New York Clipper (Jun 1923)

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June 6, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 7 EQUITY SHOP IS RATIFIED AT ANNUAL ME ETING OF A CTORS ASSN. That Actors' Organization Has No Intuition of "Backing DoW to Managers Is Made Emphatic by John Emerson, Who Is Reflected President of the A. E. A. "Equity will under no circumstances abandon its Equity Shop policy," de- clared John Emerson, President of the Actors' Equity Association, addressing one thousand members of the actors' organization at its tenth annual meeting, held last Monday afternoon at the Ho- tel Astor. The declaration was met with a storm of cheers, which was in itself sufficient to voice the sentiment of Equity. "We have not the slightest intention of backing down and the managers know it. Statements from inanagers that they will retire from business or import European actors or themselves go to Europe are obviously ridiculous," continued Emerson. "Managers have too often made these same statements in the past. Of late many managers have told us in confidence that, while they opposed Equity Shop, rather than see the extinction of Equity, they would vote for this measure in the Producing Managers' Association." The above, in sum and substance, gives Equity's positive stand in the mat- ter, reiterates their sentiments of an in- dignation meeting called several weeks ago when they called ofl all arbitration conferences with the Producing Man- agers' Association and announced em- Sliatically that the managers would ave to make good their agreement to operate under Equity Shop conditions next June or else there would be another Actor's Strike. The Producing Managers' Association held a meeting also on Monday after- noon. .\1though no information was forthcoming from their wigwam, they undoubtedly had anticipated the ratifica- tion of Equity Shop at the Equity meeting and arc evidently putting their heads together to map out just what course of procedure they will take to- ward meeting the demands of Equity or whether they will close the theatres and stop producing, as manjr have threat- ened to do at the expiration of the cur- rent Equity-P. M. A. agreement' which gives them immunity from the Equity Shop policy for another year. The managers will undoubtedly meet again this week and perhaps will issue their declaration when they are officially in- formed of what took place at the Equity meeting. Assets of $110,923. of which $88,000 is in cash, were announced by Prank Gillmore, Executive Secretary and "Treasurer. A gross gain of $13,991, ac- quired in the last year, was shown in this report which was read in connection with the association's plans for strength- ening its stand in event of a struggle with the managers. The affiliation with the Australian and British actors associations will prevent managers from importing actors BELASCO MAY STAR BILLIE BURKE Last Monday David Belasco and Florenz Ziegfeld held several conferences regarding the future dramatic career of Billie Burke, Ziegfeld's wife. It is understood that Zieg- feld has no play for Miss Burke to appear in ne.xt season, he will entrust her to the management of Belasco who has a play in which he would like her to appear. Con- tracts will probably be signed this week prior to Belasco's departure for California. LEE SHUBERT RECUPERA'HNG Lee Shubert who was confined to his home last week with a severe attack of tonsilitis is recuperating and is expected back at his office this week. into this country to take the place of striking members, Mr. Gilmore declared in commenting upon the threat of the Selwyns and other managers to import foreign productions, with foreign actors in the cast, in the event of a strike. The entire regular ticket for officers and council members was elected. The officers to serve during the next year will be: President, John Emerson: first vice president, Ethel Barry more; second vice-president. Grant Mitchell; record- ing secretary. Grant Stewart; treasurer, Frank Gillmore; new council members to serve three years, replacing those whose terms have expired: Edmund Breese, Frederic Burt, Will Deming, Leo Ditrichstein, Malcolm Duncan, Elsie- Ferguson, Henrj- Hull, Doris Keans, Otto Kruger, Bert Lytell, Bruce McRae, Ralph Morgan, Rollo Peters, Echlin Gayer, Joseph Santley and Ernest "Truex; Council members to serve until the annual election oi 1924 to take the place of members who have resigned are: Alexandra Carlisle and Paul Harvey. The activities of the association dur- ing the last year include work at the legislative . centers opposing the pending confiscatory Texas tax law on tent shows, the pending South Carolina bill to place an additional 10 per cent tax on theatre tickets, and the bills in Wis- consin and Albany legalizing Sunday performances. "Our plans for the future include spe- cial protection for stage children," said Mr. Gillmore. We are bound to pro- vide this protection inasmuch as we oppose laws to bar children from the stage. Playwrights who attempt to de- pict life must be empowered to write child parts if the .American drama is to develop. But the children who enact those parts must be safely guarded and educated to the best advantage. "Equity will also institute a special campaign for sanitary dressing roomk in theatres throughout the country. Af- ter Equity Shop has been established, we shall undoubtedly insist that the present unhealthy arrangements in some places be corrected. We are also fight- ing for a reduction of railroad rates for theatrical companies, although the man- ager, and not the legitimate actor, profits by this. "We have to report that business is booming in the theatrical world both in New York and in the West. In New York there were on June 2nd 38 legiti- mate theatrical attractions, musical and dramatic, playing in the English lan- guage on Broadway as against 35 at the same time last year. In the West stock companies everywhere are flourishing, while the tent and repertoire branches report practically no unemployment." The meeting was largely attended. FAIRBANKS TWINS IN STOCK Both of the Fairbanks Twins, who were last starred in "Two Little Girls in Blue," are members of dramatic stock companies. Madeline joined the Jessie Bonstelle stock company at the Harlem Opera House last Monday and made her first appearance in "Daddies," which is this week's offering. The other twin, Marion, is appearing with the Maude