The Billboard 1915-07-03: Vol 27 Iss 27 (1915-07-03)

| | | JULY 3, 1915. The Billboard 19 Ae (— “STORMY BILL” PAGE’S LETTERS TO HIS MANAGER—NO. 6 By ELMER J. WALTERS . Monkeboro, Nov. 1. Mr. J. Brooks Scribner, Mavager ‘‘Pineburst Folks"’ Co., Bergen. Dear Mr, Scribner: Yes, 1 should have made an iron-clad contract with the stationery store manager in Sanford to pay bis share of parade. We talked the matter over and he agreed to stand twenty-five per cent of $2. Instead of ripping me up the back for this seeming negligence you could have copped the amount of his sbare, and more, on the door, Other managers do it without scruples. At Brownsville the other night the manager, who sells his own tickets, bad a theater party. He wanted to see the show himself and said to the company manager, as the curtain arose: “I'm going to close the window now. What yon get from these fellows hanging around the steps you can Keep.’’ The show was a small colored farce comedy company, playing a book plece under the title of The Henroost Inspector. Mr. Yeager, the company manager, a light mulatto, after inspecting the usual clique who hang owt in front until] after the first act to get cut rates, counted enough chicfen feed to meet his own room and board at a private colored boarding house. This mistake on my part really isn't «0 serious you need to practice call-down letter on me. I note that you also consider my judgment poor in making prices 10, 20 and 30 at Day tonia, because of the capacity of the town hall. The widow running that house said 50 cents i< a Jonah with her, and.I figured it was better to pack ‘em in at 1-2-3 than to go lame in a widow's town. She is pot very charming any way. She tells me ber last show got $32 and that she made a curtain talk, telling the audi ence winter is coming on—that it takes several tons of coal to hert the town hall theater, and if the town expects shows and to witness per formances in comfort, they'll have to attend the next show (ours), (she couldn't remember the name of it while talking from the stage) This might help us some. Your roast has’ come opportunely, as I pro pose leaving your show, aud, as I have never yet succeeded in leaving my engagements. in 4 friendly manner, this would be a gold prize show if its manager should hate to lose me. How ever, I may have a show of my own soon and a few would-be managers might be looking for work. Then is when | propose demonstrating my views of how an agent in advance should be treated. No agent of mine will ever be asked to lose time laying around Western Union tickers waiting for blue telegraph money orders calling for ten spots. Money talks louder in an agent's pocket than it possibly can shout from an actor's grouch bag. ¢ I suppose I am responsible for the volunteer firemen turning the house on your company of comics at the station just before you left Chambersburg. My putting you wise to pull concerts has netted you over $200. and still I have $78 back salary coming. This I shall get before you get throngh with me. and it won't be in weekly installments of X spots either. When you understand that I am leaving you to hook up with a show owned by a millionaire you will appreciate I am able to make good. I understand you try to make all your agents a Patsy. I get it from good authority you once asked an agent, whom you owed money, to come back to the show for instructions and then walked him to the edge of the town, beat him op and frightened him away. This red-light stuff won't cet br with me. I will expect $78, ploa this week's salary less: &5 drawn on manager in last town. by * Thursday of this week, otherwise I saall tle up your show, When you reach Begleston. look out for the head usher. He passes in all his friends. If the manager of the show complains, he sends a the marshal, who pulls a bluff with his mn. At Dearborn proepecta are not good. Town Is very small When riding up from the depot with the transfer man he said he felt sorry foc as, as four of the leading citizens of Dearborn have just passed away, and two or three others, who attend all shows, have gone to war, Under separate cover you will find telephone book from Ontario. 1 mailed Hthogranha to all tanks out of Ontario, using the telephone book for addresses, figuring people with phones have the price to take in our show. You had better eet « boll-eheoting. flashy postal printed and have your actors address these according to the Ontario phone book Het. I gave up four ducats to the operator, but she wants the book back The boys shonld be willing to do thle addresatng at 25 cents an hour, It would take four bors two hours to cover Ontario, I know that the pens are bad along the Hine and that business ‘oes not warrant your buying fountain pens for this work. so I would suggest tndelibte pencils In thie way they conld grind ont postales on the train enroute. They may »well do something for the good of the show as kill time playing pedro in the e«emoker. know that the mornings are given un to finding roome am? to parade and somehow actors are like most olf ladies. they sleep in the afternoon, hence the wisdom of the Indelibte penetia and “the covering of this telenhone list between towns. You are making no drives this week, «0 the hove will have ample time. At Milanville the other day a colored mammyr and a little boy heat me to the ticket window of the Tilinole Central R. R. depot. The old lady had her change tied in one corner of a red bandana. She said to the agent: ‘Ah wants to tickuts to Electric, but Ah ain't got no education, so Ah can’t count muh money."’ By this time the agent was raking in her change. He took it all, threw down two ticket« and sald: ‘“‘You don't need an education t ride on the Illinois Central." Yours for ‘‘biz,"’ etc.. “STORMY BILL" PAGE. Agent ‘‘Pinehurst Folks’’ Co. P. 3.—I'm going to join Bill Post Campbell, in advance of Elixir of Life. A millionaire whose wife is bugs to troupe, will star. No more eallonsed hands from tacking cards and banners or swinging paste brushes. I'll have a bang-up second man, and the ghost will walk several weeks in advance but this won't pre vent me from getting the $78 coming from you. A. & M. T. A. NOTES. By F. J. L. The Ambus Corporation, formed by those intrepid agents, Jack Abrams, H. A. Morrisson, Ed Bunche and H. A. Stevenson, for the pur pose of getting rich quick by selling statuettes of Charley Chaplin, is now reduced to one mem ber, as Abrams, Morrisson and Bunche disposed of their interests to Stevenson. Abrams states that they received 32,000 copecks for their share, and some of the boys say that amounts to almost $1.50 in real money. Manny Greenberg appeared in the club wearing new neckties three days in succession. When Dee Livingston saw the last one he immediately accused Manny of cutting up the tack drop of the Sea Wolf production. From last reports George Alabama Florida is still floating along ahead of the Rice & Dore Water Cireus. Wheeling. W. Va., stogie fac tories are working overtime to replace the shortage caused by Alabam's visit there. Henry Smith is away down in Georgia, visiting the folks there. Thase riets in Atlanta last week were caused. no doubt, by Hank appearing on the «etreets in his new shirts which are some shirts, Fddie Lester arrived in town last week from Indianapolis, where he has been for the past month with the Universal Film Co. Eddie arrived just in time to console Walter Messenger for losing $305.14 with his tabloid, Ren Bass is now the night clerk at the Green Room Club. Don’t think he will stay there ewhen the weather gets real warm. as if will then be haying time on the farm in New Hampshire, and Ben is one of our best little havers Has anyone seen Ed Dolan? The boys sav that he has disappeared entirely. not having been seen in hie favorite spot on Brosdwav for two months. He may have revived The Blindness of Virtue, but haven't heard of it playing anywhere. The report comes from Chicago that Johnnie Black was in that city ahead of Rarney Oldfield, the Speed King. That is an ideal occupa tion for Johnny, as he can «ute show some speed himself when he gets started. Bert Hyer hae sold himself to H. H. Frazee for the coming season and expects to go ahead of one of the Pair of Sixes Co. Bert thinks that he will be placed with the Southern company. Thonght Frank Hopkins was a friend of yours. Bert Joe Peemer is back in town, having arrived at the parting of the ways with Al Root in St John, New Brunswick. We understand that the Chocolate Soldier didn’t break any box-office records In that region. Too bad the boys didn't close the show in Western Cargda. Charley Rigge is very busy booking Robin Hood, which show he will be ahead of the coming season. When it comes to digging them vp in Iowa, Kansas and the Dakotas he has Charley Miller and Jules Murry beaten a city block, Hew do you do it. Charley? Jimmy Grainger is back telling the boys how well Tillte’s Puncture? Romance went in the Middle West Haven't seen Fred Wynne as yet. Hope that Jimmy didn’t leave him to return by boat, Frank Chapman and Charley Keogh are moving picture magnates now, having leased the Panorama Theater in Brooklyn. Think that Charley should put Frank in a uniform when he fs on the door. Bill Hexter sears that they use only one ticket—made of rubber—between the box office and the door. Pel Punche ts now eligible to “Only Their Husbands’ Cinb,"’ as wife. Daphne Pollard. has made a tremendous hit in the new Winter Garien Show. Wonder some one didn't dis cover her before. aa she was a big hit on the Coast with the Pollard Opera Company for three or four years, WALTER DUGGAN’S NOTES Don’t know whether or not there’s any appropriateness attached to our concerned Visions of the subject involved, but in considering Barnett Franklin, alias Barney, the powerful press representative (by substituting ‘powerful’ for “famed” believe we have fooled the type-setters) of the Cort Theater in San Francisco, we liken his lige unto that of Arion, the mythica] god. There's nothing mytbical about Barney's life, but, then, the article must go on. If our mythbica) history wasn’t completely drowned by the thoughts, as well as the official vision of some one-night stands’ business this season, recollections tell us that Arion was the lyric poet of Methym na, whose life was saved from the cruelty of the mariners on a sea voyage to Italy by means of a well-known fieh, which the sweetness of Arion’s music assembled. We can't truthfully state that any fish ever saved Barney's life around the Cort Theater in San Francisco, or if Mgr. Tuxedo Theater, Barney's life was ever New York City, and threatened at any “Some Agent.”’ time. But leaving the fish out of the story of the lives of the two poets, Arion and Barney, we have a striking resemblance in the characters of the two concerned personages. Arion’s music may have been harmonious enouszh to have gathered large schools of fishes: we don’t doubt mythical professors—nay, nay, Pauline, for ‘tie they who could say one was the offspring of Endymion, and terrible would be the punishment to be condemned to a sleep of thirty years like Endymion was, especially just when we have gathered up a desire to see what's going to become of William Jennings Bryan. While all these sweet and delicatessen things may be stated about Arion’s life, they don't exceed the idiosynerasy of Barney's existence as the Pacific Coast's most capable publicity purveyor. Instead of gathering fishes with music, like Arion did, Barney gathers friends with a wonderful personality. His greatest friends are the press and advance acents who have played the Cort Theater. A theatrical press agent can’t claim bis career is thoroughly established unless he has turned his underline copy over to Berney. There's not another press agent in the country like Barney Franklin, and it makes a fellow feel good to write this, because he knows the presse agent world backs him up for flashing the established fact. It’s not distracting a single inch from other fellows’ glory by saying Barney Franklin is the greatest house press agent in the country. His record proves it. His ideas aren't stereotyped. His play for space is a wide one and most oricinal. “Why is Barney Franklin so well liked by the San Francisco newspapermen?” was the question we asked of one of the editors of The San Francisco Examiner. ‘He's reliable, and hasn't ever taken advantage of the privileges we afford him,’’ came the reply. That's the keynote of Mr. Cort’s representative's success. One has to meet Barney Franklin, work with him and follow his style closely before the title of ‘the country’s greatest house press agent’’ can be bestowed on him witbout fear of contradiction and upsetting the whole press agent world. Our fear of Barney's standing isn’t a personal one; we simply have joined our idea about Barney's caliber with hundreds of other press agents, who have repeatedly asked == we don't give up a column to Barney's rec \ WILLIAM HEXTER, We would publish Barney’s photo in this column if it wasn't for the fact that the only photo Barney ever possessed was stolen by Wally Young, dramatic critic of The San Francisco Chronicle, for lebby display for the vaudeville tour of the Young act. By this confession of theft we no longer wonder why Wally received so many mash notes. Since we can’t offer Barney's photo, we're ‘going to submit bis ideas about the agents who have visited the sacred sanctum on the second floor of the Cort Theater Building, in San Francisco. If the San Francisco newspaper editors won't cut Barney's stuff, what chance have we got, even if he does feature the introduction with axeggerations and abuse. Our only comedack will be to send him out to Toyland with another individual, possessing ececentricities, and to those who know, this will! be sufficient punishment. THE SEASON'S CROP IN AGENTS BY BARNETT FRANKLIN Comes a letter from my good friend, Walter Duggan, asking me to dash off a thousand words for The Billboard on agents, the said | F K DELIVERIES For All Theatrical Merchandise | 0U Manufacturers of COSTUMES and WIGS, Scn2, Os, jor Snely lus: eee TIGHTS WE CARRY IN STOCK A COMPLETE LINE OF STEIN’S MAKE-UP. CHICAGO COSTUME WORKS, Phone Central 6292, 143 N. Dearborn St. NEW ACT FOR A DOLLAR BILL I'll write you a two people Sketch or Monologue for A DOLLAR BILL, and if it isn’t as good an act as there is tn vaudeville I'll return your dollar without any delay or excuse. Beginners or Topliners, this guar antee is goxd. Get away from that stale stuff I'll write you a modern act that will get you work. CHAS. LANDON CARTER, Playwright, 101 N. Fourteenth St., St. Louis, Mo. Walter Duggan apparently betieving that ap impatient world is breathlessly awaiting a recital of my impressions of knights of the road, acquired during the last twelve months of my experience as purveyor of publicity for the Exposition City’s Cort Theater. Owing to the fatt that Walter himself has not visited me in an official capacity, the season bas not been startlingfy eventful, and, therefore, whatever I may here set down will naturally appear unprofitable and stale. 