The New York Clipper (November 1913)

*gg£ftl€Afe Copyright 1818, by the Frank Qae«a Publishing Company (Halted) Founded by FRANK QUEEN, 1863. NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 29, 1913. VOLUME LXI-No. 42. Print), 10 Cent*. VAUDEVILLE'S CLEARING HOUSE. Rn2Kftes ! E£S BNAftHBaBI J5 H**. ££°:! » *»%'*'** » *"' r " »*^**'>i AAWfc/Arf* , „.,.ie»n* h n .ln«i. and arthtie kingdom. oiTlrf.l. Bam In I860. Mr. Albes attended the Under this headlnc we Will publish each w< magnificent business and" artistic kingdom, official.' Bern in 1880, Mr. Albee attended the The announcement that during, the week of Dec 1 the vaudeville world will celebrate ?»■ ¥*J*m~&M gBg>g»>^ ««"?* ,'£2% ^alUls. SSS^ScSJ" Areas Ihc thirtieth anniversary of the Foundation of vaudeville by B. P. Keith brings to public ^£&Btmti*flmtt2fc£S 25t* at? short 8Sn. , U^Se'T n o , Vn ,tC n^ attention the fact that the moat popular of American amusements has barely reached the T^p.*™^ tbe^ne^^ tHelly a7 I' showinen~siid until 16S3 traveled end of Its third decade, and that Broadway has a great clearing house for vaudeville, Booking Offices average more than 1800.000 a each season on the road with one or other of the where every first class act on the native and European stage Is represented and traded In week, during the season, and thousands of artlata bag clfcoeet. In 1883 he entered the employ or M an amusement staple. _.' . j are regularly employed at salaries ranging, as B. F. Keith, In Boston, aa 'jannarr of «*«,.»" To the men and women of variety thla clearing bouse for entertainers of all kinds, from above stated. The staff of experta filtered Oalety Theatre and Muses. Mr. Keith was then intelligent animals to Sarah Bernhardt, Is known aa the United Booking Offices, and it around Mr. Albee In the Putnam Building, an tssjtnalng to work out. his Ideas_fnr cleansingsnd, controls a weekly salary list of well over a half million dollara. It Is located' In the the highest salaried men u the amoaement rraj. *J«™ttr,jf TfrtSL." 1 "*. "??!*? JL^U, on- Putnam Building, at No. 1403 Broadway, and the presiding genius and general manager, <*«. Hr. Keith and Mr. Albee bellevs In good HHJfiJ"-?£,i£2?' .r5 -? SiS,^fr h. woV7o woo has made "big business" out of an amusement, is E. F. Albee. Halt a dozen Boors are "'"'« f °r «°°? 5ft tDd "2" «*• JSP notcn •' , • BBS? aa£*E?il rf JSawSff Sdlw Mr tfvon over to the* executive offices and headquarters of the magnates of YBudevIl "and '^^^^Z&E&TS&a Down SSth'ta^hS wort'of* cr^.n-, J aVw a, i!?ld M o r f their allied agents and managers, li^erto tie maS torn HehtfU fOT Machl™ annoeroent for the American public. A. mnn- This Is the home of "Big Time." in the vernacular of tie two-a-day artlata, and every first SST comln? Eon? the beat p^tlri^itock Si atsr of the Gaiety be etageri and produced light rla's vaudevUlc theatre In America is an integral part of the great organization that has ancesttmTwere distinguished border soldiers In operas for the Gaiety Opera Company, thereby linked up a once disorganized business into a wonderfully co-ordinated and efficient instltu- the French and Indian wars, and several Albees winning a reputation that Hill persists u an tlon. t ^ won fame In the Revolution and the War of 1814. SK7»tlc Prcslueer. ThU company was womler- The halls and elevators of the Putnam Building are crowded all day long with vaude- It waa off Macolaa that the flr«t naval engagement fully aucceaafnh Meanwhile Mr. Albee "uaiM vllle performers seeking audience with the booking powers, who determine the weekly "'" --..■■■.•.- programs in Portland, Me., and Portland, Ore., and every city and major town between, iu a few weeks the United will remove to the marble B. F. Kelt* Palace Theatre Building, where a dozen floors have been arranged for the special needs of vaudeville. In the new offices only solid mahogany la used for fittings and furniture. The Unlted'a new home will be finer than any bank. of the Revolution, waa fought, an Albee being Erotnlnent In the sea fight that resulted In lower- ig the British colon. Mr. Albee Is the son of boose construction, theatre decorating, stags equipment the technique of boose operation and kindred •objects. The result waa oat he soon The top floor of the Putnam Building contains a hare room filled with Circassian walnut desks, ranged in close formation, each