Variety (June 1910)

VOL. XVIII., NO. 13. JUNE 4, 1910. PRICE TEN CENTS. FINAL AGREEMENT CLINCHES J INTERN ATIONAL V AUDEVILLE Papers Signed for Beck-Butt Working Agreement. Orpheum Circuit Will Place American Representative in London Office. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, June 1. On the best authority that could be quoted, Variety has been informed that at a meeting held here at the Randvoll House while Martin Beck and Morris Meyerfeld, Jr., were in London, the final agreement with the United Theatres Con- trolling Co., Ltd., was signed, linking the Butt-De Frece-Gibbons chain with the Or- pheum Circuit and its American affiliations (in the west) under a working agreement. This was the culmination of the pre- liminary negotiations and the sort of "binder" executed between Martin Beck and Alfred Butt when Mr. Butt visited New York. Variety's informant would not say to what extent, if any, Messrs. Beck and Meyerfeld were financially inter- ested in any of the English or Continental halls the new combination intends to pro- mote, but there is an impression that the Americans will be concerned in the gen- eral operations of all new theatres, in- cluding the Standard-Victoria in London, Mr. Butt's personal project, to have a capacity of 3,000, when completed. The "working agreement" combines a scheme of international bookings, not promiscuously, but expected to occur now and then. An act that goes through "O. K.'d" for both sides of the ocean will re- ceive a contract calling for two years of continuous playing, excepting the neces- sary "jumps" and "swims." For this pur- pose the Orpheum Circuit will place a rep- resentative in the London agency of the United Co. and the English combine will probably have an expert on desirable acts for England in the New York Or- pheum offices. Variety's informant, who stands high in the councils of the Beck-Butt alliance, said positively that, as has been stated in Variety, Walter Gibbons and his circuit are bound irrevocably to the United Co., and that it was out of the question to bpeak of a William Morris connection with the Gibbons Tour. He admitted negotiations between Gibbons and Morris had been pending, but that now they have been declared all off. It would have cost Morris $500,000 to have "bought in" with Gibbons. (Special Cable to Variety.) *• Paris, June 1. The end of last week there were gath- ered in Paris Managers Beck, Butt, Will- iams, De Frece, Tieber, Tichy, Huddleson, Considine, aifll others from the Continent. Senator Sullivan from New York was with the Americans. Mr. Beck Bays he is going to Marienbad for a month to take the cure. BECK TAKES N. Y. PROPERTY. Among the real estate transactions in New York this week is recorded the trans- fer to Martin Beck of the property at 224- 226 West 47th Street. The purchase price remains a secret, the records showing a nominal consideration of $100. The parcel of gnamd at ',.he address given is just across the street from the Brewster Building, on the downtown side of 47th Street just west of Broadway, and has a 30-foot frontage on that street. It was rumored when the transaction became known, that Beck might have bought the plot with the idea of making it the site of an Orpheum Building, developing his long cherished scheme of having the Or- pheum Offices and a private theatre for "tryouts" under the same roof. It has been reported that whon the Orpheum Circuit enters New York City with a vaudeville theatre, the house will stand on the present Brewster Building site. MORRIS OPENINGS ANNOUNCED. San Francisco, June 1. The dates for the openings of the music halls in the west of William Morris, West- ern, Inc., have been given out at the home office here. They are Omaha, Aug. 26, Spokane, Sept. 26, Seattle, Oct. 3, Portland, Oct. 10, Sacramento, Oct. 20, San Francisco, Oct. 24, Denver. No. 14, Salt Lake City, Nov. 28. The openings at Los Angeles and Oak- land will not occur until after the first of the year, it is stated. C. C. Collin, last year manager of "The Witching Hour," has been engaged for the American, Omaha. Cecil R. Conners, a newspaper man of Denver, will have charge of the hall there. Charles E. Muehl- mann, for seven years with the Spokane Theatre, has been selected for that town, and Geo. J. MacKenzie, of Vancouver, will be temporary manager at Seattle. A "PLASTER" PRESENT. Chicago, June 1. Jake Sternad is having a time stalling off a suit which Joseph & Co. have en- tered against him for $126. The case is the aftermath of a pair of diamond sus- penders which Ruby Jackson gave him some months ago for being such a splen- did little booker. Ruby failed to say to Jake that there was a "plaster" on the pants-holders, when she smilingly slipped them to him, just as she was leaving town, presumably never to return. Jake has now become so accustomed to wearing expensive braces that he is look- ing up a little law himself to ?»e if there is no way to keep Ruby's gift inviolate. "BABY MINE" AFTER "A CERTAIN PARTY." Chicago, June 1. Marguerite Clarke will follow Mable Hitc in "A Certain Party" at the Prin- cess, opening June 8. Otis Harlan will be her chief support in "Baby Mine." Miss Clarke is to join the New Theatre company noxt season and narlan is to star in a musical adaptation to be made by George M. Cohan of Geo. Broadhurst's "What Happened to Jones." ETHEL LEVEY LEAVING PARIS. (Special Cable to Variety.) Paris, June 1. Ethel Levey retired from the revue at the Olympia last night, having concluded her contracted engagement there. June 20, Miss Levey opens at the Alhambra, London. NEW BALLET A WINNER. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, June 1. The new ballet at the Alhambra waa put on Monday. It is an excellent effort, and extremely well liked. NO GENERAL COMBINATION. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, June 1. A surmise that the present entangle- ment of the vaudeville forces over here might lead to a general combination be- tween the Stoll-Moss and Butt-De Frece factions has no foundation in fact. It will not even be discussed by those who un- derstand the situation. The theory waa that by the two sides coming together a circuit of great strength would be formed, with the vaudeville of Great Britain under the absolute control of the monopoly. It was stated this week that no changes will occur in the Moss-St oil offices before Jan. 1 next, at least. Report says soma change may be looked for about that time, and that it is not likely Oswald Stoll will leave. NORD OPENS AND SCORES. (Special Cable to Variety.) London, June 1. Nord, the diver, became the first of her clan to show in a London vaudeville house by opening at the Coliseum Monday. She closed the show, appearing at six o'clock, and did very well. Paris, June 1. The appearance of "The Divine Myrma" at the Alhambra has been postponed un- til lu-xt Sunday, it having been found impossible to make the necessary altera- tions in the stage for the diving act be- fore then. V.