Variety (November 1908)

8 VARIETY ONE-NIGHT-STAND VAUDEVILLE. Those agents who make a business of booking moving picture shows are rapid- ly growing gray-haired in an effort to keep pace with the demand of the managers for rapid changes. When vaudeville and pictures was a new policy the managers were content to book a line of vaudeville attractions for a whole week. Then some genius discovered that by changing his shows with his pic- ture reels he could draw back part of his patronage for a second visit during the latter part of the week. Then another learned that the same system could be applied to a triple change of bill. Now the agent must arrange for his acts to play three houses a week, and the managers are considering a de- mand that the vaudeville shows be changed daily. It is said that sixty per cent, of the New York picture houses are now playing on this thrice-weekly change system. Maurice Boom, who formerly played an act for a whole week, has been forced to give acts only three days in each of his two houses by the action of a competitor to his Grand Street house, who makes tri- weekly shifts. WHITE YOUR OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. The United States mail has for the past week been fairly clogged with invitations to the prominent, the more or less promi- nent and the almost visible members of the theatrical profession to write their own life histories for publication in a forthcoming work by "Bob* Grau, on "Music and the Dvmml* These cordial invitations were accompan- ied in each case by a printed slip which set forth that (< Music and the Drama" would be an Edition de Luxe, subscription limited to 600 copies ("single copies $5.00") with spaces left vacant for the number of copies and the amount, also a space left open for the signature of the auto- biographer. A second encloseure was a printed list of those who had already subscribed and submitted their personal histories. The catalog included: Otto H. Kahn, Abraham Erlanger, Harry Lauder, M. S. Bentham, Ed. F. Rush, Roeetta Cohen, J. B. Morris, Lee and J. S. Shubert, Marc Klaw and W. L. Lykens. BOBBY NORTH BOOKED. Chicago, Nov. 25. At the Majestic Monday, Bobby North, the Hebrew comedian, who made one of the very, very few hits in "The Merry-Gto-Round," recommenced a vaude- ville tour. The show closed last Saturday night. Mr. North accepted the Chicago engage- ment offered him immediately it became known the tour would end. He was with "The Merry" for thirty weeks, having originated the part taken in it by him. PLAINFIELD STARTS MONDAY. Plainfleld, N. J., Nov. 25. After five years of a closed existence the Stillman Opera House reopens Nov. 30 under the management of Proctor & Sanderson (F. F. Proctor and Harry S. Sanderson). The entire structure hss been reno- vated, inside and out. There will be two performances daily. Mr. Sanderson will be in charge of the theatre, which is now on the Proctor Circuit. GOTCH AND HACKENSCHMIDT AGAIN. London, Nov. 17. There will likely be a return wrestling match between Frank A. Gotch. the cham- pion of the world, and Hackenschmidt, toe ex., whom Gotch defeated at Chicago. The wrestlers, with their retinue, con- vened at Queen's Hotel the other day. A. Wolheim, of the Marinelli office, rep- resented Gotch. It was practically settled the pair will meet some time during March, probably in the week commencing the 22nd. The newspapers have given a great deal of space to the proposed match. Following Gotch's success over here, his time has been shifted, and he opens at the Coliseum next Monday. JUDGE WALLACE "STUNG." Kansas City, Nov. 25. There was a jolt of surprise awaiting Judge Wallace, the terror of the theatre folk here, several days ago. His Grand Jury had solemnly returned indictments against Minnie McFadden and Mamie Ox, charging that they had worked at the Hip- podrome on Sunday. When the court discovered that Minnie was a lioness cub and Mamie an ape, the judge gasped in surprise, struggled to regain his dignity, snd finally dismissed the bills. BOOKS FOR HIP NEXT SEASON. Max C. Anderson, who arrived in New York this week from his visit abroad, received a "wireless" while on the ocean, sent by Charles Bornhaupt of the Mari- nelli office, informing the Hippodrome manager of Frank Melville's sudden death last Monday. For the first time since "The Hip" came under the Anderson-Shubert direction, Mr. Anderson has booked some of the circus acts for the opening of the Hippodrome next season. THE IRWINS IN COURT. Buffalo, Nov. 25. A decision in the Federal Courts is ex- pected to-day in the matter of the re- straining order issued to Kurt Eisfeldt, husband of May Irwin, against Flo Irwin, May's sister, forbidding the latter to present "Mrs. Peckham's Carouse." May Irwin played the piece as a curtain raiser at the Garrick, New York, passing, so the husband alleges, the stage rights to him, although Flo first produced the sketch in vaudeville and has since played in it. Flo Irwin was obliged to cancel her en- gagement at the Grand, Syracuse, this weke to remain here and contest the suit. WHAT HO, PIANO PLAYERS. There is a great dearth of professional piano players in the city just now, due probably to the extension of the moving picture movement. The manager of a popular-priced New York moving picture and vaudeville house sought for three days this week for a suitable player, even of- fering twenty-five dollars, 20 per cent, above the regular scale, and only found a candidate by application to the agents. There is a big boom in piano players just now and the good ones command their