desk Is allotted to the locsl or visiting representative of each "big time" house In the United States and Can- ada In many cases a dozen houses sre repre- sented hr one expert booking agent. The Orpheom circuit, for Instance. Includes the entire territory from Chicago to San Francisco, and one man, with a staff of assistants, books it. In anoiber large room, opening off the booking men's quarters, la a huge table, around which gather the agents, aa the men who act as business representatives for artists and sets sre known. The "agent •ells entertainment and the "booking man" burs. When his thestre Is stocked, s week's Mil Is tetslled to the public. The United gets five per cent of the artists* ulsrles to maintain Its organisation, whose ex- penses are necessarily very large. This rive per cent, commission on salaries is fixed by law. Thus we have the men who buy acts and the men who •ell acts in Juxtaposition. The agents hate neat cards made out listing all their acts and the weeks that each Is st liberty: thst Is to ssy, un- sold. The booking men have a thorough personal frioTTletlse of thousands of established standard acts. Their Idea Is to buy nine excellent acts, covering as wide a range of entertainment as rslble, for their respective bouses for a week the future. Each dry has Its favorite tjpea of laudevIUe, and the buyers of acts submit a thousand demands to the agents. All around the big rooms for buyers and sellers sre the executive rooms of the United Booking the men close to them hsve their fullest confi- dence In all matters pertaining to vaudeville. The United la strong for womankind In busi- ness, snd the highest salaries ever paid In the theatre have been paid to women stars. Vaude- ville rould not exist were It not for women per- formers and women patrons. A number of suc- cessful agents are women and drive as bard a Lirgaln for their clients ss any male representa- Mve could possibly do. The dob department, which provides entertainer* for private and spe- cial functions, snd Is kept running at high ten- sion night snd day. Is in charge of a keen-witted young business woman, Frances Rockefeller King. Vaudeville la the best paid profession on esrth. No "United" act Is pals! less than $180 per week, snd Sarah Bernhardt was paid $7,000 per week, net Ethel Barrymore was paid 13.000 for each week she played. There are many artists getting {2.500 and many more draw down 12.000. Scores of acta are paid $1,000 or better, and hundreds run from $500 to $1,000. There are more than 2,000 acta recognised as first class or "standard." Consecutive booking keeps an act working all the year around. After America there Is Europe with several years of "time," as bookings are called In vaudeville theatres. Like the circus, vaudeville la made up of thrifty, clean living people. The pace la too fast for much dissipation. Since E. F. Albee organ- ised vaudeville, prosperity has come to tbe artists, snd tbe majority are buying hones. There Is nothing less thsn a mania for real estate among performers since the new era of big salaries and continuous bookings. The vaudeville artist with- out a hefty bank account Is a rare bird. Many Offices. Here are huge ledgers that tell the past of thm naTe toTtunn In six figures. movements and the future bookings of every good act and every artist deemed worthy of ' big time." There are wonderful card Indexes that enable the workers to ran down the records of every one In the business. East week every bouse rnanaeer In America forwards to the United a detailed analysis of esch set on his current hill. These reports are classified, snd the buyer of the acts who doubts sn agent's estimate of s turn that he Is selling, turns to the reports upon past performances and finds ont Just how Brain a Rears, Nolan and Sweeney, or MUlleent Marigold ImDressed the good people of Providence. Omaha and every other city they ever played. Telegraph tnstniments tick madly. Every few minutes a cry for help comes from neighboring cities de- manding fresh artists to take tbe place of those who hsve fallen sick, been lnjnred or walked ont of the program for some reasos or other. Loag distance telephones are Jingling, and the whole place Is a motor centre of vaudeville energy. Every high class vaudeville theatre In the land Is linked up to these otHces, which supply every want in the way of providing