Variety (May 1911)

VARIETY KEITH-PROCTOR UP AGAINST THE LOE W AND FOX HOUSES Increasing Size of Shows by Adding Acts. "Small Time" Bills May Reach Large Salary Total. The outlook in the "small time" vaudeville division around New York just now is that the Keith-Proctor firm is about to wage a warm compe- tition for business against the Loew and Fox circuits. All the Keith-Proctor houses with an exception have inserted seven acts as the vaudeville section of their "pop" combination shows. The Har- lem Opera House, this week, is offer- ing eight acts. Report says that with- in a week or so, the K-P "small time" theatres may be playing nine acts— in addition to the customary number of reels (although the quantity of vaudeville may reduce the usual quan- tity of picture film shown during a show). Keith-Proctor theatres are opposed to the Loew and Fox houses in New York in the following arrangement: Harlem Opera House (K-P) vs. Seventh Avenue (Loew); 58th Street (K-P) vs. Plaza (Loew); Union Square (Bijou Dream), (K-P) vs. City (Fox). The competition between the Union Square and the City also in- cludes Fox's other house on East 14th street, Dewey. The Keith-Proctor houses are book- ed under the direction of F. F. Proc- tor, through F. F. Proctor, Jr., with Jules Ruby as the scouting agent. They play four shows daily, as against three in the competing theatres. K-P are paying less for acts than either of the Fox or Loew houses, with Fox second, and Loew the highest. A nine-act program in a K-P house would boat the management between $700 and $800; the same number of turns In a Fox theatre would reach to between $900 and $1,000, while a similar program in quantity In a Loew house would run up to between $1,000 and $1,200, without any great differ- ence in the quality of the Loew and Fox shows. The K-P theatres have Increased ad- mission, until the scale Is now 10-15- 25 with box seats at thirty-five cents. The admission.marks on the Loew and Fox time have undergone no change, excepting at the New York theatre (Fox) where fifty cents is procured for front orchestra chairs Saturdays and Sundays, and at the American, New York (Loew), where fifty cents also finds buyers for front seats now and then. As "small time" bills were found profitable two seasons ago when cost- ting between $300 and $450 weekly, the difference in cost under an ad- vance in the number, with the increas- ed salary for acts, would materially reduce the profit-earning capacity of "small time" theatres, especially those under heavy fixed charges, mostly made by a high rental, which demands that the house "must do business every minute." Black business under present conditions on the "small time" means a considerable loss. A K-P representative this week de- nied that the added acts for bills meant a slap at the other "small time" circuits, claiming that the conditions forced the increase. "Small time" agents and managers seem to agree though that Keith & Proctor are "go- ing after" Loew and Fox (who are not over friendly themselves). Whether the "going after" will ex- tend to other houses of each circuit, no one could be found who was pre- pared to say. Loew's American this week is giv- ing eight acts and pictures for the daily entertainment. LOLA AXTELL Successfully vaudcvllllng with the Hopklm- Axtell Co. In "Travelwaya." BEAU A HARD WORKER. Paradoxical, though it may be, Josh Daly is his own opposition. That is, he is in the booking business for himself, and at the same time is de- voting time to the W. S. Cleveland office, which is in the same line. Two offices for Josh seems like a hard trick, but the little B'eau Bruni- mel says he can do it. SPLITS By FRANK GARFIELD. It's great to be an actor On the vaudeville stage to-day; For you see lota of the country, But get very little pay. You're a traveler In the truest sense, For you make two leaps a week; You see lots of the country, But get very little sleep. You go to the theatre Monday And get all settled down, But you can't forget that Thursday You must make another town. If the orchestra doesn't please you As through your stuff It plays, Console yourself by thinking Of a new one—in three days. And then you have that pleasure, Which you never had before. Of tlpplne stnuo li.inds twice a week So the "dear boys'' won't be sore. Your noble friend, the transfer man, You never have to seek. He's on the Job, with out-stretched hand Not once, but twl< o a week. Oh. It's great to be an actor On the vaudeville stage to day; For you see lots of the country, But get very little pay. A PATHE REPORT. Paris, April 24. It is reported that the Clmes Co.. of Rome and Paris, Intend opening up shortly in the United States as an independent group