Variety (August 1913)

VARIETY SALARIED CENSOR COMMITTEE FOR NEW P ROGRE SSIVE WHEEL One Man Not Connected With Circuit to Report on Shows. Routes Given Out Do Not Mention Northwest. Six More Towns May be Shortly Added. Watching Shows Rehearse, The Progressive Burlesque Circuit, composed of many of the managers who were not included in the merger of the Columbia Amusement Co., with the Empire Circuit last winter, will make its initial bow to the public Aug. 25 with a line-up of twenty-one shows and as many houses. After circling the lew wheel once, the shows will be brushed up for a second trip. This is the plan for the first season. It is expected by those behind the move that next season will see the Wheel suffi- ciently equipped with houses and shows to permit a continuous routing of forty odd weeks without repeating. As previously announced, the Pro- gressives will shun the "death trail" of the northwest, which includes Min- neapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Milwau- kee, the latter city being the starting point for the northwest country. It was at first planned to locate a house in Milwaukee and for a while the cir- cuit negotiated with the Saxe Amuse- of amusement, complained repeatedly that she was unable to secure a fran- chise on either of the old wheels, al- though no one doubted or denied her drawing abilities as a burlesque attrac- tion. Miss Howard will open the Hay- market, Chicago, her home town. She was with Marie Dressler's "Tillie's Nightmare" last season. The route as given out appears on this page. AGENT FEEDS BOOKER. Eddie Darling, the booker of the Keith New York houses in the United Booking Offices, hardly had time to touch land last week before Max Hart rushed him down to Freeport for a free feed. Mr. Hart is an agent. He didn't feed Eddie because he is a booker, although Hart doesn't throw food at every theatrical person returning from Europe. But Eddie is different, even TOWN Philadelphia Wllkes-Barre A Scran ton Penn Circuit Cleveland »• Cincinnati Indianapolis St. Louis Chicago Chicago Open Detroit Toronto Buffalo Rochester Utica & Schenectady.. Boston Lynn & Lowell THEATRE 9HOW "Tango Girls". Boston Lawrence A Hoiyoke. New York New York "High Life Olrls" "Pay Poster" •Girls of Follies" •Blanche Baird Show". Colonial "Monte Carlo Girls"... .Oayety ."Raid's Beauty Show".. .Haymirket •Girls of All Nations".. EngSwood "Mirth Makers" . "Doily Dimple Girls".. V-adiUae "Pollies of Pleasure".. gtar "Robinson Crusoe Girls" Harden "Sunshine Girls" 'Cooks .7 "Mischief Makers" Bender. Van Cutler "Honey Girls Howard „ parl8, " 1 Bea !» t t i e ""; "' Eva Mull's "Beauty Show" r.rand . "Panama Pansies' Urft "Rector Olrls" m\na<;kr •ChaH. Taylor. .Prank Calder. Joe Oppenhelm. Wm. Dunne. Tom Sullivan. Jack Reld. May Howard. Rube Bernstein. Chas. Robinson. Wash Martin. Jean Bedlnl Bernard A Zetnler Sim Wllllama Gotham "Cabaret Girls" .'Olympic "Stars of Burlesque". Max Armstrong M. Wainstork. Chas. Cromwell. ,Wm. Bentley. ment Co., but nothing materialized. The extreme western point of the chain will be in Chicago, where, the Hay- market, Englewood and possibly one other house will be utilized. Kansas City and Omaha are also left out. Six other towns not included in the list printed below are being negotiated for, the existing differences being a /matter of percentage, but it is thought ythey will fall in line either before or shortly after the season's opening. A censor committee composed of one producing manager not connected with the Wheel may be appointed im- mediately after the season opens, this individual being placed on a salary, with full power. At present Charles Robinson is acting as a sort of super- visor, inspecting the costumes, scenery, etc., at rehearsals. Robinson is not a censor. His report as to the condition of equipment is made direct to the board. The inauguration of the new Wheel brings May Howard back to burlesque after an absence of several years. Miss Howard, at one time the most popular leading woman in this particular brand as it is different for Eddie, who has had some difficulty in growing accus- tomed to it. Alth6ugh it's a bad habit —the acceptance of cheap meals—one might commence to like it, and there always will be agents to promote friendliness over the festive board. ABARBANELL A HIT. Milwaukee, July 29. Lina Abarbanell whose name became a theatrical household word with the success of "Madam Sherry" made her debut in vaudeville this week at the Majestic, Milwaukee and scored a de- cided success. Miss Abarbanell will probably tour the Orpheum Circuit houses. TRYING NEW SKETCH. Edgar Allan Wolf is writing a new act for Lulu Glaser and Tom Rich- jicds. They will present it on the sec- ond week of their engagement at the Orpheum, San Francisco. It is being produced to try out the characters for a three-act version in which Miss Glaser is to be starred the following season. BERLIN'S POPULARITY. The popularity of Irving Berlin on both sides of the ocean came to the surface when Mr. Berlin opened for a week at the London Hippodrome on his recent visit to London. So many wires were received by him, says Irv- ing, he could not reply to each and did not answer or acknowledge any. Berlin returned to New York last week with