Variety (July 1910)

VARIETY CHICAGO'S LABOR UNION AND WHITE RATS FAIL TO AGREE Union Passes Resolutions That White Rats Must Resign from Either Order. Another "Small Time" Agency Signature Secured For Union Agreement. Chicago, June 29. The efforts which directors of the White Rats made last week to come to an amicable arrangement with the Actors' Union were unavailing. Three conferences were held between Rat offi- cials and representatives of the Union and Chicago Federation of Labor. The important point under discussion dealt with the demand of the Union that all actors booking through agencies which signed the Union agreement mus^t ap- ply to the Union for a permit to work. The Rats' officials applied in writing for an omnibus permit for members of paign of a "closed shop" with the sev- eral agencies booking for Chicago the- atres. The signature of C. J. Cox was attached to a Union agreement, making a second agency (Doyle the other) which agrees to book only acts which are satisfactory to the Union after July 1. The closing down of so many of the 10-20's leaves the real strength of the movement in doubt for the present. During the summer President Nemo of the Union will canvass the various local agencies, urging signatures to the Union agreement, in anticipation of the fall opening of the regular season. \<- JuvuvLrquLTLr-- -u- u - - r i -rr i - -r < - vr --r • m ' mmmmmmmmmmmmm ** mmmm «^ ^*^^^ " Actor's International Union, Local 4 ►330 PERMIT No. Chicago, 191 Cbts ts to Certtffi that is qualified to receive contracts from. for the period of. from above date. Vmmmmmm** NIOOROIR PREVAILING FORM OF PERMIT IN CHICAGO. the order to work, stipulating that a White Rat card of membership should serve as a sufficient permit. To this the Federation agreed, but when nego- tiations were under way the Rats in- serted a clause that the agreement might be terminated by either side on thirty days' notice. Then the Union added a clause stating that permission for White Rats to work on their cards should be limited only to such theatres as were working under conditions ami- cable to the Union. Negotiations were then broken off. The Rats foresaw "walkouts" and un- settled conditions for members in houses where the Rats as a body might have no grievance; but if the Union so de- cided, the Rats would be compelled to side with them under whatever con- ditions might at the time be im- posed, without having any voice in the settlement of the difficulty or being concerned in any way in the real points at issue. It seemed to the Rats to be an offensive and defensive alliance, with the Union having all the say in tin- matter. Following the third and final discus- sion the Union passed resolutions de- manding that all of its members who were also White Rats must resign from either the Rats or the Union. Prepa- rations were made to carry on the cam- The agreement which will hereafter be presented to agents differs materi- ally from the one which Doyle and Cox signed. Paragraph 4 is changed to read: "I further agree not to demand more than one split per week from any act or acts booked from this office." Strengthening a bill on Saturday or Sunday will therefore be declared to be a "split." Paragraph 3, which referred to the matter of permits to work, is entirely eliminated, together with Para- graph 6, which contained a thirty-day notice as sufficient to terminate the agreement. Substituted for paragraph 3 is the following new one: "I further agree not to book any act that has not a paid-up union card," thus making the "closed shop" an air-tight proposition. Only Doyle and Cox will be allowed the "permit" privilege by the Union. The amended agents' agreement has been presented to the United Booking Association, a smaller agency, and a de- cision is now awaited. Each agency, John Nemo declares, will be visited in turn, cleaning up the smaller ones first, and finally passing to those "higher up." Morton and Moore have been en- gaged for the Shubert's production, "The Rescuer," for next season. Max Hart fixed the engagement. UNITED SCOLDS AGENT. It is reported that the United Book- ing Offices has scolded an agent lately, nearly slapping his hands, in fact. The agent under rebuke has been in dis- favor with the offices off and on, hav- ing been "called" for not favoring man- agers as a rule, but recently the objec- tion has been the method by which the agent has secured acts. Other turns booked by the agent, while touring have been acting as his advance representatives, recommending acts to him and closing negotiations by wire, without the agent having met the acts personally. One of the acts secured in this way received a contract for next season at a price considerably over its salary of a year ago. In another instance the agent received the authority of an act in