Variety (July 1922)

[SyTjuly SOME OF THE THEATRES BUILT BY THE COLUMBIA AMUSEMENT COMPANY In the above group the two theatres in the centre are the Columbia (left) at Broadway and 47th Street^ New York City, and (right) Columbia, Chicago, the two most representative theatres regular burlesque ever played in in this country. On the upper line frqm left to right are the Gayety, Detroit; Olympic, Cincinnati, and Gayety, Kansas City. The'lower line (leftT, Gayety, Buffalo; (right), Gayety, Louisville. OH OUT SIDEK TALKS (Continued from page 2) company through subsidiary corpo- rations exorciaes an ownership con- trol over one-half of the circuit, and by leases and booking fees a direct opntrol over the other half of the circuit. The associated inter- ests in these theatres represent an outlay of over $10,000,000. The Columbia Amusomint C< in- pany has, on a Ciipit.ili7.iif inn of 1250.000, accumulated surplus a^sots amounting to approximately $1.UU0.- t'OO. The corporation has practi- cally no debts payable, ami carries debts receivable to the cxttiit of -$400^000^ : ■ . ■ , : This kind of a sliowinp; Hpfak.s for it.solf as to the linanoi.ii .<ound- nt-ss of the company. It enjoys a reputation and rating In the bank- ing and commercial world Al. The company has never defaulted in ft ^ contract, always preferring to stand •by a bad bargain honestly entered into or to amicably settle in order to be relieved and released there- from. The Columbia Amusement Com- pany functions as a booking concern pure and Himple, furiii.shing the- atres for shows and pro\ iiliri},' .shows for theatres. The booking conlract.s for lK)th houj^od and tbe.itre.s — termed franrhi.ses — are models of Iheir kind and afiord a.s nearly a.s is humanly pcssible almost p'-rfert pr-.ttction to Uie holi»rs liieriof. The i/Ian or .system of (»|>erating the circuit i» simplicity itself. At (he op.tiiiig of e\eiy .^e.-ison the .shows are automatically '>'«^'l" '"'^ tTi( M l r ro'^rrrt t n m o ve nver the e i r' cuit. following " ach other in fix.d and undeviating order, hence the de.si;4:iiation, "the wh*el." Kach show knows from the day it starts out exactly where it Is going to appear on ans^ ai^d every date dur- ing the Bea«on and what theatres it is going to play, so that they are able to figure out to a dollar what their weekly cost of operation will be. barring accidents, of course. While the season of 1921-22 brought its disappointments, the avetago weekly business through- out the circuit for the season fell but little short of the average weekly receipts for the live years immridiately preceding last season. The show owners and producers an<l the theatre owners and man- ag«Ts are all "up on their toes" planning nnd executing for (he com- ing seisiu. Tlieir sh.gan is "Better th.m ever." Tlie public can look for a bolter line of attractions than <>vcr br'fore prtiaeutcd in. burlesque history. I regard the Columbia Amusement Company and burlesque circuit as the most striking fcxam]»le of suc- cessful and effective co-opcrulive endeavor anywhore recorded. BROADWAY STOEY (Continued from pa^e 15) regular $3 top scale. Indications are for a run and much interest has been aroused through out of town reports of the show's suooess*. "Sue De.'ir" is the entrant announced for next week, taking the Tim"S Square. liroadwuy will continu*? to off<?r 21 shows next week. There la an '*lf" on hot wealljer. Several closings may oeeur if iH^.' h.';af. returns. Fifty P9r Cent, in Cut Rates Of the 21 attractions that are cur- rent on iJroadway there aro 11 available at the cut rate countpr, se VtH^ while there are but sevc n l<uys run- ning; this numb'-r, howrvf r, will be iiKH'ased by one aft^r the of) riin^ of "Spice of ]'J22" ;it tli.' Winter f;..irden last night. T\i". bi oi. ra tool- practically the entire lower floor for thlij attraction—about 4r»0 for the first eight weeks. The complete buy list includes "Kiki" (Helasco), "Kempy" (Bel- mont), "Captain Applejack" (Cort), "fiood Morning Dearie" (Globe), "Music HoK Hevue" (Musie iJox), "Follies" (New Amsterdam). "Part- ners Again (Selwyn) and "Spice of i'.)22" (Wmtcr O.irden). In the cut rates the 11 shows listed were "The Oolddsh" (Astor), "The Dover Koad" (IMjoij), "Via Wheel" (Carroll), "From Morn to Midnight" (Krazee), "Abie's Irish Rose" (i'ulton), 'Ho Who Gets Slapped" (Garrick), "Six Cylinder Lovo" (Harris). "The I!at" (Moros- r-o), "Lawful Larceny" (Republic), "Shuffle Along" (G3d Street) and ^Sli u t Ml - qs fctzzlc^MTt Clnude Bostocl<, the Keith agent, left .New York June 30 for a tlve- w (k m(<toring and ttahiug trip throti^h Maine.