Variety (December 1908)

VARIETY 244 ACTS "PLAYING OPPOSITION." The equivalent to a "blacklist" main- tained by the Unite^ Booking Offices is supposed to be the weekly bulletin issued by that agency, on a type-written sheet, and headed "List of acts playing opposi- tion," with the date of the week stamped upon it. There is nothing upon the sheet to identify its source, but the manifold copies are distributed among the man- agers and managers' representatives in the United Offices. A list for a recent week carried the names of 244 acts. ONE-NIGHT SHOW GOING OUT. A show to tour the one-night stands of the middlewest, which have no vaude- ville houses of moment, is being organ- ized by Hines and Remington, who have closed their contract with the Morris Cir- cuit. Interested with the team in the tour is W. H. Currie, of the Lyric, Newark. COLUMBIA NOT UNITED BOOKING. The proposed deal for the booking of the Columbia, Brooklyn, and its conver- sion into a "try out" house for acts ap- plying to the United Offices for a "show- ing" did not go through. The Columbia will not be a "United house." A picture policy has been an- nounced for the theatre. BENNETT EXPERIMENTING. Montreal, Dec. 3. C. W. Bennett has leased another house here with the intention of presenting cheap vaudeville. This is the Theatre Nouveautes, which for some years played French comedies and drama. Recently it has been touched by the seamy side. Ben- nett will play four or five small acts and pictures, give three shows daily, and charge from 10 cents to 25 cents. Cheap vaudeville in this sense is a new venture in Montreal, though Sohmer Park has played many a good vaudeville show to 10 cents. The house is to be called "The Bennett Nouveautes," and the principal effort will be to obtain the French patronage, thus assuring a preference for "dumb acts." Ed C. Efner, late of the London house staff, will be manager. The opening date in announced as Dec. 14. Ollie Lamonde is with "Peck's Bad Boy" as a specialty turn. $6,000 WEEKLY FOR WHOLE SHOW. Somebody in America is about to spring Sylvester Schaefer, an animal trainer, juggler, rider and pantomimist, shortly, according to an unconfirmed report from Berlin, where Schaefer is much thought of by variety-goers. Schaefer alone does eight entirely dif- ferent specialties, including a dog act, riding act, juggling specialty and other things. It is declared in the information which comes from Berlin that some American manager (name unknown, but suspicion rather .pointing to William Mor- ris) has signed contracts with the diversi- fied "wonder," who gives a whole show by himself on the other side, and has in addition deposited with a German savings institution $60,000 (the figure may have been mistaken in translating the message from the German text) to secure payment of salary and transportation. According to all information obtainable on this side Schaefer does his whole show, lasting about 100 minutes, without a spoken word. Inquiry among the New York agents and managers has failed to disclose the mysterious principal in the reported American contract. MAYOR CLOSES MEMPHIS. Memphis, Dec. 3. The theatres have concluded to close en Sunday pending a legal decision on their right to present a performance on the Sabbath. Last Sunday the mayor sent word out that if the houses opened he would cause the arrest of managers, staffs and artists. This had the desired effect. KEITH CONTROLS ROWDIES. Boston, Dec. 3. During the Sunday night show at the Boston Theatre, B. F. Keith ordered the proceedings stopped and went personally before the footlights to subdue a disor- derly gallery. The upstairs crowd com- mented loudly on the quality of the show, apparently expecting to see a high class entertainment for a 10 cent admission. A very fair picture show was being given. Mr. Keith talked straight from the shoulder and there was no further trouble. The Sunday night show at the Boston was very well patronized. SOCIETY AGAINST MRS. BROWN POTTER. In the early part of January Mrs. James Brown Potter will commence her vaudeville engagements on the Morris time, opening at the Lincoln Square, New York. The social connections of Mrs. Potter's have commenced to try influence against the mother-in-law of James Ktillman's son appearing upon the stage over here. William Morris received some indirect overtures this week prospecting for the chance a request for the cancellation of the contract would have. Mrs. Potter's daughter Fifl is the wife of young Stillman. The llarrv Watson Cornedv Co. in a new piece opens at the Orpheum, Boston, next Monday. Mr. Watson was formerly of Watson, Hutchins and Edwards. KEITH SECURES HIPPODROME. It was stated this week that the Cleve- land Hippodrome had passed into the pos- session of B. F. Keith under a lease for two years. The Shuberts and William Morris were bidding for the premises. It is said that after Morris tied the lease up in court for a few days, Harry A. Daniels, manager of Keith's, Cleveland, held some long