Variety (October 1913)

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VARIETY NOTHING MUCH LOOKED FOR FROM BIG W. V. M. A. MEETING Conference Oct. 6 by Western Vaudeville Managers' Association Managers not Due to Start Anything, From Reports. The Davenport ''Franchise** Most Important Matter. Chicago, Oct. 1. The usual tinnecessary excitement prevailing on the eve of the Western Vaudeville Manaj^crs' Association di- rectorate meeting is at high tide here now, the vaudeville colony predicting all sorts of moves, changes, appoint- ments and reappointments, etc., but the cold facts upon investigation reveal only an intent to adjust that trouble- some Davenport, la., franchise and the matter now in abeyance between the United Booking Offices and the "As- sociation" anent the 19 franchises east of the marginal line established with the creation of the Duma. Those towns, including Lafayette, Terre Haute, Evansville, South Bend, Gary, Michigan City, Hammond, Danville, Fort Wayne, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson, Lansing, Flint, Bay City, Saginaw, Port Huron, Pontiac and Ann Arbor, will probably be the chief bone of argument at the meeting. It is understood that J. J. Murdock will insist upon an immediate and complete transfer of the franchises to the eastern booking office on the ground of their location. The other side feels that Murdock is taking ad- vantage of a technicality, inasmuch as the Duma allowed all existing fran- chises to remain untouched until their expiration. A large number of franchises included in the protested group have several years to run, and it hardly seems sen- sible to opine that the "Association" protectors (not directors) will stand for the shift. Should any opposition assert itself, the meeting may become interesting, otherwise it will probably revolve around a fireside discussion of conditions and a dinner, the usual out- come of surh affairs. The Davenport matter will be settled, and it is not thought this tangle will require any- thing beyond a spoonful of diplomacy diluted with a strong argument to close the matter up. The 10 per cent, question may cre- ate a loud-voiced debate, particularly because of the recent eviction of the Beehler Brothers, who have several friends among the representative man- agers, and tile John Simons Agency may come in for a settlement; but be- yond the stereotyped complaints of favoritism there is little to discuss on this matter. Unless present sipns are in error, or the powers existing have prepared some kind of a coup, .the Oct. 6th meeting shoifld develop into a great little social assembly; but, as a tonic for bettering conditions, well—hardly; or, to be more explicit —not even hardly. '"Little Miss Mix-Up" opening at Mc- Vicker's Oct. 13; "Uncle Josh," the week following at Waukegan, and the Jolly-Wild show "Over Night in Bos- ton," Nov. 3 at Waukegan. The tabloids booked over the Jones, Linick & SchaeflFer time will have a ten-week consecutive route. "The Girl Question" began its sec- ond season Sept. 25 at Gary, "The Petticoat Minstrels" opening two weeks previous in the same town. "The Tenderfoot" will also start off at Gary Oct. 12, the same week "The Wizard of Oz" opens its season. "The Three Twins" begins its run Oct. 26 and Hammond, Ind., will wit- ness the opening of "The Queen of Sahara" Oct. 12. Terre Haute and Evansville will get "Buster Brown" next week. Aside from those mentioned, some 12 or IS have already started here- abouts, the general report being big business, considering the elements and circumstances. GRKENWALD FORCED TO CLOSE. New Orleans, Oct. 1. Pantages theatre here, formerly the Greenwald, closes this Sunday through unsatisfactory business and inability to secure acts desired. The house was renamed upon Henry Greenwald contracting with Alexander Pantages to furnish a vaudeville bill weekly. At the last moment J. C. Matthews, represertting Pantages in Chicago, notified Sol Myers, local manager, that he would not be able to book the theatre. Myers was obliged to secure acts for opening week as best he could, show having been ad- vertised. Greenwald says he will hold Pan- tages for damages and has notified him to that effect. S.-C.-HUGH McINTOSH DEAL. Aldro and Mitchell, aerial gymnasts at the Empress, Cincinnati, this week, have signed a contract to appear in Australia under an agreement between Sullivan & Considine and Hugh Mc- intosh, who operates 27 vaudeville houses over there. Mary Dorr, charac- ter comedian, who was at the Empress last week, is also about to sign the papers. TAB8 (K)1NG OUT. Chicago, Oct. 1. Among the tabloids listed for an early opening in thv middlc-wc5t are R08ENBERG*S OWN ACT. One Walter L. Rosenberg (sus- pected to be our own little Walter) has an act called "The Rose of the Harem" on the road, and is willing to play the vaudeville number on Broad- way, if his price is paid. The turn carries seven women, three mm and a special drop. If joa don't •dveitlfe Is TAlUaTT, 4«b'I •dvertbe •# slL **PAID SINGERS** DON*T SING. "Even the worm will turn." In this instance it is the music publisher, who has been having things "handed" to him for so long that he is compelled to call a halt or go into bankruptcy. After having built up by his own efforts his greatest and