of film manufac- turers. Having tried to enter the Patents Company combine and then form a part of the Sales Company combination without success, the Cimes people intend to create a third group. It is rumored that Pathe Freres are behind the move. This is ac- counted for by the fact that Pathes will shortly make their own stock, an 1 the Patents and Sales people now buying their blank films from Eastman's, the French firm will in this manner And a market in the United States for a part of their out- put. KESSLER HAS EXCHANGES. All the film exchanges in New York City with one exception have passed to the control of A. Kessler, Jr. The exception is the Great Western, which has been purchased by O. E. F. Aitken. A few reports were current this week over the film exchange phase of the moving picture business. PICTURE FILM ROYALTY. Columbus, O., May 3. Senator Dire has introduced a bill in the Legislature providing that owners of moving picture Alms and patents used in exhibition in Ohio must pay to the county treasurer of each county one half of the royalty re- ceived from the use of the film and patent. The theatre manager must submit to the county auditor written state- ments of the amount paid and a vio- lation carries with it a penalty of not less than $50. nor more than $200. for each offense. THREE HOUSES CLOSED. Chicago, May 3 The Orpheum in Cincinnati closed its doors last Sunday night and will discontinue playing vaudeville. The house has been booked by the Morris- Loew office in Chicago. The Columbus and Dayton houses that have been playing vaudeville for the past few weeks booked through the Pantages office here gave up the ghost Saturday night. BIRD MILLMAN. Bird Millman, the whirling, dancing daredevil blrdglrl of the air, whose pictures are on the front page this week, Is just completing an unusually successful trip over the Orpheum Cir- cuit. The press has elected the Blrdglrl and her company the premier act of their line. Miss Millman although a young girl (nineteen years old) has been per- forming on the wire for eleven years. In that time, during which she has given 11,873 performances, Bird has never had a fall. It will be necessary to see her start- ling routine before this statement can be fully appreciated. Miss Millman has appeared all over the world as a feature attraction. AL FRESCO REGULATIONS Open air theatres of Nejw York must abide by the new edict of the superintendent of buildings which requires that sanitary toilet accommo- dations be provided; floors extend at least five feet from seats on all sides; lences, braces, booths or other struc- tures ten feet high and metal cover- ed. Stationary seats with backs are necessary with no seat having more than six seats between it and the nearest aisle. Aisles must be four feet wide. Two separate exits, indi- cated by signs and red lights, are required. Doors must swing out- ward. In theatres, seating 300 or more, the combined width of exits shall exceed ten feet by at least nn c foot for every twenty-five persons in excess of 300. HODK1NS ON EAST COAST. Chicago, May 3. Charles E. Hodkins of the Hodkins office has been missing from the Windy City for the past two weeks. He has been on the southern east coast section making a connection for his circuit in the Carollnas and Georgia. VAUDEVILLE AT PARK. Chicago, May 3. When Riverview Park here opens May 24, there will be a gigantic open- air vaudeville theatre with a seating capacity of l,r>00 which will be tin 'er the management of Col. W. A. Thomp- son. There will be one continuous show given. OPPOSITION IS TOUGH. Chicago, May 3. The Main Street theatre, Peoria, 111., which has been booking through Walter Keefe of the T. B. C. offices, closed Saturday. The show was booked in for this week but it seems as though the advent of the new Or- pheum there last week caused the managers of the older bouse to lose heart. A PICTURE MARRIAGE. The Imp company has returned from its long winter stay in Cuba and "Little Mary" Plckford is being congratulated on all sides as a result of her romantic marriage leaking out on the trip south. It appears that Mary .and Owen Moore (no kin of the well known pugi- list), who play leads with the Imp Co., were wedded six months ago. RIG TITLE; TRHAM, MGR. W. II. Tsham. who, with A. H. Schwartz and B. Herman, of Brook- lyn, are building what will be called the Lyrlr Garden Theatre, of Variety, In Bridgeport, Ct., will manage the housp when It opens Labor Day, with six acts and pictures, at "pop" prices. Seating capacity. 1.400. Brooklyn Is to have another the- atre. The Car11npt'>n Amusement Co. over there, headed by Mr Schwartz Is building a "pop" theatre, at 815 Flatbush avenue, which opens May 15.