Variety (August 1915)

8 B U R. L ES Q U E B * Frederick m. mcCloy Along the circuit the news will be received with considerable surprise and not a little astonishment that Rose Sydell and her husband will next sea- son return to the cast of "The Lon- don Belles." The burlesque display advertising de- partment of Variety is now being made up for the season of 1915-16. The layout will be the same as last season, the cards appearing under a special classified heading. It is assumed that everybody associated with burlesque both in management and upon the stage realizes the value of this method of promoting their welfare. To keep one's name constantly displayed in a publication that regularly reaches not only everybody in the business, but every dramatic editor and many thous- ands of theatre goers cannot fail of direct beneficial results. If it accomp- lishes nothing else it will at least indi- cate the advertiser is not so unim- portant or so undesirable as to be out of work. Besides, a name so displayed acquires prominence that effectually re- moves it from among those of whom it is said "What ha? he ever done? 1 have never heard of him!" Rate cards will be supplied upon application and orders received up to Aug. 25 will be in time for publication concurrently with the opening of the regular wheel season. "ieneral Manager Scribncr's idea of confining the advertising of all the theatres on the burlesque circuit to the newspapers and practically doing away with billboard displays was given im- portant notice in the New York Herald Monday. For more than six months Mr. Scribner has been working out the plan with the result house managers all along the line have been provided not only with a schedule of space to be followed but in most cases with the matter that is to be used. It is calcu- lated that under the new system the newspapers of the country will next season receive from burlesque theatres alone an aggregate of close to $150,000 in excess of the amount expended by those theatres for newspaper adver- tising in any previous season. Mean- time other big men in the managerial end are striving to effect a combina- tion to follow the same course. Obviously Mr. Scribner does not see the necessity .of waiting for combina- tions to do the thing he has decided is desirable to secure increased receipts and to do away with an item of expense that has steadily been growing larger for several years and, curiously enough, in ratio with its decreasing value. It is a mighty good thing for bur- lesque that very few managers have the same idea of a "new show" as the one who declared the other day in answer to a question, "Will I have a new show? Well, rather. There won't be a thing in my show ne\t season that has been seen in burlesque in the last six years!" located in the Longacre district, might be a prolific enterprise. Managers and actors who have been sporting ma- chines all summer are about to depart for the road. And coincidentally with redeeming their heavy overcoats they might be willing to pick up a little of the long green by "soaking" the cars they have been making a bluff with since the close of last season. SHOWS OPEN. Four of the American Burlesque As- sociation shows have already opened and reports of business are altogether gratifying. "The Monte Carlo Girls" are : .n To- ronto, "Tango Queens" in Detroit "Yankee Doodle Girls," in Milwaukee and "Follies of Pleasure" at the Tro- cadero, Philadelphia. Openings for the coming week on the American are "Frolics of 191V Philadelphia, "Lady Buccaneers," Balti- more, "September Morning Glories," Milwaukee, "Cabaret Girls," Toronto, "Military Maids," Gayety, Brooklyn, "American Belles," Howard, Boston, and "Hello Paris," Olympic, New York 'SOCIAL MAIDS" TO CAPACITY. Chicago, Aug. 11. "The Social Maids" opened last Saturday at the Columbia to capacity business, which has continued up to date. The general consensus of opin- ion about town is that the show is a sure hit. Geo. Stone and Etta Pillard are the features. PEARSON'S YORKVILLE. Arthur Pearson, last season man- ager of "The Million Dollar Dolls," has been assigned the management of the Yorkvillc Theatre. Mr. Pearson brings to the position an experience that covers the entire gamut of the show business, indoor and outdoor, and he possesses in an eminent degree those personal qualifications so neces- sary to the successful conduct of a metropolitan theatre. The Yorkville will open this Satur- day night, with Frank Calder's "Hign Life Girls." DALY'S IN CIRCUIT. It is announced Daly's at Broadway and 30th street will open Aug. 14 with Scanlon and Moore in "The Winners." Rumor has it Daly's will become part of a circuit which will include the Union Square Theatre, New York, and the National. Philadelphia. PRIZE FOR PUBLICITY. Blutch Cooper will award a prize of $250 cash to the advance agent in his employ who secures the greatest ad- vance newspaper showing during the coining season. The four agents are making their plans accordingly. STOCK OPPOSITION. The Standard, Cincinnati, it is said, will open with stock burlesque in op- position to the People's. Walter C. Kelley, a