Variety (July 1909)

VARIETY LONDON THEATRE, BURLESQUE VETERAN, OUT OF WHEEL Empire Circuit Eliminates One of Its Bowery Stands. James H. Curtin Disposes of Lease at Profit and Will Manage Another Theatre. In process of lining up next season's tour of the Western Burlesque Wheel, the ex- ecutive committee of the Empire Circuit Co. has cut out the London Theatre on the Bowery, New York, probably the oldest burlesque stand in the country. Next year the Western shows will play only one house on the Bowery, Miner's Bowery Theatre. The fact that Western organizations had to play two houses on the same street so close together they were practically op- position to each other, has caused a good deal of discussion among the managers. The situation was settled by taking the Ixmdon off the Wheel. James H. Curtin, who holds a long- term lease upon the house has been settled with amicably by the executive committee. It is understood that he ha? already disposed of his lease to a concern which proposes to turn the house into a "Yiddish" theatre. The terms of the transaction are understood to be most ad- vantageous to Mr. Curtin. The former London manager, it is reported, will take charge of the new Casino, the Empire Circuit's brand new theatre on Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn. He will be installed there, says the report, as resident manager at a handsome annual salary. Next season's tour of the Western Wheel has already been put together, although, as far as can be learned from the execu- tive committeemen, no date has yet been set for the drawings. Unofficially it is reported the drawings will be held Tues- day morning next. In the new arrangement Paterson and Jersey City become three-day stands, split- ting a week between them. Providence is eliminated altogether and Schenectady and Troy together make a week. The cutting out of Albany and the re- duction of Jersey City to three days take a week out of the Wheel. The disappear- ance of the London takes another. These are filled by the introduction of the Casino in Brooklyn and the new house promised for the Bronx, New York, by the Miner Estate in association with New York busi- ness men. What will fill the Providence •week has not yet been disclosed. The executive committee members con- tinue to be uncommunicative, but Western Wheel managers expect that at the draw- ings the names of several new stands will be disclosed. They are sustained in this opinion by the knowledge that a new show, is to be introduced into the Wheel. This may possibly be "The Ideals," abandoned last season by IT. W. and Sim Williams. Overtures are said to have been made to that firm to reinstate the show. It has a quantity of paper in stock, and for this reason may be selected to fill out an ex- isting vacancy. Last year's roll of shows is to remain undisturbed and the ofTer of a new fran- ehise is taken as an indication that the Wheel is to be extended. Up until Wednesday evening none of the managers had been notified of the open- ing date for the *09-'10 season, although it was generally understood that Aug. 16 would be the week. In preparation for this starting point several of tip man- agers have ordered their costumes and scenery and directed their principals and choristers to report for rehearsals |n order to be ready for a preliminary week or two before the regular tour begins. The London is the oldest theatre in the United States in point of its unin- terrupted career as a burlesque stand. It was built about 1876 by Harry Miner and Thomas Donaldson. Within a few years of its completion Miner sold out his interest and thereafter Donaldson operated the property alone. During those days the London booked in "variety" shows, varied from time to time by "extravaganzas." One of the first of this sort of show was M. B. Leavitt's "Adamless Eden," originally put out by Leavitt and later sold to Sam T. Jack, who ran it with great financial success. James H. Curtin was for a long time advance agent for the show. Upon the death of Thomas Donaldson the London Theatre property reverted to a nephew named James. Successively it became the possession of Thomas Donald- son, Jr. (a nephew of James Donaldson), and Mrs. Valentine, a sister of Thomas, Jr. Curtin bought a half interest in the place from Mrs. Valentine. The London antedates Miner's Bowery, also an old burlesque stand, by six or eight years. After Miner sold out to Donaldson he commenced the erection of the Bowery Theatre, which was com- pleted about 1884 or 1886. One of the most interesting details about the passing of the old playhouse is the loss to the profession, for the time being, of Edwin Bull', the treasurer. Bull was in the box office the day the house opened and when last season closed he was still behind the wicket. In all the intervening time Bull's only holiday came on Memorial Day. He is a Civil War Grand Army veteran and no claim of pressing business was able to move him from the habit of observing that holiday. During all the time of his employment at the London, Bull's word as to the hand- ling of money was absolute. No one ever questioned him. He is living in Brooklyn now. The London is said to have housed the first summer stock burlesque that ever played New York. That was in the early '80's when Billy Arnold tried out the experiment. Up to that time and later the bookings were intermittent, extravagant, variety and burlesque play- ing the theatre as booking were arranged under the old correspondence system. It became a straight burlesque estab- lishment about 1800, and has remained so since. "POUNDING" HYNICKA. Louisville, July 1. The Louisville Courier-Journal is "out after" Rudolph Hyuicka, of Cincinnati. In a recent issue the paper rehashed the history of the