The New York Clipper (January 1920)

January 14, 1920 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER EQUITY AND MANAGERS MAKE IMPORTA NT NEW AGREEMENTS Hereafter, P. M. A. Members Can Fill Up All Unused Rehearsal Time at a Later Date—Arbitration Board to Sit Every Two Weeks in Future. Two important agreements, among sev- eral, were made last week between the Acton' Equity Association and the Pro* during Managers' Association and ratified at a meeting of the Equity held at the Hotel Astor. The first was the unanimous adoption of a resolution whereby the manager will reap the benefits of surplus rehearsal time. Hereafter, the agreement states, if the en- tire four weeks rehearsal time without pay preceding the opening of a play in New York are not used up, the manager will be credited with the unused time and can use it at a later period. This agreement was first suggested to the Equity by the P. M. A. and was intro- duced at the meeting by Frank Gilmore. (Alder these terms the manager may re- hearse a play three weeks, open it out of town and then, in the case of a dramatic show, rehearse it once more, making four in all, or in the case of a musical piece, two more, making five in all, the added time to be without salary to the cast. By this means a manager can give a produc- tion the "jacking up" so frequently needed. Another important agreement adopted was that of a joint arbitration board, ** which will meet fortnightly, thus assuring a speedy adjustment of all differences that may arise between actor and manager. Heretofore, arbitrary questions have often been forced to hang fire, because of an un- satisfactory agreement between both par- ties as to a definite meeting time. Frank Gilmore, Earle Booth and John Emerson were named to represent the Equity board. As yet, the P. M. A. has not announced its - representatives. The question of the issuing of contracts to actors in advance of the first rehearsal was also brought up and resulted in an agreement between the P. M. A. and Equity whereby all members of the P. M. A. are to be instructed that a contract be given to all actors prior to the first re- hearsal of a piece. It was also pointed ont that, if any discussion should arise between actor and manager and the latter had failed to comply with the terms of this agreement, lack of contract would be considered as evidence against the man- ager. Co-operation on the part of the P. M. A., in the Equity's campaign for the cleaning up of all unsanitary theatres throughout the country, was pledged. With the power of the P. M. A. to cancel all booking in unsanitary houses, Equity members are now confident that managers of such houses will bring about a speedy change in conditions. The abolition of "stickers" on the trunks of Equity members was also announced. . The reason advanced by the Equity council for this was as follows: "First and foremost, because the Actors' Equity Association is only too glad to re- ciprocate the cordial spirit and co-opera- tion evidenced by the Producing Managers' Association. "Secondly, because the aforesaid stickers have not proven infallible as an insurance, the main object of their use. Many an Equity trunk, weU provided with stickers, has suffered unintentional damage and every non-Equity trunk, that so suffered, was imediately put down as a malicious intent. "Thirdly, the P. M. A. has pointed out that the use of stickers has in some quar- ters the appearance of discrimination.'' Announcement was made that reports of the Equity's subscription of £250 to the steel strikers waa incorrect. It was pointed out that at a previous meeting the asso- ciation had appropriated that sum in aid of the wives and families of the strikers, but that this sum could not be used in further- ance of the industrial war then raging. In the absence of President Frances Wilson, Bruce McRae presided over the meeting and among the members of the council and advisory board present were Blanche King, Mrs. Shelley Hull, John Em- erson, Florence Reed, Mrs. Thomas Whiffen and Frank Gilmore, executive secretary. James W. Fitzpatrick, vice-president of the Associated Actors and Artists of America, was among the speakers. A. G. SMALL STILL MISSING Tobo.mo, Jan. 10.