Variety (April 1909)

VARIETY S.-C. BOOKING KELO HOUSES. Louisville, April 1. On Sunday, the Avenue, a melodramatic house, will commence a policy of pictures and vaudeville, with admission at five and ten cents. The Sullivan-Considine Circuit will book-in the vaudeville. The Avenue is one of the list of popular priced houses taken over by the United Amusement Go., of Toledo, for the sum- mer. Sullivan-Oonsidine will probably book the lot. But few small acts will be used in any, the general policy being about the same as that to be installed at the local theatre. DON'T CARE FOB "KEITH'S." Chicago, April 1. A sign in the "Green Boom" of the Majestic, Cedar Bapids, la., owned and managed by Vic Hugo, reads as follows: "If there is anything in your act the least bit suggestive, either in speech or action, or that may be so construed, cut it out, no matter if you did it at Keith's." MANAGER'S SON KILLED. Montreal, April 1. Edward OL Bfner, manager of Charles W. Bennett's Theatre Nouveates here, mourns the loss of his four-year-old son. The lad, who was a familiar figure about the theatre, was returning from school several days ago when he was fatally in- jured. A large mass of snow and ice toppled from a building, and just as the child was passing, dropped upon him. The body was taken to London, Ont., for in- terment. ' $10,000 DAMAGES AND DIVORCE. Cincinnati, April 1. Asking a divorce from his wife, and $10,000 damages from the alleged alienator of her affections, Geo. Schoettle is now in the courts as plaintiff in two actions. Mr. Schoettle (the treasurer of the Co- lumbia Theatre) claims his wife, formerly iAieille Culver, of this city, has misbehaved with John Brewster, the son of the late Edmund P. Brewster, a wealthy fur dealer, who left his business and property to his son. Schoettle and his wife were married on February 17, 1904. They have a daughter, four years old. MOORE AT $1,200. Twelve hundred dollars weekly is the figure agreed upon between Victor Moore and William Morris for the Cohan & Har- ris star of 'The Talk of New York" to play the Morris time for a few weeks commencing early in May, when the show closes. There is said to be some apprehension felt by Mr. Moore's managers, Cohan & Harris, over his entrance into vaudeville at this time. Moore wants to reappear. It is reported from Washington that Mr. Moore has stated there have been no vaudeville contracts signed by him. ACT "FLOPS" BACK. A "flopper" "flopped" back on Monday, and thereby the United regained one of its own through Percy G. Williams placing Franklin and Green at the top of the nine- act Colonial show, which up to that min- ute had been heavily headlined by Andrew Mack. Tuesday morning, however, it was necessary to consult an occulist after at- tempting to find Mr. Mack's name in the Colonial newspaper advertisements. 'Irene Franklin" was set forth in black type. The double "flop" was brought about through Franklin and Green, Sydney Drew and Co., and Geo. Primrose and Co., each holding contracts from the Morris Circuit agreeing to headline them on every bill played. Last Monday was to have been Miss Franklin's first appearance for Mor- ris. She was billed to open at the Lin- coln Square. Drew and Primrose were also on the boards there. All were fea- tured in the billing, and it was about an even thing for headline honors, three names splitting the top line. On the ad- vanced billing for next week in the Lin- coln Square program, Franklin and Green (who were to hold over) had their names with the masses, while Laurence Irving and Mabel Hackney were emblazoned as the feature. Burt Green notified the Morris office Monday morning he considered the con- tract violated, and retired from the Lin- coln Square program at once, opening at the matinee that day for Mr. Williams. Next week Franklin And Green play at the Grand Qpera House, Syracuse, under a previous contract of the United. The week for Morris (if played) would have automatically canceled this agreement, ac- cording to the "barring" edict issued by the United managers. There are nine more United weeks which Franklin and Green will fill during the remainder of the season at the stipulated price, $500. On the Morris time they were to have re- ceived $750 weekly for eight weeks be- fore the hot weather sets in. Franklin and Green hold a contract for thirty weeks of next season over the Mor- rib time at $1,000 weekly. It has not been stated whether this is affected. It is thought a better understanding will be had with the Morris office if the act plays the '09-'10 dates for it. The present com- plications were brought about by too many "headline" contracts. No one has been blamed. The Morris office says Franklin and Green were justified in tak- ing the position through the mix-up, while the desire to bring about a big show at the Lincoln Square for the second period of the "15-act" policy probably furnished the grounds for the protest made. By 5:30 Monday afternoon, half-sheets were up around the Lincoln Square neigh- borhood announcing the appearance of Franklin and Green at the Colonial. McMahon and Chappelle have the va- cated spot at the Lincoln Square. STOCK MINSTRELS IN TRISC0. Mclntyre and Heath have arranged a four weeks' engagement in San Francisco, where they will head a stock minstrel com- pany, commencing April 10. ARTHUR BRYON'S SKETCH. On April 26, in one of the Percy G. Williams theatres, Arthur Bryon, who earned distinction this season through playing opposite to William Gillette in 'Samson" (not to mention the publicity he received from a