The Billboard 1924-03-22: Vol 36 Iss 12 (1924-03-22)

MARCH 22, 1924 The Biltboarad 34e terviewed on this subject is of the same -— a jion—arbitration as at present conducted by the N. V. A. is a farce known In which the actor was not even apprised of the fact that he was a party to an arbitration and in which the actor was not represented in any way at Cases are the hearings. There is no appeal from the decisions of the board. { Is There a Bright Side? | We have discussed some twenty odd abuses from which the vaudeville artiste suffers. Were we to include all the petty tyrannies that are minor officials in and out of the offices who have a power which they know not how to wield, and all the vexations, inneyances and humiliations which the actor encounters during every day of his professional life, our Iiet would not end for many pages, There may be those who wonder whether we have not drawn too gloomy a picture and whether we are not #0 strongly biased in favor of the actor as to be unable to see any good on the other side—the side of management. So much !s heard of what Mr. Albee and his associates In the V. M. P. A. have done for vaudeville that it may be hard for some to believe that in this process of elevation the vaudeville actor has not received some of the benefit. Mr, Albee and his associates have done much for vaudeville—from the business point of view. They have raised vaudeville from its humble beginnings to one of the most popular forms of entertainment in this country. They have built c!ains of beantiful playhouses thru practiced by hooking out the lencth and breadth of the land. They have metamorphosed vaudeville from a haphazard enterprise into a highly systematized business which compares favorably In organiza tion with any of our “‘big businesses’’, Vaudeville is, in the main, run efficiently and fn an orderly manner. Thousands of actors are routed over hundreds of theaters ecattered over a vast territory with the minimum of friction and con fusion. They have made vaudeville “respectable’ from the Main Street point of view and profitable from the Wall street point of view. All this is a mighty a serve due credit, est. hievement and they deally Mr, E. F. Albee, who is acknowledged by all, even his bitterest enemies, to be a genius in his field. But have they done anything for the artiste? They have put at his disposal a magnificent clubhouse. Their new theaters offer the actor conveniences, comforts and even luxuries undreamt of ten years ago, They dispense charity to the sick and needy. They pay the actor's widow or orphan $1,000 when he dies, a good part of which dole he has contributed himself during his lifetime They have obtained the privilege of trade discounts for bim at certain stores. Occasionally they make a big show of correcting a flagrant case of injustice, as re cently when Mr. Albee ordered one of his house r managers to fund to an actor the money he bad been docked for failure one or two performances as the result of a carbuncle; and threatened to discharge this manager if ever again he were guilty of such heartless conduct. Mr, Albee is a paternalist, and In his paternalistle way he has bestowed some favors upon the to appear during vaudeville actor, and to some extent has induced his fellow-managers to do likewise. A paragraph from Mr. Albee’s letter In Vatdeville News, from which we have already quoted, clearly reveals this paternalistic at titude. “It is my purpose to extend the gen efal cond n prevalent ip (which 8 this country) of looking after those who are unable to care for themselves, or who meet with misfortune, and if 3 can induce any manager in any country. or any organization, to adopt the same methods, I will ask the privilege from no one, but go ahead and do it, and it is up to those with whom I confer to accept or tyrn down atv sugges » that comes from me. If there is any one riding a high horse in our profession, it fis time they dismounted, and accepted and put Into operation charitable principle Ipful th and real action in estab! shine a foundation under the theatrical profession as a whole for the benefit of all members when misfortune Otertakes them, to tmpreve the condi tions In any and every ¥ Where ehortcomings are found Neither side can be dictatorial There must be a real fra ternal nterest,"" There is, however, no actor who would not gladly return all the favors he has recelved— even were they tenfold what they are—if, Intead a single indamental abttse were remedied; if, for instance, every actor could ok directly and without discrimination witb ny hooking office per cent. Let briefly review the conditions that the vaudeville actor is up against. Except f the few who do hie is 9 poorly paid profession high m thelr face, but after all the expenses we have detailed have been met we find that the gross has shrunk to a very greatly reduced net Qnd when we think in terms of yearly tne instead of weekly salary we see how unemploy ment cuts into annual earnings. There are ne Statistics on average annual earnings, bat It ts probable that there are many more vaudeville ertistas earning lesa than $2,000 net than there at a maximum charge of five earn princely salaries Salaries may be me CHARLESTON BLUES Goody Holden of the Holden Orchestras says: The Introduction starts off with a bang and the patrons then wonder what is coming next. This is just the kind of a hit that people want nowadays. cae THREE REAL HITS ANT WEBE OLD PALS AGAIN A Beautiful Fox-Trot Ballad YOU CAN'T DO WHAT MY LAST MAN DID (Blues) Orchestration 25c Orchestra Club Subscription $2.00 Yearly CHATEAU MUSIC PUB. CO. 1547 Broadway, N. Y. 