Variety (December 1909)

VARIETY 21 Geo. Nagel wishes it known that the act he played at the Lincoln Square last week, reviewed in Variety under the title of "The Try Out" was not of that name, but another new one he was "trying out." Sam Mahoney, the ice mixer, delivered a lecture at the Fifth Avenue Theatre on Wednesday morning on the physical bene- fit of sticking close to water. Mr. Ma- honey is appearing at the house this week. Last Friday night the Court Theatre, Wheeling, W. Va., caught fire at 11:30. "The Girl From the Golden West" com- pany had just left after finishing the per- formance. The house will reopen next week. Edna Luby imitated Irene Franklin singing "Bringing Up the Family" last week when Miss Luby played the Alham- bra, New York. Miss Franklin was at Keith's, Providence, during the same period. The Fourth Anniversary Vabiett of last week weighed 31 ounces, costing 16 cents per copy to mail to Europe and 8 cents to Canada. It was the largest spe- cial number ever issued by a theatrical newspaper. Edward P. Sullivan, who was with "The Heir to the Hoorah," has a playlet, "Tam- ing the Barbarian," taken from "Ingomar" with a moving picture prolog. Mr. Sulli- van will show the playlet for the vaude- ville managers. Not many people are aware of the fact that Sam Scribner is a member of the Civic Society's Committee of 100, a group of representative citizens of New York who are allied in the interest of a better 4ocal government. The dramatization of "St. Elmo" by Willard Holcomb, known as the writer of many sketches and popular-priced musi- cal comedies, opens Christmas week at the Academy of Music, New York. It will stay there two weeks. Aaron Kessler has been permitted to in- troduce his application for membership in Xew York Lodge, No. 1, Elks. Joe Keaton, Al Gruehl and Harry Mock spon- sor young Mr. Kessler, who is the fellow that is at Hammerstein's. Lavina Shannon, in "Fine Feathers," commences a tour of the western big time at the Grand Opera House, Indianapolis, Jan. 30. The piece is an Orpheum Circuit production, launched by Charles Feleky, head of the producing bureau. Billie Montgomery, of Montgomery and Moore, had a small law suit in a munici- pal court delaying him on Tuesday. Mr. Montgomery didn't know whether to miss his matinee performance that day or postpone the action. He postponed. George Fuller Golden is negotiating for a London appearance in a large music hall there, a difference of salary only pre- venting the closing of the ag reement. Mr. Golden will accept a few weeks com- mencing in the spring at his figure. Paul LaCroix will open at the Empire, London, Feb. 28, next, for a run of six weeks, then going over the Barrasford tour for about twenty more. Paul Mur- ray, of Morris' London office, placed Mr. La Croix, who has played abroad before. Herbert Cyril, "The London Johnny," has brought suit in the New York Supreme Court against his wife, Charlotte Ruth Pearce-Brown, for absolute divorce, through his attorney, Maurice Harold Rose, of 140 Nassau Street, New York. "La Danseuse," a foreigner, will make her debut ovei here at the American, New York, Monday. Boyd and Gilfain, also from the other side, will be on the same program, both acts booked through Paul Murray, of the London Morris office. Martini and Maximillian have been booked through the Morris office for an English engagement commencing next February. Carson Brothers have also been placed by the same agency to open at Sheffield, Dec. 27. They sailed Wednes- day. The heavy steel work, including the main and cantilever beams, which were delayed for some time in shipment and again on the cars, arrived on the lot of the new Miner theatre, Bronx, last week. Immediately the girders began to move into place. Stepp, Mehlinger and King, held over for a second week at Hammerstein's starting Monday, have been engaged as one of the opening features for the Roof show, opening May 30 next. They will add a fourth person to the act by that time, if not before. The Three Keatons have been an- nounced by the Shuberts as members of the company which is to present "Dick Whittington." Joe Keaton says he has seen everything they have written about him save a contract. He began cancelling his vaudeville time, but stopped it. Pete Barlow, who broke in and handled the Hippodrome (New York) elephants, has purchased the Thompson & Dundy dog and pony act, and will offer it to the vaudeville managers under his own name and control. He has been lately working it in the west as a vaudeville number. Jack Norworth met Corse Payton the other evening. "Where are you acting, Corse?" said Jack. "Laying off," an- swered Corse. "Have you been in- juncted?" inquired Norworth. "Nope," said Payton. "Well, you ought to be," re- marked the College Boy student of law as he ambled along. Sullivan-Considine have secured an option on a piece of property in Henne- pin Avenue, near Seventh Street, Minne- apolis, upon which a theatre may be erected. If the house is built it will be modelled as much as possible after the Majestic, Denver, and will be ready to open next season. While making an exit at the Garrick, Chicago, Sunday night, Lee Kohlmar, of "The Yankee Girl," slipped and fell, suf- fering a compound