Variety (June 1912)

VARIETY TANQUAY HEADING ROAD SHOW FOR N EXT SE ASON'S TOUR Agrees to Appear Under Management of Jos. M. Schenck, in Centre of Vaudeville Program. Billed and Played a la Harry Lauder. Guarantee and Percentage Given Tanguay. Next season Eva Tanguay will start out* on a road tour, a la Harry Lau- der, and under the management of Jos. M. Schenck. Mr. Schenck has given the vaudevlllian a weekly guar- antee and percentage of profits. The show will play for $2 and be billed like a circus, not remaining over two days in any city. It is said that the refusal of the vaudeville managers to accede to Miss Tanguay's terms for the coming the- atrical term induced her to accept Mr. Schenck's offer, although she lately declined a thirty-weeks' contract at $2,500 weekly to appear in an A. H. Woods production. This offer also carried a percentage side to it. Miss Tanguay wanted the guarantee to read $3,000. be converted into "pop.' theatres without notice. vaudeville SHUBERT CIRCUIT STILL. Other than the report from San Francisco, printed below, there was little doing on the Shubert vaudeville circuit this week. Many reports were out but noth- ing tangible occurred. Jules Delmar and C. H. Miles, who are the prime (and only, so far) leaders in the Shu- bert movement have made overtures to several "pop" vaudeville managers, without obtaining any action. Those approached insist upon the Shuberts showing something in the way of a circuit. Among the mana- gers who are insistent upon this are said to be Mobs & Brill and Cunning- ham & Fluegelman. Together they will have six houses in Greater New York with the opening of next season. Although the two concerns (compos- ing the Affiliated Vaudevile Circuit) have been reported "in" the Shubert clan, they were still holding out Wed- nesday, according to report, for cer- tain demands made by them to be complied with. Delmar, Fluegelman and Moss have met quite frequently. They had another conference sche- duled for yesterday. J. J. Shubert is said to be an important factor in the meetings. The Olympia, Boston, is a house connected with the doings of the Shu- berts in vaudeville; also the Keystone and Liberty, Philadelphia, which Mr. Delmar is reported to have learned were under the sole direction in the bookings of M. W. Taylor. Mr. Tay- lor is reported to take the same "show me" stand the others have. The O. T. Crawford houses in St. Louis were supposed to have follow- ed Miles into the Shubert agency, but Crawford is said to be under no writ- ten obligation. The Shuberts themselves stand ready, according to a story, to deliver six or seven western houses into the combination, provided no manager puts in a bid to lease the theatres. The Shubert side claims twelve or fourteen houses of its own that may San Francisco, June 26. John Cort, paying this city a busi- ness visit last week, confirmed the re- port that he and Oliver Morosco plan the installation of a cheap vaudeville circuit extending all over the Pacific CoaBt. It will be an extension of the recent vaudeville enterprise in which Cort became interested with the Shu- berts, and which now reach as far west as Kansas City. Cort has an idle theatre in nearly every large city on the Coast. In thid city it is understood acts on the cir- cuit will play the Portola, which has hitherto booked independently. "There are just two prices that ap- peal to the public today," said Cort. "You have either got to ask ten cents or two dollars. People will pay $2 for a show if it is worth it. If it isn't, they are quite content to take their amusement fare in the ten-cent houses. That is why there is money in cheap vaudeville." MAKING IT HARDER. The Hammerstein press department finding things dull this week sent out a story saying Martin Beck of the Or- pheum Circuit had a "talking dog" that would only appear in the west. The next day the versatile department sent out another story mentioning that "Don," the "talking dog," would positively play Hammorstein's shortly. Monday the Times printed a cable Martin Beck might purchase Hammer- stein's opera house in London for a music hall. All of this occurred while Morris Meyerfeld, Jr., president of the Or- pheum Circuit was in New York. Of course, it had to happen that way, just to make It harder. GARDEN GETS AHEARN'S ACT. Charles Ahearn and his cycling troupe, one of vaudeville's best com- edy acts, have been engaged by the Shuberts for the new Winter Garden Revue, opening in July. A scene will be built around the Ahearn act, mak- ing it one of the big features of the show. Ahearn signed a season's "play or pay" contract. For the Gertrude Hoffman Revue at the Garden, which opens in Sep- tember, Charles J. Ross, Dolly Sis- ters and Ralph Austin have been en- gaged. In this revue there will be thirty- three scenes, some not to hold the stage over one minute. Churle* Lovenberg left Tuesday for Europe. MA-BELLE. Til. :n <<itnp;in\ hi(f |ilint>>Kr:ipli is that of M A - HKI.I.K. thf beautiful \<miiik Knifli«li ;i'tri'ss. il.-iiiccr and in n torn i mint. who will op«n hr-r N»w York .r^ii;. ■ i > • n i .. t KKIT1IS IN'ION S(Jl'AKI-: THKATItK M<>\I>,\Y A FTK.H N:< »• >N. .M'l.Y I II.S'I Tin- si ••Die. in«< hiinlt a I an«l fU< triml <i|iiipnn n t that will I" ;i i>iii .f M.i - :'.■ I'■ '.•. ii i |i.«ii Inn < an ^pi-rtarlc «ill !>'• in w, costly and sensational. RATH ORDERED TO ANSWER. Chicago, June 26. The grievance committee of the Chicago Federation of Labor, dele- gated by that body to investigate the conditions of affairs existing between the White Rats Actors' Union and some of its members, held its first meeting June 21 at the Federation offices here. The meeting was presided over by Mr. Dillon of the Federation Will Cooke, W. W. Waters, Joe Birnes and Abner All appeared on behalf of the Rats. They immediately entered objections and demurrers as to the right of the Chicago Federation to in- vestigate an International Union. After hearing the pros and cons as to whether the committee were act- ing within their rights, the chairman called In President Fitzpatrick of the Chicago Federation who gave his opinion that the Chicago body had a right to investigate the matter. Bobby Gaylor, a life member of the organization and All's predecessor as Chicago representative of the Rats, said he was baptized in the organiza- tion, but since the amalgamation he didn't know just where he stood. Gaylor pointed out to the commltteo that other members avoid the condi- tions through being expelled or drop- ping out by not paying their dues, but being a life member, he was forced to stay with the organization through everything. Messrs. Nome, Ric^trdo, Byrne, Shea and others spoke for the com- plainants. The grievance committee retired for a few minutes to de- liberate as to whether they had a right to investigate the complaints, returning to announce that they had decided against the Rats and would expect evidence In affidavit form from both sides sometime next week. A series of typewritten questions were gotten out last week by the in- surgent Rats here, to be asked of the New Yorkers at the weekly meeting. Some of the queries were pertinent and quoted figures. The sheets were generously circulated. At the weekly meeting of the Cen- tral Federated Union in New York last Friday night, John Sullivan was appointed in place of John P. Hill, the Rat delegate who was removed for non-attendance. Mr. Sullivan is a member of the General Executive Committee of the Federation of Labor. In reply to a question whether the White Rats had removed the non- union sign on their club house, the secretary reported: "The said union had apparently treated the complaint with silent contempt." This referred fo a board reading about the club house being erected for the White Rats. The C. F. U. wanted to know why the remainder of the White Rats Actors' Union title had been omitted. At the C. F. I T . meeting last week a letter was received from President Samuel Gompers, acknowledging re- ceipt of communications from New York and Chicago relative to th'» White Rats. Mr. Gompers wrote he would brinir the matter to the at- tention of the Executive Committee. It. is not expected the committee will pass upon the subject before August.