Variety (September 1908)

VARIBTY London, Sept. 10. Kadie Furnian will remain in the Prov- inces for a few months yet. Geo. Mozart goes over in February next to play for Percy G. Williams. Horace Goldin has been re-engaged for an indefinite stay at the Coliseum. Somers & Warner claim the bookings for Willard Simms and Co., at the Palace. Johnson and Dean leave Oct. 3 for America, where they will play the Morris time. The Bellclair Brothers' first showing was at the Grand, Birmingham, last Monday. "Animal Actors," a story by Grace Hazard, appeared in the "National Maga- zine" for August. A rumor is about that Maud Allan is engaged to be married to one of Eng- land's most noted peers. Marguerite Broadfoot has received an offer through Ernest Edelstein for Amer- ica, made by the Pat Casey Agency. Cliffe Berzac declined contracts ten- dered for some of the German houses placed under boycott by the I. A. L. Jordan and Harvey are at the Em- press, Brixton, this week, pulling down the applause before large audiences. Sears, the illusionist, is showing some likable tricks at the Hippodrome. He does a great deal with the "thumb-tie.' n Daly and O'Brien have accepted eight weeks on the Gibbons Tour, opening Sept. 14 at the Palace, Stoke Newington. Ritter and Foster closed their tour of the provinces on the 12th. Max Ritter came into town yesterday to attend the V. A. F. meeting. The William Morris office has booked Velanchi's Dogs for two years ahead. It is the animal act which scored at the Em- pire a few weeks ago. Herbert Lloyd his disposed of his inter- est in "Happy Hooligan" to Walter Plim- mer. Mr. Lloyd will bring his vaudeville act over here shortly. Mile. Kyaksht has replaced Genee in the "Coppelia" ballet at the Empire. Kyaksht was formerly the premiere at the Imperial, St. Petersburg. The Dunedin Troupe of cyclists have been a big success on the Moss-Stoll Tour, where the act is appearing. They return to New York next March with a larger troupe and new tricks. Eddie Clark denies he is booked over homeway. On October 10, Clark and his "Widows" sail for South Africa, returning to fulfill bookings here commencing the latter part of nest January. Terry and Lambert concluded an ex- tremely successful engagement at the London Pavilion Sept. 5. They opened LONDON NOTES VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE. 418 STRAND, W. 0. (Mall for Americana and Europonns In Euroi*- If nddntsHed care VARIKTY, ax above, will be promptly forwarded.) on the Moss-Stoll Tour (at the Hackney Empire) Labor Day (American time). The Sydney Hyman office claims Chris Richards will not play in America for at least two years to come. Hyman's office has Richards under contract until late in 1911. Chris would like to go over though. A number of artists over here have received letters of late from the Pat Casey Agency with postage one cent short. They have wondered whether Casey started to deduct commissions im- mediately. Wilkie Bard's Company was at the Canterbury last week. Mr. Bard put this company out to do his numbers without him. He evidently underesti- mated his own worth. The act just lacks one thing—Mr. Bard. The Bogannys, acrobats, are the hit of the bill at the Empire, Cro'yden, this week. This is the act Klaw & Erlanger booked last season, but an inferior and substitute number was foisted upon New York under the same name. Moran and Weiser open at the Palace during November, placed there by Frederic Melville. They are the American boys with the straw hats, imported direct to Europe by the Marinelli agency from an American burlesque show olio. Business at the halls has picked up greatly since the cold spell arrived. Last Saturday at the Tivoli the matinee ended at 5.20. At 6.30 there were several hun- dred people in line waiting for the doors at the evening show to open. The night show starts at 7.45. At the Canterbury, Maida Scott sang '.'Everybody Works But Father," with a sequel about the old gent having gone back on the job again. The idea is not new, but Miss Scott's rendition convinces that with proper numbers she could trot along with the best of them. At the Palace, Stoke Newington, this week, Williams and Wagner, an eccentric musical act, are cresting quite a stir. The pair are doing an original bit on the Reed bells or pipes (Bamboo Chimes), striking the tops with tennis racquets instead of shaking them. It's going to be a go wher- ever they play. "The Master Mystery," a single illu- sion which has been presented in England, has started comment. It is quite myste- rious. American managers are after the act, according to latest report. Geo. M. Leventritt, from the Morris office, New York, and Frank Jones, of the Percy G. Williams staff, each saw the number while in London. Mose Gumble hit London on Labor Day. The first thing he said was "Have you heard 'Rainbow' over here yet?" Then he hummed it, after which he wanted to know whether he was in London or England. Mr. Gumble will visit the home of his fore- fathers in Scotland and Ireland, accom- panied by his wife (Clarice Vance). Hugo Morris may take the trip with them. Helen Trix deputized for Wilkie Bard at the Tivoli last Saturday matinee. Even in temporarily taking the place of this most popular comedian, Miss Trix