Variety (September 1913)

VARIETY The final contest for the amateur turkey dancing championship took place Sept. 10 at Holly Arms, Long Isfand. It was won by Louise Alex- ander, and the prize a silver cup ap- propriately engraved, handed her on the floor. Miss Alexander when called upon for a speech, said "I'm a dancer, not a talker," but she executed a Tan- go by request with one Jay Brady, who is some little non-professional dancer himself. Molly Glass won the second prize. Among the contestants in the finals were Lillian Lorraine and Mrs. Al Reeves. Five judges awarded the cup. Jos. W. Stern, of the musical publishing firm, and William McBride, of the theatrical ticket agency, were two of them. The other referees were locals, from the Rockaways. Some dis- content, mutterings only though, be- came manifest for a few moments after the judges announced their decision, which did not seem over popular. The Holly Arms was packed on a cold night, to witness the finish of what has been a weekly event there since June. The weekly affairs were "elim- ination contests." Since the first an- nouncement it seemed as though the Holly Arms had dropped the "amateur" out of the title. Miss Alexander is of the stage. Seven couples competed for the prize. "Tommy dancing" was barred The straight trot left no pro- nounced choice among the competitors. For business though the "Champion- ship" thing seems to be there. Holly Arms has no complaint. Coney Island Cabaret people arc not bragging over their business the season past, which ended Sunday night. Mardi Gras week brought many vis- itors to their places, but with several all-night licenses out, it brought no single Cabaret anything unusual in re- ceipts. One Cabaret manager said he just about broke even, and that only because the remarkable weather of this summer held for the week ends. But one bad Saturday and Sunday were re- corded against the Island since May. Next season if an all-night license can not be secured, the Cabaret man said, he would not open. To make money at the Island, a place must re- main open after one. It is too much risk for the short season to try it otherwise. Mardi Gras was a good time for the Cabarets. The big crowds thronged them, and entertained them- selves by singing choruses of popular songs. The professional entertainers could not make themselves heard half the time. The Cafe Boulevard sign on the old Albany Hotel building at Broadway and 40th street has had its date rubbed oflF. Now the opening appears to be indefinite. Tom Shanley, Jr. has 14 acts in the S^anJey resturant-Cabaret at 43(1 street. Mr. Shanley said that although he spent nine weeks traveling over Europe, and saw a great deal, there was nothing he wanted for his father's food-entertainment. Mike Fertig billed a "Variety Night" at the Harlem Casino (116th Street) last Thursday. Whether Mik:- did it for "Variety" or to let the people NEWS OF THE CABARETS know there would be a diversified en- tertainment the bill didn't mention. Maurice and Miss Walton sailed from the other side Sept. 11. They are due in New York early this wck. Wilmington, Del., is awaiting Florence Walton's return. It's her home towii. The Danse d'Hiver is the title con- ferred upon the dancing place in the Audubon theatre building at Broadway and 165th street. The hall is conducted by William Fox, who operates the the- atre. A dancing floor, 325x100, will accommodate 650 couples. No admis- sion is charged and only soft drinks are sold. Ten cents is demanded from each visitor for a hat check, and five cents is collected from all couples who dance. The five cents charge is pay- able each dance. About 22 dances are given during the evening. Saturday night it is said the gross from the danc- ing couples amounted to more than if an admission of 75 cents had been charged at the door from every patron. The crowd attending the Danse d'Hiv- er is claimed to be a very nice and orderly one. The Audubon is located in a quiet section of the upper West Side. Similar places exist in some middle western cities, and have been reported in New York as big money makers. At the Audubon space for the dancers between dances is found in side reception rooms, also a ten-foot strip around the hall, with tables and chairs, accommodates them when rest- ing. Herman Robinson, Commissioner of Licenses in New York, in a comuuni- cation this week, calls attention of theatrical agents to a method for in- vestigating the character of establish- ments to which they send women per- formers. Such an investigation, he de- clares is required under section 190 of the Employment .\gcncy Law. The advice of the Commissioner is that agents invite the counsel of police chiefs in cities away from New York when they are called upon to send performers to doubtful resorts. IIo quotes the experience of a New York agent, who received a request for performers from the Villa Cafe, NsJW Orleans. He knew nothing o^ the place and wrote to James \V. Reynolds, superintendent of police, that city, re- ceiving a prompt reply in which the official said: "The Villa Cafe is in what is known as our 'restricted dis- trjct' and is not a fit place to send any lady singer to. I firmly believe that if all managers who 'sign up' actresses "for other cities would first investigate through the police depart- ments it would mean the saving of many innocent girls." The minstrels put on by Guy Mor- ville of the Boston Oyster House, Chi- cago, and which was looked upon as a feature which would be sent intact M. P. Moller »)uH<l« tho best nnd tli.- m'>!<t theRtro orKiinn. The IMpe-Orrhentru Ih Hi. loadlnfc high clasa cntcrtalnmrnt f>r>cnn F'hone or write C. &• Loiih, Brooklyn, N. Y. over the restaurant circuit has fallen by the wayside. The show was too interesting, according to the producer. The patrons became so interested in the performance they forgot what a restaurant is for primarily and the or- ders were too small in comparison with the entertainment given. The Hunt's Point Palace, at South- ern Boulevard and 163d street, is play- ing five acts as a Cabaret show, and permits dancing. Billy Williams, in Detroit, says someone has been traducing that city. He claims Detroit has Cabarets where women appear and that the town also holds dancing Cabarets where drinks may be had when the couples are not ragging. Bill wants Detroit put back on the map as a regular place. He says there is such a thing as judging a city by "the serve-self cafe route," which probably means that you must pay for your own drink, buying only for yourself. Chicago, Sept. 17. Maurice Levi and his band will open Oct. 4 at the Bismarck Hotel for an indefinite engagement. SHUBERT'8 VAUDEVILLE IDEA. (Continued from page 3.) seems little question but that Mr. Fields has some well laid out plan for vaudeville. He is non-committal on the subject. It is not known whether the Shubcrts are interested with him nor exactly who the principals when dis- closed will be, but the Shubert houses and Fields* close association naturally lead to the supposition the Shuberts and Fields are working together on the proposition. The 44th Street theatre has at pres- ent "When Dreams Come True," moved there from the Lyric last Mon- day. .\t the .American Music Hall. Chi- cago, commencing Sept. 28, Fields' "All .\hoard" will opon, hooked in for four weeks. With its present attrac- tion the 44th Street is playing at the $1.50 scale. Chicago, .Sept. 17. The American Music Hall is under- going a cf>nipletc transformation. When renpcMiing it will he unique among playhouses it) Chicago, if not in America. The interior has been so arranged that the seating capacity has not been materially lessened, but a large area has been left for tables, where food will be served during the progress of the shows. The stalls along both sides have been removed, and 4his enlarges the seating space. The tables arc in the rear of the main floor and the balcony. An independ- ent electric liphting plant has been in-* stalled and huue posts crowned with clusters of lights have been placed about the house. The new decorative scheme is in wisteria blossoms and vines, and the rustic effect is retained. Frank Buck, will be the manager. OBITUARY Springfield, Mass., Sept. 17. Howard P. Merrill, dramatic editor ot the Springfield Union for many years, died at his home here Sept. 13, after a protracted illness. New Orleans, Sept. 17. Joseph Maloney, with John Drew and Richard, Mansfield for several sea- sons, died at Biloxi, Miss., Saturday. His last engagement was with Dustin Farnum in "The Littlest Rebel." Mr. Maloney was 44 years of age. Charles Lyman Marsh, father of Charles Leland Marsh, died at his home in Milwaukee, 80 years. The son received the news just as he was go- ing on the stage at Vien's theatre, New Bedford, Mass. The father of Alice Dudley and Rose Ford died late last week in Champaign, HI. Mrs. Daniel L. Picaro, mother of Luigi Picaro, died in Brooklyn. Her four sons are known on the stage as the Picaro troupe. San Francisco, Sept. 17. E. J. McCullough, a veteran Cali- fornia actor, died Sept. 9 in a suburb of Pittsburgh, according to advices re- ceived by his widow, who lives at 5033 Grove street, Oakland. The mother of Charles Potsdam, manager of the American Music Hall, New York, died Sept. 14, her demise being caused by the infirmities of old age. Mme. Pierre de Corvin Kroukowi- koy, born Stella Colas, an actress died in Paris Aug. 27 at 75. Paris, Sept. 17. Lawion, the American cyclist, died at Cologne, Sept. 8, from the effects of a fall while riding Sunday Sept. 7 at the local velodrome, caused by the bursting of a tire. Sheurmann also fell over Lawson's machine, and died the same day. Meinhold, another cyclist hurt in the accident, is not expected to live. Earl Jones, 35 years old, composer died late last week in Grace Hospital, nctrr)it, of pneumonia. He wrote sev- eral other songs in collaboration with I''gbert Van Alstync but none attained the popularity (.f "That Old Girl of Mine." Jones leaves a widow and one child. Mrs. Bessie Simons Evans, oldest member of a family that has for gen- erations been associated with the staj^e. died In Haltimore last week. Mrs. (Jeorge (larkson and Bijoji Kvans, her daughters, were on the sta^'e until the death of Mrs. Clarkson. Mrs. Evans married Harry I'vans. while he was with a IMiiladelphia stock company, lie died 14 years ago. Sebastian, with a Mons. only for a prefix, is dancing with Joan .Sawyer on the New York Roof. Wallace McCut- clieon, formerly her walt/ing partner, has joined a production.