Variety (December 1918)

VAlfi)EV ILLE " t .-• .; EPIDEMIC CAUSES TROUBLE IN SEC TIONS S TILL BANNED In Cities Under Ban Bitter Arguments Result Over Health ; Authorities Closing Theatres With Alleged Discrimina- tion Openly Declared—Conditions Unsettled in Certain Territorial-Districts—Late Phases. .-- y : \< ■ ... .-.. ' V In a number of widely scattered sec- tions the influenza epidemic still hangs <on and while it is accepted as pretty •certain the disease will not entirely ■disappear for many months, the quar- antines which continue, appear to be ■the result of extra precautions against fresh outbreaks. There have been a 'number of towns again closed and in several bitter arguments have been precipitated because the theatres were ordered shut while schools and other places of public gathering were not included in the ban. Charges of dis- crimination have stirred up Los An- geles which failed to open last week as expected. 'J, Sections of Georgia and the Caro- linas are the points more seriously affected by the fresh outbreak. Sa- vannah closed Monday. Greenville, Macon and Augusta remain closed al- though the latter city is to open next week. ThaJ the grip of the disease was stronger in that territory than other southern points is indicated by the fact that Camp Hancock (S. C.) has not reopened since the quaran- tines affected the cantonments. In Rhode Island there has been a fresh outbreak, especially near the naval base at Newport but conditions do not warrant drastic quarantine action. An instance of how health officials were infected with the epi- demic scare is shown by. the case of D>anbury, Conn., which has never lifted the influenza ban, though, due to do so this week. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., still remains under the ban of a fresh out- break. .' . Conditions in coast sections above Los Angeles are improving. The mask "wearing regulations were lifted in a number of places including San Fran- cisco, where business immediately took a jump. The epidemic caused considerable confusion to the western vaudeville bookings, that largely due to the num- ber of acts which jumped eastward rather than await the lifting of quar- antines. Orpheum Circuit acts also dodged losing the 8 weeks on ~the route which were automatically lopped off by the original plan to continue the shows at the point called „form in the original route. This resulted in wholesale switching on the Orpheum books. Headlfners and featured turns were re-routed into the dates first taken out through quarantines, that being the only solution to holding the body of the bills on the tjme. Los Angeles, Nov. 27. A bitter fight is on between the city officials and "theatre managers over the continuation of epidemic ban. Managers had again been promised the quarantine would..be lifted not later than today but indications a«*e that there will be no opening until Dec. 2. Frank A. McDonald president of the theatre owners' association took violent-exceptions to the health regulations and charged discrimina- tion because department stores had been permitted to operate during the eight weeks of the ban while theatres were closed. Mr. McDonald stated .picture, raenjuvere-being crucified upon the cross of selfishness and he branded city officials as cowards. Atlanta, Nov. 27. Savannah is closed again due to in- fluenza. The closing order does not hit schools, churches or other public institutions and there are charges of discrimination. Augusta may open Thanksgiving Day but Monday next is regarded as certain. Asheville and Greenville, So. Carolina opened Mon- day, Nov. 25. Wheelin7w. Va., Nov. 27. All theatre managers were arrested here Saturday night at the instigation of health authorities, who charged the regulation against operating after 6 . p.m. had been violated. The rule since the epidemic started has been that places of amusement may be open be- tween 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., closing at that hour. "Queen of the Movies' at the Court had attracted a packed house when manager Johnson was arrested He was compelled to dismiss the house and refund money. The attraction attempted to secure permission to give a performance Sunday afternoon but the local authorities'passed the buck to the state board of health. All road shows booked out of New York for Wheeling have been can- celled until further notice. Winnipeg, Nov. 27. The quarantine lid goes off at mid- night (Wednesday) with a bang, a