The New York Clipper (December 1919)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER December 3, 1919 One Night Stand Towns Being Closed to Road Shows Long Jumps, Coal Shortage and Many Other Came*, All Combine to Making Rooting of Attractions Difficult If Not Impossible Cancellations of bookings in the South ha ve been going on at such a rate within the pest two weeks that now practically the entire territory below Richmond, Va., aoft extending directly across country to Phoenix, Ar.. is blanked on the routing books. Here and there busi- ness continues, but even these cities will shortly bare to be scratched ont because they are so scattered that jumps are too expensive. It is predicted by many In a position to know that, by tbe first of the year, the entire South and. South- west will be closed to road shows. Many reasons are given for u>e con- dition, some of which The Clipper has cited in previous news published on file subject, end now labor conditions and a shortage of coal enter as addi- tional vital factors. Cancellations be- gan about two months ago through the •Virginias and the Carolinas because of the immense circus business that was being done and the numerous fairs and carnivals that were in the territory. During the actors strike, bouse manag- ers made experimental bookings of pic- tures-and a few vaudeville acts, and this policy was so successful that it was continued after attractions for the road finally became' available. This policy soon extended down" through Georgia and over to the Mississippi River states, where It proved equally successful. -' 'Thai came what seemed a concerted move on the part of bouse managers throughout the wholj section to dis- pense with road attractions altogether, for figures were presented to the few York booking offices showing where more money could be made with vaude- ville and pictures than with legitimate attractions. ' Another element that also entered In- to the situation was the superfluity of ahows that suddenly -were shot in when the actors' strike finally was- settled. Towns that'never had more than one real attraction a week were presented with five and six, and as this was more than most of the stands could support, many shows began to suffer so seriously that they at first lumped to different territory- to get out of the congestion, and then, find hip the same situation again confronting them, were compelled to come back to New York. Road ma- nagers say that long jumps have cost more money in the two -months of this year than would ordinarily result after an entire season. Working north out of the bad terri- tory, then,, many shows routed up through Oklahoma, IrTsnsna, the Dakotas and adjacent states. But the coal short- age in this locality has now caused many cancellations within the past week, and the situation there is even worse than in the South. Kansas City theatres are under restrictions for lack of coal, with managers of all the houses In town having made arrangements last Monday to show with acetlyne lights. St. Louis also is restricted, as are Tulsa, Omaha, Sioux Falls and other large towns in the district. Going over the books of several of those In charge of the routing out of New York, it was learned that, for one reason or another, an astonishingly large list of towns bare been practically dosed to road attractions. The list, so Car aa a hurried survey could compile, follows: . Awnut/m, Ala.; Albany, Athens and Augusta, Ga.; Alexandria, La.; Aah- ville, X. C; Ardmore, Okla.; ^ostln, Texas; Billings, Mont; Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La.; Blsbee, Ariz.; Co- lumbus, Ga.; Cedar Rapids, la.; Coffey- ville, Kan.; Charlotte, N. C; Chatta- nooga. Term.; Durham, N. O.; Dallas, Texas; Danville, Va.; Douglas, Ariz.; Davenport, la.; Emporium, Kan.; Fay- ettevHle, Ark.; Florence, S. C; Forth Worth, Tex.; Fargo, N. D.; Gadsden, Ala.; Greensboro, N. C; Greenville, Miss.; Hot Springs, Ark.; Henderson. Ky.; Independence, Kan.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Jackson. Miss.; Jackson, Tenn.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Lake Charles, La.; Little Rock. Ark.; Lynchburg, Via.; Montgomery, Ala.; Macon. Ga.; Mays- viile, Ky.; Marshall to wn, Muscatine and Mason City. la.; McAllister and Mus- kogee, Okla.; Meridian, Miss.; Moberly, Mo.; Memphis, Tenn.; Natchez, Miss.; NashvHIe, Tenn.; Owensboro. Ky.; Ocla, Fla.; Oskaloosa, la.