Variety (November 1908)

8 AXSIHVA WESTERN MANAGERS FRIENDLY. Chicago, Nov. 19. The meeting held by the White Rata at their headquarters in the Sherman House last Friday was largely attended. Harry Knowlee, the local representative of the organization, was chairman. Ed. Keogh, who traveled west in the interest of the Rats, was among the speakers. Mr. Keogh said he was cordially re- ceived by all the Ooast. managers, and especially were Pantages, Cbnsidine and Orauman friendly, showing a disposition to affiliate. Considine said he would like to 'become a member of the organization. It 1« believed that the next branch office of the Rats will be established in San Francisco. Among those present at the meeting were: Bobby Oaylor, Adolph Poirier, T. H. Harrison, Harry W. Mur- ray, W. M. Harrison, B. F. Woods, The Learys, W. 8. Winoherman, Phil W. Peters, Jr., Jim Baggard, J. Bannan, J. R. La Zar, E. H. Leary, John T. Rand, Maurice- J. •. Pnwv,_ J&h n.*. JVJ more, Tom- White Clark Martinetti, Harry Keane, Edward Bowers, Frank Appleton Eddie Fitzgerald, Thos. J. Deegan, Jack Quinn, Harry Bartlett, Jim Cowley, Ed. E. Perry, Pete Cbrnalla, Harry Walters and John T. Hanson. COPYRIGHT DANCING ACT. The Stewart Sisters, a dancing act., has had its offering copyrighted through House, Grossman & Vorhaus, perhaps the first instance in which a turn of the sort has attempted to secure protection in this way. The method of procedure is unusual. The Stewart Sisters have a series of poses during their dance. These were photo- graphed in detail and a descriptive story of the poses written and printed. Photo- graphs and printed book were registered, the story being entitled a pantomimic pre- sentation, and so brought under the classi- fication of a "dramatic composition." Splssell Brothers and Mack, the com- edy acrobats who are at the Olympia, Paris, this month, have commissioned Edw. S. Keller to secure twenty weeks next season for them over here. Each of the trio is now married. COULDN'T GET ACTS. One Mr. Podesta, who will manage the Theatro Lyrico, Mexico City, when that establishment—a new one—opens there Jan. 1, left New York for Paris in high disgust Thursday. He had been here for several weeks trying to book a show for his place, offering a guarantee of four weeks' work, but refused to consider any act which he had not personally viewed. Accordingly the New York Marinelli of- fice tried to arrange trial shows for avail- able material not playing regularly in the city. But the artists declined to put up their apparatus for a single show which might possibly give them a chance to travel far from home, and the Marinelli people finally had to give it up. Mr. Podesta will accordingly pick his acts in Paris, where the booking system is somewhat different and where there are a larger number of "dumb" acts which would be available for Mexico City. MOZART OPENS IN ELMIRA. Elmira, N. Y., Nov. 19. Edward E. Mozart opens his new vaudeville theatre next Monday. The house is a new one, having been built under Mozart's direction. The open- ing bill will be made up of Powers' Elephants, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Trues- dell, Six Musical Nosses, Whitman Bros, and Marie Gerard. Attractions will be supplied by the Independent Booking Office. As a committee representing the White Rats, Harry Mountford, Secretary to the Board of Directors of that organization, will, attend the opening. Geo. W. Middleton, manager of Mozart's Family, and his staff will take charge of the new house. The Family continues on the Mozart Circuit, playing pictures. SUN VAUDEVILLE FOR OIL CITY. Oorry, Pa., Nov. 19. F. S. Frazier, manager of the Oil City Opera House and Orpheum (vaudeville theatre), proposes to give this town a taste of vaudeville of the Gus Sun variety, and has closed a contract for the erection of a theatre to be opened around the holi- days. The only vaudeville this place ever had was a single act at the Amusement Palace. L. F. Trimble has severed his connection there, and Owner C. P. Northrup has done away with the vaudeville, playing pictures only. CHARLES LEONARD FLETCHER Will make second tour of the world at the ex- piration of his 40 weeks' contract with the UNITED BOOKING OrFICM next J0I7. PAT CABBY Is arranging the details. $3,500 DAMAGE SUIT. The action brought by William Morris, Inc., against Jos. Howard and Mabel Barriaon is for $2,600 damages, according to the complaint in the suit served this week upon Maurice Goodman, attorney for the act, by Geo. M. Leventritt, coun- sel for the plaintiff. The damages include a breach of the contract at $700 weekly, with the com- missions which would have been due the Morris booking office, had Howard and Barriaon lived up to their written agree- ment with it. Mr. Goodman is the attorney for the United Booking Offices, which, through one of its managers, Percy G. Williams, claimed a prior agreement to the Morris contract, and notified the act not to appear at the Lincoln Square. TIN PAN ALLEY JINGLES* By WILLIAM JEROME. Junie McCree is now a regular resident of