The New York Clipper (July 1919)

July 2, 1919 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER MUSICIANS GET $5 INCREASE AND WIL L ARBITR ATE HOURS Threatened Strike Is Avoided and Contracts Will Be Signed July 14—Manager* Also Promise to Bring B. S. Moss Houses Into Labor Fold Agreeing to accept the managers' offer of a $5 increase and being willing to have the question of working hours arbitrated, the New York Local of Musicians did not walk out of the New York vaudeville and burlesque housea yesterday, as had been reported would happen. The action to ratify the proposal of the managers was taken at a meeting of the New York local in their club rooms in East Eighty-sixth street last Friday morning. More than 600 members of the organization attended the meeting. At the same time, the managers were given until July 14 to sign con- tracts with the organization. The union agreed to accept the terms of the managers under the condition that the managers would bring the Mosa chain of theatres into the union fold. This President Finklestein told the musicians, the managers had promised to do and that inside of another week the Moss theatres would be flourishing the union banner. The original demands of the Union, be- sides an increase in salary, were to cat the hours of work from six and one-half to five and one-half. This point the mana- agers were said to have rebelled at when first brought to their attention. . Bat the union men would not retreat from their position in this mater. Several meetings were held by the managers and. the union representatives without any results being obtained,, and there was every likelihood for a time that trouble might ensue. But, after consider- able debating and the Moss sacrifice being offered as an inducement, the musicians were said to be willing to sacrifice a half hour if the managers would do the same. This proposition is said to have been fa- vorable to the managers, and they will sign a contract with a six-hour working clause for fourteen performances a week in all of the burlesque and vaudeville houses. The musicians in the Keith and Proc- tor chain of theatres will receive $40 in- stead of $35 a week, those in the Fox and Loew houses will jump from $30 to $35 a week. This will also be the scale for the Moss theatres when they are brought into the fold. The burlesque musicians will draw the same rate of wages as the Keith and Proctor men, and the men playing in the motion picture houses are to receive $50 a week instead of $45. On the road, the musical directors of burlesque shows will receive $60 a week instead of $45 as under the old contract, and the musicians with musical shows on the road will put a $10 increase on their earning capacity, receiving $60 instead of $50 a week. The scale of wages for musicians playing the local dramatic and musical comedy shows was also agreed upon. The new scale of wages, despite the fact the contract has not been signed for this season, will become effective as frov July 1. SELLS "EXPERIENCE" RIGHTS That "Experience," George V. Hobart'a morality play which was produced by Morris Gest three years ago and has ran steadily with several companies since that time, is about to be adapted for a motion picture feature, became known last week when Walter Jordan, of Sanger and Jor- dan, sold his fifty per cent interest in the rights to Morris Gest, for $40,000. Now Morris Gest is the sole owner of the film rights, but whether he plans to produce the picture himself could not be learned. However, it. was said that he will sell the rights to one of the larger mo- tion picture producing companies, in which event he will retain an interest in the profits that accrue from the film version in addition to the $100,000 that he is asking for the rights. Incidentally, it is not commonly known that Walter Jordan is the owner of a 50 per cent interest in "Experience." ■ HAD TO DIG DOWN After the outing of the Keith and Proc- tor managers at Witzel'a Grove, College Point, last Friday, the finance committee of the organization found that the returns on the tickets were inadequate to defray the expenses of the affair. It was, there- fore, decided to tax those who attended $1 extra, making the ticket $6 instead of $5 a head. Everyone gave up the extra "buck" cheerfully. It could not be learned whether a war tax was charged ticket holders or not. LOS ANGELES TO CENSOR PLAYS Los Angeles, Cal., June 30.—The Los Angeles Center Drama League of America, an organization of well-to-do theatregoers .who insist on making the betterment of the theatre their business, has been re- organized and new officers selected. LOEW SELLING STOCK London, Ont., Jane 30.