Variety (October 1916)

10 LEGITIMATE, In proceedings before the Surrogate's court iu New York, the former widow of Geo. H. Huber admitted that she bad married Martin C. Wright, son of a well-known New York politician. She testified that her husband was unable to support her in the manner to which she had been accustomed as the wife of the aged George Huber, and asked for money from the million-dollar estate left by the mu- seum owner. Manager Ned Hastings, of Keith's, Cincin- nati. Is putting over some publicity that Is making the press agents of other local houses squirm. His beet was a story Tuesday morn- ing Blossom Seeley, wife of Rube Marquard, threatened to cancel her engagement at Keith's Monday because a ticker had not been put in .her dressing room, enabling her to keep In touch with Brooklyn. "Seven Chances" goes to the Belasco Oct. 23, "The Boomerang" then taking to the road. Belasco s inteuliou to put "The Little Lady in Blue," with Frances Starr, into the Belasco le thus changed. It will not arrive until Christmas. Mr. Belasco becomes Interetsed with Charles Frohman in the Lyceum after Nov. After the holidays he will produce there a new American play with Lenore Ulrtch. The completed cast of Anna Hold's "Follow Me" Includes, besides Miss Held, Roy At well, Letty Yorke, William P. Carleton, Georgia Drew Medum, Wilmer Bentley, Edith Day, George Egan, Mabel Weeks Claflln, the Sykea Sisters, P. aul Porcaal, Frank McCormack and Norman Charles Braoa. The New Winter Garden show will open the first week in November. It will have 20 scenes. The book Is by Harold Atterldge, music by Siegmund Romberg, Otto Motzan and Herman Tlmberg and dances arranged by Allan K. Foster. Opening will be in New Haven, Oct. 16. The Business Men's League of St Louis is carrying on a country-wide publicity cam- paign of city boosting In connection with the city's big electrical pageant, "The Veiled Prophet," part of a Shakespearean Tercenten- ary. Oct. 8. The Actor's Fund has Just sent out the an- nouncement that Grand Central Palace baa been engaged for the Grand Bazaar in behalf of the Million Dollar Endowment Fund next May. Every stage Interest will participate, drama, vaudeville, and moving picture. The new colored militia regiment In New York received Its colors from Governor Whit- man Sunday. Captain Bert Williams' horse ran away and the reporters forgot everything else In the story* New York la to oava a. playhouse, patterned after the Grand Qalgnol of Paris. Its pro- moters have secured an old stable In 84th street, between 2d and 3d avenues, which will be made to hold 29* persons. Harry Davidson will go ahead of "Potash A Perlmutter In Society" for the Woods office, which has also engaged Arthur Ryan for the advanoe of "Common Clay" (Jane Cowl). Alfred Ranf of the Opera House, Stock- holm, Sweden, has taken the rights of "The Girl from Brasll," which was named In its Oerman original "The Beautiful Swede." /'You're In Love," lyrics by Otto Hauerbach and Edward Clark and music by Rudolph Kreml, Is due early In November under Ar- thur Hammersteln's management. Weenah A Rellly will produce "Dora Deane," Mary J. Holmes' novel. Lef B. Parker Is dramatizing it. A picture star, yet unnamed, wll) be featured. Relsenweber's Is 6ft years old. Eddie Pidg- eon has got out an attractive booklet to cele- brate the anniversary- It Is entitled "A Youth of Sixty and Still Growing." Joo McGarry, formerly dramatic editor of the New York Press, has been appointed as- sistant to Wendell P. Dodge, head of the Helasco publicity department. Stunrt Walker's Portmanteau theatre be- gins Nov. 27 at the 30th Street, playing only matinees. Thereafter It will tour to the Pa- cific coast. Elsie Ferguson's company Is complete with the engagement of Donald Bryam for "Shirley Kaye." Isolde Monges, girl violinist and protege of Maud Allen, makes her American debut at Carnegie Hall Oct. 21. Chnuncey OJcott opened Monday in Detroit in ' Hon«st .John O'Brien,"supported by Wlll- otte Krrshaw. The Bandbox, for two years the home of thf Washington Square Players, Is to be given over to German plays. for "Seremonda." Alphons Ethler leaves "The Guilty Man 1 ' to Join. A stage version of one of his successful films will be wrMten for Lou-Tellengen's re- turn. Richard Temple has Joined "The Girl from Brazil" company, vice Clarence Harvey. Irving Fisher, ballad singer at the Club de Vingt, has been engaged for the Century show. David Warn*eld comes to the Knickerbocker Tuesday In "The Music Master." Maud Allen opened In Ottawa Saturday. The dancer comes to the 44th Street Oct, 16. E. H. Sothern begins his tour In "If I Were King" in Providence. Nov. 6. The Century show Is rehearsing in three 8-hour sections a day.