Variety (December 1907)

VARIETY 29 THE ENGLISH MUSIC HALL OUTLOOK By C. C. BARTRAM. London, Dec. 1. Again December's speeding days are sweeping ns toward the gates of another year, bringing ns closer to January. The familiar almanac picture shows the god- father of January, "Janus," as having a double face, and mythologists tell us the face behind was to look into the year just passed away; the face before to gaze at the newborn. Assuming the way of Janus and first facing the year behind, we find 1907 the greatest year in all variety history, on either side the broad Atlantean main. Seven is well known as a mystic number, saered to the seven planets, seven days of creation, seven joys and sorrows of the Virata and Seven Dials, London, not to speak of Earth's seven wonders, the charmed seventh son of a seventh son, and a thousand other things linked with the holy heptad. Quite in harmony with this mysticism is the potency in theatricals of this century's seventh year. In artistic struggles it closes a 'Seven Years' War" that began with the birth in 1001 of that sound and great institution. The Inter- nal ional Artists' Lodge. The great doings of 1007 in America do not fall within my province, and yet as one ga/.ing from afar I must para- graph briefly those show world c.cvts in the States which have made every issue of VARIETY read almost like a romance. What vast changes, what unlimited enter- prise, whet Napoleonic plunging and what gold scattering salaries, making show remi- niscence henceforward date back to 1007, ais your California miners date back to that era of prodigality, "the days of '40." For many weeks money is thrown around as though ..from the inexhaustible purse ascribed to Kortunatus, and then a sort of Black Friday panic conies with dramatic suddenness, synchronizing with a final signing of peace. Meantime great changes arc on in the tents with triple arenas, Ringling Brothers by their last sweeping move on the chessboard becoming the greatest circus men of all time. Here in England there was trouble in the air at the dawning of the year, and ere January had run its sands we had seized what Roosevelt calls "the big stick," and had started red revolution. For years the English music hall folk had calmly stood all abuses handed out to them, and managers never thought for a moment that they would resort to that dangerous economic weapon, the strike. The managers could hardly believe it when hall after hall went down like a pushed row of blocks, and soon they saw London an armed amusement, camp, with hundreds of pickets and outposts, and vigilant motor-iar patrols speeding from hall to hall. Then the lurid strike meet- ings started, with everybody keyed up to concert pitch and enthusiasm on tap. In- termittently a thousand throats would start the chorus of the strike song: "We always stick together, Whatever be the weather; We always stick together, For we are V. A. F.'s," etc. At some enthusiastic moments hats, coats and canes would be thrown into the air. They were great old times, and no mis- take, with the managers on the anxious seat and nobody knowing what was going to happen next. Special newspaper issues sold like hot cakes, loaded with latest details from "The Battle of the Halls." The managers did their best, but some of the "scratch" shows were a sight. Those described as "picked artists" were, as Joe Elvin said, "picked before they were ripe." Some were amateurs and some hadn't even got that far. At last came arbitration, with its long delay, and the ponderous award. We tracts only. One agent, "V. A. F. t only need apply." Turning our face toward the future, we find the late storm has really cleared the atmosphere, for now there is a machinery of adjustment, an arbitrator and docu- ment to which both sides can refer. The Moss-Stolt Tour of 33 halls still stands at the head of everything, though it lately lost the Zoo Hippodrome, Glas- gow, which E. II. Hostock has planted at the head of a tour of five halls soon to expand to more. In London Walter Gib- bons if granted all his licenses will have a tour of twelve halls, thus passing in the race the London "Syndicate" (or Payne halls), which number eleven. There is some little prospect of barring war be- tween Messrs. Stoll and Gibbons; at any rate, the monarch of many "Empires" has eyes on his growing rival. Barrasford long ago dropped out a few of his less paying ventures, and now has a circuit of eight solid winners, including CORAM, The tremendously Miecwwfdl Kngll«h ventriloquist. n«»\v oil the Orphoum Circuit. Coram expects to return to I/<>ini<>ii next 8ept«*mtM r to till t>iiffngeiiu>nlii at the Alhambm there. didn't gain "such a much" at that, but