Variety (May 1907)

VARIETY WESTERN MANAGERS APPOINT AGENT. Edward Ackerman, William Weston, Sara Harris and Tony Lubelski, the Cali- fornia vaudeville managers, representing three combined circuits, operating houses from 'Frisco to Denver, who were in the city last week for the purpose of forming an eastern booking connection, signed a contract with Louis Pincus, of the Morris Office, before leaving the city, under which Mr. Pincus will be their sole representative and booking agent, with power to contract for acts over their present twenty-four weeks of time. Mr. Ackerman, who signed the contract, and is apparently the head of the new circuit, is a brother of Charles Ackerman, of the Orpheum Circuit directorate. Mr. Lubelski is a California manager, and up to last Tuesday had a booking arrange- ment with the Sullivan-Considine people. Mr. Harris is the chief executive of the "Wigwam Circuit," as it is known in the West, and Mr. Weston represented the Weston-Burns Empire Circuit of vaude- ville theatres. The newly formed combination will be in direct opposition to the Sullivan-Con- sidine Circuit. Within a month it will in- corporate as The Western Managers' Vaudeville Association. Theatres in the following cities will be managed by it: St. Joseph, Mb.: Pueblo, Denver (3), Trinidad, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Reno, Nev.; San Bardino, Los Angeles (2), Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, Stockton, Vallejo, Oakland, San Francisco (3), San Jose, Santa Cruz, Marysville, Eureka, Cal.; Portland, Ore.; Seattle, Tacoma, Belling - ham, Spokane, Wash., and Vancouver, B. C. it is expected that before the arrival of the managers in San Francisco on their return trip, six more houses will have been added on the way, increasing the total number of weeks Pincus can offer to 30. Mr. Pincus has been connected with the booking office of W r illiam Morris for the past ten years. He is popular with art- iste, among whom he is known familiarly as "Louie" to legions. W T ith youth and a thorough knowledge of the booking re- sponsibilities and requisites, Mr. Pincus is regarded as a wise selection by the Western managers. It is understood that the agreement under which Mr. Pincus accepted the posi- tion gives him the privilege of a general booking agent, and in order to close up the loss of time caused by the opening date at Denver, unless an act should be worked back from the far West, Pincus will effect an arrangement with the smaller circuits here and there between New York and the opening point until he is enabled to offer artists fifty consecu- tive weeks, with not over two weeks lo9t through traveling. One of the first acts Mr. Pincus is re- ported to have negotiated for his West- ern time was Jewell's Mannikins. Offices have been secured by the agent at 1440 Broadway (Suite F) where he is now located. COMEDY CLUB EXPELS MEMBER. At the meeting of the Vaudeville Com- edy Club held last Sunday, Irving Cooper, a member of the Empire City Quartet, was expelled from the order on the recom- mendation of a committee appointed to investigate the breaking of a contract by the Quartet, held by Weber & Rush. This is the second expulsion within the past month by the club for the same reason. A plan is being worked out by the officers whereby managers will report to it all unprofessional conduct on the part of artiste, although not belonging to the club. The purpose is that if in the future the artist complained of should make application for admission, a com- mittee would look into the complaint, and if justified, membership would be refused. ANNA HELD'S UNDERSTUDY. Angela Vincent, whose domestic trou- bles have been aired in the daily prints lately, has threatened to go into vaude- ville at the opening of next season. Just now she is engaged as understudy of Anna Held in "The Parisian Model." According to Miss Vincent's own story in the separation proceedings she mar- ried David S. Meyer, a broker, of New York, with the stipulation that should she ever desire to return to the stage after the marriage, he should place no impediment in her way. Mrs. Meyer's en- gagement with the Anna Held show gave rise to a difference between huband and wife who have come into court as a con- sequence. Miss Vincent hoped to secure Miss Held's song hit as an item of her vau- deville debut, but the French actress' husband, Florenz Ziegfeld, refused per- mission, and she has decided in favor of a dramatic sketch which will be written for the purpose of her vaudeville en- trance. NO EASY TASK, SAYS KELLEY. William J. Kelley will never again es- say the production of eight vaudeville sketches in as many consecutive weeks. Speaking of the matter in Harlem this week, he said: "I will never again attempt such a task. Vaudeville is not as easy es I imagined. Every week I am placed on the bill as the headliner and compelled to make good alongside a number of acts that have been playing all season and run like clockwork. It is not easy to court such comparison. If I stay in vaudeville next season I shall select some one sketch and go on tour with it/ » BOOKED IN CHICAGO. Chicago, May 3. A. E. Johnson, of the Marinelli office in New York, and L. Johns, the Moss- Stoll representative in New York, were here for a few days last week, and booked several acts from the local houses, also the Ringling Circus, which was then showing. , The Mirza-Colem troupe was an act booked out of the circus for a New York Hippodrome appearance next fall. UNITED TO ESTABLISH FOREIGN OF- FICES. By next season the United Booking Of- fices will have established branches in the foreign capitals, under the charge of H. H. Feiber, the present United's foreign repre- sentative, now in New York, and William Passpart, who