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Palatka, Fla.; Provo, TJtah; Pine Bluff. Ark.; Rome. Ga.; Selma, Ala.; Shrevesport, La.; Staunton. Va.; St. Augustine and St. Petersburg, Fla.; Sedalia, Mo.; Spar- tansbnrg. S. C.; San Antonio, Texas (Government controllng bookings); Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Twin Falls. Ida.; Tampa, Fla.; Tulsa, Okla.; Texarkana, Ark.; Vkksburg, Miss.; Wichita, Kan.; Wilmington. N. C.; Waco, Texas. . This list, It will be seen, includes only the smaller towns, except along the Mississippi and in Texas, where Mem- phis and Dallas and cities of like large population come under the beading. Through.the South" and Gulf states, therefore, there are practically only Norfolk, Savannah, Mobile, New Or- leans and Galveston open, with Atlanta in the center standing as a sort of lone refuge in the desert.' Richmond, Roa- noke, Lexington, Birmingham and some few other cities of importance not in- cluded, are reported as fast dying, and even if they do not die naturally they will be forced to close so far as road at- tractions are concerned by the expense of railroading. With not more than a dozen good towns, left in a circle of a thousand miles, expense is eating up profits no matter how great these are in the few isolated stands. The coal shortage also is extending to the Great -Lakes cities, and, with the strike In the steel district, business in Ohio and Pennsylvania Is receiving a Jolt . . , At present the road business is pro- fitable only in New York, through the New England states and on the Coast. WANTS TO BE "DOG" TOWN ' ParscaToir, ft J, Dec L—Princeton is to be. added to the list of important 'Dog" towns, if present plans for the construction of a new 1.000 seat theatre are carried through, which allow for the theatre's opening next Spring with high class feature pictures and first produc- tion shows. The building is to be so constructed that a passageway will lead from the public library to the theatre. The stage win be 70 feet wide and thirty deep. , MOSS STOCK DEAL QUIET The B. S. Moss re-cap italization plan, rumors of which have been current in theatrical circles, during the but few weeks, will probably not materialize, it was learned early this week,'for the present at any rate. The reason is that, after a series of conferences with a group of bankers who" were preparing to underwrite a stock issue, as. was done'with the Mar- cus Loew interests. Moss has become lothe to merge his holdings for stock purposes. His reluctance is attributed to the feeling that ultimately, his pre- sent dominance of tbe theatres he con- trols would pass, in a measure if not entirely, to the Wall Street interests that would necessarily have to be re- presented on the board of directors. As a result bis enthusiasm for the plan submitted by the bankers has waned considerably, it was reliably learned early this week, and, while the rumored deal has not grown entirely cold, it is known that Moss's mind is much further from Wall Street than it was two weeks ago and that be is quite concerned with the extension of his cir- cuit of theatres under his personal do- minance and control. COCHRAN COMING HERE - Information has been received in this city to the effect that Charles B. Coch- ran, Londoa producer, who is promoting the Becketx-Carpentler fight in London on the 4th. and which has aroused so much excitement that people are payln<* as high as $125 a seat will arrive here on or about December 14. It is expected that he and William A. Brady will join forces for the purpose of promoting a fight between Dempsey and the winner of the English match. • Dempsey is now on the coast making several pictures under the management of Frank P. Speltmap, the circus' man. These pictures will be completed some- time to February and the fight could be staged on St Patrick's day, that being agreeable to all concerned. ENDING BOSTON RUNS Boston, Nov. 29.—A number of shows are to close here soon, having played to good business for some time. Bertha Kalici is in her last week with "The Riddle Woman"; William Hodge wfll close with "-The Guest of Honor" at the Shubert-Wilbur theatre at the end of next week and "Three Wise Fools" will remain but for three weeks more at the Tremont theatre: REHEARSING IN BOSTON Boston, Mass., Dec. -1.