< The Shuberts will produoe "The Love Thief," London comedy success. Ten matinees of "The Yellow Jacket" are promised at the Cort, beginning Nov. 9. Charles Cherry will be in Shaw's "Getting Married," William Faversham starring. The new Winter Garden show went into re- hearsal Monday. PRESS OPINIONS. "ARMS AND THE GIRL" Comedy in three acts by Grant Stewart and Robert Baker, Cyril Scott featured. Pro- duced at the Fulton, Sept 27, by William Har- ris, Jr. "THE EXAMPLE." Three-act comedy In German by Ludwig Fulda, produced at the Booth by Rudolf Chris- tians and Hans Bartsch of the Irving Place theatre, with which the Booth becomes anim- ated. '"HUSH." Comedy In three acts by Violet Pearn. Pro- duced by Winthrop Ames at the Little theatre, Oct 2. Its literary quality greatly outbalances its dramatic interest—World. WASHINGTON SQUARE PLAYERS. New bill of four playlets, Oct 2 at the Comedy. Indeed, a continuance of the merit dis- played at this opening will establish them very highly and securely In place among mld- -Ma^hattan. entertainers.—W'^id. "BACKFIRE." Melodrama by Stuart Fox. produced by Walter N. Lawrence at the 89th Street Oct. 2. The program described the entertainment as a "melodramatic play," but the galea of laugh- ter with which the audience greeted most of the "tense" situations and dramatic speeches made it seem that the audience regarded It differently.—Times. "BUNKER BEAN." Comedy with Taylor Holmes, by Lee Wilson Dodd. from the novel of Harry Leon Wilson, produced at the Astor theatre Oct. 2 by Jos- eph Brooks. Laughable farcical comedy which every one who read it will want to see.—Tlmee. T«y!or He'.»r»*«. has n?***** b«d * .«•»•♦ «o full of opportunities as thst of the curious little stenographer who becomes a business leader, and be took advantage of every one of them. —Herald. "BETTY." Musical play in three acts, by Frederick Lonsdale and Miss Gladys Unger; lyrics by Adrian Ross and Paul A. Rubens and music by Paul A. Rubens. Produced Oct 3 by Charles Dillingham at the Globe. Clean, full of nice melodies, with voices to utter them, crowded with pretty girls and pos- sessing that long absent quantity, a story— that Is "Betty."—Herald. It is a musical comedy done In pastel; Its humor, Its sentiment, Its music Is so thin and light that without Mr. Hitchcock's vivid personality to Infuse life Into them they would never cross the footlights.—Times. Julia Arthur 1° assembling her company "UNDER SENTENCE." A play by Rol Cooper Megrue and Irvln S. Cobb. Produced Oct. 3 at the Harris. The play falls, nevertheless, Into two quite diverse parts. The first Is a bald, unvar- nished and continuously Interesting melo- drama ; the second, which begins with the Hi jr. 1 . act shorw-uflcr 10 o'clock, 13 a lively treatment of prison reform that borders on ext ravaganza.—Times. The authors were there before the curtain rose, but apparently went and hid. The re- ceipts of their play will be the less, because of a lack of sex interest, but, anyway, it wa« a success.—Herald. DOLLYS GOING OUT. Arthur Hopkins's production "Good- ness Gracious Annabel/' is to follow the Dolly Sisters in "His Bridal Night" at the Republic, Oct. 23. The contract for the incoming attraction was closed last week. "Goodness Gracious Annabel" opens next Monday at the Park Square thea- tre, Boston, for three weeks run prior to corning to New York. Tuesday A. H. Woods decided the Dolly Sisters were to be elevated to the position of stardom in "His Bridal Night." G0RD0N-M0R0SC0 SUIT SETTLED. Kitty Gordon's suit against Oliver Morosco asking $24,000 damages al- leging breach of contract in connec- tion with the production of "Pretty Mrs. Smith" was settled out of court Monday. Justice Goff signed an order of discontinuance of the action. Henry J. and Frederick £. Gold- smith acted on behalf of the prima donna and effected the settlement with the manager. Miss Gordon had en- gaged for two years, a season of at least 26 weeks annually being guaran- teed. Her salary was $1,000 weekly for the first season and after the at- traction took to.the road she was to receive 15 per cent of the gross with a guarantee of $1,000. MAUDE ADAMS' ONE NIGHTERS. Maude Adams is to play six weeks of one-nighters before coming into New York to rehearse for her new Empire production. "The Little Minister" opened in Montclair Monday night and the folowing six weeks are to be played in one-night stand towns south. "A Kiss for Cinderella," Miss Adams' next production, is due on Broadway about Christmas. BOUGHT FRONT PAGE. St Louis, Oct 4. At considerable cost, Melville Stoltz, manager of the Shubert-Garrick, Mon- day morning secured the