most expensive bugaboo—the paying of singers—he fmds himself swamped by that alto- gether unnecessary expenditure, and in addition has discovered he is being constantly "double-crossed." The pay- ing publishers (and they take in all those having the price) have discovered what almost everybody else knew for a long time, that many singers have been taking their money and not al- ways singing their songs. It is said the music publishers have determined to establish a secret service to keep "tab." Hereafter all the paid performers are to be reported on by the employes of out-of-town music stores, vaudeville stage managers, mu- sical directors, and the like. CAN*T STOP RICE BROS. The police have declared against dancing acts in the Sunday concerts. Several theatres were warned last Sunday to be careful in this respect. Rice Bros., German comedians, went on at Miner's Bronx without make-up. but the authorities did not invoke the Sunday law against "comic sketches" in their case. SHEA TAKES ON TWO. Harry A. Shea added two houses to his booking sheets this week, giving the independent agent five theatres in all to look after. The two new ones are the Broad- way, Long Branch, and Savoy, Asbury Park. Each uses four acts. His other three houses are the Orpheum, Jersey City, 14th Street, New York, and Hackensack, N. J. JONES* UNION HJLL HOUSE. The Hudson, Union Hill, N. J., has opposition now. Charles Jones, for- merly treasurer at Hammerstein's, opened Monday his new 1,600-capacity theatre over there. It is called the Pastime, and may play pictures until a booking agent for i^s vaudeville has been selected. BAMBERG PROMISED TO QUIT. The appearance of Houang Yuen and Co. at the Union Square in a copy of some of Ching Ling Foo's magical act, had a sequel this week. W. J. Nixon the illusionist stated to varibtt that the Houang owner was Theo. Bamberg and that he had agreed to quit the act. "You stated incorrect- ly that the Houang act," said he, "Is tl e old Nixon Okito offering. The act at the Union Square is a rank copy by Theo. Bamberg, who a short time ago tried out a shadowgraph act at the Union Square. Bamberg is under agree- ment with me, made in 1909, not to appear in Chinese or similar character without my consent. Hence the clos- ing of the act if he keeps his word given Saturday (Sept. 27.)" VAUDEVILLE ROAD SHOWS. (Continued from page 3.) a week of Canadian one-nighters in be- tween. Albany, Oct. 1. The Lillian Russefl Big Feature Fes- tival, or vaudeville road show, had its premiere at Harmanus Bleecker Hall Monday. The show played two per- formances, but business was far from capacity, for several reasons. The main reason was that there are too nany attractions booked in for the week. The Russell show's two per- formances had Maude Adams follow- ing for three performances, "Officer 666" succeeding her with three more, and three shows by Mclntyre & Heath. It is more than the town can stand. As a consequence the advance notices, billing and seat sale were all mud- dled, with every likelihood of all the attractions suffering. The appearance of Rush Ling Toy at the Grand last wefck may also have served to take the edge off Ching Ling Foo, second feature with the Russell ^SSregation. The original frame-up of the show has been altered by the taking out of Ward and Curran, who were shifted to the Anna Held company. This in- terfered seriously with the comedy of the first half, now made up of Kramer and Bellclair, physical culture, Rose and Arthur Boylan, Tango and Tom- n;y dancers. Marguerite Farrell, sou- bret, and William Farnum and Co., in the last two scenes of "Vigginius." Farnum is assisted by a competent c( mpany of six and his interpretation of the mad scenes from Sheridan Knowles' classic was realistic enough to give the audience the "shivers." Miss Russell opens the second half with Kinemacolor pictures of her daily pursuits, a lecture on health, and two songs, "Island of Roses and Dreams" and "Come Down, My Evening Star." Fields and Lewis were the big laugh- ing hit of the show with their "Misery o: a Hansom Cab." As there were no laughs up to that section of the pro- gram their act stood out exceptionally well. Ching Ling Foo and his company of 1^ Orientals had the closing position. In addition to the tricks performed by himself and assistants in New York, the children are given more leeway and show some wonderful acrobatic, juggling and comedy exhibits. With the strengthening of the "com- edy" in the first half and the quicken- ing of the running of the show, which v^ill come after a few performances, the Russell road show gives promise of being one of the biggest attractions ever put together. The Young Buffalo Wild West closes at Marion, 111., Oct. 4. Manager Sea- ver denies that the show will go through the south this winter. PANTAGES PAPERS PREPARED. Chicago, Oct. 1. The agreement taking the Pantages Circuit into the Nixon-Nirdlinger-Pru- dential-Consolidatcd Agency in New York, for bookings from that point is s?id to have been drawn up here by S. L. & Fred Lowenthal, and forward- ed to Pantages in the west. Upon its return executed, the New York Pantages office will move into the new agency there. The Pantages office here, presided over by James C MatthQws, will continue as heretofore.