Variety (February 1913)

VARIETY WITH THE PRESS AGENTS Williom A. Brady announces that he will bring out n new, melodrama, yet unnamed, to McVlcker's, Chicago. Euster Sunday. No tickets will Ik sold for "Little Women" at the Playhouse after March 1. A new at- traction is underlined. Omar Lear, who had many a battle with "Consul." the monk, while traveling with Dlrwisky. hns Joined the United States army. He expects to be sent to the Philippines from Columbus (O.) barracks. Nellie Revell had Charles J. Ross of "The Passing Show of 1012" taken into custody In Chicago last Sunday night for passing stage money in Stillson's restaurant. Two detec- tives from the central station took the actor in charge and took him to headquarters where Mr. Ross explained that Oilman Haskell, his manager, had played a joke on him by putting stage money in his pay envelope. Some of the local papers fell for it. "Never Say Die." Willie Collier's present vehicle, is to be made Into a novel, the Will- iam A. Brady press department announcing the fact. Incidentally Tarklngton Baker says Collier's engagement may run late In the summer when the comedian and his entire company are expected to play in London for Sir Charles Wyndham. Among other Baker contributions is one that a Boston man called attention to the steel rod umbrella which was used In "Little Women," saying that such rods were not known until 1800. A wood-stick has replaced the steel rod sunshade. Still another Item on the 6heet was that the en- gagement of "Hindle Wakes" In Chicago has been extended Indefinitely. Brady will shortly hand Chlcagonns Rutherford Mayne's "The Drone." The New Era Producing Co. Is to produce "The Love Leash" shortly with Ann Meredith as one of Its principals. In the May Irwin show "Widow My Proxy" which follows Ceo. M. Cohan and company at the Cohan theatre next Monday are Or- lando Daly, Clara Blandlck. Alice Johnson. Countess Helene. Arthur Dowyer. Lvnn Pratt. Frances Oaunt. Helen Wratherby and .Tor Woodburn Robert Milton staged It The moving picture press agents are pretty boys nowaday* and are using all the tricks In trade known to the circus and legitimate show agents. One of the best In the Sunday papers was a story how Marguerite Snow, leading woman of the Thanhouser Co. saved the life of the Bagley kid when the New Rorhelle plant burned during the making of a picture In which Miss Snow was expected to make a make-believe rescue of the child from a burning building. Theodore Roosevelt, the only living ex- presldent In captivity whom the Morrlfl Won- derland has not yet been able to secure for a special sitting, went back of the stage be- tween acts at a Olobe theatre performance last week and visited Fred Stone, Dave Mont- gomery, and Elsie Janla, according to a re- port sent out by the press department. About six lines wa« about the best It could get In one of the papers. Oeorge M. Cohan expects to make a stage dramatization of "Seven Keys to Baldpate " a late novel by Earl Bigger. An early fall production by C. & H. Is promised. Jane Cowl will be seen In a new comedy on Broadway a year from this spring under Arch Selwyn's management. She goes on tour In "Within the Law" next season under Sel- wyn's direction. A new play by Mary Shaw and Henry Irving Lodre will be placed In rehearsal next week by the National Federation of Theatre Clubs. Maude Fealy. starring In "The Right Prin- cess." a new play by Clara Louise Burn- ham, opened her first week's engagement In Providence Monday night under John Cort's direction. Harry Relehenhach has the Crotona Bulle- tin In circulation. The little four-sheet paper has a picture of William Fox on the first page. While the sheet comes out every Thurs- day and fells what the theatre i« going to give In the way of Mils, personal Items about people In that part of the Bronx are pub- lished and Harry thereby picks up a little local advertising among the merchants In the Crotr>na nelchbnrhood. Harrv manages to n ake himself useful | n more wavs than one on the Fox payroll. it In the" first small time prese sheet, regularly published. Lillian Russell 1? coming to the Fulton for seven nights and three maMnees. beginning March .t. and tell "How To Live a 100 Years" and die young. She will be assisted by Klne- macolor pictures. William Raymond Sill Is making press agent history ahead of the Weher ft Field*' Jubilee Co What he did In the wnv of pub- licity promoting In Dallas i* maklng'the other boys ahead shake their 1im.' ? nnd wonder Hill sinmmed over a four-column <,t 0 rv of per- sonal reminiscent of h's Mnri and their famous plavers In the Dalbr New* Feb 0 All this rleht biffn In the fnrr of the News stnrt chnrues of $1 2rt nn tn^h for advertising a Blngle column cut for 12 Inches and a 2- (olumn cut for 24 Inches, with only three measly reading notices In advance of an at- traction. Charles (Kid) Koster, late of the Henry W. Savage and Shubert advance forces, has ac- cepted the advance work for the United Play Company'e Bhow, "The Lion and the Mouse." Koster will be back In the circus game next season. Ian Maclaren is to produce "Samson Agonlstes" during his engagement with "The Daughter of Heaven" in Chicago. Whltford Kane, formerly with "The Drone" company, has been added to the "Hindle Wakes" cast In Chicago. Cohan A Harris announce that "Stop Thief" will run well along into the summer as far as present indications are concerned. The George Cohan show, "Broadway Jones," on quitting the Cohan theatre Feb. 22 will play the fol- lowing week at the Orand Opera House, New York. In the new Cohan ft Harris show, "Children of Today," which opened Monday at Atlantic City, are Jeanette Cook, Isabel Garrison, John Hlnes. Carmon Nesvllle, Mill- cent Evans, Oeorge Probert and James Brad- bury. The piece is styled "a satirical comedy drama by Clara Llpman and Samuel Ship- man." At the Cohan theatre Feb. 24 will he May Irwin In a new comedy, "Widow By Proxy," by Catherine Chisbolm Cushlng. At the Lyceum theatre Feb. 25 (afternoon) the Twelfth Night Club will repeat its recent anniversary performance. On the program will be a travesty by Rachel Crothers entitled "Revenge or the Pride of Lillian La Mar." with John Rarrymore, Jane Grey, Orace Ellis- ton nnd Laura Burt as its central players, songs by Scott Welsh. There will be other turns. The death of little Joe Oalner, manager of the Huntington Opera House, Huntington. W. Va., for six years, was formerly located at Shamokln, Pa., and Wilmington. Del., where he managed houses for Nlxon-Nlrdllnger, In Phoenix, Ariz., whither he had gone to build up his health, recalls a personal achievement of his that Is still fresh In the minds of circus people. Gainer landed a special circus hoard around the Carnegie Free Library In Hunt- ington. The Buffalo Bill show was dated for that city and as central locations were scarce Oalner went to the superintendent of the library and told him that Andrew Carnegie had given permission for the erection of the board, as Andy was a close personal friend of Colonel Cody's. The superintendent at first was suspicious, but Oainer's earnestness won the day. The board went up In front of the library. Then the super thought twice and wrote to find out If Gainer had been given permission. The circus came and went and Gainer was then yanked up on the carpet by the library custodian. He echoed the cus- todian's views and said his father had al- ways told him not to believe circus people anyway. William C. Miller, baseball player, song writer and Jack o' all trades. Is helping Rich- ard Lambert get out his dally press assort- ment. Miller got ambitious the other day and sent out a story. PRESS OPINIONS. MASTER MTND. The best thing about this play Is that not even the guard of "first nlghters" could guess, without the aid of the prompt book, how the play was going to end.—Herald. "The Master Mind" is the very crookedest. It is likewise the very silliest.—Times. As It was equally high flown both In the writing and the acting. It may not lack for a time for audiences. But as sensible drama -shades of Thesnls !—Morning World. "The Master Mind" comes too late in the crook game.--American. THE RRTDAL PATH. A highly entertaining after dinner spin it proved to be for the audience that covered the course to the final curtain.-Herald. It must have bi*n obvious to the first audi- ence that It was not as much the absence of wit as the lack of almost every other ele- ment supposed to be essential to a plav especially motive, which destined It to di- saster.—World. Mr. Buchanan once wrote one of the best Plays of a season. Last night, alas' he fell Into the direst doldrums.-Amerlean. ..n!i n rilL I l. K * fro # fn romedv t0 drama of a sort of tin n »i™- fR iT e ' U kPpt onp *»<"< B lns most or the time how manv different kinds of persons the author had been trying to satlsfv throueh that perilous and trying peVlod which follows the acceptance of a manuscript and Its actual appearance before the public" i imes ' Leander Richardson left Wednesday for Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis and Chicago "ahead" of the Philip Bar tholomae production of "When Dreams Come True." OUT-RATE QUOTATIONS. Out of all the attractions in New York at present, Joe Le Blang, the "cut-rate theatre broker," at 499 Sixth avenue (near 30th street) has premium seats for one show. That show is "The Whip." "At premium" in Joe's business means the payment of two bits more for dollar seats which are in great demand at the box office and of the theatre agencies. Joe is daily offering Manhattan Opera House $1 seats for $1.25, but they are seats that the "specs" can clean up at any time. Joe had to laugh Tuesday. He got stuck for a bunch of