Variety (December 1908)

TEN CENTS VOL. XII., NO. 13. DECEMBER 5, 1908. PRICE TEN CENTS. IMPORTANT ORDERS REPORTED ISSUED BY UNITED OFFICES One Affecting Only Big Agency and Outside Agents- Other to Regulate Changes of Routes by Managers. The Executive Board of the United Booking Offices issued two important or- ders the early part of this week, one hav- ing a bearing only upon the agents who book through the United, and the other of great interest to artists. While there is no official confirmation of either, it may be asserted that the action reported by the Board in the lat- ter instance will not be denied. A prominent member of the Offices prac- tically admitted that instructions had gone forth regarding promiscuous changes in artists' routes by acknowledging that hereafter when any United manager de- sired to "shift" an act after it had been booked, the case, with attending details, would have to be placed before the Execu- tive Board for its sanction before the change could be made. This is understood to apply to cancellations likewise. The United man referred to in speaking of this order said to a Variety represen- tative: "The Executive Board wants to know hereafter the reason for any change in route of an act. It is necessary in justice to the artist and that our books may be kept in order. All the facts will be required, and the decision will be based upon the merits." The phrase "change in routes," upon in- formation, includes any attempted cancel- lation, and the impression prevailing among those who gave the "no shift order" thought was that the United officials in tended to hold managers strictly to their bookings hereafter, permitting cancellation or "shifting" only upon valid grounds, such as misrepresentation by a new act as to its quality, or an unforeseen con- tingency in the makeup of a bill. Last season it was stated by E. F. Albee that a somewhat similar plan wan to hp followed in the United, but due to the large influx of "K. & E. acts" at that time it was evidently abandoned as im- practicable then. The Executive Board of the United is composed of B. F. Keith, Percy G. Will- iams and F. F. Proctor. A. Paul Keith is the secretary to the board. The other reported order which caused any amount of agitation among the out- side agents this week was, in effect, that on and after Dec. 23 all agents booking through the United Offices would have to pay to the United two and one-half per cent, of their five per cent, commission as "rent" or for the privilege of booking. This is exclusive of the commission change of five per cent, made by the United to acts booked with it. No comment could be obtained at the United Offices regarding this ruling, which is said to have been delivered verbally to the agents. It was casually observed, though, that any new arrangement en- tered into between the United and the agents doing business with it would not affect the artists, nor were they directly interested in it. An artist with some knowledge of the inner workings of the commission sys- tem remarked that acts should not be led into agreeing to pay a higher commission than formerly through an agent arguing he was entitled to more since it had be- come necessary to "split" the present com mission received. The United-agent order did not seem to interest the artists be- yond this. The agents have been greatly concerned since the notice was first given. Two reasons are advanced by rumor for the new state of affairs. The first is that the United desires to reduce the present horde of agents by forcing, through a division of their commission, the smaller ones to find booking unprofitable. It is said that an agent with a good line of marketable nrfs has no difficulty in proceeding com- fortably upon a two and one-half per cent, margin, while the number of present small agents desirous of securing busi- ness who make rash promises to fill their (Continued on page 8.) BUFFALO HOUSE FOR MORRIS. Upon the return of William Morris from the west on Wednesday, he announced that contracts had been signed to build a theatre on Pearl Street, Buffalo, about seventy feet from Genesee Street. The location is known as "the church site." Mr. Morris said the theatre would be called "The Orpheum"; seat 2,200; cost $250,000, and open next September with Morris' vaudeville. Negotiations for a site to build in Cleveland on the same street where the Hippodrome is located were under way, Mr. Morris stated, and he expected the deal would be closed this week. A Morris house in Chicago by next Sep- tember is a certainty, according to Morris, who said one would be built there for him "There will be a large chain of Morris theatres next season, and in every city where there is no 'Orpheum/ we shall call our house by that name," concluded Mr. Morris. FOREIGN CIRCUS IDEA FOR NEW YORK. A large building located in the middle west side of New York has been carefully looked over by some foreign showmen lately, who have the idea of installing a winter circus in New York City, pat- terned after the Circus Schumann, of Berlin. It is reported that the lease for the building has about been closed and the promoters are now figuring upon slight alterations, including emergency exits. A "ring show" will be presented. Those who are aware of the movements in the scheme will not divulge names, nor the location of the proposed circus building, simply saying that it may occur shortly after the new year starts in. CANADA BARS PIGS. Montreal, Dec. 3. Sammy Watson's pigs were held up at the border, the Canadian government having a striet rule that pigs of any description cannot under any circum- stances be imported into the Land of the .Maple Leaf. Thus at Bennett's this week the genial Sammy is breaking in a new piggy, which is Canuck to the tip of its curly tail. COMBINE DECLARED OFF. (Special Cable to Vabuty.) London, Dec. 3. The Gibbons-Barassford combination, which started with a blare about three weeks ago, has been declared off. A pro- posed big merger is claimed to have had an influence upon the separation. CARRIE DE MAR SUCCESSFUL. (Special cable to Variety.) London, Dec. 3. At the Coliseum on Monday, Carrie De Mar, making her first appearance in the big house, was very successful. The Wheelers appeared at the Alhambra, and were accepted as "the goods." FAY TEMPLETON GOING BACK? Chicago, Dec 8. There is a report that Fay Templeton has consented to return to the stage for one week only, when she will appear at the Olympic Music Hall for John J. Mur- dock. This, it is reported, will occur during January. FRANKIE BAILEY HAS A PARTNER. London, Nov. 24. The former Weberfield chorus girl of leg fame, Frankie Bailey, who has been holding forth over here, has taken a part- ner, one Mildren Kearney, for a new act Miss Bailey has. Frankie with her legs, which are still in first-class shape, and her partner, have gone to Hamburg where they are going to appear at the Flora Theatre. Before leaving, Miss Bailey wanted to bet even money it would not be necessary to trans- late her legs into the German language. $io TO $a,ooo IN 34 YEARS. Thirty-four years ago this coming Christmas, Mclntyre and Heath received $10 a week in "variety" for their joint services. The partnership lia u remained unbroken, and the "vaudeville" managers now giv« the act $2,000 weekly, the largest salary ever paid to burnt cork artists as far as known, and exceeded in but a very few instances by any other kind.