Variety (November 1911)

VARIETY WHITE RATS AND MANAGERS TAKI NG POSI TIVE STANDS Artists Will Hold to Union Affiliation. Managers Do Not Propose to Finally Treat With Rats as Union Body. Managers Make Conditions for First Conference. Rats to Pass Upon Them. The Vaudeville Managers' Protec- tive Association, at its meeting Tues- day morning, resolved to meet the White Rats committee (as proposed by the order last week) in conference. A letter setting forth conditions (re- produced herewith) for the first con- ference was delivered to the White Rats headquarters Tuesday afternoon. Up to Wednesday the White Rats had not fixed upon a course to be taken. It was expected that one and perhaps two of the conditions made by the managers would not prove agreeable to the Rats. A meeting of the Rats' Board of Directors, or a general meeting of the members may be called early 1 next week to consider the managers' reply. The impression prevails among those familiar with both sides (artists it is Bald. This will be for a Board of Arbitration. The other might be for a "Closed Shop," but the "Closed Shop" proposal will be taken out of the question through the stand of the managers not to ultimately treat with the Rats with finality while it remains a labor organisation. This is the point that will be raised in opposition to the proposed Board of Arbitration, if that should be asked for. The sense of the managers' meet- ing Tuesday was that to deal with the Rats, while it remained In the Union, would be futile, as no end could be reached unless the Rats surrendered its A. F. of L. charter. The White Rats is as firmly set against that move as the managers are for it. Representative Rats have said the Union connection will be re- tained, though it will not interfere Board of Directors, October 81st, 1911. White Rats Actors 1 Union of America, No. 1558 Broadway, City. Dear Sirs:—At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Vaudeville Managers* protective Association, held this day, your communication of Oc- tober S4th was duly considered. While we disagree with yon in the state- ment that there is at present a "discordant condition** in the vaudeville profession and vocation, we are p er fect ly willing to meet a committee of artists to listen to any alleged grievances. As there are many important vaudeville artists who are not members of your organisation, we think In justice to them and the entire vaudeville profession, and to make the conference fair to all concerned, that three members of the Vaudeville Comedy Club, who shall not be members of your organisation, and three vaudeville artists, who shall not be members of any vaudeville artists* organisation, should be present at such conference. The latter three to be appointed, one by yon, one by the Vaudeville Comedy Club and one by us. Until there Is some necessity for counsel to be present, we desire the conference or conferences to be held without them. The Committee appointed by this Association Is E. F. Albee, Martin Beck, Marcus Loew, Samuel Scribner and Percy G. Williams. If this is agreeable to you, kindly notify us that we may communicate with the Vaudeville Comedy Club and arrange for a meeting which should be held at an early date. Very truly yours, VAUDEVILLE MANAGERS* PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, MARTIN BECK, Chairman of Board of Directors. EDWARD F. ALBEE, President. and managers) that an inevitable hitch is certain to arise, either before or after any conference or conferences shall have been arranged for or held. The hitch will pile up through the White Rats positively refusing, under any conditions, to secede from its af- filiation with the American Federa- tion of Labor. The managers will unquestionably demand that if any close relations are to be maintained with the White Rats Actors' Union, as a body, that order must be free of all labor connection. It is expected the White Rats, upon meeting the managers in conference, will make two important requests. One at least will surely be proposed, with any understanding or agreement reached with the managers. The great majority of Rats, the leaders say, are for the Union, without any equivocation. It is also reported that upon the failure of the peace conference pro- posed by the Rats to bring tangible results, a plan of action or course of procedure that has been laid down for the organization to follow in that event will be closely adhered to. The plan, as understood, is a firm, though not violent one, and comprehends a definite purpose, that the Rats are convinced will be surely reached sooner or later, no time limit having been set. YORK HELD IN $500 BAIL. Held in $500 ball for trial at Special Session was the decision of Police Magistrate Appleton in the West Side Police Court, Oct. 28, on the complaint