cabaret perfor- mer, was held in $2,000 bail for the Grand Jury, after having stolen a purse containing $150 from Miss McCosker, Waterson, Berlin & Snyder's book- keeper. Miss McCosker left her purse on the desk while she stepped outside. It was gone upon her .xeturn. Lew Lewin, of the music publishing firm's staff, thought it out, and his Sherlock- holmesey effort settled upon Kelley. Mr. Lewin with a couple of detectives found the man within four hours, he throwing away the purse upon their ap- proach. One hundred and thirty-two dollars was recovered of the money, but Miss McCosker's gold watch is still missing. Kelley, it seems, returned to the W. B. & S. office within half an hour after the theft, endeavoring to borrow money from Ted Snyder, but this move did not deceive the popular hit sleuth, Lewin. Figuring the dance craze has gone on its merry way and the public is again about ripe for roller skating, promoters propose reopening the Broadway Dance Palace, Broadway and 48th street, which proved a failure as a dance hall, and installing a rink. The open- ing will take place within the next month. The big floor will be devoted entirely to skating and the smaller bal- cony space will be given over to dan- cing. A giant organ will furnish the music for both. There will also be a bar and a restaurant run in conjunction. Incidentally the basement under the building has been leased by the present owners of Little Hungary on East Houston street who will convert it into a resort of the same type as their ('owntown establishment. One theatrical license only has been obtained from the Commissioner's of- fice since it was ruled a cabaret to present a revue must operate under the higher priced official permit. The theatrical license is $500 yearly. The Shelburne, Brighton Beach, obtained the single one. It is running a revue there this summer. At the Commis- sioner's office it was said they did not believe it ,vas the summertime that stopped others being taken out, simply the restaurant men did not appear to be interested further : n the sort of a free sh >w that would call for the li- cense. The suggestion is gratuitously offered individuals of the get-rich-quick kind that an automobile "hock" shop at this particular period of the year, Stamford on American Circuit. The Auditorium, Stamford, Conn., will be on the American Circuit the coming season. Healy's at Long Beach is raffling a Mitchell Six car, claimed to be worth $2,000. It will be presented to the lucky number Sept. 10, when the restau- rant is to have a Harvest Ball. The announcement says 1,000 tickets will be distributed. Everyone purchasing one of the $5 /dinners at the restaurant re- ceives a raffle number. Melville Ellis, besides^ appearing in the new Ziegfeld "Midnight Frolic" production on the Amsterdam Roof, will also take part in the Elsie Janis show Charles Dillingham is to produce. With Mr. Ellis in the Dillingham piece will be Maurice Farkoa. Ellis also is designing costumes for the A. H. Woods productions, among many other show activities. It is reported his break with the Shuberts is final, and the actual reason for the parting is likewise reported, as Ellis believed he could make more money away from the Shubert employ than with it. The new Exposition building at Portland, Me., has been converted into a dancing cabaret. It opened Mon- day. Harry P. Lane and Thelma Crane, Cecile Hibbs, Frank M. Heb- blewaite, Mrs. James T. Jack and Mar- ion Corey are on the opening week's program. Ziegfeld's "Midnight Frolic" will close this Saturday, and the second edition will be presented on the Amsterdam Roof Aug. 23. Dave Johnson and Tottie Fowler, oirect from the Coast, have been en- gaged to appear at Shanley's. Chicago, Aug. 11. Charles H. Eastwood, of the New York firm of Eastwood & Guthrie, has produced a couple of cabaret revues in Chicago. A few weeks ago he gathered some chorus girls and told them a revue would be put on at the Sheridan Inn. After rehearsing the girls two weeks Eastwood said there was nothing doing as the restaurant had changed its mind. Eastwood took a chance the place might want a re- vue and so rehearsed the girls who received nothing for their laborr. The proprietors of the Sheridan Inn gave Eastwood no encouragement. San Francisco, Aug. 11. The cafe proprietors on Pacific street are doing everything to evade the city ordinance which has placed the ban on dancing. One proprietor conceived the idea to give his patrons dancing by ad- vertising his cafe as a dancing acad- emy. After the second dance the police raided it and took the proprietor and his dancing teachers to jail. The judge decided there was no law to prevent him from conducting a dancing acad- emy, which will in all probability cause the other cafes to follow. HOME TOWN VISIT. Henry Bossom. treasurer of the Columbia, and his assistant, Tommy Gebhardt, will spend the week the house is closed in Svracuse where they were born. James Barton in J. & J. Show. James Barton has been released by William Roehm and will next season be seen with Jacobs & Jermon's "Mil- lion Dollar Dolls." If you don't advortlso In VARIETY, don't advortloo.