Variety (March 1910)

VARIETY COLUMBIA CO.'S MEETING. The directors and officials of the Colum- bia Amusement Co. will hold an annual meeting today. While they are in session next season's tour will be arranged by the method used last year of moving the en- tire Wheel six weeks forward. At the same time all the changes of stands and shows which have been partly arranged will be definitely settled. Some changes in the Wheel which are not now suspected outside may be decided upon. ENJOINED PROM APPEARING. Chicago, March 2. Billy Inman and Co. were restrained from playing the Dominion, Winnipeg, last week by an injunction placed on the act by George Case, manager of the Bijou. The latter Is a Sullivan-Considine house, while the former is booked by William Morris. It sems that Inman signed contracts with Chris Brown last November for a twenty-week tour over the S.-C. time, opening at Winnipeg, April 17. Inman wanted to fill in the open time, and was sent to Winnipeg to open Feb. 21. The injunction was issued Tuesday. Although Inman produced a telegram signed S.-C.'s New York office, which notified him the S.-C.'s time was cancelled, the Canadian judge couldn't see it and refused to per- mit the act to go on. Inman is laying off in Chicago this week with his wife, and Arthur Van who works with him. JULES BACK IN HARNESS. Jules Von Tllser has returned to the music business, having joined the York Music Publishing Co., run by Albert and Jack Von Tiber, his brothers. Al and Jules were scheduled to leave for Chicago on Thursday with the purpose of opening a branch office in the Windy City, of which Jules will have permanent charge. BURLESQUE SUIT ENDED. The long-continued litigation between T. W. Dinkins, Western Burlesque Wheel manager, and Weber & Rush, of the Co- lumbia Amusement Co., came to an end Intc last week, when the New York State Court of Appeals affirmed the findings of the Appellate Division, giving the decision to Weber & Rush. Dinkins had sued for an accounting for a partnership in the Mohawk, Schenec- tady, N. Y., as well as to be declared in on certain theatrical ventures in Bingham- ton, N. Y., and Atlanta, Ga., where Weber & Rush had undertaken the operation of theatres. Dinkins declared that he had a contract with the firm named which guar- anteed him participation in all enterprises engineered by Weber & Rush. Justice Mc- Call in the Supreme Court decided against Dinkins. The Appellate Division affirmed this decision, and the highest tribunal in the State has clinched it. Leon Laski ap- peared in the interests of Weber & Rush. In another suit last week before Justice O'Gorman, Dinkins was defendant. Will- iam T. Keough, the theatre owner, asked for a partnership accounting in the Em- pire Circuit Co. property called "The Al- cazar Beauties." It appears that when Keough owned the Columbia, Brooklyn, the Empire Circuit Co. (Western Wheel) gave him a franchise. Keough gave Din- kins a one-third interest in the show in return for producing and managing it. Later Keough disposed of the Columbia and the Empire refused io give him a route, although the show continued under the Dinkins management. A verdict was returned for $96 in favor of Keough, who was represented by Leon Laski. NO HEART ENLARGEMENT. A singer who has been playing the ''small time" in the same bills as the team in which her husband is concerned was last week given an opportunity to quit the "black list" under terms which were not sufficiently attractive to make it worth while. She was offered $35 for the week, but as it was a $7 jump and ten per cent, commission she couldn't figure to win much more than her hotel bill. Through the same source a "sister act" on the same bill was told that if they would adopt the change of name which the agent kindly suggested that they could return to the fold. All of which proves that the "black list" is hurting its authors by decreasing the supply of acts available at medium salaries as well as crimping the head-liner list. MABEL CAREW. N«>\\ playiiiK <vi the UNI'IKD HOOKIMJ OK FIC'FS' tint" Hlmif, oonclihlliiK Iut net Willi Uih tcllint; rail' ii ! r scene MISS C\K;;\V .v.,.|\.«1 a MiitterliiK i.tfer from the K1N(JI.IN<; I'.UO'l'MKItS to el..w.i mi the III.) IkxIdmh' trnck in on.• of their i licuscs, but [tru forred to remain in vuudcvllle. GIVEN THREE EXTRA WEEKS. Chicago, March 2. "The Great Star and Garter Show" has been given three extra weeks following the close of its regular season over the Eastern Burlesque Wheel circuit. The additional time will be taken up by the Casino, Boston; Columbia and Murray Hill, Now York. It is the first season out for the "Star and Garter Show," Frank Wiesberg, man- ager. The company is playing under the franchise of James Hyde's "Blue Ribbons," and will close (he season with a profit, it is said. lOrnest Williams is now in the booking ottices of the Loew Enterprises. FULL WEEK AT OMAHA. Omaha^ Neb.j March 2. Omaha has taken to burlesque as pro- vided by the Eastern- Burlesque Wheel, and commencing next season this city will be a seven day stand instead of six, as at present. The order of traveling will be reversed. Whereas it is now necessary for the com- panies