Variety (June 1912)

.•I VARIETY ui miners in again. Arthur Buckner, whose connection with vaudeville has caused town talk In Now York and Chicago, Is again in hot water. Buckner faces several warrants for his arrest on various charges, the most serious being that of conducting an employment agency without a license. Things looked pretty bad for Buckner last week but they were not a circumstance to what developed this week. Buckner on the first of May opened a booking office, a studio and school for acting and a general place to teach the public everything it should know about the stage on the seventh floor of the Columbia theatre building. With Buckner was one H. H. Stone, who is said to have put something like $700 in the business for a half- interest. Anent the selling of the business, Lillian Bradley, a cabaret prima donna, who also has a claim of $300 against Buckner for three weeks' solo work at one of the Cabarets, pur- chased a half interest and Melville Gideon, who sailed last Saturday to fill a Buckner contract abroad, is said to have been sold a third interest on top of the two halves. Buckner booked in shows for ChurchaU'B, Fleischman's, and tne Folies Bergere. Tuesday afternoon Buckner phoned his office but despite warm invita- tions to come at once on urgent busi- ness, decided it was best to let 'em all sit and wait. As near as the exact amount can be figured that Buckner owes to the artists who have been on his books of late is $2,113. BUTTERFIELD IN WATERLOO. Waterloo, la., May 29. W. S. Butterfleld and Marcus Hei- man have leased the Majestic here for a long term, taking possession Aug. 1 The house will be remodeled and improved for opening Aug. 16 with vaudeville booked by the W. V. M. A. Rockford, 111., May 29. The Orpheum Amusement Co. has sold the controlling stock, formerly held by A. J. Shlmp, to the Butter- fleld-Helman theatre combine. The stockholders have decided to build a new Orpheum, seating 1,500 which will be ready by Dec. 1 next. The house will be added to the Butterfleld string, with vaudeville booked in by the W. V. M. A. SUCCESSFUL FIRM'S NEXT SITE. Philadelphia, May 29. Hopkins, Milgram & Gardiner, who built the Alhambra, have made settle- ment for a piece of property at Broad and Snyder avenues and will build a vaudeville theatre there. The cost is placed at $175,000. The firm has made a success of the Alhambra, playing "pop" vaude- ville. In order to cope with the op- position, the owners of the Plaza, only a short distance below the site of the new house, plan to place boxes and a balcony in their house, increas- ing the capacity to 2,500. The Plaza is closed now for repairs. TRYING TO SPLIT ACT. A single woman In vaudeville who enjoys little popularity even among the professionals she must associate with lost what little regard there was left when she asked a member of a three-act the other day to leave the turn, and accompany her to Europe as pianist. The young man asked the woman if she wanted him to "split tne act," ("splitting the act" being one of the moral crimes of vaudeville), and was told she didn't care what became of the act, but she wanted him as a pianist. The piano player, much to the single's surprise, told her what he thought of her, also the offer, then introduced his wife. REN SHIELDS' BENEFIT SUNDAY. A benefit for Ren Shields will take place at the Grand Opera House Sunday (June 2). The Vaudeville Comedy Club purchased 200 tickets. Cohan & Harris donated the theatre to the popular song writer, who has been ill. TEXAS HOUSE WITH NO POLICY. San Antonio, May 29. The future policy of the new Oi- pheum here is problematical. The Bartley Cushing Players, who opened the house, spent a profitable fifteen weeks, closing recently. If the house does not play vaude- ville, it will open the last week in August as a combination stock. BACK TO THE LONDON OFFICE. The Sulllvan-Considine office in London will be continued as of yore and by the same representative, B. Obermayer. Mr. Obermayer sailed Tuesday, after a visit here of a few weeks, dur- ing which he played no pinochle and bought one drink. PUTTING $50,000 IN PARK. Denver, May 29. Earl Gaudy, the European park manager, has been installed as gen- eral manager of Manhattan Beach (formerly Luna Park). The promoters have invested some- thing like $50,000 in improvements, and expect Gaudy to pull them out on the right side. Elitch's and Tuillenes are the only two of the five parks who have put away money in other seasons. VALE'S PLAY CONDENSED. Travers Vale's new play, "To-Day," which was given a stock premiere in Jersey City earlier in the season, will be converted into a vaudeville playlet and will be tried out in two weeks. "When Love Is King," a romantic play, Mr. Vale's