Variety (September 1921)

VAUDEVILLE IViAiy, ^ • p t wfcw r % 1^1 I J. H. LU6IN, GEN. BOOKER Tk« feKMkisf offict villi a pvoeh. S5 per cent ef the Locw thcatrcH ur« opeu tbe >ear round, the booJiing of- TLat i>houId be tUe Marcus Loc w^ booking office catch line. It is tlie" ***^ oul> booking office wberc one muB cua paHP ou an net for the entire time. Anjione who has hud dealinsti with eAces where nany bookers and many iuaim;;er9 have to be iOiiHiiIted 1)0lore u proper route cau be laid out will appreciate that condition. A booking office la an exception to the "two heads are better than one" argu- mtuL J. H. (Jake) Lubin has for the past two years carried the wal- lop lor the Loew bookiagH. ^reced- u)g that time Jos. M. Sihenck held tUi' «hair for almost fourteen years which t-nrricM the office back to its orij<;tii. Jt is many more years than two, liowcYcr, since Mr. SScbenck lir»t boRan to vast his eyes teward pr- iuivn jiiid it was from tkat time on thut Jake coiuaieiK'od looking after the books although kis official post of (icuerni Booking Manager dates from lf)l!>. Uuuning a vaudeville booking of- fice has its many sides. Merely t>e- ing a jtidge of an act is net suffi- cient to insure good ikowa and a beatthy •tmo.'ipberc. A bookiag office like any other biiniiwss refleeti tkaae at >la bead mn4 if the leading tpivit Is Bowid, tbe rank and file will faltow m fise. Tbe present booking of the Loew Cireait is a different propoaition tban when Mr. Lul>in flrat came into the a((ice. Then there were akeat 15 wei'kN in all. There was no Loew southern time and no coast time^ ^- fhougb tbe old SuKliTan-Conspdine koii!re!f were booked out of the offiee for a short while. There was one kotne m Canada. The iRitMTe west hoitsea, which hoeiuded tbe Joneji,, fiinick & Schneffer string were book- ing ifldepemlcBtly. The Loew Circuit has since included seTcral theatres in Canada, Ike middle west Rnk and a I'oniptcte tour to tbe coast whicli has brought the totAt of hoaK<»s handled nut of the Loew office, fro« 80 to Th^re io no other mstaace on rec- ord where t>ue man haodlrs the book- ings entirely for anywhere near that Momber of TandeviUe theatres. More tban *Xt per cent, ot these houses are controlled ottlut^yety by the Ia)cw interests. The bookinf^ office has had many overtures to handle indepemlrnt houses bat only in cases where the parties* were will'ng to allow entire dikvection in the matter of kandlint; tho bookin£;s, have they been giveu con.<Yidrration. If the intent were merely to burtd up a booking ofriec Ibe JjOow booker eoutd easily be root- ing nets for f»0 weeks vrithout a re- pent. Now it can -giye an net fmm 40 fo 45 weeks witkoat phiying the some house twive. Tho Locw rooting syatem has beew so simpli,l>ed one Man prueticalty look<Y after the entire time. Of course tJ»;>vp are asaistantn who attend to unnic of Ihf iletailH. There is a sepnrnte book for the Hovith (nvl coast time ami for the n>i<hlTr west and Canada. How- ever, all thcBo nltows are O. K.'d by tbe bead efflro befofe the booUiiil shorts are sent owt. Reports ore filed ret"pi(nisTy in the nfficc amt while n)ony people «pirs- ti«)i> the ndv.'sahiiity of (trpending upoit reports Mr. Lubiu takes the sensi- ble view nnd maintains that it i« the onfv way in which the office can keo" a line f^n what the acts are doVnjr. Re.'ilizin:; niiy net may have it<< b.nH townn. in thr Ri»n*»ral raw of report?.*. he believes the office may secnre a pretlv good idea of an act'* value to fhc t me. The report hooks in the Fiocw offii*e are a sight m tlicin- seives. The yearx of hnndliiif^ have mrdc them hmfc lfh» the mnke-Hi> ♦>f a bwrlesnoe *^how'R tramp ennied'nu. Krsirfcj^ kr^pinir o racorrd of how the aHs are doing or wh.tt thev have done.'thp repArt hiO>ks ««erve to aid the hookers ns tf. what acts are re- pe.nfw. what the former salary was. and any chanpfs made in the bus! ness or personnef. ;^notl'er f|nesf?