Variety (June 1913)

VARIETY ALL OF PHILLY'S POP HOUSES DWARFED BY BUI LDINO PLANS Oigantic Structure Proposed by Central Market Street Realty Co. Which Will Eclipse Anything in Popular Priced Theatres in Quakertown. Site at Market and Juniper Streets. Philadelphia. June 4. Another big vaudeville deal stirred up things amongf those who became acquainted with the facts this week. The Central Market Street Realty Co. has acquired the corner property at Market and Juniper streets, one of the most prominent corners in the city. The price has not been divulged, but it must be an enormous one owing to the location. The Market street company now owns a half dozen picture houses in the central section of the city and operates the Hippodrome as a vaude- ville and picture house at Reading. It is planned to build a mammoth theatre on the new site, the house to be the equal of any theatre in town playing "pop" vaudeville. The date for breaking ground has not been set, but it will be as soon as the company can close a deal pending for more property on Juniper street. The lot already acquired is ample for the theatre, but the company wants a large stage, and the plans call for the stage to be placed in such a position more room is needed. This site is one, which Marcus Loew and F. G. Nixon-Nirdlinger were mak- ing a bid for to erect a new theatre before the securing of the Metropolitan Opera House changed their plans. At that time it was reported in Variety a new house was to be built opposite Wanamaker's big department store and the City Hall. The site is located there and occupies a section that is traversed as much as any spot in Philadelphia. Among the vaudeville men who have heard of the deal it is accepted as the most gigantic and most important made in connection with the growth of "pop" vaudeville in this city. K. ft E/S CONTRACT OFF. The contract between Klaw & Er- langer and George Mooser for Ching Ling Foo, the Chinese magician, is ofF. Or at least it seems to be. It was said Wednesday Mr. Mooser had placed the agreement with his attorneys and intended taking Ching to London, per- haps bringing him back next fall to head a road show over the John Cort time. Ching's contract with K. & E. called for 46 weeks at $1,450 weekly. Of this amount the Chinaman is said to re- ceive $800. Klaw & Erlanger "farmed" the act out to the vaudeville managers lately at $2,000 a week. The exact cause of the severance of relations between the syndicate and Mooser is not known. When Ching played Atlantic City last week it is said he was instructed to report at a pop vaudeville theatre in Baltimore for this week. The Baltimore house plays three shows daily. Mooser advised Ching not to accept the date, he having had, it is claimed, a verbal understand- ing that Ching would not be called upon to play three times daily under the K. & E. contract. The refusal of Ching to follow the directions of his managers is reported to have been de- clared a breach of contract by K. & E. When first securing the magician, the firm placed him with Ziegfeld's "Fol- lies," where he remained until the show wound up its season about a month ago. Hammerstein's Roof Garden expects Ching during July, and there are said to be other American vaudeville en- gagements entered for him. One story circulated to the effect an attempt had been made to have Ching break his connection with Mooser, but Ching replied he was satisfied and too old to be bothered. SCRAP AT FIFTH AVENUE. The Fifth Avenue kept up its pub- licity making record Monday matinee of this week, when the Milton Pollock and the Adler and Arline companies came to blows. Talk of warrants for assault was generously circulated for the remain- der of the day, but up to Wednesday neither of the parties had sought po- lice court redress. Mr. Adler saw some trunks outside of his dressing room. He was informed by the stage manager they belonged to Mr. Pollock. Adler asked Pollock to remove the trunks, saying they ob- structed the entrance. Pollock re- torted the trunks were harmless. As to give ocular proof, he brushed past and against the door of the room. Ad- ler accused Pollock of "rubbering," saying his wife. Miss Arline, was in- side dressing, and the battle started. Miss Arline screamed while the principals battled, and the minor mem- bers of the company, including her l)rother, became mixed in the fray. Adler alleges Pollock brought a mir- ror from his dressing room, ruining the looking glass on Adler's head. The affair was put up to Gus Mc- Cune, manager of the Fifth Avenue, v;ho brought his Sotomon wfsdom to bear by saying that as the scrap oc- curred off stage and did not interfere with the show, it was the actors' pri- vate business, but he warned the com- batants that a resumption of hostili- ties would bring new acts into play. Tuesday of last week Emily Darrell and Charles Conway (Darrell and Con- way) after having several petty dis- agreements the previous day while in the theatre, left the program and the show, when Miss Darrell walked off the stage, leaving the bill with a ten- minute wait until the following turn could get ready. It is reported Dar- rell and Conway have severed their professional partnership. J., L. ft 8.