Variety (February 1910)

VARIETY THAT MURDOCK REPORT. Chicago, Feb. 9. Yesterday J. J. Murdock disposed of all his moving picture holdings in the Inter- national Projecting Co., resigned as presi- dent of the Independent Picture Alliance and departed for New York. The report here is that Mr. Murdock goes to New York to enter the United Booking Offices. That story first sprung up in Chicago some six weeks ago. As many wild stories were about dur- ing the week over the John J. Murdock- United Booking Offices connection as ran amuck about the entire vaudeville situ- ation. While Mr. Murdock was in Chi- cago he was reported in consultation with E. F. Albee at a New York restaurant, and again on Tuesday when Mr. Murdock was probably transferring his stock in the Chicago moving picture corporation in that city, it was said that he had commenced his duties in the Long Acre Building as Mr. Albee's assistant. Tuesday afternoon in his office in the United suite Percy O. Williams stated to a Vabiett representative that he knew nothing about Mr. Murdock entering the United in any capacity, and had heard nothing upon which the many rumors could be based. Up to Wednesday Mr. Murdock had taken no official seat in the agency. The general opinion is that Murdock's connection, if any, with the United, will largely depend upon the outcome of the Beck-Morris negotiations. Should those two reach an understanding without the United going or being declared in, Murdock most likely would be engaged for the ob- ject of aiding in any plans or schemes the United managers might deem neces- sary for the protection of their p r oper ti es in conflict* There is no reason to doubt that at one time quite recently, Mr. Albee con- sidered Mr. Murdock for the position of rounder up of the "small time/' but op- portunity passing for a general gathering in of the smaller houses, the Chicago man was left out of the running for that posi- tion, which has been given to D. F. Hen- nessy, formerly the office manager of the United. Mr. Hennessy is now in charge of the United's Family Department. It was reported on Monday that there had been some discussion between the United officials regarding Murdock, and this had held up action. When Martin Beck and Morris Meyer- feld, Jr., repaired to their offices on Mon- day they are said to have asked about the Murdock report, and were assured he would not enter the United offices, though Mr. Beck, when asked by a Vabiett representative if the engaging of Mur- dock by the United would be construed by him as a hostile action, said that it did not make any difference that he could note, amounting to the agency employing someone, a privilege anybody had. Mr. Hennessy, now in charge of the United's small time bookings, is about the oldest attache with an exception or two in the United. He has been held up as one of the very few model men the book- ing institution has been fortunate enough to secure within past years. His knowledge of all the ins and outs of bookings, with every side of the busi- ness an open book to him is expected to keep* the "Family Depurtment" in a state of sanitary booking perfection. CORNER STONE MOVES. San Francisco, Feb. 9. Ou Monday morning last the lately im- planted corner stone on the newly an- nounced Morris vaudeville theatre was crated up and carried away. The removal was made by Morris employees, it is said. There are no signs left of the foundation upon which the stone was to rest. The place shows a 2 x 4 beam freshly sawed away. On Tuesday the Morris western com- pany announced a change in building plans as the reason for the necessary re- moval of the cornerstone. It rested upon a brick foundation which has been torn away. INCORPORATES FOR SALT LAKE. Salt Lake (3ty, Feb. 9. The papers for the American Music Hall Co., of Utah, were filed Tuesday. William Morris is president, Walter Hoff Seely, vice-president, and Joel Nibley, secretary and treasurer. Nibley is the son of the presiding Bishop of the Mor- mon Church. The company, organized to erect an American Music Hall here, has a capital stock of $200,000. The shares are $10 each, par value. Of the 20,000 shares, William Morris Co., Western, Inc., holds 14,760; Samuel Newhouse has 5000, and Nibley 250. Great claims are made for the theatre. It will be a replica of the Maxine Elliott, New York. Mr. Newhouse, the moving spirit m the enterprise, has ordered that the lighting outfit be a duplicate of that of the Grand Opera House, Paris, which impressed him when over there. A hotel will be in the theatre building. AMELIA BINGHAM FOR STOCK. On April 17 Amelia Bingham, who has been playing the music halls in Great Britain since last August, will sail for home. She is engaged as stock star for the Suburban Park Company in St. Louis under a five weeks engagement. Her American representative, Loney Haskell, is negotiating for a few weeks of New York vaudeville previous to her opening date in St. Louis. MAUDE NICHOLS ILL. Buffalo, Feb. 9. Owing to the illness of Maude Nichols, the Nichols Sisters were compelled to re- tire from the bill at Shea's last Friday. While her condition is now greatly im- proved, it may be a couple of weeks be- fore the sisters can resume their vaude- ville bookings. RENEWS LEASE ON "HIP." Cleveland, Feb. 9. Officers of the Citizens 1 Savings & Trust Co., acting as receivers for the Hippo- drome Building Co., have signed a re- newal of the lease which gives B. F. Keith control of the "Hip" for five years more at an annual rental of $40,000. CANCELED FOR STOVE. San Francisco, Feb. 9. At the Garrick, Stockton, when Leon Rogee played there, no heat made its presence felt in the dressing room of "The Human Orchestra." Rogee asked for a stove. Not getting