Variety (February 1913)

VARIETY 11 ROAD SHOWS THE REAL THING IN VAUDE VILLE N EXT SEASON Almost Everybody Preparing to Take Out One or More. Peeling of Alarm by Big Time Managers Over Disposi- tion of Surplus Shubert- K & E Houses. Hoffmann Show Hurts Keith's, Philadelphia. Road shows will be the real thing in vaudeville next season. It looks as though there will be sufficient of these by themselves to offer opposition to the big time from Coast to Coast. Besides the travelling vaudeville ag- gregations, the big time managers are showing some concern at the possible disposition of the surplus Shubert and Klaw & Erlanger theatres after the tangle in the legitimae field has been amicably adjusted. Some say that after the Shuberts and K. & E. straighten out their map for travelling attrac- tions (pooling this or that town and closing houses in others) there will be from 50 to 60, or more, theatres loose in the country, all of a size.and in condition fit to hold big time vau- deville. That this phase of the latest legit set- tlement has vastly interested the vaude- ville people is proven by the report that E. F. Albee has called upon Lee and J. J. Shubert, also A. L. Erlanger, ask- ing their attitude toward the vaudeville trust. An attempt is likewise reported to have been made by the general man- ager of the United Booking Offices to learn just what K. & E. and the Shu- berts intend to do with the vacated the- atres. From a story about this week nothing more tangible was obtained by the head of the trust than to hear that if any plans for vaudeville were decided upon or a prospect of playing that form of amusement in the surplus houses appeared, the issue would be left with Pat Casey. The big time was not altogether alone in its anxiety to know whether the settlement of the factional differ- ence in the legitimate division meant another big vaudeville war between the two broadest fields of theatrical activ- ity. Marcus Loew is said to have put forth some leading questions upon the subject of the ultimate disposal of the abandoned Shubert and K. & E. the- atres, it being practically accepted by all show people that by the start of next season the former fighters in the legit will have a clear route sheet. The launching of the Eva Tanguay and Marie Dressier shows, along with the big money being coined by "The Passing Show" of the Shuberts, also the Shuberts' and Gest's "Broadway to Paris" (Gertrude Hoffmann) seems to have started a wave of vaudeville road shows for next season. One promi- nent manager, who has the theatres to play the attractions in, displayed this week a list of twelve well-known stars from the legitimate. -He stated that in combinations of "names" from among the list there would be enough material amoni? the twelve to head eight road shows. The impression is about that a road show, with solid headlines that mean something, will get all the money at $1.50. Some of the promoters of this class of entertainment say that even at one dollar top there will be a margin •of profit that will satisfy the manage- ment, calculating in this that the stars of the show will work on a percentage basis, not unlikely in many instances. The percentage thing in a road show or a theatre conclusively proves the star's drawing powers. As most often the star is quite confident he or she can draw, they are not adverse to the per- centage plan, which relieves the man- ager of the obligation a "play or pay" contract at a specific figure carries with it. The force of the road show vas brought out last week in Philad'-'phia, where thte Gertrude Hoffmar i com- pany played to $19,000 (IP perform- ances) at the Lyric. This company has several well-known vaudevillians be- sides Miss Hoffmann Charles Ahoi - and his comedy cycling act ?.:e a strong card with it The business done by the Hoffmann shov, materially hurt pat- ronage at Keith's, Philadelphia, the only big time vaudeville theatre in that city. Keith's was particularly injured at the matinees, although the greatest body blows delivered are reported to have been comment by regular Keith pa- trons why established vaudeville acts were appearing outside of vaudeville. ITHACA HOUSE GOES BACK. Ithaca, N. Y., Feb. 20. March 1 the Lyceum, leased to the Shuberts by Max Gudstadt, returns to the latter, who will thereafter operate it once again. MACK REPLACES GREGORY. Indianapolis, Feb. 20. Gilbert Gregory has been replaced in "The American Maid" by Georgie Mack, who came on here this week from New York. It is the Sousa (John Cort) show, "The Glassblowers," under its latest title. Louise Gunning has been placed un- der contract by John Cort for the show. She will be featured in the bill- ing. 1 DONLIN-GRAPEWTN BUY. Cliff Gordon no longer owns a "bit" with the Mike Donlin-Charles Grape- win show, "Between Showers." Mike and Charlie bought Gordon's interest? and are now running the show on their own hook. The attraction is now play- ing one-nighters in Pennsylvania MINSTRELS COMING. Hark hark! the press dogs do hark! the minstrels are coming to