Variety (September 1908)

8 VARIETY CLAIMS CARR'S RIGHTS RESTRICTED. House, Grossman & Vorhaua, attorney! for Aaron Hoffman, this week served no- tice upon Alex Carr that Hoffman would not permit the use of "The End of the World" at the Lincoln Square, where it is billed to open to-night. Hoffman's con- tention is that he sold to Carr the rights of the sketch for burlesque only, and that any attempt on his part to introduce it in vaudeville will be made the subject of a legal action. Carr declares he holds receipts from Hoffman which gave him unrestricted right to the use of the sketch. William Morris received a similar notice from the lawyers. Mr. Hoffman declared that Oarr held the sketch without any written contract from him, but on verbal agreement to use it only with "Wine, Woman and Song." Mr. Hoffman said this week: "At first I was unwilling to have the sketch used in a burlesque show, feeling that burlesque audiences would not under- stand it. Mr. Carr begged so hard for its use and Mr. Thiese insisted upon having it if Carr was to go with the company that I finally gave in to him. The distinct understanding, however, was that the sketch should be used only for 'Wine, Woman and Song.' "After Mr. Carr left that company he attempted to prevent the further use of •The End of the World,' but the courts failed to uphold him and decided that the disposition of the piece rested with me, Carr merely paying me for its use. Since then I have taken the sketch from Mr. Carr because he did not live up to our terms." FISHER-SHEA CIRCUIT STARTS. On Labor Day the four Bijou theatres controlled by the Feiber & Shea Amuse- ment Co. commence the season in Orange, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Bay- onne, N. J. The admission in each will be from 10 to 30 cents. An unusually heavy bill will be presented at these prices, since the Bijou theatres are so conveniently located to New York City they will be the "try- ing out" places for new and pretentious vaudeville offerings, the firm making this objective point a feature of the circuit. Expensive numbers will play for Feiber & Shea at a nominal figure for the bene- fits to be derived from "breaking in" at a house where the managers and agents may review the acts. The stages at the Orange and Bayonne theatres are capable of holding any production to be presented. The corporation is composed of H. H. Feiber, one of the International agents for the United Booking Offices, and M. A. Shea, the producer and manager. Both are experts in vaudeville, progressive and have built up their quartet of vaudeville houses in a.season. Bookings are entered by Mr. Shea at his office in the Gaiety Theatre Building. Of the opening bills on the circuit, the Orange show is a sample. It will be "The Eight Palace Girls," Elsie Boehm, Burton's Dogs, Luce and Luce, Earl and Bartlett, Joe Edmons, Bush and .Elliott and pic- tures. LATEST ORPHEUM BOOKINGS. The latest acts reported booked over the Orpheum Circuit are "Happy Jack Gardner" (Sept. 13, Minneapolis), Le Roy and Woodward' (Jan. 1, Memphis), Rice and Elmer, Swedish-American Quartet (Sept. 6, Des Moines), Favor and Sinclair (this week, St. Paul), Roattina and Stev- ens (Sept. 13, Butte), Flo Adler, Lock- wood and Bryson (Dec. 14, Seattle), Frank Mostyn Kelly and Co. (Sept. 19, Butte), Okura Japs (Sept. 14, Denver), and Orth and Fern (Sept. 6, Minneapolis). Two of the Orpheum Circuit's Produc- ing Department sketches by Langdon Mitchell will be presented shortly. "A Coney Island Cannibal" (farce), with four people is set down for Sept. 28 at the Bi- jou, Orange, N. J. "The Trusty," the other of Mr. Mitchell's pieces, first sees the light Sept. 21 at the Bijou, Bayonne. "Wedded by Wire," a farce, by Geo. D. Parker, will be in readiness to show at the Bijou, New Brunswick, N. J., on Sept. 14. Four people will play the sketch. The premiers of all the Orpheum Cir- cuit's productions will likely take place on the Feiber-Shea Circuit of Bijou The- atres in that part of New Jersey nearest to New York City. MORRIS BILL IN YONKERS. The opening bills at Blaney's, Yonkers, booked by William Morris will play the house commencing Sept. 14, and the pro- gram will be "I'Pagliacci," Barnold's dogs, Frank Bush, Mr. and Mrs. Nello, Galando, Hodges and Lauchmere, Kelly and Adams und pictures. Admission 10-20-30-60. MOZART'S BIG NEW HOUSE. Edward E. Mozart's big Coliseum in Newcastle, Pa., will open next week with vaudeville. Jimmie Lee will be local man- ager. The Coliseum is on the main street of the town. It has been converted to its new use by having the whole interior re- built. The work was completed during the summer. The seating capacity is nearly 2,000. ABE HUMMEL PASTOR'S EXECUTOR. The late Tony Pastor's will was filed for probate this week. In it he names (Abraham Hummel as his executor, to whom he loft a valuable gold watch and lather personal tokens. The Dean be- queathed $500 and a gold watch, presented to Mr. Pastor by his company while the organization was playing at the Bowery Theatre, to Harry Sanderson, for many years the manager of Pastor's Theatre. The testament speaks in touching terms of "the said Sanderson's attention and loyal friendship to me." The rest of the estate, the value of which is not disclosed, Is left without reservation to the widow, Josephine Pastor, with the exception of $10,000, which goes to the Actor's Fund. Louise Taylor will be a joint principal with Edith Bradford in the forthcoming miniature comic opera in process of pro- duction by the Orpheum's Producing De- partment opening Oct. 5. GALVESTON STARTS VAUDEVILLE. Chicago, Sept. 3. The Peoples', Galveston, Texas, has opened with vaudeville under the manage- ment of T. J. Boyle. The theatre cost $20,000 and seats 750. Two