Variety (March 1908)

VARIETY FELIX ISMAN MAKES STATEMENT. Philadelphia, March 12. Felix Isman has come out flat-footed in a newspaper interview as the financial backer of William Morris in the forth- coming new "Morris Circuit" of vaude- ville houses. On Monday last the "North American" reprinted the atory in Saturday's Variety on the Morris Circuit, including Mr. Mor- ris' statement, which was incorporated in the article. On Tuesday the "North American'* followed this up by securing an interview with Mr. Isman, from which the matter below has been taken: "During the so-called vaudeville war that closed recently," said Mr. Isman, "I was interested in the side that retired, 'and leftrlfifcd'rioiijetMf.g of the-.p'-ofita of the business. After my interest there ceased Mr. Morris again enlisted my at- tention to the business, and convinced me that, with a sufficient number of houses to keep vaudeville artists employed for an entire season, vaudeville could be made very profitable by giving the public stand- ard performances at the low prices of 10, 20 and 30 cents, with a few seats, those in the boxes, at 50 cents. "Of course, at such prices the houses would have to be large. We have found little difficulty in securing that class of houses. "There will be no war if we can help it. We do not believe we will interfere with Mr. Keith or Mr. PFOctor, or any others now engaged in vaudeville. We do not want to. "We do not intend to fight the others for acts. Mr. Morris has convinced me that we can get all the acts of the first class that will be necessary. We do not expect to either raise or lower salaries. "I have considered the proposition from every point of view, and am satisfied that it is practical and will be made a very great success—that is, giving standard high-class vaudeville at 10, 20, 30 and 50 cents, regardless of the policy of what others may think, say or do." The North American on Wednesday re- ported that the second Morris house was probably the Y. M. C. A. Building at 15th and Chestnut, which has been secured by Walter Henry and Florian Pincus. This report is not given any attention. TRIXIE FRIGANZA A UNITED ACT. At Cliase's, Wasliington, this week Trixie Friganza is playing the first of ten weeks handed her through the United Booking Offices, M. S. Bentham, the agent, securing Miss Friganza the time. She will appear at the Fifth Avenue on March 23. As a former "K. & E. net" Miss Fri- ganza was supposed to have been left out- side the vaudeville gates by the United after the "settlement," but her booking is another proof of the abolition of any "blacklist" which may have been thought of in connection with acts playing in op- position. The Avolos, a musical trio, who played the Cleveland Hippodrome under contract with William Morris, and suspected of ostracism by the United managers by rea- son thereof, appeared at the Colonial last week, and are at present on the P. G. Williams Circuit. Other acts which have played opposition also are now in United houses. K. & E. CONTRACT UPHELD. The validity of the Klaw & Erlanger vaudeville contract was passed upon by Justice Michael F. Blake, sitting in the Sixth Municipal Court, when he handed down a decision this week awarding The Livingstons $480, the amount the act sued Klaw & Erlanger for. This is the action where the attorney for the United Booking Offices, appearing for the defendants (Klaw & Erlanger) through the United having assumed the liability of the contract under the "set- tlement'* agreement, interposed a defense of "want of mutuality" in the agreement, the United lawyer resting his case upon that. : ■. •::■- '■^■^'-- ■'. ' ';;. :<"■'■ ' It became a test to establish the legal- ity of the agreement, and Judge Blake's decision in favor of the "artists places a judicial decision upon the mooted point in the contract. It is improbable, that the United will again set up that defense, nor will the action won by the Livingstons be appealed, ,, , CRESSY AND DAYNE QUIT. Will M. Cressy and Bluiicho Dayne will quit the "legitimate'' with "A Village Lawyer," which Mr. Cressy and someone else worked out for the "$2 time." The team this week siiznod a contract with Martin Beck to ojion with the Orphcum Boad Show in Chicago on March 23. Thoy will remain with that traveling vaudi'villc organizati(»n for next sea!*on. as well, so for a wliile at least the New York critics will not have another chance at Mr. Cressy or his "play." GEORGIE CAINE AT HAMMERSTEIN'S. On April 0 Georgia Caine, at present one of the two individual successes of "Miss Hook of Holland," will return to vaude- ville once more in a single act. Lvkens & Levy are the agents. Miss Caine has not settled upon her art, but it will most likely be songs and dances. GEO. PRIMROSE IN MINSTREL NUMBER. With a number taken from his min- strel show, Geo. Primrose will start upon his annual Spring tour of the vaudeville houses, commencing March 30 at the Fifth Avenue, booked there by M. S. Bentham. It will be practically a new act for vaudeville, and there will be eight or ten people associated with Mr. Primrose in the production. . ' PRODUCTION OFFERS FOR ALICE LLOYD. The legitimate managers are commenc- ing to swarm down upon Alice Lloyd with offers for musical comedy over here next season. Miss Lloyd is in receipt of sev- eral propositions, which aim to land her as a star on Broadway. One will be accepted within a short while, when a play will be built around the little Englishwoman, and written to include the eccentricities of The Mc- Nanghtons in the same piece. Though both the English acts are booked abroad until 