/>n in connection with a hooking off'ce oecmw fo hove been ^n^)pj}r overcome by .Take !<»» bin Tliat is \hr matter of booking nct< direet In this msttrr the inter- '-lewer was rather startled fo fiml that 2.T ner cent of th»» sets played by the "t-oew e'rrnit :*rr hooked di- rect. All hook in* offiees make s strong pretenso of he*<ng ready nnd wiIT>«' at nil times "to do husine'*-- dfrect" with the actor. Actors wH ttV Ton how nnsneeessfiiltv th k method '^*oves wJfh mo«t hookinr of fW». >fr Luh'n. however, ndver tise-1 fh-^f he ^"Tl »;re ert««rH }>«'fi^ri*i< certni" hourp ''nrimr tl'" dn'- nnd hr recT ♦V>em? Tlie nro*»f thnt he does •fv' th«t re»n1fs obtained a'-e Rhowtt *♦» the t:ri^'\t nnmher of acts that book dirct wth the eirenit. All 'his mielit Ic'd to i^o inrirev «'oM the Loew hooV?n«» offle" iv n onr-mn'"* eoneern. hut it is pot Tit'" #'rtni^i )inve twrn no proMovtio^n' •■ml the '^'■•'iniy'^tion so we'l knit fh'if ♦*»lr(ir« rl'de «lo"«r «^'the'<t •> hiteli Thr msitT iHle "iprrm" ihni iirr tinr'^lt" on ♦in tn n hookini; office »»»'o wToMfd am» the man at the helm t'^de t»mc to take s A^r of rtrrrn- ^^ tme^ pn a while, though ;,.. e V* • zAwzrys v.- a r k: ug Tbe Loew booking v'fice baa bad bat two heads in it 4 at any and niar- voloua years. They are Meb^ra. Hcheack and Lubin. Both have held an enviable reputation anioug the agents who have booked through the olfice. To Correctly gauge a vaude- ville hooking man find out what the agents think of him. Agents deal most intimately with the bookers. A booking man may kill along actors for an impresflioB, but ho can't find it m bin system to kid an agent, the man who does bnainess witk him daily. The agents pronoitnce J«ke Lubiiv the fairest man they ever have done business with; the agents proaounred Jo." Schenck the fairest man they ever did business with. Joe Schenck was a model for a booker and Jake Lubin is a booking model. Joe Schenck was no different the day he left the Locw booking office than be was years before when book- ing a few Loew booses through the \yoods office; Jake Lubui is no dtf- fereak today than he was when act- ing as Schenck's first aasiataiit. VaudovDla had to lose Schenck bat it is tortonatc in retaining Lu- bin and loog may ke wave, for he directly aids all vandcyilTo, biir aad small tine, through tbe eiaaplca ke sets ill boolriBf, in deaBng with agents and io hanging the Lo«<w acts. 11 tkera ia an ivjoatice ia hook- lags Miywkere, for any reason, aad it ia brasckt to the attention of. Mr Labia ke at oaeo own seaso of Joaiico sad invariably for the benefit of the artist. When^^ transportation jumped op it waa Jake Lubin, among alt the hooking offices of the country, who first said: "We writ pay acts extrn,' regardless of outstanding eontpaets. through their increased eapense,** and aW of the vmidevine booking offices fol- lowed T>iibin's lead. That is why Mr. Lubin is. as Mr. SU>henck was, a tower of strength to all vandeville, for he does more thai* book the big Loew rircuit—he sets an example to all booking offices, for b-e has inithYtive and souivl judgment. TWO MUSICAL PIECES NOW CONDENSED Dave Benneil, General ..Stage Director for Shu- beii Vaudeville The two first coMK^aatloBs fo» Shubert vaudcTilH ar« bow ia ro- bcarsal, being staged by Ddve Bct- oett, who is tho goacral stage dirtcor for tbe Shubert vaudeville circuit The pieces are "Oh Boy*'^ an* **Vftry Good Eddie,'* Princesa theatre musical comedy Aiccesses of past seasons, which Mr. Dennett staged ii: their full-sixod forsi. •*Oh Boy" win have a cast of 16 people. *Bddia" UB people, with taen condensation carryiac &▼« <^ *** prmcipals, runaiuc between 35 aad 40,minutes as acts. Other propoaod eoadenoed Ttralo» of legitimate shows are "Snap^ Shota**'' "Blaoh Bytd Susaa." "Florodosa**' ■ad **Pa«k. A Boo.'