The New York Clipper (February 1920)

February 4, 1920 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER PRODUCING MANAGERS WANT NEW BOOKING METHOD .-8JA3. Hold Secret Meetings to Devise "Fair" Plan to Submit to Offices. Expect to Eliminate Alleged Discrimiriative Practices. Want to Be Sure of Houses An innovation in the booking methods of at least one of the two large booking syndicates will probably, be inaugurated next season, if reported plans looking to that end are consummated by a self* appointed committee of independent pro- ducers, who have been meeting at freqnent intervals daring the last four weeks in. the Claridge. It is said that both the K. and B. booking office and the Shubcrts will be asked to arrange bookings for shows ac- cording to a check-up system which each' independent producer will be asked to file at least six months before the regular season begins. for example, if a producer has definite contracts with authors to produce, three new plays between September and Novem- ber of this year, he will make-his plans known officially to the booking offices. The latter will, in turn, tentatively route the new shows and, when they are actually produced, they will .not have to trust to luck in the. matter of being housed here or on the road. Tbea, if a producer sees fit to produce beyond bis plans, the book- ing office will be in a position whereby it may honestly refute any complaint he may make in which he sets forth discrimination. Should a producer's plans miscarry, one of the other producers who has filed plans or some "owmight" producer can be given the booking advantage that otherwise might have accrued to him. The plana, according to one of the managers who has been present at most of the conferences, are as yet rather in- definite and will have to be worked out more carefully. However, he explained, just as soon as s feasible plan is evolved, one which they expect will not be radically amended by the booking offices, it will be submitted. TICKET "DIGGERS" STUNG The Chicago Opera Company last week trimmed tile "outlaw" ticket "diggers" to the tone of at least 92,000, with the re- sult that these hallway gentry of the ticket selling ilk are squawking their heads off. How 'the Ohicagoans accomplished this trimming is a tale that was borne out by several of those that were stung. To be- gin with, all of the "diggers" were in line st the Lexington box office almost every day of the week before the opera opened there. They were easily recognizable by the earth and suchlike which dimmed the otherwise lily-white circumference of their collars. No sooner had they been recog- nized than the executives of the organiza- tion evolved a course of action which they ordered the box office men to follow. This was to give the "diggers" as many tickets as they, asked for, that is to say, as many tickets as they desired on the orchestra floor for last week's opera and not to sell them any of the cheaper scats in the house, to tell them that all of the cheaper seats were sold. Well, the "diggers," thinking that they were putting something over on the box office men, loaded np with the roost ex- pensive seats in the house for every per- formance last week, thinking it was "soft pickin's," considering that Rosa Raisa was announced for two appearances last week. But the Chlcagoans knew that the long, looked for debut here of the famous diva was not to come off last week because she was still indisposed, of which the "diggers" had no ken. So they watched the hall- Wayers load themselves up on pasteboards for a week, the while they smiled within their canny sol's. Result: Almost at every performance last week the "diggers" stood around al- most like the well known druids of old, for there were few if any demands for seats for last week's repertoire. Finally, rather than get stuck, they came out boldly in the open and "six-sixties" were "fisted" for one and two dollars fiat, and even at that price their merchandise was scarcely salable. It may also be noted that all of the recognized agency men, in contradistinc- tion to their less fortunate brethren, had a daily return privilege which kept' them free from worry. EQUITY MAY CALL ELECTION A general election of new officers for the Actors' Equity Association may be celled within the near future, it became known early this week, at which time, it is said, Francis Wilson, now the A. B. A.'s President, may refuse to accept the office again, feeling that if be were to retire it would be a decisive answer to some criti- cism that has been levelled at the Equity for being a "one man institution." Mr. Wilson is said to feel that if somebody else were in office such a charge would be definitely stilled. The same rumor said that Earl Booth