distance telephone conver- sations with the result that Mr. Keith slid in under the others, securing the big theatre. Mr. Daniels will be the man- ager of Mr. Keith's two Cleveland theatres. A. Paul Keith left for Cleveland on Friday. Upon his return the policy of the Hippodrome under the Keith direction will be announced. It is likely the Hippodrome will play the Keith vaudeville in Cleve- land, the present house of that manager in the Lake City installing possibly a combination of moving pictures and the cheaper vaudeville. FIFTEEN ACTS ON BILL. A week from next Monday a new policy will commence at the American Music Hall. A show of fifteen or sixteen acts will be booked in. "The Three Golden Graces" which were announced for that week have made up a new act involving five girls. Willie Hoppe, the champion billiardist, will be another feature of the show. MORTON-McMAHON SHOW OFF. The proposed vaudeville show to be or- ganized by Tim McMahon and James J. Morton has been declared off. Besides the McMahon "girl acts," Morton was to have traveled along with his monolog, and two or three other acts had been approached. It was intended to send the company through the south. The arrangements for time there were not satisfactory. Mr. McMahon and Edythe Chappelle (Mrs. McMahon) may sail for England next Tuesday or Wednesday. While abroad they will survey the English halls, and upon the outlook having a favorable appearance, Mr. McMahon may produce his popular acts on the other side. A LAUDER STOP. St. Joe, Mo., Dec. 3. Harry Lauder has been booked to ap- pear at the Auditorium, December 20, during his extended Western tour. The Auditorium seats 7,000 persons, and its acoustics are perfect. The stage is one of the biggest in the country, and has a full equipment of scenery. OH, LISTEN, GIRLS! Boston, Dec. 3. Well, what d'ye think of this? Mrs. Clement, manageress of the Boston Thea- tre, a Keith property, has drawn the dead line at four-inch pompadours. This week she issued an order to the girl ushers in the house that none would be allowed to report for duty wearing a "rat" in her hair. The girls rebelled against a flat head dress at first, but finally obeyed un- der suppressed protest. HAS THE FRENCH PANTOMIMIST. There sailed last Saturday from Cher- bourg, France, the widely famed French pantomimist, Severin, engaged for the Morris Circuit at a reported salary of $3,000 weekly. The date of Severm's opening has not been announced. A season ago the Frenchman was under contract to Percy G. Williams, but Sev- erin did not fulfill the engagement. It was then reported that Mr. Williams had agreed to pay the pantomimist $1,000 a week. Severin is reputed to be a pantomimist of the "fine" class, requiring close ob- servation and a high intellect to fully grasp his performance. LYKENS & LEVY DISSOLVING. The vaudeville agency partnership be- tween Jack Levy and W. L. Lykens, which has endured for a year or so, will termi- nate with the expiration of December. Jack Levy will remain in the present suite of offices occupied by the firm, con- tinuing in the agency business. Mr. Lykens' future plans have not been an- nounced, nor are the reasons for the dis- solution stated. NAT WILLS' LAST SEASON. This will be Nat Wills' last vaudeville season for some time at least. Mr. Wills has arranged with E. D. Stair (Stair & Havlin) to head a large musical produc- tion for *09'10. It will appear in the legitimate houses with an indefinite New York engagement at a Broadway theatre. BIG PRODUCTION PREPARING. During January there will be played in a United theatre a large production now preparing. The cast will contain thirty-seven people, twenty-two princi- pals. This production, said to he the largest yet attempted for vaudeville, will be out of the ordinary in other ways also. GETTING OVER INJURIES. Albany, Dec. 3. Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Albee are rapidly recovering from the injuries received in the automobile accident on Election Day. Mrs. Albee was well enough this week to be wheeled about. Mr. Albee is still confined to his bed, with a plaster cast about his leg. The cast must remain there another month. He is otherwise in fine physical condition. Geo. Fuller Golden is ill with pneu- monia at his. home in Saranac, N. Y. MISS TANGUAY RESTS FOR A WEEK. Instead of playing 125th Street next week Eva Tanguay will rest. This course is deemed advisable by the lively singer, who has played at Keith's, Philadelphia, for the past two consecutive weeks since recovering from a slight indisposition. It is said Miss Tanguay may conclude to rest about every fourth or fifth week hereafter. DINING IN THEATRES. Paris, Nov. 25. Several theatrical managers are under- stood to be figuring with caterers looking to the supply of theatre patrons with food during the performances, the meals to be served in the foyer. There is a tendency towards this, which originated some months ago when the .managers of Paris opera served light re- pasts between acts.