Variety (February 1910)

10 VARIETY London, Jan. 22. Artists who book for European time in America through an agent should watch that "exclusive agreement" that English agents sometimes make an artist sign. Some artists come over here after signing a few weeks with an agent and when this time runs out if another agent offers them time they make a grab at it. The grab is all right if the artist hasn't signed an "exclusive" booking agreement for these agreements hold very fast. If the artist knows what he is doing all is well, but there is no use in making a howl when it is too late; for, once the agreement is signed the damage is done. At the Broadway Theatre in New Cross which happens to be in the south part of London somewhere a pantomime, owned by Fred Karno, is playing. Fred Emney, the music hall comedian, and Maidie Scott, the cute little one, play most of the pantomime, and this it about as far as it goes. Emney is a great comedian and Maidie is "some" soubret. The Broadway Theatre is a house belonging to the Moss & Stoll circuit, and outside of the Panto season plays legitimate attractions. When Will Collins was asked about the report that he was going to book four halls on the Barrasford time that would not join DeFrece, he stated that nothing definite had been settled about his future, but from Bill's general manner it ap- peared the music hall business is not going to lose him. Probably he will spring some sort of a surprise yet. Lafayette has just been booked 43 weeks on the Stoll Tour immediately fol- lowing his month at the London Coliseum. Chung Ling Soo, the Chinese magician, is now playing the Stoll suburban halls. Amelia Bingham has been in Paris this week for a few days' vacation, returning to play the Empire Nottingham next week. Alice Raymond and her players were in town this week playing the Empire Hoi- loway. Next week the act will be in Lon- don as well, playing the Empire New Cross. The Coliseum, London, has declared a dividend of 25 per cent, for 1900. Spissell and Mack, part of the former act of Spissell Bros, and Mack, are now. playing the Stoll tour. On Saturday evening last at the Palace there certainly was a great time. It was the first election night and it was cele- brated in grand style at this theatre. The bar did a great business and it was per- haps the happiest audience in the world. The election lasts a little over a week, and the Palace seems to be the center for the celebrators. Some of the boys have been doing this for a week and they have a few days to go yet. The latest report concerning the Hol- born Empire says that the new Butt- DeFrece combination has purchased the house. If the Holborn Empire is really sold it will mean that some reason more than profit prompted the Gibbons circuit. LONDON NOTES (Mail for b« promptly forwarded.) VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE. 411 tTEAJTD, W. a la laroM If YAmiRT, as asm, will The Holborn is the only two-a-night music hall in the West End, and Where all the other two-a-night halls only draw from their own section of the town, the Hol- born pulls from all over London. For the last 18 months at least there have been very few weeks that this hall hasn't played to capacity. The bills at the Hol- born generally contain many of the best features that play the Gibbons circuit. Very few acts play the Holborn at an ex- clusive salary, the act generally playing another hall along with it to make up a regular salary. If either the Butt-DeFrece combination or the Moss-Stoll Circuit have procured this hall the policy will have to be changed. Sam Gross, the song writer, who has been on the Continent for a couple of years, was in London this week for a short stay. The writer came to London to hand Victoria Monks a new song which is the answer to the "Pal" song that Vic made such a hit with about three years ago. Gross also wrote that song. Joly Violetta, who makes her appear- ance in London in a few weeks, has been booked for South Africa with the Hyman circuit through the Paul Schultz agency. Oharlier, a novelty ventriloquist from France, has been booked for America by the William Morris London office. Johnson and Hart, the Kraton's "Hoop- ville" "No. 2" act, started a run at the Empire, London this week. Fields and Lewis will play the Hippo- drome next week, this being their first London appearance. Lady Constance Richardson opened at the Palace as the star attraction on Mon- day of this week. She dresses (if it can be called dressing) not unlike Maud Allan when she (Miss Allan) quit doing Salome. It can be said, though, that the Lady ap- pears with a trifle less of the veiling and works with the lights full on. For an amateur of course the Lady does her dances in a very graceful manner. The dances (they can hardly he called that) are simple. On Monday night of course the election crowd was in and 1 occupied the back part of the downstairs portion and they kidded the Lady. Still, it might go hard with her if she were taken too seriously. Lady Constance Richardson is a nicely shaped woman. The name is probably a big draw at the Palace, al- though the hall is doing big business anyway. Tortajada returned to the Coliseum this week after about a year's absence. The dancer seems to have lost some of the ginger that she seemed to be brimming over with last year. Another classical dancer hits London next week playing the Coliseum. This time it is Madiah