Show World (August 1910)

10 THE SHOW WORLD THE sho®3Srld The Show World Publishing Co. GRAND OPERA HOUSE BUILDING CHICAGO LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE CENTRAL 1577 Cable Address (Registered) "Showorld” WARREN A. PATRICK Managing Editor. ADVERTISING RATES to^tie^nch* 11 *Fifty I! " e - ^Fourteen lines midnight adVertiSin8 f ° rmS C '° S ' Wednesday at SUBSCRIPTIONS (Payable in advance.) fiftyr^nts the year, lews stands, five cents De- the C °f)ealers Western send orders through your news com* News Company, general distributors. All unsolicited manuscripts, articles, letters and pictures sent to “The Show World" are a £. the ° wner ’ s risk, and The Show World Pubhslnng Company expressly repudiates any liability or responsibility for their safe custody AUGUST 6, 1910 MUSIC REVIEWED BY AN EXPERT The Show World, in its issue of September 3, will inaugurate a new feature—a music depart¬ ment, which will be devoted to music publishers, singers, ar¬ rangers, add all things that in any way are affiliated with the music publishing business. This department will be edited by C. P. McDonald, who for years has been closely identified with the In launching this new depart¬ ment The Show World does so only after long and careful de¬ liberation. It realized that to follow the guidance of its con¬ temporaries in this particular field it would present to its readers only a revamp of para¬ graphs which long ago should have been boosted "thorugh the little door.” The old stereotyped style of declaring everything written a "big success," a “genuine hit,” and that “Mercedes Strongpipes is meeting with the success of her career in singing,” etc., etc., the editor realized, would have to be eliminated except in instances where merit warranted commen¬ dation. He felt that such a de¬ partment, conducted along origi¬ nal lines, would prove entertain¬ ing to those to whom such a fea¬ ture primarily appeals. Therefore, the new music de¬ partment will be edited fearlessly, without prejudice, without favor. This always has been the policy of The Show World in every branch of amusement. The editor feels that no exception should be made to an ironclad rule which has given The Show World its great prestige in the world of entertainment. AL. H. WOODS’ CHANGE OF HEART Al. H. Woods, who since his some¬ what recent dip into higher priced the¬ atricals has become either famous or infamous for his production of plays which were “off color,” has had a change of heart. He is out with the announce¬ ment that hereafter he is to be a per¬ fectly good boy and aspire to member¬ ship in the purity leagues which have so often taken umbrage at his plays. “I have sent ‘The Girl with the Whoop¬ ing Cough’ and ‘Get Busy with Emily’ to the storehouse and am through with that sort of plays forever,” he says. “The public seems to want them but I would rather lose the profits of these productions than be denounced by the press and purity leagues as I have been in the past." The action of Mr. Woods in determin¬ ing to keep away from the ultra-sensa¬ tional and his last argument that “the public seems to want” plays of this class once more brings up the question as to whether any theatrical manager does or does not serve even his own best in¬ terests in dealing in plays which are given the enormous amount of free ad¬ vertising which was accorded “Get Busy with Emily” and “The Girl with the Whooping Cough” last season. Is it true that "the public” really wants things of this kind? There are players before the public, notably Miss Maude Adams, who have always been firm in their determination to appear in nothing but plays of the sweet, pure, and inoffensive kind aud the success of these players from the boxoffice standpoint is certainly an ar¬ gument against the statement that “the public” wants plays that are “off color.” As certainly as “Get Busy with Emily” and “The Girl with the Whooping Cough,” when presented by capable players, draw enormous audiences of a certain complexion, for a time, just , so certainly does the time come when even the spicy entertainment they pro¬ vide fails to satisfy those they at¬ tract. “Off color” plays and their presentation represent the over-stren¬ uous manner of living. Entertainment of this kind is close up to the limit and the modern dramatist who attempts to satisfy these peppery appetites doesn’t have far to go before his field is ex¬ hausted. No "Get Busy with Emily” has ever been given the test of years but that its term of usefulness for stage purposes would ever compare with that of such plays as “The Old Home¬ stead” and “Way Down East” is an ar¬ gument that none has ever dared ad- Mr. Woods’ departure from a course which he had evidently mapped out for himself when he began the storming of the “tony” theaters is only another exemplification of the belief that is growing among modern showmen who are giving the same amount of thought to amusements that business men in other ventures give to their enterprises. Providing the American people with amusement is a serious and important matter. Millions of dollars have been expended in it already and millions of dollars in profits have been the reward of those who have brought it up to the position it occupies today. However, that outside influences are detracting from the show business as a means of making money has been very apparent within the past few seasons. Show peo¬ ple must bend every energy to maintain the position they have gained. If there ever was a time when the theater and the men back of it could subscribe to the sentiment, “The public be d—d” that time has passed. Public opinion has become an important factor in all kinds of business, and reform move¬ ments, no matter how ridiculous they may seem, have been shown to have had effect. The wise theatrical man¬ ager keeps his ear close to the ground and uses a field glass in looking farther ahead than his nose. Things theatrical are his business and he must consider it from every angle. “The public" is not necessarily the few thousands of people that patronize