Variety (May 1908)

VARIETY • UNITED'S OFFICE IN CHICAGO. It is understood about the United Book- ing Offices that E. M. Robinson, the former manager of Keith-Proctor's 68th Street Theatre, will be despatched to Chicago, and placed in charge of a branch office of the United to be established there. The date of Mr. Robinson's departure has not been set. The branch office will be located in the Majestic Theatre Build- ing, where the Western Vaudeville Asso- ciation is housed. It is not known whether any of the United's staff In New York will accompany him. POSTPONED TIME REINSTATED. Foster and Foster, the musical act, are to play at the Grand Opera House, Syra- cuse, N. Y. (Keith's Theatre), next week (May 18), according to the information obtained at the United Booking Offices on Thursday, although the day before, Wednesday, the act received notification, in writing, from the United's routing di- rector, that the Syracuse engagement had been postponed until week June 15. The postponement of the Syracuse date by written notification merely was looked upon as directly against the tenor of the resolution passed by the United last week, which said that no act should be cancelled, shifted or "laid or' without its consent. Foster and Foster were originally routed for Cook's Opera House, Rochester, for the same week, but owing to the clos- ing of that theatre, they were transferred to the Syracuse program. NEW TRIAL DENIED. The application for a're-trial, made on the ground of newly discovered evidence by Vesta Victoria in the action won against her in a lower court by Bert Cooper, for commissions, was denied in the Supreme Court on Wednesday by Justice Smuck, after argument on Mon- day by the attorneys. The judgment obtained by Cooper against Miss Victoria has been appealed and a decision is expected from the Appel- late Division the latter end of next week. BOSTON AWAITING DARK SUNDAY. Boston, May 14. The new law which gives the State Police jurisdiction over all of Boston's Sunday amusements went 'into effect. Monday, and the theatrical men are await- ing next Sunday with a good deal of ex- pectancy to see just how it is going to work out. Gen. J. H. Whitney, in whom is vested the supervising power, made a statement this week, but his observations gave little information of his intentions. "To clear up a general "misconception as to my function," said the general, "I would like to say that I have not the power of granting Sunday amusement licenses; I can only pass upon the licenses granted by the local authorities, approving or disapproving each as the case may be." ETHEL LEVEY CANCELS. Ethel Levey will not play at the Circle tomorrow (Sunday) night as booked by the William Morris office. Miss Levey was to have played this, her last vaudeville weekly engagement at Keeney's Brooklyn, but was released upon her plea of a want of rest before starting for Paris on May 20, where she will study voice culture two years. On Tuesday, someone from the United Offices interviewed Miss Levey, claiming the first right to her services, through the consent to the Keeney cancellation, and Miss Levey succumbed to the argument. COLORED STOCK COMPANIES. Four companies of colored people will be organized for stock musical shows by Gus Hill, according to his own statement, and the shows will be given by them at Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and New York, alternating weekly. This flood of color will not happen un- til next season, when, says Mr. Hill on the mimeograph machine, he will have secured a theatre in each city to harbor his dusky flocks. BECK "NEXT" TO PRESS. While Martin Beck is on the other side his movements will be followed by the New York "Herald's" correspondents wherever he goes. Instructions were cabled abroad by the big New York daily when Beck left. Letters of introduction to George Miner, the "Herald's" "American First-Nighter" in London, and R. H. Crocket, the Paris correspondent, were carried by Mr. Beck from New York. ALICE LLOYD DELAYING. Alice Lloyd and The McNaughtons do not expect to return to England until the middle of July. Reaching there they will remain at home only four weeks. Return engagements now booked will delay the act over their contracted time. Pat Casey, the agent, has also arranged with M. Shea for Miss Lloyd and The McNaughtons to play the Shea houses in Buffalo and Toronto in September, pre- ceding their debut in the musical comedy field. MISS WHITFORD A "BRINKLEY GIRL." Anabelle Whitford, who last summer was "The Gibson Girl" in the New York Hoof show, will again make the aerial re- sort a summer stopping place. She has been engaged for the new Zieg- feUl revue, "Follies of 1908," where she will impersonate a "Nell Brinkerly" young woman, a type recently in the public eye through the sketches of a New York news- paper artist. FRANCES KEENAN. Ming Keenan 1i eighteen years of age. She la the daughter of Frank Keenan, the eminent actor at present with "The Warrena of Virginia," at the Htuyvesant. Ml as Keenan hna been engaged to play the Im- portant role In "Bllly'a Tombstone," Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Drew's successful comedy sketch. Interpreted until now by Mrs. Drew, who will rest for the remainder of the season. ARTISTS CALLED HEROES. Atlanta, Ga., May 14. Jeaa Bedim, and Arthur, his partner in the juggling act of Bedini and Arthur, are the heroes of Atlanta, and own the city this week. Monday night a fire destroying $60,000 worth of property in the vicinity of the Orpheum occurred while Bedini and Ar- thur were just about to commence their act