preferred against Phil York by Inspector Whelan of License Commissioner Robinson's staff. York was arrested Oct. 27, for car- rying on an agency business without a license. The investigation was mado by Inspector Whelan upon the com- plaint of J. L. La Fleur, of East Hart- ford, Ct., who alleged he had paid York $105 in payments of $5 each upon the receipt of twenty-one "con- tracts," to play various weekly en- gagement in "small time" vaudeville houses. KEPT AT HOME BY DIVORCE. Chicago, Nov. 1. Bob Burns, a Fred Barnes angel and president of the company bearing the latter's name, has gone to Shreve- port, to take charge of the attractions at the fair being held in that city. Burns goes as the proxy of Mr. Barnes who is kept in Chicago by a se- ries of domestic troubles that have de- veloped in connection with the latter's divorce suit. FRANK SHERIDAN RETURNING. Frank Sheridan will shortly return to vaudeville in Catherine Henry's new detective playlet which tells a Scot- land Yard case. SELIG'S CONDITION SERIOUS. San Francisco, Nov. 1. The condition of William N. Selig, shot by a Japanese last Friday, is very serious. Francis Boggs, of the Selig picture concern also, was killed by the Jap, an ex-employee, who entered the Pacific Coast branch of Selig office at Los Angeles, shooting the men with- out warning. BALKED AT KRUBGER*8. Irene Franklin has brought suit against F. F. Proctor for $180, the amount withheld from her salary last *eek, when* playing Proctor's, New- ark. The Proctor house does not play Sundays, but calls upon its acts that day to appear at Krueger's Audi- torium, Newark, which somehow finds itself able to give performances on the Sabbath, and has the city alone that day. Burt Green, who appears with his wife (Miss Franklin), peremptorily refused to play anywhere but at the house the act had engaged for, Proc- tor's. Whereupon the $180 was deducted from the envelope, immediately fol- lowed by the service upon the Proctor management by a complaint, drawn by Augustus Dreyer, attorney for Frank- lin and Green. GETTING READY TO BUILD. Buffalo, Nov. 1. Bids are advertised for the steel of the new Shea's vaudeville theatre here, requiring 360 tons of that material. VARIETY hold* Its advertisers. Why? Because It reaches. ♦♦HELLO PARIS'* BAD OUTLOOK. This may be the last week of the bookings of "Hello Paris," the Folies Bergere skit now in vaudeville headed by James J. Morton, Harry Pilcer and Minerva Coverdale. The vaudeville managers outside New York are afraid that the "Siber- ian Whirl" dance, by Pilcer and Cover- dale in the act, is altogether too "strong" for their audiences. It was cut out at the Orpheum in Brooklyn last week. HAS "TYPE" PLAYLET. William J. Bauman, who has been playing leads in stock in Chicago and was last seen here in "The Devil, The Servant and The Man," Is getting the act, "The Family Entrance," ready for a New York premiere. The sketch shows a room in the rear of a saloon where many characters are introduced. It is by Bauman and I. K. Friedman, author of "The Autobiography of A Beggar" and "By Bread Alone." Bauman brought along from the west, Jimmy Cassady, Lillian Sonsta- by, E. J. Risen and Sam Major, to handle four of the eight speaking parts. TWO PANTAGES OPENINGS. San Francisco, Nov. 1. There will be two openings of new Pantages houses for Alexander Pan- tages* vaudeville circuit within a short time. The new Pantages at Portland (Ore.) is due to start business about Nov. 20. It replaces the present house of the circuit there. The new Pantages on Market street, this city, which gives Pantages his long looked for San Francisco stand, is slated to open Dec. 16. LAEMMLES IN COURT. Chicago, Nov. 1. Joseph Laemmle has retained coun- sel here to bring suit against his brother Carl, who conducts a music publishing and moving picture service business in this city. The brothers recently took over the lease of the Family theatre, Musca- tine, la., on a partnership basis and a disagreement followed. The pro- posed suit is for an accounting of the profits in the Muscatine house. BORNHAUPT GOES BACK. New York looked too good for Chas. Bornhaupt to leave, but nevertheless the foreign agent sailed on the Maure- tania Wednesday. After twelve years in America, and one year back in Europe, Bornhaupt says New York for hisn. It wouldn't be surprising were the foreigner to lo- cate here permanently within a year or so, if only to have his clothes American-made, and collars that fit- ted his neck. While here on this short trip, Mr. Bornhaupt booked several turns for Europe, among them the Clark Brothers, who will open Dec. I at the Australian Circus, BruBsells, for a long engagement. The Clark Brothers (Clarkonians) were with the Rlngling show this season. Several acts Bornhaupt wanted to look over he found were in the west.