Variety (September 1909)

10 VARIETY London, Aug. 25. Everhart is Closing the show at the Coli- seum this week, and seems to be rather careless in his juggling number. He probably figures that it is not much use working hard in this position, but there bare been acts before him closing that show and doing very well. Alexia, the French dancer, also appears at the Coliseum is a long drawn out dan- cing affair that if put together in a better way might win favor. As the act is now, it will never cause much more than a ripple. Emma Cams opened at the Coliseum this week and ought to get along from the way she started off Monday. The song, "Beautiful Eyes," is going to prove a win- ner over here. Harry First will go to Manchester next week, playing the Palace for De Frece. The Brothers Bright are presenting their very neat hand-balancing act at the Coliseum this week. The Bitter Brothers have joined an act called "The Jollies," which will open at the Empire Kilburn next week. It seems as though Arthur Prince is shaping his act for America now as he has a lot of 'Tank" talk in it this week at the Palace. Mr. Prince sails for the states in the early part of September. Jim Corbett, who moved into the Tivoli this week, is going just as big as ever at this hall. Amelia Bingham is back again at the Glasgow Pavilion this week, headlining there. Terry and Lambert bottom the same bill. At the Palace there is under way a new stage, said to be the finest in England. Irene Franklin is on her last week at the Palace, and she will be missed when gone. Miss Franklin has changed her rou- tine slightly since opening here, and has seemed to hit upon just what they want now. In her "Red Head" song, though, Miss Franklin was forced to change her costume, as the public here did not "get" the "kid" make-up. The comedienne is now wearing a regulation kid make-up that they couldn't go wrong on. The "waitress" song also has been replaced by two easier ones. Curtiss Pounds has a sketch at the Tivoli, showing himself off as a good co- median with a very good voice. Mr. Pounds takes the part of a brother of a girl who advertises for a talented man. He does all the characters of the different people applying for the job, and makes them all funny. The heat wave is now over and the at- tendances at most of the West End halls «hows a great improvement. At the Coli- Hfum with Seymour Hicks topping the bill, business at the Monday matinee could Ih» called wonderful. The Hippodrome in jroing very well also, with Fanny Fields added to its former list of attractions this LONDON NOTES VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE. 411 irmAVD, w. o. (Mafl for American! and loroptans In Europe If addreeaed .'are VARIETY, m abeTe, will as promptly forwarded.) week. The Palace has fair business, this house being handicapped by the fact that the London fall season has not started yet. Most of its regulars are still out of town. The Tivoli and Oxford are suffer- ing through lack of big names on the signs. At the Tivoli James J. Corbett is the only name that could possibly be taken for a headliner. Vic Monks and Joe Elvin are the attractions at the Ox- ford. Vesta Victoria is the headliner at the London Pavilion. The outside halls in London are reported as doing very well at present. Ritter and Foster leave for Paris this week, where they will play two weeks at the Alhambra. After that they return to England to make an eight months' tour of the Provinces. "The San Remo Girls" slipped in at the Tivoli without many people seeing them. They are opening the show there. The girls try very hard to put an acrobatic act over with dancing, but no one seemed to be angry when the number for the next act went up. Herbert Clifton, a fellow with a won- derful freak voice, is playing the halls around here. Clifton is billed as the man with the $5,000 voice, and this is probably true. In his act he impersonates several different women singing songs on the music hall stage. He is too perfect to make it a very pleasant act to watch. Clifton gets away very well, however. Dillon . Shallard, of excellent voice, is handing out bits of operas and classical ballads in the music halls now. Shallard has his audiences attentive while he is on the stage, but there is no great enthusi- asm shown when finishing. Clarice Mayne has succeeded in making her newest song very popular in London by the ' way she gets it over and also with the help of her pianist, a clever co- median in his way. "I'm Longing for Some One to Love Me" seems to be the song hit of the day over here. Among the coming attractions at the Coliseum are Elise Craven, Frag^on and Saharet. Callahan and St. George are topping the bill at the Hippodrome, Birmingham, this week. This is the Irish team's second time around the Barassford Tour, and they are going very big again. Vardon, Perry and Wilbur, according to a report from the Barassford offices, opened successfully at the Hippodrome, Leeds. Nance O'Ncil, on the snmr hill, did nicely. Tomson's "Mystery" is playing the Hnrassford Tour in this country. The Hiatts are traveling in the Prov- inces, playing out a Barassford