Variety (January 1913)

VARIETY BERT LESLIE RE-ELECTED COMED Y CLUB 'S PRESIDENT Spirited Election, With Old Time Campaigning and Electioneering Principal Features. New Board of Control The annual election of officers of the Vaudeville Comedy Club took place Tuesday. Bert Leslie was re-elected president, afte¥ a warm contest in which politics and campaigning were conspicuous elements. Mr. Leslie (who is in Pittsburgh this week) had opposed to him on the regular ticket Robert F. Dailey. Mr. Dailey an- nounced himself as a candidate follow- ing the resignation of Frank Fogarty as the nominee on the "official ballot." Mr. Leslie was placed in the race by several members after the club's Nomi- nating Committee had made its select- ions. Much interest attached to the Com- edy Club election through the public- ity it received. Only members in the city could vote. Owing to the time consumed in counting the ballots the open meeting of the club has been adjourned until this Sunday afternoon. It was to have followed immediately after the election. One hundred and fifty-six votes were cast. Six were defective. The officers elected for 1913 are: Bert Leslie, president; Homer B. Mason, 1st vice-president; George Le Maire, 2d vice-president; James Fitz- patrick, 3d vice-president; Francis Morey, secretary; Harry M. Denton, treasurer; George P. Murphy, chair- man of the house committee. Board of Control: E. F. Albee, Mar- tin Beck, Frank Bohm, Richard Carle, Frank Byron, Geo. M. Cohan, George Delmore, Ralph Edwards, Cliff Gor- don, Mark Hart, Aaron Hoffman, Homer Howard, Robert Matthews, Clayton White, Chas. F. Semon, Felix Adler. Other members of the Board are August Dreyer and Frank Otto, who hold over on a two-year term. The Comedy Club had "open house" and Ladies Night New Year's Eve. The club had a continuous stream of callers. An entertainment was given with a 15-piece orchestra to furnish the music. The "Ladies Night" por- tion of the affair was so successful it may be made a permanent feature at the club house. The White Rats held a ball New Year's Eve at the clubhouse. It was well attended, although notice of it had been only given shortly before through invitations. HAIDER DID $23,000 AT CASINO. The record for receipts was broken last week at the Casino, New York, by Harry Lauder, the star of the show William Morris placed at the Shubcrt house for a week. Nearly $23,000 was thy mark reached at the box office. The Lauder show started at the Shubcrt, Boston, Monday, for a week. It had an advance sale of $9,000 before opening. Another advance sale is now K"ing on at the Auditorium, Chicago, where the Scotchman will appear Feb. 3. Nana, the dancer, and Edna Whistler have been added to the Lauder show for the Boston engagement, perhaps longer. Little Freddie Hackin is tem- porarily retired from the company through the severe cold which affected his New York appearance. Rex Fox, the wire walking ventriloquist, is also out of the troupe. Last week the Morris office sent out a press story that Lauder would retire from the stage when he had accumu- lated $600,000. Why the press agent piked about the Morris star may be ascribed to Lauder's aversion to the tax collectors on the other side, or de- sire to stand off touches of his coun- trymen, were it known that he is now worth considerably over a million dol- lars, and has a yearly income (from stage work and investments) of not less than $125,000. U. B. O. MOVING? Whether the United Booking Offices. is going to move into the Palace thea- tre building this season is almost as great a riddle as what policy the Pal- ace will open its doors with. Present report is the U. B. O. in- tends remaining in its present Putnam Building quarters for the remainder of this season anyway. With it will stay the Orpheum Circuit. If the U. B. O. moves, though, the Orpheum offices will go along. MANAGER SAVES REFUND. New Orleans, Jan. 2. Manager Jules Bistes of the Orphe- um saved the circuit a refund for the matinee attendance Monday. The vaudeville program from Memphis, which comes in here intact weekly, was four hours late. A rehearsal was imperative. Stage Manager Mathers conferred with Mr. Bistes. They decided to allow the house to witness the rehearsal, after which the regular performance was given. KEITHS BROOKLYN OPTION. B. F. Keith has an option until Jan. 11 on the synagogue property lo- cated at 327 Ninth street, South Brooklyn, together with three apart- ment houses adjoining, and has indi- cated his intention to purchase the house of worship for $40,000. So confident is the congregation at present occupying the synagogue that the deal for the taking over of their property will go through, that they have appointed a committee to seek new quarters. In any event, they will continue in possession of their present home until next March. I'tlin \V. World, whn ha*, tint been able to work thus far this season on account of illness, is at l'aso Noble**. Cal.. taking the mud baths, ami ln»pc tn be well enough soon to make up for lost time. CHICAGO'S BIG HIP. Chicago, Jan. 2. One of the largest hippodromes ever erected will rise at 340-346 South State street next spring at a cost of $400,000. Jones, Linick & Schaefer will be the promoters