Variety (August 1915)

CABLES LONDON ALHAMBRA POLICY MAY BECOME "TWICE DAILY" Probably Conditioned Upon Gaiety Joining Proposed Pool of London Music Halls, to be Engineered by Alfred Butt, and if Alhambra's Capacity Can Be Increased to 2,500. Policy Would Oppose Stoll's Coli- seum and Might Bring About Another Moss-Stoll Alliance. London, Aug. 4. The- liaiety may join the pool of London music halls, which Alfred Butt is behind. If that goes through, it is more than likely the Alhambra will play two shows daily, provided its seat- ing capacity can be increased from the present size, 1,400, to 2,500. To effect such an increase would require remod- eling of the Alhambra's entire interior. It seems almost a certainty Mr. Butt will take the Alhambra for a twice daily hall. That means the Alhambra will become direct opposition to the Oswald Stoll hall, Coliseum, the first o ( its class over here to give two shows a day. The accepted impression seems to be if Butt goes through with his plan, it will force a re-formation of the former Moss-Stoll alliance, the two circuits be- ing obliged to come together again for mutual protection against the Butt string and its affiliations. The Alham- bra and Coliseum are but a stone's throw away. There is little doubt the proposed change in the Alhambra poli- cy would precipitate a war with Stoll. London, Aug. 4. Alfred Butt has resigned from the di- rectorate of the Manchester Palace. PINERO'S COMEDY. London, Aug. 4. Pinero's comedy, "The Big Drum," will be put on in September at the New theatre by Sir George Alexander. The revival of "Ready Money" at the New, presented again for the first time July 29, is doing poorly. It may short- ly close. WAR AND THE PROFESSION. London, July 23. A meeting of the Actors' Association was held at the Savoy theatre yester- day, to consider the effect of the war on the theatrical profession and to dis- cuss the necessity of joint action to meet the extraordinary conditions at present. The subject of actors participating in the rapidly increasing number of charit- able performances was discussed at length. Sir Herbert Trer Mated the money obtained for war charities through the medium of theatrical bene fit performances was enormous. He stated that there were 8,000 male mem- bers of the profession and that 1,500 had joined the army. Many of those who had so cheerfully given their services were in very straitened financial circumstances them- selves. But the general public had made no effort to alleviate their dis- tress. The cost of living had materi- ally increased and salaries had been i educed to almost half. Sir Herbert now proposed that in regard to'charit- able entertainments in the future, every artist should exact a fee to go to a charitable fund for the relief of the profession. It was decided to found a committee of actors and managers to consider carefully all further participation in charity performances. ENGLISH RIGHTS. London, Amj. 4. Messrs. Laurillard and Grossmith have been endeavoring to secure the English rights to "Chin Chin," the Charles Dillingham American produc- tion with Montgomery and Stone, but have been informed Mr. Dillingham has given an option for the presentation of the piece over here to Alfred Butt, who made the "Watch Your Step" London reproduction for the same New York manager. Another matter of English rights has come out in connection with H. H. Frazee's "Full House." It appears that Frazee and Butt were in negotiations for the English production of that farce and terms quoted to Butt had been satisfactory to him, when Frazee tilted the price. Meanwhile it is said upon Variety printing the progress of the Butt-Frazec negotiations Alfred Aaron's son in New York notified Butt through counsel he controlled "A Full House" for this side. PAUL MURRAY ON HIS OWN. London. Aug. 4. Paul Murray will leave the Variety Booking Office this Saturday to be- come an agent on his own. He joined the V. B. O. about May 1. "GREEN FLAG" CLOSING. London, Aug. 4. "The Green Flan" at the Criterion will close Aug. 7. POLAIRE FILM SKETCH. London. Auk 4. Polaire is posing for the Hepwortli Co. in a feature film being made of her sketch. "The Amorous Manikin." "HIGH JINKS" IN LONDON? London. Aug. 4. The J. C. Williamson Co.. of Austra- lia, which produced the Arthur Hani- merstein musical comedy, "High Jinks." in that country, is reported contemplat- ing putting the same production on in the fall at the Adelphi. London. Y«s, I am coming back to America, but not thU week. VAN HOVEN. VESTA VICTORIA'S MARRIAGE? London, July 24. A question whether Vesta Victoria is married started through the arraign- ment in the Willesden Police Court of William Edward Herbert Terry, charged by his wife