Variety (January 1914)

VARIETY "COUNTRY STORE" GIVEN AS EXTRA FREE ATTRACTION 125th Street Cabaret Puts It On As Additional Induce- ment to Draw Business at No Admission Charge. Proves Success for Box Office at American Roof Monday Night, Bringing Out Capacity. "The Country Store," a recent in- novation in the premium addition to en- tertainment has been adopted by a New York cabaret, where no admission is charged. This is the College Inn on West 125th street, which now devotes one evening (Friday) weekly to tender- ing its patrons free gifts. At the American Roof Monday even- ing, a night when every theatre in town suffered through the extreme cold and windy weather, capacity was drawn by the advertised "Country Store" for the first time there. Before the show started upstairs the lobby was choked by a crowd which could only be con- veyed to the Roof by the two elevators in use. Not a person left the theatre until after "The Country Store" dis- tribution at the conclusion of the vau- deville program. While the College Inn is reported to spend about $15 for its free presents, the American's "County Store," it was stated, was made quite expensive. It looked as though the Monday night receipts above had been increased at least $300 over the normal Monday night takings, by the added feature. Admission to the Roof is 25, 50, with box seats (for which there was no de- mand) 75 cents. " "Country Store Nights" are com- mpn in burlesque houses and gradu- ally got into pop vaudeville and pic- ture theatres. At some houses they ran themselves out quickly and were discontinued. Others give the feature twice weekly. Different cities have de- cided they came under a lottery classi- fication and caused the abolishment for that reason. A patron on "Country Store Night" is given a coupon when entering. These later agree with the list of prizes given, and the names of the winners are called from the stage. A condition is that the holder of a prize coupon must call upon the stage in person to receive it. This results in considerable laughter, either from the person's appearance or the prize itr-elf. In the latter comedy effects are sometimes striven for. The Metropolis, Bronx, playing <tock. had "shirt waist night" Thurs- day of this week with a "toy store" for the children Friday. Tuesday night it had a "Country Store." Perth Amboy, N. J., Jan. 14. The strict New Jersey law was in- voked here by the chief of police, who put a ban on "The Country Store" at Proctor's and the Auditorium on the ground it was a chance game. Proc- tor's had often given away a ton of foal, live pig or barrel of flour. 408 West 44th street, the matter of securing a permanent home for the so- ciety was discussed by the officers and members. It was the opinion of President Fred Marshall and Vice-President William Hawley that a location was the first necessity and a movement was started to house the association. It was an- nounced this week the association will make known its selection soon. T. Vincent Smyth is secretary of the as- sociation. MONEY FOR BUCKNER. Over $100 has been subscribed for the benefit of Arthur Buckner, who is in the Tombs under sentence of 30 days for conducting an agency busi- ness without a license. Besides the confinement sentence, Buckner was fined $100. It will be paid out of the monies collected, and the surplus used for Buckner's benefit. Chris O. Brown, of the Loew-Sulli- van-Considine agency, who took charge of the fund, will continue to receive subscriptions for the aid of Buckner until he is released. There may be an effort made through an attorney to have the jail sentence remitted before the expiration if sufficient money is received to retain an attorney for that purpose. The subscriptions are as follows: Collected by Nor. Beehler Bros 5 man Jeffries In C. D. Willard 5 Philadelphia $50 Joe Emmett 5 Chris O. Brown... 5 Allen A Epstln 5 Freeman Bernstein. 5 Herbert Lloyd 5 Frank Bohm 5 A. I. Felnbenr 2 Slme 5 Wm. E. Atwell 2 Irving Cooper .•> Col. Cummins 1 Jos. M. Schenck... 5 Max Landau 1 HE KNEW CRESSY. Fisher and Green played at the Co- lonial last week with their James Ho- ran sketch, "Partners." Harry Green spied Will Cressy standing in the wings one evening taking notes during the progress of the playlet. He knew Cressy, personally and by reputation. He requested an explanation and Cres- sy calmly replied: "My brother is giving a minstrel show and I wanted to get a few jokes for him." Cressy is appearing at the Fifth Ave- nue this week. On the same bill is Jack Norworth. which recalls the oft-rc- pcated story that "Town Hall To- Night" emanated from the brain of Norworth, who told it to Cressy, and the latter used it without permission or compensation. ARTISTS WANT CLUB ROOMS. At an informal meeting of the Scenic Artist^' association, held Jan. 2 at WOOLF WRITES CURTAIN RAISER. May Robson's present stellar ve- hicle will have a curtain raiser begin- ning with next week, when she will use a sketch with a cast of six, by Edgar Allan Woolf, called "The Queen of the Ballet." POLPS TWO NEW POPS. Springfield, Mass., Jan. 14. Poli's theatre here, playing stock, will revert to small time