Variety (August 1915)

LEGITIMATE, 11 RAILROAD GRAFTING HARD HIT BY NEW TICKET PROCLAMATION Transportation Routes West of Mississippi Issue Edict That In All Cases Hereafter 25 Tickets Will Be Necessary for Baggage Car. Old Way of Agents Exposed. Railroads operating west of the Mis- sissippi river have issued a proclamation v. hich will do away with one of the most pleasant forms of graft for agents and others interested in the managerial side of theatricals. They state that 25 tickets will be absolutely necessary for a baggage car in every movement. Heretofore it has been the system in cases where an attraction had less than 25 people in its company to have the advance agent's tickets included in the block with the privilege of using it in advance. In some cases Where an agent had excess he was given a couple of tickets to cover himself. After the trip the tickets were never taken up and some agents made a trip to the coast in the summer with nothing except sleepers to pay. The auditors of the roads lately discovered that tickets sold on the party rate were turned in some- times three or four months after the block had been sold. SHOWS IN 'FRISCO. San Francisco, Aug. 4. Business for Mrs. Patrick Campbell at the Columbia, second week in "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," appears satis- factory. "Omar, the Tent Maker," with Guy Bates Post, did better at the Cort last week than the first week of its first en- gagement here. Bert Lytell and Ethel Yaughan, in stock, presenting "The Misleading Lady," registered a sell-out on open- ing at the Alcazar. Looks like big business for remainder of the week. The Exposition attendance shows improvement. BROOKLYN MANAGERS PROTEST. The managers of Brooklyn theatres are against the increase which the lo- cal billposting plants have given no- tice of. The managers declare that if the bill posters do not return to the former rate of four cents a sheet for posting, with the exception of special locations, they will cut out all paper and devote all advertising allowance to the newspapers. Three years ago the bill posting plants over the river were being paid at the rate of three cents a sheet, last year they raised the rate to four cents and this season they say the new or- dinance, which makes, it necessary for them to build fireproof stands and to raise their boards a certain number of feet above the roof line causes them i loss of 20 per cent, in footage and that there is an increase of over 50 per cent in the cost of posting. The managers maintain the cost has not increased to so great an extent and contend that if paper can be posted in New York in some sections at the rate of four cents a sheet there does not seem any reason why they should have to stand for an increase of one cent a sheet over the New York rate. They are contemplat- ing starting a local bill posting plant of their own in case the posting con- cerns do not reduce the rate they have given notice of. Brooklyn has always been more or less of a mystery to the agents visit- ing the town in advance of attractions. At one house in particular they have always maintained they were being held up by the management in the cost of special locations and for the ele- vated railroad locations. This house has had the reputation of "gypping" the visiting attraction for years. It is quite possible the bill posting concern has decided if the visitors were willing to stand for being "gypped" there was no reason why the bill posters them- selves should not get the money in- stead of the local manager. The Brooklyn managers, all members of the United Managers' Protective Associa- tion, have appointed a committee to take the matter up and to report at a general meeting of the Association, to be held this week. "LADY IN RED" SOLD? Chicago, Aug. 4. It is quietly reported here "The Lady in Red" now at the Grand Opera House, has been purchased in whole or to a controlling extent by Louis Newgass of New York. Newgass is said to have lately largely and profitably dealt in exporting horses to the warring countries on the other side. He is a Broadwayite 'i:id only an "angel" in that sense. SINGER HANDLING BENEFIT. Chicago, Aug. 4. Mort Singer, general manager of the Western Vaudeville Managers' Asso- ciation, is arranging the current year's benefit for the Policeman's Benevolent Association to be given at the Audi- torium for the three weeks beginning Oct. 10. A musical comedy is being prepared. For the past several years the police- men's benefit has been exclusively handled by Harry Askin, but his con- nection with Hippodrome, New York, threw the responsibility toward Singer, Chicago's other prominent musical comedy producer. "DREAM GIRL" SHOWN. Elmira, N. Y.. Auk. 4. "The Dream Girl," a new opera by Kdwin T. Emery, music l>y Sigmund Romberg, was given a first production by the Royster and Dudley Opera Co. at Rorick's Theater, Monday night. The music is catchy and pleasing but the action dra^s. JOINTLY BOOKING SMALL CITIES. The