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, SPECIAL AMUSEMENT NUMBER The Amusement Manager An Appreciation. BY SAMUEL FREEDMAN. Let us consider the Amusement Manager. When curtain after curtain arises upon each year’s amusements, in this, the greatest of cities, there are ever baffling change Each year sees a shifting of the kaleidoscope. The humble theatre gives place to amusement palaces, Theatre after theatre arises—theatres for the classes, theatres for the masses. For the Public must be amused And the public has always craved amusements. The primitive music and dance of the savage follow through the dark ages of the Togue and vagabond period until to-day, when almost any block of this great city has some amusement enterprise. It has all been a great effort, enginecred by the people them- @elves—a satisfying of the craving for amusement And while cach block houses some amusement enterprise, we ‘ instinctively feel that there is some force behind this movement, ’ something necessarily in kecn sympathy with the wishes of the people. And that force is the Amusement Manager He ts the one who is ceasclessly building an edifice of delight. He is devoting his efforis, means, intelligence and experience to make people happy, to forget their cares, It fs a great prof business, if you will, this work of making people happy—to add to their enjoyment—to lighten their troubles. . Whether he is the pury of music or dancing, of skating or lectures, world’s burden. With him you travel in a simple theatre chair into the furthest confines of the world and see things the mind could not conceive otherwise. His scope is limitless. It is an honorable profession—or business—if. you will often misunderstood—this man of the amusement enterprise. He receives small thanks. Sometimes he stakes his all and many times loses, and that many times a small fortune. Broadway sees many a wreck of the amusement manager, men who have contrib- uted to the smiles and joys of thousands at some time, but who are now forgotten things of the past. Each year the glass changes and new managers offer their wares, but they have all done thelr share toward contributing some new happiness or forgetfulness. Let us at this moment consider the amusement manager—sel- dom appreciated, often misunderstood, occasionally receiving his just dues—but the man to whom much of the joys and understand- ing of the world ave entrusted, With him you travel from the simple things of life into the realms of the enchanted and with him you forget your worries, From him you receive surcease and balm for your tired mind, And he it is who takes the chance. To the Amusement Manager—-a toast the gratitude of a great public be your SO ee or The Box Office Humorist or ¥ yor of the drama, the motion pictures, he is lightening the He is May health, wealth and Gooped up as he is, ono might t The Treasurer looked at the door e r * side and tell the wtre box office has | tender i inal NPP man in the theatre \to use the wild animals to-day, Bi! @ dreary time, Such is not the cas) 1) Coited. Gentleman from the coun- If he has a sense of humor—and that | ty. wants to see th sful handling | Tire ruralist bought his ticket to th a light opera—and hurried in ie essential in the suce | @@ tickets—he gives and takes many a LAhadiodtty Lo office man usually |man, “Gimme a seat behind a post,” finds much to amuse him, Frequently jhe growled Pe teres # ls he alone who enjoys the laugh,| “Haven't any here,” said the Tred but the laugh is there. urer, ‘Better send your mother-in- Im the box office of a Morty-second law picture house.” i Btreet theatre is a little fat man who grunted the man has a great sense of humor, A friend, who etood at his elbow for an hour recently, declared later he had en- Joyed every minute of the time, ‘The friend had been there but a mo- mest when a frowsied youth, evi- |. dently from the country, appeared at show side to I right, 1 will,” moving away, Pretty a delivery wagon in from of town appeared at the d bought his ticket Say,"" he said, vor?” ad driven 6 outskirts window, He oon a rian who owl ou do mea " Sure,” said the asurer. dow. bey Pits show?” he asked “Well, keep your n my horse “Great,” said the Treasurer while I'm in the show, please." “Got b die Where is your ho A aaa Rape na Bul ag around on nth Avenue prayer?” 