Variety (November 1911)

VARIETY BUTT'S NEW VICTORIA-PALACE HAS MOST NOTABLE OPENING American Money Invested in the Newest London Hall. Five American Acts on First Bill. Only Doubt About Matinees. Alfred Butt Sanguine. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Nov. 7. The premiere last night of the new Victoria-Palace of Alfred Butt's be- came the most notable opening on record in London. The audience was enthusiastic throughout, and refused to leave the theatre, after the Rigolettas had closed the show at 11:45. The capacity house remained standing, calling for "Butt!" Five American acts on the bill all made good. There is no doubt as to the success of the venture, in which is invested by American capital over one-half the money the enterprise required. The only query to the success is whether the matinees will pan out. Mr. Butt is sanguine on this, but others VICTORIA PALACE The new London Music Hull, under the direc- tion of ALFRED BUTT. are doubtful. The other Butt house (Palace) plays one show nightly, with a single matinee during the week (Saturday). In speaking of the opening today, Mr. Butt said: "I shall try my utmost to prove that this class of vaudeville Is the kind needed, but I shall not pursue the idea at a loss, though it will be given every chance." The new house In construction and appointments is admitted perfect. The interior resembles a parlor in its comfortable arrangement, with a color scheme of old gold. The Victoria-Palace has been voted the ideal advanced vaudeville house. Mr. Butt's personal standing as a showman over here, and his manager- ial ability, as evidenced by the great success he has made of the Palace, wilf*be material factors In the future of his newest hall. The opening program at the Victoria-Palace as printed in Variety's "Bills Next Week" of the last issue is composed of Rlgoletto Bros., Betty Barclay, Lawrence Crane (American), Rinaldo (American), Val- enche's Dogs, Scott and Whaley (American, colored), Lyons and Cul- lum (American), Farr and Farland, "Her Ladyship's Quests," Lizzie Glen- roy. ARNOLD DALY'S COMEDY FALLS. (Special Cable to Variety) London, Nov. 8. The comedy sketch ("For Wives") Arnold Daly put on at the Palladium Monday night won't do. It Is unsuited, long and tedious. FRENCH FARCE ASSURED SUCCESS (Special Cable to Variety) London, Nov. S. In "The Glad Eye," a hustling French farce, the Globe has secured an assured success. The story Is of two husbands who take a vacation to- gether, apart from their wives. A grls- ette intervenes to complicate the act- ion. Ethel Dame as the grlsette is capital. BERT LEVY A HIT. (Special Cable to Variety,.) Melbourne, Nov. 7. Bert Levy, the American novelty cartoonist, was a huge hit here upon opening Monday. PARIS ALHAMBRA BURNS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, Nov. 8. It may be a month before the Al- hambra will again open to the pub- He, following the Are last Friday which damaged the house to a con- siderable extent. The Variety Theatres Controlling Co. of London Is operating the Al- hambra, the only music hall In town where a straight variety bill is played. LILY ELSIE MARRIED. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Nov. 7. Lily Elsie and Ian Bullough were married today. Miss Elsie Is one of the best known theatrical figures In England. Fifteen years ago she was a child singer In saloons. Bullough was previously married to Maudie Darrell, daughter of the late Hugh J. Didcott, a well known and long established English vaudeville agent. Bullough Is very wealthy, and a large landed proprietor In Scotland. Miss Elsie Is slated to come to America to appear in the American production of "The Count of Luxem- bourg," but it is not likely that she will come now. SHAW SAYS LAST WORD. