Variety (March 1909)

VARIETY GREENWALL RETIRES. New Orleans, March 25. Henry Greenwall, manager and pro- prietor of the Greenwall and Dauphlne Theatres in this city, and president of Greenwall Circuit Co., which controls and operates a chain of theatres in Louisiana and Texas, will retire permanently from theatrical activity at the close of the pres- ent season. The elimination of their southern time by the Columbia Amusement Co., the non- success of his dramatic stock company at the Dauphine, and the intermittent book- ings provided by the combination agency which furnished attractions for his circuit company, proved too great a strain for the veteran manager, and, rather than further undermine his health, Mr. Green- wall has decided to step down. In all probability he will dispose of his entire holdings to Albert and Sidney Weis, who are at present interested in his Texas houses,. Sidney Weis has been here since Sunday. His father, Albert Weis, Is expected to-day (Thursday) and some tangible financial agreement will in all likelihood be arrived at. When seen by a Variety representative, Mr. Greenwall ■aid: "We are not going to play burlesque next season, although the decision was entirely with me. I've been playing the theatrical game for nearly half a century and I think it is about time to allow some other fel- low to 'sit in.' New Orleans is the best ■bow town in this country, if you give 'em a show." The Greenwall will not play Stair & Havlin attractions. The Crescent, a K. & E. house, is offering that brand of en- tertainment Next season's policy has not been decided on. Mr. Greenwall has amassed a large for- tune in the theatrical business. REPORTED "LEADERS." According to an unofficial estimate the three shows of the Western Wheel which hare so far shown the highest total of net profits are "W. B. Watson's Burlesquers," "Miner's Bohemians" and "Follies of the Day," the latter under the management of Barney Gerard. CURTIN'S SHOW MAKES RECORD. Chicago, March 25. The biggest week since the house opened was recorded at the Empire last week. The attraction was Jas. H. Curtin's '.Broadway Gaiety Girls," with Frank Gotch the champion wrestler, as (he extra feature. On Friday night more than two hundred people crowded on the stage and the show was given without scenery. BARTON MAY RETIRE. Chicago, March 25. It is reported that Charles Barton, of Rice and Barton, may retire from stage work next season. Mr. Barton's retire ment, however, will not interfere with either of the firm's shows on the Eastern Burlesque Wheel. LOUISVILLE GAYETY ASSURED. Louisville, March 25. The Mayor has approved the bill which will permit the completion of the Gayety (Eastern Burlesque Wheel) Theatre in this city. BURLESQUE IN WINNIPEG. Winnipeg, Can., March 25. There is talk here to the effect that Western Wheel burlesque will be the at- traction at the Grand Theatre. Camp- bell & Drew and W. B. Lawrence, of Cleve- land, are jointly interested in the Grand, where Maude Fealy is now heading a dra- matic stock company. Within the last few weeks the trio have taken over leases for the Dominion Thea- tre and the Grand. It is announced that at the latter place melodramas will hold forth for the balance of this season. It has been a stock house since its opening in December. The house has been offered to the Em- pire Circuit (Western Wheel) executives and if proper routing can be arranged it will be turned over next season. The Dominion continues to give vaude- ville under the direction of Mr. Lawrence, taking its bookings from the Western Vaudeville Association. Although the three-cornered arrange- ment was entered into some days ago, it does not go into effect until next Monday. CAST FOR "UNCLE TOM." Billy Burke has gathered his company for the miniature "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which he proposes to send out over the vaudeville time and the opening date has been fixed as East on, Pa., April 12. The cast will include twenty-eight peo- ple. Andrew Glass ford will play Uncle Tom; George Parks, Simon Legree (which he played in the William A. Brady revival at the Academy, New York); Mildred Hutchinson (formerly of "The Red Mill"), Little Eva. Alton Jasper will stage the negro plantation numbers. Bessie Wynn did not open at the Fifth Avenue Monday, displeased over her bill- ing matter. Louis Weslyn has written "A Windy Corner" for Rooney and Bent. They will place it on the stage next season. WILLIAM B. WATSON. The nlMirc Ih WILLIAM II. (DIIJ.V) WAT- SON, playing at the Bijou. Philadelphia, this week with "W. R. WATSON'S OWN CO." Next wick (March 29) the show Is at the Empire, Brooklyn. Mr. WntHoii'H photograph tllaproves the re- ports that he la or baa boon \]\ y These reports, h.i.vs Mr. Wataon. have been Spread about with liilenl to Injure him and hla buxlueaa. For 27 y«>arH Billy Wataon has been before the footllKhta an "Billy Wataon," and states that If anyone else can produce a program before that time bearing the same name, Mr. Watson will at once chaugc bis. $40,000, EMPIRE PROFITS. The Empire Theatre, Brooklyn, playing the Western Burlesque Wheel shows, has trade already a profit of about $40,000, ac- cording to the calculations of several trav- eling managers of that organization. The better of the shows have been play- ing to from $4,000 to $4,000 weekly with the ordinary organisations falling around $3,200 to a little better. From the figures worked out by the managers this