The New York Clipper (August 1917)

gEBiiiroiiti;!iHiiMiiiiiHiHiiin!iii!iimmiiii^^^ Copyright, 1917, by the Clipper Corporation Founded by FRANK QUEEN, 1853. NEW YORK, AUGUST 1, 1917 VOLUME LXV—No. 26 Price, Ten Cents MUSICIANS WIN A 50% RAISE BOTH SIDES COMPROMISE Theatre musicians of New York City last week succeeded in winning what will average up to fifty per cent, of the wage increase they recently demanded from theatre managers. In some cases it amounts to more and in others less, but the average runs close to fifty per cent, of their demands. This ending of the dispute between the musicians and the managers was accom- plished after numerous meetings bad been held and the entire situation threshed over many times. On several of these occa- sions both sides were so determined to have their own way that an amicable ar- rangement seemed almost out of the ques- tion. The conciliatory efforts, however, of some of the cooler heads on both sides averted a situation in which the word "strike" had already begun to be used. As agreed by both the managers and musicians, the new scale is as follows: Dramatic Shows (8 Performances) Present. $24. Asked, $28. Compro- mise, $26. Musical Shows (8 Performances) Present $30. Asked, $35. Compromise, $33. Winter Garden (9 Performances. Includes Sunday) Present, $32. Asked, $36. Compromise, $35.25. Hippodrome (12 Performances) Present, $30. Asked, $42. Compromise, $39.75. First Class Vaude Houses (14 Perf.) Present, $33.50. Asked, $40. Compro- mise, $35. At this scale the working day will be limited to six and a half hours, and over- time is to be paid for longer periods. With the old scale no demand for overtime was made. Vaude and Film Houses (14 Perf.) Present scale of $28 remains, but work- ing hours are reduced from seven and one- half to six and one-half hours a day. Rialto Type Theatres (14 Perf.) Present, $38.50. Asked, $42. Obtained, $42. Burlesque (14 Performances) Present, $33.50. Asked, $35. Ob- tained, $35. In theatres where there are no Sunday shows, the present scale of $27 a week will prevail. Vaudeville Leaders (14 Shows) Present, $60. Asked, $70. Compro- mise, $65. Musical contractors who supply orches- tras will receive $45 instead of $42, as they can play any instrument ■ and are not compelled to lead. Dramatic contractors who are compelled to lead will receive $48 instead of $45. .'.' .' (Continued on page 4.) FEINBERG SUES LANGDON Abe I. Feinberg, the vaudeville agent, has brought suit in the Municipal Court against Harry Langdon, an actor, to ob- tain $500 he alleges is due him for obtain- ing an engagement for the latter's act. Feinberg alleges that the obtained a route over the Pantages Circuit for Langdon, and says that $500 commission is due him for this service. O'Brien, Malvenaky and Driscoll, who represent Langdon, state that their client met Feinberg in the Putnam building while he was on his way to see Walter Keefe, the Pantages booking manager, and that Feinberg accompanied him to the office without his request. They state that their client conducted his own nego- tiations with Keefe and signed the con- tract himself. They state their client made no agreement with Feinberg at that or any other time to represent him. The case will come to trial in September. ALBEE GIVES LIGHTS $1,000 The Lights, of Freeport, are $1,000 richer to-day, owing to the generosity of E. F. Albee, of the United Booking Offices, who forwarded them a check for that amount on Saturday. Recently, Mr. Albee was conversing with several Lights, who invited him to drop in and inspect their club house while motor- ing, some time, on Long Island. He did so, and was so impressed with the young organization that his personal - check was soon in the mails, addressed to E. M. Man- waring, the secretary, accompanied by his best wishes for the success of the club. BILLY INMAN RETIRES Billy Inman, of the vaudeville team of Inman and Wakefield, has retired from the stage, he announced last week, after a theatrical career of twenty years. During that time he put on productions at In- man's, Coney Island, which was con- ducted by his father and was then prin- cipal comedian with several burlesque shows for a number of years. Inman has taken over several conces- sions at Rockaway Beach, where he is operating a new device known as the "Tal- ley Ball Game." CARRIED "CHATTERBOX" BY AUTO Owing to the scarcity of baggage cars the Harris Estate contracted with the Globe Transfer Company to haul the "Chatterbox" company from New York to Stamford, Conn., last Friday, and from Stamford to Long Branch. N. J., Satur- day night. This is the longest haul made by any theatrical firm known around New York. The trip was made by motor trucks without a mishap. CHICAGO TO GET SWAN PLAY Chicago, 111., July 31.