Variety (August 1917)

VAUDE, LOEW TAKES TWO THEATRES; EXPECTS TO BUY EIGHT MORE Stillman, Cleveland, and Valentine, Toledo, Purchased. Other Recently Built Theatres in Middle West and South Under Option. Loew Circuit Plans the Building of Twelve Houses. The Marcus Loew Circuit within the past week has purchased the Stillman theatre, Cleveland, and the Valentine theatre, Toledo. Marcus Loew is also negotiating with the owners of eight recently built thea- tres in the middle west and south, with a view to acquiring them as additions for the Loew Circuit Besides the Loew people are now building or plan- ning to build 12 hpuses in the east, which, with their present chain of thea- tres, makes them about the largest thea- tre operators in the country. The Stillman, when opening Labor Day under the Loew policy of vaude- ville, will likely be pooled in Cleve- land with the Miles theatre, now play- ing Loew vaudeville there. The Miles will take on a picture policy. It has not yet been decided by Mar- cus Loew whether the policy of the Valentine, Toledo, will be vaudeville or pictures. The chances at present are about even. Mr. Loew has ob- tained the controlling vote in the cor- poration owning the Valentine. The Stillman was an outright buy by the Loew people, they taking the 99-year ground lease as well as the house. While no definite information can be obtained regarding the identity of the eight other theatres Loew is ang- ling for, it seems likely from the ac- count of the Loew Circuit's extensive operations in theatres that most if not all are nearly ready for closing. Nor has the policy for any newly acquired house been set, although it is known that none of the eight theatres is lo- cated in any town the Loew Circuit now has a theatre in. Straight pictures are as likely to be the policy as pop vaudeville in any of them. The Stillman was opened only last season. It seats about 2,400 and has played pictures. It is pronounced by many persons as the finest picture theatre in America. MANAGERS GIVE TO LIGHTS. The gift of $1,000 to the Lights Club of Freeport, L. I. f by E. F. Albee and A. Paul Keith this week came in the nature of a total surprise to the mem- bers of the club, who accepted the gift as a further recognition of the peace- ful playing vaudeville artists by the managerial fraternity of the same branch of the profession. Lights mem- bers' general comment on the gift was "very fine" and as the Lights is purely a social organization, the donation was highly regarded. The Keith-Albee management has been extremely liberal toward the rec- ognized vaudeville artists' society, the National Vaudeville Artists, and the present to the Lights appears to be in line with those managers' statements, to the effect that they like to see the players together in cheerful compan- ionable ways, where good fellowship, instead of strife and trouble, is the only thought. The Lights played to $1,500 Monday *ight at Far Rockaway. Tuesday night the show was guaranteed $1,200 for its performance at Castles-by-the-Sea, Long Beach, with $2 a head for the supper crowd, the restaurant charging $5, including supper. George Cohan appeared in the performance Tuesday. James .1. Morton, at the Far Rock- away performance (reviewed in detail elsewhere in this issue), handed the $1,000 check over to Victor Moore, president of the Lights. The letter fol- lows: Entertainment Committee of the eights' Bene- fit, Freeport, N. Y.: Gentlemen—We have learned much of late of your beautiful clubhouse and grounds, also the object of your club, which, I understand, Is purely social and of a character which lends dignity to the theatrical profession. There has been so much turmoil and strife in our business in the last fifteen years, and so little understanding, so much misconcep- tion of the real feelings of the artists and the managers, that your organisation, embracing managers, artists and laymen in its member- ship, points to a far-reaching beneficial effect on our profession at large. The vaudeville business In particular has taken on a new existence which promises, through the National Vaudeville Artists, and such clubs as the Lights, to work toward a harmonious future, wherein every one will benefit. I am Informed that the Actors' Bqulty Society, composed of actors of the legitimate stage, have had an understanding with the managers whereby an arbitration committee Is to be established and a uniform contract is to be Issued. The future looks bright and prosperous for all, providing each side can get all the benefits there are to be had In our business In a har- monious way, and to that end, Mr. Keith and myself, together with our associates throughout the united States, are lending our moral and financial aid to bring about a bet- ter understanding with the artists, and to establish a tribunal before which both sides can lay their grievances. Both the artists and the managers are pledged to bring about a better condition in the business and before many years pass, both sides hope to see the theatrical profession a model Institution of fairness and equitable treatment for all concerned. Enclosed please find check for $1,000 which we take pleasure In adding to your benefit fund. Cordially yours, (Signed) B. P. ALBEE. The Cruise of the Lights had two of its best known acts absent from the bill. They were Mclntyre and Heath, at the Majestic, Chicago, this week, and Eddie Foy and Family, at Keith's Atlantic City. The Foys' Atlantic City engagement was played only after Mr. Foy had been released from a promise to go with the Lights, by Frank Tinney. Eddie Foy had an Atlantic City book- ing but thought it cancelled. Meeting Tinney, the latter asked him why he didn't go with the Lights for the week. Foy replied he would if Tinney ap- peared for him (Foy) in New Rochelle. Tinney agreed. When the Atlantic City booking was straightened out, Foy was still in the bill. His agent, Harry Fitzgerald, told him the date must be played as it was too late to secure a substitute. Foy told him about the Tinney promise. When Tinney heard the story, he re- leased Foy, saying he understood that bookings could not be disarranged, but Tinney informed the theatre man- agement if it would allow Foy to play this week with the Lights, he would appear next week at the Atlantic City house, without salary. While the man- agement' appreciated the good will of the offer', no rearrangement could be made. Both Mclntyre and Heath and the Foys have been heavily billed on the Lights' Long Island tour for a week. ORPHEUM'S PRODUCING DEPT. It is quite likely the Orpheum circuit will install a producing department of its own with the opening of next