Variety (July 1910)

8 VARIETY EASTERN BURLESQUE WHEEL PLANS SUBSIDI ARY CIRCUIT Will Line Up "Split" Week Stands as an Outside Proposition in Order To Fill in Time. According to an authentic report, the Columbia Amusement Co. (Eastern Burlesque \\ heel) is proposing to form a "small time" burlesque circuit. Jt is tc include towns which will show for three days, "splitting" the week with another stand near by. Cities of the si/e of Scranton are those under consideration. Shows are to be produced by managers not in the present Eastern Wheel, and they are to fill in the middle of the season, the present traveling companies of the reg- ular organizations taking the ends of the season in the "three nighters" for "return dates" instead of repeating at a house formerly played. It is said that a charge has been agreed upon between the Columbia peo- ple of $25 each for the house and road manager, for the booking privilege, giv- ing the Columbia Co. $100 on the week in all from one show. Another scheme formulating by the Columbia is the molding of all the cor- porations operating the local theatres booked, playing the Columbia attrac- tions. The consolidation proposed will take in the parent company (Colum- bia) and will probably be for a large sum, perhaps $5,000,000, if it is the in- tention of the promoters to float the stock upon the market. The condition of the Columbia Co. now is that it holds stock in the various companies, but not in large Mocks. In Baltimore, for example, the Columbia Co. has ten per cent, of the corporation operating the Gayety there. USING 'GIRL FROM PARIS." "The Big Banner Show," the caption under which Ed Gallager and Al Sheau will launch their burlesque show on the Eastern Wheel next season, will have as its production "The Girl from Paris." Shean will handle Louis Mann's for- mer "Dutch" role. Gallager is to be the. sanctified "leading light," played in the original cast years ago by Charles Bigelow. Clara Lipman was the first cssayer of Julie Bon Bon, but Galla- ger & Shean, Inc. (as the new firm is incorporated) has not yet settled upon the female lead for that part. BRONX IN ROUTE. The drawing for the Western Bur- lesque Wheel was -held at the Troca- dero Monday afternoon. Nearly all the Western Wheel managers were pres- ent. In the routes given out is the Bronx, now building by the Miner*. It may open in August, it is said. $3,500 LAST WEEK. In the second week of its run at the Columbia, which ended last Saturday night (when the attendance helped to largely swell the total for the six days), "The College Girls" brought $3,500 into the box office, having had the warm weather as its principal opposition. The company has one more week to remain at the Columbia, when Jack Singer's "Behman Show" steps in for four more weeks, commencing July 11. A WEEK IN CANADA. R. K. Hynicka, Sam Scribner and Larry Weber, all high moguls on the Eastern Burlesque Wheel, are expected to return to-day or to-morrow from Canada, where they have been for a week, fishing and framing. 24 GIRLS IN CHORUS. There are to be twenty-four girls in the chorus of the "Star and Garter Show," on the Eastern Burlesque Wheel next season. The piece for the production has been called "The Flirt- ing Widow," written by Frank Wies- berg, with the score by E. F. Brooks. It is termed a "musical satire," and will play in two acts. Among the principals engaged by Mr. Wiesberg are Felix Adler, Abe Reynolds, Jack Conway, Dow and Dow, George Betts, Caroline Martin, Flor- ence Marlowe, Vera Shelby, Nonie Reynolds and Frank Murphy. ED. RUSH'S CIRCUIT. Ed. F. Rush, the former partner of L. Lawrence Weber, has evolved a pro- ject which he will head, of placing eighteen musical comedy stock houses throughout the country, carrying pro- ductions made by independent man? agers, and to give shows at prices front 25 cents to one dollar. Mr. Rush is thinking about it. lie can command $1,000,000 in cash for the venture, and his own idea of the plan is that it is a good one. Next season Mr. Rush will produce "The Girl Behind the Counter" for the "$1.50 time," in conjunction with Lew Fields. He may also be interested in others of Mr. Fields' enterprises. HAS EXTRAVAGANT WIFE. Chicago, June 29. Roy Sebrec, formerly manager of the Saratoga Hotel here, filed suit against his wife last week for separate main- tenance. Sebree, now in the agency business in New York, charges his wife with extravagance. This is the first time such a proceeding has been instituted in the courts of this State. ROCKAWAY'S FIRST BILL. The American, Rockaway Beach, commences to-morrow (Saturday) with its first bill of the summer, under the management of William Morris, with William Trimborn, local director. The program will be "La Sonam- bule," Lucy Weston, Fred Niblo, "Bal- loon Girl," Bertie Fowler, Austin Bros., Fifi Ronay's Dogs, Gallando. On Monday was ushered into being n new seashore amusement place. Tt is the Strand, at Far Rockaway. Attractions are supplied by one of the smaller agencies. AMERICAN'S VACATION. Chicago, June 29. Morris* American will have a vaca- tion from "bills" lor four weeks com- mencing next Monday, or a week from then, July 11. The warm weather has made it un- profitable to offer a high-class show over the hot spell. BACK WITH SEVEN SkETCHES. Ted Marks is back on Broadway with seven French sketches