Variety (January 1911)

VARIETY LEGAL WRANGLE OVER BOOKINGS FOR FULTO N, B'KLY N, AVERTED United Contracts to Supply Acts to the "Morris House," Then Sidesteps. Percy Q. Williams Said to Have Blocked the Deal Two Fbows were routed for the Ful- ton, Brooklyn, next week. One was framed up in the United Booking Of- fices; the other at the Morris Agency. The Morris show will play the house, or at least it had been so decided Thursday. This decision came, according to re- port, through Percy G. Williams re- fusing to sanction the arrangement entered into by E. F. Albee with Rinehart & Beers, the owners of the Fulton. That house has a booking agreement with the Morris Circuit, and William Morris is interested to the extent of twenty per cent, of the profits. The landlords claim there has been no profit though it is said they are receiving ten per cent, per annum upon the investment in the theatre, and this has been obtained through vaudeville by way of rent. Late last week Rinehart & Beers signed a contract to accept bookings from the United. The contract was Vie culmination of negotiations which commenced four weeks ago. Mr. Will- iams was consulted at the time, it is reported, and then stated he was not favorable to the Fulton entering the United agency. It would have placed the house, a short way from the Will- iams' Orpheum, Brooklyn, as a com- petitor in the same office. The un- derstanding reached between the Uni- ted people was hat the Fulton's bills should grade somewhat after those at Williams' Greenpoint, keeping the cost of the programs far below those at the Orpheum. Another phrase of the understanding according to the same story was that no act playing the Fulton (booked by the United) should be placed for the Orpheum. Whether Mr. Williams committed himself to this plan is not made clear, but Tuesday of this week the United bookers commenced laying out a bill for the Fulton. Wednesday morning all work was stopped. It was said at the United offices that the Fulton deal was off, without any reason being as- signed. Having nothing else to do, the wise boys just said that Mr. Al- bee had attempted to put one over on Percy, and Perce had caught him at it. Meanwhile the Morris ofTlce. which has booked the Fulton since it opened (excepting last summer when Loow played "small time" there) had in- structed its attorney to prepare in- junction papers. A bill for next week was submitted to the Fulton manage- ment by Morris. The injunction flopped when the Fulton was not taken in by L ne Uni- ted, leaving Rinehart & Beers with a couple of booking contracts. They have been ordering the Fulton pro- grams reduced 'intil at present the house is playing a show costing about $1,400 for the week. When business is good at the Fulton, Rinehart & Beers credit the house management; when it is bad they blame the booking office, according to stories, of which there have been many told. HAS "BLACKLISTED" ACTRESS. Yonkers, N. Y., Jan. 5. At the Warburton this week Ethel MacDonough is appearing. Miss MacDonough's name is on the "black- list," having appeared on the Morris circuit as "The Devine Myrma." WAYBURN'S "THE PRODUCER." "The Producer" by Ned Wayburn is to see the light about Jan. 30. Mike Bentham, that young agent who locks up his box of eight cigars in the office safe every night (and day) will be the director of the bookings. It is the first act Mr. Wayburn has slipped over into the vaudeville yard for some time. There will be thirty- five people engaged. The act will start by applicants calling for jobs, then to a rehearsal, and the producer will pre- sent for the finale a miniature musical comedy. STARTED LATE. BUT GREW FAST. Atlantic City, N. J., Jan. 5. The Mahoney Brothers, a corking good act from the West, playing Young's Pier this week, until recently laid off a whole year owing to a pe- culiar illness of the young brother. Until about a year ago he was a midget, but suddenly commenced to grow. During the period of growth (which added eighteen inches to his height), he was unable to work. The former midget says that the greatest difficulty he found while growing was to secure clothes to fit him for any length of time. He is en- tirely well now and an extraordinarily clever dancer. GOT ONE DAY ANYWAY. Lafayette, Ind.. Jan. f>. Vaudeville was halted at the Vic- toria Jan. 1 to permit the Shuberts -o creep in with a legitimate attraction, "The Lottery Man." booked for oti" performance. Previous attempts to show "legit" shows at the Victoria have lieen dis- astrous. The