Variety (September 1908)

8 VARIETY ACTORS' POLITICAL MEETING, FIRST TO BE HELD BY ARTISTS Wtete Rats* League at American Sunday Night Sept. 13. Many Reforms Expected Eventually to Result. At the American Theatre to-morrow (Sunday) night, the White Bete Political League will hold a maee meeting, the first political gathering ever called by acton. William Morris donated the American for the occasion. Admission will be free. Among the speakers will be Senator Thoe. Grady, Congressman Sulxer, Wilton Leokaye, William B. Donihee, P. M. Del- ias*, Charles A. Towns and many of the leading figures in State and National poli- tics of both the Republican and Demo- cratic faith. Ooznmittees from the Actors' Society, Greenroom, Players', Lambs and <\>mcdy Club will have seats upon the stage. The White Bate Political League has no affiliation with any political party. It has been organised to promote the welfare of the artist, and occupies a unique posi- tion among organisations of its kind. The primary object is to bring to the attention of the politicians the strength of the actor at the polls. Heretofore the player has been looked upon as a nonenity as far as his value in a campaign was con- cerned. With the influence of the actor estab- lished through the Bate League, the reign- ing powers in State government will be requested to correct certain abuses possi- ble under present statutes. The first attempts in this direction will be in New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In New York the "agency" law will probably be amended to forbid collusion in the exaction of oyer five per cent, commission by any agency.' In the other three States, the laws al- lowing a non-resident to attach a non- resident for alleged debt will be looked after by the League to the end that this evil be corrected. Judge Brackett of Boston, in association with Denis F. O'Brien, the League's New York attorney, are now at work upon an amendment for New England. In Chicago S. L. Lowenthal is working along similar lines for Illinois. FIRST "BARBFBBT" HERE. He first "barefeet" ever shown the pub- lic from a stage, as per claim made if not verified, and which belonged to Mildred Howard deGrey, are still Miss deGrey's mode of locomotion. The dancer has re- turned to New York City with her "toot- sies," striking the town at a time when if you haven't bare feet there's not much chance of being headlined. Miss deGrey has passed the word to Pat Casey to keep her agoing, and the Casey Agency is having diagrams drawn of the original trade mark which put a few stocking-makers out of business at one time. If the bare-foot thing won't take again, Mildred has a spectacular dance to hand out which is the Three X's in that line, according to her own statement. Since leaving New York, Miss deGrey has been exhibiting her cultured toes to the Euro- peans. LIVELY TIME, PERHAPS. Perhaps there will be a lively time yet over the bookings of Jos. B. Howard and Mabel Barrison. Percy G. Williams, who holds, a contract from Howard and Barri- son for three weeks, with an optional clause calling for ten more, said on Tues- day he intended exercising his option, and would delegate a theatre where the act should appear for the week of Sept 21, the date it has contracted to commence upon the Morris Circuit. Last week William Morris stated he ex- pected Howard and Barrison to play for aim. as pci Agreement. Tue«d*y, Mr. How- ard for the act, said the Morris engagement would be played by them. NAT WILLS' NOVEL PLAN. Because he' has been associated in a "tramp" character so long is no indication that his ability is limited to the ragged adornment, claims Nat Wills, who with others, believe his ability would still radi- ate from any texture of cloth he might wear on the stage. Listening to his friends, Mr. Wills has read and favorably looks upon a sketch written by Sewell Collins, named "The Blue Danube." It has an interesting story of club life. During the early part of the season, Mr. Wills will present it at some out-of-town vaudeville theatre where he is playing, with a competent cast, him- self the leading figure. The novel proposition Mr. Wills will then submit to the managers will be, providing the sketch proves a success, to offer two acts by Nat Wills on one pro- gram, "The Blue Danube" for the sketch feature, and "Nat Wills" as the monolog- ist of the bill, the sketch to precede the monologue in all likelihood. NEXT WEJT8 OPPOSING BILLS. The bills at Percy <G. WiHIams' Colonial, and Blaney's Lincoln Square for the week commencing next Monday (8ept. 14) fol- low; the two houses then starting upon their second week of vaudeville opposition, Mr. Williams booking through the United QM<*n. TheJLjyroln Square is booked by William Morris. Colonial: Eva Tanguay (held over), Leo Dietrichstein and Co. (new), James Moran (new), DeBiere, Wilja Holt Wake- field, Six American Dancers, James J. Thornton and Chassino. Lincoln Square: Ross and Fenton (new), Mile, Bianca Froelich (held over), Walter Jones and Blanche Deyo, Cliff Gordon, Grace Cameron, "The