V A R I E T Y 21
OBITUARY Cabaret show have been dispensed with.
S t Louis, Nov. 19. Dan S. Fighell, manager of the Prin
cess, this city, died Nov. 13 after an illness of six months. The funeral, held Sunday, Nov. 16, was one of the largest here in years. Mr. Fishell was born at Louisiana, Mo., and entered the local theatrical field in 1900. He managed Elery's Band on its tours over the country and for five years was manager of publicity for Barnum and Bailey's Circus. He was also manager of the Garrick theatre here for the Shuberts, also at Delmar Garden until he conceived the idea of a vaudeville theatre, the Princess, at Grand and Olive, where he staged playlets and featured the Princess Minstrel Maids; this, his last venture, met with popularity, and he realized a small fortune on it.
Chicago, Nov. 19. James K. Sebree, president of the
Saratoga Hotel and Restaurant Company, died at his home in Michigan avenue Nov. 17 from a general breakdown. He had been sick since last August and had been in a critical condition for a week. He leaves two children, Roy and Mabel Sebree.
O'Rilla Barbee (Barbee and Hill) died Nov. 16 at Cleveland.
Chicago, Nov. 19. George Grasshoff, formerly leader of
the orchestra at the Majestic, and more recently at the Folly, died Sunday of hasty consumption.
Bailey Avery, about 50 years old, for nine years general press representative for the Jos. M. Gaites' attractions and who for ten years prior to that had been connected with the press departments of several Manhattan playhouses, was found dead in his room at Browne's Chop House at 11 o'clock Nov. 16. One of the house attaches, who had just waited on Avery, returned to find his lifeless body. A fit of coughing is said to have burst a blood vessel in his neck, causing instant death. He had been an invalid for some years, but managed to stick to his duties at the Gaites office in New York. Avery's wife died some time ago, but two daughters, living in Los Angeles, survive. The funeral was conducted from the Broadway Tabernacle (Broadway and 56th street) Thursday morning and the remains shipped to Chicago for interment.
Alfred Sanford Samuels (Fred San-ford of Sanford and Darlington), aged 47 years, died Nov. 14 in the Samaritan Hospital, Philadelphia, of a complication of diseases. Samuels had been on the stage 30 years. He was married March 7, 1897, to Mary A. Roach (Dot Darlington) with whom he worked in vaudeville until three years ago when Miss Darlington suffered a nervous breakdown. Samuels then did a single. The widow, three brothers and five sisters, live in Baltimore, where the remains were interred.
Musical La Moine (The Musical LaMoines) died Nov. 4 at Vancouver
from an operation for appendicitis. A widow and son, living at Seattle, survive.
Catherine Marshall, wife of Godfrey Marshall and mother of Harry B. Marshall, the author and composer, died Nov. 9 at the family home in Indiana, Pa., of asthmatic bronchitis. She was about 70 years old.
Orilla Barbera (Mrs. Arthur Hill), died suddenly from a paralytic stroke Nov. 12 in Cleveland. A mother and husband survive.
John F. Dolan, proprietor and manager of the Lyric, Dover, Del., aged 43 years, after a short illness, died last week at his home in that city. A widow and three sisters survive.
Daniel D. Carter, author of "The Master Mind" and a number of vaudeville sketches, died suddenly Nov. 12 at the home of his brother in Brooklyn from the subsequent results of an attack of pleurisy. Carter was a former St Paul newspaperman. At the time of his demise he had written two new plays, which had been accepted by New York managers for production this
C4B4RET. The New York Roof is going after
business through the innovation of having two couples, both professional dancers, on its entertainment program. Mae Murray and Leo Von Dell make up the second team, with Joan Sawyer and Sebastian remaining. Miss Sawyer returned to the roof last week, after an absence cf several days, to find Miss Murray had built up quite some prestige for herself while substituting with Sebastian. Miss Sawyer put her foot down, issued an ultimatum her dancing partner could dance with no other professional en the Roof during her engagement there, and then the dancing girls started to scour up support, in proof of the greater popularity. The Roof management at once saw the possibilities, in a business way, and will permit the dancing couples to vie with one another, meanwhile allowing Mrs. Teck, the society instigator on the Roof, to employ the situation as best she can, for the encouragement of the "Fifth Avenue trade."
