Variety (March 1912)

VARIETY MODIFICATION OF IMPORT RULE MAKES $ 500 THE FREE LIMIT Custom Authorities Qive a Little Leeway to Incoming Professionals. Rule Applies to all Theatrical Goods. Formerly any Amount was Dutiable. The custom authorities made a rul- ing Monday that all theatrical goods brought into this country up to the value of $600 should pass free of duty. Previously all theatrical prop- erties were dutiable. The term "theatrical goods" in- cludes clothing, apparatus or any- thing appertaining to the theatre. It applies equally to Americans and for- eigners entering the United States. The customs inspectors have been severely rigid for some time now in passing theatrical baggage, regard- less of the many offsets the traveling professional has to the many and va- ried rules in effect. The free entry valuation raised from nothing to $600 has given hopes to the show people that the customs men are commencing to recognise that the International exchange of players, necessitating their return here or to their homes abroad, is de- serving of a certain leeway that has been sometimes brutally overlooked in the past, forcing much hardship upon those who arrived for a close connection between their landing and playing dates. BARUCH PLANS FACTORY. Before leaving for Berlin next week, Bruno Baruch, of Baruch ft Co., the German theatrical outfitters, will have made arrangements to build the fac- tory for the concern near New York, reported sometime ago in Varibtt as under contemplation. . Mr. Baruch has been in New York for a few weeks. OPENING PLAY SELECTED. "Just Like John," by Mark E. Swan and George H. BroadhurSt, has been selected by William A. Brady for the opening of his new Forty- eighth Street theatre this fall. The house is now in course of construc- tion. SHUBERT'S FOREIGN PLAYS. Lee Shubert expects to produce "Der Liebe Augustin," Leo Fall's latest opera which is now enjoying a run at the Neues theatre, Berlin. The Felix Bloch Erben firm placed the foreign musical piece with the Shu- berts. The Shuberts are also planning to produce a new comedy by Carl RoesB- ler entitled "The Five Frankfurters," also running in Berlin. "READY MONEY'* STARTING. "Ready Money," which H. H. Frazee has had in rehearsal in New York, is slated for its opening performance out-of-town March 11 following with a series of one nlghters before the enow takes possession of the Cort the- atre, Chicago. Margaret Illington and company are at the Cort now. Business has been such Frazee may permit John Cort to keep it there until the receipts start me other way. In that case "Ready Money" will be slipped in some other Chicago house. William Courtenay and Ivy Trout- man are the principal players in the new Frazee piece. ♦TRUTH WAGON'* MOVING UP. "The Truth Wagon," John Corts new newspaper play by Hayden Tal- bot, will end its stay at Daly's next week, but its withdrawal does not mean Mr. Cort will take the piece off the stage. On the contrary the show will be placed In a playhouse further up Broadway where it will open March 11. The theatre in question has not been fully determined, but there are two which will be at Cort's disposal by that time. Cort thinks the show is too strong to be shelved and if it is unable to get by at a more convenient location in New York will send it on the road. NO MORE MONEY IN SIGHT. "The White Slave," Bartley Camp- bell's play which has been one of the big money-getters of the season on the road, will draw its season to a close at the Majestic, Brooklyn, where it is playing this week. The "Slave" show is closing busi- ness because there is no further time available, having covered all the road territory considered worth while this season. Next season there will be at least two companies playing the Campbell piece, with prospects of a third. ZELDA SEARS IN SKETCH. Atlantic City, Feb. 28. Next week at Young's Pier will ap- pear Zelda Sears, in a sketch, with company of five. It is Miss Sears' debut in the varieties. "DE LUXE" AT STUDEBAKER. Chicago, Feb. 28. "Dr. De Luxe" will open at the Studebaker theatre March 10, for its return engagement in this city. ORIGINAL FRENCH FARCE8. When Gustave Am berg, director of the Irving Place Opera Co., closes his regular opera season April 1, he will inaugurate a season of French farces and comedies. His spring dates will last as long as the weather permits. Amberg will give the plays in their original version. WOODS' "WOMAN HATER." A. H. Woods, through Felix Bloch Erben, has secured a German farce with music, entitled "The Woman Hater." The piece has been highly successful in Europe and is said to contain a remarkable novelty. TWO "MILLIONS" NEXT SEASON. The success of "The Million" in New York • this season has resulted in Henry W. Savage's determination to put out two companies next season. It may be that a third will be organ- ized. VIRGINIA ROSE GORDON AGE I TEARS. DAUGHTER OP FRANK GORDON AND ROSE KINLEY *<q The favorite vnudevllllans, whose Interests are handled this season by ALBEE, WEB- «R A EVANS. Virginia's professional debut was made at the Temple theatre, Detroit, week of Aug 22. 1910, at the are of one year and nine months. Recently, at Keith's, Philadelphia, In acktiowledglns; appreciation at the close of the act, she stepped out of her usual routine, anTl advancing to the footlights, started to sin* but discovering she was alone, ran to the flrst entrance, where she scolded mama and daddy for not sticking. "RAINBOW" MUSHY BUT NICE. Atlantic City, Feb. 28. Monday night at the Apollo theatre, Henry Miller appeared for the first time, in a new comedy by A. E. Thomas, entitled "The Rainbow." There Is nothing startlingly new, but the charming and clever way the lit- tle story is told, holds interest and ex- cites pleasure. A man and his wife, estranged for trivial reasons, are finally brought to- gether by their daughter. There are those who may regard the play as too mushy, that the usual adoration of father and daughter is a bit over- drawn. The play undoubtedly will appeal more to the feminine than to the sterner sex. The cast is a notable one, several clever people being cast for mere bits. The piece has an admirable produc- tion. After Mr. Miller come Ruth Chatterton and Laura Hope.Crews in the excellence of their work. Miss Chatterton made a sweet and beauti- ful daughter. Miss Crews as the sis- ters had many bright lines which she handled faultlessly. Hope Latham, too, was good. Fania Marinoff and Effingham Pinto were clever, with "bits," appearing in the first act only. Others were Charles Hammond, Robt. Stowe Gill, Edith Barker, Conway Wingfield, Ethel Martin, Daniel Pen- nel, George C. Pierce. Marie Porterin. After the first performance It was decided by the star that the last act would have to be rewritten and that some of the cast should be changed. The author was agreeable to any changes in the cast, but strongly re- sented any revision of the manuscript. It is likely that a friendly compro- mise will be effected. "REBEL" GETS A RECORD. Boston, Feb 28. "The Littlest Rebel" broke all rec- ords for the Boston theatre Washing- ton's Birthday at $1.50 prices. For the matinee the show drew $2,695, and at night the takings were $2,668, making a total of $5,363. Last year on the anniversary of the birth of "the father of our country" Julian Eltinge drew $5,148, which re- mained the record takings tor the year. New York engagements do not al- ways make or mar a show, evidenced by three of A. H. Woods' attractions now on the road. Julian Eltinge, Marguerlta Sylva and "The Littlest Rebel" did not make a dollar for their producer during the metropolitan en- gagements, but all are doing profitable business out of town. Last week Eltinge did $13,059 at the Detroit Opera house; "The Littlest Rebel" played to $14,350 at the Bos- ton theatre, and Marguerita Sylva's takings in Pittsburg amounted to $12,842. "THE HERFORDS" HAS MORAL. Albany, Feb. 28. Viola Allen appeared here Monday in her newest play, "The Herfords" in three acts by Rachel Crothers, the show being produced by Liebler & Co. "The Herfords" tells a simple do- mestic story and preaches the moral chat a married woman's place is in her home, not in the outside world seeking fame.