Variety (March 1912)

10 VARI1TY IS "WINE ROOM" PROPRIETORS CO NVICTED IN FLORIDA Managers of the Imperial at Tampa Sent to a Federal Prison for "White Slavery/' Prosecuted by the Govern men t. Some Booking Agents May Be Implicated. Tampa, Fla., Feb. 28. After being out for only a few min- utes, the Jury In the case of the United States vs. L. Athanasow and Mitchell Sampson (proprietors and managers of the Imperial theatre here) charged with "white slavery," brought in a verdict of guilty. Pleading for mercy, Louis Athana- sow was sentenced by Judge Locke to two years and a half at hard labor in the Federal prison at Atlanta, while his partner, who is a much younger man, received a sentence of one year and six months. The case against Athanasow and Sampson grew out of the sending of Agnes Crouch, a pretty young coun- try girl to the "theatre," which is a "wine house," by Sam Massell, a booking agent of Atlanta. He also sent two other girls at the same time. Seeing what the Imperial was they im- mediately left, but Miss Crouch, not knowing any better, remained. While in one of the boxes the first night there a man attempted to force drink upon her. He was interrupted by another man who took the girl to the Woman's Home and Hospital. Athanasow and Sampson's arrests followed soon after. The arrest and trial of several booking' agents would uave followed had not a prominent citisen of Tampa, interested In the theatrical business, interested himself in their behalf. It is reported, now that Athanasow and Sampson have been convicted, that those agents who have sent girls to the Imperial will be given a chance to explain the matter at the next term of the Federal Court. The Imperial is a very large and no- torious place in Ybor City, a suburb of Tampa. It played from ten to fifteen weekly. These "acts" are sup- to serve drinks in the many boxes, besides entertaining on the stage. It was a revival of the old "variety days" so often heard of as relics of the past, when "wine rooms" were the principal source of income to the house. "acts" posed NEW HOUSES OPENING. "The Family Department of the United Booking Offices placed a few strange "pop" vaudeville houses on its books this week. Two are new theatres. The Trent, Lynchburg, Va., starts Monday. It seats 1,200 and will play four acts booked by Rosalie Muckenfuss. Trent & Jackson are the managers. The Hewett, at Cortland, N. Y., takes off March 7, with five acts, placed by Billy Delaney. L. H. Hewett is the pro- prietor. His house will oppose the shows offered by the Dillon Brothers in their home town—nearly a city. The Orpheum at Nashville which started the season as a two-a-day vaudeville theatre, with United book- ings, but threw up the sponge shortly after, is going to try again, this time with three-a-day shows. Miss Muck- enfuss will look out for the Orphe- um's programs. The fresh attempt commences March 2. The Baker Opera house at Dover, N. J., will be furnished with Fam. Dept. bookings, starting Monday. At Birmingham, Ala., Monday, the Orpheum will retake on vaudeville, this time under the direction of Jake Wells. Bookings will be from the United, with Miss Muckenfuss also procuring the programs for this southern house. The Orpheum waB tried by the Or- pheum Circuit some months ago as a regular stand, but fell by the way- side. Its reopening will place opposi- tion against the Interstate Circuit. This will probably result in the Inter- state theatre (Majestic) adding a big feature number to Its weekly bill. LOEW'S BAST SIDE HOUSE. Tuesday Marcus Loew closed for the southwest corner of Ave. B and 6 th street. New York, as a site where he will erect a "pop" vaudeville the- atre seating 2,400. It will open with the start of next season. This week also the Loew Circutl purchased the 6th avenue front ad- joining its Oreeley Square theatre at 30th street. The site will be rased and an office structure erected, giving the Greeley Square a much larger ave- nue entrance. ENJOINS THE TRUST. Butte, Feb. 27. The Montana Amusement Co., which owns a string of "movies" throughout the State, obtained an Injunction last week restraining the General Film Co. from refusing to furnish films to the Imperial, one of the theatres in their circuit. LEASES SAVOY, BALTIMORE. Baltimore, Feb. 28. Last night it was said the Savoy theatre on N. Eutaw street had been leased to Sablosky ft McQuIrk, con- nected with the Prudential Vaudeville Agency in New York, and who conduct similar theatres in different parts of Pennsylvania. Popular priced vaudeville and pic- tures may be the policy. The Savoy has been unoccupied since the sudden closing of the Boston Play- ers Stock Co. several months ago. COST OF LIVING TOO HIGH. Chicago, Feb. 28. The Lyda theatre on the West Side will go into pictures next week. Mana- ger George Hines reports poor busi- ness as a reason for the change. The Lyda was, until recently, one of the best of the Western Vaudeville Mana- gers' Association houses. The present high cost of living is probably re- sponsible for the action of Hines, for the majority of his patrons are not in a position to frequent the vaudeville houses, at least during such hard times as Chicago is seeing at present. With the Majestic, Madison, going the same route, "The Association" loses two Claudius and Scarlet were reported as playing the Portland theatre, Port- land, Me., this week, instead of Keith's, in that city. Fad. GERTRUDE BARNES, "The Oh! Joy! Girt!" AFRAID OF UNLICENSED FILM. The Bernhardt and Rejane films, controlled by the French-American Film Co., which is offering state rights for sale, are not being as readily dis- posed of as the people who control them had hoped for. Early this week the New York state rights, believed to be the most valu- able of all United States territory, were still in the market, the asking price be- ing $6,000. Exhibitors have not evinced any mad desire to secure the rights for the reason that they are not "licensed" pictures and the show- ing of an unlicensed film would Jeo- pardize enjoyment of their regular "trust" service. PORTO RICAN CIRCUIT. There will be a vaudeville circuit in an hitherto unexplored field (Porto Rico) commencing April 7. Freeman Bernstein will ship six acts •weekly to the Island, commencing March 23. They will tour four weeks, playing as many cities, with a new pro- gram leaving New York weekly. Bern- stein's brother, Sam, who returned to New York last Saturday, after look- ing after the opera company Freeman placed in the Municipal theatre at San Juan, will leave again this Satur- day to prepare the Porto Rican houses for variety entertainment. Although the cities down there have had pictures now and again, vaude- ville will be practically a stranger. Ten performances weekly will be given, seven night shows and three matiness. 800 PEOPLE IN CARNIVAL CO. Nashville, Feb. 28. The K. G. Barkpott Amusement Co. laying in the South at present, will urnish the festival features of the arnival here, April 1-6, for the bene- lt of the Craggy Hope Nursery. The carnival company comprises ;00 people, traveling on a special train )f eighteen coaches. There are thirty attractions with the outfit. They were featured at the Mobile Mardi Gras last week and were one of the attrac- tions at the Knoxville Appalachian Exposition. P> OCKSTADER'S QARRICK "T HEATRE W. I* DOCKSTADRR, MANAGES THBA1 (AUTOMATIC I04B RMIDINCI, HBLI, 4T»4 WILMINGTON, DEL. .(M4 L* «v^ fyiM, \(^uvl ft MlMl* - 'ti*^ W fyvC*Jr CM -A kjod Set of PhoVbsJlequired Tei haveffny special papef; where it can 1 'ways Slate Time of Act Ten Day* in advance oi be obtained and pri aac< fe^wo dhow* Daily.' Ho $nnda^Work. ^eheanal at 10 a. m. Monday. Wire if