Variety (February 1910)

VARIETY INTERNATIONAL VAUDEVILLE MAY FOLLOW BUTT'S VISIT London Manager Dickering with Americans. Will Have Big English Circuit. Reasonably Assured Butt % Has Barrasford Time, with DeFrece's With- in Call; Perhaps Gibbons' as Well. o « (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Feb. 9. Geo. M. Leventritt, representing the William Morris Circuit, arrived in London last Saturday. It is almost certain fee came for the purpose of presenting an offer for the Barrasford houses. In that case he is believed to be too late. The impression grows that Alfred Butt and his company have secured the Barrasford Tour either by purchase or option, and it is understood Mr. Butt has the prior claim now through a deal with Walter De Frece, who secured the first option. It is nearly authentically learned that before leaving London, Butt instructed his solicitors to form what will be a "holding company" for the different corporations operating the various houses on the Bar- rasford time. This confirms the impres- sion that the Palace people have secured the properties on an optionul basis, se- cured by a large cash deposit. There is a well defined report about in the higher show circles that the Gibbons Circuit is biding Mr. Butt's manipulations. It would not surprise London that if Butt carries through his plans, Gibbons may side with the circuit that will have been then formed, lining up a solid pha- lanx against the Moss-Stoll Tour. Mr. Butt is now in New York. During his absence there are many "stories" founded on thin air for the most part. The coming of Alfred Butt to New York City at this time may be the forerunner of important happenings in vaudeville on both sides of the ocean. While nominally the managing director of the Palace, London, just at present, with another new house in that city located, and a Palace swiftly erecting itself at Glasgow, Mr. Butt looms up as among the foremost of variety managers, if not now, then within a short period. The London manager arrived on the Mauretania last Friday. At his suite in the Hotel Knickerbocker, when seen by a Variety representative, Mr. Butt was reticent and guarded in his statements, both as to his movements on the vaude- ville map of Great Britain, and the object of the current visit to America's metro- polis. Advices from London this week, with the semi-intimation from the Londoner seem to set at rest the disposal of the Barrasford Tour, London, England. If Mr. Butt and his colleagues have not ac- tually that circuit at their pleasure, they at least have it "tied up." Together with the Barrasford houses, which include in this instance, the Alham- bra, Paris, there is every probability, ac- cording to the cable, that the Walter De Frece Circuit abroad stands ready to join Mr. Butt in any move he may make. Of more interest to home circles, how- ever, is the report this week running around "the inside" that Alfred Butt is negotiating with the leading American managers for an American (which means an international) vaudeville connection. The "inside report," always based upon tact, is that the Palace even is willing to extend its English circuit to this country. The alternative for the Londoners in an American union would be a booking connection with some large circuit here. There are three for Mr. Butt to deal with: The Orpheum, United and Morris. With managers Mr. Butt is probably talking matters over with Martin Beck, William Morris and Percy G. Williams. The first question put to Mr. Butt was regarding his connection, if any, with the Barrasford houses, and his general posi- tion on the other side. Mr. Butt rather evasively replied: "I think the Palace, London, is fairly well enough known in America for the profession to believe we have established that house to the utmost of our ability. Therefore, when we find that our neighbors are fluttering us by emulating the example we have set of high class vaudeville of a dis- tinctive nature in their theatres (which have not our exclusive clien- tele and could never be a 'Palace'), we do not see why in our desire to expand we should not retaliate by making or form- ing such connections or purchases as would give us a circuit worthy of the name; bring a better grade of shows into the English provinces, and afford acts played by us after easy transit from London to Glasgow. If you understand the situation in England, you will catch my drift. "I am not prepared to make any state- ment about the Barrasford Tour, nor do I care to discuss the future position of Mr. De Freee and his circuit. I under- stand Mr. De Frece is under a booking contract agreement with Mr. Stoll, bind- ing until March 1, next." The extract from the above cable men- tioning the "holding company" was re- peated to Mr. Butt, who declined to com- ment upon it. Asked if he could give a definite reply on the reported disposition of the Holborn Empire, a house in London's West End belonging to the Walter Gibbons Circuit, and the rumors that the Stoll Tour had secured it, Mr. Butt answered: "I am not prepared to say, but you may assure your readers that Mr. Stoll has not the Holborn Empire nor any interest in the Gibbons Tour." Pressed for something more definite, Mr. Butt begged to be excused on the plea that the present was not propitious for a decided statement. "In fact," said Mr. Butt, "Variety is the first paper to have an interview with me on this subject. To-day I have two newspaper cables from London making in- quiries." In referring to his "neighbors" Mr. Butt unquestionably had in mind Oswald Stoll, who, within the period that the Palace, London, has shown up so enormously suc- cessful as the ultra variety place of amusement in all Europe has been en- larging the Stoll shows at the Coli- seum, London, and at the