7 ‘All right,” came from the ‘Trea “One right behind him. Why 49) orey eril go ai 1 re and hold you want if near that fellow?” him for vou. We always accommodate | Well,” came’ from the youth, “I'm vet in @’ learnin’ play the bull fiddle up). 91 ear ne 4 home, and.J want to see how your pig, ing guy In ‘The next patron was a Jersey relist—it was written al! over him, he comes out you'll do ,, {me a favor if you'll step up to him, tet Any wild animals in this opera?'’| him you seen nd just soak him in the nose ' | de asked. ov "Binet" replied the Treasurer, ‘Then "Do you want to ace wild animale” turning to his assistant he said: “Call Treasurer, | o Polyclinic Hospita! and reserve me a hed, Jima" | | | Grave Affairs of Life Exert| ot nis career, for be carries bis pub- | | le with him. ' Audi encés*?hat Laugh At Serious Problems Make Season Success —_ Plays That Deal Lightly With ety the Key That Opens the Door of the Playhouse— Meanwhile Managers Smile | the Greatest Appeal—Gay- | 28. ore, Aen and Crowded Houses Are the Rule. By Charles Darnton. IDWINTER flourishing. iq tre: finds the thea- Banners are flying all along Broad- | way, where, earlier in the aya good play. “Stolen Orders” mere- | season, they threatened to ly emphasized the fact that the day Jremain at half-mast. In tho first of Drury Lpne melodrama in this iy country s ended. Jbreath of apprehension more than “ONY i turned to other things. | Jone manager looked thoughtfully into | tn |the future with a decided inclination E. H. Sothern made a happy return | r to tho stage and Miss Haidee Wright | joc and It to shake his head. in a hoarse whisper, only He spoke of wa to laugh at his fears before he was very many months older, | utter of fact, to the theatre to forget tho! paratty AS ally ar things that depress this you ney the th daily newspe the survival of the gayest ‘, to be sure, puzzled by the “successes” that meet) }y to if you that the play which rously with a serious sub-| » play that has exerted the! I don’t mean to put! instances only ple gener. To believe glance over them, to advertisements in your aper. Here you will find, Mrs your eye. But you will find deals bu ject is tl greatest appeal, my pencil on any Yet, for example, Barbara. perhaps, look closely particular play. there's “Major which Grace George pro-| York. duced with the courage that is felt,| We may easily forget, for the when an actress-manager {since the day of Richard Mansfeld | A man with the true instinct of an artist needs no company to the end in “The Great over” you have tragedy turned into comedy. The voioe of the singer fails, but there's still enough of it left to make {tsel And there's another fine voice \heard in “Common Clay,” when John |Mason speaks. Intelligence alwaye rings behind his words—and behind ‘him in this play he has a most prom- ising young playwright, Cleves Kin- | kead, Say what you will, however tt ts lightness and gayety to which the | theatregoer has turned since the be- ginning of the season. In spite of the |war across the sea, war plays have if heard over the telephone. that is jeame out well enough because of its melodramatic appeal. “Moloch,” on the other hand, failed because of its unquestionable sincerity and the fur- ther fact that it did not toe the mark “The Two Virtues,” for exainple, aided him with a performance that may be counted among the it of the r, Unhappily “The Chief’ failed to live up to its title, and ac- cordingly that exceptionally — fine comedian, John Drew, ma com- ly short stay ‘at the Empire Th I lented 0 t least con- having in “Our tr el His eque Barrymore, gratulate — he ichieved a popular success McChesney.” liy t may In many| Tn’ “Abo and Mawruds” we have oc, " fe; casion to be joyful over a play 0 you may be) pocullarly local quality, thanks large- he capital acting of Bernard, As a play of character this comedy means 48 much to this coun- try as “Hobson's Choi means to ngland, [t still remains for Amert- can authors to learn that they have not made the most of their field. “The Koad to Happiness" led to noth~ ing more for William Hodge than “the road” from which he returned to New There were other failures that halt- ason hangs out “Treasure Island” | mile ho | the sign of th uccess, finds herself with a theatre at hor) is a treasure to young and oli alike, | elbow, express of comedy. Everything considered, | ask for better proof than | this comedy is the most serious p! in terms