Variety (August 1909)

VARIETY 11 ^M-UttOHU LONDON NOTES VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE. 411 ITEAVD, W. 0. (Mall for American* and Europeans Id Europe If addressed care VAKI1TY, as above, will tea promptly forwarded.) Jx>ndon, Aug. 4. \vvw Franklin put over a good sub- staiitinl NiH'ccMH at the Puluee thin week. I'rolmlily the strangest part of it all is the way the London people have taken to her "Waitress" song. The Yank slang doesn't seem to hurt it. Friend and Downing have accepted a re- turn engagement at the Palace, Glasgow, where they played only four months ago. Uaj Cox sails Aug. 7. Daisy Harcourt, who has just returned to this country, will leave for a trip through the provinces soon, playing the Harrassford time. This week the London dailies printed the story of the big booking bureau which uow seems sure. The booking arrange- ment seems to be so certain that the peo- ple in the business are figuring how long it will be before it will be broken up by one manager dissatisfied at the acts handed him. Harry First is deputizing for Lockhart's Elephants at Wlthamstow and for Marie Lloyd at East ham this week. Next week Mr. First starts on the Gibbons' tour, playing the Holborn Empire. Vesta Victoria and Fred Kitchen will he two of the features of the bill at the Holborn Empire next week. Walter Kelly has made arrangements whereby he will play for Harry Kickards in Australia in either January or Febru- ary, 1010. "The Judge" will probably ar- range time in London next summer. He did not intend to play here then, but the offers from houses in London may make the big fellow change his mind. Charles Hawtrey and Co. break into vaudeville this week at the opening of the new Hippodrome in a sketch called "Time is Money." The^piece is rather silly and if anyone but Hawtrey presented it he would probably have a hard time getting work. Clare Kummer, who opened at the Hip- podrome this week, seemed to lack con- fidence. Miss Kummer does not appear to be a bit at home on the stage and pos- sibly will not do much more vaudeville work on this side. Fannie Ward and Co., in "The Flag Station," also appeared at the "Hip" at (he opening. The sketch which was called "The Operator" in the States really in- terested the audience, though everyone won- dered why the grogram read "Fannie Ward and Co." John Dean, who plays the tel- egraph operator, leaves nothing for Miss Ward to do at all. Dean is one of the best actors in vaudeville and it seems strange that a star should have selected him for her support. The stage effect waa wonderfully well worked and the piece should have a long run In the halls here. Someone has been handed "the bunk" with the "8 Heal Geisha Girls," on at the Hippodrome. Most likely these select few were picked from a graduation class of a Jupauese high school and are now prob- ably doing a repeat of the exercises pulled off at commencement. Of course the sing- ing and talking were funny, but the straight dancing is funnier. Outside of being a good laugh, the act will never do. Die 3 Schwestern Wiesenthal is in big type on the Hippodrome program and three girls who do "the poetry of motion" danc- ing and all that sort of thing fit the title. The alleged dances are performed most gracefully, but anyone who has not been gifted with a taste for the artistic would be justified in saying at any point in the act "Get into your dancing, kid, for it might help some." As long aa managers ore calling their theatres "Vaudeville," they might forget the classics, and go on with vaudeville entertainment. Henry Leoni, a French singer, and the Ahearn Troupe were the bright spots that could be seen through the thick cloud of gloom at the opening of the Hippodrome, now one of the handsomest halls in the world. Vernon, the ventriloquist, is in London for a few days and will leave shortly for a tour of the continent. Billy Gould, who has sailed home, slipped down to Liverpool last week and opened at the Empire Theatre there in a single act. 'Tis said that Billy put a hit over. Willette Whitaker and Wilbur Hill played the Coliseum last week, closing the show. The pair have been booked back there again next week on account of their big success in that position. The Ahearn Troupe will stay at the Hippodrome three more weeks, but they are trying to put their Orpheum time back so as to play a few weeks more in Eng- land. Bert Levy is playing the Pavilion in Glasgow this week, going from there to the continent. It has grown to be quite an institution over here, this opening of American acta. On a Tuesday morning, all the other American acts gather to talk it over. There is a bunch that liked to hear an act get away great, but there are a certain few over here—that lived in America once —and they do like to tell about an act flopping. Three different times acts have Kone finely over here, but this crowd of good Yanks tried their best to call the acts "frosts." Ruth Richmond, formerly with "The Lion and the Mouse," will appear at the Fifth Avenue Sunday afternoon in a sketch called "The Half Breed." PARIS NOTES BY EDWARD G. UNDREW. TO Paris, Aug. 3. The Eldorado closes this week. The temporary managers, Halazy and Max Illy (two artists who took over the hall on speculation during the summer months) retire. This hall will remain closed until September.