80 much depends on your subject, doncherknow, Two seasons ago the placid city of St. Francis by the Sea was startled by the advent in its midst of the accomplished Duggan, who was then engaged in megaphoning the glories of Kitty Gordon's expansive back. The said placid City of St. Francis by the Sea liked Walter and his megaphone, but it is still recovering. The season has produced agents of all bues, shapes, types and temperaments—from the suave, deferential pilot of the Sicilian tragedienne, Mimi Aguglia, to the adjectival Frank Wilstach, who is busily consulting a thesaurus in the southeast corner of my office as I grind out this foolish copy on my untrusty typewriter. Wiistach, by the way, is considerably annoyed over two matters just now. He declares that he can't find a worth-while typewriter (male) in town, and he ia appalled at the use of Elizabethan architecture in the Indiana State building at the Pamama-Pacific Exposition. That Stratford-on-Avon staff for the “‘Hoosier State" offends his sense of the appropriate, in spite of Booth Tarkington, George Ade, George Barr McCutcheon, Harry Leon Wilson, James Whitcomb Riley, and other literary products of In¢iana. Personally I have a sneaking notion that the design was accepted as a sort of subtle compliment to Wilstach himself on account of his long association with Sothern and Marlowe and other Shakespearean aggregations. The Exposition, incidentally, has lured severa) of the fraternity here for the summer. Some are laboring and others merely vacationizing Among the latter is James G. Peede, general manager for Richard Walton Tully's productions. I don’t know whether an acent may be properly categorized with agents after becoming a general manager, but I'll take a chance with Jim, who is a real human being. Omar, the Tentmaker, opens at the Cort the end of July, or whenever Jim gets through inspecting the Fair, and has learned six or eight new juggling tricks. Charlie Salisbury is one of those who ie laberims bard in the interests of the big show. He more than did his share toward making Zone Day the big success it was. Between times Charlie devotes himself to denying that Rennold Wolf had any provocation for writing that fancy obituary about him in The Telegraph. The sartorially-elegant Robert Long came to the Coast with Joseph Santley in When Dreams Come True, and hooked ap with Miller's 101 Ranch at the Fair, after which he proceeded to do the best werk done for any concession on the grounds. After which he bought another over coat. Fred McClellan dropped out West with Cabiria and is now controlling the destinies of the Panama Canal concession. To Exposition visitors Fred is a bigger man than Goetitals. W. H. Wright is another real person whos was lately in our midst with his dapper derby, his cheery chuckle, his hearty handshake and bis feariess, frank, forthrightness. Everywoman is still with him. Evelyn Thaw was the means of my meeting Kenneth McGaffey—that is to say, Kenneth was the path-finder for the dancer. Also, he brought “Kitty MacKay’’ westward later, and we bad a wmirth-inspiring time one night endeavoring to find a Scotch piper who could pipe in just the piping manner required to prodace the proper atmosphere for the opening of the STANDARD BOOKING ASSOCIATION GILBERT SHORTER, Producer. Supplying rellable Dramatic and Musical Comedy People in all lines. i St Auditorium Bullding, Telephone, Wabash 7184, EDWARD SUREN, Manager. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. play. It took six hours and $14.38 to gather in this piper, and we found him in a rathskellar. At the moment of writing Kenneth is being made over into a high-class moving pictare director at the Lasky etudios near Los Angeles. The celluloid drawmah has one of ite strongest enthusiasts in Kenneth. No more swindle sheets for him—for the time being, at any rate. Harry Davidson was among those present recently, looking after the interests of The Whirl of the World, giving the glassy orb to the pass fiend, and figuring out publicity stunts that nearly resulted in our incarceration. Harry makes for one of the cheery oases of the season. The two traveling gentlemen who answer to the name of Decker are also on the season's roster. The genial Wallie and your homble servant are old friends. Ask Wallie abont his latest playlet, The Little Actrese and Her Belgian Grandparents. Jim Decker is a delight ever, and in the matter of billing he is in a little class of his own. There was many a weary biceps in the camp of the local billposters when Jim got through spurring them on for The Whip. Those were pleasant visits of the two Batchelders. BE. A. was but recently bere ahead of Pavlowa, while earlier in the season Brother A. W. escorted A Pair of Sixes to the Coast. I didn’t see as much of Franklyn White, who was ahead of Peg o’ My Heart, this time as I would have liked, for Frank was a genuinely sick individual most of the time he was here. Campbell Casad, with H. B. Warner, in Under Cover; Ned Holmes, of the philological tarn of mind, with Today, and the genial Jack Pratt, with Sari. are still others who made for pleasant visits. And then. way early in the season, Ed R. Devle and Nick Wagner, both the real thing, with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, brightened a fortnight with their presence. If I've forgotten any of the boys, Diame It on the typewriter. I'm neutral. PLAYHOUSE NOTES. The City Opera House, of Watertown, N.Y. closed for the season June 7. W. Scott Mattraw. house manager, will have charge next season. The Familiy Theater, Roffalo, has been purchased by Mitchell H. Mark. Engene Falk and John F. Rurke. A skyscraper. part of which is to be devoted to a theater, may be erected op he site. : Otte Raths, postmaster of St. Panl, Minn., has sold his theater. the Gatety, to Cora Castritions. Miss Castritious also owns the Mazda Theater, Minneapolis.