Variety (November 1911)

IO VARIETY *■> NEARLY NEW CIRCUSES COMING; FOREPAUOH- SELLS WITHDRAWN The Rlngllng Brothers Will Engage Large Number of Strange Acts for Their Shows. Big Spectacular In the Barnum-Balley Circus. The sweeping changes to he made by the Rlngllng Brothers In the per- forming roster of their two big cir- cuses for next season, will have added In the Instance of the Barnum ft Bailey show the huge spectacle as reported In Variety last May. This will be staged, It is said, by R. H. Burnslde. The Rlngllng travelling circus properties will be reduced by one for 1912. The Forepaugh-Sells show, re- vived and put out on the road by the Rlngllngs two years ago, will be with- drawn, leaving the Brothers their own named circus (Rlngllng Bros.) and the Barnum-Balley aggregation. For these orders have been Issued by John Rlngllng, who directs the en- gagements, that nearly all new acts shall be gathered under his tents the coming summer. Very few of the present acts, some having been with the shows for a continued spell, will be retained. Among these, however, will be a couple of the best known aerial numbers. The new circus turns will be recruited from America and Europe. Between sixty and sev- enty acts will be affected, outgoing and incoming. Sam McCracken will continue as general mansger of the Barnum-Bal- ley show. It Is also reported that Al Rlngllng, who steered the Forepaugh- eells. may attach himself to the "Big Show" next season. Henry and Charles Rlngllng will remain with the Rlngllng Bros, circus. The discard of the Forepaugh-Sells is said to have been decided upon due to the number of big circuses in the field. Besides the Rlngllngs are the Hagenbeck-Wallace, Sells-Floto, John Robinson's Big 10 Shows, The Two Bills (Buffalo BUI and Pawnee Bill) "Wild West" and "101 Ranch Wild West/' all playing under canvass. Also there are numerous small time tented companies. As a big circus can make half the city stands in the U. 8. and Canada during a circus season, the bfg shows were treading on each other's heels too often, though changing territory alternate years. To handle three large circuses such as the Rlngllngs have been doing is no light task, and the hard work Involved may have been another reason why the Fore- paugh-Sells has been shelved; In the season now ending the Rlng- llng circuses made money, especially In the south, where the poor business o; the middle-west was balanced. Twelve weeks of middle-western stands did not average well for the shows, which kept out of the north- west this summer altogether owing to the bad conditions there. In the south, however, even the negroes were abundant with coin, from the large crop of cotton. The spectacle to be inserted in the performance of the Barnum ft Bailey show will likely employ 150 or 175 girls, who may also be utilised in the parade. The paraphernalia and wardrobe from the days when the Barnum-Balley Circus (before pur- chased by the Rlngllngs) gave "Baby- lon," "Nero" and "Columbus" are still in storage, and may be looked over for current usage. The spectacle will probably be In- troduced after the Grand Bntre, which will run into it, taking up about thirty minutes of the entertainment. Circus men in New York are specu- lating whether history is going to re- peat Itself with this Barnum-Balley spectacle. In 1889 "the Big Show," then in Europe, put on a spectacle, and the following year produced It under canvass in New York City, the Madison Square Garden not then hav- ing been completed. This is the final year for the Garden. The Rlngllngs must find some other stand for their local circus opening next spring. Were they to again play under can- vass, with a spectacular attachment to the Barnum-Balley circus, the experi- ence 'of the first owners of that show over twenty years ago would be dupli- cated. Returning circus people report a good condition of night attendance over the country, exceeding previous seasons. This is accounted for by the lnterurban trolley lines, which brings the farmer to town at night and re- turns him home again within a rea- sonable time, without obliging him to hitch up the horse for a day's vaca- tion. This benefit though is somewhat nullified by the circuses which tap the drawing territory of the bigger stands. The Hagenbeck-Wallace show has been making a practice of gathering in the money of the smaller towns, making their circus a drawing centre which cut somewhat into the ticket wagon of the other big shows, which reached for a wide section from a big central location. CIRCUS AT AUCTION. When the Danny Robinson Famed Shows were sold at Morganfleld, Ky., Sept. 27, they were purchased by the Flss, Doerr & Carroll firm of horse dealers, of New York, who now an- nounce that they will dispose of their entire circus holdings at public auc- tion at Indianapolis, Nov. 24. Flss, Doerr ft Carroll have been tak- ing care of the stock and wild animals since acquiring possession of the cir- cus. When Liebler & Co. needed some jungle boasts for their "Garden of Al- lah" show, they bought the camels for the desert scene from the horse dealers' circus stock. VARIETY U the medium. Vn It— Others do. $8,160 FOR *RED ROSE." Up to date