Variety (August 1911)

VARIETY '5 London, Aug. 9. It Is now stated with some show of authority that the Turks and Persians in the "Night With the Sultan" at the Hippodrome are actually Armenians. Billy Reeves surprised a few people here by signing again with Karno. As soon as Karno secured him, an offer for the revival of "The Mumming Birds" with Billy Reeves In his orig- inal part of the "drunk" was cabled to New York. An acceptance was re- ceived instanter, and twenty-five con- secutive weeks, commencing in New York, were fixed up. Joe Elvin produced a new sketch, "The Witness for the Defence," at the Oxford Monday. It is the funnle'st thing he has done for several years and will doubtless supply Joe with a much-needed excuse for bookings. It is a court scene in which Joe plays the part of a 17-year-old witness, who, though apparently dull-witted, holds the lawyers and judge at bay with some characteristic Cockney wittic- isms. Jack and Evelyn are being very much sought after for an American en- gagement. They will probably go out In December. Little Tich returned to the fold after a vacation by the sea. He put on two new songs, "The Gamekeeper" and "The Sailor." Tich Is far and away the hit of the Oxford bill this week. Lillian Shaw was an Immediate hit at the Pavilion, which has now come to be known as the "Morgue." She sang four songs on her opening night and then obliged with an encore writ- ten by herself. She was at her best in the "Ylddisher" stuff and if she has any sense she will specialize in this for the rest of her stay in England. Any- one who makes a hit at the- Pavilion is entitled to all credit. In the Ox- ford, Tivoll or Palladium, Lillian would be a sure fire. From the point of view of her money value, It Is a pity she started at the Pavilion. When a real live management gets hold of this hall, it will be patronized as a house in its advantageous position ought to be. It is said that In the course of some improvements In that district the Pavilion will be demolish- ed, but whether another hall in its place will be erected is not known. When Billee Seaton walked out on to the stage of the Alhambra there was a mere handful of people in the auditorium. Apart from her being on early the bulk of the habitues of the Leicester Square house had left town. She got little more than a simple ac- knowledgment for her work, and the assertion previously made that she was in the wrong house was fully borne out. There has been a great and mighty slump In theatrical and music hall patronage In the last week. There are two causes for this. One is the con- tinuance of the distressingly hot weather, and the other is the .opening of the holiday season. It would seem that something like a million people have left London for the resorts. Most LONDON NOTES VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE A GRKBN ST., UEICB8TEB SQUARE W. BUCHANAN TAYLOR, k^-»uut. (••BAYARD") Mall for Ammwiemam ud abor*. will b« promptly f< If VARURT M of the halls are losing money. A few of the theatres are doing well, consid- erably due to a large influx of Ameri- can and Continental visitors. There are more people coming over on the boats from the States than In the period before the Coronation, and when the theatres empty each evening the streets seem crowded with Ameri- can tailoring and the air thick with accent. Wright. In the halls they are playing "The Rising of the Moon," the work of Lady Gregory. The "Count of Luxembourg," "Kis- met," "Passers-by" and "The Choco- late Soldier" have the pull on all the other plays, though "Bunty Pulls the Strings," Shaw's "Fanny's First Play" and "Peggy" are more than holding their own. If this weather continues much longer bankruptcy will stare some people in the face. The position In the provinces is becoming very seri- ous indeed. Another month of this adopted torrid zone will bring about a forlorn situation. Arthur % Houghton is in London, where he hopes to meet Fred Stone. Stone sailed in a whaler bound for Greenland and Iceland and was due to arrive on or about Aug. 8 at Tromso in Norway. His plan then was to come at once to London. He ought to be able to tell some good fishing stor- ies on his arrival. The newest of the Variety Theatres Controlling Co.'s houses opened Aug 7. It is located at Bristol, and called the B'edminster Hippodrome. Charles T. Aldrich was the first attraction. Eddie Girard and Jessie Gardiner are back in London, at the Coliseum. They have improved upon their first appearance, which means that they held their own with the best on the bill. Among those leaving for South Africa under the Hyman banner on August 5 were Elliott Savonas, Rene Graham, Ernie Myers, Lily Lonsdale, Mdlle. Elonia. Vardon, Perry and Wilbur have nailed their colors to the mast in England again, and the fact that they have more offers than they can accept is some proof that they are building up a fine reputation within these shores. The Irish Players, who are natural actors and a product of the Dublin Abbey Theatre school, are playing for the first time in the music-halls in the provinces. They sail for Boston Sept. 12, for a season of four months In the States. When they came V) London recently they showed West- end actors