Variety (December 1914)

VARIETY TOO MUCH "STAR SPANGLED" ACROSS CANADIAN BORDER Montreal Sends Out Appeal for Shows and Acts to "Lay Off" the U. S. in Favor of Native Land Ditties. Intimates Better Applause Results May Be Secured. Montreal, Dec. 9. Hearken all ye burlesque show man- agers, vaudeville teams, musical acts and others! From this side of the do- minion border comes an open letter for you all to read. It may be the last straw tor some forms of show entertainment, but the appended letter speaks for it- self: Montreal is tired, heartily tired, of being fed upon "Star Spangled Ban- ner" music. The United States, we know, is God's own country. That's why so many Americans come to Canada. But although we are very fond of our cousins across the border we are weary of "Dixie," "Yankee Doodle" and other American national tunes. There was once a burlesque show that came to town and did chorus marches to Canadian and British airs. If we remember rightly, the members of the chorus wore Union Jacks (and other garments). This show made a great hit. They even dug out the S. R. O. sign—and used it. The Montrealer is appreciative of burlesque and vaudeville though he may be cranky on "high brow" stuff. Why not pay your audience the small courtesy of using music that they like? British entiment in Can- ada is strong just now and some Brit- ish music would make a pleasant sup- plement to "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary." SAY FROHMAN IS RIGHT. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. The London dailies are commenting on the Charles Frohman announce- ment he will do no producing in Eng- land this season. The papers state that it is a pity, but owing to conditions they do not in the least blame Mr. Frohman for his decision. JANIS-NORWORTH-DILLINGHAM. (Bpoofl CaeU lo Vajubtt.) London, Dec. 9. Elsie Janis returns here in February to optn at the Palace in a production which will be shown in March. Later Miss Janis will return to Amer- ica to appear in a Charles Dillingham show. In it also Jack Norworth, now in England, will be the leading man. ARTISTS RELIEVED. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. The Arts Fund started under the pat- ronage of Queen Alexandra has united all professions in relieving distress among music hall and other artists during the war. conductor, and has been attached to the Martin Harvey touring companies for the past few years, died here last week. LEWIS WALLER IN ACCIDENT. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. Lewis Waller is at present in the St. Albans Hospital, suffering from in- juries received in a motor accident which happened while he was driving from Birmingham to London Satur- day night, after he had finished playing in that city. The actor ditched his car to avoid running over a pedestrian on the road. It is expected that he will have to re- main in the hospital for three weeks. MARIE LOHR LEADING. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. When the new play is produced at the St. James by George Alexander, Marie Lohr will be his leading lady. It will be shown in January. WAR REFUGEE STRANDED. Baltimore, Dec. 9. After a number of successful years as a member of grand opera ballets in the large cities of Austria and Ger- many, Mollie Nesdidal is stranded in this city, after having taken refuge from the war zone. She is penniless and efforts to obtain a position in Bal- timore have been unsuccessful, as she is not only unable to speak English, but her dancing is not suitable for the plays nowadays. MANNERS IS ABOUT. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. Hartley Manners, the author, is about wearing a mustache and goatee to conceal the marks of. his recent accident Broadhursf s Romantic Play. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. George Broadhurst is writing a ro- mantic play for George Fawcett. The scene is to be laid in a mythical king- dom and no uniforms will be worn. "Peg" Pulling in London. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. "Peg o' My Heart" established a creditabre record at the Comedy last week, considering conditions on this side, when its receipts totaled up to nearlv $3,000. John Kurkamp Dies. (Special Coble to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. John Kurkamp who first came to England from America as a singing Stone-Kalisz Open Well. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. Amelia Stone and Armand Kalisz opened this week in "Monamour" and made an excellent impression. Up until IntHy Kalisz has been playing the juvenile pnrt in "The Red-Heads" while Miss Kalisz has been resting. PARIS THEATRES TO REOPEN. Paris, Nov. 26. In response to a petition presented by the Syndicat du Spectacle, compris- ing delegates of the Union Syndicate des Artistes Lyriques and other the- atrical groups of Paris, the French government has decided to grant per- mission to the theatre managers to re- open their houses. This step is taken on condition that the program be sub- mitted to the censors, and every pre- caution be taken to keep the audience orderly, against undue demonstrations, either of patriotism or disapproval or present events. The managers have promised to reserve an additional per- centage, over and above the usual poor tax, for the wounded and distressed, and a minimum of 13 per cent of the gross receipts will be handed over to the authorities. This, of course, does not include authors' fees. Some of the Paris houses will con- sequently take down the shutters by the end of the month. At present there are only a few pic- ture theatres open, where business has been highly satisfactory. The Etoile Palace has been used as a home for Belgian refugees, this being a private enterprise under the direction of M. Combes. Soldiers have been lodged at the Alhambra, but arrangements have been made for their transfer. Soup kitchens for destitute artists have been installed at the Jardin de Paris, and at the Eldorado. Some of the smaller acts keenly felt the effect of the sudden closing of the concert halls, and there has been some distress among that class, relieved as far as possible by private charities. Many of the actors are at the front, and many will be missing when peace is declared. The Big Wheel is about the only re- sort which has kept working. Big crowds visit this place on Sundays, where a picture show and a second- rate concert are included in the ad- mission fee of 12 cents. "Magic City" was used as a prelimi- nary recruiting depot for the British and American volunteers who joined the French ranks. "Luna Park" has been dismantled. M. Rosien is still in charge of the U. S. A. L. offices (affiliated with the White Rats of America), with Frank Mauris assisting. The committee has met as usual since August, and has done good work in assisting to relieve the distress among the poorer artsits, deprived of engagements by the clos- ing of all concert halls and theatres throughout France for so many weeks. Business among the agents has naturally been almost nil, and many have temporarly closed, while others pay visits to their offices once or twice each week to look for mail. There is every sign, however, that business is to begin again, and De- cember will see, possibly, the reopen- ing of almost all the Paris theatres. E. G. KENDREVV. SAILINGS. San Franciso, Dec. 9. Arriving on the Maitai from Aus- tralia last week were: Servaics Le Roy, Talma Le Roy, James Bosco, Eyra Buckley, George Blood, Nellie Plood, Mellice Blood, Harry Carmos, Alma Carmos, Roy Cavella, Margiet Coleman, Elizabeth Ford, Edward Fi- garo, Alfred Ford, Peter Hangseppin, Lawrence Perry, Lizzie Pate, Albert Stark, Santo Santuccia, Donis Sayler, Samuel Whyte, Frank Warner. STEEPLE JACK CLOWN. Paris, Nov. 29. A feat by a French soldier, who, in more peaceful times, is an "English clown" in a continental circus and well known under the name of Williams, is being told from the trenches. A Ger- man machine gun was causing much damage to a French squadron in a trench which could not locate the posi- tion. Close by was a part of a chimney stack, 30 feet high, and Williams of- fered to climb it. The lieutenant in charge knew nothing of the clown's private calling, but gave permission. Williams divested himself of a heavy coat, and slinging his* rifle on his back he climbed the stack as easily as a monkey, although parts fell away be- neath his touch. From his position he was able to signal the exact position of the German gun, and before de- scending he calmly took aim at the gun- ners and fired six cartridges. The brickwork seemed to sway at each shot, and Williams' comrades shouted to him to come down, and finally appealed to the lieutenant to or- der him to do so. The soldier-clown then dropped his rifle to the ground, and jumped head-first onto a tiled roof 20 feet below, rebounded from it like a ball of rubber and alighted on his feet on the ground. He then assumed the position he always took in the circus after performing a trick, with his fingers behind his ears, and with a grin announced "That's my new turn: the death leap." Williams is cited by his general for the Legion of Honor. MAY BE NO TIVOLI. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. The shareholders of the Tivoli Music Hall (now an open lot) are meeting this week to discuss the feasi- bility of either selling the site or re- building the music hall there. The building was torn down about a year ago and it was expected that a new one would grace the Strand this Christmas, but between trade union building disputes and the war the site has nothing on it as yet. The Grand, Syracuse, will play 10 acts week Dec. 21. Among the fea- tures will be Nat Wills and W. C. Fields. OTHERS FOR THE FUND. (Special Cable to Varibtt.) London, Dec. 9. The Moss Empires, AlharmSra Lon- don and the Variety Controlling Co. have all followed Alfred Butt's ex- ample and are giving 10 per cent of the gross of various charity benefits put on at the various theatres con- trolled by them to the Variety Artists' Benevolent Fund. This should net the fund quite a sum, as benefits are as plentiful as wa • pictures here.