Variety (May 1908)

TEN CENTS , VOL. X., NO. 8. MAY 2, 1908. PRICE TEN CENTS. PLAN ON FOOT TO ELIMINATE THE NO N-PRODUCT IVE AGENT V The Smaller Managers of the United Offices, Acting in Concert, Put a Premium on Enterprise and lnitiati ve The heyday of the agent whose sole function is that of "business representa- tive" of standard, established vaudeville acts, will be a thing of the past if a new movement, recently started in the United Booking Offices, proves successful. Al- though there has been no announcement to this effect, the managers in that asso- ciation, representing what is called "the smaller time," have come to what amounts to a working agreement covering the booking of attractions. These managers represent about thirty weeks, and one of the chief purposes of their coming to- gether in an organization within the United is to exert some control over the vaudeville producing agents. One method of bringing this about is their announced intention of holding out encouragement to the producer. Already several feature acts either in prospect or in preparation have been promised forty weeks' engagements conditional only upon their making good when they are pre- sented. "The scheme works this way," said an out-of-town manager this week: "Any agent who has an idea for an act can come to us and explain his plans. If we think well enongh of it we will tell him to go ahead, with the assurance that con- tracts for forty weeks will await the suc- cessful issue of his enterprise. "We smaller managers receive no spe- cial benefit from the non-productive agent. He may do the big managers some service in bringing high-priced 'name' acts from the legitimate into vaudeville, but we are not booking such attractions." The representatives of this smaller time are meeting twice a day at the United Offices. Waltz Dream," leaves the * company to- night and appears in vaudeville at Keith- Proctor's 125th Street Theatre on Monday. Several weeks around town may be ac- cepted by Mis* Brandt. Pat Casey se- cured her signature to a contract. KOLB AND DILL AT HAMMERSTEIN'S. Kolb and Dill, the German comedians, now touring in "Lonesome Town," may ap- pear at Hammerstein's May 25, the nego- tiations being conducted by Arthur Klein. All that stands between the comedians and the engagement is a difference of opinion as to the proper salary. William Hammerstein offers $1,000. They want $1,500. A WALTERS SKETCH. A sketch written by Eugene Walters will be presented at the Friars' Festival to be held at the New York Theatre on Thursday afternoon, May 14. Mike Simon will probably place the piece in vaudeville after its initial presentation. Sudden notoriety and favorable men- tion followed Mr. Walters' play, "Paid in Full," after its premier at the Astor, and another play from his pen, "The Wolf," is also having a New York run. SOPHIE BRANDT NEXT WEEK. Sophie Brandt, who lias been playing tlie Viennese orchestra conductress in "A CONNIE EDISS AT A FIGURE. IT the figure is struck which will ap- pease both the managers and Connie Ediss, Miss Ediss will play a little vaudeville after leaving "The Girl Behind the Coun- ter" at the Herald Square upon the close of its run there. Miss Ediss is an English comedienne who has not played in vaudeville on this side heretofore. She has an inflated opin- ion of her variety value, according to the managers, who arc waiting for a drop in the scale of the weekly stipend. Jcnic Jacobs will place Miss Ediss. if she plays "dates." MORRIS SENDS FOR BROTHER. Upon receipt of a cable last Sunday from his brother, William, now in Europe, Hugo Morris packed up his duds, sailing for England on Tuesday morning by the "Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse" Hugo was not aware of the reason for suddenly calling him across the pond. William Morris may have decided upon establishing a London branch of his book- ing agency, calling his brother to take charge of it temporarily at least. Will- iam Morris is expected to sail for home on May 0. In offers of time made artists this week by the Morris office for English engage- ments, twelve weeks have been tendered. Four of these were for the Moss-Stoll tiuie, «»..<! the other eight weeks were over the Barassford tour. Barassford has a house in Paris; also Brussels. Up to date Morris has booked fifteen American acts in England, and is said to have submitted a great many to the English managers. The connection with the Barassford tour must have been con- summated since Morris arrived in Lon- ■ don. No reports have been received of any booking of foreign acts made by Morris while on the other side for the William Morris Circuit next season. ■ K. & E. HAVE ALICE LLOYD. On Thursday Alice Lloyd, the English singing comedienne, entered into a con- tract with Klaw & Krlanger and F. Zieg- feW, Jr., under which Miss Lloyd is to be starred in a new musical comedy to be written around her. under the manage- ment of Mr. Ziegfeld, Jr.. and presented next November. The contract is for two vears. • Next week Miss Lloyd plays in Buffalo, closing her present vaudeville tour on June 14th at the Majestic. Chicago. She sails for home the last of August, return* ing in due time for rehearsals. Several offers were tendered Miss Lloyd for the legitimate, hut the one from Klaw A Krlanger received her acceptance. Pat Casey negotiated the preliminaries" 'be- tween the English artiste and Mr. Zie«. feld. FEARING FOR "SUNDAYS." ' Quite some apprehension is felt by man- agers that the decision to be handed down by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on the appeal in the Keith-Proctor injunction suit against the city, forbid- ding the police from interfering with a moving picture performance on Sunday, may be decided adversely, with possible serious consequences to the operators of Sabbath performances. The injunction was made permanent in the Supreme Court, but. appealed by the Corporation Counsel. Last Friday, while the argument was on before the full bench, an additional Section of the Penal Code was advanced as another bar to Sun- day entertainment. The city's counsel based his case on Section 265 of the Code, which contained what was said to be a vague phrasing, following a foreign sub- ject to theatricals, but reading "and any other show." The new section is 263, and forbids any labor on the Sabbath excepting of neces- sity or for charity. The point set up by Corporation Counsel Connolly was that though the moving picture exhibition did not come within the province of Section 265, the men employed in and about the theatre were strictly covered by Section 263, which prohibited labor. He claimed the offices of the ticket seller, stage hands, musicians, and so on were laborious ones. This was argued against by Maurice Goodman, for the Keith-Proctor firm, who secured the injunction originally. If the Appellate Division should upset the injunction or decide either section of the Penal Code is applicable to theatres permitting a Sunday performance, the Doull aldermanic ordinance, under which theatres are now operated, would become of no effect. The decision is expected in about ten days. TIMES HAVE CHANGED. London, spii' jo. The Koyal Counties Theatre. Kingston, will shelve dramatics for • while, awl announces an extended run uf vaudeville. The manager said tinn-s had changtd, and dramatic patrons came in swell car- riages and bluff motors to take scats in the jut—and sometimes in too gallery.