Variety (August 1913)

VARIETY ANDREW MACK WILL PLAY IN "SMALL TIMJT TWICE DAILY Opens Next Week at Metropolitan Opera House, Phila- delphia, Booked by George Mooser, Who Expects to Start Smaller Vaudeville Managers Into theTwo- a-Day Channel for Feature Turns. Mooser Fol- lowing Up Idea. Can Qet Marinelli Stars. The Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia, will have Andrew Mack as its big headline next week, follow- ing in that Loew small time vaudeville theatre Ching Ling Foo and James K. Hackett. George Mooser, who repre- sents John Cort in the latter's variety road shows, placed Mr. Mack for the smaller division. The Irish singing comedian will go out with the Cort- Anna Held show when it takes to the road late in September, probably play- ing for Loew until that time. Mr. Mack's small time contract calls for his appearance twice daily. Playing "twice daily" on the small time is a Mooser idea. He is out for vaudeville headline and feature acts that will take engagements to appear afternoon and night only, in the small- er houses throughout the country. Mr. Mooser is confining himself to no one circuit in his scheme, but will endeavor tc educate the small time manager to the advantage of playing a big attrac- tion for a drawing card. It has been proven, said a manager this week, that a star turn in a small time house can increase the receipts from $2,500 to $3,000 a week, if the ca- pacity is there. He quoted a New York small timer which is doing now about $4,200 weekly that can hold $7,500. With a big headline the small time house can go as high hs $450 on mat- inees, and it is assured capacity at night, this manager claimed. Upon convincing the small time cir- cuit directors there is money in the "headline act," Mr. Mooser will have the choice of the long list of foreign stars H. B. Marinelli controls, several of which Mr. Marinelli will influence to come to America "under their reg- ular salary," for the purpose of "up- holding opposition," always a sound plea to a vaudeville artist on either side of the ocean to cite his very low- est salary figure when playing for an independent manager. The drift to the small from the big time by the vaudeville acts playing twice daily will further deplete the supply of material for the big time managers to draw from, and creates in a way a condition that takes away from "The Trust" the absolute control of the high-priced act in vaudeville. Heretofore "The Trust" (as the amal- gamated United Booking Offices-Or- pheum Circuit-Western Vaudeville Managers' Association is known) felt it could sway the large salaried actor through holding in its power all the "time" available for the feature act. It will likewise make it more expensive for "The Trust" managers, who will find the vaudeville actor not so depen- dent, when there are twice-daily inde- pendent shows open to him, and the act will raise its salary accordingly for the big fellows. The engagement of headline™ from the big time for small time houses is not new to this generation of vaude- ville, but playing the big acts twice a day in three-daily houses is a depar- ture. Some years ago when B. F. Keith was emerging from obscurity as a "variety manager," he played some acts on his programs twice daily, while ethers gave three performances, the latter quota composing what was known as "the supper show," appear- ing between 5 and 7.45 p. m. A piano and other things helped to "stall" along this part of the "continuous per- formance." VON TTLZKR IN TWO-ACT. A two-act is Albert Von Tilzer's next vaudeville medium* Mr. Von Tilzer, who composes music as a side line, will appear in the picture at the piano and in the delivery of some of his song hits, assisted by Dorothy Nord, who will essay French character bits. HEADLINERS CHANGED. Chicago, Aug. 27. Florence Holbrook was much head- lined for the Majestic for a week or so in the newspapers and in the billing. About the middle of the week a white paper was pasted over her name in front of the Majestic. A day later Bertha Kalisch was put in the place. There are various stories as to why the change was made. It was said in some quarters Miss Holbrook's voice had gone back on her. At the Majestic offices it was stated a wire had come to make the change, with no reason as- signed for the change. Miss Holbrook's most recent appear- ance in Chicago was at the American Music Hall, where she was one of the chief figures in "The Military Girl." PALACE'S $7,000 BILL. The vaudeville program which opens the new season for the Palace, New York next Monday, will cost the house about $7,000 on the week. On it are Fritzi Scheff at $2,500 net and Horace Goldin, who is given $1,500 weekly in vaudeville "and expenses," whatever they may amount to. Goldin brought over about 35 people with him. The Palace, continuing its policy of last season, will become a "dollar vau- deville house," charging that price all over the lower floor. Playing to ca- pacity at the dollar scale, the Palace can do about $15,000 on the week (14 shows). With a bill costing $7,000 and house charges amounting to $5,000 (in- cluding rent) a week, the theatre will have to do continual capacity to break even, figuring in addition that the $225,- 000 paid the Hammersteins fixes an- other charge of $2,500 weekly for two seasons upon the Palace management. Carleton Hoagland booked the the- atre last