Variety (February 1910)

8 VARIETY "FOLLIES" ON ONE-NIGHTERS. Philadelphia, Feb. 2. F. Ziegfeld, Jr.'s, "Follies of 190ft" left the Chestnut Street Opera House here Saturday night for a tour of two weeks of one-night stands on the way to Chi- cago, where it opens Feb. 13 at the Audi- torium. "The Candy Shop" follows it into the Crescent. Mr. Ziegfeld offered that show $1,600 for its date at the Crescent, but it was refused. CHANGES IN FAMILY DEPARTMENT. It is likely that Lester D. Mayne, who has had charge of the eastern division of the United's Family Department, under Walter J. Plimmer, will hereafter be "outside man," remaining a great deal of the time on the road in search of new business. He left late last week for a tour and will remain "on the jump" in- definitely. Plimmer's office has contracted to fur- nish eight vaudeville acts to the Hip- podrome, Harrieburg, Pa., which opens Feb. 18 under the management of P. Megaro. The route sheets have been rearranged so that Williamsport (Orpheum) "splits" with a nearby town; and Bradford, Pa., with Olean, N. Y. The Auditorium at York has advanced the cost of its bills from $560 to $900. Slater's at Pottsville, Pa., will continue to take four acts from the same agency, but will play seven days and advance the cost from $260 to $350. The Family Department a few days ago signed contracts with Louis Beck, of the New Tremont Theatre, Bronx, N. Y., which opens Feb. 10. THE BOOTH-WOLF DIVORCE. The first step in the suit for divorce which Hope Booth has brought against Rennold Wolf was adjudicated by Judge Hendrick in the Supreme Court Tuesday. Miss Booth's application was for counsel fees to the amount of $2,000, and $260 a week alimony, pending the trial of the ac- tion. The court held that the plaintiff's answering affidavits established that her "extravagant claims and charges" are "largely feigned or imaginative." Alimony to the amount of $25 per week was al- lowed. Judge Hendricks refused to allow counsel fees. CHENETT WITH CRAWFORD. St. Louis, Feb. 2. George Chenett, formerly an eastern Burlesque Wheel house manager in Cleve- land has been amoointed manager of the Gayety Theatre here, by O. T. Craw- ford, who retires from that position in his own house so that he may devote all his time to his moving picture interests ns well as to the development of a "pop" vaudeville circuit. THEATRE CHANGES MANAGERS. George McDermit, who has for some time been manager of the American Music Hall, Newark, N. J., retired from that position last Sunday night and was suc- ceeded by Joe Vion, who has been in charge of several different theatres on the Morris time. Vion may go to San Fran- cisco for llie Morris office although this has not bet'ji decided upon yet. MISS SURATT LAYS OFF. Philadelphia, Feb. 2. Valeska Suratt, who was the biggest drawing card of the season at Keith's here last week, is laying off. She refused to accept an engagement at Williams' Greenpoint commencing Monday. It is said that she contemplates a London en- gagement for her new sketch, "The Belle of the Boulevards," and is now considering offers to that end. EXPEDITING AGENCY BILL. It is the program at Albany to hold a joint meeting of the Senate and Assembly Committees who have charge of the bills introduced by the Actors' Union amending the Employment Agency Law in its rela- tions to the vaudeville profession. This will give quicker action to the passage of the bill. It became evident that a movement sim- ilar to that now taking place in New York State for the protection of artists will extend. Much will be accomplished by the labor affiliations of the Actors' Union. Last week the Essex County Trades Council, of Newark, N. J., passed a resolu- tion directing that their legislative com- mittee investigate the Wagner-Green (New York) bill and frame up one of the same import for introduction in New Jer- sey. The labor unions of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania will do likewise. It is predicted that a country-wide campaign will be inaugurated through the influence of the American Federation in Washing- ton by next year. RULES FOR ACTORS. The Yiddish actors of the Lower East Side of New York have made several new rulings in the conduct of their powerful union. One of them requires that no player of small parts shall go on in a principal part until he has submitted to an examination before a council of union members. This examination is in three parts. One is for previous experience, one for reading a part, and a third in the art of makeup. It has also been proposed to raise the initiation fee into the union from $100 to $200, but this has not yet been passed upon. Initiation into the union of the chorus people remains $75, but this is a distinct organization. NEW HEBREW UNION. There has been a reorganization of the organization of the vaudeville artists playing on the lower East Side of New York. The charter granted them some time since by the Actors' Union has been revoked and a new charter issued to "Section Three, Hebrew Variety Artists," who are affiliated with the Actors' Inter- national Union (Harry De Veaux, presi- dent), and through that with the C. F. U. of New York and the American Federation of Labor. The new organization has made known its purpose to stand for the principle of a regular scale of $25 for singles and $50 for doubles and certain other demands. It is stated that the charter of the old union was rescinded because the leaders of the local were careless in their methods of administration. The present "Section No. 3" has about 150 members, and its headquarters arc at No. 10 Eldridge Street. TOO REALISTIC. Chicago, Feb. 2. An act can be too realistic. Such an instance occurred at