Variety (August 1917)

BURLESQUE BURLESQUE AND STOCK WILL BE POLICY IN TWO.W EBER HOUSES Burlesque Shows and Dramatic Stock to Fill in Split Week at Yonkers and Schenectady Next Season. Stock Company Arranged For. Arrangements were consummated this week by the Joseph L. Weber of- fices in the Columbia building for dra- matic stock to play a "split week" in Weber's houses, the Hudson, Schenec- tady, and the Warburton, Yonkers, Weber signing a contract with Jane Lowe to head the stock. Miss Lowe and supporting company will open Aug. 20 at Schenectady the first three days and then move to Yonkers for the last half. i Weber plays American shows at both Yonkers and Schenectady on a split basis, burlesque being at the former house the first half and Schenectady the last half. The stock propostion will keep the houses open a full week. NO BUILDING DURING WAR. There is little likelihood that the Co- lumbia Amusement Co. will attempt to build any new house for the Circuit until the present world's war is set- tled. If nothing interferes to keep the burlesque houses running and making money both for the circuit and the pro- ducing managers the circuits will con- tinue with what houses are now built, the Columbia planning later to build a number of new houses. There are many reasons for not building any new theatres, one of the best being the unprecedented cost of steel and building materials, the delays sure to be occasioned in the deliveries and the uncertainty of the amusement returns until the war is over and taxa- tion of profits and revenue to be paid to the government to help carry on America's part in the war. WATSON'S AGE LIMIT. Billy Watson's "Oriental Bur- lesquers," featuring Leo Stevens and* Doris Claire, now rehearsing at the Orpheum, Paterson, N. J., open a pre- liminary season at the Gayety, Brook- lyn, next Saturday night, filling a five nights' engagement and then taking to the road. The regular opening is at Holyoke, Mass., Aug. 20. The show «a sporting brand new scenery, claiming that $5,000 has been expended in the new outfitting. Watson's ,: Beef Trust" will not be disrupted by any calls for men ol dr*ft age. According to a compiled list of ages in Billy's company, Harry Mon- tague is 51; Billy Watson, 39; Lew Reynolds, 69; Al M. Humes, 50; Tony Kennedy, 49; Charles Beldon, 48; Fred Wertheim, 47; with Willie Eisenlohr within the draft limit, being 27, but escaping the exemption board call through his number not being called. HOT REHEARSALS. Of all the kicks against the hot weather last week and this those of the burlesque choristers and principals, who got into early action, were the loudest. Several directors say that the heat in the rehearsal halls was almost unbear- able and that short rest periods had to be inaugurated. This week has been one of the hottest in years that burlesque people have worked under, according to the men in the know. WASH GETTING ACQUAINTED. Wash Martin, the ni'w'y-appointcd manager of the Warburton, Yonkers, which is to play American burlesque attractions the first three days of each week next season (the shows doing Schenectady for the last half) has been spending considerable time of late get- ting acquainted with the Yonkers neighborhood. ELECTRICIAN MATTER. Both the Columbia and America cir- cuits have left it to Ligon Johnson, at- torney of the United Managers' Pro- tective Association to set the burlesque men clear as to their status on the elimination of the electrician with the road crews this coming season. With the aspect settled insofar as the heads of both circuits are concerned and the producing managers arranging to start from this Saturday on, with- out an electrician with their traveling crews, no further trouble is anticipated. It is understood that a number of managers, notwithstanding they had voted to do away with the electrici- cian, later wrote in to the circuits ask- ing for permission to carry the third man. As far as could be learned Wednes- day, not a single show will carry an electrician. Charles C. Crickmore, assistant to President Shay of the International Al- liance, T. S. E., said that the conditions under which the house electricians work have been fully explained to the bur- lesque managers. It was Crickmore's belief that the burlesque season will go along without a single hitch and that the road men put out of employment by the circuits deciding to abandon their services would have no trouble in getting other company berths. LEFT AT "THE CHURCH." Syracuse, Aug. 1. Mae Earl, "soubretting" with Tony Raymond's stock burlesque at the Bas- table, received a lot of publicity here for her "stage marriage," which did not take place. All arrangements had been made for her to marry Howacd P. Durston, and the result was a packed house, but at the last moment a telegram was re- ceived saying Durston was called to his father's sick bed and Mae was "waiting at the church." FUSS OVER TITLE. Junie McCree, Lew Kelly and Chris Brown have formed a company to place a touring company headed by Kelly on the International Circuit next season. At present the plans are to call the piece "Hello, New York," the same title used for the Jack Singer bur- lesque, in which Kelly appeared on the Columbia Circuit last season. Singer intends to take steps to pre- vent the use of the title. SHOW WITH TANK. The Strouse & Franklyn show, "The Buccaneers," which is the only Ameri- can Circuit show carrying a tank, will again carry the outfit this fall, but has arranged its usage so that it will not require the services of an elec- trician on the road. Charles Franklyn said this week that arrangements had been made whereby the road property man would handle the water and tank. The show opens Aug. 10 in Bing- hampton, N. Y. "STEP LIVELY GIRLS" OPENING. Although the sudden demise of Maudie Heath (Mrs. Louis Epstein) deprived Arthur Pearson's "Step Lively Girls" of one of its principal women, Pearson placed another young woman in her role and took the show into Pittsburgh where it opens its prelim- inary season next week. The Co. was deeply shocked by the tragic ending of Miss Heath. The re- mains of Mist Heath were not cre- mated as generally believed, the body being