* $400,000 HIP. Chicago, June 4. Plans have been completed by Mar- shall & Fox for the new $400,000 Hip- podrome which Jones, Linick & Schae- fer will erect in State street. The plans call for a 16-story office building in connection, and the Hippo- drome part will have a big seating capacity. J., L. ft S. BOOKING LYRIC. Chicago, June 4. Jones, Linick & Schaeffer have se- cured the bookings of the Lyric, In- dianapolis and will start placing five act shows in the house beginning June 9. SIMPSON REPRESENTS McINTOSH. San Francisco, June 4. Jules Simpson, very lately booking representative here for the Brennan- Fuller Australian circuit, has been en- gaged by Hugh Mcintosh to represent the Rickard Circuit in this country in a like capacity. The former will con- tinue to make his general headquarters in this city, but with possible trips oc- casionally to Chicago and New York. This deal was consummated early this week in Los Angeles, whither Simpson went to confer with the Australian "big time" magnate, and after the former had cabled his resignation to the Bren- nan-Fuller people Satur'day of last week. McINTOSH IN CHICAGO. Chicago, June 4. Hugh Mcintosh arrived here today from the Pacific coast and immediately held a conference with Fred Lincoln, general manager of the SuUivan-Con- sidine Circuit. It is expected that Mr. Mcintosh will close a deal whereby the S.-C. booking office will supply the Rickard's circuit with its American talent, routing the acts over the Aus- tralian circuit after completing the S.-C. time at Kansas City. PETE ARMSTRONG MARRYING. Philadelphia, June 4. Peter C. Armstrong, who is playing his "Electric Ballet" on the popular priced circuits here, says he will marry Jessie Cree, leading woman of the act. They expect to take a honeymoon trip to Europe this month. GOING WITH DILLINGHAM. Barnes and Crawford will be with one of Charles B. Dillingham's new productions next season. BENEFIT FOR HOSPITAL. Chicago, June 4. Dr. Thorek, aided by several of Chi- cago's leading vaudeville spirits, will aid in giving a benefit for the Ameri- can Hospital, an institution to be given over solely to the profession in the near future. Adolph Marks is interested in the movement. Claude Humphries has sig- nified his intention of handling much of the responsibility for the benefit. The benefit is now set for June 29 at the Auditorium. Volunteers from all over the country may he called for. White Ratft all stay at the NKW KKCJKNT HOTEL when In ST. LOUIS.—Adv. BIG TIME OPPOSITION. Chicago, June 4. Eva Tanguay finished her. engage- ment at the American Music Hall Sun- day night and left for St. Louis for a week there before starting on her western journey. With Miss Tan- guay went the greater part of $20,000 of Chicago money which the regular vaudeville managers will never get back. The down down vaudeville houses suffered in consequence and the reduc- tion of matinee prices coupled with the fact that the Colonial opened last week bears out the statement the big time houses have been affected. An official high in authority around the booking office here made no bones over the Palace and Majestic feeling the weight of the Colonial's pop vaude- ville policy, and that it is proving op- position to the larger houses. The throngs of people which have nightly waited patiently for two and three hours in front of the Colonial have come from somewhere and they cannot all be new theatregoers. Some say the free tickets and the penny sale at the Boston store were doing it, but the Colonial played to $650 in money Monday and has steadily increased ever since. A $3,500 week lets the house out and from present indication there seems to be but little doubt that the Colonial will play to almost double that amount under ordinary conditions. Now that the Colonial has been suc- cessfully launched, theatre eyes are being directed toward McVicker's, the next "loop" house to catch the Jones, Linick & Schaefer brand of vaudeville. The house which is now playing the 'Quo Vadis" picture to excellent re- sults, over $4,000 a week, will not get its vaudeville started before August 1. Be- fore opening with the new line of en- tertainment the house may have "The Blindness of Virtue" as the attraction for three or four weeks. FRANK KEENEY RETIRING? A story went around Wednesday that Frank A. Keeney intended disposing of all his theatrical interests and retiring from the show business. The show business will regret Mr. Keeney's absence. He fell heir to about $15,000,000 upon the recent death of Ills father, Seth A. Keeney. IN A CLAIRE HEADLINING. Ching Ling Foo will not be the headline attraction at the opening of the Brighton Beach Music Hall. Ina Claire has been substituted. The fol- lowing week (June 30) will likely have Al. Jolson, if he postpones his an- nounced trans-continental automobile trip. "WATTEHY DAN" IN PLAYLET. "The Trial of Mary," John J. Caul- let's one act playlet, had its first vaude- ville presentation at Proctor's, Eliza- beth, Monday night. The play is built around the noted New York magistrate "Battery Dan" Finn, the role of the judge being played by William llowatt.