New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

2 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER Febreary 14, 1923 FOM^Cai NEWS '"""i^^^ PLAN END OF SINGERS' ROYALTIES Music publishers and professional sing- ers are now in the midst of an argument which promises to go far and before set- tlement threatens to assume serious pro- portions. It is the paying of professional singers a royalty on the sale of the songs which they introduce and feature: The question is an old one, and at one time assumed great proportions in the United States when publishers paid for- tunes to get their numbers introduced on the stage. Singing actors were paid a straight salary and competition grew so keen that oftimes a singer got as much from the mnsic man as be did from the theatre. England's method was different, the singer was paid a royalty on the sale of the nmnber and the income which many a singer has received has been very large. Music men have finally come to the decision that this is a foolish expense, that a singer should be glad indeed to get t good nmnber for his stage offering rather than singing a nnmber for which he receives a royalty. Rtqralties are demanded by the singers because it has become a custom and the singer feels that he is entitled to it. The music publisher in his desire to get the number introduced by a good artist adopted the practice, but with business conditions as they are, they 'feel that the expenses is not only a foolish one but one which can not' be carried on. NEW LEHAR OPERA OPENS Vienna, Fd>. 12.—^Theatrical managers from all parts of t*<.e continent attended the performance of Franz Lehar's new operet- ta, "The Yellow Jacket," here last week. It tells a simple story of a Viennese girl ^ling in love with a Oiinw diplomat She marries liim and goes to China. Home- siclmess attacks her and the husband sets her free. In the end the couple are hap- pily tmitcd. In the melodies Lebar cleverly combines quaint Chinese tunes with his o\/n native airs. UNION AFFILIATION PLANNED Lonhon, Feb. 12.—Definite steps toward the affiliation of the Actors' Association with the National Association of Theatri- cal Employees and . the Musicians''Union are being taken today, when a meeting of representatives of all three organizations is to be held. This committee will draw up plans for the fomation of a federal coun- cil of the association, with the nltimate object of bringing about complete unioniza- tion of every phase of the amusement world. "JUST A GDU." OPENS London, Feb. 12.—"Just a Girl," a new three-act play by_ Charles Garvice wluch has been dramatized from the author's novel by the same name, will have its out- of-town premiere today at the Royal thea- tre, Brighton. Julian Frank is producing the play, which will be seen in Portsmouth, Cardiff, Sheffield and Liverpool, prior to coming into London. Iris Hoey, Cyril . Raymond and M'artin Lewis are in the cast. GERRARD COBaNG TO U. S. Melbousne, Australia, Feb. 12.—Gene Gerrard is now on his way to America, after completing a successful season on this continent. He will remain in America for a short time, and then ^ to England, wfaere he will take np his role in Fred Kamo's "Mayfair and Montmartre." Har- ly Mnsgrove, the Australian theatre owner, is traveling with hini and will probably go to England as well. ••CAT AND CANARV TOURING London, Feb. IZ—"The Cat- and the Canary" opened for a tour of the provinces at the Kajal, Norwich. T. C. Wray is directing the tonr. CABARET FOR "DEAD HOURS" London, Feb. 12.—Sir Alfred Butt will install a cabaret at the Empire theatre in Leicester Square, which will be played dur- ing the "dead hours" ot 5:30 P. M. to 8 P. M., before and after which the regular performances at the house are given. He plans to cater to a great many of the peo- ple who in the past have been compelled to drop into a motion picture theatre in order to while away those house. He also in- tends to continue the cabaret performance after the show is over, at 11 P. M., and run it until midnight. A revue will be staged by Albert de CourviUe for the cabaret, and the patrons will be allowed to dance at intervals. MORE HOUSE BANDS AS ACTS London, Feb. 12.—The example of John Weaver and the Victoria-Palace orchestra, who played for one week on the stage of the theatre as part of the bill, has been followed by several other music halls here. The house orchestra at the Metropolitan, directed by Leon Bassett, has been fea- tured, and John Burice and his Fmsbury- Park Empire Theatre orchestra have also been given a week on the stage. "NIKNAK MnXIONAIRE" COMING IN London, Feb. 12.—"The Niknak Mil- lionaire," which is now playine a prclimi- narv tour of the provinces, will come into a West-End theatre shortly, under ar- rangements made by Frank Ainslie and Arnold Reyner. Florence Turner is travel- ing with the company, appearing in a cur- tain-raising bit, in which she does imper- sonations of famous film-stars. "YOUNG IDEA" AT THE SAVOY London, Feb. 12.—"The Young Idea," a new play by Noel Coward, has succeeded "Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure" at the Savoy theatre. Robert Courtneidge is pre- senting the play, in the cast of which are Ann Trevor, Noel Coward, Kate Cutler. Muriel Pope, Leslie Banks. Phyllis Black, Ronald Ward, Naomi Jacob, dive Currie. Mollie Maitland, Ambrose Manning, Wal- ter Thompson and Trene Rathbone. MUSIC DIRECTOR DIES London. Feb. 12.—Caff>n Baxter, who was the musical director at the Hippo- drome, Keighly, died after being seized with a paralytic stroke which also left him bereft of speech for a few days before his death. Information as to any of his rela- tives is being sought by Donald Keir, man- ager of the Hii^odrome. O'FARRELL PUTS OVER BALLAD HIT London, Feb. S.—With the flood of nov- elty and dancing number songs, it remained for Talbott CVFarrell to demonstrate that the song big audiences like best are of the ballad type. With a new number called "When the Leaves Come Tumbling Down." at the Alhambra last week, he scored a sensation. NO. 2 CO. FOR "ROMANCE" London, Feb. 12.—Murray King and Clark have sent out a second company of "Romance," in which they have been tour- ing for the past six and a half years. The number two production is known as the Red company. Ernest A. Duval is the busi- ness manager and Arthur Knight the act- ing manager. MARIE TEMPEST OPENING London, Feb. 12.—Marie Tempest will brin.cc her production of "Good Gracious .Ajinabelle" to the Duke of York's theatre here, on Wednesday. Februar\- I4th. The piece has been two weeks on the road. BILLY REEVES RETURNING London. Feb. 12.