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TIE N OENTS VOL. XIII., NO. 11. FEBRUARY 20, 1909. PRICE TEN CENTS. ENGLISH CONTROVERSY ENDED BY THE ARBITRATOR'S AWARD Passes Upon the Points Submitted by the English Artists and Agents. Continental and American Acts Not Considered. (Special Cable to VARIETY.) London, Feb. 18. Arbitrator Askwith has made his awards in the artists-agents' controversy. The Arbitrator decides that commission â– hall be paid upon re-engagements only when an English act is playing a house for the first time, and the re-engagement is booked from then. There shall be no com- mission upon a re-engagement when an act plays for more than eight weeks with one manager. The conditions formerly prevailing as regards American and Continental acts liave not been altered in the award. The commission upon English acts has been placed at ten per cent.; no limit to the commission which may be charged foreign turns (including American) has been set. An arbitrator was agreed upon by the opposing artists and agents to settle the long-drawn out fight between tfiem. HAS A REAL PRINCE. London, Feb. 8. The next "attraction" Paul Murray is to spring upon London will arrive in the person of a real live prince. Mr. Murray is the William Morris representative here and has made the scion of the royal fam- ily a very fair offer. The Prince is Milan Obrenovitch Christitch, a natural son of the late King Milan of Servia. He has just recently played at the halls in Budapesth, singing Hungarian songs and giving an exhibition of sharp-shooting. As a singer Christitch doesn't rank as high as his title, but he is there with a gun, according to reports. The Continental houses have taken to him. He very manfully says the object of the stage for him is to earn his living only, preferring that capital not be made out of his birthright. The managers agree with him. SQUARE MAY BE MUSIC HALL. It is rumored that William Morris and Charles E. Blaney are deliberating whether to change the policy at the Lincoln Square from straight vaudeville, as now prevail- ing there, to the music hall scheme so successfully installed at Morris' American, New York, Chicago, and the Orpheum, Bos- ton. If the Lincoln Square adopts this sys- tem of many acts, it is doubtful if smok- ing will be permitted on the orchestra floor unless the complexion of the clientele should change with the policy. Just now the percentage of women patrons down- stairs is far in excess of the males. A similar scheme for the Fulton, Brook- lyn, another Morris house, is being spoken of. M'MAHON FIXED ABROAD. London, Feb. 11. Tim McMahon has booked his "Water- melon Girls" to open at the Palace, this city, next August. Mr. McMahon with Edythe Chap pel le, opened here at the Pal- ace in their conversational turn, re m a inin g six weeks, having had the engagement ex- tended five since the trial week. McMahon and Chappelle have scored so roundly they can remain here for years if they want to. Marie Dressier has proposed to Mr. Mc- Mahon to "put on" all the numbers with her show which opens at the Aldwych Feb. 28. Miss Dressier has that house under her management. She also wants McMahon and Chappelle to take two of the principal parts. Whether Mr. Mc- Mahon accepts will probably depend upon the money consideration. MORTON GETS OVER. (Speclnl Cable to VARIETY.) London, Feb. 17. James J. Morton appeared at the Pal- ace Monday, and did quite well. AMERICAN THE MORRIS HEAD- QUARTERS. "Just tell them they have got to move," remarked William Morris to Superintend- ent Dempsey of the American Theatre. "They" are the tenants of the bachelor quarters in the American Theatre build- ing. There are twenty apartments con- taining young and old men who have suc- cessfully eluded females for a shorter or longer time. The leases expire on May 1, the date when the term of Mr. Morris' present oc- cupation of his quarters at 1440 Broadway runs out. The headquarters of the Mor- ris Circuit will then shift to the Amer- ican Theatre, necessary alterations being made. There are five floors, and each will contain a department. The convenience of the offices to the theatre, a door allowing the Morris staff to step into the auditorium when a new act or acts may be viewed at a moment's notice, is one of the inducements for the step. The other is Mr. Morris' inclination toward being quartered in his own building, he having a lease of the entire property. The evacuation of the tenants in the apartments will lessen the income of the building about $12,000 annually. COURTLEIGH'S WALTER SKETCH. In a few weeks William Courtleigh will present in vaudeville a sketch written two years ago by Eugene Walter entitled "The Wolf Dog." The scene is laid in the northern part of Canada, and the char- acters are of the French-Canadian type, or "Canucks." Three adults and a child will compose the cast. The playlet will have its showing in a Morris theatre, Mr. Walter is the author of "Paid in Full," "The Wolf," and "The Easiest Way," the agitation in the newspapers for the past two weeks for "clean" shows hav- ing brought Mr. Walter forward promi- nently as an author, press agent and de- bater. "The Wolf Dog" is said to have a slight resemblance to Mr. Walter's "The Wolf," although neither is an elaboration or a condensation of the other. COMBINATION BOILING AGAIN. London, Feb. 8. The music hall combination is onoe again seething. The pot has commenced to boil since Stoll and pe Frece got to- gether. The others are now said to be in a mood to follow, but it is rumored that the reason for Barassford and Gibbons holding back may be found in Geo. Dance, a strong-willed person with a consider- able money interest in both of these cir- cuits. Mr. Dance would like to be the main fellow besides the money fellow wherever he might find himself, and if Gibbons and Barassford should join Stoll- De Frece it would probably come to a clinch between Dance and Oswald Stoll for the "strangle hold." The betting over here is that no one will get any kind of a hold on Mr. Stoll. A PIECE FOR JACK SLAVIN. Frank McKee is strongly rumored as the financial man behind the musical comedy now in process of promotion for Jack Slavin to star in, by Harry B. Smith and Raymond Hubbell. No line upon the first public presenta- tion has been given out. LEW FIELDS' NEW SHOW. A new piece has been written for Lew Fields by Raymond Hubbell and Glen McDonough, the latter taking care of the book and lyrics. It will be a big produc- tion, and shown before long for the first time out of town in a house, the announee ment of which will cause some oommsnt when made known. Later the Fields pro- duction will enter a Broadway theatre (not the Casino nor Herald Square). THEATRE FOR SALOON. YoungBtown, O., Feb. 18. The Alvin Theatre is to be converted into a saloon. LUBIN'S $iao,ooo THEATRE. Philadelphia, Feb. 18. S. Lubin, the moving picture manufac- turer, exhibitor and show promoter, has purchased the property at 915 017 Market Street, and will erect a theatre for a com- bination picture and vaudeville Hhow to cost $120,000. Tt will be named the Vic toria, and a hipher prude of acts than customarily employed in picture houses will be played. Felix IsniiMi tin- Philadelphia real estate operator, mid other men of money nr<- inhn-drd with Mr. Lubin in the enterprise.