Variety (July 1908)

8 VARIETY MRS. HOGAlf OUT. By the elimination of "The Jolly Grass Widows" from the Western Burlesque Wheel, it is said, Mrs. Gus Hogan, widow of the late burlesque manager, is reduced to serious financial straits. Under a will of the late Bob Fulton, Gus Hogan received a half interest in the property; Ray Fulton, widow of the orig- inal owner, was given the other half. Upon Hogan's death his widow came into possession of his half of the show. Ray Fulton has received an interest in "The Thoroughbreds" in consideration of the loss of her "Jolly Grass Widows" property, but Mrs. Hogan declares that she has not been provided for. She adds that her only property is her home in Fair Haven, N. J., and last week she wae_offering.it for ..rent duringjthe summer. Mrs. Hogan has appealed to the National Theatrical Managers' Protective Association, of which her husband was a member, in an effort to appeal against the ruling of the Empire Circuit. The Empire people advance the argu- ment that Mrs. Hogan had no real claim upon them. She owned only an interest in * contract with the Empire Company to flay "The Jolly Grass Widows" for the tjanat year, it was said, an agree- ■ftea&'^itMi twkninated when the season of ntr*B cktt* in May. "Noae «jf tfce Western Wheel shows," said a director tblf week, "is played under anything like a perpetual franchise, and its only asset is the agreement under which it operates during any current year. "This rule is established with a definite purpose. We contract to play a show produced by Tom Miner, William Watson, Mortimer M. Thiese, or any other manager in whose ability we have faith. But we have no Idea of making such an agree- ment perpetual. If we did the original man might die or be called into some other line of business. In that case we might find a franchise shifted through half a dozen hands and have to do busi- ness with a number of persons whom we do not know and who might turn out to be irresponsible." STOCK CLOSES AT FOLLY. Chicago, July 1. Joe Oppenheimer's Stock Burlesque Co. closes its run at the Folly this 'Saturday (July 4). The theatre will remain closed four weeks, during which time Manager Fennessey will renovate and decorate both the interior and exterior, reopening about August 1. MINERS IN GERARD SHOW. Barney Gerard has entered into part- nership with the Miner Estate for the production of the new Empire Circuit show, "Follies of the Day." The Miners will finance the enterprise and will hold an interest in it. Instead of calling the piece a "Revue" Gerard will make "Politi- cal Musical Satire" the caption. The cast will include Larry McCale, Sam Sidman, West and Williams, Harvey Brooks, Eugene Kelly, Ralph Carlisle, Gertrude Hayes and her dancing "Brick- tops," Ida Sturgess, Imogene Carlson and the "Eight Dancing Peewees." Gerard will stage and manage the show. BOOKING NEXT-DOOR OPPOSITION. Who says that one agency can't book two sides of an opposition tight at the same time? Jules Larvett, manager for Maurice Boom, is doing just that and neither of the two competing houses has any complaint to make. The competitors are Pastor's and the Unique, both on East Fourteenth street, opposite each other, and playing the same sort of show—moving pictures and three vaudeville numbers. Larvett supplies the vaudeville bills for both. And if anyone thinks that they're not having real opposition in this neighborhood they can go down and look the neighbor- hood over. The block is plastered with colored announcements of attractions until it looks like Mulberry street in Italian fete time. VAUDEVILLE AT PLEASURE RAV. Vaudeville is the attraction at Pleasure Bay this week. A comic opera was to have played there until Monday, when a German version of "The Merry Widow" goes on for an indefinate engagement. After that it is possible vaudeville will go on again. The operatic organization opened a week ago last Saturday. The first night's re- ceipts were $600. Sunday the box office took in $90, and when on Monday this fell off to $18, the troupe beat it. This left the open-air theatre dark. The vaudeville show booked in by Wesley & Pincus, on a percentage, consists of James Thornton, Ella Snyder and her "Cadets," Boniface and Waltzinger, Maddoz and iMelvin, Frank Whitman, Ameta and The Kemps (colored). The first performance was given last Saturday night. The engagement will continue through this week, including Saturday evening. REORGANIZING IN TORONTO. Rudolph Hynika, of Cincinnati, who was in New York this week, and other of- ficials of the Columbia Amusement Com- pany, were discussing a plan to reorgan- ize the Toronto Theatre Company, a sub- sidiary corporation which operates the Gayety, Toronto (Eastern Burlesque Wheel). It is said the directors will reorganize the corporation, increasing its capital stock on a basis of its earnings last sea- son. LONG JUMPS. The Patty-Frank Troupe of acrobats passed through New York a few days ago en route from Vienna to San Francisco, making one of the longest jumps on record. They sailed from Hamburg June 17 and are to open next Sunday at the Orpheum, San Francisco. This makes a total mileage of nearly 7,000 miles. The troupe arrived in New York Friday on the "Etruria." At the conclusion of its engagement at the Brighton Beach Music Hall "A Night on a Houseboat" was suddenly called upon to go to