Variety (January 1914)

VARIETY PRECARIOUS MUSIC PUBLISHING MAY BE FOL LOWED BY REFORMS Publishers of Popular Sheet Music Reported Meeting Secretly to Aid Themselves and Business. Weekly Payment to Singers Big and Important Item Under Consideration. Rapid progress is being made with the formation of the new—tentatively called—Authors, Composers and Music Publishers' Association, formed to pro- tect writers, composers and owners of copyrighted material in America. It is designed to affiliate with the foreign societies of similar intent, as already forecast in Varibtt. It was reported this week the pub- lishers of popular sheet music had been holding secret conferences with a view to combining for the elimination of their bugaboo—the paying of singers— and had notified their respective pro- fessional managers to make no new ar- rangements : of that kind for the cur- rent year. None could be found who would ad- mit having attended such meetings, but one went so far as to state that at present it cost close to $20,000 to ex- ploit a new song and with no certainty it would prove a hit. This and the fact that sheet music is now being sold to the ten cent stores at six cents per copy has reduced the busi- ness into almost a certain loss. Two of the largest publishers have reached an understanding and thus far have held to a seven cent rate, with all the ethers cutting below that figure. One publisher has called attention to the fact that on a yearly sale of only one million copies, an agreement to raise the prices to ten cents would result in an additional income of $40,000 annu- ally, while those doing larger business would profit proportionately. That something in the way of a re- form in the conditions is necessary is conceded by all. A general letter sent out last week to the constituents of the Eastern Bur- lesque Wheel by J. Herbert Mack, has started volleys of verbal brickbats at the Mack head from music publishers throughout the country. Mr. Mack's circular suggested the elimination from performances at the Columbia theatre of overworked songs, and the substi- tution of new material, to keep the Columbia audiences from vamping dur- ing the numbers. Another bunch of hot-shot letters was poured into the Mack office at the same time from other music pub- lishers not interested in the proscribed songs. These letters told Mack how much was paid by each publisher to each singer or group of singers, or managers, for singing, or having sung, the songs of which Mack complained. They cited instances where the cos- tumes and sets to boost the numbers were also contributed. firm this week. The reason is not quite clear. Du Vries booked the show for the New Year's Eve celebration at the Colonial Club on South Wabash ave- nue last week, but up to Tuesday the artists hadn't seen the ghost ramble. They naturally turned to the agency for reimbursement, and in this manner it came under the gaze of Aaron Jones who guaranteed that they would be paid if he was forced to make it a personal transaction. Some internal trouble in the agency is given as the reason for Du Vries leaving. He will go to tenpercenting. KISSED SOLLY LEE. One day last week the report spread about Broadway that Solly Lee, ticket taker at Hammerstein's, was 30 years old and had never been kissed Monday afternoon, as one of the Poillon sisters walked through the Hammerstein gateway, she said to Solly, "So you are the fellow, eh, who has never been kissed? Well, take that!" and the young woman planted a smacker right between Mr. Lee's nose and chin. "Do you play return dates?" gently inquired Solly, as he wound his hand- kerchief over his face so he wouldn't lose the taste. FAKE PROMOTERS JAILED. Boston, Jan. 7. The police crusade started against moving picture schools and small mu- sical comedy companies which have been reaping a harvest has already re- sulted in two jail sentences. Irving Moore of Tremont street and James Riches of Washington street, who produced "The Purple Widow" regularly whenever a man with money could be found who wanted to "invest" (and receive a position as manager at a salary of $25 a week) are under sentence of a year each in the House of Correction. A dozen others have been indicted and are awaiting trial. In the mean- while while other cases are being pre- pared there is an exodus of fake the- atrical men from the city. DU VRIES TENPERCENTING. Chicago, Jan. 7. Sam Du Vries, for a short time one of the attaches of the J., L. & S. office, severed his connection with that POPULAR PLACE FOR DIVORCE. Cincinnati, Jan. 7. This is getting to be a popular place for divorces among the player fratern- ity. Earl Price, a book canvasser, who makes $9 a week, will have to pay $4 a week alimony to his wife, Dolly, an actress who gets $25 a week. She said he had only given her $10 since last July. The mother gets the custody of their child. Mabel Laban also got a divorce from John Laban. Both are actors. She charged that he would not live with her because she is a Christian and he a Hebrew. She alleges he tore up their marriage certificate. N.-N. NOT IN AMALGAMATED. The Amalgamated Vaudeville Agency has succeeded the Nixon-Nirdlinger- Prudential-Consolidatcd-Moss & Brill agency and will continue to hook all the houses formerly represented and several others—with the exception of the Nixon-Nirdlingcr theatres, winch may be said to have been withdrawn "by request," owing to the agreement entered into by Nixo l-Nirdlinger in pooling with the I'. B. O. for his Phil- adelphia houses. Carl Anderson remains as booking manager for the Amalgamated, which takes over the offices of the hyphen- ated agency in the Columbia Theatre Building. ELLIS HAS WILSON AGAIN. Al. H. Wilson is retaking to the road again under the direction of his old manager, Sidney R. Ellis, and will play "The Rolling Stone," in which he was seen earlier in the season. Wilson and Ellis parted through a misunderstanding and the former went out under new management. USING NEW BOOK. "The Girls From Starland," with Will J. Kennedy, Lew Christy and Thomas McMahon added to its cast, changed its book last week in Hoboken, when the I. H. Herk burlesquers ap- peared in the old "Behman Show" script. LOOKING FOR A COW. Danny Mack, with Sim Williams' "Parisian Belles," has been in this neck o' th' woods seeking high and low for a cow to carry with the show for advertising purposes, said bovine trouper to be labeled "This Is No Bull." 4j Mack found the task a strenuous one with the high cost of living, making prices on the "bull's wife" look like a fancy bit of mathematics. LOWELL CO. QUITS. Lowell, Mass., Jan. 7. Manager J. H. Tebbetts of the Play- house has accepted Lowell's decision that it does not want stock burlesque. "The Broadway Girls" under which his "turkey" organization was known, gave up the attempt Saturday night. Salaries were paid to the final performance. In the company were Lander Bros., Paddy Joyce, John Marion, Miss Suth- erland, Miss Gasgow and Miss Fergu- son. "GAY WHITE WAY" SHOUT. Sam Hearn left "The Gay White Way" last week, and when the show opened at the Bowery Monday it was almost an hour short. It is a Gordon & North attraction. The house management, wishing to remedy this condition, consulted with Hearn and persuaded him to return to the cast for the Peoples' week, guaran- teeing him his salary. Hearn was mar- ried recently tt) Helen Klcy, leading woman of the company, and the two will probably appear together in vaude- ville. "The Gay White Way," upon reach- ing New York, apparently began cur- tailing expenses. Frank Freeman, who had been doing good work ahead, was "let out" and no one substituted. DON'T FORGET THE MEETING. The adjourned meeting of the Vau- deville Comedy Club of Dec. 29 will be held this coming Sunday (Jan. 11) at the clubhouse at five in the after- i joii. Important matters are to be dis- cussed. ACKOBAT INJURED IN "DOUBLE." York, Pa., Jan. 7. Niles Erb, a flyer in the act of the Four Castors was the victim of a curious accident at the York opera house last week. He missed a hand- hold after doing a double and struck the safety net with such force a guy hook was torn loose, together with a shattered section of flooring. A flying splinter as big as a lead pencil struck Erb, piercing his ear. The curtain was run down. The act played the en- gagement without missing a perform- ance. XOT SO EASY FOR LEW. Cincinnati, Jan. 7. Lew Shank, former picturesque Mayor of Indianapolis, says it's no snap to hold down a job on the Sulli- \ an-Considine Circuit. Lew blew intc Cincinnati, Sunday, for a week. "Where (an I get a drink?" he' said. "I must lave my mornin's mornin'." "Over in Covington," remarked l well meaning citizen. And then Shank, to his great dismay learned that, in observance of the new Ohic law, all Cincy saloons were closed ol ihc Sabbath. "Looks like a case of using Shank*! Mayor, or Mayor Shank," chirped Lew, v:ho is funnier now than when he wa^ Mayor. Hi Costofliving's foe felt so good after his joke that he hired a taxi and rode to Covington. Thomas L. Hughes, general secre- tary of the International Brotherhood cf Teamsters, has issued a statement that Shank was not unfair to union labor. It was reported that he was. TWO PEOPLE LOST. Chicago, Jan. 7. Chicago relatives and friends are anxiously looking for the whereabouts of Vincent De Guerra, last known to be with Captain Dyer's animal troupe. He was last heard of about Ave weeks ago at San Antonio, but since that time all trace has been lost. Fear that he has met with foul play is ex- pressed by his relatives in Chicago. SPEEDING STORK. Roseburg, Ore., Jan. 7. Four hours after leaving the stage of a local theatre, Mrs. Albert Overton received a visit from the stork. While Mrs. Overton and her hus- band were doing a sketch, Mrs. Over- ton whispered something. The act was brought to a hurried curtain and Mrs. Overton taken to the hotel. Four hours later the medico an- nounced "It's a fine boy." GRAHAM IS MANAGING. Albany, Jan. 7. The Grand started Monday under the direction of F. F. Proctor, playing two vaudeville shows daily. Howard Graham, manager of the local small time Proctor house, will manage the acquisition to the circuit.