* the attorpiocaai are to rum from SO aiinatea to one hoar and a quarkor. Low iioMa and Lulu McC^nnoU ara t» ho featured in *19nap Shota," mir- ra^ndoll by a caat of 40 people. Miaa KcCannell wiB alaa do a spodaltr (McGonaott and Simpson) in tbo oB» proeeodiBff tka laraa. Tka ganoiift plan of the Baabaiin ia their aandarlllc |>roduetioaa, aa ,^ H^ propoaed, ins to haTomom- adiusts ;t J".^JJ« f b«rt off tuvna ongaga in the llqpi tn- tomble. That pUuir it is lal^ aa- cepting in specific instances, has koan •bandoaed, with the two taUoidlK now rehearsing carrying their own prin- cipals. ^ Uax klarcin ia to make one aet TemtoDs of "Eyes of lo«th'* amt "Cheating Chentera." for presenU- tion in Bhubert vaudeville. guy It waa in the autumn of IIKX) that three proatMetlre showmen were seated aroond a table in the old Pal- fc2*' •^•Jf%^ ^^^*5C: V^^ were {lag theatrical stick on\h^*!^'unuSl fklopna_Cakn, Ad^ Zukor and' -Jt«t wiofher pranf of hi« ±1'!J Aaron J. Jonen They were discuss log the slot machine buainesa in which an three ware interested. It waj in the daya of tbe pennir arcade. A medium siaed ponar man came t» the table. Mr. Cuba greeted him and in- troduced him to Mr. Jones. Thev shook handff and that was the be- finninr of a kating friendship which la exemplified in the hnainess relations o^l'^jw and Jonea today. Roth t^olu and Zkikor were bn a i n eas partners of Loew m the slot maehhie business Jf ^j**," *^' WJene ever dremned of the tremendlros influence of motion ATTACKS TRAIKBB Mrs. Minsie Green, Traiser, cavehao—Animal Killed Re- KurUngton, Vt, Aug. 31. A bnll elephant with Sparks' cir- cus attached Mrs. Minnie Greea, who was bronght to the {iSt. Albans llof*|)ital here ami is recovering. Later tbe beaat xvent after fiCwis Ileed, snperiiktendent of the circus' moaagerie. He was not injured. Immediately afterward the ele- phant was taker, aboard the cinMis train, chained to his car and killed when three ex-service niea lireil 10 rille bullets into it. CHOOS' GLEAK-XTP George Choos, the vaudeville pro- ducer, made a clean op Satarday (Aug. 27) when bio two-year-oM "Eager Eyes" won the aiitli race at Saratoga at 3 to 1. Choos won $15,600 on the victory and also touted the Palace theatre building bunch so strong many of the agents and bookers shared ia his goo<l luck. Fator ro<le the horse in what was reported as one of tbe most sensa- tional six furlong dashes stagetl at the meeting He wan pocketed until the last sixteenth but tinally found a liolc and got up io time to win by a nod, from the favorite. Choos has p\ircba«nd a yearling from the Van<lcrbiU sale which he Ikas named <Airmen Pantngi^s after tiM? daughter of the ONvncr of the Pan * t*ircuit. V there Is anikod^ whn ahfonU know Ifarcns Loew^e past* preaeat and future, it ia the so-cslled 'iittle Napoleon of the Middle West," for so has he keen dubbed by Loew (lum- aelf). Anton J. JaMe^ ptesideBl of Jonefl^ Llnich & Schaofer, that human dynamo wha cantrein ika two Chicago Haks in the vast Loew circuit. When asked his opinion of Loew, Jones sUted it in three words—'*A snuare fllfi 'V^'Ji- of the'Tow raa/kct'dMr^iJ tH>n at this time y«ou wUl vet ^2 iTTKiJl^v ?r^r the.highest .. 1 Aaran Jonea bad opened hia firsi ypm skpw^ ia Glileaga where In Jjjwidtte mw-fiaatf** entertain- ■enc caned "vavinr pictBres.** hirt were a pdbs"?- hjo been prtean hr the fket that Mww new iMdn the giepleat «m onajriMdam iSmT ..