Variety (November 1907)

VARIETY UNITED IS BARRING. No doubt exists with those familiar with the workings of the United Booking Offices that an order has been issued barring the euftftipUtoat of any act playing, cr which has played, for the Klaw & Erlanger Cir- cuit. Some of the acts recently cancelling with Klaw & Erlanger have been refused time by the United upon application, and it is thought this policy will be adhered to until such time as it will be brought home to the vaudeville artists that a K. & E. contract carries with it a United barring clause. The nearest approach to a booking by a United manager of a K. & E. act was when the Bogannys, a foreign number, after can- cellation by the "Advanced" side, were signed by Frank A. Keeney for his Fulton Street theatre in Brooklyn, through H. B. Mnrinelli, one of the United's foreign rep- resentatives. At the last moment the en- gagement was called off by Mr. Keeney, presumably under orders from the United Offices. It is understood on excellent authority that the managers associated together in the United Oflices have signed an agree- ment under which they obligate them- selves not to engage anv aet which has played for the opposition. This virtually amounts to having a blacklist in the United Offices. MADE ACT KEEP CONTRACT. Chicago, Nov. 1. Lew M. Goldberg, of the Grand, Joliet, came to town Monday, securing an in- junction restraining the Florence Troupe' of acrobats from appearing at the Olympic, where they had been booked by thi Western Vaudeville Association. Mr. Goldberg claimed the act belonged to hi in for the week, and the acrobats are now playing his house, having left the Olympic on the day the Joliet man- ager secured his injunction. STOP POLICE FROM INTERFERING. Justice Marean, in the Supreme Court, Brooklyn, this week, sprang a surprise by declaring that he would issue injunctions restraining the police from interfering with Sunday exhibitions of moving pic- tures in that borough. A moving picture man had filed an ap- plication for a restraining order of this sort and it was granted. The matter will be threshed out thoroughly when the tem- porary order comes up for argument next v\ eek. The writ was taken out upon evidence offered by the applicant to the effect thar his moving picture show was not in viola- tion of the Sunday law. ARBITRATOR DECIDES. London, Oct. 19. The latest decision of Arbitrator George Ranken Askwith, appointed at the time of the strike of the artists, was given out to- day. The principal point passed upon by Mr. Askwith in his latest concerns the ques- tion of managers engaging artists at a salary which with the additional payment for matinees, would bring the total up to the former amount received before it was decided that matinees must be settled for pro rata. This was a chief cause of the recent dis- turbances, which nearly culminated in an- other strike. The artists contended the managers were eluding the spirit of the arbitrator's award by fixing upon an amount which in reality brought no more money to the player, even with the matinee payment compulsory, than previously. In his decision of to-day. which is ap- pended, the arbitrator says that the matter of salary is purely a matter of agreement between the manager and the artist: "Certain questions having arisen between man- agers and artists upon matinees, salaries an 1 contract! in relation to my award dated 14th June, 1907, I have seen the parties upon some of the questions In dispute on the 6th September ami 17th October. "The following decisions and explanations are now given: "Ml) The award means that salaries are to be henceforth based on evening performances only. "The amount of salary which any Individual artist may receive Is a matter of bargain and free negotiation between manager and artist, :i • It is impracticable for me to fix the market price of nrii-ts. Managers are at entire liberty to tlx the salary at any price the artist Is pre- pared to take, whether It is less or more than the artist received prior to or at the date of the award, provided that 1-7 or 1-12, as the case may be. of the salary so arranged Is given for each matinee and is In addition to the salary which in future bargains the artist may estimate his value at. and the manager be prepared to pay. "Managers and artists must be careful In th ' future to note: (a) That the weekly salary for six rvrnlng performances 1< the basis and (b) that to fix an Inclusive salary In the contract and then subdivide It Into proportions of r»-7 and 1-7 or as the raw may be Into 11-12 and 1-12, Is to it-' avoided. Salaries should not be fixed In less multiples than ten shillings (this sum does not apply to the matinee money). "(?> I find as a fact that the Grand Theatre. Sheffield, is associated with the Macnaghten Vaudeville Circuit, and that artists objecting lo be transferred from the Macnaghten circuit to such theatre en the ground that it is not asso- ciated with the tour are withholding consent to be transferred unreasonably. "(,T» In regard to Pavilion. Tivoli. Oxford. Knetres, Canterbury and Paragon contracts all contracts concluded between artists and man- agers en or before 7th September. 1907. on the te-ms and condition* of confirmations issued after 14th July. 1907 tthe form of which has been since abandoned), shall stand in the terms made, but all contractu concluded on the abandoned forms between 7th Sentembcr and this date shall stand., with the addition of matinee payment, unless'the same has been specifically provided for. (Signed) "GEORGE RANKEN ASKWITH.