—The cabarat run by the new director of the Scala, La Boite a Fursy, up Montmartre, is being demolished and will be rebuilt by Oct. 1.—Alterations at the Folies Bergere are being rushed, but there still remains much to be done. The new stage is not yet commenced.—The Chatelet reopens early this season. It will reproduce "Michael Strogoff" on Aug. 6.—I hear that Roger Debrenne, who has just relinquished the Folies Drama- tiques, will take over the lease of the Theatre des Arts, the little houje rendered fashionable by Daisy Andrews, an Amer- ican, who organized the recent tour of Guitry, the French actor, in London, at the Adelphi.—Olga Desmond, the nude danseuse at the Marigny, has been off the bill a few days, on sick leave, but hopes to return during this week.— Le Diable au Corps, the small vaudeville house under the night Cafe Pigalle, is seeking a tenant for the coming season. — No further news up to date concerning the floating of the company to build the Crawford skating rink in the Rue St Did- ier, and the stock has not yet been Issued. I recently spoke of the rumored strike among the ballet girls of Paris, under the paternal direction of Pataud, the great strike leader. The discontent at the Scala, Milan, is said to be more serious, and from reports to band it would seem there is a cause. The danseuses in Milan receive from $4 to $10 per month, but salaries are suspended while the school of dancing is closed for the vacation, and then the girls are not permitted to follow any other calling. They must attend all rehearsals, neatly clothed; must pay for their trousseau for the examinations, and fines are inflicted for absence, even when good excuse is furnished. This Is Inserted in the contract with the theatre, and is binding, so the oaHertnet of the Milan Scala have asked for a raise in salary. Paris, Aog. S. The firm of Gaumont haa been extremely alert and enterprising In obtaining views of the recent first crosHlnu of (he English Channel by a flying machine, mid nas secured a couple of reels wbJoh are unique. •Lntliam Ih Been In his experiments, and bis start for Dover from Calais. As la known, be fell In the wo, and the next views show his return to Calais In tbe French torpedo boat which picked him up, and then the lug bringing In tbe wrecked aeroplane, which Is seen from different poattlona, with Latham dressed In the clothes loaned by a sailor. Then follows the flist trials of Blerlot'at Ieey- Moullneaux, near I'arin; his flight near Calais, and then bla departure acroaa the Channel on Sunday labt. These views were taken at 4.30 a. m., and ore a splendl'l piece of photographic art. They were on view In I.onrion on the Monday night, so that Blerlot aaw them himself at the Empire, where be was an honored guest. Ho returned to Paris on the Wednesday at S o'clock, and at 8.30 that aame eveulng I witnessed a public show of tbe film describing bis triumphant entry Into that city. Tbe reels have already been despatched to America. ^ EDWARD G. KBNDBEW. (TheMc views, secured by William Morris through bis London representative, Paul Murray, were flrs»t shown In New York at the American Music Hell on last week.—Ed.) ACT FOR LOTTIE GILSON. Lottie Gilson will return to vaudeville with her former billing of "The Little Magnet." Along with Lottie is Sig. Sully Dufree, the harpist. The Pat Casey Agency received a letter this week from Miss Gilson asking that time be arranged. Pat Reilly, the Irish comedian and for* mer burlesque manager, has declared for vaudeville, and is putting the finishing touches upon the sketch he has selected to appear in. Nita Allen has written an act in which she reappears in vaudeville. Gus Edwards has written a sketch for Harrold and filwood, who will produce it next Monday at New Rochelle, N. Y. The title is "When Tenor Meets Bass." Herbert Lloyd, the original "King of Diamonds," opens at the American, New York, next week in a new act. Mr. Lloyd is carrying six people in the turn. The Star, Ithaca, N. Y., will play the smaller vaudeville starting Aug. 30. C. L. I Tamer is the manager of the house. Joe Wood will book. Arthur Roberts, an English sketch player; Austin Rudd, a comic singer, and Burt Sheppard, all now across the pond, stand ready to play on this side if ac- ceptable offers are made them by the American managers. Billie Reeves is still deaf, caused by a blow on his left ear received about a month ago while playing in "The Follies." Fred Austin, now at Dayton, O., will play vaudeville with The Tossing Austins commencing next month.