Variety (September 1909)

TEN CENTS T1LDEN FOUNDATIONS R 1930 L VOL. XVI., NO. 1. SEPTEMBER 11, 1909. PRICE TEN CENTS. "NOTHING DOING" SAYS BECK UPON RETURNING FROM EUROPE Will Have Meeting with His Partners at Chicago Next Week, When Something May Develop. Friendly Feeling for Murdock. "There's nothing doing yet," said Mar- tin Beck on Wednesday. Mr. Beck and .Morris Meyerfeld, Jr., president of the Orpheum Circuit of which Mr. Beck is general manager, reached New York Tues> «Uiy morning. 'Next week I shall go to Chicago to ■meet my business partners, C. E. Kohl •;uid others. What will come of that ueooting I do not know now" he continued. "I have only the kindliest of feelings towards Mr. Murdock," replied Mr. Beck to a question "and do not believe that he would attempt in any way to attack our interests." Mr. Beck remarked that his experience in the show business had taught him that when anyone actually intended to do something they did not parade it about with a brass band. The homecoming of Beck had been watched for with much interest through the turn in the course of vaudeville events taken since the "Boss of the West" left for the other side. Upon arriving in the city, Mr. Beck immediately informed him- self of the situation up to the moment of Iiih landing. On Tuesday he did not meet ft". F. Albce, Ceneral Manager of the United Booking Offices, with which the Orpheum is bound under a territorial agreement expiring December 1, 1910. Mr. Albec visited the Orpheum suite on the same floor as the United's about four Tuesday afternoon, but Beck had left for Deal Beach, where his family is staying over the summer. Though missing Beck, Albee had a con- ference with Mr. Meyerfeld of over an hour. The subject under discussion of course was not given out nor any an- nouncement of the meeting made, but it is said that Mr. Albec prevailed without effect upon Mr. Meyerfeld to renew the agreement now existing, and asked that a stronger affiliation with the United be en- tered into. The Orpheum Circuit which books far ahead will shortly place acts upon its books for after December 1, 1910. The question of booking these independently of the United or in conjunction with it must shortly be settled. It is reported that Mr. Meyerfeld asked Mr. All)ee .to point out the benefit to be derived from a further communion of in- terests between the United and the Or- pheum circuits, and there the conference is said to have ended. At the Astor on Tuesday noon, Mr. Meyerfeld and Harry Davis, of Pittsburg ((Srand Opera House), were in deep con- sultation. It is supposed Mr. Davis asked Meyer" feld for an inkling of the Orpheum's intention for the future, the present short- age of feature acts in the United offices having caused the large managers much uneasiness. The supposition by vaudeville people regarding the present situation is that if the Orpheum Circuit "breaks away" from its United connection, that will mean the i-ntranee of the Orpheum into the east through the purchase of present estab- lished first-class vaudeville houses in De- troit. Buffalo, Toronto, Rochester and Pittsburg, or by adding these houses, con- trolled by Davis, Moore & Wiggins and M. Shea to the booking lists, it having repeatedly been said that should the Or- pheum leave its present eastern associate (United) the managers in these cities by si ress of circumstances would take refuge as a protective measure. In a similar strain, it is surmised that should Beck take an independent stand, it would follow that Percy (J. Williams with his Metropolitan Circuit would become the extreme eastern end of the Beck booking circuit, the number of Mr. Williams' houses giving the Orpheum a stronger foothold here than it could hope to at- tain alone for some years. One "doper" had it this week that to oirset the possibility of the Orpheum (Continued on page 11.) FRISCO OPENING POSTPONED. San Francisco, Sept. 0. There has been no change in the vaude- ville layout here as regards the Valencia, American and Morris' vaudeville. The Valencia will play the Morris acts as announced, but instead of opening Oct. 4, the first performance has been set for- ward until Nov. 1. Some talk has been about that the American would take up the vaudeville policy, the Shuberts continuing to book the Valencia with legitimate attractions, but this is denied by Walter IIoff Seely, general manager of William Morris, Western. Mr. Seely leaves here Sunday for New York to confer with Mr. Morris on future plans, and to report upon what he has accomplished up to date in the territory allotted the western company. At the Morris offices this week, William Morris said that Seely had advised him houses had been secured in Los Angeles, Omaha, Denver, Portland and Seattle. In Los Angeles a site had been taken. In Omaha and Denver, vaudeville would be temporarily played by the Morris acts in the Pelton & Smutzer houses until theatres projected for the Morris Western company could be completed. The openings would occur during November, said Mr. Morris, when houses he declined to name at Seattle and Port- land would also start with his bills. AMERICANS SCORE IN PARIS. (Special Cable to VAK1KTY.) Paris, Sept. 9. The Folies Bergere opened here Sept. 4. Among the acts to appear were Bert Levy, a huge success; The Four Fords and the Keeley Brothers, both of whom made a big impression. Merian's Dogs also did well. EXTENDS AMERICAN ACT. (Special Cable to VARIETY.) London, Sept. 9. The success of the Fred St. Onge Com- pany of bicycle riders at the Palace has In-en so pronounced that Manager Alfred Butt has extended the engagement for four weeks longer. At the Palace on Monday Stafford and Stone passed. Vernon, the ventriloquist, opened at the Hippodrome, doing fairly. Daisy Harcourt has made a tremendous success on the Barrnsford time. "COMBINE" NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY. (Special Cable to VARIETY.) London, Sept. 9. From the mass meeting held by the Variety Artists' Federation last Sunday, it appears that that organization is not taking the talk of a combination between the big circuits seriously. The meeting seemed designed more as an attempt to enroll more members than for any other purpose. There is a rumor that Oswald Stoll is purchasing a site for a music hall to be located directly opposite the Holborn Em« pire, the best paying two-nightly house in London. Stoll is also said to be on the point of opposing (iibl)ons in Croyden and Bir- mingham, two of (libbons' best provincial stands. Should cither of these actually come to pass, the "combination" would probably fall to the ground. GERMAN MURMURINGS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Berlin, Sept. 9. A largely attended meeting of the Man- agers' Association was held here Septem- ber 7, when Manager Barthuschek was elected the new president. There has arisen once again trouble be- tween the International Artisten Loge and the managers, which was the cause of the big attendance. The differences may be smoothed over in a few days. Early this week they were very serious. "MIDGET CITY" TO LONDON. (Special Cubic to VARIETY.) Paris, Sept. 9. M. (ierson has made all arrangements to take his "Midget City" attraction to Loudon, where it will be shown in (he Hippodrome during December. In March the exhibition goes to New York, accord- ing to present plans. ' FISHER ON THE MOVE. (Special Cubic to VARIETY.) Paris. Sepl. i). Clifford Fischer has left his position with the II. B. Marinelli Agency here. He will retire from the theatrical business and henceforth live in Hungary, where the parents of his wife reside.