Variety (March 1909)

10 VARIETY THE WOMAN IN VARIETY By THE SKIRT. GIRGUS NEWS I heart the other day a fanny thing about the husband of an art'st who has a ineaa card bearing his wife's stage Ig/wtth * 1 "M#." Jfrefix**' It sounds awfully lunny ti the reading:' Hie former wife of a man once seen a great deal about the vaudeville theatres fcj seeking a position as milliner. She divorced him. The man hasn't contributed one cent towards her support, although she has a ten-year-old son dependent upon her alone. He at present is employed in Chi- cago and could well afford to send the wife the alimony awarded by the court, if not for her maintenance, for his son's edu- cation. weeks ago. It was necessary to pass through Chicago and a change of railroads required a 'bus trip* through ths .city. Nearly every chants girl in fas organisa- tion had written aheqe) <ttf her "special Chicago" "gentleman friend" to meet the train and preparations were on for joyous reunions. These things came to the atten- tion of the heartless Mr. Fischer and in- stead of following the usual cross-town trail, he had the train sent over the freight tracks and taken around Chicago. It never paused and a coarse voiced train announcer dealt small comfort to two score wailing "Johnnies." Baharet is lovely in the first frock she wears. It is a pinkish cerise made in the style of a hundred years ago, and may that style never come in vogue again. What would we girls do in passing Times Square with those long pantalets on. Saharet's second costume is the regulation billowy affair with much chiffon under- dressing. Her hair is most becoming until she shakes it loose. The three Cutty girls look nicer than ever in new white dresses braided in black. But the tallest one should look to the long braid hanging down her back. The braid is so far from her neck it looks for all the world like a Chinaman's queue. The little girl with Tim McMahon is most becomingly dressed in a white tailor suit and white and black hat. I wonder what causes Claire Romaine to change only twice for her four songs T Those she sings do not tell a story. I think Miss Romaine would be a positive hit in feminine garb. Off the stage Claire is a stunning-looking woman, so why not give an audience the benefit of her prettiness T FRIARS DINI CIRCUS MSN. The Friars have in preparation a dinner to Louis E. Cooke, Maj. John Burke, Jay Brady and WiUard D. Coxey. The event wittttals* place the aeoon4 or third Satur- day evening of April, at the Friary in West 46th street, New York. Arrange- ments are in the hands of James DeWolf, Walter K. Hill and Lester Murray. They have planned a number of interesting fea- tures. A conventional cook tent will be spread in the Friary dining, room with a real "marquee" as entrance. Just outside will be a number of side show booths where a veteran "barker" will give announcements in ample circus form. The Ringling Circus freaks will be on view. likewise two real swinging ball and shell experts will op- erate in the crowd, each guest being handed metal discs to play against the fa- miliar "sure thing" games. The guests of the evening will each Lave an "agent" who will chaperone and introduce them to the diners. All frills of service will be abandoned at the meal, the viands being dealt in the generous if not "flossy" system of the circus lot. This is not authentic, but I do under- stand that if Georgie Cohan wants to go to Europe, he may delay the trip so that there may be no Geo. Jr., born abroad. It would never do for the boy who made the American flag popular to have an offspring hear the voice of the King before that of our President. Mind, this is not authentic. The Trapnells have the neatest dressed acrobatic act I have seen in a long time. The girls wear dark red tights and the enect is great. Talk about harsh and unfeeling mana- gers 1 Just listen to this. ' Florodora" Fischer was transferring a stock musical company up into Winnipeg a couple of Trixie Friganza continues to be the life of "The American Idea." At the St. Patrick's Day matinee in the Grand Opera House Miss Friganza wore pinned to her corsage a potted plant of shamrocks which fell to the stage, breaking and scattering the soil. Trixie gave an im- itation of a scrub woman while removing the awful mesa. RIDING ACTS SCARCE. The Circus Brown of Buenos Ayres, South America, is in want badly of "rid- ing acts," but there is a scarcity reported of this class on both sides of the ocean, the supply being especially limited on tin- European continent. "CURIO HALL" AGAIN. A feature of the Ringling Show, which opens at the Garden next Thursday, will be a collection of "freaks." The Ringlings cut this feature out of the Barnum & Bailey equipment last season. No word has leaked as to what will be offered in the "curio hall." NORRIS & ROWS PROGRAM. The Greater Norris & Rowe Circus is now on