Variety (February 1920)

■ - • -w - -■:•• ■ ; ; ■-,;•■;';•;■>'-•-•.'.' .■' .. ■;. '-:r : -': : :■;■-.. ::■.■■■■.. ■.:;■■.■• ;..■;/■ .« ,•••;■.•■•. Oft PUblUhKl Vol. LVH, No. 11 tf^Sfb? tUa, »:.«. sin WMkb »t im W«t New Tort, If. T., AddoaI 8ob*i1p- Slnale copies. It cent*. NEW YORK CITY, FEBRUARY 6, 1920 POPULAR PRICED PRODUCERS AT DANGER POINT IN CHICAGO Conditions Are Driving Them Rapidly Out of Business. Before War, 70 to 100 Attractions Toured from There. Profits Ran Into Thousands. Six Now Running. Actors Seek Other Work. Cost of Stage Hands Blamed in Part Nine-Show Contract Discussed. •.:..'. ^' x Chkigp, Feb. 4. Producers of popular-priced attrac- tions in Chicago face a crisis which may drive them out of business. /Various causes have brought about a situation which makes it practically impossible for the smaller managers to earn profits with their attractions. Before-the war, between 70 and 100 attractions were going on road tours out of Chicago. The profits on these companies ran into the thousands an- nually. . " At the present time 'there are less than a dozen companies traveling out of Chicago. According to one of the local au- thorities, these are the survivors of a once prosperous business: Two companies of "A Night in Honolulu," put out by. Howard Mc- Kent Barnes and .Tom Keeney. One company of "Freckles," put out by Darrell Lyle. .'One company of "Peck's Bad Boy," put out by Williamrjost. Two companies of "Daughter of the Sun" and one of "Revelations of a Wife," put out by Gatts & Peck. Robert Sherman, who has been in the business of producing popular priced attractions tor 30 years, who had three road shows out last season, has none this season. Eugene McGillan, Charles Primrose, Ralph Kettering, Lorin Howard, Ed. Rowland, Frank A. P. Gazzollo and Gaskell & McVitty, all prolific pro- ducers of this style of attraction in the past, have nothing out at the present time. ''.'",' From Milo Bennett, head of the Bennett Dramatic Exchange, it is learned that a number of actors who worked in shows of this type, failing to get employment, have gone into "trade." Mr. and Mrs. William Echols are ' employed at Marshall Field's.' Harry Royal is. a paper salesman. Fred Armstrong and John Hammond are machinery salesmen. Carl (Flaming and Ernest Walker are selling auto supplies. v Many others have deserted for vaudeville and burlesque. Others are just laying off. "There are two principal reasons for the present condition," Mr.. Sherman told a VARrsTY^representative. . "One is that a large number in this section have gone into pictures, mak- ing it extremely difficult • to get con- secutive bookings. "Another is that managers are dis- couraging the booking of large attrac- tions because of the cost of stage hands. "Joe Rhode, manager of the Rhode opera house at Kenosha, Wis., told me that he had to cancel 'The Bird of Paradise' recently because the stage hand cost would have been $215 for the date. "Ike Mishler, manager of the Mish- ler, Altpona, Pa., has sent out word that he would book no more large shows in his house, for the same rea- son. He wrote that he would be will-, ing to book small shows which did not require a large number of stage hands." Mr. Sherman then took up recent demands made by the Actors' Equity Association, and their effect on the business. "One of the demands is that the ac- tors be paid while the eompany is lay- ing off. Inasmuch as it is absolutely impossible at the present time to get consecutive bookings in this territory, this demand, while it is not unjust, makes it impossible to get any profits with a road company unless it has a remarkable appeal. "Mr. Gillmore, while he was in Chi- cago recently, addressed us on the sub- ject of a contract based on nine in- stead of 14 shows a week. > "We would be willing to do this if . (Continued on page 5) "LIGHT" CLOSES-$100,000 LOSER. "the Light of The World" closed Saturday at the Manhattan after a run of four weeks. The failure of the piece was a keen disappointment* to Corn- stock & Gest, its producers. The piece was a drama on the "Passion Play" by George Middleton and Guy Bolton. It opened out of town late last spring and. was looked on as a cinch success. Starting the first week in January at the Lyric the show caused.affurry but. at no time did the box office show strength. The play was compelled to move to the