Variety (December 1907)

1 VARIETY 11 Daisy Hodgini. Equestrian. Hippodrome. Daisy Hodgini is a man, named and dressed like a woman. He is really a female impersonating jockey. The audi- ence does not become aware of his sex, which is not a little help to him in the riding act shown at the Hippodrome for the first time in this country. One trick is new. All are well executed. Two horses are in use and the second seems somewhat green yet. His acrobatic work on the horse, and from the horse to the ground, also the reverse, is neatly and cleanly done, making a good act for the ring. Hodgini does not at any time ride strictly "bareback." Sime. Five Cliftons. Acrobatic. ■ Hippodrome. The Five Gliftons are at the Hippo- drome, appearing during the "circus" part of the entertainment, while two other similar acts are also on the stage. The Gliftons go in for new ideas in hand balancing and strong work, their act being a combination of the two. While the feats of strength are shown, the hand-balancing is accomplished at the'same time. Tfae un- derstander is a very heavy man, built like the largest of the Three Joscarrys. The final trick is a very good one, and the CI if tons fiMHI in their portion of the stage work nicely. Sime. OUT OF TOWN. Josephine Cohan and Company. "The Girl of the Times." so Mins.; Full Stage. Nelson, Springfield, Mass. This is "break-in" week for the newest sketch presented by Josephine Cohan and called 'The Girl of 'The Times.™ It was written by Fred Niblo, who has worked out some clever dramatic situations, amd given the dialogue many a witty twist. The story tells of Jane Scribbler (Miss Cohan) finding a set of keys belonging to Harold Square (Hall McAllister). She enters his house at midnight, and is dis- covered by him examining the silver- ware. Miss Scribbler explains she is to write a book on the experiences of people who prefer the dark for their light- fingered work, and has burglariously in- vaded his home to obtain realistic ma- terial for the story. The clubman, while admiring the ingeniousness of the yarn, calls the police, and as the officers are about to enter, the "literary" young woman snatches a pistol from off a table where it had lain, holds the man at bay with it, delivering him to the policemen, who take him into custody and the night, leaving Miss Scribbler with a pleased smile as the curtain descends. The sketch brought down the house at its first per- formance on Monday, and had "success engraven upon it. G'co. Pr'essl. »i Poli's, Hartford, had an act costing $550 to open one of its bills a week or so ago. P. Alonzo, Poli's general representative, went around with a chip on his shoulder for some days looking for anyone who ever paid a higher price for that position until he hoard of "The Congress of Spanish Dancers"—and a few others. Walter Jones, Blanche Deyo and Com- pany (8). "A Musical Mix-up." 27 Mins.; Full Stage; Close in One. Maryland, Baltimore. After a few weeks with the ill-fated "Pocahontas" Walter Jones reappears in vaudeville here this week and with him Blanche Deyo, also a strong company of vocalists. There is some good talk by Jones in his familiar "tramp" makeup with George Le Soir as a "feeder." Miss Deyo's "national dances" and the "tree scene" from "Pocahontas," are well liked. Emily Wellington and Lottie Parker have excellent voices and good stage appearance. "Every Little Bit," sung as a quintet number in "one," had the audience guess- ing how the singers sat down with noth- ing visible for support. Stools were at- tached to "gasolene" coats. This is a new piece of business, and brought the act sev- eral encores. Judging from the reception at the first performance, the act is a decided "go." Johnny Meyers. GIRGUS NBWS Walt hour Troupe (4). Cycling. 14 Mins.; Full Stage. Forrest, Philadelphia. Four men and a woman. Three of the men work straight, making their entrance through a plush drop, the riders being mounted on unicycles, and it is here that the best work in the act is done. The three have worked out a number of fancy and intricate evolutions on the single wheel, the triple and double formations being difficult, showy and cleverly exe- cuted. The fourth man attempts comedy, and does some of the ordinary trick rid- ing in use by other comedy cyclists. He acts as the centre piece for a group forma- tion near the opening of the act, one of the straight men holding his hands and each of the other two a foot and swing the comedian among them while they circle on the single wheels. The woman appears in the double and triple figures on the ordinary safety bicycle, following a familiar routine. From the time the single wheels are forsaken nothing new is shown. The first idea is novel and sug- gest* that an effort be made to carry it further, which would give the Walthour Troupe something that would cause talk and attract attention anywhere. The act did nicely at the Forrest. George M. Young. Dorothy Adams, v Songs. \J 14 Minutes; "One." Olympic, Chicago. Miss Adams is a newcomer and evident- ly a debutante in this particular line. For a first appearance, she made a rather prodigious attempt to impersonate the voice, pose and dress of well known vocal celebrities. She rather forces her high soprano notes to unrestrained freakishness instead of moderating them to a lower pitch. Miss Adams can claim a remark- able voice. At moments it is phenomenal, but she should beware of the incongruities which are apt to mar her artistic qualifi- cations. She should learn to have more poise and confidence in herself. Frank Wiesoerg. Some of the agents claim that