Variety (December 1907)

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8 VARIETY London, Nov. 23. Ere the pot-house evoluted to the palace there was unlimited privilege in the Lon- don halls for selling "arf a pint o' ale," or huge and foam-crested mugs of "beer, beer, glorious beer." But on this point Ameri- can influence seems to have penetrated England, and Walter Gibbons, who has a shrewd insight into the trend of amuse- ments, has not even asked for drinking privileges in his new halls. At Rother- hithe, a section of London S. E. on Thames just past the Tower Bridge, one Bermondsey, a reverend vicar of the Church of England supported the Gibbons application for a license because the pro- posed new establishment was to be dis- tinctly temperance. Statistics show the English people drink thousands of hogs- heads less than they did of old; some say because they have more sense, while others say because they have less money. Still others, like the churchly supporter of Gib- bons, think the temperance music hall a power for good. It gives tLa masses a wholesome pleasure place at very small ex- pense. The London Hippodrome has eight times made application for a drinking license. It felt cheered when the Licensing Commit- tee of the London County Council recom- mended this year a license to sell drinks at the buffet, but not in the auditorium. Yes- terday the Council itself cast ballot on the matter, and the house was promptly re- fused a license to sell liquor anywhere. Next the London Coliseum sought per- mission to sell liquors. It was claimed that Coliseum patrons, coming largely from the suburbs, might have to go as much as four hours without drinking. Mr. Pinhorn, delegate from the temperance societies, said he had often gone four hours without drinking, whereat Walter Reynolds inter- jected amid laughter that perhaps he was a camel—38 to 4 against the Coliseum dispensing "booze." However, it is fullv privileged to sell from its "hissing and loud steaming urn" the hot cup of tea. Jack De Frece was turned down cold for an excise license at Stoke Newington Palace, and prospects are that the "little brown jug" has further rebuffs to come. A dramatic house, the Carlton Theatre, had "pull" enough to get a drink license by the wee majority of five votes. A festival performance was given last night at the Empire in commemoration of Mile. Adeline Genee's ten years' associa- tion with the entertainment at this popular establishment. After the show a supper was given in her honor. There is no non- sense about Genee, who is a plain little, lady-like artist not given to fuss and feath- ers, champagne baths or theatrical hifa- lutin. Her golden friends can not forget that the day of her departure is fast near- ing. She closes at the great Leicester Square establishment Dec. 28, and opens with you mid-January. Whether she will return to England is as yet unsettled, and she will be very wise if she leaves the mat- ter open, as her great success in New York is an absolutely foregone conclusion. The tendency of modern ballet is to make first rate dancing unnecessary; the prima ballerina is asked to appear in high- heeled boots—in short, her art is neglected, and her personality mainly taken into ac- count. Genee, however, cleaves to her ideal o' real and hard execution, like some great legitimate juggler who scorns to do "fake" tricks. . "It may come back," she says. "There are still ballets that respect the traditions, and they are the only ones I really care about." Genee thoroughly understands gesture, and is almost as much of an actress as she is dancer. She came to the Empire for six weeks, and has been there almost without a break for ten years, dancing every even- ing, and not, like her Continental sisters, but three or four times a week. Of her overseas venture she says: "I am not go- ing to appear in orthodox ballet in New York. I don't think America wants real ballet yet. I don't even know that the Americans want me, though of course I hope they do. If they will persuade them- selves that they want me, and I can per- suade them that they want real ballet, I shall be quite happy." As to her hold on London, the author of "Drama and Life" (Methuen) puts it this way: "London without Adeline Gen6e will be a mere huddle of pedestrians, a be- nighted place where tip-toeing is only known by hearsay. If and when Genee de- parts, she will have to leave London her white satin shoes to be deposited in the British Museum." Henry Cadle, of H. and E. Cadle's ag- ency, died very suddenly from gastritis, at his Highgate residence. For five years he was associated in an agency business with Oswald Stoll at Cardiff, and twelve years ago bought the Stoll agency with his sur- viving brother, Ernest Cadle. He was a very pleasant spoken man, and had made five trips to America, introducing to Eu- rope many of your artists. Mr. Stoll had another grand round-up of "new to London" fellows Thursday last at Hackney, and those who went out say it wns rather "fierce," not as good as the Shepherds Bush show preceding, at which quite a few professionals were among the amateurs. There is still a great plenty of first rate acts in London, but some of the inspectors sent out to judge their merits know more about going indoors when it rains than they do about the fine technical points of acts. There are numerous acts now in Lon- don that Mr. Stoll would book if he could see them personally, but as long as he trusts to these outrunners he will never connect with them. They don't know, you know. "Graft," as it is frequently worked in England, has never been properly written of in the pai>ers. The head of a certain great circuit reading thLs will learn for the first time that a turn caught his tour by the simple device of handing a provincial