Variety (July 1910)

VOL. XIX., NO. 4. JULY 2, 1910. PRICE TEN CENTS. ENGLISH MANAGER IN STATES; AMALGAMATION TALK WARM Walter Gibbons, the English Manager, May Have Some Effect on Position Taken by Morris, Who Has Had Tempting Offers. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, June 29. Walter Gibbons slipped quietly out of London last Saturday, taking the Campania for New York, where he will have a talk with William Morris. It is surmised that Mo/ris and Gibbons made the appointment. There's little doubt that this trip will cause friction between the Beck-Butt crowd and Gibbons. Walter DeFrecc still claimed yesterday that Gibbons is tied to them. Gibbons is acting independently in this move. It is reported that his plan of raising $500,000 to join the Palla- dium, Hammersmith Palace, llford and Oalace, Lewisham, into one company fell through. The scheme may be re- vived. That may have had something to do with Gibbons leaving. The Campania is due to arrive in New York this morning. Walter Gib- bons, the manager referred to in the above cable, has been reported at dif- ferent times to have signed and not to have signed with the Martin Beck-Al- fred Butt-Walter De Frece alliance in England. A couple of weeks ago, or so, Mr. Gibbons announced the incor- poration of "The London Theatres of Varieties, Ltd," with a capital of $1,500,- 000, having twenty halls in England, now standing or to be erected, with the Palladium, London, in course of con- struction, the largest in that city. The coming of Gibbons at this time, with the strong stories of propositions made William Morris to combine with other theatrical interests on this side, and the presence in New York of Wal- ter HofT Seeley, with his attorney, forms a belief that Mr. Gibbons is here for a business talk with Mr. Morris, which may have the effect of that "in- dependent" manager waving aside what arc reported to be strong inducements lately placed before him to amalgamate. Mr. Seeley is general manager of Will- iam Morris, Western, Inc., a distinct concern from William Morris, Inc., though both work together within ter- ritorial restrictions agreed upon. The statement was denied at the Mor- ris office, when the cable was shown there, of knowledge that Mr. Gibbons was aboard ship aimed for this city, nor could any confirmation or denial be secured of the "merger" reports. During the time the Barrasford Eng- lish Circuit was swinging in the air, waiting for the landing net which Al- fred Butt sent over it, it was reported that Messrs. Morris and Gibbons were negotiating. It is not known if these negotiations were ever dropped. Mr. Gibbons' present visit indicates they were not. If the two managers should become mutually interested in each oth- er's circuit, it is said that a deal will be arranged whereby the interest may be extended financially, either by Gib- bons increasing the capital stock of his English corporation for further flota- tion through the additional American circuit linked to his own, or that the monicd men behind William Morris, Western, will step in to take a large block of the Gibbons stock. It is also reported that if either of these propositions are put through the Morris Circuit will not listen to the al- luring proposals made, it is said, by John J. Rhinock to link the Morris houses to the Rhinock-Cox theatres in the southwest (Cincinnati, Indianapo- lis and Louisville). The merging with the southwest will mean, according to one man, that the rest of vamdeville must get together, with Martin Beck and his Orpheum Circuit as the first chain to join. The combination of the former An- derson & Ziegler theatres with Morris (Continued on page 18.) K. & E. ON INTERSTATE Chicago, June 29. B. S. Muckenfuss, booking manager for the Interstate time, states that while it is possible that some of the K. & E.'s attractions will be played in those vaudeville houses, it is not the intention to turn the theatres over to "legitimate" uses for more than one or two nights each week. Vaudeville acts will be booked for week stands as usual, and salaries will be paid for lay- off nights. There are eighteen theatres in the south which belong to the Inter- state people, or else book through that ;«gcncy, and it is possible that one or two K. & E. attractions will be played each week, although definite details have not been consummated. When the Shuberts were short of theatres in that section the Interstate played some of their larger attractions on the same plan. In Fort Worth and Houston there are two theatres controlled by the Interstate, and in these towns more K. & E. shows may be played on that account. Before the season is far ad- vanced three more theatres are likely to be taken over by the Interstate di- rect, and Rosalie Muckenfuss, during her present tour of the south, has coralled six houses now in operation, which will be added to the combined Interstate and Muckenfuss routings when the season begins. SIGNS LYRIC WRITER. The lyrics for the Lew Fields pro- ductions for the next three years are to be supplied by Ray Goctz, who has entered into a contract for that length of time to give his services exclusively to Mr. Fields. YONKERS* DRAMATIC HOUSE. Yonkers, June 29. All has been settled by Henry Myers to erect a new theatre in this town. It will be devoted to dramatics and com- binations, at prices up to one dollar, with a capacity of 1,700. The house will be called the New Doric. It will have a roof garden for vaudeville in summer. Myers formerly ran the old Doric (now Orpheum) for vaudeville, subsc quently leasing it. "TWO BOBS" BIG HIT. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, June 29. Bob Adams and Bob Alden ("The Two Bobs"), American song writers, and "an act," scored a riot opening at the Tivoli Monday. Sam Stern did fairly at the reek- ham, and Horton and LaTreska quite good at the Ilolborn Empire. RAJAH OPENS IN PARIS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, June 29. The Princess Rajah opened at the Folies Marigny Sunday. Following her appearance, a fairly successful one, the Wintcrgarten, Berlin, confirmed the engager..cut at that house for later on. The Folies Bergerc closed June 26. The new revue opened successfully at the Moulin Rouge June 25. The weather here is bad. Open-air amusements are suffering from poor business. CORT TAKES MRS. CARTER. Mrs. Leslie Carter has settled her theatrical future for the next five years, having engaged to appear under the management of John Cort for that period. The coming season Mrs. Carter will be presented by her new manager in a play written by Rupert Hughes. The >eason will open early in October, and during the same month Mrs. Carter will start a run at a Broadway house, probably a Shubert theatre. In the announcement given out by Cort's press department it is stated that Max ligman will again head "Mary jane's Pa" next season. ** WITH "JOLLY BACHELORS.* When Lew Fields' "Jolly Bachelors" opens for next season, Lucy Weston, the Fnglish girl, will have the role for- merly played in the musical comedy by Nora Hayes. Stella Mayhew and Billie Taylor, at present in "The I'arnyard Romeo." at the American, will return to "The Bachelors" in the parts they created, Miss Mayhew having had her English vaudeville time postponed to permit of this. NVxt week Miss Weston plays vau- deville in the oprning of the season's bill at the American, Rockaway.