Variety (March 1909)

VARIETY KENNA TAKING BEST. The ambulances stood patiently waiting until the last show at Hubert Museum last Sunday night, when Charles Kenna, "The Fakir" completed the final lap of his vaudeville Marathon. Neither of the hospitals represented, however, secured Kenna as a patient. Billie Burke and a couple of attendants led Mr. Kenna to the street, where he slept on the curb until 6:30 a. m. Then saying he felt rested enough to take the train to Lakewood, did so. Forty-eight shows made Kenna's record at Hubert. To-morrow (Sunday) Mr. Kenna returns to frammerstein's for the day and plays the Colonial next week. An offer of the Orpheum Circuit was de- clined, Kenna not caring to go to the far west just now. Mr. Burke also rested at Lakewood with Kenna. At Hammerstein's to-morrow William H. may insist upon Billie Burke repeating his performance of the "nance cop" "tried out" for one show at Hubert last week. Mr. Kenna says it went so well he is afraid now the managers will demand that Burke be carried in the act. JURY DISAGREES. Chicago, March 4. The jury in the case against "The Girl in Blue" and the management of the Trocadero Theatre, for presenting an ex- hibition alleged to be in violation of the local laws, disagreed yesterday. MORRILL'S SINGLE ACT. A sort of singing monolog will be Frank Morrill's contribution to vaudeville as a single act. Mr. Morrill is now with the Cohan ft Harris' Minstrels. The tenor will enter the varieties again upon the closing of that show in April. An imitation of himself in the min- strel performance, semi-travesty upon Caruso; also a short monolog, with a med- ley of the choruses of all ihe ballads written by the late Paul Dresser will make up the offering. Morrill will open at Dockstadert Gar- rick, Wilmington, April 26. Jack Levy secured the opening this week. TRIHE OPENS IN MAY. The opening day for Trixie Friganza's return date in vaudeville has been fixed upon as May 10 by Pat Casey. Miss Frig- anza makes her reappearance at the Majes- tic, Chicago. BOSTON LIKES LAURENCE IRVING. Boston, March 4. Boston thinks very well of Laurence Irving, son of the late Sir Henry, Eng- land's great actor. Mr. Irving opened at the Orpheum last Monday with Mabel Hackney in support, playing a sketch. In responding to the applause Mr. Irv- ing remarked he was not aware he had been billed as "the son of Sir Henry Irving," and regretted the occurrence. All the Boston papers mentioned the speech and lauded Mr. Irving for it. One or two reported his remarks in full. " A MINCE SPY." That good old "gag," "A Mince Spy," haa been dramatized by Ren Shields. He and Fred Ward (formerly Fields and Ward) will play it in vaudeville, opening March 15 at Easton, Pa. Mr. Shields will be a General in the sketch; Mr. Ward the Spy, JOHN L. TAKES A RECORD. Seattle, March 4. Anyone doubting the drawing powers of John L. Sullivan ought to listen to the talk about town, although a sighf of the crowds bombarding Pantages' in this city during the engagement of Sullivan and Kil- rain (week Feb. 15) would have been all sufficient. The ex-champion heavyweight of the world has placed another record on his notched stick; that of having broken the gross for all box office receipts on the Pan- tages Circuit. Charles Barnold's great record was pessed by $600. The pair were booked out here for seven weeks by Louis Pincus of Pat Casey's agency, New York, the Pantages eastern representative. GENARO AND BAILEY OFFERED. Genaro and Bailey, who have been star- ring in an Al H. Woods' melodrama, have instructed their agent to seek time for them, beginning May 17. The couple have been with the combination dramatic show "Tony, the Bootblack Detective," for about two years. They are at the Grand, Grand Street, New York, this week. MODJESKA'S NIECE AN ENTRY. Alf. T. Wilton, the agent, is offering Rosina Zaleska, a Polish emotional actress and a niece of Mme. Modjeska, for vaude- ville time, in a dramatic sketch called "The Price of Conscience." Miss Zaleska has had extensive ex- perience in stock dramatic work in the west. This is her first attempt to enter vaudeville. Mme. Modjeska has rehearsed her relative in her sketch and has given the young woman her warm approval. ROCK AND FULTON'S LAST WEEK. Buffalo, March 4. Next week at Shea's, this city, will be the last in vaudeville for Rock and Fulton, for the present. They commence to re- hearse with the new Charles B. Dilling- ham production they have signed for March 15. FISCHER COMING BACK. Clifford Fischer, aforetime an interna- tional booking agent with offices in New York, will return to this side shortly. He is due in the city March 25, according to a letter from him to a friend here. Fischer did not say on what ship he would sail. Fischer makes the journey in order to appear at the trial of his suit against the William Morris agency for commissions, under the claim that he was appointed ex- clusive foreign agent for that firm during the Klaw & Erlanger vaudeville opera- tions. The case has been pending for some months. Clifford is associated with the H. B. Marinelli office at Paris. POLI ABOUT RETURNING. On March 25 or thereabouts, S. Z. Poli will return to New York, leaving Genoa on the Koeniff Louise March 18. When last heard from Mr. Poli was at Monte Carlo. He wrote he had "broken the bank." After the sentence a question mark was placed. While in a small town near the gambling village, Mr. Poli met the widow of Geo. Liman, the forme? ^ew York booking agent. WOULDN'T STAND "SALOME." Philadelphia, March 4. Marie