^ ^^ a n^ naffer had mere confidence in in my Hfe than I did in Loew af, that fiasco. Just to prove that fidence ia the man, himself, andf •*«*»«y, we tnraed mround and vested a huge sum of atouoy wiMi m acqnirins hia southeni circuit course wc gave up our interest thoe houseM when Loow, Ine u^ formed and took our share in s*', .^ "And let nw teH vou ness can be fou^ ^ the fact ^^ iM^w has never entered Chicaco nil his vaudeville or pictures. H«r i permitted u« to be the bindinc )i, with our BfcVieker'a and Kialto tl atres, which joino the Loew CiMt with the Loew western chain houses. ^And vrith the same cmtrtesy recognition of Caleness, let me regiM ter tkst we never have a>nd never wi oppose Loew in the east. We hJ foUo^ed hiA policy in CJbicago have found it to he right. '^What more can. aayono say a feltonr? Re i^ fhir and sip koneet, dependMe and trnthfni if he ever neeiih my ^b'rf ho hare it. Thatls wAnt I tUnk Mnrevs- Loew.* ** msrsESE Apponnrro »r Fyanela Murphy's a •grn the „ ^ _ joahr5'prS3e«;Tf|r!r**'r::!^'^^ BaaJtot, lliicna Laew'a hooioeso la |''****>*«■ '■•^ pwigf e Ba e ^l to thm ^ tent Jnotiee Waanewoffei tMs wei| affiled an order flppolntiag former A^ sietavt Dfstrlct Attorney inyijie 9 Uedake as rMars^- fn the mattiK Bf^irphy. suing under h^ real naa^ tfcrougfc Kendler & OoTdrtlein. chnrgfli false and frandident -1^aftoai on the pari of his wife prior to thejj morriage, which she denies generally Under a sepflration decree, Mni J'*^^*^. lf>(was ordered la«t winter to pay "" $50 weekly alimony. Referee's heai-inga at hfs office the Rjpiitab e Building will begin month. SL ^ ft* PndoeOfm and oahthi- OMi of pictures, and Aaron Jones is 5"SL *•*" Mettled fn the pictnre worWhy hia past ssaociation with Miwyn and Ffrat TTational and hy Ma amneFone pictnre houses in ffhi- rago'a ^nona loapi But. let Aaevon Jonea ten hia own story in his own. way. "I think Mar ena Loew ie one of the •vmreat goya 1 over met," said Joaea. "Away tecfc there ^wS*?"*** ' ''•■ •' ^* ■■■»« opinion. That was when Nick Schenck, Dave Bernstein and Joe Schenck were fight- ing shonlder to shoulder with I^ew and for Loew, to establish some sort of amusenMnc busi n es s. "I reammber when Loew op'.ncti hm hrst picture hMse. It was in Cin oaaati aad the aeaCiug capacity was 80. We all thought it wa.>r quite an undertaking, but it was the begin- ning of the Locw circuit. He picked up oU ran-dowB theatres, one after another, and like King Midas, tiinwd them into veritaMe goM mines. In 1011, our friendship was cea>cDted whea we toured lihirope together, hot I beheve that the crowning trvt nf friendship caaie in 1913 when Loew. with the assHtaace <of Jones. I.inick it Sschaefcr, took over tke va*;t SulJi- van A Considiae circuit and dropped a cool mlttion. "Noiimiw funny. T snopose but 1 HARDIKO AT KEITH'S Washington, Aug. 3!t. President Harding is really «!evelep- ing into a regular dyed in the woe| v-audevilltf fan. Accompanied by Btri Flarding and Kenator and Mrs. War<«o| of Indiana lie attended Keith's niea« trc la.Ht night aiul' seemed to m«r| than cnjov the bill, which had til Santos and Flayes Revu« fir>M()1inln^ The PrcMidcnt was more than Ubefd with his appla<ise fir each act as4 was iHmncIf the recipient of a big ra> ception upon liis eiitranee to the theil trc. m CECIL-MANNERS aad LOWEREE-eowe Frisco—Hippodrome. "Manners and Loworee prayed a voiithful. peppery mixed couple off good appearf*ico and agreeahle persaanUty. They •tW a neat Ginging routiao that should preeaat|y Inad them In kattM* uompany. They registered solidly hers." VARIETY. Uiul«r the Psnoiia} Direction of Two Wonderful Boyg— JOH AND MARK LEVY -, . M^« ff^ish Marcus Loew Success on His New State Theaf ^ Just Completed an Enjoyable Season, Thanks to Mr. Ia^K^K