Variety (October 1909)

VARIETY SLOW BOOKINGS THIS WEEK. Few engagements were made at the United Hooking Offices this week, and agents sending business through the channels provided by the United felt de- pressed. The United managers seem to be filling up their programs but for two weeks ahead. Whether tins is because they find the scarcity of acts preventing a further routing, or whether bookings are held down under a preconcerted plan no one seems informed about, not even the mana- gers themselves, no one in the United being accredited generally with acumen sufficient to think out a scheme to lower salaries through procrastination. This week's bill at Keith's, Boston, was only completed the Friday before the opening performance, and there have been other instances of late bookings. One of the United managers in search of a feature act on Wednesday for next week met the owner of a "blacklisted" number who was strolling through the Long Acre Building. The manager held a protracted conversation with the artist, digging into his own hair fiercely mean- while, and finally moved away with a long drawn out sigh. PICTURE ACTING GOOD JOB. Chicago, Sept. 30. Frank A. Hamilton, formerly with Roger Imhof in burlesque, is a member of the Fssanny stock company and is' "acting" for the moving picture cameras. He likes it so well he will not go on the road this winter. SUCCESSFUL IN GLASGOW. A cable received in New York this week said that McMahon and Chappelle, who have commenced a tour of the Stoll time in England, opened successfully at Glas- gow, Scotland, Monday, scoring a big laughing hit there. A MIXED ACT. In an act proposed by Austin Davis, who stylet himself a "producer," there are two principals, both white men. The remainder of the troupe is composed of fcur»colored girls. The piece, called "Twilight in Dixie," is aimed for vaudeville. A suggestion has been made Joe Wood that he place the number for a "try out* week. WON'T PERMIT PERMANENT STAGE. St. Louis, Sept. 30. City officials have refused to issue a per- mit for a permanent stage for the Coli- seum. The question arose when arrange- ments were started for an opera engage- ment. Permission was given to erect a tem- porary stage, but as this would cost $5,000 it is believed to be too expensive, and the engagement probably wPl be played else- where. A REMODELED COLUMBIA. Cincinnati, Sept. 30. The remodeled Columbia will reopen Oct. 10, having postponed the announced date one week. On the first bill, a rather weighty one for this town, will be Julias Steger and Co., Laddie Cliff, and Bedini and Arthur. APPEALS TO THE LAW. The Goudlewsky Troupe of dancers, a foreign act brought over here under con- tract last summer by Jos. Shea, will not play the Sullivan-Considine Circuit, ac- cording to Mr. Shea, if the courts will sustain the agreement he holds with the munagress of the company. The act, none speaking English, reached Chicago this week, having been engaged through a representative of the Sullivan- Considine New York office. Shea claims the act was signed by the S.-C. people, though the circuit's repre- sentative in New York had knowledge of his contract, and had even negotiated with him for the turn. While traveling in Europe early in the warm weather spell, Mr. Shea engaged the foreigners, advancing about $000 before the opening on July 15 was had at Brighton Beach. Since then about one-half ihe advances have been returned, leaving, Shea says, a moral lien to him upon the act beyond that evidenced by the written agreement for his exclusive management. Five hundred dollars was the price asked by Shea of the Sullivan-Considine office. This figure may have been cut for the circuit's route given the act, Shea advancing the argument that for no other reason probably would S.-C. have taken the number away from him, the act hav- ing been shipped to Chicago after slowly withdrawing their baggage without his knowledge from the Empire, Hoboken, last week while playing there. The act has played over here under the name of the Peschkoff Troupe. By advice of counsel Shea states an injunction against the act playing for anyone but at his direction will be applied for. ACTS PLAYED THREE SHOWS. The acts at the American last week played three shows Sunday. The third was given on the roof, where a very large crowd greeted the players, at prices from 75 cents to $1.50. The theatre downstairs held capacity. Wnat would have been the ''overflow," diverted into other playhouses probably, if the roof had not been opened, was sent up above, the tickets for each sold from one box-office and equally distributed among the two for the greater part of the sale. The roof held about $1,000. Several contracts on the Morris Circuit, signed early in the spring for this season, called for three performances a day in New York when required. The "three-a- day" clause was inserted with the proba- bility of an extra Sunday show on the American roof. After awhile, the extra- performance condition was taken out of the agreements, but it is understood to have been recently replaced in all the Mor- ris contracts. During the winter season it is expected by the management that the upstairs en- tertainment will become a usual thing at the American on Sundays. NEWSPAPERMAN GONE. Chicago, Sept. 30. Watterson R. Rothacker, representative of The Billboard in Chicago, will be united in marriage Oct 2 to Aileen E. Aldhouse, of Chicago, but formerly of Toronto. They will be married in this city. ALMOST THE DOUBLE CROSS. New Orleans, Sept. 30. W. Brown, space seeker for the Ameri- can, put one over on V. Smalley, the Orpheum's aggraudizer, last week. It came about in this manner: Adelaide, the toe dancer, was the head- liner on last week's program at the Orpheum. Adelaide has small feet. Smalley, whose pithy press "praisings" have earned