number of shows having arranged spe- cial performances starting at 12 o'clock. All houses announce matinees daily for the balance of the week. The ban has been kept on public gatherings for 46 days, the longest pe- riod of quarantine in this section. FOX BECOMES UNIONIZED. After fighting the theatrical labor unions . for six' years, William Fox capitulated Nov. 23 by agreeing to hire only union stage hands, moving picture operators and musicians in all theatres operated by the Fox Circuit . Under the new understanding the Fox Circuit is now considered 100 per cent, union, with stage employes, oper- ators and musicians "officially" per- mitted to enter the Fox employ Mon- day. This new agreement affected New York, Brooklyn, Newark and points where Fox is either playing vaude- ville or pictures. The Fox Studio, California, also be- comes unionized by the compact. President Charles C Shay and In- ternational Assistants Newman and Dolliver have worked zealously for some time in an endeavor to clear up the Fox situation. BILLERS WILL VOTE INCREASE. There is no doubt but that the In- ternational Billers and Billposters will vote for an increase in wages at its -annual meeting, which will be held in Washburn Hall, Boston, Dec. 2. The regular executive board meeting will also be hJd at that time. The billers* agreement with all of the circuses expires J^sc. 18 next. P. F. Murphy, Chicago, is president, having served -three terms. He stands a good chanc ; of being re-elected, as well as executive secretary J, J. Mc- Carthy,whoTOHi his'headquarters in New York. : The executive board of the L A. T. S. E. will hold its next session in the New York headquarters of the Alliance Jan. 6. N. V. A. COMPLAINTS. In the complaint against Campbell and Phillips of using material furnished them for an act, without having paid the royalty to the author and after the - author had demanded the return of the * script, th< National Vaudeville Artists, accepting the complaint of the author, Jack Howard, and referring it to the Vaudeville Managers' Protective Asso- ciation, it was decided by the latter the team could not further appear with the Howard material... The N..Y.,.^ ; referred the case to the Managers* As- sociation when the act pleaded in'de- fense that Larry Phillips had arranged to sail for France Dec. 7, having se- cured his passport, and they were play- ing to secure sufficient passage money for him. A member of the cast of "Maggie Taylor, Waitress," and also a member of the N. V. A., submitted the question of liability to the organization arising out of the following facts. The sketch (starring Jean Adair), when booked to appear at the Kedzie and Wilson Av- enue theatres, Chicago, for a split week, found itself unable to do so, as the prop automobile required in the turn could not be taken through the stage door of either house. The sketch's member stated he was ready and willing to appear, suffering the-loss of time and salary-without fault of his own. The N. V. A. will forward the matter to the V. M. P. A. for z de- cision. During the investigation the agent booking the act will be called upon to explain how the engagement was entered without the necessary - props with the turn being considered. The complaint made by Eddie Fitz- gerald, formerly of Fitzgerald and Quigley, and now doing an act known as Fitzgerald and Quinn," against Clay- ton and Lennie, has been dismissed. Fitzgerald claimed he originated busi- ness with which his acts have been identified with for years. The business is the pulling down of the hat and squeezing the nose of the comedian by the straight man. After investiga- tion the N. V. A found this busmen was done in the old Weber and Fields days and in nearly every burlesque show since. Joe Bennett, proprietor of an act called "The Telephone Tangle," com- plained to the N. V. A. he signed a contract for 20 weeks over the canton- ment circuit With Atwell & Moss, and that the contract was cancelled He recited the cancellation had caused him considerable monetary loss in the outlay for new photographs and press matter and the refusal of other work. The cancellation came after the camps had been closed by the epidemic. The matter has been taken under advise- ment by the N. V. A., who have asked Mr. Bennett to supply it with a copy of his contract Frank Brennan, of "The Telephone Tangle," during the week of Nov. 11, entered 1 complaint against Joe Ben- nett, owner of the act. Brennan claims that