—Despite the fact that no let up in the search has been made, as yet no clue has been found that aids in any manner in solving the mystery of Ambrose J. Small's sudden disappearance from here on Dec: 2. Whether he has been abducted, Idled, or went out of his mind is still the problem which confronts his many friends and the authorities. The mystery surrounding the disappear- ance has been deepened by the report made to the police that John Doughy, Small's secretary for eighteen years, is also miss- ing. He was transferred to Montreal when the Trans-Canada Theatre company pur- chased Small's interests, but returned to Toronto at Christmas to get some papers for the manager of the new company and wired, on Dec. 26, that he was too ill to return. Since then he has not been heard from. - The police have sent out descriptive cir- culears offering a reward of $500 for any information leading to the discovery of Small. The circular carries a picture and describes him as 53 years old, height five feet nine inches, weight 150 to 160 lbs., blue eyes, reddish complexion; brown hair and mustache streaked with gray. E. W. M. Flock, who was Small's legal adviser when the latter sold tis theatrical interests to the Trans-Canada Theatres, Ltd., expressed the belief this week that Small had met with foul play. He said he has exhausted every theory and could only come to that conclusion. The interest taken, not only by theatrical folk, but by everyone in Small's disappear- ance, is shown in the fact that even boy scoots have sent out troops to search for the body of the theatrical millionaire. Two patrols have returned and reported that no cine could be found. In the meantime, telegrams are being sent all over the United States and Canada, where Small is known, in the hope that he may be found with friends or relatives at some Winter resort. ENDING BOSTON RUNS Boston, Jan. 11.—"The Canary." "with Julia Sanderson and Joseph Cawthorne, starts its last two weeks at the Colonial Theatre today. "Tumble Inn" also leaves in a fortnight, now playing at the Park Square. Both close Jan. 24. "The Passing Show of 1918" will close its Boston run at the Boston Opera House next Saturday evening, Jan. 17. "Betty Be Good" will leave the Shubert Theatre on the same evening. HARRY CAREY DIVORCED San Fbancisco, Jan. 8.—Alma Fern Carey waa granted a decree of divorce from Harry Carey, die motion picture actor, last week. Mrs. Carey presented testimony showing that Carey spent a lot of time at his ranch with another actress. CARROLL SHOW M STOCK San Francisco, Jan. 9.—"Jim's Girl," by Earl Carroll and Tommy Gray, the piece that would have became a Cohan and Harris Broadway production but for its re- semblance to "The Five Million," has been let out for stock and waa presented this week at the Alcasar Theatre. - The play is a comedy drama in a pro- logue and three acts and proved itself to he filled with lively, rollicking run. Following a well staged prologue, show- ing a stowaway French girl on a returning troop ship and two good acta in which the story is sufficiently elaborated, there is a third act which has little to present aave continuation of the talk and merriment. Of course, it carries the incident of the wed- ding, something which anybody in real life would think of as an easy solution ont of government trouble for Jim and his im- ported girl at the very outset of the play. POLICE AFTER FRISCO "SPECS" San Fbancisco, Cal., Jan. 10.—The San Francisco police have started a crusade to stamp out ticket speculators with the sus- taining by the Superior Court of an ord- nance passed some yeara ago, the va- lidity of which was brought to n test this week. The ordnance makes it necessary for ticket speculators to secure a license to peddle, costing $10 a day. Twenty-four hours is allowed for the securing of the license and failure to do so means arrest Several speculators were arrested and win be tried for breaking the ordnance. They are F. A. Dees, who owns newsstands in the Palace and St Francis Hotels, Tobias Rinaldo and five others. B'WAY HOUSES WELL BOOKED Robert Warwick is appearing this week in "The-Tree of Knowledge" at the Rialto. Enid Bennett in "The Woman in the Suitcase," is the feature at the Rivoli." The Strand is this week showing "Desert Gold," with Zane Gray starring. Alice Joyce, in a Yitagraph special, "Slaves of Garage," will both be seen at B. S. Moss' Pride," and Fatty Arbuckle in "The Broadway. AMERICAN STUDIOS BUSY Los Angeles, Jan. 9.—The American Studios in Santa Barbara, Cal„ have opened with a rush. The Margarita Fisher Company is working on the fire-reel com- edy dramas by George Cox, and the Rupert Julian company is making Samuel Mer- win's "The Honeybees," with Marguerite Sylvia, Thomas Holden, Dell Boone, Nig- fel Barrie and Al Ray. STAGE HANDS STRIKE Okhuxgee, Okhu. Jan. 9.—Dnable to agree on a new working contract, all mem- bers of the International Stage Hands and Moving Picture Operators' Union employed in theatres here are on strike and are picketing the theatres which are using non- union help. The theatres claim they have lost no business aa result of the strike. RE-JOINS KING COMPANY San Francisco, Jan. 9.