Variety (November 1908)

VARIETY AT WORK ON CAMPBELL ft DAN- FORTH. Chicago, No?. 25. No sooner had the news been sprung that Campbell & Danforth had placed their circuit of Bijou vaudeville theatres with- out the pale of the Western Vaudeville Association's offices, to be booked through a common link with tht White Rats' agency in this city known as the Independ- ent Booking Office of Illinois, than the officials of the W. V. A. started to work on the firm. It is understood that offers and threats were made in an attempt to have Camp- bell & Danforth throw up the contract en- tered into with the Rats, and return to the folds of the combined managers. Nothing had availed up to yesterday, al- though it is said that Elliott Danforth had wavered. W. 8. Campbell remained firm however, according to report, and assured the 1. B. O. heads of his intention to con- tinue so. Campbell & Danforth is a corporation, the three incorporators and stockholders be- ing the two men, with Mrs. Danforth, who holds one share; her husband 40, while Campbell has the other GO. There is no control of the corporation therefore. The exact terms of the agreement entered into between the White Rats and Campbell & Danforth are not known, but it is be- lieved the firm would be liable to heavy money damages in the event it violated the contract made with the Rats agency. The Independent Booking Office is now open with Mr. Campbell in charge. At its place of business in the Rector Build- ing, it was stated that commencing next week it would actively operate regardless of anyone. Other houses are expected, including a few of the smaller vaudeville theatres in and around Chicago. Mr. Danforth is expected here today. The general impression seems to be that although there should be possibly a di- vision of houses and the partnership, Campbell with his theatres will remain with the White Rats. The deductions are problematical, how- ever, since Danforth's position is un- known. ALBANY OPPOSITION COMMENCES JAN. i. Albany, Nov. 25. The Majestic, located next door to Proctor's, will open New Year's Day. It has been leased for ten years by Emil Dieches, of this city. The best information obtainable says that William Morris must know consider- able about the future bookings for the Majestic, which will oppose Proctor's. TWO HITS IN AUSTRALIA. Sydney, Oct. 10. John Ford, the American dancer, is making a big hit in "The Red Mill." The show tours around Victoria and Adelaide, then returns to Melbourne for Derby Night, when "The Prince of Pilsen" will come up for sentence. There is every indication that Ford will be retained over here for the part of Ichobod Bronson in ''The Belle of New York." Another clever Yankee artist with the same combination is Charles Loder, who as a dialect comedian runs neck and neck with Pete Baker of the old American team of Baker and Farren. K. & E. CONTRACT UPHELD. The Appellate Term of the Supreme Court handed down a decision on Monday last, confirming the judgment rendered by a Municipal Court in favor of Geo. W. Day for two weeks' salary—$300—in a suit brought to recover damages in that amount for breach of a contract issued by Klaw & Erlanger during the period the firm engaged in vaudeville. The liability under the contract was assumed by the United Booking Offices. The case was defended by Maurice Good- man, its attorney. Mr. Goodman set up as a defense that the K. & E. agreement was not a contract inasmuch as it did not bind the parties of the first part (Klaw & Erlanger). This point was overruled by the lower court, which has been upheld by the Ap- pellate Term, the vote of the trio of judges presiding being two to one. The United will now carry the case to the Appellate Division of the same court. A similar point raised in a contract is- sued by the Western States Vaudeville Managers' Association to Gilday and Fox was decided last spring by the Supreme Court of Washington in favor of the art- ists, who had broken the contracts in or- der to sign with the opposition, Sullivan- Considine. Charges preferred at the time against Gilday as a member of the Vaudeville Comedy Club were dismissed upon the ground the courts had decided no contract existed, although the team acknowledged the contract until an offer of more money changed their views. The form in Use by the Western States and Klaw ft Erlanger at that time was identical. It was drafted by Geo. M. Ixsventritt, the present attorney for the Morris Circuit. CHARLIE MORELAND DYING. Chicago, Nov. 25. Charlie More land, formerly of Moreland, Thompson and Roberts, is in the Cook County Hospital here, dying of Bright's disease. Guy Rawson, of "The Bon Tons," found Moreland in Cincinnati, destitute and in a weakened condition. Mr. Rawson ar- ranged to have him removed here. VICTORIA'S NEW SONGS. When Vesta Victoria opens at the Lin- coln Square on Monday she will have a repertoire of entirely new songs, includ- ing "Now, I Have to Call Him Husband," "The Widow," "His Lordship," "Double Dutch" and "Polly, the Pride of the Ballet." Remick ft Co. will publish all of the Victoria songs hereafter on both sides of the water. Mose Gumble, of the firm, wac at the dock to meet the steamer the Englishwoman arrived on. Mr. Gumble secured her signature before the Hotel Knickerbocker did. Carroll and Cooke replaced Juliet? at the Fulton, Brooklyn, this week. Juliet? was announced to have strained her voice. Messrs. Carroll and Cooke open on the Sullivan-Considine Circuit at Winnipeg, Dec. 21. ARTISTS CLAIMING OPPRESSION. Oppression is being alleged against the Club Department of the United Booking Offices. This Department is directed by Frances Rockefeller King. The most recent case to excite decidedly adverse and unfavorable comment