after doing three extra perform- ances during that week at Loew's Yonge Street, Toronto, and after Bennett had been paid by. the manage- ment for the extra work, he was un- able' to collect his extra money, which he claims was due him. Bennett in reply to the accusation stated Bren- nan had been dismissed for miscon- duct and causing general mischief with the act, and that another man had been engaged in his place. Ben- nett further stated that the other man had received the extra money after working one extra show at this the- atre, and that Brennan was supplied with transportation back to New York. The N. V. A. decided Brennan had no just claim and dismissed the matter. An overheat entertaining unit is be- ing formed by Eddie Darling, who expects Valeska Suratt, Farber Sis- ters and Gaire Rochester to be parts of it. The plan is to have all women. It is to sail around Christmas. ' R. R.-YARES REDUCED. Washington, D. C, Nov. 27. Confirmation of the. report last we«;k that the extra fare charges on sleeper and Pullman transportation would be taken off have been verified and of--.. ficial orders to that effect are expected daily from the Railroad Administra- tion office, to become effective Dec. 1. The charges to be removed are the J4 cent per mile charged for riders in Pullman cars and % cent per mile for tourist travelers This elimination from the rates means a saving to the public of around $50,000,000 yearly, and is of especiat interest to professionals The reputed decrease came as a surprise to rail- road men because the administration - had but recently completed the print- ..; ing of special sets of tickets for Pull- ; V man travel. That with the cost of :;- printing of'special schedules is said to represent an outlay by the govern- '; ment board of $100,000. The dropping of the extra Pullman charges has been intimated several times before and that item was one most strongly objected to by theatrical managers, whp had been promised a nlimber of concessions. Other reduc- tions are now looked for. The actual saving to travelers is con- siderable. The fare to Chicago is re- duced $4.90 each way, that sum rep- resenting the yi cent per mile plus the war tax on same. The fare now to Chicago will be $32.84, figuring in the cost of a lower berth ($5.50) should the extra charges' be taken off. The saving in fare to Buffalo will be $2.30, and the saving on a ticket from New York to the coast will be $16.75. - • - ■■■•■i m % ELTINGE SHOW FOR COAST. Los Angeles, Nov. 27. • Julian Eltinge will head a vaudeville ■ road-show under the direction of Wil- 4 Ham Morris, the opening date being in this city Dec 23. There will be five ^ ■ or six supporting turns. Present plans \ call for the show playing coast terri- £| tory only, Mr. Eltinge probably return- ing to pictures later. Fred Block is ^ due here this week to manage the *j tour. The epidemic caused a general lay- ,:a ing off of legitimate attractions, and, while most are resuming, several can- celed time and turned Eastward. This has left a shortage of attractions over : t the ordinary, and made way for book- ;>'.; ings of the Eltinge show. f The Harry Lauder tour, which starts at the Lexington Theatre (N. Y.) Dec ? 9, will take in Canada and territory as far west as Detroit. The route calls -m for 12 weeks ending at Washington, , : D. C, March 1, but there may be ad-:' ditions to the tour. The bill surround- ing the Scottish star will be Bert Mel- ; rose, "Act Beautiful," Julia Curtis, the ' Naesses, and the "Children of Con- fucious." The pipers will be in evi- dence as formerly. Lester Murray will >; again> manage the Lauder show, with - Martin Wagner his assistant and Wil- . lard D. Coxey in advance. The Rotary Club will tender Mr. Lauder a dinner at the Astor Hotel, New York, Dec. 12. HOUDINl'SL LATEST. When Houdini returns to the Hippo- drome he promises to present the most sensational act he has ever attempted. In full yiew of the audience, lying flat on the floor of the stage itself, he will allow himself to be covered with three tons of sand—dumped on him out of a big automobile truck. Then he will dig himself up through the pile in less than 60 seconds. .„ .... •To make it more difficult Houdini will be put in a straight jacket before : the-sand, is .dumped. on, him.*.,. The date of his reappearance af "the Hippodrome will depend on his complete recovery from a recent accident in which he br oke his wrist. ■ ■ An IrTMtrtlbk hit. CHA8. ALTHOFT. •SB