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Wells, DeGive, Hill, Weber Interests Con trover Big Deal. The addition of another theater and a change in the whole theatrical map, as far as Atlanta is concerned, are in volved in a conference being held Fri day between Jake Wells, Lawrence Weber, Gus Hill and Henry DeGive, four of the foremost theatrical mag nates of America. The conference is being held at the Bijou. It looks first to the establish ment of a high-class burlesque house in Atlanta, and next to a general change In the plans for the Bijou, the Orpheum and the new theater being erected by Mr. Wells, Jake Wells is probably the foremost of Southern theatrical managers, own ing and operating a chain of theaters that reaches almost from one ocean to the other, and also a chain of popular parks with summer theaters, Enter, the Burlesque, Gus Hills to the burlesque world pretty much what Klaw and Erlanger are in the field of the legitimate, and Keith and Proctor in the vaudeville field. He practically controls the bur lesque situation in America. Lawrence Weber is senior member of the firm of Weber Rush, who have a string of burlesque shows and a chain of burlesque theaters in the leading cities of America. They also operate the Orpheum Theater in At lanta, which played vaudeville all last ae; and Wells owns the Orpheum Thea ter eolliiding, while Weber Rush have a long lease on it. Messrs. Weber and Hill arrived in the city Thursday night to confer with Mr. Wells and Mr. De Give In regard to a change in plans, and probably a merger of their theatrical interests in Atlanta. Henry L. DeGive is manager and owner of the Grand, and his theatrical Interests in Atlanta are allied with those of Mr. Wells, oars Burlesque at Orpheum? It had been planned to run vaude ville at the Oagus next season, to run the regular Bijou shows at the new Wells theater no plans had been reached as to the future course of the fall. At the present conference, if an agreement is reached between all the Interests, as te expected, a decision will be reached as to which house should be for burl inm winch for the remaine Bijou shows. The conference was several hours Friday morning, after which the con ferees, In an automobile, visited all the peavr. Returning to the Bijou at in, they resumed the conference and at ata o'clock were at work. While It was impossible to get any statement, it is understood that an agreements has been reached, and the question of detafln is now being con sidered, ay rebabilities are that button pi gh-class, such as Around the Phos which was at the Bijou the past two seasons, and extravaganzas will be run at the Orpheum, vaudeville at the new Wells theater and the regular Bijou shows at the Bijou.
Newspaper Details
Atlanta Georgian and News
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Fri, Jun 19, 1908
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Todd D.
USA 25 Jul 2026
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