Variety (December 1914)

VARIETY 15 COLUMBIA CIRCUIT REDUCED ONE CHAIN ONLY NEXT SEASON 68 Shows and 73 Theatres Will Make Up One Continuous Travel, with Likelihood All Shows Will Play All Theatres, Replacing Present Arrangement of "Main" and "Extended" Circuits. Very important changes will be made in the general conduct of the opera- tions of the Columbia Amusement Co. commencing next season. As at pres- ent constituted, the corporation is hand- ling 73 shows and there are 81 the- atres on the circuit. These will be re- duced to 68 shows and 73 theatres un- der the new order. There will be but one circuit. The routes will be laid out with a view to securing the greatest money returns to all of the shows and the- atres. With the obliteration of the line that this season exists between the attractions and houses, shows that are now going to the Murray Hill and the Olympic, for instance, and that do not play the Columbia or Miner's, Bronx, are quite likely to be booked in all of the New York houses, and the same procedure will be followed in all the cities. RECORD THEATRE PARTY. Walt Leslie, ahead of the Bert Baker "Bon Tons" show, and Billy Vail, man- ager of the Casino, Philadelphia, have pulled off an immense business-getting stunt for the four days preceding Christmas. They have arranged for the Philadelphia Loyal Order of Moose to have a four days' herding of the Moose. There are 20.250 members of this order in Philadelphia and each one has* taken four tickets good for any per- formance from Monday to Thursday, inclusive. In order to accommodate these 81000 persons, two midnight shows will be given, one Tuesday and the other Thursday nights. It will hap- pen on the four worst days of the en- tire theatrical season. COLUMBUS IN EXTENDED. Beginning Dec. 28, the Empress, Columbus, O., will be included in the Extended, coming between Cincinnati and Cleveland. This closes* up a gap in the east caused by the withdrawal of Richmond and Norfolk. The Empress Is a new theatre, open- ed five weeks ago as a Loew vaude- ville house. It is located on High street between the Public square and the Southern Hotel. There is a large seating capacity. Harry Hastings* "Tango Queens" is scheduled for the opening; .»» Ross Snow in "Gay White Way.' Ross Snow will fc place Harry Ward as principal comedhn of "Girls of the Cay White Way" Monday. WESTMINSTER LEASED. The Westminster, Providence, will cease to be a burlesqr^ house at the end of the present season Tt has been leased by Att»ee %■•■., & Lovrnburg who will conduct it as a feature pic- ture theatre to take the place of their present Empire, which is to be de- molished in the spring to make room for a new street. Just what will be done, if anything, to continue Providence on the Colum- bia Circuit has' not as yet been decided upon. PENN ROUTE CHANGE. A change will be made in the Penn Circuit beginning Dec. 28 in conse- quence of the Cambria, Johnstown, be- coming a dramatic stock house on that date. Thereafter the route for the week will be Monday, Beaver Falls; Tuesday, McKeesport; Wednesday, Greensburg; Thursday, Altoona; Friday, York, and Saturday, Reading. STOCK CHANGES. Newark, Dec. 16. Mabelle Estelle has signed with the Edw. Forsburg players here, opening at the Orpheum Dec. 28. Richmond, Va., Dec. 16. William Wade Scott, manager of the Lucille LaVerne stock at the Empire, announces several changes. Laura Walker has been engaged as leading woman. Viola Fitzpatrick, Jack Crosby and Olive Blakeney, who gave in their no- tices upon failure to grant a request for more money, are being replaced. Philadelphia, Dec. 16. Enid May Jackson, late leading woman of the Gaiety stock, Hoboken, N. J., will join the stock at the Ameri- can here Monday as lead, succeeding Frances MacGrath. Portland, Me., Dec. 16. Frances Young, character woman, and Dorothy West, ingenue, joined the Moore-Pavey Stock Co. at the Little theatre this week. $1,000 ROYALTY. Negotiations are on for the first stock production in Greater New York of "Within the Law," the reorganized Grand stock, Brooklyn, planning to produce the piece a week and a half at the Grand over there for a royalty payment of $1,000. The Grand recently came a cropper as stock under a tri-managcrial admin- istration, and the new stock regime will be conducted under the auspices of the A. I. Naam drygoods