Variety (April 1912)

VARIETY 11 "CLEAN SHOWS" DEMANDED BY CO LUMBIA BURLESQUE Eastern Wheel Instructs Resident Managers to Spare No One Who Offends. Gen. Mgr. Sam A. Scribner Finds Cause to Blame the Columbia's Western Houses. What seems to be a real step taken toward cleansing burlesque is the let- ter, sent out this week by General Manager Sam A. Scribner of the Columbia Amusement Co., to the resi- dent managers along the Eastern line of the Eastern Burlesque Wheel. The letter which follows covers the subject: New York, April 15, 1912. Dear Sir: It has been very noticeable this season that nearly all the shows coming in from the west give a smutty performance. That is, they give an entirely differ- ent class of entertainment after coming from the west, than they did in the eastern houses be- fore starting west. For instance: I enclose you a list of stuff cut out of the "Passing Parade." Messrs. Gordon & North and their manager tell us that this was played in Chicago, up around the northwest, and right straight back into Boston, and there wasn't a word said about it. There was something done in Boston last Monday with the "Jardin de Paris" Co., that was as smutty as anything I ever saw in a theatre. The manager claims he has done it right along, all through the west, and no one said a word to him about it. But a member of the Watch and Ward Society notified Mr. Wal- dron that if it was repeated he would close the house. Now it's just barely possible you gentlemen don't pay enough attention to the performance of a majority of the shows. Then again, it may be that some of the traveling managers have you "Buffaloed." That is, they say: "This show belongs to Mr. So-and-So, and if you interfere with it, you will get into trou- ble." We would like you to thoroughly understand that noth- ing of that sort cuts any figure in this office, and whether its Mr. Scribner's, Mr. Mack's, Mr. Waldron's, Mr. Hurtig's, Mr. Reeves' or Mr. Campbell's show, in fact, a show belonging to any member of the Board of Direc- tors, a stockholder, or a fran- chise holder in the Columbia Amusement Company, the trav- eling manager will make no headway by complaining about anything that was taken out of his show by any local manager on the Wheel. We consider the local manager who has stamina enough to put his foot down and insist on an absolutely clean show, regardless of whose show it is, is a valuable man to us. If any star or principal per- former, with any of the com- panies, does anything, at any time, on your stage that bor- ders on smut or filth, and does not cut it out Immediately upon your request to do so, then it's up to you to cut him out of the performance for the rest of the week. Take him off the stage and put him out of your theatre. Don't allow yourself to be "Buf- faloed" because he happens to be a good performer and if you say anything to him he will quit. Don't let that cut any figure whatever. The sooner he quits the better we are satisfied. We are trying to build.up a large and legitimate business and we are not going to use smut and filth for the foundation. And any performer on our Cir- cuit who cannot get laughs with- out resorting to it, we don't want on our stage. Any time anyone tells you that an actor is an asset to the Columbia Amusement Company and that actor does not conform with the rules of your theatre, just take the "asset" off the stage and put him out of the theatre be- fore he gets to be a "liability." Shows coming into Boston via Providence, from the east, give clean performances, while shows coming into Boston from the west, have as a rule this season, given smutty performances. Now it's up to you western gentlemen to see that your shows are kept clean. With kind regards, we are, Yours very truly, Columbia Amusement Company, (Signed) Sam A. Scribner. Sec'y. & Gen'l. Mgr. CIRCUS' LAST WEEK. This is the last week of the Bar- num & Bailey circus at Madison Square Garden. The engagement has been a most profitable one. When the show opened it had 160 girls In the feature spectacle but when the circus takes to the road, the list will be cut down to sixty-four. The B. & B. show moves to Brook- lyn next week for its annual stand there. When the circus closes this Satur- day, the Fillis Family will leave it for vaudeville, opening next week un- der the direction of Paul Durand. The Picchianis will likewise quit the circus, both acts departing, accord- ing to report, over salary matters. Vittoria and Georgetti are another team who were engaged, but tempor- arily for the New York stand. MINER'S UPTOWN LOCATION. The Miner Estate is about closing for a theatre location at 186th street on the West Side near the subway