same time or since last August, Mr. Stoll has carried the London Hippodrome as a side issue through booking only in an attempt to gain the prestige and profit the Palace has brought its promoters. With the Coliseum, Mr. Stoll has suc- ceeded in dollars, though not in "class" of clientele to compare with Mr. Butt's house. In the Hippodrome, Stoll has found a harder and extremely difficult pro- position. On the Barrasford Tour there are six houses in direct opposition to the Stoll theatres, while there are eight or nine besides also advantageously situated. Thos. Barrasford died last week. In mentioning the effect the manager's de- mise would have, Mr. Butt added, 'The lamentable death of Mr. Barrasford will not affect any plans now projected." Were Mr. Butt to enter Paris by way of the Alhambra, he would come into con- tact with Anglo-Saxon methods against H. B. Marinelli's Olympia in that city. English vaudeville as offered by the late Mr. Barrasford at his Paris house proved palatable to the various colonies of the French capital who preferred their amusement without blots. It is about four years since Mr. Butt last visited New York. He has not changed greatly since then. A rather young man for his importance in theatri- cals, Mr. Butt talks with a tight grasp upon his subject; seems to know all about American show business, its promoters and their standing, and leaves the impres- sion of great firmness behind a desire to absorb all information on complex points at hand. While Mr. Butt has other important business matters here, he does not pro- pose to lose the opportunity of securing any acts around, and has already wit- nessed several New York bills. Last Saturday, while at lunch with William Morris at the Hotel Astor, Percy G. Williams joined the couple, and the trio proceeded to Mr. Williams' Alhambra where they watched the show for awhile. The stay of the English manager on this side is indefinite. He may return to London next week or later. The theory of a future Beck-Morris agreement renders more intricate the in- ternational question. Should Mr. Butt decide upon Mr. Beck as his American co- operator, and the latter reach an under- standing with Morris, the final result with Mr. Butt would most probably be a book- ing union with that amalgamation. On Wednesday there was a rumor about that Mr. Butt and the United had en- tered into some sort of an agreement relat- ing to the mutual exchange of acts. The agreement was said to have been made in the form of letters written by each. Not loo much credence was placed in the re- port, Mr. Butt not being in a rush to decide which American proposition to ac- cept, according to another report. RE-ENGAGES ALICE LLOYD. With a slate full of all the records for box office receipts in the western houses of the Orpheum Circuit, Alice Lloyd was re-engaged this week by Martin Beck, through Pat Casey, for a return tour of the Circuit next season, opening in Novem- ber. Miss Lloyd will not finish her present Orpheum trip until April 10 at Des Moines. Her success on the Pacific coast has been phenomenal for the extravagance of the receptions received by her and popu- larity attained in each city visited. Following Des Moines Mr. Casey has ar- ranged five weeks in middle-western cities where Miss Lloyd has not previously appeared, and will gradually play her to reach New York by June 1, holding back the clamor of many Eastern managers for the English girl until the opening of next season. The McNaughtons, the English comedy team, who have played on all bills Miss Lloyd has headlined during the present tour, have also been rebooked for the same time, owing to their big laughing hit all over. $3,000 FOR MISS HOFFMANN. Three thousand dollars is the weekly salary contracted for with Gertrude Hoff- mann by the United Booking Offices after her present contract with the agency for $2,500 a week expires. It is said the United has engaged the girl-with-the-60- minute act until June 1. Next week she holds over at Hammer- stein's. All this week the sidewalk specu- lators have been singing "She's Ma Daisy." One dollar tickets to Hammerstein's have been grabbed off daily at all the way to $3. No single woman in American vaude- ville has ever received over Miss Hoff- mann's latest figure. There's a report that in addition to the immense amount of work Miss Hoffman is doing twice daily in her varied vaudeville act, the energetic and versatile young woman is preparing to add an imper- sonation of Fred Stone in "The Old Town" in his "lariat dance" and walking the tight rope. ao YEARS WITH PAYTON. There was an unusual celebration at Payton's Lee Avenue Theatre in Brook- lyn, Monday night when Grace Fox was presented with a ring set with twenty diamonds, each stone commemorating a year of service as a member of Corse Payton's company. In that time she has played over 900 weeks, over 0,QO0 per- formances and more than 1,200 parts. The total of parts was boosted when Payton was conducting a repertoire show on the road, playing six and eight plays each week. Miss Fox has never missed a per- formance, it is claimed. COMPOSER TAKES NO CHANCES. San Diego, Cal., Feb. 9. Although the Panama-California Ex position isn't due until 1915, Fred Stans- field, musical director at the Princess this city, has composed the official march for the festive occasion. NO CHANCE FOR BERNHARDT. There's no chance of engaging Sarah Bernhardt for New York vaudeville, said Charles Kornhaupt, the Marinelli New York representative this week. An offer had been made her to play in this city, hut Madame replied that upon finishing her engagement at the Coliseum, London, next fall, she expected to tour the United States in a play, as a "farewell." The Five Armanis replaced the Neapoli- tans at the Fifth Avenue on Monday.