The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-05
OLYMPIA HAS CLOSED
ANNA HELD AND "LA POUPEE" TOO
MUCH FOR HAMMERSTEIN.
Assignment for Creditors by the Me-
teOrfc Author, Composer. Theater
Builder and Manager.

NEW YORK, Nov. 4-Oscar Hammer
stein, the theatrical manager, to-day as
signed for tie benefit of creditors to Lewis
j. Phillips. Mr.. Hammerstein's attorney
made the following statement: THE liabil-
tiles will be between $50, 900 and SIS, ,000
regard the assignment as a temporary mat
ter, which will doubtless have little visible
effect on Mr.. Hammersteins affairs. Mr..
Hammerstein's principal assets are his the
atrical properties, consisting mainly of the
Olympia, which cost him 81, $50, 900. There
is mortgage of $780, 900 on it, This mort
gage is less than the price paid for the land
on which the house stands. He also owns
a residence on West One-hundred-and-
twentieth street and factory building on
Avenue d and Tenth street. When Ham
merstein sold the Harlem Opera House,
last January, he cleaned up all his old debts
and the judgments against him. He has
been in ill health lately and as business
has been poor, he thought it best to clear
the atmosphere and take rest"
Speaking of his assignment Mr.. Hammer
stein tonight said: II am physically un-
able at the present time to conduct the
business of the institution. L have made
and superintended in person three great
productions within the past six weeks They
were: The Cat and Cherub, Grand Opera
Tableaux' and La Poupee.' BY the de-
sertlon OF the principal woman in La
Poupee' 1T will be necessary to reorganize
the production. l am unable to do this and
attend to my finances. In order to secure
for my creditors every dollar owing them
and at the same time avoid being har-
aSSed have made an assignment. NV to-
tai Indebtedness will hardly exceed 500, ,OOO
Although the Olympia is IN the name of my
WlIe, the property will be used as security
TO insure full payment of my Indebtedness,
most OF which is for merchandise and dis
counts. l will never again conduct the
Olympia single-handed. 1t ought to be run
BY corporation, there being Iour places OF
amusement under one roof. Many circum-
stances combined to make the last season
Improbable. / have worked too hard, and
feel the necessity of taking a rest
:. lncldentaiiy, Mr.. Hammerstein said that
it cost him $4,000 to bring Anna Held from
Europe. The assignment has brought all
the performances at the Olympia to
sudden stop The play was closed tonight
Anna Held was brought over this year
especially to take the leading role in Au-
two weeks ago. New York critics refused
to receive her in long skirts, having been
spoiled with her Come Play With Ne" and
other suggestive songs that made her a ia
vorite last year in the revival of "A Par
lor Match" Her manager demanded that
Hammerstein strengthen the company at
the Lyric and Olympia, and there was rcon-
tinued friction. The piece was not sue
cess, and finally last Saturday, the Held
had words with HammerStein and claimed
that he refused to let her dress for the
stage. She left the theater and Miss Louise
Hepner was put in this week to take her
1ole, but the receipts did not justify con-
tinuance of the performance.
Hammerstein's Olympia is now in it's
thlrd season. 1t was the cOstliest theatrical
enterprise ever entered into in this coun-
try, and required enormous patronage in
the different amusement auditoriums EN-
braced in the building to keep it running.
l1ammerstein opened with Yvette Guilbert,
paying her $4,000 for four weeks, the high
est-prlced vaudeville novelty ever imported.
She was a success, but other ventures he
made were not. Hammerstein is a puzzle
to the profession. He once wrote an oper-
eta, music and all. in twenty-four hours
on a wager. He was architect, contractor,
builder, author, producer stage manager,
critic business manager and press agent at
his beloved Olympia, and ii is not to be
wondered that his health is bad. Hammer
stein was formerly large part of the
Roster & Bials music hall firm.
Hurtig & Seamon proprietors of the Har-
lem Opera House, are said to be negotiating
for the purchase of Olympia.