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Nov. 8. George Bernard Shaw has at last consented to allow one of his plays to be done in the music halls. This Is the last word in the way of legiti- mate concessions to vaudeville. It is probable that "How He Lied to Her Husband" will be the play, and efforts are being made to get Henry Ainley, and two other West-end the- atrical stars to appear in it. Shakes- peare is the next on the list, with Hall Calne to follow. JIMMY GLOVER'S TERRIFIC HIT. (Special Cable to Variety*.) London, Nov. 8. Jimmy Glover and his band opened at the Hippodrome Monday, scoring a terrific hit. Mr. Glover was lately an orchestra leader, who decided a mu- sical organization headed by himself would be just the thing for the halls. SCORED IN AUSTRALIA. (Special Cable to Variety!.) Sydney, Nov. 7. Allan Doon and Johnson and Dean opened here Monday, and scored strongly. SUING "COPY ACTS." (Special Cable to Variety,.) London, Nov. 8. The Schwartz Brothers, who came into England with "The Broken Mir- ror" for the halls, to learn that two or three imitations of the act had previously appeared, have brought suit against the "copies." The turn of the Schwartz Brothers opened at the Hippodrome a couple of weeks ago, doing very well. $6,000 SALARY OFFER. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Nov. 8. The Pavilion, Glasgow, has tend- ered an offer of $6,000 to Sarah Bern- hardt for one week next September The Pavilion is in the centre of a strenuous opposition. It pays more for music hall' features than the Lon- don halls. The Bernhardt tender was made through Cockerlll, the Marlnelli manager at Manchester. For Jane Hading, the Pavilion will give $4,250, while its figure for Gaby Deslys Is $1,750. GOTCH IN JANUARY. (Special Cable to Variety*) London, Nov. 8. The champion wrestler, Frank Gotch, Is due hero in January. The hall he is to appear at has not been decided upon. Gotch will receive about $1,000 weekly for his English engagements. ' LINKE OPERETTA BOOKED. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Nov. 8. The intention of Oswald Stoll to secure a Paul Llnke operetta for one of the London houses his office books, will find expression Nov. 27 at the Palladium, when Llnke "Wedding Eve" is shown for the first time here on that date. "DAD" UNPLEASANT, PLEASES. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Nov. 8. There is a pleasing show at the Play- house, in "Dad," adapted from the French. It has a rather unpleasant theme, that of a father running off with his son's fiancee. Cyril Maude contributes some fine acting, and Alexandra Carlisle, in the other principal role, is excellent. DARING DANCE AT PALACE. (Special Cable to Variety*) London, Nov. 8. A beautiful production with a great dancer and a daring dance will serve the Palace as a drawing card for some little time. The turn opened Monday night, with Napierkowska as the dancer. The "Bee Dance" she does is the most daring ever, Napierkowska finishing it al- most entirely nude. REAL DUEL—IN FRANCE! (Special Cable to Varibtt.) Paris, Nov. 7. In a duel today with swords, be- tween M. Le Bargy, leading man at the Comedie Francaise, and M. Malherbe, a journalist, the actor succeeded in wounding the newspaper man three times, his seconds stopping the duel after the third wound, which was a deep cut In the forearm disabling the journalist. The combat arose from a dispute about Le Bargy's retirement from the National theatre. The actor proved a splendid swordsman. MORE ARTISTIC THAN GOOD. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Nov. 8. Grete Welsenthal, of the Three Welsenthal Sisters, presented at the Paladium Monday an indifferent panto- mime, with poor dances, entitled "The Strange Girl." The presentment is, however, an artistic offering. MIDDLESEX'S POOR START. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Nov. 8. The newly rebuilt Middlesex Music Hall, which opened last week, is going poorly. The public has not yet started to come. Try AdT«rtlnln*^-Try VARtTTT. Make a record of aometh'ns la TABUTT. TICH BOOSTS THE PRICE. (Special Cable to Variety,) London, Nov. 8 The Shuberts, of New York, stani over here now like Klaw & Erlanger did, when the "Advanced Vaudeville" firm commenced to dally with the headline turns of the halls. Whenever a music hall number hears "Shubert" nowadays, they try to think of the biggest sum of money they ever heard of. That becomes the price to the New Yorkers. Since the Shuberts paid Gaby Dol- lys $4,000 a week, and agreed to keep It up for several weeks, every- body on this side believes the Shu- berts must be next to the money bans of America's millions. That may be why Little Tich, wh'*M he heard the Shuberts were going -> offer him $3,000 weekly, raised the figure to $4,000.