Variety (September 1919)

n ..;, ■ ■ •■ • 4% ■■••-■• : . NEW YORK, SATURDAY, AUGUST 30,1919 WHETHER MANAGERS WILL FIGHT FEDERATION ONLY POINT LEFT More of Stagehands Into Washington Puts Question of Non- Unionism Squarely Up to Managers. One Manager Offers to Wager 10 Broadway Theatres Will Reopen by Sept. 6. Doesn't Tell How or Why. " *. - .. ■ . . \ Whether the Producing Managers' Association intends to wage a fight against the American Federation of Labor seems to be the only point left open to debate in the strike of the Actors' Equity Association. The managers for years have said that the stage hands are not skilled laboring men; that they could be re- placed over night.- In fact, one man- ager,the other day stated New York managers would have no difficulty in securing 1,500 men to replace striking stage hands if calling upon the Gov- ernment to furnish the 1,300. With the stage hands apparently taking control of the theatrical strike situation, and having the American Federation of Labor behind them, the question seems to be squarely up to the managers- are they going to fight the Federa- tion? / That may be done by drafting from the Actors' Fidelity League and stage hands and musicians from the now formed Amalgamated Union, which is unaffiliated. But the managers do not' appear anxious to take on the test Non-unionizing the theatres carries with it a boycott by the American Federation. The Broadway producers figure only Broadway, the Loop, Chi- cago, and . Philedelphia and Boston.' There is a vast country in the \LS. outside those points. Shows must be transported, moved about, in and out of a theatre. The allied trades with the Federation in the event of a coun- try-wide strike would leave the trav- eling manager in peril to keep engage- ments. Union men say that if the managers contemplate bucking the Federation, they might just as well commence to formulate plans to establish another general union, as embracive in its branches as is the A. F. of L., in order to give a theatrical manager all the labor he must secure from present unionism in handling an attraction. With six million members of the A. . F. of L., representing through family connections 25 per cent, of the total population of the U. S. ; the manager is hesitating about starting something. While hesitating the managers- are be- ing left behind by the unions. The latter are working much faster than the manager. They have been doing things while the managers have been waiting for the actors to break up through going broke. With the fourth week of the strike fairly on its way the actor is giving no visual evidence ot badly bent finances and the man- agers see their theatres still closed. HUMOR AT HIPPODROME. The best bit of humor attendant to the strike thus far is the painted sign at the Hippodrome. This sign covered the bulbs yesterday which spelled out "Happy Days" over the entrance and reads "Nothing Doing." And under- neath still t emains the legend "Twice Daily." The title of the Hip's show, "Happy Days," and its successor "Nothing Do- ing" not only applies to the strike closing the house but also to the Fed- eral agents putting the lid on the city's bars. The expression "Happy Days" is not recognized by the Anti-Saloon League. "Nothing Doing" aptly applies to the present condition of boozeless Broad- way. -:' k '•■J tf "CHU CHIN" TOUR OFF. ■ The first seven weeks of the tour of "Chu Chin Chow" have been can- celled. ' The show was due to open at Toronto this Week. '••'".. Morris <Gest stated yesterday that the walking out of the road stage crew at the Century, Aug. 23, prevented the production moving outside of New NEXT BULLETIN—TUESDAY . ■ / . . . • • . ■■ ■ The next DAILY BULLETIN will be published , TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 through Sunday and Labor Day intervening j, Last night there were reports of the strike extending to the Broadway theatres placed on the strike list and which have since taken on a feature picture policy. Nothing came of it,, however. The news yesterday brought out the resignation of Charles Dillingham as the director of the New York Hippo-, drome. The Hip, however, remained closed last night as it was the night before. While many reasons were ad- vanced and more than one claimed the credit for. closing the Hip, it was the opinion of the Broadwayites that the 41? stage hands working at the Hip, drawing regular salary, while with a production (though classedQns vaude- ville), that the striking stage hands had entered a protest, bringing about the closure of the big Sixth avenue theatre. __ Nothing of moment occurred in Chi- ( Continued on page 2) York until the I. A. T. S. E. permitted it, but that the company was intact. Mr. Gest further stated that if the show reopens it will play in New York city again before taking* to the road. WORRIED OVER "BOMBSHELL" There seemed to be a general specu- lative worry by managers over what the "bombshell" which, the A. E. A. threatened. Late last night they were trying to dope just what direc- tion it would take. The rumors of the early part of the day, to the .effect that "the picture houses were \o be called out" (meaning thereby the Central, 44th Street and the Lyric) died away by 8.30 when the reports that the performances in all of those theatres were successfully underway. After that' hour the managers indi- vidually were wondering if there were any secret meetings anywhere. BILL DOOLEY WAS A BARBER. William J. Dooley says he is going back to his trade, that of a journey- man barber, for which he hold a onion card, if the strike keeps on. Bill thinks that he has done fairly well in the last six years in nhow busi- ness, having started as a top mounter m an acrobatic act at $30 per, until he 'M was receiving $1,000 a week when tXmm strike came along and pat him oat of business. ^' With the 20 cent union scale for shaves and the 10 cent union scale for 1 tips, he figures (because he is a goo* : M barber) he should get at least «5 a week out of it if he worked a full seven i : day Week " „ / - -;_ ■ '- - | _ At that Morris Gest would not allow " Dooley to shave him yesterday; even _i though the. comedian offered to do it af£"l the union scale. ; V^i HITCHIE IS THE BOSS. \ §§ « Y«. . Boston, Aug. 29, Raymond Hitchcock is basing his in- ^ .troductory talk for the new ''Bitchle- &°°.. h .« re ... on th « pefarit strike. rlitcnie is telling his audiences he owns the show and that the company It its own union and can call its own strikes whenever it likes. .V .He concludes his. talk by saying: "V\i $ .show you that I dp own the show and that. I am boss. Ring up the enrtaitt&vJL HIPPODROME RESUMES MONDAY The f following official statement was?^ made by an officer of the United States^ Realty Co. last night: CharJes Dillingham's wishes for the f welfare of the Hippodrome employes, mf which caused him to resign from the^ big playhouse, yesterday, will he /| gratified, > ■ W-^M After a conference last evening be*i?8§ tween the owners and the various or- ganizations of employes, it was «r- ;?M ranged to resume the run of "Happy:^ : £ Days" at the Hippodrome, Monday,fc m re-op en in g with the holiday matinee. 23 TICKET AGENTS GRABBING. Attractions are so scarce that the n ticket agencies are grabbing most any- If ■ thing that can be sold for ready [i money. The burlesque attractions at $W the Columbia are now regularly hah- '•!,) died by some of the agencies, such f';! tickets being easily disposed of at 50 ;> cents advance. m\ One of the Broadway ticket offices is M called the "Equity Theatre Ticket Co^ ,1 Inquiries have been made at the place" ffi within the last few days as to whether i it had anything to do with the A. R. Ai >f f The place has been in existence for some months. . .- vV •■/%/] , ,...-.. ... .■■-}■ s jt