Variety (March 1908)

12 VARIETY London, March 7. One or two of the Magnaghten houses would stand a warning from headquarters about being too facile with the drop cur« tain. At West Hartlepool lately two girls who sued the circuit claimed they were practically disgraced by the swift descent ^ of a drop curtain before they could bow off the stage, and now comes a big suit for damages from the Primrose Sisters, one of whom was caught by a Surrey drop curtain and crippled throngh an injury to her spine. They are leg-mania dancers, and towards the close of their turn were warned to hurry off and "quit that bow- ing and scraping," a drop which came hastily down forthwith catching them while tip-toeing with one limb coiled round the neck. The present suit was ineffective through some legal technical- ity, but as the judge said they would have the right to sue again for damages, there is every probability that the mat- ter will not be dropped. v Thomas Barrasford is unquestionably on the rise just now, and reports from his new house opened at Barcelona are most encouraging. The turns all went well, and the natives like comedy hugely. Marseilles opens Mlarch IG. Meantime Barrasfords, Limited, as the new combine with George Dancetfand others is called, has secured a site in a prominent position, near the Market place, in South Shields. Plans have been deposited with the authorities, and if approved the building operations will start at once. The proposed hall is to scat over 2,000 and have large and com- modious waiting rooms to eliminate the outside queue nuisance from the twice nightly scheme. Seth Pook, the well known host of the "Lord Nelson," Brighton, is dead. "PdiU" will be the title of next fall's Empire bal- let. A fifteen per cent, dividend is recom- mended for the United Varieties, Limited. An addition to The Maples (Fred Bur- nell) Family brings parental rejoicing.— The Actor's Association has just passed a resolution to use its efforts to establish a minimum theatrical wage of ten dollars, and it is stated that half the people in the dramatic profession here get no more than that. Beerbohm Tree says hundreds want to get in his companies for nothing, and even to pay a premium, but he doesn't en- courage that kind of people. F. G. Nelson, of Nelson's Newsboys, has been expelled from the Variety Artiste's Federation for acting contrary to its orders in playing a banned StoU charity matinee at Cardiff. He was the only Federationist who appeared. Arthur Croxon, who will be remembered as one turn out of several hundred that conspicuously succeeded at the first Stoll trial matinees, has been doing big in Aus- tralia, and been specially retained for longer time. lie sails April 12 and after his six weeks' voyage opens at the Dublin Tivoli in May, a very close connection, by the way. The Star Music Hall, Bermondsey, S. E., will be sQJd at the Mart, near the Bank of England, on St. Patrick's day. The lease, including the Star and Garter public house, has about GO years to run. -The main Liv- erpool event was the opening last week of Broadhead's twelfth music-hall, the Lodge Lane Pavilion. It is a splendid modern fireproof house, with popular prices. The house seats upwards of 3,000, and Percy B. Broadhead is the local manager.—A. F. Lovesy, manager of the Bedford Music Hall, Camdentown, is dead at only 33, leaving a wife and two children.—La Milo was barred by the Manchester Watch Committee from playing her Stoll en- gagement last week, her name being sud- denly covered with that of another at- traction on tSiaturday morning. The poseuse has been doing draped statues of a quite inoffensive character, and we are told it is the posing act generally, and not La Milo as La Milo, that is aimed at. Just now the authorities are bearing pretty hard on the theatres and halls, which seem to be never one moment out of their eye.—Barton and Ashley opened at the Coliseum in the funny and fanciful absurdity "Adam the Sec- ond." The sketch is identical with one in American vaudeville, played by Mat- Ashley have secured the English rights.— John Christie, who was made district manager (Stoll Tour) for South Wales after filling time at the Stratford and Hackney Empires, now becomes London District Manager for the Moss-StoU Em- pires, in place of Will Collins, now at the head of the Payne halls.—Frank Bostock brings to the London Hippodrome next Monday a dramatic trained animal epi- sode "Russia vs. Japan," in which a Russian bear twice the size of his Japan- ese master goes through a full military drill, etc., at his command.—The Hoxton Varieties have opened successfully with pictures, sandwiched with variety.—Now that Keith is putting in a gymnasium for his employees, an athletic club has been or- ganized for the Moss Empires staff, with Sir Edward Moss and Oswald Stoll as the presidents.—Frank Macnaughten is off for a pleasure cruise to the West Indies and Mexico with Will Murray, his Black- burn manager.—"Giant Rooster" Stanton will shortly reproduce here his American act, "The Enchanted Wood," two scenes and ten people. He just concluded a very successful pantomime season at the Ly- ceum.—R. A. Roberts has bought a new Courier motor car of powerful capacity.— Sylvia du Barry has secured an injunc- tion restraining the noise of an electric theatre that opened up under her flat, and had too much whoop and hurrah. "*• A new revue is rehearsing at the Em- pire.—The Queen's Royal, Dublin, opens March 2 with pictures and variety.