Variety (April 1908)

■ VARIETY V MARINELLI CORPORATION OPERAT- ING. , "H. B. Marinelli, Ino," the newly formed corporation of H. B. Marinelli's to conduct his booking business, is now operating the various offices in New York and the prin- cipal capitals of Europe, where Mr. Mari- nelli has located. The corporate style went into effect on March 10. H. B. Marinelli is the governor of the concern, and John Edward Fowle of London, secretary, subject to the pleas- ure of the board of directors. Among that board are Charles Bornhaupt, man- ager of the New York branch; Leo Masse, in charge at Berlin, and E. Wolheim, the London representative. Mr. Marinelli per- sonally oversees the Paris office. , The headquarters of the corporation are officially set down as Charing Cross, Lon- dan.- Though no verification can be had, it is said some of the stock of H. B. Marinelli, Inc., will be purchased by a great many continental managers, principally in Ger- many and Austria. Many of these now "split" the commission received by Mari- nelli (ten per cent.), the management of the theatre booked for receiving One-half. Manager Steiner, of the Wintergarten, Berlin, is the only manager generally con- ceded hot to accept any commission upon the acts booked in his house. - Nothing is known as to whether the continental managers, if they become stockholders in the Marinelli company, will waive the usual five per cent, in favor of the corporation, or continue to receive that in addition to any profitsharing the incorporated concern may declare. The Marinelli 'agency, as it will prob- ably continue to be known, is said to have the most complete system of any vaude- ville booking agency. Daily reports are exchanged between all branch offices, and it is seldom anything of importance hap- pens in variety circles anywhere that the agency is not quickly apprised of, impart- ing the information to the other branches and those concerned. The daily report made up by each office is complete, tabulating' all happenings, from the moment of arrival of attaches to the locking of the doors at closing time. A report lately sent out by one of the branches mentioning its manager had tardily arrived that same morning, read, "Mr. Blank must have been out very late last night." Chas. Diedorman will arrive in a week from the other side to take up the treas- urership of the New York office. Michel Callus, who holds that position now, will be advanced. HANLON'S "GIRL ACT." A "girl act" with an initial cost of $8,000 is the production Geo. Hanlon, Jr., has ready for the managers, to be pre- sented on April 27 for the first time if contracts are signed. There will be fourteen young women in the cast, with spectacular settings. Mr. Hanlon has, it is understood, received fa- vorable consideration of his overtures for vaudeville time. WESTERN STATES' BIGGEST ACT. The highest priced act to play the time of the Western States Vaudeville Mana- gers' Association is that given by Bob Fitzsimmons and his wifeT* They "open at the Empire, San Francisco, on May 4. for a trip of eight weeks over the circuit. While West, Mr. Fitzsimmons will en- gage in active "fight" talk. J. C. Matthews acted as Fitzsimmons' agent, the booking for the association having been made by Louis Pincus, its Eastern representative. The weekly salary, although not given out, is reported to be at a figure between $500 and $1,000. THORNTON IN BANKRUPTCY./ A petition in bankruptcy was filed this week by James Thornton, the monologist. Liabilities are placed at $1,336. The assets given amount to $100, but exemption is claimed. Mr. Thornton in his petition says royalties for musical compositions are due him from twO publishing firms. Jenie Jacobs, the agent, entered suit last week against Mr. Thornton for com- missions alleged to be due her. M. Strass- man, Miss Jacobs' attorney, will oppose the bankrupts* discharge of Thornton's. ROGERS BROS. FOR THREE WEEKS. Pat Casey got a on the job" bright and early last Monday morning. Before the town clock called out the city for its evening meal, Mr. Casey had placed the future open time of the Rogers Brothers in a condition allowing of the German comedians playing three weeks in Mr. Casey's specialty, vaudeville, if they so say. KENDALL COMES HIGH. The vaudeville engagements offered to Ezra Kendall 'n the Kohl & Castle houses, Chicago, have been declined by the mono- logist, he having expressed a desire to make his vaudeville appearance in New York City. The New York managers admit they are agreeable to Mr. Kendall's wish, but there is a difference on the salary question which has barred the negotiations for an open- ing date. Mr. Kendall is reported to have set his figure at $1,500, while the vaudeville managers refused to converse upon any proposition calling for over $1,000 weekly. EUROPE OFF FOR 4 MORTONS. It has rather a pleasant sound to hear of a vaudeville act which never claimed to be anything else sending a figure for weekly compensation kiting up around the $1,500 mark, and that amount of salary is what has ended the negotiations for the Four Mortons to appear upon the Moss- Stoll circuit in England. The London managers wanted the Four Mortons quite badly, but $1,500 a week is an amount they have not grown accus- tomed to, so the contracts were not drawn. With the Mortons, vaudeville, their former field of labor, is now a pleasure ground, and when the Englishmen's decision was carried to Sam Morton, he laughed, and told "another story." ALL FIXED FOR EDNA. Everything has been fixed for Edna Wallace Hopper after her season with "Fifty Miles From Boston" ends. The Casey Agency will have Jta hand on the throttle of the vaudeville engagement. INJUNCTION HEARING MONDAY. Chicago, April 2. The hearing on the application for an injunction, entered in the United States Court by the Edison Company against the Kleine Optical Company, has been set down for argument on April 6. MORRIS WON'T TALK. Although rumors and reports this week clouded the atmosphere around the William Morris office regarding "The Morris Cir- cuit" for" next seasonTMr." Morris remained mute. He would not talk. On Wednes- day evening, the manager-agent, with his attorney, left the city. They were looked to return last night (Friday). That things were happening was very evident, but no information could be gleaned. Mr. Morris firmly stated nothing would be given out until accomplished. A person who must have been aware of what was going on, said "Watch; the red ball will fall pretty soon," taken to indicate that events are transpiring which will soon find their way into the public prints, becoming the surprise "The Morris Circuit" promised it would spring. MISS HOFFMAN IMMOVABLE. Vaudeville is making aching cries for Gertrude Hoffman, but the impersonator is giving slight attention to the outstretched hands unless they hold a contract for $1,500 each week. Miss Hoffman is at 58th Street this week, with Hammerstein's to follow next, both contracts at her former figure, $1,000. From now on, she says the $1,500 price will predominate in all her dealings with vaudeville managers, and refuses to budge from that position. IDA FULLER. Ida Fuller, whose artistic poses are given space on our title page this week, is ap- pearing at the Alhambra, New York City, in her latest spectacular production, which has been unanimously pronounced by the American critics the greatest novelty in electrical and scenic effects ou the vaude- ville stage. Miss Fuller is not only an artiste as she appears before the public, but is tne originator and inventor of the devices employed in producing the mys- terious effects in her act, on which she holds important. American and European patents which have been sustained by the highest courts of both continents, giv- ing her the advantage of an exclusive production which cannot be cheapened by duplication. Miss Fuller originated her production for the "Review" at the Folies Marigny Theatre in Paris, where she had a run of live consecutive months as the principal feature, followed by a three months' en- gagement at the Circus Husch in Berlin, and was brought to this country by Klaw & Erlanger, who starred her act on the K. & E. circuit for over twenty weeks. . Miss Fuller was then engaged for the entire Poli circuit, through Pat Casey, and has since that time been playing the United Booking offices' theatres, losing only two weeks during the entire season. This is Miss Fuller's third appearance in New York City -this season, and after playing at Syracuse next week she re- turns to New York for an engagement at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. Miss Fuller deserves to be complimented for originating a novelty giving new im- petus to a style of stage work fast dimin- ishing in popularity, for in a single night at her first apearance at the New York Theatre early in the Fall, Miss Fuller created a sensation with her unique offer- ing, attracting universal attention and re- viving interest. COPYRIGHT COMMITTEE AGREED; The joint Congressional committee on the proposed new Copyright Law held hearings for three days last week in Washington, attended by representative.! of all factions affected by the measure. Upon the return of the tfew Yorkers., they could not speak too highly of the fairness and equity which seemed to act- uate all of the committee members, and stated they felt certain of at last hiving an act passed by Congress *hich would afford protection to the product of the brain. Especially was this true of the writers and composers. The committee agreed at the final t»es sion that upon the composers and authors coming to some understanding with the phonograph manufacturers the agreement reached would be incorporated in tt*e Mil. This course was suggested by lu* com- mittee, and pursuant to it, tho two sides met after adjournment to discuss the matter. A settlement was effected under which upon each phonographic or other me- chanical record of a song or instrumental piece of music reproduced there would be attached a stamp issued by the copy- right office at Washington. These stamps are to be purchased in bulk by the manu- facturer; he to render an accounting to the Librarian of Congress or any offi- cial who may be designated to receive them, itemizing the sales for the previous period of each song or number. Checks for the amount due the writer and com- poser will then be forwarded, making it almost directly a Government payment. All the authors and composers con- cerned have signed the agreement, it it understood. Victor Herbert .is said to have affixed his signature, with a proviso, but this will not necessarily interfere with the passage of the amendment. The law as it is expected to pass w ; ll vest the copyrighted title in the names of the writers, who may then lease it to publishes for production purposes, re taining their proprietary rights and claim* to all royalties from users of the copy- right stamp. A music publisher (or other person), however, may be constituted the attorney for the writer, with full power, winch would virtually give the publisher the control of the copyright, and aU r j venue to be derived therefrom. J or the White Rats of America, Harry Knowles appeared before the committee. Upon his return, Mr. Knowles reported there would be a penal clause inserted in the measure, making it a misdemeanor, punishable by fine or imprisonment or both, upon the conviction of anyone using copyrighted matter. The penal clause reads, any person vend- ing or aiding or abetting the sale of a copyrighted product is also liable to the penalty. Upon the agreement of the writers and manufacturers being submitted it will be incorporated, and the bill, when taken out of the committee, is expected to quickly pass both the upper and lower houses ar Washington. It is hoped the bill will pass this session, although that is not a certainty. The song writers felt much elated over the prospect, and reported several brilliant speeches had l>cen made at the hearing, everyone having been afforded an oppor- tunity to express an opinion. • . - .