Variety (December 1916)

... .. ■■":-. ; ■ J ■■■' VOL. XLV, No. 1 NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1916 PRICE TEN CENTS INTERNATIONAL WILL CUT ITS CIRCUIT BY ONE HALF 20 Shows and 20 Houses to Be Held After New Year's. Equal Number of Poorer Attractions and Theatres to Be Dropped. Top Price Goes Up to 75 Cents , With Change. The International Circuit of popular priced theatres and attractions will, about the first of the coming year un- dergo a drastic reorganization of its playhouses and attractions with a view to putting it on a more stable basis. It has been found that there are about 18 to 20 theatres not good enough f~r some of its shows and about an equal number of attractions with not suf- ficient strength to give satisfaction in its better grade houses. The decision has been reached to drop the weaker traveling combinations .and relinquish the booking of the poorer houses. This will leave a score of what the Interational considers excellent theatres and as many first grade attractions, which are to be augmented, from time to time, as they manifest themselves. Under the contemplated revision the top scale of prices will be 75 cents, and only the best available traveling com- binations will be considered for book- ing. The International Circuit ppened La- bor Day as a popular price, legitimate chain, succeeding the former Stair & Havlin Circuit. Gus Hill and George Nicholai are the principal directors of the International. As some of the In- ternational's attractions failed to de- velop drawing power, they were re- moved from s the legit "wheel" with other shows substituted. MUSICAL "MY HERO." A new musical play "My Hero," is being made ready for production by J. M. Anderson and Frank Stammers. Mr. Stammers wrote the book and the music comes from Harold Ortlop. In the cast are Emmy Whelen, Brice and King, Lillian Shaw, Helen Falk- land and Ignacio Martinetti. TOUR OF VICTOR RECORD MAKERS. The forthcoming. annual tour of Harry McLaskey, known to phono- graph owners as Henry Burr, which will be made under the direction of Ira Harua, possesses large possibilities and is unique in the concert field. The kind of entertainment given will be vocal and musical, the artists appear- ing beine those making Victor records, with McLaskey featured. Others who will tour are Albert Campbell. Arthur Collins, Byron G. Harlan, Billy Murray, John H. Meyer, Vess L. Ossman (banjo) and Theo- dore Morse. F.or the making of rec- ords the above work sinply and in com- bination. The latter are Campbell and Burr, Collins and Harlan, Meyer and Burr, Sterling Trio (Mever, Burr and Campbell) and Peerless Quartet (Meyer, Collins, Burr and Campbell). The program will also hold a well- known monologist. ATWELL'S CLEVER WORK. Boston, Nov. 29. Ben Atwell, doing the press work for "Robinson Crusoe show at the Shu- bert here, put over one of the best plants in years with the Boston papers yesterday. He landed all the late edi- tions of the afternoon papers with front page spreads in conjunction with the matinee sermon of Billy Sunday. The entire company with the excep- tion of Al. Jolson, attended the serv- ices of the revivalist, and when the services were completed and the con- verts started "hitting the trail/' five of the members of the show joined. They were Kitty Doner, Frank Carter and Mabel Withee, and two of the chorus girls. While Sunday's sermon had not spe- cial reference to the theatre, he asked for a special blessing for the members of the company in his prayer. THREE SHOWS NEW YEAR'S. All the Keith New York theatres will give three performances Dec. 31, the third to take place immediately after midnight (New Year's Eve). PRODUCERS 9 BOOKING AGENCY. Plans are under way for the forma- tion of a new dramatic agency which will handle all business for several of the large Broadway producers. The producers have been securing l^nplr through varices agencies. Talbot Presaapentins: Chatterton. Haydn Talbot, late of the New York American staff, has been appointed press agent for the Ruth Chatterton Come Out of the Kitchen" show. BAYES' TIME CANCELED. The vaudeville engagements of Norah Bayes, each for $1,500 weekly, were canceled late last week when Miss Bayes notified the booking offices she would not appear at