town. Everything has been cut and dried for the Primrose and Dockstader minstrels to open a New York engagement at an unnamed Broadway theatre within the next three weeks. DAZIE HURT AGAIN. Columbus, Feb. 20. After the Monday night perform- ance at Keith's, Dazie found she had wrenched her knee, and had to retire from the program. Her company of dancers, with Bonfiglio leading, remain as the feature of the show for this week. This is the first stand Dazie has appeared in since tearing the ligaments of her leg while dancing in "The Man with Three Wives" in New York some weeks ago. CORT DOING CAPACITY. The business at the new Cort the- atre on West 48th street has reached the capacity mark. Last week the box office showed $12,300. The house holds $1,509 a performance. It is expected that "Peg o' My Heart," with Laurette Taylor, will con- tinue there until July. RENAMES JACK ROSE SHOW. The Jack Rose show, first styled "The Gun Men of New York," has been rechristened "The Code of the Under- world." The company opens in East- on, Pa., Feb. 20. It will have a Stair & Tiavlin route. Carrie La Mont was signed last week to play the role of a dope fiend. Harry Pollock, Martin Julian, Abe Thalheimer and half a dozen others are "in on" the Jack Rose underworld play. TREASURER HEUCK MARRYING.. Cincinnati, Feb. 20. Cards are out announcing the en- gagement of Walter Heuck, secretary of Heuck's Opera House Co., and Phyllis Carter of this city. Both are University of Cincinnati graduates, the prospective groom cap- taining the football team in 1911. WIDOW MANAGING. Huntington, W. Va., Feb. 20. The residents have petitioned the widow of Joe Gainer, manager of the Huntington theatre here, who died in Phoenix, Ariz., to continue the man- agement of the house. Mrs. Gainer has consented to remain. She's a Cattlesburg, Ky., girl. TURNED BACK $5,000. Chicago, Feb. 20. An aggregate of nearly $5,000 was returned to purchasers of seats for the final performances of "The Girl at the Gate" at the La Salle opera house which were not given because of the order to close made by the building department. The refund was made in 36 hours, after the announcement of the closing was published. THREE SHOW DIVORCES. Chicago, Feb. 20. The theatrical divorce colony is growing. Kittie Mitchell, soubret with "The Dazzlers," and Adelle Allen, a chorus girl with the same company, have obtained divorces here. Edward T. Ader represented both women. Raymond Hutchins, of the Junie Mc- Cree Players, and his wife, Maude Scott, of Maude Scott and Co.. have been divorced, the former securing the decree through Ader's legal activities in his behalf. BICKEL OPENING IN REVUE. (Special Cable to Variktt.) London, Feb. 20. George Bickel opens next week in the Hippodrome Revue. RENE PARKER SCORES. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Fe"b. 20. Rene Parker scored a success in the Alhambra Revue. CHING LING IN LONDON. (Special Cable to Variety".) London, Feb. 20. Will Collins, the agent, has booked Ching Ling Foo over here for ten weeks—dates not disclosed. "JUBILEE" TOUR ENDS MARCH 15. The Weber & Fields' Jubilee Com- pany, now whirling through the one- nighters of the south and doing very big business, will close at Harrisburg, Pa., March 15. Immediately after the closing the comedians and their com- pany will return to New York. Lew Fields, on his arrival here, will start rehearsals for a big summer show which will open at the Broadway the- atre some time in May. The Jubilee Co. has nearly all one- night stands ahead of it. Feb. 21, 22 (Washington's Birthday) and 23 the show plays San Antonio; Waco, 24; Dallas, 25-26, and Fort Worth, 27. Then the company strikes Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, then Pennsylvania the second week in March, and then back home. NO BOARDS IN SAVANNAH. Savannah, Feb. 20. Small billboards on Savannah's street corners must go, according to the edict gone forth from the city council cham- ber. The destruction of the boards by the new city administration is causing much talk among the theatre managers of the city. Mcvrnrs travel eug. Chicago, Feb. 20. Karl McVitty (of the producing firm of Gaskell & McVitty), who recently returned from a trip to Panama, will sail from New York Feb. 26, for a tour of the world. Mr. McVitty expects to return some time in July, when preparations will be begun for the production of "The Print- er of Udell's/' a play made from the novel of the same name by Harold Bell Wright. BAYES-NORWORTH DIFFERENCE. • Chicago, Feb. 20. The daily papers have printed the report of a split between Norah Bayes and her husband, Jack Norworth. The couple arc said not to be living together, but are seen in public for business reasons. There seems to be no doubt of trouble between them since "The Sun Dodgers" opened here. The management claims it is merely a family squabble, but this is not credited. DeHollis and Valora, who have just completed a two years' juggling trip around the world under Chas. and Vic Hugo's direction, are due to arrive in New York this week.