Variety (November 1910)

VARIETY SOME SECOND-HAND LICENSES. The Indications are that the Com- missioner of Licenses ere long will have a large hatch of second-handed agents* licenses, but slightly worn. Up to the day last week when Mar- tin Beck informed the Commissioner he could have his own old license back, and then mailed it to him, ail agents who have experienced any dif- ficulty at all have expressed their In- tention of booking "net." "Booking net" is engaging the act under a written contract at the price asked, less what five per cent, com- mission would amount to. If an act wanting $100 were engaged, the con- tract would read the salary of $95, without any mention of commission. An "outside agent" might make a charge of five per cent, but that would have nothing to do with the agency which booked net. Some agents who boolf direct for houses, in remitting the commission charge, may require the houses booked for to contribute a certain amount weekly. Lawyers say that if this were proven, It might still place them in the category of "agents," though their licenses had been re- turned. A report about during the week was to the effect that some officials in the White Rats were bent upon having amendments passed to the present law, remedying the many defects which have been found so far in it. The amendments, according to report, would mostly bear upon the many ways which have been found to "beat" the law since signed. An artist said this week that he did not think anybody would care to "monkey around an agency law again" unless to repeal the present one. "I guess it has caused enough trouble," said he. "I am willing to swear almost that I would now be working but for the confusion this new idea has brought about. I think the managers and agents hold off pur- posely from booking Just to teach the artists that they worked against themselves. Otherwise I don't see that the law has made it any better for the acts. Several I know are paying more to have themselves booked now than they ever did before." One lawyer told a Variety repre- sentative the other day he had a plan not yet hinted at which would permit every agent to conduct his business without any annoyance through the present law. In the Orpheum Circuit offices book- ings are being made, with no contract provisions for commission, all con- tracts going through "net." Pat Casey, with others, was sum- moned before the Commissioner Wed- nesday. Casey's case, along with that of Bellows & Gregory's, was post- poned. The complaint against Casey is said to have alleged he wore a green tie before noon. , PLAY INFRINGEMENT CLAIMED. William A. Brady this week made claim to Pat Casey that Ethel Van Orden and Co. In presenting "The Prince of Liars," a vaudeville sketch, were infringing upon his play, "Baby Mine." HAKRISBURG'S CASINO QUITS. Harrlsburg, Nov. 3. The Casino, which has played two styles of vaudeville under the manage- ment of Samuel Levy, quit last Satur- day night, Levy retiring from the house. It had been booked by William Morris of New York. The first policy adopted by Levy was a show which did not at any time exceed $950 in cost. Later on he wanted to shift to Loew for cheaper bills. The Morris office objected through having a booking contract and offered to supply the smaller pro- grams, which the Morris office has been doing the past few weeks, send- ing In seven acts weekly, costing Levy around $550. When the change of policy was first made, Variety printed that the Casino had been playing bills costing about $800 and would change to $500 shows. Levy sent out a denial of this and threatened Variety that unless it printed a correction, the local corre- spondent for the paper would not be permitted in the house. Variety did not print a correction, none being nec- essary, but other busy weeklies did. It is related of the Casino that when a comedy acrobatic act requiring a full bare stage played the house one week, the manager wrote to the booking of- fice, objecting to the turn because it took up too much room, and would not allow the theatre to show off its scenery. Claiming that H. R. Simbnetti and Peter Magaro by reason of wrongful acts had been responsible for the clos- ing of the Casino in the middle of the season, the New York-Texas Amuse- ment Co. has filed suit against them for $25,000 damages. According to the plaintiff's state- ment, the defendants, as president and the treasurer of the A. C. Young Amusement Co., represented on Aug. 29 that they had a lease on the Au- ditorium for three years; that the A. C. Young Amusement Co. was sol- vent, that all obligations had been paid and all that the N. Y.