Variety (January 1919)

VAUDEVILLE 4 B.F. KEITH VAUDEVILLE EXCHANGE NEW TITLE OF CLEARING HOUSE i» . ■' . Former United Booking Offices Takes Name of VaudeviUe's Founder—Edward F. Albee, President—^Perpetuation of ICeith** for Big Time Booking Agency— Other Officers Announced. , The B. F. Keith Vaudeville Exchange is the present name and title of the big time vaudeville clearing house, form- erly known as the United Booking Of- ficu. The change in title follows the re- cent death of A. Paul Keith, son of present day vaudeville's founder, and the new corporate name of the B. F. Keith's- Vaudeville Exchange will carry with It the founders of the great vaude- ville booking agency; B. F. Keith, E. F. Albee, F. F. Proctor and A. Paul Keith, The founders' names may be coupled with the title of the agency in the fu- ture. \ The officers of the B. F. Keith Vaudc- '^ ville Exchange are Edward F. Albee, president, F. F. Proctor, vice-president, John J. Murdock, general manager. Reed A. Albee, assistant 'general man- ager, Edwin G. Lauder, Jr.^, executive * manager, William B. Sleeper, office manager, and Maurice Goodman, gen- eral counsel The list of the Keith booking office executives differs in names only in two instances from the former officered personnel of the United Booking Offices. The changes are Mr. Lauder, a son-in- law of Mr. Albee, as executive man- ager, the former official title assigned to Mr. Murdock, and Mr. Sleeper, as office manager. Mr. Sleeper is a brother-in-law of Mr. Murdock and has been with the U. B. 0. for a long time. Mr. Lauder also has acquainted himself with the internal workings of vaudeville, through a protracted i>eriod of executive work, in close association k with Mr. Albee. Mr. Murdock, the present general manager of the Keith Booking office, has been the right hand to Mr. Albee for several years. The United Booking Offices were formed about 1908, taking in at that time what was known as the Vaude- ville Managers' Association, then com- . posed of the vaudeville managers aligned with B. F. Keith, just before the Keith interests purchased the Percy G. Williams theatres in New York and at the .time the Poli Circuit, along with Hammcrstein's Victoria became part of the booking combination head- ed by the Keith Circuit. "The B. F. Keith Vauaeville Exchange , was so named to continue in perpetuity ,in the booking department the name of the founder of present day vaude- ville. All of the large theatrical in- terests of the late B. F. Keith, de- scended from father to son (A. Paul Keith) and to E. F. Albee, still retain the name of B. F. Keith in the theatres operated by the Keith interests (now controlled by Albee) and the several subsidiary corporations formed in con- nection with them. . Since the formation of the United Booking Offices (more often referred to as the U. B. O.), that name has grown as familiar to vaudevillians as vaudeville itself. It represented vaude- ^ yille's big time and booked all grades ''™" of vaudevilles in "its sev^ offices. The headquarters are in the Palace theatre building. New York, with branches at Chicago and Boston. In Chicago Tink Humphrey is the repre- sentative and at Boston, C. Wesley Fraser. The B. F. Keith Vaudeville Exchange, as did the U. B. O., which it succeeds, books all big time vaudeville east of Chicago. FOREIGN AGENTS' CLAIMS. The foreign agents in New York who book vaudeville acts on both sides of the ocean are claiming that many American acts that engaged to appear abroad during the war and did not sail, for one reason or another, are still liable in two ways, notwithstanding the agreement was made in wartime. The agents say there is an obligation remaining in existence to the foreign manager contracting for the unfulfilled artist's agreement, and also that the foreign agent in New York has a claim for full commission on the contract abroad obtained by him but which the artist did not play. The English law on these points is especially quoted as applicable to ar- tists who may go to England, both as regards the obligation alleged by the manager over there as well as the agent's claim~for commission due. The foreign agents in New York look for complications on the other side if American acts, previously book- ed and afterward canceling before sail- ing, now go abroad without