Variety (August 1917)

VAUDEVILLE "BUILDING ZONE" LAW HITS NEW NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSES Mots 9 Theatre at 181st Street and Broadway First to Feel Weight of New State "Zone" Law Regulating Building In Residential Districts. New Keith House. Fordham Road, Affected. What is designated as the "Building Zone" law has not only held up the building plans of the B. S. Moss Com- pany for at least a year, but may also prove quite a barrier to overcome by the B. F. Keith Theatres Company, which proposes erecting a new theatre at the northwest corner of Fordham road and Valentine avenue in the Bronx. Ben Moss had everything all set for a new house at the intersection of Broadway, Bennett avenue and 181°t street, but the new "zoning law," which has been in vogue about a year, caused a complete rearrangement of Moss' uptown plans. The new law prohibits the building of a theatre within 100 feet of the main thoroughfare within restricted residential districts, the same restric- tion also pertaining to garages or buildings that would tend to make a business corner out of a hereto- fore regulated dwelling district. It has been the custom of theatre construc- tionists in laying plans to provide for store rooms and general offices in the front and side of the main building, thereby rendering a source of rental revenue possible that would not be there were the theatre built strictly on the straight theatre plan. Mr. Moss has gotten around the "zone restriction" by planning to build an apartment house in connection with the theatre, having sufficient space for both, the apartments to provide the revenue eliminated through the inabil- ity to build the store rooms. Moss has 200 feet on 181st street, running east to west, 178 feet from the north to the south, with the Broadway dimensions about 100x178. The new theatre will seat about 3,000, and as the new plans now run will bring the house into occupancy in the fall of 1918. Though it is generally believed that a feature film policy is set for the house there is reason to believe that it will eventually assume the pop vaude- ville and picture policy followed by the other Moss houses. Just how the Keith interests will get around the law does not seem to be worrying the builders. The W. H. Mc- Elfatrick offices are drawing the plans and specifications of the new Keith theatre, which provide for an expendi- ture of a $350,000 structure, seating ap- proximately 2,6000 persons, there being three stories to the building, which will occupy 104 feet on Fordham Road and 225 feet on Valentine avenue. 'Tis ex- pected to be completed by the fall of 1918. At present these appear to be the only new houses of any size or conse- quence as to building worth that are being planned since the passage of the "Building Zone law." This measure is explained fully in detail in a little pamphlet, entitled Building Zone Resolutions. PICKS CHICAGO SITE. Chicago, August 1. From excellent sources it was learned that a dicker was on for the American Express Co. property, which is just across from the Majestic en Monroe street, the idea being the erection cf a theatre there. It seems tenable that the express concern would welcome a site nearer the railroad terminals and three men well known at the stock- yards have such a location they are willing to exchange for the American's plot. The stockyards trio have sent a rep- resentative to J. C. Matthews and the matter of having Pantages vaudeville in the proposed house was talked about, providing the deal goes through. The express company's site has also been mentioned for a trade with that ten* tatively chosen for the proposed Mor- osco theatre. Around the first of the year a New Yorker, who promoted several of Broadway's biggest picture houses, was here with the idea of securing the plot, but the deal fell through. INTERSTAGE'S LINE-UP. The opening date of the Interstate Circuit has been set for Aug. 12, when the Dallas house will open, remaining the initial stand of the circuit until Aug. 27, when Fort Worth becomes active. From that date on all Interstate shows will start at Ft. Worth for the circuit tour. This season Ft. Worth and San An- tonio will play a full week each, both houses ^playing short weeks last sea- son, Ft. Worth being a regular split, while San Antonio played a five-day week, the show then going to Galves- ton. This season Galveston, Beaumont and Austin, Tex., will comprise a full week, each town playing two days. The regu- lar openings, following Dallas, occur at Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, Aus- tin, San Antonio, Little Rock and Ft. Worth in that order. MUSKEGON OPENING. Muskegon, Aug. 1. The new Rialto (Paul J. Schlossman) opens next month with vaudeville. Seating capacity, 1,000. DORA HILTON Chicago, July 26, 1917: Down at the Hipp was a lady real clever; Opened with Tosti's "Good-Bye Forever"; Real pretty song with some notes very high; And next came the sonnet, "Poor Butterfly. Her personality was a real pleasing token. In her next song a poor dolly is broken. Last came the song with a prtity refrain, Tht best of her numbers, "K : .m M«! Again." Of course for her encore a war song seemed fit; Neat was her wardrobe—her act was a hit. JOHN HYMAN. Booked Solid W. V. M. A. and U. B. O. Direction, BEEHLER ft JACOBS. UNDERCOVER BOOKINGS. Although there is a strict order pro- hibiting W. V. M. A. and western U. B. O. agents in Chicago from doing business with independent agents, or with those representing independent theatres, inside sources convey the fact that? the order is being "beaten." Deal- ings with the independents are natural- ly secret and a sort of system is em- ployed, which was thought to be "leak- proof." The two classes of agents are said to conduct their dealings by means of telephone calls to and from their resi- dences, and acts have been instructed to send commissions to the homes