Variety (November 1915)

VAUDEVILLE HOME AND PANTAGES CIRCUITS MAY BE BOOKED IN CONJUNCTION Conference in San Francisco Between Marcus Loew and Alex Pantages May Bring About Booking Understanding. Pantages to Visit New York for Talk With Jos. M. Schenck. To Build in Minneapolis and Denver. San Francisco, Nov. 10. The most direct result of the con- ference held here last week between Marcus Loew and Alexander Pantages is, according to report, the intended visit of Pantages in New York, at the time or shortly after the arrival of Loew there. The New York meeting will be held with the object in view, it is said, of calling Jos. M. Schenck, Loew's gen- eral booking manager, into the consul- tation over the proposed booking un- derstanding between the Loew and Pantages circuits. Accounts here say Mr. Schenck is agreeable to the Loew time booking in conjunction with Pantages, but is apt to insist the Pantages eastern book- ing branches, with their booking repre- sentatives (Louis Pincus in New York and James C. Matthews in Chicago) be removed to the Loew office. Pantages feels very strong in the west at present and it's problematical how he will accept the Schenck view. The proposed booking understanding will not extend beyond that, according to the story. The Loew office now books in the east. Since returning the Sullivan-Considine houses back to their owners, Loew has had no far west booking connection. Pantages is believed to have met Loew and also Aaron Jones (who is traveling with Loew) here last week by previous appointment. Messrs. Loew and Jones expect to reach their eastern homes about Nov. 22. Denver, Nov. 10. Alex Pantages is understood to be forming a corporation to build a local theatre here for his circuit which will play the Pantages road shows on their way east from the coast. While no offi- cial announcement is forthcoming, the report seems authentic. Minneapolis, Nov. 10. The Pantages Circuit is angling for a local house to play its road shows out ox I hicago en route west. It is rumored 1< cally negotiations are under way, but the name of the house is not disclosed. Tl.e Pantages has been represented here before through booking connections, but the circuit has never been in con- trol of any theatrical property in either o f the twin cities. Kansas City, Nov. 10. The Empress here will play the Pantages road shows, booked from the Pantages headquarters in Chicago, be- ginning next Sunday. The house will play a split week policy. ALHAMBRA'S "POPULAR WEEK." The second "Popular Program Week" on the Keith New York Circuit is to start at the Alhambra Nov. 15. It is a bill supposedly composed of turns selected by the Alhambra patrons through votes cast since the season opened, the management accepting the verdict of the audiences as so expressed for one week's program. The first of the "Popular Weeks" was held at Keith's Prospect, Brook- lyn, two weeks ago. The receipts es- tablished the season's record so far for that house. A. B. C. Columbus Booking. The Empress, Columbus, O., has an exceptionally big opening this week, the first under the new policy of vau- deville supplied through the Affiliated Booking Corporation. The Columbus stand will play a seven-act show with a tabloid carrying ten chorus girls as a permanent fea- ture. The musical turn will cover the last portion of the program and will be changed weekly or semi-weekly as the occasion demands. Murdock Returning Home. Chicago, Nov. 10. J. J. Murdock, after a short stay in Chicago, left for the east last night, to visit points in Kentucky and Michi- gan. He has been away from New York for a week. ? GUESS WHO THIS IS1 The above picture shows one of America's greatest actors, taken at the tender age of seven. The subject will appear (as he looks today) on tins page, in the next issue of VARIETY. It took many years of patient training to civilize this youth, but "As ye sew, so shall ye rip"—and the child's parents were both big-time tailors. In order to aid the reader, it might be added tin- subject will never again appear at the W inter Garden. HAMMERSTEIN'S PLAN. While Oscar Hammerstein has tem- porarily at least given up the idea of playing vaudeville at the 44th Street theater (through his injunction proceed- ing against the United Booking Office to prevent the latter refusing to allow the 44th Street to book acts in its of- fice under the Hammerstein U. B. O. franchise for the former Victoria), it is said Mr. Hammerstein has the plan in mind of attempting to re-secure the Victoria site, and when that house is completed, again play United-booked programs in it. Whether this is feasible none