latest, will probably be put on the road next season. KEITHS BIO PICTURE HOUSE. Montreal, May 29. Excellent progress is being made on Keith's new mammoth picture house, which when completed will seat 3,000 at an estimated cost of $350,000. The site 1b central, on Bleury street, near the Orpheum and Princess theatres. A. Conover, present manager of Keith's Nickel, is slated to manage the new house. MIXED UP AT BRIGHTON. It looks like a lively summer be- tween the Brighton Beach vaudeville managers, Dave Robinson (Brighton theatre) and Doc Breed (Brighton Music Hall). Botn houses book through the United Booking Offices. Last week Manager Robinson re- booked Joe Jackson for the week of July 8 at the Brighton. Shortly after, Manager Breed heard of It an^d said he held a contract with Jackson at the Music Hall for July 15. Breed wanted the U. B. O. to name the house with the right to the act, but the agency replied it was for the man- agers to decide between themselves. Another case occurred last week when of the substitute acts called down to the Brighton, one was after- ward found to be under contract at the Music Hall. Breed thereupon can- celed the contract he had issued, when Robinson informed the act to fill in the loss of time, he would re- book the turn for a week in August, which he did. The annual summer season opens at Morrison's, Rockaway Beach, June 8. TURNS DOWN $18,000 OFFER. Roy L. McCardell, of "Mrs. Jarr" fame, was offered $18,000 a year to write scenarios for one of the big moving picture manufacturers, but could not accept. He 1b tied up with a contract to the Evening World, which has two more years to run. HOLDING SUTHERLAND AGENCY. The Albert Sutherland Agency will be continued intact next season. The committee of managers exer- cising a supervision over the busi- ness has had several requests from acts controlled by the agency for per- mission to book direct or elsewhere, but these requests have been denied. The refusals have not been peremp- tory, but more in the nature of "friendly advice." FREEMAN BERNSTEIN I-ff-C. 'I'm no person, I'm a corporation" said Freeman Bernstein, the desciple of Bacon. Mr. Freeman by the bye prefers Bacon to Shakespeare, though he says Child's always burns his bacon on both sides. Why Mr. Bernstein is a corporation he doesn't venture to guess. "Some body told me that to place 'Inc.' after my name would make people believe I had been given a degree by Prince- ton and would impress the actors much more than 'Mgr.' does.." "But I don't know "added Mr. Bernstein. "I can't see it* is doing me any good. This morning 1 wanted to get a money order for $100 cashed so I stopped in a saloon on my way to the office and bought a glass of beer. Generally Monday is my Mountain Valley day, but I had to have the coin. The bartender gave me a nice glass of beer. It looked so good I asked him if he wouldn't have one, and to show him I could spend if I wanted to, I asked another fellow in the place to have a drink too. I started talking about the show business, and they could see I was a good fellow and wise to everything that was doing, and then we had an- other drink. I got the bartender com- ing my way with a story of a couple of dames (one of those warm boys, yon know), then he bought a drink. I wouldn't let any ale mixer have anything on me so I ordered another round. That was forty-five cents all together and 1 didn't want to go any further just to get the change of a hundred. "I asked him how much it was and threw the money order on the bar. 'Take it out of that' I says, 'and give it to me in big bills.' "'Hey!' hollered the bartender to the mut I had been treating, 'Go through this guy and if you don't find any coin on him, use the mallet.' They were Just going to fix me up nice for WafdTNo. 5 when I told him I had a dollar in my shoe. They took that, gave me back the money order and then the man behind said, 'Now youse fly mug, beat it back to the show business' "And that money order had 'Inc.* right after my name. So I haven't been able to find out yet what this corporation thing is all about. I know I have Paul Hall in on it and a couple of 'dummies' but I am Just the general manager of Freeman Bernstein, Inc. I loan them my name, see. "Can Mr. Hall cash money orders too? I would like to see him try it. ' NO CARNIVAL COS. Terre Haute, May 29. The city authorities have decreed that no street fair or carnival com- panies can play Terre Haute here- after. ETHEL WHITESIDE. IN VAUDEVILLE. STILL ONE MORE. Ground has been broken for a new theatre at 152d street and Prospect avenue by Makarenkos. It will open with a "pop" vaudeville policy about Aug. 15. The house will be an open air theatre in the summer and closed during the winter.