Show World (June 1909)

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMUSEMENT WEEKLY! •ublished at 8 7 South Clark Street, Chicago, by ThetShohj IUorld PdbiiSm^ Entered as Second - Class Matter June 25,190? Warren A. Patr/ck , GeneralD/rector.... a * th f, P Tl '?r fic v l Sf C Volomn IV—No. 24 CHICAGO June 5, 1909 OHIO bill posters TO HOLD CONVENTION Invitation Sent Out for Meeting at Columbus, Where Important Business Will Be Transacted. 1 Columbus, O., June 4. The eighteenth annual meeting of the Ohio Bill Posters and Distribu¬ tors association will be held here June 8, and the annual election of officers will take place and other busi¬ ness of importance will be transact¬ ed. The headquarters will be at the Hartman hotel, and the meeting will be held in the convetnion hall of this hostelry. The hotel has made a special rate for the convention of $1.25 for two in a room, European plan; $1.50 for one in a room. The rooms will be es¬ pecially selected by the committee of arrangements and will be with or without bath — prices accordingly. The dining room service will be a la carte and at moderate prices. In sending out the circular of invi¬ tation Secretary W. W. Rugg states that it is very important that a full representation should be present and that every member desiring to be present should be on hand early as the roll will be called at 9 o’clock I sharp. An invitation is extended to all solicitors and members of state associations. The office of the national associa- f lion secretary has been changed to I 909 Rector Bldg., Chicago. I CODY AND LILLIE BUY I THE BAILEY INTEREST. Baltimore, Md., June 2. William F. Cody and Major Gor¬ don W.j Lillie, who are known re¬ spectively as Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill, of the Wild West and Far East show, now playing in this city, pur¬ chased the interest in the combined shows of Mrs. James A. Bailey, widow of a member of the old firm of Barnum & Bailey. The sale was made because of Mrs. Bailey’s desire I to be entirely free from the trouble involved in the show business. | The combination of the Wild West and Far East shows brought two I avals of that particular field together. With Mrs. Bailey out they are now sole owners. Major Lillie has been attending to the business side of the combined shows since last Decem- I her. ^Colonel Cody has and will con¬ tinue-toRfftect the perform’arices ahd ■ to appear in the. arena. HARRY MACK SUCCEEDS MAXWELL WITH MANN. Harry Mack, treasurer at the Cri¬ terion during the Rowland & Clifford regime, has been selected to succeed £ I|Maxwell as general manager of the W. F. Mann enterprises. M* Maxwell retires owing to the I c .°W !em ent necessary for the posi¬ tion. His resignation took effect Mr^Mack is well qualified for the position. He has been with Row¬ land & Clifford for three years past 3# two seasons previous was with Jules Murry. ■f'' Field Will Open Season. Akron, O., June 1. Alp. Field will open the season of 1909-10 at the Colonial on Aug. 25. WESTERNERS INSIST ON OPEN DOOR POLICY Charles Kindt, C. U. Philley, L M. Crawford and William Saovage Are Now in New York. Charles D. Kindt, C. U. Philley, L. M. Crawford and William Sauvage left Chicago Wednesday evening for New York, where they will inform Klaw & Erlanger in person that the “open door” policy will be in vogue with the Western Theater Managers Association next season. At least that is the report around Chicago. These well known managers spent Wednesday in this city and made no endeavor to keep their plans secret. It was stated by men in authority that the “open door” would be insisted FILM RENTERS FORM NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Laemmle, Swanson and Others Behind Strong Movement to Create Co-operative Organization. The Independent Film Renters’ Protective Association was formed in this city last Tuesday at 5 p. m. The meeting of the heads of the Independent exchanges in Chicago was held in the offices of Wm. H. Swanson, and the following exchanges were represented. The Laemmle Film Service by Carl Laemmle and Mr. Fleckles; The 20th Century Optiscope Company by Mr. Bachmann; Madi- son Film Exchange by Guy Mills; Globe Film Service by Mr. Mueller; Columbia Film Exchange by Mr. Powers; Wm. H. Swanson & Co., by Wm. H. Swanson and Mr. Edwards; United States Film Exchange by Mr. Hayes; and the Unique Film Com¬ pany by J. B. Clinton. Eugene Cline was present as representative of hi6 own film exchange. The following officials were nomi¬ nated: Mr. Swanson, chairman; Mr. Powers, secretary; Mr. Cline, treas¬ urer. Mr. Swanson appointed the following committee to take charge of the arrangements of a permanent organization: Mr. Mills, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Fleckles, Mr. Bachman and Mr. Clinton. Co-operation Irtvited. ' One of the firSt sug'gestiofis delated to the invitation to all independent film exchanges to co-operate with the organization. This suggestion met with the approval of all present. It was also suggested that one of the objects of the permanent organi¬ zation should be to extend