Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-03
CORT ANNOUNCES
THEATRICAL COUP
SECURES STAIR g .HAvLqN At
FRACTIONS
Current Season Contracts at Grand
viii Be Filled, but New
House VIII Be Built
for 1908

In all probability the old Grand opera
house at First and Main streets Is about
to enter upon its last season as home
for road shows"
This premise is based upon the an
nouncement yesterday of the fact that the
Stair & Havlin attractions, hitherto
controlled in Los Angeles by the Orpheum
circuit and Manager Clarence Drown,
have been confided to the exclusive man
agement here, as well as In San Fran
cisco, of the Northwestern Theatrical
Managers syndicate, of which Cal Heillg
and John M. Cort are the moving fac
tors.
Mr. Cort. who arrived in Los Angeles
late Tuesday night from New York, made
the announcement that with September of
next year the Stair & Havlin attrac-
tions would be controlled here exclusively
by his association.
1--WE will have a new house for the
shows" said Mr. Cort. while we are
not in a position to give out absolute In
formation as to the new house or its loca-
tion, l will go so far as to announce that
it will be on Main street, and will be in
one of two locations on which we are
now figuring Both sets Of plans cover an
office building with the theater as an i'm
portant feature"
Means Important Change
This announcement Is potent as a fore
runner of important happenings In the
local theatrical world. 1t foreshadows
the closing of the Grand, or the installs-
ton of permanent stock organizations OF
one kind or another. Also it means that
the Klaw & Erlanger interests having
entered the field against the Orpheum cir
cult houses does not propose that any
outside revenue shall triclSle into the cof-
fo,- tub
monopoly. The Stair & Havlin inter-
ests being closely allied with the K. Il
e. syndicate are naturally turning toward
the admitted friends of the theatrical
trust.
Manager Clarence Drown of the Orr
pheum theater and Grand opera house de-
clined to discuss the proposed change AT
any length last night.
.sIf any such contract has been made by
the Stair g. Havlin people l have not
been informed. Our contract covers the
Grand bookings for this season, and
think for next"
Mr.. Drown admitted the apparent i'm
possibility of securing road attractions 10
replace the Stair & Havlin shows should
they be withdrawn. What must needs
follow is either stock company or else
the closure of the house.
The Los Angeles Attractions
Plans for the present season at the Los
Angeles include many of the lighter class
attractions which last season played at
the Mason, and many of the so-called
Cort attractions, but at the same time the
higher class Cort attractions will play at
the Mason this year. Next year VIII
tell different story.
Among the attractions booked are THE
Royal Chef" Richards and Pringle's
minstrels, way Down East" Ralph
Stuart in ''Strongheart," Ellis Jeffreys,
former co-star with w. II. Crane; 'The
Rollicking Girl" Under Southern Skies,
the Alaskan opera company, Mr.. Cort's
own recent production from New York.
Quincy Adams Sawyer" Henry Savage's
woodland, 1.-THE Sho-Gun." another
Savage company; THE Holy City" ''The
Burgomaster" and the Pollard opera, COM
pany.
Mr.. Cort enters denial to the rumor that
he is seeking other theaters in the south
land country.
''Los Angeles is the greatest show town
on the coast" says Mr.. Cort, ''and we
are glad to be comfortably started here.
No immediate new connections in outside
towns will be made at present, though
they may develop naturally later"
Mr.. Cort leaves for San Francisco on
the Owl this afternoon, and will go from
there to join Cal Heihg at Portland