Variety (June 1913)

Vol. XXXI. No. 2. NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1913. PRICE 10 CENTS. CLOSER MERGER PREDICTED FOR SH UBERT S AND K. & E. Showmen Believe the Two Factions Are Working Toward Affiliation That May Bring Both ''Syndicates'* Into One Office. Say Signs Point That Way. Each Side After the One-Nighters, However, for Booking Power. A closer merger between the Shu- berts and Klaw & Erlanger is predict- ed by showmen along Broadway. They say the signs are pointing that way and an undercurrent 6f friendliness between the two "Syndicates" will eventually bring them together in one office. The main purpose of this would be one big system operating the legitimate field. How the merger will be effected no one professes to know. Some believe it will happen in the form of a large corporation as a sort of holding com- pany, without any of the present enter- prises of the two "Syndicates" being absorbed or changed in their corporate complexion. Another story is that the two offices will just move in with one another, to have the other fellow han- dy when wanted and in order that ev- erything pertaining to the show busi- ness they jointly control attended to without leaving the premises. J. J. Shubert and A. L. Erlanger are reported to have had some talks along these lines, speaking casually about it. Mr. Shubert will likely not take any decisive step in a matter of this na- ture before the return of his brother, Lee, from the other side. Lee is due back here around July 1. Meantime the two "Syndicates" seem to be in a struggle for the "one-night" bookings. As previously reported the Shuberts sent a circular letter to the one-night stands mentioning their at- tractions for next season. The K. & E. side answered this with also a cir- cular letter pointing out the weak spots in the Shuberts' proposition. There the matter has rested as far as has become known. Neither side will impart any information on the subject, nor tell what results pro or con were secured. The booking men do not appear very enthusiastic over the "one-nighters" as any kind of a proposition any more. Some say the one-night show business for the big producing managers is prac- tically through. Others state that the apparent rivalry between the Shuberts and K. & E. to place shows on the one- nighters has given the country mana- ger a brace to the extent that he is now demanding better terms for the in- CjOming attraction. Whereas before the fellow in the wilds with a theatre never murmured at 75-25 or 70-30, he now is asking 60-40 and 65-35 for the split in gross receipts. Whether the onc- nighter will get what he asks is an- other story, say the producers and the bookers, who add he will be pleased to get anything at all. The one-night manager retorts by saying the produc- ers can keep their shows if not meet- ing his terms, for he can keep his house open with pictures, having more at the end of the season than by playing the good and bad shows as they come now and then. STARS IN NEW HOUSE. Detroit, June 11. The new Washington theatre, seat- ing 2,000 people, will make its initial bid for local patronage July 21, when opening with a stock policy under the general direction of William Morris, of New York. The stock company is to have a ser- ies of stars in the lead. The first stel- lar attraction will be James K. Hackett. ITe will play for two weeks, to be fol- lowed by Louise Gunning for a simi- lar period. Other well known players have been engaged after them. The Washington will have a local nianaj:^er, but the policies and affairs of the theatre in general will be di- rected by Mr. Morris. TIK TOK .MAN CHANGES. Chicago, June 11. Adele Rowland will replace Beatrice Michelena in "The Tik Tok Man of Oz" at the Grand Opera House. In the same show Harry Kelly will take the role now pleyed by Frank Moore. Dorothy Brenner has been engaged to play the part created by Dolly Castles, who came into Chicago with the pro- duction. James J. Morton, Mr. Moore's part- ner, remains in the cast. NEW AMSTERDAM TERMS. It is said that Klaw & Erlanger have made their most liberal terms for the New Amsterdam theatre when it will house the Werba & Luescher produc- tion of "Sweethearts," The show opens there Lai)or Day, with the con- tract reading the gross will be split 50-50 up to $5,000 and 60-40 in favor of the sliow for all receipts over that amount weekly. SOME CRAP GAME! The science of shooting craps is be- ing developed twice daily around Times Square. It's a popular pastime, drawing from the legitimate and vaude- ville ranks. Each session is seeing between $5,000 and $7,500 change hands. One vaude- ville agent is $15,000 winner, it is said, while a legitimate manager says he is $10,000 behind, although counting only checks given out, not offsetting the loss by those received. Up to Wednesday no bad checks had been reported. The recent attempt to the higher education in dice casting is an inter- rupted continuance of the former small time crap gatherings of last fall, when $200 on the table looked like the mint had broken loose. Since then the Times Square sports have been saving their money. *'GENTLEM.\\" IS THROUGH. Boston, June 11. "The Gcntleiii.in from N(j. 19 (Shu- bert production) quit the Trenionf last Saturday, rather unexpectedly. It was expected that the slmw would stay for a while despite the pr)or business it was playinj.; to '•MURDOCH'S PRIZE PLIV" AGAIN. New Orleans, June 11. .After struggling along to frightful business for four weeks with "balking" pictures, at an admission tariff of one dime, the Orpheum quit suddenly Sun- day evening. Most of the time there was not enough money in the house to pay for the lights. During the last five weeks of the regular vaudeville season, the "balking pictures" cost the Orpheum $10,000 in loss of patronage and they have been pronounced locally a colossal hoax, justly entitled to their theatrical pseu- donym of "Murdock's Prize Fliv." The picture season at the Orpheum, when it placed itself in competition with the various store shops here- abouts, has served to dwarf its pres- tige materially. HIZING UP SHOW BUSINESS. New Orleans, June 11. Virginia Tyson was presented with two dogs last week. She called them "Bull" and "Bunk." Said she named 'em after the show business. BRANSBY WILLIAMS COMINO. One of the certain foreign bookings for big time vaudeville next season is Bransby Williams. The United Book- ing Office is now laying out the time for Williams' reappearance. KILGOUR AS WASHINGTON. (jeorge Washington to be done in vaudeville; that is, if Joseph Kilgour succeeds in visualizing and realizing Washington as successfully as he did in the play "Captain Barrington" last season. At any rate, Frank Thomp- son, manager of the Palace, thinks he can for he has commissioned James Horan to write a playlet around the character of Washington, in which he will launch Kilgour in vaudeville next sr.'ison. The playlet will show Washington as the soldier rather than as the states- man in order to give opportunities for action, besides depicting the patience and fortitude in the face of almost insurmountat)le difliculties of the "lather of our Countrv*'