to close a day earlier to make the jump into Minneapolis, the reversal will call for the route reading Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City. RECOVERS $i,ooo FOR INJURY. A settlement this week was agreed upon between Maida Dupre and one of the New York street railways. The settlement gave Miss Dupre $1,000 for injuries re- ceived late in the summer while on her way to a rehearsal of the Sam Scribner show. The young woman was thrown from a street car, the accident causing her to lose the engagement. A new act is being prepared for vaude- ville by Miss Dupre. It will be something of a production. TOO BRIGHT FOR AN AGENCY. Chicago, March 3. Vera Peters is known to Chicago vaude- villions as "Adolph Meyers' private sec- retary." It is a nice sounding title, but it doesn't belong, for the thing shonld be turned around the other way. But she has decided to take up another profes- sion. While "Dolph" was pounding the boardwalk at Atlantic City a few days ago Miss Vera, who was very anxious to collect a commission fee of $31.25 due the office from Lavigne and Jaffe, qnietly got a blank and attached their salary while the team were at the Rex. Vera tried to induce several of her friends to help her, but no one seemed willing, so she slipped around to a stationery store and bought the blank document. Next she visited a young female friend, a notary public. A little ad vice _ and Vera, armed with the papers, marched boldly to the Rex, where she put the thing over and made her get- away without any trouble. The whole job cost just three cents, which was paid for the blank. Meyers cquld hardly believe until he saw the money produced. ACTIVE FOR N. E. TIME. Harry Whitlock, who booked a chain of moving pictures and "pop" vaudeville the- atres in the vicinity of New York from the Joe Wood offices, left there last Satur- day and took up his duties in the Boston office just established by Joe Leo. Many of his houses were turned into the Leo string. Leo will be in Boston on Sunday. He will round up about a score of local "split week" picture house managers in a hull hired for the purposes and explain to them wherein he is equipped to handle their hooking business through his New Y<»rk and Boston offices. C. Wesley Fraser, the Boston agent, has established a New York branch within the Inst few days. All the agents are in com- petition for the immense amount of small, unattached bookings existing in N cw Eng- land. CANCELED SHOW WINS. Since Fred Irwin's "Gtbson Girls," which Maurie Kraus canceled at the Olympic, on 14th Street, has been reorganised with Elmer Tenley at its head and a partly new company and pieces, it has not done less than $5,000 a week. It is in Brook- lyn this week. NEW RECORD AT COLUMBIA. Business at the Columbia (Eastern Bur- lesque Wheel), New York, has advanced with every week since its opening, accord- ing to the officials of the Columbia Amusement Co. It remained for Sam A. Scribner's "O, You Woman" show to hang up a record last week. With Daisy Harcourt as the added attraction, the gross receipts totaled $10,006 on the week. Mr. Scribner, with the close of the pres- ent season, will give up the active man- agement of the show, turning it over to Cliff Gordon and Bobby North. His duties as general manager of the Columbia Amusement Co., make it difficult for him to give the show proper supervision and attention. MAGICIANS FEW. One of the most prominent men in the world of magic commented this week on the fact that there has not been a prominent magician in New York or the east in many months, and that there seems to be a widespread decline in the general interest in the subject. "My explanation of such a condition," he said, "is this: Since Keller retired there has not been a big magician giving a whole evening's entertainment in this country. The Keller mantel fell upon Thurston, but from all reports that reach me, he does not seem to have done much. "I regard Carter as the biggest man re- maining in the star class. He is now in Australia, but I understand that he will return to this country in no great length of time. Perhaps then we shall witness a revival. It is a well-known fact that un- less there is a big man at the head of the magicians, public interest falls off gener- ally. This has been proven time and time again." Most of the big magicians and illusion- ists are out of the country, including Horace Goldin and Houdini. LUBIN'S PICTURE HOUSES STOP. Baltimore, March 2. Lubin has closed his two moving picture houses in this city and report has it, sold both. No reason is given for the closings, but business has fallen off since he dispensed with vaudeville in competition with the numerous "pop" vaudeville houses which surround his places. BILLING WAR IN NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, March 2. The American-Orpheum opposition takes on new vigor. Five employees of the American were arrested Sunday for dis- turbing Orpheum billboards, and in re- taliation the American management has made affidavits charging three Orpheum employees with the same offense. The American is doing very good business in spite of the Orpheum's quadrupled adver- tising expenditure.