The feeling between the two female dancers on the Roof grew acute Monday night when Miss Murray and Mr. Von Dell danced their "Bachanaale." Miss Sawyer claimed it was a derivation of the "Barcarole" and that as it was taught Miss Murray by Sebastian the other team had no moral right to it. Miss Sawyer is said to have asked for a second male partner, as she did not wish to be confined to Sebastian only. Wednesday to make the matter more difficult, William Morris added another dancing team to the bill, (Miss) Billie Allen and DeLisle, a Frenchman. With all the dancers around, including the Whirlwind Millers, the singers in the Roofs
A chain of "Model Dance Halls" is being spread over the east. Sidney S. Cohen, a real estate operator, is behind it. A nickel a dance is the scheme. There are halls now established at
Newark, Philadelphia and Brooklyn, in Newark the floor will accommodate 1200 couples.
Hale and Patterson are looking for Cabaret engagements. They are "Tommy" dancers, recently in vaudeville.
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V ABIETT'8 CHICAGO OFFICE: MAJESTIC THEATRE BUILDING
McVlCKER'8 (J. Q. Burch, mgr.; agent, J.. L- A S.)—Diversified bill with plenty of action. Witnessed Monday night it went well with an audience that filled the house from top to bottom. Opened by Ten Dark Knights. a troupe of negro entertainers, who sang, danced and "doubled" in brass. The members of this aggregation were lively, had rather good voices, and they also demonstrated comic abilities a t times that brought them a modicum of laughter. After they had fairly worn the stage floor thin with their dancing, Elisabeth De Orsay stepped on to sing In a spotlight. Her songs were of the classic and semi-classic sort, and she was not always just on the key. but outside of that she seemed to get on fairly well. Paul and Azella next had the stage with a big screen and they proceeded to give a shadowgraph entertainment that was amusing, although some of the pictures shown were offensive, and not such as should be shown In a family theatre where refined people congregate. Hagar and Goodwin, who have been appearing in the outskirtlng vaudeville houses for some time, were received with applause as they came on the stage. They appeared to have many friends in the house. One at the piano, chimed in at times while the other sang a good share of the time. They went so well they had to respond to two OU«.UIM. Laior and Mac*, two men, one working straight and the other as a boob, held the stage for some minutes, and they offered some patter that was diverting, and a good share of i t was new, too. The younger one sang a song or two, displaying a voice of good quality. The Three Juggling Bannons had no trouble at all in eliciting applause with their Indian club work, which is the best of its kind. The Dollar Troupe of eight persons did some bounding and balancing that got over nicely. The comedy element was furnished by a stout person who did some ludicrous talis. The smaller girl In the act bounded from a springboard, and, doing a double somersault, landed on the shoulders of a man standing on the shoulders of another one, and this furnished the sensation of the evening. Grace Cameron had the headline spot and she sang and gave her impersonations and did some travesty stunts that made her stay on the stage interesting. She was a bit shy on Italian dialect in one of her songs. Augustan Neu-ville and his players offered a political sketch which had moments of keen interest. It was fairly well enacted, but It was difficult to ascertain just what the sketch meant at all times. The bill had been changed from original announcements, Barbee and Hill being eliminated, owing to the death of Miss Barbae, and Ward Baker, billed as the soulful violinist, was not on the bill, at least on Monday night. REED.
MAJESTIC (Lyman B. Glover, mgr.; agent, U. B. O.).—Barring the actual value of names, and nowadays a name doesn't figure much in vaudeville, this week's Majestic show runs pretty close to the Bijou Dream-Hippodrome-Idle Hour class, and that goes without exaggeration. Of course, there are a few good acts on the bill, but one naturally expects a few good acts on every bill (even Hamburger's bills), but collectively, the outfit measures many points behind the big time average. Incidentally, business looks off at the house, the Monday night gathering showing up mighty slim for a Majestic night. The top-liner. Marie Dressier, seems to have hit the toboggan as far as vaudeville is directly concerned. A repertoire of three numbers, one being particularly suggestive and all bound round with a flock of vulgar wiggles, brought the musical comedy star just through with nothing to spare. One costume was employed for the specialty. Remembering the same headllner but a few years back, one must conclude that vaudeville has either gone ahead or Marie Dressier has right-about-faced. Before going into details it might be well to record that Hunting and Francis, and Wills and Hassan, the latter closing, were the sole attractions. The former turn took the show's honors without any opposition. Arenera and Victor opened the ordeal with a routine of dances, mostly of Spanish origin, followed by Paul La Croix. Both did fairly well, with the juggler pulling the bulk of applause. Hans Roberts, who usually has a good sketch, came next with "A Daddy by Express," one of Edgar Allen Wool f s comedy vehicles. It seemed to please a certain portion of the house, and it might be said that the entire cast did their best for the piece. The Harveys De Vora Trio danced to fair results, while Rameses, a magic man who among other things hypnotised a goose, pulled a safe hit. The big flop of the week fell to Add Hoyt's Minstrels, a septet of eork artists who seem to labor under
the impression that the windy middle was discovered In the last six montha Their numbers, all of the past centurf vintage, could be jerked out and substituted by something modern. The comedy, particularly the closing bit anent the shirt, la absolutely and postltlvely impossible. To be brief, Add Hoyt gave birth to a nifty Idea when he schemed out the minstrel plan, but his execution la just a trifle off. The headllner followed. The pictures were good. WTNN.