the Inst steps of reform are seldom seven league strides. From a moral stand* point the principal thing was gaining recognition; financially viewed our chief gain was matinee payments. Then the barring evil was lessened, and there were various minor concessions. Oswald Stoll was using the award contracts even before the legal date, and some others following closely. Some among the balance of the managers gave a good deal of trouble, but they were followed up on the good old British idea: ''What we have we'll hold." We are pleased to say that all but a mere handful of managers have conceded to the new order of things, and this rem- nant, of course, must yield.' One manager is already advertising "Askwith con- two fine halls in Brussels and Paris, while rumor says he is watching for a chance to drop into Berlin. He is also the main mover for a line new music hall at Not- tingham, overlooking theatre sqitAfe, also one building in Sheffield, and it is pleasing to note that all his alfnirs now seem on a substantial ha>is. Personally Thomas Barrasford i\ a very tine fellow, portly and large hearted, and a mainstay of the Music Hall llmnc fund, a worthy chart- table institution. Macnnghten keeps slowly expanding, and lias now nine provincial halls and four in London, the total tally of thirteen having consistent good luck, as your Thir- teen Club might note. Among his late ventures was getting into Cardiff, where with Stoll's strong house against him he is doing very well. He is also building a hall at Rotherham, near Sheffield. His finest house is the grand new establish- ment at Warrington, a half-way town be- tween Liverpool and Manchester, while in London his list covers two of our oldest theatres, the historic Surrey and world- known Sadler's Wells. The latter is an- ciently quaint, and traces of the old medicinal wells still linger in the base- ment. Long years ago so much water was available from these wells that it was specially used for aquatic stage displays, thought very grand at that time. A book could be written about this old house, where (Vrimaldi was a pantomimic favor- ite. Nearly every play in Shakespeare has been given on the stage now claimed for variety divertisement. Walter DeFrece, like Barrasford, has thinned out some of his holdings, his idea being: "Hold fast that which is good." His list now covers nine excellent paying houses, and he has dropped out at Edin- burgh, Leeds and Liverpool. Heading his roster at London is the splendid Stoke Newington Palace, while the new house at Portsmouth is one of his halls of pride. The largest wholly provincial tour in t'e kingdom is the Broadhead circuit, whose fine new halls scattered in and around Manchester bid fair to mount to an even do/en soon. Broadhead's last ven- ture is m grand new house at Liverpool, which will open on the Christ ma stide. T. A. Kdwardes is prospering with a satall circuit, and his halls have lately been fixed over extensively. He was for- merly a music hall singer, and Wilmot, who is clustering halls around Liverpool, was also an artist. So was Signor Pepi. who now controls Carlisle, Darlington, Barrow. At York W. Peacock shows cir- cuit tendencies, having latejy ventured on seashore* speculation; while from Bolton I. !•'. Klliston has expanded to Chester and I eaniington. Sylvester is getting into a lot of halls: Harry Day has quite a cir- cuit, and the United Counties Theatres, Lid., in which Alfred Moul. of the Alham- hra, is concerned, will soon have in excess of a half-dozen halls a number built right to order. The L. C. ('. Halls (London, Collins, Cambridge) are now prospering more than ever, and besides the circuits referred to above there are numerous halls that book in twos and trios, and a vast array of individual places. So there i«. plenty of work for the people 'with I he goods." One turn latelv published a nine years' route without one missing week. As old coiint ties are bound to exceed the new in conservatism, over here the wheels of business perhaps run more in old ruts than they do in America. Proceedings are more custom bound and managers more set in their ways; moreover it is extra hard to switch them from a preconceived opinion. The out civ for new Sets is mainly a thing on paper; practically the same old grist keeps going to the mill. Toward I he new artist ever\ agent is a "Doubting Thomas." he "must sen tie- show," vie. To ^i'i the big agents to see your show i«. !«\ no means ;m easy mat ter. if the show is on outside a central radius. Tien if ihe.\ do see it, all is no I done, as the manager wants to see it. The formalities that hedge a new act are really something dreadful, and many turns ( Continued on page 8q.)