Variety (September 1909)

VARIETY • ARTI STS' FO RUM Orala* ftmt tetters te 150 words and writ* oa om tU* «f paper omly. AaoBymemi oomanmioatioai will not bs printed. Vans of wrltor mmtt bo alfaod and will bo hold la starlet ooaidonce, if dosirod. CLARKE JUMPS OVER. "What Will Happen Next?" inter- Letters to bo published in this eelama mast bo written ozolasiTOly to YAUXTT. Doplieatod letters will aot be printed. The writer who dnplioatos a letter to the Toram, either before or after it appears here,-will net be permitted the privilege of it afala. Kittanning, Pa., Sept. G. Editor Variety : % We played Mt. Carmel, Pa., week Feb. 22 last. On the bill with us (to our sorrow) was an .act by the name of L. Taub Brixton. He did an imitation of Cliff Gordon. Joe Welch and others, carrying his wife with him, who had never been in the business before. She sat in the audience for every show and watched our act. He sat in the wings. Two weeks ago they announced that L. Taub Brixton is now working with hw wife, and they are doing a new act called "The Attorney's Daughter." Our act is "The Lady lawyer." We thought at the time that it sounded funny, but as we had no proof that they had stolen our act we said nothing about it. We arrived here in Kit- tanning this morning and were informed that Brixton and Brixton did our entire act, word for word, with the result that we have to change. Now, we admit that we hadn't brains enough to write our own act; we paid Jack Gorman to. write it for us, and we have Mr. Gorman's receipt. It's a pretty hard proposition when you pay out good hard earned money for an act to have some one like that come along and deliberately take it from you. ' Corbctt end Forrater. • New York, Sept. 7. Editor Varikty: On my return to this city I find an opera running called "The Motor Girl." We have been billed as that many times, but our right spelling is "The Motogirl." The pronunciation is nearly the same. Therefore daily I get mixed up with the opera. I incidentally wish to mention wc arc not connected. 1 rather like their having adopted a name so similar to ours. Frederic Melville Baltimore, Sept. G. Editor Varikty : While reading Itush'8 criticism of "The College Girls" he mentioned my using the name of H. (J. Knowles. That was cither I he nmnajicment's error or a misprint. 'Hie moment I saw the program I spoke to the management and had them take "H. 15. Knowles" off the program and put my name on. It is K. M. Knowles. As Ku*h mentioned this, I would like very much to have you mention the misprint and also the correction. Enclosed you will find program with correction. R. M. Knowles. Tampa, Fla., Aug. 31. Editor Varikty: We hereby desire to refute the truth of the statements made in a letter pub- lished in Variety signed Browning and Kellar. Parrish and DeLuc, Geo. Clancy and K. fto. There is no truth whatever in said let- ter except the statement that Browning and Kellar forfeited $10, but-they for- feited said amount for refusing to attend the regular Thursday rehearsal, and un- warranted interference in the control of other acts on the bill. The Orpheum Theatre has been con- trolled by L. C. Curthright, W. S. Oppen- heimer, and J. H. L. Thompson (under the name of the Orpheum Theatre Co.) since July 5, 1909. Orpheum Theatre Co. By J. H. L. Thompson, Treas. preted by Wilfred Clarke and Co., will appear at the American, New York, Sept. 13, having been booked over the Morris time by B. A. Myers. Mr. Clarke, one of the earlier of the legitimate recruits to vaudeville, has been playing season in and out for several years past for managers now in the United Booking Offices. FIRE DESTROYS SAVOY. The Savoy Theater, Hamilton, Canada, which is celebrated as one of the, stands that remained twice on the William Mor- ris string during the vaudeville upheavals of the past three years, was damaged by fire last week to the extent of $60,000. This amount was fully covered by in- surance. The underwriting company will restore the theatre to commission and it will continue with its present policy of moving pictures under the management of the Bennett Circuit. The fire happened during the early morning. The Savoy was built by the Stroud Brothers. It played attractions without opposition until the advent in the same town of Bennett's vaudeville. It was one of the very few houses that remained with Morris when Poli, Williams, Ilam- mcrstein et al. went over to the United Booking Offices, and again, after the re- tirement of Klaw &. Erlangcr from tin? variety field, was almost the last inde- pendent vau(jpvillc point on the North American map. DRIFTED FOR A WEEK. San Francisco, Sept. 9. Ben Byer and "The Four Venetian Street Musicians" hit upon a novel scheme to make a few dollars during the week the show lost time between Portland and Sacramento. Stopping off at Eugene^ Ore., they en- gaged the Opera House and played to $64. At Roseburg, Ore., they played a picture house, receiving enough to win out. At Medford, Ore., the town was show crazy, doing two shows, $110, and decided to stay one more night. Town took them for picnic to Rouge River. They gave a dance next night in an old barn, $1 a couple. Forty-five couples. Then played Opera House to $96, coming into Sacramento with better than average salary for the five days. Bess Mack, in private life Bessie Mc- Fadden, and of the act known as DeVoe and Mack, died Sept. 4 of typhoid fever at IVnibrooke, Ont. The body was shipped to Mansfield, O., for interment. The de- censed was attacked by the fever four days before her death. Dave Runkel, age 