Australian Tree-fel- lers" (held over), Three Dumonds, Friend and Downing and D*Alma's Dogs. BINGHAMTON OPPOSITION MONDAY. . Binghamton, N. Y., Sept. 10. Opposition vaudeville opens in this city Sept. 14, when the Bijou starts off the season as a point on the Mbssit Circuit, booked by the I. B. a of New York. It opposes the Armory (Weber & Rush), a United house. The bill next week fit the Armory will be "The Gainsborough Girl," Howard's Ponies, Al Lawrence, Murphy, Whitman and Company, Ruby Raymond and Com- pany, Defino and Delmora, Nelson and pic- tures. The Bijou will have Murphy and Wil- lard, Campbell and Brady, Morgan and Chester, Newhoff and Phillips, The Rinal- das, Wurtemburg Brothers and pictures. Admission at the Bijou will be lees than charged at the Armory. CARSON and WILLARD "THE DUTCH IN EGYPT." A new Idea In tbe waj of a talking act tn "one," with special pceoery and, effect! bj /. BRANDON WALSH. f HOWARD AND BARRISON. Mabel Barrison and Jos. E. Howard, who ornament Variety's title-page this week, are dwelling in vaudeville just now, at the Orpheum, Brooklyn, having returned for a brief stay last week at the Percy C. Wil- liams' Alhambra theatre in Harlem. Next week (Sept. 14) Howard and Bar- rison are engaged to appear at Hammer- stein's, and following that engagement, an per Mr. Howard's announcement, they will play two weeks at the Lincoln Square with the week after at the American. Miss Barrison lately starred in "His Honor, the Mayor," having previously been prominently connected with "Babes in Toyland" when her song "Put Down 6 and Carry 2" became the song hit of the season. Any number of persons are of the im- pression Miss Barrison is in some way re- lated to the "The Six Barrison Sisters" who appeared in New York some years ago, but that is not so. There is not the slightest connection. Both as a player and composer, Mr. Howard has gained fame. He composed the music for "A Stubborn* Cinderella" (now playing in Chicago where it is one of the biggest hits there in years), "The Time, The Place and The Girl," "The Land of Nod," "The Girl Question" and several others. Miss Barrison and Mr. Howard are im- mensely popular, both on the legitimate and vaudeville stage, so much so, in fact, they regularly elect where they shall ap- pear. SEASON'S GOOD START. The vaudeville season had an excep- tional start this week, and the opinion was the season held out bright prospects. Labor Day with its usual large crowds was allowed in the estimates, the 8unday previous having found a packed condition of business at every New York vaude- ville theatre opened. At the Orpheum Circuit offices in the St. James Building, it was said this week that all openings over its extensive chain of houses in the west hsd been most satis- factory, snd betokened a prosperous sea- son, Clark Brown, representing Bennett's Canadian Circuit, has received an ex- cellent report from his houses over the border. John Wiggins, who has an interest in snd charge of Cook's Opera House, Rochester, and the Temple, Detroit, stated the Rochester theatre placed the record of its career with this se a son's commence- ment. The Temple is open the year sropnd. Good openings and business were also reported on the Poll, Weber & Rush and Mosart's Circuits. Four of the Wilmer & Vincent vaude- ville theatres, located in Allentown, Har- risburg, Norfolk and Richmond opened their season Monday. A count-up on Tuesday showed that the gross receipts were on an average of 1£ per cent, over the opening of the several houses last season. In nearly all the towns mentioned there was a strong opposition to offset the occurrence of a holiday (Labor Day) and in Allentown the closing of the local summer park was made a big feature be- side a ball game in which local sentiment wss strongly represented. The New Sun Theatre, Springfield, 0., under the personal direction of Gus Sun, opened Monday, Sept. 7, to capacity busi- ness. Chicago, Sept. 10. Despite warm weather the burlesque and vaudeville houses opened the season to good business. Matinees were rather light, but evenings better. "AINT IT AWFUL?" It's the best bet in the world that "Ain't It Awful, Mabel?" will yet see vaudeville. That catchline has been in use more lately than anything with "Bryan" or "Taft," but this time John E. Haszard, now with "The Girls of Gottenburg," and who wrote the little "poA'hm" with the queried title, has mussed up the lines until it turned out a sketch. Ed. S. Keller will place the bookings for Sydney Grant in a new monologue. ZIEGFELD'S "POLICE DOG." A Paris "police dog" will be a novelty in one of F. Ziegfeld's forthcoming revues this season. It arrived on the New York which reached here from Europe Satur- day. The animal, which is used by the French police in their work, has been trained to search out certain people in the audiences iind will be worked into one of the Zieg- fi Id productions. Another Ziegfeld importation who ar- rived on the same boat is Fiaco, a Span- ish male dancer. The pup and the dancer were both sent over by the Marinelli Agency.