the agreement or understanding reported ex- isting between W. W. ("Doc") Freeman and the Ringlings, whereby the agent will receive a commission on all acts booked by the Ringling shows will not be strictly adhered to by the managers. Exceptions are said to have already been made, but the general impression is that all circus bookings for next season, where the Ringling shows are concerned, will be placed to the credit of Mr. Freeman. It seems to be pretty well understood that Louis E. Cook will confine himself next season to looking after the interests of the Buffalo Bill show. Last year he managed the advance of both that prop- erty and the Barnum-Bailey outfit. But the change of ownership has made it ad- visable to keep this department of the two shows apart, and Mr. Cook has elect- ed to cast his fortunes with Col. Cody. The Common Council of Marion, Ind., has raised the circus license fee from $50 to $200 a day. This operates only against such shows as charge fifty cents or more for admission. Smaller shows will be required to pay $25 a day, and other exhibitions not classed aa circuses $15. The Stirk Family of bicyclists closed with the Forepaugh-Sells Circus Nov. 4, two weeks before the end of the 'tour, owing to the sudden and serious illness of Tom Stirk's mother in Boston. Tom Stirk left the show hurriedly and hastened to his mother's sick bed in Boston, the other members of the act following the next day. Gentry's Famous Shows, professionally known as the "Number Three Gentry," closed a successful season and are now in winter quarters at Bloomington, Ind. The tour embraced the entire Middle West and'South, lasting thirty-one weeks. The "Number Three" show will be vastly improved and augmented for next season's tour. A thorough effort will be made t© not only increase the size of the exhibition but to add to the merits in every particu- lar. One of the staff will make a trip to Europe in search of attractions for next season's tour. The Bell show did not close Nov. 23 as was expected. Several acts with contracts expiring at that time retired from the show and were replaced, while others ex- tended their time for a few weeks until substitutes could be secured. Several acts were sent into Mexico by Charles L. Sasse this week and others will follow shortly. Residents of the neighborhood of Fif- teenth and H streets, Washington, have filed a complaint with the com- missioners against the use of a vacant lot in the vicinity by animal shows and circuses. Accordingly a recommenda- tion has been drafted that the police regu- lations be amended to forbid a tent show occupying an open space without the writ- ten consent of 75 per cent, of the resi- dents of the square and the four other squares fronting upon it. The present regulation requires the consent of "75 per cent, of the residents in the vicinity," a phrase easy of interpretation favorable to visiting circuses. The Ringling show made Auburn, N. Y., last June on the same day that the Ha- genbeck-Wallace show appeared at Geneva, a neighboring city. Leon Reeves, a lith- ographer with the former show, was sent over to Geneva to get a showing. He stopped in an Italian fruit stand when he arrived and laid down his bills while he said "Hello" to his friends on the ad- vance car of the rival show. When he returned from his visit the lithos had dis- appeared. Manager W. 6. Dunnington and his men gave Reeves all the aid pos- sible to find the bills, but the search was of no avail. Reeves has a habit of en- tertaining the billers around Chicago on long wintry evenings with stories of his "opposition work," but this is one he baa failed to give them so far. Following upon the retirement of John Havlin from participation in the Hagen- beck-Wallace Circus, the announcement comes that Lee Williams, Carl Hagen- beck's former representative in this conn- try, will leave that organization likewise. He will become a permanent attache of the Stair & Havlin forces, being now assigned to Philadelphia as the manager of that firm's Grand Theatre there. Charles Cory, general manager of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, sailed for Europe last Saturday. He will be gone a month, booking attractions and generally inspecting European conditions. Charles Bornhaupt, the American Marinelli repre- sentative, was to have gone with him, but conditions in the vaudeville field here made his presence in the city necessary at this time. Cory will do his foreign booking through the Marinelli agency. DUFFY RESIGNS AS MANAGER. Boston, Dec. 6. Manager A. J. Duffy of the Orpheum resigned this week, and Smith A. Mowry, until recently chief usher at the local Keith house, was appointed in his place. This is the first time that B. F. Keith has publicly shown his absolute control over the Orpheum here. Carl D. Lothrop has been doing the booking for both houses for some time. The employees of the Orpheum gath- ered together after the performance on Saturday and presented Mr. Duffy with a fine diamond ring. Mr. Duffy was im- mensely popular. He never had a losing week. Mr. Mowry took charge on Sunday night, but had to go home on account of a bad attack of the grippe. H. D. Dupee, resident manager at Keith's, is in tempo- rary charge this week. Mr. Dupee de- clares that no other changes are contem- plated. MOVING PICTURES AT OLD THEATRE. Reading, Pa., Dec. 6. It is announced that the Grand Opera House, the oldest playhouse in Reading, will revert to moving pictures with sev- eral vaudeville acts interspersed. Of late the house has been playing the cheaper priced repertoire shows.