Fealy stock company in Rosc- ville, N. J. SCRANTON STOCK CLOSES The Dramatic Stock Company at the Academy, Scranton, Pa., closed on Satur- day, June 2. BAILEY RENEWS REPUBLIC LEASE Oliver D. Bailey, present lessee of the Republic Theatre, New York City, has renewed his lease of the playhouse for a period of twenty-one years at an an- nual rental of $35,000. Bailey was formerly a motion picture director and playwright, who came to Broadway several years ago in quest of a theatre in which to produce several plays from his own pen. Prohibitive guarantees which were asked of Bailey for theatres were sufficiently staggering to discourage him and just as he was about to'throw up the sponge he stumbled into the Fulton Theatre at a time when that theatre was the- prize "flop" house in the Broadway district. Being a drug on the market Bailey was able to procure it at a reasonable rental and oiTcied sev- eral plays there which included "A Stitch In Time" and others of which he was au- thor. He later made a deal with the Theatre Guild whereby he was to have first call on all of their productions that showed Broadway possibilities. The first guild production he brought uptown was "John Ferguson."'This show put the house on the map by demonstrating that a good show could do business there and Bailey had little difficulty in keeping its stage occu- pied. In fact. Bailey cleaned up so well that when his lease was up he was of- fered a renewal at a considerable jump in the annual rental. He relinquished the Fulton and tcxik over the Republic last year, leasing it for a period of one year. Since taking it over the house has not had a vacant week inasmuch as "Abie's Irish Rose" has been playing there from the time Bailey took over the theatre and is still going strong at that house. The show is in on a sixty-forty basis. It has been doing phenomenal business better- ing $IO.0CO weekly for the greater part of its run. It has recently been hovering around $7,500. It is estimated that the first ten weeks of the run netted Bailey the yearly rental and that he has since piled up nearly. $100,000 in profits since taking over the theatre. HELEN COATS SUIT DISMISSED Rome. Ga., June 2.—Holding that Helen .\. Coats, an actress of New York and .Atlanta had failed to establish evidence indicating breach of promise on the part of James F. de Journett, a wholesale grocer, of this city. Judge Samuel H. Sid- ley, in the Federal Court, dismissed her .cuit aeainst the erocer in which she asked $50,000 heart balm. LIGHTNIN'S SISTER LINDA CARLON ■a Lrvto ud CanloB's "A Friend in Need" a plarlet bj Howard Emmett RoKera PEACE IN "THE. FOLLIES'* Florenz Ziegfeld and Gallagher and Shean made their peace early Friuy morn- ing and as a result the litigation which the manager brought in the Supreme Court to restrain the actors from leaving the cast of "The Follies" at the New Amsterdam "The- atre last Saturday night was discontinued. Last "Thursdajr night after the perform- ance of "The Follies" Ziegfeld sununoned the two actors to his office and informed them that it was foolish to waste what money they were making by defending suits in the tourt and that the best thing they could do_ with him would be to come to some amicable agreement with him regard- ing their contract. It is said that he also informed them that in case they did leave the cast of the show he would take meas- ures to restrain them from appearing in any other show, vaudeville or motion pictures during the entire run of the present "Fol- lies." Ziegfeld also told them that if they -would elect to remain with the show he would make conceptions that wouM prove to their benefit It is said that the concessions in- cluded an increase of $500 a wcwk in their salary and that he would also permit them to begin work next week on a motion pic- ture they had contracted to make with William Fox. They were also informed that arrangem«nts had been made witK George White through Charles B. Dilling- ham_ whereby he would set back the pro- duction of a play by Aaron Hoffman in which the comedians are to be starred next season. It took Ziegfek) more than two hours to lav his proposition before the actors, after which they began to make counter proposi- tions. They wanted $2,500 a week, which was $1,000 more than their present salary, and also requested that additional scenes be alloted them in "The Follies." Finally, Ziegfeld agreed to interpolate the new scenes in the show, they agreed to accept S2.000 a week in New York and $2,500 a week on the road. Prior to his meeting with Gallagher and Shean. Ziegfeld made new contracts with Gilda Gray and Andrew Toombs, who had run of the play contracts which expired June 1st. Both of these principals were given a substantial increase in salary and will remain with the attraction until the end of its road tour. 'TWO MIKES" SUIT DISCONTINUED Mindlin and Goldreyer. the "Twp Mikes," have discontinued their suit against the Klaw Theatre Company to re- cover $3,300, which was begun in the Su- preme Court two weeks ago. The Klaw Theatre Company repaid Mindlin and Goldreyer $2,500. which was given as se- curity for rental^ when their attraction. "The Last Warning." took possession of the theatre last October. They were also given $232. which was 60 per cent of their share of the receipts of $391, which was the base of litigation they began against the theatre when the attraction was or- dered to vacate on the claim of Joseph Klaw that it had done $6,800 on the week of March 24. while the producers claimed that tickets the>' bought had brought the amount of business to $7,200 on the week. "TAKE A CHANCE" AGAIN "Take a Chance" is to be resurrected for a late summer showing at a Broadway theatre the latter part of AugusL This is the musical comedy by H. I. Phillips and Harold Orlob which was tried out earlier in the season and shelved. Since its retirement the piece has been revamped and is said to be in much better shape for a chance on Broadway than it was \^hen hauled in. Phillips and Orlob, who promoted the production of the show, grabbed a lot of space in its early stages by giving an in- vitation dinner at the Central Park Casino, inviting those present to boy stock in the show. A number signed pledges but the majority are sakl to have ' welched" when it came time to post the coin. Orlob float- ed the piece from another angle atxl sent it out for several weeks,^ finally bringing it in for much needed fixing.