Variety (April 1922)

VAUDEVILLE Friday. April 7. 1022 EARLY CLOSINGS BRING JAM TO KEITH EXCHANGE BOOKS Revisions Affecting More Than 100 Acts Involves Excess of Travel Cost to Bookers in Five Fig- ures —Albee to Pay Losses f The Koith Vaudfvillo Exolianjje, the Keith circuit and its allied the- atres stand to lose a large amount through the edict that all contracts will be settled without loss to artists through houses closing or bookings rearranged. Early closing announcements, necessitating con- siderable revision of programs in the Immediate future, began to echo through the Palace theatre build- ing this week. Two seasons ago when prosperity reigned in vaudeville, the matter of looking after closings was of little consequence and the Albeo order was easily followed out. The sea- fjon of 1920-21, one of the worst in vaudeville history, found the book- ers caught unaware and the sudden closings threatened for awhile to bring about a stale of booking chaos. Profiting on last season's experi- ence the executives this spring have started the readjusting machinery functioning early and as fast as a route is switched because of clos- ing houses or other causes, the acts affected are given prior attention and consideration and the jumps regulated to keep additional ex- pense at a minimum. But early this week it was stated at the Keith oflice that upward of 100 acts were on the preferred list for immediate time because of en- forced moves In their routes. The manner of procedure is to nil in the cancelled week at the nearest pol.it from the week preceding, but should there be any extra railroad fare or excess baggage charges above that which the act would nat- urally undergo through the original jump, this amount is paid the act by the othce, which in turn charges It up to the house closed. In many cases the act Is re- quested to play a split week to fill in a cancelled week. The additional baggage hauls and extra railroad fares are paid by the otticc and if th*» act Is asked to play three shows daily whereas the cancelled week was a two-a-day stand, the ofnee endeavors to bargr.in on the pro- rata scale for the additional show, in many cases finding it necessary to add on a two-a-da. week stand at the conclusion of the route. But while the bookers are doing their mightiest to keep the extra expense at a lo'- amount, tlie large number of cases will bring the total up in the five-figure class. The rul- ing comes under clause 3 of the Keith contract, reading as follows: "If ahove place of perlormance is changed the manaf;(i- will i)ay any extra railroad fares and baggage charges cau.sed thereby, but artist is otherwise to pay all tran.sporta- tation. Jf operation of the theatre is prevented by fire, casualty, public authority, strikes, or any other cause beyond the managers' control, the manager shall pay only for the number of perfornriances rendered on a pro rata basis." The other vaudeville circuits are protected against this loss since the Loew, Pantages and Fox circuits Issue blanket contracts for a stip- ulated amount of weeks, not men- tioning the towns, whereas the Keith ofhce gives individual con- tracts for each city and theatre. This week the Fillis Family re- ceived a cneck from E. F. Albee to represent the difference In fares expended by the act above that agreed upon In the contract. The Fillia aggregation was booked to play a six weeks' tour of mid-west fairs by the Western Vaudeville Managers' Association. Carrying animals, a rather novel contract was adopted, specifying that the ad was not to travel more tiian 2^0 miles weekly. The act was switched to play vaudeville houses and given ten week Instead of six. The act's numager computed the excess mileage, but a difference existed since he travelled several weeks at less than the stipulated distarVe without ci-editing the dif- ferent*- on the total. The ten weeks' traviJi*"wa8 averaged at 250 miles weekly and the excess mileage al- lowed by the booking oflice. .Mr. Albee, in discussing the con- dition, stated: "There is no reason why confusion should exist, if it does. We agree to till our part of the contract and we expect the artist to do likewK«<e. We will stand our losses without complaint and I find