Variety (September 1917)

VARIETY 45 EDWARDS OFFERS ,()()|) K » I AM) (. i;i \v I 1 I i vol s.. l,v (.IS M)\S Ai<|) - I , 1 11 I ' -; ^ i', I WE HAVE JUST PURCHASED KROM BILLY GASTON "WHAT WILL BECOME OF YOUR LITTLE DOLL GIRL I ( )l'.l', ,,,mI I I '\', \ IR O IVI A INI O E \'' 1 I ' ):' ^ : \ ( . 1 \ ; . ['.\<l I 11 ILIKETOKEEPMYEYESONYOU 1 . >l^ l.N( .1 %■ I • "WHFN THE RIGHT LITTLE BOY ROLLS AROUND i I ' (•; ( ■ \( I ! Ix i\ .1 GU3 LEAVING HIP. Claire Rochester leaves the Hippo- drome tomorrow (Saturday) night after having a more or less wordy argument wtih R. H. Burnside, the stage director. The prima donna is said to have threatened Burnside with bodily violence in the event of meeting him face to face. The song that Miss Rochester sang will be added to those that Sophie Bernard is handling. The Soltis, dancers, are also out of the show, having finished this week. The plunging elephants are to be added to the show in the Coney Is- land scene some time in the near future, providing the scene can be worked out without the splash reach- ing into the orchestra pit and audi- ence. Reh*"!»•?.?» 1« arf. being h^l^^ in the tank nightly. The Hip has added a "Kick Bureau" to its service staff to receive com- plaints regarding seating and have three men in the department. This eliminates complaints being made at the box office at the head of the line and holding up the sale of tickets. During the current week the specu- lators in front of the house have been practically routed with the aid of the police department and the District Attorney's office. Attaches from the latter offices notified the shop keepers permitting their places of business near the Hip to be used by the specs who were soliciting business on the streets, that they were a party to a violation of the law and if they con- tinued the practice the owners would be notified to cancel their leases. Loll Weber'i Film at Broadway. Lois Weber's newest production, "The Price of a Good Time." will be presented by Jewel ProdiictioiM, Inc., at the Broadway theatre Oct. 7. It is a seven-reel screen adaptation of Marion Orth's "The Whim," which appeared in Breezy Stories. ifildred Harris will bo featured D\A/ARD3 MAXWtLL SILVE.K GENFRAl MANAGtK ' ttIO JANEIRO'^ 1531 BKOADWAY. A ,t:>i Thivilrc BiirhltiMi NLW YORK IRWIN'S CASE COMING UP. Just when Fred Irwin thought he had nothing esc to worry him for a while but his two Columbia Circuit shows and the reports from his min- ing stocks, the Columbia Amusement Co., through its legal department, files an answer to Irwin's suit brought against the circuit several years ago. It was after Irwin had decided to re- tire from burlesque producing and fully believed that a judge and jury should decide whether he should pay certain advertising "extras" and theatre rentals deducted on several stands by the Co- lumbia Circuit managerial interests. With the Columbia filing an answer that occupied several pages. Irwin'« only comment is that the matter can be finally settled by"^lhe courts. IKfT trial is now set for Sept. 30. Irwin claims that in Kansas City he was charged $175 for newspaper adver- tising by the Gayety there and that when Phil Paulscraft was sent in ad- vance of Irwin's company at that time that he (Paulscraft) was instructed to notify the house managers that under no consideration would he (Irwin) paj for newspaper "extras." However Ir- win alleges that in St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo and perhaps other stands $150 was charged for news- paper ads in each stand, the full amount reaching $800 for that season. Irwin then endeavored to learn whether the Columbia was justified in deducting that amount and. not being satisfied, filed suit. Irwin's Columbia franchise has two more years to run, but whether he will be permitted to exercise an option on another ten years remains to be seen. Mary Garden's Director a Secret. Goldwyn is keeping secret the name of the director chosen to make Mary Garden's first production, a screen ver- sion of Anatole France's "Thais." RENT RUNS TO $120,000. Chicago, Sept 19.' Some interesting data regarding the Statelake theatre, to be built at the southwest corner of State and Lake streets, was obtained with the filing of the 'eas* for record last week. The Phoenix Theatre Co. is the title of the corporation which leased the plot from the Marshall Field estate. The incor- porators are Martin Beck, Mort Singer, Herman Fehr and the Kohl interests. The lease, which is of long term, calls for a rental of $50,000 from Aug. 1, 1916, to July 31. 1917, and $85,000 annu- ally for the next nine years. The latter rate will be paid during the course of construction. Thereafter the rent in- creases $5,000 every fifth year until a maximum of $120,000 yearly is attained. Provision it made for the construc- ts., oi •* buildir.-.4>:»Aui:. I, 19'<>. al- though it is expected the theatre proper will be ready for the opening of next season, as the preliminary construc- tion is already under way. The vaude- ville theatre will have a seating capacity of 3,000. There is to be a 16-story office building, with the total cost of the structure not to be less than $750,- 000. There will be a frontage of 180 feet on State street and 100 feet on Lake street. Stores will front the State street side. BAGGAGE CARS TIED UP. Chicago, Sept. 19. In spite of the assurances ventured by some railroad men there would be little difficulty encountered by theatri- cal companies in the matter ©f obtain- ing baggage cars, there is indisputable evidence that companies have already had trouble, and with the cantonment movement started, it looks as though many shows would face a serious prob- lem in making jumps on time. This evidence recalls the original prediction printed bv Variety early in the summer that a baggage car short- age would hava to be bgurtd on. One agent, head of one of the biggest musi- cal shows on tour, passed through here on his way to a railroad's main offices, with the object in view of attempting to secure accommodations for his pro- duction. T^at road had advised the show's producers that it would not be able to provide equipment for four jumps eastward of Chicago. One Ohio jump was arranged for by the agent being compelled to agree to having both company cars and covered freight cars attached to a freight train. There is little doubt but that the gov- ernment is commandeering baggage cars where and when needed, and as many as 12 baggage cars have been noticed in one train employed for troop movement toward the canton- ments. Eight baggage cars ready to transport the live exhibits of a county fair in the Middle West were suddenly ordered for government use, and the crated live stock was left standing in tlie sheds. • . All itineraries are marked "not guar- anteed" and "subject to government or- ders." Some railroads have stated that they did not want theatrical business, simply because they could not handle it. Agents have attempted to secure covered freight cars where baggage cars were not obtainable, but that, was no solution, since the roads will not carry freight cars with a passenger train. This same ruling keeps the govern- ment from using covered freight cars instead of baggage cars, and there must be space provided for the carry- ing of accoutrements, there is bound to be trouble for the advance agent, especially when routed near the canton- ments. (Sept. 24 aid net. 1.) "AmArlMBH" 2A-'2n Orphaura New Badfor^ 27-2t> Worcantar Woroaatar Maaa 1 Olym- lla Naw York.