Variety (September 1925)

Wednesday. Septem!>er 9, 1925 VSUDEVICEE VARIETY PANTAGES DEVELOPS REMORSE OR C0NSCIENCE7-DR0PS DENVER £inpress Complained Of by Act — Independently Owned House Beyond Alex Pantages' Control— Pan Shows Jumping from Salt Lake to Omaha The Pantages Circuit has dropped the EJmpress. Denver, from its books, {oHowine a complaint against the bduse bjr Bob Anderson and Pony alleging contructural violations. The act arrived in Denver and waa Informed, according to the Pan office, that there was no place for It on the Empress bill as the show was top heavy. » The act filed a complaint with the Vaudeville Managers Protective As- sociation and also notified Alexander Pantages of conditions by wire. Pan was unable to adiust the matter with the hou.^e and followed by notlf.vlng his booking office to drop the house from the circuit. Beginning this week the Pan ■hows will jump trom Salt Lake City to Omaha. Louis Le Vand operates the Em- press. Pantages booked It more as a Jump breaker than anything else, according to the Pan people. It was one of the heaviest cut salary houses on the circuit and in addition was given to cancellation, although the Pantages Circuit ia a member of the V. M. P. A., which issues a pay or play contract. Pantages Refornrted? Numerous complaints in the past have been filed with V. M. P. A. and N. V. A. Joint complaint bu- reaus against'the Pantages Circuit, with acts receiving very littl* re- dress due to the obdurateness of Pantages and his unwillingness to abide by the findings of the V. M. P. A. Several times well founded reports have been circulated that the managers association was about to expel the Pan circuit from Its membership for these reasons. Fewer complaints against Pan- tages have been died during the past year than ever before, and the percentage of equitable adjustments have been equally higher. Levand Indifferent The Empress is a house Pan- tages could not control. Levand doea as he pleases with It, booking acts from other than the Pan agency, puttlni^ in extra attractions and generally g'ngcrlng up the busi- ness. Levand has the backing of the Influential Denver "Post," and usually effecting a pi»bllcity tie-up with that paper whenever he has a novelty or freak entertainment Idea to put over. Levaml, when In New York at aifrefent periods, never appeared much concerned over Pantages or the Pan bookings, leaving the im- pression he had been using Pan- tages for convenience more so than Pan had used the Empress as a jump breaker. CIRCUS BILLS •PLANNED FOR IND. HOUSES Performers to Parade Streets—Bookers After Dumb Acts a^d Freaks LIKE FATHER LIKE SON-IN MUSIC K.-A. MAY TAKE OVER NATHANSON HOUSES Independent bookers, seemingly at wits' end to unearth novelties for the forthcoming season, are le.aning strongly toward freak acts and cir- cus features. For the first time in years bookers are sending staff men out to look over park and circus material. Some of the bookers are planning all circus billa for towns seldom touched by the large circuses. The circus bills will comprise from six to eight acts, with the troupers giv- ing a parade daily and theatre fronts representing big tops. The all-circuB bill idea was ex- perimented successfully In several houses of the Loew Circuit last sea- son. FREDERICK KINSLEY Third season as premier organist at the Keith-Albee HIPPODROME. New York. Mr. Kinsley is an exclusive Edison recording artist, featuring the Mid- mer-Losh pipe organ. Canadian Theatres Currently Playing Films and Pan Vaude—F. P. Concerned LABOR MATTERS Cleveland, Sept. 8. A wage Increase amounting to ap- proximately 12 per cent, has been granted Cleveland picture operators. A two-year contract with 10 per cent. Increases for two classifica- tions of operators and a 15 per cent, increase for a third class was signed. A deal is now pending whereby the Nathanaon houses in Ontario and Quebec, now playing pictures and I'antHges vaudeville, will switch to the Keith-Albee office for their vaudeville bills. The switch will include the Pan houses in Toronto, Hamilton .and Canada generally and may involve several of the film houses through- out Canada controlled by Nathan- son and Famous Players. The deal was nearly consum- mated about a year ago when Mike Shea of lUiffalo brought Nathanson into the K.