Variety (March 1915)

10 LEGITIMATE "INSIDE" TICKET INFORMATION t OFFICIALLY OUT IN CHICAGO Statement Before Common Council, Chicago. Public Is Mulcted of $200,000 Yearly Through Scalpers, who "Stand In" with Legitimate Theatre Managements. Theatres Hold Back Choice Blocks of Seats for Every Perform- ance, 'Tis Chicago, March 3. The ticket scalping scandal was given fresh impetus to-day when Alder- man YValkowiak declared the public should boycott the theatres that deal with brokers. He told the Council Committee on Judiciary this would prove the quickest means of stopping ticket speculating. Walkowiak's statement was the result of the confession of an ex-employee of a local scalper in which the admission was made that scalping cost tue Chi- cago public 1200,000 yearly. He said the majority of the theatres held out weekly choice seats for the brokers, the managers charging 25c extra on every ticket. The Theatre Managers' Association sent a communication to the Council Committee declaring that it was help- less in its efforts to stop scalding. OPERA SINGERS' SALARIES. Chicago, March 3. The Chicago Grand Opera Co. be- came voluntarily bankrupt Tuesday in an effort to offstand the attempt of a number of its members to collect some $350,000 for unplayed contracts. The singers were cancelled as an outcome of the European war, although the majority claim a willingness to come to Chicago to fulfill their contracts. It is claimed by many that a new opera company will be promoted dur- ing the coming summer in which the privileges will not be restricted to the few wealthy local patrons, but the general public support will be solicited. The liabilities of the bankrupt com- pany are scheduled at $264,419, with the assets totaling $61,485. The heaviest creditor is John McCormack, who holds a note for $260,000. The high cost of opera stars is giv- en as the direct cause of the action. The contract of Director Campanini has been taken care of, his time limit expiring next season. A number of the contracts issued to the singers carried a clause which made them void in case of war. A technical question arose in this matter, the singers claim- ing the United States would have to be at war to make the clause active. For the four past seasons the expense of the company was measured at one million dollars. As a result of the proceedings, it became public that Mary Garden had a clause in her agreement guaranteeing that she would sinjj; at least 50 per- formances yearly at $1,600 per appear- ance, which netted her $80,000 for one season here. The salaries of some of the other singers were quoted as fol- lows: Mme. Schuman-Heink, $1,200 a pcriormance; Titta Kuffo, $2,000; Alixc /.eppilli, $1,000; Maria Kousuezotf, $1,- j(jO, Marian Barienses, $1,500; Samarco, vooU, and Bassi, $600. 1 ue Central Trust Co. was appointed receiver today of the bankrupt Opera Company, giving $o00 bond. Accord- ing to the present financial conditions oi the company, the creditors will re- ceive about 20c on the dollar for claims. SHOWS IN BOSTON. Boston, March 3. A wild flock of openings came Mon- day night, and all the houses suffered * trom too much of a good thing. "The Lilac Domino" went into the Majestic and pulled the biggest busi- ness. Ann Murdock, in "The Girl of To- day," opened at the Hollis; "Good Night, Nurse" opened at the Tremont, and "The Third Party" started at the Plymouth, with Pavlowa opening for a big week at the Boston. In addition, the Boston opera house made a striking production of "A Mid- summer Night's Dream," which drew big throughout the Back Bay. Next week brings Al Jolson in "Dancing Around" to the Shubert for two weeks, and the Colonial (on its last week Leo Ditrichstein in "The Phantom Rival") may be dark as Tuesday night had brought no definite news from New York of a booking. SHOWS IN FRISCO. San Francisco, March 3. At the Columbia, "Seven Keys to Baldpate" got a fine start on its first week here. The National Opera opened encour- agingly at $2.50, top, at the Gaiety. Its stay is indefinite. D. W. Griffith's "The Clansman" fea- ture film started its first week well at the Alcazar. A picture is arousing interest at the Cort. SHOWS IN LOS ANGELES. Los Angeles, March 3. Rose Stahl had a fair opening in "A Perfect Lady" at the Mason. "Everywoman" looks like a profitable engagement despite its lack of new- ness here. Kolb and Dill in "A Peck o' Pickles" are tryfng to bolster up the receipts at the Morosco. Business started off Sunday with a near sellout. John Blackwood and Rube Welch in- augurated burlesque at the Century with capacity business. Welch heads the company, the first debut here in years. VOEGTLIN TAKES CENTURY? It was rumored Tuesday Arthur Voegtlin, who until recently was the managing director of the Hippodrome for the Shuberts, had signed a con- tract whereby he and several of his former associates at the Hippodrome were to take over the Century opera house for next season to produce the kind of spectacles