the New Rex theatre on Jan. 26 when Christine Hill and Co., in ''Fate." were closed after having played the house Monday, Tuesday and the Wednesday matinee. As the moving pic- tures must eliminate killings the authori- ties held that so realistic a sketch should be sat down upon. Miss Hill admits that women have fainted frequently during her performance, but cannot see why she should be closed because the act is "good." COMMISSIONER MAKES PRECEDENT. Commissioner Herman Robinson, of the License Bureau of New York, made his first disposition last Friday of a ease in- volving a vaudeville artist. Horan and Russel, a vaudeville team, complained to the Bureau that they had not received all their salary for a week at the Hudson Theatre, Union Hill, N. J., and asked that the Pat Casey Agency be called upon to make good the deficit. The matter did not come to trial. Mr. Casey agreed to make good the amount out of his own pocket and the affair was closed. As a result of the affair a new ruling stands. It is to the effect that cases which are settled without examina- tion go to the records as "settled" and not "dismissed" as was the custom under the former commissioner. So it stands to be referred to in future cases. OPERA CO.'S LONG TOUR. The Lucia Nola Opera Co., which is playing one-night stands this week, en route from Quebec to Halifax, sails from the last-named port tomorrow (Saturday) Feb. 5, for Bermuda. A tour of the West Indies will be made, including visits to Barbados, Trinidad, and Demerara, and then the organization will sail to Buenos Ayres to reach there in time for the Ex- position which opens in May. Beside Miss Nola the principals in the company are Henry Taylor, Frank Nelson, Jack Henderson, Esther Barton, Minna Storm, and Chas. Wallace. The musical director is Geo. Lyding and W. S. Harkins will be manager back with the show. Frank T. Kintzing will be the business manager. He left New York Wednesday, sailing direct to Bermuda to do the ad- vance work. There are thirty-six people in the company, including a woman's or- chestra made up of graduates from the Boston Fadettes. Starting last May from Chicago the company, with Mr. Kintzing in advance, began a tour of the Canadian northwest. The company then turned east, working its way across the country to the Can- adian maritime Provinces, where it has been playing for the past two months. THREE ACTS DISAPPOINTED. Indianapolis, Feb. 2. Owing to a wreck on the railroad which was bringing them from New Orleans, three acts were unable to appear in the opening bill at the Colonial Monday after- noon. They were Kara, the Three Rich- ardsons and Von Hoff. It was necessary to refund money to part of the audience which made a demand for a return of ad- mission fee. Kara will not appear during the week, his place on the bill having been tnken by Jeonette, n local violinist. RYAN AGAIN. Cincinnati, Feb. 2. John J. Ryan, who built the Olympic, Orpheum and Empress theatres in this city, is planning to start a theatrical cir- cuit of his own under the name of The Syndicate Theatre Co., which is to be capitalized-at 9500,000. The incorporators are to be John W. Cornelius, Edward P. Ryan, C B. Ricketts, and John A. Deasy. Ryan already has purchased property in Covington, Ky., upon which he will erect a theatre with a capacity of 1,500. He also intends to erect two houses in Cin- cinnati, and one in Middletown, he de- clares. Mr. Ryan stated he intended formin a circuit of the large cities in Ohio and Kentucky, and running six acts and a picture charging 10, 20 and 30 cents. At the opening he said he would be able to give ten weeks. a M GUPPY AND FOGG" MAKE GOOD. Manager Vic Hugo, of the Majestic Theatre, Cedar Rapids, la., recently an- nounced as a joke "Guppy and Fogg" among his attractions for the ensuing week. There was a disappointment in the bill in which they were to appear and a different act was played under the "Guppy and Fogg" name. Following a practice of all managers who book through the United Agencies a report of the act was included in the regular weekly returns to the West- ern Association, which in turn reports all acts to the United Booking Offices in New York. This interesting announcement estab- lishes the fact that the emporium of en- tertainment conducted by Manager Adam Sowerguy, at East Cranberry, O., is not considered opposition. Acts playing the Sowerguy will, consequently, not be black- listed. 5,000 in "POP" HOUSE. Chicago, Feb. 2. The Pastime, a small house on Madi- son Street, played to an average of more than 5,000 people a day last week, and one day the number of persons who en- tered the theatre was over 6,000. Bills are being booked by H. W. Bradstreet, who has the city ofliec in the Western Vaudeville Association. This week's bill costs $350 and is made up of the Six Gypsy Wayfarers, J. R. Waters, Kalnia and La Farlon, Little Christine, Lowell and Esther Drew and Edith Clifford. The house has two "ill." song singers—Kate My lot t and Nellie Turner. LILLIAN RUSSELL STARTS NOTHING. New Orleans, Feb. 2. Lillian Russell appeared here in "The ij% First Night," George V. Hobart's adap- ^^ tion of Rosen's "Dcr Hal be Dichter," an old-fashioned farce of a type that was popular fifteen years ago. Mr. Hobart, with the probable intention of adding modernity, has inserted several choice bon mots, Which arc not in good taste. The cast was excellent, including among its members Digby Bell, Julius McVicker, George E. Mack and Susanne West ford. With many visitors here for the Mardi Gras festivities, business was light during the engagement of "The First Night." One agent in New York is said to sup- ply illustrated song singers to nearly 700 moving picture places.