Variety (July 1919)

_!ujijumu u n n . __ » gg My/i,,»iJtii|jL'Bggig (iSjjBWi.r &v ; 12 III Gltl M ATE AUTHORS PRODUCING PLAN FINANCED BY FILM INTERESTS &:■ ::•:.; Famous Players-Lasky to Back Stage Productions of Well- Known Playwrights. Max Marcin, Roi Cooper Megrue and Eugene Walter Forming Society of Authors for Project. ";,;■;'.■■ m .-■■■' - '■"."•*■?:';' .." ■' . ;." }'"■'■ r' ; .- "'.■ ■ ■ : i I Famous Players-Lasky stands ready to finance a series of stage productions to be made by a combination of authors. The rumor hit Broadway early last week that'Jesse Lasky was to return to producing for the speak- ing stage. When run down it was discovered there was a tremendous plan behind the financing of stage pro- ductions which the Famous Players- Lasky people have in mind. There is in process of formation an authors' play producing society, mod- eled somewhat after the lines of the American Society of Authors and Com- posers, wijh the additional feature that the organization of dramatic writers will also make its own productions for the stage, eliminating the manager. This organization is to have the financial and moral support of the pic- ture people, who will be behind the scheme, and they will be guaranteed against any loss in the stage produc- tion through the picture rights bring- ing sufficient money to offset the pos- sible losses in the theatre. ' Eugene Walter, Roi Cooper Megrue and Max Marcin, all writers for the stage, are behind the society. It is to be composed wholly of authors who will receive a guarantee of production and who will receive a greater royalty through having their works produced through their own society than they would secure from manager of pro- ductions. One of the evils the societyt aims to do away with is the calling in of co-authors for a play and a split- ting of the royalties. The authors are to Teceive a royalty on all productions that are adapted for -the screen after their stage usefulness is past.' The royalties will be based on the rental returns that the picture producers acquire. All plays produced on the stage will be practically guar- anteed runs. The longer the run, the greater the value of the play-for the screen. There is to be a board of selection composed of the authors and the pic- ture producers who will pass on all of the works of the authors that are submitted for production. After a selection is made of a play it will be tried out on tour and then brought to Broadway the mode of operation being much the same as in vogue among the producers at present. But if the play needs doctoring it will be done by the society after a discussion by the entire membership, and there will be no cutting up of the royalty for the doctoring. The playwright will have a greater say in the matter of production than he now has with his play in the hands of some manager and whatever cuts there are to be made will have to meet with his ap- proval. The picture interests have provided for the fact that the legitimate theat- rical interests may decide to give the new institution a fight when it comes to obtaining time for their attractions. Nathan Burkan is reported as act- ing as counsel for the proposed au- thors' society. This week Mr. Burkan admitted that he had conferences with Marcin, Walter and Megrue regarding the matter, but refused to state fur- ther than that what developments there were. The Famous Players- Lasky publicity heads stated they knew nothing of the proposed plan which seemed to be handled in the executive offices of the company...... "". EQUITY MATTER STILL SIZZLING. The Actors' Equity-Producing Man- agers Association controversy brought forth conflicting claims from both sides this week. The managers intimated that after all their association members were bound under the by-laws to issue none but the new "standard" form of contract, which brought forth denials from the A. E. A. An Equity official pointed out that Sam H. Harris, presi- dent of the managers' association, stated in one of the dailies that "some managers may interpret it so," refer- ring to the supposed agreement to > issue none but new contracts and that there is no actual admission of the fact. If such a private agreement by the producers was entered into, several managers have already forfeited their bond, according to the A. E. A., which further says that several managers are already in trouble over casting shows because of refusals by players to ac- cept other than A. E. A.-U. M.' P. A. forms. Several managers called the Equity headquarters on the telephone this week, asking if a letter form of contract would be acceptable. This was looked upon as an evasion of the use of both the new forms of the man- agers and the Equity contracts. Save for one small change the new "standard" form is the same as the Equity form, with the exception of the arbitration claus*. The A. E. A.-U. M. P. A. form provided for a board of ar- bitration to be made up of a repre- sentative of the Equity, one from the U. M. P. A. and a third person selected iby those two. The managers' form also 'provides, for arbitration, three persons to.Jje selected, one by the artist, one by th^ individual manager and the third to be selected by the two. The A. E. A. commenced circularizing its members this week with printed sheet\warning them not to be misled by managerial statements, particularly over resignations from the Actors' Equity Association. The circulars stated there had been but three resig- nations out of a membership of 4,100. MUSICIANS AGREEING. The outlook early this /week was that there would be no walk-out on the part of the New York musicians whose- contract with the U.M.P.A. ex- pired Monday. A delegation from the union met the manager's committee Monday, the session being presided over by Ralph Long, general manager for the Shuberts. The musicians con- ceded that the managers' Offer of $5 or an approximate 15 per cent, increase as against their request for a 20 per cent, boost, was acceptable. There were other demands by the musicians to be adjudicated and it was expected that a basis for settlement would be reached Wednesday when another joint meet- ing was scheduled. ■ The questions in point concern.the limiting of free rehearsals for produc- tions, a demand for $10 extra per week when orchestras are required to play on the stage in addition to the pit and placing of a minimum engagement of eight weeks ,in a house instead of four weeks as now is the rule. The increase granted by the mana- gers allows road men $60 weekly next season. As they drew $50 last season the boost is a full 20 per cent. Two seasons ago the road