Show World (August 1908)

The lShoxij HJorjIjD THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMUSEMENT WEEKLY I published at 8 7 South Clark Street, Chicago, by The iSnom THokld Publishing Col ■Entered as Second-Class. Matter WARREN A. PATRICK , GEMERALVlRECTOR, at ^ost-Office at c hica^6 ; Illjnoi^ H June 25,190? • under the Act^ of Congress of March 3,1879. Volume III—No. 7 CHICAGO August^, 1908 RECA PLAYING EUROPE ACTORS WARNED CIRCUS WILL BOOK THROUGH STERNAD Martin Beck Says American Performers Will Be Booked in this Country at Conclusion of Foreign En¬ gagements. Martin Beck, before leaving this city for the conference held In New York City, last Thursday, said that as soon as their foreign time had been concluded, all American acts now playing in Europe would return to this country. Whether this meant a severance of the business relations of the United Offices with their present European branches, he would not say. It would appear that this move is a part of the campaign which the United is now opening against other vaudevi le interests, i’c is a certainty that an early harvesting of good acts is in preparation, and a general weeding out of non-essen¬ tial acts may be looked for at any mo¬ ment. The salaries, of standard acts will no doubt he increased. Follows Actress; Is Arrested. Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 4. Robert A. Campbell, an attorney of Jackson, Mich., who- is charged with having embezzled thousands of dollar - clients and to have left his dve children to follow the for- of Henrietta Brown, a member of fe and the Naked Truth Company, playing _ this city, walked last night into a trap which has been awaiting him since July 26, says the Inquirer. He now occupies a cell in the city hall police station, in spite of a vigorous fight he and the woman put up to get away from a de¬ tective. Wilson Now “The Cecil.” ' Mason City, la.. Aug. 1. At a.meeting of the stockholders of the Wilson Theater Co. the name of the in¬ stitution was changed to “The Cecil” in honor of the son of Senator A. H. Ga'e, who has proven himself a musical prodi¬ gy This popular playhouse continues to The theatrical profession is to be repre- around sporting man and well known on the Chicago Rialto, is in the Reid waging a hot fight for the nomination of county commis¬ sioner. Many of the performers who are not entitled to a vote here are using their influ¬ ence with persons more fortunate. I Charles Schepp’s Father Dies. Lexington. Ky.. Aug. 2. Feidinand Schuppleman, fa’her of Pro¬ fessor Charles Schepp, well known animal trainer, died in the city Aug. 1—Shall- Prominent Vaudeville Magnate Sounds Note of Warning to Artists and Sets Forth Managerial Position. Situation Approaching Crisis. Developments Hourly Expected, Following its policy as an independent publication, THE SHOW WORLD has always endeavored to present in a fair and impartial manner the contentions of all parties in controversies regarding amusement affairs. It is a difficult mat¬ ter, however, to please all, and this pub¬ lication has received letters from man¬ agers criticizing its apparent partiality to the performer, while some communi¬ cations from performers allege fav¬ oritism for the managers. Clouds have recently arisen upon the horizon of vaudeville and many mutter- ings have been heard, from both actors and managers. Whether or not a storm will be precipitated is a matter of con¬ jecture, as is also the question as to whom the lightning will strike. It is to be hoped that all differences will he amicably adjusted, as warfare is always more costly than peace, and bitter feel¬ ings may be engendered which can never be quite softened bv time. Echoes of the great industrial strikes are still heard today, more especially the railroad strikes and the more recent misunder¬ standing between the telegraph opera¬ tors and their emnloyers. The performers have issued the first challenge, airing their grievances at a meeting of the White Rats, in the Colonial theater, Chicago, on July 3. No replv has been made by the mana¬ gers, and it may interest actors to learn the oosition taken by them. The following statements are given as a matter of news. The right to criticize the stand taken by both mana¬ gers and performers is reserved bv THE SHOW WORLD and, in the dis¬ cussion now on between them, reference will be made editorially from, time to time as to the fairness or unfairness of the position taken by either of them. This is an actual conversation which took place in Rector’s restaurant, Chi¬ cago, between a prominent magnate of the Western Vaudeville Managers’ As¬ sociation and a well-known vaudeville manager, whose names are reserved for reasons which may appear herein: “A few actors, who pay more atten¬ tion t'o agitating disturbances than to improving their act. are wondering why they are not getting bookings. The reason is that managers generallv keep posted upon those doing the agitating. “Some' of the performers nowadays are verv much in the position of those who killed the goose that laid the golden eggs, and will do anything to retard the progress or success of the manager.” Regarding the possibility of actors en¬ tering the field as managers in opposi¬ tion. he said: “It is estimated that Flaw & Erlanger lost a little over a million dollars in their vaudeville venture last season, and this before the hard times. What chance would anv combination of actors have to succeed ' during the present stagna¬ tion which overspreads, the country? “There is one class in America that has not as yet been placed in a position to feel that there is a panic on, and that is the vaudeville