Variety (March 1915)

VAUDEVILLE TWO $100,000 LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST THE LOEW CIRCUIT REDUCED TO 10 CENTS. Baltimore, March 3. Pearce & Scheck started a new scale of prices this week for matinees only at their two pop vaudeville houses— the Hippodrome and the Victoria— that should have a powerful drawing power. At the former house, playing the Loew Circuit, with the exception of Saturdays and holidays, until five P. M., any box seat and a few "down front" rows will be a quarter in the future, while the balance of the house will be a dime. The prices at the Victoria, with the same exceptions, will be 20 cents any box seat, and the remainder of the house one dime. This house has the N.-N. Circuit. At both places, until the change was made, only the balcony and the back part of the orchestra was ten cents. Marcus Loew and Other Defendants Sued By Former Sullivan- Considine Stockholders to Recover Alleged Guarantee and Accounting. Loew Side Say Plaintiffs Are in Default of Agreement, and will Give Accounting. Chicago, March 3. Two suits for $100,000 each have been filed here against Marcus Loew and other defendants. One action is based on the claim by the plaintiffs, Messrs. Tammen and Bonfils of Den- ver, the defendant, Loew, failed to pay the plaintiffs $100,000, as agreed, for their interests fa three of the former Sullivan-Considine houses, taken over by Loew. This suit was filed in the municipal court. The other action is for an accounting for the same three theatres, with the same plaintiffs and defendants. Adolph Marks is attorney for Tammen and Bonfils. The other defendants are John W. Considine, Loew Consolidated Enter- prises, Loew Theatrical Co., Sullivan & Considine (a corporation), Bell Theatrical Co., of Wisconsin, Bell Theatrical Co., of Ohio, Empress The- atre Co., and the United Theatres (a corporation). It is alleged Tammen and Bonfils purchased a half interest in the Sulli- van-Considine Empress theatres at Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Kansas City five years ago. These are the houses concerned,in the actions. The co-defendant corporations were the subsidiary companies of the former Sullivan-Considine Circuit. The pres- ent actions have grown out of the transfer of the S-C Circuit to Marcus Loew. At that time it was reported Loew made a voluntary offer to all stockholders in the Sullivan-Considine properties to redeem their stock at a specified sum within a stated time, if they wished to do so. This was to pacify stockholders, according to the story, who might have been adverse to S-C transferring local houses in any instance or all of them. Many stock- holders were said to have taken advan- tage of the offer. It is possible Tam- men and Bonfils were of this number. N. J. Kissick, a former auditor in the Sullivan-Considine local agency, is •aid to have been drawn into the ac- tions by Attorney Marks. Kissick is now with the Affiliated Booking Co., of which Fred Lincoln is the head. Lin- coln was general manager of the S-C chain of theatres. A. A. Jones claims Tammen and Bon- feils owe their part of the losses on the three theatres since the transfer of the Considine shares of the stock to Loew. These losses aggregate about $75,000. He also says Loew simply purchased the Considine interests in the houses and never agreed to buy out Tammen and Bonfeils. Jones adds they will gladly give an accounting to prove this condition. LEAN WRITES FARCE. Syracuse, N. Y., March 3. While appearing at the Grand here last week Cecil Lean let it become known he had written a three-act farce for a New York producer, in which he and Cleo Mayfield (now with him in vaudeville) will be featured. Mr. Lean wrote the piece during the week he played Keith's Boston, after receiving a request from the New York manager to forward the script. The farce will be called "Come Hither." COMPANY MEMBERS MARRY. Hamilton, O., March 3. Jack Trainor and Margaret Dukes, of the "Watch Your Step" company at the Grand, were married here yester- day. JUNE KEITH'S SKETCH. A Keith in the Keith theatres is the aim of those directing the forthcom- ing tour of June Keith in vaudeville. Miss Keith has played many legiti- mate engagements. She^will take to the varieties in "The Fiddle Told," a playlet by Evelyn Blanchard. Frank McCormick is to stage it. MUSICIAN CAUGHT. Los Angeles, March 3. Jose Andrade, a musician, who has been sought for two months as a sus- pect in the slaying of Arnold Cook at Porterville, is under arrest. There was a reward of $600 for his capture. If 79V fea't wtortlM in VARIETY, doa't •dvtrttw. Weston Dislikes Blackface. The Winter Garden people persuaded Willie Weston to try playing in black- face as a part of "Maid in America," now there. Weston "tried out" under the cork Thursday matinee, then gave the cork away. IN AND OUT. Sam and Kitty Morton