considerable justifiable ela- tion over his London stay. In relating how he happened to compose "The International Rag," Mr. Berlin men- tioned the cause of the unusual quan- tity of publicity he received. The Lon- don papers, said Mr. Berlin, were arguing in type whether he could or could not write good lyrics and com- pose songs quickly. Irving supplied the material for the arguments daily, but he did not forget to mention that the English people \^ere all there in every way. Berlin and Cliff Hess were to open at the Hippodrome Monday matinee. Mr. Hess is Berlin's accompanist at the piano. At four o'clock Monday morn- ing, Irving could not decide upon his opening song. Feeling there was none that would suit, he sat down and wrote "The International Rag" (second time for that title, Mr. Watterson), singing it the same afternoon. Irving was engaged for the Hippo- drome for four weeks under a previous optional contract. He says after he got in, got over and was satisfied, he thought it would be good judgment to get out just as quickly. The next time Irving goes to London it will be to write the lyrics and music for the rtvue at the Hippodrome de Courville will follow his next one there with. The latest Berlin rag goes into the Fields show on the 44th Street Roof this week. TABLOID OPERAS. Chicago, July Ml Now it is tabloid grand opera. Mon- day night, at Ravinia Park, Jennie Dufau sang in "Lucia" in a version in- cluding the sextet and the mad scene. Tuesday night, Lois Elwell was heard in "Madame Butterfly." Other operas announced for the week are: "Tales of Hoffman" and "Thais." The Chicago Symphony orchestra furnishes the instrumental background, with Attilio Parelli of the Chicago Grand Opera company conducting. S-C OPENINGS. Reopenings for the coming season on the Sullivan-Considine Circuit have been set for Aug. 24 at the Empress, Ft. Wayne, and Aug. 31 at the same titled theatres in Cincinnati and Mil- waukee. WHITNEY TABS EAST. Several B. C. Whitney tabloids will come east under the booking direction of Irving Cooper, who also has the handling for the several Menlo Moore "girl acts" now in the west, but which will be headed eastward. The Whitney tabs are more closely regular vaudeville turns, running around 25 minutes, with from 12 to IS people. Craig & Davi-, in Detroit are turning the tabs out from the former Whitney musical successes. TRAINOR INVESTIGATING. Val Trainor seems to be doing a lit- tle investigating on his own account, in the complications that have arisen between himself and the White Rats. This week Guy T. Murray, Trainor's attorney, subpoenaed to the District Attorney's office three men familiar with White Rats affairs. The inquiry is on, according to report, for the pur- pose of ascertaining whether anything illegal was done in connection with the election of White Rats officers last year. It was alleged by Trainor Tues- day of last week in his protests to the Board of Directors of the Rats (against his trial by it) that there were mem- bers present not legally elected to of- fice. An indictment for forgery in the third degree is the object of the inquisi- tion, according to report. One of the witnesses was accom- panied by William Cahill, of the O'Brien, Malevinsky & Driscoll law firm, representing the Rats. Mr. Cahill is said to have advised the witness not to answer any questions. The other two men are reported to ha,Ve made in- criminating affidavits. The hearing was adjourned until Aug. 4. Wednesday Mr. Murray, on behalf of his client, obtair^d an order to show cause why an injunction should not be issued against the Rats, restraining the organization from refusing Trainor the full rights of a member until a de- cision had been reached on his trial. The order is returnable in the Supreme Court to-day. Tuesday, before Justice Guy, the mo- tion made by Trainor to punish the Rats for contempt was dismissed with- out costs. The attorney for the Rats when asking for costs was informed they would not be allowed, as the court did not approve of the "strong arm methods" employed by the Rats in the Trainor reinstatement. The motion for contempt was based upon the opinion of the Court of Appeals, affirming the decision of the lower courts in ordering Trainor reinstated in the order. This, Trainor claims, had not been complied with in the intent of the high court's decision. ARLINGTON ENJOINED. Leon Laski, acting for Jacobs & Jermon, Tuesday secured from Justice Guy in the Supreme Court an injunc- tion restraining Billy Arlington from appearing under any other manage- ment than the managers of "The Gold- en Crook" company. Arlington's principal defense was that he was unable to perform in bur- lesque houses owing to the smoking which affected his throat. He has been playing in "smoke places" for years. This week he is at Brighton Beach, where smoking is also permitted, and was booked for next week at Hender- son's. On receipt of the injunction Henderson's was cancelled. Arlington expected to sail for Europe Aug. 7. Arlington's contract with Jacobs & Jermon, Inc., has about six years longer to run. ELLIS AND McKENNA PART. Ellis and McKenna have dissolved their vaudeville partnership, Tom McKenna will join a burlesque show. Harry Ellis has not yet settled for next season.