taken to Boston and interred in Mount Hope cemetery July 27, Miss Heath's mother lives in Boston and attended the obsequies, as did her hus- band and other relatives. Miss Heath's death brought to light the fact that during the vacation time she had practiced diligently with the lariat and had attained such proficiency that she planned to do a rope specialty with the Pearson show this season. Miss Heath attempted a little of the lasso manipulation at the tail end of last season and the success attained re- sulted in her taking up the throwing more thoroughly this summer. Miss Heath's husband, Louis Epstein, at first planned to postpone the open- ing of his burlesque season at the American Circuit house, Majestic, Scranton, Penn., but the heads prevailed upon him to get under way Aug. 13 as the work would have a tendency to ease his grief a bit. "Eppie's" first show will be "Grown Up Babies." NOT BOOKING BURLESQUE Little booking of independent bur- lesque shows is being done by the dra- matic agencies of New York. What the agencies appear to be lacking in numbers are musical shows playing at popular prices. Charles Maynard, of the Maynard Booking Exchange, says he is not booking a single burlesque troupe, but has numerous requests from country- side managers asking them to send him dollar-top musical outfits. He says the two burlesque circuits (Columbia and American) are so well organized and play companies on consecutive time from season to season that there is little left for the independents, and they are not strong enough to make any perceptible inroads on the Colum- bia and American circuits. WINGATE HAS TIME. James Wingate, who books a cir- cuit of legits through the Middle West, with headquarters in Chicago, has been in New York for the past fortnight, incidentally trying to arrange for time for the American Burlesque Circuit shows that care to play extra time un- filled by the circuit bookers. Mr. Wingate has always taken care of independent burlesque shows that wanted to play houses on his books in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. PASSPORTS FOR RUSSIA. Washington, D. C, Aug. 1. Americans can not enter Russia un- less they have their passports visaed in the United States. A telegram to the Department of State says many Amer- icans are reaching the Russian fron- tier with passports valid for Russia but without the visa of the Russian consul general in New York. The Russian frontier authorities send the Americans back to Stock- holm, where the Russian consul general has positive instructions not to grant visaes except for passports of persons domiciled in Sweden. All persons bearing American passports valid for Russia are requested as matter of in- convenience to obtain visa from the Russian authorities in America. "CABARET GIRLS" START. Chicago, Aug. 1. The I. H. Herk show, "The Cabaret Girls," whose sub-titlt is "The Girl in the Bottle," is out on a two-week pre- liminary showing, the dates to be played back later in the season with the'regular route. The show opened at the Cadilac, Detroit, Sunday. Those featured are Manny King Mike Kelly, Harry Seymour, Anne Ray- mond, Anna Rose and Mrs. Seymour. The Herk-Kelly-Damsel show, "The Face-Makers," starts at the Century, Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday. The cast contains Frank Damsel, Joe Peral, Harry Whalen, Frances Pharr and Montrose and Crawford. "Nedra," the illusionist, is the added attraction. Mr. Herk has announced that he was through with producing tab burlesque for Australia, although he claims to have made money with those ventures For a season or so he has organize! such organizations here and sent them intact to Australia. COAST MUSICAL SHOWS. San Francisco, Aug. 1. Commencing Aug. 12, the Majestic will discontinue its picture policy and present the newly organized Louis B. Jacobs Musical Comedy Co. for an en- gagement of six weeks. The company will then leave intact for Honolulu, scheduled to appear fo 12 or more weeks. The house will re turn to its picture policy at the conclu- sion of their stay. The cast includes Frank Dariene, George E. Barnes (f^rnes and West), William Amsdell Leon Rosebrook (musical director), Florence Printy, Alice (Eabe) Lewis, Dorothy Cauld- well, Stella Hymson, Brown Sisters and several others, besides a number of cab- aret girls who will do specialties, re- placing the regular chorus girls. The opening attraction will be "A Night at the Cliff House." Admission 10-20-30. Doolcy Back in Garden Show. Jchnay- Dooley, who was out of the Winier Garden show all last week, re- turned to the cast Monday night. It's reported Dooley had a difference with the management. PROVIDING INFORMATION. The War Department has authorized a plan whereby friends and relatives of soldiers in France, who include men from different sections of theatricals, can obtain information as to their wel- fare as promptly as possible. Through the Adjutant General's offices will come this info, which will be gathered by an organized army force itself, comprising thousands of men. The best way, according to the de- partment, is for the soldier himself to dispatch word by ordinary mail. In the hospitals and places where injured or sick men are unable to write, arrangements will be made for some- body to write postcards for them. This will enable every soldier to get word to friends and relatives back home as quickly as possible without cabling. The Central Division in Washington will keep close tab on all the camps in the United States, both of the Na- tional Guard and the National Army, and with the regular establishment of the army in order that it may answer inquiries about any man attached to anv unit of the U. S. Army. The Statistical Division is also charged wjth the work of handling in- quiries as to prisoners of war—both prisoners of war held by the United States and Americans who may be held in Germany. USING MARCHES. According to the scurry made by musical directors of the different com- panies during the past ten days for pa- triotic marches and lively overtures that bespeak the tramp of armies, the show that doesn't have patriotic airs by the orchestra as an overture will be a scarcity.