the artists willing and anxious to co-operate with us in bringing about the correction of this situa- tion. I have not received a single complaint on this question, so ap- I)arently everything is working out smoothly. Where an act is put to extra expense through no fault of its own. it is up to the manager to stand the loss. When, through a switch in booking the actor saves moru'y, that is his good fortune." OCCASIONAL "NAMES" "Super-Attractions" Only Once in • While on Lo«w Coast Time Contrary to original Intentions, the Loew circuit will not follow the Eva Tanguay engagement with a «eries of super-stars, but will oc- (*Hsionally engage f\. big name for the nine-week coast time, alternat- ing with the regular road programs and the feature picture policy. Following Tanguay the Hippo- drome, Seattle, will have Viola Dana, the Metro star making a per- .<^onal appearan<:e with a cycle of songs and some talk. The next big attraction will be Texas Guinan and Co. in Jack Lait's sketch, "The Spitfire." The I^oew booking dep.irtment finds the personal appearance of women stars a «liaw, p.irticularly on the coast, while the male stars have little or no box ofllcc strength. The const house will remain open all summer as formerly, the only possible closing being the Salt Lake theatre. KEITH IN WATERTOWN Will Oppose Shubert Vaudeville at Olympic .ntil Autumn Waterto.vn, N. Y., April &. Keith vaudeville will be booked at the Olympic, Watertown, as soon as alterations to the stage are com- pleted. The Keith bookings will play in opposition to the Shubert brand at the Avon. When the fall legit season opens, the Olympic will bo ufsed for road attractions. The im;»rovements now bei?ig made to the Olympic stage will nick Robbins* bank roll to the extent of $30,000. Starting Easter Sunday, the Olyrnpi*' will cut i(s pric- for films from :i;J to 22 cents. This .scale will prevail until vaudeville starts. •School Days" will be the first film at the cut rate. ANNA VIVIAN and CO. in "HUNTING" Jefferson and Regent, New York, Next Week (April 10). Direction: JAS. MACKOWEN FRANK EVANS' OFFICE KEEFE INDEPENDENT Former Pantages Booker Starts with 12 Houses Walter Keefe, who recently re- tired from the New li^ork offlce of the Pantages circuit, will not be- come aflllliated with any esta.blished agency, but will open an independ- ent booking office next week in the Longacre district and with a local and travelling staff m tke an effort to build up an independent circuit of his own. Keefe has not established head- quarters as yet, but has tentative agreements with about 12 Independ- ent theatres and with this string as a nucleus expect.'j to be established in the vaudeville booking field with the season's openir.g. GOLDIE ONHOWES' BOOK Becker Working en Confidential Assignment Watch for FRANK VAN HOVEN'9 BJQ APVm Wf k After Next K.-P. BOOK PAY DAY" Ciiaili«i Chaplin's now picture "I'ay Day" has been booked for all the metropolitan Keith and Proc- tor houses. The film will play the hou.s'es in groui)s as ihe cu.stom has been with past Chaplins. The Pal- ace, Broadway, Colonial, Riverside, Alhambra and Hamilton will have the film week of April 17. The small timers like Proctor's r»Sth St., Regent and Harlem opera house will play the picture the first half of the week of April 17, and the Jefferson, 5th Avenue, Ford- ham, Franklin and 23d St. will ha\e it tlie last half of the j»ame week. The Brooklyn houses, Orpheum and I'l.illiush, will play it the following wrek, April 24, the small timers in I'.iooklyn playing it in groups first and last half rei?pectively. Lawrence Goldic Is booking the three houses formerly booked by /.'ally Howes in the Keith office, '"lie houses arc Proctor's, Yonkers; .'iSth St., and Keith's, Wilmington. At the Keith office it was said t'.at Howes was working on a con- fidential assignment and that the switching of the houses to the books of Lawrence Goldie was a temporary arrangement. Jn addition to the three houses mentioned Goldie ! ooks the Harlem Opera House; Keitl.s, Jersey City, and all of the I'roctor houses except Albany and Tro' w'.iich are handled by Harold Kemp, of the Keith Fam- ily Department. KEITH CLOSING MAY 1 The Alhambra and Colonial, New Vork, will close