The New York Clipper (October 1916)

Copyright, 1916. by The Clipper Corporation. -Founded by FRANK QUEEN. 1833 NEW YORK, OCTOBER 7, 1916. VOLUME LXTV-No. 35 Price, Tea Cents WHITE RATS PLAN STRIKE, TO START ON OCTOBER 5th With Artists and Managers Dead-locked in Final Struggle, V. M. P. Ass'n Retaliates by Threatening Lock-out of All Union Acts—Backdown on Either Side Spells Defeat The absolute. refusal of the Vaudeville ■Managers' Protective Association to accept 'the tentative "pipe of peace" extended to. them last week by James William Fitz- patrick, big chief of the White Rats Actors' 'Union of America, in behalf of his organ- ' ization, has, apparently, precipitated the long threatened crisis in the conflict be- tween those two organizations. According to. statements made at White • Rat headquarters, a general strike of all I members of the organization will be called this week. Indications point to October 5 i as the date. This declaration of war on the part of the artists' union finds the vaudeville man- agers with defenses prepared and guns mounted, aa. evidenced by the fact that they have issued a lock-out order against union ' performers. Harry Mountford, general organizer of the Bats, returned from Oklahoma City this week to marshall his forces and make ready for the bitter struggle which seems inevitable unless the strike order is re- scinded. It is estimated that of the 40,000 acts now furnishing vaudeville entertain- ment, at least one-third of them are mem- bers of the White Bats. The result of their withdrawal from the various stages where they are booked to appear can be realized from the figures mentioned above. The favorable finding of the State Arbi- tration Board in the recent Oklahoma con- troversy has, apparently, inspired Mount- ford and his followers with fresh courage to press their demands for the "closed shop" policy which requires that all vaude- ville managers play union acts exclusively. The Vaudeville Managers' Protective As- sociation is immovable in its stand not to treat with the Rats association in its pres- ent organized form of a trade nnion, stat- ing in their opposition to the labor idea that if vaudeville is to be unionized along the fundamentals of the American Federa- tion of Labor the same procedure must be followed as is now used in treating with the ordinary day laborer. This, they contend, would destroy the creative element of the two-a-day as an art, reduce the performer to the status of the average mechanic, and incidentally bring about a leveling of present salaries to a common scale of wages effective in all labor unions. Carrying out the precepts of unionism as the Vaudeville Managers' Pro- tective Association visualize them, this would mean the elimination of headliners and.feature turns. In. behalf of the "closed shop" policy, which Mr. Mountford and the Bats are steadfastly committed to, the artists' or- ganization declares it is simply a means to secure justice and fair play for both sides through a Board of Arbitration to govern the; relations of the two factors in the con- stantly arising difficulties over position on tbe bill, cancellation of contracts, and also the rebate practice which many agents in- dulge in. • Investigation among the various elements in the White Rats ranks disclose an un- easiness regarding the coming clash between the two bodies, as the prospect of long lay- off periods with the resultant loss of salary in -the event of a strike- or lock-out, is not relished by the average player. In view of the emphatic refusal of the Managers' Association to be represented at a conference between themselves and e dele- gation of the Bats as a step toward adjust- ing the existing conditions in a friendly manner, it would appear that the gauntlet bad been thrown down and that either side must retire from the position it has as- sumed, in order to avert a condition in vaudeville which now prevails between the traction magnates and street car workers. The long and rancorous strife between actor and manager which is rapidly near- ing a serious culmination, had its inception in June, 1900, when a few prominent vaudevillians formed themselves into a pro- tective body, which they called the White Rata. The-organization sprang into being through the statements of tbe Vaudeville Managers' Association as to their future dealings with the variety performer. Hie first artists' strike, called in 1901, ended in the successful fulfilment of their demands. Since the first small group of players banded themselves together almost sixteen years ago, the White Bats have passed through successive stages of internal disten- tion, weakness of membership and at times what threatened to be complete disruption. The various gales have been weathered, however. The representatives of the