Variety (December 1912)

8 VARIETY 50-CENT VAUDEVILLE C OMING TO TIMES SQ. Brewster Block Leased to Mitchell Mark Co. Will Have Capacity of 2,800. $125,000 Annual Rent. Several People Interested in Enterprise A pop vaudeville theatre of 2,800 ca- pacity is promised for Times Square if the plans announced by the Mark Realty Co. are carried out. Max Spie- gel acts as promoter in the enterprise which is being backed by Mitchell H. Mark, of Buffalo, who heads the com- pany. The Mark company has a 21-year lease of a portion of the Brewster car- riage factory block on Broadway, be- tween 48th and 49th streets, at an an- nual rental of $125,000. It is the pur- pose of the concern to build a theatre playing vaudeville at an admission of 50 cents. What booking connections the Mark- Spiegel concern will make has not yet become known. The proposition was offered to Marcus Loew some time ago. He was willing to carry it through on a rental basis of $110,000, but the holders of the property de- manded $125,000. Loew was not satis- fied that he could make money at his established box office scale of 10-15-25 unless there was a possible capacity of 4.000. As so large a capacity could not be insured, he passed the proposi- tion up. In addition to M. H. Mark and Spiegel as principals of the Realty Co., is M. Mark, of Lynn, Mass., and Eugene Falk, of Buffalo. The con- tracts which have passed between the Realty Co. and the owners of the Brewster property provide for two re- newals of the original 21-year lease at the option of the theatricals promoters. CIGARS FOR TIPS. Last week at a Broadway theatre the musical director was tendered the rem- nant of a box of cigars to divide among his musicians as tips for services ren- dered during the week's stay of an act in the house. The act required more than the mere playing of the music. In fact, its work with the director and his men consti- tuted the major and best portion of the turn, a double one. One of the act had been smoking from the box while in the house. When the cover was lifted about fifteen cigars remained. The leader informed the actor he would not insult his men by offering them a cigar from a half-filled box as a tip, whereupon the comedian suggested it be left to the stage man- ager. The latter decided without hes- itating that it was the cheapest thin^ he had ever heard of. INDIAN (URL POSER. Tashmoo, an Indian girl, will be seen in a new posing act in New York late in January. She will be managed by Otto Henry Harras and booked by Jo Paige Smith. ill health. Sam Fried is now running the City. John Thorn, formerly of the Wash- ington theatre executive staff, trans- ferred to the Audubon as Harry Reich- enbach's assistant, is now managing the latter theatre. Mr. Reichenbach has been installed as manager of the new Crotona in Tremont, which had its premiere as a William Fox vaudeville house ad- journed from last Monday to this Sat- urday (Dec. 28) though the opening has not been positively set, due to delay in completion of the new house. GOLD, BROOKLYN, OPENED. The new Gold theatre, Brooklyn, opened Thursday evening to a capacity audience, which included many of the local politicians. There were speeches galore and a banquet to a number of invited guests. The house seats 1,000, and has adopted a policy of "pop" vaudeville and pictures. It is leased to David Benjamin, of the Plaza, New York, who has taken the theatre for twenty years, with a ten-year renewal privi- lege. BYRON TABLOID MAKER. Frank Byron is going into the tab- loid producing business for vaude- ville. Mr. Byron has organized a com- pany and will make tabloids his regu- lar pursuit. The first miniature production goes into rehearsal next week. It will be called "Up and Down the Line," car- rying seventeen people, inclusive of eight choristers and six principals. CLARKSBURG'S NEW ONE. Clarksburg, W. Va., Dec. 24. The new $150,000 Clarksburg theatre will be opened to the local theatrego- ers Feb. 7, when Frances Starr in "The Case of Becky" will be the attraction. XMA8 PRESENT TIME. The star of the Christmas time gift to agents and managers this year was Jack Goldberg, of the Sullivan-Consi- dine-Loew agency. Mr. Goldberg, who is assistant to Joe Schenck, had them coming forty ways to him from the moment the bell rang for the holiday gifts to flow. By Monday Jack was getting sort of chesty. He was stocked out for a year in anything he might desire. Tuesday