—A corporation has been organized here with a capitali- zation of $1,000,000 and known as the Loew's London Theatre Limited for the purpose of selling stock in a plan to build a new vaudeville and motion picture the- atre on Dundas -street, close to the corner of Richmond and Dundas, the main thor- oughfare of the city. The Oxford Securities Corporation, Lim- ited, of Toronto, Ont., is handling the stock selling end of it. The plan is to sell $300,- 000 worth of 7 per cent cumulative pre- ferred stock of the $500,000 authorized, par value $10 and', with each share pur- chased give a 25 per cent bonus of corn- par value $10 and bonus of common stock. mon stock. When $200,000 or $250,000 worth of stock has been sold, operations on the theatre will be begun. The prospectus accompanying the.letter advising the acquisition of the stock states that Marcus Loew will be the president of the company and the theatre will be managed by the Marcus Loew Booking Agency. . The bouse planned will be similar to the Marcus Loew Theatres in the United States, and, in the city of Toronto, Ham- ilton and Montreal, and will have a seat- ing capacity of 2,500. The policy of the house will be vaude- ville and motion pictures, with a double weekly change of MB. The average price for tickets will amount to twenty cents. The estimated weekly expenses for running the theatre wiU be $3,500. With the house filled twice daily it is estimated that the common stock alone will earn 20 per cent. BERNARD HAS NEW PLAY . A, new play for Barney Bernard has been written by Montague Glass and Jules Eckert Goodman, whp.iiave not as yet named it. A. H. Woods'will produce it, and rehearsals will start' during Sep- tember. FIELD STARTS NEW SHOW Columbus, Ohio, June 28.—AL G. Field, veteran minstrel, has already started working on his next season's show. All of his assistants and company are here and working to get things in shape on time for the opening, which will be earlier than usual. Among those who are with him are Tom Bryan, the orchestra leader; Raymond Zirkel, who arranges the lyrics, and John Cartmell. William Reading, Ame Kraus and Harry Bader. KLAW ISSUES -ST ATEMENT Mare Kl»w~l—t weak Issued the follow- ing «t«*»m»»fe- ■«■«■ ')1iii Ma reported dif- ferences with -A. Lc-Srianger, his partner in the firm of Kla w - end Erlanger. In doing so be confirmed - *, recent news dis- patch in The Clippeb from Chicago, In which it waa stated that neither Ogden Armour nor Julius RoaenwaW had any in- tention of buying out Mr. Klaw's interest in the firm, aa. it had been reported they would do. The Klaw statement follows: "I regret to break my silence, but the many rumors flying around in reference to the separation of Klaw and Erlanger com- pel me to do so. The rumormonger has been working overtime, and the news- papers should be set right. "If any Western interests have bought me out, I know nothing about it. The so-called Chicago combination which had its birth in a green colored weekly sheet, I know equally little about. If Mr. Levi Mayer has become Mr. Erlanger's lawyer, it is a somersault in professional ethics, about which I must also plead ignorance. Mr. Mayer has been counsel for Klaw and Erlanger for fourteen years, receiv- ing fees equally from Mr. Erlanger and me; and his last talk with me was over the telephone on New Year's Day, while I was ill in New Roehelle. "Mr. Mayer had up to that time been trying to mediate our differences. If he has become counsel for one of two part- ners, whom he represented jointly before that day, I am. as much amazed as -I am reluctant to credit the story. ' "Mr. Erlanger and I are on the eve of a separation of our interests. To that ex- tent these newspaper articles are correct. Beyond them all is wildest guesswork. As to my son, Joe, he is going to produce in- dependently. I am intensely interested in his future career and his success; but he is not desirous to pose merely as the son of his father, nor would I encourage him in such a pose. I have several plays ready for rehearsal, all of which, I may add, have been acquired with the knowledge alld consent of Mr. Erlanger. "If there was any buying or selling of the interests of Klaw and Erlanger up to date, I have not been brought into the conference; and I have a wild impression, that I am a very important party of either the first or second part." ' LIGHTS AND N. V. A. TO COMPETE The Lights will turn their club house and athletic field over to the National Vaudeville Artists on Sunday and dedicate the day as "N. V. A. Day." A gala occa- sion is contemplated and Secretary Man- waring, of the Lights, Is arranging a monster set of games and swimming races, in addition to the main attraction, which will be the ball-game between the Lights and the N. V. A. teams. The game will start at 2:30 p. m. Among the events that have been ar- ranged are a 100-yard dash for comedians; 