y of the season, for it not only puta th Salvation A | practicable Calvert. rmy aspec into life, but it gives a sinister and wholly jtacte, t ;| maker, acted #0 convincingly b It is only by amusing cer- tain people that you cun make them | the battle of to the cannon- y Louls understand life is not « joke. Judging by wtre to laugh. my own | Nine persons out of ten so to the the- | To make them laugh | all the more heartily, the playwright | observation, has only to take a serious—in other words human—situation and make it | William Budd Said He’ seem ridicul there is lous, ‘air To prove the ease and farce by Avery Hopwood, my purpose to make Warmer,” the Lt ts not a play impos- sibly popular—and thereby add to the cost of your seat—but here Is a play that treats of Jealousy. ther, there is ‘The Boomerang,” in| described himself, was which youth with nico effect upon a pretty nurse, | trate Cornel! in the Co by Martha above all this nonsense, of , is the stage genius of David Towering cou: yea lighth To y cs and and delightfully 0 back still fur- jealousy rebound Hedman. Belasco. He makes certain signs in the theatrical heavens and these signs are taken as truths. The whole truth is th n the ge for Ove r t ps away from Beluseo and ‘ fine thing. You may guess the name Leo Ditrichstein, His performance in “The Great Lover” of the baritone who loses his yoice yet still keeps his interest in women is by far the most tle and sensitive performance to on same time is an New York s be small Bo t and great at the achievement that It doesn't matter in the least | and all round the town are plays that that Bernard Shaw was pleased to/draw tho great sensitiv “Major Barbara” pub) For their part, musical pl scored decided hits, One not “The Brin- and “The cess Pat Blue Pare Look! Listen “Alone at Las dise,” not to and Mar |Dillingham’s great Hi ne spec- with its fee-skatine ballet, which is by far the novelty of the season Altogether, the Amerionn theatrieal season 1s the best tn year oo | WORKHOUSE FOR ACTOR “Rot in Ludlow” Before Pay Wite Alimony In default of a bond for $412, to in- sure bis paying his wife $1 « week tor {a year, William H, Budd jr, "a poor relation of the Harrimans,” as he sent to Black- © Magis- of Domestic n playing In well's Isinnd this morn ny Relations. Budd has be “Katinka” at the Forty-f » Street Theatre and he told t mart that since the piece opened he had drawn so much in advance t ns pay Avele la ntained just cen His wife, Violet, wh 1 ast suinmer when H 1 Girl in 1" company she d ed hor in O ents’ home in Akron, ney held in trust f tifled, and wealthy sald he “would rot in he'd pay his wife, He when Magistrate Cor residence ‘would the arrested | Sev was West wight yeninth St could be credited to Ditrichstein on!y evading a detective at the (heatre, Jaimed little attention. “Under Fire" | WHO CLAIMS RICH KIN) URDAY, JANUARY 8, 1916. | of the Motion | Picture World | The motion picture business is growing eo rapidly that statistics re- garding it compiled one day are an- tiquated within tweaty-four hours, Each day, barring holidays, from one to ten new film concerns take out in- corporation papers in Albany, and daily the lst of legitimate actors who have taken up film work grows. A year ago the legitimate manager who was interested openly in films was| | the exception; now he is the rule, Truly, it 1s 4 marvelous industry and, | | though its scope is evidently jimitiess, | it is still said to be “in its infancy.” Comparatively few are the legit- imate stars who have not done film} \acting. One who stands out prom inently is George M, Cohan, Every day or two the representative of some | new picture concern makes Mr, Cohan a tromendous offer for his services. Invariably these offers are turned down, | “Why, the industry is in its infancy," | to Mr. Col » It's younk. came the reply. ‘Tl wait it grows up.” The Equitable wants Channing Pol- nneld Wolf to dramatize 8. E, V. Taylor's motion picture play, “Her Great Hour.” If they do and the play looks good, Marguerite Les- | lie will be cast for the leading role Mrs, Beta Brouil, well known as a scenario editor, hax been engaged by | the Mirror Wilms, Ine., to do big fea-| | tures. She has already gone to work.) Pathe will release a picture called | ‘The Horrors of War" on Jan, 1 ei hry Ford saw this film and he is} saying it influenced him| t tin his peace work. action