—An nuti-deadhead league has been formed by Ix)ndon theatrical managers.—In the prov- inces there is much agitation about the theatre queue, and one woman writes a local paper that she has solved the mat- ter by not going to a theatre for eight years. PARKS AND PAIRS Battersea "Dream City," which has been projected for a coming summer Thames-side resort, with buildings cost- ing $500,000, has been refused a drink license for its restaurant, and feels rather discouraged thereat. - . ' , - , ' "White City" in New Orleans opens April 20. Comic opera will be given in the Casino. Many new concessions will be in evidence. The resort is being given a thorough renovation. (Dharles C. Mathews is manager, Jas. J. Corcoran business man- ager. Washington, D. C, March 19. Luna Park, after undergoing improve- ments, will open its regular summer sea- son May 23. Charles J. Goodfellow, who was manager of the park last season, has been reappointed to that position by tl^e Luna Park Company. A rumor this week that the National Park Managers' Association had agreed to obtain booking for its members through the United Offices was denied by C Ober- heid, of the association. Mr. Oberheid stated no arrangement of any nature with a booking agency had been entered into. Through a typographical error last week, the paragraph regarding the National Park Managers' Association and R. C. Mudge was made to read that Mr. Mudge said he was connected with the Associa- tion, whereas it should have been "was not," although the matter following the error in part exposed it. Denver, March 19. When the new "Whit« City," now being built by the Zang Brewing Company, opens, it will be the only resort in the state where liquor is sold. All the latest amusement devices have been planned for "White City," and its promoters claim it will be the best summer park in the West. Sydnay, Australia, Feb, 1. At "Wonderland City" (E. S. Lalambo, manager) W. A. Oavley has vacated. His failure to pay the acts showing there has resulted in several suing for arrears of sal- aries. The Lewis Sisters were the first to receive a verdict in their favor and now a multitude are clamoring for their rights. "Wonderland City," which was such a suc- cess at first, threatens to become a gigantic failure by reason of the system of sub- letting the side shows. . Sydney, Australia, Feb. 1. . "Wonderland City" is now minus the managerial services of E. S. Salambo, and nobody seems disposed to regret hia departure. Business is on the decline, the only attempt made at reviving box- office receipts being the engagement of Alphonse Stewart, a French-Canadian aeronaut, who does a triple parachute descent, but this performance can be easily witnessed from the surrounding altitudes, so it may be inferred that not many pass through the turnstiles. the place Astoria, Long Island. Negotia- tions are under way to have the fair the starting point of the International Airship Race, and a space is being reserved for this purpose. The fairgrounds cover seven acres, and are accessible by a five-cent trolley ride to twenty-four towns on Long Island. This is the first county fair held in Astoria. The officers are J. M. Shubert, president; George-W. Tomasso, vice-presi- dent and manager, and Gus H. Fishbach, secretary and treasurer. An assessment has been levied upon the stockholders of "White City," Louisville. It is said that unless the responses to the assessment are promptly met by the share- holders, it may interfere seriously with the management's plans for the park the coming summer. When "White City" was promoted, bonds of the park were sold to subscribers. With every bond a share of common stock was given as a bonus. Now, with an assessment of 40 per cent, placed upon the stock the purchasers of the bonds are commencing to question where the profit of the bonus is to be secured. WON'T RELICENSE RINK. Bartlesville, Okla., March 19. Reissue of the license was refused the managers of the local skating rink when the managers came before Mayor Beas- ley a few days ago. The Mayor told them that he would not accept their money in payment, owing to a large number of complaints which had reached him from the parents of young girls. The managers threaten to take the mat- ter into court. BERLIN NOTES By OLD NICK. Berlin, Feb. 29. Resisto, electric demonstration, is at- tracting people to Circus Schumann. The pantomime, "American Slavery, 1803," is still there. The Apollo is doing business with a lot of good numbers. Miss Alexia is the star, and is without doubt the greatest woman in her line. She is on her second month and may stay longer. /" Mary and Alfred Marquard in their scene "Waltz Craze" are here for a second month. This is also a novelty for Berlin and going strong. You have a similar act in America; I think Moore and Littlefield. The I. A. L. has settled several more cases for artists and so prevented law- suits. ..... •'..•■:■"■'-■.. The Gotham, Brooklyn, will play stock commencing March 30th. The date of this year's Queen's County Fair is announced as May 25 to 30, and Several more foreign numbers have dis- appointed the directors who have the three-day clause in their contracts. The news has spread about warning acts to be careful if they have an open contract. Some acts preferred not to come, rather than to be cancelled the first day, and so be disappointed and have their reputation punctured. The three-day clause will have to be a thing of the past soon, or there will be trouble'. '