Variety (October 1910)

IO VARIETY THE SHEEDY HEARING. At the office of the Commissioner of Licenses, Hermnn Robinson, Wednes- day morning, there was a hearing in the application of M. R. Sheedy for a license to conduct a booking office in New York City. The hearing was scheduled for 11 o'clock. Owing to the failure of the protestant, Harry Mount- ford, to appear, the matter was delay- ed for an hour. During the early portion of August an application was made for a lieeose by M. R. Sheedy, Inc. This was pro- tested by the White Rats. Later Sheedy withdrew the application. The present application was made by Mr. Sheedy individually. Mount- ford again appeared as the protestant. When Mr. Mountford failed to appear Wednesday morning, Attorney Cahill of the Dennis F. O'Brien office, said, after waiting an hour, that he Vas pre- pared to go on. The only witness ex- amined during the day was Harold S. Cox, summoned by Mountford. Mr. Cox's testimony was not of the mate- rial that would prove that Mr. Sheedy was not financially responsible, that being the ground of the Mountford protest. In summoning Mr. Cox, Mr. Mountford placed the former in a rather peculiar position. Mr. Cahill, for Mr. Mountford, of- fered in evidence a transcript of the former hearing in the matter of the protest to the Sheedy Inc., license. This was accepted by the Commissioner after a protest by Attorney McMahon, for Sheedy. Then Mr. Cox was placed on the stand. The hearing was adjourned until Thursday morning to give Mr. Cahill an opportunity of furnishing docu- mentary evidence that would refute Cox's final statement false. The state- ment was that he (Cox) had only been a salaried employee of the Atlas Book- ing Circuit. After adjournment had been grant- ed Mr. McMahon endeavored to have the Commissioner dismiss the com- plaint. Mr. Robinson replied he would not give out a decision until Thursday. The Commissioner added he thought it peculiar that Mountford should have made a statement in his pres- ence that he (Mountford) would op- pose the granting of a license to any member of the now defunct I. B. A., all of whom were equally guilty (if there had been any wrong doing) and Mountford had then given to one, J. J. Quigley, a certificate of good char- acter. With a view of dealing equal Jus- tice to all, said the Commissioner, he was forced to hold up Mr. Quigley's license under the Sheedy case should be finished. As all licenses are to be issued with- in a period of thirty days after the application has been filed, and as Quig- ley's application has been in the office of the Commissioner for twenty-eight days, a decision must be rendered this week. It was the consensus of opinion of those present at the hearing on Thurs- day that Mr. Sheedy would have his application granted. QUIGLEY, GOING AND COMING. Boston, Sept. 29. J. J. Quigley, a Boston "small time" agent, formerly connected with the Independent Booking Agency of New York, was tangled up with the law this week. Tuesday Quigley caus- ed Jock MoKay (playing at Keith's) to be attached upon a claim for $287, alleging breach of contract. The body writ was served upon Mr. McKay late at night. He was compelled to de- posit all jewelry and money upon his person to avoid spending his sleeping time in Jail. Just before things went the other way for Quigley, who is under- stood here to have lately received a "whitewash" certificate or recommen- dation for good character from an of- ficer of the White Rats. May McDonald, a prima donna, who worked a week booked by Quigley, could not secure payment of salary from him, and trusteed Qulgley's bank account at the Old Colony Trust. The booking was for week of July 25, Miss McDonald having been noti- fied to play the engagement July 23. Upon demand for her money through an attorney, Quigley informed the lawyer the young woman was en- titled to no pay through not having forwarded photos in sufficient time. Afterwards the claim was made that Mi88 McDonald had been booked by the I. B. A. ORDERED CHILDREN OUT. Providence, R. I., Sept. 29. The police of Woonsocket, a town near here, paid a visit to Lynch's thea- tre and the Nickel, and ordered 150 children out of the first named and twenty-five out of the second. This was in the enforcement of the law, providing that boys under fourteen, and girls under sixteen, can not attend theatres unless accompanied by adults. The attraction playing Lynch's at that time was Mrs. Tom Thumb and Co. All the children had been attract- ed to the theatre mainly to see this act. The