17, died at Durham, N. C, Aug. 27, while being operated upon for appendicitis. The young man was a member of the Braton-Runkel Trio. Burial was held in New York City. SHOWMEN FROM A TO Z BY JOE CARROLL. (OF CARROLL AND COOKE.) A btaiulM for Alhec. the Captain of the hoot. Just mention opposition If you want to net hln K<"tt. B stands for Neck. Nlackllst and Bur, There are Iota worse than Marty, but we don't know wlniv they are. C standi* for Cnaey, some call hlin genial I'at. I've heard him called other names, but let It p> at that. D standa for Davis, out In Pittsburg. Pa.. Shows may come and shows muy ro. but he's there to stay. E stands for Erlangcr, In stature rather small. When It comes to business, he's the dsiddy of them all. F stands for Frohman, the man I cannot see. I've never been with lilin and he's never l.een with me. 0 stands for Crauman. awuy out on the fmisi, When vou were at the Orpheum, how he used to roa-d. H stands for Harris, John P. and Henry It.. Also little Ben. the manager by the sen. 1 stands for Ismau. a man with lots of dough. Although from Philadelphia, he's not >o very slow. J stands for Jones, Frank, the busy cuss. He's always ls>oklng someone, but lie won't book us. K stands for Keith's, the champion, I will say. lies (he man made vaudeville what It is today. L stands for I<othrop, with a cunning smile, ('ail never says much, but la laughing all the while. M stands for Morris, who started single hand. Slick to It. Willie, on the top you'll land. N stands for Nash, every word he says Is true. Phil always gels a laugh, with "I'll take care of you. ' 0 stands for oVar. Hammeisteln, you know, He Ik strong for Opera, don't like the common show. P stands for Poll, a well known fact, "Theat a very snialla. hut like a de big a dead. Q stands for Qiilmby, some people thought him great, He never was a manager, but sold actors real estate, R stands for Robinson, they say he is o peaeh. He gave a regular show down at Brighton F.eiieh. B stands for Shea. Mike, the mighty Turk. If he wants to book you bark, look for other work. T stand*, for Timothy. Sullivan, he's no shine. Neither Is bis partner. John W. Cotisldine. U stands for the lulled, to do the actors pood. A Itetter bunch of •bnllers" In shoeleathcr never stood. V stands for Vincent, two brothers, very tine. Walter must have lieeu a barber. In» talks vhavlng all the tlm<\ W stands for Williams. Percy, who sets the pace. Up says we'll all be routed, when he takes Albee's place. X stands fl.r Xmas. when gifts are all the ra>;e. So don't forget a present for little Jo Palcc Y stands for Young's. In Atlantic City. dear. If you want to break It In. try It on the Pier. Z stands* for Zlegler. out In Cincinnati, O.. A whiter man there never was connected with ;» "how. DIS DE BAR TELLING "STUFF." Louise Dresser did not appear at Ham- merstein's on Monday, having thrown over the engagement upon learning that Mine. Dis DeBar had been engaged, and billed above her. At the Monday matinee, Mme. Dis DeBar insisted that some gold fish be procured and placed upon a stand beside her chair on the stage before she would consent to go on. The gold fish were caught by Harry Mock, who is still wondering what kind of a high sign that is in spiritualism. On Tuesday during her justification lec- ture, Mme. Dis DeBar mentioned several prominent people, among them Helen Ciould and Edward Stokes. Miss Gould, said the boss of the Ma- hat ma creed, was in communication with her father, who sanctioned all monies spent excepting that thrown into divorce courts. Mme. Dis DeBar claimed to have had access to Miss Gould's apartment In her home. Regarding Stokes, Mme. Dis DeBar stated that the spirit of Jim Fiske, killed by Stokes, returned to earth during the trial of Stokes for the crime and coirft- dentially informed Luther Marsh, one of the Madame's victims, that Stokes did right when he killed Fiske, so then Marsh rushed to Stokes' rescue. During the week Mme. Dis DeBar spilled a great deaj of alleged inside information alxmt the "codfish society," so termed by the woman. By Wednesday evening, 42d St. and Broadway, where Hammerstein's is situ- ated, agreed that Mme. Diss DeBar would be fortunate to remain at the theatre the remainder of the week. By then, even Loney Haskell could not find the heart to start the slight ap- plause which had sometimes greeted the divulging lecturer at previous perform- ances. It had also liccome apparent by that time that Ann Diss DeBar was not draw- ing business, at least into Hammerstein's. GILDAY TURNS MANAGER. New Orleans, Sept. I). Myron M. Gilday, who formerly worked with one Fox, or several Foxes, Ras turned manager. The Hebrew impersonator has leased the Bijou, Houston, Tex., and will henceforth manage "pop." vaudeville. Ad- mission at the Bijou will be from ten rents down. Chicago, Sept. !). Louis Falcom, acrobat, who came here from Australia with .lack Sutton's act, died at Seattle. Wash., recently after three days' illness. He was 22 years of age. Leonard Cole, the twenty-one-year-old son of .lames Cole and Lillian Tyce, died from injuries received in the twenty- fohr hour automobile race at Brighton Beach track last week. Cole was a mechanician, and was hurled from the machine. His father, James Cole, is now playing vaudeville with James Hughes. Voting Cole was buried at Kesinmo Cemeterv, near New York. "ljureii Mal»," 28 inches high, and Charles Weiss, a little higher, will firRt appear in New York next at the 125th Street. Sip. Wachter brought the duo of Lilliputians on from Philadelphia.