Variety (February 1911)

VARIETY ELECTIONS IX CHICAGO. Chicago, Feb. 1. At the meeting here Monday of the corporations* the late Charles E. Kohl was Interested In, elections of officers were held. Martin Beck, who attended in per- son, was elected president of the West- ern Vaudeville Managers Association, and vice-president of the other cor- porations, with Geo. C. Castle the president. March 6 (not March 13) is the date set for the opening of the new Or- pheum at Winnipeg. Charles E. Bray, general manager of the W. V. M. A. will be present. Herman Fehr, of Milwaukee, who represents the Kohl Estate and is also Interested in the new Orpheum, will be there. It is expected that Morris Meyejfeld, Jr., of San Francisco, will attend, al- though it Is unlikely that Martin Beck will have returned from Europe to meet Mr. Meyerfeld there, as at first planned. Mr. Beck leaves for Europe today on the Mauretania from New York. ACCUSED OF BLACKMAIL. Chicago, Feb. 2. Secret Service detectives last Tues- day arrested Joseph Hadley, an actor, accused of attempted blackmail. Had- ley was a member of "Up and Down Broadway" and with Lillle Hazel left the organization when it played the Lyric, here, recently. The girl was so deeply fixed In Had- ley's affections that when he was un- able to provde money to maintain her by honest means, he wrote threaten- ing letters to Chas. A. Brown, an at- torney demanding $200 forthwith. Brown turned the letter over to the authorities. Now Hadley languishes in Jail, while the girl has gone hence to the old folks at home. MR. KELCEY SAYS SOMETHING. Herbert Kelcey and Effle Shannon have abandoned their attempts to re- main in vaudeville. Mr. Kelcey says it Is altogether too uncertain in the matter of consecutive bookings. GOING BACK HOME. Seattle, Feb. 1. It was settled by cable this week that Daphne Pollard will return to hei native land, Australia, for a tour of the Harry Rlckards theatres, opening April 17 at Melbourne. Miss Pollard sails Feb. 24 from here on the Zea- landla. KESSLER-PUCK ENGAGEMENT. While Mrs. Puck, Harry and Eva Puck and Aaron Kessler were having lunch at Rector's the other noontime, Mr. Kessler announced to the family that he and Eva would be married In the early summer. Miss Eva agreed with him. Aaron denies that he and Eva "framed up" the announcement on the folks in the manner in which it happened. Mr. Kessler is the booking repre- sentative for the Hammerstein houses. Miss Puck is of the Two Pucks, who will dissolve upon the wedding day. Harry may secure a partner to replace his sister, continuing with her to play outstanding contracts between now and June 1. NOTIFICATION ON G. O. H. The opening of vaudeville by John H. Springer at the Grand Opera House, Brooklyn, Monday, brought the usual notification to Klaw ft Erlan- ger, that Mr. Springer was violating the terms of the United Booking Offi- ces—K. & E. "Advanced Vaudeville" settlement agreement, by playing a va- riety show in the theatre. Mr. Springer leased the house from Klaw & Erlanger, it is understood. "The Syndicate" secured It upon the dissolution of the United States Amusement Co., the corporate title un- der which "Advanced Vaudeville" was operated. The agreement provided that none of its "opposition" singers should per- mit vaudeville to be played in any theatre owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, for ten years. The story is that Mr. Springer had tired of the Grand, and has the opin- ion that by perhaps installing vaude- ville In opposition to Percy G. Will- lams' Orpheum, nearby, Klaw & Er- langer may call upon him to retire from possession of the theatre. That, it Is said, Is why Mr. Springer opened his vaudeville season last Mon- day, a few days before the first of the month. Clarice Vance is the headlin- er of this week's bill, booked through Shea ft Shay. GETTING BACK AT DOC. Philadelphia, Feb. 1. Mrs. Doc Munyon and "Her Four Beau Brummels from New York" are at the Bijou this week, a "small time" theatre. Mrs. Doc and the boys are booked for Erie next week, with Tole- do the week after. Somehow Old Doctor Munyon man- agers to keep tab on the wife he is separated from. To those who first thought that the frameup for vaude- ville was a plan to plug the Doc's patent medicines will find some grounds for the belief in that sim- ultaneously with the booking of Mrs. Doc for these towns, there has been opened in each a branch office of Dr. Munyon's cure-all remedies, with Munyon's Liver Restorer featured. There may have been a slip some- where, for commencing