Variety (October 1908)

VARIETY ORDERS VIRGINIA EARL OUT. Baltimore, Oct. 1. Juuiee L. Kernan, owner of the Mary* land, ordered Virginia Earl'a act out of the theatre last Monday, when the ap- peared with Albert Gallatin, a portion of her act being new. It was the "newness" which displeased Kernan, who sat in a stage box. Miss Earl was ''trying out" for the first time a little skit on "Salome and The Devil," a combination of the present New York crazes. Kernan says he didn't like the "cooch" movements of Miss Earl's, the "Salome" costume or the "Soul Kiss." In reply Miss Earl stated to the papers that Mr. Kernan must have been wan- dering, as her "Salome" costume was overdressed, she did no "cooch" and neith- er did she kiss Mr. Gallatin, their lips not meeting. Kernsn -Abo objected to a verse of a song, and to disabuse the reporters^*©"? any wrong impressions she hummed the following, sung to The Devil by her. No. I*don't like yon: Don't ask me why. Bat I don't like 700. There'i no nee to try. What's the good of liking you When there's something bett«*i- I can do. No. I don't like yon. Come a little cloavr. I don'r like you. Don't like; no air! Kits me: and tben. Kiss me again. For I dou't like you. The action of Kernan's caused quite some surprise locally. He is the owner as well of the Monumental Theatre in Balti- more and the Lyceum, Washington, both burlesque houses. It is said that at times in the past there has been a "cooch" dancer here and there among the many other diversified attractions the old-time burlesque shows managed to get away with. The Maryland has been a stormy house for vaudeville artists. The most recent disturbances there prior to this Earl af- fair were when Robert Hilliard and Eva Tanguay had differences with the man- ager, while many others have cause to re* member the house. DIRECTS "ORPHEUM" TAKEN OFF. By wire on Wednesday Martin Beck, General Manager of the Orpheum Circuit, instructed the Western Vaudeville Asso- ciation to order that any "Orpheum" the- atre booked by it not on the Orpheum Circuit discard that name. A great deal of confusion has resulted through many artists receiving contracts for an "Orpheum," presuming it to be one of the Orpheum Circuit. In several cases upon arriving at the local house, the acts have learned that three or four shows daily are necessary. Many complaints have been received by Mr. Beck, ofttimes alleging deception. The wire was brought about by a rather ag- gravated case heard of by Mr. Beck the same day. The Orpheum's General Manager said unless the small houses named "Orpheum" do not change the title, he will advertise those using it, and that they have no con- jugation with the Orpheum Circuit. HAS EYE OH LANCASTER. Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 1. Harold Spiegel, supposed to represent the United Booking Offices of New York. has. hft<?" hoveriru/ around Lancaster, where the Mozart Circuit has a house. The re- port out here is that Spiegel is going to locate a site for a new United house to be built by one of its managers. Lancaster is a lively little city, about the best paying town on the Mozart Cir- cuit just at present. Rumor says the United has abandoned its announced Elmira opposition to Mozart. The Elmira papers were aglow at one time with announcements of what Keith &, Proctor intended doing for the city in the wav of a new house and vaudeville. ADVERTISES A "ROAST." Seldom does a stage person publicly make known a "roast" received. In this issue of Variety, however, Eva Tanguay, the feature number at the Orpheum, Brooklyn, this week, is including among the newspaper reviews a "roast" by the Brooklyn Eagle, calling especial attention to the "panning" in her advertisement, also adding "This criticism doesn't bother "LITTLE NEMO" A SUCCESS. Philadelphia, Oct. 1. "Little Nemo" was produced here last Monday night, receiving unstinted praise from the public and unusually flattering comments from the press. It is described as a brilliant and scintillating concoction of laughable comedy with a bright, catchy and tuneful score. The producers have been lavish in mounting the show and the costumes and- settings are extraordinary in richness and color. Harry B. Smith is responsible for the book; Victor Herbert supplied the music. Joseph Cawthorne, Henry Kelly, Billy B. Van. Master Gabriel, Dave Abrams, Aimee Ehrlich and others have been credited with individual hits and the show generally is considered a success from the start. MOZART QUITS BIN6HAMT0N. Binghamton, N. Y., Oct. 1. E. E. Mozart has given up his scheme for running vaudeville at the Lyric (the renamed Bijou). A moving picture show under new management started there on Monday. It was rumored here that the place might be turned over to burlesque, but the management has declared that this was not seriously contemplated. Vaudeville acts will be given in con- junction with the pictures. AN ELEPHANT ORCHESTRA. Last Thursday at the Olympia, Paris, appeared SchmerdePs Elephant Orchestra, composed of four of the mammoths and a quartet of young women. The animals play musical instruments in various ways, accompanied by the girls. It is a new act on the other side, shown in Vienna last summer for the first time. H. B. Marinelll, who manages the Olym- pia, has the handling of the novelty ani- mal number. me n ANNIE DAVIS SENT TO JAIL. Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 1. Annie Davis, termed "an actress, toe- dancer and bareback rider," was sentenced in the Criminal Court to one year in prison on Monday for assault upon her husband, J. H. Davis, who prosecuted the charge against her. Annie said she wanted to go back to the circus ring, but her husband did not fall in with the idea, when Annie at- tempted further argument with a pistol. PRESIDENT MEYERFELD IN TOWN. Morris Meyerfeld, Jr., president of the Orpheum Circuit Co., reached New York Monday after a two-weeks* trip from San Francisco, Mr. Meyerfeld and his family having stopped over on the way. The theatrical business in the West held out excellent prospects for the season, said Mr. Meyerfeld. He also stated the new $800,000 Orpheum in San Francisco will open on March 1, next, and that the re- cently formed Orpheum Co., which in- cluded the subsidiary corporations, pur- chased the Orpheum at Oakland. Mr. Meyerfeld will remain here a month. $a,ooo FOR MISS BINGHAM. Revised figures for the tour of Amelia Bingham over the Morris Vaudeville Cir- cuit for ten weeks give the amount of her weekly salary as $2,000. Miss Bingham "wiiTcarry a company of three people, and play Young's Pier, Atlantic City, next week under the management of Loney Haskell to "break in" her sketch. It will be called "Supreme Moments of Great Plays," containing the climaxes of the pieces the actress haa been identified with. Mr. Haskell, who will appear on the same program at Young's, is primarily responsible for Miss Bingham's vaudeville engagement. Haskell broached the variety subject to Miss Bingham and her husband as of possible interest to them. Follow- ing this up, Lloyd Bingham interviewed William Morris, whereupon the negotia- tions were closed, Myers & Levitt ap- pearing as the agents. The United Booking Offices placed a bid for the act. EULALIE YOUNG WEDS. Wilmington, Del., (Jet. 1. During the engagement last week at the Garrick of "Polly Pickle's Pets/' Eu- lalie Young, the principal in that organ- ization, married James Donohoe. purser of the Mauretania. The ceremony whs to have been kept secret, but it leaked out. After the marriage ceremony the husband left here to report on his ship. Miss Young will continue with the act until it leaves for Europe, sailing on her husband's boat. LAUDER BILLED IN BOSTON. Boston, Oct. 1. The Orpheum haa bills out announcing that Harry Lauder will play that house. It opens with Morris vaudeville on Mon- day, Oct. 5. No date is given when the Scotchman will appear here, but about the middle of November will be the time, it is said. IRENE FRANKLIN'S "ALL NEW." The American girl who did something for herself by herself, Irene Franklin, re- turns to New York next Monday at Ham- merstein's with everything new from songs to costumes. It is her first metro- politan appearance of the season. Burt Green will accompany his wife, as usual, on the piano, with several new compositions for an additional attraction. 1 Y0NKERS AND FOREPAUGH'S. At the Morris office it was said this week 4hat regardless of any report the Blaney Theatre, Yonkers. lately started with the Morris vaudeville, would continue its pres- ent policy. As to the Forepaugh, Philadelphia, under the management of Miller & Kaufman, with vaudeville shows placed by the Mor- ris office at popular prices of admission, it was said that unless an improvement of business turned up over there, there might be a discontinuance. It waa intimated that William Morris, Inc., may possibly take over the theatre, too, placing its own man- ager in charge as a test of the possibilities in the section where the Forepaugh is located. , Reports from Philadelphia have de- scribed the attendance at Forepaugh's as heartrending—to the management. Once or twice the theatre nearly had an audi- ence, but after momentarily hesitating the fellow passed on. A story from Yonkers this week was to the effect that Blaney's there would have to overcome a great deal of feeling aroused by the "Salome" incident last week nt that house, when Mile. Bianca Froe- lich, one of "The Bunks of 1008," was hoot- ed off the stage. On Wednesday evening Harry Leonhardt, manager of the Doric, in Yonkers, mar- shalled a collection of 500 New York Elks into his theatre with the New York Let- ter Carriers' Baud giving Mr. Leonhardt a serenade on Getty Square. The Doric manager's facial features could not be seen through the smile which effected them. It has been stated without denial tnat someone around the Doric and Blaney's would be struck with Yonkeritis pretty soon. "Yonkeritis" is another form of the '■small-town" disease. It is epidemic mostly in vaudeville and burlesque. The only specialists who have ever successfully coped with it are the variety undertakers. They have one thousand reasons whv two" houses in a small town can't succeed. Each reason is a valid one. GREENPOINT*S FIRST BILL. A week from to-night (Oct. 10) Percy G. Williams' new Green point theatre will create vaudeville history by opening as one of the Williams' Metropolitan Circuit, with Eva Tanguay as the feature. Others will be Charles Hawtrey and Co.. Jewell's Manikins, Lamberti, Keno, Welch and Melrose, Long Acre Quartet, Cook and Stevens, Herbert Brooks and Con- roy, Lemaire and Co. Ben Blatt is the Greenpoint's manager. The admission scale will be the customary one of the Williams' houses. CARRIES AWAY HER NIECE. When Claire Romaine, "London's Pet Boy," arrived in New York last Saturday there came with her Laura Bell, Miss Ro- maine's niece, who had no thought of vis- iting America until she was fairly on the way. While bidding her aunt good-bye at Liverpool, Miss Romaine was so affected by the tears of her niece she stopped them by telling the young girl to come along. On the voyage over Miss Bell's ward- robe, consisting of what she had on, went to the laundry while Miss Bell awaited the return between sheets.