legal complications in the building of the Gayety here by Hynicka, and also published a friendly toned letter from Ed B. Green, who first granted Hynicka a permit to build (upon which all the ensuing trouble was based). In the letter Green asks Hynicka "to go the limit" for W. D. Current, whom Green describes as a particular friend. The Courier-Journal rakes Hynicka somewhat severely, and by innuendo claims something wrong in the whole of the Gayety proceedings. The story said that Hynicka was a millionaire, and with "Boss" Cox of Cincinnati, ran that city. There will probably be many more legal developments in this theatrical suit before the end is reached. Attorneys in town expect that the case will yet go before the United States Supreme Court. The statement is made by the Courier- Journal that Hynicka and Oox obtained control of the local Republican political machine in addition to that of Cincinnati to secure the power to put this Gayety deal over the home-plate. The theatre has been completed in the face of a myriad of injunction?, and other court orders. "BLUE RIBBONS" SOLD. Chicago, July 1. "The Great Star and Garter Show" will be exploited in the Eastern Burlesque Wheel the coming season. G. M. Ander- son, of the Essanay Film Mfg. Co., of this city, has taken over the franchise of the "Blue Ribbon Girls," held last season by M. A. Shea, from James Hyde. An entire new equipment will be given the show, which has been named after the Star and Garter Theatre. The fran- chise includes all future bookings of the "Blue Ribbon Girls." The piece selected for the production ;a a musical comedy in two acts and eleven scenes entitled "The Fantastic World." Those so far engaged are John T. and Jessie Powers, Arthur H. Kherns, Robert Ellis, Gabe Nathan, Woods and Kildhuff and a chorus of thirty. Wilhelm Schaffer, for several years identified with Richard Carle and other musical shows, will be the musical di- rector. Al Nathan, last season with "The Time, the Place and the Girl," will be the business manager. "A Gentleman From Mississippi" com- menced an engagement on the New Am- sterdam Roof this week. "PASSING SHOW MAY'S NAME. Chicago, July 1. May Howard, \he "Queen of Burlesque," has made arrangements with Geo. W. Lederer to use the title of "The Passing Show" for a tour of the west. "The Pass- ing Show" was the first "review" to ap- pear before the public. Miss Howard will be supported by a company of thirty-five. The show opens in Chicago about the latter part of August, and from here will go to the cosst, playing week and one- night stands. New scenery and costumes will be provided, and they are said to surpass anything yet shown by Miss Howard. Ray Fulton, widow of Robert Fulton, the burlesque manager, is the business as- sociate, while Hal Lawrence will be the road manager. The show ft booked solid- "SLIPS IT" FOR $300. Someone "slipped it" to Larry Weber the other day for $300, and all because Mr. Weber, otherwise known and accosted as L. Lawrence, persists in holding the mirror of the latest in men's things up to himself. With the purchase of a new cane re- cently the little big man of the Eastern Wheel held a consultation with himself. The deliberations ended when/ the con- feree concluded that with a new cane one must wear a "bill case." A "bill case" is akin to a card case, with the difference that in a "bill case" only United States bills are to be carried when in the United States. In carrying a "bill case," the code says: "When about to reach the finale of a luncheon for two or more at any of the real restaurants, you call, in a slightly elevated voice, 'Ah, waiter; cheelt, please.' Then with a slow movement of the right hand you unbutton the outer coat, and with the left remove the bill case from the inside pocket. If a discreet person, the wallet will be carried on the inside vest pocket, when the unbuttoning proc- ess is simply repeated. "With the bills in the case exposed, you then carefully select one of amount ample to liquidate the indebtedness as figured by the waiter, and remarking 'This is a rather sultry day. you know/ return the bill case to the inner recep- tacle with the left hand, rebuttoning the coat with the right." Mr. Weber had rehearsed until he was perfect, and thought he would try out the new money holder at the Knickerbocker HoteL He did on Monday. It was in the cafe The bill case held $300. The check was $1.90. Mr. Weber played his part well until the return to the pocket should have been made, when he acquired stage fright, and instead "went up in the air," leaving the bill case on the marble top table while he conversed with a friend. Upon looking for the bill case when leaving, it had disappeared. It is still "disappeared," for nobody knows anything in a case like this at the Knickerbocker. L. Lawrence will not buy another bill case. You can't even give him one. The old right-hand trouser pocket which acted as his daily safe for years is again on duty. BEST SHOW IN COLUMBIA. It has been about settled upon by the directors of the Columbia Amusement Co. (Eastern Burlesque Wheel) that when the new Columbia, New York, is completed (Dec. 1), the best show on the Eastern Wheel will be known, and it will be placed to open the new house, remaining there for a run. PROFITS OF STOCK BURLESQUE. One of the Western Wheel managers who operated a summer burlesque or- ganization for four weeks in May and June is said to have drawn down a total profit on the enterprise of $1,100. His largest item of gain was the reduc- tion of salary to which his principals agreed. The statement is made that the managers' payroll amounted to $600 a week. A computation of the salaries commanded by the same people during the regular season represented nearly $1,200 weekly.