Variety (February 1914)

12 VARIETY Walter Messenger, out on tbe road all tea* son. writen to Broadway be Is returning to New York shortly "wltb a novelty." Among tbe recent acquisitions to tbe man- agers and agents' hereabouts are William Flack and Manny Qreeoborg. Tbe Jerome H. Eddy now4paper syndicate Is sending out a number i>r witty atorlea which Eddy Is giving Flske O'Hara credit for telling. Eddy claims to represent 40 dally newspapers. Margaret Anglln la announced to op«D a two weeks' engagement at tbe Cort, Boston, Monday night, and will be followed March 16 by Kitty Oordon In tbe new Oliver Morosco production. "Pretty Mrs. Smith." At the Cort New York. Saturday after- noon, the sooth consecutive performance of the Laurette Taylor "Peg o' My Heart" will be commemorated. Mrs. Oeorse Mooser and alx-year-old-daugb- ter, Oeorgle, aboard the Prlncesa Irene, are now ocean bound for Naples, sailing from New York Sunday. Mrs. Mooser Is going to encircle the world, going bv the way of Manila, Java, Batavla and the Indian seas and return- ing via San Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Mooser lived In China for several years, where Q. M. was In business. It was In Shanghai that they were married. Jack Toobey Is In Chicago looking after the publicity for the Weber A Fields show at the Auditorium. Harry Davidson is pushing the interests of "Passing Show of 1913" which opened Sun- day at the Oarrick, Chicago, and Harry Davis Is booming the Tallferro girls in "Young Wis- dom" at Powers' In the same town. John Peltret Is doing the advance work for Rose Stahl, who Is playing "Maggie Pepper" for the one-nlghters In the middle west. Sam. P. Oerson, manager of the American Music Hall, Is handling the publicity for the Kolb A Dill engagement and Is also looking after the billing, billing It like a clrcua. William A. BrmdT baa accepted a three- act comedy by Edith Yeager, called "Sugar." It Is tbe authoress' first effort at play writ- ing, she having attained some prominence as an actress. Arthur Hammerstein has signed contracu to produce a three-act version of Richard Hard- ing Davis' plsylet. "Blackmail," which la being elaborated by Jules Bckert Ooodman. Next season James K. Hackett will appear in a production of "Othello," playing the title role. He will also produce "The Melody of Youth." a comedy by Brandon Trnan. based on the "Craig Kennedy" stories, and "The Amateur Cracksman." An American play, "The Under Dog." by William Harlowe Briggs, never seen In this country, will be produced at the Haymarket, London. Easter Monday. Rogers L. Lytton has returned from Ber- nuda, where be spent a six weeks' vacation. Charles Frohman has concluded arrange- ments by which Nielsen Terry, daughter of Julia NIelson and Fred Terry, will appear un- der bis management for a term of years, first In London and later In America. She was last season leading woman to Sir Herbert Tree. Laurette Taylor and the players In "Peg O' My Heart." at the Cort, will begin a series of four special matinees at the Cort of four new onn-act plays on tbe four Fridays In March. The four plays Include a romance by J. Hart- ley Mnnners entitled "Just as Well". In which Miss Taylor, Hassard Short. Emllie Melville and Yvonne Jarrett will appear; "The Forbid- den Guests," a phantasy by John Corbln. played by Miss Taylor, Violet Kemble Cooper. Yvonne Jarrott. H. Reevee-Smltb. Clarence Handyslde and Master Howard Brooks; "Hap- piness." a study by J. Hartley Manners, wltb Miss Taylor. Miss Cooper. Mr. Short and Peter Passett, and an allegory by Mr. Manners, en- titled "The Day of Dupes." with Ml«s Tsv- lor. Miss Melville, Mr. Reeves-Smlth. Mr. Short Mr. Handyslde and Refrtnald Manon Those speclsl matinees will not Interfpro with the usual performances of "Peg." A $10 police court fine was the final upshot of the press agentry which got Joe Flynn, publicity puRber for Hammerstelnn a Blap In the face from Dorothy Dale on Pronrtway. Miss Dale la at Hammersteln's this we*"!