Variety (December 1908)

VARIETY CHICAGO BOOKING UNSETTLED. Chicago, Dec. 8. The booking arrangement between the Independent Booking Office of Illinois and the Campbell & Danforth Circuit has net yet been finally settled. The I. B. O. suite in the Rector building is now occupied by W. S. Campbell, repre senting himself, and John Nash on behalf of the White Rats. The position of Elliott Danforth, from all accounts, is the same as reported last week. The Rats' agency will book for the Campbell houses, but probably will not control the circuit as at first thought. There seems to be an impression that Danforth will agree with his partner, Campbell, before long, and agree that the I. B. O. shall be Ibe booking agent for their circuit. If that occurs, it is ex- pected other houses in the territory cov- ered by the Campbell & Danforth theatres will follow to facilitate bookings; also to break "jumps." Harry Mountford, secretary to the Board of White Rats' directors, was in the city several days giving his attention to this matter. OPERATES ON DAZIE'S DOG. Chicago, Dec. 3. "The Follies of 1908" worked under a strain Monday and Tuesday. There re- mained but little life to the show until on Wednesday Dazie telephoned "all's well" to the theatre. Then things righted. The press agent of the show smiled once more, and the chorus girls resumed their automobile jaunts up Michigan Avenue. "Lady Follies of 1907" had been suc- cessfully operated upon. Dr. Millar, a specialist on dogs, advised an opera- tion upon Dane's pet, removing the canine from the Hotel Wellington to his dog hospital. "Lady Follies" was ush- ered into a parlor suite on the pedigreed floor, where the dog biscuits are served with tissue paper about them. Dazie was greatly worried over the operation, but Dr. Millar blandly observed that a stitch in time might save the dog's life and the animal pain, so the dancer submitted. It couldn't have been a big operation, though, for "Lady Follies" is a very small dogess. TAKE RONDOUT HOUSE. The Bijou Theatre Company (Wilmer & Vincent) and several others will open on Dec. 10 the Bijou Theatre, in Rondout, 30 miles up the Hudson River from New- burg, and immediately adjoining Kingston, where the same firm operates a moving picture house with a few vaudeville acts. The new Bijou will play popular priced vaudeville. It is the old Opera House, remodelled, and has a seating capacity of 800 or more. BUSINESS IMPROVING. Business has so far improved in the popular priced combination houses that bookings are being made steadily, and the moving picture policy which was intro- duced during the late depression as a life saver is giving way. One theatre in New Jersey, which has played pictures for over a year, this week went back to legitimate attractions, and through the South film renters have lost considerable business. ALDERMEN PASS LICENSE LAW. The Board of Aldermen passed the ordi- nate on Tuesday dispensing with sidewalk venders of theatre tickets. The measure will do away with the ticket speculator in the hotels also, if signed by the Mayor as passed, although the hotel stands will probably legally con- test the constitutionality of the law. The ordinance does not prevent the the- atre manager from placing tickets on sale in the lobby of his theatre. As a matter of fact, the .measure passed by the Alder- men gives the absolute control of the sale of tickets into the hands of the managers. By the managers it is considered an ex- cellent measure through this result, as well as the doing away with the "street men" who might permanently offend a prospective patron by placing an exorbi- tant price upon the tickets desired. The managers seem to prefer that the hotels shall continue to sell tickets at the customary advance of fifty cents each over the box office price. Lately in New York the hotel stands have been issuing orders upon the box office of some the- atres to their customers, telephoning to the theatre to reserve certain seats until called for. Whether this mode of trans- acting the business is to limit the supply to the hotels to the exact demand or through some other system is not known. ROGERS IN BOSTON. Boston, Dec. 3. The Orpheum is now under the tempo- rary direction of Elmer F Rogers, general manager of the Morris Circuit Mr. Rogers will remain here only sufficiently long to regulate the theatre, when he will install a resident manager, returning to the Morris headquarters in New York. "POP" VAUDEVILLE FOR HARLEM. Janpole & Werner, a firm of realty pro- moters, have secured a site in Harlem, the location of which is not disclosed, and are having plans drawn for a family theatre'. If £ney hold to the present announced intention the house will be ready for open- ing early next August. BILLY WATSON, VAUDEVILLE PRODUCER. Chicago, Dec. 3. W. B. Watson, who was in the city last week with his own show, will organize a company of twelve people to present in vaudeville a condensed version of "Krous- meyer's Alley," now used by Mr. Watson in burlesque. He is the creator of "Krousmeyer," having produced it about sixteen years ago, and it has never been seen in vaudeville. In preparing the act, Mr. Watson will use the original manuscript with special music, and he will personally stage it. The part of "Krousmeyer" will be played by a well-known German comedian. Five principals and eight chorus girls will be employed. All the characters represented in the Watson show will be introduced in the comedy piece, which will run about thirty minutes. New scenery, costumes and effects will be provided. The act will be ready about Feb. 1, and if the venture is a success Watson will produce several other acts under his personal di- rection for next season. DENIES SALVE MADE HER PRETTY. Titenia, formerly well known as a toe dancer, but retired since her marriage, has brought suit for $15,000 because a patent medicine concern published her photograph on its