and owners. They have leased the site. The transfer will take place May 1. Soon after the present buildings will be razed and work will be begun at once on the huge structure which will seat 3,000 without a post to obstruct the view. David Mayer and Herman E. Dick leased the ground from Harriet S. Jones in 1908 for ninety-nine years at an annual rental of $35,000 for the first five years and $40,000 for the balance of the term. Under the terms by which Jones, Linick & Schaefer lease the site, it will cost them $68,250 for the first four years and $80,000 for the balance of the time, or an average of $79,500. The total valuation of the property is $1,987,500. The firm which proposes to erect this enormous structure, which is much needed in Chicago, as the Coliseum is the only structure of any vast extent in the city, has come rapidly to the front in rccctn years. BECK FAVORS FROHMAN. A condition of Ethel Barrymore's booking over the Orpheum circuit this season is said to have been the fur- nishing of a route for Minnie Dupree. Charles Frohman, who made the con- tract for Miss Barrymore's vaudeville tour, had Miss Dupree on his hands under contract to appear as the Hen Pheasant in "Chantecler." When the proposition to permit Miss Barrymore to play the Orpheum Cir- cuit was put to Mr. Frohman he ex- acted a promise from Martin Beck to take over Miss Dupree, whi.ch was readily acceded to. AIRDOME FLOATED AWAY. New Orleans, Jan. 2. The Airdome at Pontoon, La., is no more. The place was located be- hind the levee and when the bank broke, it floated away. The establish- ment came to rest on the flat roof of a barn some distance away. A quick witted manager leased the barn, con- verted the airdome into a roof gar- den and is now running an al fresco resort with an Indian dance as the feature attraction. WILLARI) MACK COMES EAST. Willard Mack and Marjoric Ram- beau (Mrs. Mack), formerly the stock leads in Salt Lake and later playing vaudeville in the west, arc in NYvv York with their new sketch of the un- derworld. "Kick In," which Mack wrote himself. The piece was shown to the local agents at the I nion Square Dee. 2/. at the nie-lit pctfoim- ance. Mack has uriilen anotlirr ml, "Marty Hunan's Win." r«-ijui rin:■ m:\ch pc<»j>!e and three scenes, which \w will put in rehearsal next week, with |\\.» 11;.'lit weight pugs in prominent role-. Mark may return to stork aflrr hi-, vaudeville tour, havin-j laken a h-a^e "i! the n«-w Miplieum. Salt Lake. Ilis w.'n wa< with Oliver Mnri^cn'^ :<>rees tor years »»n the coast. KEPT MAY WARD OUT. "Amiable and pleasant" would de- scribe Freeman Bernstein's frame of mind late last week when informed the engagement of May Ward at Hammer- stein's for Jan. 6 had been canceled through Carl Lothrop, of the United Booking Offices, claiming Miss Ward had played "opposition" to the Temple, Detroit. Mr. Bernstein is the agent for the "single"; Lothrop books the Temple. Miss Ward has appeared at the Miles theatre, Detroit, about five times withi.i the past two seasons. While Bernstein fumed about, he still admitted it is better for an act to play Miles, De- troit, five times than Hammerstein's once. Besides, said Freeman, with vivid side remarks, Miss Ward has worked thirty-nine weeks out of the year just ended. Bernstein put his case into the hands of Henry J. Goldsmith, the attorney. Lawyer Goldsmith brought the facts to the attention of the district-attor- ney's office in New York. "The matter has been given to As- sistant District Attorney Kocnig," said Mr. Goldsmith. "The facts arc being investigated and if it appears that there, has been a criminal conspiracy/action will be taken against those respon- sible." ENGLISH ACT AT 5TH AVE. Last Sunday Burley and Burley, an Knglish team of comedy acrobats, reached New York on "speculation" bent. Next Monday they open their first American showing at the Fifth Avenue, the couple having been placed for the quick showing on the big time by Max Hart. LOOKING INTO BRIDGEPORT. Bridgeport, Conn., Jan. 2. • It is reported here representatives of William Fox and Marcus Loew have been looking the town over for an available theatre or site to build one, to play pop vaudeville. There is hardly a chance that both would enter the town. It is possible if either secures an opening here, the other will be "let in" on the proposi- tion. SOLLY LEE WILL OBLIGE. With a face that no one can get in- to Hammerstein's without seeing, Sol- ly Lee is going on the stage of the theatre Jan. 20 to sing a couple of songs. Solly is the doortender at "The Cor- ner." He has taken part in several of the mob scenes on the stage. Wil- lie Hammerstein got one of those "It- can't-do-any-harm" ideas and now Sol- ly, who belongs to an acting family, will pet a regular chance. Besides acting and singing, Solly tells stories, wears a uniform and ohevs orders NO "RAG" FOR CHINA. The daughter of Ching Ling Foo, the Chinese magician now at Hammer- stein's, sings "Mississippi" and "Hitchy Kimi" in L". i 11; 1 i>ii at c.vh performance. When asked if -he could "make good" by singing the sa**i. -ongs in Knglish in her native !..»-.!, Miss )•'>><* replied the Chinese would not under stand the language, of course, ami be indifferent to th< music.