Variety (December 1914)

26 VARIETY MIDDLE-WEST VAUDEVILLE CHICAGO, DEC. 10. A general review of the current vaudeville year in the middle-west, re- gardless of brevity, makes a dull, un- interesting story for everyone con- cerned, for that particular section of the vaudeville map has unfortunately experienced one reversal after another until there is very little left beyond a reasonable promise of better times. The prevailing depression existent throughout the entire country has un- doubtedly had much to do with condi- tions, but the recent readjustment of Chicago's booking business has done more to decrease the importance of that part of the country as a vaudeville center than anything else. From the artist's angle, the several amalgamations of the various middle- western agencies,, resulting in the elimination of a large portion of com- petition or "opposition" have left the field rather barren, materially reduced the procurable work and diminished the opportunities to secure what avail- able time is left For the agencies the past year has distributed joy to a few and gloom to many, while the ten per- centers have little left beyond their book and a prayer. The managers unanimously agree that the past year is by far the worst of a decade's ex- perience, but the aforementioned hard times enters here as a handy excuse with the European war doing over- time duty as an encore alibi. Chicago's most important change of the year was of course the Loew- Miles-Jones, Linick & Schaeffer com- bine which automatically eliminated from the field the agencies of Walter Keefe and Frank Q. Doyle, bringing all factors together into the former Sullivan-Considine office. It also re- moved, among others, the bookings of the several local J. L. & S. theaters from Chicago to the New York Loew office. An affiliation of this kind seemed inevitable at the time, for the pressure of heartless competition was beginning to leave serious marks here and there and the outstanding scat- tered circuits were forced to realize the necessity of interlocking their bus- iness interests for the sake of self- preservation. With the three interests working under one license, the book- ing horizon was somewhat cleared up for the entangled principals, but the prospects for the act at large, working out of Chicago, were not perceptibly improved. Previously, keen competi- tion had created a reasonable demand to parallel the abundant supply of de- sirable material, but with the three- cornered amalgamation consummated, the surviving competitors began cam- paigning for attractions on a system- atized business basis and the market value on vaudeville turns ceased to fluctuate. Strangely enough the pres- ent European conflict affords a strik- ing simile to the vaudeville situation in Chicago with Loew-Miles and Jones, Linick & Schaeffer allied against the Western Vaudeville Managers' Asso- ciation, a powerful small time organ- ization regardless of contrary opin- ions. And unless peace eventually in- tervenes the two will continue the end- less struggle for the booking suprem- acy, of the middle-west. The entrance of the Affiliated Book- ing Co. into the Chicago field was another notable event of th'e past year, particularly since it marked the turn- ing point in the business careers of a number of prominent vaudeville men. The affiliated had a mission to per- form and immediately assumed Its place with businesslike activity. Un- der the general guidance of Fred Lin- coln, who was in a large way respon- sible for the construction of the Sul- livan-Considine circuit the new organi- zation crept into the field on soft position in the field is ideal, since without restricting territorial lines to contend with they have no big time affiliations to respect and have practi- cally the only logical stopping place for managers who for the many vari- ous and natural reasons cannot con- sistently comply with the franchise requirements of the other worth-while Chicago agencies. The Pantages Agency is looked up- on as a Chicago institution, although the coast manager maintains a New York office as well, Pantages himself headquartering in Seattle. Very little material is contracted for until Pan- tages personally confirms the engage- ment, generally through J. C. Mat- thews, which removes about every responsibility from his representatives. The Pantages Circuit issues a blanket contract for the entire route, stipulat- "AN EAST SIDE IDYLL" A World Film feature that will have at principal players the couple pictured above, BERT LEVY, the well-known artist-entertainer, and VIVIAN MARTIN, the picture star. shoes, incorporated over night and had lined up a formidable route before Chicago was v aware of its presence. The Affiliated, following the usual non- talkative methods of Lincoln, has been going along quietly since its inaugura- tion, building up its booking depart- ment here and there until it has finally forced itself into a position where it has to be recognized as an important factor. The recent materialization of an arrangement whereby the Affiliated becomes the sole American representa- tive of the Brennan-Fuller circuit in Australia, gives the agency a splendid outlet fox the attractions sent to the Pacific (Joast where connections ha\e already been made with the Fisher- Levey circuits. Lincoln has surround- ed himself with an exceptionally capa- ble and prominent staff in Messrs. Meyers, Goudron, Nash and-Kissick, and with a season's experience the coming year should find it well in the foreground among the biggest of the middle-west's booking offices. Its ing a salary cut in from one to four towns, the number of cut weeks de- pending upon the business ability of the applicant, together with the impor- tance of the attraction under consider- ation. An opinion on the Pantages contract was recently issued by the general attorney of the White Rats Actors' Union which makes any fur- ther comment on the subject superflu- ous. The Pantages Agency, or it might better be titled "The Matthews Office" (since J. C. Matthews has wisely pro- tected and exploited his personal identity) has for some unaccountable reason never managed to line up a list of attractive theatres outside the cir- cuit proper, despite the accompanying influence of the circuit's connection. Since Matthews assumed the Pantages representation in the middle west, he has moulded a semi-sensible organiza- tion out of a chaotic mass left by his predecessor, but meanwhile has not progressed to any extent in the book- ing line, and this despite the fact that the several other offices in and around Chicago seem to experience no diffi- culty whatever in landing houses. Whether this is because of faulty busi- ness methods or other administrative circumstances lurking beneath the sur- face is problematical, but surely it is not because of a lack Of ambition or endeavor, for Matthews is continually trying. One cannot Consistently com- pliment Matthews on his selection of business associates, a judgment error that has not served in any capacity to popularize his office with the rank and file of theatrical Chicagoans. His un- explainable friendliness for a so-called press agent whose "Dutch Lunch" proclivities as well as his unethical business methods has brought him to a rather undesirable rating has not helped Matthews either professionally or otherwise. The Western Vaudeville Managers' Association, working under a harmoni- ous co-operative system with the United Booking Offices' Chicago branch, has gone ahead wonderfully in the past year or two, its principal im- provement being in the eradication of all internal discontent. With peace established among its clients there is little if any room for adverse comment. The past season has unearthed com- parative few complaints from any source and the outstanding problems formerly existing have been satisfac- torily cleared up. Mort Singer speed- ily accumulated a knowledge of condi- tions and with a slow but systematic application of business methods soon had his organization working with machine-like precision. The appoint- ment of Tom Carmody as booking manager of the "Association" was a popular move, and Carmody's retention in that position is sufficient proof his work has been up to expectations. He has a large following, understands vau- deville from the ground up and is thoroughly competent. The "Associa- tion" made very few changes in its general staff during the season. The Chicago United under the gen- eral management of Claude Humphrey has covered its limited field thoroughly and carefully. Its expansion during the past year has forced its removal to larger quarters. The George Webster Agency, oper- ing almost exclusively in the north and northwest, has successfully withstood the invasion of competition and calls for a classification with the Chicago agency group. Webster has earned the confidence of a string of managers who would tolerate no other service and, because of this, holds an impregnable position in the middle-western booking field. The ten percenters have been the proverbial "goats' of the season. The recent edict of Aaron Jones, prohibit- ing the Chicago Loew office from ne- gotiating with the outside men, threw a score or more perfectly good ten percenters on an idle market, and those who are fortunate enough to pocket an "Association" franchise have suffered the inconvenience, financially and otherwise, of the recent salary cut. In fact, ten percenting in Chicago has ceased to be a profitable joy cruise for the principals. The year in vaudeville Chicago can he recorded in the theatrical history with a wide black border.