia and Parisiana, which are now conducted by the Isola Brothers, to whom they re- verted following Ruez's financial troubles. The only hall left to him here is the Prin- lania. which has been closed since he was declared a bankrupt. There is no sole booking agent any more for the Isola halls as the Isolas book with anyone who can deliver acts wanted. H. B. Marinelli, the formed exclusive Agent, tod who was interested with Ruez in the management, is reported to have lost $«i.000 (80,000 francs) out of an original investment of $14,000. All acts booked for the Folies Bergere for w«-rk Aiur. .'51 lost salary for seven days, the opening having been postponed until Bent, 7. The St. Onge Brothers are playing the Novelty this week, replacing Martinetti and Bjrlvevttr, who were suddenly shifted to the Orphcum.