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J. higher so are Salaries years are who earn than they were expenses and living costs, whether from a pect more. twenty may be aco, but and it is doubtful miary point of view the average artiste is any better, if as well off today as he was a decade or two ago. All salaries were cut last year and it is reported that further cuts are scheduled for the coming season. The personal representative of today is at least as avaricious in his demands for fees and commissions as his predecessor, the agent, ever was. He never ess than five per cent from the actor; 7% per cent is not uncommra; and even higher commissions are sometimes demanded and paid. The personal representative could be eliminated from the withoat any loss from the point of view of efficiency and to the great advantage of the actor, but the big circuits make a profit out of him and find him useful in other ways and so he stays On and preys upon the actor. In addition to this, the actor continues to pay his five per cent to the booking offices. takes business Mr. Alexander Pantages bad an article in the July 20 issue of Vande ville News in which he talke? of the “‘dicnity’’ which now sur rounds the vaudeville actor. He referred especially to the fact that vaudeville artistes are frequently guests of honor at public banquets at which they address attentive and respectfol audiences, not on their own profession, But on the affairs of the world. It may be true that the vaudeville actor has acquired more dignity in the eyes of the world at large but with his own profession he is traveling the opposite direction. How much dignity can a worker have wha has no voice in the making of the contract which governs hfs con not allowed to join an organization which might support him in an attempt to get a sqnare deal? “His not to reason why, his but to sign or die’, might be the motto of every vaudeville artiste, On the cover of Vaudeville News there appears each week a picture of two clasped hands. One is labeled ‘“‘Manager’’, the other “‘Artist’’. A true representation of the situation would show the artiste standing at attention with his hand at salute receiving orders from his officer. If there fs a bright side to the picture it Hes in the future, not in the past. VAUDEVILLE NOTES (Continued from page 34a) GLEASON and DOROTHY WATERMAN principals in the revue and five girls compose a band billed as “Five Melody Girls’’. The offering was written, staged and directed by NED DANDY and is sponsored by him... . JOE WALLACE, formerly with the PILSER and DOUGLAS act, and JOE CAPPO, formerly with HARRY DOWNING on the Keith Cirenit, have teamed and opened last week on the Fos Time to break in their new act, called “The Two Italian Cake-Naters’’, which features comedy, dancing and singing with “Wop” characterizations. WALLACE relates the unusual coincidence that he and his new partner not only possess the same Christian names put were born on the same day in the same year. The BARRIE OLIVER Reyue, featuring OLIVER and HELEN PIERLOT, has received bookings thru the CHARLES WILSIIIN office over the Delmar Time. .’. . JOHNNY GILROY, NAGEL and MACK, featuring singing and dancing, opened last week, playing independent stuff up New York The act is expected State. to make its first New York appearance within a few weeks....‘‘Songs and Smiles,” singing and dancing act, with ELLEN WESTON, DORIS ANDERSON and the and GOULD, opened last week in Albany, N. Y¥., to play independent time. . BILLY and MARGIE FAU ST opened on Long Island recently in a new comedy revolving ladder act ---eCHARLES NEWELL is rehearsing a novelty acrobatie offering ts to have it in readiness for within a week or ten days. ... BREITBART, st team of WHITE and expec pening ope I ing i man ad lined on the Keith Cirenit, has resumed book ings. He had been compelled to v off on account of a bursted blood vessel in his head VENTRILOQUISM For Vautleville or Heme Enter. tainn t POSITIVE ¢ ARANT you a ventr J two “ ke a 4 v e t it s de w ? ' Send 1 for S \ : li MARIE GREER me they 28 W. Madison St., Cl , ACTS Kinny . Monoloss, Pas mplete Minstrel S ~e* GAMBLE, Playwright. East Liverpool, atamD, 3s dies. $1.50 Ohio. FALK” s MAIZE AND BLUE STRSSP RTOS, Open f e te La rect from 1 uiversity of Mi an State all in first communication Address MY iON FALK 2100 N. State St., Ann Arbor, Michiga: MUSIC WRITERS MSS. PAPER Yow need it. Free sample sheets NEW IDBA MUSIC SEBVICR, 401 Bomay Bidg.. 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