The New York Clipper (January 1917)

January 3, 1917 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 5- TICKET AGENTS LOST HEAVILY SAT.JJIGHT PUBLIC GOT CUT-RATE ADMISSION Expecting to reap a harvest from the sale of theatre tickets last Saturday night, the agencies tried to obtain all the choice scats at the various houses for the per- formance that evening, paying a premium of from 26 to 50 cents a ticket at the box- office. But, it seems they were double crossed by the theatre going public in this in- stance, as patrons felt it was sufficient of an imposition on the part of the theatres to increase the cost of orchestra seats from 50 cents to $140 a ticket without being compelled to go to the agencies and pay another premium for the seats. When the regular customers applied at the agencies for seats, they were informed that a choice pair would cost them $10. This is just double the price that is usual- ly charged by the agencies for the tickets, and patrons forsook the pleasure of go- ing to the theatre on Saturday night. As a result the agencies were top heavy with tickets and, as there seemed no possibility of getting rid of them, they immediately got into touch with Joe Le Blang, the cut-rate ticket man. They asked him to make them an offer on their whole stock of tickets and Le Blang was able to buy them at about half of their cost, he in turn selling them at a shade less than the box-office price, but making a handsome profit. In this way he had several thousand tickets for the various shows in the city. In obtaining these seats the various agencies practically cleaned out the thea- tres of their orchestra seats and when the patrons went to the theatres looking for seats and willing to buy despite the ad- vance, they were informed that everything had been sold. At some of the theatres they were told by the box-office men to go to a certain agency, which would sup- ply them with the choice seats at a small premium. It seems as though the patrons did not take this suggestion, as the agen- cies were unable to dispose of their seats. Even though most of the theatres had increased their . price of admission last week, Le Blang was in a position to sup- ply them with seats at a reduced price for practically all of the Shubert theatres and other houses not in that combine for all performances during the week. His matinee sale was unusuaUy heavy, as he disposed of all seats that he had on hand for those performances. However, in the evening, there was a marked falling off in patronage. The Winter Garden for the Sunday show charged $5 a seat for the first ten rows in the orchestra and $3 for tie bal- ance of the seats on the lower floor. The house did capacity business. The Hippo- drome, Century and several other of the houses had their scale running up to 82.50 for choice seats. The Palace charged S2 for the entire lower floor. However, at the Astor, Casino and other houses which had the special performances business was very light. A top of $250 Wai charged in these houses, and those that did not do so regretted their over- sight. • • MB. WEISS DEAD Tampla, Fla,, Dec. 27.—M. B. Weiss, of San Francisco, CaL, manager of the "Elizabeth" show with the Leon W. Wash- burn's Mighty Midway Shows, and well- known in bis profession, died here at the Majestic Hotel this morning, after an ill- ness of several months. He is survived by his wife and one son. The funeral will, take place on Sunday afternoon and will lie in charge of the Masonic Lodge of this city. Mr. Weiss in 1905 made a tour of Ger- many, France, Russia, Italy, England and Belgium, exhibiting "Elizabeth," considered to be the smallest perfect-formed woman on exhibition. Mr. Weiss's attraction at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915 was awarded the Gold Medal Prize. TO CHOOSE FOX PRIZE WINNER The selection of the winners of the Wil- liam Fox prize for art students for draw- ings and models of Annette Kellermann, will take place at the Hotel Astor to- morrow afternoon. More than 300 offerings have been submitted to the judges. On Monday night the artists that competed will be the guests of Miss Kellermann at a performance in the Lyric Theatre of "A Daughter of The Gods." Tne announce- ment of the winner and award of prizes will be made then. GRACE FIELD QUITS SHOW Grace Field is to remain with the "Have a Heart" company only through its preliminary tour. She states the part as- signed her has not been embellished in ac- cordance with the author's promise. STRAND SANTA LIBERAL The bonus checks which were awarded to the employees of the Strand Theatre as a Christmas Gift were apportioned accord- " ing to the' amount of their yearly salary. All employees receiving $2,000 a year.or lc-ss received 10 per cent, of their annual salaries, and those earning over that amount were given 5 per cent, of their yearly stipend. There were 116 employees to receive these gifts. CALVERT TO BE MANAGER Minneapolis, Minn., Dec. 30.—George Calvert, who is temporarily managing Pan- tnges Theatre, this city, during the absence of Harry Cornell, is slated for a regular managerial job with Pantages and will probably have charge of one of the new houses now building. KEITH GIVES UP THEATRE Philadelphia, Dec. 30.