Variety (August 1915)

IS \J R. L E# S QUE gy Frederick m. McCloy At least one important fact has been revealed to the directors of the Co- lumbia Amusement Co. as a result of the summer run now drawing to a close at the Columbia theatre. Sat- urday night, Aug. 14, "The Behman Show" will have played 14 weeks at that house. In the early weeks of the engagement, the gross receipts aver- aged larger than in any corresponding time during the regular season, and since then, except when weather condi- tions were decidedly unfavorable, busi- ness has invariably been equal to the largest in mid-season. For example, the excessive heat Monday of the pres- ent week caused a marked falling off, but Tuesday and Wednesday with rain and low temperature capacity audiences prevailed afternoon and night, equal- ling in returns the largest takings of the entire run. These circumstances leave no room for doubt that the right show pro- duced in early autumn would undoubt- edly run throughout an entire season with chances very largely in favor of greater gross receipts than have been known at the Columbia in the past two seasons. There is no reason why that house, located in the very heart of the Broadway theatre district, should not be conducted as successfully under the long run policy as any other house in the neighborhood. It is simply a ques- tion of providing the right show. Four years ago "The Merry Whirl" played nine weeks to a larger average than has ever since been recorded in any nine weeks of any season, and the last week's gross was the largest of the run excepting the first week, when per- fectly ideal weather conditions pre- vailed without a break. The force of these arguments is em- phasized by the fact that these. pro- tracted engagements occurred in sum- mer. With a show equally appealing, it is altogether probable an entire sea- son's run would be vastly more profit- able to the Columbia Amusement Co. than taking chances with the shows that come along with such frequency and that not only fail to draw because of their worthlessness, but drive pat- ronage away from shows that follow, however meritorious they may be. It goes without saying the Columbia Amusement Co. is operating solely for profit. And with the examples fur- nished by "The Merry Whirl" engage- ment and by the present experiences with "The Behman Show," no consid- eration should deter the directors from safeguarding the interests of the stock- holders by demanding of the separate managements shows of the kind that will draw on their merits, or imposing the alternative of withdrawing the Co- lumbia from the circuit and making it a house of runs. With its immense regular clientele, the Columbia invariably yields a profit to every one of the shows, even those whose business is comparatively small on account of their unattractivencss. A suggestion worthy of serious consider- ation is that the coming season be made the determining period as to whether the Columbia shall remain in the circuit or adopt the policy of mak- ing an annual production to continue throughout the entire season. WITH THE WOMEN GEORGE CHENET ARRESTED. John L. Glennon, engaged to man- age the Yorkville for the coming sea- son, will return to his former post, Corinthian, Rochester. The last named house was to have been directed by George Chenet, formerly of Detroit. Mr. Chenet had reached Rochester and assumed charge when he was arrested for grand larceny on a warrant issued in Detroit and taken back to that city on a requisition signed by Governor Whitman. 1* is sai'i on good authority Mr. Chenet's defalcation is not confined to the single transaction involved in the $800 which he is reported to have con- verted from a cash bond given by the treasurer of the Gayety, Detroit. FIRST OPENING. Harry Hastings' "Tango Queens" began the season in Pottstown, Penn., Monday, with two very large audi- ences. This company will be the in- itial attraction of the season at the Cadillac, Detroit, commencing Sunday. PROTECTING TITLES. Leon Laski, attorney for the Amer- ican Burlesque Association, has been instructed by the directors of that com- pany to proceed against all stock bur- lesque houses appropriating titles used on the American Circuit. "The Blue Ribbon Belles/' "Cabaret Girls," and "20th Century Maids" are among the titles recently used without permission of the owners. STOCK AND "COOCH." The Union Square theater on 14th street is presenting stock burlesque with "cooch" dances. Kyra is appear- ing there this week and Orental is billed for next week. HEUCK POSSIBILITIES. From present indications the Hu- bert Heuck stock burlesque circuit will consist of the People's, Cincinnati; Columbia, Indianapolis; Haymarket, Chicago, and Empress, Milwaukee. The Haymarket, Chicago, is closed after two weeks' trial of stock bur- lesque through unsatisfactory busi- ness. It is said a new company will be organized and the house reopened Aug. 22. ROBINSON AT VICTORIA. Sam Robinson has been appointed manager of the Victoria, Pittsburgh, by George Shafcr. He will be in town for the next two weeks organizing a road show, to be known as "The Victoria Burlesquers." Abe Kutner's "Military Maids." Abe Kutner will manage "The Mili- tary Maids," having purchased the I. H. llerk interest in that attraction. BY MISS RUBY. Hazel Kirk easily carried off the hon- ors of Monday evening at the Ameri- can Roof this week, as far as the wom- en on the