Variety (March 1909)

TEN CENTS VOL. XIII., NO. 13. MARCH 6, 1909. PRICE TEN CENTS. SMALL UNITED MANAGERS MAY BOOK ACTS DIRECT Silently Objecting to the United "Splitting" Com- missions, the Smfcll Houses Will Ignore Agents. The "split-commission" arrangement still clung to by the United Booking Offices throogn the division of agents' weekly com- mission efcfcka is bringing an untold amount of excess worrying to the small managers in the big agency. The little fellows can not see where they are going to stand under the present con- dition, and are reported to be chafing in the position they find themselves, that of resembling more in effect employees of the United Ifcan patrons of it. One small United manager said this week that unless the "split" scheme was aban- doned or the small managers were given a practical illustration of any benefit it is to tlftm, they would again bring their, small honse organization into being, and book direct with acts for next season. This course, if pursued by the small managers, would entail a loss of two and one-half per cent, of an act's entire salary weekly to the treasury of the United, that being; the amount the agents now "give up." While the smaller managers are dis- cussing the matter informally as yet, ex- pressions from two or three would seem to say that there is a decided feeling of ap- prehension over their bills for next season, no engagements having been entered for then at the United. It is claimed that there are several pieces of written evidence in existence showing that agents are charging acts from 12% to 15 per cent, commission for booking through the United. One agent is said to have writ- ten a letter stating that as the United de- manded 7% per cent, commission, he would charge 12%, or the act might apply else- where. LAW SUIT OVER KELLERMAN? A law suit may arise before Annette Kellerman, the diver, opens for William Morris. She is scheduled to do so ac- cording to agreement on or before April 5, next. Miss Kellerman is reported to be under a three years' contract to B. F. Keith. She is now on the United time, playing for Percy G. Williams. It is understood that Mr. Keith may attempt to restrain Miss Kellerman from playing for Morris through injunction proceedings. THAT SHUBERT DEAL. St. Louis, March 4. After many conflicting reports that they did and they did not, the latest on the deal of Shuberts to take over the Cham- berlain-Harrington circuit of theatres is that William and A. J. Busby, of the Empire Theatre in Quincy, blocked nego- tiations. At a meeting in Chicago the Shuberts offered $760,000, part in cash. Mrs. Chamberlain, widow of the late cir- cuit owner, Mr. Harrington and others were present and all were on the point of accepting the offer when the Busby Brothers held out their houses. Without them the Shuberts wouldn't buy. The circuit includes sixty theatres in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. On Thursday it was said by one sup- posed to be in the know that the Cham- berlain-Harrington-Shubert deal had gone through, and that Mrs. Frank Chamber- lain, who controls, was the contracting party with the Shuberts to the transac- tion. BIG PARKS FOR BECK. Chicago, March 4- The bookings of the largest parks now handled by the Western Vaudeville As- sociation in Chicago will be transferred to Martin Beck's headquarters in New York for the coming summer season, it is reported. The bills and fpature out-door aets will be routed from the metropolis for the parks transferred, commencing within a sborf; time. W. V. A. MEETING. Chicago, March 4. There will be a meeting of the directors of the Western Vaudeville Association in iki» city during the coming week. Mar- tin Beck will come on from New York to attend. It is said the conference will be sm ins* portant one, outlining the future of the big local booking office, and possible changes in connection with the book- ings now placed through the agency will be finally settled upon. Besides Mr. Beck it is certain that John J. Murdock and C. E. Kohl, both of whom are in Chicago, will be present. ATTACHES FOR li,ooo. Chicago, March 4. George F. Beard, former advance agent for "Coming Through the Rye," sued out a writ of attachment against the show, claiming $1,000 due. The box office receipts at the Great Northern where the piece is playing were levied upon. The show closes its season this Saturday. "HAMLET" SKIT FOR BENEFIT. Chicago, March 4. The feature of the Actors' Fund Bene- fit to be given at the Auditorium March 11 will be a tabloid "Hamlet," a travesty. Those who will interpret the various parts are Jack Nor worth ("Follies of 1008"), the Dane; Georgia Drew Mendum ("Via Wireless"), Ophelia; Master Gabriel ("Little Nemo"), King Claudius; Gertrude Richards ("The Thief"), Queen; Bert Baker ("The Prince of To-Night"), "The Ghost," and Joseph Cawthorne, Jr. ("The Golden Girl"), Polonius. The com- ing event is attracting wide attention. THREE BIG NAMES. Mike Simon has submitted to the vaude- ville managers a production in the form of a sketch written by Eugene Walter, and staged by David Belasco, with Char- lotte Walker as the star. The playlet, with Miss Walker in it, could only play for six weeks in vaude- ville. Mr. Walter is now engaged in writ- ing a play for the actress in which she will appear before the ending of this season. MELVILLE ELLIS QUITS PALACE. (Special Gable to Variety.) London, March 3. Melville Ellis opened on Monday at the Palace in his monolog and did quite fairly. Alfred Butt, the Palace manager, or- dered Mr. Ellis to cut some of his act, and tMs% miik the position on the. bill given him, caused Ellis to voluntarily withdraw from the engagement after last night's performance. Willy Zimmerman at the Coliseum was a large-sized hit on opening Monday. COMBINATION TAKES PARIS OFFICE. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, March 3. Oswald Stoll, booking with the De Frece Circuit in England, has established a Paris office. This branch will handle all the Stoll business on the Continent. John Hayman is located here as manager. $50,000 OFFER FOR BRYAN. An affirmative telegram is being awaited by the William Morris office to its offer of $50,000 for ten weeks in vaudeville, made to William Jennings Bryan for a fifteen- minute talk twice daily in the Morris houses. No other conditions were imposed upon the repeating presidential candidate. Mr. Bryan may tell what he thinks of the government in his stage discourse; talk on political issues*, tell how he runs The Commoner and why he Tuns it, or let the public in on the secretaof how it feels to be beaten but once every four years. The Morris offer is a bona fide one. EDDIE FOY SIGNS. Though the Shuberts claim to hold Eddie Foy until June on a contract, the Morris Circuit has agreed with Mr. Foy (in writ- ing) that he will play in vaudeville once again, commencing April 5, for five weeks. Mr. Foy has returned to "Mr. Hamlet of Broadway." It has been rumored for the past few days that he would dissolve his connection with the Shubert piece. When the much imitated comedian played in tin? every afternoon-and-night show yard before, Weak*} & Pincus acted as his agenty. They are Hiipposed to have been tli" intermediary in the Morris-Foy contra.!.