Surith, an Oriental snake dancer. Gardner antl Stoddard are considering an offer to tour around the Continent next fall. Stella Mayhew is among the coming at- tractions billed at the London Coliseum. This week, in the programs, the engage- ment of Sarah Bernhardt at the Coliseum is announced. Evie Green will again have a run at the Coliseum starting Monday next. The Carson Brothers are playing the Hippodrome, Liverpool, this week, and a report from there says the act is getting away in good shape. The Sherek & Braff agency is suing the Stage, of London, for libel in regard to a South American affair of last summer. The situation of the music halls here is such that many rumors are being spread. The latest report in circulation says that the Stoll Tour has annexed the Holborn Empire, which is at present the star hall of the Gibbons circuit. This hardly sounds plausible, but many who seem to know say that many surprises are in store. An- other report has it that the proposed new DeFrece circuit will join up with the Pal- ace, London, making a very strong cir- cuit of ten halls or more. No doubt if this circuit should come off there will be many independents added throughout the country. Even with nine halls in the provinces this circuit will be able to offer at least thirteen weeks, this including of course the Palace for four weeks. Then there are some acts which could play eight or twelve weeks at the Palace, this taking up a good share of six months. It will be a fine circuit for foreign acts, as they will in all probability receive a Pal- ace salary throughout the tour. The question of salaries is very inter- esting just now. It is noted that the Stoll Tour has been making engagements with very well-known people and paying them big money. It seems to be only the estab- lished vaudeville act that has trouble in collecting big money with this circuit. "Names" alone seem to be pulling the big money. There is no question about the StoIl° circuit paying the biggest salaries at present, but the real vaudeville people are not getting it. Sarah Bernhardt, at the Coliseum, is to receive $5,000 a week, playing only two matinees a week. It (teems to many to be a great gamble. It is a safe bet that if Stoll succeeds in getting these big attractions as a regular item he will have to build up the other parts of his bills, and good acts will be able to get some money. Heeley and Meeley, who are playing a return at the Coliseum this week, are one of the screams of the show. It is a great audience for the pair. Oswald Williams is showing a new act at the Canterbury this weeTc and is getting away splendidly. The show is in rather a crude form, but with speed and brighten- ing up ought to make a first-class attrac tion for over here. Claire Romaine, who was to have sailed this month for America, where a tour of Percy Williams' and the United house** awaits her, lias postponed her date of sailing to Feb. 5 on account of the illness of her husband, Edgar Romaine. Kitty Howard, of Howard and Harris, has been laid up for a week in London, where the team was forced to lay off. This was the first break in fifty weeks. Mm Clark and Hamilton started a run at the Empire in London this week, this prob- ably being the outcome of George Robey's engagement and success there a few weeks ago. Comedy acts of this sort ought to be in great demand at the Empire shortly. Russell and Held, who opened a few weeks ago at the Coliseum and are now on the Stoll Tour, are complaining of the absence of steam heat in the dressing rooms of the halls in the country and suburbs over here. This ought to hand artists in America a laugh, especially those who have had a winter tour over here. The Grotesques are back again at the Coliseum where they are still putting over a very funny show. At the Holborn Empire this week Su- zanne De Verneuil and her posing show leturn as the top-line attraction. The act has been fixed around in great style and makes good a mile as the main attraction. A dramatic fighting sketch is the added attraction at the Holborn, called "A 33 to 1 Chance." The act, as compared with the "Star Bout," from which no doubt the idea was taken, isn't within a mile of it, but it seemed to please the audience. The sketch itself in plot is like a play that once toured the States called "Sporting Life." The "Arctic," the big production at the Hippodrome, shows 70 polar bears and a playlet on the side. The playlet was watched because it had to be. The bears when on the stage took the attention of the audience, so they had to chase them off every now and then just to give the sketch a chance. The bears are great looking fellows, so that squares the play. At the finish of the act the bears are made to slide down steep inclines into the tank, this being quite a feature, though the bears in some cases didn't seem to tflft crazy about their job. After the villain is shot and everything is squared up the characters leave the stage and the audi- ence are allowed to watch the tank emptied and the bears at play. This also was very interesting. Lamberti, on his return to the Hippo- drome this week, scored one of the biggest hits that has ever been put over here. He is going to be the big Hippodrome favorite and no mistake. The "Vampire" dance seems to be losing out with the Hippodrome crowd. It is a holiday audience that gets into the "Hip" now, and "Vampires" don't get to them at all.