John C. Fisher's "Red Rose" (southern company; without Valeska Suratt) has made the high mark this season for one day's thea- tre receipts in the south. The record occurred at Dallas, Oct. 21. With a matinee and night show the latter bringing in $2 each for the best seats, Mr. Fisher got $3,160 on the' day. Oct. 20, Dockstader's Minstrels, playing the same town and theatre (Opera House) at $1.50 (two shows) pulled down $2,000. At Muskogee, Okla., last month, in one performance, playing at $1.50 top price, "The Girl in the Train" gathered $1,158. "The Oirl From Rector's" has end- ed a successful trip through Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Kentucky. The show which is now working east played to a $421 house at Middlesboro, Ky., Oct. 27. At Memphis, Oct. 22, the receipts were $640; Nashville, Oct. 24, two performances netted $1,391.76, and $568 was registered at Knoxvllle, Oct. 26. Fiske O'Hara, who but lately ven- tured forth for this season in a play, under the management of Robert Ir- win, is reported to have taken the house record at the Majestic, Jersey City, week before last, with the count of $4,700 on the week to his credit. Mr. O'Hara followed this up with $3,- 800 from a week of one-nighters through New England. He is this week at Providence. SECOND PROGRAM SUIT. There is still another action for damages against Oscar Hammerstein, brought by the Strauss program peo- ple, to be tried in the New York courts. The first, which asked for $45,000 damages, was dismissed on motion In the Supreme Court last week, as the Jury was about to hear the evidence. The Strauss company alleged a con- tract with Hammerstein for the Man- hattan Opera House. The agreement however provided for the discontin- uance of grand opera, and the court allowed a motion to dismiss on that ground. The second suit concerns the Ham- merstein Opera House, Philadelphia. It is for $27,000, prospective profits In advertising for the programers had Mr. Hammerstein continued his oper- atic season. The contract between the parties for Philadelphia held no conditions, and will require a defense. A good ad •• • big ad. In VABIJCTY. DIVIDING UP 8MTTHSON. Frank Smlthson has been called In to finish up the stage direction of "Lit- tle Boy Blue" for Henry W. Savage. Smlthson Is employed by Frazee ft Lederer to put on the new Louise Dresser show "A Lovely Liar," but an arrangement has been made by which George W. Lederer will alter- nate with Smlthson In the prelimi- nary direction of the latter piece, In order that Mr. Savage may be accom- modated. The Dresser show opening, sched- uled for Nov. 10 at Indianapolis, has been postponed for a week. ■BBBSBH^Bi "MUTT AND JEFF** AT $1.50. The fourth "Mutt and Jeff" show, now being organized by. Gus Hill, will play the $1.60 legitimate time, open- ing probably at the Newark theatre, Newark, Thanksgiving, then playing the Academy, Baltimore, Montauk and Broadway, Brooklyn, and the Walnut, Philadelphia. The proposal to have the show start a run at Webers, New York, has fal- len through. Weber's is "dark," without any show in sight Just now for it. "Mrs. Avery" closed there Saturday night. The Weber theatre management is booking about for a play. Wednesday "Who Shall Condemn" was in mind. "The Fatted Calf" was also under con- sideration. BRICE AND KING DISSOLVE. Pittsburg, Nov. 1. When "The Hen-Pecks" closed its week here Saturday, Charles Brice and Elizabeth King brought their stage partnership to an end. Mr. King left the show. Miss Brice continued with it. Before Joining "The Hen-Pecks," the couple appeared in vaudeville to- gether. They commanded a weekly salary of $500. THE CURRIERS DIVORCED. Chicago, Nov. l. Frank J. Currier, of "The Deep Purple," was granted a divorce from his wife, Ada Dow Currier last week. RAYMOND-SHUBERT SUIT. The suit for a week's salary, brought by Maud Raymond against the Shuberts, will come up for trial In the First Municipal Court Nov. 15. Miss Raymond claims a season's contract with the Shuberts, alleging a verbal one. This action will test the legality of the agreement. If Judgement is recovered by the actress for her services at the Winter Garden, a weekly action will follow for a simi- lar amount during the season, while Maud remains unemployed. Harry Jolson, another of the disap- pointed ones at the Winter Garden's latest production, has another action on his own account pending against the management. It will be tried the same day. Gus Dryer appears for the actors; William Klein for the management. CUNNING HAM-MacGREGOR ONE. James Cunningham, a well known leading man and stage director, and Isabelle MacGregor, a prominent stock actress, were married Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Staten Island. Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham recently closed with the Lindsay Morrison stock at Lynn, Mass. DEXTER FELLOWES FAR AWAY. Dexter W. Fellowes, one of the Barnum & Bailey publicity boys, does not expect to see Broadway this win- ter. He 1b reported having gone to British Columbia and invested in a moving picture theatre. The advance agents here say they would like to see a picture of the place where Fellowes is going to an- chor.