manager a five pound note, and getting a big "boost" in a report sent London. An- other circuit is said to have been success- fully negotiate^ by a ten pound note. That certain i>eople practically buy their way, both with agents and manages, is well known. As to acts that succeed, we recall a turn now booked for the London Hippo- drome that would never on earth have got there through the vigilance of Stoll in- spectors. In vain the show played re- peatedly under their noses in suburban London halls. Despite its great merit the turn "went broke," and had to walk every day from Brixton to mid-London in de- fault of 'bus fare. PARIS NOTES By going daily through every agency in London and keeping it up, the act finally "got in," but no thanks to inspectors. If Mr. Stoll would stop this miserable experi- menting with amateurs, and give a show to turns that have played London, but have never played the West End or reputation district, he could beat from the bushes a number of acts quite good enough for the London Coliseum. The Hippodrome is installing machinery to roll up its three ton ring carpet, doing it in one-tenth the time required by hand work.—The marriage of "Big Chief" Mudge to Miss May Belfort has greatly pleased professionals here, and is regarded as a new and valuable Anglo-American alliance.—The settlement of Vnlazzi's little misunderstanding with Klaw & Erlanger is also very p. asantly received, as Valazzi is thought to be one of the coining jug- glers, and none liked to see him checked in mid-career.—On assuming the Zoo Hippo- drome at Glasgow E. II. Bostock was not only honored by officials of the city, but was delighted to receive an illuminated ad- dress from the artists. From all accounts he is a distinctly good man, and his trou- bles with artists are conspicuous by their absence—to perpetrate a bull.—The Sisters Morgan are claiming $500 damages from Macnaghten ; case of his Hartlepool man- ager dropping a curtain and refusing to let them appear, holding them up to the con- tempt and ridicule of the audience gen- erally. The judge has agreed to hear the case soon on account of their early depar- ture for America. On the principle that "boys will be boys," the Irish will be Irish. Some time ago a Belfast house got noisy over an act, breaking gallery chairs and smashing elec- trics. At the same house later their nasty ways with a dainty young artist required gallery closure for a week. At another Belfast hall a bottle was thrown at a co- median, just missing him. Now comes Dublin's turn, a small open pocket knife and later a large jack knife with all the blades open being thrown on the stage as a little remonstrance during a wrestling match, and just missing. The curtain was rung down; the manager came forward and "roasted" the gallery. It is only the low, cheap trash who do these things, but they are done. FOREIGN ACTS CHANGE PLANS. London, Nov. 20. In consequence of the news of Klaw & Erlanger having sold out to the opposition in the vaudeville war in the United States, a number of English acts on the point of going over have decided not to sail. Parte, Nov. 23. There are wrestling matches all over Paris. The Apollo started first, putting on a big troupe of "/nffcura," including Paul Pons, the champion of France. The theatre was packed nightly and the Apollo is still doing enormous business. Second came the Folies Bergere. It commenced with a similar wrestling show on the 7th, but business is not as big as at the Apollo, despite that a better variety bill is given by the Isola Freres. At the Casino de Paris, next door to the Apollo, Padon- borg, a Hussiaa wrestler, opened a few days ago, challenging all wrestlers in town. A curious fact is that both the Casino and the Apollo are packed nightly to capacity, while the other halls are do- ing poorly. Barrasford's Alhambra will have Otero as headliner for the full month of Decem- ber. Otero is going to produce the same pantomime she did a few month,* ago at the Folies Marigny, "Giska, la Bohemi- enne." Loie Fuller is appearing at the Theatre des Arts, Paris, in a new act, "Salome." In the series of dances by means of which Salome achieves the mastery of Herod, the peacock and the snake dance are particu- larly attractive. In the last named Miss Fuller proves herself a snake charmer of no mean accomplishments. Her reptiles are the real thing, and lively ones, too. At the Apollo, a revue will commence early next month, for which Norman French, the noted American dancer, is en- gaged for a leading part. Another revue is soon due at the Folies Bergere. In December, Paris will not have a single music hall with an unmixed variety show. Otero, Cleo de Merode and Tortajada are all wanted to appear on January 4 in Berlin before a royal audience, $250 being the offered salary for each of the above "stars," so runs the letter which a Paris agent received the other day from Berlin. After having communicated with the women he returned word that Cleo de Merode would accept, also Otero, but Otero wants $1,000 as salary instead of $250. No reply yet received from Tortajada. The following are in town : John Ring- ling, Manager Tumpakoff (Moscow), Al- fred Butt (London), Chas. Cockran (Lou- don), Victor Bressler (Circus Schuman, B«»r. : n), and Manager Tichy (Prague)-. NEW MANAGER IN TOLEDO. Toledo, Dec. 6. Lou Ilurtig is no longer in command at the College (Arcade), Hurtig & Seamon, managers. He has been transferred to "The Girl from Happyland." The Arcade has been doing poor business all season. Chester Sergent, who formerly managed the house with H. H. Lamkin, succeeds Hurtig. Mr. Sergent is a well known ad vance man and pres^s agent. His return to the Arcade is hailed with much en- thusiasm. He retired from the advance of Kathryn Osterman to accept the local position.