the meaning of real, unaf- fected playing. In the company aie Sara Allgood, Arthur Sinclair, J. M. Kerrigan, J. A. O'Rourke and W. Melia is the name of a French woman who made her first Englisn ap- pearance at the Palace. She is good- looking and a pretty good dancer, but lacking In personality. Her dress is somewhat daring, but she does not de- pend upon that entirely. Her piece de resistance is dancing blind-folded, among some fifty eggs strewn about the stage. The opening evening she almost got applause. Melia goes down as one of the Palace "flivvers." Ida Crispi put up a new offering at the Pavilion last week. She had the assistance of a young English actor, Louis Victor. Mi88 Crispi worked in a drawing room set. Her first en- trance was in the grotesque attire of a low comedy girl, not unlike that of Nellie Wallace. Legmania efforts gave her a good start. Then the act fell away badly for five minutes, owing to the presence of the young man assist- ant. When he had thrown off his chest a few ancient gags Ida returned in her "widow" make-up. When learn- ing that smutty lyrics are not needed on this side, she will stand a big chance of being allowed In the best houses. The final effort of the pair in a burlesque of the "Apache" dance was the best thing in the show, and on that, and that alone, they made good. Ida is a clever girl, and I am not so sure she is well advised in hav- ing assistance. If it is money that Miss Crispi is after, she should remem- ber that old axiom In England, "a good single act always gets more than a good double act." Mrs. Patrick Campbell, recently concluding a run in "Lady Patricia" at the Haymarkot theatre, has been lured into vaudeville. She will play a season on tour, doing a sketch by J. M. Barrie. There is quite an interesting ex- change going on between the legiti- mate and vaudeville. Martin Harvey is to follow his provincial tour of the theatres with a season in the halls. With both Mr. Harvey and Mrs. Camp- bell, the engagements are the result of several years of intermittent nego- tiations. Mr. Harvey was one of the attractions at the opening of the Pal- ladium without noticeable success. Since he has reconsidered the propo- sition in regard to the provinces, and will go out next spring for the Va- riety Theatres Controlling Co. "Sumurun" comes bark to the Coli- seum Auk. 21. It will play a month for Mr. Stoll, and then bo taken in its entirety to the Coronet theatre, played in its original fo"rm, providing a two-and-a-half-hour show. When at the Coliseum the first time it played, with cuts, an hour and thirty-five min- utes. Reinhardt artistically manipu- lated it down to sixty-five minutes. It will be an Interesting experiment, finding out whether the public will stand for two and one-half hours of pantomime. Whilst "Sumurun" is to be done in the theatres, "Kismet" has been fixed for a series of music hall engage- ments. George Dance has secured the touring rights from Oscar Asche, and will do with it what he did with "The Whip." It will be played in music halls and will occupy the entire eve- ning. Some of the theatrical man- agers are objecting strongly against the exploitation of dramatic fare in the music halls. There Is talk of re- taliation. I think it will go no fur- ther than talk. The music hall man- agers know of a thousand difficulties which stand in the way of the theatri- cal managers running vaudeville, and they invite them to go ahead. The business at the Playhouse with "Pomander Walk" fell down pretty badly with the exodus of society from London. It finished on its thirty- seventh performance. "The Butterfly on the Wheel" closed at its 109th performance. Neilsen Terry will appear as Juliet In her father's production of "Romeo and Juliet," Sept. 2. It appears that after all Laurence Irving has not secured the rights of "The Girl of the Golden West." In his forthcoming tour he will rely upon "The Unwritten Law." Maxine Elliott Is to remain In England for the re- mainder of this year. She is now located at Hartsbourne Manor, near Bushey Heath, having for company Mr. and Mrs. Forbes Robertson, and their children. Mr. Robertson tells me that he will return to America late in September, to commence his 30,000-mile tour of Canada, the west, and the south. His wife, Gertrude Elliott, will go to the States a little earlier, to prepare for her tour, the commencement of which Mr. Robert- son will see. It is stated that Katherlne Kaelred, at present In Paris, will return to New York within the next few weeks. There is talk of a new play for her in London next season. The death of Fred Moulllot in tragically sudden circumstances at the Royal York Hotel, Brighton, Friday, will bring about a considerable rear- rangement in the directorates of a large number of companies. He was an Irishman, born in Dublin. His flist partnership was with H. H. Mo- rell, son of the famous physician, Sir Morell Mackenzie. He was concern- ed in a largo number of enterprises in the British Isles, and within the last twelve months had founded a the- atrical and music-hall tour in South Africa. The day before ho died I s-poke to 111 in in the favour restaur- ant. Tie was lunph'tip: ihoro with Walter Do Fp'ce and V-^ta Tilley.