Variety (December 1909)

8 VARIETY THE SCHENGK-ALBEE TANGLE. There were many stories around during the week of the position of Jos. Schenck, general manager for the Loew enterprises in his relation with the Joe Wood agency, and through that agency with the United Booking Offices. Mr. Schenck met B. F. Albee, of the United, concerning the attitude of the United towards his firm's houses, but just what would be the United's or Schenck's final step had not been disclosed up to Friday evening. OPPOSITION IN ELMIRA. If report be true there will be opposi- tion against Edward E. Mozart in Elmirs, N. Y., where Mozart runs The Mosart. A story was abroad in the city this week that local parties had made all ar- rangement for the opening of a new house which will play important acts booked through the United Booking Offices. The Mozart, Elmira, as well as the Family, Lancaster, Pa., are the two vaude- ville houses operated by Mozart, in which a few members of the White Bats are interested as stockholders. TRISCCS LATEST "POP." San Francisco, Dec. 2. H. M. Iitchenstein and Ben Michaels have incorporated a company for $75,000 and taken a 15-year lease on the new "Class A" theatre now being completed on Broadway between Dupont and Stockton Streets. It will be named "The New Cali- fornia." Seating capacity is 1,200, no gallery. Vaudeville the attraction. Three shows a day. Price 10-20-30. LItchenstein ft Michaels are at present running a number of picture houses about town and were among the first to in- troduce vaudeville in them, proven to be a expensive mistake here. The house was billed to open last Sun- day with bookings through the Sulllvan- Oonsldine office. BIO SHOW AT AMERICAN. The Morris office has listed a big and high-priced vaudeville show to follow the Harry Lauder engagement at the American. Mr. Lauder closes there to- night, giving two shows this evening, one on the Roof. Among the "names" for the incoming week are Cissy Loftus, Montgomery and Moore, Lucy Weston, Kate Elinore, Sidney Drew and Brengk's "Models" (in a new series of posings). Five thousand five hundred dollars is the estimated salary list, which includes several other acts to fill up the bill. The show is to be termed a "Festival" and held up to the same standard for a sec- ond week. It has been found by previous experi- ence that when Mr. Lauder leaves a New York vaudeville theatre, the business no- ticeably sagB for a week or more. To offset this the "name" show has been arranged. It was not confirmed on Thursday whether Miss Dresser would be in the bill. RYAN'S NEW ONE XMAS. Cincinnati, Dec. 2. John J. Ryan, who has reconstructed the Vine Street Church, said this week the house would open Christmas week with Sullivan-Considine vaudeville at 10-20-30. Ryan denied that R. K. Hynicka of the Standard (Eastern Burlesque Wheel) had any chance of securing the house from him. Mr. Hynicka added his denial. PRIZES FOR EARLY BIRDS. Philadelphia, Dec. 2. The chase for patronage among the many picture and "pop" vaudeville houses here is growing hot Various schemes are being tried to lure the patrons to the houses where big bills are offered. Last week the Victoria and Palace, two of the largest on Market Street (the pic- ture-vaudeville thoroughfare) began the shows at ten in the morning and as an in- ducement to draw women to the early per- formances, prizes were given away to the holder of certain numbers of coupons. At the Victoria silk skirts figure as the magnet while at the Palace cut glass dishes of various design are offered. The fight keeps up and the patrons are looking forward to when a house and lot will go with a ten cent ticket. Maude Odell, the "shape beauty," is announced as the big feature at the Vic- toria next week. Maude will do four shows daily. "SMALL HOUSES" COMING UP. Chicago, Dec. 2. There seems to be no limit to the salary which can be paid for an act in the "small houses" to judge by the prosperity of the Jones, Linick & Schaeffer theatres, of the "ten-cent" class. By gradual steps the "running-them-in-and-out" system has been done away with in the majority of the smaller houses, and two shows arc given a night with matinees Sunday. In some, additional matinees are given Wednesday and Saturday. The prices are being gradually raised to 10 and 20 cents, and better bills are offered than was thought possible six months ago. Business is exceedingly good according to W. C. Doyle, of the Chicago Vaudeville Managers' Exchange, who keeps in close touch with that class of houses. Herbert Lloyd, who has ten weeks in the houses booked by the Chicago Vaude- ville Managers' Exchange, states that though not receiving his regular salary, he is well satisfied, everything considered. Mr. Lloyd says the houses are well man- aged and the audience nice. Charles Wil- ford, manager of "The Effects of the Storm," also speaks well of the circuit. Lloyd appeared at the Crystal last week and broke all records. Some of the houses playing more ex- pensive bills give more performances dur- ing the week, but are not considered any "nicer" by the artist. TRANSFERS TEN WEEKS. Boston, Dec. 2. The Bliss Amusement Co. has turned over the bookings of its ten houses to the National Booking Offices of this city. S.