Variety (June 1913)

VARIETY 12-ACT BILLS IN POP HOUSES IS PROC TOR'S L ATEST PLAN New ''Small Time*' Scheme Tried Out at 125th Street Theatre and Phenomenal Business is Recorded. Shows Minus Pictures With Four Performances Daily May Be Adopted in All Proctor's Popular Priced Houses. The phenomenal and unexpected suc- cess of the 12-act bill tried out last week at Proctor's 125th Street house may be the cause of a switch in policy in the entire string of Proctor theatres now playing pop shows. The idea which came from Harry Brunelle, when business dropped to low tide at the Harlem house, was to eliminate the pictures altogether and lay out twelve acts with a feature to play four shows daily, running continuous from 11 to 11. Preliminary figuring disclosed that the change required no extra cost and really presented the biggest "pop" show ever given in the east with top prices of admission at 25 cents. With the change at Harlem business immediately picked up and has been hovered around the capacity mark all week despite the baseball schedule and extremely hot weather. The 12-act pop vaudeville bill may be extended to other houses in that division next season, particularly on the Proctor time where business dis- plays a weakness. It is claimed that this style of show, twelve acts without pictures, will supply the pop houses with a program the big time theatres in opposition may find it difficult to off- set with any kind of a bill at admission prices from three to four times as much as the small time scale. McINTOSH FRAMING VP. San Francisco, June 11. Before leaving for the east, Hugh Mcintosh, director of the Rickards Ttudeville circuit, Australia, is report- ed to have arranged through W. P. Reese, the Sullivan-Considine repre- sentative at this point, for a booking alliance with his circuit. This is understood to give Mr. Reese a choice on Sullivan-Considine turns when they are finishing that chain. The closing point now is Kan- sas City. John W. Considine has been here and left for Los Angeles Monday night. Before going Mr. Considine said he would heartily ratify a book- ing alliance with Mcintosh. Consi- dine will return to San Francisco the latter end of the week. Chicago, June 11. Hugh Mcintosh, proprietor of the Harry Rickards' Tivoli theatres, of Australia, was in town last week look- ing over acts. He will go to London and may take over an important house in that metropolis. Mr. Mcintosh is also negotiating for the Amalgamated tours of South Africa. Mcintosh says lie will have a circuit in South Africa, if he does not succeed in getting the one now under discussion, as this will allow him to break the big jumps to Australia. He wants to arrange mat- ters so that he can give acts from six to eight months out of the Stmtes. ''We are completing a hoffe tbcfttrt in Adelaide," said Mr. Mcintosh in talking of his plans, "and also one in Brisbane. We are also planning to in- augurate the two-a-day policy in that country. Up until the present time Australia has been a paradise for ac- tors. They have only been called upon to play eight times a week as we have no Sunday performances," and this has greatly pleased acts that have been in the habit of playing two dozen shows a week. "Of course in selecting turns for my tour I have had to take a good many dumb acts, for the purely American act does not appeal to our public. They do not seem to get American humor, hence we must be very careful in se- lecting acts. Some American singing acts have done remarkably well over there, however. I have been visiting the theatres in San Francisco and Chi- cago where I see the acts for myself, and then engage what I want. I am keen on theatricals now, and have given up sports entirely. I want to make a success of my tour, and the only way to do that is to devote all my time to it. "I have picked up many good ideas in regard to the operation of theatres in this country, and will take them back and put them in force in my new houses. I shall import lighting effects, and some furnishings also. I am learn- ing how Americans conduct their the- atres, and I find that they have some original as well as practical methods." Mr. Mcintosh left here for New York early in the week. Hugh Mcintosh, the new general di- rector of the late Harry Rickards Aus- tralian theatres arrived in New York Wednesday. He is stopping at the Hotel Astor. Through purchasing the Rickards houses Mr. Mcintosh became a prominent figure in the vaudeville world. His theatres are a necessary key to an all-around-the-world cir- cuit, something several managers have had dreams about. Mr. Mcintosh will remain here un- til June 25, sailing then on the Impera- tor for London. Before leaving Chi- cago he arranged for a number of American acts to leave San Francisco July 1 on the Ventura to begin a tour of the Rickard's time. 42 people in all will sail on that date. While in New York Mr. Mcintosh intends, if possible, to complete ar- rangements for the exportation of a permanent stock company, to present American sketches in Australia. The company will he under the supervision of an Australian producer and will be contracted for a season of 12 months. He denied the report that a working at^reement had heen reached with the Sullivan-Considine circuit ai ' added that there was small possibility of such an arrangement being made a-t pres-. cnt. HEAT CLOSES