Variety (March 1911)

/ VARIETY MORRIS COMBINATION DEAL NOT YE T CLEAR LY DEFINED Sullivans Have Passed Their Stock to the Loew End, But the Matter Seems to be Huns: There. Morris Reported Dickering, and May Remain "Inde- pendent." A "Blacklist" Scheme lgyout week. The combination deal, which in- cluded the William Morris Circuit, has not yet become clearly defined. Mon- day, the Morris corporation stock of the widow of "Little Tim" Sullivan and "Big Tim" Sullivan was turned over to the Marcus Loew contingent upon the receipt of the purchase price. This is reported as $60,000 in cash and $65,000 in endorsed notes. With the passing of the interest of the Sullivans to Loew, the deal which was to have taken In William Morris somehow stood still at that point. Principally this is said to have been caused by several people accepting too much for granted regarding Morris himself. Instead of being amenable to any suggestions made, Morris, ac- cording to stories, is now looking yout for "No. 1"—William Morris. Neither Loew nor Morris, this would make any admission, not even admitting the transfer of stock, al- though that was freely spoken of, and no doubt existed that the Sullivans were out of the Morris company. Tuesday, P. P. Proctor and Morris had a long conference. The same day Variety received a wire from Los Angeles that Alexander Pantages was leaving for New York on a special mis- sion. It is not unlikely that Morris wired Pantages, the latter having stood ready for the past two years to enter into almost any deal Morris pro- posed. Morris was prevented from making a Pantages connection through "Big Tim" Sullivan, a partner of John W. Considlne. The Sullivan-Considine Circuit is opposition to Pantages. While it is expected that the United Booking Offices will abate "the black- list" upon the conversion of the Mor- ris houses into "small-timers," there is no certainty when that will occur. This week, Mr. Morris Informed a Variety representative that the Amer- ican, New York, might play high-class vaudeville for the remainder of the season. There is a possibility, among other things, that Morris is holding out for a deal which will place United book- ings in his New York and Chicago houses before listening to any propo- sitions from his new corporate part- ners. Morris may have reached his present frame of mind under the be- lief that the officials of the United Booking Offices had acted as advisers in the present contemplated deal, and he refused to be "buried" without in- serting a kick into the ceremony. The stand Morris has taken may have spoiled the plans of the promot- ers, for unless William Morris is out of the way there is no guarantee of the closing up of the vaudeville lines without "opposition" existing. Mor- ris may be more dangerous as a free lance agent than as a manager, a fact the competing managers appreciate. There may be lingering hopes of an all-around combination of vaudeville interests, which will include Morris. This is looked upon by the vaudeville people as something possible. In that case, Morris might be "taken care of" to his satisfaction. That the United Booking Offices ex- pected the deal to promptly wind up and the "blacklist" taken off, was evi- denced late last week when word was sent to all agents booking through the office not to handle "blacklisted acts." Immediately the agents passed the times when they have agreed) in the absence of Martin Beck, now on the water, homeward bound. Whether the agencies will be suc- cessful in securing the "blacklisted acts" wanted, under the new scheme, is problematical. Outsiders expect a scramble between the "East" and "West" for acts If the lid ever goes off. No confirmation could be secured of a story about that Morris had agreed to remain in the joint booking office to be established by Loew in connec- tion with that for the Morris Circuit. Morris was to be retained it was said on a yearly salary basis, with a per- centage of any profits accruing from the "Morris houses." BECK HOMEWARD BOUND. (Special Cable to Variety..) London, March 1. Martin Beck sailed to-day from Southampton on the KronzprLnz Wil- helm. FRANK TINNEY'S RECEPTION AT SAN FRANCISCO. Personal direction, MAX HART. word to their friends that the "black- list" would remain, as they could not book. y The poor innocents guessed wrong, however. The reason for the non-book- ing order was through the United and the Orpheum Circuit having agreed that when the "blacklist" was lifted the acts on It are to be booked direct, and not through an agent. This understanding is said to have been reached between Percy G. Will- iams and E. P. Albee, (one of the few REMODELING FRISCO CHUTES. San Francisco, March 1. The Chutes grounds close this week, to reopen in May, when big attractions will appear there. In the interim, re- modeling will take place. A new lobby will be built to the theatre, avoiding passing through the grounds. In cold weather the theatre remains open. When alterations are completed the Chutes will have the whole block front facing on Fillmore street, now occupied by stores. PANTAGES COMING EAST. Los Angeles, March 1. Alexander Pantages left here yes- terday for New York. He should arrive there Friday. Before board- ing the train Pantages intimated that his visit to the east was not to be en- tirely one of pleasure and that before returning west he would have closed a deal that would make a great deal of difference in the western vaudeville situation. Nothing could be learned as to the exact nature of the proposed trans- action. At the New York office of the Pan- tages Circuit it was admitted that Mr. Pantages was expected here by the latter part of the week, but no In- formation could be gained as to the exact purpose of the visit. TWO DIXEYS AT ONCE. A week after the reappearance of Henry E. Dlxey occurs at Hammer- stein's, his wife, Marie Nordstrom will present herself as a "single" in the variety line-up as well. Miss Nordstrom will debut at Mt. Vernon, March 13. If successful, Wil- liam L. LykenB intends persuading the managers to place both acts on one program. SEABROOKE TRYING AGAIN. Jack Levy, still a vaudeville agent, though he did permit himself to be "frisked" for $150 while on a street car last week, has placed Tom Sea- brooke for another try at vaudeville. Mr. Seabrooke makes his re-entry as a "single" at Hammerstein's Opera House, next week, Mr. Levy says, and he will appear at the Victoria the week following. TWO IN BF FOR PANTAGES. Two in blackface will start over the Pantages circuit in the near fu- ture. One is Charlie Case, who com- mences the time March 9. Geo. Prim- rose, with his two boys, will take to the northwest later. OGDEN ORPHEUM TO CLOSE. Ogden, March 1. The Orpheum will discontinue vaudeville after next week. This de- cision came rather suddenly, although the house has not been doing the business expected. The show for week March 13 had been all booked but the acts were wired a notice of cancellation. The Orpheum offices in New York have re-routed the greater number of the acts. PICTURES IN OLD ORPHEUM. Seattle, March 1. Upon the opening of the new Or- pheum theatre, which will occur around May 1, the present Orpheum will revert to pictures, with probably some of the smaller grade vaudeville. It Is proposed to give the picture shows at a straight admission of one dime. The Orpheum's seating ca- pacity is 2,700. The new Orpheum will conUnue playing the bookings of the Orpheum Circuit. Seattle is one of four cities placed by Sullivan-Considine on the Orpheum Circuit, under a mutual un- derstanding.