bill were concerned. Miss Kirk might be described as a youth- ful combination of Eva Tanguay, Ger- trude Hoffmann and Gaby Deslys in manner, and a lady novelist might call her "a dainty wisp of a woman," such being the approved lady-novelist term in speaking of anything feminine with an engaging smile and is five foot two or thereabouts. Miss Kirk was "discovered" seated atop the grand piano, in animated song with a youth whose costume Beau Nash of the theatre programs would not ap- prove. That is, he committed the sar- torial sin of wearing a stiffly starched v. hite waistcoat with a sports outfit of flannels, tennis shoes and a soft collar. Miss Kirk wears her hair and her skirts fluffy, and when she dances—as she does with extreme grace—both fly and float around with every motion. One gown of pink chiffon, and another was of cream chiffon, with a three-layer scalloped skirt edged with jet beads, and a high girdle of black velvet that served the purpose of a waist. The new "half-and-half" stockings, black and white, went with this. Her last change was thepTettiest, a dress of blue satin run with broad pink stripes, with a snug, slightly draped waist and a plain, flaring skirt. An enormously wide black velvet sailor hat gave the last attractive touch. The girl of Martin and Fabrini ap- peared first in an over-elaborate dress of white silk with a lace coat, a puffed v.aist, a ruffled skirt, and a lot of vel- vet ribbon streamers. This only lasted through a song, though, and then she leturned in a cute little pink silk bloom- er costume and later in a gold and blue ballet dress with a muchly ruffled blue petticoat. She did some excellent fancy dancing and some soft shoe work a. well, and made, altogether, a good appearance. The Warren girls went in strong for blue taffeta, both wearing low-cut dresses of about the same shade. The laller one had adopted a quaint and becoming style, with a bell-shaped skirt that was caught up a few inches on each side and held by a couple of pink roses. The other girl wore just the regulation short waisted style, with nothing special to make it noteworthy. "Mrs. Dugan," in the skit called "Dugan's Money," wore a rather nice gray satin with a two-tier skirt and a severely simple blouse. Johnnie Eckhardt in Jersey City. Johnnie Eckhardt will manage the Orpheum, Jersey City. Two of the attractions at the Pal- ace last week are classic dancing spe- cialties. And first among these was Lydia Lopokova, lithe, graceful as a butterfly, with odd quick motions of her hands and arms, that make them the most expressive part of her while she is in motion. One of the dances was a charming little polka, danced in a cool, quaint frock of white mull, with a great wide band of flowered cretonne about the flaring hem. For all its quaintness, it was right up in the present fashion, since the tightly fitting Princess waist styles, with, as in this case, a rope or cord as a loosely knotted girdle, is the style that is creeping in with fall fash- ions. A butterfly dance was costumed with a floating flesh chiffon gown, after the manner of the classic nymphs. One of the charms of the little dancer is that her costumes are never so bizarre that they destroy the effect of sim- plicity .and grace that her dancing * gives. The whole bill seemed a constant succession of new and delightful gowns. There was Marie Nordstrom, who wore yet another of the white satin em- broidered-in-silver gowns, that have been pretty prevalent this season, but that are always effective to see—this made in the new style that shortens the skirt in order to lengthen the petti- coat and display its beaded and glim- mering lace. Then there was Stella Mayhew, who made little pretence of handsome gowns, but who was called again and again to the stage by an en- thusiastic crowd. One of her dresses was of pink flowered chiffon, with a long tunic banded by blue taffeta, and another was a yellow satin with a skirt made from lace ruffies. Mabel McCane was on the bill, too. with a new gown for each encore. Some woman nearby tried to count them, hut lost the number after the sixth appear- ance, being too busy admiring a certain style. One of the gowns was unusual, and an effective style for either drawing room or stage—a white chiffon in a simply draped mode suggesting the Greek style, with a band of black and white striped beaded net run high under the arms and serving the purpose of a short waisted bodice. A cape of chif- fon bordered at one end with the black and white striped material was draped from the right shoulder over the left arm and held at the wrist, forming a floating cape and a sleeve. Another wonderful affair was of blue brocade with threads of gold running through it, in a plain Princess style with a short flaring skirt. This was banded with white fox, and a white fox scarf was draped over the decolletage of the right shoulder, so that the head and bushy tail of the animal were fastened to the waist. Montreal Managerial Shift. Montreal, Aug. 4. A change in local theatre managers George F. Driscoll, for eight years with the Canadian Theatres Co., from its Orpheum (vaudeville) to Klaw & Er- kmger's Her Majesty's (legit). Fred Crow will be the Canadian Co.'s general representative here, while the resident manager for the Orpheum is Chas. H. Preston, and at the Gaiety (burlesque) Thos. Conway will be in charge. If you don't advorttoo la VARIETY don't advortlM. *