performers who secured their contracts last season, and who are receiving salaries based on. good times. Before the present, season' is over some of them will be brought to a realization that times are hard in vaudeville, just the same as in all other branches of business. “A few vaudeville actors, who ap¬ parently are never working, are agi¬ tating the possibility of entering into the vaudeville business as managers and booking agents, and the performers are asked to hack the project with their money. Sufficient time has not yet elapsed to obliterate fully the memory of that famous real estate deal of the performers. . “We notice there is a great commo¬ tion lately regarding an equitable con¬ tract. Before the season is over, most any old kind of a contract will be very acceptable to some of these agitators. “A prominent White Rat made the statement in a speech recently at he Colonial theater, Chicago, that the vaudeville performers were the only people in the country who did not have an equitable contract. The fact is that they are about the only ones who do have contracts. All people in commer¬ cial lines are engaged on their merits, and hold their positions on the same basis., and can be discharged when they fail in efficiency, at a moment’s notice. While we appreciate the fact that the conservative performer figures this out, it will behoove some of the others to figure likewise. “The present, agitation of the White Rats reminds me very much of the ex¬ perience of Mr. Jones, who started from home in the best of health. Meet¬ ing a friend with a penchant for prac¬ tical joking, he was asked if he had been ill, as he was not looking well. The man informed him that he was quite well, and passed on meeting the accomplice of the joker, who made the same query and received a similar reply. After meeting the third accomplice, who asked the same question, Jones became alarmed and made up his mind that he must be ill, and, returning to his home, the entire household was turned upside down with nurses and doctors. “A joker comes into the fold of the White Rats and tells them that they are not satisfied, and some of them who had never before felt themselves abused begin to think they are objects of com¬ passion and are willing to be led by a “If the performers will look back, they will discover that every time ■ any disturbance or agitation has been cre¬ ated the managers bring into the field four to five hundred new acts, and in such cases one-third of these acts re¬ main working after the dispute has been settled, replacing that many agitators in the vaudeville ranks. - “The performers evidently do not (Continued on Page TJ Agreement Between Western Vaudeville Managers’ Association and The Ring- ling Brothers Will Affect Many Performers Next Season. All performers with the Barnum- & Bailey and Ringling Brothers shows next season will he booked through the West¬ ern Vaudeville Managers’ Association. The arrangement was made and com-, pleted through Jake Sternad last Satur¬ day night while the Ringling Brothers were playing here. Although no one in authority would commit themselves, it Is quite probable that- this move - is but a beginning and that all big circuses will soon come under There is as mueh S activity in the West¬ ern offices here as there was during the days of the vaudeville war, and secret conferences are of almost daily occur- PROBABL E BIG MERGER. New York, Aug. 6th. (Special Dis¬ patch to Show World.) First meeting held this afternoon of all branches of amusement lines,'probable big merger. HOFF. CLAIMS CHRONOPHONE PERFECTED. Correspondent Witnessed Performance of Machine and Says Unison of Voice and Picture is Absolute. New York, Aug. 5. Mr. H. Blanche, manager of the Gau- mont Chronophone Company, at 124 Bast Twenty-fifth street, New York City, an¬ nounces that he is now ready for busi¬ ness. The Gaumont Chronophone was the first ta'king picture machine to he in¬ troduced in Amencaj, hut the selling agents who first presented it to the trade were unable to handle the proposition. Since then the Gaumont Company have organized an American, corporation and are now thoroughly prepared to supply the demand. Through .the courtesy of Manager Blache, a representative of THE SHOW WORLD recently inspected the machine and workings, and was surprised at the degree of perfection that has been ob¬ tained in the synchronizing mechanism. The difficulty has been to have the mo¬ tion of the lips of the person singing or talking in the picture synchronize or agree with the voice of the phonograph. In the exhibition witnessed, this syn¬ chronizing effect was perfect as nearly as it was possible for the eye and ear to detect. Manager Blache claims this effect is not dependent upon the skill of the operator, hut .is controlled en¬ tirely by the machine itself, or rather by the synchronizing device attached to the projecting machine, which governs the motion of the machine and phono¬ graph alike. This company also furnish a device which amplifies the sound issuing from the phonograph, making their instrument available for use in large auditoriums.— HOFF. New Rowland-Clifford Play. . Jane Byre, a dramatization of Char¬ lotte Bronte’s novel, will gc out under the auspices of the Rowland & Clifford Amusement Company. The production from a scenic point of view is said to he one. of the. most elaborate. this firm has ever attempted. The dramatization is by Peter_G. Piatti. Miss Cuba Nihlo will lead the cast. The attraction will play the better class of the Stair & Havlin theatres. W. T. Gaskell will he manager of the company and Harvey Mack will take care of the press in advance.