Variety (February 1924)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE Thursday, February 7, 1924 TWO CONTRACT FORMS IN USE BY INDEPENDENT BOOKERS Claim Some Managers Insist on Cancellation Privi- lege—Independent Managers Growing Aware of Request to Pay Booker, Not Actor, Salary Independent vaudeville book ins nut '.< lea 'are accused by many net* of having two forms of contract. One contain* the "U cancellation rlaose, the other the modern pu> or play agreement. Only recognized acts of standard ability arc given the latter form by several of I he agencies ami Iht n only when llie art insists upon it. according to man) urilatf. The Independent house bookers using the two contract* claim they are necessary, as several of the managers thiy liook for insist upon the right t<> eancej after the opening performance. Several in- dependent houses have been accused of exercising that prerogative un- der the contract. Another habit of the Independent hookers said to be the real rea- son for the constant switching of houses from one booking office to another is the Insistence of the looker the house pay them the actors' salary and not pay the actor direct. The independent house owners are becoming wise that in this manner the hooker can buy act for a song or expenses charge the house anything it stand for the show. Actors are also getting onto the method of booking clubs used by some independents. They make a list of acts applying for a chance to show and when hooking a club use many of the acts, getting them gratia, by holding out the alurement that all of the circuits will t,ee them. the and will STAGE HANDS' UNION SAURY DEPOSIT The I. A. T S. E. (International Stage Hands) is considering plac- ing in effect a rule calling for any producer not a member of the Pro- duclng Managers' Association whose financial standing is not solid to deposit two weeks' salaries for the stage crew. The I. A. men have lost more money this season In unpaid sal- aries through what the stage union terms "hokey pokey" producing concern! than any season In the last 10 years. A rule of the kind mentioned would be a temporary measure that can be authorised by the I. A. ex- ecutive board to meet an emer- gency. It is likely the matter will he embodied in a resolution that will become a bas,c law of the stage lands' organization it the forth- coming convention in .May. In addition to the legit and mu- sical show elaims^thc stage htands' organization holds a number of i ;.iims against vaudeville people, producers, etc The present arrangement is that if a producer fails to pay the Stage hands when a company flickers out the producer can not secure Bn> stage help from the union until th« debts ate settled. The "hokey pokey" producer easily circumvents this by organizing under a new corporate name, in which the prin- . I pa Is ate effectively camouflaged Split Week Policy March 1 The Rialto, St. Louis, and jun.oi Orpheum's at St. l'aul and Dex Moines will go into split wok pol- icy week of March 1. The houses will he honked out <•' Chicago following the change of policy. The Main Street, Kansas City, will not change policy until next season. Catherine Calvert Routed Opening at Now Orleans Feb. 10 Catherine Calvert, formerly in pict - ures, has been routed by the Or- pheum Circuit in a five-peoplf sketch. "THE CLIPPER" America's Oldest Amusement Paper Only pop" '" "" world «ol»l» ilr rated to outdoor ainusriiiriils. Me. Out TOO MUCH TO PUT UP WITH, SAYS LEVAND Fraternal Organizations Run Shows of Their Own— Cleaning Up Town Denver, Feb. fi. The show business has more to contend with in the way of ir- responsible, unthinking, unfair com- petition than any other business on earth, according to the declaration of Louis I.evand, house manager of the Empress (Pan). I.evand's plaint is bnscd n;i the action of the W. O. W. of Denver in putting on a three-days' variety show at the municipal auditorium last week, hitting the regular vaude- ville houses for a rather sharp slide downward in grosses. This w is a!l the harder to swallow on the part of the Kmpress, which had done just about $11,000 gross the week be- fore with "Plantation Days." "Every once In a while some organization, fraternal or Otherwise, puts on a show and starts its en- tire membership out selling tickets," Levand said. "Usually these mem- bers are allotted several tickets each, with Instructions to bring in the money; no returns of tickets to he accepted. "As a result, the whole town Is loaded up and top-hea\y with tickets to the non-profes-lon.,1 show Regular show business suiters There isn't enough to go around 'There isn't another business on earth that has to put up With 'his sort of thing. Who would ever dream of such competition in the grocery or drygoods business, for In- stance? What fraternal organiza- tion would think of staging a weeks sale of hardware, ae a money rais- ing stunt? And yet the show busi- HAULING RATES UP BY TRANSFER