the west to book it in the east, and offered it to an eastern manager at $300. The eastern manager had pre- viously engaged the act for $375 through another agent, acting for a western manager who had the act un- der contract for several weeks to come. The agent booking at $375 had done so as a favor to the western manager, and at the price set by him. When the $300 agent came to deliver he could not do so at the figure nor for the date, and this led to one more black mark against him, also to a dis- closure of how the act came to him. He was called upon the carpet, spoken to, and it is said a few of the United managers agreed among themselves not to book any of his material, while oth- er United houses would not be bound by any such conditions. In the meantime the agent docs not seem to worry, placidly saying he ex- pects them all to come around again, because he has the goods they must buy, and that's the answer. $350 FOR FLEA CIRCUS. $350 seems to be the market price for a "flea circus." The Marinelli New York branch has booked Braham's col- lection for the St. John, N. B., Fair, opening Sept. 3. The name "flea cirqus," according to showmen, draws more business than the antics of the "trained" insects. SKETCH TITLE CHANGED. Through his attorneys and Robert McCullouch, author of "The Third De- gree," Frank Mayne has brought about a change in that title, which has been employed by Harrison Armstrong in a piece lately produced in vaudeville. Mr. Mayne arrived in New York last week, and called attention to the copy- right of the McCullouch sketch. Arm- strong, when advised of this by attor- neys, agreed to rename his playlet "The Police Inspector," although there is claimed by Mr. Mayne to be great sim- ilarity in the two sketches. "The Thjrd Degree" was first played by William Courtleigh, afterwaru" pass- ing to Mr. Mayne, who has been ap- pearing in it out west for about a year. CORBETT AS INTERLOCUTOR. James J. Corbett has received an of- fer to be interlocutor next season for the Geo. Evans Minstrels. Mr. Evans is reported to have wired the offer to Corbett at Jeffries' training quarters. THE ROOF SHOWS. Business on the roofs held this week about the same as last. "The Follies of 1910," on the New York, led all the others by a big margin. It has been the only place where the speculators thrived. Polaire, at Hammerstcin's, has stopped drawing. The Monday night audience, on an evening suitable for the outer air performances, was a slight one, and showed a depreciation from those of last week, when the weather accepted the blame for some business remaining away. Next week Hammer- stcin's Roof will have a new bill around Polaire, who is under contract for four weeks beyond that. "The Barnyard Romeo," at the Amer- ican, holds up the same average of pat- ronage it has maintained since opening there—nothing extraordinary, and sel- dom capacity, but a good steady draw. This week Stella Mayhew introduced a new song, with words by Edward Madden and music by D. Dora. It is called "The Goose Two-Step." In the vaudeville department Miss Mayhew gives twice daily an almost new act, continually changing her songs. t» CHANGES IN "FOLLIES/ The changes in "The Follies of 1910" commenced to work almost as soon as the summer production opened on the New York Roof. Mr. and Mrs. Mau- rice Hegeman will leave the cast; also Brice and Barry, the two young danc- ing boys. Monday night Billie Reeves and Bert Williams introduced a boxing scene es- pecially prepared. The same evening Grace Tyson sang for the first time "Look Me Over Carefully." In a couple of more weeks, it is said, Julian Mitchell, who staged the piece, and has a part in it, will leave for Europe with his daughter. Mr. Mitch- ell's wife (Bessie Clayton) lately insti- tuted proceedings for divorce. The girls who take part in the bath- ing scene, when called for a rehearsal the other day, and asked to go in the tank for instructions, refused as one. The order was not insisted upon. Pre- viously Manager Ziegfeld had told the shirkers during the performance that each girl who jumped in the water every show would receive $5 weekly over the regular salary. From that time all jumped. MATINEES ON ROOF. The matinee shows, by the bill at the American this week, are given on the roof, making two shows daily up- stairs. "Pop" vaudeville, provided by the Morris Circuit at the Plaza and Ameri- can Theatres (indoors, evenings) has been discontinued at both places. Next Monday an opera company will appear at the Plaza. HAS HALF SINGER'S. The Shuberts have taken a one-half interest in all of the shows and theatres owned by Mort H. Singer. Mr. Singer was in New York last week. He will have a New York office with Sam Thall in charge. Singer's theatre is the Princess, Chi- cago, which he also makes his head- quarters.