fracture of his right leg, just above the knee. He was immedi- ately taken to a hospital and the property man finished the show in his role. Monday night a new actor had the part. Clifford C. Fischer, the vacillating agent, has rejoined the Marinelli office staff, prob- ably by special request from Fischer. He has replaced Leo Maasse at the Berlin office, taking charge. S. Wollsteiner, who succeeded Maasse, will be Fischer's assist- ant. Maasse is in the London Marinelli branch, helping out A. Wolheim. The judgment convicting Mrs. Ben Teal of conspiracy was reversed by the higher court on Friday last, and Mrs. Teal re- leased from her sentence of one year's imprisonment. On Saturday Judge Fos- ter, before whom she was tried, dismissed the indictments on the opinion handed down, the higher court having stood 4-3. The management of the Lyric, Bridge- ton, N. J., is reported to have changed with this week. Clarence Crane formerly ran the house. Mayme L. Crawford, Ralph F. Taylor and Lyda Lewis, who ap- peared there last week say they were obliged to divide the Saturday night re- ceipts ($36) to secure something on their weekly salary. Florence Masterson, the youthful ste- nographer for Alf T. Wilton, surprised callers at the latter's office in the Long Acre Building early this week, by appear- ing in a draped empire gown with a train. In her usual short-skirted dress Miss Florence looks sixteen, but in her trail- ing empire she has the dignity and bear- ing of twenty-five. The New York Court of Appeals, the highest tribunal in the State, last week handed down a decision confirming the decision of the lower courts, refusing a restraining order to John T. and Eva Fay, preventing a team of men from doing an expose of the "Thaumaturgy" net in vaudeville. Since the action was started John T. Fay has died. Tom McNaughton, of The McNaughtons. is anxious to have it known that he has ceased smoking cigarettes. Tom is in the far west now, and instead of intaking the poisonous smoke, he is inhaling some breezes they don't get in England. "Swearing off" is adding weight at a rapid pace, claims Tom, and goodness knows, the boy can stand a lot of it. With the acceptance of the new post created for him in the Orpheum Circuit Offices, Arthur Hopkins will forego the management of the Brighton Bench Music Hall next summer. His successor has not been announced. The Music Hall, which will again be opposed by Dave Robinson's Brighton house, will probably renew its franchise for United acts during next month. A fire last Saturday morning gutted the building, 1418 Broadway, occupied in part by Helf & Hager and Theo. Westman, both music publishers. The business of Helf & Hager had been carried on by a trustee in bankruptcy since the petition of the firm was filed. Westman recently started. Of all his commercial possessions, two plates at the printer's only remained out of the blaze. When Nell Lockwood and Hazel Bryson (Lockwood and Bryson) returned to their home town, Los Angeles, at the Orpheum, 500 Elks turned out to greet them at the theatre, decorated inside and out. At the conclusion of the girl's act, the entire au- dience across, singing "Auld Lang Syne." Tf the Misses Lockwood and Bryson strike many "home towns" they will soon be in the Mark Luescher class. During a matinee last week at the American, while Nicholson and Norton were playing "Ella's All Right." Miss Nor- ton, who was eating bread incidental to the playing, lost her voice for the re- mainder of the act through one of the crumbs lodging in her throat. Although she finished, the crumb annoyed her so tears were falling when it was finally dislodged in the wings. G. Molasso produced his latest panto- mime, "Paris by Night," at the Warburton, Yonkers, last week. There are twelve people in the production lead by Mina Minar. The Warburton is the Jack Nor- worth theatre, and doing very well. Jack is "looking over" acts in person for it. Last week "The College Boy" drove to the Unique on 14th Street in his auto to "catch" an act. "It wouldn't do." The other evening Dave Genaro and Harry Mayo, of the Empire City Quartet were walking along West 60th Street. Pointing up at the window of an apart- ment house, Mayo said, "Gates pays $45,000 a year for that." "How can he do it, with only 'The Three Twins' out?" asked Dave innocently. "I meant John W. Gates, not Joe Gaites" Mayo snorted. Then Genaro had to do a foot race to escape punishment. Leo Edwards and Ed. Madden have writ- ten "Lord, How He Can Love," with a chorus reading: "He don't know nothing about theology, Can't add two and two; He don't know nothing about sociology, Broke when the rent comes due; lie don't know nothing about geology, Or the stars above— Just plnin, ordinary man, But, Lord! How he can love!" At a small-time vaudeville house near Pittsburg, booked by the Gus Sun agency, an impersonator lately appeared. After his first performance he retired to the wings and remarked, "Well, even Cissy Loftiis or Henry Lee couldn't make good here." "What do they do?" inquired the manager of the house. "Impersonate, like me," was the reply. "Well, I guess I had better write Mr. Sun not to book them In here then," said the manager as he with- drew. (J. Rover West told this.)