has acted as Martin Beck's personal representative abroad for some time. Mr. Passpart will arrive here within ten days, when the plans will be discussed. The foreign offices will not interfere with the arrangement existing between the United and the H. B. Marinelli office, the latter having contracted with the Keith- Williams-Western Association combina- tion to supply all its acts for this coun- try, exclusively to them as against their opposition. RUMORED K. & E. SITE. Chicago, May 3. A. L. Erlanger was in the city during the week, and after leaving it was ru- mored that he had closed negotiations for a lease of the old Orpheum theatre property, adjoining the Chicago Opera House. The rumor said that building operations would commence at once. The property mentioned is in litigation, and it is not believed to be available for any purpose at this time. Several at- tempts to secure it in the past have failed for that reason, and the courts must first untangle the snarl. It is fairly certain that Mr. Erlanger entered into some deal concerning vaude- ville while here, and his attorney, Levi Mayer, of this city, has charge of it. HOPEFUL OF POSTPONEMENT. The McNaughtons and Alice Lloyd, the two English acts, who are booked to re- turn home on May 28, after their very successful trip in New York vaudeville, are hopeful that a few weeks extension of their English time may yet be se- cured. One week longer has been con- sented to, May 21 having been the first date set for sailing. Tom McNaughton, the manager, has been busily cabling and trusts for a fa- vorable answer. There is a strong de- mand for their services for a week or so. Previous to their departure, if no post- ponement is had, both Miss Lloyd and the McNaughtons will spend the last week playing for Klaw & Erlanger in Phila- delphia. BECK LEAVES IN JUNE. Martin Beck, general manager of the Orpheum Circuit, sails on June 13 for the other side, with his family, who are now in Atlantic City. Mr. Beck will remain away six weeks. Upon his return in the Fall, he will make New York City his home. Katie Barry would like to play in Aus- tralia and England during the latter part of '08. Agents are endeavoring to ar- range it for her. VALENTINE CLOSES TO-DAY. Toledo, May 3. The Valentine theatre closes its season this week. The decision seems to have been abruptly made. CRAWFORD REMAINS WITH HART. After notifying the vaudeville agencies that in future he would be under his own management, Clifton Crawford has discov- ered that his contract with Joseph Hart has one more year to run. So he has ac- cepted the decision with good grace and will play out his original contract. Hart has so successfully handled the bookings for Crawford that his profits are said to have been considerable the past season. LYKENS IS NEGLECTED. William L. Lykens, the agent, does no! figure in the contracts signed by Eva Tanguay with the United Booking Offices. Mr. Lykens considers this a gross over- sight, and has threatened to sue Miss Tan- guay for his commission which would have come to him had his name been mentioned on the agreements. The agent procured Miss Tanguay her opening time, and while playing the Ma- jestic, Chicago, Miss Tanguay Informed him that $1,000 weekly would be her sal- ary thereafter, citing the instances of pay received by Alice Lloyd and Vesta Vic- toria. Miss Tanguay asserted she was worth more than either of the English- women to vaudeville managers, but con- sented to accept $1,000. Mr. Lykens could not procure this amount, and as she signed for a figure said to range from $500 to $050 weekly, Lykens is saddened over her indifference to his interest in the matter, claiming to hold letters and telegrams constituting himself as Miss Tanguay's sole agent. The Tanguay contracts were made di- rect by the signer with the United. Mr. Lykens was first informed of the trans- action by a letter from the artiste. Negotiations are pending for the en- gagement of Eva Tanguay at the Palace, I^ondon, the coming summer. If the book- ing is closed she will .sail as soon as she has completed the few immediate weeks she has contracted for with the United Hooking Offices. ERNEST H0GAN HOME. "ltiifus BaStus" is in town. His show closed last Saturday, and on Monday Ernest Hognn, who has been "Rufus Kastus" on the stage all season, dropped into town with four girls recruited from the company. Mr. Hogan calls them the "Four Georgia Girls," and expects that they will play this season on a roof. Mr. Hogan may do a single act himself during the summer, returning to the road in the fall with a new play called "The Minister to Blazazas." under the manage- ment of Hurtig & Seamon. The laughs in the show will commence when Mr. Hogan sneezes out the title. A florist named Nugent, with a place of business on 28th street, near Broadway, summarily caused the arrest of Mr. Hogan several days ago. Hogan was standing in front of the florist's when the proprietor ordered him away. An . argument fol- lowed, and Nugent had the colored singer arrested. He was immediately hailed out by friends. Lnter he was ar- raigned in Jefferson Market Police Court. Hogan declares that he is interested in a music publishing firm which has office! in the same building as Nugent's place of business, and protested in court that he had a perfect right to stand on the side- walk. NO DIFFERENCE TO MORRIS. The announcement that Mrs. E. L. Fernandez, the theatrical agent, will sc cure the people to be employed for the productions put forth for the Klaw A Erlanger vaudeville acts does not affect t 1m* position of William Morris, who will h"..k all vaudeville acts playing the K. & R. time. Mr. Morris' contract with the firm i-= for a number of years, during which he is the exclusive agent.