Variety (January 1914)

VARIETY NEW YORK SPENT $8,878,000 FOR NEW THEATRES IN 1913 The Year's Figures Compiled in Building Department, Show a Decline from Preceding Twelvemonth. Falling Off Particularly Large in Bronx Borough. Statistics in the building department show that more than $8,878,000 was in- vested in new amusement building en- terprises in Greater New York during 1913. This total includes Manhattan, $6,321,000; Brooklyn, $1,575,000 and the Bronx, $982,000. The total for places of amusement in 1912 was $10,357,000. The decrease for the year just past is largely ac- counted for by fewer operations in the Bronx. The 1912 figures for that borough were $2,086,000, as against $982,000 for 1913. 22 ACTS DRAW. The "22-act Bill" at Hammerstein's this week commenced to pull the peo- ple in Monday, without any let up by Wednesday, when business was last reported. It is very probable Hammerstein's will continue the "22" billing while it serves the purpose, although of late it has been observed business at Ham- merstein's and the Palace (its opposi- tion) varies according to the attrac- tions at either house. The strongest bill has gotten the play. Through this much attention will be given by the vaudeville people to the two theatres next week when the Castles, dancers, headline at both. "CANNING" DOESN'T GO. By a decision in the Bronx Munici- pal court, it appears small time man- agers may not cancel acts on the plea of incompetency unless they are pre- pared to prove such incompetency. Herman Wacke, Olympic theatre, Brooklyn, was ordered to pay Arthur S. Ross a salary claim. Wacke booked Ross for the Olympic and cancelled him after one performance. In court the manager declared his right to do this on the "incompetency" count, but the court ruled that the manager had not established beyond reasonable doubt the actual a unfitness of the act. Edward S. Napolis acted as attorney for Ross. LOSES MONEY BY TANGOING. Cincinnati, Jan. 7. Because Evelyn Thaw gave free Tango exhibitions in the Hotel Sinton dining-room and the Blue Grass Inn (back of Newport) Monday night after the show, Robert Heuck, president of the Heuck Opera House Co., is furious. Miss Thaw did not appear Tuesday afternoon or evening. The manager of the show, H. N. Holdc, announced she had ptomaine poisoning and was worn cut from a season of many matinees. Manager Middleton refunded the money to the Tuesday matinee audi- ence, notifying them ten minutes be- fore the time set for the rise of the r-jrtain. Heuck is said to have "bawled out" Manager Holdc and has reported the ;.flair to Comstock & Gest, putting in a claim for the loss of a large amount of money. Miss Thaw was to lave given daily matinees. Harry Messinger, who has been teaching local society the Tango, ('anced with Evelyn, as did also Jack Clifford, at the free stunt. Heuck's complaint, in his own words, is: "Why should people pay two dol- lars when they can see Evelyn dance for nothing?" Miss Thaw returned to the show this afternoon. The ptomaine story is clung to by her as the reason for the ab- sence. SULLIVAN'S INTEREST OFFERED. Seattle, Jan. 7. Patrick H. Sullivan (brother), Larry Mulligan (half-brother) and Emanuel Blumenstiel (counsel) to the late Timothy D. Sullivan, are here on busi- ness connected with the estate of "Big Tim." It is understood the trio submitted to John Considine an offer to buy the Sullivan interest in the Sullivan-Con- sidine Circuit, in order to settle up the "Big Tim" estate. If the proposition is not accepted by Considine it may be offered elsewhere. This is the same S.-C. interests nego- tiated for by B. F. Keith, which at one time had progressed so far as to reach the point where the Keith peo- ple had agreed to take care of the present S.