Variety (November 1911)

VARIETY *3 RATS ASK MINIMUM SCALE FOR CHICAGO AND BOSTON Local Advisory Boards in Consultation With Some "Small Time" Vaudeville Managers Over the Lowest Salary to Be Paid. Unionizing Boston. Chicago, Nov. 1. The White Rats local advisory board of five is in negotiation with the management of the Alfred Ham- burger circuit of "Pop" vaudeville theatres with a view of bringing about an agreement that will make for a minimum scale of $25 for single acts and $50 for doubles. It Is proposed to settle all differ- ences by arbitration. B. 8. Hartman, attorney for Ham- burger, is understood to be holding out on the point that the White Rats shall agree not to go out on a sympa- thetic strike in event of a call by any of the stage unions. Inasmuch as the White Rats are af- filiated with the American Federation of Labor and holders of a Federation Charter, any such agreement on their part will be watched with much inter- est and curiosity by the labor and per- forming public, although It has been announced on behalf of the Rats that its A. F. of L. charter provided for local autonomy. Boston, Nov. 1. At an overflow meeting Sunday at the White Rats headquarters on Al- den street, which was attended by all the White Rats in town on that day, it was decided to ask for a minimum wage rate for all actors and actresses who play in Boston, complete organi- sation of the members of the profes- sion and the unionization of the vaudeville and moving picture houses in which the White Rats played. The amount of the local minimum wage scale was not made public. In the matter of unionizing the vaude- ville houses it was decided to move slowly as it is desired first to pro- mote the membership. The committee selected to do the unionizing and wage scale work are Albert Warner, chairman; Thomas Kennett, Thomas White, Joseph Ellis and Tony Williams. Agent Arthur M. Huddell of the Boston A. F. of L., Building Trades Department, and ex-President Fred. J. Kneeland of the Central Labor Union, addressed the member of the White Rats organization and pledged the support of those delegate bodies. Thomas Kennett, Will J. Cooke and Albert Warner were the other speak- ers. ACTOR TRIMS ACTORS. Chicago, Nov. 1. A smooth-tongued and mild-man- nered young man, said to be a vaudevlllian who has entertained the patrons of the vaudeville theatres of the middle west as a member of Fay and Foster, put over a nice bit of confidence work here last week. The victims were Charles Hodklns, of the Lyric Vaudeville Circuit, and four vaudeville acts whose services were contracted for out of the Hodkins of- fices. The glib tongued stranger hit the Hodklns offices in the role of a circuit manager of seven "pop" priced houses in Ohio, and negotiated for the booking of several acts for that time. He is reported to have Interviewed a number of artists in the Hodkins re- ception room and on the pretext of be- ing able to get a reduced party rate fare from Chicago to the opening point, is accused of having mulcted four acts out of five dollars apiece. Manager Hodklns admits having been just as susceptible to the machinations of the young booking Napoleon, and fell for fifteen dollars which the lat- ter hinted was needed to pay off a hotel bill at the Saratoga. The Btranger first introduced him- self to the Lyric Association as J. B. Foster, the representative of the Ohio Vaudeville Association with headquar- ters at Cleveland, and fs quoted for saying that a wealthy uncle, Mr. Hines of Alliance, was the influential head of the concern. Young Foster even went so far as to accompany Manager Hodklns to the law offices of S. L. & Fred Lowenthal, where a booking contract was drafted in legal form and signed by the parties of the first and second parts. After the suave youth left town, Manager Hodkins "smelled a rat" and when the victimized vaudeville acts acquainted him with their experiences, the Lyric magnate proceeded to make good to them the amount of their losses. The matter was reported to the White Rats with the result that the recently appointed local Advisory Board is Bald to be making a searching investigation. PICKS UP THREE MORE. The Family Department of the United Booking Offices picked up three "small timers" last week, for its routing sheets. The houses secured were the Or- pheum, Schnectady, N. Y., the vaude- ville theatre at Amsterdam, N. Y., and one In New York city (New Wads- worth, at 181st street and Wadswortn avenue). $1,OOO-WEEK FOR MAY WARD. $1,000, net, will be the guaranteed salary received by May Ward for ap- pearing six days at the Porto Rlcan Exposition. The Exposition will pay the transportation of Miss Ward, also for the girls (and their salaries as well) In the revival of the "Dresden Dolls," which Miss Ward will put on for the week. The sailing date for Porto Rico is Nov. 25. BAD BIZ ON N. E. ROADS. The "small time" vaudeville biz is bad on the New England roads. Fred Curtis found that out the other day, after taking a company of five or six acts into three or four wild Down East towns. The turns