appears to know. The former Hammerstein's Victoria is now rebuilding, under the direction of the Rialto Theatre Co., a corporation S. L. Rothapfel is largely interested in. The Rialto. as it will be called, is to play a picture program under Mr. Rothapfel's direction. The company is understood to have prac- tically taken over the ground lease held by Hammerstein on the site. While the Victoria will be wholly new, it was not entirely demolished. The 42nd street wall was left standing. Mr. Ham- merstein expected for a while the build- ing department would order the wall down, which would have cut off 10 feet of space in the theatre, but the de- partment last week agreed the wall might remain. The 44th Street theatre is supposed to be held by Hammerstein under a lease for the house issued to him by the Shuberts, but the 44th Street "deal" is commonly accepted as having been "split three ways," between the Shu- berts, Hammerstein and William Mor- ris. This was conditioned upon the theatre playing "Hammerstein Vau- deville" from the United Booking Of- fices. While there has been some talk Ham- merstein might play an independent vaudeville policy at the 44th Street, with perhaps the Loew booking agency open to him for selection of acts, that possibility is rather remote. A story started that Hammerstein's, when again established in New York, might be the start of a new vaudeville circuit, received little credence. Mr. Hammerstein is reported having authorized his attorney, John B. Stanch- field, to commence an action in equity against the U. B. O., to compel it to recognize its Hammerstein franchise at the 44th Street theatre. The U. B. O. successfully contended in the injunction proceeding that the Hammerstein fran- chise applied only to the Victoria, and could not be placed elsewhere at will by Hammerstein for operation. KEEPING DOWN TRANSPORTATION. Chicago, Nov. 10. The executives of the Western Vaudeville Managers' Association and the local branch of the United Book- ing Offices are bending all their energy toward a general reduction of railroad jumps throughout the south, and pro- pose, if possible, to readjust their routing arrangements toward this end. Karl Hohlitzelle, president of the In- terstate Circuit, whose houses are lo- cated in the extreme southeast, is now in Birmingham endeavoring to solve the situation. NEW ACTS. Adler and Arline, new act. "You Must Snore," with four people. Fanny Morris, song monolog. Wyness and Lavender, two-act. Barry, Clifford and Taylor. Henrietta Lane and Jeff Gaffncy, two-act. Frank Marino and Fred Sterling, re- united. Max Rogers and Co. of three (in- cluding Joe Kane) (Harry Weber). Blanche Bates in new sketch, open- ing at Colonial, New York, Dec. 6. Percy Haswell and Co. in a sketch by the Hattons of Chicago. Kent and Bennethum and the Banjo Five. De Witt Mott and Mary Maxfield in "The Happy Hunters." John P. Rogers and Mark Hart have reunited. Margaret Crawford and company of seven. "A Pleasure to All," with L. Claire McLaughlin. Harry William's Big "Review with 10 people. Roth's Seven Girlie Girls, miniature minstrel review. "Nine Black Diamonds," colored men. "The Taxi Mystery," a Valerie Ber- gere production. "Hello Vaudeville," a Gus Edwards elaborate production, to be shortly placed in rehearsal. A tabloid with 14 people entitled "Doctor Dippy's Sanitarium" features Al Mack and Emelie Brenner. Vaudeville version of "Cavalleria Rusticana," with a ballet (D. S. Sam- uels). Dorothy Russell and Harrison Gar- rett, two-act (Lillian Russell's daugh- ter). Melville Ellis and Maurice Farquhar, two-act, opening at Maryland, Balti- more, next week. "The Lights of Happiness" with Ruth Sinclair and company of three. Sketch by Marion Short. Ralph Delmore in "The Plain Clothes Man," by Eddie Corbett. Helen L. Whitney is also in the cast. George Fawcett in "Irish Names" with six people (Fawcett playing new type of Irish policeman in sketch). Direction Jay KaufFman. Nat C. Goodwin and Co., in "A Blaze of Glory" by the late Paul Armstrong, booked so far for one week only (next week) at the Palace, New York. Bissert and Scott have added a white poodle dog to their singing and dancing turn. "Scotty" says it lends class to the act. Claude West and Irene Williams (Spencer and Williams) have been en- gaged by B. D. Berg for the leading roles in his newly reorganized "Screen Girls." D. S. Samuels through arrangements with S. Rachmann will produce "Room 48" a one-act sketch by Julius Hurst adapted from the Austrian. The piece will be presented by Helen Namur and Co. Shale and Cole. If you don't odvertlM In VARIETY, don't advortiM.