police visited other places of amusement, but found no violators of the law. The minimum fine is $5 and the maximum is $20 for each vio- lation, if the police choose to bring the violators into court. n A MAJESTIC FOR SHUBERTS. Evansville, Sept. 29. The future of the Majestic, which has been much in doubt, was announc- ed as definitely settled when Henry Myers came on from New York last Monday and assumed its management. Myers, J. J. Coleman and F. Ray Corn- stock have purchased the property from the Louisville Fidelity and Trust Co., and it will in future be operated as a Shubert house. Clara Lipman, in "The Marriage of a Star," opens there Oct. 3. LOEWS BOSTON OFFICE. Boston, Sept. 29. Fred Mardo will become the Boston booking representative for the Loew circuit. Loew has acquired a num- ber of New England theatres. Mr. Mardo will have the booking of these. He will also procure such new book- ings as he may for the branch office. Mr. Mardo recently resigned from the charge of the Morris office here, immediately opening his own office. Press Eldrege opens at the Ameri- can, Chicago, Monday, for the week. ASKING FOR "SHUT-OUT." Columbus, Sept. 29. Gus Sun passed the brass ring to Carl C. De Mayne and Co., who applied for time on his circuit, the act stipulating that all contracts shall contain this clause: "No other black-face act is to give a perform- ance in said theatre within two weeks previous to this date." Sun is an old time circus manager and has made many "shut-out" con- tracts in that branch, but he declares that this is the first time he ever heard of a vaudeville act demanding a contract of that sort. RAWL5°V0N KAUFMAN Edith Talbot, who has been playing in the west, has arrived in New York for her Eastern debut. Miss Talbot has a monolog. FOX'S NEMO OPEN. New York's newest combination pop" house, the Nemo, was opened last Saturday night. The attendance was so great that the returns for the two shows given during the evening were far in excess of what the man- agement had anticipated. The the- atre was originally the Lion Palace, built several years ago. The house has a seating capacity of 1,100 on its two floors. There is no gallery. Twelve boxes run in two tiers of three each. The decora- tions are of a brown and crimson scheme throughout, and the effect is very pretty. The lobby is of a comfortable size. Saturday night it was crowded with floral offerings wishing William Fox, the present owner, "good luck." As early as eight o'clock the the- atre was jammed to the doors and the crowd still coming. The audience was one of real "class" drawn from the immediate neighborhood, crowded with gigantic apartment houses of the highest grade. Dinner coats were in evidence in the auditorium. The man- agement evidently felt that they were to entertain the better class for the ushers were all clad in tuxedos. The prog: am for the opening was of seven acts and pictures. This num- ber of acts is two in excess of the regular policy that the house is to follow. The show comprised Elinore Palmer, "For He/ Husband's Sake," Amazon Trio, Burns and Lawrence, Barry and Frank, Homer and Brand, and Wangdoodle Four. After the first performance finished and while the audience still remain- ed seated, Pat Casey appeared before the footlights. In a speech he thank- ed the audience on behalf of the man- agement for their attendance and hop- ed that they were as pleased with the entertainment offered as the manage- ment was to have them present. He further stated that the policy of the house would be three shows daily (Sundays included), one show in the afternoon and two in the evening. The opening was a success from every viewpoint that could be taken. Mr. Fox appears to have acquired a very valuable piece of property that should prove a veritable "gold mine." BALLOONIST SUPPOSED TO HAVE DROWNED. Chicago, Sept. 29. Tim Keeler wires Variety from Houghton, Mich., where a county fair is in progress, that Homer Hazard made a balloon ascension Tuesday afternoon. He had not been heard from up to Wednesday evening, and it is supposed that he has drowned in Portage Lake. Searching parties have been organized to try and locate something definite as to his fate. $15,000 FOR FOUR DAYS. Boston, Sept. 29. Grahame-White, the aviator, will be the star attraction at the Brockton Fair, at Brockton, Oct. 4, S, 6, 7. Th*- management has contracted to pay him $1.'»,000 for the four days. The admission price has not been increased. B. F. Keith offered the aviator $5»ft for a week at his Boston theatre.