Variety (September 1908)

VARIETY ;• & THE LONDON PAVILION WITH PAYNE CIRCUIT Qlenister's House Booking with other Large West End Halls. Payne Circuit not in English . Managers 9 Combination. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Sept. 2. The Pavilidu, a well-known and popular West End music hall has gone with the Payne Circuit. The latter will not join in the move- ment promoted by Oswald Stoll to com- bine the English variety managers. The Payne Circuit in England has among its London houses, the Paragon in the East End and the Canterbury in the Southwest; also the Holbein Empire, and books the Oxford and Tivoli. The Pavilion has about the best location in London for a music hall. It is close to the Moss-StoirColiseum, although not as large a house. It is an important ad- dition to the Payne Circuit. The cabled report that the Payne Cir- cuit will not join the movement inaugur- ated by Oswald Stoll to weld the English managers together will not defeat that proposed combination even though the Barassford Circuit also held out, as has been surmised it would. It will, neverthe- less, five it a considerable setback. The Moss-Stoll Tour with the Gibbons Tour and the DeFrece Circuit, if the three should be combined, would still be the Eng- lish booking power in vaudeville. The Gibbons Tour stands second to the Moss-Stoll list abroad. Walter Gibbons was the son-in-law of the late Geo. Adney Payne, head of the Payne Circuit. At his death, while Mr. Gibbons took charge of his father-in-law's theatres, the Payne Circuit remained intact. The Pavilion has been under the direc- tion of Manager Glenister. It can play an act from eight to ten weeks or longer on a run. "STAR BOUT" QUITS. After being out four weeks it lias been decided that the popular priced play which was built around the vaudeville act of "The Star Bout" will be withdrawn from the road within a few days. Taylor 'Granville headed the company. It opened at the National, Philadelphia, x the first week in August under the man- agement of J. N. Veronee. KANSAS CITY'S "SUNDAYS." Kansas City, Sept. 3. Judge Wallace says that he will close the theatres en Sunday, but they were not molested Aug. 30. I. B. Kimbrell, prosecuting attorney, refused to make any more arrests until the indictments of last year were dis- posed of. There are enough cases pond ing to keep the prosecutor busy for the next five years and he does not want any more until a conviction has been obtained. Judge Wallace instructed the county marshal to secure the names of all ar- tists and managers concerned last Sunday and present them to him Monday morn- ing. The present Grand Jury will be released Saturday. The managers don't believe that a new jury of men can be secured that will be in sympathy with Judge Wallace. HEPNER WITHOUT A LICENSE. Atlantie City, Sept. 3. William Hepner, the New York wig maker, has his own troubles here. He opened a store on the Boardwalk for hair goods and manicuring. On Monday last Hepner _was placed under arrest for practicing manicuring without a State license. He was held for further hearing. Mr. Hepner was in the city at the time to look after a lawsuit he is interested in. NO SENT; NO SHOW. Lexington, Ky., Sept. 3. On September 1 Manager Liming, of the Majestic, failed to present Geo. Kincade, owner of the theatre, with $600 rent due up to that date. Mr. Kincade closed the theatre. The artists have not been paid and no one about town saw Mr. Liming on the fatal day. LOOKING FOR SAM BERNARD. Vaudeville, and more particularly that portion represented by or through Wes- ley & Pincus, the agents, is on the miz- zen mast looking' out for the first vaude- ville signals to be set for Sam Bernard. "Nearly a Hero," under the Shubert management, is appearing at the Savoy, Atlantic City, this week. It is the piece Mr. Bernard starred in last season also. The report spreading is that unless the Shuberts coine to the front with a new production for Mr. Bernard, he will leave "Nearly a Hero." If he does, Percy G. Williams is said to have the first call on his services by virtue of a previous contract made through the Wesley & Pincus agency, and which was mutually agreed at the time should be voided. A CIRCUS BY MAIL. Chicago, Sept. 3. A whole circus sent by mail occurred last week when the Fox and Foxie Cir- cus, after finishing an engagement at the Majestic, Milwaukee, was shipped in the mail car of the express to Chicago, to enable a connection being made for Davenport, la. C. E. Kohl, of Kohl & Castle, who Is interested in the vaudeville number, ar- rangeu for this mode of traveling. CHICAGO SEASON ON. Chicago, Sept. 3. The season is on in full blast. The Star and Garter and Sid J. Euson's have opened, and all five burlesque houses are merrily running. The Haymarket, too, has opened, while the Olympic has reverted to continuous. The Olympic has abandoned its idea of musical