Variety (December 1907)

VARIETY "SUNDAY SHOWS" MADE UP FOR TO-MORROW Vaudeville Managers Have Laid Out Their Bills for a Performance Sunday, the First in Three Weeks, Sunday concerts have been arranged for the vaudeville theatres to-morrow in ac- cordance with the instructions from the managers' attorneys, who have construed the resolution passed by the Board of Al- dermen this week as restoring practically the old conditions. The R. S. Doull motion for the removal of certain restrictions allowable under the Aldermanic power to amend the Greater New York Charter was passed by the municipal body this week as a minority report from the committee to which it was referred by a vote of 47 to 18. The amendment as passed permits in- strumental music, singing and talking, and the lawyers say that the raising and lowering of a curtain or "drop" is law- ful under certain conditions. Everything approaching a dramatic sketch is barred; also circus acts, acro- batics or dancing. Under the law as amended by the Board of Aldermen, the bill at Hammer- stein's this week is an apt illustration of what may be played on Sundays. Through a peculiar co-incident, Mr. Hammerstein will have only to remove two numbers from his weekly program for the Sabbath concert. William Court- lcigh in "Peaches," a sketch; and the Da mm Brothers, acrobats, can not ap- pear, but Dill and Ward, who must cut out the dancing section of their act; Fred- erick Brothers and Burns, instrumental; Corinne, who sings and plays a musical instrument; Les Trombettas, a singing act; "The Six English Rockers," a "girl act," which must leave out the dancing, also the revolving rocking chairs; Gould and Suratt, dialogue and songs, and Lily Lena, the English singer, are all within the prohibitions. Changes of costume may be made ac- cording to the lawyers, if made ofT stage, and Mr. Hammerstein even thought for a time the revolution of the rocking chairs in "The English Rockers" would be per- missible, but it is not likely this will bo attempted. William Grossman, of House, Grossman & Vorhaus, said on Thursday that in his opinion moving picture shows could oper- ate on Sunday if no vaudeville acts con- trary to the law were introduced on the stage, and Mr. Grossman gave it as his opinion that the carrying out of the law by the managers meant more than any- thing else that they should keep within the spirit of it. The amendment came before the Mayor on Thursday and, receiving his sanction and signature, went into effect at 4 o'clock on the same day. A committee of min- isters had petitioned the Mayor to give a public bearing on the amendment be- fore signing, but he refused to grant the request, the reference of the resolution to a committee of the Board of Aldermen having been designed for ju.st that pur- pose and upon that occasion the matter having been gone into thoroughly. FISCHER "HAS WENT." Clifford C. Fischer, the foreign agent, "has went." Last Tuesday a. m. Mr. Fischer bundled up all his knitting, clasped the rubber shoes on to his feet, and boarded a steamer for Europe. Mr. Fisclter sailed on the "Oceanic," but he did not parade Broadway with a brass bond announcing either his departure or the name of the steamer. Mr. Fischer left behind him some con- tracts under which he is entitled to com- mission, a lawsuit against William Mor- ris for a share of Mr. Morris' commis- sions, and a few other things, but took with himself his wife; also his brother, Julius or Alexander. Some say it was Julius; some say it was Alexander—it looks like Alexander for the straight and place bet, but Fischer himself "has sure went." Fischer is expected to return in Feb- ruary, when his suit against William Mor- ris comes up for trial. JOSEPHINE SABEL WALKS OUT. Josephine Sabel is not playing in vaude- ville this week. Miss Sabel is one of the "K. & E. acts" turned over to the United Hooking Offices for assignment of dates. Last week Miss Sabel played Hammer- stein's under the K. & E.-United arrange- ment for the first time. This week the singer was billed for Keith's, Philadelphia. Arriving there Monday morning, Miss Sabel discovered upon entering her dress- ing room that garments generally worn by a male were scattered about. The stage manager suggested the proba- bility of a mistake, he not presuming a woman would be given a dressing room al- ready occupied by a man, but "Dave" Sabel, Miss Sabel's husband, meeting H. T. Jordan, the manager, commenced a dis- cussion of the affair which concluded when Mr. Sabel and his wife left the theatre without waiting for the opening per- formance. Returning to New York, they called upon P. J. Casey, in charge of the K. & E. vaudeville bookings. Mr. Casey informed Mr. Sabel his act and contract had been turned over to the United, and he believed they were under the direction of the United while playing in its houses. It is probable Miss Sabel will sue Klaw & Erlanger should she find no further time is allotted, to her by the United Offices. In that event, Klaw & Erlanger will like- ly ask to have the United joined as co- defendant, claiming it is the real party in interest. ERIE'S NEW THEATRE. Erie, Pa., Dec. 20. Erie is again to have vaudeville, al- though it has failed twice here. This time