-Texas com- pany had to do was to take posses- sion. The plaintiffs are charged with let- ting the rent become overdue, per- mitting conditions to arise which re- sulted in the Casino employees being physically ejected. The Casino opened Sept. 12 and closed Oct. 29. Pending litigation Manager Levy said the future policy of the house would not be known un- til later. It was reported that the manager of the house failed to pay salaries to the acts at the house last week, but Z&\e each a letter to the Morris office in New York, requesting that the act be taken care of. It is also under- stood that whatever money was taken in at the box office was turned over to the manager Saturday night. As an aftermath to the closing of the house one of the agents In New York who had Harrison and Giles booked there under the name of Har- rison and Oilson, for this week, re- ceived a communication early in the week from Dennis F. O'Brien, attor- ney for the White Rats, wanting the cause for cancellation before starting procee«Ungs against the Morris office. STRANDED A "SCHOOL ACT.** Chicago, Noy. 8. Sullivan & Edelman, New York, agents, who are said to be the owners of "Examination Day," a "school act," stranded the young people in the turn last week at Fort Wayne, Ind. The act was sent there by Edward Hayman, of the Western Vaudeville Association, to appear at the Temple. Edelman accompanied the turn, but did not appear around the theatre. After the first show the house man- ager canceled it, on the ground the full number of boys and girls were not present as per contract. The man- ager paid the leader of the act $20 for the one performance. This $20 was turned over to Edelman, who wanted it, he said, to go to Chicago to secure more money to move the act out of town. Later it came out that Edelman had left for New York, leav- ing the youngsters stranded in Fort Wayne. Mayme Remington, who was on the Temple program, headed a subscrip- tion among the other artists, securing sufficient cash to return the children to Chicago. Some procured the nec- essary from relatives to bring them- selves here. QEST IS "NON EST.** Morris Qest is "non est," whatever that is. It was reported to have been uttered by a foreign agent Monday, but no one on Broadway during the week has been found who could ex- plain what "non est" meant in con- nection with Mr. Gest. The quest for information upon the phrase, which seems a relative to Gest's last name, somehow, divulged though that Mr. Gest had been re- quested by Percy G. Williams to keep right on walking hereafter when near- ing the door of the Williams' offices or houses. A stormy scene in the Williams' of- fice one day last week, with Percy G. as the fellow with the big stick, is said to have led to the •Gest expul- sion order. The rest of the story is that when Mr. Williams engaged Belle Baker, Gest heard about it. He had seen Miss Baker when she appeared at the Majestic, Chicago. The young woman is said to have received a wire from Gest advising that the week at Williams' Bronx theatre be cancelled for the chance of obtaining a long run at Hammerstein's. Gest has been a sort of medium of the Hammerstein vaudeville depart- ment. He was always prominent around the house until one evening last summer when Nellie Revell ex- pressed her thoughts of Mr. Gest with one hand, as she handed in her resig- nation as press agent with the other. Still, Gest has remained as a supposed factotum of the Hammerstein corner, and through this is reported to have wired the act already engaged by Wil- liams. Some way the facts are said to have reached Mr. Williams, and in a man- ner which appeared evident to him that William Hammerstein had had no previous knowledge of the Gest wire. Then Mr. Gest appeared in the Williams' offices; and then the explo- sion. Miss Baker played the Bronx last week. It was reported during the early part of the week along Vaudeville Square that Gest was to become finan- cially interested in Miss Baker's vaudeville career, and it was his in- tention to make her one of the suc- cesses of the season by inaugurating an advertising campaign. LAWSON BOOKED IN THE WEST. Even while the sailors on the Oceanic Wednesday were shouting "All Ashore" Freeman Bernstein se- cured the signature of John Lawson, the English actor, to a contract for ten weeks. Mr. Lawson will present "The Mon- key's Paw" for that length of time over the Pantages Circuit. He is to commence Dec. 15. The salary con- tracted for is $750 weekly. There are four weeks remaining unplayed of Lawson's contract with Morris. They may be taken up after the completion of his western trip. THE LANGDONS. •J&nrH&reSF?. tl V e «t3 r i "A NIGHT ON THE BOULEVARD," which has recently been In- 2»/? ed . to » U";?*" 1 * 0 ? 1 *' three-automobile offering In vaudeville. MAJESTIC TURNS TO STOCK. Johnstown, Pa., Nov. 3. The Majestic will give up vaude- ville Nov. 12, and open a stock sea- son Nov. 14.