a third show in Keith's, Philadelohia. Thanksgiving un- less paid pro rata for that extra per- formance. The Keith engagement next week was also canceled, Miss Bayes consenting, unless her demands were met. The vaudeville managers say with every other argument placed to one side that they might advance why Miss Bayes should give an extra perform- ance on a special occasion such as Thanksgiving that she agreed in all of her contracts as is customary, to play 14 performances a week (not over two in any one day). In Philadelphia no vaudeville shows are given Sundays, and that would have called upon Miss Bayes to give 12 shows next week. The extra performance asked for Thanksgiving would have made it 13. There are several "six-day towns" on the vaudeville routes. In others per- formances are given every day. Miss Bayes made no protest against the cancellation of her somewhat solid route this season out of the United Booking Offices and Orpheum Circuit (for the middle west). She was re- ported annarently indifferent to what action might be taken. NAZIMOVA DISMISSES COMPANY. The company engaged to support Nazimova in her new play, to be pro- duced under the managerial direction of Walter Wanger, was assembled by the star Saturday afternoon and in- formed they were to be disbanded. The people had been rehearsing for five weeks. They received two weeks' salary Saturday. Mme. Nazimova stated the produc- tion was to be postponed for the time being, owing to the inability to se- cure a New York theatre, but that as soon as a house could be secured the company would be assembled again. BELASCO RAISES SALARIES. Chicago, Nov. 29. David Belasco voluntarily added one day's salary to the members of the cast of "Th* Boomerang" playing here, be- cause of the Sunday shows, the com- pany having had that day for rest here- tofore. The move is more notable because of the presence of a clause in the con- tract.-; issued by Belasco which includes Sunday in the full week. WEB£R'S~TOEATRE. Heforr* fh** current we-ch if. nv?r Joseph M. and L. Lawrence Weber will probably affix their signatures to papers calling for the erection of a new thea t re i n the heart of the metro polis. White Rats News will Pages 14-15. CUT HIPS BOSTON TIME? Boston, Nov. 29. This may be the last week of "Hip, Hip, Hooray" at the Boston opera house. The show was booked for five weeks here. Because of the opposition created hy Billy Sunday, which has af- fected business at all the theatres, the Hip road production may cut two weeks from the length of its original booking. The company will go tc New York and lay off for one week, reopening on Dec. 26 in Cincinnati. Several of the members of the com- pany have written to various managers and agents in New York during the past week statin* that they would be "at liberty" after Dec. 9. as the "Hip, Hip. Hooray" management had de- cided to cut expenses. VOLUNTARY SALARY INCREASE. Chicago, Nov. 29. All theatre employees of the Jonea- Linick-Schaefer Company were notified this week that starting December 25 their salaries will be increased. The voluntary raise by the J-L-S. firm does not include musicians, stage hands nor m: p. operators, who the company declares are under union scale said to be the highest in any city. KEITH'S GROUND BROKEN. / Providence, Nov. 29. Ground for the Keith theatre was broken this morning. The mayor turned over the first spadeful of earth. State and city officials were present. The theatre will have a seating ca- pacity of 2,500. The site is on West- minster street, about a block from the present Keith's. LAMB'S OPENING, DEC 10. The new addition to the Lamb's dub house, which about makes a new club of the entire building, is to have its formal opening Dec. 10. LIFTING CHARGED. A telegram was received at the Oliver Morosco offices, Tuesday, from Ben Giroux, manager of "The Bird of Para- disc," stating that Charles Clarke, one of the Hawaiians with the show last season, had appropriated the volcano effect used in the prodtrtion and had •vro-c/ked +;rd\A. with I featured, aiiu Ufe* Pantages theatre, San Francisco. (larkc booked direct with J. J. C!ux~ ton, manager of the house, who was notified about the alleged piracy. Mr. Morosco notified his attorneys, Hill A Hill, to begin action at once.