and as the American representative of two for- eign booking agencies. Mr. Marks will act over here for Somers & Warner, of London, and C. M. Arcole, Paris. B. Obermayer, now abroad, was the former Somers & War- ner representative on this side. He is due to return this month. Of the sketches, Mr. Marks says every one is a laugh producer, and al- though Frenchy, not risque, though one or two may be termed spicy. Near- ly all will be produced by Mr. Marks for vaudeville. One or two may be placed for curtain rajsers. The titles, are "The End of the Thread," "The Glass Eye," "A Rival for Fun," "A Verification," "In the Big Wheel," "A, Consultation from One to Three," "file Hills of Medoc," and "The Wig." t • i > > PITROT'S $1,000 JUDGMENT. That paper shop on West 28th St., which has been having enough trou- bles of its own, and where Richard Pitrot (who was known as "The Globe Trotter" befpre he stopped trotting) makes his office, through the generous supply of space gratis, in return for "business" which Pitrot can influence toward the sheet, which lately admit- ted in print it was badly needed, has also been the scene of many descrip- tions of the law suit Mrs. Pitrot brought against Adolph Suesskind, of Terrace. Garden', New York. Suesskind agreed that if Pitrot could deliver the Intemas Theatre Company of Frank ford, Germany, to Terrace Garden this summer, he would play tne show. The Intemas Theatre, is un- der the direction of Joseph Yallc. Suesskind wanted a cash deposit of $1,000 to guarantee the company would appear for the time held open for it. Pitrot was in Europe. Mrs. Pitrot conducted the negotiations. She testi- fied at the trial that Manager Suess- kind said that upon a contract being signed by Yalle to play his house the thousand would be returned. Suess- kind said the $1,000 was deposited with him as a forfeit in case the Vallc troupe did not appear. Yallc signed the con- tract in due course, but later refused to open at Terrace Garden, whereupon Mrs. Pitrot demanded her money back. She had to sue for it. Being of fe- male persuasion, the jury gallantly ac- cepted her version. M. Strassman was her attornev. LAW FOR OPERATORS. Albany, N. Y., June 29. One of the last measures holding over from the Legislature to be signed by Governor Hughes, was a bill to compel picture machine operators in New York City to hereafter obtain a license from the Commissioner of Wa- ter Supply, Gas and Electricity. FULL IN "CLASS IV." Chicago, June 29. Elpvcn permits have been issued by the Building Department for the erec- tion of vaudeville theatres of the more prevalent type—seating about 800, and built under "Class IV.," which applies to houses under 300 capacity. No more of these permits will be issued, and in all theatres hereafter constructed where the seating capacity is 300 or more, a strict compliance with regula- tion for "Class V." will be insisted up- on. In a "Class IV." theatre no mova- ble scenery is allowed, but this require- ment has been overlooked or allowed 'vithout protest from the department. "Class V." theatres must be of strict- ly fireproof construction, have three sides open to thoroughfares or public alleys (or else have fireproof passage- ways on two sides where there is a street front), have steel curtains, sprinkler system and other expensive requirements, which make it impossi- ble to build and operate profitably on a 10-20 basis. Of this class there are now thirty-three in operation, with building permits issued for four more— Beidler's, at West Madison Street and Western Avenue, one at 12th and Blue Island Avenue; the Gaiety, in Clark Street, near Madison; and the Black- stone, in VVabash Avenue, the two last mentioned being in actual process of erection. There are in all 525 licensed theatres in Chicago, embracing everything. The total number of small theatres will be affected by a special ruling of the de- partment, which exacts that all theatres located in frame buildings must dis- continue performances by December 31, next. About 25 of the 10-20's will be closed under this order at that time. DROPPED 500 FEET. Taylor, the aeronaut, who was seri- ously injured while performing a para- chute leap in Hillside Park, Newark, N. J., Sunday, is reported on the road to recovery. He was in the employ of Johnny Mack, a general manager of such expositions, who is now in Mon- treal, attending an aviation meet. Taylor's "cutaway" apparatus on his umbrella-like drop became tangled while he was soaring 500 feet from the earth. He dropped straight to the ground. By good fortune he landed on his feet in soft footing. His inju- ries were comparatively light. Hutchinson, the aeronaut, is also in Montreal. During the meet, at which will appear several foreign biplane fliers, he will attempt for the first time his parachute drop with six cutaways and drops. Hutchinson promised this innovation, but has not yet attempted it. He offered it in vain to numerous bookers in New York of park and fair exhibits. PUBLIC PICTURE PLACE. Paris, June 20. The Municipality of Reichenberg, Austria, has constructed a moving pic- ture theatre for the purpose of giving cinematographic shows for the benefit of the school children in that district. Johnny Collins, of the Orpheum of- fice, after a few days' tussle with the hot weather at home, returned to his desk this week.