ascertain- ing their status in view of existing but non-fulfilled English agreements. While the foreign agents persist' in their contention that the English law applies even in war time, there has been np legal opinion as yet advanced on this {^articular point, in so far as it affects American artists, nor has an opinion of weight been quoted to bear upon the position of an American act contracting for a theatrical engage- ment abroad but unable to secure a passport to leave his home country during war time through^ conditions he had no part in making and could not avoid. ' ELTINGE ROAD SHOW OPENS. Los Angeles, Dec. 31. The new William Morris road show starring Julian Eltinge opened at the Mason at a $2 scale. Business was fair at the start. It is reported the scale will be $1.50 after leaving here. The show played for two days at San Diego to break in before reaching the Mason. Mr. Eltinge appears' in the Brst part, A Female Fashion Revue, and in the last part in a screen-stage playlet written by June Mathis. He is supported by Arthur Shirley, Ma- jorie Bennett, Velma Whitman and a Japanese servant. The skit is called "His Night at the Club." The story is weak but the playlet gets over, due to the popularity of Mr. Eltinge. The vaudeville portion includes Mary Meeker (Dainty Marie), Sydney Grant, Arnaut Brothers, Dancing Lavarrs, Cleo Gascoigne. The prevailing opin- ion seems to be that the Eltinge show would have appeared to better advant- age here if Eltinge had been surround- ed with acts newer to this city. IRVING BERLIN A FREE LANCE. Free lancing as a composer of pro- duction and musical song numbers will be Irving Berlin's immediate future, at least. He severed his connection with Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Jan. 1, af- ter a continuous business connection with that house of around 12 years. Several offers made to Mr. Berlin in the past by music publishers were generally ignored by him. An offer received last summer from a publisher of popular song music was reported at the time to have carried a guarantee to Berlin of $75,000 yearly, for his roy- alties, with a bonus of $50,000 upon signing the agreement. According to writers familiar with Mr. Berlin's ideas, he has had the plan of free lancing for a long ti^e, although it is said that combined with this was a project before him to be- come the head of a music publishing establishment bearing his name, to do a general publishing business, includ- ing his own compositions. Mr. Berlin as the creator of several types of popular melodies rapidly brought the Ted Snyder Music Co., later Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, to the foremost line of popular music firms. Ever since his connection with, the concern he was its star writer,^ and almost invariably wrote the words and music of all his numbers, whether for productions or of the popular kind (also ballads). Henry Waterson has the controlling interest of Waterson, Berlin & Snyder, with Mr. Berlin, Ted Snyder and Max" Winslow holding the minority interest. Mr. Winslow, the general manager for the concern, was instrumental in securing Mr. Berlin for the house.. The first worldwide song hit of the many Berlin has written since, when with the firm, was "Alexander's Ragtime Band," that sold over 2,000,000 copies in Amer- ica, without the European sale counted. It was a phenomenal song hit of its day. During the war Mr. Berlin enlisted in the Army as a private and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He was lately selected to purchase $50,(X)0 worth of popular music to ship to the A. E. F. in France, which he has at- tended to so satisfactorily it relieves him of a trip to France to distribute it, which the military authority at one time thought would be necessary. While in camp Mr. Berlin wrote "Yip Yip Yaphank," all dialog, lyrics and music, the biggest musical hit Broad- way saw this season. Among the sev- eral song hits of the piece was another huge Berlin scorer, "I Hate to Get Up in the Morning." Mr. Berlin may as a prelude to his free lancing period arrange to place his production numbers for the pres- ent with T. B. Harms §c Co. It is understood the firm of Water- son, Berlin & Snyder will retain the Berlin in its corporate title. Negotiations are on for Berlin to tour in vaudeville, as a headline