Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-06
GOSSIP ARISES OVER
JOHN CORT'S VISIT

IOHN CORTS visit to Los Angeles
last week, brief as it was, set the
y thousand tongues of rumor wagging
away again, and, as usual, to little pur-
pose. Cort is big man in the theatri-
cal world. He Is the general manager of
a theatrical association that actually con-
trolls more theaters than any other or
ganization the world over. When he gets
ready to divulge his plans, so far as they
affect Los Angeles, proper announcement
will be made; and the intelligence will
not appear Exclusively in the Gar
vanza Cable nor in the Venice Voice.
Cort doesn't do business that way.
To the newspapers Cort announced a
coup. He declared that he had secured a
five years contract with Stair & HavIin,
that he purposed to build a new theater
here and that after September of next
year all of the Stair & Havlin attrac-
tions would appear in Los Angeles under
his management.
This means that the Grand opera house.
which has been playing these attractions
in Los Angeles, will be forced either to
close UP to play stock or to offer its
patrons vaudeville. The Grand is con-
trolled by the Orpheum people and Clar-
ence Drown. The theatrical trust, SO
called, Is at war with the Orpheum, and
as Stair & Havlin are associated with
the trust 1t is only natural that their
attractions should be transferred from
the enemy to a member of the trusts
happy family.
May. Close Grand
AS to the future of the Grand, it is
not unlikely that the house will be
closed. There has been a popular impress
sion that the Grand is a mint. This Is
incorrect. The house has made a little
money during the past year, but less
than ever before under it's present man
agement. Moreover, receipts have fallen
of steadily for the past three or four
years.
Doubtless the Grands fate will hinge
largely upon developments in the vaude-
vile war. The Sullivan & Considine pop
ular priced vaudeville circuit is now all
lied with Klaw & Erlanger, and should
the Orpheum interests determine upon re-
prisal they might decide to enter the
10, 20, 80 vaudeville field; and. in Los
Angeles, fight the Sullivan & Considine
house. the Peoples, with the Grand
Cort and Wyatt Meet
Before he departed from Los Angeles
Cort called upon Manager Wyatt of the
Mason. In fact, he called twice. The
first time Wyatt was out, but later the
two men got together and the result of
their conference is said to have been
satisfactory on both sides. Publicly Cort
stated that he did not want the $1.50 and
81 attractions which row are playing at
the Mason; publicly, also, he said that
he couldn't get them II he did want
them.
On the other hand Wyatt said that he
realized the cheaper trust shows would
do better at the Los Angeles under a
lower schedule of admission price than
they could hope to do at the Mason,
where parquet seats never sold at less
than $1.5O during the regular season.
Moreover, he said that he was satisfied
to see them go there.
Many Rumors About
All this, however, failed to settle the
matter for the theatrical wiseacres. Ru-
NOR still has it that Wyatt ultimately
will be compelled to relinquish the
trust bookings and that they will
be transferred to Cort and his asso-
ciates. If this proves true the North
come absolute dictators of Los Angeles
theatricaIs outside Of the stock houses
and vaudeville.
Meantime Dick Ferris is preparing to
return to the city and is talking conf
IDENTIFY about a new theater. Frawley has
not yet given up hope that he will have
house here. Work is proceeding on the
Ramish- -Blackwood theater, while Moros-
co.'s Majestic SENS to be marking time
All of which goes to show that John Cort
knew what he was talking about when
he said that Los Angeles is the best
theater town on the Pacific coast.
Impresario Henry Russell of the San
Carlo Grand opera company has notified
Manager Sparks Berry of the Auditorium
that his company will not come to the
Pacific coast this year. No reason is
given, either in the wire or in the letter
that followed 1t for this determination
but 1t is known that Russell felt himself
aggrieved because of the forthcoming en-
gagement of the Milan company at the
Auditorium. He claimed to have been
assured that his would be the only grand
opera organization to be given time at
the Auditorium this season. Mr.. Berry,
ON the other hand, declares unequivocally
that he gave no such assurances and
made no such representations. Moreover,
he says that he and not Mr.. Russell Is
managing the house.
1t was thought at first that Russell
would swallow his pique and retain his
date. But he declined to do so. Despite
the fact that the time held for the Milan
company was several months away from
the dates he was to have played here. he
made up his mind that the earlier en-
gagement would jeopardize his chances
for financial success. He had looked to
Los Angeles to make his western trip
nay. reaIizing that his receipts here,
under favorable conditions, would. as
they did last season, go far beyond the