Variety (March 1909)

VARIETY "OLD ORPHEUM" Of TBS LIGHT. San Francisco, March 18. The disposition of the present Orpheum, after the new and elegant structure erect- ed by the Orpheum Circuit shall have been formally opened on April 19, to suc- ceed it as the home of the biggest vaude- ville here, is again up for discussion, , 3*e tat e^iy le4 to/the SuUiv*n*Con- bidine Circuit obtaining it for a show house of the medium grade, playing its vaudeville. Then the rumor switched about and said that Alexander Pantages was offered the house as a San Francisco home for the Pantages' Circuit if he would throw in his bookings for the entire Pan- tages* chain with those of the S.-C. Cir- cuit, having a gentral headquarters for the consolidated houses in New York, to be supervised over for the east by Pat Casey. How it stands jk>w report does not say, although it is believed the offer to Pan- tages still holds good. It was made, ac- cording to rumor, when Martin Beck and Pat Casey were on the Coast. The present Orpheum will remain closed for two months more or less after the opening of the new house. The closing will aim to divert the present Orpheum's clientele to its successor. The final vote on the future of the "Old Orpheum" will occur when Mr. Beck ar- rives here for the premiere. During the time the "Old Orpheum" is closed to the public, Will Greenbaum will probably take a lease on it, renting the theatre for entertainments. It will likely Ik; renamed "The Garrick." KELLERMAN SUIT HOT EXPECTED. B. F. Keith is not expected to com- mence any action against Annette Keller- man, the diver, to restrain her from ap- pearing for William Morris. She is billed tit open at Morris* American on Monday, and to appear at the American, Chicago, April 4. The report is that Keith will not start legal proceedings, at least before Miss Kellcrman appears under the wing of the opposition, and he may even then wait until "The Diving Venus" appears in the west. Miss Kellerman has said that if the Keith people should successfully restrain her from appearing on this side for Mor- ris, she will leave the country unless Keith comes up to the salary figure Mor- ris is paying, $1,600 weekly. A story that the United Bookings Offices intended put- ting a "diving act" out was denied this week. It was talked about on the outside of the booking office, however, that one of the Finneys might become a special fea- ture on the United circuits in a "diving act." ANYTHING DOING IN TRISCO? San Francisco, March 18. Whether there is anything doing here just now between William Morris and local theatrical men cannot be ascer- tained, but the wise ones are saying they would not be surprised at any moment to hear of Morris having obtained a San Francisco theatre besides the one he pro- poses building. The reports do not seem to connect either Sullivan- Oonsidine or Pantages with the Morris Circuit house in this city. DE FKBCB ACCOMPANYING TILLEY. The Celtic, leaving Liverpool March 26, carrying Vesta Tilley, will have as a passenger, bound for New York, also, Wal- ter De Frece, Miss Tilley's husband, and manager of the De Frece halls in England. Miss Tilley will appear six weeks in Greater Nesj .York,,, playing only for Percy G. Williams, opening April ft at the Colonial. While in New York, Mr. De Frece, who has joined the bookings of his circuit on the other side with those placed by the Moss-Stoll Tour, will look over and en- gage American acts for his own houses, those of Moss-StoU's and the Palace, London. The English manager for convenience will probably make bis headquarters in Mr. Williams' offices during his stay over here. The Moss-Stoll Circuit has a local branch at the New York Theatre Building. The release for Miss Tilley's engage- ment in the Williams' houses were ob- tained from Oswald Stoll and Alfred Butt (Palace). GOOD-BYE, OLD "SUPPER." Philadelphia, March 18. The doom of the "supper show" was sounded this week, a change of policy be- ing announced to take place at Keith's big vaudeville theatre on Monday, April 12, with nine acts and moving pictures making up the weekly program, shows starting at 2 and 8 p. m. The management has been sounding the patrons on the proposed plan, which seems to have met with general approval. The change means that nine instead of fourteen acts will be used each week, and it is reported that none but high class acts will be played, the money saved on the four or five of the cheaper acts cut out being put into the show. Continuous vaudeville has enjoyed a suc- cessful run of twenty-one years, fourteen in the Bijou on Eighth Street, where Keith opened originally with comic opera and* vaudeville, and the remainder in the big house on Chestnut Street. The "supper-show" business has been falling off gradually for some time, and with the influx of moving picture and cheap vaudeville houses which crowd Market Street from Fifth to Broad, the "table d'hote" card at Keith's has been very slimly patronized. It has been hard work for acts to play to Frank Kelly, the piano player, a couple of ushers and the man who fills the chocolate boxes while he looks over the "supper show," and it has been considered hardly a "try-out." M'CARRON GENERAL MANAGER. John H. McCarron has accepted the po- sition of general manager for the Frank A. Keeney chain of theatres, and entered upon his duties last Monday, making his headquarters at the Third Avenue. METROPOLIS ROOF. Vaudeville will hold forth again the coming summer atop the Metropolis Thea- tre in the Bronx. This will be the third sum- mer for the Hurtig & Seamon venture. The roof is said to give the