for the summer .May J, according to an announce- ment of the Keith ofiico this week. Tho Alhambr.T, may install a stock policy over the hot spell, but the Colonial will remain dark. The houses were previously reported as to close April 15. The 13. S. Moss' Riveria in Rrooklyn, a split-week house, will also close May 1, and the Hamilton, another Moss hnnse, at 14.0111 street and Broadway, will install a split- week policy, replacing the present big time, full-wec'k one. Th ) house will play six acts and i)icture8 for the summer. The Flatbu.sh will piobab'.y close about June 30. VOGUE OF UNIT SHOWS MAY INVADE VAUDEVILLE IN FALL Keith Office Said to Be Examining Idea —Lubin Thinks Well of Plan for Intermittent Use — Figure on $2,500 as Total Cost LOCAL BODIES BOOST KEITH ANNIVERSARY Fraternal Orders Participate in Celebration April 24 In connection with the campaign of publicity revolving around the "Third of a Century" Anniversary of tho Keith Circuit programs of local Importance are scheduled for the week of April 24. Aside from the regular v/eekly programs, which have been given special attention in the matter of construction for this event, the Knights of Columbus, Y. M. C. A., Boy Scouts, Campflre Girls, Amer- ican Legions' organizations. Phil- harmonic societies, Welfare Civic leagues, Elks clubs^Masonlc orders and numerous other industrial, > 'lo and charitable organizations are arranging special affairs. Offers of co-operation from many organizations have come to the Keith Circuit. In Providen.'o the Providence Philharmonic Society, fostered by the Keith management there and cr —no.sed of profc--'- * -Iclans, will give firenoon free concerts In the Keith theatre. The Welfare Civic Organiziition of Loui'-''-llle ...'I gi'-o f- -"-^rmnnccs in that city, a feature of which will be 33 girls, er-^'-" •• ent'^g a year in tho F '• hirtory. «--'• • "-lees will b-^ held for the orphan childrtn of Louisville and suburbs and the chil- dren of several industrial nn^l char- itable institirtion.s. Theatre '>arty nights with "Flks' Nights" and **Ma- .sonic Nights" will bo staged In Cleveland, ^i^tr.hurgh. Inr^'anapolis. r..oui.sville, Cincinnati, Washington nnd r«' ^-wcst cities. Tuesday. A'nil 2ri, the Mystic Shriners of Co- lumbus will have a special night with th :r own band of 88 pieces aiding in the entertainment. Pub- lic speakers, public officials and clergymen throughout the country have come forward and volunteered to deliver short addresses nt each P' ••'ormance on tho .".nniversary. D. D. H.? PLAyS LONDON l-rcd l)e Uondy of the .Marinelli nflico will sp«»nd his vacation In Mtiiujie this summer, sailing from .Montreal .May 13. D. J). II.?. the nionologlst, sails with Do lioody. lie will appear In London for a couple of weeks, returning over here ill .July to resume his Keith engage- ments ut the Brighton theatre. Utica Orpheum Razed Utica, N. Y., April 5. Tlio building in which Wilmer & Vincent first tried theatrical ven- tures and planted the first of a chain of theatres is being razed for the construction of a new 150-room hotel to be called the Majestic. The old Orpheum is one of the city's landmarks. In this theatre I'ord Anderson, one of the ushers, gained his start and rose In the theatrical business until he Is now the manager of the WUmcr & Vin- cent chain. Before It became the Orpheum the building was the old Opera House, where many of the famous orators and singers of past gcnera- tioni were heard. TO REBUILD McVICKERS House Closes May 1 to Labor Day- Loew Shows at Rialto Chicago, April 5. McVickers, the Jones, Linick & Schaeffer hou.se here, will close its doors May 1 for the first time in 30 years. The hou.'