of the independents for the reason that no employees in the latters' offices could know of the clandestine tactics. From the recognized agent's view- point, he is able to do business without effort and collect 2 l / 2 per cent., which is all he obtains by handling the bookings himself. There is at present no definite data on just how many agents are risking their standing with the under-cover dealings. BECK'S PALACE, NEW ORLEANS. New Orleans, Aug. 1. New Orleans is 10 have a Palace. Martin Beck has decided upon that name for the Greenwall, which the Or- pheum Circuit recently purchased. Walter R. Kattman, press agenting at the Orpheum here for the past six years, will manage the theatre when it opens with popular priced vaudeville Labor Day. Arthur B. White is to direct the Or- pheum again. Mr. White has been in charge of the Orpheum, Duluth, and for three years previously directed the local house very successfully. Charles £. Bray is to act as general southern representative of the Or- pheum Circuit, with headquarters in New Orleans. Mr. Bray will have charge of all southern operations. He will divide his time between New York and New Orleans. DORALDINA AND VAUDEVILLE. Doraldina, who closes a 15-week run at the College Inn, Chicago, Aug. 5, will probably return to vaudeville, opening somewhere in the East during September under the booking manage- ment of Harry Weber. Doraldina's price for a vaudeville route has not as yet been decided upon. If vaudeville will not meet her terms the Hawaiian dancer has an offer for a production and will accept that. Cincinnati Empress Transferred. Cincinnati, Aug. 1. In consideration of $86,500, the Bell Theatrical Co. today transferred the leasehold in the Empress (vaudeville) to H. G. Clarke, Chicago theatrical promoter. It was announced that the Empress will open with pop vaudeville at the usual time. George F. Fish may remain as man- ager. A deal supposed to have been closed last week whereby J. J. O'Dowd, of the Hotel Haviland, and other Cincinna- tians, were to secure the house, fell through, and Clarke got it. He assumes a mortgage of $60,000. Jas L. Weed Managing Two in Dayton. Dayton, O., Aug. 1. James L. Weed, who manages Keith's, this city, will also direct the Strand, playing pictures and also a Keith property. Going to Marry in October. San Francisco, Aug. 1. Jacques Hays intends marrying next October. IUs hride-to-he is a Chicago woman, non-professional. The marriage will not interfere with the vaudeville team Mr. Hays is with (Santos and Hays). MUSICIANS' MATTER SETTLED. There will be no strike of the musi- cians in the New York theatres for at least another year. Varibtt pre- dicted in recent issues that indica- tions pointed to a compromise agree- ment being made by committees repre- senting the Musical Union and the Uni- ted Managers' Protective Association. Official confirmation is now at hand, the committees meeting Thursday of last week and reaching an agreement. The committees that reached an offi- cial agreement consisted of the follow- ing: Managers—Marc Klaw, president of the Association; Ligon Johnson, the legal representative of the managers; Mark Luescher, representing the Hip- podrome's interests; J. J. Maloney, rep- resenting the vaudeville theatres and especially the Keith houses, and Ralph Long, representing the Shuberts: Musical Union—President J. Edward Porter, Vice-President Sam Finkel- stein, Edward Canavan, Louis Kramer and Steve Champlin. The musicians, playing the vaudeville houses, starting Sept. f next, will re- ceive $35 weekly salary, the managers agreeing to a limitation of playing time before overtime" was paid. Hereafter they will play six and one-half hours, which includes the time for two shows and the stipulation has been agreed to that the house managers will not re- duce the present number of musicians employed. No reference was made to the personnel of the orchestras. Vaudeville musical leaders will re- ceive $60 weekly instead of $50 ss here- tofore. The other houses specified in the agreement start paying the scale agreed upon at the conference on the first Monday in August. The musicians plaving eight musical shows will receive $33 weekly. They will get $26 for eight dramatic shows. This means apportionately a $3 in- crease for the musical shows and $2 for the others. The salary of the house directors remains unchanged. The agreed-upon scale for the Win- ter Garden is $55.25 for nine shows (no Sundays), a $3.25 increase over the for- mer scale of $32. At the Hippodrome the musicians will receive $3975 weekly hereafter in- stead of $36 for 12 performances, the union getting a $3.75 increase there. In the picture houses where the top admission price is $1 the men will re- ceive $42 instead of $38.50, and for the musicians hired for shows for not less than four weeks' engagement, $50 weekly will be paid. This scale affects both the Rialto and Strand on Broad- way. For the film productions that charge more than $1 top the musicians will get a $3 increase, receiving $45 instead of $42 as heretofore. As previously reported in Vajubtt the burlesque circuits are not affected, the burlesque houses however playing Sunday vaudeville shows must pay a granted increase. Heretofore it was $3.25 for each Sunday performance, now it will be $4 a show or $8 on the day. The leaders will get $12 for the two Sunday shows, heretofore getting $5 a show. HOUSES OPENING. The opening; dates for four of the Wilmer & Vincent houses that have been set are Majestic, Harrisburg, and Able opera house, Easton, Aug. 20. The Orpheum, Altoora and the Hippo- drome, Reading, open the week fol- lowing. The Lyceum, Canton, O., will open Sept. 3. Pan Shows in Ansonia, Butte. The Pantages road shows will here- af'rr piny at the Ansonia instead of the Broadway, Rnr.te Extensive altera- tions are to be made on the Broadway. No time limit has been set for the change of houses.