with next week Mrs. Doc will bill herself as Pauline Louise Neff. sending the "Mrs. Dr. Munyon" down to the second row and have it set up in agate type. It may be that if Old Doc wants his wife to slip him any more free ad- vertising on bis name, he will have to come across. ACTOR TAKES THEATRE. Louisville, Feb. 1. The management of the Walnut Street Theatre will change. The new manager will be Edwards Davis, who, with his wife, Adele Blood, is at the Mary Anderson this week. It is expected that Mr. Davis will merely operate the house, placing his own staff to run it, while he continues his vaudeville engagements. DIVES INTO MATRIMONY. Charles A. Blgney, the high diver, took the plunge into matrimony Wed- nesday of last week. The bride is Cecelia H. Buck, of Jersey City, who has been assisting Blgney In his un- der-water act. PRESS AGENT HELD UP. Seattle, Feb. 1. Two men last Sunday held up A. Shorten, press agent for Mary Man- nering. He was left unconscious upon the street. Loss, $15 In cash and a stick pin valued at $70. JULIAN ELTINGE "House Fall" sign Is the motto of A. II. Woods' clever star, Julian Elttnge, In hla new musical offering. "The Fa*e.'natlng Widow." Eltlnge la the one and only man who has dignified the Impersonation of women by artistic methods. He has scored heavily everywhere and has made an unqualified aucceaa aa a atar. It In barely possible that Eltlnge and the entire American company will be taken to London for an engagement by Manager Woods before opening In New York. Last week "The Fascinating Widow" waa the attraction on Thuraday, Friday and Satur- day at the Star. Buffalo. Hefore the company arrived the advance sole waa ao big It waa deemed advisable to Klve nn extra show Saturday morning, making three that day. The first performance was started at 10. .To n. m. SAVAGE SLIPS BACK. Owing to the inability of George M. Cohan to complete his mew piece In time for the dedication of his new George M. Cohan theatre at Broad- way and Forty-third street, Messrs. Cohan ft Harris, in a natural desire to present something from the pen of this prolific playwright, have decided to open the new playhouse with a re- turn engagement- in New York of "Get-Rich-Qulck-Wallingiord." which has been at the Gaiety theatre for five months. The premiere Is sched- uled for Feb. 13 (Lincoln's Birthday). "Walllngford" will be succeeded at the Gaiety by Henry W. Savage's pro- duction of Rupert Hughes' newest comedy "Excuse Me." An elaborate scenic Investiture is promised for the new play. The company will Include Ann Murdock, John Wesley, Willis P. Sweat man, James Lackaye, Scott Cooper, John Findlay, Henry Hyde, Harry Carter, Harry Kendall, Thomas H. Walsh, Alonzo Price, Edward O'Connor, Frank Manning, Louis France, Frank Dee, Edward Fournier, G. A. Choate, Fred. Norwood, Rita Stanwood, Grace Fisher, Lottie Alter, Ouida Bergere, Isabel Richards, Mar- guerita Sargent. The opening of a Savage show at the Gaiety (a Klaw ft Erlanger house) ostensibly carries with it a resump- tion of friendly relations. When Henry W. Savage announced some months ago that his attractions were absolutely Independent and would be played in all theatres throughout the country as he deemed best, playing the Klaw & Erlanger theatres In New York City, there arose a hue and cry among the producers who had remain- ed loyal to Klaw ft Erlanger. As a result it was said that an ultimatum was delivered to Mr. Savage that he must play only In K. & E. theatres or not at all. At that time Mr. Savage chose the latter alternative and the proposed opening at the Gaiety with a new production augurs an important re- arrangement of the theatrical map. BIG BALL APRIL 5. The Vaudeville Comedy Club is pre- paring to hold a big ball April 5 at Terrace Garden. ETHEL GREEN. Ethel Green made her debut as a single entertainer week of August 1, 1910. Success was instantaneous, from the opening to the present" week, when she is duplicating her successes of the past six months at the Co- lonial Theatre, New York City. Miss Green has not lost a week. She is singing exclusive songs entirely, her numbers all being restricted. Monday matinee at the Colonial this week after the lights were turned up the audience insisted that Miss Green come back and were not satisfied un- til a speech was forthcoming. Several musical comedy offers for next sea- son are under consideration by Miss Green. Edw. S. Keller is directing her vaudeville tour. Dolan and Lenharr are due back from Europe to-day. They went over to London a couple of months ago.