Variety (March 1909)

TEN GENTS ■ VOL. XIV., NO. 3. MARCH 27, 1909. PRICE TEN CENTS. THE VAUDEVILLE POLICY INTERESTS STAIR & HAVLIN Their Tryout in Louisville May Result in General Adoption of the Two-a-day System. Chicago. March 25. The Avenue Theatre, Louisville, will take on vaudeville for a spring and sum- mer season commencing April 14. This is a Stair & Havlin house, and the policy has heretofore been melodrama. The vaudeville bills will be furnished by Sam Du Vries of this city, and better class acts at popular prices will prevail. This is the first theatre given over to vaudeville under the direction of E. D. Stair, the others having been sub-leased temporarily. Mr. Stair is said to have expressed general satisfaction with vaude- ville. If it proves a success" the probabili- ties are Louisville will be minus a melo- dramatic house next season. It is hinted that this test may be the first step toward the probable establish- ment of a new popular-priced vaudeville circuit. The Stair & Havlin people could take 00 per cent, of their houses playing com- binations for the new circuit. The number of attractions for next sea- son, according to report, will be reduced to about 60 per cent., and another form of amusement will have to be provided. On March 24 at Flint, Mich., a number of Stair & Havlin managers conducting houses in Michigan, Indiana and Ohto conferred and decided on a permanent organization to be known as The Triest Vaudeville Association, with headquarters in Flint. The managers propose to play vaude- ville, and the Stone Opera House, Flint, will be the first stand, probably opening next week. Twenty weeks are looked for. Two shows daily will be the policy. REPUDIATES "COMMERCIAL" AGENT. For the past few weeks there have been reports that some one not recognized as a regular vaudeville agent has been repre- senting himself authorized to solicit acts for next season to play the Morris < ireuit. This person, said to have been a tailor before engaging in his voluntary assign- ment, has made offers to many vaudeville features and several accepted it seriously. William Morris this week stated he had no "outside agents" answering the descrip- tion of the "commercial" solicitor, and re- pudiated him entirely, Mr. Morris saying he had never heard of the man. MAUDE RAYMOND NOW. Maude Raymond, one of the hits of "Mr. Hamlet of Broadway." has instructed her agent, Alf. T. Wilton, to offer her services to the vaudeville managers for a tour of from six to eight weeks, beginning in May. STAR IN HIS OWN £tAY. "The Fun Doctor" will be the play George Fuller Golden expects to star in next season under the management of Cohan & Harris. Mr. Golden, the author of the piece, has it nearly completed. He may name it "The Carnival" instead. The arrangements between the star and managers have been arrived at for the pro- duction. OLYMPIC CUTS PRICES. Chicago, March 25. The price to the best orchestra seats at the Olympic has been reduced to fifty cents. When reopening under a music hall policy some time ago, the scale was up to one dollar. $500 A WEEK AT 14. London, March 15. Earning $500 weekly at the age of four- teen, Elsie Craven is on for a run of eight weeks at least at the Coliseum, where she has become a huge favorite. The young miss played with Bcerbohm Tree in a Christmas play in London, where she was noted bv Oswald Stoll, who en- gaged her for his large music hall. Her vaudeville salary may take a leap beyond the $500 after her present contract expires. THEATRE ON "GUM SHOES." The steel construction work on a theatre hitherto unannounced in New York w ill commence this week or next. Erwin ltossbach, the architect, long since drew the plans, and the structure will be erected at 22-24-20 West Sixty-third Street, a block away from the Colonial. Butler Davenport is the ostensible owner of the new house, to be called "The Davenport," and to have a seating capacity of 873. The plans call for a removable stage. Xo information is given out as to the policy, but vaudeville is suspected. The opening will occur next September, with prices 25 cents to one dollar. It is also rumored that Mr. Davenport's sole object in building his little playhouse is to have a home for private theatricals, balls, entertainments and the like. "CINDERELLA" IN 35 MINUTES. On April 5 at the Fifth Avenue, Ed- ward E. Rice will show "Cinderella" in thirty-five minutes. Pat Casey engineered the date on Monday. There will be seventeen people in the production. ANOTHER "GIRL FROM RECTOR'S." The original "Girl From Rector's" is still playing the Weber Music Hall. A second company is rehearsing in Chicago. This week announcement was made that a third organization was in process of formation to open shortly in Boston. The trio are under direction of of Al. H. Woods. WHO HAS MRS. CARTER? St. Louis, March 25. The query is, which of the St. Louis summer gardens Mrs. Leslie Carter, for- mer Belasco star, will play. Some weeks ago it was seim-authoritatively announced Mrs. Carter was under contract to the Oppenheimers to appear at Suburban Garden. One of the Oppcnheimer broth- ers, who has been in Europe, returned this week. D. E. Russell, who will manage the new dramatic theatre in Delmar Garden, has announced that he will play Mrs. Carter, and has given out a repertoire. She will open the season in "The Heart of Mary- land" and follow with "Zaza," "Du Barry" and "La Tosca." BARASSFORD EXPECTS INDEPEND- ENTS. (Special Cable to Vahiett.) London, March 20. Thos. Barassford, of the Barastford Tour, says his circuit will shortly develop additional strength, and it is surmised from the manager's remarks that he ex- pects a booking connection with the Pal- ace, London; Pavilion, Glasgow, and the King's, Edinburgh. The three are now in- dependent in their bookings, and playing the largest attractions. Mr. Barassford denies the rumor that he may retire from active business life. It was said that Geo. Dance, who is inter- ested in both the Barassford and Gibbons Circuits, would succeed Mr. Barassford as the commander-in-chief. Should Barassford secure the book- ings for the independent houses mentioned it is extremely unlikely that there will be any affiliation between Stoll-De Frece and Barassford-Gibbons. The contrary will likely then occur, with a strong fight waged between the two factions, the addition of the Palace on the booking route giving the opposition combination two large London halls, it now having the Hoi born Empire. SOMEBODY SAID SOMETHING. San Francisco, March 25. Somebody told someone that a certain individual said to represent the Morria interests has been devoting the past week to seeking a site for a Morris house here. One of the wise ones, wiser than the rest, says it is all over but the building, and that the new house will be on the site of the old Columbia Theatre on Powell Street. A choice spot, but does it go? WILLY PANTZER RECOVERS TITLE. The German Emjteror has restored to Willy Pant/.er his hereditary title of Baron, taken from his grandfather in 1848. Mr. Pantzer's forefathers have been Barons in the German Empire since the vear H<>0. lf<» was informed of the resto- ration this we«-k while playing at the Al- hambra Theatre. Sow York.