have can- celed their Orpheum Circuit route through illness. Wood and Wood take up the open spot on the San Francisco Orpheum program March 7. Grace De Mar left the Majestic, Chi- cago, program Monday, not caring for the position assigned. The Three Kea- tons filled in. Petrova did not open at Hammer- stein's Monday, objection said to have been raised to her vaudeville playing by picture people who have her under contract. James and Bonnie Thornton were placed instead. Julia Curtis with- drew from the same bill at the Monday morning rehearsal. Mrs. Leslie Carter threatened dire things to the Colonial, including leav- ing the theater, when she saw the Sun- day advertisements carry the name of Hamilton Revelle as her principal sup- port. Mrs. Carter said she wanted no one mentioned in connection with her vaudeville appearance beyond herself. She was pacified and opened on time. Sam Watson wired the United Book- ing Offices Sunday from Philadelphia saying that he could not jump to Nor- folk and Richmond on account of some of his assistants being ill. Rayno's Bulldogs filled the gap. Ower and Ower did not open at Richmond Monday through illness. The Dippy Dears act deputized. Three acts fell out of the bill at the Jefferson Monday morning. They were Oskomon, the Indian; Greater City Four, and Four Comrades. They were replaced by Val Trainor and Helene, Barrett and Opp, and Levan Trio. Cincinnati, March 3. Adelaide and Hughes were out of the Keith bill today, the curtain ringing suddenly ill. Ahead of the dancer on the program was Chic Sale, who re- ceived the most applause. This is said down on the act yesterday. The ex- cuse given was Adelaide had been taken to have peeved her greatly. TWICE AT ONE TIME Chicago March 3. If Mme. Besson, after giving a trial performance around here next week in Channing Pollock's playlet, "It Doesn't Happen," secures the Or- pheum Circuit, there will be two com- panies in vaudeville playing the same piece. Helen Ware is also to appear in the Pollock playlet, opening in the east next week. The sketch calls for four people. Miss Ware is headlined in "It Doesn't Happen" for the Colonial, Uew York, next w*ek. FRANK CLARK STRICKEN Chicago, March 3. Frank Clark was stricken with con- vulsions late last week in the Water- son, Berlin & Snyder local office of which he is the manager. Mr. Clarke was removed home and much alarm is felt over his condition. Ted Snyder came on from New York to tempor- arily look after the office. JOHN P. HARRI8 ILL. Pittsburgh, March 3. John P. Harris, president of the Har- ris Amusement Co. and partner of Harry Davis, is ill in Denver. Mrs. Harris, accompanied by Dr. E. R. Walters, left for Denver Thursday night. Harris, with former Mayor W. A. Magee and George Altmayer of Sharpsburg, was en route to the Panama-Pacific Exposition when he was stricken. •,•.•;,'•,;. ; '- ■' • ■ County Treasurer Frank- Harris, a brother of John P„.«aoihis brother it suffering from rhejuniarwi; 4»ut' ihat a telegram stated he {*• improving/ • REJANE IMPRESSES. London, March 3. Rejane opened at the Coliseum in "The Bet," a war sketch. She was warmly greeted by a big house. DINEHART'S PLAY. Allan Dinehart's sketch "The Mean- est Man on Earth" will end its vaude- ville season in about four weeks. The sketch, written by Everett Ruskin, It now being prepared as a play by the author. Mr. Dinehart will play the principal role in the enlarged piece. 'FRISCO REVUE IN JUNE. San Francisco, March 3. Frank Holmes is to be one of those interested in a musical revue which is to be staged here in June. The house has not yet been given out, but Mr. Tolmes is in the east trying to secure Zoe Barnett to head the organisation. The engagement is to be for ten weeks. EUGENE MEYERS MARRYING. Newark, March 3. Eugene Meyers, manager of Loew*s Majestic, this city, will be married March 16 to Edna Cohn, non-profes- sional, of Plainfield, N. J. Fred Mitchell, in charge of Locw's film department, became a benedict Wednesday. BERLIN'S BUSY DAYS. "Watch Your Step" has given Irving Berlin plenty to do these days. Last Sunday afternoon he was called upon and obliged with a "recital" at the Strand Roof, playing and singing any of his compositions called for. Tuesday evening was the 100th per- formance of the Amsterdam theatre at- traction he wrote the music for. Mr. Berlin sang a new song, by himself, to commemorate the occasion. It was "Back to the Farm." He also was one half of a duet with Sally Fisher in the "Simple Melody" number. Delmar Found Frances Pritchard. New York's "discovery" in the Tren- tini show, opening at the 44th Street Tuesday night, was a "find" of Jule Delmar. The girl is Frances Pritchard and is under contract to the Shuberts for three years. John C Thomas is another of the cast who received prominence in the notices. The show stars Trentinl and features Gift on Crawford.