Variety (February 1914)

VARIETY BUn'S NEW PARIS HOUSE TO BE COMPL ETED BY 1915 Proposed Building of Big English Music Hall in Heart of French Capital All Planned. To Seat 1,800 and to Cost More Than $650,000. Opening Next January. (Special Cable to Varietv.) Paris, Feb. 4. The English music hall which is to be constructed in the Rue Mogador, to which VxRiETr referred some months ago, will be ready, it is hoped, for next January. Alfred Butt is the leading luminary in the enterprise, backed by a strong private company. Plans have been ready for some time, and already accepted by the mu- nicipality. Work of tearing down the old houses will commence forthwith. The land belongs to the Paris board of public charities, and Butt's agents have obtained a long lease. The Rue Mogador is close to the Opera. Over $650,000 will be spent on the building, and will seat 1,800, with large prome- nade and vestibule. The house will have two balconies. NIJINSKI IS COMING. (Special Cable to Variett-.) Paris, Feb. 4. H. B. Marinelli is prepared to send Nijinski. the dancer, to America with a company of 15 people, to rival Pav- lowa. Negotiations are on with New York theatrical managers to take charge of Nijinski over there. ''THE RAMBLE,'' GOOD FARCE. (Special Cable to Varietv.) Paris, Feb. 4. The Comedie des Champs Elysees (Avenue Montagne), under the man- agement of Henri Beaulieu, presented a new play by Rene Peter, entitled "La Prctentaine" ("The Ramble") Jan. 27. It is a good farce and was fairly re- ceived. The plot is the usual love com- plications. CLOSED WITHOUT NOTICE. (Special Cable to Vabibtt.) London, Feb. 4. Hale Hamilton, in "The Fortune Hunter," closed Saturday night at the Queens, without notice. "The Melting Pot" will be produced there Feb. 7. ALHAMBRA'S FEB. BILL. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, Feb. 4. Emerson and Baldwin opened in the February program at the Alhambra Sunday and did nicely. Marie Court- r.ay (daughter of Marie Lloyd), did fairly on her Continental appearance. The Mirza Golem Troupe tops the bill. Maximo, wire act, fair. Merritt, good. Bart and Bart, Strength prothers, Joe Petcrman, with his rag-time band, also pot over. LESSING AND WRIGHT'S ACT. (Special Cable to VARiETr.) Berlin, Feb. 4. Ma(ljj:e Lessinp and Fred Writrbt produced a sinpiiic^ and dancinjj: skctc'i at the Wintergartcn Feb. 1. usinp: Bonita and I^ew Hctfll'l hit from "Hello Ragtime," at the Hippodrome, London, the one pretending she needs money for her cruel husband and tak- ing it for herself. It was well re- ceived. Others on the bill are Vittorio and Georgetta, Gaudsmiths and Dogs, PerezoflF Troupe, Grock and Lole, Willy Pantzer, Alhambra Ballet, Bow- den, Garden, all doing well. LEHAR'S BEST MUSIC. (Special Cable to Vabibtt.) Berlin, Feb. 4. At the Theater an der Wien, V^ienna, Lahar's "Endlich Allein" was pro- duced. The music is considered the best Lehar has ever written, the book the usual operette stuff. Reception good. The second act is played by but two people, the scene being laid in a hut on top of a mountain. u B'WAY JONES/' LONDON WINNER. (Sptciml Cobk f# Vabibtv.) London, Feb. 4. Seymour Hicks produced "Broad- v/ay Jones" at the Prince of Wales* last night. Both the show and the star were riots. The English presentation looks like a big winner. VAUDEVILLE AT CASINO. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, Feb. 4. Monza inaugurated vaudeville at the Casino de Paris, Jan. 30, with a fair program. Business has been indifferent. CHARLES MANAGING TWO. (Special Cable to Vabibtv.) Paris, Feb. 4. Jacques Charles has been appointed manager of the Marijjny theatre, cotn- mencing in April. He also remains at the Olympia. CRITICS DISAGREE. (Special Cable to VARiBxr.) London, Feb. 4. At Covent Garden the big "Parsifal" pioduction is tremendous. The critics disagree as to the stage production. MELODRAMATIC SUCCESS. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Feb. 4. At the Aldwych, "The Queen's Champion" is the usual melodramatic success. MET. OPERA MAY BE IN PARIS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, Feb. 4. Negotiations arc under way for the opera company from the Metropolitan, New York, to como to Paris this sea- son. The Theatre des Champs Elysees, which failed with opera some weeks UKo. will he taken for the Metropolitan season. LONDON. London, Jan. 27. The first reports of pantomimes in the Provinces closing reached London this week. The productions at the Grand, Glasgow, and the Theatre Roy- al, Portsmouth, closed after the mini- mum run of six weeks. With both, it is said, the productions made money and the closing was to prevent losing any of the profit. An idea of how far the managers will go for productions in provincial halls may be