on the manner of the United's Club Department is operated was that of a small act which has not played a weekly engagement for over two months. An agent not con- nected with the United Offices, but who supplies clubs or entertainments with tal- ent, approached the head of the act with an offer of $35 for an evening's perform- ance. The amount seemed as large as the U. S. Mint to the artist, who waa in absolute need, having three children he had been unable to properly clothe or feed through lack of engagements. The act accepted the offer with alacrity, but shortly afterwards was called into Miss King's booking office where it was in- formed if the "date" was played, no future time on the United Circuit would be given it. This is a threat made artists continu- ally by the United's Club Department in its plan of coercion. It has the ef- fect desired generally, the artist believ- ing Miss King is authorised to deprive artists of a possible only income through this system of oppression. Miss King has stated to a Variety representative that she does nothing without the sanc- tion of an official of the United, mention- ing at the time Percy G\ Williams, Ed- ward F. Albee and Maurice Goodman, the United's attorney. In other quarters (among those who may be presumed to have an intimate knowledge of the United Booking Offices) it is freely as- serted that Miss King is working inde- pendently in this regard. The act in question was directed by its own agent to play the "club" engage- ment, without considering the consequences of Miss King's threat. The act was so badly in need, his agent loaned the mnn $5 to prepare in order the offer of the agent could be accepted. Other cases of the Club Department's workings have become public through statements made by Hurtig & Seamon lately; also the William Morris office, while all the agents outside the United's breastworks have suffered, as well as a few inside. When asked regarding this specific, case, Miss King replied she had not called the artist in question into her office nor had she spoken to him. "Where an act holds a contract to play upon United time," added the young woman, "I notify it that under the rules of this office it can not appear elsewhere during the life of the contract without our permission. There is a sign to this effect tacked up in every theatre booked by these offices. "I have never spoken to any act not booked with us in connection with a 'club date' it was to play outside of our book- ing, nor have I ever told an act not hooked with the United not to play else- where. These are all false reports." T. R. Bryan is the new musical con- ductor with "The Washington Society Girls." He opened at Miner's Bowery with the show on Mondav. RITCHIE IN MUSICAL COMEDY. Chicago, Nov. 25. Billie Ritchie, featured with "Vanity Fair" this season, will be starred in a new musical comedy next year. The piece will be booked over the popular price theatres as far as San Francisco. COLUMBIA, "TRY OUT" HOUSE. It was announced at the United Of- fices this week by Jules Delmar, the rep- presentative for Mitchell Mark, that the Columbia Theatre, Brooklyn (now under Mr. Mark's management), would become the official "try out" place for the United Booking Offices in New York. The Columbia is on Washington Street. Brooklyn, a short distance from the en- trance to the Brooklyn Bridge on the other side of the river. It is closed at present, but due to reopen Dec. 7 when a policy of vaudeville at ten and twenty cents will be inaugurated. The "try outs" will make up the major portion of the programs, it is ex- pected, although moving pictures will be shown. WANTED A "RAT" BUTTON. John Barton, of Barton and Ashley ("Canal Boat Sal") took a little ride on the steamer, reaching New York on last Thursday. When Barton waa asked his object for the sudden trip he said: "Oh, I just came over to get a White Rat button." Mr. Barton returned to London on the Kronprinzessin Cecelie on Tuesday, where his wife (Miss Ashley) was awaiting him, Mr. Barton having missed a couple of weeks' engagements through the trip. With a party of friends Barton visited Paris, and from there went to Cherbourg. At the docks they saw a boat which looked good to Barton. Inquiring where it was going, someone replied "America," and Barton climbed aboard. BERT COOPER "BOOSTING." Chicago, Nov. 25. The irrepressible Bert Cooper, rep- resenting the Cohan & Harris Music Pub- lishing Co. of New York, is making Chi- cago realize he is here. Mr. Cooper is stopping at the Sherman House in the interests of his firm. On the busy corner of that hostelry there is a police officer named Rosenfeld stationed at odd mo- ments during the days. On Monday Cooper engaged an auto- mobile tally-ho having twenty-two seats. He would permit no one in it but the driver and himself. Drawing up alongside the "cop," Mr. Cooper stood up and com- menced to sing "Meet Me in Rosetime, Rosie." Rosenfeld near fainted, as the Captain was speaking to him at the moment. He threatened to place Cooper under ar- rest unless he desisted in the vocalizing. Cooper merely stopped long enough to remark, "Ah, cheese, I know Geo. Cohan," when both Rosenfeld and the Captain saluted. ALL SCRAMBLE FOR HIPPODROME. Cleveland, Nov. 25. There has been a scramble for the Hip- podrome here. The disposition of it has gotten into the courts, and a decision is looked for to-day. The Shuberts first secured it, almost, upon a guaranteed rental of $25,000 based upon a 15 per cent, division of the gross receipts. William Morris came along with an offer of $35,000 a year, and suc- ceeded in having the action of the stock- holders (who had passed the Shubert proposition favorably) thrown into court, tying up the lease for a few days.