Variety (December 1909)

12 VARIETY LAUDER'S ROtJTB CHANGED. The route of the Harry Lauder road >lm\\, directed by William Morris, has Im'imi changed, the engagements booked in SPOKANE ••SPOKESMAN." JHjne 22d, '09.— "l.lly I*?ua certainly has the ability to get ber liiTHonallly over the footlights, aa wan evidenced by the thundering applause which greeted ber last night." the Shubert houses having been canceled at the last moment. louder is at the West End, a Shubert theatre, this week, the cancellation arriv- ing too late to prevent the stand there. Next week the Scotchman will appear at the American, Newark. Future dates for the tour are not to be given out at the Morris headquarters, though it is supposed Lauder will play in about the same way he did last season when traveling; going into any large place in cities where a theatre cannot be se- cured. In Salt Lake City, Lauder will appear in the Tabernacle. The trip will take him and the company to all the impor- tant Pacific Coast towns it was said at the Morris office this week, though no dates or places could be obtained. At Toronto the road show will reappear at Massey Hall, Morris claiming there is nothing in the Toronto reports of friction between himself and A. J. Small, of the Majestic, through Lauder not appearing at that theatre, now playing Morris vaude- ville. Ted Marks will go ahead of the show, and Jos. Pile, the treasurer of the Amer- ican, will handle the money taken in on the road. Both the Shuberts and Morris deny a route had been laid out for Lauder on the Shubert legitimate time, although Jim Decker and Sol Manheimer, emissaries of the Shuberts, were the busiest little fel- lows you ever saw while camping at the Morris offices for a couple of days, talking of terms, capacities, etc. The date for the Lyric, Philadelphia, set down for Dec. 13, lias been declared off with the others. Lee Shubert when asked if the prob- ability of a suit following Lauder's ap- pearance in his houses to be started by the United Booking Offices for $250,000, the amount of the penalty named in the Klaw & Erlanger-United settlement agree- ment (of which Shubert is a party) re- plied that had something to do with it. Mr. Shubert added that while he liked William Morris personally and the fight he was putting up, the Lauder thing was off. Many are of the opinion that the Shuberts, after calculating the general impression the playing of vaudeville in their houses would leave, decided on the cancellation of all bookings. "THRILLER" STOPS THRILLING. Last Wednesday "Desperado" sent a doctor's certificate to the Hippodrome in place of showing himself. He waa out of the bill until Saturday, when he "plunged" afternoon and night. Up to Tuesday evening of this week he did not appear again. There are those who say that "Despe- rado" is not so ill. It is remembered that he mysteriously "lost his nerve" last spring when appearing as "Frenzieo" with the "Two Hills" show at the Garden. At that time some force seemed to be work- ing to keep him from playing New York; and it is said that his withdrawal from the Hippodrome has been at the sugges- tion of the same power. There is no denial of the fact that the Kingling Brothers were greatly disappoint- ed when "Frenzieo" appeared at the Gar- den and their disappointment was added "DENVER l'OST." June 1st, '09.—"The petite ainger might have held the stage an hour more than she did without tiring ber audience." to when as "Desperado" he moved into the Hippodrome with the title they used with the Barnum & Bailey show all dur- ing the past tenting season. The Ring- lings were very anxious to save the "thriller" for the Barnum show at the Garden next spring. The less it is used at the Hippodrome, the more valuable it would be in the Garden. It was expected by the Hippodrome management on Wednesday that Desper- ado would return to the program Friday. Frank Shaffer, his manager, admitted that this would happen. Desperado re- ceives $600 weekly for risking his life twice daily. What influence the Shuberts used which proved stronger than what others might have also used, is puzzling the circus people. RECTOR WINS OUT. Geo. Rector, the director of the Cafe Madrid, may allow any old taxicab com- pany he pleases to stand before the Cafe" Madrid. The court has said so. Judge Seabury on Tuesday denied the applica- tion for an injunction, made by the N. Y. Taxicab Co. against Mr. Rector renting the privilege to anyone but itself. The New York concern held the cab stand while the Madrid was "Churchill's." Geo. M. Leventritt, attorney for Rector, claimed that with the vacation of Capt. Churchill from the restaurant, the per- mission lapsed. Another taxi combination will now run