Variety (December 1912)

VARIITY K/ETY Published Weakly by VARIETY PUBLISHING CO. Times Square. New York. Proprietor. CHICAGO Majestic Theatre Bid*. JOHN J. O'CONNOR LONDON I ireen St. Leicester Sq. W. BUCHANAN TAYLOR PABIB •• bis. Rue Saint Dldler EDWARD O. KENDREW BERLIN IB Karl St. E. A. LEVY ADVERTISEMENTS. Advertising copy for current Issue must reach New fork office by 6 p. m. Wednesday Advertisements by mail ahould be accom panted by remittance. Annual PoreUm SUBSCRIPTION RATER. Single copies, 10 cents. •4 Entered an second-class matter at New York. VoL XXIX. December 20,1012. No. 3. Merry Christmas I In patting forth the Seventh An- niversary Number of Variety, we feel a certain pride in knowing that it is the ending of the seventh year of Variety's existence, with as clear a record or as clean a record as this paper had the day of its first issue. We are not going to brag or boast. We have no occasion for either, but the Anniversary Number is taken ad- vantage of yearly to impart little con- fidences of our own in the matter of running Variety that appear appro- priate to this occasion only. Each year something seems to hap- pen. Variety would like to plod along and follow only its policy of being a newspaper to print the news. But it doesn't seem possible to do that with a trade paper. There are too many in the trade who wish to run it them- selves. In vaudeville the contingency was always to the fore that if the policy of Variet* was not directed in channels made by interests powerful in the op- eration of vaudeville, then Variety would have to suffer the consequences. Since taking up the legitimate branch, we have not found that the condition there differs greatly. We don't think it is the fact of trade news- paperdom altogether that influences the monied men of the show business into believing they are the arbiters of the press. It is the daily paper, per- haps more than any other one thing, that leads the managerial mind to that impression. The daily paper gives the manager what he wants, printing what is sent it by the advertiser of theatre attrac- tions, or quite often, "suppressing" news "upon request." As the trade paper has always been amenable to the manager's wish, will or whim, the trade paper such as Variety, which prints news regardlessly, must incur the displeasure of those who would have it otherwise. The legitimate manager believes if a paper prints news, without obtaining consent of those concerned in the story (if managers) it has violated one of his most rigid tenets—therefore the paper is "antagonistic." Or, another manager claims such a paper "has an object," although at a loss to hazard what the object may be. That a trade paper will print news for the benefit of its readers, to hold up its circulation and to maintain whatever prestige it may have established, is a silly prop- osition—to the manager, or at least some managers. Perhaps the trade paper is seeking to extend its circula- tion—yea, perhaps the same trade pa- per is increasing its' circulation week find it an utter waste of time to look elsewhere for the theatrical news of the world. Nor in no other paper can the current show news of the week by wire and cable be found nearly as com- plete, or commencing to approach the completeness with which Variety gives it every Friday. That this is thorough- ly recognized is attested to by the greatly added influence Variety ob- tains through having become the offi- cial bureau of information on things theatrical for dramatic editors all over. We like that, we like the position we have created for ourselves, by our- selves, and we are not going to in- jure or stultify Variety to gain the good will of theatrical managers who are but a very minute part of the read- ers that look to and depend upon Variety for their show information. In the same category we place news, The London Representative of VARIETY Commencing with the new year will be JESSBFREEMAN Formerly VARIETY'S Representative There (W. Buchanan Taylor, who has so well acted for VARIETY in London, has resigned owing to press of his other newspaper work at home). Mr. Freeman will devote his time and attention exclusively to VARIETY. by week. "Suppressing" news of and in the trade could not well bring about that result. Variety relies upon its value as a world-wide theatrical medium to draw its advertising patronage, to give full value received in publicity for space purchased. Among Variety's readers is an exclusive circulation that cannot be reached in any way excepting through Variety. This is what makes the paper especially valuable as a medi- um. It covers the legitimate and va- riety branches of theatricals so thor- oughly that the majority of its readers we also put the criticisms. The criti- cisms or reviews have the value, at the very worst, of imparting to the trav- eling professional or the dramatic ed- itor or manager or public located out- side New York City a fair line upon what is going on theatrically in the Metropolis each week in the way of amusement. We believe success rests on the in- dependent policy of Variety. Perhaps the paper would have been better Off temporarily, at least, financially, but it would not have been established on the solid rock of circulation it is now builded upon. And it's odds had (Variety followed the customary trend of theatrical journals in its news, criticisms and everything else, that it would not have ever lived to witness its seventh birthday. In witness whereof we stop for a moment to dwell upon the now rather well-known antipathy of the principal vaudeville interests of .America to ■Variety. It happened this time as it happened before. Were we to run Variety or were the vaudeville man- agers? We decided we would. We have had to decide that question sev- eral times during the seven years, and we have each rime decided for our- selves. We had no wish to war with the vaudeville men. Because an actor's organization had forced a battle upon us and the vaudeville managers were also fighting the organization simul- taneously was no good ground for the managers falling into the error they did, of thinking they had Variety "sewed up" in their own behalf. But they fell into this mistaken idea, or a couple of them did. The vaudeville managers had Variety as a medium without cost to reach the actor. Variety in its policy of printing the news published the mat- ter the managers wanted printed. While most of it rightfully came under the classification of advertising, Variety printed it without charge, as news, be- cause it was information. Bat these certain vaudeville managers want no trade paper that cannot be controlled by them. Whether it i» preferable to have a paper that is at least impartial and which can reach the spots where information must be necessarily spread, or to have subsidized sheets without influence and few readers, becomes a question for theatrical managers only to decide. But if the vaudeville managers had not started something, somebody else would have, quite likely. It's the show business. Still, we shall pursue our own way, for we make no pretensions of idolizing anything or anybody. Meanwhile Varibtu confesses grati- fication at having the largest circu- lation of any theatrical paper printed, and that Variety is equally influential and nearly as widely read on the other side of the ocean as this. That is enough in seven years. As we are where we are through having printed all the news all the time, nat- urally we shall continue on that course. Those who would will it otherwise we are sorry for, and for those who realize that a trade paper, if truthful without malice or prejudice, is the very best mouthpiece a trade could have, and who assist us in securing the news, wo have our sincere thanks to offer.