entrance at that spot. While the Miners claim they are going to play "pop" vaudeville in the house when built, the nearness of the Wadsworth theatre (five blocks away) with the same policy would render a move of this kind by the Miners as somewhat foolhardy. It appears more likely the Miner Estate intends to possibly put Western Burlesque Wheel shows into the new house, although there has been re- ported (and denied) that the two burlesque Wheels have limited the New York territory and the agreement reached would prohibit the Western Wheel from playing burlesque on the upper West Side, while the Eastern Wheel agrees not to oppose Miner's Bronx on the East Side. HURT1G IN WITH HILL. In the search for a site on or around West 125th street Jules Hur- tig of Hurtlg & Seamon is in with Gus Hill on the financial backing. Hill is understood to have informed Hurtig it would be all right, and Hur- tlg is waiting to find that out when a site is secured. Hurtig & Seamon want another lo- cation for their Music Hall, playing Eastern Burlesque Wheel shows. A couple of corners on Seventh avenue just above 125th street have been in- vestigated, and there is a plot on 126th street itself the burlesque man- agers would like to secure. FRED IRWIN SUES SCRIBNER. Fred Irwin has sued Sam Scribner. Mr. Irwin's suit against Scribner is brought in the name of the Fred Ir- win Amusement Co. It alleges Mr. Scribner used a "prison scene" in the "Big Gaiety Show" and that the "prison scene" belonged to Irwin, from a previous production made by JiJta. The amount of damages is placed at $2,000. J. J. Sullivan represents Irwin; Leon La3ki is attorney for Scribner. TRYING TO START SOMETHING. A few of the stockholders of the Columbia Theatre ft Building Co. tried to start something this week, when they sent out a circular letter to other stockholders intimating they could Improve the building and in- come were the corporation passed over to their control. The Columbia Theatre building is the structure under discussion by the coterie of dissatisfied certificate hold- ers. They seem to be led by John J. Kelt, at present superintendent of the building, but who will be replaced May 1 by a maintenance company. The opposition to the present govern- ing powers arose after Kelt discov- ered he would be superseded. Among the signers to the circular are Harry C. Bryant, Fred Irwin, Gus Hill and Joseph M. Weber (Weber ft Fields). Mr. Weber is supposed to represent his cousin, L. Lawrence Weber. It is rather pecul- iar to note Messrs. Irwin, Hill and Weber on the same petition. Since differences have arisen through the small fractional force that has op- posed all movements of the Colum- bia Co. during the past eighteen months, Irwin, Hill and Weber have been admittedly unfriendly, the first two charging the other with nearly everything on the calendar. It is said that some time ago L. Lawrence Weber transferred all of his stock In the Columbia Amusement Co. ven- tures (Eastern Burlesque Wheel) to his cousin, who has since represented him. The title of the organization pro- posed by the minority faction is "The Columbia Bldg. ft Theatre Stock- holders' Protective Association." One of the Columbia officials, when shown a copy of the circular letter, said: "We are not concerned in any way. Mr. Kelt has been deposed as superintendent, hence his soreness. However, politics makes strange bed fellows, for one of the signers was in this office a couple of weeks ago saying he would 'land' another of the signers, but within a week was at- tending meetings in his enemy's of- fice. One of the signatures is that of a man who is all right but weak minded and easily led, much to his own annoyance and trouble unneces- sarily made for him all the time by others. Another is the only one who ever brough discredit upon the Colum- bia Amusement Co., so I guess there's no cause for us to worry." In connection with the breach be- tween Kelt and the company, it wad reported some weeks ago that dur- ing a conversation between Sam A. Scribner, and the Superintendent, Mr. Scribner employed some unpar- liamentary language that hurt Mr. Kelt's sense of dignity. "Brewster's Millions" closed its season Saturday night. HOMER J.IND ACADEMY OF MUSK'. NKW Y(U:i:. SI'N DAY (April -If In hln f.irnowR t-oli- >>f "GRIMIOIHE. TIIK STRKHT SINUKK." hESHAt.'Klt IN HOSPITAL. For a thorough treatment of the malady wh'ch laid Sam Dcssaucr low for awhile, the hurlesujie m.'iri has re- tired to Mra. O'Hrien's private sani- tarium al I .".♦»' West 7-1 th street, New Voriv. Ah that i< a «| ui* ■ f place , irirI Mr. i)ess;:iM'r has an active mind, he trusts his iri'-mls will keep him busy reading letters.