it, he closed after the first show. THEATRE CHANGES IN ST. LOUIS. St. Louis, Feb. 9. After working for years straightening out an old estate, the Middleton Theatre Company (Frank Tate and Louis Cella) have come into complete possession of the site of the Grand Opera House and adjoining buildings. The Grand, which has been playing popular-priced vaudeville this season, will close Saturday night and work on a $100,000 theatre and hotel will at once begin. Plans have already been drawn and it is hoped to have the new house ready in September. It will seat over 2,000 and will be the handsomest in St. Louis. Policy not announced. Mrs. Theodore Bingham, wife of the former Police Commissioner of New York, is one of the Rutherford heirs, who, though long since willing to lease to the Middleton company, had to go through a long legal formality before this could be consummated. WINNIPEG GETS ORPHEUM SHOWS. Winnipeg, Feb. 9. During the past week, in the absence of combination bookings, the Walker, which plays K. & E. bookings, has been playing the acts booked on the Orpheum time, en route westward from Minneapolis. The Orpheum people also appear at the Walker this week. Commencing next Monday, Feb. 14, the policy of the Grand Opera House will change from melodrama to burlesque. "CAMILLE" IN A HURRY. Newark, N. J., Feb. 9. "Camille" is being played in a hurry this week at the Arcade, a vaudeville and picture house. Clara Mathes and Co. are doing the playing, assisted by the Pathe film of "Camille." The moving picture is utilized for the first two acts of the piece, when. the sheet is raised and the players do the rest. The "act" proved novel and seemed to please quite well. BETWIXT AND BETWEEN. All day Wednesday G. Molasso, the for- eign producer who has made several suc- cessful dancing productions since reaching New York, stood between the Orpheum and.the Morris Circuits. Fred Zobedie, the agent, who has been handling Molasso's output to the satisfac- tion of everyone concerned, reached an agreement with the Orpheum to play "Paris by Night" over the Western time, opening at Spokane Feb. 28. It was virtu- ally agreed between the contracting parties that all the Molasso acts would take the same course. No agreement was signed, however. Meanwhile the Morris people got after Molasso, offering a flattering inducement for him to become a sort of producer-in- general to the circuit, and replace his original "Apache" dance at the American next week. At the Morris office it was said Molasso had signed there; Mr. Mo- lasso at the Colonial, where "Paris by Night" is appearing this week, said on Wednesday afternoon he had reached no decision. Mr. Zobedie was in a quandary all day wondering if he entered. JUDGMENT FOR LIQUIDATED DAMAGES. On Monday in the Supreme Court Judge Bischoff gave the Conried Metropolitan Opera Co. judgment for $20,000, the amount named in a liquidated damage clause under a contract held by the Opera Co., and sued for, in an undefended action, against Charles Delmores, an operatic singer, who about two years ago "jumped" from the Metropolitan to the Manhattan Opera House, leaving his contract behind. In the decision rendered, Judge Bischoff has laid down a very important point of law in the estimation of theatrical at- torneys who often run across "liquidated j^, damage." If the case is not appeared Jf and the judgment upset by'a higher court, the Conried-Delmores decision will stand as a valuable precedent in action between managers and players in the future. Heretofore it has been held by the courts that where the liquidated damages mentioned were disportionate with the ser- vices to be rendered, the actual damage was required to be shown. Judge Bischoff decided that when people agreed upon the amount of damage either would sus- tain through default or a breakage of the contract, the amount should stand as having been the sum assessed and agreed upon by the parties in interest, each fully aware of the compact he was entering into. It was said on Tuesday that in face of this decision, it was more than likely that the papers now being prepared in the action contemplated by the United Book- ing Offices against Felix Isman for $250,000 (the penalty in liquidated dam- ages provided for in the "settlement agree- ment" between Klaw & Erlanger and the United to which Isman was a party) would be pushed ahead rapidly. Isman has publicly acknowledged that he is in- terested in the vaudeville played by the William Morris company. His defense is expected to be that he is a minority stock holder in the corporation governing the Morris Circuit. NEW ARTISTS' ORDER. Chicago, Feb. 9. A new order has been organized in Chi- cago by artists and is called the Versatile Veterans. It is composed of old pro- fessionals. At present the membership totals seventy-eight. The order has been founded for the pro- tection of artists' material and has applied for a charter under the laws of Illinois. Small buttons with the letters "V. V." are worn by the members. MISS WAKEFIELD RETURNS. After a flying trip to South America, where she presented her specialty undeniHa special contracts, Willa Holt Wakefielo^/ landed in New Orleans last week, and will resume her Morris engagement in Winni- peg next Monday. She comes to the Plaza, Feb. 28, to start a two weeks 'en- gagement at that house. "THE ECHO" DILLINGHAM'S NEXT.. The next production by Charles Dilling- ham will be named "The Echo." It will follow Montgomery and Stone at the Globe. In the cast of the new show will be Rock and Fulton and Frank Lalor. Charlotte Townsend has had a sketch written for her by Mark Swan. Will J. Block will star Johnnie Hyams and Lelia Mclntyre in a new show, to go in rehearsal in about two weeks.