Nelson, the principal singer with "The Golden Crook" at the Gayety this week, quit Tuesday, refusing to work in the show with a "Salomer." This Quaker City is a quiet spot in Lent, and Manager Eddie Shayne is increasing his shock of gray hair trying to solve the best manner to "get them in." On Monday the "Salome" thing looked good to Eddie, and with the consent of John Jermon, one of the owners, and Jimmy Fulton, the show manager, the thing was "pulled" with a girl from the chorus doing the "wiggling." Miss Nelson balked at the same kind of a stunt while in the South, and she stood it two per- formances when she told Manager Shayne it was "Me or Salome." Shayne rushed out, took a look at the ticket rack and said "I guess it's you." Frances Ward, who was a member of the Gayety Stock last summer when Jack Reid put on the shows, was pressed into service. She went on without a rehearsal, made good and will probably remain with the show for the remainder of the season. So will "Salome," where the houses will stand for it, and Miss Nelson will rest until she can find something where the atmosphere is clearer. WILLS' LONDON CONDITIONS. The reports of Nat Wills, the "tramp" monologist, going to London have been confirmed by Mr. Wills, who makes as the conditions for his appearance at the Pal- ace in that large Briton town that he ap- pear at 0 o'clock (p. m.) and headline the program. An answer is awaited by the Morris of- fice, which has the placing of the engage- ment through Paul Murray, Morris' Lon- don representative. TAKES METROPOLITAN TENOR. Eugenio Torre, the tenor from the Metropolitan Opera House list of vocal stars has been engaged by William Morris to sing alone in vaudeville, and will open at the Lincoln Square, New York, March 20. KEENEY DIDN'T CANCEL. Ryan and Kichfleld reported at Keeney's, Brooklyn, on Monday, but were informed that owing to a change of policy in the theatre, all acts placed through the United Booking Offices had been canceled. Thos. J. Ryan informed Mr. Keeney he had received no notification of cancellation, and would insist upon the week's salary if they did not play. Mr. Keeney replied he thought the United had notified all the acts. Mr. Ryan says he intends to sue the management. OBERMAYER SAILS AWAY. Tuesday B. Obermayer, one of the best- known foreign agents on both sides of the Atlantic, sailed for Europe. He will stay away for a couple of months. While on the other side it is thought Mr. Obermayer will complete some impor- tant bookings, and enter into equally as important deals of some nature. "Obey" is generally given the credit for being the only foreign agent who has never placed a failure on either side of the pond. He imports and exports foreign and domestic acts, and enjoys a reputation for integrity falling to the lot of few commission men. "TURKEY" GOOD PICKER. Chicago, March 4. There are many "turkey" burlesque shows traveling the provinces that brazen- ly appropriate the titles of Eastern Bur- lesque Wheel attractions. The newest to come to view is a show billed as "The Night Owls," and the "dodger" heralds a Weber and Fields burlesque as the ve- hicle, besides "She," a sensational dancer. Mark Lea is featured as the principal comedian and the company includes Wm. S. Kelley, Van Buren, Moraine and Roscoe and ten choristers. The vagrant outfit is under the management 'of Billy Vail, for- merly advertising agent of the Grand Opera House, Philadelphia. Not only are the names of the shows taken without consent, but the paper as well. "BEHMAN SHOW" MADE OVER. Chicago, March 4. A new first part was put on in "The Behman Show" by Manager Singer re- cently, and the burlesque (music hall) has been removed, replacing it with the first part used this and last season. WRESTLING PACKING HOUSE. Chicago, March 4. A wrestling bout takes place at the Empire Theatre every Friday night. It is invariably the biggest night of the week. Last Friday all the scenery and properties belonging to the show, "The Avenue Girls," had to be removed from the stage to accommodate about 150 people who could not be seated in the theatre proper. FREGOLIA. Fregolia is a Frenchwoman, and first appeared in New York last week at the Bijou, Brooklyn. She has been engaged by the United Booking Offices, and opens Monday at Poli's, Hartford, for a tour of the Poli Circuit. Mile. Fregolia is a lightning change art- iste. Upon arriving in this country the act was immediately booked in the west, where it remained until returning to New York. PLIMMER WITH UNITED. Walter J. Plimmer has been selected to handle the parks and fairs department of the United Booking Offices. He taken charge Monday. Plimmer, before he went to Europe with several musical shows, booked attractions for the chain of parks operated through New England by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Rail- road Co. He was at the same time book- ing representative of the Empire Circuit (Western Burlesque Wheel). M. E. Robinson has been temporarily in charge of the park and fair bookings at the United. Lester D. Mayne will take over the management of Plimmer's agency in the Knickerbocker Theatre building. WANTS $100,000 FOR "TRIXIE." Philadelphia, March 4. W. H. Barnes, owner of the educated horse, "Princess Trixie," has filed a claim for $100,000 for the destruction of the animal in a railroad accident Feb. 22. The railroad people will contest the claim. A local detective agency has been retained to gather data for the defense. One point that will be used is the age of the horse, 21 years.