from the Edens | | dale, 4, recently Hl equired | m Far-| a story of , Will be Willia num in “Fighting Blood Newsand Views Smiling “Good Health’’ New Year Pledges a New Theatrical Boom General Prosperity Creates Optimism Among Produc- ers, Who Predict a Big Sea- son, Some Claiming They Have Never Known Brighter Prospects. By Bide Dudley. “ne theatrica, ousiness of tnis country has been iil—dewperately ill— for two or three years. ‘There is no gainsaying the fact that it has been ju an alarming decline. Just what \its allment has been has puzzled even the wiso ones, “Waritis” and ‘Mo- tion Pictureitis” have both been ad- vanced as the disease and, to our Way of thinking, not without founda- tion. However, it is probable that these two ailments have bean merely iuctors in the old-fashioned “combi- nation of diseases.” “Bad Playitis’ has figured in the case, as has “Too Many ‘Theatresitis,” and — possibly one or two other conditions, Alto- gether they bay undoubtedly had the theatrical business gasping for breath flat on its buck. But a change has come. Old Doctor Nineteen Sixteen, is now attending the patient, made great strides toward curing him. The Improvement bas been nothing short of marvellous and the prediction is being freely made that there will be a comph recovery, New York, the patient’s head, has never been seriously affected, but the “road,” his body, bas been in the throes of agony who has |tho Kentucky Mounta ance but @ week, but so fur has t | Lasky hus tnished Miming Mark| Patient recovered that his sponsors, Twain's atory, “Puddin' Head Wil.| tie producing managers, are Julsiiant. |son.” It will be shown in Paramount | Al! danger of having to walk sow theatres, the first time on Jan, 31,| behind him has vanished, they think, his firm will make other Twain| ahd from now on he's gotng to simply alah, Hhoom along the road to health until Kuss Powell, who is acting in Vogue comedy films’ (Mutual), weighs 300) pounds, He has what’ he calls "a taxicab shape.” Anti-fat preparations | Jalways make him gain weight, | ro are only about thirty full- blood Indians living in w York City, | Fox Director James Vincent recently | rounded up twenty-six of these for ay Theda Bara picture. Florence la Badie of the Than- |houser forces is to run @ typewriter in orde something | to fall back on. She shouldn't find it| hard to get a job as a typist. i} Hagel Dawn, formerly of the mu- | ical show, ls now a film detective, She has laid aside the soprano, the violin and the danee to fondle a Colt | automatic, | | William Courtenay will soon be seen in a Blue Ribbon feature developed by |the Vitagraph from one of Cyrus | Townsend Brady's books, an F ly a star with 7 n_ operating | picture theatre in New Rochelle, It's the former Princess. |, Florence Lawrence 1s to act for the | Universal under the direction of Har MoRae Webster, who te King | | Baggot's director, ] | enty actors have been sent to | |Savannah, Ga, by the Ocean Film Players to make scenes for “The For- tunate Youth.” Wilmust Merkyl will | | play the lead. Wright Huntington, the actor-man- | ager, will make his debut in the | movies in a five-reel sensational pic- | ture called “Behind Closed Doors,” | nmett Corrigan, Gerda Holmes, | k Powell and elghteen others in cast of “The Choir Invisible” have thy gone to Cape Verde Island Jan, 24 has been set by the Easanay Company. for release of the first | episode of "The Strange Caso of Mar Edna Mayo, the | having trouble wi | studio lights have ing. Many men are | Argyle as asaistan | prodit Mirror Film Speaking ple, acting re Pain h bull pup that would bite fa brass m¢ f he got the chanec From the department of the Balboa Concern comes the announce. } nt that there are publielty men nd publicity men, and that A O, Stechman, Balbor press man, be longs to the former clasa!fication. | timid, he becomes even more robust than he waa in the good old days gone by. The war at first made the managers They didn't know what to ex- pect. Therefore, they cut down the number of road productions. — Im- mediately they did that, the theatre managers on the road began to find it impossible to get two make their houses pay. Naturally they turned to motion pictures. The fiims bad impro in euch # marked manner that they gained a strong bold on the patrons of the houses previously devo" to the spoken dra- ma. Then, when 4 stragsling legiti- mate