acta, settling dis- putes, and finding fresh talent. Buying and selling of acts goes on merrily. Tbe law of supply and demand governs the price paid for acts. There are no prices set ss a standard. The agent of an act drives the best bargain possible with the booking men. In the event of several theatres wanting the sime srtlst for the same week the price is apt to go up. I want an opening act for the week of Dec. 8. •Mills the booking man for Trenton, N. J. A rtosen agents offer him acrobats, bike riders, Jas6lers and other opening acts. Manager Jor- dan, of Keith's. Philadelphia, wants a closing set. He selects it from the score that sre offered. In this connection be It known that there are hundreds of acts that are doomed always to oi*n or close vaudeville bills. They are "dumb acts which are not disturbed by late comers or early goers. There are Insistent demands for every type of act, and the United can supply comedy, tragedy, light opera, grand opera, song and dance, tabloid drama and musical comedy, sidewalk conversation, Irish, German, Hebrew. Scotch, negro, and every other kind of comedian, wire walkers, sharp shooters, equilibrists, divers, strong men snd strong women, trained Beals. marlonettea, cockatoos, dancing bears, animals or •11 kinds, Jugglers. Nsntch dancers, prima donnaa, dramatic stsrs, dwarfs, giants, fronks, tulklng dogs, skaters, hoop rollers, bicycle riders, mnslclans, clowns, acrobats, tumblers and a thou- sand other forms of entertainment which go to make up variety. No sooner Is the want expressed than the agents strive to sell their client's ser- vices. It Is a wide open market. Tbe tiw of supply and demand regulates prices. There Is no bar to a buyer bidding as high as he wishes, «nd there Is no hard snd fast rule fixing prices for the salesman. There Is one Iron-clad rule, towever, and that is that an set once sold for > week or a series of weeks remains sold. The moment a bnyer closes with an ogent for sn •ct he fills out a silo with the name of the net. the price snd the dste, and registers It nnder • time clock whose die tiroes to seconds. These "lips determine priority of claim In the event of dispute over a nerformer'a services. Contracts sre made ont by experts In tripli- cate. They are sent to the commissioner of Li- censes for his 0. K., snd then the artist act" one. the thestre snother. while the third Is filed •t the United Booking Offices. . _ A huge press bureau has a hair acre of flllng caies containing photographs, records, »tones. Plots, technical details and hilling for every a* Paying first class houses. Tbe miment sn act Is booked the press bureau is notified, and a full supply of all matter necessary to snntwnclng tbe ■fatnre la shipped to tbe theatre to be played. Thla press department Is the largest and most efficient In the country. It handles an average of a thousand ads a week. Tbe United maintains lis own elaborate legal department and a law library ,.f tO.COO volumes. Mamies Goodman, a young lawyer of the highest standing. Is general counsel with s staff of assist- ants. He receives a princely aalsry for bis ex- c uslve services, and la pointed out In hh.» profes- sion as a shining example of tbo possibilities of Ihe taw In New fork. For that matter all the execnttTea of the United are bltltly pstd. It being sir. Keith's motto that liberality toward muted snd efficient lfeutemTrts Is the highest form of business tactics In mtntslnlng a great organisa- tion. Neither Mr. Keith nor Mr. Albee have ever had their confidence lo so employee misplaced, and During the business hours the rush and excite- ment of the booking offices Is tremendous, Only officially designated representatives of theatres and acta are permitted In tbe big rooms, but for them the place Is ss free ss air. They buy snd sell for all "big tune" acta and all "big time" theatres. All first class vaudeville centres In these rooms. Comedy la sold In quantity, dances are to be had by the gross, [sonologists and singers by scores. Any act unhooked la In stock. In a cosey corner office, quite outside of the tumult, but within Immediate reach, sits E. F. Albee, who, after B. V. Keith, created modern vaudeville. When B. F. Keith selected Edwsrd F. Albee to be his premier In the kingdom of vaudeville, he proved himself to be a shrewd Judge of men. E. F. Albee has never known defeat In his In- numerable