Variety (Feb 1907)

VARIETY EMPIRE ADJOURNS SPECIAL MEET- ING. The special meeting of the Empire Cir- cuit (Western Burlesque Wheel) Com- pany's stockholders, called for Cincinnati February 8, has been called off by a noti- fication from President James J. Butler. Another meeting day will be set, but the date is indefinite. No information is obtainable as to the purpose for which the meeting was orig- inally called, although it is positively stated that nothing but routine business was involved and there was no thought of the consideration of anything remotely re- sembling a settlement of the burlesque war. VAUDEVILLE GETS ADELE PALMER. It is understood that Adele Palmer will presently go into vaudeville with a con- densed version of "A Wise Guy," sup- ported by a company of four people, in- cluding Danny Muller, to be billed as Adele Palmer and company. In this announce- ment, says Broadway gossip, is disclosed an interesting story. Emily Lytton, a former wife of Edmund Hayes, is said to have held a controlling interest in the piece. When she and her husband separated Miss Lytton, who is now a member of the "Brewster's Mil- lions" company, received from her husband all rights in the property with the proviso that she never appear in it herself. Miss Palmer is understood to have leased the production rights from Miss Lyttqn. It is also rumored that Harry Martell has secured a contract with Miss Palmer to produce the piece in burlesque next sea- son. Hayes was under . contract with Martell to appear in "A Wise Guy," but "hanged management. Miss Palmer will now fill out the Unexpired term, probably with Muller in Hayes' old part. A motion to punish Mr. Hayes for con- tempt for failure to pay arrears in alimony amounting to about $600, which came up this week in the Supreme Court, Queens Country, was withdrawn by Mrs. Hayes' attorney, Moses A. Sachs, of the World Building, Mr. Hayes having made a sub- stantial payment on account. OPPOSITION TO HOWARD. Boston, Feb. 1. Commencing next Monday the Palace Theatre, playing the Eastern Burlesque Wheel attractions, will add a long list of vaudeville acts to the regular burlesque shows coming into the house. The move is made against the Howard, which will play the Western companies shortly, with a similar kind of an olio. THREE YEARS LEASE OF "TROC." Chicago, Feb. 1. L. Lawrence Weber, Sam Scribner and Jules Hurtig, acting for the Columbia Amusement Company (Eastern Burlesque Wheel), signed a three years further lease of the Trocadero Theatre. BURLESQUE YEAR AROUND. After the close of this season the Rose Sydell "London Blondes" will take a trip through Canada and Nova Scotia, giving the show as it is now played. The tour will consume the summer vacation time. SUES MANAGER FOR $io,ooo. That her good name has been damaged to the extent of $10,000 is the claim made by Jessie Sharp, of the "Vanity Fair" burlesque company, against Sam Goldie, manager of "The Bon Tons," a similar or- ganization with which Miss Sharp was for- merly engaged as "principal boy." The young woman says Mr. Goldie has defamed her character that much money's worth and the papers have been served upon Goldie. Adolph Marks, the Chicago attorney, is representing Miss Sharp. Goldie says he hasn't enough funds to en- gage a lawyer. WHY THE VAUDBVIU,E SOCIETIES ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE PRESENT FORM OF AMERICAN CONTRACTS By AN ARTIST. TAYLOR READY FOR NEXT SEASON. Louisville, Feb. 1. According to Charles B. Taylor, man- ager of "The Parisian Belles," his plans regarding the burlesque company for next season have assumed definite shape. A new two-act musical farce has been written, the book by Mr. Taylor, music and lyrics by Theo. Morse and Jack Dris- lane. It is named "A Yellow Dog." "The Girl in the Pink Mask" will be retained as a feature in a new elaborately devised electrical presentation, surrounded by a "pony" ballet of twelve. Several re-engagements have been entered into, and in Mr. Taylor's company next fall will be found Sheppard Camp, May Belle Hurd, Frank Mack, "The English Rosebuds," Agnes Scott, Mabel Lawrence, Marie Gil- lette, May Russell and Louis Hind, musi- cal director. The present piece used in the "Belles," "A Pair of Peaches," will be played over the combination houses, with Gladys Sears and Pete Curley as the leaders. A sea- son's time on the popular-priced circuits has already been booked. BENEFIT YIELDS SUBSTANTIAL PRO- CEEDS. Thomas W. Dinkins, as treasurer of the committee having the matter in charge, sent to John Grieves a substantial check this week, the proceeds of the benefit to that unfortunate manager at Miner's Eighth Avenue last Sunday night. Dorothy Russell and her "girl act" have been booked for Keith's, Boston, next week, with the Harlem Opera House to follow. SUES GUS HILL. Robertson and Sanchette, a vaudeville team, through their attorney, M. Strass- man, 853 Broadway, entered suit this week against Gus Hill, as one of the "Night Owls" burlesque show proprietors, for two weeks salary alleging breach or contract. Mr. Hill witnessed the act recently at a Sunday concert and engaged it for twenty weeks (at $60 per) to play with the "Night Owls." The act played the week of January 14 at Waldmann's, Newark, with the com- pany, to be informed at the close that it was too "high class" for burlesque, even at $60 per. The contract held a two weeks and a one week clause, but Mr. Strassman is suing under the larger loop- hole, as no written notice of dismissal was given. Robertson and Sanchette cancelled a trip West to accept the continuous engage- ment and feel somewhat bitter toward Mr. Hill. They say that better would it have been had a travelling company man- ager seen and judged their act, than just n mere ordinary proprietor who has been in the show business