the cabs during the late and early hours of the night and morning. It is said the taxi stand at the Madrid is worth $20,000 yearly. CONTRACT-BREAKERS FINED. Chicago, Dec. 8. The White Rats have been called upon to settle a violation of the pay or play contract. The offenders are Byers and Herman, members of the order who can- celled three weeks with Walter Keeffe to have commenced Nov. 22. The act played for the Western Vaude- ville Association instead. Keeffe demanded $675, three weeks' salary, and a commit- tee of five awarded decision in his favor. He stated that he would accept $500 or two weeks work from them for nothing, when Bobby Gaylor offered to adjust the matter. Byers and Herman were not present at meeting held at S. L. Lowen- thal's office Tuesday afternoon, but Gay- lor had a letter from them in which they plead guilty. ROCHESTER HAS AN OPENING. Rochester had a regular theatre opening on Monday, when the new Temple made a successful plunge into vaudeville, replac- ing Cook's Opera House, where Moore & Wiggins, who built the new one, have presented vaudeville for a long time to big profits. All of Rochester's leading lights turned out for the premiere. From New York came E. F. Albee, Pat Casey, M. S. Ben- tham, Clark Brown, Al Sutherland, Aaron Kessler, Charles J. Stevenson and E. M. Robinson. Mike Shea came down from Buffalo and Carl Lothrop was present. At the banquet on the stage following the performance, all assembled sang a parody written by Charles E. Welch on "Rings On My Fingers." James E. Moore was featured in the lyrics. "DENVER TIMES," June lit, '09.—"Could th»' audience have had its way the attractive star would be singing yet." "OLD T0WN"T0 OPEN DILLINGHAM'S. "The Old Town," Dillingham's new musical comedy, now traveling on the road, is scheduled to open that producing manager's new theatre at 40th Street and Broadway, the date of which has not yet been fixed. Arthur Pryor, the bandmaster, is trav- eling with the organization, which is in Philadelphia this week. The Asbury Park beach band contract which Pryor has landed for the past five years, has not yet been let out. This is one of the big- gest band contracts in the country. It is just possible that Pryor will not be in his old place at the seaside this summer, and band leaders are much inter- ested in the subject. Mr. Pryor is now musical director with the Dillingham show. NEAR THE ACADEMY. The People's Vaudeville Co. was near to 'having the Academy of Music on Wednesday, and expected to close the transaction at any hour. The rental, if the deal went through (or goes through), will be leas than $100,000 yearly. Popular-priced vaude- ville at 10-15-25 will be played by the People's upon securing the house, if it does. MAUDIE DON'T LIKE IT. This being the big feature of a picture show is not quite to the liking of an art- ist of such high aspirations as Maude O'Dell, and it was even betting Wednes- day that she would not finish her first week of the four which she had under- taken to play at the Felix Isman houses in Philadelphia and New York. She opened at the Victoria in the Quaker City Monday, and immediately became dissatisfied. It had been arranged to feature her at the Circle next week, but that prospect had been called off as well as the three remaining weeks of her Isman contract. Maude is contracted to appear Dec. 27, as a part of the vaudeville show at the Howard, Boston, a burlesque house on the Western Wheel. This is the week Charles Waldron's new house, play- ing Eastern Burlesque, opens. APPEALED TO THE MAYOR. Denver, Dec. 8. A squad of chorus girls from a musical comedy organization called "Too Many Wives" called a few days since upon Mayor Speer and begged 'him to attempt to force the owners of the show, said to be tottering on its last legs (although this is not said in disparagement of the chorus) to provide for them until they could secure new employment or pay their fares back to the Rialto. The girls also complained that their managers had sent them over a one-night tour where they were called upon to pay $2.50 a day for accommodations, while their salaries amounted to only $18 a week. They did not explain how these figures could be worked.out. The Mayor replied that he was powerless to aid VAN LEAVES COLONIAL BILL. After the matinee performance Monday, Billy Van, the minstrel, announced to Manager Dave Robinson, of the Colonial, OAKLAND "TRIBUNE." Aug. 0th, '00.—"Nuf ced. Lily could headline tbe Orpbeum bill in- definitely, and Oaklandera will be aorry to loae ber when ahe takes her bright smile and winning ways to other places." New York, he would not remain "No. 2" on the program, and with that Mr. Van "walked out." The Otto Bros, walked in.