Variety (June 1912)

VARIETY 11 FURTHER WHEEL EXCHANGES INTI MATED AND DENIED "Drawings" on Wheels This Week and Next. Miners Said to be Looking for Times Square Location. Billy Watson Reported Contemplating Invading Albany with Western Shows in Retalia- tion for East Playing Paterson. STOCK The "drawings" for next season's routes on the Eastern and Western Wheel are now the latest things on the burlesque tapis. While each traveling manager knows how many pegs up in the Wheel he will be moved, the routes are of in- terest as disclosing the additions and omissions among the cities td be played. The Eastern Wheel draws today (Friday), when the annual meeting of the Columbia Amusement Co. oc- curs. Among the new towns on the Eastern route will be Paterson, Syra- cuse and Montreal. The omissions from last season are Milwaukee, Min- neapolis and St. Paul. The only new show for the Eastern is "The Merry Go Rounders," replacing the "Big Banner Show." "The Merry Go Round- ers" is the Leffler & Bratton produc- tion, which opens for a summer run at the Columbia Monday. It goes over the Wheel under the Charles E. Barton's franchise. The Western Wheel has its "draw- ings" June 16. A report emanating from the West- ern Wheel tfcat an exchange of cities was imminent between the East and the West was denied at the Columbia offices. The Western said the East * would leave Omaha in exchange for the Western Wheel giving up Wash- ington, while another reported shift was the Eastern to vacate Louisville, to prevent competition by the West at Providence. The Providence propo- sition, according to the story, was that Dr. Lothrop intended building a house in Providence to seat 2,300 people, playing the Western shows, and use it as an intervening point between the two Lothrop Boston theatres (Western) (Howard and Grand Op- era House). The Eastern people claim Omaha is too good a town for them to give up to secure Washington wholly to themselves, being content with the Washington patronage, which they do not think the abandonment of the Western house there would suffi- ciently increase to recompense them for the Omaha loss. The insertion of Paterson into the Eastern route, where the Empire (Feiber, Shea & Bruggemann) will play against Billy Watson's new Western theatre there, may prompt Watson, it Is said, to go ahead with plans made by him some time ago to erect a theatre at Albany, to also play the Western attractions. This would give the Eastern Wheel opposition at Albany. Watson is reported to have the Albany site and backing to build. An unverified rumor was that the Eastern Wheel will make an ex- change through which they will be out of Schenectady, although this will not be with.the Western Wheel, but another circuit. It is said to be dependent upon the consent of other theatrical interests. The Miners (Western Wheel) are rumored to be seeking a Times Square location for a burlesque house, in addition to their Bronx, 8th Avenue and Bowery theatres in New York. It has been this according to the story that made the Miners oppose every 'proposition which aimed toward |a Western Wheel house in New York, other than their own. Nothing ma- terially, however, has developed in the matter. The Western traveling managers, as the time for the "drawing" ap- proaches appear to have kindly feel- ing toward all burlesque through the concessions granted them by the Em- pire Circuit. Through these they persist in promising new and better shows for next season, although one Western manager is reported as hav- ing said the other day he would not pay over $900 weekly salary for the best show that ever traveled. He ad- mitted, however, that for that money he couldn't get the best show. The elimination of all extras in the Western theatres is a large source of gratification to the road managers, and the increase of percentage is said to be as welcome, if not more so. For instance, the re-rating of division of the gross, based on last season's av- erage, gives the traveling manager at Miner's 8th Avenue, New York, 65 per cent, for over $2,600 and up to $3,400, the road man securing 65 per cent, on all takings over $3,400 the latter figure. It is 60-50 up to the first figure. A sliding scale Is also in effect at the other Western Wheel houses, the 8th Avenue not being a criterion for all, it having about the lowest average of any last year. The new Western Wheel Censor- ship Committee, comprising Edwin D. Miner, Izzy M. Herk and Barney Gerard, has already gotten together long enough to establish an office in the Knickerbocker building and map out an early line of procedure. There are no additions to the Western route. The eliminations are Wilkesbarre, Scranton, Montreal, Jersey City and Rochester. The Western will route thirty-six weeks, with lay-offs between Omaha and St. Paul and Boston (Howard) and Buf- falo. These are expected to be filled in before the season starts. COULDN'T MAKE IT PAY. Richmond, June 6. The Lucille LaVerne stock com- pany has failed to make it pay here and closed Saturday night. STOCK AT TREMONT. A new stock company with Roger Barker and Mae Desmond opened at the Tremont, Webster street and Tremont avenue (Westchester), Monday in "Paid in Full." Carroll Daly is director. The Tremont, owned by Arthur Beck, has heretofore been a "pop" house. BURNS' PARK COMPANY. Lancaster, Pa., June 5. Paul Burns has arranged to install a stock company at Rocky Spring Park for the summer, opening June 8. CRANEY VICE BURR. Providence, June 6. Morris Burr, who has been with the Spitz & Nathanson company since it opened, has been replaced by Ber- nard Craney. CODY NOT IDLE. Lewis J. Cody, actor-manager, wishes to deny the report that he is "at liberty." He announces that he is very busy recruiting his own com- pany to open at the Crescent, Mount Vernon, June 17, for a summer stock run with an option to continue throughout the winter. The Stainach-Hards stock Is now playing at the Westchester theatre there. USING "THE TYPHOON." Boston, June 5. Lindsay Morison is the manager of the stock company now playing at the Majestic theatre. For this week he has produced "The Typhoon." Local attorneys for Emil Nyitray served notice on Morison that they would secure an injunction against him if he persists in producing the play. He opened with it Just the same. Morison does not deny that Nyitray has a copyright, but he also insists that he has secured the right to play it. He contends that the play Is a Hungarian product and through the fact that there is no copyright agree- ment between this country and Hun- gary, he claims that the only way he could be stopped from putting it on, would be for the legal men who are trying to stop him, to secure an American translation. Morison got some good advertising out of the controversy. Despite the heat he had a good sale. "WHITE CITY" STOCK. Worcester, Mass., June 5. B. E. Franklin will plant a drama- tic stock company at the Casino, White City, June 10. "BEHMAN SHOW" IS OVER. New Orleans, June 5. "The Behman Show" got over at the Greenwall Sunday, before two big audiences. It is the first regular bur- lesque troupe New Orleans has watched since the Eastern Wheel threw this city off its route sheet some seasons ago. DIDN'T CLOSE; JUST MOVED. Newark, June 6. The moving of the Una Abell Brinker stock from the Shubert to the Newark led to the report that the company was closing last week. Jack Cahn's company was at the Shubert four weeks. This town is o'errun with stock. The Shubert will be dark for the remainder of the summer, the Shu- bert*! planning some* Improvements before the opening of the regular sea- son. NO "MADAME X" RIGHTS. Despite an unusually high offer for the stock rights of "Madame X" <n New York, Llebler ft Co. declined to let it play in this neck o' th' woods. Charles E. Blaney, who paid a big price for "Alias Jimmy Valentine" and let loose a roll to produce "The Fortune Hunter" at the Manhattan, was turned down nothwithstanding the big royalty offered by him. Blaney is doing a big night busi- ness at the Manhattan, but his matinees are light. LEIGH DE LACVS OO. Leigh De Lacy (Mrs. Walter Woods), who has headed her own company for eight years under the management of Woods and Monte Thompson, will open her summer stock season at the Broad Street the- atre, Trenton, June 10, In "Madame X." In addition to Miss De Lacy there will be William Crlmans, Mildred Hy- land, Mabel Van Buren, Pell Trenton, Royal Byron, Harry McKee, Walter Thomas and Mattison. W. Herschfield will manage the company. A REV. PAUL PRY PINCHED. Torontc, June 6. Rev. R. B. St. Clair, a "leading light" of the local Vigilance Society, recently put on his gum shoes and visited at the two local burlesque houses. The reverend sent out a printed circular, which was so "raw" the Moralty Department had Mr. St. Clair before the police magistrate. The charge laid was circulating obscene literature. The accused stated that it was only printed for church members and it was notes of what he saw and heard particularly at one of the theatres. The case is not finished yet. At each house every week the shows must pass the strict censor- ship of the Moralty Department and the local managers of the Gayety and Star have notices in the dressing rooms warning performers that if they say or do anything vulgar on the stage they will be arrested. Manager Fred Stair of the Star in a straight from the shoulder letter to the press shows the clerical Paul Pry up in his true colors. Some of the shows at the leading houses this season have been far more suggestive than anything put on or said at the hurlesque houses.