Variety (June 1912)

16 VARIETY STOCK dkvoxde's eye saved. Camden, N. J., May 29. Although the physicians said Chester DeVonde would lose lae sight of one eye and that the other would be affected as a result of carbolic acid being poured into his right optic by mistake during a play last week, De- Vonde will be able to use both eyes after all. DeVonde has been in Cooper Hos- pital receiving treatment. THREE GET JOBS. Robert Prazer, who has been play- ing leads with the Richmond theatre stock, Stapleton, S. I., has been signed for leads with the Eclair picture com- pany through the Betts & Fowler agency. B. & F. have also placed Louise LaMont and George Roche with the Colonial stock which is playing Cana- dian territory. FIGHT TOO STRENUOUS. Baltimore, May 29. The stock opposition has been so strenuous one company announces a desertion of the field. The Academy of Music will close shop tomorrow (June 1). Although one company found the Thomas Players too strong opposition and was forced to close, another com- pany springs into existence at the Halliday Street next week. "The Easiest Way" is expected to be the new stock's opening bill. CHANGES IN PROVIDENCE. Providence, May 29. Marshall Farnum has severed his connections with the Albee stock, Keith 'b theatre. Harry Leigh ton came on to take his place Monday. Royal Tracey, light comedian, leaves the company this week. TRYING STAR SYSTEM. Newark, May 29. The star system is being tried at Proctor's stock here. The first to ap- pear was Guy Bates Post in "The Nig- gar." Last week Annie Russell fol- lowed in "Miss Hobbs." Next week Arthur Byron is slated to play "Sher- lock Holmes." Irving Lancaster, who closed with the San Antonio stock, Joined this week to play second parts. LEADING MEN APLENTY. A few weeks ago stock managers were searching high and low for lead- ing men. Now the dramatic agencies are alive with them. As far as stock work is concerned, all of the com- panies are well equipped at present. Tuesday afternoon the following leads were "at libfcrty": Frank Elliott, Claude Payton, Severin Dedyne, Lewis J. Cody, George Mc- Quarrie, Theodore Gamble. By next Monday there will bo others added to this list when several companies close tomorrow night. "SPLITTING" IN HOBOKEN. Two houses in Hoboken, the Hip- podrome and Keystone "split" stock companies every three days. Betts & Fowler have a company at one house; the Raymond Whittaker Players at the other. Betts ft Fowler also have the Gar- rick Players under their management at the Garrick, Peekskill, N. Y. Ralph McDonald and Isabelle Gould playing the leads. With the bottom dropping out of business at the Gayety, the stock company closes there tomorrow night. "The Typhoon" is the closing bill, this being the first time this piece has been played in stock in the east. As Walker Whiteside is to star in it again next season, efforts will be made to keep the piece out of stock. PLAYED ONE PERFORMANCE. Philadelphia, May 29. Paul Burns closed his stock com- pany at the Standard Saturday night. William Moran, who joined the com- pany at the eleventh hour, played a matinee. Paul Burns is playing an engage- ment at the Thalia with his company. He opened last week in "The Virginia Outlaws," and this week is giving the Bowery another dose of meller with "The Chinatown Trunk Mystery." H. O. H. STOCK REVIVAL. William J. Kelly will be the star of the Harlem Opera House vaudeville stock company, commencing June 3. at which time Beatrice Morgan re- tires for the summer. It is rumored that with the opening of tne fall season legitimate stock will be revived at the Harlem Opera House. DOPE GOES WRONG. Albany, May 29. The dope has gone wrong on the local stock situation. The Bert Lytell company at the Hermaneus Bleeker Hall has been making money ever since the opening and of late it has been a turnaway. ENGAGES LOCAL MAN. Syracuse, N. Y., May *s). The large business at the Empire the first part of the week was at- tributed to the drawing powers of James McCarthy, just back to his home town after a season with the Mont- gomery and Stone show. All the people here know him, and they want to see "Mac" act out on the stage. He replaced Walter Shuttleworth with the Empire Stock Company. The other stock company, headed by Ralph Kellard at the Welting Opera House, is still holding up its strong gait at the box office, although last week, with two tent shows fol- lowing one another and the Weber- flelds "Jubilee" troupe carrying off the big money, the stock houses suf- fered somewhat. "FOLLIES" WILL WAIT. A lingering wait may be ahead of "The Follies of 1912" before the an- nual girly production of F. Ziegfeld, Jr., can get a showing in the big town. It will have to hang around while "The Winsome Widow" is cling- ing to the stage of the New York thea- tre (sometimes called the Moulin Rouge). Mr. Ziegfeld has thought of putting the Follies on the Roof again, but an outlay of $10,000 or $12,000 might be necessary to fix things up there after a continuous season of many pictures and few patrons. Downstairs "The Widow" will re- main until warm weather drives it forth, when it will be at rest while bookings of two weeks or more at a stand are made for the show next sea- son. Due to the cost of installing the ice rink at every theatre played, but Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and one or two other towns will be played after Chicago, where "The Winsome Widow" opens during Sept- ember. Bookings made for "The Follies" will be shifted to the Moulin Rouge piece. Among these are Bernard Granville .and Ray Samuels. Miss Samuels reached New York Tuesday. She opens Monday night. THE DRAMATIC PLAYLET. By LEANDER DE CORDOVA. BOOKING MEETINGS ON. Due to the number of acts accepted and which must be routed for next season, the managers of the United Booking Offices did not pass upon the value of other acts this week. Nothing beyond routing was attend- ed to this week at the booking meet- ings. A number of acts that will be rout- ed are waiting, according to report, to see the routes assigned them bo- fore finally accepting the United 'b offer. At a couple of meetings this week, the booking men were again occupied with the foreign acts booked by W. Passport for the Orpheum Circuit. One story regarding a route was of a musical comedy girl who received a wire from her agent giving the route and salary assigned. She re- plied the salary was not satisfactory and she didn't care much for the route either. The agent went "upstairs'' with the wire, when one of the United men said, after reading it; "Why, the girl doesn't understand the situation, that's all. I'll just wire her and it will be all right." He sent a lengthy telegram, explaining the United and Orpheum were booking together, and it was to her advantage, etc., all of which is the usual matter under tnese circumstances. Concluding the wire, he said "Now I hope you understand.'' About three hours afterwards the answer came back. It said; "Now that I understand, everything is off." Robert M. Eberle, of the well known theatrical family of that name, died May 24 at South Bend, Ind , aged 72. He was taken ill in that city some time ago while managing one of Charles Frohman's companies, and removed to the St. Joseph Hos- pital, where he passed away. The relation of the dramatic playlet to vaudeville and its effect is (to use a simile) like a child who has for years been estranged from its parents and has only lately been reconciled, but who has not yet given to each othep that extreme confidence that perfect love begets. The whole fault lies in a lack of understanding, or shall I say intimacy, with the average manager for his au- diences. The dramatic act well done Is as necessary to the life of vaudeville as milk Is to a baby. Would anyone enjoy a dinner en- tirely composed of dessert? No! and it applies to vaudeville in this way: If we fed our public all comedy acrobatics and dancing they would soon tire of the fare; therefore, the wiser managers are giving their pat- rons a touch of drama. I venture to say without fear of con- tradiction, by the just, intelligent and thinking man that a good dramatic act commands more notice, thought and comment after the average.aji- dlence has gone home than any com- edy act ever did. • How many managers take the trouble to find out from his audiences how his bills are liked? If the mana- ger thinks the average person goes to the theatre to be amused for the hour or two and then forget, they had bet- ter change their opinion, if they ex- pect to stay in a business which should be much more remunerative to them than it is now. That brings me now to the point where I wish to show the very close relation the drama and vaudeville should have for each other. The aver- age man or woman who goes to a vaudeville entertainment will discuss the dramatic act (if it be worthy at all) more than they will any act on the bill—and why? Because If the topic is a subject dealing with life and its emotions, the question involved will impress people differently; there' fore a friendly discussion of the story and players is the inevitable result. Others besides those who have seen the playlet become interested, their curiosity is aroused, and they go to find out for themselves. I have heard managers say that a laugh was worth a thousand dollars to them; did they ever figure how much a tear was worth? Every bit as much as the average laugh, and I will ex- plain why. Nine hundred and ninety people out of every thousand have a skeleton in their closet; therefore no matter what subject is discussed in a playlet, it strikes home to some part of the Intelligent auditor. The sym- pathy that nature has endowed us with as well as our selfishness, sees, understands and enjoys the idea that they are not the only sufferers In the world, but that others before them and others after them will suffer as they have done. It is a comfort. The sooner all managers and artists realize that the tone of vaudeville In general must be heightened, the sooner will that necessary confidence be es- tablished.