—"Parlor. Bed- rom and Bath," by A. C. W. Bell and Mark' Swan, will be presented at the Olympic Theatre here on August 1,6, in- stead of opening in New York. DOROTHY STONE BUILDS HOME Dorothy Stone, last season with Gus Hill's "Mutt and Jeff Co." in the role of prima donna, has built a home at Steeple- chase, Rockaway Beach, this year. In the future Miss Stone will appear in vaudeville and club work around New York. FALL SEASON FINDS 300 NEW ACTS F OR BOOKERS Fresh Turns and Faces in Eastern Vaudeville Will Be Plentiful; Exclusively Written Material Seems to Be the Vogue and Many Original Acts Are by Modern Writers; Many Old Teams Have Improved Material Claire; Anna Chandler, Foley and O'Ncil, Pilcer and Douglas, in a new dance offer- ing; Harry Fox, in a new single; Beau- mont and Arnold, Adair and Adelphi, Freeman and Dunham, Grohs and King, Weber and Redford, Mrs. Thos. Whiffen and Co., in a new dramatic offering; Mc- Cormack and Wallace, Milton and Delong Sisters, Geo. Damerel, Rooney and Bent, Three Alexander Kids, Grace Demar and a number of new Ralph Dunbar produc- tions. Jack Henry Boland, Lane and Boland, two girls and a man in comedy singing and dancing turn; Eddie Henry, formerly of Kahl, Walton and Henry, with Annabelle Keefe "in a comedy singing, talking, dancing and travesty act; and Ralph Walton, of the same turn with Lillian and Muriel March- end in a singing and dancing act; Aerial Mitchells and "Boys from the Trenches," dramatic sketch with five people. Paul Durand Alfred H. White & Co., Valnova Gyp- sies, Albertina Rasch and Co., in a new dancing spectacle; Alexander Bros, and Evelyn, George and Mabel Le Fevre, and the Aesthetic Dancers in a new offering. William L. Lukens Lyric Trio, "Beauty and Plumes," a novel ostrich and horse act; John T. Kelly and Sam J. Itynn, Rose Coghlau and Co., in a dramatic sketch; and Corse Pay ton and Edna May Spooner. DOOLEY AND RUGEL QUIT The team of Dooley and Rugel are no longer with the Winter Garden show. The demand for new acts and new faces in the Eastern vaudeville field has un- covered the fact that more than 300 new vaudeville acts will be seen in the vicinity of New York at the opening of the Fall ■vaudeville season within the next few weeks. A large number of performers who have been using the same material in sketches, comedy skits and novelty offer- ings, as well as in single turns for the past few seasons, have found that managers were not so anxious to obtain their services in their old vehicles during the last year. As a result, they are busy arranging new material, which they will offer for the coming season. To obtain new material, some of them departed from the old tradition of either - writing or assembling their own material by going to new writers for their acts. These writers managed to turn out a line of material which will be new in theme and novel in construction to vaudeville audiences. Several acts by new writers have already been tried out during the last month and, after the initial showing, the bookers were so impressed that they immediately pro- vided them with routes of from twenty to forty-five weeks. Then the next important requirement of the vaudeville managers came up. That was hew faces for the East. A number of the local agents went to Chicago and the middle west and there managed to get hold of about one hundred acts that will make their initial appearance in New York and its environs during the next month. These acts consist of singles, nevelty singing and dancing turns, musical girl acts, comedy skits, spectacular and scenic turns and dramatic sketches as well as a number of big girl acts. A number of standard acts have de- serted the vaudeville field for musical comedy and cabarets, thereby leaving room for new turns. These acts held a rather prominent position in vaudeville, a number of them being feature turns. The places of acts of this type have not been all filled. Even though vaudeville conditions were better during the past season tban they have been in a number of years, the revenues of the theatres might have been much larger if acts had not been repeated in a number of houses three or four times during the season. With the addition of the number of new acts for the coming season there is little likelihood of there being any repeti- tion of this fault, especially in local houses, except in cases where patrons de- mand the return of an act which has created an unusual impression. The following is a list of new acts that will be shown, and the agents and repre- sentatives that will handle their business. Harry Weber Hooper and Barbury, Harry Langdon, Harry Cooper in a new monologue, "The Secret Service Man"; Kramer, Kent and lewis & Gordon Ethel Clifton and Co., in "Sydney Stay at Home"; "The Island of Love," "Love Thy Neighbor," "Ma Is Good to Me," and Ralph Clark and Co, in "Helen's Secret." Alf. T. Wilton Noon and Sherlock Sisters, Ed. Gal- lagher and John L. Kearney, Florence Rockwell and Co.. "Storyland," and "Daintyland," two novelty acts. William B. Friedlander "The Tick Tock Girl," a novelty act; "The Naughty Princess," an operetta; "The Peach Tree," "At the Devil's Ball," and "$100,000 Reward." Harry J. Fitzgerald Jim and Betty Morgan, Moore, Gardner and Rose. Beatrice Taylor, Ernest Evans and Co., Felix Adler, in a novelty single, and Estelle Wentworth. C. & G. Bostock Chas. Morati and Co., Bostock's "Auto- mat," Bostock's "Costers," Bostock's "Schocker" and five new girl acts to be produced by the firm. Max Hart Lew Brice and The Barr Twins in a novel dancing turn, and a new act which is being arranged for the Four Mortons. -