vaudeville, commencing Monday. It will be book- ed by James Clancy of New York. Worcester, Jan. 14. The former Franklin Square theatre, now held by S. Z. Poli, will commence playing pop vaudeville Jan. 19. The Clancy Agency will furnish the bills. DAVENPORT SETTLED. Davenport, la., Jan. 14. The local vaudeville booking com- plication has been adjusted. The Co- lumbia will play split week vaudeville booked by the Western Vaudeville Managers' Assciation. It commenced last Sunday. Prices 10, 20, 30. Harry Blanchard is manager. The Ameri- can will continue with tabloids, man- aged by Art. C. Frudenfcld as before. The amicable outcome was the re- sult of a conference between Marcus Heiman, W. S. Butterfield, Jos. Finn, Frank Thielen and Mr. Blanchard. The trouble occurred over a double "fran- chise" for thjs town from the W. V. M. A. WANT MIDNIGHT TRAIN. Chicago, Jan. 14. City Attorney Garrische, of St. Louis, representing Frank Talbot who owns the Hip in St. Louis and Kansas City, has taken steps to force the railroads operating between Kansas City and St. Louis to restore their midnight service between those cities. The midnight train is the only one convenient for acts playing either town to make connections with for the fol- lowing week without losing a rehearsal and the opening day's matinee. Keen competition between the rail- roads brought the condition around to where the different passenger agents were making all kinds of propositions to get the business, the result was the railroads finally came together and de- cided to eliminate the service alto- gether, making Talbot the goat. NO LIQUOR SUNDAYS. Cincinnati, Jan. 14. These are sad days for owners of Ohio summer resorts. Next summer they will have to run their parks with- out selling liquor Sundays, which means that the summer resort business is going to be mighty bad. O'CONNOR'S PLOT REPEATED. Catherine C. dishing and Johnnie O'Connor have used the same founda- tion for two pieces. Miss Cushing's plot is in "Kitty MacKay" at the Com- edy theatre; Mr. O'Connor wrote his in a vaudeville playlet, "The Line Be- tween," now in use by William Flcmen and Co. The identical idea disclosed in both pieces is that of a father forbidding a son to marry and finally revealing the girl is his half sister. "The Line Between" was written by Mr. O'Connor before "Kitty MacjKay" had been heard of. The play is a Scotch comedy which scored an em- phatic success upon its first New York presentation last week. Mr. Flemen has made "The Line Between" a vau- deville feature continuously in demand. PROCTOR SEWS UP ALBANY. Albany, N. Y., Jan. 14. F. F. Proctor has cleaned up the vaudeville situation here by taking over the only independent house now against him, the Colonial, which has been playing a pop policy under the management of Stacey & Perrin. The theatre is located in a residential sec- tion. Mr. Proctor now controls, besides that house, the Grand and Proctor's Bijou. Edgar Allen, who booked the Grand theatre when it played big-time vaude- ville before F. F. Proctor purchased it, has secured Harmanus Bleecker Hall for the summer season. Mr. Allen in tends installing a vaudeville policy similar to that the Grand formerly held. It is said a telegram from Allen to the managers of the Colonial offering to place first class variety bills in that house hastened the purchase by Proctor. The Colonial will likely offer a straight picture show under the Proctor management. FIGHTING THE POLICE. Long Branch, Jan. 13. The Broadway theatre was closed by the police Sunday night. Walter Rosen- berg, the proprietor, had been notified by the City Commissioner of Public Safety, T. V. Arrowsmith, that Sunday shows would no longer be permitted. Rosenberg stated through the local paper that the show would be given Sunday night. Several persons were in the house then. They were ordered to exit quietly while all lights were extin- guished. Rosenberg declared that the pro- ceedure is the result of a personal spite of Mr. Arrowsmith and will fight to a miish through the courts. AN AGENT SAYS SOMETHING. An agent said something the other day to a manager in the United Book- ing Offices. When the commission man ended his impromptu remarks, the manager seemed to agree with him. merely remarking in reply, "Well, 1 must have made good for my people or I wouldn't still be here." MILT BARLOW'S SON. Milt Barlow, in his day a well-known minstrel man, has a son playing in "Prunella" at the Booth theatre. The late blackface comedian's son's name is Reginald. He is with an English company in the piece. This was drawn to the attention of the Hippodrome management when an order for 230 seats at last Monday's matinee was entered there by Mr. Barlow. The coupons were distributed among the children of District School No. 3, a kindergarten, having kids who had never before seen the inside of a $2 theatre. Ben Atwell of the Hip's press de- partment grew curious. An English- man spending $350 to treat American kids? Ben doubted whether it could be done. Investigation disclosed it was Milt Barlow's son who had gone to England, but come back again in a double sense. don't advertl** M all.