front page of the "Globe-Democrat," early morning edition, across which was displayed in large red type "Experience," at the Chestnut street house this week. Ad- vance sale, fox entire _w.esfc assures ca - pacity business. Production will very likely remain over. MORE COLORED STOCKS. The success of the colored stock at the Lafayette, which with its policy of high royalty pieces, has been playing to over $3,500 gross weekly, has prompted the management to form two additional companies, playing them' in Baltimore and Washington, as well as in New York. The present order is to have one company play the same piece three weeks, going from one city to another, Hit management securing the former Broadway plays at a reduced royalty through taking them for three weeks. Grand, Wilkes-Barre, Given Up. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Oct. 4. The Shuberts have given up their lease of the Grand opera house here. The attractions which held contracts will play at the Nesbit, where there is a stock company at present. The stock will lay off on the traveling attraction dates. The Grand has been closed. Club Holds Over Until Spring. At the last week's meeting of the Agents' and Managers' Theatrical As- sociation, held Tn^-the headquarters of the organization, it was decided to sus- pend the club until next spring since the majority of members are with travelling organizations and away from The club is now in its third year. The opening date of the club will be announced in advance. If you don't advartlao In VARIETY don't advartla*. ONE NIGHTERS SHOWING UP. The general reports coming back* into town from attractions on the one- nighters iu New England show that there is some good money in that ter- ritory. Upper New York state is also making a good showing. The Blanche Ring show, "Broadway and Buttermilk," played Albany, Sche- nectady, Pittsneld, Great Barrington and North Adams, getting a satisfac- tory gross in each of the towns. "The Blue Envelope," Richard Lam- bert's farce, is also in New England territory and reports good business last eek. One manager, while admitting the New England territory was returning satisfactory receipts, said the trouble was there isn't any certainty, of a route standing in that territory after booked. The trouble is that a number of man- agers will sign contracts and take ad- vantage of the two weeks' cancellation clause. This office received two can- cellations Tuesday, the house managers stating they were going to play pic tures on the dates that the attractions held. CASTING "SUSPICION." "Suspicion," a new play by Samuel Shipman, has been accepted for pro- duction by A, W. Woods. It is to be placed into rehearsal next month. The management is assembling a cast of extraordinary strength for the produc- tion. Among those who will probably be included in the cast when the piece is seen are John Mason, Clara Joel, Dudley Hawley and Lowell Sherman. BIG NAMES IN CAST. ' It looks as though Oliver Morosco is trying to secure an 4 all star cast for his production . of Owen Davis play,' "Mile a.Minute Kendall." Those men- tioned as certain are Frank Mclntyrc and Helen Lowell, who leaves the cast of the Blanche Ring show on Saturday. Another prospective member is Irene Fenwick. SIGNED BEFORE N. Y. OPENING. William Harris, Jr., has a contract with Fay Bainter calling for her serv- ices for the ne%t seven.years.- The contract was signed in Atlantic City before the actress scored her suc- cess in "Arms and the Girl." PRESS AGENT'S POEMS. Samuel Hoffenstein, the general press agent for A. H. Woods, has written a volume of ooems, to be published by the Wilmarth Publishing Co. The book is to bear the title of "Life Sings a Song," and will be on the mar- ket in about three weeks. "FLORA BELLA" BUSINESS. "Flora Bella" at the Casino last week played to over $10,000, doing more than $2,500 Saturday night. The week previous the show played to a gross of $10,388.25, with a Saturday night gross of a little over $2,200. Grace George and the Holidays. Grace George will not be ready with her new plays until the holidays, but W. A. Brady plans her return to the Playhouse, moving "The Man Who Came Back" to another theatre. The ticket agencies have taken a con- siderable number of scats for the next two months, which assures a continu- ance of the Goodman piece. GORDONS ARRANGING. I. Gordon of the Gordon Brothers Circuit in New England has been in New York this week, reported a3 mak- ing final a rran gements for booking that circuits rioTTseTTn the' Loew'dtrice. It is expected the Gordons and their three New England houses, along possibly with the entire Shecdy agency will enter the Loew offices about Nov. 1. \