Variety (Dec 1906)

VARIETY "THE PERFORMER" ADVISES FIGHT. In the last issue at hand of "The Per- former," the official organ of the Variety Artists' Federation of England, the paper editorially advises the society to coin- bat the managers who attempt to add matinee performances to contracts call- ing for two shows daily. In London it is the general rule to play two shows nightly, and no matinees are given. A portion of the article in "The Performer" follows: "MORE WORK, LESS PAY. "Notice. "Artists engaged at the South London Palace on and after the 2Gth inst. will be required to appear at a matinee on Mon- day until further notice. Rehearsal, Mon- day, 12 to 1. "WILLIAM PAYNE, Manager. COMEDY CLUB MAKES A MOVE. Worcester, Mass., Nov. 30. Jules and Ella Garrison, the vaudeville J cam, reported at Poli's Theatre here last Monday, as per contract, to play an en- gagement. They did not open at the mati- nee and have returned to New York. The management states they came on through a mistake. The vaudeville artists in the city say that the Garrisons reported at the theatre upon the advice of the Vaude- ville Comedy Club of New York, which will make a test case of a manager's obliga- tion to fulfill his contract. "Une way or another, Tt77>olia as IT the managers intend forcing a crisis. The time has come when the members of the Variety Artists' Federation must prove whether their edifice is built on sand or not. The psychological moment is at hand when the truth or the falseness of the statement 'that artists cannot stick together* must be verified, and verified conclusively. 'Is the artist, now that he has organ- ized 3,000 strong—and contained within that number will be found a majority of the best talent of the land—is he to sub- mil Lo extra work without extra re- muneration? If he is, well may the man- ager and public smile at his large talk of 'abolishing abuses/ A mass meeting should be called to formulate a cam- paign. "The owner of a racing stable would not run a racehorse in every race he could force him to run, and yet the man- agers of music halls would run their art- ists to death, if the artists arc fools enough to permit it. Were managers compelled to play for these matinees at the usual terms we are confident many of them would not be given. It is be- cause they cost comparatively nothing, and money taken in is as money found, that they are given by a certain class of managers. "Twelve performances should constitute a maximum week's work, and every ad- ditional performance should be paid for pro rata" In another page of the same issue this note appears: "The true manager is also an artist; but few artists are true managers, or they wouldn't sign the ridiculous con- tracts now in vogue." LONG LEASE OF GARDEN. Buffalo, Nov. 30. The Columbia Amusement Company for the Eastern Burlesque Wheel has taken a long term lease on the Garden The- atre here which was recently opened under its management as a burlesque house. The lease is said to be for ten years, with a renewal privilege of ten more. "BILLY" GOULD HUSTLED. Billy Gould played four shows last Sunday and then climbed a train bound for Pittsburg at 9:50. He "doubled," playing the Twenty-third Street and the Ted Marks concert at the American Theatre. This week he is at the Grand Opera House in the Smoky City. "JIM" MORTON FIGURES IT OUT. James J. Morton is walking about town with a contract in his pocket for the Joe Weber company which he neglect- ed to sign and return to the music hall. 'T fully intended to join Mr. Weber," said Morton, "and switched my bookings in vaudeville to the metropolis during re- hearsal time. But Weber insisted that I should not play the vaudeville dates in town while rehearsing. Then I went home and figured out that with the time lost in rehearsals, laying off all summer, rehearsals for fixing up the show after the first night, getting ready for new bur- lesques, etc., etc., I would not be receiving any more money on the year, would be working ten hours a day at the music hall, while now my labors foot up just half an hour daily. I guess I'll stick to the 'two-a-day' a little longer." POLPS OPERATIONS. Sylvester Z. Poli was in town on Tues- day on business connected with his build- ing operations in Scranton and Wilkes- barre. Asked whether he contemplated any further extension of his circuit other than the two towns mentioned Mr. Poli replied that he had his hands full for the present. The Scranton house, he said, is con- tracted to be completed by December 11, and in spite of a forfeiture clause of fifty dollars a day he does not expect the builders will turn it over to him before next February. Wilkes Barre, he added, would not be ready until next September. Poli claims that the house recently ac- quired by Frank A. Keeney in New Brit- ain was offered to him several times, but that he could not "see" the town as a vaudeville proposition. SQUEEZED MR. BOOM. Maurice Boom is going about this week with his engagement ring finger neatly bound up in splints, having acquired a broken joint in his search for new ma- terial for his Pennsylvania circuit. Mr. Boom looked over the bill at Pastor's Friday night in search of acts. In going into the house the outer door closed on his hand, breaking one of his fingers. He went through the evening without hav- ing the broken bone set, but declares that the acts he selected for use on his circuit must work half price in payment of his mental and bodily anguish. RUBY'S APPLICATION IS IN. Jules Ruby has filed with Commissioner <>f Licenses .lohn N. Bogart his applica- tion for a license to do business as a regular booking agent. He will open of- fices on Broadway as soon as the license bureau grants him a permit to run an employment agency. COLISEUM