any one of his “off color” attractions and make it pay while the whole theatrical structure, of which he is a part, is rocking in the storm of public protest which that same “off color” play has aroused in corners of the country where the individual may never have the opportunity of judging as to whether or not the protest is justified. Mr. Woods has given up “off color” plays that have absolutely nothing to commend them outside of their sug¬ gestion of deviation from the recognized standard of morality, for the same rea¬ son that other sensible theatrical man¬ agers are eschewing them. Mr. Woods would rather keep his present lucrative theatrical job than he would jump coun¬ ters or swing a pick. EXECUTIVE OFFICES THE’ GRAND OPERA HOUSE BLDG. Chicago, U. S. A. YOUNG MAN, HAVE YOU A NOSE FOR AMUSEMENT NEWS? IF SO-GET BUSY. ENERGETIC CORRESPONDENTS WANTED THE SHOW WORLD is desirous of securing representatives in every section of the United States and Canada, and to that end correspondence is Invited from young men of good personal address in all communities not yet covered by this journal, we want energetic, wide awake correspondents of business ability who will, acting as absolutely impartial observers of events, provide us with the latest and most reliable HEWS their locality. .EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY; LIBERAL For full particulars address, WARREN A. PATRICK, Managing Editor of THE SHOW WORLD, Chicago. THE SHOW WORLD IS AN INDEPENDENT AMUSE¬ MENT NEWSPAPER. SYNDICATE MOBILIZING TOR PRAY The announcement that George W. Lederer, present manager of Klaw & Erlanger’s Colonial theater in Chicago, is to leave the Windy City and become a producing manager for the syndi¬ cate, is significant under existing the¬ atrical conditions. Mr. Lederer is rec¬ ognized as one of the most trusted K. & E. lieutenants and in calling him to New York, the syndicate is only following out their scheme of a mob¬ ilization of forces for the real battle for control of the theatrical situation which will begin when houses all over the country open up and clamor for first-class attractions. James Jay Brady, who has been chosen to succeed Mr. Lederer in Chicago, has always been a strong syndicate henchman, and the K. & E. interests in Chicago will not suffer under his able direction. JOHN ARTHUR JOHNSON, ACTOR Upon the occasion of one of his most recent appearances before a police magistrate on a charge of violating the automobile speed laws, Heavyweight Champion Pugilist Jack Johnson gave his name and occupation as “John Ar¬ thur Johnson, Actor”—and the shades of Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett moved restlessly in their tombs. The scope of the word actor has indeed been broadened since the days when histri¬ onic fame resulted from many weary years of study and hard work. AUTOS FILTERING PROM BOXOFFICE. Karl, San Francisco. One of the chief occupations of the managers of California theaters and shows this season, now expiring, has been trying to account for the great falling off in the attendance. It has been the theme for wide discussion wherever managers meet and In the news and dramatic papers. The condition is one that exists not only here but everywhere in the United States. San Francisco has been a more generous patron of the play than most of the cities, although if there were slenderer houses elsewhere than here since the year 1910 started, there must have been some finan¬ cial nightmares among the man- Naturally, there is a diversity of opinion as to the reason for the big wide spaces in the theaters. The automobile craze, the moving picture shows and the high cost of living seem to be the leading causes that conspire to create this paucity in numbers. Some attribute it to one or two of these reasons, but it is prob¬ ably due to all three and perhaps others not so apparent or im¬ portant. To those expensive playthings called automobiles is undoubtedly attributable in great part the de¬ cline in the number of theater¬ goers. Automobiles cost orig¬ inally as much as many homes and they are quite as expensive to maintain. Many people buy them who cannot afford them. To make ends meet it is necessary to curtail and sacrifice, and as the theater is not an indispensible adjunct to happiness, it is the first thing put on the list labeled “Mot necessary.” You do not won¬ der at the enforced economy after noting the number of automobiles in use in California alone. There are 33,000 of them registered at the secretary of state’s office. Say there are only 30,000 autos and the population is 3,000,000, that means one for every 100 persons. Allowing $1,500 as the average cost of the cars we have the great total of $45,000,000. Take $45,- 000,000 out of the pockets of the population of a state to pay Eastern manufacturers and some¬ body is sure to feel it. Its diversion is bound to affect all lines of business and the theater manager and producer most SHOW-DOWN TIME APPROACHES I The time for the show-down in the battle which has been waged—mostly with printer’s ink—between the theatri¬ cal syndicate and the Independents fast approaches. And as it does, little man¬ agers everywhere throughout the coun¬ try who are depending upon the profits of their playhouses for an existence, regardless of their affiliations, are ner¬ vously wondering whether they are not to be treated to another of those ‘‘shake- downs’’ with • which they have nad pre¬ vious experience when the “fellows higher up” reached an agreement and forgot them. THE PUBLIC WANTS THE GOODS | The progress of the present eircusl season to date and the success of trust* and independent interests points thel truth that, while there is a healthy and growing spirit among the people to] help the independent who occupies the! position of the “under-dog,” circus patronage and successful continuance » the tented realm depends upon the quality of the goods offered. The n | dependents who are giving value for- the money are the ones that are pr°®‘ pering and those who are merely cour - ing public favoi " i future