Variety (November 1908)

8 AiBIHVA PARK THEATRE DESTROYED. Fire destroyed the old Park Theatre, Brooklyn, Thursday evening. The blaze started at 5.30 in the upper stories of the building, which is located at Adams Street and Fulton Avenue. The cause was unknown. Only the watchman and a few attaches were in the house at the time, and no one was injured. The building is an old one and the fire, once it had a start, gained headway. At 0 o'clock a third alarm was turned in and by desperate work the force of fire fighters bad it under control two hours later, al- though the blaze smouldered all night. The Olympic, the Hyde & Behman house, which immediately adjoins, was threatened for a time, and during the early evening the work of the department was directed to- ward saving this property. The flames were confined within the Park. Formerly the Park was the fashionable playhouse of Brooklyn, but in late years it has had a varied existence. For a while last season Western Burlesque Wheel shows played there, but failed to at- tract any patronage. Then it became a moving picture house. When the fire oc- curred it was occupied by the Spooner Stock Oo. MISREPRESENTS FOR MONET. A mysterious person, giving the name of Harry Hacker, has lately been seeking to secure money by representing himself as a friend and representative of Pat Rooney •Rooney and Bent). He visited one ox Mr. Rooney*s neighbors on Manhattan Avenue last week with a request to cash a check. This was the first inkling Mr. Rooney had of the imposter's operations. He then tried to secure money from the United Booking Offices by representing that he brought a request from Pat for an advance of salary. Anybody who knows Pat, and has noted the sparklers on his fingers, would never advance a request on such ridiculous grounds, and in every case "Hacker" has met with failure. (Balti- more papers please copy.) ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN ACT HERE. Another Australian act makes its first New York appearance next Monday. It is know as the 4 Stagpooles, and will play the Lincoln Square. It is the third Aus- tralian number to show locally so far this season, "The Australian Tree-fellers" having been first, followed by Fred Lind- say, the whip-cracker, both scoring. The Stagpooles are a comedy-acrobatic act, with a special setting. Two men and two women compose the number, which claims to present only "refined-knock- about" in sketch surroundings. The Stag- pooles have played across the continent from San Francisco, where they landed upon arrival from their native land. PETRIE HIS OWN PUBLISHER. Chicago, Nov. 12. H. W. Petrie, the well-known composer, has branched into the music publishing business, with professional offices in tho Grand Opera House building, this city. Mr. Petrie is the composer of the fa- mous song, "Asleep in the Deep" and other popular numbers, and recently severed his connection with Jos. W. Stern & Co. to enter business on his own account. The McKinley Music Co. of Chicago is Mr. Petrie's selling agent. NEW PICTURE-VAUDEVILLE COMBINATION. Gus Hill has for the time being given up his project to take out the old-style vari- ety company which he had in contempla- tion, but has a new scheme which he pro- poses to try out as a substitute. The Keith-Proctor people at the last minute decided against the variety company, on the score that a fixed organisation could not play around its circuit because of the widely different standards of taste in entertainment represented by the different houses. The Orpheum circuit and George Castle were willing to play the proposed Hill combination, but Hill would not go into it unless he had the backing of the Keith-Proctor interests. Instead of his first scheme Mr. Hill de- clares that he will send out during the early weeks of February a company of four or five standard acts to play one- night stands. The entertainment will con- sist of these and an equal number of the best moving picture subjects available. BERT LEVY'S SUCCESS ABROAD. London, Nov. 2. Bert Levy returns to America late in December after a most successful season at the London Palace, where he will re- main until the end of November complet- ing a season of thirteen weeks. Alfred Butt, the managing director of the Palace, has informally notified Levy he will take up his option and play the artist a return engagement of eight weeks (June and July, *00), the height of the London social season. Marinelli's London office has secured Levy's signature to a contract for their Paris house (Olympia) for May, '09, and Manager Steiner, of the Berlin Winter- garten, personally engaged Mr. Levy for the month of August next year. Mr. Levy goes back to play January, February, March and April (two weeks), and to also fulfil his obligations to John J. Murdock in the lecture field. HOPPE VAUDEVILLE FEATURE. At the Fulton, Brooklyn, next week Willie Hoppe, the youthful champion of the world with the billiard cue, will be one of the main attractions. Hoppe's vaudeville act Will consist of a short lecture on the 4-inch balk-line game followed by a series of fancy shots, made visible to the audience by a tilted mirror back of the table. ONE ACT IN BIO TOWN. Youngstown, O. The Princess (Charles E. Smith, mgr.), with one vaudeville act, moving pictures and illustrated songs, changing the bill twice weekly, has the only vaudeville at present in this city of 75,000 inhabitants. The refusal of the Park theater man- agement to pay the wage scale of the musicians' union does away with spe- cialties in the traveling organizations that do not carry