Tour. Harry Tate, though billed for the Can- terbury and Oxford this week, is not showing at either hall. Albert Whelan is back at the West End again, playing an engagement at the Pavilion. The Gub Onlaw Trio are in town this week, at the Olympia, Shoreditch. A most interesting show was given at the Bedford Palace last week when C. Douglas Carlile, the Sexton Blake de- tective fellow, went through a show on crutches. Mr. Carlile was injured last week while making his turn in a carriage. The case that Sexton Blake was to solve this week was all about some counter- feiters spending all kinds of funny money. The bad leg never stopped the young sleuth for a minute. It might be men- tioned that Carlotta De Yonson had her named billed over the sketch, but she is in wrong a mile. Give it to Blake, as he surely is the know-where-to-flnd-'em kiddo. Carlotta this week is a "bad woman," and at the same time it ought to hurt no one's feelings to say she is a bad actress. There is also a blood hound named "Pedro," specially mentioned on the program, but the poor animal acts as if he is sore on the job. But after all is said and done, you must hand it to Blake. He is the goods. Hamilton Hill appeared at the Bedford last week singing a couple of hand-it-to- me songs. He could have been forgiven for one, but springing two is rather an imposition. Woodward's Seals are at the Coliseum again this week, being received in the same way as before. "The Colonial Septet" is the attraction at the Palace, Manchester, this week. Carl Hertz has for some weeks back been taking the cure at Carlsbad, and it is reported that he is getting on very well. The puns that have gone around concerning Carl and Carlsbad for the last week or so would make even Chigwin frown. MAY COME TO NEW YORK. San Francisco, Sept. 2. "Pop" Crnuman, who has retired from the Mayoralty race, may decide to leave for New York shortly to look over the field there. Hilly Van, with the Beaumont Sisters (Rose and Nellie), will open Oct. 4 at Poli's, New Haven, in a new Aaron Hoff- man sketch. Edw. S. Keller is the agent who secured $1,000 weekly for the act. The I. B. A. and Joe Wood's agency will book against each other at New Britain, Conn. The I. B. A. h«n Keeney's; Wood books for the Scenic there. CLOSED, AFTER 4000-MILB JUMP. San Francisco, Sept. 2. La Millas and Oreo, presenting "Mftk- Nak, the Artist's Love Dream," closed at tlje Empire after their opening perform- ance, are threatening to take action. Ac- cording to them they were engaged by the Pantages' Circuit with the stipulation in their contract that they would be closed after their first performance if the act was not satisfactory. They opened in Spokane, Wash., jumping direct from Paris, France. They played their full week there with- out any trouble, but after the opening performance in Seattle, the act was cut. At Portland they were offered more time if they would go to Vancouver at a reduced salary. This they refused, and shortly after received a wire notifying them that their act was not wanted by the management Of the Sacramento house. They then wired Pantages and received an answer to the effect that they were to go on to Sacramento, where they played nine performances and were then closed, receiving full salary. Here they were closed upon their opening performance, Mr. Tiffany, the manager, claiming the act was very bad, and the dance espe- cially objectionable. They still have three weeks to fulfill their contract and claim they have been offered other time by the same people at a reduced salary. In the meantime they reported for every performance last week, awaiting a reply from Pantages regarding the disposition of their case. CLASS TO BOBBIE HUNTER. Hartford, Sept. 2. Robert M. Hunter, of the Liebler forces, and incidentally associated with Hunter, Bradford and Reid in the stock organiza- tion known as the Hunter-Bradford Play- ers, has a wonderful scheme upon which he is spending much time and thought. Bobbie has located in Hartford and is planning to run a series of Sunday night concerts of pictures and songs at Par- sons' Theatre. Motion pictures and songs are not a novelty here on Sunday nights, but there's some class to Bobbie Hunter's plan. His films will be the same grade as the others but the singers—list, step up closer— Bobbie is going to engage grand opera singers right from under Hammerstein's nose to delight the rabble Sunday evenings. As the market price per Sunday night for ordinary singers is a ten spot, Robert M. Hunter opines that he will have to pay such stars as Farrar, Scotti et al. at least $12.08. The Orpheum, Utica, is playing four acts weekly, booked by Lester B. Whit- lock in the Joe Wood office. Mr. Whit- lock, a brother of Harry in the same agency, is handling the bookings for houses in eight New York State towns. Anything may happen now. Patchoguc, Long Island, has a house, playing three acts, booked through Joe Wood. It's called the Star Palace. Eva Taylor, now playing "Chums," has a new sketch which will first be shown at the Majestic, Chicago. Kdgar Allen is suing James L. Reman, of Baltimore, for a week's salary.