Variety (January 1918)

I = BE ■ i VOL. XLIX, No. 6 NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1918 PRICE TEN CENTS SE EMERGENCY SUITCASES MUST BE CARRIED WHEN SUFFICIENT Managers 9 Association Finds 81% of Acts Arrive Without Baggage. Loss of Salary for Performances. Missed to Be Imposed. Delay May Oblige Split Weeks to Become Full Weeks. Last week the members of the Vaude- ville Managers' Protective Association compiled statistics on the movement of trains and the report following showed that exactly 8! per cent, of the acts moved in and out of towns ar- rived without the necessary baggage to do their specialties. The V. M. P. A. has issued instruc- tions to its members to urge all acts U. take a suit case carrying make-up and costumes so that in the event of trunk delay, the act can work. Trunks and heavy baggage are being held up to allow the transportation of food and fuel and as a result the traveling public suffers. Any act failing to take heed of the instructions will lose the proportionate amount of salary for performances lost through its inability to appear, pro- vided of course a suit case would carry sufficient paraphernalia ,to avoid the loss of time. The vaudeville houses playing split weeks (two bills weekly) commenced to wonder this week with the cold, de- layed transportation and the expecta- tion a large number of railroads will remove many scheduled trains, what is going to be the ultimate result. Some of the vaudeville booking men thought the split week theaters might be forced to adopt a full week policy in time, while others said the booking offices might play acts in splits where the turns would virtually be obliged to lose a half week through travel to make the connecting stand positively before the first show. No concerted thought or action has been taken by the bookers of the split time houses, however. They are wait- ing to see what develops. A notice has been posted in the United Booking Offices asking agents to urge their act6 to take the first available train, when making a jump, to provide against delays. baker as it9 permanent home. Terms only are holding up the consummation. Sheehan, encouraged by the 10 weeks successful run his organization had here of English opera at popular prices wishes to make himself a local in- stitution. MAJESTIC, BOSTON, AT $1. Boston, Jan. 2. During the engagement of "Mother C&rey's Chickens" at the Majestic, opening next week, the admission scale •top will be $1, NEW CONTRACT TRIED. The new theatrical equity contract, recently ratified by both the Actors' Equity Association and the United Managers' Protective Association, worked out harmoniously during the recent holidays, although the managers made' no kick about paying for the week before Christmas "lay-off," when business conditions were anything but rosy anywhere. ^layers not having the contracts with certain managerial interests that recognized the Equity's contract shared in the new provision of the latter's playing agreement, the man- agements making no discriminations. OPERA AT STUDEBAKER? Chicago, Jan. 2. Secret negotiations are reported in progress between the Shuberts and the Joseph Sheehan opera company for the latter to obtain the Stude- SEATTLE FL00DB0UND. Seattle, Jan. 2. Seattle was floodbound early this week for the second time within two weeks. All vaudeville anji..jyna....ex- changes were hard hit by the tie-up of the boat lines to Tacoma and Vancou- ver. North gives city only transporta- tion facilities. The Hippodrome (vaudeville) bill, due to open at the Regent, Tacoma, Sunday, was held up by the floods. The Recent show closing Saturday was sent to the local Hip by boat. A make- shift program was arranged for Ta- coma. The Orpheum bill arrived there by boat from Vancouver in time to open. Ranta^es Circuit acts came in Tuesday from Portland, routed by the way of Pendleton. Only two of the six turns due to open at the local Orpheum reached here in time to play the Sunday matinee. NO "PLAYLESS DAYS." Washington, Jan. 2. George Creel, in response to a rumor in New York the Government would establish a "playless day," when all the- atres in the United States will be closed one day a week, stated there was no truth in the report, the mat- ter not even under consideration. He added that the "lightless" nights were for the conservation of coal, t which comes under the head of necessity. NOT UNUSUAL Chicago, Tan. 2. One of the biggest men in Chicago's theatrical walks, a showman of modern enterprise and methods, is on the war- path regarding a "deal" he got recently in New York, where he chose to buy some seats to a legitimate attraction rather than ask for passes. He was asked by a friend to get him eight seats inside the first three rows at a certain theatre. He went to the box office, and the treasurer, not knowing the Chicr.goan. laughed in his face. He went to one scalper and managed to get two in the fourth row. He went to another and got two in the sixth row and four behind it. in the seventh, making his eight seats. With some pride he presented the seats to his friend, explaining the difficulties he had had, and not even mentioning the heavy premiums he had paid. Next dav he met his friend and got the ha-ha. The eiefy seats the Chicago show- man had bought at war orices were eight of the onlv IS seats inside the first seven rows that were occupied, and his two the only ones used in the second or third, rows. "I don't mind getting robbed," said the theater man, "but when they take the extra money, make me walk mv legs off and plead as though I were a beggar, it makes me a trifle sore to have them show me up, besides." COL'S HEADLINERS THIS WEEK. London, Tan. 2. The headline features at the Coliseum • his week are Violet Vanbrugh and Co. in a new nlavlet, "The Woman on the Window Sill"; Lydia Kyasht in a new comedy ballet, "Cnoid's Conspiracy," composed by Sir Frederick Cowen; Marguerite Scialtiel in "Maid of France," and Grock. MAY BE "COMMONWEALTH." Tndications Wednesday pointed that "The Grass Widow." which moved from the Liberty to the Princess Christmas night, was having pretty t^ugh sledding v.itl; the weather against thcatrcgoinjj and that arrangements were pending whereby the show would be continued on the "commonwealth" plan. This plan would be along the same lines used by the Richard Lambert company playing "Art and Oppor- tunity" at the Cort before the holidays. WASH. SQ. FINISHING? According to report the Washington Square Players will continue for but an- other week at the Comedy, after having occupied the house for two seasons and one half of the current one. The reason is that even with the reduction in prices they have been unable to attract sufficient business to meet the house rental. They are said to be in arrears for five weeks at present "Success," the Theo. Leibler, Jr., pro- duction, is slated to go into the house, according to present arrangements. SACK'S WINNING CHANCE. J. L. Sacks, the London producer, is a winner on a long shot that he took last August when he contracted with Cohan & Harris for the London rights to "Going Up." That was months be- fore the piece was produced on this side. Sacks paid the managers $1,000 advance royalty on the show and secured the piece for abroad. Sacks intends to present the piece in London in February with Robert Era- mett Keane in the role played here by Frank Craven Arthur Voegtlin and William J. Wil- son are co-partners in 50 per cent, of the production which Sacks holds. APPOINTING CAMP MANAGERS. During the current week there is ex- pected to arrive from Washington the appointments for a number of mana- gers of camp theaters. The managers are to be assigned to various theatres in the army cantonments through .the country, according to recommendations that have been made from the offices of the Committee on Training Camp Activities in New York City. At present there are approximately a half dozen theaters at various encamp- ments ready for the housing of attrac- tions of a local nature, but it is doubtful if they will be in shape to receive trav- eling attractions for another month or more. HITCHCOCK'S TRAVESTY PLAN. According to report the next piece Hitchcock & Gest will do, on musical comedy lines, will be a burlesque of current legit hits, with a cast that has two prominent artists mentioned for its leaders. One of these is Clifton Crawford, another a woman star now in a Broadway dramatic success. KREISLER COMPOSING SCORE. Fritz Kreislcr and Guy Bolton are to collaborate on a musical comedy in which Margaret Namara is to be starred. She is the wife of Bo'ton and is to give a matinee concert at the Princess Jan. 8.