Variety (April 1912)

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8 VARIETY STRIKE TEMPORARILY OFF IN NEW ORLEAN S THEATRES End of the Season, with Klaw & Erlanger Houses Closing Brings the Lull. Expect to Adjust Trouble During the Vacation Season. President Shay Returning to New York. New Orleans, April 10. With the closing of the Crescent theatre Saturday, the strike of the stage hands formerly employed at the local Klaw & Erlanger theatres reached an end for this season. It is believed when the houses open again the old employes will be back in their accustomed places. It is probable that an agreement agreeable to both ■idea will be effected in New York the coming summer between the "Syndi- cate" heads and* Charles C. Shay, pres- ident of the International Alliance Theatrical Stage Employes. The strike has been expensive. Ac- cording to Mr. Shay, it has cost the Byndlcate a large amount in expenses and loss of patronage among union men and sympathisers; also the dele- terious effect of long waits between the acta during the first weeks of the strike, when the non-union recruits, through inexperience, worked slowly, made itself felt in the box office. The strike has continued for twen- ty-two weeks, the men walking out Nov. 25. During this period there has not been a single desertion among the traveling stage crews, nor have any of the strikers shown a disposition to bolt. Mr. Shay has remained here throughout the strike, working night and day to bring about a settlement, but he realized after the first few weeks that K. ft E. would continue the strike to the end of the season, with the idea of impressing the union forci- bly of their strength and to inciden- tally ward off a possible demand for an increase in salary during the near future. The two most serious handicaps en- tertained by the strikers were the United States injunction issued by Judge Poster and the refusal of the musicians (employed at the Tulane and Crescent) to walk out when two big musical productions played the theatres. The action of the musicians, it is thought by union heads, prevent- ed the ending of the strike. Because of their stand they have been dropped from the New Orleans Trade Council and the American Federation of La- bor. A praiseworthy feature of the strike has been the lack of violence of any kind. The battle has been fought in a clean manner by both sides. Great praise is due Manager T. C. Campbell of the Tulane and Crescent for the fight he has conducted for Klaw ft Erlanger. In order to com- ply with the wishes of the Syndicate he has been compelled to undergo much physical and mental strain. Not one performance was omitted, al- though at times (due to the inefficiency of the stage managers with the shows) things looked exceedingly dubious. Had a resident manager lacking the showmanship of Mr. Campbell been directing the local houses the Syndi- cate would have capitulated early in the struggle. President Shay of the Alliance will remain here for a few days longer, leaving for New York April 18. POLI BUYS LINCOLN SITE. Worcester, Mass., April 10. S. Z. Poll has purchased the Lin- coln theatre site here, which proposed building has been in all sorts of com- plications for the past two years. Frederick W. Mark was deeded the property some time ago by E. B. Frost and has received the contract for the erection of the new structure, work on which will be commenced at once. It is expected to be completed by Sept. 1. Poll will continue to operate his Front street theatre in addition to the new house. * No announcement has been made as to the policy of the Lin- coln. Hartford, Conn., April 10. It is officially announced S. Z. Poll is to build another theatre in Hartford in the near future, Mr. Poll himself mak- ing the announcement. He says that the site has not been decided upon, but he has several central locations under consideration. He already owns two houses in Hartford, Poll's playing the "big time" vaudevile and the Hartford theatre playing the "small time." Poll is without opposition in the local vaudeville field which has always been a big paying investment. CIRCUS' BIG BIZ. The Easter school vacation and the Jewish holidays have not wholly ex- plained the very big business done by the Barnum-Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden Since opening. The circus people think the show struck New York at the moment when the dearth of new attractions and the ending of the season turned the pub- lic's thoughts sawdustward. TWO TABLOID DRAMAS. Two new productions of former dramatic successes in tabloid version appear to be In line for vaudeville presentation, according to plans now under way. Harry Doel Parker will put on the Hallowe'en party scene from Lottie Blair Parker's "Under Southern Skies," providing present negotiations with New York managers materialize. Eighteen people, with plenty of sing- ing and dancing, will be in the act. Corse Pay ton has the option on "The Great Ruby." He is planning to reproduce the jewelry store scene. WILLIAM PENN III COURT. Philadelphia. April 10. Following the announcement F. Q. Nlxon-Nlrdlinger had leased the Grand Opera House for ten years and added It to his chain of theatres play- ing "pop" vaudeville (printed In ,Varibtti last week) came the report that Nlxon-Nlrdlinger was angling for the William Penn, considered the best paying "pop" house in Philadel- phia. The courts will be asked to render a decision in a suit in equity filed by Mathew Schmidt, one of the owners of the William Penn. The case will be heard in June. The William Penn is owned by the Lancaster Avenue Theatre Co., com- posed of W. W. Miller, Gus Mullor and Mathew Schmidt, who finished the house three years ago after the promoter and builder had committed suicide following the failure of a big real estate deal. The company then leased the theatre to the Penn Charter Co., of which Miller is the president for a period of five years at $20,000 a year. This lease expires in a little over two years. At the last meeting of the directors of the owning company an offer was made to lease the house for ten years at $30,000 a year. The directors voted to renew the Penn Charter Co.'s lease for $22,600 and Schmidt, as minority stockholder filed the equity suit to show cause why the $30,000 offer should not be given preference. It is said that Schmidt is anxious to dispose of his third interest in the ownership of the house, but his figure Is too high to suit Miller and Muller. It is reported that, hearing there was a chance to secure the house, NixonrNirdlinger made the $30,000 offer through Schmidt and it is now up to the courts to settle. The case has caused considerable talk about town and has helped to stir up thingfl in the already middled "pop" vaude- ville situation. The William Penn Is booked through the United Booking Offices and is in opposition to the Nixon, operated and booked by F. G. Nixon-Nirdlinger. Nixon-Nirdlinger is also reported as holding an option on a site at 60th and Ludlow streets, in the West Philadelphia section. He will prob- ably exercise this if the offer for the William Penn fails to get the house. If Miller loses the Penn he may build a theatre near the present house. J. Fred Zimmerman plans to build a house close to the Nixon. The contest in West Philadelphia prom- ises to be very lively. Chicago, April 10. F. G. Nixon-Nirdlinger proposes to enter the "pop" vaudeville field In this city. He has made overtures to one or two of the lessees of legitimate houses In this town, and if he does not corral anything now standing will build a new edifice. CHRIS BROWN—SOBfB PICKER. If Chris O. Brown wants to gloat jover the vaudeville sharps around Times Square, none can say him nay. Mr. Brown is the booking boss of the Sulllvan-Consldine Circuit. While pursuing that vocation, the booking man saw a blackface comedian named Uno Bradley at the Columbia, New York, at one of its Sunday concerts this season. There were other vaude- ville experts (plenty of them) in the theatre the same day. They voted Uno funnier than his Christian stage name, but not funny enough to play their time. Mr. Brown thought he saw the, goods in Uno, who had drifted in the big town from the southern small time. When Chris said there would be a strange face traveling the 8-C route, his brother bookers gave him the address of a private sanitarium uptown and told him he needed a rest; to remain indoors a couple of more years, then take another peek at Uno, who, they claimed, had hopped out of the weeds two years before he was due. It has been three weeks since Bradley started making merry in the Empress theatres, opening at Cin- cinnati, going to Chicago and making the third stand at Milwaukee. The reports from each city came Into Mr. Brown with regularity, and each said "Uno Bradley, hit of the show." The blackfaced comedian had been placed in the next to closing posi- tion, admittedly the hardest spot, on the program, and occupied the spot that usually Mr. Brown places a $300 turn In. Estimating on that, Mr. Brown is saving his circuit between $5,000 and $6,000 on this tour of Uno's, who doesn't get $300 a week —yet. Uno may want to swell his pay envelope after reading this, but if he does, that will probably cost him a return date over the circuit Proving himself some little picker by the Bradley affair, Mr. Brown is willing to laugh at all of those who fell down on the blackface man, and they all fell. AFTER THREE WEEK'S PAY. J. Leslie Spahn, manager of the Cora Youngblood Corson Sextette, through Dennis F. O'Brien, has brought suit against the Shuberts lbr three weeks' salary, claiming the management let them out the first week without the customary notice. Joseph Shea and Joe Wood engi- neered the deal whereby the sextet got the Winter Garden Job. On the first Saturday night the act was omitted with others, Jake Shu her t saying the performance could move along without them. The manage- ment offered the Youngbloods one week's salary if they would sign a full release. TWO-DAILY FOR A WEEK. Camden, N. J., April 10. The Broadway will become a twice- daily vaudeville house for a week only, commencing Monday next. It is caused by some local excitement planned during the time. LIKES BELASCO PIECE. St. Paul, April 10. The David Belasco vaudeville pro- duction "Madame Butterfly" nearly created a theatrical sensation in town. The press went right to It, and the public became interested from the outset. It was voted a beautiful vaudeville number, In story and production.~