Variety (April 1915)

Vol. XXXVIII. No. 7. NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1915. PRICE 10 CENTS PUBLIC PROVING EASY PICKING FOR MOVIE PROMOTION SCHEMES Wall Street Brokers Cleaning Up on Cheap Stock "I Schemes. One Picture Concern with Desk and Type- writer Gets $45,000 in Few Weeks. Public Fall- ing Easily for "Con" Letters. The Wall Street promoters are be- coming more active daily in picture speculation. During the past few weeks several companies have been floated and the stock "shoved" down on the Street. Several brokers are now mak- ing a regular business of putting out picture stock for new companies on subscription. There is one new concern which had as its whole assets an office and a type- writer that got out an attractive pros- pectus and inside of a few weeks man- aged to have $45,000 of their capital stock subscribed for. This company is now contemplating a studio and a reg- ular plant to turn out features. Some of the literature sent broad- cast by the brokers, who know little or nothing Regarding pictures, is laugh- able to those who are acquainted with the ins and outs of the business. One bears the following table: Cost of Production. 1 Negative (1,000 feet) $500.00 24 Positive Prints (1,000 feet each) 960.00 which states that the picture industry is responsible for an entire new line of millionaires. "HANDS UP," FIELDS' TITLE. "Hands Up" is the title of the sum- mer revue Lew Fields is to produce. Mr. Fields got into town Monday, after closing his season in "The High Cost of Loving," and immediately set about casting the new production. It is said that "Hands Up" will fol- low the Trentini show into the 44th Street, opening about May 30. "The Peasant Girl" is to close very shortly and practically the entire cast with the exception of Emma Trentini will be transferred to the company that is to appear in the new Winter Garden production. This will leave the 44th Street open for the advent of "Hands Up." $1,460.00 Two productions or releases each week, $2,920.00. This would be the weekly cost of production against which they credit the output of 48,000 feet weekly for which they are to receive (at 10 cents a foot) $4,800, leaving a profit of $1,- 880 weekly or a total of $97,760 profit annually. Against this there is a charge of overhead expense for mar- keting placed at $24,440 per annum, which would leave, according to the prospectus. $73,320 available for divi- dends, oil n mr»i»ri' : -'-.i."n-i <>•' '-"100 000. As an additional lever to the pros- pective investor the circular contains an excerpt from Munsey's Magazine BOARD OF TRADE'S ADDITIONS. The Music Publishing Board of Trade, hitherto composed of 14 mem- bers, all publishing houses putting out popular melodies in sheet music form, has taken on two important additions. The new members are G. Schirmer & Co.,' and Riccordi & Co., two of the largest general music publishers in the country. FEATURES SCARCE. The feature act for vaudeville mar- ket tightened up this week. Features grew scarce about Tuesday, when there was some scurrying about to land "big names" for future dates. The New York houses were mostly in need of the new material, it was said. If you don't advertise In VARIETY, don't advertise. COMEDIANS DISAGREE A couple of comedians and hitherto close friends, both of considerable fame in American theatricals, and until re- cently appearing together in a Broad- way production, are said to be on a not-speaking basis just now, with the chance of a complete severance of all relations when one of the comedians' contract expires*. The cause of the disagreement ' not clearly known by those who are aware of it. A version is that one of the com- edians appeared under his present con- tract, calling for a certain number of weeks this season, in a previous play put out by the same management that had but a brief existence. The actor's contract remained in force though and when the production he is now with was launched, the contract's terms be- come operative. These were said to be $1,000 a week as salary, with a per- centage of the receipts, which netted the comedian with the contract $2,500 weekly. While he secured his amount each week, the show is reported to have had difficulty in reaching an even balance. As the production was due for a short season on the road, the other comedian is reported to have asked his erstwhile boon companion and fellow player to modify the terms in order that the management might have a chance while the show played out of town. This the actor with the con- tract flatly refused to do. Almost im- mediately thereafter he, is said, com- menced frequenting the Lamb's Club, a place that seldom saw him during the past two years, when the Friars com- manded all of his club attention. SANITARY FRANKFURTERS. The decree has been cast that frankfurters, popcorn, candy, ice cream and hoky poky, soft drinks and every- thing in the way of eatables must un- dergo strict sanitary inspection at the bands of the I'oard of Health of N'cw York. A special staff of 40 inspectors will make the rounds of all the summer re- sorts, particularly Coney Island and the beaches, and see that all the outdoor stands and carts are screened from dust and flics. No coloring will be permitted in lemonade or other drinks VAUDEVILLE AT FRISCO GAIETY. San Francisco, April 14. The Ackerman-Harris interests con- trolling the Western States Vaudeville Association have concluded negotia- tions with the Anderson Gaiety Co., and that house will come under their management April 25. The new directors of the Gaiety will install a pop vaudeville policy at 10-15. The Gaiety has been dark for the past several weeks, the plans pending for a continuation of the musical comedy policy having fallen through. The same agency will place vaude- ville into the Valencia theatre, split- ting the bills with the Victory, San Jose. AFTER THE IMPOSSIBLE. Pittsburgh, April 14. "The Society for the Suppression of Ragtime Music in America," the pion- eer organization of its kind, was or- ganized by students of Bethany Col- lege, Bethany, W. Va., at a meeting. Officers were elected who say they ex- pect the movement to sweep the coun- try. The society will urge the reinstate- ment In public favor of "the beautiful lullabys and touching love songs of grandmother's time." LA SALLE'S MUSICAL STOCK. Chicago, April 14. The La Salle will house a musical stock company, opening about May 15 or June 10. It is planned to produce old La Salle theatre successes at 10- 20-30-50. "Three Weeks," the feature film, at the La Salle is expected to run about four weeks. COHAN'S FILM FIGURE, $250,000. It has been persistently rumored of late that George M. Cohan had signed a flat contract to do 12 pictures for the Universal at a pretty figure, but this was denied Wednesday. George Jordan, of the Sanger & Jor- dan firm which b;m the placement of the Cohan plays in stock, said that Cohan wouldn't think of going into pictures for less than $250,000, and maybe not then.