for quite a few years now. The struggle of "The Association" (Keith Booking Office) to squeeze a few more pennies out of the artist is always interesting. It was this same squeezing process that brought about the White Bat strike. It is the same process that brought about the struggle between Keith and Will- iams. It is the same process that is going to bring about another struggle be- tween the managers and the artists. Once upon a time the manager of a vaudeville theatre would say to the artist, "I will pay you one hundred dollars to work for me the week of January 1st." The artist worked and received his hun- dred dollars. Both were satisfied. Then "The Association" came into being, and then the "squeeze idea" started. The manager now said, "I will pay you the one hundred dollars, but I won't. I will squeeze out five dollars of that to pay my rent for my own booking office." It is a case of Lew Dockstader's room with the slanting roof—he paid the rent and the roof occupied it. The artists pay the rent for the offices and the managers occupy them, while the artist stands out in the hallway. It was this one thing that brought about the strike. This strike was ended by the solemn promise of the managers to abolish the commission. They kept the promise, too. They did abolish it—for almost a month, and then started in again. Disgusted with such duplicity and ashamed to haggle over such a small matter the artists foolishly let it go until it was right back where it was before the trouble. Mr. Manager has got things now just as he wanted them. He has got his nice offices, which the artists pay for and can't get in, he has arranged it so that he not only collects five per cent on his own sal- ary sheet, but pulls down five per cent of the salary lists in Mike Shea's two houses, James Moore's two houses, Harry Davis* in Pittsburg, Chase's in Washington, Ker- nan's in Baltimore, and twenty or thirty smaller houses throughout the country. "Well," says Mr. Manager, "I've that fixed. Now what will I do? Ah, I think I see fifty cents a week more! We will have our own baggage wagon and collect the fifty cents the job teamster is getting now. Poll is not the only man that can make the artists pay his horse's board." There was another scheme pulled off at Providence a few years ago that was quite cute. Thnt was having the stage manager run a theatrical hotel. This worked great for a little while, but the idea was finally abandoned. Another very pretty little thing was the "individual agent" "The Association" places half a dozen or so booking agents, either in their own or outside offices. When an artist comes along that looks extra "easy," he Is turned over to the "individual agent." The beauty of this plan is that the artist must pay ten per cent instead of five. Another bright little scheme is the di- vision of responsibility. For instance. "The Association" books an act for twenty weeks. The booking agent of "The Asso- ciation" simply signs a contract agreeing to play and pay the act for that length of time. Then they sublet the act to the individual houses booked for. Sometimes the individual manager gives an individual contract for this one week, signed by himself and the artist. Take, for instance, "That" Quartet. They were booked for four weeks through the "Association" office. One was with P. B. Chase. Mr. Chase himself signed the contract, with the clause that Mr. Chase should deduct five per cent of the salary and pay it to "The Association." Another was at Keith's Union Square Theatre. A differ- ence of opinion came up between the Keith office and "That" Quartet. E. F. Albee, Keith's general manager, not only can- celled the week at their own house, but he also cancelled the week at Chaw's Theatre. "The Association" books a European act to open January 14 at the Grand Opera House in Pittsburg. The act comes to America, goes to Pittsburg, reports for work, only to be told by the local man- ager that he has no record of it being booked there. Who is responsible for the lost week? Ryan and Richfield were booked at Cook's Opera House, Rochester. At the opening show they were allowed two or three minutes to set the stage. It was impossible. And they were closed for mak- ing a "stage wait." H. V. Fitzgerald was playing at Chase's, Washington. His act was a protean one wherein he made numerous quick changes as he ran from one entrance to another. In order to facilitate the setting of the stage for the following number a slippery ground cloth was laid down. Mr. Fitzger- ald could not possibly get around on this cloth to make his changes. For this he was closed. To-day they are offering artists "blanket contracts" for next season which are absolutely useless. They call for perhaps twenty, thirty or forty weeks continuous time. And have a clause whereby they can be cancelled at two weeks' notice. They also contain a Sunday clause, ren- dering them null and void entirely. Most contain no mention of where the artist is to play. His route may read Bos- ton, Detroit, Washington, Cleveland, Prov- idence, Buffalo, and so on through the season. Supposing the contract does stato the route to be followed, there is another clause that says this route can be changed to suit the whims of the "Association." Isn't it a fine game though for "THe Association"? Did you ever, in the old days, go to a circus where there was a fellow working the three-shell game? Do you remember how the "rubes" tried to locate the little pea? Whichever shell they picked up the little pea was under another. It worked great for a while. But the three-shell boy got all puffed up with his success an.l worked the game harder and harder until by and by the "rubes" became "wise." The shells were broken and they took the "con" man's "bankroll" away. Moral: Don't crowd the limit.