-C. executive staff. AGENT BOOKED HIMSELF. An agent booked himself into a job for the final half of last week. He got the Bijou, New Haven, Bruce Duffus, for James Clancy, placed the "single," who was Geo. Yeoman. Mr. Yeoman was formerly an actor. Now he's an agent. Mr. Duffus need- ed an act in "one" on an emergency call. Yeoman submitted his list of acts. There were some "singles" on it according to report. Duffus didn't notice anything he could use, and sug- gested to Yeoman he go back to act- ing for three days. The agent-actor accepted the suggestion. BILLBOARD DECISION APPEALED. Cincinnati, Jan. 7. Attorney Millard Tyree announces that on behalf of Phil Morton and the Cincinnati Bill Posting Co., he will appeal to the Supreme Court from the decision of Common Pleas Judge Geo- ghegan, who ordered that theatrical and other billboards be regulated. Among other things, Judge Geoghe- gan ruled that there must be two feet of space between adjoining billboards and none should be erected within six feet of a building. NO USE FOR OPENING ACT. A small time vaudeville manager of ? continuous "pop" performance was approached by an agent the other day, who informed the showman he had a cheap "opening act" he could offer. "What good will an opening act do me?" inquired the manager. <: My show goes round and round." If you don't advertise In VARIETY, tlon't advertise at all. BIRMINGHAM'S TWO-A-DAY. Birmingham, Jan. 7. The Lyric, Jake Well's theatre, opens next Monday with two-a-day vaude- ville, booked by the United Booking Offices. NOT ALL FEATURE FILMS. William Fox replied "No," when the question if he contemplated grad- ually converting his "pop" vaudeville theatres into feature film shows only, was asked him. RICHARD HENRY WARREN At th- ronsi.l. of tin- great foui-m.mii.il PIPE-ORCHESTRA built byM. P. MOI.LER, of Hagers- town. M<!., In 'I'.'KDON'H THEATRE. ROCHESTER, N. Y.. where he recently completed a alz months' t dk'.ik" ni< lit. Mr. \V;iir<n i« now Ailing an all-winter engagement to play the still larger Instrument In CORDON A I.OKD'S Sf'OLLAY SQUARE OI-YMPIA. BOSTON, which -was also built by M< M.I.Kit. Them- very ununual Instruments were designed by C. S. LOSH of New York, Eastern Repre. ■••illative y / MOLLER. In collaboration with MR. WARREN. BUOKNER GIVEN 80 DAYS. In the Court of Special Sessions Jan. 2 Arthur Buckner was sentenced to the city prison for 30 days and fined $100 for having engaged in an employ- ment agency business without a license. Justices Collins, Foraker and Mc- Inerney presided at the trial Dec. 26, when Buckner was convicted. In passing sentence Justice Collins said the plea of Buckner that he was acting as a "manager" when unlawfully book- ing acts could not be accepted in ex- tenuation, as it was a palpable evasion of the Agency Law. Buckner adduced no written evidence he had been re- tained as manager. Complainants were Bobby Pandur and Rose Miller. Pandur charged Buckner had obtained $10 in commis- sion from him. Miss Miller alleged in the complaint she paid Buckner 40 cents on a cabaret engagement in Newark, but she failed to appear at the trial. Several incidents in Buck- ner's career were placed before the court on sentence day. The fine entails imprisonment for 100 days in addition to the jail sen- tence, if it is not paid. The warrant upon which Buckner was arrested a few weeks ago was ob- tained May 12, 1912. The case against him was handled by Inspector Whelan of the License Commissioner's office. Tuesday a subscription sheet was started in the Loew-S-C agency to gather the amount of Buckner's fine. Chris O. Brown volunteered to take charge of the subscriptions. "BAWLS** GUS EDWARDS. Gus Edwards dropped into the U. B. O. office the other day in quest of "time" and there encountered an agent who had been acting for him for a more or less extended period. A little matter of commission still stands be- tween the pair and what the agent said to him in the presence of "the bunch" is said to have covered it all. Those within hearing declare it was a "big time bawling out." REPORTED NEW THEATRE. One of the New York dailies is au- thority for the statement that a new treatre is planned for the southwest corner of Broadway and 48th street, with a frontage of 30 ft. o i Broadway, running back 130 feet on 48th street. to be devoted to a policy of moving pictures. PRODUCING DUO. A new producing combination has been formed by Henry Stern and Her- bert Hall Winslow. the former to do the directing and the latter the writing of the pieces. 8CHENCK IX AND OUT. Joe 'Schenck returned from the Adirondacks Monday to pass upon a few business details and left again Wednesday for an additional vacation. NO SECOND-HANDED PROGRAMS. New Orleans, Jan 7. The local board of health has for- bidden theatres to employ programs once they are used.