Variety (September 1913)

VARIETY "ASSOCIATION" MAY DISSOLVE TO PR EVENT U. B. 0. RAID Meeting Oct. 6 Will Decide Future of Chicago Agency. Managers Have Internal Fights on and are Figuring on Future Connection. Murdock Sees His Revenge on the Middlewest in Sight. Former **Associ- ation*' Man Forming Independent Tab Circuit. Chicago, Sept. 10. The Western Vaudeville Managers' Association is passing through a cru- cial period. What the outcome will be it merely a matter of conjecture. It is openly stated by many in the Associa- tion conditions have never been worse, not even a year ago. Several reasons have been advanced for the cause, but the lack of a re- sponsible head is generally conceded to be the fault. The taking away of several of the houses and the placing of their commissions on the books of the United Booking Offices in the east which has already taken place has cut into the Association's source of income to a large extent. It is now realized for the first time by the members of the Association just what the agreeing to the drawing of a line through Chicago as a division on territorial rights meant to it. Up to this time no one seemed to appre- ciate what the division amounted to. The internal strife is also helping to weaken the situation for with the Davenport franchise unsettled, and with F. &' H. and Butterfield on one side lined up against Theilcn and Al- lardt on the other, it means a direct split in the inner works which can only spell disaster. There seems to be no one who can straighten out the difficulty. It remains to be seen who will show the white feather and capitu- late. Frank Theilcn makes his stand ajid snys iM)thinff will move him, while Mark Heiman and W. S. Butterfield in- sist that all will be straightened out in due time. Meanwhile acts cannot be routed because Theilen will not book an act which F. & H. have placed in Davenport, and, consequently, F. & H. an# Butterfield will not book acts placed by Theilen. All eyes are directed to the meeting which is to be held Oct. 6. After that from present indications there will either be a new head to the .\ssociation or else the scheme of the managers in the east will be realized, and the Asso- ciation wilt be a thing of the past. If F. & H. and Butterfield should de- cide with the Interstate to start an of- fice of their own or go into the Jones. Linick & SchaefFer agency they would be in a position to hold their rights without trouble. Theilen and .Mlardt could do the same thing, and the lat- ter seems more likely, for, if it came to a show down it is almost a certainty that Butterfield will be the first to give way and follow the dictation of the eastern people, which will eventu- ally mean the giving up of an interest in his houses for their so-called "pro- tection." There is al.so ilu- chancr of the eastern men demanding the Inter state remove its offices to New York and book there. Then it will be up to Karl Hoblitzelle to decide. Taken from any angle it appears as though the meeting of Oct. 6 would be the snappiest that the Western Vau- deville Managers' Association has ever had. The vengeance of John Murd(jck see.ms to be at hand. Being an "Association agent" is now looked upon as a joke by all those vis- iting the eleventh floor. At any and all times of the day agents who are unknown to many may be seen wan- dering around the floor peddling their goods while the sanctioned agents Icok on in helpless amazement. An opposition booker called up a booker in the Association last week and placed an act with him, giving the act the contract in his own office. Last season this agent was looked upon as a much blacklisted personagz. The Association in its split condition is helpless. It must have acts and will take them where and when they can get them. Another move which will undoubted- ly embarrass the "Association" is the new tabloid circuit, being lined up by Ned Alvord, the former "Association" tab booker. Alvord has the support of the producers in his independent enter- prise. The Association managers fol- lowing an economical policy, forced the producers to equip their shows on r. cheap basis, hut Alvord plans to give the producers a wider scope in this par- ticular and secure them a better figure in comparison. It is likely that the ".\ssociation" people will be forced to pay a bigger price for the tabs this season or discontinue handling them STARTING AT DETROIT. The present opening point for the Sullivan-Considine road shows is De- troit. From that city the acts will travel to Ft. Wayne, then Cincinnati. The Duchess. Cleveland, is not plav- ing S-C shows this season. With the dropnincr of the Nixon-Nirdlinger time in Philadelphia and Baltimore, the shift on the opening stand was made ACCIDENT AND HOSPITAL. Chicaeo, Sept. 10 Daring Darts, a shootincr act, play- irtg the Colonial last half last week, had an arc'dent at the last performance Sunday. The wire supporting one of the men while shootin«r gave way •nd he suffered a severe scalp wound which will keep him in the hospital for some davs. The act was warned by the staee bands that the support^ were not fitrong onouffh hefor#» thev 'vent on PUBU8HERS STILL COMPLAIN. Music publishers are still complain- ing of the very bad business period they are going through. One or two music concerns are reported as about to give up business, several have no hesitation in saying they are unable to pay their bills, while others are taking unusually long time for settlements. With the passing of the summer the publishers of popular price music thought they would see better times. So far they have not arrived. The publi.shcrs arc still fighting with the ten-cent stores, which <tic ..icaaily trying to beat down the price ot sheer music to what the music men say is only a nominal sum, Just now the 10- ccnters have it as low as it can i;o, with any profit at all, according to one pub- lisher. Charles K. Harris has sub-leased imc .sixth floor of the Columbia Theatre to the f'rudential-Nixon-Nirdlinger vaudeville agency. 'Since moving into the Columbia building, Mr. Harris has occupied two floors (fifth and sixth). He says his business can now be trans- acted on a single floor. JlIcs Von Tilzcr Monday moved into the Snyder camp and was assigned to the Puck branch of that concern. lleniy Watterson was in Chicago the early i-art of the week taking over the Marry J-. Newman catalog for the Snyder firm, and placing Newman in the Chicago office. "BEATING" PALACE VIOLATION. The owners of the Palace have made many alterations in the room over the auditorium of the theatre, serene in the expectation they will be able to cir- cumvent the building laws of the me- tropolis, so that the space may be oc- cupied by the United Booking Offices, Orpheum Circuit when completed. .•\ skylight is being cut through the top of the large room to serve as a sky- light for the theatre, as demanded by the building code. A prominent theatre architect, when consulted with the plan for the pro- posed occupancy of the "studio" over the auditorium of the Palace declared it was positively contrary to the regu- lations and did not see how it could be dodged. He produced the buiiunig laws which states that "no wuik shop, common, general or property room shall be allowed over the auditorium or stage." It is undcr.stood the U. B. O.-Orph- eum officials arc counting on a provi- sion in the law which permits the ^«c of the fly lofts for the painting of scen- ery and that the room they intend oc- cupying shall be regarded as a scenic artist's studio. To come within that classification they propose, according to report, to employ steadily a scenic artist who will make the room his head- quarters. Whether so palpable an evasion will hold remains to be seen. MACK PLAYING THREE. This week at the .Xmerican, New York, Andrew Mack, the feature there for the full week, is playing three shows daily, two downstairs and one on the Roof at night. Mr. Mack was engaged to give two performances a day on the Locw time. LAHKY*8 LATEST. The latest vaudeville act of Jesse L. Lasky is "The Spring Girl," with \(y people. It is about ready to make its "break in" time. D'ORSAY AS A PARTNER. Joe Fields (formerly Gallagher and Fields) had been in negotiation with Lawrance D'Orsuy for a vaudeville partnership, but the deal fell through. He may team with Geo. Bickel. Mr. Bickel and Jess Dandy are being con- sidered for the new Fred C. Whitney musical show, which calls for a Ger- man comedian. TWO SHOWS SAME DAY. Hamilton, O., Sept. 10. This town wi)l have two tent shows Saturday when the "101 Wild West" and Sells-Floto circus play here. The circus is playing up its 25 cents admis- sion fee. GREETI.VG WILKIE HARD. The English actors in town, or about 15 of them, arc arranging to meet Wilkie Bard down the bay, with a l).'«nd and a tug. Mr. Bard opens at Hamtnerstein's Oct. 20. The band will greet him with his own melodies. The Hammcrstein engagement marks Bard's first appearance in New York. .Among the crowd arranging for the riot arc W:ll West. Robtrt Kvett. Tom McNaughton, Hal Forde, Charles Mc- Naughton. Lionel Walsh and Bobby Nairn. BASE BALLERS NOW. Al Demaree, the Giant's pitcher, who leads the league with his pitching average, has been captured for vaude- ville by Bill Lykens. Bill went to a ball game one day last week for the first time in 20 years an<l came back with an act. Demaree is a cartoonist. That gift, with two people and an act by Tommy Gray, will assist him in collecting some vaudeville money. Rube Marquard and Blossom Secley have an act called "The Suffragette Pitcher." also written by the author of "Tommy's Tattles." PAYINCi FOR r.XNCELLATION. Chicago. Sept. 10. John Ellis and Co. were cancelled at the Crystal. Milwriukcp. \\hcii Willirmi A. Brady alleged the act was an in* fringcment on "The Man of the Hour." The management took it upon them- selves to cancel. The act brought suit and the m.-inac'cmont \Nn« forred to pay Ellis $50, also jiving him a week at a later date .MALE TWO-ACT. A new male combination for vaude- ville is Lee Harrison and Harry Kelly. Tommy Gra> has been commissioned to write an act for the couple. BURNED IN NEWBURTPORT. Newburyport, .Mass., Sept 9 The Orpheum, closed all summer, was burned flat yesterday by a fir«. which razed ten buildings. It had opened the previous evening to a ca- pacity audience. Tb« vreatrHt oovfltj rnmniy ■•#.