100-yard dash for Juveniles and charade." men; 100-yard dash for fat men, 2Q0 pounds or over; %-mfle relay race, eight men on each team; three-legged race; sack race, throwing the discus, putting the shot, 220-yard hurdle race, high hurdles to be used; shoe race, one-mile heel and toe walking match; pole vaulting and base ball throwing for distance. Many elaborate prizes have been donated. Then on the aquatic end of the grounds, swimming and high diving- contests will take place. Among the events wiU be • twenty-five yard race, 220 yard race, tub race and a water polo contest to be en- gaged in by five men on each aide. The judges for the diving contest will be Jim Diamond, Bert Savoy, Joe Towle, Lew Kelly and Frank WestphaL Special arrangements wiQ be made - in the preparation- of a lnnch for the visitors and a- dinner to" follow the ball game. These meals will be served In the grill. The battery for the lights to Start the game will be Ernie Stanton on the mound and Gas Van on the receiving end. In the evening, following dinner, the Lights Cabaret Entertainers, composed of Lew Kelly, Harry Pock, George Morton, Ernie and Val. Stanton, Paul Morton. Jim Diamond, Van and Schenck and Joe Towle wiU do their bit aa entertainer*. "THE AQUITTAL n WINS FAVOR Atlantic) Cot, N. J., Jane 30.—Hu- manity loves mystery and Cohan and Bar- ris love humanity. Therefore, the conclu- sion of the premises is "The Acquittal," the new play staged by this almost in- fallible pair of producers. In proof is cited the fact that for six minutes by the clock, an enthusiastic audience filled the air after the second act with insistent and emphatic applause. Cries for the author sounded through the bouse, and finally, on behalf of Rita Weiman, the author, who appeared to be quite overcome by tne demonstration, Mr. Cohan himself thanked the audience, simply and sincerely. This new play, like all mystery stories and plays, tells its fable backwards, be- ginning eighteen months after the consum- mation of a crime, with the acquittal of a man accused of the murder. All bat one newspaper have been strong in their sap- port of his defence. Joe Conway, reporter for this one ex- ception, has come on from the Pacific Coast specially to cover the second trial, which ends in acquittal, and in the Jury's opin- ion that the victim met death by an acci- dental overdose of strychnine. This does not change Joe's belief that murder has been done and that the wife of the accused, Mrs. Winthrop, knows considerable of the crime. With a series of very clever, but thor- oughly plausible tricks, he finally uncovers the truth. How this is done is best left untold in fairness to the play, which of coarse depends upon its mystery for charm and interest. What contributed to last night's suc- cess, almost as much as the cleverly de- vised tangle, was the general splendidness of the acting. Phoebe Hunt, as Madeline Winthrop, achieved a picture of repressed loathing and fury that swept the audience aa a hot blast. William Harrigao, last seen here In the unfortunate "Live Forever" as the de- tective reporter, was conviodng sod thoroughly natural. There is no doobt whatever that the play is a success. It is cleverly written, thoroughly mystifying and intensity, ab- sorbing. BAYSIDE SURPRISES ANDREW MACK Over two hundred members of the Bay- side Yacht Club traveled twenty-five miles to give their native son Andrew Mack a surprise party at the Royal Theatre. Mon- day night. Jnst before his entrance an illuminated drop was lowered reading "Bayside, the Bronx Welcomes You." Oo his entrance he was dumbfounded at the welcome of his clubmates. After his turn, Sheriff Donnelly, of the Bronx, made a short speech as a tribute to Mack. Among those present were Sheriff Donnelly, Mr. and Mrs. J. Robinson, Fiske 0"Hara, Rob- ert Teller and many other prominent Bay- aiders. AUTHOR IS MANAGER, TOO "Cinderella's Sin," from the pen of Ed- win Milton Royle and which he himself is producing, opens in Stamford to-night (Wednesday). Assisting him in the pro- duction is A. C. Camby, the London manager. Martha Messinger, last seen In "The Bluebird," will make her return to the stage in the piece. SAVAGE STARTS REHEARSALS Henry W. Savage has began rehearsals of "See-Saw," which will be seen in New York on Labor Day. In the cast will be Frank Carter, Charley Brown, Charles Meakin, Rowland Buckstone, John Me- Kenna, Kitty Arthur, Eunice Sauvain and Lottie Alter. WESTERN "BETTER 'OLE" CLOSES The western "Better 'Ole" company, of which De Wolf Hopper was the "Old Bill" succeeding James K. Hackett. closed its season at Denver Saturday night. "THE STORM" OPENS MONDAY "The Storm" will be produced by George Broadborst next Monday night at the Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City.