^e will remain dark until next Labor Day and undergo a comjilete overhauling, reopening on that date as one of the most elaborate vaudeville hou.ses in the middle west. Tho Loew road shows, which play McVickers both ways on the west- ern and return tour, will play the Kialto during the interim, another Jones, I..inick & Schaeffer house. While tlie alterations are in progress work will continue on the house at the rat o 24 hours a day, it being planned to use three shifts of laborers and artisans continually to enable tlie management to re- open on the date set. BOOKERS ACTIVE Many Contracts Signed for Keith'c Anniversary Week This Month The Keith Circuit this week signed more than 100 contract.s with acts as features of the month in anticipation of Keith's "Third of a Century" Anniversary Week, April 24 to 29. Among the new names added to the Keith roster in the near future are Vivionne Segal, W. C. Field's "Golfing," Jessie Reed, Bessie Bar- riscale and Co.; Marion Murr;- and Co., John B. Hymcr and Co., Ohio Quartet, Schwartz and Clifford. Marshall Montgomery, Moody and Duncan, Lew H a w k i n s. Misses Dennis, Eric Zardo, Johnny Small and Sisteri, etc. That there will be opposition amgng the so-called "revue-unif vaudeville programs next sea.son was indicated this week. The revue- unit style of show has been an- nounced by the Shuberts, who are establishing a system of franchises, holders of which will start produc- tion aimed for fall showing. It was reported this week that both the Keith and Loew offices were inter- ested In the possibilities of that style of vaudeville. Recently an agent closely aflUli- ated with the Keith exchange called into conference a stage director, the purpose being a discussion of the practical side of framing unit shows surrounding a condensed r e v u e. Whether the agent plfens forming revue-units and establishing his own producing department or whether the Keith office intends using Its own production depart- ment Is not known. That any great divergence in vaudeville bill fram- ing is intended Is not believed, but the possible use of such revue-unit shows, especially In stands holding Shubert shows, was said to be the idea. The Loew office, while frankly Interested In the possibilities of revue-unit shows as a change from the form of shows now offered, will not employ that style of bill regu- larly. Jake Lubin stated he did not believe a revue-unit show should be offered In Loew houses more often than once every five weeks. His Idea is to book such bills out- side of New York only. The Loew booking head raid there would not be a production office, but that ho proposed using two strong turns in conjunction with a girl act. The producer of the latter would be given the special acts to work into the girl turn, with perhaps other acts If he needed them. Lubin esti- mates that for the cla.=!S of houses in mind for revue-unit shows booked from the Loew otfice they should not cost more than $2,500 weekly. That style of show may not be counted opposition to the Shubort plan of bills, but will provide fof the Loew bookings a "change of pace" more than anything el.^e. BALTIMORE SCANDAL Baltimore, April 5. An aftermath In the Boulevard theatre scandal is now holding space in the local dailies. J. Wilson Car- roll, er.stwhile counsel for the com- pany, is up for disbarment. E. J. Wiley, the promoter, te.stilled that he gave Carroll $300 and 1.000 f^harea of stock to block the passage of an ordinance in the city council that would permit another concern building in the neighborhood of the Boulevard. Carroll denies this, claiming all the money and stock was for legiti- mate counsel fees. Testimony ia still being taken at this time. DONEGAN-ALLEN PARTING Francis X. Donegan and Atn»*lia Allen withdrew from the Davis, Pittsburgh, this week, due to illness of Miss Allen. Donegan said he has dis.'olved partnership with Miss Allen, adding that she had signed a contract with the "Music Box" for next season. The combination was formed son.^ months ago. and $2,000 was invested in the act. They have not played enough dates to realize a profit on the .nv^stment. They had eight more wr ks booked. EDWARDS ACTIVE r.us Edwards will produce .«everal acts for Keith routes this summer, not all being of the customary Ed- wards musicals or juveniles. Jle is preparing one with fourteen rrinci- pals of the farce order. Ho is also writing scenarios to several of his old song successes, foliowi)ig the get-over of "Schooldays." PEYTON ON HIS OWN Lew Peyton has retired fioni the Lee Kraus office and will be an in- dependent agent. Peyton is a former \-u«hville actor who affiliated • ith Arthur Lyons, tho Loew agent, and later became associated with Le Kraus after Kraus had left the Kiaus- Arthur lJdir*»«»2 office.