San Francisco to open on the same bill, its time having been unexpectedly put forward by the ill- ness of James Stewart, the English comedian, who notified the Orpheum Gr- ■euifc by cable that fee irould to-uca-blc- te- play San Francisco according to agree- ment. Stewart is a "tramp pianist." He was to have opened in San Francisco July 5. COLLECT $1,350 JUDGMENT. Mr. and Mrs. McNatti, known on the vaudeville stage as Keegan and Mack, have received $1,250 on a judgment for injuries suffered three years ago in an accident on the 42d Street crosstown street cars, New York. The judgment was received in the Gty Court some time since, but it was not until a few days ago that the vaudeville couple got the check. Ex-Judge Steckler acted for the plaintiffs in the damage suit against the railroad. LASKY CONTRACTS FOR OUTPUT. All the sketches written by <Mlark Mil- ford, the author of "Turned Up," an Eng- lish play, will be produced by Jesse L. Lasky over here. Mr. Milford is an Englishman and the first of his short pieces t6 be presented under the Lasky auspices will be "Between the Acts." George Spink has been engaged to head the new Lasky production, "A Day at the Country Club." It will have a premiere at the opening of the season. REMICK OPENS NEW STORE. The store at 1330 Broadway is being fitted up for Jerome H. Remick & Co. It will become a retail place for the sale of the firm's music and that handled by it. JOE WELCH DOESN'T CAtiE. "At Ellis Island" is awaiting the call of the Trustee in Bankruptcy appointed for Joe Welch, according to Mr. Welch him- self.* The Hebrew comedian says he eant prevent the Trustee or anyone else doing as they like with his former sketch, as he never owned it. Mr. Welch paid for the playing rights to the piece, which was written by John Rinehardt. When Welch first produced it, H. O. I>e Mille served an injunction against the further playing of it. Welch consulted 1 a well known attorney, who said the injunction could not hold, and the following morning advised Welch to set- tle, which he did by paying De Mille $1,000; also $260, the lawyer's charge for counsel. - The - .*>2nkr^ptoy- pre needing*: against Welch are voluntary on his part. He entered a petition to close up legal en- tanglements with Gus Hill, not having any debts at the time. Since then Mr. Welch's bankruptcy record has been lit- tered with items of indebtedness, all charges by lawyers connected with the case in one capacity or another. AFTER BUSINESS IN DAKOTA. Bismarck, N. Dak., July 1. The way a theatrical manager goes after business in this wild country is set forth in the following statement which appeared in the Edgeley "Mail": ITS JJT TO THE PXOFLE. Owing to the fact that I hare expended about $700 In building addition and dressing rooms to the Opera House, I hare the prices for the use of same, as follows: Shows and other entertainments, where there is admission charged, 20 per cent, of the receipts, tickets furnished; for suppers and the like, $6; practicing for en- tertainments, lighting 50 cents, lighting and heating, $1. Most of the sbows that we get here are under an expense of $10 per day, and expect to get a hundred dollar house or better, and the arerage is about $90. In order to keep on getting this class of plays, we hare to hare the patronage of the business people of this town. It is up to you. Do you need an opera house and dance ball? If you do you must help to fill the house at time shows come, end to boMt them, and if this Is done we can put In electric lights and steam heat, and get tbe best shows on the road. If this cannot be done, If tbe people of Edgeley do not patronise tbe opera bouse and tbe entertainments that are given, then we cannot get a good class of sbows, and we will have to close the Opera House. Some of the •hows that we bare had here recently get as much as $1 for tbe best seats in tbe lsrger places. CHA8. HULL. Proprietor of Opera House. BOOKING OWN SHOWS. Dr. Anastasio Saaverio, owner of the Pay ret Theatre, Havana, is now in New York booking attractions for immediate time. Following the widespread dissatis- faction alnong artists over the treatment they received from certain vaudeville man- agers on the Island, Dr. Saaverio is sign- ing contracts personally, instead of through an agent or representative. WATERBURY'S NEW PRODUCTION. A new production will be placed in vaudeville next season under the direc- tion of the Ed S. Keller Co. It is being produced under the guidance of C. L. Waterbury, the manager for Rock and Fulton, who left for England with the team. A comedian separated from a well known vaudeville act has been engaged for the leading role, and three other prin- cipals will appear. There will be a chorus of twelve girls. AMERICANS AT THE DERBY. • u?*l C ?'?. Te Rro ." p was taken at tbe En *""h "Derby" race. Most are Americans, and reading from ».* ,.. „ on tI,e " P,KM " row tucy arc 8u,, y Hayes, John Hnthaway, Willie Gardner, George Sacbo, Mrs. Julian Roue (tranccH Cameron), Fred Aimtlo, Max Rilter, Caryle Wilbur, Jack Hallan. Second row: Emma Slgel, Jenle Jacobs, Wlllette Hill, Mrs. Fred Austin, Grsce Foster, Mildred F. HhyniHn, Julia Konney. Tlilrrl row: Julian Rose, Alfred Appleyard. Wilbur Hill. The Rooncy Sisters are not playing the Alhambra this week, having objected to opening the show. Orbasnnny's Cockatoos are there instead.