Variety (April 1909)

VARIETY SETTLING UP JUDGMENTS. Since the Appellate Division of the Su- preme Court decided the contract held by Geo. W. Day from Klaw ft Erlanger was a valid one, it is understood the United Booking Offices (the responsible party un- der the United-K. & B. settlement agree- ment) has been settling the judgments ob- tained against Klaw ft Erlanger by sev- eral artists. Geo. M. Leventritt, who drafted the con- tract form In use by Klaw ft Erlanger during their vaudeville days, maintained from the first that the instruments was a valid and equitable one. Mr. Leventritt has appeared in court for Charles Barnold and Prince Kokin. Both brought suit to recover under their K. ft E. agreements. Barnold's judgment is around $2,600. Kokin recovered about $700. M. Straasman appeared for Mr. Day in all the proceedings. Mr. Straasman also acted aa attorney for The Livingston Family, and one or two otheu who ob- tained redress for breach of contract. Denis F. O'Brien appeared for Fred Nibk>, recently awarded damages under his K. ft E. contract. Maurice Goodman appeared for the de- fendant in all the cases. The sole con- tention of the defense was a "want of mutality." There ia said to be no appeal allowable from the Appellate Division deci- sion. The contract in use by Klaw ft Er- langer was the simplest form ever devised and printed for a professional theatrical agreement. It waa printed in medium- siced type on one small sheet, with but few conditions, and no covenants. Its equitableness was never questioned, ex- cept by lawyers. TWO GOOD ACTORS WANTED. Wm. L. Lykens has an act all ready for vaudeville with everything but the actors. There are but two required. The piece is the sketch written by Geo. V. Hobart, named "On a One Night Stand." It will be exhibited during the Rika' Benefit at the New York Theatre on April 23, with Thos. Wise in the lead. Following that showing, Mr. Lykens in- tends placing the playlet on the metro- politan time. Up to date the agent has not been successful in casting the piece. Mr. Wise's connection is for one night only. "INSANITY" FOR EXCUSE. Columbus, Ga., April 1. At the Dreamland last Friday, Harry K. Lucas, the manager announced to a crowded house that Eva Ray could not ap pear for the matinee as she had suddenly gone insane. This statement was made upon the information of F. W. Curtis, Miss Ray's and the company's manager.. Afterwards it developed Miss Ray was not permanently out of her mind, and that she expected to marry a member of the "mind reader's" show. The marriage took place shortly afterwards, the bride- groom being named Pierson. Mr. Curtis before leaving town expressed regrets for the many odd happenings of his principals while here. COMBINATION IN TORONTO. Toronto, April 1. The Majestic, the Stair ft Havlin house, will have a season of vaudeville and pic- tures, resuming with the legitimate in the fall MAY AFTER FLO AGAIN. Buffalo, April 1. The second hearing in the injunction brought against Flo Irwin by her sister, May, has been adjourned until Tuesday, April 6, in the United States Circuit Court. Testimony before an examiner was heard last Tuesday. May Irwin haa again applied for a per- manent injunction against Flo, alleging that Flo's present sketch "Mrs. Mix Mixes" is identical with "Mrs. Peckham's Carouse," which May is playing in vaude- ville. The supposition is that the com- parisons between the sisters' performances of that piece since May reappeared in the varieties so greatly favored Flo that May feels hurt. Flo Irwin first introduced "Mrs. Peck- ham's Carouse" to vaudeville. Afterwards May's husband claimed his wife owned the piece, and had sold it to him. He was successful through legal proceedings in re- gaining it, disregarding the cry of "Injun giver" Flo set up against her loving sister. Shortly after Flo produced "Mrs. Mix Mixes," the sketch now involved in the court proceedings here. Flo and her piece were to have head- lined the program at Poli's, Scranton, this week, and played at the Fifth Avenue, New York, next week. Both engagements were canceled through a preliminary injunction having been served on Flo while playing at Cook's Opera House, Rochester, last Friday. VAUDEVILLE ON MADISON SQ. ROOF. M. M. Thiese haa decided to give a vaudeville show on the Madison Square Roof Garden this summer, commencing about the middle of June. Several "girl" numbers will be staged, but the policy will be straight vaudeville. No announcement has been made as to the booking connection. IRVING'S NEW PLAY. Chicago, April 1. Lawrence Irving and Mabel Hackney will conclude their engagement for Will- iam Morris in three weeks. They are scheduled to appear in Boston for two weeks. Mr. Irving says he will probably give two matinee performances of a new play by Brieux, a French playwright, at the Hackett, New York, sailing for home a week later, in time to reappear at the Coliseum, London, in "The King and the Vagabond." The English actor contemplates a return to the States next season. WEIS' SON HIS PARTNER. Houston, Tex., April 1. The Post Special