sea- son, the move probably depending on the success of the Lucille Cavanagh act, now being prepared by Martin Beck. The Cavanagh act includes Tom D ; r)£!e and Paul Fr«>w«ey, with a spe- cially written book and «et of lyrics by Charles McCarron. Heretofore the circuit has produced turns periodically, the most successful being the Greater Morgan Dancers. VILL E BS9SBBBBSSBSBBJBBBBBBBSSBBSBBBBBBB] N. V. A. BENEFIT STATEMENT. The complete statement of receipts for the 1st annual benefit of the Na- tional Vaudeville Artirts, held at the Hippodrome June 3, was handed the organization executives this week by William J. Sullivan, who superyised the affair. It shows a grand total of $50,- 275.79 with $44,703.79 in cash received and $5,572 still due for program ad- vertising unpaid and tickets gold but not accounted for. The benefit broke all single perfor- mance records for the Hippodrome and probably established a record for a similar feat in any house in the coun- try. The organization will make the benefit an annual affair following the success of its initial effort, the next being held about the same time in 1918. The itemized statement for the bene- fit, as rendered by Mr. Sullivan, is as follows: Cash received for perfor- mance $21,108.70 Money still due on outstand- ing tickets 869.00 Total $21,977.70 Received for program adver- tising $23,037.09 Money still due on program advertising 4,703.00 Money received for sale of programs 558.00 Total $28,298.09 Grand total $50,275.79 PLAYING "BLACKLISTED" ACT? ' Chicago, Aug. 1. Adams and Guhl, blackface act that has been on the managerial "blacklist" for months, without having been re- moved, is reported now playing on the Pantages Circuit under an assumed name, either Swor and Adams or Swor and McCormick. Swor and McCormick are routed to play Pantages, Calgary, Can., this week. TOMMY GRAY'S "EMPTY SHELLS." Tommy Gray is about to become a publisher, having interested a number of New York humorists and cartoon- ists in a publication to be called "Empty Shells." It will be issued semi-monthly, shipped free to all Amer- ican soldiers abroad and sold on news- stands in this country, the profits go- ing toward the Red Cross fund. The paper will probably be printed by the New York "World," the con- tributors agreeing to furnish material without cost. A number of society women have indicated a desire to fi- nance the venture. The French government has a sim- ilar publication, which is printed by the government and distributed among the French soldiers free of charge. It is said the War Department has in- terested itself in Gray's idea and will attend to the distribution of the sheet PANTAGES NOT "OPPOSITION." Alexander Pantages was not declared "opposition" at the meeting of the big time managers late last week. It was intimated he might be in a story in Variety last week. The meeting was held and the Pan- tages Circuit was under slight discus- sion, according to authentic accounts, but only in a friendly way, through the exchange of letter* between Pantages and New York vaudeville managers. A big time manager stated he regret- ted the publication of the report in Variety as it might leave a wrong im- pression. "Pantaires is all pffht." said the man- ager. "He's a big man, bigger than he thinks he is, and we don't anticipate the least trouble is going to arise be- tween us." MAILING TO SOLDIERS. Friends and admirers of the theatri- cal men who have already gone to France or are scheduled to be ovtr there before the snow flies or later and who are desirous of sending them things via parcel post should take cog- nizance of a recent order issued by the Office of the Postmaster General in Washington. Parcels of fourth class or domestic parcel-post matter not exceeding 20 pounds in weight going from the States to the soldiers and sailors in Europe and such parcels being sent by the lat- ter to this country are subject to the U. S. domestic classification, condi- tions and rates of postage, the eighth- zone rate of 12 cents for each pound or fraction thereof, but such parcels may not be registered, insured or sent C. O. D. Parcels should be addressed to the American fighters as follows: (1) name of addressee; (2) official designation of unit to which addressee belongs; (3) the words "American Expeditionary Forces." Under no circumstances should the location or station of a military or- ganization be included in the address on mail for any member of the forces. Every parcel must bear the sender's name and address, which should be placed in the upper left hand corner of the address side, and it is very import- ant that parcels going to the soldiers be securely packed and wrapped, and have the proper postage prepaid. A bill introduced in Congress July 30 by Representative Lonergan of Con- necticut, if passed by both houses, will mean free postage for all soldiers, sail- ors and marines during the war. DRAFT REQUIREMENTS. All members of the theatrical profes- sion, who have had their draft num- bers drawn to report to exemption boards and who perforce are required to travel from town to town per their playing contracts, are referred to the nearest local board they may come in contact with for positive information as to their examinations. Traveling professionals, now in New York and who are in the draft and are about to take to the road, should drop into the nearest local board and obtain whatsoever information they may de- sire regarding the examinations. The War Department via the Provost Marshal is not going to give any of the registered "elipibles" any excuse for waiving examinations by some local board. In a long and explicit statement from the office of the Provost Marshal Gen- eral in Washington much is said anent the rules governing the answering of exemption questions. EXAMINATIONS! Those drafted in the first call from theatricals were around the early part of the week, exhibiting their orders to appear before the examining boards. St. Louis, Aug. 1. Harry Clark, former husband of Nora Hayes, and who is appearing alone at Forrest Park this week, se- cured permission to be examined in this city. Mr. Clark was in the first draft, registered from New York City. George Coleman, with "The Spirit of 76" in vaudeville, was passed as physically perfect in his examination, and upon request, was granted four weeks to finish bookings with the act. Joe Howard's Creditors Mixed? Atlantic City, Aug. 1. Sophie Tucker says Joe Howard owes her nothing. Mr. Howard last week filed a petition in bankruptcy naming M?s«i Tucker a9 a creditor to the amount of $1,000. Joe has filed enough petitions to know how to do it, but if Sophie says it aint, it probably aint.