Variety (May 1918)

VAUDEVILLE 5, WEEK'S SALARY MAY BE ASKED. FROM ARTISTS FOR N. V. A. Vaudeville Managers Deliberating Upon Move. If Voted Favorably, No More N. V. A. Benefits. Money Needed to Maintain New Artists 9 Clubhouse. Working Acts Not Responding to Call for Support, Managers Say. At a meeting of the Vaudeville Man- agers' Protective Association last week, it was proposed that artists playing in vaudeville for a given number of weeks throughout the season be taxed one full week's salary for the benefit of the National Vaudeville Artists. There was some discussion over the motion and action on it was adjourned. A member of the V. M. P. A. in an- swering a question as to the object of the pending resolution, replied it was brought up with a view, if passed, to do away with all public benefits for the N. V. A. The second annual N. VT A. benefit is to be held May 12 at the New York Hippodrome. A sale of tickets is looked for through members of the or- ganization, and this sale has been re- ported for some days to have been very slow. "We have found," said the member, "that the burden of supporting these benefits falls upon the managers, and since the V. M. P. A. backs up the N. V. A., we naturally enter whole- heartedly into the benefit plan to make it a success. "The artists, however, who are mem- bers and are working appear to try to escape any moral responsibility that they assume. When artists are asked to purchase tickets, they reply they have already secured them, whereas we have found upon investigation that was not so, or if partially true, the artists making the statement purchased two or three $1 admission tickets. I am referring now to acts that receive comparatively large salaries and some acts that do get very big salaries. "Besides the managers, the acts not working regularly appear to take the most interest in forwarding the bene- fits. Whether they do that through believing it may help them in procur- ing engagements with members of the V. M. P. A., I do not know, but the fact remains. The N. V. A. is a very beneficial in- stitution for the artist. Through it and its cooperation with the V. M. P. A., acts are protected to an extent made known during the 'fuclless' pe- riod, when the V. M. P. A. voted that its members should pay all acts full salary for the fuelless weeks instead of deducting one day weekly when the theatres were closed. This item alone ran into an immense sum for the art- ists. The condition could not have been controlled except by such cooper- ation as exists between the two asso- ciations. "Then again the artists are protected in any number of other ways through the close alliance between the V. M. P. A. and N. V. A. With the protec- tion to the artists in general, we are of the opinion that artists who work continually should willingly contribute at least a week's salary during the sea- son to the maintenance of the N. V. A., for the benefits they derive from it and for the purpose of relieving brother and sister artists who are not so fortunate in obtaining steady work, from being called upon to support the actor's organization through these yearly benefits, or more often if they should, as they might, become neces- sary. The expense of operating the new N. V. A. clubhouse is going to be con- siderable and must be provided for. Members now pay $10 yearly dues. Those who work the most have proven by their apathy to this coming Hip- podrome benefit that they are appar- ently indifferent to making permanent the protection thus far secured through the formation of the N. V. A. That has obliged the N. V. A. and V. M. P. A. officers to try to find some way to clinch the support, in order that all vaudeville artists shall be ensured of continual protection in their business dealings through their own organi- zation. "The plan adopted outlined seems the most feasible and we expect un- less another one that looks better is proposed, to put it through, to go into effect immediately after the Hippo- drome huiefit. "Had ^e acts approached for that benefit shown the proper spirit in responding, the idea would never have occurred, likely, to any of us, and the necessity for something substantial to be done in the way of financing the N. V. A. has been made forcibly felt through their lack of interest." The N. V. A. new clubhouse on West 46th street, formerly the home of the White Rats, is being completely re- modeled. Not even a stick of the in- terior of the did clubhouse is left, it is said. The alterations are so ex- tensive, with the proposed interior de- corations, that an estimate of the cost of reconstruction runs from $150,000 to $250,000. This does not figure in the cost of maintenance. The promoters of the week's salary deduction plan are said to have procured their estimate of maintainence expense from other clubs. That estimate according to a report runs far above what would be the pos- sible income of the new clubhouse, in- clusive of the membership dues of $10 annually. CLEVELAND HIP OPEN. Cleveland, May 1. Keith's Hippodrome here is to con- tinue without cessation the big-time vaudeville bills it is now playing unless the stress of the weather should force a discontinuance, when it may try pop vaudeville. Louisville, May 1. The Mary Anderson theatre, owned by the Keith interests, will play pic- tures this summer. The Keith big-time house is to try a pop vaudeville season after the regular big-time weekly ses- sions end. LOUIS A. CELLA DIES. St. Louis, May 1. Louis A. Cella, multimillionaire and the largest owner of theatres and the- atrical manager in this city, died April 29 of typhoid malaria, aged 51. The deceased had admitted being worth $11,000,000. He was half-owner of the Orpheum and owner of the site* of the new Orpheum building. He also owned the American theatre, playing Klaw & Erlanger attractions, and held a controlling interest in the Columbia, Grand opera house, Park, Shenandoah, Kings and Strand theatres. The first four of these play W. V. M. A. shows, the franchise for which Cella held, be- sides the franchise for the Orpheum Circuit, the last two and several other smaller houses playing motion pictures. Cella owned racetracks at Covington, Ky., controlled part of the tracks at