had been booked by Cur- tis out of the Family Department of the United Booking Offices. The boys in that office told the acts Curtis would pay all transportation and In- cidental expenses. With the promise of a vacation time ahead, the acts consented to work very cheaply. One $300 turn went out with the Road Show for $75. "Doubles" cut as low as $20 and "singles" were known to accept the four-day route for $15. Several successful trips were made, in successive weeks, Curtis finally narrowing down his one-night circuit to Great Barrlngton, Torrington, Winsted and Mlddletown. New Bri- tain was on the list, but marked un- likely, while Wilmantic was scratched some time ago. Apparently Mr. Curtis* never thought about the sun going down on his Road Show prosperity. When the clouds gathered he was shy. It was not much but enough. Had Curtis saved some of the money he had spent for lunches along the route, he would have weathered the temporary distress. The Family Department says Mr. Curtis had not been regularly em- ployed by it for some time, prior to his New England venture. It will probably cause a suspension of all plans for one-night small time road shows. FLOOD STOPS OPENING. New Castle, Pa., Nov. 1. The new Lyric theatre, which was to have opened Oct. 23 with vaude- ville still remains closed to the pub- lic. A sudden flood, which well wa- tered nearly the entire town, dam- aged the theatre to about the extent of $40,000. The source of the flood has not been discovered. Another vaudeville house booked by Gus Sun, located on the near bank of the creek, escaped. The entire initial program, booked through the Family Department of the United Booking Offices, was can- celed. Ashtabula, O., Nov. 1. The Air-Dome started to do busi- ness right through the winter season without stopping up all the leaks around the building. The weather got the beet of the engagement, and now the Air-Dome is closed to have a steam heating plant installed, also some extra planks fitted In the open spaces. The United Booking Offices' Family Department was booking the house, and will do so again upon the Air-Dome reopening shortly. GREELEY SQUARE READY. Loew's Greeley Square theatre at Sixth avenue and 30th street, is an- nounced for opening the middle of the current month. LOEW vs. U. B. O. Boston, Nov. 1. There must be more than a wee bit o' excitement in the United's Family Department booking offices and a bit o* feeling against Marcus Loew, as the Loew Booking Office, through the New England branch, is booking the Port- land, Portland; Gardner, Bath, San- ford, Me., and Nashua, N. H. All of these houses have been receiving their acta from the U. B. O. Portland is the centre of the up- heaval. It is assuming volcanlo pro- portions. Fred. Mardo, the Boston agent for Loew, will begin to put his acts in Nov. 13. NATIONAL PRICES UP. Boston, Nov. 1. The prices at the National, B. F. Keith's second big house here, have been again tilted, this time to thirty- five cents for about the first ten rows of orchestra chairs. The ten rows, as the program al- ways reads, Is subject to change how- ever. The remainder of the orchestra floor Is held at twenty-five cents per seat. By what is known as "working back/' the news may yet come that there are ten rows left in the National at twenty-five cents. The additional charge with the present scale of prices at the Na- tional must give the big house a con- siderable money capacity. It started business but a short time ago at 5-10- 15. R. G. Larson, In charge of the thea- tre, says that the public of this city forced the increase, the house receiv- ing many complaints from well satis- fied patrons who thought it a pity such a good show could be seen so cheaply. If business keeps up as it has been, Mr. Larson will likely get them to write again. GET IN AT LAST. Boston, Nov. 1. Brookline, a suburb of Boston, is the richest town in the world yet has never had a moving picture house. Not because some theatrical man did not try to open one, but because the board of selectmen would not allow one to be opened. Now it is different. This wealthy town, that is called "the lodging house for millionaires," is to have two picture houses. The board of selectmen refuse to make public the names of the lucky applicants. LEFT ONLY DEBTS. Marion, 111., Nov. 1. W. A. Peterson, who came to this town a few months ago and opened the Lyric, a moving picture house ap- parently doing a profitable business, left town last week without prelimi- nary warning, taking with him his pic- ture machine. He left his employes behind in their pay. They at once at- tached the property remaining in the house to satisfy claims. VARIETY I* more often a noted, followed and clipped from by the dallies oil over the country than all the other theatrical papem together. Becaoae It prints "All the News All the Time." Then It's worth advertising In. HOUSE IN PERTH AM ROY. Perth Amboy, Nov. 1. Plans have been made by a Newark architect for a brand new playhouse to be known as the Hippodrome at New Brunswick avenue and Jefferson street.