prints a deapatch from San Antonio saying that Sydney H. Weis will buy Henry Greenwall's half in- terest in the circuit Greenwall and Weis' father operate in this section. Young Mr. Weis says it is foolish for anyone to believe vaudeville will be played in their houses. He will go to New York upon the settlement of the deal. Phil Greenwall, a half brother to Henry, will remain as manager at the Fort Worth theatre. Dave Weis, Sydney's brother, will likely continue in charge of the house at Houston. HIGH PRICED SHOWS ABOUT. The present week (March 20) seems to have caused an epidemic of high-priced bills in New York. The lead is taken by Percy G. Williams' Colonial. Through the addition of Irene Franklin and Burt Green to its program, the cost of the show there mounts up to $6,200. The prices of the programs at the fol- lowing houses are: Colonial $6,200 Fifth Avenue 5,600 Orpheum 6,000 American 6,000 Lincoln Square 4,000 Hammerstein's 3,600 There are eleven acts at the Colonial and ten at the Orpheum. This is above the customary bill at those theatres. ARRANGING PATRIOTIC THRILLER. Vaudeville will shortly have an Amer- icanised version of "An Englishman's Home," the patriotic play that has stirred up heated comment in London and is now at the Criterion. The drama exposes imaginary conditions during a supposed invasion of England by the Russians. A twenty-five minute playlet has the action take place in San Francisco during an invasion by the Japanese. It went into rehearsal this week. A New York newspaper man, J. Aubrey Tyson, wrote the sketch from his magazine story pub- lished several years ago. It is in three scenes. NEWBERGER'S "GOOSELAlfD." This Saturday night at Terrace Garden, the annual carnival of the Ad. Newberger Dancing Academies will be held. In it Mr. Newberger, who is a producer as well as a dancing master, will present his scholars in two pieces and an "olio." The first part is called "Gooseland," written by a relative of the producer. It has rehearsed so much to Mr. Newberger's satisfaction with only his "kidlets" as players that vaudeville may see the piece soon in a condensed form. It is said that Felix and Cairo, the youthful imitators (and Newberger's act) may be featured in the fairy tale, if pre- sented professionally. COLORED ACT WITH so. "Roseland," with twenty people, includ- ing The Kemps, Marion Burton, Marie Ringgold and the others from the Will- iams and Walker show, will start on the vaudeville circuits soon, opening at At- lantic City. Will Marion Cook is producing the piece. William L. Lykens attends to the booking. ORPHEUM'S TEN-YEAR LEASE. New Orleans, April 1. Another lease for ten years has been made between Dr. Geo. Pratt, owner of the Orpheum, and the Orpneum Circuit Co., which operates it. The Orpheum's present lease expires in 1011. Charles E. Bray of the Orpheum head- barters, New York, was in New Orltuna this week attending to the matter. The renewal of the tenancy by the Orpheum disposes of all the building rumors. MORRIS AFTER NEW ORLEANS? New Orleans, April 1. Talk here indicates that WUliam Mor- ris, Inc., is angling for a Crescent City location. Report has it that the objective point is Greenwall's Theatre, which is "to let" at a reported figure of $18,000. It is one of the finest theatres in the south, and has a seating capacity of 2,500. William Morris, Inc., will supply the vaudeville attractions at "White City," New Orleans, this summer. The original plan was to give comio onera, but this policy has been given up in favor of vaudeville. Six acts will make up the bill. This is Morris' first entry into New Or- leans. ANOTHER FOR FEIBER & SHEA. The Grand Opera House, Wilmington, Del., opens as a vaudeville theatre on the Feiber, Shea & Content circuit April 12, with variety shows at 6, 10 and 20 cents admission. The Opera House will be booked with the firm's Bijou Theatres in Bayonne, Orange, Perth Amboy and New Brunswick. They also book for the Bijou, Brooklyn, a Hyde & Behman property. The Wilmington acquisition seats 2,000 people. It will oppose the Garrick of W. L. Dockstader in that city. Mr. Dock- stader books through the United Offices. L. B. Cool of the Circuit will start the new house off on its vaudeville journey. AN ENGLISH ARTISTE. Monie Mine (whose smiling face adorns the front page) made her American ap- pearance at Keith A Proctor's Fifth Ave- nue Theatre Oct. 4, 1008, and scored an instantaneous success on her merits. Since then she has proven a hit in every theatre played. In England Miss Mine lias played The Syndicate and Moss & Stoll halls many times, besides playing "Principle Girl" in several pantomimes. Miss Mine is pretty; her wardrobe is a feast for the eyes; her songs are exclusive, and she is one of the best English danc- ers before the public. BLOCKSOM and BURNS Originators of Burlesque Equilibrium with tbe Invisible wire. One of tbe most extensively copied act* In Vnde Vile. But they always manage to have a little something new. Agent, I\ J. CASEY. April 5th. Columbia. 8t. Louis; 12th, Olympic, Chicago; 19th, Majestic, Milwaukee.