-A. office only to have the deal evaporate when all concerned could not agree upon terms. Shea controls the franchise for Buffalo and Toronto but Is Instru- mental in the deal which is also said to be near consummation due to Famous Players' influences. The Kelth-AIbee Circuit has a house in Hamilton, but Is not averse to sowing up the town against Pantages according to re- port. New Theatre Seating 2,700 in Cincinnati Clncmnatl, Sept. 8. Cincinnati Is to have a new theatre on the site of the old SUg Hotel, at Fifth and Vine streets. It will represent a total Investment of $3,500,000, as the property was taken over on a basis of nearly 12,000,000. Senator John T. Harris, of Pitts- burgh; Ben L. He'dlngsfled and I. Llbson. of Cincinnati; Edwin J. Lauder, of the Keith organization; Senator J. Henry Walters, J. L. Rinock and E. F. Albe, represent- ing the Keith-Albee interests, hold interest in the new project. Equipped with ful'. stage and com- plete back-stage arrangements, the theatre will be used at the begin- ning for the showing of pictures. It will have a seating capacity of 2,700. KEITH'S AT 50c New Policy Starting in Syracuse House ROBBINS & ECKL John Robbins and Joe Eckl, book- •rii of Independent vaudeville houses, have Joined. Both have operated Individually for a number Ot years. The amalgamation Is said to affect only the new business of the combine with each of the book- ers retaining their Individual hold- ings. Robbins and Eckl claim to have a number of houses lined up, mostly In Connecticut, with the starting of the vaudeville policy depending upon the outcome of the present film tax situation In that State. Alice Lloyd Breaking In Alice Lloyd will "break in" her new singing act for over here, at the Dominion, Ottawa, Canada, week Sept 21. Miss Lloyd has recovered from the recent operation upon her lEAVES JANIS FOE PICTURES Chicago, Sept. 8. "White and M.-.nnIng secured a ■Poclal relca.se from Elsie Janla. which will enable them to leave "Puzzles" at the end of next week The hurlo.«i(jue dancers will appear In the B. and K. "Syncopation Show," opening at the Chicago, Sept 14. , At the expiration of the four weeks for B. and K. the act will «all for England. Carroirs Sunday Shows Sunday vaudeville shows at the Carroll theatre will start Sept. 20, It Is reported. Earl Carroll will use people and numbers out of "Van- ities," filling in the bills with turns booked through an Independent agency. The Sunday shows at the Colum- bia, New York, opened last Sunday. They are booked through the K.-A. office. Los Ai^geles, Sept. 9. The Lo« Angeles Theatre Man- agers' Association capitulated to the demands of the musicians, stage hands and picture operators for an increase in wages, but won out on several poInU with reference to working conditions. They do not consider the Increase they granted will be greatly felt, A few minor points still remain In abeyance with the possibility that they win be threshed out before the end of this week. They refer to a difference of IS for the wages of the musicians at the Orpheum to a day vaudeville house. The man- agers had offered |72, an increase of $5 over the old scale, with the mu- sicians asking for $75 a week per man. The other point that will be arbitrated Is the question of allow- ance of free rehearsals at Grau- man's Egyptian, a long run pic- ture house. The rules of the union permit two free rehearsals a week, with Grauman asking that he be permitted to hold as many as he considered necessary before the opening of the picture. Grauman claims that as hU pictures run a length of time, very few rehearsals are necessary during the run. and therefore he should be entitled to hold those he requires before the opening of the picture The musl- schedules to the managers' as clans on the other hand are hoidlng _,....,__ „.,.^ .