The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-12
GOSSIP OF THE THEATRES
By JAMES GRANT THURsTON


 New York, November 11.-(Special. .)-We | are going to have a pretty prosperous season of it theatrically speaking, not 1 only in New York, but throughout the l country. | This Is he opinion of John Cort, who l certainly is in a position to speak as cne | with authority on that subject. Then 1 other theatrical men whose business com- pels them to keep in close touch with l the country agree with the manager or | the Northwestern Theatrical association.
 MT. Cort has just made the transcon- l tinental trip from San Francisco, where the new Cort theatre has recently been completed at represented investment of | nearly $1,00000o.
 "Theatrical conditions in the west never looked better than for the present sea | son." said Mir Cort This, of course, is the result for one reason, of the gen. | eral prosperity that embraces the eoun- | try.
 ''The west is undoubtedly the most profitable field in the country for stars and plays of high repute. The country has developed so rapidly in every respect, particularly in farming and fruit raising, which, with the unlimited means of irr- gaton and the even climate, is an assured | success.
 Now we have a new field opening up. | The Canadian northwest, among the rich est mineral and farming sections of the world, is the latest route to the Pacific | coast for travelling organizations. Win nipeg Is without question the best show town in the world, population consid cred, and as soon as about 20 of the most inn 1 portant towns between Winnipeg and Vancouver have commodious theatres the territory will be exceptionally good. Some 1 of the towns have excellent theatres now and are giving splendid business Tho patrons up in that country are fully as we'll informed as they are on this side o1 the border
 looked. The territory between Texas and
 southern California is rapidly improving and will soon be as good as any.
 | With all this vast theatrical area de
 manding more and better amusement i.
 it any wonder that the theatre owner:
 of the United States and Canada arr
 clamoring for more attractions? Even a!
 conditions are rapidly adjusting them
 selves for the benefit of all there are no
 sufficient attractions to supply the de
 mand. We must have more plays. I'm
 field is wide open for new producin,
 firms, and the greater number of play
 produced the greater number of stars a
 a result, will be developed
 Another interesting feature that ha | received small notice from producers ant
 players as well as the general public i
 the development in 'try-out' producti on
 by the excellent stock companies permH
 nently located in the cities In the west
 Los Angeles is most prominent in this
 Such plays as The Spendthrift,' "Th
 Fox and The Arab received their frs
 presentation in that city. Several other
 that are promised for New York durini
 this season will be tried out in Los An eeles first"
 No matter what others may say, tn
 real reason why Raymond Hitchcock i coming to New York with "The Ret | Widow is not to get his annual slice o
 success His motives have nothing to d.
 with the footlights or the show.
 ,rhe mere fact that he Is the star ha no charms for him any longer. j The bland and blonde comedian is bus rehearsing for a speaking part in fh , drama of politics which opens in Novem Der. and New York means nothing to hin outside of the fact that it is within motor
 ing distance of the town of Kent, Putnam county. where Hitchcocks name { among the cast of characters for the rol f of supervisor. Consequently anything that doesn't spell politics. or have some thing to do with polls, ballots, parties
 pluralities and caucuses is second Glas
 matter to MT. Hitchcock
 : If perseverance can make man a pol , itician, Hitchcock is on the high road t being a Disraeli or Gladstone by tn = first week in November. When the citi l zens of Kent conspired to do honor to on of their notables, it was carefully con S cealed from Mir. Hitchcock until he ha t been nominated.
 . The day after the unexpected honor la s been thrust upon him MT. Hitchcock kep . the curtain waiting half an hour at . matinee while he rushed to a neighborin S bookstore to order a Cushing's Manua
 a de luxe edition of Masterpieces of Ora v tory" and the latest edition of "Aristo n ties Politics. In Greek.
 Q Having thus laid secure foundatio e for his statesmanshp, the new-fedge | father of his township returned to tn
 humble and gnomnious pursuits of lh
 stage to curb his proud patrician ambi
 tion and make sport for the populace un n iii destiny should call him to rule eve r the nation he had so long amused. l. MT. Hitchcock. in his first campag = speech, announced that the stage did nc l. unfit man for the nobler calling of sery e ing the state, and warned his political eIl d emies not to cite his theatrical triumph
 in ridicue of his ambitions. Whenever DC
 li1ical engagements do not interfere Nil v l Hitchcock will do what he can to nak
 '"rhe Red Widow a success Relays q l. fast automobiles will take him from Il, l. theatre to Kent daily for conferences wit
 his brother-in-law. Mir. Mangasa rian, wh '' is his campaign manager. and for serie e of speeches that will cause a landslide i
 his opponents camp.
 l. Mr. Hitchcock has steadfastly refuse J. to say what further capacity he woul | serve his country after his term as super e visor had expired. No decision will b l. rendered until he has finished his study c s Bryce's "American Commonwealth' Gn
 mastered the Congressional Record. n His friends, however, say that he l. lowering between the chief sachemshi Q of Taninany Hall and the governorshi of New York. And those best acQuainte