on the stage of the theatre. A boy in the gallery yelled "Fire!" and the audience of nearly 2,000 people became panic stricken. Amidst the excitement Bedini and Arthur continued their com- edy and juggling, although the flames could be plainly seen from the stage, and Man- ager Ben Cahn, in the momentary lull caused by the artists' coolness, advised the audience to retire orderly if panic were to be averted. This they did. What the local papers said the next day about the trio caused them to remain in- doors to avoid congratulations. MORRIS SIGNS "BILL" DILLON. William A. ("Bill") Dillon, the singing monologist, has been signed by William Morris, Inc., for forty weeks next season, with a further option on Dillon's services, it is said. Mr. Dillon entered vaudeville for the first time last fall, and at once gained large favor. A foreign act contracted for by Will- iam Morris abroad is The (Original) Bogannys, an acrobatic number, which will open on the Morris Circuit in October next, having been engaged for twenty-five weeks. The Bogannys were booked for the Klaw & Erlanger Circuit, and opened at the New Yoric early in September, when "Ad- vanced Vaudeville" made its debut there. At the first appearance, it was discovered that the troupe appearing was not the original act. The "mistake" was credited to a foreign booking agency. The present Boganny act secured by Morris, however, will carry Joe, the head of it, which is the trade-mark of merit with the family. Engagements have been entered by William Morris on the other side, and Mr. Dillon will play five or six weeks in Eng- land during the summer. LOST HIS FORTUNE. San Jose, Calif., May 14. Emanuel Hernando, a Mexican, who had amassed a fortune 'as a bull-fighter and retired to this city for the rest of his days, lost his entire wealth last week, when he entrusted $55,000 to strangers who had prevailed upon him that there was a gold mine awaiting anyone in the vaudeville business. The scheme broached to Mr. Bernando was that a circuit of combination variety houses could be placed along the Mexican border line, when all sorts of questionable amusement projects could be given, at- tracting people from all over the country at big prices of admission. Without informing anyone, Bernando withdrew $25,000 from a local bank, and the remainder, $30,000, he removed from a secret hiding place on his property, turn- ing over the entire amount to the con- fidence men upon their written promise to start the circuit within 30 days or re- fund the money. They have not been seen nor heard from since the cash passed. AMERICANS' CLEAN SWEEP. London, May 4. The Americans are monopolizing met- ropolitan attention in the halls just now. First came Julian Rose with his substan- tial hit, and now Harry Lee, formerly of Hoey and Lee, has caught on unmistak- ably at Jhe Hackney Empire (Stoll tour). He is doing a very creditable act, and after the first performance was featured in the billing. Rose continues his trium- phant way, and, in fact, all the Americans are faring uncommonly well. Hayman and Franklin are also conspicuously suc- cessful, a veritable "knockout." Ritter and Foster, lately returned from South Africa, are a tremendous hit, as are Mooney and Holbein. Fred Mace, late star of "Piff, Paff, Poof," is here, and will shortly open in the halls, his starring tour having been deferred. Eva Williams and Jack Tucker are also scheduled for an early showing. It is conceded that their success is a foregone conclusion, London audiences being dis- tinctly partial to "waif" characters. SELBINI'S MIDGET UNDER AGE? The Gerry Society claims the midget employed by Lalla Selbini, "The Bathing Girl," in her vaudeville act is under the prescribed age limit for stage children. Miss Selbini denies the claim, and it will be threshed out in the courts. On Monday night, at the Folly, Brook- lyn, where Miss Selbini is playing this week one of the Gerry agents turned up causing the midget and herself to appear before a magistrate. Bail was given, and the trial set down for next week. Will- iam Grossman, of House, Grossman & Vorhaus, will appear for the defendants. "SHIFTING" NOT FORBIDDEN. At the United Offices this week it was stated that "shifting" had not been for- bidden under the United's resolution pro- hibiting the manager from "laying oil" or cancelling a contracted act. It was said that where a "shift" of a week was necessary for the bill, that could be made, provided the act was re- imbursed for an unusual increase of trans- portation to the new point. The "barring" edict of the United seem- ingly had no effect upon the Morris shows last Sunday. One was given at the Circle and American, the latter Morris' own house. All the acts appeared as adver- tised. It is understood some effort was made to persuade Joe Welch, the head- liner at each theatre, to retire, but Mr. Welch duly appeared. L. & L. BENEFIT SUCCESS. The Lykens & Levy Benefit tendered to themselves at Weber's Music Hall last Sunday evening proved a success, a ca- pacity house greeting^ the bill presented. About $2,000 was realized by the bene- ficiaries, out of which was to be deducted the charge for the theatre and advertis- ing. After the performance, the firm tender- ed Jos. Weber a proposition to turn the Music Hall over to them each Saturday night next season for a vaudeville show. It has not yet been settled. REMICK THE SELLING AGENT. Jerome H. Remick & Co., the music publishing firm, is the duly agreed upon selling agent of the new Shubert publish- ing concern. The latter will print all the music of the Shubert productions.