*. The ten-dollnr slap happened late last wcpk Some one called the ambulance and some one else phoned the papers n rlrl was kiUlne n mnii near 42d street. The thlnR went all wron« even If It did Mt In type, and Mr. FIvnn thinks people will believe hp isn't a Rood little framer. Flynn says he had one irreat line for Dorothy but that she floppod with It. When asked why sIsppinK a perfect gent like .Top. the DalA girl was to reply. "nefau«p he wanted me to do something that might fp- flect upon my reputation." For the flrst time In three years Leon and Bheppard Friedman met on the road at Bal- timore. They left Texas together but their paths diverged. Leon Is ahead of tbe "Follies" and "Shep" Is In the same capacity for "The Crinoline Girl." There was a little reunion of tbe Friedman family here and then they separated, hoping to meet again. Cleveland. Feb. 24. Geo. Gardner, press acent at the PrlscUla, has a name for an all-girl show which will be given next week. He calls It an "Adam>less Eden" show. John L. Kearney, who was slated to go with Boyle Woolfolk's "Mayor of Tokio" Ublold. Is back In New York, the Ub being called off for the present PRESS OPINIONS. MIDNIGHT GIRI«. "The Midnight Olrl" should bring the crowds to tbe Forty-fourth Street theatre, for It has color, life, fun and good singing In Just the right proportion.—Herald. It should prove popular because It Is cut af- ter precisely the same pattern as a doxen such entertainments which nave been heard here and which have found favor.—Times. "The Midnight Girl" is an amasing contrast to tbe polite entertainment described as "The Girl on tbe Film," which preceded It at this theatre.—Sun. ALONG CAMS RUTH. The best that can be said of "Along Came Ruth" is that it was clean and well meant— Herald. A house of friends may laugh till they are hoarse and clap until their hands are tired, all In a spirit of cordiality, but they cannot chuckle as last night's audience chuckled un- less they are thoroughly and genuinely pleased. —Times. The excellent acting had much to do with the undoubted success of the little play.—Sun. The Idea which is the kernel of the new farce that spun Its way amusingly through three acts at the Gaiety last night Is almost as old as the theatre itself.—World. WARPIELD'S CINSY RECORD. Cincinnati, Feb. 25. David Warfield's box office takings at the Grand last week totaled $18,500. the record here for many seasons. MISS BURKE DENIES. Official denial was made by (Miss) Billie Burke of the report she was to marry Florenz Ziegfeld. Lillian in Panama. Lillian Russell and her husband Col. Alexander P. Moore, left Monday for Panama, to be gone for six weeks. LICENSE REVOKED. Chicago, Feb. 25. City Commissioners of Waukegan, 111., in special session revoked the li- cense of the Majestic Monday because Col. W. A. Thompson, its manager, de- fied the mayor and threatened to pre- sent "The Traffic" when ordered to do otherwise. Thompson hired a hall in North Chicago, two miles distant, where the play was offered. Thomp- son now threatens to sue the city for $10,000 damages. THE HARES DIVORCED. Philadelphia, Feb. 25. L. Madeleine Hare has secured a divorce for desertion and cruelty from T. Ernest Hare. FISCHER'S TWO NEW PLAYS. David G. Fischer, the Chicago play- wright, who wrote "Lavender and Old Lace," is in New York making arrange- ments for the production in the east of his new play, "John Rawn." a story of high finance. Fischer's "The Master's Violin," an- other new play, is to be brought out in early spring in Chicago by the United Play Co. It is a dramatization of Myr- tle Reed's novel. STRASMAN'S FIRST WIRELESS. Loi Angelei, Feb. 25. Probably for the first time in theat- rical history the wireless was brought into requisition by a road show, in an effort to circumvent the floods and washouts which have tied up practically every show that was due to open in Los Angeles this week. Al Strasman, advance agent of "Milestones," which comes to the Ma- son, is the man who turned the trick, and while it did not bring the show in Monday as he hoped, that was not Strasman's fault, nor that of the wire- less. Not even a circuitous route would establish a connection with Frisco, then came the inspiration—the wireless. He located the federal and succeeded in getting a message delivered to his com- pany in Frisco instructing them if pos- sible to get the steamship "Harvard" held a few hours, and come down by boat. The only trouble was the "Har- vard" refused to wait, so the show did not get in until Tuesday. OLD TIMERS' CLUB. Chicago, Feb. 25. James S. Hutton, veteran advance man, has formed a new society called "Old Friends' Club," the membership of which comprises men who have been identified with the theatrical business for at least 25 years. Prominent men in the show business for years have joined. A dinner was given at the Hotel Planters Thursday afternoon. The ob- jects of the organization are purely fra- ternal. "Speculators" Busy Once More. Chicago, Feb. 25. Ticket speculation is jiit in the city again and there has been much com- plaint. Drastic action may be taken by the city council in the matter, as agitation has been started in several directions. Gloomy Fanny's Author Now Sore. Pittsburgh, Feb. 25. Allan Davis, playwright, author of "Under the Law," "The Iron Door," "Gloomy Fanny" and "A House Di- vided," produced here, New Haven, and elsewhere, has entered suit against William A. Brady, Ltd., setting forth the defendant accepted the latter play, and agreed to produce it for a consecu- tive run beginning Dec. 31, 1912, ad- vanced $250, promised to pay $500 and thereafter five per cent, of the weekly gross receipts, but did not produce the play. Davis asks for the balance due him, $250. Jan. 31 he had an attachment issued against the scenery of "The Family Cupboard," playing the Alvin, which was dissolved Feb. 18 when John P. Harris, as surety, and Brady, Ltd., gave bond. Perennial "Uncle Tom." Kibble & Martin's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," after a long season closes about the middle of June and reopens July 18 at Mount Clemens, Mich., giving the company about the same stretch of va- cation it had last summer. "^Tf"yo^To?^i3vern!eTn' VABUTyT don't advertise at aa LONDON. London, Feb. 17. Ezplanationa from Austen Hurgon himself and rumors from other sources make quite an interesting little story in locating the exact position of the producer and Moss Empire's over the affair at the Hippodrome immediately after Wayburn left the show. Hurgon was asked to fix up the Hip revue, along with producing exclusively for vaudeville shows in the provinces, but as he is at the head of a company en- gaged in that business independently, Hurgon could not accept. It is said, however, the real reason for Moss Em- pire's wanting him is that Hurgon pro- duced two of the most successful re- vues on the road which the opposition booked and it is intimated Moss Em- pire's would like to corner all future good ones from off the Hurgon bat. The Farrell Brothers, a bicycle act from the States, have split. "I Do Like Your Eyes," the revue that had a few weeks' run at the Paladium, is now in the suburban halls pulling big houses. Eustace Gray pro- duced it and almost lost his. great smile when the show was at the Pal- ladium, but it is slowly creeping back again now. The picture business has given many queer twists to music hall affairs lately. Johnny Cummins with a hall in Fal- kirk, Scotland, has the toughest oppo- sition. In the town is an enterprising minister who runs two vaudeville turns and pictures during the week in his church. Siinday the minister is sure to have the best in, and after the ser- mon he proceeds to a.nnounce his show for the next week to his congregation, not forgetting to pan his opposition (Cummins' Hippodrome). The parson isn't much on novelty, for he will always take the opposition acts for the following week if they make good. The Provincial edition of the Alham- bra show was produced last week at Finsbury Park and caught on. It runs about an hour and a half and is get- ting a salary of $2,000 weekly, almost the top price for the provincial houses up to now. M^ny of the halls where this two-thousand-dollar show will play have run for many weeks with the full salary list much under that figure, but since the revue craze the managers are quite willing to give up, for there seems to be no end to big money at the box office as long as the big new shows are good ones. It looks like the comic singer in "one" is more in danger now than he was when the American acts flooded this country a year or so ago. The Moss Empire has decided that in many cases its halls in the country will be rebuilt. The Empire, Glas- gow, is said to be the first one that will close for alterations. The Alhambra, Bradford, belonging to the Variety Controlli.ng Co., will open late in March. Moss and Mc- Naughton circuits oppose the new hall there.