shows are given daily, with five or six acts on the bill. Mr. Boyle will es- tablish a circuit through Texas. MORRIS BRANCH IN BOSTON. Bostou, Sept. 3. An announcement was made this week by William Morris, who was here on Tuesday, that he will establish a branch booking office here which will take care of the circuit he is organizing in New Eng- land. The Morris branch in this city will be over the Washington Street entrance of the Orpheum. It will be under the gen- eral charge of W. T. Grover, the resident manager of the Orpheum, and there will be some one from the Morris New York office sent on here as assistant. There are reports that Morris will book for a number of New England houses. The supposition is the establishing of a Boston office has been caused by the many small turns which will be required. LEONHARDT*S INAUGURATION. Yonkers, Sept. 3. The inaugural program for the Doric, under the management of Harry Leon- hardt, opening at the Labor Day matinee, will be composed of Robert H. Hodge and Company, Charles F. Gemon, "The Teddy Bears," Piccolo Midgets, Finlay and Burke, Coakley and McBride, Marzellos and pictures. Mr. Leonhardt has announced that no new acts or "try-outs" will play at the Doric. The opposition to be placed in Yonkers by William Morris at Blaney's, Mr. Leon- hardt views complacently. He says too much vaudeville up here may help to educate the public and benefit the theatres by an increased patronage. Mr. Leonhardt has got a little some- thing" on anybody in this city through his personally popularity, firmly established by him in a very short time. MANAGER'S LIMIT, $30. Nat Burgess, manager of the Old South Theatre, Boston, does business without dickering, and his limit of salary is $30. At least Mr. Burgess so informed Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Reynolds in the following letter, somewhat expressive all by itself: "Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Reynolds. "Your card received. Here is my propo- sition and positively no dickering to be done whatever. Everything is explained in this letter thoroughly. "This house is visited every week by every manager and agent in Boston and vicinity. I do not state to anyone what salaries I pay here. "You can receive full value for your act outside this house if it is O. K. "My limit here is $30 per week (double) —5 shows a day—3 on Sunday—10 min- utes required. 'It will pay you to take a chance and take this work, as there is always room around here for new faces. Nun* sed. (Signed) Nat Burgess, Mgr." Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds answered by asking Mr. Burgess what provision he would make for their dresser, who re- quired $15 as weekly salary; also de- clining to pay less than $8 board. Shows at the Wigwam and National, San Francisco, now commence with the Sunday matinee instead of on Monday as before. The new arrangement has been made for the benefit of the Los An- geles Theatre, shortly to be opened by Sullivan-Co nsidine. DEI-MAR'S GUTTERING OFFER. All kinds of money have been placed Le- fore Jules Delmar of the United Offices by Mitchell Marx if Mr. Delmar will become the hitter's chief of staff. Mr. Marx has a chain of picture house* in the West. He with Delmar and Phil Nash are said to be equally interested in a film place at Auburn, N. Y. The Marx proposition to Delmar as re- ported gives a guaranteed yearly salary of $10,000 for three years, with a bonus of 26 per cent, of all net profits during that period. The present salary of Mr. Delmar with the United is said to be $7,500. It is also rumored the United is loath to lose Mr. Delmar's services, and has agreed to ad- vance the figure to $10,000, but cannot meet the unknown amount the twenty-five per cent, of profits may reach. The latest report was that Mr. Delmar would accept the new position. He entered the Keith office but a few years since at $S0 weekly. ACCUSES HORACE GOLDIN. Oswald Williams, an English illusionist, booked for the Morris Circuit this season, has written William Morris in haste that he has noticed in Variety an advertise- ment of Horace Goldin's claiming his (Goldin's) "double disappearance" to be patented. Mr. Williams is in a slight rave over the affair, saying he first produced the "dou- ble disappearance," presented in New York the past summer by Mr. Goldin, during Aug. 1907 at the Coliseum, London. According to the English illusionist, who is now abroad, where he may settle the question with Goldin, also over there, Horace "copped" his trick. "Copping" tricks is not unusual among illusionists, although Mr. Goldin has as- serted in the past with some pride that none of his tricks are directly traceable after he has placed the finishing touches to them. The "double disappearance" is in the repertoire of Williams. A counter-claim may be looked forward to from Goldin. De Biere, who is playing at the Orphe- um, Brooklyn, this week, after being in Europe two years, does a "double disap- pearing" illusion. FALL RIVER'S SHOW. Fall River, Mass., Sept. 3. The first Morris show at the Savoy to start Labor Day is made up of 'TPagli- acci," The Rinaldos, Hines and Reming- ton, Hickey and Nelson, Kelly and Adams, Milton and Dolly Nobles, The Bradfords and pictures. Prices are from 10 to 60 cents. The bills announce Julius Cahn as "sole lessee and manager." PRODUCTION WITH 50 PEOPLE. "Sheridan's Ride," receiving its first showing at Proctor's, Newark, this week, has Carlyle Moore as the star, and a total company of 60. The production may play New York next week. Mr. Moore has received the authorization of the War Department to call upon any post commander within a convenient range of his engagement for the week to supply the act with an equipment of real soldiers for the piece.