ASSN. About 16 Per Cent Increase Over Previous Prices The new rates for hauling thea- trical stuff announced by the Allied Theatrical Transfer Association represents an increase of about 16 per cent, on an average over last season's rates, for New York and vicinity. Transferring a load from Broad- way to the Shubert Teller in Brook- lyn (Broadway and Madison street) week days between 8 a. m. and 4 p. m. is now $17. It formerly was $15 a load. The tariff on baggage per piece remains the same, $1. After 4 p, m. which is rated as 'night time" by the Transfer Asso- ciation schedule, the price of a load is $24. The same $24 rate also ap- plies on Sundays and holidays. It formerly was $20. The Shubert Teller is cited because it is the fur- thest distant from New York of the Brooklyn legit houses. From the Bronx to Br oklyn the rate is raised frcm ;15 to $17, with the "night time" and Sunday and holiday schedrle raised from $20 to $24. Single pieces of baggage re- main at $1. From New York and Brooklyn to Newark the price of $30 remains the same as before. A 40-foot wagon is rated as two loads and trucks ordered before 8 a. m. ae charged at ''night time" rates. The Transfer Association's schedule states in effect the raises are necessitated by increased wage scales granted the union employees working on the transfer trucks. The rates for transferring a load, from all railroads in New York, Jersey City or Brooklyn to Broad- way are the same as transferring stuff from Broadway to Brooklyn ur the Bronx. The same applies to transferring in the opposite direc- tion, when a show is leaving Broad- way for a tour. The ratio of In- crease is the same (16 per cent, ap- proximately) over last year's rates. THE DRESSY SIDE HART OFFICE DISSOLVING The Joseph Hart office, which un- til the death of its founder was one of the niost prolific producers of vaude productions, Is reported on the verge of dissolution. Fred Hand, who had been con- ducting the office In conjunction with Carrie De Mar. widow of Hart, business principles as any other kitid of business." ness Is organized upon just as sound | has taken a desk In C. B. Maddock's office and the Hart offices in the Playhouse building have been turned over to John Cromwell, producer of "Tarnish." At one time the Hart office had 20 acts with almost as many stars rotating over the big time circuits This season they had but few which were mostly holdovers or revivals. Their bigeest money getter this sea- son was Bessie Barriscale In "Pick- ing Peaches," which wound up Its lun in Erie, Pa„ Saturday. Orpheum Books Pantages Unit Act Kr.ntz and White will open an Orpheum route at Pes Moines next week with a tour of the circuit to follow. The singers recently completed a tour of the Pantages circuit, and previous to that were in a Shubert vaudeville unit. BURT SHEPHERD and CO. STILL THE WHIP KING Appearing .-,, B. F. KEITH'8 NEW YORK HIPPODROME This Week > i hi. 4>. Booked solid till June 8th on Keith Circuit. My Country for Malones! suggested for the title of "The Pied Piper of Malone," this week at the Bialto. The cast saves the picture. It's one of Tarkington's simple love stories— Kmma Dunn has the mother's role. The picture she draws of mother are never overdone. In her wedding dress of 50 years ago, surrounded with children and grandchildren, she is beautiful, lending the pathoe to this picture that it needs. There is little dressing. Lols^VIIson wears a becoming black velvet afternoon frock, long sleeves with a large black picture hat and is most attractive. Clothes at Loew's Lillian Hertz and her Moro Castle orchestra give charm to Loew's Slate bill. Miss Hertz and Miss Bentley wear simple afternoon frocks. Miss Ramsey (Purcell and Bamsey) do a clever dance. Miss Ramsey wearing white satin spangled trimming silver slippers and silver headdress. What a woman does for love couldn't be done for money Is In the work of Mary A:den in "Pleasure Mad.'' adapted from Blanche Upright's novel, "The Valley of Content" (here is a valley of discontent and heart tragedy), In the party scene Miss Alden wears a simple velvet gown dialled, cut modestly law (mother-like) and sleeveless. But what a girl is Norma Sherer, the pleasure loving daughter. She wears the sort of frocks all sixteen adore, especially the evening gown of silk, skirt present mode stymie full with flounces an<\ lace and roses, cut very low back and high front. She is very vivacious and extremely pretty". Winifred Bryson (Jerry) is successful as a vamp, and irresistible in her frock of black velvet held on the shoulders with strands of brilliants. When it comes to grooming. Miss Bryson knows how. "Name the Man" has no dressy side in the picture. The scheme of light- ing at the Capitol and the ballet dancer in one of the tableaux serves as the dressing this week. Gowns in "Spring Cleaning" All the gowns in ''Spring Cleaning" come from the House of Frances, and they tell it—but who on the