-C. MAN IN NYBO. Harry Leavitt, for some time in the Sullivan & Considine office at Spokane, has become general manager of the NYBO, having headquarters in that office. Rumor has it that he has purchased the Exchange from its former proprietors, va- riously reported. ST. LOUIS THEATRE CRAZE. St. Louis, Dec 2. The uptown theatre erase is spreading fast. This week the Colonial, Delmar and Euclid avenue, 4900 West, joined the ad- vance billing group. It will be three- story, fireproof, and scheduled to open Christmas day with a stock company headed by David Gaily. Rudolph J. Baumker, J. J. Dunnavant. Geo. K. Kennerly, Louis Wollbrink and X. P. Wilfley. The Delmar Theatre company lease on a site about 5000 Delmar boulevard was recorded last week. E H. Pipe is presi- dent of the company. ROBERTS HERE; LONG STAY. R. A. Roberts, the English protean art- ist, arrived in New York Sunday. He brings with him three different sketches, only one of which has been shown over here. Mr. Roberts proposes to remain in the States for three years. Harry Leonharut, the well-known man- ager, has taken over the direction of Mr. Roberts' tour. The protean artist opens for Morris in Chicago Sunday. He is reg- istered at the St. George, Brooklyn. Up until late this week it was uncertain whether he would be able to make Chicago in time to open, there having been some trouble in the Custom House over his im- mense amount of baggage, which was re- leased on Thursday. "OPEN DOOR" SWINGS BACK. The theatres belonging to the Western Managers' Association of the middle-west, numbering about a hundred, were taken into Klaw & Erlanger fold, excepting ten which can not return through having had the Shubert's attractions placed in opposition theatres since they seceded to the Shuberts. The W. M. A. houses are known as the "Open Door" Circuit. Last summer they jumped over to the Shuberts side under a guarantee that the legitimate indepen- dents would supply them with forty at- tractions during the season. The Shuberts held an option for five years longer, but the "Open Door" managers are said to have become dissatisfied at the scarcity of attractions in the neighborhood of their one night stands. THE LAUDER SHOW. The Harry Lauder show, which will open Monday at the West End, New York, for a week, will have the Seven Perezoffs, Edith Helena, Altmont and Dumont and W. E. Whittle, the ventriloquist. The .company has been placed for sev- eral weeks on the Shubert time, playing week stands. On Dec. 13 the road show will be at the Lyric, Philadelphia. Ted Marks will likely travel with the organization, and William Morris will ac- company it during a portion of the travel to the Pacific Coast. BOOKING TWO WAYS. It appears that Weber & Allen and Jule Delmar of the United are both taking a hand in the booking of the Orpheums in Faston and Allentown, Pa. While Weber & Allen show route sheets and commis- sion payments for the two houses, it is known that Delmar, acting for Wilmer & Vincent, has offered acts time on the latter circuit with a proviso that they also play Allentown and Easton. ZOBEDIE WITH GREENWOOD. A connection has been formed between Fred Zobedie, the agent in the Long Acre Building, and Geo. Greenwood, who oper- ates the Empire Circuit in Atlanta, Ga., booking for about seventy of the smaller variety houses in the south. Under the agreement made by Mr. Zobedie he will act as the New York rep- resentative for the "Greenwood time," engaging acts to be routed by the main office. The Payret at Havana will be exclu- sively booked by Mr. Zobedie when it opens for vaudeville on Jan. 18. Six acts will play there weekly. The Greenwood Circuit is one of the largest in the country in the number of theatres booked. While many of the houses are small the majority on the chain are growing as vaudeville develops in the several towns and cities, Mr. Green- wood having been the first to introduce variety bills into a large number. The connection made by Messrs. Green- wood and Zobedie along with the an- nouncement of the Payret booking, must itflMm there will be some association made by them with one of the several interests now seeking to organize a chain of far southern theatres, running through Cuba, the West Indies and down the coast to Panama. It has been lately reported that Charles W. Bennett, the former general manager of the Canadian circuit bearing his name, is in the field for the far southern chain. Though his operations were delayed by an illness of many weeks, Mr. Bennett is understood to have pushed his interests in that section into a large area. Mr. Zobedie but lately returned from a southern trip which included Havana. GOING AFTER 'EM. Edward E. Mozart proposes to go after his opposition in York, Pa. For some time he booked the Auditorium in that town in connection with his own. Theu the United's Agents got after the Audi- torium management and it made a book- ing agreement with the agency's "Family Department." Now, says Mozart, he will remodel a building which he has just located there and before many weeks will have a new theatre in opposition, playing small acts and pictures. WANT NATIONAL LEGISLATION. During the recent convention of the American Federation of Labor in Toronto a resolution was introduced by Harry De Veaux, president of the Actors' Interna- tional Union, calling for the collection of data by the Executive Board upon the subject of employment agencies, from which to frame national legislation. This is a new movement in the efforts of the union to bring about the passage of laws protecting the artists in their relations to managers, such as was at- tempted during the last legislative ses- sion in New York. Mr. DeVeaux's resolution was framed in general terms so as to include all forms of workers. A second resolution by the same introducer was adopted calling for President Gompers and the Executive Board to extend their aid to the Interna- tional Union in an effort to extend its affiliations to the European artists' or- ganization.