Variety (May 1912)

VARIETY COHAN & HARRIS THEATRES INCREASED TO SIX BY TWO NEW Bronx Site Secured by Firm for Combination House of the Grand O. H. Type, Under "Syndicate's" Franchise for Uptown. Another Cohan & Harris Theatre Reported for the Times Square Section Very Shortly Tho Bronx will have its legitimate combination house after all next sea- son. Cohan & Harris, who hold the franchise from "The Syndicate" for that portion of New York, have se- cured a site on 149th street, just east of Third avenue. It is a plot lOOx 200. The firm will erect a sister thea- tre to their Grand Opera House on 8th avenue. Combinations playing the downtown house will be routed for the Bronx stand the following week. Sam H. Harris confirmed the report this week to a Variety; representa- tive, saying the final details were about arranged and that the theatre would be in operation by next Novem- ber. A former deal for a Bronx site by the firm a few months ago fell through. It is reported that very shortly Cohan ft Harris will be prepared to announce a third C. ft H. house in Times Square, New York. They now have the George M. Cohan and Gaiety theatres in that district. The Times Square addition, besides those men- tioned above, with the Grand Opera House, Chicago, will raise the Cohan ft Harris theatres to a total of six. It is denied by Cohan ft Harris that they have any intention to book their attractions independently next season. "ENCHANTRESS'" TROUBLES. Atlantic City, May 1. Kitty Gordon left the "Enchantress" company Monday. It was given out that she was suffering from a sore throat, but she may have wished to avoid a week of one-night stands pre- ceding the close of the season of the company. She left here Tuesday after- noon for New York. Arnold Daly, who was here visiting Miss Gordon, is said to have departed on the same train. Nellie McCoy "started something" Monday night after the show, telling the remainder of the company that they were all amateurs—and other things. Venita FitzHugh took Miss Gordons place Tuesday night and gave a very creditable performance. HOLDING COMPANY TOGETHER. Notice was posted on the call board Monday at the Hudson theatre, an- nouncing the season of "The Ty- phoon" will be continued six weeks longer. This was done so that the members of the organization should not seek immediate spring and summer em- ployment. MELVILLE ELLIS LEAVING. During this month Melville Ellis will leave the Winter Garden show and sail for the other side. While abroad he will look over some foreign pro- ductions for the Shuberts, mingling this duty in with the pleasure trip. It will be the first time in several years Mr. Ellis has sailed away from New York when his object abroad was not to select outflttlngs for Shubert productions. Next season the Shuberts will have all the equipment and dressing for each of their several pieces manufac- tured at home. The only exception is the Leo Fall operetta Bam Bernard will appear in. Mr. Ellis will return to rejoin the Winter Garden company next season. He has been appearing ten times weekly at the Garden in his planolog for the past seventeen weeks. ACADEMY'S MUSICAL STOCK. Next season at the Academy of Music, New York, may find a musical comedy stock company, with its strength recruited from the Broad- way luminaries among the fun mak- ers. The idea of William Fox seems to be a Winter Garden show down town, at prices of admission ranging to seventy-five cents. The Academy has been playing dramatic stock for a couple of sea- sons. The 14 th street section has had all kinds of popular priced entertain- ments of late, excepting musical comedy. With the rent of the house at around $110,000 per annum and a high salary list, the Academy is ex- pected to do business every minute under the new policy. ABORN PEOPLE STRIKE. Boston, May 1. Thirty members of the Aborn Grand Opera Co. chorus, went on strike Thursday at the Boston Opera House, when they found their salary had been cut by the management of the com- pany. They signed in New York four weeks ago, for eight weeks in Bos- ton, and were to receive $12 a week. The Metropolitan Opera Co., played three nights of the time and on this basis, the Aborn choristers found but $7.50 in their pay envelopes. When the rest of the money was not forthcoming, they refused to go on with the rehearsals of "Thais" that was to be produced this week. Man- ager Long said that he had no author- ity to pay the missing portion and offered to take the matter up with Milton and Sargent Aborn in New