with- desertion. The wife said her husband deserted her in 1912 after he had become man- ager for Vesta Victoria; that he went to America with the comedienne, and while there the two were married at Niagara Falls, N. Y. They returned to England as Mr. and Mrs. Terry on a liner. The husband wrote a letter to his wife admitting that he and Miss Vic- toria had married in the States. Miss Victoria was called to the stand but refused to answer when questioned as f- her relations with Terry. Terry was ordered to pay his legal wife $10 weekly. MONEY-GIVING "LOTTERY." London, July 29. An important decision has been handed down in the Higli Court of Justice here. It is in a case against Eugene Sylvester, who appeared in the halls as "Silas C. Jordan, the Yankee millionaire comedian and musician." At the conclusion of his turn it was the practice of "Jordan" to distribute small money orders, very much along the lines made popular here by T. Elder Hearn, "the millionaire protean artist," who is^now playing in South Africa. ("T. Elder" is Tom Hearn, the lazy juggler, who has appeared in America). The court found "Jordan" was guilty of conducting a lottery in the distribu- tion of his money orders and his sen- tence will probably take the form of a fine and a warning. LOOKING FOR "ANN." London, July 29. The English office of a firm of inter- national playbrokers has received a cable from New York requesting them to secure the American rights to a comedy called "Ann," produced at the Criterion some two years ago by Sir Charles Wyndham and Mary Moore with Renee Kelly in the leading role. It played there about eight weeks and has since been touring the provinces. The piece is wanted by an American manager who desires to make a musi- cal comedy of the book. WAR BOOSTS SALARIES. London. Aug. 4. A number of the members of the original cast of "Sealed Orders," which W. A. Brady and the Shubcrts are tak- ing to the United States, have refused to take a chance with the (icrman L r boats, unless the American managers will stand for a boost in salaries which they are asking for the additional ri*-:k. DE COURVILLE RESTING. London. Aug. 4. Albert de Courville, director of the Hippodrome, who has been unusually active now for several seasons writing and producing plays, besides looking after managerial interests, lias been compelled to seek the rest of ;i sani- tarium to prevent a breakdown. SAILINGS. Aug. 31 (for Australia), Coy DcTrick- ey, Nolan and Nolan, James and Mari- on Hawkins, Walter James (Ventura). London, Aug. 4. July 31, Ben Beyer, Herb Lorimer ( Philadelphia). CAMPAIGNING TO UNIONIZE. .\ widespread campaign to unionize every musician in the city of New York is being waged by the Musical Mutual Protective Union. In order to make the offer attractive, the union has re- duced, for September and October, the initiation fee from $100 to $10, with annual dues placed at $0. At the ex- piration of October the initiation figure will be restored to $100. Circulars arc being distributed by the union, comparing the labor condi- tions of San Francisco and New York. San Francisco being quoted as having 1.200 musicians, each a union man and everyone working. The California musicians receive more salary than those in the east. LONDON WANTS CHAPLIN. London, Aug. 4. English music hall " managers art sending queries to New York, asking agents there to ascertain on what terms Charlie Chaplin may be secured over here for a brief engagement in the halls. No reply from the New York agents lias been received so far. DRURY'S 'PUSS IN BOOTS." London, Aug. 4. The Drury Lane Christmas panto- mime will be "Puss in Boots," but there is every liklihood that George Dance will produce an autumn revue at the Drury Lane. SIR JOHN HARE PICTURE. London, Aug. 4. Sir John Hare is taking his famous mle of Eccles in "Caste" before the camera for a feature film. SAM STERN IN BAD. London, Aug. 4. Sam Stern, an American artist who has been on this side for quite some lime, has gotten an unfavorable opin- ion of himself spread about through going into bankruptcy. The circum- Mances surrounding Stern's bankruptcy proceedings are regarded by those who know him in London as a deliberate attempt to evade debts of honor. Also charged against the same Stern is the manner he left his wife and child here, who were destitute while Stern was playing an engagement in South Africa. Alhambra Gets "Picture Scene." London, Aug. 4. A Chariot, of the Alhambra. has pur- chased the English rights to the "mov- ing picture scene" in F. Zicgfcld's 'Follies" now playing in New York. It is the scene in "The Follies" where ;irtors in a picture play arc directed in their comedy movements by a * peaking director from an orchestra aisle.