protection to the independent exhibitors throughout the country who are using independent film from independent ex¬ changes which are members of this organization. Everyone present ap¬ proved of this. Another topic was then considered and passed upon and this related to film censorship. It was agreed that censorship was a good thing if not carried too far,—in other words, it was useless to have censors in every city and that the need for a national board of censor¬ ship was urgent: that it was of no value to the public nor to the manu¬ facturers to have a censor pass upon films in Chicago and then have the New York censor change his mind upon the self-same films. The need of a further affiliation of interests between the importers and the local American manufacturers of independent films was then ap¬ proached, with the result that all pres¬ ent decided to extend support to every independent interest. It was decided to ask all connected with the independent movement to lend their services to this organization, with the provision that all should equally b’ear the expense of the organization. It was then determined that the or¬ ganization should accumulate a fund to pay expenses of legal actions which would afford protection to exhibitors of independent films. A Publicity Promoter. It was then announced that a de¬ partment of publicity would be formed which would retain the services of the best publicity man to be found and begin a campaign of press-education. A motion was made and carried that a letter be written and sent to every independent film exchange in order to facilitate a general meeting of the independents at an early mo¬ ment, ,. It, vyas also suggested and ap¬ proved that a similar letter be printed and supplied to all film exchanges, so' that a copy might be sent to the cus¬ tomers of each film exchange. The motion that the organization should hire a correspondent to attend to the clerical duties found ready acceptance. The correspondent is to be instructed by the committee as to his duties and will be informed as to what film ex¬ changes will be invited into the new organization, and just what qualifica¬ tions are necessary for membership. The committee was then instructed to get together at the earliest moment and form a set of by-laws, for the temporary organization with a view of having them adopted for permanent use by the permanent organization. The committee was also instructed to get gut a letter stating the advantages of membership in the organization and asking the various independent exchanges as to the advisability of an early convention. CASINO COMPANY TO BOOK CLEVELAND HOUSE George W. Lawrey, Late Manager of Princess in That City, Will Be the Manager. Cleveland, O., June 3. George W. Lawrey, late manager of the Princess and to whom much of the success of that popular house was due, will manage the “Plaza,” a new house on East 55th street. Mr. Lawrey’s long experience as manager of many popular places of amusement, part of which was six years with Gus Sun, is a guarantee of the success of the Plaza. The Plaza will be practically new throughout, the only parts of the old building remaining are the side walls and the roof. The seating capacity will be 500 exclusive of boxes. A matinee and two evening per¬ formances will be given daily. The Casino booking agency will furnish the vaudeville and the pictures will be independent.—YOUNG. SHUBERTS CONTRACT FOR THE AUDITORIUM. Toledo, Ohio, June 2. The new Auditorium is to be Shu- berts’ house in Toledo next season. Otto Klives, manager of the Valen¬ tine for a number of years, will have charge of the theater. The deal has just been closed in New York. Klives was “ahead” of the Rosa- belle Morrison production of Faust which played the South and West. This summer he has been engaged by Charles J. Strobel to look after the latter’s string of airships which are to make daily flights at the Yukon-Pa¬ cific exposition at , Seattle. At the conclusion of the big fair he will return to Toledo and manage the Au¬ ditorium for the Shuberts. SHUBERTS ARE AFTER VALENCIA IN FRISCO San Francisco, Cal., June 1. The Shuberts are endeavoring to se¬ cure control of the Valencia theater, as well as the American theater, which they have already added to their string. William Hoff Seely, manager of the Valencia, started for New York Sunday for the purpose of con¬ ferring with the Shuberts. SHUBERTS SECURE THE BIJOU IN PITTSBURG Pittsburg, Pa., June 1. One of the most important theaters obtained by the Messrs. Shubert in the chain that now extends from coast to coast is the Bijou, which seats 3,700. Heretofore the Shuberts haye booked exclusively in the Duquesne. The Bijou is a Stair & Havlin house, as is another one of the prominent playhouses of this firm, that is added to the Shubert lists. To Play Shubert Shows. Akron, O., June 2. It is said that the Grand will play the Shubert attractions next season, in conjunction with those of Stair & Havlin. Joined Born Company. Washington, D. C., June 3. George Leslie and Carrie Reynolds joined the Born opera company here this week.