idea the Shuberts and Klaw & Erlanger would eventually arrive at a peaceful conclusion of their routing difficulties before the opening of next season, was somewhat dissipated this week with the announcement that both firms will handle houses in Omaha and Kansas City. In Kansas City the Shuberts will operate the Shubert while the K. & K. people will have the Grand, and in Omaha K. & E. will manipulate the Brandeis, with the Shuberts supplying attractions for the Boyd. This does not interfere with the peaceful ar- rangements now existing in other cities where the two firms have pooled interests. In Lincoln, St. Joe and Topeka, it is understood, the booking will be handled by the Klaw & Erlanger forces again, the John Cort office having relinquished their interests in those towns during the summer. When the pooling ar- rangements was established last sea- son those towns came under the Cort direction, insofar as booking is con- cerned. JOE HOWARD'S SHOW. Joe Howard's mania for production work has overcome the comedian once again and some time during October he will assume the active management of his own show to be titled "When It Happens." The piece is by Joseph Nowl and negotiations are under way for the en- gagement of a prominent musical comedy star to head the organization. Howard will play a principal part as will his present vaudeville partner, Mabel McCane. The show is scheduled to open in At- lantic City and a tour of the Klaw & Erlanger time has been laid out that will carry the company to the Pacific Coast. Meanwhile Howard and Mc- Cane will continue playing vaudeville dates. "GIRL" PIECE RENAMED. Perry J. Kelly this week renamed the new Hyams-Mclntyre show, "The Girl From Grand Rapids" to "My Home Town Girl." It is the show which Frank Stammers is writing with Louis Hirsch now commissioned to compose the music. Kelly plans to open the show around Chicago about Nov. 10 with an extended engagement 1c follow in the Windy City. NEW SHUBERT CORPORATION. Albany, Aug. 4. There was incorporated with the Sec- retary of State Tuesday The Shubert Consolidated Enterprises, with princi- pal offices in New York City. The company is capitalized at $300,- 000. Its directors are Helen White, Meyer Klein, Harry E. Diamond, Emanuel L. Klein, John A. Morris and Alexander Werner. FOREST STANLEY DIVORCE. Los Angeles, Aug. 4. Forest Stanley, for many years a prominent leading man in stock, has been divorced by his wife. Stanley is at present on the Coast, COHAN 6 HARRIS' ROADSTERS. Chief Booker Jack Welsh, of the Cohan & Harris offices, has about com- pleted his job of lining up the Big City and road shows and signing managers and agents for all of them. "It Pays to Advertise," in charge of John MacKenzie, opens at the Grand, Chicago, Sept. 5 (indefinite). The "Ad- vertise" company playing the middle- west will have Joe Spears, manager, Caldwell B. Caldwell, business agent. The Coast troupe of "Advertise" will have Joe DeMilt, manager; Willis Goodhue, agent; the southern com- pany will be managed by James Moore, with Ed. Duggan in advance. "On Trial" (eastern) will have Charles Buckley, manager; Charles McClintock, business agent, and two advance assist- ants. The western "Trial," going to Coast, will have Al. Herman, man- ager; Frank Matthews and two assist- ants ahead. The middle west or central company will be managed by Luke Phelps, with Ed. Jack and two as- sistants ahead. When Chauncey Olcott opens in September he will have John Hogarty as manager and Miles Murphy, business agent. The new Raymond Hitchcock show, which George M. Cohan is now writ- ing, gets under way around Oct. 1. It will have Charles Brown at its manager. The New York offices via Welsh and Ed. W. Dunn, will look after the New York openings of "The House of Glass" (Labor Day), the Niblo-Cohan show at Atlantic City Aug. 23, the Leo Dichristein company in October, and "Me and My Dog," which is scheduled for September. The Cohan & Harris theatre manag- ers will be as follows: Bronx O. H., Jake Rosenthal; Grand, Chicago, Harry Riddings; Astor, New York, Bert Feibclman. While the Cohan theatre, N. Y., is under Klaw & Er- langer management, the house manager there next season will be Jay Brady. GRACE GEORGE IN REVIVAL One of the surprises of the current season will be the announcement that Grace George is to appear in a re- vival of "The New York Idea." There have been but two engagements made for the production, Conway Tearle and Mary Nash. BROADHURST REWRITING. Atlantic City, Aug. 4. George Broadhurst is here rewrit- ing "The Heart of a Child" for A. H. Woods. This is the production shown here in which Kathleen Clifford ap- peared. It was first written by Zelda Scars, who was also a member of the cast. Actors* Fund Without Representation. Chicago, Aug. 4. The Actor's Fund is at present with- out a Chicago representative. Harry Ridings and William Roach declined an offer to represent the organization locally. Prior to his death Lyman Glover handled the affairs of the fund.