tour, having opened in Santa Cruz March 11, under the auspices of the local Elks. The afternoon performance was given before an audience that all but filled the big top. The night show was given to a capacity crowd. Among the visitors at the 1009 premier was I. M. Southern, of New York. Among the displays are elephants un- der the care of M. Glasscock and Antonio; Rose Dockrill, Miss Oastello, Kelly Troupe, Orton Troupe, The Halloways, The Delavants, M. Belene, Nelson Broth- ers, Mack, Sylvester and Mack, George Holland, Dave Oastello, Bronson's Living Statues, Tazana Sisters, Sisters French, Peerless Banvards, The Baker Troupe, Mr. Dooley, the Schencks, and the Golden Troupe of Russian Dancers. From Santa Crux the show went to Watsonville, Monterey and Ventura, play ing one day in each town. •2,728 FOR TRANSPORTATION. Washington, D. C, March 18. According to contracts filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission here the Ringlings will ship 81 cars to Chicago to transport the Barnum-Bailey Circus. The charges on the New York Central from Brewster, N. Y r to Chicago are fixed at $2,728. The rate from Bridgeport to Brewster is not given. The cost of bringing the Ringling show from Baraboo to New York is estimated at about $3,500. Of this amount $2,840 is for the haul from Chicago to New York. WILD WEST AT EXPOSITION. The Miller Brothers will send an outfit from their "101 Ranch" to exhibit the com- ing summer at the Yukon-Pacific Exposi- tion in Seattle. This will be a "second" show, the main organization going on tour. In 1007 the Millers sent a show to the Jamestown (Va.) Exposition. It fared indifferently, as did all the other concessions at that unfortunate venture. The Cole Brothers, owned and run by Larry Muggivan, opens March 25 at At- lanta, Ga., the same date as the Ringling premier in New York. The Cole outfit will remain in Southern territory until the weather becomes mild. OLGA DESMOND. REAL NAKED DANCER. Tbe above picture is of Olga Desmond, a real "naked" dancer, ■bowing' tbe girl In her dancing costume. Beneatb tbe light transparent cloth Olga has on she wears absolutely nothing. At the Crystal Palace, Leipzig (Germany), last month, the police ordered Olga to "cover up," and she consented to wear a loin cloth. The woman receives $200 nightly for her performance, and has been drawing Immense business. She first attained notoriety some short time sgo by sppearlng with her husband before the best clubs in Berlin, both dancing in a perfectly nude state. The police ■topped the pair upon bearing of tbe exposure. She then entered vaudeville, appearing at Frankfort In the costume pictured above. Tbe police fniled 10 stop her there. Olga has been on tbe stage but four months. She says the dance as given was practiced by her for six years before sppearlng in public. She is reported a* s very pretty woman and an excellent dancer. Tbe girl claims she Is going to Sngland and then come to America. ACROBAT ACCOMPLISHES "DOUBLE." Buster Bartelli, of t!ie acrobatic team ox Bartelli and Montambo, claims to have successfully negotiated the unassisted double from the mat at the Star Theatre, Milwaukee, when the burlesque show of which the team are a feature was play- ing there. Bartelli, who is the straight man of the act, went to the "double" after two flip- flaps. Walter Houlihan, stage manager of the Star, and members of "The Empire Show" witnessed the feat "Young Dick" Bell, son of the Mexican circus owner, was expected in New York this week. He comes to book features for the Latin-Americau organization. It is said the Bell show will not open at Easter in Mexico City this season, owing to the destruction of the Orrin Brothers' Theatre there. It will probably come into the capital under canvas later on. With the approach of the circus season park and fair men are already searching around with indifferent success for aerial a<ts for open air use. The shortage of this class of act is unusually severe this year, according to the agents, and those at liberty are expected to be at a pre- mium. "Gov." John F. Robinson is dewn in the Gulf section of Louisiana looking for a site for the erection of a winter home. Mrs. Robinson accompanies him. Now that the "Governor" has given up active con- trol of the "Ten Combined" property, he will make his winter residence in the south, somewhere along the Gulf in the immediate neighborhood of New Orleans or Gulfport, retaining the Terrace Park (Cincinnati) property as his summer home when he is not touring in his private car. Under the agreement between the "Gov- ernor" and his son, "Young Johnny," the show is to have use of the old winter quarters for a term of five years without extra rental. This was part of the con- sideration of the sale. Miller Bros.' "101 Ranch" Wild West has established a New York address in the offices of I. M. Southern, 1442 Broadway.