editorial encomiums, noted that Miss Adelaide had small feet and told her so. "Would you object to giving me a pair of your shoes to place in a window of one of our main stores," asked Mr. Smalley. "Certainly not," said the dancer, "but what is your scheme?" "Just this," Smalley replied, "I am go- ing to offer five complimentary seats to any young woman in New Orleans who •can don your footwear." Smalley secured the slippers, placed them in the window and all went well until Brown spied the shoes. Brown rushed back to the American, watching the feet of everyone on the bill. When Laura Harris (Cartmell and Harris) made her appearance, Brown noticed her feet particularly. He hurried back to her dressing room, and asked Miss Harris if she would step over to a shoe store. Miss Harris, accompanied by Mr. Cart- mell and Mr. Brown, went over to the shoe store and tried on the shoes of Miss Adelaide. They slipped on with ease. She was forthwith presented with an order on the Orpheum box office for five seats. Miss Harris gave the tickets to Brown, who took 'em on the run to Newspaper Row, showed 'em to the editors, and received a column story for his theatre in each of the papers. MYSTIC "HUMAN BIRD." . Along in January, "Laura, the Human Bird." will reach New York, prepared to fulfill engagements made for the act on this side by B. Obermayer. The turn is n German one. From the depths of a very birdy-look- ing bird will be emitted the answers to all questions asked by the audience of a man parading about the aisles of the theatre. Mr. Obermayer calls the num- ber, "a bird of a mind-reading act." FYNES BACK. Stamford, Conn., Sept. 30. The Alhambra, an armory converted into a theatre with seating capacity 1,600, has been leased for two years by J. Austin Fynes, for a long time B. F. Keith's right hand. The rental is $5,000 a year. Under Mr. Fynes' management it will play the legitimate attractions of the Shuberts. The house has just been completed. It was built by J. P. Adams, of New York, as a speculation. William Faversham will be the opening attraction. The Genee production will open in Phila- delphia Oct. 11. Arthur 'Prince holds over at the Ameri- can next week. PULL OF CONFIDENCE. Chicago, Sept. 30. S. D. Ricardo, secretary of the Actors' Union, expresses confidence in the move- ment towards securing the higher scale for artists, and thinks that within four weeks the city will be thoroughly organized. A few deserters from the ranks have not lessened the confidence of the leaders in the ultimate success of the movemnt. Three agencies are still on the unfair list: Harding, Lang and the United (local). A LONDON IRISHMAN IN TOWN. A London Irishman, the nearest ap- proach to an American of any Englishman yet on Broadway for the first time, hit New York late last week, with a dream of a mustache, jet black and neatly smoothed over, and a great deal of native wit, along with an intense desire to find out all there is to know about America. He is Paul Murray, manager of the Wil- liam Morris London office, making his first visit to New York. While here Paul is staying at the Cadil- lac. On Monday he saw a show over in Jersey. Upon returning Mr. Murray asked "Is New-ark a regular city?" Mr. Murray ■ handles American slang as though it grew in his back yard at home. Walter Kelly and a few other enlightened Americans used Murray to "try out stuff" until the agent had the latest American idioms at the tip of his lightly-brogued tongue. Mr. Murray is seeing two shows daily while here. On Oct. 11 he will start upon a visit to Chicago, stopping off at Niagara Falls. When leaving London, one of the Americans at the pier to see that he got away, told Mr. Murray to positively be at the Falls on Oct. 14 at 4.30, as once yearly at that hour, the Falls ran the other way. Asked what he thought of New York, Paul said it reminded him so much of Amsterdam, he having been in the large Holland city for a year and a half. Until Hugo Morris told his former London side- partner that the metropolis was decorated for the Hudson-Fulton celebration with the flag of Holland (in the days of Hudson) Mr. Murray thought William Morris had fixed up Broadway for him. At the Cadillac Murray grew almost vio- lent when he discovered upon retiring that some careless boy had left the water pitcher in the room turned over on a table instead of filling it. Though very thirsty, Mr. Murray restrained himself until the morn- ing when he "called" a bell hop for play- • ing him the trick. The colored youth re- plied that guests should telephone down to the office when in want of anything, to which Murray disdainfully replied that he was not accustomed to give advance in- formation. After four days around the 42nd street corner, Paul declared that he had not seen a bad act in eight vaudeville shows visited. His friends were for having him placed in the custody of some able person and deported for his own as well as the public's safety, until they recollected that he must have seen many bills in England. It was then resolved to allow the agent to depart upon his way, with another reso- lution of his listeners that they never wanted to see a London show. Since assuming charge of the London I branch of the Morris office Mr. Murray has "put over" some large and successful acts on the other side, being noted for placing "features" in the hall. While Murray was responsible for the turbulent debut of Carrie Nation in London, that was more than balanced by the quantity of free publicity received by the hall where Carrie started something. Before taking charge of the Morris of- fice Mr. Murray was private secretary to Oswald Stoll, and is away up in variety things. He looks good from the front, and is a wise little kiddo. Harry Tighe will present "With the Fleet," his new act at the Fifth Avenue, next week.