Variety (December 1907)

VARIETY WESTERN GOING IN TOLEDO. Toledo, Dec. 20. Toledo will, in all probability, have an- other theatre before the 1908 season opens. The new house will be devoted to bur- lesque and is to accommodate shows of the Western Wheel. The Empire Circuit Company has been negotiating for some months for property on which to build, and the deal is said to have been closed to-day. There is some dispute between the pres- ent and former owners over the frontage of the site, but it is expected that this will be adjusted shortly. EMPIRE CIRCUIT A BOOKING AGENT. Following the retirement of "Walter J. Plimmer from the position of general booking agent for the Western Burlesque Wheel, the Empire Circuit Company has made application to the city License Bureau for a license to conduct a general booking business. Paul Wolff has been placed in charge of this department, but his name does not appear on the booking license, the position being merely that of an employee. Plimmer and the Empire Company have adjusted their dispute as to the payment of back commissions claimed by the agent as still due him. This amounts to about $2,000, of which Plimmer and the circuit will each receive 50 per cent. Mr. Plimmer has moved into the offices of W. H. and Sim Williams, two floors below the Empire offices. BURLESQUE PLATERS AID CHARITY. Chicago, Dec. 20. A number of the female members of **The Strolling Players" company, while playing at the Dewey, Minneapolis la*t week, assisted a local newspaper in rais- ing funds for ten destitute families. Orna Deck and Tom a Banlon sold news- papers and realized about $100 for the fund, while M. M. Thiese, who came from ML. Clemens to reorganize and re-arrange the show, participated in the philanthropic event and bally booed. The record highest price paid for a single newspaper in Minneapolis is $7.50. The Elks Club, also active in the move- ment, has the copy framed with Mis* Deck's name written on it. RIVALRY IN NEWARK. The theatres of the rival burlesque wheels in Newark, X. J., are engaged in a lively fight for business. Both have in- creased their advertising spaces, and are putting in extra attractions. Qiarmion is the main attraction at the Shubert (the newly opened Western house) and Troja is the special feature at Waldmann's, the Eastern stand. It is possible that Troja will remain with the Brvant show for a few weeks be von d the Newark time. FROM TWO TO "THREE-A-DAY." Watertown, X. Y.. Dec. 20. The Orpheum Theatre here will not give up vaudeville, as stated in Variety last week. Instead, it has been decided to change the policy, playing three shows daily instead of two, as formerly. Chas. P. Gilmore will have charge of the bookings hereafter. William Ifonii booked the house under the old stvle. "CLEAN" SHOWS IN NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, Dec. 20. Public clamor had swelled to such a pitch here over "unclean" shows at Green- wal!'s that Manager Henry Greenwall was moved to write a complaint to the headquarters of the Columbia Amusement Company iEastern Burlesque Wheel) in New York protesting against the sug- gestiveness of the shows sent to his the- atre. Last week he received a reply from J. Herbert Mack, president of the Columbia Company. Mr. Maok instructed the local' manager to discipline visiting burlesque organizations'by ringing the curtain down on any show which in hyj discretion mer- ited such drastic action. The Columbia Company's head backed up this pronunciamento by a pledge to Mr. Greenwall that he would be protect- ed from any and all financial loss result- ing from such a course. Some such moveTiiL Mr. Green wall's part had become imperative. His theatre was in bad odor. So strong was the feel- ing that all but one of the daily papers in New Orleans have refused to print the routine advertisements of the theatre, or recognize its existence in its editorial or news columns except in adverse criticism. Manager Greenwall's stand is being commended, as is also the attitude of the Columbia Amusement Company's, and it is believed that the exchange of the cor- respondence quoted above will mark the beginning of a campaign for decency and cleanliness in burlesque here, which will put that form of entertainment in the place of respect which it occupies in those cities where it is subjected to sane and intelligent censorship. The local agitation regarding Green- wall's doubtless had considerable to do with the radical measures adopted by the Columbia Company in its letter to the manager. Mayor Behrman wrote Mr. Greenwall last week that unless the per- formances in his house were improved the theatre would be ordered closed. Mr. Greenwall replied by inviting the Mayor to name a committee to call and thoroughly investigate what the manager termed "the clap-trap of assassins of character." Both letters were published. EXCEPTIONS TO POOR BUSINESS. With the "Rose Hill Folly" Company the receipts at the Gayety (Eastern Bur- lesque Wheel). Columbus, O.. suddenly jumped last week to $4,000, as against a former average of below $3,000. Idylla Vyner was the "added attraction" to which the sudden boom is attributed. "The Behman Show.'' which