Variety (September 1911)

VARIETY UNITED-ORPHEUM COMBINATION REPORT ED AS A CERTAINTY E. P. Albee and Martin Beck Have Agreed Upon a Mer- ger of the B. F. Kelth-Orpheum Circuit Prop- erties. To Take Place Within Two Months, Says Mr. Beck From a statement made this week by Martin Beck to a Variety repre- sentative, and other information re- ceived, the reported combination of the theatrical properties held by B. F. Keith and the Orpheum Circuit is practically a certainty. Mr. Beck's statement was to the ef- fect that the consolidation would be concluded within two months. The amalgamation of the big vaude- ville interests will be under corporate form. The name of the new corpora- tion has been decided upon, it is said. The capitalization proposed is a very large one, perhaps $10,000,000. No information could be obtained as to whether any other United Book- ing Offices managers, besides Messrs. Keith and Albee would be concerned in the amalgamation. Variety's in- formation is that the corporation may endeavor to secure other "United houses" by purchase. Many of the details are reported to have been settled upon between Messrs. Albee and Beck, just before Mr. Albee left last week for his New England auto tour. Albee and Beck will be the executive officers of the consolidated concern, with Mr. Keith and Morris "Meyerfeld, Jr. occupying official positions that will not require constant attention from either. Before leaving for Europe early in the summer, Mr. Beck confirmed a re- port at that time of the present pos- sibility. The likely juncture of the Keith-Orpheum interests apparently settles all stories of any friction be- tween the Orpheum offices and United Booking Offices, or of contests for con- trol in any section of the country. Mr. Beck left yesterday for a week's trip through the west, where he will visit several Orpheum towns, meet- ing Mr. Meyerfeld at Omaha. SPECIAL PICTURES AT PRINCESS. Chicago, Aug. 30. As a sort of prelude to the opening of the regular season, which event is expected to occur about Oct. 1, the Princess theatre was relighted last Saturday night to permit of the pre- sentation of a specially made picture production. The attraction is ex- pected to remain here for at least a month. SYNDICATING NEW COMEDY. London, Aug. 23. There has been formed a syndi- cate for the presentation of a new musical comedy at the Globe theatre. The piece, under the management of Louis Hillier, has already been heard on the continent. It will also be pre- sented in Paris, at the Theatre Re- lane. The piece, called "Les Moullns qui Chantent," is by Frantz Fonson and Pernand Wicheler, music by Arthur Van Oost. An English version is being prepared by Leslie Stiles. Mr. Hillier is writing some additional numbers. The opening date Is set for Oct. 3. In the meantime the Globe will be occupied during September by a com- pany of Brussels actors, who played a year in Paris up till the end of last July, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, in "Le Mariage de Mile. Beulemans." It is being translated for the English stage by Sydney Elow. D'ORSAY'S SUPPORT. Lawrence D'Orsay, who stars in "The Earl of Pawtucket," arrived Monday from a two months' stay In London. Rehearsals will start next week. In his support will be Louis 8yd- meth, Ernest A. Elton, Katherine Emmett (leading woman), H. J. Car- vill, Leonard Ide, Robert W. Smiley, John Alden, Harry Drlscole, John Tay- lor, Henry Ward, Lewis E. Parmenter and Susie Lawrence. MOVES OVER TO SOUTH BEND. LaFayette, Ind., Aug. 30. The regular season of the Dryfus theatre (Harry Sommers, lessee), was opened last week by the Keith stock company in repertoire. The first le- gitimate attraction comes early next month. Samuel Pickering, manager of the Dryfus, goes to South Bend to man- age both of Sommers' houses at that place. James W. Howard, the high diver, severely burned in a slide for life into the Wabash river during the K. of P. convention, has been sent to his home in Seymour. CHICAGO, PRODUCING CENTER. (Continued from Page 8) had its opening Aug. 27 at DeKalb, 111., under the management of George H. Bubb. Rehearsals have commenced for the new B. C. Whitney production "Dol- lars and Dimples" to be presented Sept. 24 at the Whitney Opera House. '•'The Rivals" opened Aug. 27 at Brainard, Minn., under the manage- rial direction of William Yule. Rose