had from the salary paid some of the road shows. The Alhambra show, including scenes from two re- vues, takes to the provinces shortly at $2,000 a week. The agents now recog- nize it is growing very hard to book vaudeville acts unless they are positive drawing attractions and this alone has driven them to produce a revue to keep things going. In almost every big town in England this week there are produc- tions of some sort and each takes the place of six good-sized acts. Maud Earl sailed for home last week. Fletcher -Norton is remaining for a chance in a production. Gus Elen has had columns in the dailies because he will not work unless he can get $250 a week. The license question in regard to agents has been a big topic of discus- sion in variety circle here the past month or so. Two well-known agents. Jack Dc Frece and A. BraflF, have been refused the right to act as agents in the territory governed by a body known as the London County Council. This council has jurisdiction over an area including the West End of Lon- don, where the most prominent agents and managements are. An agent may conduct a business away from this terri- tory which wouldn't necessarily force him to leave the city. But an import- ant matter is about to come up before the V. A. F. this week. The executive committee of the Federation is about to introduce a motion into the society advising all members they will not be protected if doinir business with an un- licensed County Council agent. A rumor has pained .crround the licensing of acrents all over the country will be made compulsory, but the wise ones say that such a thinpr could not happen for many years. The principals at the Gaiety for the show now in rehearsal are all very well known to Americans. Lew Hearn. Bonita, Clifton Crawford and Muriel Hudson are busy at that theatre now. Paul Murray is spending four weeks in Switzerland. H. M. Vernon, the author, is also there. Juliet, who opened at the Manchester Palace a few weeks arro. did not please the north country audience. It is said a couple of future dates held by her for the Variety Controlling Co. have been canrclied. Irene Grange, an American girl, after a ron with the producer. Julian Alfred, leit the Empire cast a week before the show opened. Tt is said a SAIUNGS. Reported through Paul Tausig & Sen, 104 E. 14th street, New York: Jan. 31, Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Caefaro, Richard Schmittcr (Geo. Wash.); Feb. 4, Ota Gygi (Carmania); S. Stewart (Olympic); Ethel McDonough, Anna B. Stephens (Vaterland). Feb. 11, the Vivians (Lusitania). Feb. 4, Nino, George Bannel (France). Paris, Jan. 26. Jan. 20 (For South America), Miss Rawera, Marcelle de Ria (Minneburg). San Francisco, Feb. 4. Feb. 3 (For Honolulu), George Spaulding, Edith Newlin, Geraldine Wood, Audell Higgins, Mattie and Marguerite Devon, Eddie Murray, James Guilfoil, George Chcsboro James, Leslie Paisley Moon, Ralph Martin, Buck Thiell, Misses Kreimeier, James, Harding, Carroll, Abbott, Dun- bar, Norton and Pomeroy (Sierra). MC LELLAN SETTLES. (Special Cable to VxRiBxr.) London, Feb. 4. A. H. Woods has settled his claim against George B. McLellan for one- half the profits of the English produc- tion of "The Girl in the Taxi," and the suit has been withdrawn. The show made a profit of 187,000, and Woods accepted $10,000 in cash to call it off. NORWORTH'S BABY BOY. "It was a he—much joy," was the wording of a wire from Philadelphia Saturday night, signed "Jack Nor- worth." revue hasn't a chance of being success- ful unless there is more or less of a riot among the principals before open- ing. Of course, the fight could be con- tinued after the show opens in order to ensure a long run. Austen Hurgon is to produce a revue at the Coliseum March 23. He was sought by the Hippodrome manage- ment but up to now there has been nothing settled. Mr. Hurgon had much to do with the production of "Hello Ragtime," and since a squabble at the Hip is one of a syndicate who have launched revues for the twice-nightly halls. J. M. Barrie surely extended himself for the halls when he wrote "The Will" which appeared at the Palace last week. The piece, while not drawing, is probably the best effort of any author for a short play. Of milestone nature, the playlet holds the audience quiet for just under an hour. Sidney Valentine in it will be always a revelation to the halls as one of the best actors that have appeared in them. Vernon Watson at the Palladium in a revue is ^nving an imitation of Frank Tinney, in wliich lie manages to do a Tinney tcn-niinute act. Hill and Ackerman, who were an- nounced as splitting some months ajL^o, are still working over here, though Ackerman Ins ac<|uire(l the services of another partner to fill the place of Al Hill.