attraction came along, it waa given anything but a rousing recep- tion, The house manager hated to break in on lus plotures:, And #0 Uiings begun to work in a circle, The jack of attractions made @ lack of available theatre ‘This condition did not obtain completely, of course, but it gained ground everywhere, even in the larger citic GENERAL PROSPERITY WILL HELP THEATRICAL BUSINESS. However, the war has brought the United 8 prosperity, Likewise dave bumper crops, and these facts nave NOt Kone UnNE rs, With the w robable that th number of road companies sent out of New York will use materially in 1916, an there be more time for them in the will theatres. Thus the theatrical business on the road will likely pul hoe old doctor has been in attend-} him, AS we were Kgaving we heard Tad suggesting that it might be an appropriate time to add a little sum to hia weekly stipend, “What—raise your from Mr. Harris pay?” came Not on your life. es are too hard.” t's going to be a great year,” sald A. H. Woods, as he laboriously re- moved his fest from a $2,000 ma- hogany desk. “I've been in the show business a long time, but I have never seen prospects brighter, Of course the shows will have to be good. A bad show will never make a@ cent, no matter how good the season may be. Have @ cigar!” Mr, Woods dcow from a drawer @ solid silver bux and tossed out a 60- cent perfecto, “Christmas olgars,” he sald. gave ‘em to me!” As we bit a cent's worth off the end of the one he had given us, Mr, Woods drew from his veat pocket a fine 6-cent smoke and soon was con- tentedly puffing away. A PROSPECTIVE BRIDEGROOM UPHOLDS OPTIMISM. Ralph Kohn, Mr. Woods's private secretary, appeared on the scene at that point. “Well, Ralph,” we sald, “everybody is the year,” he replied. “Wife “It'll occur in By way of explanation, tt may be said that Mr. Kohn Is to become a bridegroom in a few months. Wagenhals & Kemper will be back in the producing game just as soon as they see the war ended. Both partners are tired of doing nothing can hardly wait to become ac- ‘m stagnating,” sald Lincoln A Wagenhals, “but I'll be banged tf I'l do any producing while the war is on, reat Seott! I wish it would end n the safe sid You are on the safe aids,” “What do you mean?” his slide of the Atlantic.” Mr, Wagenhals smiled. “A cyclone bit my country place at Montrose the jother day,” he said, “and sixty-seven wi jhe said At the same time the pietu continue popular, since there is un-| doubtedly business for both these branches of the amusement business. Usually the holiday season is a dull one for theatrical attra on8 in New York, s year it hax been produc- tive of pleomenal business. Plays that would ve done little or nothing 1 year ago drew paying audiences Capcity business bas been the rule in many of the New York theatres © Christmas, The people have honey and it is apparent that they are willing to spend It for amusement in the playho Sam H. }larris of Cohan & Harrig | was looking particularly well fed when we dropped in to ask bis opinion of | the theatrical tutu Thi prove a ker eleven show ) y're doing woll, Next innin in August, will be n fifteen years, I'll bet you > make a lot of money.” ‘Tad, the offige boy, bad overheard | of Charlotte and” nough attrastions| Salamander” that times are pine trees were blown down, Nice, eh?” ‘ “Nice, why?" “Well, I can split wood now and thus keep busy the war to end tromby G of Selwyn & Co, ts to wager his interest in “The going to business fle I'm waiting for be good for the theatrical from now on. “Next season will be said. ‘The road Mea rid) is going to show wonderful improvement." We Iote five “Twin Beds" companies out and they are al! doing well, I think the show business is at last cc show Dus t coming into Archie Selwyn is another optimist He ts planning to increase his pros ducing business materially this your, Over at the Hippodrome Mark Luescher just Moishing a sen tence with “greatest show arth’? eon we aske him w her or not he thought the prosperity that has att od the Hip would continue. “We took in $74,000 here lust Week.” That was $2,000 more than the Hippodrome e r drew in one week, I thini 1916 1s going to be the doggondest, dad-blamedest, rip-snort- ingest year for business the theatri- cul game ever Know, Have you got room for a picture of Charlotte, the skater? You know she's"—— “Will this show continue at the Hip till the