Variety (December 1909)

20 VARIETY THE AMERICAN ACT IN ENGLAND By J. JESSE FREEMAN. London, Dec. 1. It has been a matter of much interest the last two yean to watch the "Yankee" vaudeville acta that have come to this country daring that time. There have been some who came and never opened, some who played a week or two and journeyed back, and some who are here yet. There are still others who were much in demand here, but returned home to fill engagements there. There are many American acts on this side, who, although they could go back to work, stay over here. There's also the act that could only play on this side, and the act that comes over "just for the summer." Take the act that arrives and does not open at all. Among these are people who come over here on a pleasure trip. most invariably of argument between the manager and the American artist. If the American artist would stand for the "cut" in the salary the first time, there would be many more American acts in England at present. Many native acts could have lingered here and been among the headliners had not a bit of homesickness hurried them away from these shores. Last spring for instance, a "single act" in the form of an American girl left here after having been very successful. Time was offered her by the biggest of all the tours, but she sim- ply wanted home. If that young woman had remained she would have been among the largest of attractions ever here by now. The English audiences take a long time choosing favorites, but once selected, the favorite can never afterwards fail. "HOW TO MAKE UP" AND "HOW TO GET ON THE STAGE" GEORGE "HONEY BOY" EVANS. SECOND SEASON WITH COHAN A HARRIS' BIO MINSTREL SHOW. While here they are asked by some of the agents to "try out" for the English man- agers. The act is quite willing, but when "salary" is mentioned the deal falls through immediately. This class of act figures it doesn't need the work and dis- likes the idea of "cutting" its American salary. In most of these cases, the Eng- lish manager has to "be shown." There the matter rests. The act cannot see it. The acts that have only remained a week may be divided into two classes. Those who have failed to "make good," and those who have "made good." The act that fails is worth about half the salary it opened for. The act that suc- ceeds and only stays a week, is the one setting its value a bit higher than the English managers estimate. A manager in England places the value of an act on just what he thinks it will draw in the house. The managers over here are not speculative, inasmuch that they know almost that the second time a good acts plays around the circuit, it will draw, but nothing can induce them to pay the salary the first time that they vould bo willing to give on the second round of the circuit. This Is the cause al- The acts that stay in England may also be divided into two classes: The act that could not "make good" in America; and the one that likes the idea of work- ing all the year around. There are quite a number of Americans over here who could never do their act in America and pet away at all. There have been many acts from America that have gone back after being on this side for some years, but few could get along. The ones that do not desire any "time in America" have their "fifty-two" a year over here. Although their salary is lower than in America, they make it up by the con- tinuous work. Acts that come over to work summer engagements are in easy in many ways. No matinees—or at least out of the six days a matinee might be thrown in, hut not often. The weather here then does not make the work severe. A word of advice to American acts who are thinking of coming over might be: 'Don't expect an American salary in Eng- land, even if you are sure of hanging them on the ceiling. And above all don't come over on "spec," unless you have the time and money. You will need both. By WILLIAM GOULD. HOW TO GET ON TUB 8TAOB. Really it isn't very hard to get on the stage nowadays. I have seen expressmen, messenger boys, advertising solicitors, song pluggers and friends of the headliner —on the stage. For an amateur the best way to get on the stage is as follows: pick out a first class vaudeville theatre, look over the bill for the coming week and when you see the name of a drawing card that sounds good to you, take it. Then on Monday morning early, start for the rehearsal with a bundle of music under your arm. (If you intend to do a sketch, have a dog and call your eighteen- year old wife "the old woman.") Reach the theatre about nine o'clock, f< r it is very bad form for a headliner to rehearse until the orchestra is ready to K<> to dinner. To find the "stage entrance" select the dirtiest alley on either side of the theatre (you can never make a mistake on this point by following my instructions). Walk up the alley until you see a trick door with a left hand painted sign on it which reads, "STAGE ENTRANCE'' (the "S" and *"N" is printed wrong, but the sign painter was a head balancer), walk in boldly, whistling some popular I inn*. When you see the sour faced jailer, say: "Hello, Pop. Here yet?" Hand him a longshoreman cigar with a horse hair in it. Then say: "Any tele- grams for me?" (Don't ask for letters, that is ordinary stuff!) If you ask for mail the old booze fighter Will think that you are doing three-a-day or opening the show and the way Pop treats that sort of actors is a shame. Say: "I expect a wire from my pal, Ed. Albee." (Be sure and call him Ed.) Now, if the crowd that closed Sunday night were good and tipped Pop liberally, he will say (gently), "What is the name, please?" If last week's crowd were a stingy bunch, the dear old bone head will hack:- "Who are you?" Slip him a coun- terfiet dollar and spring the drawing card name on him. While he is getting over the shock of getting booze money on a Monday morning say: "Star dressing room in the same old spot?" That will deceive Top, and before he can recover, start for the stage with the star dressing room key jingling in your hand. (You can tell the star key. It has no paint or dirt on it.) You ran always tell the way to the stage. While the head balancer was soused he pointed a sign, when practicing for the summer, which reads: SILENCE PLEVSE. THIS WVA TO THH STvC.Eia*" Maybe the word "PLEASE" will not be on the sign (that depends on the bar-keep that mixes the head balancer's paint). Follow instructions, walk along the dim corridor, look out for the iron girders, until you reach the door open it and BE SURE AND GET ON THE STAGE. HOW TO If AK1 UP. Remember you have the star dressing room key in your hand. After looking over and over-looking the stage to see If It is worthy of your endeavors, walk Into star dressing room, get a saw and open your trunk, take your dirty collar and shirt front out of the trunk and throw "all" of your month's laundry into the bath tub. Be sure to look in the bath tub for it on Sunday night Lay your grease paints out, flesh, carmine, black and lip salve, also liners, then, if you are doing a sketch, pick a quarrel with the child that you call "HANDLING THE «BULL.'" OHA8. INNB88 and MAUD 8. BY AN, wbo ■re seated on the animal, aaj: "It's easy wbeo yon know how." "the old woman" to your friends. To make her mad, make faces at the dog. (You must have a dog or you will not be considered a regular. That is your stall to get out of the house at night. Going to give Buster a little exercise.) When "the old woman" is thinking of doing a single turn rub in the flesh colored grease paint as a back ground. Then say "What chumps we are to fight about the bio- graph privileges and Christmas and its presents so near." As you apply the car- mine say, nonchalantly, "I'm going to give you a box of good cigars and a meerschaum pipe." That will please her for she is going to give you something that she needs, a ladies sewing set. Now use lip salve and say so that they can hear you in the next room, "Blanche King ain't got anything on you, kid " If she is wise her come back will be; "How can I help being such a success with such n funny fellow for a partner." If you hear a glass crash or a loud cough from the next room add, "Those people in the next room have a good act, too." The chances are the "next room performers" will go out and tell people how good you are to your "old woman." Just as the buzzer calls you throw your arms around her and give her a kiss. That's the best way to make up.