RE-OPENS CHRISTMAS. London, Nov. 22. Harry Thomas' Coliseum company re- organization scheme consists of issuing new $25 shares which are to be handed out for $5, $20 being considered paid. By this method it is hoped to raise $150,000 for working capital. Variety's prophecy that the Coliseum would open about Christmas will probably be fulfilled. Last Monday was licensing day for places north of the Thames, and through King's Counsel Gill the house asked for a music hall license, though formerly had a meat rical one, to admit of large produc- tions. Mr. Gill spoke of the financial troubles and voluntary liquidation of the grand establishment, with Mr. Stoll's ap- pointment as receiver and manager. ihe chairman of the Licensing Commit- tee: "Mr. St oil is proposing to reopen at an early date?" -^- ^-. Mr. Gill: "It is anticipated at an early date, but even if the present scheme falls through and the place sold, it is impor- tant that it should be licensed." The license was renewed. KARNO'S PEOPLE RETURN HOME. Ten people who came over in the first Karno company and played "A Night in an English Music Hall" returned to Eng- land this week to take part in a new Karno act called "A Football Match," to be produced at Manchester for the first time December 24. Harry Royston, who played the "drunk" for a while in the "Hall" sketch, was among the number. Most were disin- clined to leave America. The larger sal- aries paid over here proved enticing and they were loath to return to the former scale. The Karno company now playing "Ama- teur Night" at Hammerstein's will remain here with four of"the Karno acts in its repertoire. KNOWS 420 PLAYS. A thorough knowledge of 420 plays and live sketches in his vaudeville repertoire is the high water mark for mental stor- age recorded by Harry Corson Clarke, who is now on the Williams circuit with Mar- garet Dale Owen in one of the short plays. Mr. Corson is playing the Alham- bra this week. Before entering vaudeville Mr. Clarke conducted road companies, played in Western stock organizations and other- wise was interested from both ends in productions until he had accumulated in- timate acquaintance with 420 plays, and Mr. Clarke stands ready to step into any of his former parts without a glance at the manuscript. MOVE TO ABOLISH BILLBOARDS. Washington, D. C, Nov. 30. There is a movement on foot among the municipal authorities and clergymen of this city to do away with the posting of theatrical paper. The contention is made that in frequent cases the pictures offend good taste and that in all cases they disfigure the beauty of the streets. The theatrical managers have called a meeting with the intention of devising means to prevent the carrying out of (his plan. KEITH-PROCTOR "UNION" TROUBLE. The Amalgamated Association of Struc- tural Ironworkers, who are leading the labor union fight against the Keith-Proc- tor new vaudeville house in Jersey City, have gone a step further in their cam- paign. All this week a delegate of the union has done picket duty, posted in u prominent position in front of the main entrance, from which he watched the crowd going in and noted any member of a labor union who patronized the estab- lishment. The Keith-Proctor people have not been entirely effortless in holding up their end of the fight. Last week they caused the arrest of a driver who paraded the streets with a wagon decorated with certain le- gends setting forth that the vaudeville theatre was "unfair." A member of the stage mechanics' order was likewise ar- rested for posting up stickers bearing printed matter to the same purpose. The Keith-Proctor people will, it is said, push the prosecution of these two men. alleg- ing that their acts were in the nature of a conspiracy. NEW YORK FIRMLY CLOSED. It is not likely that the Sunday con- certs at the New York Theater will ever be resumed, at least not while the house is owned by the theatrical syndicate. The New York was the only house controlled by the "trust" that was ever opened for regular Sunday performances, and Al. Hay ma n. its mentor, has always protested iigainst the members of the big alliance placing themselves in the attitude of go- ing directly contrary to the precepts of the church element. The profits on one performance ** week, he feels, do not com- pensate for the prejudice that might he aroused against their numerous entnrpTi!*'* in the city. GOLDIE MOHR'S $6,ooo ACT. Wilmington, Del., Nov. 30, Manager W. L. VK>ckstader of the (rar rick Theatre is of the opinion that pretty milch the whole population of this town reads Variety, lie had planned a large mystery for this week's bill with Oioldie Mohr ;is the feature. She was unnamed in the billing and a reward of $100 wa* offered to the person who made the first correct guess. The winner was a long shoreman, who had read of Miss Mohr'* engagement in last week's Variety. The widow of the late Allan Woe* J sang three songs with a gorgeous costume for each at her first appearance in vaude- ville last Monday. The first was an auto- mobile coat with cap and veil designed by Reno and costing $1,500; the second change was to an Irish point lace dress costing $2,800, and her last dazzler, a green creation, is declared in at $1,000. Beside which she carries a rose drop worth $500. The whole outfit set back the Mohr exchequer $0,000. No one here seemed to care what she did while the wardrobe held out. Jennie Jacobs, the London agent, now here, returns to England on the 19th. LEAVE THE "AMERICANS." Several members of Miner's "Ameri- cans," which played the Dewey last week, closed with that show at the termination of its engagement on Fourteenth street. Among the number were The Breakaway Barlows and Olga Roller and Robert Hig- gins, of Clark, Iliggins and Bergman.