spring, while it was trying out the $2 and $1 brand of variety shows, finally deciding upon the cheap- er. This is George Gottleib's first try at the Palace with bookings. Miss Scheff, according to report, will remain at the Palace for two weeks. Several big acts booked through the Martin Beck office for the house will have to be cared for by him, the east- ern vaudeville managers not wanting the high-priced material Beck has en- gaged. The turns will be taken care of on Chicago, middle western and the larger Orpheum stands booked through the Orpheum offices. Meantime Hammerstein's, which the Palace opposes, may continue Evelyn Nesbit Thaw throughout September. For her engagement Willie Hammer- stein has placed bills that will not bank- rupt him, postponing any number of acts he had tentatively engaged for the weeks she has been and will be there. The Nesbit business at "The Cor- ner" keeps up. Monday last the crowd was very nearly as huge as on the opening day of her run. NEW ONE FOR W. A V.? Reading, Aug. 27. The turning of the Orpheum into s'ock by Wilmer & Vincent, has given rise to the report that firm will have a new theatre at no distant date for the vaudeville policy. The same report was current several years ago, en- couraged by the managers, but it never eventuated. The Orpheum now comes into direct opposition with the Grand opera house. It has been made over. Next month it will become the home of the Casmith Players in stork. Will A. Smith is stage director and Frank L. Calahan is manager for the company. Local men make up the di- rectorate of the theatre company. Lela Halleck will be leading woman. FOX'S, WATERBURY, OPENING. Waterbury, Conn., Aug. 27. William Fox's new theatre here, named after him, will open tomorrow (Thursday) night, with Harry Fitz- gerald installed as local director. The house seats 2,000. The initial program will consist of Clark and Verdi, Charles Harlan and Co., Josephine Saxton and Picks, Romany Opera Troupe, 3 Yoscarrys, Georgia Mitchell, Harry Brooks and Co., Bancroft and Gurley. JIMMY PLUNKETT BOOKED. Jimmy Plunkctt booked himself a life route Thursday, Aug. 28, at St. Colum- bia's Cathode Church when he mar- ried Anna Purccll. Anna was form- erly Jimmy's secretary. Jimmy used to dictate letters to her. Now it's even money who will dictate. Just to keep the affair all in the office, Jimmy had Tommy Gray stand up for him. After hearing the ceremony Tommy told the priest the dialog could be brightened up a bit and volun- teered to write a few sure fire gags. Mr. and Mrs. Plunkctt will live at Rye, N. Y. PRUDENTIAL IS OUT. The Prudential Vaudeville Agency left the Loew-Sullivan-Considine of- fice last Saturday, moving to tempo- rary quarters in the Putnam Building, where it is booking in conjunction with the Nixon-Nirdlinger houses of Philadelphia. Nixon-Nirdlinger left the Loew-S-C agency the week before. There was no regret expressed by either of the parties on opposite sides at the partings, although the Prudential stood only in the position of severing its relations with the Philly pop man- ager or with the larger booking agen- cy. All contracts between it and the Loew-S-C people were cancelled by mutual consent. Besides the Prudential's usual pop vaudeville theatres and the N-N houses the combined agency has secured the Frank Wolf Philadelphia theatres to book. They are the Alhambra, and the new Broadway, seating 3,200, opening in October. The Casino, Washington (full week), Liberty, Pittsburgh (full week), and Colonial, Albany (split) are other Prudential N-N acquisitions for the new season. The Liberty is John Mc- Carron's house, hitherto practically booked independently by Mr. McCar- ron. COMMIS! DODGING COMMISSION. Chicago, Aug. 27. Beehler Bros and the Piano Bugs, a vaudeville act which has just completed the SuHivan-Considine Circuit, are in a controversy over four weeks booked on the Interstate time. The act played the Wilson last week and is at the Co- lonial this. Starting next week they go over the Interstate time. They wired the agents from the road regard- ing breaking their jump to New York and the Interstate time resulted at a satisfactory price. When the act ar- rived in town and was informed 10 per cent, would be deducted, it objected, claiming it did not know the Beehlers were agents. The act went to the Interstate and booked direct. A wordy battle ensued in which it came to light that the real owner of the act was Jesse L. Lasky, of New York, and the troupe had been out on the S-C time without the use of his name. The Beehlers will make an effort to secure their commissions rn the strength of a telegram in which the act agreed to paying 10 per cent. The Beehlers says they will make a test case of this. BUGS MAYBE, BUT NO "INSKCTTS." Schenectady, Aug. 27. Manager Charles H. Goulding, of Proctor's, assessed a fine of $5 against the Rice Brothers, German come- dians, playing here last week, because they addressed the audience as "La- dies and Insects," after he had warned them not to do so. The actors refused to pay the fine and, during a heated altercation, Man- ager Goulding summoned a policeman, alleging the players had threatened violence. The cop counseled peace and tried to persuade the performers to pay the fine, but they declined and appear to have gotten away on their stand. If yon don't ndvertlee In VARIETY, don't advertise at nil.