Tin Pan Alley. Junie and Al. Von Tilzer are both members ox this dub. Familiarity in music breeds success. Fred Belcher is the Big Man behind the J. H. Remiok Co. There was a time that we depended on England for our songs. But that was a long time ago. Ballroom Note: —Earnest Ball keeps the ball rolling at Witmark's What happened to the Words and Mu- sks Club? Andrew Ballad Sterling and Williams Abraham Heelan have not paid the Alley a visit lately. Oome back, boys, and all will be forgiven. The best all round song writer that ever lived is George M. Cohan; he is in a class all by himself. George must cer- tainly feel lonesome. "The House on the Level" would be a good trade mark for some publisher. Everything runs to roses this season. "My Rosie Rambler," "You're Like the Roses, Rosie," "Roses Bring Dreams of You" and "Meet Me in Rose Time, Rosie." Morris Rose, Ike Rose and Jack Rose, please write. The legal star of Tin Pan Alley is William Grossman. "STAKING 'JOHN THE BARBER.'" The show business must have placed an awful "crimp" in the bankroll of John, the Barber, otherwise John J. Reisler, who conducted the Herald Square Barber Shop so successfully he was enabled to save $16,000 in cash. Then the whisker eradicator fell for the theatricals about which he had heard so much from either side of the chair. "The Cash Girl," In which May Ward starred under the management of her husband, Freeman Bernstein, for a few weeks, deprived Mr. Reisler of his earn- ings with the strop and razor, leaving "John, the Barber," "flat broke." Last Wednesday a number of his former patrons gathered at the Knicker- bocker Hotel, subscribing $1,500 for the establishment of Mr. Reisler in the ton- sorial pursuit once again. A shop has been taken next to Levey, the Cleanser, on West Forty-fifth Street.. It will be a co- operative pool until the subscribers draw down their subscriptions. Among those who placed a sum for the new venture of the disappointed theatri- cal magnate were Sam H. Harris, Geo. M. Cohan, Al H. Woods and Sam Scribner. Mr. Scribner was appointed treasurer. L B. a INCORPORATES. (Continued from page 8.) Some similar deal entered into between the White Rats and the Mozart Circuit in the east is thought to have brought about the present combination with Campbell & Danforth. Danfortb, the other partner in the firm, retains his interest. Harry Knowles, in charge of the Chicago branch of the White Rats, together with S. L. Lowenthal, the Rats 1 Western legal counsel, completed the transaction, which has been simmering for a long time, Denis F. O'Brien, the New York attorney for the organization, and Harry Mount- ford, the secretary to the Board of Direct- ors, having been chiefly instrumental in putting it through. The above message was given confirma tion at the office of the White Rats this week as to the facts set forth. It was stated at the Rats headquarters that the conditions would be the same as with the I. B. O. in New York. The booking office in Chicago will be under the charge of W. S. Campbell, as general manager. No manager booking through it will be charged a weekly fee, nor will any White Rats have aught to do with its affairs or direction. The I. B. O. of Illinois (as well as the I. B. O. of New York) is not limited to members of White Rats in booking. A manager may book through either office any act he prefers at any mutually agreed upon salary. The managers make up their own bills. Both booking offices use the White Rats form of contract ex clusively. In connection with the White Rats con- tract, it was said on the street when the latest move in the artists' plan became known that the Webster Circuit in the Middle West, now booking through the W. Y. A., had decided to shortly use that agreement only. Those conversant with the Western situation argued that with the main- spring of the Western Vaudeville Asso- ciation removed to the office of Martin Beck in New York City, there might follow into the I. B. O. camp (Western) after the success of the Campbell & Dan- forth transaction had been proven, the Webster Circuit, leaving only the Inter- State, with one of two other smaller circuits of moment (including Butter- field's in Michigan) with the W. V. A. These are the houses, it is said, which are numbered among those mentioned by figures from Chicago. THEATRE HAS PHOTOGRAPHER. St. Paul, Nov. 10. The Orpheum in this city has installed a photographic department, where artists may have their pictures taken while play- ing at the house. The pictures are dis- tributed among the local papers, and used during the artists' stay. It is an innovation in the conduct of a press department which has been very favorably commented upon by visiting artists. Proctor's, Newark, is now commencing its performances at 1:40 and 7:40, pre- senting nine acta for the bill. Dorothy Richmond has another sketch for vaudeville, called "After Six Years." It will play at the Mary Anderson, Louis- ville, Nov. 30, booked by Pat Casey. There were a flood of Miss Richmond sketches around New York for a brief spell last summer.