firm a larger profit per week during the summer season than do the combinations which play the house during the regular season. ELTHtGE AT #1,500. Julian Htttinge, the impersonator and large-sized attraction with Cohan & Harris' Minstrels during this season, may dally in vaudeville for a few weeks following the close of the blackfaced organisation's sea- son. Otto Harras, who has the management of Blcinge lor vaudeville, • is understood to have given a first option to Percy G. Williams Upon Eltinge's services after the show closes. It Is also said that Eltinge has set his figure for vaudeville at $1,600 weekly, with only a few weeks wanted, more to establish his value as an attrac- tion in the field he found so hard to con- quer at one time, and unless acquiescence is forthcoming promptly, Mr. Eltinge is going to retire to a farm over the summer months. VINCENT HANDLING BOOKINGS. With the departure of Max Hart from the Wilmer ft Vincent booking staff last Saturday, Walter Vincent, with Ambrose O'Brien, the remaining booking agent with the firm has handled all the W. & V. circuit's bookings this week. Mr. Vincent will give the programing his personal at- tention for the remainder of the season. EDWARDS PAID TO MOVE. On May 1 or thereabouts, the Gus Ed- wards Music Publishing Co. will remove from its present location next to Rec- tor's and take a stand in the Astor Theatre Building at 45th street and Broadway. Where the Edwards Co. is now situated is wanted for the site of the new Rector Hotel building. Gus Edwards held a lease until September 1, next. He is under- stood to have received enough money for moving to pay the salaries of all his ruany vaudeville acts for several weeks— in the east. RATS' BALL BIG AFFAIR. At the masque ball given by the White Rats on Friday night at Terrace Garden, a big affair was assured before the doors opened. All the professionals in the city attend- ed. The "My Lady Vaudeville," George Fuller Golden's book, was placed on sale there. Lydia Barry, Elfle Fay and Lil Haw- thorne were the committee to pass upon the costumes worn by the women. For the men a selection was made during the evening. MISS BERGERE WELL LIKED. Baltimore, March 18. Valerie Bergere, who appeared last week at the Maryland in "Billy's First Love," has been held over for this week, a rare occurrence in Baltimore. She opened Mon- day in "His Japanese Wife," and is the hit of the bill, with Andrew Mack, the Irish tenor, on the same program. ARCHIE SELWYN MARRIED. Atlantic City, March 18. Late last week Archibald Selwyn was married to Brownie Adams. Archie is a brother to Edgar Selwyn, the noted play- wright. Miss Adams was formerly one of the principals in "The Girl From the ' Moulin Rouge." No announcement of the wedding was given out at the time. QUICK CHANGE AT JOHNSTOWN. Johnstown, Pa., March 18. Vaudeville at the Majestic, this city, booked in for this season by the United Booking Offices of New York, stopped last Saturday, the house remaining dark this week. On Monday it will reopen with Wilmer & Vincent as the' managers, playing a vaudeville show three times (tally. Pre- viously it has been under local direction. The quick shift in management of tho Majestic- was brought about through the opening of the Cambria on March 15 with to combination vaudeville show. The Cam- bria is offering five acts and a couple of pictures. The Majestic will give three acts, two pictures and an illustrated song. Both houses are "split weeks," the Cambria exchanging with The Mishler in Altoona, and the Majestio "splitting" with Wilmer ft Vincent's Orpheum, also in that city. The Globe is another of the cheaper houses here which does not seem to be worried by the hot fight on between its two competitors. Altoona, Pa., March 18. Popular priced vaudeville started with a whoop in the local Mishler Theatre Mon- day. In the three performances there were 4,227 paid admissions and many ap- plicants for tickets were turned away at the first evening show. Wilmer & Vincent, to whom the Mishler theatre is in opposition, have announced that there will be an extraordinarily im- portant bill at the Orpheum next week. Erie, Pa., March 18. The Park Opera Holss played three days of vaudeville this week. Business was declared to be satisfactory, and al- taough the management would not com- ment on the report that such was the case, it is reported that United bookings will occupy the house shortly. The Park has been playing combinations. TAKES PROPERTY FOR THEATRE. Baltimore, March 18. The property at 418 B. Baltimore Street, is reported to have been purchased by George C. Wilson, of Tyrone, Pa. Some time ago Wilson bought the lots at 12 and 14 N. Gay Street. His latest in- vestment, abutting on the parcel gives a frontage of 43 feet with a depth of 182. It is said that plans for a large theatre have been ordered drawn and that an amusement structure will occupy the prem- ises. No policy has been announced. SAHARET. After five years abroad, Saharet, the dancer, became homesick for New York, and is now reappearing in this city at the American. 6aharet's photos occupy the front page of this issue. Saharet has been a great success on the other side. She has played from Lon- don to St. Petersburg and back again, featuring the bills in ail the halls, and is booked ahead on the other sKle for six years longer. Upon Saharet completing her short en- gagement on the Morris Circuit, she will return to fulfill the foreign bookings. The pre«8 opinions, both in America and Europe, universally agree that the keynote of Saharet's unusual and popu- lar success is her personality.