Variety (June 1911)

VARIETY KEITH-PROCTOR DISSOLUTION WILL OCC UR WITH IN A MONTH Partners Agreed on Dissolving, With Only Question of Fifth Avenue Lease Remaining. Union Square Again First Class, If Courts Decide for Proctor. Portland, Me., June 21 The hearing In the matter of the Keith ft Proctor corporation cornea up again tomorrow. The only thing for the court to pass upon is to whom the lease of the Fifth Avenue belongs for the next five years. B. F. Keith owns the property. F. F. Proctor claims that he is entitled to a renewal for that length of time. When Keith and Proctor became part- ners, the Fifth Avenue was held un- der lease by the latter, and turned into the corporation. After the Junc- ture, Keith bought the theatre prop- erty outright. If Proctor should win, the house will revert to Keith at the expiration of the five years' period. It is understood in New York that Messrs. Keith and Proctor have agreed upon all points, excepting the Fifth Avenue lease. The theatres pooled by the respective managers will be withdrawn from the corporation in the course of the next month, per- haps within two weeks. It is said that if the Fifth Avenue continues vaude- ville under the Proctor banner, Mr. Keith will once more make a first class vaudeville stand of the Union Square theatre, one of the houses re- turning to him in the dissolution. The Union Square has been playing "small time" vaudeville. i The other Keith houses in the cor- porate pool are the Harlem Opera House and Jersey City theatre. Mr. Proctor takes back the 23rd Street, 58th Street and 126th Street theatres. It is possible that if the Union Square starts playing the first grade of variety shows, Mr. Proctor will change the policy of the 23rd Street from the "small" to the "big time." The 23rd Street house as "first class" opposition would affect the busi- ness at the Fifth Avenue, as well as at the Union Square. The dissolution will cause no break in the booking relations of Mr. Proc- tor. He is under contract to book through the United Booking Offices. O'ROURKE FOR VAUDE. The middle of July will witness the advent of Eugene O'Rourke in the ranks of vaudeville. At present it is scheduled that he make his debut at one of the Beach houses probably on July 3. "Why Pay Rent?" and "Par- lor A" arc under consideration as ve- hicles for the trip into the two-a- day. FIGHT SPLITS ACT. A fight which occurred last Fri- day night between Vincent and Dur- «'id, a team of gymnasts, landed one In jail and the other in the hospital and incidentally was the cause of the cancellation of contracts for a tour °f the Sullivan-Considine Circuit, which the team held. The details leading up to the fray are meagre, but the facts that the bame did occur are quite apparent. Durand is walking about with his head swathed in bandages, while Vincent is about under bail on a charge of felonious assault. MAJESTIC'S SECOND HOLD OVER. Chicago, June 21. Will Rogers is at the Majestic again this week, having been held over. This is the second time in the history of the house the management has held over an act for the second week. The other case was Mr. and Mrs. Jack McGreevy, booked at the house for one week last season and re-engaged after the first performance. When Lew Field's "Never Home" show opens, Mr. Rogers may be a member of the cast. Negotiations are under way to have the cowboy lead a number, as well as do his specialty. T_. 3' 3C-:*\; VALESKA SURATT. A late photograph of the atnr of "The Red Roif," at the Globe theatre-. Now Y .rk COMEDIAN MARRIES QUIETLY. Sam Mann, the character comedian, surprised all of his friends by appear- ing on Broadway last Tuesday after- noon after a hasty trip to the Jersey shore and announcing that he was married. The bride was Lillian Bern- stein. Mann's sister was wed several weeks ago. The comedian and Miss Bernstein were present. BOOKS FOREIGN ACTS. It was reported this week that since returning from the other side. Hugo Morris has placed a considera- ble number of foreign tur <f for next season with United Booking Offices managers. GARY STILL ASKING. Gaby Deslys has again been ap- proached for American engagements, and once more has startled the mana- gers with the size of the salary she desires. The singer wants $"»<)0 a per- formance, with not more than one show a day to play. Between a date in Berlin of two months and an en- gagement in Vienna of one month. Gaby has little vacant time. It is'nt likely the open space will be tilled in America, unless the artiste cuts the price a trifle. SAD CUBAN EXPERIENCE. The second half of the O. Molaaso pantomime company arrived in town, Wednesday, from Havana. They could not all come last week for two rea- sons. One was because the boat was too crowded, and the second was the lack of funds. This absence of cash was in no sense the fault of the busi- ness or the desire of Mr. Mo lasso to bring his people back. He simply was cheated out of considerable money due him, and return tickets under the terms of his contract. When seen Mr. Molasso said: "I hope you will give publicity to my experience in Cuba and that it will serve as a lesson to all who con- template making a trip there. I went down under a four weeks' contract at a stipulated guarantee and fares both ways. The first week's receipts were about $12,000, and the second $11,000. We played there six weeks all told. "After the four weeks I took over the theatre myself for an additional fortnight. We then went on the road, but my expenses were too heavy. The best receipts possible outside of the city of Havana is $500 a day, if one plays only three days in a town. I found also that the city officials hold you up for stacks of free tickets. "My contract was with a Mr. Al- fred Misa, and stamped by both the Cuban and American consuls. Misa claimed to have the backing of a George B. Butler, a New York mer- chant of reputed wealth. The money I made in Havana was forwarded to New York by me and when I returned to Havana and sought my return transportation for the company, could get no satisfaction. So I immedi- ately wired here and received enough to bring half the company back with me, which was about all the boat could accommodate anyway. Then on my arrival I deposited the money with the steamship company with instructions to furnish accommodations for the re- mainder of them. "The Cuban impresarios are too much for me. I was robbed right and left. On my arrival there I found three opera companies stranded and personally bought tickets for half a dozen of my countrymen who were without funds, having been abandoned by their managers. But I am going back again, next time reinforced by my first experience in dealing with them. SKETCH WITH :W. Roland West and Joe Schenck are planning to produce a new sketch next season with thirty-five people West may or may not be In the offering. YOUXG PROCTOR MARRIED. It leaked out Tuesday that F. F. Proctor, Jr., was married June 12 at Stamford, Conn., to Georgia Antoinette Lyon, a divorcee, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Shulty. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. H. A. Johnston, pastor of the Stamford Presbyterian Church. The groom gave his age as :U. and the bride's. 23. The new Mrs Proctor Is a native of Kentucky, but has resided in New York for many years. IRENE DECIDES TO STICK. Irene Franklin has decided upon \uude\Ule for ne\r season Onerr'n^ in S'Pte'w'vr " Kedheid ' \\'']\ ;da.. eleven week> ;n \»"\\ Y<»r\ An all-easferri ivi'f wi'l 'v f r:»'■ >'V ! I»> Miss Frank!:" and l'ar ('rev-':.