Variety (November 1910)

10 VARIETY ERIE'S AWFUL TANGLE. Erie, Pa., Nov. 3. The removal of the Alpha from the vaudeville map of this town, leaving the Colonial (booked by Gus Sun) to fight the Park, (a Family Department; United Booking Office house) has brought about an awful tangle. To compete with the attractions the Park is offering as features, Gus Sun is reported to have placed himself In communication with William Morris, of New York, for the purpose of se- curing some of the big cards from the independent circuit. Without that phase considered, the entrance of the Family Department into Erie has made the Colonial (and Sun-locally) "opposition." Some time ago It was reported the Family Department and the Murray- Sun Circuit had agreed upon a terri- torial division for their "small time" bouses, with a marginal line* going through Erie as the point beyond which neither could secure theatres to book (east or west) without throw- ing the commission Into a common pool. Monday the Alpha, which quit after the first week of the Park opposition, reopened with pictures only, at five and ten cents admission. OPEN A "FAMILY DEPT." The Loew Agency has opened a "Family Department." It is in charge of Ernest Williams and Jack Gold- berg. The Department commenced with six houses, located in New York and Brooklyn. The houses play three acts four times daily, "spliting" the week. The installation of a department to handle the smallest time accepted in the agency, which normally books only what is known as "small time" as compared to the big circuits, seems to be a move to subdivide even the "small time," placing those houses which might come under the heading of "picture houses" by themselves. FOUR SHOWS TOO MANY. Montreal, Nov. 3. It Is reported the Theatre Francais, this city, and the new Family, Ottawa, both links in the Mark-Brock chain of "pop" vaudeville houses, will change policy next week. Heretofore tl.e houses have played four shows daily, but with next Monday three shows a day will be the rule. The houses are booked through the offices of the Loew Circuit, New York, which, it is said, found trouble in se- curing feature acts to play the houses through the number of shows. OHIO HOUSES "SPLIT." Youngstown, O., Nov. 3. The Park, this city, starts Monday with "pop" vaudeville at 10-20-30. It will be under the management of L. B. Cool, acting for Feiber & Shea, of New York. The same firm opens the Colonial, Akron, the same day, at 10- 1 5-2 r>. Mr. Johnson will be the resi- dent manager. Six acts and pictures will make up the program of the the- aters, which will "split" the week. The Princess, a Youngstown "pop" house, reopens Nov. 14 with Gus Sun vaudeville. The house has been re- modelled. LICENSE DENIED KEALEY. Commissioner of Licenses Herman Robinson handed down a decision Tuesday in which he denied the ap- plication for a license to conduct a booking agency made by Edward F. Kealey, and the issuance of which was protested by the Actors' Interna- tional Union and the.White Rats. There were three hearings in the Kealey case before the Commissioner. The testimony at the final hearing re- ceived the attention of the Commis- sioner for an entire day. This was the first of the important "agency" hearings held in the last two months at which no paid official (other than the attorney) of the White Rats was present. It is also the first "protested" case in which the Commissioner has refused a li- cense. The day after the decision was handed down Kealey said that the agency in which he was the moving spirit was conducted by the Fox cor- poration, and that if it wished to book acts for its own theaters with- out charging a commission it could do so without a license from the Com- missioner. "But," he added, "it is my inten- tion to quit the business next Monday. This office will still be conducted as the agency for the Fox houses, but it will be in charge of someone other than myself." TRYING CHESTER AGAIN. Atlantic City. Nov. 3. The Family at Chester, Pa., started off again Monday, this time under the joint management of Joe Wood and Maurice Boom. Mr. Boom knows all about the house; he has had it be- fore. Five acts are booked in by Mr. Wood. UNION TROUBLE CLOSED. Boston, Nov. 3. C. Wesley Fraser of the National Booking Office received a surprising visit from Thos. Kennette, the presi- dent, and three members of the Bos- ton local of the Actors' Union. They came to his office to smoke the pipe of peace. They called for the purpose 4 of a reconciliation. Mr. Fraser inform- ed the committee he held no animos- ity, and told them he would give work to any performer If a manager was willing to play the act. This closes the trouble between the Union and the National offices. "POP" IN IMPERIAL. Providence, R. I., Nov. 3. The Imperial Is expected to start with a "pop" vaudeville policy next Monday. M. R. Sheedy has entered unto a sharing arrangement with Sparrows & Edwards, the lessees of the house. The Imperial seats 1,750. Prices will be 10-20-30. Springfield, Mass., Nov. 3. The Gilmore, P. F. Shea's theater, is going to have "pop" vaudeville, placed by M. R. Sheedy. Sheedy had some interest In the house a few years ago. FAM. DEPT. VS. HUNT. If Phil Hunt could have the head- ing reversed, and see "Hunt vs. Fam. Dept." the agent would feel that his day in court was at hand. Mr. Hunt believes he has a