has been doing phenomenal business all along the line, piled up a gross ci $5.S00 in Balti- more last week. This meant a "turn- away" at every performance. With these and a few other exceptions, however, the business for the ante-holidav week has been rather poor on both Wheels. THE FAYS' OWN SHOW. The Fays (John T. and Eva) will start on the road with their own vaudeville company this month, opening Dec. 30. The Zarrow Trio, Cecelia Weston, Phil Staats and Elsie Benner have been booked for the organization by Walter Plimmer. The first stand is a secret. WESTERN CLOSING OPEN TIME. The Shubert Theatre (formerly Park) in Brooklyn opens next week as a stand on the Western Burlesque Wheel. The Shubert in Newark, N. J., began its career two weeks ago with Miner's "Bohemian lturlesquers" as an Empire Circuit prop- erty. In the present arrangement of routes the Newark week falls in after Philadel- phia, while the shows visit the Brooklyn house following the week at the Gotham, New York. This leaves only one open week in the Western Wheel, and that will be closed up when Schenectady opens around the first of the vear. By the opening of next season the Em- pire people ..promise to have two new houses in Brooklyn, the Williamsburg house and another on Flatbush avenue, and to make room for these, either some of the makeshift time in the West will be eliminated, or a present week stand will be cut te•• three-d«ye? —~——-- JOE HENNESSY CRITICALLY ILL. Joe Hennessy, who has been advertising agent and general manager in the absence of James H. Curtin, at the London The- atre, is critically ill. On Wednesday the physicians despaired of his life. He has held the present position in the London for fifteen years, and was popular with burlesque artists, among whom he had a wide acquaintance. LIBEL SUIT DISMISSED. New Orleans, Dec. 20. The action brought against Henry Greenwall. manager of Greenwall's The- atre, for $15,000 by John V. McStea for alleged slander, was compromised before it reached trial in the United States Cir- cuit Court last week, and Judge Saunders granted a dismissal. The compromise was effected by Mr. Greenwall retracting the remarks he had passed reflecting upon Mr. McStea. BRUNETTE AND $75 FOR SKETCH. 1 Cincinnati, Dec. 20. If there's a brunette in the citv with $75 to "ease" Carl Berch, author of "Britt's to Blame," vaudeville will see that sketch, mavbe. Mr. Berch arrived in town and adver- tised for a young brunette woman having $75 in currency of the realm. Both to- gether would be accepted by him for the skit. He mav have been successful, but earlv in the week Berch said no one had ap- peared. "Wot d'ye tink.'' remarked Berch, "dere isn't a skirt in town with seventy- five in her stock. It g*-ts me. I tought the ad. would bring a stampede. I don't care if she can't act if she jj<»ts the money. The sketch can make good with an ama- tchoor. The $75 pews for wardrobe and pictures. 'Britt's to Blame' is booked solid, but me pardner got sick in St. Looey." VION & LOWE REORGANIZING. This dull theatrical week has been used by Vion &. Lowe to reorganize their trav- eling vaudeville show, which closed last Saturday' night. It makes a fresh start Mondav, with a new roster, playing only three-night stands hereafter. BROOKLYN SHUBERT OPENS MON- DAY. The Shubert, Brooklyn, under its old name, the Park Theatre, will reopen Mon- day after several months of darkness, with Tom Miner's "High Jinks" Company, as a permanent stand in the Western Bur- lesque Wheel. As an added attraction the show will exhibit the moving pictures of the Burns-Moir fight. Miner has taken the new picture series for four weeks. Another special feature of the week will be the presence of Shad Link, a cham- pion wrestler from Baltimore, who will meet all comers for a purse. DEARLY ARVILLE. Dearly Arville, who occupies the centre oval of the front page this week, is an oddly named young woman from the West. Miss Arville has played in vaude- ville out of New York City, and expects to make the "big town" around the first the year. In the monologue which Miss Arville offers on the stage she appears in resplen- dant evening dress, and has stories in the East Side dialect to tell instead of re- maining in the prima donna class with high notes. HERRINGTON RETURNS TO SCRAN- TON. "The Lady Birds," Alf G. Herrington's burlesque show, is putting forward prac- tically a new offering this week at the Dewey. It was withdrawn last week and reorganized. Mr. Herrington has been travelling with it for several months, but will now return to Scranton, where he owns the Star. There have been one or two changes in the staff there lately. Edward Shafer, who has been general manager with Mortimer M. Thiese since last season, will be travelling manager with "The Lady Birds" for the balance of the season. Delays have occurred in the adjustment of damages to the Bavonne theatre bv fire a few days ago, and the re-opening, which was promised for this week, will not take place until New Year's week. LILLIAN SHAW. Now under the management of Mr. Floreni Zlegftld. Miss Shaw will appear Jn Mr. ZieR- felil'B n»-w play. "The Soul Kiss," to be produced at the New York Theatre.