rumored marriage to Ethel Barrymore), will present himself and three others in a sketch. Wm. L. Lykens will do the rest. RAJAH GOING TO PARIS. . Tonight (Saturday) Princess Rajah closes an engagement of eleven weeks at Hammerstein's Victoria. Next week some time the Princess sails for Paris, where she will enter upon a month's engagement, coming back to New York for the summer season of the Ham- merstein Roof Garden. In Paris, Rajah will be widely billed as "direct from Hammerstein's, New York." Following the ending of the Roof engagement this summer, the dancer ex- pects to return to Europe for a long spell, again returning to New York some time anon with an elaborate new act. On Tuesday while performing at Ham- merstein's the snake used by Rajah in her act fastened its fangs in the side of her cheek. Geo. Little, the backer of Jack Johnson, who stood in the wings, heroical- ly sucked out the poisoned Wood from the wound. It was cauterised at once. The dancer has appeared regularly since. She was much frightened when the snake turned upon her. ELTINGE OPENS MONDAY. At the Orpheum, Boston, on April 5, Julian Eltinge returns to vaudeville, hav- ing engaged to play for six weeks for William Morris. The contract is said to contain an optional clause, and the first period may be mostly spent at the Bos- ton house, that city being Eltinge's home town. Eltinge's season with the Cohan & Har- ris Minstrels has sent his vaudeville price away up. The report is Morris pays the impersonator $1,600 a week, although the salary may be a hundred or two below that figure. It is surely in four num- erals. It is not long ago since the vaude- ville managers would not play Eltinge un- less he "cut his salary" to a starvation amount. Like manv other instances of not realizing they had a feature, Eltinge had to be "discovered" by Broadway man- agers, when vaudeville steps in willing to pay any amount to regain him. FULTON, A MUSIC HALL. During Easter week the policy of fifteen acts and a music hall atmosphere will be tested at the Fulton, Brooklyn. Fourteen acts have been booked into the Morris Brooklyn house for that week. If the scheme proves an attraction it will, in all likelihood, be made a permanency. MORRIS GOING TO EUROPE. On the Lusitania April 28 William Morris will leave for Europe, going direct to London. He may remain abroad for a month or so. Mrs. Morris accompanies him. "The Independent" returned from Chi- cago on Thursday, having left New York last Sunday. Next Monday Mr. Morris starts again for the west. He will make his headquarters at the Morris Chicago office, staying in the western territory about ten days. WILLIAMS SAILING THIS MONTH. Mr. and Mrs. Percy G. Williams will leave for the other side April 28. Mr. Williams' stay abroad will be shorter than his visits across the water during the past two years. He expects to return in the early part of June. WANTS "LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.* Boston, April L While Wills Holt Wakefield appeared at the Orpheum, Boston, last week, B. F. Keith caused to be served upon her papers in a suit to recover the amount of "liquidated damages" mentioned In the contract held by Keith for Miss Wake- field's appearance in his Boston house March 15. Miss Wakefield canceled all time over the United circuits (Keith's) upon the disagreeableness arising at the opening of her second week at Hammerstein's, March 8. Immediately after that oc- currence, the pianiste signed with Will- iam Morris. The case came up last Tuesday, and was defended by counsel for Miss Wake- field. The 'liquidated damage" clause In the limited contracts wss before invoked by the United Booking Offices against Ed. Blondell when the latter "flopped" to Morris, "walking out" of the Fifth Ave- nue Theatre owing to the assigned posi- tion on the program there not pleasing the actor. JOHNSON GOES TO BROOKLYN. Monday next Jack Johnson will exhibit at the Star, Brooklyn, for the week, fol- lowing that engagement at another of Hyde & Behman's burlesque theatres in the Borough over the Bridge (Gayety) in Williamsburg. Pat Casey is booking the colored cham- pion. Mr. Casey met him at the Grand Central last Monday morning. Apparently all the negro population of the two cities turned out with several bands to greet the chocolate holder of the heavyweight championship title. In the afternoon, Johnson deposited $6,000 with the New York Journal to fight any man in the world, Jeffries preferred. A week's time is given to cover the forfeit. At Hammerstein's where Johnson opened Monday matinee, the prices to the gallery were raised to fifty and seventy-five cents. The colored people composed most of the attendance there during the week. The management probably drew down Johnson's salary alone from this increase, with indifference whether the temporary patrons in the loft resented the higher prices or not. MICHIGAN'S PRESS AGENT. Chicago, April 1. Nellie Revell, formerly publicity pro- moter of the Olympic Music Hall, has been appointed press agent for the State of Michigan. It is said this is the first time that a State has employed a publicity promoter. She will write about Michigan, exploiting the different mining districts and agri- cultural industries. Miss Revell was until last fall in vaude- ville, and for a number of years traveled with circuses. JULIAN ROSE WITH K. & E. London, March 23. Julian Rose has been engaged by Klaw & Erlanger for a Broadway production next season. He will report in New York for rehearsal during July. A. L. Erlanger closed the contract with Mr. Rose.