Manhattan last week but though an intensive advertising cam* paign had been started the managers decided to close it. "Light of The World" stands a total cost of around $100,000 including losses since opening. It may be reorganized and sent to the road later. $35,000 IN ONE ACT. Maxine Douglas is no longer with the. act which bears her name and which is on the road. Something like $35,000 was put into the turn which is of the girl-act variety carrying its own production. Miss Douglas asked $1,000 weekly for it. With a smaller price set on the act Miss Douglas placed a new lead with it. >She is studying music in New York and intends going abroad next, summer to finish her training. ' CLARK SUITS SETTLED. The" controversies pending in the State courts for nearly three years be- tween Edward Clark and Variety were last week settled amicably and fo the satisfaction of all concerned. The first action was based upon an article ap- pearing in an issue of Variety in March, 1917^' which stated that Clark was said to have reserved box seats at .a White Rats Ball for the members of the cast of "You're in Love" of which play he was co-author and ""stage- director, and later billed the principals for their pro rata'share of the expense. The second action followed a later is- sue the same year reporting among other things that Clark had sued the United Booking Offices for conspiring to prevent him from appearing in vaudeville, although Clark had testified while a witness in the Marinelli suit that his acts were "shown" but were deemed unsuitable by the managers. Subsequent developments proved that both. articles were founded on misinformation and were untrue. Clark did not ask his guests at the White Rats Ball to reimburse him, nor did he testify in the Marinelli suit.as.re- ported. Variety being satisfied that an injustice was done to Mr, Clark, wishes to correct the error, IMS, at UM N. T.. a. Offlo* M N«w Tort. Act of Mint ». lift m THAT BOOKING COMBINE. The rumor is once more actively revived that Sam Harris, A. H. Woods, - the Selwyns and Arthur Hopkins are forming a booking alliance to combine for the purpose of securing time for their attractions in New York, Chicago, Boston -and Philadelphia without pay-. ing a booking fee to either KIaw\ft: : ; Erlanger or the Shuberta, • :i ,| What is said to concern both A. L. Erlanger and the Shuberta at present is", the lack of sufficient theatres fof^ housing the attractions they have on-, hand at this time. Both these concerns have stopped producing for an indefinite period due to a paucity of theatres.. The large number of theatres an- : nounced for immediate construction, i according to a well informed individual, will encounter considerable difficulty;, in securing 'steel for their structures. - The principal stockholder of one of; America's largest Steel corporationa-?- who is erecting an office and theatre building, this week made a personal ' appeal to the president of his steel con- cern for delivery of his girders and the best date he could secure was next Sep- tember. ..-•-.,.. :. .-:.--,..■ MISS DAT DECLINES STARDOM. Chicago, Feb. 4. An incident, perhaps unprecedented in theatrical tradition, went on record when Juliette Day, featured member of "Oh, My Dear" at the La Salle, de- clined an offer from her" manager, F. Ray Comstock, to star her, preferring to have her name remain beneath the title. Comstock handed her a contract for next season providing she be starred in "The Cave Girl." Miss Day accepted the salary and the part, .but asked that he refrain for at least an- other season from saddling her with the responsibilities of stardom, as she felt not .yet ready for such a burden or yet deserving of such distinction. Comstock complied with her amend- ment. Miss Day received extravagant notices from the Chicago critics here. 33 PROHIBITION PLAY RACE. A new cycle of plays with the same theme is impending. No less than three producers are preparing shows dealing with angles of prohibition and there \a a. three-cornered race to reach Broadway first. The trio of managers in the contest are. A. H. Woods, G. M. Anderson and the Selwyns. Anderson's show is called "Stand from Under," and will have its premiere Feb. 19. The present title of Woods' piece is said to be "No.Liquor* No Love." The Selwyn piece may be "Rollo's Wild Oats" (already open). | ■'.'/■■ /: