Variety (December 1912)

VARIETY sen CLEVELAND AND DETROIT ARE GOING ON S-C CIRCUIT Theatres Opening in January, Adding to the Sullivan- Considine Route. New Ha I stead, Chicago, Starting In Feb. 1. New Line of S-C Travel. Fred T. Lincoln, General Manager, Officially Announces. Before Fred. T. Lincoln, general manager of the Sullivan-Considine Cir- cuit, returned to Chicago last Satur- day, he informed a Varibtt represei- tative the new Broadway theatre, De- troit, seating 2,100, will open under the management of J. M. Ward, Jan. 12, with the Sullivan-Considine Road Show making the house regularly each week, as a new stand on the S-C chain. About the same time, the new Duch- ess at Cleveland (capacity 1,500) will also start, with the S-C traveling vaudeville combinations as the attrac- tion. Feb. 1 the circuit's own new house, the Halsted, in Chicago, will open, giv- ing S-C two weeks in the Windy town, the show first playing at the Halsted, and then moving over to the Empress. The Halsted seats 1,900. With the Nixon, Philadelphia, the new line of travel on the "S-C time" will be from the office of the general booking manager, Chris. O. Brown, in New York, to Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Chicago, then taking up the usual route, as at pres- ent. There is a possibility Baltimore and Pittsburgh or either will be linked to the circuit, in which case the towns will be sandwiched in the route. In Detroit th e S-C theatre will op- pose the Temple, booked by the United Booking Offices, and also the Miles theatre, besides oiher houses playing vaudeville. In Cleveland Keith's Hip- podrome will be the stronger compet- itor of the Duchess. Asked about the proposed entry into the south by Sullivan-Considine, Mr. Lincoln replied they were proceeding slowly, not caring to close until it was satisfactory to them. Six or seven southern cities would be included, said Mr. Lincoln. Either theatres would be leased, or if one could not be found that met with their requirements, a house would be built. TURNS TO POP. Bayonne, N. J., Dec. 11. The new Broadway theatre, which opened Thanksgiving Eve with combi- nations, under the management of Ed Schiller, experienced a change of policy this week, when pop vaudeville started. Six acts and pictures make up the bill. Day prices are 5 and 10; at night. 10 and 20. The house seats about 900 POX SEES NEW ENGLAND. New Haven, Dec. 11. William Fox, who plays pop vaude- ville at the Grand Opera House here. and at the Nelson. Springfield (Mass.), besides having leased the now building house at Waterbury, came through New England last week for the first time since his name was billed around these parts. Mr. Fox is contemplating carrying out his original intention of dotting New England with his vaude- ville theatres. A report is about that while the New York manager was in Boston, con- ferences were held there looking to- ward the erection of a new theatre for Fox vaudeville in that city. AUSTRALIAN IN FRISCO. San Francisco, Dec. 11. Jules Simpson arrived here from Australia on the steamship Sonoma this week. He stopped off at Hono- lulu on his way to this country and consulted Manager Cohen of the Or- pheum, Honolulu, regarding the pos- sibilities of a future booking connec- tion with the Brennan Circuit in the Antipodes. Mr. Simpson proposes to remain in the States several months. He will probably visit New York before return- ing. MANAGER RENEE MISSING. Chicago, Dec. 11. Sigmund Renee, traveling man for the Interstate and until recently mana- ger of the Plaza theatre, suddenly dis- appeared Monday night. Simultaneous- ly was missed $1,000, receipts from that theatre. Before leaving Renee bought a diamond ring from a State street jeweler on credit and is charged with forging a check for $150 mailed by the Interstate people to Ray Whitfield, manager of their East St. Louis house. Renee's wife is hysterical. The police have been notified to arrest him. Renee had been seen with a chorus girl in the "Modern Eve" Company. The girl has also disap- peared. Renee owns a vaudeville act known as "Renee Family." VOICE FROM THE CHORUS. A voice from the chorus has been plucked by Leo Edwards, who discov- ered Jane Lawrence in the ranks of the Winter Garden Company. Next Mon- day, Miss Lawrence, assisted by Mel- ville Franklin, the composer, and Seid- erman, a violinist, will open in vaude- ville. VODE AT BOWDOIN SQUARE. Boston, Dec. 11. Lothrop's Stock Burlesque organiza- tion has given up at the Bowdoin Square, and this week in its place is a hill of ten acts booked by Phil Hunt. The policy of 10-act vaudeville will be continued at the house until next summer, when the burlesque stock will resume over the warm weather. The variety bill costs about $1,000. Hunt is handling the booking from the New York end. He supplies the bouse in conjunction with his other c.onnec tions in New England territory. LOEW-S-C BOOKINGS. "Big time" acts recorded on the books of the Loew-Sullivan-Considine agency this week are: Elita Proctor Otis and Co., opening