left the stage with flying colors. It is no soft berth, this substitution for a star the crowds have looked forward to. It stamped Miss Trix's quality immedi- ately for the English. Victoria Monks 8*1° deputized for. JMaxie Lloyd, likewise doing herself credit. Miss Monks has a knack for grasping and holding her audience. The house is with her every minute. Much newspaper talk is going round over Harry Lauder's American salary. The mention of large sums in connection with artists has caused the income tax authorities to closely scrutinize the vaudeville business. Any number of artists have been called upon to make statements. Jos. Hart has been re- quested to show the profit of his "Futur- ity Winner" for the purpose of being taxed. If Lauder receives in America what the newspapers in London credit him with, when he returns the Bank of England will have to hustle to remain in the race. Bill Dillon opened Sept. 7 at the Tivoli, sandwiched on the bill between Marie Lloyd and Harry Lauder. Truly a pleasant spot for a visitor making his English debut. It was a Lauder audi- ence by ninety-eight per cent. All the turns suffered in consequence, but Bill is going to become a favorite over here before his engagement ends. He did remarkably well at the Tivoli consider- ing the handicap, rendered doubly hard in this instance by the fact of Lauder's return to the Strand where he has not been for months. Lauder was one grand "riot." They almost tore out the sides of the theatre. He is at the Tivoli for four more weeks. LONDON COLISEUM. London, Sept. 7. Last week at the Coliseum the bill struck the average presented there with Gene Stratton and Odette Valerie the two top-liners. Stratton is quite popular at the Coliseum. His reception upon appear- ing Wednesday evening clinched that. Gene does a "coon" character all his own, and the London folk arc just crazy about him. The melodies to his songs are catchy, and Stratton's act always goes well. Miss Valerie, a fixture at this house for some months now, manages to take away a large share of the applause, regardless of who else is on the program. She is doing a "Cleopatra" dance, having for an assistant a live snake. Miss Valerie revels in twining the snake about her neck while responding to the curtain calls. It isn't the most pleasant sight ever seen, nor is it becoming to Odette, but then it must be "art," and they do say that's letting any number of people out these days for pulling funny stuff on the boards. The program had two weak sketches. They were very weak, in fact. It needed a contract to hold them up, probably. W. E. Ellwanger and Co. played one. It is called "The Peacemaker." The plot is two arguments on the same subject. So within ten minutes there is a repetition of dialogue, etc. The other sketch was "Just We Two," a comedy affair, enacted by Tom Terris and Simeta Marsden. The scene is laid in a kitchen. Over here Terris has a reputation for being a real comedian. In "Just We Two," however, Mr. Terris secures his comedy through being smeared with flour. The "real comedians" in America don't do that any more, but they did" peTturps-.je.sr.s- ago -when they had to do it or not work. As a side comment, the talk over here at present concerns the large numbers of English investors in the Pillsbury Flour Company, which went into the hands of a receiver lately in America. The report says the English thought it a good investment because the home talent on the stage over here alone could make the largest plant profitable. Daras, a bit of a conjuror and imitator, gets away well. His impersonations are on the stylo of Willy Zimmermann's. Nitta Jo is a pretty little French girl, with an excellent voice. Her songs sound very well. The Picchianis pleased as usual with their acrobatics, while the Kelly and Gillette Trio did a bounding billiard table act with good results. Jos. Hart's "Futurity Winner" closed the show, the racing finish bringing down the house, an occurrence at every per- formance. There is a new girl in the piece. She does as well as any of the others who have played the part. Edith Courtney, a vocalist with lots of voice, and Maggie Rimmer, a comedienne, were also there. HOLBORN EMPIRE. London, Sept. 0. The Devine Amylia is the feature of the Hoi born Theatre this week (Sept. 7) in another "Salome" offering (New Acts). On the same bill is Eddie Clark, now settled into substantial popularity on this side. The Clark offering is cut down to two numbers for this engagement and the race track recitation is eliminated entirely. The "kissing song" was vastly liked and a quantity of local patter scored 100 per cent. A bit of comedy was introduced into the specialty of an Indian violinist, whether intentionally or not, which made the laughing hit of the bill. The Orient- al speaks no English apparently and the announcements of his musical imitations are made by the setting out of printed cards. One of these read "A Dog Fight," upon which the player did an imitation of the Scotch bag-pipes. The audience is probably laughing yet. The Soufloufs, a pair of whirlwind dancers, gained special attention. The girl is a particularly f:is( and Kraccful dancer and in addition worked in not a little amusing conndy in announcing the dances.