Variety (December 1915)

VOL. XLI, No. 1 NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1915 PRICE TEN CENTS. M I L NLW yUff F W1LLARD DRIVEN FROM THEATRE BY AUDIENCE'S HOOTS AND CALLS Insults Harry Houdini on Stage of Los Angeles Orpheum— House With the Escape Expert Who Wins Battle of Words With World's Champ—Local Papers Give Front Page Prominence to Incident. Los Angeles, Dec. 1. Harry Houdini bested Jess Willard, the world's champion, in a battle of words and wits from the stage of the Orpheum theatre here last night. The defeat of the pugilistic giant was wit- nessed by approximately 4,000 people who were in the theatre at the time and who roundly hissed the prizefighter for his conduct. Today the Examiner and The Evening Record are carrying stories of the incident on the front page, playing up the champion with a picture and glaring headlines to the effect that he was driven from the theatre by hoots and calls. Houdini is at the Orpheum this week, and, as is his usual custom, invites a committee on the stage. Having heard Willard was in the audience, the escape artist made a polite speech inviting Jess on the stage. The audience took up the idea and applauded heartily. Wil- lard, who was seated in one of the bal- cony loges with his trainer, simply scowled and made no move. Houdini then said, "I am sure you would please everyone present, Mr. Willard, and to prove this to you will everyone present who wishes Mr. Wil- lard to come on the stage applaud." Applause lasting over three minutes greeted this speech, and Willard when the audience quieted blurted out: "Hey, if you will pay me what you are paying those seven men, I'll come down." The audience was taken aback by the remark and started in to hoot and hiss Willard. Houdini accepted the chal- lenge of Willard, by remarking, "All right, you come down and I'll pay you exactly what I am paying these gentle- men, for I have never seen them before in my life; so kindly make good and come right down." "Go on, you faker. You're a four- flusher, and I know it. Certainly you're a four-flusher," yelled Willard, from his box. Like a shot Houdini dashed down to the footlights and shouted back: 'Look here, I don't care how big you are; you have thrown down the gauntlet and I will not let you get away with that slur. I want to tell you one thing and that is that I will still be Harry Houdini and a gentleman when you are no longer champion of the world." The audience went wild with excite- ment and yelled and applauded for ten minutes. Not a word could be heard above the din. Every time Willard tried to speak they hissed and hooted him. He was trying to offer Houdini $100,000 to come up into the box, but he never had a chance to make himself heard. Willard had made himself thoroughly disliked by the audience which evidently tried by catcalls and hoots to convince the heavyweight he was in a theatre and not in a ring or a training barn. Willard, after trying ineffectually to make himself heard, got up and left the theatre. RUNNING OUT THE BANKROLL. The run of "Romeo and Juliet" at the 44th Street theatre will continue just so long as the $30,000 bankroll con- tributed by the father of the female star, Miss St. Aubans, will hold out. That's as far as the pater says he'll go, according to report. The OFFICIAL NEWS of the WBL11L1UKAKY 649400 ASTOR, LENOX AND TlLDfcN FOUNDATIONS R 1916 L White Rats Actors 9 Union and Associated Actresses of America Appears on pages 14 and 15 MAJESTIC'S RECORD. Chicago, Dec. 1. The local Majestic has a record dress- ing room crowd this week and it may be a record for vaudeville for the num- ber of people contained on one regular program. There are 61 persons in the Majestic's bill, headed by the Gertrude Hoffmann act. The record bill for number of acts was the San Francisco Earthquake Benefit at the Metropolitan opera house, New York, when 32 turns ap- peared. That show was opened by an act receiving $800 weekly in vaudeville. Harry Mundorf, Harry Leonhardt and Walter Seymour were stage managers. WHO'S MRS. CASTLE'S PARTNER? Boston, Dec. 1. Bernard Granville is in town, re- hearsing with the "Watch Your Step" show before replacing Vernon Castle in the piece next Monday at Baltimore. Chicago, Dec. 1. Olin Finney, a young Chicago dancer, has gone to Boston to become the dancing partner of Mrs. Vernon Castle when her husband quits the "Watch Your Step" show to go to Europe to fight for England. HIP'S BIGGEST WEEK. Last week was the largest in gross receipts the big Hippodrome has had since passing to the direction of Charles Dillingham. It did over $64,000, having the advantage of the holiday which gave it two matinees at night prices during the 12 performances. The Dillingham production of "Hip Hip Hooray" has lost none of its draw- ing .power, as evidenced by the Monday matinee q{ this *veek, when the house held* the'.' second .'largest afternoon crowd (fctfeepting. holidays) since the show s+artt<2. Th* three A. H. Woods' shows in tt>wn j>l?y # e'j }$ $JS,000 gross last week, "Fair and" Warmer." "Common Clay," and "Abe and Mawrus." This includes the extra Thanksgiving matinees. S. & H. PLEDGES. Chicago, Dec. 1. Every man having a dollar in the Stair & Havlin Circuit, either in the- atres or production, has pledged his word to help the circuit in its pro- posed campaign of reconstruction. From this point alone quite a number of new shows will be put into the proposed rehabilitation process. CENTURY OFFERED ZEIGFELD. Flo Ziegfeld, Jr., has had the Cen- tury offered to him. The offer was transmitted to the producer of the "Follies" through one of the big men in "the street," who is interested in it and also a member of the directorate board of the company, which owns the big playhouse. Mr. Ziegfeld could not be found Wednesday to cither affirm or deny he had had the house offered to him, or whether or not he would accept the management of it. It was rather definitely rumored a week or so ago the producer and the Shuberts had a deal in contemplation which involved the transfer of the 44th Street Music Hall to the former. If you don't advartlM In VAJdUTY, don't advortlM.