company, which controls the house. Mary Young is engaged as leading woman. STOCK STOCKS OPENING. Chicago, Dec. 16. The Warrington, Oak Park, has been rc-lcased from Gatts & Sackett by Abramson & Middleton, two local busi- ness men, who will open the house Monday night with stock. Isabelle Randolph will be the leading woman. Among the other players are Walter Poulter, Gertrude Keefe, Millie Free- man, Chatles Siddons and Messrs. Dixon, Emerich, Miss Wilde and oth- ers, with George Fox as the comedian. Frank M. Readick has been engaged as producer. The opening bill will be "Over Night," with a musical comedy yet to be announced to follow the sec- ond week. Chicago, DeC. 16. Frank Livingston, director with the Grace Hayward Players at the Wil- lard, has resigned from that organi- zation and will open a stock company at the Hippodrome, Peoria, Sunday. The opening # bill will be "Officer 666." Eugene McGillan has been engaged as director for the Grace Hayward company in the place of Mr. Livings- ton. Chicago, Dec. 16. If the Palace. Rockford, 111., is com- pleted by Jan. 1, a stock company will go into the Orpheum, now playing vau- deville. No definite announcement of who will run the company has been made. Montreal, Dec. 16. His Majesty's theatre starts with a stock company next Monday. The roster of the Percy Haswell stock was completed Monday. The company opens in New Orleans, De- cember 25, with the leads played by Miss Haswell and Albert Paterson. Others will be Florence Pendleton, Theresa Daly, Madge West, Angele Ogden, S. K. Fried, Russell Fillmore, James Morrissey and Lynn Osborne. The opener will be "Green Stock- ings." Rollo Lloyd was busy Monday en- gaging people for the new Wilmer & Vincent stock which opens at the Co- lonial, Norfolk, Va., Dec. 28. Lloyd will be the Colonial's stage director and also play parts. Minneapolis, Dec. 16. A. G. Bainbridge, Jr., announces a stupendous stock production of "The Blue Bird" for Christmas and New Year's weeks at the Bainbridge Play- house. About 100 supers have been lined 'in and special attention is paid to the scenic equipment. has been selected as manager for the Baker when it reopens Christmas night as a stock house. The Holden Players will present "Dora Thome" as the opening attraction. Sioux City, la., Dec. 16. Morgan Wallace, heading his own siock, opens Dec. 26, rvith Iona Mc- Grane as leading woman. The opener will be "Our Wives." STOCKS CLOSING. Buffalo, Dec. 16. The Cliff Stork-Mabel Brownell Co. closes their engagement here Saturday night in "Camille." The entire com- *• pany will be back to New York although the proposed return to the Shubert, Newark, has been abandoned. Leominster, Mass., Dec. 16. Members of the stock under William A. Grew's direction which closed Sat- Friday, have gone back to New York. The Grew stock had not been a howl- ing success. Youngstown, O., Dec. 16. Feiber & Shea's stock company at the Grand, Canton, closed Dec. 12, and the organization moved to the Majestic, in Erie, Pa., where it will open Dec. 21 in "The Family Cup- board" as the initial bill. The Canton house will be kept open with pictures. The Feiber & Shea stock company at the Grand, Akron, was also discon- tinued Dec. 12, and the house will play combinations for the rest of the sea- son. L. B. Cool, district manager of the Feiber & Shea interests, is making Voungstown his headquarters while he spends most of his time on the circuit. Topeka, Dec. 16. The Carter-Robinson Stock Co. quit the Orpheum here yesterday and left for Muskogee, Okla., where it will make another attempt. In the two months' stay at the Orpheum the or- ganization realized $75 above expenses. A hoodoo has rested on the Orpheum since its opening. It is said a Kansas City theatrical concern will occupy the Orpheum with pop vaudeville and pictures. Eva Mull Show Renamed. The former Eva Mull show has been renamed the "Follies of 1920." The first stop under the new cognomen is at the Howard, Boston, next week. Rochester, N. Y., Dec. 16. Charles Pease, for a long time con- nected with different local theatres. JOHNNY SLAVIN GETS IT. Johnny Slavin gets the Lew Hearn role in "Suzi" and will first play it next Monday at the Adelphia, Philadelphia, where the show opens then for a three weeks' stay, afterward moving to Bos- ton. If you don't advert!** in VARIETY flon't r admits* «t «n.