stock. WILLIAMS' $6,000 SHOW. Percy G. Williams has placed a pro- gram for his Colonial patrons commenc- ing with Labor Day which the manage- ment must pay $6,000 for in salary. It is the first bill of the Colonial in competition with the Lincoln Square (Mor- ris). The Colonial program will be Eva Tan- guay, Bernardi, Six Cuttys, Empire City (Quartet, Elinore Sisters, Collins and Hart, The Naked Trith." Sam Williams, Mar- seilles and pictures. MORRIS AFTER Pt)LI? There is every prospect that William Morris, Inc., will be in opposition to S. Z. Poli in Bridgeport. Negotiations are under Way between the local company which is building a theatre in that town and the New York vaudeville independent. It was announced some weeks ago that the Bridgeport theatre was to be a stand on the Western Burlesque Wheel, and with this understanding work on the struc- ture was rushed during the first half of August. The burlesque people, however, seem to have changed their minds about playing the Connecticut town and ten days ago all work stopped. The building is said to be about half completed. S. Z. Poli's Bridgeport theatre is an "upstairs" house, an old and rather shab- by place. It is the opinion of those familiar with local conditions that a modern playhouse would makj a strong bid in competition. UNITED'S CONCERTS AT CIRCLE. According to Gus Edwards, he will con- duct Sunday concerts at the Circle this season, with bills booked through the United Offices. The combination would require a long explanation for proper elucidation, but the Circle has been frowned upon as an "Is- man" house. The latter part of last sea- son, the Morris office placed the Sunday shows there. WEBER GOING ON ROAD. Joe Weber will take to the road with his "Merry Widow" burlesque this season. It starts the last of this month. 9 The company other than the manager will be Charles J. Ross, Walter Jones, Al Hart and Blanche Devo, besides a "Widow" yet to be selected. The Weber Music Hall has been booked ahead. The attraction to follow "Paid in Full" at the Broadway playhouse of Mr. Weber has been contracted for. EZRA KENDALL SIGNED. Following the many reports of Ezra Kendall, the monologist, having been se- cured for a reappearance in vaudeville comes the definite information this week that Mr. Kendall has been engaged for Hammerstein's for one week commencing Nov. 9 at a salary of $1,500 through Ly- kens & Levy. Prior to that date, however, Mr. Kendall will be twen at the Keith-Proctor theatres in New York, September 21, Fifth Ave- nue: September 2H,■ 125th Street; opening at Keith's, Ronton. September 14. Many agents have interested themselves in the at- lempt to "produce" Kendall. William Mor- rix has also l>een on his trail, but Lykens & Levy are the directors of Mr. Kendall's tour, having had the Hammerstein con- tract for some time in their possession. -INDEPENDENT" SHOW OPENED. Watertown, N. Y., Sept. 3. The opening of the Orpheum and the presentation by Walter C. Mack (Sven- gala) of vaudeville furnished by the L B. 0. is a variety innovation to this city. A strong and well balanced bill was.of- fered this, the opening week, and capacity business and unusually appreciative audi- ences have been the result. Manager Mack appeared before the cur- tain the opening night and gave a brief curtain speech, thanking the patrons and making a direct and telling bid for a con- tinuance of their patronage on the grounds of "Independent Vaudeville" booked through the White Rats. He was cheered and applauded until he smilingly made an exit. The house is beautifully decorated, the orchestra and attaches nicely uniformed and numerous improve- ments over last year's management have been made, indicating that the great hypnotist is a competent manager as well as a noted headline act. WILLIAMS AND TUCKER ON UNITED. Jac Tucker and Eva Williams returned from Europe this week and will open on the United time at 'Dayton, Sept. 14, booked for the tour by M. S". Bentham. Thus ends the serial of the act's book- ings. William Morris announced he had the act, while Bentham has maintained Williams and Tucker were booked by him. As a matter of fact, Morris holds the signature of the team to a contract, which Williams and Tucker aver was never completed by Morris' name, or if so, not received by them. Maurice Goodman, at- torney for the United, has advised they can not be held to the Morris agreement. I. B. O.'s PITTSBURG OFFICE. The Independent Booking Offices has es- tablished an office in the Hippodrome Building, Pittsburg. It will be in charge of Irving D. Pollock. Pittsburg is the centre of countless small acts playing the intermediate time be- tween New York and Chicago. Harry and Kate Jackson will play vaudeville this season in a new playlet written by Mr. Jackson, called "One Widow Won." DAISY WOOD. Of the English Lloyds, who will make her first American appearance on the Morris Circuit this season.