York. He did. The result was the remainder of the season was cancelled Saturday. All tickets sold were called In and money refunded. BERNARD IN FALL'S OPERA. "Der Llebe Augustin," Leo Falls latest opera, successfully produced at the Neuses theatre, Berlin, Feb. 3 and which will have its London premiere at the Shaftesbury, May 7, has been secured for America by tho Shuberts. Sam Bernard will be starred in the piece, commencing next September. After a week on the road Bernard is expected to open at the Casino, New York. Bernard and his mother and sister expected to go abroad this summer but the Titanic disaster caused a change of plans. Until Bernard has looked over the * American adaptation made by the man who arranged "The Dollar Princess" for the American stage, none of the supporting members of his company •will be selected. Monday evening while Mr. Bernard and Flo Ziegfeld were seated at a Broadway restaurant table, the mana- ger held out hopes of weaning Mr. Bernard away from the Shubert man- agement. His last request to the com- edian was to do nothing before see- ing him. Ziegfeld and the Shuberts are friendly enough to have wished one another aboard the Titanic. RIGHTS TO DILLINGHAM. Charles B. Dillingham, who is a per- sonal friend of Paul Rainey, has bought the* Illinois State rights for the Rainey pictures now on exhibition at the Lyceum. They will be shown at the Studebaker, Chicago, for two weeks, lopping off that much of the Foy engagement. Following the pic- tures, Elsie Janis comes into the Studebaker for a summer run in "The Slim Princess." ENGAGING FOR "DOVE OF PEACE" "The Dove Of Peace," the first comic opera written by Walter Dam- rose h, will have its premiere about Oct. 1 in Philadelphia and will later be brought to New York. Wallace Irwin collaborated on the book and wrote the lyrics. It is in three acts. The first singer engaged is Henri- etta Wakefield, one of the younger mezzo-sopranos of the Metropolitan Opera House. CHARLEY BROWN and MAY NEWMAN'S Reception at Orph»um Theatre. San Francisco. NEW BRADY COMEDY OUT. Cleveland, May 1. A new comedy by George H. Broad- hurst and Mark Swan, entitled "Just Like John," was presented for the first time by William A. Brady, at the Colonial Monday night. Walter Jones plays the title role, supported by a capable company, bringing out the comedy to its full volume. The production is beautifully staged. Judging from its reception here the piece will undoubtedly score. "Just Like John" is having a short preliminary road canter prior to com- ing to New York the latter part of August as the opening attraction at the new Forty-eighth street theatre in course of construction. LEDERER SHOW GETS OVER. Philadelphia, May 1. The Lyric got posesslon of what looks like a good piece of summer property Monday evening, when Geo. W. Lederer started off "Mama's Baby Boy." The hot weather scale runs to one dollar. McWatters and Tyson become the principal features of the performance, especially Grace Tyson. The show was well liked and should do busi- ness at the entrance fee. (It is re- viewed elsewhere in this issue.) MRS. CARTERS EXPENSIVE SHOW. Mrs. Leslie Carter closes her season in "Two Women" at South Bend, Ind., Saturday night. The piece will not be sent on tour again In the fall, hav- ing proved entirely too expensive. Mrs. Carter is under contract for three years more to John Cort, at $1,000 a week, with a guarantee of not less than thirty weeks each season. A new play has not yet been selected. "TALE OF A TUB'* IMPORTED. "The Tale Of A Tub" ("La Farce d'un Cuvier"), a comic opera which made good in Brussels, has been ac- cepted for presentation in New York next fall according to reports. Several international playbrokers here claim the opera has been on the market but have not heard of any American manager accepting it. SUCCEEDS "GLASS HOUSE." Chicago, May 1. Next week Paul Armstrong's "A Romance of the Underworld," with Holbrook Blinn, will move from the Studebaker to the Chicago Opera House, succeeding there Martin Beck's unsuccessful play, "The Glass House," by Louis Anspacher. Armstrong's piece will remain at the Opera. House until the weather forces it out. At the Studebaker Elsie Janis will arrive the following week with "A Slim Princess." HENRY WOODRUFF ILL. Louisville, May 1. Improvement ia /.ported in the condition of Henry Wouaru'T. .vti) ;j ill at French Li^., Ind. nt;vivrv; *\n r.ns." According *_<j present plans, a re- vival of "Julius Cr.usar' will be made by William Faversham next season.