might be the successor of Mr. Wilson, if. the election takes plsoe. BLOCK GOING TO EUROPE Nat C. Olds will succeed Ralph Block as advertising and publicity director for Goldwyn Pictures. Block recently va- cated the position, and is going to Europe on a special mission for Samuel Goldwyn. He will be associated with the firm in a new capacity on his return. Olds has had years of experienced in the advertising and publicity line and is well known in New York. SUES TO KEEP HUSBAND Sberley Bimbaum, known on the stage as Sherley Weber, and appearing in "Dancers a la Carte," is suing her father- and mother-in-law for the alienation of the affections of her husband, Sidney. She asks $25,000 damage. She and Bimbaum were married last September and, accord- ing to her story, he later left her. "EVERY LITTLE THING" STRAINED Providence, R. L, Feb, 8.—"Brery Little Thing." a threr-artrJaj hyJE/fleon Collison and produt^SSS^jiMJlU*- Klein, at the Providence' Of>era7 House- tonight, proved to be one: of She-asset sataefiras<< farces •# **»ft ^ Jffl jft JJ^WjOjIl* fl!ll''' acters consist of a notorious WUtUUl about town, who visits the home of two married friends to blackmail them out of $2,000, and an inebriated youth who gets by mis- take into the apartment, and floats around in pajamas. The attempts of the two husbands to hide the persistent lady and of one of the wives to conceal the youth who has been a former acquaintance, furnish the action. All the characters frisk in and out of a bondoir in the first act and gambol about a bathroom in the second. The notorious lady is shoved into a clothes closet and carried into the bathroom and an adjoin- ing bedroom. From which she appears in black lace pajamas. The.youth tries all the other hiding places available, includ- ing the nether regions of a divan, a bed- room, an open window with the snow flying in, the bath tub and shower. The whole action is strained even for farce, and the same might be said of the lines. The piece is prettily staged and the women wear some attractive gowns. The cast is composed of Arthur Aylsworth, Ruth Tomlinson, William H. Powell, Fred J. O'Zab, lone Bright, Paula Shay, Con- stance Beaumar and Anzonetta Lloyd. ELSIE FERGUSON OPENS Ahentown, Penn., Feb. 3.—Arnold Bennett's new play, "Sacred and Profane Love," was given its American premiere at the Lyric Theatre here tonight. The occasion marked the return of Elsie Far- gUBon to the speaking stage after a three year sojourn in the Cinema world. Both star and play were enthusiastically re- ceived. More radiant and youthful than ever. Miss Ferguson imbued her role with a charm that was irresistible and clearly demonstrated that her ability as an act- ress was enhanced rather than detracted from by her excursion into film land. Her role of. Carlotta Peel was a most ex- acting one, that Of a young girl who falls desperately in love with a great pianist, but, after giving herself to him, leaves him and, in after years, encages in an af- fair with a married man. She then learns that her first lover is living in poverty in Paris, a victim of morphine. She goes to him and, after a scene of intense emo- tion, persuades him to take a cure and, in the last act, we find him redeemed, once more the great musician and, in the end, happily ■ married to Carlotta. Sup- porting Miss Ferguson were Jose Ruben, who did a remarkable piece of acting as the pianist, Emilio Diaz, Alexander On- slow, Olive Oliver, Augusta Haviland, Maud Milton and Katherine Brook. The settings were quite lavish and Miss Fergu- son wore some stunning gowns. GOING ON ROAD London, Eng., Jan. 31.—Phyllis Neilson- Terry, who, a short time, ago, visited Amer- ica, is going on tonr, having failed to find a West End theatre in which to put her own plays. She will have as her leading man, Charles Garry. The tonr starts at Wolverhampton, on February 20, under the management of Arthur Garrett. GOLDWYN GETS "BUNTY" PLAY Samuel Goldwyn has purchased for mo- tion picture production the rights to "Bunty Polls the Strings," by Graham Moffat. The play was originally produced successfully in England over ten years ago, and, after a while, produced in New York. It opened at the Comedy Theatre here on Oct. 10, 1911, and played con- tinually for two' seasons, and then went on the road. A. E. A. FEE NOT RAISED A motion in favor of increasing the present initiation fee of the Actors' Equity Association, recently submitted to the Council, has resulted in a decision against such action. The initiation fee of $5, plus the annual dues of $5, it was announced, will be continued until further notice. PLAY GOING STRONG London, Eng., Jan. 3L—"One Law for Both," a play by W. V. Garrod, is to be shown shortly in London at one of Charles Gulliver's houses. It has also been con- tracted for by the Fuller's, who win do It in Australia. MARC KLAW OPENS PIECE Bai/tjmobe, Feb. 2.