** REDUCTION INCREASES ATTEND- ANCE. Montreal, N©fT~l. The reduction of prices at the Academy of Music (Klaw & Erlanger) has brought about an increased attendance in that the- Hire. It* prices are now lower than Ben- nett's, hut whether the gross receipts have also expanded cannot he ascertained. The effect is seen, however, in the bill* offered by Bennett's lately. They have been increased in cost about JfTM) weekly. For next week the Bennett headline fea- tures are Katie Harry, "Phantastieal Phantoms'' and ''Motoring." HARRY A. BAILEY AN EDITOR. "The Poli Patter," a four page folder published weekly in the interests of Poll's, Hartford, Conn., made its bow in the New England town last week. Harry A. Bailey, manager of the house, is editor, circulation manager, reporter and editorial writer. The first number contains a leading article dis- claiming any credit for originating the idea of theatre publications, and incidentally slips in the announcement that Kthel Levey is booked for the house this week as head- liner. Under the heading of "Definitions," Mr. Bailey in his paper says: "(icoreo M. Cohan—An eccentric actor much imitated by vaudevillians. The irony of it all is that the imitators all sing and dance as a rule better than the original. "Variety—Once called the spice of life; now called the best theatrical paper published." EXCESS FARES ARE PAID. Artists on the Klaw & Erlanger Circuit are receiving their excesR fares each week now from the management of the theatre in which they play. This order was placed in effect three weeks ago on the circuit. Previous to that time it was generally understood that Klaw & Erlanger intended to "average" the fares during the season, charging the acts with the difference in amount on some jumps named in the contract the artist should pay this side of Chicago, $5, and passing a credit where the transportation exceeded that figure. While this was probably the intention at one time, the K. & E. contract in some instances specifying that" the average fare should not exceed $5, a change was made, and all house managers notified to include in the salary envelope the amount of the bill put in by the act for excess. The "Advanced Vaudeville" circuit will pay out. it is estimated, during the season for excess transportation alone about $25,- 000. Their contracts provide that the act shall be relieved of all railroad fare west of Chicago. There are many acts employ- ing from four to twenty persons or more, and this will make a big expense item be- fore the season shall have passed. The cost of travel per capita from Chicago to Kansas City is $12, and a return trip, in- cluding stops, more than doubles the amount. At least $100,000 wUL be the outlay to the railroads by K. & E. for the transporta- tion of their acts, exclusive of the fares paid by artists. SUITS AGAINST K. & E. Suits to recover an aggregate amount of nearly $75,000 are pending in the county courts against Klaw & Erlanger, arising out of cancellations of vaudeville acts. . The plaintiffs in three actions are the Florenz Troupe of Acrobats, Alenei and his Monkey and M. B. Leavitt. Mr. Leavitt's action is for $50,000. He alleges that he had verification for certain bookings of foreign acts, then on the other side. The opening dates were fixed, but put back from time to time and finally the contracts which had been made out, but not yet signed were thrown up by the man- agers. This cancellation and that of "The Congress of Spanish Dancers" make up the ground of the suit. Fortunatus Florenz' alleges that his aet was booked for twenty-five weeks' work in the "advanced vaudeville" houses. Just before the time commenced Mr. Florenz, the head of the act, was taken sick and was unable to work. The troupe played six weeks without him and was then can- celled, according to Mr. Florenz's affi- davits, on the clause in the contracts which specified the personnel of the troupe. He sues for the salary of the act for the nine- teen cancelled weeks. Alenei avers that he was forced to lay off several weeks owing to the illness of his monkey, and that this circumstance was taken advantage of by Klaw & Er- langer as a pretext to cancel his remaining time. House, Grossman & Vorhaus repre- sent the trio of plaintiffs. May Bryant has rejoined the "Boston Belles," which show she left for a time owing to illness. F. S. Waldo is now the general manager of the Franklin Square Theatre, Worces- ter, and The Nelson, Springfield, Mass., for the William Morris Amusement Com- pany. HOWARD AND HOWARD. Willie Bljd Kng< !!<■ I low iiid have risen to a strong poalllon among Slnliiftird \ n11• 11• v 111.■ :t< •« In n surprisingly shorl time. They tirst came to eapeelal notice aNmt I lie New York houses lew thun two veins agrt. Tlie turn was almost immediately seised »|»on as n novelt} In the Held of Hebrew diaieet romedy. The jwnnger of trio hn..hcrs claimed to be Hie ttrsi to introduce the character of the Hebrew mosaenger bojr, as well as breaking away from the tradlLlotH of Hie, role by appearing without u beard, lie puts a good deal of originality of method Into his work. The eomedian (Willie) is only 21 years old. Ills brother (EngeneV, who plays the "straight" pari of the aet. Is but three years older. Notwithstanding his youth, however, he writes all the parodies used In the torn, and prepares all the dialogue. Sim. Howard !'t»d Howard started out, a host ( ,f unsueressful Imitators have arisen.