their own orchestra. "MARKET FAIR" AT BREMEN. Berlin, Oct. 29. "The Market Fair" is being held at Bremen. It is similar to the yearly "Dom" at Hamburg. New acts "try out" for the benefit of managers and agents, who attend in large numbers. About 200 acts are playing in Bremen. Every hall in town holds vaudeville. HOUSE "TO LET." The Star Theatre, New York, which has for several months been devoted to Yiddish drama, is now offered to let to the highest bidder. The Yiddish company has been found to be a poor attraction in that neighborhood (107th street and Lex- ington Avenue) and the present organisa- tion will retire as soon as a new tenant for the property has been seoured. The owner of the Star property is Jacob Rosen- berg, 1402 Broadway. This was one of the houses mentioned as a possibility on the popular priced cir- cuit planned by Mr. Rosenberg, Gus Hill and others as a "wheel" arrangement of musical and dramatic shows in opposition to the Stair & Havlin houses. Gus Hill said this week that while the "wheel" scheme was not given up entirely, prevailing conditions in the popular priced game had made it impracticable to get the movement under way just at this time. It will remain in abeyance until the prospect for a business revival is brighter that it appears just now. CANT USE HIS OWN NAME. Hermann Rossow, the old-time wrestler and former manager of the Rossow Mid- gets, contemplates bringing an injunction suit to prevent the little fellows from continuing their present American tour under that name. Rossow put them out and gave them his name about sixteen years ago. They have used it ever since. Ltst year the little ones broke away from his management and played Europe, returning a month ago to this side. Ros- sow declares that the real names of the midgets are Franc and Carl Achtermeyer. He says he may later want to send out a new pair of diminutive athletes and in that case wants the name "Rossow Mid- gets" for himself. In consultation with lawyer specialists Rossow learned to his amazement that he could not in all probability prevent the use of the name, and might; even be restrained from using it himself for an- other act. The present Rossow Midgets have been travelling for many years under that name and the courts might rule that they had a proprietary right to it with which even the actual owner could not interfere. Rossow has not yet decided upon a course of action. LYRIC MAYBE IN NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, Nov. 12. C. F. Fevelong, general manager of Hod- kins' Lyric Circuit of small vaudeville theatres, arrived in this city on Sunday. Mr. Fevelong's visit has been made with a view of establishing a "Lyric" in New Orleans. C. E. Hodkins is expected here Friday. BARNEY KEYES SLAIN. Birmingham, Ala., Nov. 12. Barney Keyes, a veteran animal trainer, was shot and killed at his home here un- der most mysterious circumstances. Mrs. Keyes and George Thistler (a local man) have been held for examination. Keyes was found dead with a bullet hole through his head. PICTURES NEXT TO PROCTOR'S. Albany, N. Y., Nov. 12. During the holidays, Emil Dieches will open his new theatre with vaudeville and pictures as the attraction. It is situ- ated next to Proctor's. TIN PAN ALLEY JINGLES. By WILLAM JEROME. Silvio Hein and his "Betty and ths Boys" is the Big Talk of the week. Real music, by a real writer. The paid singer is not always paid. The man who made the popular music business popular is Isadora Witmark. "The Bee Hive" is a great institution. "Song plugging" is a thing of the past. Did you ever hear of burglars robbing a music house? Burglars know better. No, Lee Shubert didn't write "The Ser- enade"; of course not. Sheet music is very popular with cham- bermaids. "Take Plenty of Shoes," by Will Doug- las Cobb, is a regal success. It promises to wear well, and should keep Will well heeled for the rest of the season. With the first edition half sold, it may not peg out for a long time. The patent leather title page is very fancy. Every time you meet a music publisher, make a noise like a hit. I would like to mention Victor Herbert's name in this column, but as Victor doesnt write Tin Pan Alley music it will be im- possible for me to do so. Song smiths sit up and take notice! Louis Bernstein is abou* to open a new publishing house. Louis says there is more money in musk than there is in real estate. A good title never saved a bad song, and a bad title never killed a good one. Dr. Vincent Bryan has issued a bulletin in which he states that his new patient, "Algeria," is now able to sit up. King Bulger also speaks highly of Dr. Bryan's medicine. If Albert Von Tilzer is worth half a million, what is Jack Norworthf Tin Pan Alley is now bounded on the north by Qus Edwards and on the south by Helf & Hager. "WIRELESS" AT 135TH ST. Next Monday Leander Cordova and Co. will present "Wireless" at the 126th Street Theatre. It will be the first New York engagement, although the act was given its initial vaudeville trial at Keith's, Phila- delphia, week of August 10th, last, before "Via Wireless," at present at the liberty, was announced. Cordova is reported to make some claims against the legitimate piece usurping his rights, although it is not said a court will review any questions on the subject. The Liberty Theatre program credits a sketch with being responsible for the third act of the play, very similar to the playlet as reviewed in Variety when at the Philadelphia housj. Sernado MoCree, brother and former partner of Junie, is rehearsing the latter*! sketch, The Dope Rend" at Toledo.