TANOUAY 8HOW. Kansas City, June 11. The Eva Tanguay Cyclonic Vaude- ville road show will end its tour here Saturday. Due to the terrific heat, at St. Louis last week. Miss Tanguay gave the company the customary two weeks' notice and will pay fares to wherever the artists care to go from here. The same route over the John Cort time planned for this summer will be taken up next season by Miss Tan- guay with the same company now sur- rounding her. This week so far business with the Tanguay show has been capacity. Miss Tanguay says: "Money is not every- thing and I couldn't stand that killing heat we had in St. Louis again." We feel we are not fighting the vaudeville managers, anyway, as their theatres are closed at present. Chicago, June 11. Judgment was given Monday in a local court in favor of Eva Tanguay against Lew Fields for $2,000, the amount sued for on a claim arising out of the "Sun Dodgers" tour, while the vaudeville star was in the lead of that Fields production. WESLEY SELLS AGENCY. The Louis Wesley vaudeville agency was transferred this week, the busi- ness having been purchased by Harry J. Fitzgerald and Chester Stratton. Mr. Fitzgerald had been Mr. Wesley's as- sistant. Mr. Stratton is a nephew of Fred. Henderson. Wesley intends remaining at his Savoy theatre, Atlantic City, giving it his entire attention in the future. The United Booking Offices "franchise" for the agency is understood to have passed to Messrs. Fitzgerald and Strat- ton with the sale. "Fitzy" is very pop- ular hereabouts. Mr. Stratton is not as well known. GOMPERS* ENFORCED REST. Atlantic City, June 11. •Samuel Gompers' presence here for a week or so led to the report that the president of the American Federa- tion of Labor and his labor confreres had reached some conclusion on the White Rats' Actors' Union charter matter. Such proved untrue as Gom- pers was here owing to illness, his Washington physician ordering him to Atlantic City for a rest. Gompers recently submitted to a mastoid operation and he improved on his stay here. After returning to Washington a second operation was necessary. He is nf)w in Washington but may not get in active harness for several months. There was no executive s^-'ssion of the A. F. of L. here. DEAN MANAGING NIXON. Baltimore, June 11 Tunis F. Dean, nianrigcr of the Academy of Music, is back fri»m a three weeks' vacation with tlu^ an nounceniont tlii*; is his last \v(< k .i; the Academy. \\c has been a;>;M -iiiti il tnanapjer of the new \i\<'ii t!;cairr. Atlantic City, fff tlie siunTiicr, T!i" Nixon, costing over $200,000, will j)lav pop vaudeville booked by the Loew- Sullivan-CoTT-i'lifU- ofTicr RATS ELECTION THIS MONTH. Twelve directors will be balloted for by the White Rats this month. The polls for nomination clo&p June 19. Four weeks after that date will be al- lowed members to vote. The directors of the order alternate in yearly terms on the Board. OAPAULICAN MATTER ON. San Francisco, June 11. The matter of Chief Capaulican, the Sullivan-Considine and Orpheum Cir- cuits was brought to a head here yes- terday when W. P. Reese, represent- ing S-C notified the Orpheum people injunction proceedings would be brought against Capaulican continuing on the Orpheum time, unless the Or- pheum circuit adjusted the affair. Capaulican is at the Orpheum, Oak- land, this week. It is said that Martin Beck, general manager of the Orpheum, notified the Sullivan-Considine people that if the booking of Capaulican had not been secured in a proper business way, he would see that any complaint was righted. Since then the Orpheum has "stalled" in the matter, claiming the act had not been legally booked with S-C through lack of authority for the signature on the S-C contract. Reese claims there is plenty of evidence to contradict that statement. A wire was sent back yesterday and an answer is now awaited. Capaulican was booked for the S-C tour by Chris O. Brown in New York at $125. Shortly before he was to have opened, the Orpheum Circuit "stole" him away at a salary of $250 weekly. It is reported Capaulican does not re- ceive the entire $250 weekly, however, and there is said to be another story concerning this behind the theft of the act. AARON KESSLER LANDS. After having been held out from the United Booking Offices since leaving Hammerstein's, Aaron Kessler has finally landed in the agency in a quite unexpected manner. He has been ap- pointed assistant to Edward Darling, and will scour the smaller houses around New York in search of material for the minor positions on the big time programs. Harry Mundorf continues as a part of the Darling staff in the booking of the Keith New York houses. The past season Mr. Mundorf handled the bills for the Bushwick and Bronx, New York. Atlanta, Lancaster and Paw- tucket. NO AFFILIATION YET. Chicago, June 11. The fact that Frances Clare in "Just Kids" is the headline attraction at the Great Northern Hip this week, is ac- cepted as evidence any understanding brtween Jones. I.inick & Schaeffcr. Nfarciis F.ricw and the Sullivan-Consi- (litic circuit has not l)een reduced to writing; as yet, inasninch as the Hip is direct 'ippositio?! \<) the J. L. & S. prop- I rfics in "The I-onp." McVicker's and the ( < ib»nial. Mrs. Arthur Goldsmith will sail jnnc 21 on the Prince Frederick Willuliii for the other sifle. in (icnpanv with May Tiprney, r^'^hicr ,-.' IN 'ir W--