men were get- ting $45 weekly. Tuesday it was stated that the mat- ter of free rehearsals might not be adjusted and that pending such settle- ment the entire agreement might be held up for a month or more. The local musicians' agreement with the mana- gers expired Monday (June 30), but with the wage increase agreed on, no actual trouble is anticipated. The .union made a demand on the vaudeville managers for a raise of $10 weekly in all vaudeville houses, but the managers retorted with an offer of a $4 weekly raise, which, after sev- eral conferences was accepted v by the union and arrangements made for the* renewal of the contract between both sides. THREE YEAR OLD STOCK. Vancouver, Can., July 1. The Empress Stock is celebrating its third year this week. The stock com- pany opened at the Empress July 2, 1917. Edythe Elliott-.and Ray Collins are still playing the leads. Other members who opened with it are Margaret Marriott, George B. Howard, Charles E. Royal (also one of the owners), J. Barry Norton, James Smith and William Heater. Those now in the company, joining since its start, are Sherman Bainbridge, Byron Al- denn, Robert Athen, Etta Delmas and Cleora Orden. "My Irish Rose" was to have been the celebration week play, but the script did not arrive in time. "After Office Hours" has been substituted. "Daddy Long Legs" next week. FRAWLEY'S CO. SAILS. San Francisco, July 1. T. Daniel Frawley's dramatic show sailed from this port June 30 on the Shinyo Maru. The company will start the tour in Honolulu in "Three Faces East" and is scheduled to wind up its world trip at Alexandria, Egypt, in July, 1921. In the company besides Frawley a.re Rodney Hild«brand, Bert Mbrrison, Henry Crosby, Herbert Farjeon, Ed. Harford, Wm. Grave, Homer Barton, Geo. Mathews, Gloria Fonda, Miss Prentice, Leslie Virden and Charlotte Fletcher. • > MOROSCO'S QUARTET. Oliver Morosco will produce early next season a quartet of plays by Anne Nichols, starting with "His Lady Friend," starring Charlotte Greenwood, and continuing with "Seven Miles to Afden," "His Lucky Nnmbcr" and "Married in Triplicate," in the order named. BIMBERG'S STANDARD. After spending several thousand dol- lars dolling up the lobby of the Stand- ard for summer pictures, Walter Ros- enberg is no longer controlling the shows there and Bimberg is back as tenant under arrangement with John Cort. . It is understood Cort will absorb the 40 per cent, interest bought by Rosen- berg last winter. Rosenberg was in control for three weeks, during which he is reported to have lost $6,200. Bim- berg and Rosenberg have been squab- bling over the Sunday picture rights ever since the latter bought in on the lease. Bimberg is now reported look- ing for a place in Asbury Park. TAX ON SPECS'BONUSES. New regulations issued to the Inter- national Revenue collector of the third district of New York f this week, define new payments that must be made by ticket agencies. It was discovered in the' commis- sioner's office'.. at Washington that, through an'error, the agency men were not returning the required percentage of tax to the collector. The new regu- lation is somewhat complicated, as is the tax on tickets sold for a premium. In simple terms? the "specs" are called upon not only to pay ten per cent, on the premium, but an extra five per .cent., which they must pay themselves (it is the latter tax which has not been collected). An example is, for a $2.00 ticket which, when sold for a 50 cent ' premium, has returned to the Govern- ment 25 cents as tax. Of that, 20 cents is paid by the theatre from which tickets were obtained, the agencies paying the house at the time of secur- ing tickets. When sold to the public, the agency men received back from patrons the 20 cents plus 5 cents. But the new order states that in addition to the 5 cents paid on each ticket sold at a 50-cent premium, the agency must "Pay 5 per cent, on the premium, or 2J4 , cents on each ticket sold. This 2J4 'cents must be paid by the broker himself, the Government getting 27*/ 2 cents on each ticket so sold, instead of 25 cents. This works out with all tickets sold at a 50 cent premium, a $2.50 (at the box office) returning to the collector 32J4 each. Tickets sold by agencies at more than 50 cents premium must return one half of the total premium to the col- lector, and in addition must pay ten per cent, tax on all over 50 cents. It was stated this week by a revenue in- spector that several prosecutions might result from the sale of "Follies" tickets at exorbitant prices. Such action by federal agents cannot be made until the returns are made to the collector •for June. The intimation is that cer- tain specs have neglected to make proper return on excess premium sales, which is illegal in this state. There has been no action by local author- ities as yet. From the commissioner's office at Washington also was received a new ruling which exempts from admission taxes all theatrical critics, all news- papermen who enter a theatre on busi- ness, and doctors who are called pro- fessionally. Under the regulation, newspapermen are classed as employes of theatres when assigned to review performances or obtain news. This may cause press passes to be speci- fically defined on box,office statements, since they are the only free admissions not taxable and must be separated from othA "paper." It is understood a request from metropolitan dailies brought about the new ruling. The custom, however, on first night tickets sent to critics is that the tax is taken care of by the house or attraction. "..'a zjsz Harris Managing Longacre. Charles Harris, formerly treasurer of the Longacre, is to manage the house next season, succeeding Frank Hop- kins, who resigned. Chub Munster becomes treasurer. Ernest Bailey is assistant. HIGHER ROOF PRICES. Plans for an "out" for the roof show's should prohibition become permanent with the wartime restriction measure, call for a boost in admissions. Morris Gest'sV'Midnight Revue" atop the Cen- tury Theatre will, if Broadway becomes arid, charge $5 for. front tables and $3 for others less in demand. The roofs have been participating in the cater- ing and "wet" concessions, getting 35 per cent, of the bar takings. By tilting the admission scale this revenue will be made up. The Century has had a $5 top scale for front tables Saturday nights. If the week night prices advance, it is likely Flo Ziegfeld's "Frolics" atop the Amsterdam will also lift the scale. Both midnight shows will continue through- put the summer from the present out- look. 1 $ r.».V m r'-'K .•.■?•.'-' ■■*. . 6 ■ ■■■ ■ ■'.- . /:■•:' ;'.;.-■!--•• ;.<-.-: