Variety (January 1914)

VARIETY DANCING ACT ALTERNATING IN OP POSITIO N THEATRES Hammerstein's and Palace Adjust Claims for Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle in Vaudeville by Agreeing the Act Shall Appear at Both Houses During New York Engagement. Castles Not Over-Anxious to Appear on Stage The adjustment over the vaudeville services of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Cas- tle seemed to have been reached by the managers concerned this week, when it was agreed the dancing couple should open at Hammerstein's Jan. 12, then play the Palace the next week, alternating between the house for each week thereafter while engaged. The salary is said to be the one originally set by Hammerstein's, $1,000 weekly, although it was reported when the Pal- ace announced the Castles as an at- traction for the same date Hammer- stein had given out, that the Palace management' was paying the dancers more than that amount While the theatre managements con- cerned may have mutually reached an understanding about the appearances in New York of the team, the Castles, from reports, are not so well satisfied. One story says Mr. Castle declared he would appreciate it if the vaudeville managers will release him from the contract, at least for the present. Neither theatre is inclined to do this. The Castles have become quite prominent of late among professional dancers and have tacked on a society following that may have changed their opinion about vaudeville, though it is possible the Castles realize that danc- ing on a restaurant floor and on the stage are very different propositions, as far as "getting over" is concerned. The Palace and Hammerstein's are competing vaudeville theatres, both booked through the same agency and located within five blocks of each other. It is the first instance where "opposition houses" have agreed to an alternating appearance of a featured turn. KELLERMANN APOLOGIZES. An apology and a discontinuance of the action brought against William Morris by Annette Kellermann have reached the manager from the diver. Miss Kellermann sued Morris, mak- ing some allegations concerning her contractural relations with him, Morris having placed her abroad and then sent her out over here at the head of a road show. As a star, Miss Kellermann failed to draw and the tour was ended. Her object in bringing the suit hasn't yet been made clear. The discontinu- ance with its accompanying note of regret came from the Kellermann side, without solicitation. GIVES PRIVATE SHOW. Wednesday morning at 11:30, Rosha- narah. the dancer, billed to head the Palace, New York, program next week, Rave a private performance for the management. It had been reported Bert Williams would remain at the Palace for four weeks. He is not billed, however. This is his first holdover week at the Palace, which has been doing the best business among the vaudeville houses in the city since the colored comedian opened. NETHERSOLE PEEVED. Memphis, Dec. 31. Olga Nethersole stopped abruptly during the performance of her sketch, to reprove a party of women who oc- cupied a box and who were chatting audibly. The affair caused a good deal of talk in the town, and friends of the women who attended the night per- formance hissed the actress. A near- riot started and it became necessary to summon the police to maintain order. CALLED THE BLACK OAT. Des Moines, Dec. 31. The value of a unique title for a the- atre is shown by the good use to which J. S. Woodhouse is putting the name of his new $50,000 picture house, The Black Cat, which will open late in January. By special arrangement with the Black Cat magazine, Woodhouse has purchased the right to use 150 different illustrations of a black cat which were made for the magazine by a special artist. FIELDS AND LEWIS OUT. Youngstown, O., Dec. 31. Fields and Lewis are playing for Feiber & Shea in their vaudeville the- atre here, the team having left the Lillian Russell show last week. HELD SHOW IN NEW YORK. The Anna Held road show is closing its season this week at the Casino. It opened fairly well, though how much "paper" was in for the Monday per- formances no one appeared to know. Several of the acts with the com- bination have looked for big time vaudeville engagements. The Charles Ahearn Troupe opens at Hammer- stein's Jan. 12. John Cort sold the Held show to the Shuberts for the week. It is said $8,- 000 or $9,000 was paid for it. JEFF CALLAN ILL. Bridgeport, Dec. 31. Jeff Callan, manager of the Plaza theatre, formerly with the Keith in- terest in Lynn, Mass., and known all over the country as Barnum's "Light- ning Ticket Seller" is said to be seri- ously ill with pneumonia. He was re- moved from his hotel to St. Vincent's hospital to-day. If yon don't arivrrtlne In VARIETY, don't advertise at all. PROCTOR HAS ALBANY GRAND. Albany, N. Y., Dec. 31. F. F. Proctor has taken over the Crand theatre here and will play his own vaudeville there, twice daily, com- mencing Jan. 5. The final papers in the transaction were signed Dec. 26. The present Proctor's theatre will continue giving vaudeville shows" daily at the pop scale. It is reported Mr. Proctor paid $25,- C00 for the lease of the Grand. "CORNER** ENGAGES SINGERS. "The Corner," otherwise described as Hammerstein's, has engaged Maurice Abrahams and Abe Wohlman to ap- pear as a singing team for the week of Jan. 12, at $650. It is the couple's first New York stage appearance. Both are in the scng publishing business. MAUDE LeROT A "TYPE." Maud Leroy, known as " that statu- esque blonde" in "The Pleasure Seek- ers" at the Winter Garden, has been engaged to become one of "The Three Ti£es" in the Jesse L. Lasky vaude- ville act of that title. Miss Leroy joins the act Jan. 12. IS ANDERSON GOING? The report about this week was that Carl Anderson would shortly be ab- sent from the booking sheets in *the Amalgamated agency, formerly the Prudential. Moss & Brill-Nixon-Nird- linger office. The exact cause of the difficulty be- tween the booking manager and the agency heads dosen't seem to be known. Considerable talk has spread concerning the reasons for the sever- ance of relations. The Amalgamated was reported Tuesday to be in search of Anderson's successor. The Amalgamated is also said to be under the impression that Fred Nixon- Nirdlinger, since leaguing himself with the United Booking Office, hasn't been any too particular to give the concern he helped to form any the best of it. Strained relations, as were expected, are reported between the Moss-Brill- Herschfeld faction and N-N. HAX.LIDAY AND MASON SPLIT. Will Halliday and Charlie Mason, who have been playing "The Roof Pirates" are separated. VERSATILE ENTERTAINER. Pittsburgh, Dec. 31. Fred M. Fagan, a cabaret entertainer in the Little Waldorf, 1704 Fifth avenue, n under arrest in New Orleans. Mrs. Nellie E. Thickston of 5900 Rroad street, East End, alleges he stole jew- elry worth $300 from her, drugged her in Chicago and kidnapped her to the Louisiana city. The scandal has caused considerable excitement here. Mrs. Thickston is a widow with a grown up son, highly respected. The report that the woman may add a white slave charge against Fagan and accuse him of using a poisoned needle is adding spice. The police also al- lege Fagan drugged and robbed a wo- man who pave her name as Mrs. Walter Edmundson of 721 St. Charles street. New Orleans, wife of a prominent Louisianian. TRAVELING WITH LAUDER. The first four weeks of the Harry Lauder tour, which opens Monday at the Casino, New York, will have Wil- liam Morris present as chief-in com- mand. When Morris leaves, Joe Vion v:ill again assume charge of the Lauder troupe, Vion having piloted the com- pany last season. Vion rejoins the Alice Lloyd show this Saturday at Seattle. He was called east through the death of his mother. Lauder plays the Lyric, Philadelphia, for the week commencing Jan. 12. The Lauder show for the road will have, besides the star, Lona Garrick, an English dramatic actress, Irene Bercseny, a "Gypsy cimbalist," Alfred Latell and Elsie Vokes, Erno Kapee, pianist, Ethel Bourne, English con- tralto, and Jack Ark, the diaboloist. MUST HAVE PASSES. The entree to the Palace theatre has been taken away from the many agents who have dropped in that house often. It is now necessary, it is said, for an agent to evade payment, to secure a signed pass. MARINELLI ANSWERS ALHKK. The interview with E. F. Albee, car ried in the Sunday World of Nov. 30, has been answered by H. B. Marinelli, who forwarded his reply by mail from abroad. The Marinelli New York office sent it out this week, giving the Sunday World a copy of it. There is nothing in the Marinelli answer not understood by vaudevillians. VANDERBILT AND MOORE PART. Another couple of weeks and the vaudeville partnership of Gertrude Vanderbilt and George Moore will be dissolved. Mr. Moore may take on another partner. Miss Vanderbilt is said to be in negotiation for a big act that is being prepared for the varieties. THEN THERE WERE 9. The Palace Girls, reduced from twelve to nine, sailed for London on the Cedric yesterday (Thursday). They were to have appeared at the Palace, New York, this week, but were cancelled because they could muster only a three-quarter force. One of the girls was married in Chicago two weeks ago, another met her husband in the same city and quit the act. They played with 10 girls in St. Louis, but the Palace cancelled the turn when another girl quit. TINKER HAS LONGINGS. Cincinnati, Dec. 31. Joe Tinker, former manager of the Reds, is figuring that all this scrapping about his services is cutting him out of quite a bunch of coin which he thinks he could make in vodevil. Joe is proud of that little act he used to do on the Keith time. He thinks that if he was not kept jumping from city to city so much, there might be a call for him. 11 WALKED OUT" FOR CAUSE. The Alhamhra theatre lost Duffy and I.orenz Monday afternoon through the act receiving a dreeing room three fiyhts tip, while a Chinese actor was allowed to dress on the first floor.