—Billy Reeves will ar- rive here next month, and after resting for a few weeks will begin a tour of .\frica and Australia. ACT DID NOT STRAND London, Feb. 12.—Charles I^wis, man- aging director of the American Commtm- ity Attractions, denies the published ac- count of the American act of Fay & Wes- ton, stranding in London and declares that the only trouble was due to the acts' own thoughtlessness in not apiilying to the American office for instructions and therefore did not know of the postpone- ment of the opening date. In regard to the act Mr. Lewis writes as follows: "The correspondent signed this act per- sonally for a tour of Great Britain with an all American variety combination. After signing the act at our Chicago office I sailed for England to take care of business in connection with the company. Upon my arrival in London, I found that con- ditions were not as expected, and imme- diately cabled our New York and Chicago office to hold all members of company signed pending further instructions (the company consisted of ten acts) each and every act were given instructions to keep in touch with the relative offices twice weddy. Pay and Weston failed to heed this advice and in consequence did not know that the opening date had been set back, but sailed for England and I was surprised to have them walk into the hotel that I stop at in London, naturally, as- suming that they were in America the same as the additional nine acts. How- ever, I found that they were stopping in a very ordinary hotel adjacent to the Bow Street Police Station in London, and as soon as possible I had them check out (which was within two hours after learn- ing of their arrival) and secured rooms for them at my hotel (The Regent Palace Hotel). In the meantime I hurried around to the office of my London repre- sentative and secured a trial week for them at the Grand Theatre, CUpham Junction, as I wished to secure them all the work possible before the company that they were contracted with opened. I regret to state that at their opening week they did not favorably impress the book- ing managers and agents. This is not intended to be detrimental to the act, but they were not accustomed to British va- riety conditions, the orchestra was par- ticularly bad. and all these conditions had a tendency to injure them in the eyes of those that might possibly have arranged further bookings. Suffice to say that the act received no further time, ^though I might say in justice to the act, that in the latter part of the week the act 'took hold' and had it been seen under those condi- tions I feel sure that they would have re- ceived additional bookings. However, they did not and it was up to me to take care of them until they opened with our own unit This I have done. I have paid every ■ penny of their personal and living ex- penses since their arrival in this country November 27th with the exception of pos- sibly twenty dollars. In fact, last Satur- day I gave them fifteen pounds (almost $75) to pay their last week's expenses and railroad fares to Bath, where the unit opens January 22nd. I have been more than fair to this act particularly as they are alone to blame for sailing without due authority, and they further landed without the necessarj- labor permit from the British Ministry of Labor. I also have letters in my possession thanking me for the special care I have offered them. This act has not been stranded, but on the other hand has received every possi- ble courtesy through my hands. "Had this act heeded the advice given them thc\- would he in the same position of the other acts that I contracted. I have just met a party of five that comprise a part of the show that opens in Bath, Jan- iiarj- 22nd. "CRYSTALS" AT PALLADIUM London, Feb. 12.—"Crystals," the latest of Harry Day's revues, opened a two- weeks' engagement at the Palladium last week. GOVT. OPENS THEATRE AGENCY Pahis, Feb. 12.—A French Government agency, where actors, actresses and peo- ple of the theatre can go and secure em- ployment, was opened with great ceremony recently at 23 rue d'Argenteuil by M. Al- bert Deyronnet, Minister of Labor. Others present at the ceremony were M. Juillard, Prefect of the Seine and M. Robaglia. president of the General Council of the Seine, which latter body designed the of- fice to engage theatrical artists for produc- tion under a system similar to that em- ployed by the majority of theatrical agen- cies. According to articles and editorials in the Paris papers commenting on the opening, this event marks one of the most important happenings in the history ol show business and marks an era when the performer, instead of being looked upon askance by the Qiurch and shunned by society has assumed a position of im- portance as a worker. The existing system of fitting the i>er- formcrs to their parts has been full of evils. An artist, looking for work, has always been compelled to enlist the ser- vices of a theatrical agency, which, when it is successful, charges the artist, for the entire run of his contract, a sum varying from 5 to 10 or 15 per cent This state of things has pveii birtli to several flagrant abuses. It has been the custom of the performers, in order to get preferment from the agency, to pay a fee in advance. This has been a fine source of easily acquired revenue for the agents. The managers, on the other hand, find that the agents, in order to foster the affairs of a good client, have given them actors that are not fitted for the parts they are to play. This has caused dissatisfaction all around. M. Alphonse Franck, president of the Association of Managers, was behind the idea of the government theatrical agenc>' and it is due to his efforts that it has come into being. The government agency places actors in plays without charging any fee at all of any kind. Under the jurisdic- tion of the new bureau come practically all classes of theatrical employees. ' M. Dau- relly, a theatrical personage of proven ability, serves as the salaried director of the new office. Co-incident with the opening of tlie gov- ernment agency a law is being agitated to force theatrical managers, both in the dty and in the provinces, to come exclusively to the government bureau for talent to fill their troupes. The office did not wail for the official opening to start functioning. It had been in operation for three months before this time and had met with general satisfac- tion. LOIE FULLER AT COUSEUM London. 'Feb. 12.—^Loie Fuller has suf- ficiently recovered from her recent opera- tion in Paris to be able to open at the Coli- seum Theatre here today with her dancers. GOOD CIGARETTES ^ j^y GENUINE T^^TK durhah tftuir^ inh TOBACCO