Variety (March 1909)

VARIETY •n HIK WAS AM OLD Womaa/ WHO LWIO /* A SMOC. 0HE HAD 5*o MANy STARS Snr Oion't K*ow wHaTTeOo @)HE PtAyffO THEM AND PAID TH«^ Aa/D LAID THEM OFF Too HKM *1oW«li, CAM» **-0*e> AA/p *rRABB«D Up ^ pffvy^ T , J^*""*"" ,v v V ,\l i* ,1 iy DIVIDING BOOKING OFFICES. The floor space in the Long Acre Build- ing has been divided into the rooms and sections to be occupied by Martin Beck and his corps of assistants, as well as the United Booking Offices staff. The entire sixth floor of the building has been taken, and a portion of the fifth will be placed in use by the United for the parks, fairs and club departments. On the sixth and top floor, Mr. Beck's half will be to the northward, his private Office occupying the northeast corner. The rooms have been designed liberally in space, and from a short wainscoting glass windows will touch the ceilings, giving an appearance of openness. On the southern half, where the United will locate, the Broadway side will be partitioned off into many offices for the executives of the United, its attorney and managers, while the western side will be one large room where the smaller man- agers and agents will gather daily, the ■mailer managers having the privilege of "desk room." A stairway will connect the sixth with the fifth floor from this room. It will act as an exit to the fifth floor only, and will not be an entrance from below to the upstairs. All the rooms on the floor will have sunlight and plenty of air, the "man- agers' and agents' room" particularly so. The Long Acre Building has been erect- ed to remain standing ten years only. It is expected by that time the Government will have purchased the site for a Gen- eral Post Office uptown. JEFFRIES IN EUROPE. The undefeated champion of the world, James J. Jeffries may show in England during this summer what an undefeated champion looks like. America's white champion opened at the Lincoln Square on Monday, and will play over the Morris Circuit until William Morris leaves for the other side. That may happen in May or June. With Mr. and Mrs. Morris will probably sail Mr. and Mrs. Jeffries, Mrs. Jeffries having relatives in Germany whom she would like to visit. The English appearance of Jeffries will be arranged by Paul Murray, the Morris London representative. He will have little trouble in placing "Jeff" with the suc- cess of Bob Fitzsimmons over there in the foreign managers' minds. Mr. Mur- ray placed Fitzsimmons across the pond where the ruby one is at present, his en- gagement havinj been extended. Les Jundts will play once more in the varieties. Al Jundt has been an at- tache of the Morris office for some time. PLACING JOHNSON IN BURLESQUE. Jack Johnson, the colored champion of the world, when his friends in Galveston, Tex., stop fussing over him, will come to New York, probably appearing publicly as a special attraction in some local bur- lesque theatre. Al Kaufman, the California heavy- weight, will appear at one of the Bowery houses next week as a special feature. Kaufman came to New York this week with Billy Delaney, his trainer, who has posted $10,000 for a match with Jeffries. Jeff says he will fight no one except the black man and isn't sure that he will fight him. FIGHT PICTURES START MONDAY. The shows W. B. Brady is organizing to send on the road with the main feature the moving pictures of the Johnson- Burns fight in Australia will start out on Monday. Three or four different organi- zations will make up the first consign- ment. The American exhibition rights are re- ported to have been secured by Brady and the amount paid by him is rumored to have been $26,000, although this is believed to have been the sum paid the promoter of the film as a bonus with a likelihood that the promoter holds a per- centage agreement in all gross statements. The reels arrived on the Mauretania. SOUVENIR FOR OPENING. Under the editorial direction of Mark A. Luescher, the Orpheum Circuit's Pub- licity Department head a handsome and expensive souvenir is being prepared to commemorate the opening of the new Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, on April 10. The souvenir is a leather-bound vol- ume of many folios, containing a mass of well prepared reading and pictorial matter of great interest to patrons of Orpheum theatres and citizens of towns far re- moved from the great centre of all the show world. From 10,000 to 15,000 of the volumes will be printed for distribution at a cost of about 75 cents per copy. DOCKSTADER AND MINSTRELS. It is reported that an offer has been made Lew Dockstader to transfer himself and company to vaudeville upon the close of his present minstrel tour. CASET HAS NEW OFFICES. As between the New York Theatre Building and the Long Acre Building Pat Casey has selected the latter for the Casey Agency's new location. Mr. Casey has taken a suite on the northeast corner of the fourth floor in the all-white build- ing at Forty-fourth Street and Broadway. The yearly rental for the space taken is said to be $6,000. The Casey Agency will move on or before May 1. Several vaudeville agents have taken offices on the fifth floor, and the sixth (top) floor is under lease to the United and Orpheum jointly. ATLANTA VAUDEVILLE SHIFTS. Atlanta, March 11. The vaudeville policy at the Orpheum will be shifted to the Lyric next season, continuing to be booked' through the United Booking Offices, New York. The Lyric will be opposed by the new theatre now building, which Ben Cahn will direct, wltji bookings from the Morris Circuit. Cahn left for New York this week. The Orpheum will have a 10-20 vaude- ville show after the removal of the higher grade, and the Bijou, lately closed for bur- lesque, will reopen in the faH with the combination shows from the Stair & Hav- lin office. BIG SHOW FOR SMALL TOWN. Chicago, March 11. The vaudeville bill arranged for the Crescent, Champaign, III., by J. C. Mat- thews, of Wm. Morris' office, for next week, consists of Mabel McKinley, Lam- berti, Wm. McDermott, The Mc In tyres, and several others.