advertising matter, together with the assertion that it was solely their face cream that had made the dancer beautiful. Not only this, but the dancer declares through her attorney, Herman L. Roth, that the firm also has caused to be widely published a long and glowing testimonial to the merits of the cosmetic, without her consent and knowledge, and further as- serts that her signature to the testimonial is a forgery. M. W. Savage is named as defendant, he being principal in the patent medicine firm accused. The United States Court has been asked to stop the further dis- tribution of the offending pamphlets. MORRIS SETTLES DISPUTE. The dispute arising between two acts upon the Morris Circuit, Grace Hazard and Juliet?, has been settled by William Morris deciding that Juliet? shall remove certain portions of her specialty, com- plained of by Miss Hazard as an infringe- ment upon her own "Five Feet of Comic Opera." Juliet? is a mimic, lately appearing in vaudeville for the first time. The alleged "copy" was claimed to be in the intro- duction of Juliet's? impersonations. Juliet? reappears upon the Morris Cir- cuit at the Fulton, Brooklyn, next week. CAN'T WORK OWN EFFECTS. thiring one of the scenes in Alice Ray- mond's musical act, "A Night in Egypt/' there is supposed to be a glittering water scene in the background. But it doesn't glitter worth noticing. When Miss Raymond, who has been in Europe for several years, arranged to have the effect worked, she learned that by the rules of the union which regulates affairs backstage a special man would have to be employed to perform this trifling labor. The charge was to be $3 a performance, amounting to $42 a week, for a service that occupied about two ten- minute periods a day. Mis Raymond refused to foot the bill, and as her own property man was not permitted to work the effect, the Egyptian river is now doing an impersonation of the Dead Sea. The Sunday shows at the Circle will discontinue for awhile. VESTA VICTORIA. The pictures of Vesta Victoria, occupy- ing the title page this week, are the latest ones of the English girl who made her American reappearance at the Lincoln Square, New York, last Monday. Miss Victoria's rise to established popularity is a marvel of public acclaim which could only happen in the United States. Three seasons ago Miss Victoria came on "soft shoes" into New York, and from her first performance has had a follow- ing which caused the managers to pay her during the past two years the largest salary ever given to a single woman in vaudeville. During her present tour of the William Morris Circuit, Miss Victoria will sing new songs, comic and in character, equally as enjoyable as the two tremendous song hits which raised her to the highest pinnacle of success. CHARGE .MISREPRESENTATION. All the testimony is in and the various parties to the suit are awaiting a Su- preme Court decision on the application of Harry B. Smith for an injunction to prevent the publication of his lyrics in "The Golden Butterfly" by the music pub- lishing firm of Jos. W. Stern & Co. or the letter's interference with the use of the lyrics in connection with the publica- tion of Reginald DeKoven's music by Jerome H. Remick & Co. Both sides appeared in court late last week. A battle royal was waged by op- posing counsel during the argument of the Smith petition. Louis I. Vorhaus, of House, Grossman & Vorhaus, appeared with Thos. F. MacMahon for the appli- cant. Voluminous evidence in the form of affidavits was introduced by the applicant in which it was claimed the lyrics of the musical piece were obtained by Stern & Co. through fraud and misrepresentation. Incidentally a slight insight is given into the methods pursued by some publishing firms to hold business. Harry B. Smith deposed that Stern & Co. offered him an advance royalty on his lyrics of "The Golden Butterfly" during March last, and offered to sign a separate contract with him for the publication. Smith was then nuder contract to turn over to Stern all lyrics completed by him during the term ending August 1 last. As a matter of fact, he declared "The Golden Butterfly" lyrics were not com- pleted until after that date, to wit, Aug- ust 12. Subsequently, so runs the testimony, Jos. W. Stern & Co. approached Smith, representing to him they had secured or would secure the music to the opera, and with this understanding Smith agreed to deliver the lyrics. He did so, in return receiving from the publishers a receipt that such delivery could not be under- stood to constitute a renewal of his old contract, which had expired Aug. 1. "The Golden Butterfly" was presented at the Broadway Theatre, New York. Shortly afterward Stern & Co. wrote Smith a letter declaring that his lyrics were suitable for publication, and Smith's lawyer, Thos. F. MacMahon, of 1402 Broadway, replied immediately in a memorandum letter that they might as well go ahead and publish, Stern & Co. having previously, according to affidavits on record in the court, made the un- equivocal statement they had arranged with Reginald DeKoven to undertake the publication of his music written for "The Golden Butterfly." It later appeared, according to affi- davits, that the Stern firm had not se- cured permission from the composer to handle his music and when Smith de- manded an explanation of this point the Stern people suggested another set of melodies be fitted to the Smith lyrics by some other music writer. This offer was indignantly refused. Lawyer MacMahon offers an affidavit in which he quotes a member of the Stern firm as declaring that this suggestion was designed only to prevent the publica- tion of the DeKoven music and Smith lyrics by the Kcmick house. These facts having been presented to the court Stern fell back on a new line of defense. The declaration was made that in 1901 Smith had entered into an agree- ment with Stern & Co. that his next (Continued on page 19.)