1913, Tom McXaughton, Mis'* Lloyd's husband and manager, arranged for postponements, if called for, before leaving the other side. NO PICTURES FOR POLL "There will be no pictures on the Poli Circuit," said one of its chief executives this week. "There is no necessity to con- vert any of the Poli vaudeville houses from its set policy," continued the Poli officer, "but though there were, it would not be for pictures." Mr. Poli is of the opinion that moving pictures could not increase his profits nor improve his property. The Nelson, Spring- field, lately taken over by Mr. Poli from the United States Amusement Co. (Klaw & Erlanger), caused the question to be put to his representative whether it was likely other of the Poli houses would follow suit. "Mr. Poli has the Bijou in New Haven besides his own vaudeville theatre there. He could place pictures in the Bijou if he eared fcr them,, but will install stock in- stead," remarked the Poli man, who also said that the prices on the Poli Circuit next season would be increased all along the line to fifty cents for orchestra seats, about the first ten rows being held at that figure. The 10-20-30 rate has long pre- vailed in Poll's New England houses. The contractors are under penalty to deliver Poli his new Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) theatre by Aug. 15, next. The opening date has been set for Sept. 7. The addi- tion of Wilkes-Barre will give the Poli Circuit eight weeks in all next season. No other new locations are in prospect just now. Asked if Mr. Poli was troubled bv thoughts of future opposition, his spokes- man replied by stating that the opposi- tion this season had done move for their vaudeville business in S*]iringfield and Worcester than they could have accom- plished, unaided, in a long while. Poli welcomed opposition, it was said, and wanted it. LAURA BURT IN A SKETCH. "The Order of the Bath" will be the means of allowing M. S. Bentham to pro- pel Laura Burt into vaudeville this spring. Miss Burt has been playing in "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall." MORRIS LEAVES; CASEY ALSO. Williani M<.uis loft Now York Thurs- «l.iy, having but returned the d:iy previ- ously from a week's visit out of town. (Ml Friday P. J. Casey slipped out of the eitv, and the rumor factorv iinmodiatelv started at work in ddulde shifts, trvinjj to join the two departures into an ex- pected deal wherein .Mr, Casey would be cijucerncd in the ojteration of tlie Morris Cinuit next season. 'Jo perfect this it was said that Messrs. Morri.s and Casey wer<v to;;ether in the same city, the factory reporting that Morris had spoken lo Casey over the tele- jdione just before leaving. U is not known when either will return. MISS WYCHERLY IN "ONE.'» Hayard N'ciller, the writer, is composing a novelty act in "one" for Margaret Wycherly, the legitimate actress. Miss Wycherly will return to vaudeville with it next month. HAMMERSTEIN NOT IMPRESSED. William Hammerstein was not impressed with foreign vaudeville while on the other side. Mr. Hammerstein returned last Sat- urday after a month away. "Europe is all right in its way," said he, "and about vaudeville, it is good to go over there once in a while, because you secure a better opinion of your own shows by the trip. ETHEL LEVEY TO RETURN. Bookings have been secured by M. S. Bentham, Ethel Levey's vaudeville agent, and Miss Levey will reappear in the va- rieties on April 20 at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, playing two or three weeks on the K.-P. Circuit, sailing for Europe for her long contemplated course of vocal cul- ture on May 18. Miss Levey, now with "Nearly a Hero" at the Casino, will close that engagement on April 18. EVANS GOES SOUTH. <*> . Savannah, March 12. On the baseball field here, where the Philadelphia nine practices daily, may be seen Geo. Evans, the monologist, who was obliged to cancel his Klaw «& Erlanger contract last week while playing at the Alhanibra, New York, through his voice giving out. Mr. Evans still had two weeks of K. & E. time to play. He expects to recover down here while chasing the horsehide about, when he will return in time to open with the Circle show, he says. BOSTON'S BIG SHOW. Boston, March 12. The seat sale for the opening of the new Boston Hippodrome began this week. The big show opens March 30 in Mechan- if'«' Bnildini;. and will be run much after the style of the New York Hippodrome. WALTZ CRAZE IN VAUDEVILLE. .Tesse L. I>jisky is rapidly prodiicing a \'iennese ojieretta wliich he says will com- pare f.noraldy with "The Waltz Dream" or "riie Merry Widow."' It is entitled "The Love Waltz." This is the largest production Mr. I^isky has ever attempted for vaudeville, and it will include a cast of twenty people, several of thein being well-known legitimates. l«'or the theme (»f the piece a waltz has been j)roeured which is said to rival the famous "Merrv Widow." U'hc costumes and scenerv will be most elaborate, and the act has al- ready Iw^en booked for its opening at the Colonial, April 20. William Morris returned on Wednesday from a trip to several Canadian cities. He .said there was notiiing to give out for pub- lication regarding it. GRACE HAZARD'S FAREWELL WEEK. Next week (March 10) will be the fare- well appearance of Grace Hazard over here before her return from Europe in the Fall. Miss Hazard has accepted the engagement at the Grand Opera House in the Smoky City as a special attraction. Upon her return the originator of "Five Feet of Comic 0|)era" will present her new and elalmrate version of the protean- without-moving-opcrativc vaudeville num- ber.