Variety (February 1910)

TEN ENTS VOL. XVII., NO. 9. FEBRUARY 5, 1910. PRICE TEN CENTS. BARRING EDICT DECLARED ON SM ALL TIME BY UNITED Franchisee! Managers Demand Protection, and Only Complete Shut-Out Satisfies Them. All •"small time" not booked through the United Booking Offices has been de- clared "opposition." This means that acts playing for the Loew Enterprise (who have fifteen weeks in New York and Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati and other towns, and who might develop into real opposition to the U. B. O.) the Independent Booking Agency, Joe Wood, William Fox and other unattached booking establishments, will be refused work by the United. This in effect was the action of all the managers of the United, big and little, who met in the Long Acre Building Wed- nesday afternoon. Twenty-two managers, including every one holding a franchise from the big booking concern attended. The officers were also present. From outside sources it was learned that the trouble started right in the United offices itself. It seems that one of the U. B. 0. departments was booking houses in Wilmington, Detroit and Buf- falo, and the United managers in those towns came across with a howl of wrath. Accordingly wires were dispatched to the managers calling them all to New York for a general meeting. It is said that the "barring" edict was not accomplished without a strenuous discussion. One effect the move will have will be the loss to the United Family Theatre De- partment of many houses. It is understood the general order from "upstairs" makes it impossible for the department to handle bookings in any house, no mntter how 8malir~which is protested by a franchised United manager in the same town. "The meeting was called," said one who attended the meeting, "to consider the growing movement of the so-called 'small time,' and its effect upon the members of the association. It was agreed that some strong move must be made to offset the damage being done to the association members. "The managers demanded of the United Offices a statement as to what was to be done to protect their franchises. It was then voted that all 'small time,' not book- ed in the United, be declared outlawed." Hereafter, it is declared, the "opposi- tion" list will be enforced against every house in a town where there is a United theatre, except in cases where the United manager with a franchise makes known his willingness to have an inde- pendent house in his town. Virtually all the important time has now been thrown into the opposition list, which has so far operated only against Morris. Immediately there was a lot of wonder what the outcome would be, and amaze- ment was expressed at the move. It has been notorious for some time back that the United managers in many cases were slipping in small acts which appeared on the "opposition" sheet, thereby showing a weak position for the booking of such material. The general "opposition" edict of this week cuts the United off from an immense number of such acts. With Martin Beck out of town it could not be learned what position the Orpheum circuit would assume. Commenting on the situation Jos. Schenck, general manager for Loew said : "Well, that doesn't frighten us. We have the houses and the money to play acts to work for us. That makes a combina- tion that is proof against all the "bar- ring" rules you ever heard of. I see no good reason why Loew Enterprises should not call the acts booked by the United "opposition" and refuse them work on that account. At any rate you may de- pend upon it we will continue to do our own booking right along." ACTRESS AND SKATER WED. Nashua, N. H., Feb. 2. Bella K. Gauthier, a New York actress, and Henry Brooks, a skating rink in- structor from Boston, were married in this city Monday by the Rev. W. H. Bolster. GOLDEN GIVES UP TOUR. New Orleans, Feb. 2. Owing to ill health, George Fuller Golden has discontinued his tour of the Morris circuit. Mr. Golden left Sunday for El Paso, Tex., where he expects to remain until late in the spring. BENNETT CLOSES IN CUBA. Havana, Feb. 2. The Payret is closed owing to ill health of C. W. Bennett, who came from the States, a few days ago to manage the house. His health has been bad for some time and upon arriving here there was no improvement; so he has decided to close the house and will go back to New York shortly. All the acts en- gaged by Mr. Bennett have been paid their full salary and their transportation back to New York. The Grand Opera Theatre, in the Poli- teama Roof Garden, will open shortly with a first-class opera company headed by Mme. Nordica. Constantino, the great Spanish tenor is also advertised as one of the future attractions at the same house. Esperanza Iris, who made herself fa- mous in Havana producing "The Merry Widow" with so much success, opened in that piece last Monday at the Albisu. She will also produce "The Dollar Prin- cess" and "The Chocolate Soldier." Her husband, Miguel Gutierrez, is the pro- ducer. PARIS CASINO REOPENED. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, Feb. 2. The Casino opened again today. M. Viviani is the director. The policy is novel. Skating is the main attraction with vaudeville turns at intervals. TICKET SPECULATORS HAPPY. Boston, Feb. 2. The bill prohibiting the sale of theatre tickets except at box offices was lost by n vote in I In* House Monday after Rep- resentatives Saunders and Knight had said it was unconstitutional as at present drawn. The bill was intended to knock out ticket speculators. THOMAS BARRASFOSD DIES (Special Cable to Variety.) London, Feb. 2. At his country home in Brighton, yes- terday (Tuesday), Thomas Barrasford, general manager of the Barrasford Tour, died, after an illness of several months. He had not, of late, been active in the management of his affairs. It it believed that when William Morris* representative arrives in England, the death of Barras- ford and other complications will make it too late. Alfred Butt sailed on the Mauretania for New York last Saturday. Thomas Barrasford's son, George, is in New York, but at the time the news of his father's death reached here it was too late to locate him in the city before going to press. A well-known English artist, versed in the English situation, summarizes it as follows: The Barrasford office is almost totally disorganized, and contains only one clerk to handle its business. There is talk of Will Collins returning to the Stoll time. There is a report that Stoll is taking over the Holborn Empire. Gibbons' game has always been to "get rich quick," and then retire to the country for rest and quiet. As to Walter De Frece it is nof likely that he will ever take the reins of such an enterprise as the Barrasford Tour in my opinion. PARIS IN FLOOD TIME. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, Feb. 2. The floods have subsided without hav- ing done injury to artists in the ball? here. Only a few theatres arc closed, and that because they lack electricity for il- lumination. Several have fircengines in the street generating power for dynamos and so making their own "juice." The Folies Bcrgeres bad to remain closed onlv one* day. II. H. Marinelli is organizing a big bene lit matinee at the Olympia for Saturday for Hood victims. Tn all the theatres tin? artists are collecting funds for the samo purpose. "CHANTECLER" AT LAST. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, Feb. 2. It has been declared positively that '■('bantecler," the much postponed, will be produced tomorrow night.