—G. M. Ander- son's "Frivolities" started rehearsals to- day at the Boston Opera House, where it opens on Thursday It is planned to keep the show ber^ until a suitable New York house can be obtained, when it win jump into New York. Among those rehearsing are Nan Halperin, Henry Lewis. The Burr Twins, The Kouns Sisters. Davis and Darnell, and Gal- lagher and Kolley. CASTING 2ND "BETTER OLE" Mr. and Mrs. Coburn are casting a second company of "The Better 'Ole." with a route already arranged through New England and New York and Penn- sylvania. Charles Darton will play Old Bitt. BOSTON OPERA DOING WELL Boston, Not. 28.—The Boston Eng- lish Opera Company Is playing to big business at the Arlington Theatre here. The house was crowded for every per- formance hut week when Cavalleria BaBticana and D, Pagnaed were given. -- HILL REHEARSING SHOW Gns Hill's new show "Puck and Judge" started rehearsals last Monday. It wffl open shortly before Christinas. In the cast are Cation Scales,'. Charles A Boyd, Frank Graham. Brown-and Newman. Charles Mackey, William York, Jim Lambert, May Newman, Lil- lian Horwite an d a chorus of twenty- four girls. Gus Williams win manage the show. CRITIC SAVES ACT .Dallas, Tex^ Nov. 28.—Vera Burt appearing at. the Majestic Theatre, here, with her Five Syncopated Step- pers, was requested by the local cen- sor to -Withdraw her -Frisco number, in which she gave her interpretation of the shimmy. It was very mild and -■ modest ?££& >>c . .-.-. . 'Marc Lactone mi, dramatic editor of ;the ; "Times-Herald," printed the fol- lowing article in his column and it was followed by a withdrawal of the action: "Tbe local censor has requested that Vera Burt omit the "shimmy" num- ber she uses in her act with tbe Five Syncopated Steppers at the Majestic Theatre this week. Miss Burt's inter- pretation is mlM and is merely an imitation of Frisco, the jazz dancer. who caused a sensation'in the Eastern cities. If the stage shimmy is to be censored in Dallas, the local theatres win be deprived of some of the big- gest ect in vaudeville. Blossom Seeley and' her 'syncopated studio,' Frisco, Bee Palmer, Eva Shirley, all feature tbe 'shimmy' to a mild and polite way. They are on the list for future bookings at the Majestic Theatre here and more than likely win cancel if they are forced to omit the novelty which has been such a furore in their offerings. "The biggest ensemble laugh in Field's Minstrels show at the Coliseum on Thursday night was a 'shimmy' number in which the comedian inter- preted the dance with the aid of rag dolls. Nine out of ten dancing acts playing big time vaudeville will fall flat unless they include a little bit of this new modern dance, fad." . WANT BROADWAY FOR LEGIT The Shubert8 and Max Spiegel have both been dickering with B. S. Moss in an effort to have him turn the Broad- way Theatre over for the presentation of legitimate attractions. The Shuberts tried to obtain the theatre for "Fifty- Fifty. Ltd_" and were willing to guar- antee the house SLG00 and a generous percentage. Spiegel has been endeavoring to get "Look Who's Here," the Cecil Lean and Oleo Mayfield show Into New York, and, with that in .view, tried' to get the Broadway, but Moss refused to change its policy. BRISBANE GOT IN WRONG Declaring that actors are wasting their energy and that the stage is fall- ing short of the more serious work i*. could successfully perform, Arthur Bris- bane proved none too popular at the club night of the Friars, on Thanksgiv- ing Eve. Brisbane, who was invited to speak, declared that actors and cartoon- ists have a chance to educate and mould public opinion, bnt that instead of ac- cepting this responsible duty, they arc content to be facetious and to poke fun at things that should be taken seriously. After his speech, Brisbane left where- upon Felix Adler, Walter Hoban and Tommy Gray furnished almost a whole evening's entertainment humorously "riding"' the remarks that Brisbane bad made and giving comic illustrations of their conceptions of wasted energy. A A H GET $10,000,000 Sak Fkascisco, Nov. 2.—By their amalgamation with the Marcus Loew interests,^the Ackerman and Harris people have secured $10,000000 witb which to establish a chain of theatres- in the. West . Some of these- are al- ready in the course of construction and others have been completed. Ackerman and Harris wUl have the management of all the theatres west of the Mis- souri River.