Variety (March 1908)

*< .■^- TEN CENTS VOL. X., NO. 2. MARCH 21, 1908. PRICE TEN CENTS. UNITEDS NEW AQREEMENT MAKES IT EXCLUSIVE AGENT Form Prepared for Acts to Sign, Designed to Replace '*Blanket" Contracts—May Affect Outside Agents. Tliere has been prepared in the United Booking OfTices a form of agreement to which vaudevflle at'ts will be recjueatod to append their signature, making the United the "sole and exclusive agent'* of the act 80 signing during the period of time speci- fied in the agreement, a blank space hav- ing been left open for this time to be filled in. The salary weekly is also to be inserted and there is a clause stating that if by a certain date to be mentioned the United has not secured a stipulated number of wooks' engagements for the act the agree- ment may be cancelled by the artist giv- ing two weeks* notice to the agency. This booking agreement has been drawn primarily by the United to substitute for the 'blanket" contract of last season, which was promiscuously given out^ but which has been abandoned. When the new form of booking agree- ment is explained to the artist he will be told that the United will act as his agent during the season. By mutual agreement the numl)er of weeks or length of time the United is to be the act's sole and exclusive agent will be named. It will also be agreed that if the United does not secure a certain number of weeks by a certain date the agreement can be voided by the artist. As an illustration, lianks and Banks accept the agreement of the United for the season of 1908-'0(), covering forty weeks, at a salary of $250 weekly. The agreement reads that if the United does not secure at least fifteen weeks for Banks and Banks by January 1, 1009, n»»tice of the annulment may be given or the number of weeks and dates may be extended along further. l^pon receipt of the booking agreement, signed by the act, the United will then itujuire of its managers who wishes to engage Banks and Banks. When the man- agers make known their desire to this etrect a contract will be drawn and given to the act. The United will thereafter endeavor to fill the time for Banks and Banks, but will not be under the money liability the 'blanket" contract imposed for consecutive time. The booking agreement restricts the act from playing in any place not booked by the United or consented to in writing and also carries a power-of-attorney, giv- ing the United the legal right to enter into engagements for the act in the act's I'ame or its own. A commission of 5 per cent, is mentioned as the charge. The phraseology says the United shall act ad 'bDokiiig agent and manager." The agreement guarantees the act nothing. Under the agreement an act will be de- barred from applying to another or "out- si(l(!" agent while the United agreenjent is in force and the new form mav also be ainie<l to secure the signatures of a vast number of vaudeville acts which would iireituallv remove them from agents' lists. It is understood the new agreement has not as yet been sent out for signatures. MORRIS LOSES PRINCESS. Montreal, March 19. William Morris will not play vaudeville next season in the new Princess Theatre. The lease of the house has been given to the Columbia Amusement Company (East- ern Burlesque Wheel) at a reported an- nual rental of $30,000. Morris is rumored to have offered $25,000 yearly for the premises. , . . The contract existing between the own- ers of the Luilding and the Columbia Company, under which the latter was to furnish the attractions in the theatre when completed, may have had a bearing upon the decision to give the house to the burlescjue people. A lawsuit would prob- ably have followed any other course, the Columbia Company having maintained right along that its contract was fully binding upon all parties. The loss of the Princess bars Morris out of this citv unless another theatre should be built for him here. FREDERIC de BELLEVILLE IN PROS- PECT. Frederic de Belleville, the legitimate actor, may yet be brought to the vaude- ville fold. It is in prosjject that he, with Mrs. Melbourne MacDowell. will enter the continuous with ''Miss Van N'echten's Divorce Dance," the sketch played at the IMaza Hotel recontlv bv Mrs. (leorge (lould and Kyrle Bellew. Mrs. MncDowell holds the presentation rights to the piece. K(l. S. Keller, the agent, is understood to have the arrangements in hand, al- though it is not known if Mr. de Belleville is agreeable. Tie is considered by a great many one of, if not, the best leading man in the legitimate. TURNED DOWN $3,000. With announcements of his contemi)lated retirement from the stage still being r«'ad by the general public, Nat C. (Joodwin does not look a likely vaudeville proiKjsi- tion to the agents. One firm, mentioned in connection with the comedian in an endeavor to turn him into vaudeville before leaving the lield for all tijnc, made hii!i an olfer of $:?,000 weekly uj>on behalf of a manager, but .Mr. Goodwin merely mentioned they would have to do better, withoiit giving an ink- ling of the amou!it necessary to draw him over GETS EZRA KENDALL. Lvkfji-, ^ Levy (■Io^»'d this week the contract for the return to vaihleville of K/ra Kendall, who will first play at the Majestic, ( hicago, on May II. i<»r a trip of a few weeks at a salary said to be so \arv lar"e it would cause discussion to ]irint it. - Mr, K<'ndall lia-* often I n spoken of in the past as a possilile <f)ii\''it from the b'irit ijnate. where he has of late veara been starring, but the reports never came true. "THE PAT CASEY AGENCY." "The Pat Casey Agency" for the hand- ling of vaudeville numbers and features is so assured that only the hanging out of the signs stands between it and the vaudeville professional public. "Pat" J. Casey, who acquired a far- reaching fame during the recent vaudeville strife between Klaw & Erlanger and the United Booking Oflices, was very promin- ent at all times during and since the commencement of the vaudeville war. Upon the terminatit)n of the struggle he assumed an important role as the adjust- er for acts holding Klaw & Erlanger con- tracts. • This i)osition, a most delicate and haz- ardous one for any man to attempt who might value the high popularity Mr. Casey enjoys, was extraordinarily well handled by the whr)le-souled Casey. He did his l)e8t always, which was acknowl- edged, and was successful at nearly all times in preventing an open conflict be- iwe«'n the artist and the manager. His diplomatic manner attracte<l the favorable attention of the United Book- ing OMlees executive, and Casey was per- suaded to continue in his adjusting capa<ity, which he has <lnne up to the present. Now that the end of the K. & E. con- tracts has arrived, Mr. Casey intends to become a booking agent. It is surmised by those intimate in the affairs of vaude- ville that he has been i)rompted by the I'nited people to make this move, receiv- ing their assurance of warm patronage. "The I'at Casey .\gency," as .Mr. Casey has named his bu.siness, will open on April 1 next, at an address to be an- nounced by the agi-nt later. IDA FULLER BOOKED. Ma Fuller is neyotiatiuK' f'^r a summer niM in Aflanlir Cily with Ikt electrical lire d.iine. She has j\\^\ eompleled i\ tour Milder .1 Klaw iV lirlin^'cr enntr.Kt. 'i'liis wetk .Miss I'uIIer is ;il I he M;ijesti<'. .lohns- i"\\n. Pi. I'i«i(»ktd through the United.