col- ored race In vaudeville are allied with the White Bats and the feminine contingent, taken, in under tbe name of Associated Actresses of America, augment strongly the forces which will oppose the Vaudeville Managers' Protective Association in the event of the threatened break. ACTOR SUES HOTEL ,Frederick P. Noss, owner and manager of the Six Musical Kosses, has. brought suit against the management of the Hotel Shelburne at Coney Island, through his attorney James A. Timothy, for al- leged breach of contract. Noss claims that on the first of May, 1916, he received a contract for his act calling for ten week's engagement at $350 per week, in the Revue at the sea- shore hostelry. It appears that after re- ceiving the sum of $308.32, it was decided to dispense with the services of his troupe, and now Mr. Xoss wants $1,- 390.68, pleading breach of contract on the part of the Shelburne management. It would appear from this that "the good old summer time" is not always so good. John Dunsinere, another sea shore enter- tainer, has started action against the Shelburne for the same purpose. SYRACUSE HAS TWO NOTABLE PREMIERS Up-State City Becomes Dogtown for Cyril Maude in "Jeff' and Elsie Ferguson in "Shirley Kaye" Sybaccse, Oct. 2.—This week and next local playgoers will witness the premiere of two new comedies at the Empire Theatre in this city. Cyril Maude has selected Syra- cuse in which to make his initial appear- ance in the new comedy, "Jeff," which is the work of Michael Morton. The produc- tion of the play will be made to-night. At tbe same house on October 13 Elsie Ferguson will make her premiere in "Shir- ley Kaye." It will be Miss Ferguson's first appearance in a straight comedy role. "Shirley Kaye" is a comedy of to-day, dealing with American types. The scenes are laid in a fashionable Long Island home at the present time, and the characters are mainly of tbe socially elect. HORACE SINCLAIR MARRIED Horace Sinclair, presently playing in "Nobody Home," was married Thursday last to Miss Sterling, a non-professional. The bridegroom has appeared in "The Broken Mirror" act of Schwartz Brothers for five vears. RICHARD BENNETT'S HOME SOLD The former residence of Richard Ben- nett, at Palisade, X. J., has been sold by George Howe to Robert Scott Newcomb. It is one of the most valuable houses on the Palisades. OFFER $250 FOR SKETCH After the opening of "Turn to the Right" the management offered $250 for the beat sketch to be used on all its advertising mat- ter. None of the responses bare been ac- cepted. Not the finished drawing, but a mere suggestion is desired. AUSTRALIAN TOUR FOR TANGUAY WILL MAKE JUMP FROM COAST ' Eva Tanguay will invade Australia on the completion of her present tour at the head of her own road company. It is Miss Tanguay's intention to rake with her the entire aggregation of artists now forming her traveling organization. There will be one feature attraction miss- ing, however, which would greatly strengthen the road show in its Australian trip. M. Rudinoff, the clever manipulator of smoke outlines through the sole medium , of his finger-tips, left the organization im- mediately after the opening in Union Hill, N. J., a few weeks ago. J Under the direction of William Morris Miss Tanguay started her season at the head of her road show on Sept. 16th at the Lincoln, in Union Hill, N. J., The star has surrounded herself with a rather ordi- nary troupe, unless some changes have been made since the premiere. Since that time tbe attraction has been moving rapidly westward on its one-night itinerary, nnd unless present calculations fail should be on the Coast .Thanksgiving Day. It is significant that the W. M. Tours. Inc., was formed recently, J. Wilzin. tbe leading spirit, being attorney for William Morris, the theatrical manager. - It is presumably the intention of the new company to increase the present activities of Morris, and in addition to the contem- plated Australian tour by Miss Tanguay.. Nora Bayes has been dickering for some time with Miss Tanguay's manager rela- tive to heading a road show. Conditions in Australia at present are reported good, and with the addition of one or two attractions to the show, a tour of the principal cities throughout the British possession should prove profitable to all concerned. Sydney is thirty-one days' sailing from Seattle, and allowing for unavoidable de- lays and the time necessary to complete her present route. Miss Tanguay should open her Australian engagement about the middle of January, 1917. "SEVEN CHANCES" TO MOVE Despite the fact that business is. good David Belasco must vacate the George M. Cohan Theatre with his "Seven Chances" in a few weekB to make room for tbe Klaw & Erlangcr Henry Miller production "Come Out of the Kitchen," in which Both Chatterton is starred.