so successful at the Sixth avenue amusement place. Among those mentioned as inter- ested with Voegtlin is William J. Wil- son who is to sail for London March 17 to stage the new de Courville revue at the Hippodrome. Mr. Wilson is to return to New York by May 1. His contract with the Shuberts does not expire until May 15. The London en- gagement, however, is one of the out- side propositions his contract per- mitted him to take and it was with the sanction of the Shuberts he arranged to go abroad. This arrangement was made before the Hip blowup. Mr. Voegtlin denies he had com- pleted or contemplated any deal to take over the Century. He stated that he was not in a position to accept any contract at present to take over any house as he was still under contract to the Shuberts and would not be free until June 1. As to next season he would not express any statement. He did mention he had been approached with several proposals for next season and one meant the building of a gigantic hippodrome on the site of the car barns on Eighth avenue at 49th and 50th streets. He said that he had been spoken to by some capitalists inter- ested in the promotion of the scheme. He also stated that he might be inden- tified with a gigantic summer amuse- ment proposition for 1916. SHOWS IN NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, March 3. Neil O'Brien's Minstrels are doing fairly well at the Tulane. This show is the best O'Brien has had. Feature pictures are drawing to the Crescent. Stock burlesque at the Dauphine, to average returns. Robert Mansfield Players in last week at Hip- podrome. The Lafayette is dark. "LIFE" IN CHICAGO. The William A. Brady production of "Life," now at the Manhattan, New York, will end its engagement there March 13, moving to Chicago, where the big piece will open about March 17, probably at the Auditorium. It will carry 75 people to the western city. The supers will be engaged lo- cally. "The Blue Bird" will succeed "Life" at the Manhattan. The company will leave March 14 via the Lehigh Valley. It will be a special movement. Bill Lindsay has arranged for a special train of 14 cars to carry the people and effects. "The Blue Bird" at the Manhattan will remain two weeks only after which the house will play combinations. HIP $100,000 LOSER. The Hippodrome will be a $100,000 or more loser on the present season when the circus comes to a close there shortly. This was stated by someone in a position to know the actual figures on the season at the big playhouse. Heretofore the big amusement place has been one of the financial mainstays of the Shuberts. In seasons past the Hip has rolled up a profit that has amounted into millions of dollars. The Shuberts have always shared in the tremendous profits of the house as well as collected their annual salary of 124,000. "The Wars of the World" lost con- siderable money at the Hip during the early part of the season and the Win- ter Circus which followed the spectacle has proved a veritable bloomer. The latter attraction is to make way for pictures within a fortnight. In the meantime the management in a last effort to retrench cut five of the acts from the bill last Saturday night, re- duced the stage crew to 20 and laid off the entire costume department. LAIT'S PLAYS AND STARS. Chicago, March 3. The Jack Lait and John Raftery theatrical plans include prospective productions for Emma Bunting, Em- ma Carus, Grace Valentine, Rock and Fulton and a new vaudeville sketch for Nat C. Goodwin. Miss Bunting started a tour of the popular-priced houses thfe week in "Help Wanted" under the L-R man- agement and will play the piece in Boston this summer. Next season she will appear in "The Tribune's Baby," a new play by Lait. Miss Carus opens June 22 at Los Angeles, in a new Lait piece, "Maggie Magee," under Oliver Morosco's man- agement. In May Morosco will also produce another Lait play, "The Bo- hemian," with Miss Valentine and a male star featured. The script has been completed and turned over to Morosco. Rock and Fulton are to appear in a new idea of theatrical entertainment entitled "The Spice of Life" next sea- son, may do vaudeville or a new revue this spring but under the L-R direc- tion. Goodwin's debut in vaudeville with Margaret Moreland will be in Lait's sketch "The Artistic Touch." Lait is William Morris' western rep- resentative and will be business man- ager of the next Harry Lauder tour. If you don't advertise In VARIETY, don't ndvartlM. LEADING MAN OUT. Denver, March 3. Zicgfeld's "Follies" is playing this week without Leon Erroll as principal comedian. Johnnie Dove is under- studying the role. Mr. Erroll is giving his bruised ribs a rest. They were hurt in a recent accident he had. Kansas City, March 3. Ziegfeld'i "Follies" played to its low- est week's gross on the season here last week, when with a holiday, it reg- istered $16,461. "The Follies" played at the Shubert, the first Shubert house the Ziegfeld production has, appeared in. 'I