business campaigns. Since 1893 he has been In full charge of the enormous Interests of B. F. Keith, and today, besides thst vast burden of responsibility, he is general manager of the United Booking Offices, which control all first class vaudeville and the pick of the popular "Our Matnal Girl," NORMA 1'HILLirS. With the MntanI Film Corporation. Scene from Essanay's) Two-Heel Dramatic Snbject, "THE rAY-AS-kOU-KHTEn MAN" (Released Dec. 5). became a finished technician of the theatre. His perfect taste In decoration and furnishing la ahown In the great Keith theatres, all of which he super- vised In construction snd outfitting. For Mr. Keith the young lieutenant supervised the building of tbe magnificent Keith theatres lo Boston, Providence. Philadelphia and elsewhere. Mr. Albee wstcbed every brick laid and studied every detail of construction of these houses which established a new era la theatre building In this country. After the housees opened he renuliml with tl.em until they were running like watches. Borne years after Mr. Albee had risen to he tlio Keith general manager the magnate presented him with the magnificent Keith Theatre. Provi- dence, as an outright gift It waa a princely reward for Incomparable services. It was E. F. Albte, sctlng for Mr. Keith, who created the United Booking Offices, which, next to tbe changes worked by B. F. Keith. Is Ihe greatest blessing that ever came lo American vaudeville. The U. B. 0. has made "big busi- ness" out of vaudeville, and given the business the dignity of railroading, banking or steel mak- ing. I. F. Albee la In his prime snd still the tastiest man on tbe Bialto. lie has Ihe repum- tlon of being resolutely Jost. e x » BROWNWOOD'a NEW THEATRE. Brownwood, Tex., • growing little city of 12,000 people, is to have a modern playhouse, costing In all $80,000. This theatre will be 00 by 120, with a large lobby, a ladles' par- lor and manager's office in front. Stage, 00 feet deep, with ten dressing rooms. It will be heated throughout with the latest hot air •ystem, and special attention will be given lo ventilation. The seating capacity will bo between ten and twelve hundred. The scenery and furnishings, the Illumination and electric fixtures will be up-to-dnte. The theatre will be owned by a stock com- pany incorporated under the laws of Teias with capital of $80,000, and will be leased to Peatman A Griffon, who hope to have same open for business by the first of March, 1014. Brownwood Is a railroad and college town, and one of tbe best show towns In Texas. i t i t ANOTHER CHANGE AT PAYTON'B. Tbe new Pay ton Theatre, In Newark, N. J., which has been under construction about a year, and which passed out of the hands of the Pavtons two days before the curtain wns rung up, will undergo another radical change Dec. 1, when Frank Keeney, proprietor anJ manager, will withdraw It from the stock Held and Install vaudeville and motion pic- tures as the attractions. «■•» TO SEM. BIJOU. Justice Beabury ordered tbe Bijou Theatre parcel, at Nos. 1237-1239 Broadway. New York, to be sold at auction. Tbe owners awe 1487,200 on foreclosure Judgment to the •state of Alfred M. Htlnsbslmsr. Under this heading we will publish each week Important and Interesting amusement events occurring In the corresponding week a quarter of a century ago. Nov. 2S. 188B.—Rlch-snl A. Purdy'e adaptation of tbe Sheridan Knowlea and Schiller vcr- clons of "Wllllsm Tell," originally acted at Font's Opera House, Baltimore. Md., by F. B. Wsrde. Nox. 2.1.—Harris Guards' Opera House, Peters- burg, III., dedicated. Nov. 23.—Opera House, Harvard, Neh., dedicated. Nov. 23.—Klks' Hall, Flnillsy, 0.. burned. Nov. 20.—Jules Keller made American debut at the London Theatre, New York, wllh Lravltt'a Ruropean Novelty Co. Nor. 20.—"After" anil "A Woman's Strstegcm." adapted from Ihe French, first acted In America under llicsc titles, at Proclor's Opera House, Hartford Oonn. In them Helen Barry .noilo licr American reappear- ance. Nov. 20.—The Wentworths made their profesalon. al debuta st the Dime Museum, Providence, It I. Nov. 28.—"Frances Arllne" (Mrs. John McLaugh- lin) made her professional debut at the Reading Rooms, West Philadelphia, Pa., In "School for Scandal." Nov. 20.—Ada Bell made her professional debut at Perkln'a Oraml. Hprlngfleld, Mo., as Ihe Player Queen. In "Hamlet." Nov. 27.