stage, any way, wears clothes better than Violet Hemming or Kstelle Winwood. Miss Hemming's dinner dress of pink tulle and silk is beautiful and would be the envy of any bridesmaid or deb. The skirt is flluffy and soft with tulle, the waist low, of pink silk, and from the left side falling from the waist a stream of roses lighting on the tulle skirt. Miss Hemming dresses her hair simply and low, parted to the side and looks a picture In this act. Miss Winwood. in her dinner gown of team velvet with slippers and hose is most fetching. Palace Harmony "Harmona," with Ina Hayward and Dora Maughn, could hold a concert stage for an entire performance with this interesting act at the Palace, current. It's all harmony—curtain, dressing, songs and" solos. Mr. Har- oma was my far too fine an artist to pass. One wants to hear his violin often. His technique seemed perfect, tone delicious, and his interpreta- tion of the only too familiar little Chopin group a delight. Misses Hayward and Maughn are attractive. Tall and look stunning in the beautiful gowns they wear. Their exquisite gold and silver dresses in the first number topped off with velvet hats of purple and cerise and their chin gold and silver mesh veils sent an "Oh!" through the audi- ence. The two Kikuta Jap girls spoil the effect of both their handsome Man- darin red and gold coat with deep gold fringe and their lovely embroidered eanary^kimona by their badly dressed feet for their acrobatic work. Nell Gay (Markell and Gay) had a simple black lace fro?k, reed size, in her buck dance (she can dance) and again in gold bodice and overdress of lace—sleeveless. j The Sheik Idols, dressed in Sheik fashion, were a revelation, and it is not to be wondered at that they created a eensatlon in Buenos Aires, even it they have not been there. Grace George. In "The Merry Wives of Gotham," wears a luxurious neg- ligee of pink silk and lace and in 1873 it was fashion for breakfast! Miss George Is fetching In her reseda green taffeta skirt and velvet basque with short cape trimmed with fur. With this she wears a small green hat and mauve feather and carries a small muff. Miss George Is always fascinating In whatever she does. In this play she spends mnch of her time keeping her grouchy husband in good humor. That stamps her character as a wife of years ago. Why bother? This play gives Laura Crews of the shanty district no opportunity for gowns. She doesq't need It here; her comedy Is delicious; in this play of contra--8, a scream. COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA Jazz Amateur Players on Stage Once Weekly Community orchestra, composed of neighborhood musicians, is being tried as a business building proposi- tion by the Republic, Brooklyn, op- erating with vaude and pictures. Slgmund S. Solomon, a musician prior to becoming house manager here, has assembled an orchestra of 75 local boys who attend weekly re- hearsals and give classical Jazz con- certs Monday evening of each week. The amateur musicians have readily responded to the feature which is also said to be pulling busi- ness on these otherwise slow nights. Solomon created .the Idea in the west a year ago, but never got very far with it out there. Last week he tried it at the Republic and it hit sufficiently well to be continued. PANTAGES BOOKING QUINCY Chicago, Feb. 6. The new Washington Square the- atre at Quincy, 111., opening about April 15, has signed the Pantages franchise and plans to play the shows a full week. Charles E. Hodkins was at Quincy last week and Closed the deal. Other new . Pantages booked houses are the New Jefferson at Muskegon, Mich., and the Majestic at Springfield, Ohio. ENGAGEMENTS Dorothy Brown replaced Helen Rich In the "Music Box Revue" • (road). THREE-YEAR CONTRACT Agent's Agreement with Act Up- held A decision on an agent's three- year contract came down in the Minneapolis district court in favor of A. E. Johnson against Castang and Judge, owners of tho "Max and Moritz" chimpanzee act. The Minne- apolis court held that Johnson was entitled to $600 as commissions on a 10 weeks' Shubert (vaudeville) contract. Johnson was to receive $75 a weok or 10 per cent, of the act's $750 weekly salary. They had paid something on account. With the validity of the contract established, Johnson will now seek to enforce it further as applied to Max and Moritzs bookings on the Orpheum circuit and with the Fox films. The agent originally garnisheed the act's salary in Minneapolis while playing the local Orpheum house and subsequently had to sue thereon. ORPHEUM OFFICERS' TRIP Chicago, Feb. 6. Marcus Heiman, president, and Joseph M. Finn, vice-president of the Orpheum Circuit, began their annual official inspection tour of the Circuit yesterday (Feb. 5) leav- ing for Kansas City, They will visit all of the houses owned by the cir- cuit on the West Coast and return here within four weeks. Following the trip Mr, Finn will visit Europe for six weeks.