The Washington herald., 1916-08-20
Time Tried Allies, Comedy and Tragedy, Ready and
Amusement Batteries Planted for Seasons Drive
All Local Playhouses but One
Announce Opening Date
for I9l6-l7.
By THE PLAYGOER.

OlQ GeneTdl amusement mas ABOUT
completed the disposition Of his
forces for another big drive against
the forces of ennui and discomfort
in the National Capital. The van
guard of the army of occupation for
each OF the strategic points of at
tack, save one, has already beeh
organized and within the course of
the next two weeks the proclama-
tions of the leaders at each point
will compete with the manifestos
from the performances in the big
political hippodrome.
This being a neat, if not particu-
larly gaudy, way of announcing the
fact that every Washington theater,
except the New National, has an
nounced its opening attraction for
the season and that with the begin
ming OF the week of September 4,
that will be the only theater in the
city that still remains dark.
Polls opens tonight with the
Lyman Howe pictures which arc
scheduled to show next Sunday also
and their last appearance will be
followed by the formal opening Of
the old house as a part OF the newly
formed International Circuit with
Bickcl and Watson in musical
show.
Tomorrow, as has been previously
noted, the Gayety will begin its sea-
son. Labor Day Manager L. Stod-
dard announces he will throw open
the doors Of the Bclasco for IoI6-I7
with the presentation of the motion
picture spectacle that has been made
from Helen Hunt Jackson's novel,
Ramona" with a special musical
setting by Victor Herbert.
Just to make things especially in
teresting for the coming season
there IS undue activity in what are
called, for want OF a better term,
the Independent vaudeville circles
and Washington is promised a new
theatcr and an entire new set Of
vaudeville stars.
Louis Fosse, whom hundreds Of
Washington people learned to call
Duke" when he was here as the
manager Of the Poll Thcater a sea-
son back. came 20 town last week,
and after trying to keep his 300
pounds under cover six whole hours,
broke forth with the announcement
that he was looking fer place to
erect a theater. He found there
were quito 4 lot OF enterprising
gentlemen willing to help him and
for day or two he was more ac-
tive than he had ever been in his
lie before fitting from site to site
under guidance Of cnterprising real
estate men.
The Duke departed with a promise
to return Immediately and make a
final statement Of his plans. The
semi-fraI statement he did make was
to the effect that he represented a
syndicate OF Vaudeville experts who
are anxious to extend their existing
circuit Of thcaters southwark so that
It might include Baltimore, WASH
ington. Richmond and Norfolk OPP
tions have already been secured on
theatcrs in Richmond and Norfolk,
and it was to close these that Fosse
LETT town this week.
The interests he represents already
control thcatcrs in Brooklyn, New
York. Newark. Atlantic City, Phila-
deIphia and other Middle States and
New England cities. They operate
a circuit that gives them sixteen
straight weeks for their act. 1t is
the intention of this concern, it is
stated, to build theater in Wash
ington and operate it with the best
known vaudeville stars.
Old Dame Rumor has had WASH
ington going in for independent
vaudeville many times before but
the chances seem bright that she
will make good with the Fossc
project.
Speaking OF vaudeville there is a
pretty little story that did not get
further than the first entrance at
Keith's last week which gives a
rather interesting side light on the
loyalty and sacrifice of the people
of the playhouse. This story con-
Germs Miss Lillian Steele who ap-
peared on last weeks bill with Ben
Deeley in The New Bell Boy"
When the little woman arrived in
Washington last Monday she was
very i'll and went at once to see
a physician. He told her she was
suffering from an aggravated case Of
appendicitis and that the thing for
her to do was to go to her home
right away and place herself under
the care of her family physician.
The Keith house physician, who hap