—Grand Opera House. Tyler, Tex,, dedi- cated. Nov. 20.—"Washington Life," hy Fanny Aymar Mathews, originally acted at l'awtucket. It. I. nimiNO -run w-s>k. Tits picture of B. 1'. Keith appeared on the front page of Tits Omit™ KucasoN Minbtuslh, at Hit] HlJmi, 3nn Fran- cisco, dJslKiiuled. Jt'Lii Maukct axn St. Onmaa Huhiit were with "Running Wild." RoasnN and OUANS were at Cincinnati. A mono the mimical cniiinllea on the road wivre: "The Uttlo Tycoon." "Niicljr." "Pearl of pi-tin." "yeoman of the flimnl" and "A 'trip to Africa." RsNTrasw'a "PnlhllndorH" wttre ut Keokuk. Iowa. Oiiarlis Oioiii.an was with Mrs. Lsngtry's Oo. Jossi'ir JSKrniiaoN .Is. played In his father's company as Joseph W.irr'n. II. 0. Il.uir timnngod "ilrla/Iy Adama." SttiNioi ltriHENiTi.ii formed the Onturr The- atre Co., In Now York. A. J. Facst waa nlienil of the dray A Stephens Co ,Ti>]ix W. Vnanr. managed Hie McNIah, llamas A Arno Minstrels. Wm. H. liti.i.STTS defondrsl Ihe suit of Stnnley MtKcniM, who sought lo enjoin lilm from using Hie Idea of having lost the »»• of an arm In "Held by the ICneroy." MeKenus had used tho same In 'The SoldliT's Wife." Nhw Voiik Ki.kh Inn! n lieneflt at tlio Uriiint C|«-rn House, Rarsiias O. W, Wswt found In favor of Ihe dis- solution of the American Dramatla Fund Amio- elation. Tub John McOullougli monument In Mt Murlab Cemetery was dedicated. Hop o' Mr Tiiiiiin, the midget, was at Bristol's Museum, Worcester, Mass. L, M. OiiAWroun leased tbe Warder Grand, Kansas City. Mo., from J. L, Ilufnrd. Riaa A Hauton's Rom Hill Folly Oo. played Cronlielm's Theatre, Hohokeu, Johkpminb Maoaut was at the Orand Central, Louisville, Ky. Hi Tom Wann Joined the Fulton Brothera. I'iis Quia' Co. Clyos ano Will miixab were at the IMcn Musee, Omaha. Mii.t.cs and Fiihuin offered their ohow outfit for sale. Tuna L. OnsHiia offered a half Interest In his show for sale. *> t> TRintlTE TO IIAILEY AVEIIY. The funoral of Bailey Avery, for many yenra a well known figure In tho newspaper and theatrical world, took place Nor, ill at tho Broadway Taliornnclo, Fifty-sixth Street and Brondwny. Tlio services, which wero of tho simplest character, wero conducted hy tho Iter. Wm. A. Klrkwood, tho assistant pastor of the Tabornnclo. Many of tho deceased's friends who could not attend tho solemn function sent flnwors, while many of Broadway's host known char- acters, many of them former associates of Mr. Avery, wero present to pay their Inst respects to Ills memory. Among thenn were: Kdwln n. Jock, Harry H. Alwnrd, Retinoid Wolf, Henri Oressltt. James T. Poworr, .1. Paul Schubert, William Oodrtnnl, Kdwln W. I'unn, William II, Kill. Richard ,1. Hatrrll, Kugene Kolccy Allen, Dan J. McCarthy, Mil- ward P. Temple, Ned Holmes, W. B. Llnrt»ay, J. Clarence Hyde, Asliby Dccrlng and William K. Klbbo. After the funeral the body was shipped to Chicago, wliero It wns Intorred Nov. 21 In flrnceland Cemetery, beside that of Mr. Avery's mother. » i > HIDDL.ETON IN (UAIIIJH OF IIEUCK IKTF.HKSTH. iM. T. Mtddloton, who Is largely responsible for tlio renovation and rhango In policy of the Columbia Theatre, Indianapolis, In.!., formerly tho old Kmplro Theatre, and who was lis manager until a few weeks ago, lias been placed In charge of tho Heurk thoatrlcnl Interests In that city nnd Cincinnati, with hendqunrters In the Lyric Thcatro, in Cincin- nati, C. Hubert Hcuck, president of the Heurk company, was attracted by Mr. Mlddleton's work and offered him tho new work some time ngo, but a contract with the Columbia Amusement Company prevented acceptance until B. A. Bcrlbncr, of the latter organiza- tion, promised to release Mr, Mlddleton after ho had Rotten the Gayctv Theatre, In Cincin- nati, nnder way. The Ileuck theatres In the two cities over which Mr. Mlddleton will have control are the Lyric, which is the Shuhort theatre, In Vine Street; thn Ileuck Opera House, playing vaudeville; tho People's The- atre, playing burlosfiue, all in Cincinnati, nnd tho Columbia and the Onyety In Indlaoapolls. SOPHIE TUCKER, Whose picture appears on tlio front pat* of this Issue, is one of vaudeville's bright lights. Few stage cclelirltlcs have had tlielr Picture more often In print than sho, and •»•}•»' too well known to require lengthy notice at this time. Bhc Is now playing JbbbTjsM TMWt> vllle theatres, and last week woa at Hammer- stein's, New York. Tub Qulgley Brothers Joined Sparks' Specialty