Variety (April 1909)

10 VARIETY London, March. 24. A. L. Erlanger is in London, the guest of Oswald Stoll. Sam Collins is announced as one of the cast of the new Revue at the Empire. Howard and St. Clair leave London this week for two months in the provinces. Joe Hart's Tolly Pickle's Pets" will be the center of a pantomime next season. George Barclay, the agent, who has been ill, is still reported in a serious condition. The Autre returned to London this week after touring the Barrasford time in the provinces. Charles Barnold's Dogs will appear at the Empire, London, early in the summer of this year. "The Gay Deceivers" lived up to the title by playing at the Holborn one show only last week. Richard Golden's opening at the Palace has been moved forward a week. He opens there March 28. Alfred Butt, the Palace manager, re- turned to London on March 17. He made h visit to the continent. Willie Zimmerman made his second Lon- don appearance at the Empire this week and scored tremendously. Charlie Adams, formerly manager of the Canterbury, is now a district manager for the Gibbons Circuit. Helen Trix should have reopened at Newport last week, but the doctor ordered a further fortnight's rest. It is rumored The Great Lafayette is becoming largely interested in the Barass- ford Tour through investment. Mme. Albani, the operatic star, will make her first London appearance in the halls at the Metropolitan, March 28. "Onaip" has been placed by Paul Mur- ray of the Morris London office for the month of April at the Wintergarten, Ber- lin. It is rumored the Hammersmith Palace will close shortly, the report saying the house will be turned into a two-a-night hall. "England Invaded," on the moving pic- ture sheet, Is topping the bill at the Ox- ford this week. Business there is not so good. Watson Scott, father of Great Scott, "the ladder act," died suddenly on March 7 of heart failure at his Kensington (Lon- don) home. Signor de Caro's Troupe of Sicilian Sing- ers from Messina will appear at the Em- pire. They are said to be all recent earth- quake s urvivor s. LONDON NOTES VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE. 418 REAITD, W. 0. (Mall for Americans and European! In Europe If addrcBuetl cure VARIETY, aa above, will be promptly forwarded.) Joe Wilson, as well as his assistant, Mr. Howell, are on the sick list, and Leon Zeitlin is looking after thingB at the Tivoli in their absence. two-weeks' showing at the Wintergarten, Berlin. Callahan and St. George play the Hip- podrome, New Castle,. March 28. They played the opposition house in the same town a short time ago. A medal was presented to Jim Morton last Thursday by the Ballique Club, which Morton organized while in London. The medal is a spade guinea set in diamonds and rubies. Friend and Downing are considering an offer for next season, which, if accepted, will give them the principal comedy roles in a provincial pantomime. The Sunday smoking concert held at the Vaudeville Club on March 14 was a big success. Burt Shepherd was in the chair. The Brothers Ritter gave their first show in England at this concert. FRIEND AND DOWNING. Tbe above photograph abows FBIBND AND DOWNING in LIVERPOOL, where they were placed at the top of the bill tbe week after their tremendoua aacceaa Id Brighton upon their Initial showing In England. 81nce then they have been topping bllla on tbe BARRAB8FOBD TOUR. On February 22d tho boys opened at tbe OXFORD MUSIC HALL, LONDON, where tbe former aucceaaes were duplicated. They were engaged for tbe following week at tbe EMPIRE), 8BORBDITCH (London), and held over for two weeki. FBIBND AND DOWNING have appeared before the following ROYALTY since their arrival In London: JIMMIE BBITr, YOUNG OTTO. JKBS FREEMAN, YOUNG JOSEPHS, JEWEY SMITH, PAUL MURRAY, JOHNNIE SUMMERS, JAMBS MOONEY, JIM MORTON, EDDIE CLARK, DIRTY DICK and MAX BITTBB. T. £. Dunville showed the best num- ber at the Hippodrome Pavilion last week he has had in some time. It was a song and monolog on "Hamlet." Sam Mayo was enjoined by the Moss- Stoll Empires from appearing at the Plymouth Palace last week, Moss-Stoll claiming a contract. "The Ten Dark Knights" deputized for Mayo. At a meeting of the Agents' Association yesterday (March 28) the body decided to become a limited concern and will be reg- istered as such very shortly. The Empire, Kilburn, is a new Gibbons hall and will open on April 5 with The Great Lafayette as headlines This house will be one of the largest on the circuit. The Empire announces an up-to-date revue to be produced shortly. It will be written by George Grossmith. The ballet now appearing ("A Day in Paris") will run right along with the new one. "The Moto-Girl," with Frederic Melville, leaves England next week for a few engage- ments on the continent, among which is a Terry and Lambert have just completed their Stoll dates and will lay off for a couple of weeks in London. They will then make a tour of some independent and Bar- nes ford hafls until September when they expect to sail for the States. W. C. Fields may not come over this season. The closing of the Hippodrome caused the postponement of his engage- ment there, booked for May, and an offer to play the Moss-Stoll Tour at a lesser salary was rejected by the juggler. lu the action against Lalla Selbini, the Murinelli office was returned a judgment of $160 and costs. Miss Selbini claimed she was forced into signing an exclusive agreement with Marinelli by threats of all sorts, but the court couldn't see it. The case may be appealed. Jack Johnson is billed to play the Hol- born Empire March 29, but the bills will have to be taken down. There are many who do not believe the colored fighter will fill his dates on the Gibbons Circuit for some time to come. The contracts were made before Johnson left for Australia. ^-# William Lee, by permission of Julian Rose, will deliver the "Levinsky" monolog in the halls Rose does not play. It is very possible that Lee will cover all of England with this material as Mr. Rose intends leaving England in about two months. Lee is- working the Empire Bolton this week. The Payne halls and the Gibbons Circuit are not on any too friendly terms, yet this week at the Holborn Empire (Gib- bons) Mary Law, who is playing now at the Tivoli (Payne) deputized for Vic Monks. Still these two halls are always burring against each other, so there you are. On their last week of the Stoll Tour, •The Rain-Dears," at the Empire, Notting- ham, are reported as very successful. The net. after finishing the time on the Conti- nent, will most likely be placed in the hands of Paul Schlutz, who will probably extend the time over there throughout the coming 'ummer. The Gibbons offices have taken over the Hippodrome, Islington, a hall recently closed by creditors. Before closing it was direct opposition to the Empire, Islington, the Gibbons hall in this section of Lon- don. It is quite probable the Hippodrome will either be turned into a legitimate the- atre or a roller skating rink. In Liverpool this week the fighting game is certainly in strong in the music halls. "The Star Bout," the Johnson-Burns fight pictures, and the Britt-Summers pictures all are appearing at different halls. A line on the bills advertising the Britt-Summers pictures says, "This is not a wrestling match but a fight." This is meant to re- flect on the Johnson-Burns film. "The Star Bout," which opened at Liv- erpool March 22, proved to be quite a revelation to the folk there. Both the first and second shows of the evening packed the house, and it looks as though the act would prove a big draw over here. The American slang in the piece didn't seem to do it any harm, and the audiences were very much interested throughout. Walter Gibbons has announced that the offices of the amalgamated "Barassford, Ltd." and the London Theatres of Va- rieties (Gibbons Tour) will be in the tele-