^_ _....,__ .» — This Syracu-ie, N. T., Sept. 8. Keith's opening, Sunday, with a split week combination vaudeville and picture policy, playing at BOc. top, instead of $1, will have a new publicity director. Frank Hoel of Akron, O. He will replace Nelson Mirick of this city. Manager John J. Burnes has announced that Ruby Belle Maaon of Los Angeles had been engaged to manipulate the new organ, now being completed. The opening Keith bill will have "The Goose Woman" (film) and six acts with Lopez' Debuntantes fea- turing the latter. It has been requested that a previous compilation of names in the dance band business bo ainpli- Jicd to illustrate the Kcnoral tiend of "like father like son" in music. Most of the sons, if their father is or was a miisi'"l:in, have been trained along similar lines, and thus we have the following in- (lividu.'\ls in the s.ame flelit: Paul Whiteman took after Wil- berforce J. Whiteman, his father, who was musical director of Den- ver's public schools; the Jack Powell Sextet, Ave of them brother.-* and sisters; Six Brown Brothers, with the majority actually related; Phil, George and Tod Napoleon; Joe, Eugene and Louis Cirina; Kudy and Herb Wiedoeft; Irving, Harry and Dave Raderman; Milton and Al Norman; Melville and Hol- man Hicks; Merle, Hoy, Ivan. Fran- ces and George Johnson; Maurice Gilbert Dicl<son, from a famous musical family in chautau(iua, in- cluding John and Ross 'Dickson; the lianin family, sons of the Ben- jamin, are Sam, Jim, Howard, Willie, Joe, Bernard and .*>Iat Lanin, with Sam a prominent recording artist, Howard lianin a Victor re- corder, and Jim abroad In Paris. The Weems brothers (Arthur and Ted) are In the band business; Louis, Frank and Charles Maisto are related; Emil and William Coleman; Green Brothers (George Hamilton and Joseph); Uriel and Meyer Davis; Nat, Jack and Louis Shilkret; Tom and Joe Filini; Irving, Hyman and Willie Farber- man; Mike, Henry and Angclo Mociello; Rudy, Al and Rinaldo Starlta. PAN ''AIRS'' NOON SCALE 15c. Admission Forced Em Away at 40e. an Hour Later swing man through the retention of the old working conditions. This contract will be in effect for two years. John J. Kelley attended to the detail matters of the settlement for the managers' organization. Newark. N. J.. Sept 8. The stage hands were given a 26 per cent wage increase, effective last week, for all classes of thea- tres. The local union submitted the HALLIGAlf STAGE DIEECTINO William Halligan is staging "Un- der Your Hat," the musical farce which Earl Carroll Is producing with Lester Allen starred. While It is a new professional field for Ilalllgan he has been concerned with the direction of other attrac- tions. Supporting Allen are Rlggs and Wltchle, Vlvienne Segal, Cheater Fredericks, Wanda Lyon, June Bar- rett and others. FUM'S PALACE SUCCESS The .showing of the flr.st two-rool "Our Gang" comedy at the Palace, New York, considered In the nature of an exi)erlment for the house, oc- curred Labor Day and was success- ful from every angle. The picture was u.Med to close the show, followed the regular vaude- Nillo program and held the two ca- pai-ity aucliences hotter than any closinc: act that has played the houBC in .seasons. Announcer's Own Act Ray Tr.iinor, formerly announcer for the .Siamese Twins, Is about to do a sini,'Ie act by himself, written by Blanche Merrill. out for the two rehearsals will be arbitrated this week. The new scale for all three branches of the theatre crafts went Into effect Sept B to 7, according to the opening day of the week for the bouse. The scale for the stage hands was Increased to the demands madeby the men, averaging around l*^a man, with all of the old working conditions to remain the same, with the exception that a swing man be added to all downtown picture and vaudeville houses, in addition to the regular crew. It Is figured that with the addition of this man the overtime in these houses will be eliminated. The scale for the musicians pro- vides that in the vaudeville houses, with the exception of the Orpheum, the men get an Increase of from $63 to J70 and for the picture houses from $63 to $68. The working con- ditions are to be adjusted so that there will be no overtime in the vaudeville houseB, and adjustment waa made over the demand for $3 per hour for the musicians for over- time to 50c. for every ffftccn min- utes, with the men to be paid for the fraction of the 15 minutes In- stead of on the hourly basis as pre- viously. The arrangement with the picture operators provides for an increase of from 13 i^ t8 per week. The .