at the National, New York, Monday; Four Bards at the Ameri- can, Monday; Sager Midgeley and Co., in the same house, same day; "Big Jim," at the Yorkville this week, and Capt. Geo. Auger and Co., who started the Loew Circuit at New Rochelle Monday. GIVE RITCHIE EIGHT WEEKS. San Francisco, Dec. 11. The engagement of Willie Ritchie, the conqueror of Ad Wolgast, was so successful at the local Empress thea- tre, that Sullivan-Considine has given the lightweight champion eight weeks on the tour. He will play east, closing at Kansas City. His salary is report- ed as a very large one. SEAVER SELLS HIP. Chicago, Dec. 11. Vernon C. Seaver, vice president and general manager of the Great Northern Hippodrome (formerly Lyric, which recently switched from Shubert shows to a ten-cent pop vaudeville bill, with unexpected success) has sold his in- terests in the venture to a number of Omaha capitalists, who will continue the house under the same policy. Seaver left for New York early this week to attend the preliminary busi- ness of the "Young Buffalo Bill" open- ing which is scheduled for April. John McGrail will look after the booking of the Hip, as usual. FIVE MORE THIS WEEK. Chicago, Dec. 11. On the top of the 114 new theatres mentioned in Varietv last week comes the announcement of five more this week. Permits have been granted for four. One is a $60,000 house at For lieth avenue and Twenty-sixth street; another a $15,000 house at 2516 Full- erton avenue; another at 1335 North Paulina street to cost about $20,000; another at 2419 Wentworth avenue to cost $7,500, and the fifth to cost $40,- 000 at Sixteenth street and Trumbull avenue. THIRD "MOVIE" ACT. William Ray, a newspaper man and producer, has written a sketch en- titled, "The Gossip at the Movies". This is the third "Movie" act that has bobbed up in New York of late TOOTS PAKA. The irresistible dancer who was tin- first to introduce the Hawaiian dances and music to American vaudeville, is now playing a return engagement over the Orpheum circuit. Unlike many others, Miss I'aka w able to repeat and has proven it during her four years in this country, in all the first class vaudeville theatres fmin coast to coast, returning to most <»f them and being cnthusiasticalh n ceived upon each reappearance Many Hawaiian troupes have >|hihil up since Toots Paka first started <>n the wave of popularity, but of them all she alone continues in thr better grade of houses. Pictures of Toots are on the fr-i>: ■ over of this issue. EliLIOTT-SAVONAS FOR A WEEK. Next week will be the only New York appearance of the Elliott-Sa- vonas. an English musical turn with an elaborate production. The act was imported for the Or- pheum Circuit. Immediately after opening in the west the Elliott-Sa- vonas were headlined on the Orpheum bills, and continued over the circuit in the feature position. They sail about Dec. 23 to carry out contracts in effect for their appearance at home, accepting their only open week (commencing Monday) at t]ie Orpheum, Brooklyn, to allow the east- ern vaudeville people to see the act. HURCHILL LEASES ORPHEUM. Cincinnati, Dec. 11. E. P. Churchill, owner of a number of theatres throughout the west has secured a lease on the Orpheum. He will take possession Dec. 15. The bookings will come through Theater Booking Corporation of Chicago. Twelve acts will be used. Despite the apparent credence given to the story here it was denied by the Orpheum interests. SAILINGS. Sailings for the week arranged by the Paul Tausig Steamship Agency, Black and White (Cedric), Dec. 12. ORPHEUM TAKES CLUNIE. San Francisco, Dec. 11. Morris Meyerfeld, Jr., has taken over the interest of L. Henry in the Clunie, Sacramento. That house will probably open under the Orpheum Cir- cuit management Dec. 29. The New Empress may open Jan. 15. ENLARGING CAPACITY. Chicago, Dec. 11. Plans are under way to enlarge the seating capacity of th e Palace Music Hall. It is planned to build eight loges across the front of the balcony. This will bring the seating capacity nearly up to that of the Majestic. MARRIED AND RETIRED. Following the announcement of the marriage of Jerome Rosenberg and June Imes Sept. 9, it is now stated Mrs. Rosenberg will retire from the stage. CURTIS' "SPLIT" VERDICT. Suing for salary for a "split week" on the Cunningham & Fluegelman Circuit. Sam J. Curtis received a "split" verdict, recovering onc-hnlf the amount claimed. The action hinged upon whether the managers could order Mr. Curtis into the 86th Street theatre without his con- sent. The latter half of the week he was to have appeared at the De Kalb. Brooklyn, which Curtis stood read to d«>, but was n«>t allowed by the firm after he declined to appear at the up- town house the first half. The Court gave judgment for the De Kalb portion or the unplaycd contract Following i lie trial Inst Friday morn ing before a municipal court justice, I Fluegelman. of the firm, and Harry Pin cus. of th«- li. A. Meyers agency, came to blows ,,i, tne street, each charging the other with coloring testimonv