grievance, grounds for a suit, and thinks the U. S. author- ities should delve into the "pulling out" of Wlllard's "Temple of Music" this week from the New Portchester theatre. What makes the affair more aggra- vating is that the Willard act is ap- pearing at the opposition house in Portchester, booked by the Family Department of the United Booking of- fices, and after the management of the New Portchester had advertised its coming in half page advertisements. R. J. Blake of Blake's Circus, and a half-owner with Willard in the acts of the two men, signed a contract with Hunt last Friday to appear Mon- day at Portchester. Saturday he tele- phoned the Hunt office that Dan Hen- nessy of the Family Department had informed him if he played the date, all time for all acts would be declared off. The next Hunt knew the "op- position" house had the turn. While the affair was being unrav- eled Inspector Thos. J. Whelan of the License Bureau, was in the Hunt of- fice. He told Hunt to furnish his office with evidence then the Corpora- tion Counsel would take the matter up. Monday it was reported that Man- ager Rogowski of the New Portchester was seeking an injunction against Manager Free of the Fehr Opera House (the "opposition") from play- ing Wlllard's "Temple." Another booking mystery in Hunt's experience last week was how the Family Department, through Lester D. Mayne, could "pull out" an act from the Howard, Boston, while it is book- ing the Bowdoln Square in the same city, both theatres owned by one man. Hunt books for the Howard, however, and that may explain. Meanwhile in settling these trouble- some questions, Mr. Hunt was notified to appear himself before the Commis- sioner, to explain how he overlooked registering the financial responsibility of the managers he books for. This was to have occurred Wednesday. Mr. Hunt decided that if he escaped the complaint without being sent to prison for a life term, he would Immediately surrender his booking license, there- after engaging acts at a net price only. BOOKING HAD A "SPLIT." Kansas City, Nov. 3. The Orpheum Leavenworth, will hereafter "split"-the week with the Columbia, Kansas City, both houses managed by M. B. Shanberg. The Orpheum is booked through the Western Vaudeville Association, Chicago. The Columbia will book in- dependently. Mr. Schanberg lately acquired the Kansas City house. Two agents Wednesday were speak- ing of a prize fight they had seen. One said it wasn't so good. Another agent standing near, remarked "If you want to see a regular fight, catch Dan Hennessy. Phil Nash and Jules Ruby talking over a booking for Hammer- stein's Roof." MANAGER CRESTED. Boston, Nov. 3. Lawrence E. Thayer, a Bostonian, and lessee of the Orpheum theatre, Newburyport, Mass., destroyed by fire Oct. 16, was arrested in Haverhill, Oct. 29, at the request of the Ntw- buryport police. Chief Marshal Mc- Lean charged Thayer with burning a building. A patrolman Baw Thayer and his wife with baggage board a car for Haverhill at 6:45 a. m., and notified the police chief. It is charged by the police that the theatre had not been paying. A short time before the fire Thayer is said to have insured his personal property in the building, including a piano and organ, for $1,200. Chief Fire Inspec- tor Charles F. Rice, from Boston con- ducted an inquiry into the cause of the blaze, which Newburyport police believed was of incendiary origin, but did not find evidence that Thayer was responsible. Since then the Newburyport police have been investigating further. They say that the fire was set in three places in the theatre. The flames were discovered at 4:45 a. m. Loss esti- mated at $10,000. Thayer consented to go to police headquarters where he remained in the City Marshal's room until a Newburyport officer ar- rived and a warrant was served. He gave his age as 63, address, 717 Mas- sachusetts avenue, Boston. After the fire in the Orpheum, it was said that Thayer was asleep in one of the rooms, and was not awak- ened until he heard the sound of the fire alarm. He worked his way through the smoke and flames to the main entrance, where he fell into the arms of the police and was assisted by them to his boarding house. Thayer was burned about the head and face. His hair and moustache were singed. He was also suffering, it was said, from shock. Stimulants were administered. AGENTS' MEETING PROMISED. New Orleans, Nov. 3. According to a letter written by Billy Ellwood, many "small time" agents are to meet in Chicago, Nov. 10. If they do, some of those listed by Mr. Ellwood will spend a lot of carfare to make the jump. Mr. Ellwood did not mention in the letter which announces that the meet- ing is for the purpose of "forming an agents' association," whether he had received acceptances; nor did he say what would happen when George B. Greenwood, of Atlanta, and Charles H. Kuehle, of Charlotte, meet in the same room. They like each other as much as a sensible man cares for carbolic acid. There may be other similar cases in the list of Billy's, which includes: Norman Jefferles and Bart McHugh, Philadelphia; John B. Simon, Louis- ville; B. J. Williams, Mobile; Chas. H. Kuehle, Charlotte; Billy Ellwood, Houston; Ted Sparks, Kansas City; Sam Du Vries and Coney Holmes, Chi- cago; Geo. B. Greenwood, Atlanta; J. Costello, Toronto; Mrs. Hal Goodwin, Minneapolis; and Ed. J, Fisher, Seat- tle.