Variety (December 1912)

16 London, Nov. 27. Billy and Marie Hart made their first English appearance at the Hippo- drome Monday afternoon at 3.30. They had not quite recovered from their journey, but, arriving Sunday, put up a good performance which improved every day. At first their act was a little long. The versatility of Marie was generally remarked upon. There were very few things she left out. She is admitted to be one of the few wo- men with a good voice who can sing ragtime. The comedy of their per- formance was that portion devoted to the "second sight" business. Their burlesque was well carried out. Billy Hart is Anglicizing his locals and cut- ting out some of the ultra American- isms which are not understood. In a week they will be delivering the ex- act goods. At last there is to be a genuine ef- fort to eliminate from English vaude- ville the red-nosed comedian. To Americans this type of performer has long been a matter for marveling. The baggy pants, the old umbrella, the impossible wig and the distorted features have become an integral part of British vaudeville. Now the cudgels have been taken up by Paul Murray on behalf of the Variety Theatres Con- trolling Co., and he has sent out to all his managers the following let- ter: "Dear Sir: It seems to me there is of late a growing tendency on the part of a certain class of per- formers to indulge in make-ups which are neither clean nor humor- ous, and I shall be glad if in every case of filthy or inhuman make-up you will at once report same here, and also to ask the performer to amend such offensive make-up. There is no doubt that a large por- tion of the audience resent these caricatures, and I do not believe there is any case where the clean- ing up of the make-up would in any way depreciate the value of the act. "My directors also desire me to once again impress upon you the great importance of your person- ally seeing the entire performance through every Monday evening at the first house, and immediately correcting the slightest tendency toward vulgarity either in gesture or word. Any attempts to gain laughs by means other than those whicHi are clean should be sternly repressed, and comedy depending upon the exploiting of certain parts of the body should be absolutely forbidden. "This letter, of course, has no particular reference to your the- atre, but is rather meant generally and also to check, if possible, the growth of these uncanny make- ups." M. B. Cooke, of the American Cooke and Three Rotherts, lias been com- pelled to refuse a fine offer to appear as principal comedian in the Revue at the Orfeum theatre, Budapest. Cooke and the Rotherts are now playing their third month within a year at the Or- feum. They go to the Apollo, Vi- VARIETY nggggg* 3 LONDON VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE a oanur bt., Leicester square. (cable "jimbuck, London.") W. BUCHANAN TAYLOR, Repre-ntative. (BAYARD) Mail for Americans and Europeans in Europe, if addressed care VARIETY, as above, will be promptly forwarded. enna, in December, and are booked solid on the Continent for some time. It is stated that "Paid in Full" will be done at the New theatre in the mid- dle of January as successor to "Ready Money/' but up to this point no other theatre has been secured for "Ready Money," which, after a slight slump, recovered its following, is now doing big business. Irene Dillon is to be principal girl in the pantomime at the Prince of Wales' theatre, Birmingham. The cabled information that nego- tiations were nearing completion for the transformation of the Hammerstein London Opera House into a glorified picture palace has been officially con- firmed. Fernand Akoun, a Frenchman, born in San Francisco, who has been connected with the Luna Park, Paris, for a considerable time, has applied for and obtained a dual license for the London Opera House. This means that he has a dramatic, singing and dancing license, which entitles him to run it as a theatre, music hall or a cinema. A deposit on the hall has been made to obtain a ten years' lease of the building at a rental of $60,000 a year. According to the present arrangements, the Opera House will be reopened be- fore Christmas. The first program will consist largely of cinematograph pictures, vaudeville turns, sketches and short plays. Each Saturday morning there will be given special cinemato- graph matinees organized for school children. In the spring French and English Opera will be put on doubt- less headed by Thomas Beecham, who has first claim on the Russian Ballet. It is intended to let the present name, the London Opera House, stand for a time, but later it is to be changed. Ben Nathan is connected with the deal and is kind of temporary acting manager for Akoun. A blow has been struck at "small time" in London, that is, the kind of small time which is no novelty in America—pictures and a few acts. The Theatre and Music Hall Committee of the London County Council has de- cided a picture palace music license shall only permit instrumental music and that no intoxicants shall be al- lowed on the premises. This means that only incidental instrumental mu- sic in any of the picture palaces will be allowed. In the Provinces, the law is apparently different, for there is growing up throughout the country a great number of "small time" houses where from two to five acts are given in addition to the pictures. Oswald Stoll has again failed to get a drink license for the Coliseum. From the start Mr. Stoll has made it plain to the licensing authorities he does not cesire the privilege of selling drink for his own profit, but has even gone to the length of offering to give all the profits made on liquor in the Coliseum to charity, as a guarantee that it was the convenience and comfort of his patrons he chiefly sought. The Lon- don Hippodrome (Moss) is in the same plight. Its application for a drink license was also refused. Still harder on Mr. Stoll was the refusal of a music hall license for his proposed Fulham Empire. There was much opposition in Fulham from non- conformists, school masters and school mistresses, and theatrical proprietors, stating that the district was sufficiently well catered to already. How long the public will stand for interference of their rights by a pack of local busy-bodies is a matter of uncertain- ty. G. P. Huntley has just put on a new sketch by Harry Grattan called "Cu- rios." In the provinces it has made an instant hit and will be seen in Lon- don shortly. Professor Max Reinhardt's truly re- markable production of "A Venetian Night," at the Palace, has passed through the fire, and is not unsinged. As in the case of "The Miracle" and "Oedipus Rex," the high-brow critics have taken exception to the work. "A Venetian Night" shows us some won- ders in stagecraft and on the Palace stage, with the use of the revolving platform, Reinhardt accomplished things that have never been seen be- fore in London. The wordless play itself suffered by having been cut, in consequence of the intervention of the Lord Chamberlain, and therefore it was unfair of some of the writers to rip it up as they did. In any other place but London "A Venetian Night" would have been held as a marvel in vaude- ville history and certainly I think that that is really what it amounts to. An important decision has just been given in one of the courts regarding the responsibility of partners who split. A dancing troupe were booked for a certain number of dates by an agent. They split and the engagements were never fulfilled. The agent went after one of the partners for the commission and secured the verdict. Another case which created some in- terest among vaudeville folk on this side was that in which the Brothers Woodward sought an injunction against Cliffe Berzac to prevent him from us- ing the nairie Woodward. It transpires that Berzac bought the act in Amer- ica for $9,000, a contract carrying with it an agreement on the part of the Woodward Bros, not to present a sim- ilar act within twelve months. The case of the plaintiffs was that the seals and sea lions originally sold to Ber- zac had mostly died and the act as i: at present stood was not the one they had disposed of, therefore Berzac was not entitled to use the name "Woodward." The Court upholding this contention, decided that Berzac could not in future u%e the najne Wood- ward. After a two weeks' tryout in the Provinces, Pauline has fixed up for a three weeks' engagement at the Lon- don Palladium. Dorothea Baird, the wife of H. B. Irving, has retired from the stage. Stanley Houghton, author of "Hindlc Wakes," which William A. Brady is about to produce in New York, had two pieces produced in London Nov. 19. They are "The Younger Generation" at the Hay- market, and "Phipps," a one-act playlet at the Garrick. Both were highly success- ful. MITTENTHAL CIRCUIT DBC. 80. , Mittenthal Bros, has signed leases for six theatres and will start their threatened invasion of pop vaudeville Dec. 30. The houses are Jefferson, Auburn, N. Y.; Morgan Grand, Sheron; Academy, Oil City; Grand Opera House, Hazelton; Academy, Pottsville; and Grand Opera House, South Beth- lehem, Pa. The policy will be four acts and pictures. The shows are to be put to- gether in New York by Walter Plim- mer and will start at Auburn, contin- uing over the chain intact and finishing up three weeks later in Sharon. The six houses will play "split weeks." STAGE HAND ARRESTED. Cincinnati, Dec. 4. Ford Record, assistant stage carpen- ter with one of the Aborn Opera com- panies, was arrested here at the insti- gation of the St. Louis authorities charged with the theft of jewelry from one of the chorus girls. He will be- taken back to St. Louis to be tried. Record is also charged with jumping a board bill at Regent's Hotel, St. Louis. As Record is a member of the Inter- national Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, the New York headquarters of the order will investigate the case. If Record is found guilty, the Alliance will expel him from good standing. MILLER IN THE MOVIES. Joe Miller, leader of the "101 Ranch" outfit, returned this week to Bliss, Okla., the home of the wild west or- ganization. He has been at Venice, Cal., with a lot of stock, cowboys and Indians, putting on wild western dramas for a moving picture company. He will return to Venice in ten days and remain there the greater part of the winter. The "101" outfit is wintering in Hot Springs, Ark. It will open there in April and move east, probably playing indoors in Philadelphia. "The Chimes of Normandy," the Aborn Opera Company's revival with Vinie Daly, will lay off in Milwaukee the week before Christmas.