Louisville, Ky.; Hot Springs, Ark., and Buffalo, N. Y., and controlled saloon, hotel and manufacturing property in St. Louis worth several millions. Cella's remarkable career started as a saloon keeper in the Ghetto district here. He had developed his various racetrack interests and reached the million mark before he was 27 years old. WOULDNT SELL BONDS. Paterson, N. J., May 1. The Majestic theatre staff was stirred up last Saturday night when the Shirley Sisters, on the bill there, refused to s^ll Liberty Bonds among the audience, although the two girls had done so Thursday and Friday. Billy Walsh, the manager of the house, sent word back stage to ask the girls if they were Germans, and the reply came back that whether they were or no, they would not sell Bonds. No reason was offered by the sisters for their refusal. This left the only .woman on the program to assist in/ the selling, the young woman in the Ben Deeley act. Although ill and with Manager Walsh offering to excuse her for that reason, she insisted upon doing the work. MISS VICTOR'S "MAID OF FRANCE" The Harold Brighouse playlet, "Maid of France," with Josephine Victor star- ring in it. starts on its vaudeville trip next week, with the first big stand— the Palace, New York, May 13—in prospect. There are four players with Miss Victor in the sketch, including Clifford Brook. Lewis & Gordon made the production and book the playlet. BILLING L. L. SPEAKERS. During these last two weeks of the Liberty Loan campaign the Palace, New York, has been billing the Liberty Loan speakers for the different per- formances. Large fanciful boards in the lobby of the theatre have carried the names and dates when respective speakers will appear. DOG TIPPED OFF? The stage crew of the Fifth Avenue theatre wondered Tuesday around five p. m. when one of the dogs in the Curtiss animal act at that house took it on the run from the theatre. De- spite all efforts of the stage crew to catch up with the animal, it disap- peared down 28th street. When the dog ran away it was just about time for the turn to do its "sup- per show," and why the stage crew marveled was a half-belief the dog re- membered the supper show of Mon- day, making up its mine! to avoid that performance Tuesday. CONWAY TEARLE'S DEBUT. A debut in vaudeville will be made bv Conway Tearle if he finds a suit- able playlet. Mr. Tearle is reported to have ex- pressed himself to that effect. Al Wilson and Vaudeville. Al. H. Wilson, the hitherto German singing star of the combination cir- cuits, still contemplates vaudeville, but without the German accent. He is reported having an act and ar- ranging for a variety opening. Playing "Family" Comedy Sketch. Olive Wynham and Jose Reubens will appear together at the Palace, New York, next week in a comedy playlet. The two principal characters are man and wife. The skit is said to have been done in one of the former Washington Square Players repertories, Mr. Reu- bens taking part in it then. MOSCONIS LEAVE ROOF. The Mosconi Brothers left the Century Roof show last week and will continue with the Bessie Clayton act in vaudeville. It became known that the dancing brothers were a part of the Roof show while also appearing in vaudeville, con- trary to a recent ruling by the big-time managers. The alternative was given the Mosconis of leaving the Roof or vaudeville, and they discontinued ap- pearing at the latter place in the middle of last week. The Clayton act has canceled its Orpheum Circuit route, which was to have started May 5 at Kansas City. The possibility of Paisley Noon and the Mosconis being called to the Ser- vice caused Miss Clayton to side track the Orpheum travel at this time. Mr. Noon is subject to Draft call, and the Mosconis, while recently exempted for physical disability, may still be called for inactive service. Louis Mosconi has a certificate from a physician at the Polyclinic Hospital, New York, certifying that he was at that hospital until 9.30 p. m. April 23 for physical examination. This was the evening (Tuesday) last week when the Mosconis Brothers reported late at the Royal, causing a rearrangement of the program there and some anuoy- ance to the management. LAUDER'S MET RUN. The engagement for two weeks of Harry Lauder at the Metropolitan opera house ends this Saturday. Lauder will shortly thereafter leave for Eng- land. >. The Lauder show is reported to have played to around $25,000 at the Met last week, with the expense of the week to William Morris, manager of the show, somewhat over $20,000. Larger receipts were looked for this week, it being the farewell of the Soctch comedian. It is said Morris did not expect profit to any extent on the two weeks at the Metropolitan, merely wishing to end the Lauder tour this season at that house for the prestige going with it as a "foreign" attraction to the grand operatic policy of the famous Met. The Lauder show has been traveling about 30 weeks this season. The Scotch star received $4,500 weekly with all transportation and other incidental ex- penses borne by the management. Mr. Morris is reported to have netted over $200,000 on the tour for himself, his big- gest season, personally, by far of any of the ten Lauder tours he has con- ducted through this country. FULTON UNPOPULAR. San Francisco, May 1. Fred Fulton's local stage appearance here this week at Pantages did not reflect any credit on the big fighter following the criticism local sports writers and editors showered on him as a result of the scrapper's refusal to participate in a patriotic benefit May 10. Fulton was tacked onto the Pan bill on short notice when the Kahler Children were unable to appear. The audience, mindful of Fulton's press panning, handed Fulton some uncom- plimentary remarks while he and his sparging partner were going through training stunts on the stage. Fullon is matched to fight Jess Wil- lard July 4, providing the big bout can be arranged for. Polly Moran Divorced. Los Angeles, May 1. Polly Moran, the picture comedienne, formerly in vaudeville, was divorced from Robert Sandberg last week. According to Mrs. Sandberg, their married life had been full of quarrels and besides, she charged, her husband refused to work. F4l*w ■* thrauih funl»ii* •—€**•• AitMT. t*# MtmiW.