—Win Hayes has returned from France, wh ere h e has been fn service -and rejoined the WHl King company, of which he was a member pre- vious to going away. His first appearance is this week as character man fn "My Sweetie." CRITIC TO P. A. SENNETT San Francisco, Jan. 9.—Walter An- thony, for many yeara a dramatic and mu- sical writer on the Los Angeles Chronicle, has left to take charge of the publicity for the Mack Sennett comedies. KOLB AND DILL GET $18,000 Oakland, CaL, Jan. 9.—The new Kolb and Dill show, "Wet and Dry,'* played to a gross of $18,000 for the first -week, scor- ing a big success. The piece Is playing at Ye Liberty Theatre here. "DARK ROSALEEN" CLOSES "Dark Ro&aleen," until recently an oc- cupant of Powers Theatre, has ceased its wanderings on the road and has been re- turned to the store house. 'TILLY OF BLOOM5BURY" OPtNS ' MONTREAL, Jan. 8.—In "Tilly of Bloom- bury," which waa opened by A. H. Woods this week at His Majesty's Theatre, the author, Ian Hay (Maj. Beith) has written a farce comedy rich in humor and designed mainly to entertain, while at the same time touching with veiled barbs many of the , small hypocrisies that go to mace up life's little ironies. The situations are ingeniously conceived and developed and the characters drawn from. life. The dialogue is crisp, at times designedly oracular and possessing comedy possibilities to an exceptional extent. In all, the author has displayed a skill that wonld be worthy of the art of a more ex- perienced dramatist and throughout the en- tire play one cannot find a single word or incident that might be omitted. No more perfect tribute can be paid the dramatist or the drama. The play ia laid mainly in the quaint English town of Bloomsbnry. Its charac- ters are of the conventional 1i!«gH«ii comedy type. The Lord and Lady of the manor, amid the typical upper-class environment and atmosphere, learn that their son baa become engaged to Tilly Welwyn, daughter of a Bloomsbury lodginghoose keeper. In an effort to place herself on an equal clan footing, Tilly exageratea about her social station and finances and invites her future parents-in-law to her home to tea. The scheme nearly worked, but crashes when two of her mother's lodgers enter and, unthinkingly, give all away. TUly then confesses all and the young nobleman stands by her, although his parents have flatly for- bidden the engagement. He takes up his abode at the lodging house and the curtain falls on a happy young couple with life be- fore them. Without doubt the emphatic success of the play is due in no small degree to the excellent acting of the cast Nellie Hodson and Frank Hector were good in their roles of Mrs. Welwyn and Percy. Eva Le Gal- liem.e plays the heroine naturally and sym- pathetically. Lawrence Grant, as Tilly's* father, proved himself to be a sterling per- former, and Blythe Daly gives promise of comedy gifts. Others in the cast were Mrs. Edmund Gurney, Lyonnel Watts, Gyyp»v O Brien, Edward Foster and O. P. Heggie. RECTORS TO BE CAFETERIA Hector's, the most famous of Broadway restaurants and now known as The Cafe de Paris, and which has for years been run by Paul Salvin and Jimmy Thompson, has only a little while in which to remain as it is. Since prohibition, it has never been quite tile same, and recently, the corner, together with the entire building, was bought by Samuel and AbranamJ cooper, who own a string of cafeterias throughout the loop district in Chicago They feed 6,000,000 annually. *""■*»■ «. ?fv entue buildi >« will be remodeled and the space now occupied by Rector's together with the basement andl*wma story, will be turned into a first dS. cafeteria, which wfll be open day^nd WHITE BUILDING BUNGALOWS Pat White, comedian, is building a num- ber of bungalows at City Island, which he win rent next summer. "HONEY GIRL" REHEARSING r.i.Pi? « Hwri ^ * nd Sam Shannon have placed in rehearsal "The Honey Girl" a f^Si eomtA T. m three acts, which ia a St"]!!!*^", If*? 10 * of "What's the Odda." £rW Ctar ^i'5 S" • uthor of **• bcok tor •TheHoney.GW,- and the music and lyrics son, respectively. ^^ The cast of the piece, which ia scheduled to openin New York during the earrTpart o^Wr,, include. Geor£ MeK*y?Ottto ^rdine, Louis* Meyers, Lynn Overman. SjdmUe Kspero, Renie Riano and Carolyn wi^ 5* be L, to """'e*! director, Bert French ia putting on the dance numbers - and Sam Forrest is directing the book. THEATRE BURNS, OWNER HURT Mkhoo, Ma, Jan. 9.—The Orpkemi Theatre was totally destroyed by fire last week with a lees estimated at $00,000. O. B. Thompson waa burned to death and his son Shirley, who owned the theatre, waa injured. Thompson, was seventy years old. The cause of the fire has not been deter- mined.