morning he returned a silver-handled umbrella because the donor had neglected to have his initials engraved, although the "sterling" mark was prominent enough. Tuesday afternoon Mr. Schenck and Chris Brown commenced to investigate. They wanted to know why everything was going Jack's way. Each declared himself in on Goldberg's accumulation, but Jack beat them to it through hav- ing leased a store house the day be- fore, and shipped all his presents there. The "Sadie to Gus" presents were more numerous this season than on the big time. The latter agents and managers did not fare as well as they have in former years. Going back to Goldberg, he's the fel- low who says there's no act in the world worth over 100; he bawls out agents, can turn loose a grouch without no- tice; never smiles before 6.30 p. m. any day, and has been known to eat ham and beans for lunch yet he got all the presents. MAX WINSLOW IN CHICAGO. Chicago, Dec. 26. Max Winslow, formerly a Ted, Sny- der manager in the east, has replaced Henry Santry as local manager of the Snyder firm. Santry only remained in the office a few weeks after succeeding Frank Clark, who is now an active competitor. STILL PICTURES IN COLORS. The series of subscription lectures inaugurated by Elisabeth Marbury at the Maxine Elliott theatre, the first of which is to be given Jan. 2, by Andre Fouquieres, will comprise a variety of subjects. They will be known as "Col- or Conferences," and have the support of the elite of the metropolis. It is in reality an exhibition of still color photography. FOX MANAGKKS MOVE. Hen Le >. manager of the City thea- tre, has resigned the place, owing tn FOREPAUGH'S SWITCHES. Philadelphia, Dec. 26. Opposition in the "pop" vaudeville field on North Eighth street was less- ened this week when Forepaugh's shift- ed from vaudeville and picture to straight pictures. Jules Mastbaum, who is heavily interested in several other houses in this city, has taken over I. Kaufman's holdings in the lease and will operate the house with W. W. Miller. Jules Aronson will have charge. First run independent pictures will be used. Forepaugh's has been de- voted to pop vaudeville for the past five years by Miller & Kaufman, who formerly had a stock company there. SAILING TO THE ORIENT. San Francisco, Dec. 26. The movies were unusually well rep- resented in the passenger list of the Japanese liner Tenyo Maru, when that vessel sailed from this port for Hon- olulu and the Orient. M. Costello (a Vitagraph Film Com- pany head) and family, attended by half a score of assistants, left for the Far East, where they will spend sev- eral months in a search for feature sub- jects. Another to sail with a "movie" oufit was Jessie H. Buffum of Los Angeles, who is credited with having walked from Boston to "the city of angels" with his brother, existing solely upon a vegetable diet. The Philippines is his destination. POP IN NEW BROADWAY. Bayonne, N. J., Dec. 26. The new Broadway theatre promoted by Ed Schiller and which opened Thanksgiving with legit attractions, will change to pop vaudeville Monday. Five acts will be played. Bookings re to be supplied by the John J. Collins agency. Two pop vaudeville houses are here now. One, Bijou, operated by Feiber & Shea, and another, Lyceum, lately started and seating about 1,100, plays three acts and pictures, booked by Harry Shay. BRUNELLE HANDLING PROCTOR'S. Harry Brunelle is the new booking head of the F. F. Proctor small time circuit. Mr. Brunelle has for assist- ants Jules Ruby and Jules Rabiner. Freddie Proctor continues in charge of the Proctor big time. Lester Riley, formerly in charge of the small time sheets of the Proctor of- fice, is now concerning himself only with the Proctor realty. Appearing at Parisian revue. ISABEL D'ARMOND AND FRANK CARTER the. Alh.'imbra, Parlg (December), and who may shortly be seen In a new Greatest hit In ragtime In the French capital. CHANGES IN "QUEENS." Lou Adams of Adams and Shafer, retired from the cast of Counihan & Shannon's "Queens of the Folies Bcr- gere" during the engagement of the the Howard, Boston. The managers of the organization have threatened to carry the matter of his retirement to the performers' or- ganization with a protest against his action. Counihan & Shannon declare they gave Adams the usual two weeks notice, but 'n> :\ immediately. Shafer is ri working alone in the show's olio ' the >lace formerly oc- cupied by the u