own figure. MINSTRELS IN SING SING. On Thanksgiving night at Sing Sing (in the prison) a minstrel entertainment was given by the inmates. It waa an invita- tion affair, with tickets to outsiders cost- ing $6 each. A very excellent performance is report- ed. The turns were announced as "'The Last Rose of Summer* by 60S," "A double clog by 845 and 078." Only numbers were used as program billing. The stage manager was formerly of the Frohman forces, while there is said to be a tenor in the State's home for the wrongdoers who has a voice the equal of any one on the operatic stage. BOOKING OFFICE CHANGES LOCATION. Cincinnati, Nov. 25. The Casino Company, whose former headquarters were in Chicago, has re- moved its offices to Cincinnati, and will conduct a booking office here. Coney Holmes will have charge and book for the following vaudeville houses: Robinson's, Cincinnati; Fairbanks, Springfield; Victoria, Dayton; Majestic, Detroit; Valentine, Toledo, and the Jef- feries, Saginaw. MUSIC HALL SCHEME SOON. The scheme of placing a music hall show on the English plan at the Ameri- can, will go into effect before Jan. 1. From fourteen to twenty acts will make up the bill, the numbers to play on a time limit, the performances commencing at the usual hour. DISCOVERING "INCOMPATIBILITY" QUICKLY. Cincinnati, Nov. 25. On Nov. 17, Lithia Quilliam, a singer who gave her address at 010 Vine Street, was married to Thomas Stirk, an En- glishman with residence at Boston who gives his occupation as acrobat and trick bicycle rider. On Nov. 21 the wife filed suit for alimony, claiming her husband of three days had ordered her out of their home and refused to support her. She obtained an injunction tying up Mr. Stirk's effects pending the hearing for alimony. KEENEY'S REDUCES PRICES. Commencing Monday, Keeney's Theatre, Brooklyn, will reduce its present scale of admission to 35 and GO cents at night; 15 and 25 cents at matinee. The present rates in effect since the season opened, have been up to one dollar. They were increased to that price over last season's charges. ALLISTER CANCELS EVERYTHING. A report from London this week said that Harry Allister, the English imper- sonator, had arrived at his home in that city. Allister canceled all his American time, including contracts with the United Booking Offices and over the Orpheum Circuit when he waa asked to "shift" a New York date to accept a week at Keith's, Portland, Me., instead. He left this country blasting it in several different languages. Upon his re- turn to England, Mr. Allister's rage was with him to the extent he "turned down" an offer for the Moss-St oil Tour on ac- count of the color of the paper the agent used in writing him. ROSE RESIGNS AND LEAVES. Before leaving for Europe on the Kronprinsessin Cecelie Tuesday, Julian Rose tendered his resignation as a mem- ber of the Vaudeville Comedy Club; Mr. Rose returns to London to open at the Lyceum, Dec. 26, as the principal come- dian in the Christmas Pantomime. He will receive the largest salary 11750 weekly) for the engagement ever paid an American comedian abroad in pantomime, according to the figures. Before leaving Mr. Rose stated his resignation from the Comedy Club was caused by his knowledge that during the vaudeville fight last season between the United Booking Offices and Klaw & Er- langer, a speech made by him at the club during a regular meeting had been reported verbatim to the United officials. Mr. Rose stated he had learned of this while on the other side, and resolved to resign upon his return. The statement by Mr. Rose, who was engaged on the K. & E. circuit during the fight, that his speech had been reported to the United, is in line with several re- ports that nothing has ever been brought out at the Vaudeville Comedy Club of either greater or less importance of which the United officials were not informed im- mediately. It is even said the United has had copies of Comedy Club's meet- ings submitted. The name of the spy (or spies) in the Comedy Club has not become general talk as yet. It has been frequently stated, however, that the spy's payment waa in form of contracts for time over the United Circuits. The suspect's act warrants the belief. Last season while this act was playing at a Keith-Proctor theatre in New York City, the resident manager telephoned to the United offices after the Monday matinee requesting another act for the night show. He waa asked who had "fallen down." When the "flopper" was named, the manager was told to play it. "We are obligated in this case," was the answer over the 'phone. GOES "MILK CAN" ONE BETTER. The "milk can" trick of Harry Houdini has been raised a blue chip by Brindamour, Houdini's opposition "jail breaker." Last week at Wheeling, Brindamour released himself from a straight-jacket while en- cased in a hogshead full of water. Hou- dini slips out of handcuffs while in the milk can. On past performances it is more difficult to lose a straight-jacket than a pair of handcuffs. Brindamour says he takes his water at 72 dcg. F. (above zero). The mother of Miss La Triska (Horton and La Triska) died this week, obliging the act to cancel at Dockstader*s Garrick, Wilmington. Fred Lindsay will return to England Dec. 16, sailing on the Lutitania. Geo. Homans' "A Night With the Poets" plays the Fifth Avenue Dec. 14. After starring for seven years Mamie Fleming enters vaudeville as a "single act" on Nov. 30, opening at Atlantic City. The Golden Troupe of Russian dancer* and singers, who have been with a circus during the past summer, plays ProctorV, Newark, next week.