<<i'alo beinf? raised fr(<m an average of $52 to $60 per week. It was also agreed to Increase the overtime from $1.00 to $2 per hour. The managers on this proposltlf)n won nut to the extent that the old work- ing coTidltlons of 42 hours a week will apply instead of the 36 hours demanded and the elimination of a soclatlon with the advice It was not a matter of arbitration. After all night session Labor Day eve the managers accepted the schedules, the alternative being a walkout of the men. The new wage scale for the legitimate houses is virtually equal to New York's, grips getting $5 a performance with heads of depart- ments scaled at $60 per week. In- stead of $1 an hour for broken time, the new rate is $1.50. Vaude- ville and picture houses are now to pay $45 weekly for grips and $60 a week for heads of departments. This does not Include Sundays for which the men are to receive $6 with $7 for department heads. Los Angeles. Sept. 8. Allowing patrons to enter the Pantages house here between the hours of 12 and one for IS cents has not proven profitable. The scale has been increased to 2S cents for the noon hour. The house would All to capacity at the 15 cent scale and when the 40 cent tax went Into effect at one o'clock trade would fall off. Patrons who went In on the low fare stayed until after the vaudeville waa con- cluded and on many occasions, caused the house to turn away trade at the high gate charge. The 25 cent adtnisslon will apply for the noon hour only and will go into effect this week. Houses Opening The Keith-Albee Southern houses booked by Jules Delmar opened Labor Day. The houses are Rich- mond, Norfolk, Roanoke, in Vir- ginia; Greenville, S. C; Nashville, Tenn.; HIghpoInt, N. C; Macon, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Tampa, Fla.; Miami and Palm Beach, Fla.; At- lanta, Ga.; Birmingham. Ala.; Mo- bile and New Orleans. All are split week stands except Birmingham and Nashville. The latter will switch to a split week policy the week of Sept. 14. The Florida houses are opening weeks earlier than usual. San Francisco, Sept. 8. Local No. 6, Musician, on Sept. 3, by a majority of 283 to 76 voted to repeal the law they had sought to enforce among the theatres of San Francisco that would have auto- matically given each man employed in any theatre orchestra on Sept. 1 a six months' contract. Unpopular from the start and originally carried through against tlie better Judgment of the more conservative members of local No. 6 the rule became a dead Is.sue for all time. It is predicted that when the thea- tre managers again meet, they In turn, will vote to replace the orig- inal f>r(heHtras at the old scale which had been cut to mifilnium number of men at the exact union scale when the difficulty llrst cime up. This will occur on Sept. 15. Other union conferences .ir<! du" within the next fortnight betwt'-i. the m.anagors and the .stjige me- chanics and picture machine oper- ator.1. . Sandy Bums at Lincoln Sandy Burns, tab producer. Is at the Lincoln (Harlem) where he may remain indefinitely with his Negro company. Burns came in here from a long run over the T. O. B. A. cir- cuit and intended to play a week or so. He is now In his fourth suc- cessive week. With Burns' cast are Sam RusselL Bonnie Bell, Lee and Wright and Vrcd Hart The Lincoln generally plays a straight vaudeville show with a feature film. 2 WEEKS m KANS. MD IA. Chicago, Sept. 8. The Ackerman - Harris Circuit, booked by Billy Diamond out of tho Gus Sun C^hlcago office, has ac- quired the bookings for the Midland Circuit of Theatres, operating through Kan.vas and Iowa. This «lves the acts something to bo [ilayed on the return trip. Tho circuit embraces Manliattan, .•^alin.i, Hutchinson. Eldorado and lOmporia, Kansas; Ft. Madison, la., nnd .St. Joe, Mo. The latter will nil play the re<;ular road show of five acts. The seven hou-ses In- vol\" a little over two weeks' work.