—The B. F. Keith's interests relinquished last week their lease on the Allegheny Theatre, a big vaudeville house at Frankford and Allegheny Avenues, in the northeastern section of the city. The Keith lease has still a year and a half to run and the own- ers announce that they received $15,000 to accept the annulment of the lease. Joseph E. Cohen, manager of the Broad- way Theatre, and a quarter owner of the Allegheny Theatre, will take over the man- agement and continue the same vaudeville policy. FILMS GET MAXINE ELLIOTT Maxine Elliott has been engaged by the Goldwyn Corporation for motion pictures. She returned to this country recently after a five years' absence abroad. ACTS ON SMALL TIME SCARCE, AGENTS SAY MANAGERS FORTIFY FOR STRIKE The vaudeville booking agents who book the small theatres, playing three, four and more shows a day, in the local territory and New York State, have been consider- ably handicapped in getting standard acta for these houses in the past week or two. They attribute it to several sources, one being that the vaudeville managers on the larger circuits are fortifying themselves in case of a White Bats' strike and have en- gaged acts at various points to replace any that may walk out. None of these acts is actively engaged in work, simply being paid a salary to stay at a given point. Then, too, a good many of the acts that are in the habit of work- ing on these circuits do not care to work the holiday weeks and go to their homes. A visit to several booking offices revealed the fact that there was no shortage of ac- tors as far as applying for work is con- cerned, as these offices are crowded all day by applicants for work. But, according to one of the managers, the majority of these are performers whose acts are not consid- ered up to the Circuit standard. Walter Plimmer, who books about thirty houses around New York, declared that the greatest shortage was in "two" acts, espe- cially those which work in "one." He stated that in making up his bills for the current week he experienced considerable difficulty in getting song and dance teams. He claims that the majority of these people were either out of town for the V. M. P. A. on emergency call or that they were work- ing private clubs. Very few of the managers that book through these offices are members of the Vaudeville Managers' Association, and they feel they will be equally affected by a strike on the Circuit houses. Tbey be- lieve that if a strike occurs other managers will scarry around and sign up any sort of an act. . Byrne & Kirby and Joe Eckl, who also book a number of these houses, also report a scarcity of acceptable acts. They claim that if this condition of the so-called "strike odor" is not squelched or settled shortly they will be seriously handicapped in arranging bills for theatres tbey are booking. HE MAY BE ANOTHER ROTHAPFEL Bert Ennis, former press agent of Vita- graph, Keystone and Eclair, has been ap- pointed managing director of The Japanese Gardens, picture palace de luxe atop of Win. Fox's Riviera Theatre, at Ninety- seventh Street and Broadway. Ennis has inaugurated a unique publicity campaign to attract out-of-town visitors to the Broadway show place. ARUSS TO FOLLOW WARFIELD George Arliss in "The Professor's Love Story" is scheduled to appear at the Knickerbocker for an extended run, begin- ning Jan. 29. Molly Pearson is his leading lady. David Warfield will conclude his engagement in "The Music Master" Jan. 27 and go on tour. AVERY PLAY FOR FULTON "In for the Night," a. play by Jamea Avery, will have its New York premiere at the Fulton Theatre Jan. 11. The Empire Producing Company has leased the house at a weekly rental of $3,500. "The Mas- ter," in which Arnold Daly is appearing at that theatre, will go on the road next Monday. SUNDAY SHOWS IN MAJESTIC The Majestic, Brooklyn, started playing Sunday vaudeville shows Dec. 3. The house plays legitimate attractions during the week booked by the Shuberts. The Sunday vaudeville bills which will be con- tinued for the rest of the season are booked by the U. B. 0. The Majestic, al- though booked by the same office, becomes, through its Sunday vaudeville policy, op- position to the Orpheum directly across the street. NEW PLAY AT CORT HOUSE Pittsburg n, Dec. 30.—On Monday John Cort will produce at the Duquesne The- atre a new farce entitled, "Johnny Get Your Gun." The cast includes Ray Coch- rane, Lorraine Frost, Ralph Nairn, Kate Mayhew, Rose Winter, Grace Valentine, Behlin Gayer, Edward Poland, Edward Mordant, Robert iiomans, Louis Bennison, Everett Butterfield, Billie Scott, Adelaide Rodrigues, Carl Massey and Tom K. Car- lias. ACTRESS LEAVES SHOW Lillian Lee Anderson will leave "The Heart of Dixie," now playing in Chicago, after Saturday night's performance to journey back to New York to begin re- hearsals in a new production that is scheduled for Broadway. SHUBERTS PICKING CAST The Shuberts have been busy the past few weeks in procuring the cast for the summer show at the Winter Garden. Those already engaged include Chick Sales, Dolly Connolly, Moran & Weiser, and Harry Tighe and Sylvia Jason. LAURENCE FOSTER MARRIED Mebiden, Conn., Dec. 24.—Laurence Foster, of Chicago, leading man, and Donna Wilbnr, of Kent Water, Mich., leading woman of the "Shepherd of the Hills" company were married while the company was playing here. ELMAN'S SISTER MARRIES Buffalo, N. Y., Dec. 31.— Mm Ehnan, sister of Mischa Elman, was married here today to Dr. Maurice Bernstein, of Kenosha, Wis. The violinist acted as best man, with Miss El man's two sisters aa bridesmaids. EDOUARD STRAUSS DEAD Vienna, Dec. 29.—Edouard Strauss, the composer, died at his home today in bis eighty-second year. He had composed more than two hundred pieces of dance music. MAX HART WINS SUIT According to a decision handed down by the Appelate Division of the Supreme Court last week, which reverses a previous judg- ment of the Supreme Court, Max Hart, the vaudeville agent, will not have to pay At- torney Max D. Steuer $5,000 for fixing up Hart's trouble with bis wife.