Monday night seats for "The Argyle Case" (Robert Hilliard at the Criterion), which seems strange to outsiders who are of the impression that the show is doing big business. These were regular $2 orchestra seats which Joe tried to dis- pose of for $1.25. Joe has seats to burn for "Mile- stones" at the Liberty, $2 seats for $1.25. He has no trouble in supplying his clientele with orchestra tickets at $1.25 for "The Master Mind" which opened at the Harris Monday night, "The Unwritten Law" at the Fulton, Sam Bernard at the Lyric, Weber & Fields' theatre show and others which are not doing a jam up business. When Chauncey Olcott opened at the Grand, Joe obtained a few the first of the week but now has plenty which he sells two for $1. He also had some choice balcony seats for "Within the Law" Tuesday night which went for $1 apiece. Joe is now doing a nice auto busi- ness, and through his urbanity and willingness to please every patron, has worked up a pretty classy "cut-rate ticket" trade. Diagonally across the street is Pop Phillips' cut-rate agency, but his close proximity to Joe puts a crimp in his business. A Variety representative called at Pop's place Tuesday afternoon and found signs up for some shows that have passed into oblivion. Pop and the young man inside claimed they could produce seats for almost any show from "The Whip" ($1.25) to vau- deville houses. Pop says he gets from 50 cents to $1.25 a ticket. Pop claimed he could show tickets for some of the shows doing capacity, but none were shown while the Variety staff man was in the store. AUDITORIUM GOING "DARK." Chicago, Feb. 20. "The Daughter of Heaven" leaves the Auditorium Saturday night after a run of two weeks. It will go on the road East. The Auditorium will probably be dark for some time. TWO PLAYS FALL DOWN. The two new plays produced in New York this week hit the bottom of the well, the bumps only separated by one night. Monday evening "The Master Mind" went on at the Harris, and turned over. Tuesday night at the 39th Street "The Brida Path" did a somersault. If anyone wants to know whether they have a good show, the 39th Street should be tried. It's like Syracuse to a vaudeville act. SHOWS IN PHILLY. Philadelphia, Feb. 20. The general depression usual with the Lenten season is beginning to make itself felt. There has been no great falling off in business about town, but several of the shows which have been drawing big are not doing so well this week. "The Fascinating Widow," with Julian Eltinge, opened very big and to a very appreciative audience at the Chestnut Street Opera House. The piece has been brightened up since its last visit, and Mr. Eltinge, who wore some wonderful gowns, scored an in- dividual triumph. The press was strong in its praise, and "The Widow" ought to have two big weeks. "Broadway to Paris," with Gertrude Hoffmann, is not drawing as big in the second week at the Lyric. "Bought and Paid For," next door in the Adel- phi, continues to get good returns for its seventh week. "The Governor's Lady" is closing its stay this week at the Broad and do- ing very well under the conditions. "Officer 666" is holding to a nice busi- ness in its third week at the Garrick. "The Round-Up" is doing big at the Forrest. Second and last week. "Freckles" is still at the Walnut. It's a poor show and drawing lightly. "The Common Law," a dramatized novel by Robert W. Chambers, is a new play at the Grand Opera House. It was well received Monday night. WEEK IN FRISCO. San Francisco, Feb. 20. Show receipts in San Francisco are not generally good owing to Lent. At the Orpheum where Sarah Bernhardt is the drawing magnet the house has been packed nightly with the matinee close to capacity. Business is of healthy proportions at the Columbia, Cort and Alcazar theatres and only fair at the Savoy. "Mutt and Jeff" was disappointing, the company being lamentably weak in the singing department. CHICAGO CHANGES. Chicago, Feb. 20. It is announced Ziegfeld's "Follies" will come to the Colonial after "The Rose Maid" has worn out its welcome. The latter show was booked in for eight weeks, and the indications now are that it will stay here that long. Lewis Waller reaches the Blackstone in "A Marriage of Convenience" March 2. He will have an English company, and his leading woman will be Madge Titheradge. Maude Adams at the Illinois in "Pe- ter Pan" March 3—remaining for 16 performances. Last two weeks of "The Rainbow" there. The "last two weeks" sign has gone up at the American Music Hall for the Bayes and Norworth "Sun Dodgers" show. The troupe will leave March 1. No announcement is made as to the next attraction. It has been decided to bring Helen Lowell to the American Music Hall in "The Red Petticoat" at the conclu- sion of the run of "The Sun Dodgers." Bert Melrose sprained his back at the Alhambra Monday and had to leave the program.