Variety (January 1909)

TEN CENTS VOL. XIII., NO. 7. JANUARY 23, 1909. PRICE TEN CENTS. SHUBERTS CLOSING UP WITH STAIR & HAVLIN Report Says Everything Settled Excepting Who Shall Be the Head. Will Strengthen Popular Priced Circuit Next Season. According to report the combination to be effected between the Shuberts and Stair & Havlin has been about closed, ex- cepting as to a decision who shall rule the new. state of affairs. Both Lee Shubert und £. D. Stair want the job. The combination is with the object of injecting new life into Stair & Havlin's "popular price" circuit, in the hope that it may again prosper. Through the Shu- berts, about twenty-five attractions, all strangers on the Stair & Havlin time, will be added, if that number has not already been agreed to for next season. The Shubert successes will either play the Stair & Havlin houses with the origi- nal casts, or be duplicated into a "No. 2" or "No. 3" organization, according to the plan decided upon. The popular price theatre managers say that it is this that is required to re- habilitate the S. & H. houses. One man- ager said this week: "Give a dollar's worth of value in a dollar house, and we'll get the money. Nothing else will. Our peo- ple will pay a dollar or even a dollar and a half, but you have to give them a show to get it." How the shows will be distributed among the various grades of houses on the Stair & Havlin Circuit is not known. The latest report from the Shubert camp gave out their list of productions now playing as twenty-seven, occupying houses on the Shubert time. The agreement between Stair & Havlin and the Shuberts will not have any bear- ing, it is said, upon contracts in existence between either concern and "The Syndi- cate," both of the combining circuits being linked to the head of theatricals. The feeling between Klaw & Erlanger and the Shuberts, however, has been ru- mored to be at the straining, if not break- ing* point for some time. This week a controversy between A. L. Erlanger and Lee Shubert has been raging, arising from the Theatrical Managers' dinner at the Astor a week ago last night, when A. L. Erlanger in a speech sarcastically referred to the "New Theatre," of which Mr. Shu- bert has been appointed the director. This was replied to by Mr. Shubert on Monday in the New York Times, the reply coming in the form of a speech Mr. Shu- bert is reported to have made at a dinner tendered by him on Sunday to his friends. On Tuesday a New York daily replied at length to the Shubert statement, and a casual observer might observe, after perus- ing the statements on both sides, that *> were Messrs. Erlanger and Shubert to meet, a clinch would follow. RUMORED ST. LOUIS HOUSE. St. Louis, Jan. 21. The house in St. Louis rumored as the one William Morris can have, is the American, playing vaudeville booked at the New York offices of the Orpheum Cir- cuit, where the Columbia, the other vaude- ville theatre in town, also secures its bill*. J. Oppenheimer left for New York this week. He stopped off at Chicago to see Mr. Morris on the way. The booking agreement the Oppenheim- ers have for the American is reported sub- ject to cancellation by them, and the rumor says the American will be Morris' if an offer from him should prove satis- factory to the present managers. MAJESTIC'S BIGGEST WEEK. Chicago, Jan. 21. The biggest week of the season in actual receipts was reported at tlie Ma- jestic last week. Notwithstanding the large seating capacity, the house was sold out at every performance, and the ad- vance sale for this week has been un- usually large. AMERICAN, CHICAGO, OPENS STRONG Chicago, Jan. 21. William Morris' American Music Hall opened Monday night to a capacity house, and business has continued big to date. The Majestic, Kohl & Castle's largest vaudeville theatre, has also been favored with big business this week. The Chicago papers have praised the American bill and Morris. Mr. Morris says the opening of his American and the prospects here are more favorable than they were at any of his other houses. He cut the show twenty- five minutes after the opening perform- ances. Mr. Morris will remain here until Tues- day, when he leaves for New York. The bill at the American next week is: Maude Odell, William Courtleigh and Company, Willie Hoppe, Geo. Wilson, "Apache" Dance (held over), Emma Cams (held over), Felix and Caire (held over), Manuel Romainc and Company, and For- tune Brothers. At the Majestic next week are: Leo Ditrichstcin and Co., Sclma Braatz, Two Yindobonas, Ben Welch, Mile. Rcnz's Horses, De Haven Sextet, Gardiner and Vincent, Raymond and Caverly, and others. In an automobile owned by Jack Kohl. Emma Cams, one of the features at the American, was escorted there on Monday evening for the first show by Martin Beck, Pat Casey, Mark Luescher and young Mr. Kohl. A full report of the opening and bill is under "Chicago Correspondence" in this issue. JOE WELCH SWITCHES. The American next week will have on its program Joe Welch, who leaves the United time to-night (Saturday) to play for William Morris. Mr. Welch was reported to have been booked for ten weeks in United houses, lie has played in them for three weeks. Welch's "jump" to Morris was unexpected at the United, the 12.lth Street house hav- ing had his name in the advance billing for next week on its program last Monday. "COMBINE" OFFICIALLY DECLARED. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Jan. 21. It has been given out officially that tho combination between the Moss-Stoll inter- ests and Walter De Frece, with others, has gone into effect. BERNARD WANTS 30 WEEKS. Chicago, Jan. 21. The tour of Sam Bernard in "Nearly a Hero" has been extended until March, terminating at the West End Theatre, New York, the latter part of that month. Mr. Bernard, accompanied by his family, will sail for Europe in May. The comedian finished his engagement at the Garrick Saturday. He said to a Variety representative before his depart- ure that he has decided not to go in vaude- ville for merely six or seven weeks, but will consider thirty weeks or more next season. Mr. Bernard stated he will give his services to the highest bidder. This means the German comedian does not expect to head a musical organization next season. KEITH'S i,oooTH WEEK. Philadelphia, Jan. 21. The present marked the 1,000th week of continuous vaudeville in Philadelphia, under the auspices of B. F. Keith. On Nov. 4, 1889, the first continuous performance was given in Keith's Bijou, Eighth and Race Streets, now a Western Wheel burlesque house. At that time the bill included "Keller," the contortionist; Charles and Willie Wes- ton, The Darrows, McBride and Goodrich, Kelly and Ashby, Charles O. Duncan, John Kenton, Ray Wilson, Reed Family and a condensed version of "The Princess of Trebizonde," by Milton Aborn and the Gaiety Opera Company. AGENT OR ACTOR? The benefit and preference for the pro- fession of agent or actor in theatricals will be decided by Webster Cullison when he appears in vaudeville shortly with a sketch, "Phir Little Boy." cr.rrying a cast. Mr. Cullison is a dramatic agent, and to enter vaudeville lie solicited a brother ajrent in another field to argue for him, which Al Sutherland has successfully done.