end of the season “Surely! Now a picture of Char- lotte would" —— “What do you hear {rom the attrac- tions on the road “Musical shows are doing well, I have fifty-seven varieties of pictures An automobile obligingly ran into a post out in Sixth Avenue and natura ly wo had to leave AL JOLSON EXPRESSES AN IN- TELLIGENT OPINION Al Jolson, who is soon to star at the Winter Garden in binson Crusoe Jr’ came along yut tha time What ue think i will biog the theatrical busine we asked. “Of course, repli Al, “I'm not talking for publication, but [ think the present year will be produetive of much quella ad interim ad infestum, as it were, Naturally, b Lam obtuse as to the whe and consequently the tive element in tho theatrical business may not cas vort, but beyond that, I am such and such and will be amazed at the in- qicacies ending with a bimbo,” SPECIAL AMUSEMENT ‘NUMBER “You,” we replied, “that's the way we think Just for that we're Al. He's the son of a born in Washington, D. an early age induced hie move to San Franclaco the Golden Gate soon things to which the with pride, He'll be in May and he'e been agement of the Messrs. years, Now he wants stage and become « farmer. Opinion is almost unanimous Rialto district that an era of vellous prosperity 1s about to on the theatrical horizon. Plays for the Coming Week adapted from the book of Max Bredy and Frank Martoe by Harry Gee- ham and H. B, Smith. The musto te by Victor Jacobi, ‘The story has tos do with Sybil, @ prima donna whe? has been forced to leave Moscow om account of her love for a young Kus- sian offic She is pursued by her sweetheart, who deserts from bis regi- ment on her account, He overtakes Sybil at a hotel in a small Russian city where preparations are beim made for the entertainment of # Grand Duchess, When the young of- ficer is arrested Sybil poses as the Grand Duchess, whose arrival is de- layed. She commands the release of th oft and her command ts obeyed, But to carry out tho im- posture successfully she is forced to attend the reception given in the Duchess’s honor, Here she is con- fronted by the Grand Duke, who un- expectedly arrives and is not averse to a flirtation, But the real Duchess appears on the scene, intent on #e- paying the Duke in his own cotn, Among others, the supporting cast will be Stewart Baird, George Mack, John Hines, orge ‘Hampton, Jos sephine Whittel and Matate Gay. H, Sothern makes bis post nee In “David Garrick” at the heatre on Monday night, >. oe Booth Robert Hilliard begins an ment at Maxine Elliott's ‘Theatre on ‘Tuesday night in “The Pride of Race," a play by Michael L. Landman, based on a story recently written by Wal- lace Irwin, ‘The play is said to deal with the theme of mixed blood, With Mr, Hilliard will be Kathlene Mac- Donell, Minna Gale Haynes, Agnes nverett, Frank Kemble ‘Cooper, Sharles 8. Hammond, Frank H. Wea: terton, Clarence Handyside, Poxhall Daingertield, Voip Bishop, J, Mac Names, Charles Poster, Raymond Kenney, Marte ‘Taylor and Mury Sey- mour. will reappear at the ipire ‘heatre on ‘Tuesday night as Habbic in The Little Minister, first performance of this part here in ton years, It may be remem- red that this Barrie play begins in ddan Wood, liere the litde min- meets Babbie, the gypsy girl. Maude Adu She induces him to blow the horn and arouse the town, When the redovats come has hooded and cloaked herself and, by silent permission, in- troduces herself as the minister's wife, In the second act he meets her at Nannie's couiage, and there are tea drinking and d sures of the enin ‘es hea an uind lo Babbie, jin the second scene the minister, in- |sead of going to prayer meetings, follows the xypsy, who has learned the congr ‘on's prejudice and fled, In the third act the s is at Lord Rintoul's cas t inister bas followed the but finds Lady Babbik y jare. thelr ve, but th and bh hoice for is daughter intervene, However, 4m Seotland when a man acknowledges a woman as his wife be witnesses is 4 legal marriage, Babble ite sts t minister be kept to hi veknowledgment, In the last aet h does and cla Lady Babbie as hts wh ceo Vaughan Gilaser's musical, produce. on L Days" tion the ompany is will be the attrac. nm Theatre, The | by Herman Tim~ iy snita Moore and George B. Sean- on bring their burlesque company The Winners” to the Yorkville ‘Theatre “Mileste " will be played the stock company at the tan Cues House, Brooklyn, i i