gave the house an average profit on the season of rbout $1,200 per week (not considering profit or loss on the Sunday vaudeville performances). The house is owned and operated by a coterie of Western Wheel managers, and is a separate stock com- pany from the Empire Circuit. "ORIGINAL BILLY" CLEANS UP. Baltimore, March 25. As the result of the (Two Billys) "Wat- son war," waged between the two Bur- lesque* Wheel theatres in this city last week Manager Monty Jacobs, of the Monumental (Western) gives the follow- ing figures as the amount of business done by Billy Watson and his company, $4,420.40. At each performance "Standing Room Only" prevailed. Manager Ballauf, of the Gayety (East- ern), at which Billy Watson and "The Girls From Happy land" appeared, refuses to make known the amount of business done by that attraction, but claims the receipts exceed that published by the Monumental. Seein' is believin'. CONNECTS OLYMPIC WITH BUR- LESQUE. Chicago, March 25. Another rumor was circulated during the week to the effect that Kohl & Castle's Olympic would be transferred for bur- lesque next season. Hyde & Behman are mentioned as the lessees, and the Colum- bia Amusement Co.'s attractions will hold forth. It has also been reported the Star & Garter will continue with burlesque as i;? the past, the business recorded at the new west side house having been more than satisfactory this season. In the event of the Olympic playing burlesque, the Trocadero will probably be abandoned, and the contemplated new theatre for the Columbia Amusement Co. in this city will be halted for at least a year or two, pending the outcome of tho lurlesque situation with the two first clas.: theatres in operation. COMPETITION IN PHILLY. There was some burlesque opposition in rhilndelphin last wvek. The management of the Bijou Theatre engaged Millie l)e Leon, "The Girl in Blue," to strengthen the Charles Falke show ("Fashion Plates"), and kept the arrangement a secret until Saturday night before the opening, when the bills were posted. This was a sudden blow to the "Cracker- jocks." due at the Gayety without added attraction. All week the competition reigned strong. The result, according to the statements of both parties, remained in the balance. Millie modestly declares that she packed the house to the limit and is probably the iH'st added attraction you ever saw, while Bob Manchester brings long lines of eye witnesses to prove that the "Crackerjacks" just "stood 'em* up all week long" and played to "thirty-eight." THE TR0UBLE8 OF "SALOMING." Baltimore, March 25. Moralists and anti-"Salome" crusaders have won at least one victory in their effort to keep "Salome" dancers from per- forming by the downfall of Lilian Lipp- man, one of Baltimore's contributions to that style of dancing. Miss Lippman, but 15 years of age, was a member of the "Golden Crook" Company, and billed as "La Vie," gave her own "conception" of the "vision." During the action of the dance a stage fall was necessitated. In falling she hurt herself internally and shortly before Christmas became so ill that she had to be removed to the Johns Hopkins Hos- pital, in this city, where an operation was performed. For a time she lay be- tween life and death. At last science and youth conquered, and she was pronounced cured. On the advice of her physician she had decided to abandon "Salome" from her repertoire of dances, but with health regained the call of dancing returned, and she was soon back with her company— and "Saloming." However, the "smile and string of beads" costume proved too scanty for the young woman in her weakened condition, and ere long she had again broken down, this time with pneumonia and pleurisy. She was brought to her home in this city and once again a battle is being waged for her life. Although still in a serious condition she is improving. $360,000 MINER HOUSE. Preliminary plans were submitted this week to II. C. Miner for the new theatre which the Miner Estate and Martin Maas, of the Maas Fireproofing Co. are to build in the Bronx. They provide for the ex- penditure of $300,000. Work will be commenced immediately and the contractors have promised to have the building ready for opening by Septem- ber. Mr. Miner ?aid that the policy of the place had not yet been determined. He also denied that any other parties than the Miner Estate and Mr. Maas were in- terested in the enterprise. The location is directly north on Third Avenue from the site of the theatre that Percy G. Williams is erecting for vaude- ville, and the section is described as "the Times Square of the Bronx." It is just at this point that the Subway (east branch), elevated railroad line and street car lines of the Bronx have a common crossing point. The Miner house will have a seating capacity of 1.700. It will front . r >7 feet on Third Avenue, where the entrance and a number of stores will be placed with of- fices above. The theatre proper will be on Brooks Avenue, just behind. In addition to the auditorium the building will have a part set aside for ball room, society meeting rooms and bowling alleys in the basement. The excavations have already been made for I he theatre itself and the work of razing the existing buildings on the Third Avenue side is to begin at once. Martin Maas will be the house manager when the theatre opens, probably on Labor Pay. (•round for the new Star Theatre, Do nokra, Pa., was broken on March 23. It will play vaudeville, booked through (Jus Sun.