—No one who' has read and enjoyed the "Dere Mable" letters, published in hook form, and there are a few who have not, could fail to be pleased at the whimsicality of the Doughboy Bill and his girl Mable, and sympathize with him in his disconsolate moods as por- trayed on the stage of the Academy of Music, this week. The premiere presentation to-night was to a crowded house, which laughed at its humor and enjoyed the songs and dances, incidental to the production, and rejoiced when the love affairs of Bill and Mable came to a happy ending. Bill Buddy, Angus, added to the enjoy- ment, as did the chorus of young girls, who danced and sang with grace and ability. There were a number of tuneful songs and they were applauded and encored from the rise of the curtain until the final of the third and last act. The whole musical comedy was enjoyed. Bill's dog, a shaggy Scotch terrier, who was with him in France, was a character in the play, and st one time seemed to be his master's only friend. The piece was produced by Mare Klaw. WILL FK1HT CENSORS Pnn.inn.rau, Jan. 3L—At luncheon held here this week of the newly organ- ized Moticm- Picture Bureau of the Pliila- ddphia Chamber of Commerce, which WW attended -by over 100 men interested In the,- motion,^picture industry,, r Tt .w»» de- cided that one of the "first moves of the new bureau will be to start a fight on the State Board of Censors for a lesa Puri- tanical censorship. la this the bureau win have the backing of the National Committee oa Censorship. The bureau will also try to settle the various difficulties which have been going on between a number of exchanges and exhibitors here for some time. It la said that unscrupulous dealings with exchanges have been held by some of the large ex- hibiting companies of the city by ho" out or damaging fllw , last minute CJ latlons, abusing confidence and credit, stopping payment on checks, Mcyding and subletting or cutting films. An adjustment committee, consisting of three exchange managers and two exhibit- ors, will receive all complaints of any such practice from exhibitors or exchange man- agers. If the trouble cannot be settled by the committee, it will be brought np be- fore the board. Investigation will be made by the board, which will insist that fall compliance be given to its decisions. The bureau was organized throe weeks ago with the following officers: Harry M. White, chairman; George E. Den bow. John Clark, George Ames, Robert Lynch, V. R. Carries, John McGuirk and George Bennethnm. GULLIVER HELPING SOLDIERS London, England, Jan., 29.—Charles Gulliver, managing director of the London Theatres of Variety, has developed a scheme whereby officers who were incapac- itated in the war can obtain employment and learn a trade as well. He is employ- ing them as student managers at a salary of $25 a week for one year. When their training is complete they will be given po- sitions as theatre managers. Sixteen suck positions are being filled by Gulliver, with the aid of the Ministry of Labor Appoint* ments Department REJANE MADE CHEVALIER Pabib, Jan. 30.—Madame Rejane, has been crested s Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, in a decree published to-day. Many persons were of the impression that she had been decorated long ago. Madame Kejane said she was the first one to be honored without the usual qualifications such as connection with government work, or as an author, or as a playwright. Madame Julia Bartet, retiring member of the Comedie Francaise, was promoted to be an Officer of the Legion of Honor. QUIMBY LEAVING PATHE Elmer R. Pearson has been selected to succeed Fred Quimby, who last week re- signed as director of exebapges of the Paths Film Company, to accept the ap- pointment of general manager of the Asso- ciated Exhibitors. Pearson was formerly feature sales manager for Path'. DELYSIA TO DO "MOVIES" London, Jan. 31.—Alice Delyaia, star of the London revue, will sail for New York in two months and will appear in motion pictures during her stay in America. She also intends to go into s production in New York. BUYS "WAY DOWN EAST* David W. Griffith has purchased for $173,000 from W. A. Brady " 'Way Down East," for three years s stage success. Al- bert Grey, general manager of the Griffith interests, engineered the deaL FRED TERRY TO TOUR London. Eng.. Jan. 31.—Fred Terry, having failed to secure a theatre In Loo* don in which to present his production of "Much Ado About Nothing,'* in which be was to play Benedick, has taken np an- other, tour through the provinces and will present "The Scarlet Pimpernel" as tTae mt : n piece of his repertoire.