PALACE MUSIC HALL (Mort H. Singer, mgr.; agents, Orpheum.).—Considerable interest was manifest in the program for the reason that there were two acta which wore now in vaudeville. Vinlo Daly, who away from the footlights is Mra Jack Kohl, made hor debut as an operatic singer In the two-a-day realm, and Mr. and Mra Vernon Castle, w h o have taken up society dancing, also made their initial steps before a variety audience. These two acts sufficed to fill the house, oven Monday afternoon, and It waa said a t the box office that the advance sale for the week waa of unusual proportions. Outside of the acts mentioned, there were numerous others that brought out applause and laughter. Taylor
Holmes, billed, was not present. The Parisian Three, an act that made good last week a t the Majestic, was impressed into service. "A, Dash of Spanish,1' furnished by La Valera, who sang a little and danced mora She waa a s sisted by Melvin Stokes, who sang a lot and danced lesa Tenor singing and soprano dancing comprised the act, and It went aa wall a s it deserved, and the audience found itself la a mood to applaud politely If not energetically. Then came Dorothy DeShelle and her company, who offered a sketch called "Crook-ology," styled a satire on the prevailing crook play. It was all of that and then soma Those who have been steeped in the crimes of the crook play found it diverting, and the little surprise at the finale waa quite in Una with the philosophy of the plays of the underworld, and appeared to tickle the audience not a little. After this the Parisian Three came on and sang street songs of Paris and R o m a and then the tall lanky member of the trio played the concertina to such good advantage that ho was recalled for several encorea This act made good. The Belleclalre Brothers, big of muscle and agile of foot, filled in next, a l though the program had them down In another spot. They lifted and balanced and performed other feats with so much ability that their act was frequently punctuated with real applause. Duffy and Lorens, on next, sang and talked and found much favor. The bill says that Mr. Duffy wrote the patter. If he did, he must have been reading quite liberally and bis memory is good. Vlnlo Daly (New Acta) waa next and then came Dooln and McCool, ball players, who had a hard spot, but were welcomed warmly, as ball players usually are on the stage, and before they were through had won the whole audience over. Mr. and Mra Vernon Castle had next to closing position. In the erase of dancing, they may pass in vaudeville. The Hockney Family of six close the bill. They danced, rode bicycles and unicycles. and tried hard to hold the spectators until the final curtain, but they were unequal to the task, for the bill waa long and It was getting late, and the audience waa restive. REED.
GREAT NORTHERN HIPPODROME (Fred Eberta mgr.; agent, E. J. Cox).—Lucille Mul-hall had headline position in the day shift bill, and her wild west act went rather well. The Five Greens offer a varied act which begins with sleight of hand tricks and ends In a musical act. i t won close attention. Princeton and Yale, In a loosely written sketch, talked in a smart style, used a lot of slang and stirred up real laughter. Toung Brothers opened. They do balancing and tumbling In Chinese attire and have some good comedy. Tom Kerr, on In second place, played a violin so well he was recalled for three encorea Gre-golre and Ellmlna had the third spot. They seemed to be more than ordinarily level headed, for they balanced cha in , tables and other furniture upon their brows in a manner to call out many exclamations of wonder. Gre-goire carrrled a big leather sofa down the aisle, balanced by one leg In the middle of his forehead, which caused those sitting along the aisle some little discomfort, but he was equal to the task, and he made most to the talk in the lobby as the show waa letting out. The Three Dixie Oirls, who followed, did not have a very good time of It. They were dressed in old-fashioned garb and sang numerous songs, but without any too much suecesa One of the young women has a deep voice that borders on