single act at $2,500 weekly, the com- poser refusing to consider a less amount. _/_: 4 SHOWS NEW YEAR'S AT SHEA'S. Buffalo, Dec. 31. Today is Shea's busiest. The vaude- ville program is playing there four times, giving two matinee perform- ances, the regular show tonight and a midnight performance to follow. Th» bMt bet kf tlM 7«u. CHA8. ALTHOFP. A TWO-ACT AFTER ALL. Chicago, Dec. 31. Louise Dresser and Jack Gardner, married for eleven years, will appear together for the first time. They are rehearsing a joint stock with songs, single numbers and duets, supported by a girl in a maid part and a pianist. The act will be billed as Louise Dresser and Jack Gardner in "The Union," by Jack Lait. The plot of the comedy sketch will be the facts, them- selves—two vaudeville singles, man and wife^ on the eve of starting out for two'widely separated't6MsV"de^^^^^ to "strike" and form a "union," with the result that they slap together a two-act, team up and notify the book- ing office that they are "one and insep- arable." The act opens Jan. 12, for a week, to break ia into Chicago. CAU FOR ENTERTAINERS. ■ Cabled advices from Pails itoM James Forbes and the Y. M. C. A. over-' seas headquarters there, are in effect an appeal for the continuance of vol-' unteer entertainers, who are needed to entertain the American Expedition- ary Forces in greater number than before. The advices do not set forth the ad-' vantages of joining the "Y" or Atner- tea's Over There Theatre League, but insurance is now given volunteers and a monthly payment of 86methinK like $185 to each individual as set forth in Vambtt's Anniversary issue. Word has been cabled from army quarters in France to Washington to rush passports for entertainers, so that volunteers to the "Y" or the Leaglie will be ensured quick action. The weekly sailings by the Over There League will continue in opeta'^ tioh for months to come, but the League will discontinue forming units on this side, except in certain cases. Volunteers will sail to France and be assigned units by the "Y" executives in Paris. The reason given for the change is that it may speed the sail- ing of entertainers. Additional League units sailed with- in the past week. They are: / THE HAPPY FIVE." Adelfl M. Beattyi. Joe Christie. Daniel Jarrett. Wm. T. McCulIough. Billie Bowman. (The latter member to sail Jan. 8.J "MAGIC, MUSIC, MERRIMENT." Billy Broad. The Great Chalberl. The Great Nicola. '■:':..■■ ',;^:^ Edward Liippi. 7'""" DETACHED. v I: ; Tom Barry., '.■'' /.^^'V: Carman Evans. Florence Page Kimball. '.V' ./i ir Emily Benham. ., Adele Hoes. , . The first two named in the detached party will join "The Song Shop" unit. Miss Kimball will join "The Jolly Jes- ters" unit. ; Sailing at the ei>d of the week? w an additional unit: ^ "HERE THEY AREI" F. Barrett Carman. ■ Hal Crane. ~- .': ,.-' '■■''{ Clara RabinowitK.. > .'v, Marie Tannehill. . .. -.V^^ Fred. C Tniesdale. . . , ' Further departure this week inclu- ded Dinnie MacDonald who put on the sailor play "Biff Bang" and who is to direct minstrel and burlesques for and by the men in France. Frederick Kimball also sailed, going in the ca- pacity of a business manager. Fifteen additional entertainers were sent over by the "Y" overseas bureau last week and this. In the list are El- ber Uoott, Mr. and Mrs. James Stan- ley, Eula Guy, Helen M. Spear, Muriel D. Matthews, Maud Scherer, Amelia Carstensen, Beulah Truitt, Helen C. Ferguson, Estelle B. Hays. Hugh Hut- ton, Ann Luckey, Ellen Keller, Cornelia Dismukes, Harold Georghegan. ■■■,'!? I -■0! BILL MORRISEVS REVUE. ■■3 ■:-i--i '■J^ '.^m Since the return of Bill Mprrisey from entertaining overseas with the A. E. F., he has been framing an "Over- seas Revue." The star of the show will be Elizabeth Brice, who was in the same Over There League Unit of en- tertainers Morrisey appeared with m. France, Other volunteers for the company are Harry Kelly, May Boley, Lon Has-, call and Boyle and Brazil. Julian Rose, Mile. D'Alba, Dick Whiting and Ray- mond Eagen (Detroit) have charge of the tiiiislc and lyrics Of the p/t>dactioi»v«' Jack Mason will stage the perform- ance. Several theatrical firms have donated scenery and accessories. The show is due to open Jan. 11 out of town, ' with a tentative date at the Vandef-' bilt, New York, for its Broadway show-..; ing.