E. H. S'uerken, a well-known business and theatrical man of Erie, has erected a new brick theatre on State, be- tween Eighth and Ninth streets. It will seat 800, and will open on Jan. 1. The house will be in the Mozart Cir- cuit for the present. Prices will be 10- 20*20. The theatre is a beautiful struc- ture and will be called "The Gaietv." ENGLAND WAITING FOR MISS SURATT. When no more vaudeville engagements are forthcoming for William Gould and Valeska Suratt, who are playing at Ham* moistein's this week, Miss Suratt may go to England, where, it is said, several offers to appear upon the stage await her. BLONDELL IN A MONOLOGUE. Next week at Young's Pier, Atlantic City, Ed. Blondell, "The Lost Boy," will essay a monologue as a "try-out." It will be in the character of a "kid," Mr. Blon- dell holding closely in make-up and lines to the role he played in "his well-known sketch. ONKEN 'FRISCO MANAGER. San Francisco, Dec. 20. All conjecture as to the manager of the Sullivan-Considine's 16th street house has been settled by the appointment of Al Onken. He formerly managed the Familv, New York City, and also acted as booking agent for the circuit at that place. NO ATTENTION TO "SUNDAY LAW." Kansas City, Dec. 20. The Majestic is the only house here which has paid any attention to the Sun- day closing agitation. The Majestic has not given a show for the past two Sun- days. The artists playing in Kansas City who were indicted for playing on Sunday have been bailed by prominent Kansas Cityians. No further trouble for them is expectefl. CAUGHT "GRAFTING" EMPLOYEE. Baltimore, Dec. 20. Manager Kernan of the Maryland dis- covered this week one of his employees had fallen into the habit of accepting cash for admission to the theatre instead of the regulation coupons issued by the box-office. Objecting to his performances being seen at cut-rates, Mr. Kernan remon- strated with the man through physical force, and when the "grafter" recovers he will have to seek another job. The Family, which opens at Braddock, Pa., next week under the management of E. E. Mozart, will have Neilson's "Hying Ballet" a,s the chief feature. A NEW VERSION. 'Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house Not a creature was stirring—not even a mouse. The manager waited in quiet despair In hopes that an audience soon would be there. But nobody came; his hopes were all wrecked; 'Twas the week before Christmas -what could you expect? Louis Westyn. SHEEDY LOSES BROCKTON. The great clash which has been dis- turbing the atmosphere surrounding the New England vaudeville managers receiv- ing their weekly bills through the United Booking OfTices has been settled. M. R. Sheedy doesn't get Brockton. Andrew Hathaway does. Two line^ to tell it, but it required several weeks of controversy between Messrs. Sheedy and Hathaway and the entire directorate of the United to settle the dispute as to the. priority for the Massachusetts town. Some time ago Mr. Sheedy, who directs Sheedy's Fall River, fell upon Brockton as a likely addition to his circuit of one. He purchased a plot of ground there, and announced he would build a theatre for vaudeville. As far afi anyone knew, Mr. Sheedy in due course of time would h.ve had his second house, and the commotion caused by the proclamation passed into expect- ancy on the part of Brockton's inhabit- ants. After Mr. STieedy had all his plans ar- ranged, Mr. Hathaway, whose temple of vaudeville in New Bedford is managed by Theodore B. Baylies, drove into Brock- ton, and espied a skating rink. The build- ing looked good to Mr. Hathaway, and he straightaway decided it could and would be a vaudeville theatre. It has been now for four weeks under his man- agement. Mr. Sheedy brought his claim to New- York, to the St. James Building, where the acts come from, and Mr. Hathaway also had his case ready for presentation to the high moguls of the vaudeville monopoly. For the first three days of this week Sf it was all "Sheedy-Hathaway" at the United Offices. The "case" was heard, and when it was over Mr. Sheedy re- turned to Fall River to watch over his lone chick of a theatre. This happened on Wednesday. That same evening Mr. Baylies viewed the bill at Ilammerstein's, for he was still the representative of Mr. Hathaway's "circuit," and although Mai- den, Mass., had been lost to his chief by bad business, Brockton had been saved to him bv the United. WILLIAMS AND TUCKER LEAVE PARTS. Eva Williams and Jac Tucker will not play in Tom Ryley's "Funtebashi" when that piece opens at the Casino January 0, having had its New York resting place transferred from the Daly's, where first set down for. The vaudeville team did not like their parts. They will probably go to England to play their sketches in the halls over there. "Funtebashi" is a summer amusement resort, just outside Tokio, Japan, corre- sponding to our Coney Island. LEFT $100,000 TO STENOGRAPHER. Chicago, Dec. 20. In the will of George I. Porter, the Minneapolis theatrical man, who was found dead of heart disease in bed in an Omaha hotel recently, the following pro- visions are made: That $150,000 be set aside for the widow, $100,000 for his stenographer, who was also his secretary and confidential adviser, and $1,000 for his daughter.