Melville Is to be seen in an- other show this season. Her well worn but perennially popular vehicle "Sis Hopkins" will be used to exploit the histrionic abilities of Ida Law- rence, who will open Sept. 24 at De- troit. George ^Sidney's "Busy Issy" show was organized here and enjoyea a healthy opening Aug. 27 at the Hfcy- market. The opening of Robert Har- ris' "Daniel Boone" show occurred Aug. 28 at Bloomlngton, Ind. The Gagon-Pollock Stock Company was organized here, and will open the sea- son Sept. 3 at the Lyric, New Orleans. A. A. Wall, an Owensboro, Ky., manager, was in Chicago last week engaging people for a permanent stock company at Evansvllle, Ind. Herbert Bethew will take out a company of "The Man on the Box" and opened Aug. 28 at Georgetown, O. A. Mayo Bradfleld will present "Barriers Burned Away" which is be- ing rehearsed somewhere up in Min- nesota, preparatory for an early open- ing. Harry A. Murray sends W. F. Mann's "Tempest and Sunshine" on a tour, and all of the other Mann at- tractions have been leased. C. Jay Smith, who operates out of the Chicago offices of the Jordan Show Print, is sending "Sis Perkins" and several other small shows over the "one nights" of the middle west, east and south. GERMAN CARTOONIST NOW. August M. Froehlich, cartoonist of the Staats Zeitung, Is going Into vaudeville, offering comedy cartoons and finishing with an artistic painting on a glass transparency. He is under the direction of Paul Durand. "HELLO PARIS" MOVES UP. When the present nrst show or re- vues at the Folies Bergere is sent out on the road, Sept. 18, "Hello Paris," the "Midnight Revue" (and now a part of the Cabaret or second show at the Folies) will move up on the program, becoming one of the new series of revues the management will present In the 46th street music hall that date. The Cabaret show will remain. In "Hello Paris," Edna Aug may succeed Nita Allen in the eccentric comedy part Miad Allen played In the revised edition. In the big show that starts out, Laura Guerite will be found In the cast instead of Grace La Rue, who retired from the Folies last Satur- day. Sunday the World gave Miss La Rue and the house a page. Cook and Lorenz have been engag- ed as comedians for the new Folies musical comedy. The libretto of the new work—or rather its American adaptation—is by William Le Baron. Among those discussed as candi- dates for engagements at the Folies Bergere are Yorke and Adams, Joe Welch, James T. Powers, Nat Wills and Eva Tanguay. No other engage- ments have been definitely entered into other than Cook and Lorenz. PAPER WITH NO TITLE. Boston, Aug. 30. The town is plentifully papered for the opening of the Raymond Hitch- cock show at the Colonial Theatre Sept. 2, but there isn't a single sheet of the paper that tells the name of the show with which the star is connect- ed. All that Is shown Is a life size print of Hitchcock, ana "Cohan and Harris present." The newspaper ads. carry the name of the show, "The Red Widow." It was originally In- tended to open the show Labor Day, but the premiere is advanced two days ahead of the schedule. The members of the company are due in town to-day and will take part in a number of dress rehearsals. On Sept. 1 an international copy- right performance of "The Red Wid- ow" will be held in London. KRAMERS FILE PLANS. Plans will be filed next week for the new theatre to be built by Wil- liam Kramer's Sons, on the west side of the Bowery, running south of Ca- nal end through to Elizabeth, on the former site of their Atlantic Gardens. There will be eight stories of offices and floors, In addition to the theatre, which will have a seating capacity of 1920. The dimensions will be lOOx 200. No policy has been decided upon by the builders. They expect to have It in working shape by a year from now. McRAE and LEVERING'S Latest actuation "THE CYCLE AEKO-PLANE" Next week (Sept. 4th) Columbia Theatre. St. Louis. Mo.; Sept. 11th. Majestic. Mllwnuke. Sept. 18th, MaJeBtlc, Chicago, etc. Cnder th»- management of 1'AUI, pritAN'I) MISS STARR'S SHOW SELECTED. "The Case of Becky" is the title of the new play selected by David Be- lasco for Frances Starr this season. It is a drama by Edward .1. Locke, author of "The Climax," and will have its premiere In Cincinnati dur- ing October. KobhiiiN, the European btryrl.> rider, has been booked to open in New York, Tan. 15.