new Dryfus. which no longer houses Shubert attractions, is controlled by Harry Seiners of New York. MIna Mlnnr's new pantomime pro- duction opened at the Keith house. Paterson, N. J., Monday. La Maze. Hcimett and Lu Maze leave for London Jan. 30, booked by li\ A. Myers on the other side. NO BUSINESS WITH SHUBERTS. Little business has been done by Hugo Baruch & Co., of Berlin, with the Shuberts, according to A. Schoel- vinck, the firm's representative in New York. If there is an impression abroad that. his firm has been doing an ex- tensive business with the Shuberts, it should be corrected, says Mr. Schoel- vinck. Baruch & Co. has done but very little with the brothers. The bulk of their theatrical transactions on this side has been with Klaw & Erlanger, Charles Frohman, Henry B. Harris, Fred C. Whitney, Lew Fields, Lieblers, and Henry W. Savage. Mr. Schoelvinck's correction was brought forth by the article in last week's Variety, mentioning the for- mation of a producing concern through the United Booking Offices with which the German firm is con- nected. Chicago, Jan. .*>. Gus Sohlke, who has been retained by the United Booking Offices as pro- ducer of the agency's newly organized production department, has announced that fact, together that shortly he will present on his own account in different scenic productions Maude Lillian Ber- ri, Anna Fitzhugh and Christine Neil- son. Each new act will have a "girl" background. Clara Belle Jerome, having left "The Joyland" vaudeville number, will be the centre of another Sohlke pre- tentious turn for the varieties In the near future. M. S. Bentham will place the Sohlke acts, which are to be produced as in- dividual enterprises. FIND A "FIND." Gordon & North believe they have a "find" in Hugh Herbert; soon to star in a new act. The playlet by Aaron Hoffman, deals with the reform- ation of a young Hebrew. The title may be "Tin' Son of Solomon." Wil- liam Deane, general si age manager for David Belaseo, has lx en engaged to put on the piece. Ill'CKNEIC ADMITS. Arthur Huckner, about whom more is said and less is known than any other person in the show business, has had cards printed re.uling: "Everything they say about me IS" Mr. Huckner states he doesn't al- ways know what "they" may be relat- ing about him. but will admit it is true without knowledge The latest little idea in the Buckner forehead is to open an Institute around Times Square, where one may receive anything the system requires. Asso- ciate! with him will be a physician. The building will have large* signs reading T/uekner's Institute." "They" are offering odds of 10-1 that Buckner will even clean up on the Doctor's di- ploma. There was a sign in the United Hooking offices reading "Huckner & Shea have no connection with this of- fice." Huckner liked the sign so well he remoxed it. and is having the say- ing framed. STAGE MANAGER PARDONED. Before leaving the executive man- sion at Albany, Jan. 1, to Governor Dix, Horace White, who ascended to Gubernatorial honors upon Gov. Hughes taking to the Supreme Bench of the U. S. Court, pardoned Harry Rose, convicted of murder in 1902 and sentenced to nineteen years in prison for the killing of his wife. Mrs. Jennie Proctor, mother-in-law of the prisoner and 72 years of age, has spent all her time since the man's conviction in attempting to have him pardoned. Her latest efforts were suc- cessful. The petition had the signa- ture of prosecuting attorney Jerome and Judge Vernon M. Davis, before whom Rose was tried. Mrs. Proctor asserts that Rose did everything possible to redeem her daughter, and the wife's actions brought about her death. She believes her son-in-law is without blame. The case was a noted one at the time. Mrs. Rose had an entanglement with a New York business man, which her husband discovered. Me then shot her. CASEY CO. JUST THE SAME. No changes have occurred in the Dan Casey Co. since the death of Vic- tor Smalley, who was manager of the producing corporation. Dan Casey re- mains in charge, and Mr. Smalley's interests are represented by Mrs. Hel- en Lehman, secretary to the late sketch writer. LI LA COT AY THK AEKOl'LANE GIRL. 1 ' Thi' :ilxivf.» shows the turnnwuy at Proctor's, I'liiiiilicM. N .1., occurring ;it avb perform Mil' ■<■. Tin' ;i' t w;i: - 11 • -1«1 ;M th" In u •■ Hi' wliol- week, iiri'l ;il't'T i!i" J j i - t ;> rvrn.iii ■• ;ii th<' I'riMiii Si|u;itv, tln.< w • k. t I;•■ 'im 1 ' 'l':im iH tii rn'<l. Tli<> act will P'in.iin t! i ■ ■ :■ i ■ ;;h i.i I Mirer <la>'s at that. h<»u -■•• :i| ■•