Variety (February 1926)

Wednesday, February 8, 1928 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY TUT YCU OUT OF BUSINESS"- CLAIF^ Statement by kahl Orpheum, Jr., Booker Alleged to Have Spoken Thusly to 21-Year-Old Dancer — Association Agent Drawn Into it—Boy's Own Manager Decided •■■ U 4 Chlcagro, Feb. 8. "I'll put you out of the show business," Is the remark attributed by GeorBe Glvot and William Stevens, hla personal manager, to gam Kahl, booking head for the Orpheum.-Jr., Circuit, and charged by many around here to oractlcallv dictate the policy and actions of the Association, another affiliated agency, but of less importance. Xahl Is also alleged to have In- formed Givot that he could never play the Orpheum Circuit unless obeying his (Kahl's) instructions, but Kahl said if Glvot and Stevens did agree, that he (Kahl) would see that the agreement CQtered Into be- tween Glvot and Ez Keogh, an Asso- cin'lon agent, would be carried out. Givot, but 21 and a dancing come- dian, is reputed to stand second only to i'aul Ash in local draw ooDular- ity. He had signed an agreement with Keogh guaranteeing him 30 w<>ek8, play or pay, at a set amount. They were to split anything over that amount that Keogh could ob- tain for Glvot. "•■'ollowing Tom Brown and his band leaving an Orpheum Circuit unit show at Omaha, to play the Pantages houses in that city, Glvot ■tates that Kahl sent for him and coerced him into a promise that he would sl^n a contract for 10 weeks ■with an option of two years, to re- place Brown with the unit; The Orpheum contract is said to have contained a sliding scale for Glvot, 1300 to $400 the first year of the option and $400 to $500 the ee'^ond year. After leaving Kahl, Givot In- formed Stevens with Stevens ad- vising his protege he could not give himself away in that fashion. They both called upon Kahl when, ac- cording to their own statements to a Variety reporter, Kahl made the threat about keeping them out of the show business and off the Or- pheum circuit. Figuring Without Agent Kahl is also said to have stated that if Givot would sign with him. he (Kahl) was in a position to force Keogh to forego his contract, but If they did not sign, Keogh could do nothing for Glvot and he (Kahl) Would aid Keogh In collecting him what might be duo to him under the < Keogh-Givot contract. There is doubt around the Loop whether KaTil had any intention of taking up either term of the option, with the Impression he merely wanted to "bull" the boy to use him for the 10 weeks with the unit. So far Glvot has not signed with Kahl. It is understood he and Stevens have been advised that the Department of Justice is alway.s anxious to hear, about anyone tell- ings jmcone else tliat "they would be put out of business." It's a favor- ite expression in Orpheum circles, not only for actors, but has been Used by even the Orpheum's law- yers who should have known better. LEVEY AFTER SHEWMAKER Frolic Director for Moose—Formerly Actor—Going Into Western States. Chicago, Fob. 2. The Bert Levey Circuit may clinch a deal for the services in somo of Its western houses of Wil- liam H. Shewmaker, grand frolic director of the Loyal Order of Moose. Shewmaker some years ago v\as an actor under the name of Sid Jerome. Ho retired to become the Hiiint promoter and special or- ganizer for the Moose. He has Ju.st b'-en ordered by Secretary of Labor J- H. Davis, who is the head of Moosedom, to stir things up In the far western states. Allen Summers of the local Bcri Levey ollloe, himself a prominent Moose, will attempt to get Khow- niaker for the Levey houses in those towns where his Moose activities ^111 bring him. If you don't advertise in VARIETY don't advertise ACTS DODGING LONG TERM CONTRACTS Keith's Trying to Tie Up Acts Before They Know Their Value The Keith's Special Contract De- partment, which was created to buy new acts as cheaply as possible and tie them up for three years or longer, before they had a chance to increase their demands following big time successes. Is finding It next to Impossible to induce acts to ac- cept the long-term contracts at the salaries offered, on account of the offers acts are receiving from out- side sources, which are continually increasing. In an effort to forestall the gen- eral effect of the condition on all vaudeville, the department has been bringing pressure to bear on the agents. The agents have In many Instances been told to get certain acts to accept the Inducements of- fered by the department under pain of having the department go after the acts and book them direct. In each In.stance the act was rated as worth much more than the salary offered and was reluctant to tie up«for three years at this time, when picture houses, circuits and cal>areta are using more and more vaudeville weekly. The Special Contract Department was formed after several acts had played the Palace, New York, with- out having salaries set. The acts, following a Palace success, asked and received more money than. In the opinion of the Keith executives, they would have taken before their value was thus exposed. The the- ory of the Special Contract De- partment Is that acts can be "dis- covered" and signed up cheaply. If the same act Is allowed to de- velop naturally, its salary demands Increase In proportion. When the Special' Contract Department can induce the act to sign. It can. de- velop it as fast as Is possible, with no further salary adjustments nec- essary. The department contracts are for two and three years at a sliding scale. The annual increase In sal- ary for a team varies from $25 to $50, and about 20 weeks % season are guaranteed. The rest. Is pick- up bookings, but an act cannot play "outside" the Keith office mean- while. Big Time Bushwick Trying "Clown Night" In an effort to bolster business the current week at tj^e Bu.shwick, Brooklyn, N. Y., a "Clown Jlcvue," an afterpiece Into which all of the acts on the bill double, has been added to the regular |)rogram. The same idea is being used every Mot.day night at tiio Royal, New York, and, Is credited with pulling some business. The Bu.shwick I.s a Keith-Albee straight vaudevillo th<;itre, with the Koyal a pop voudevilie theatre on the same circuit. Ardell Recasting Through Booking Office Okayed Franklyn Ardell has hauled in hi.s skit "Tlie Man J lorn Miami" for several cast clianges. Ardeli's decision to pass up time is something new>.as the K.-A. hooking offic**- hud okayed the present citst. But .\rdell was dis- satisfied and closed for the replaco- mcnta. GIVING AGENTS 'AIR' Independent agents figuring they are about to come into their own, have donned tho "high hat" Intely. They are working out a process of elimi- nation to weed out tho Indiffer- ent agents who keep annoying tht'ir offices with one or two unplayable acts on their lists and crowding out the hustlers who have real material to sell. The Indifferent ones got entree when the bookers wore glad to grab anything. Now the bookers figure their pres- ence no longer decorative. None of the indifferent class has been actually ordered out, but are receiving little en- couragement to further annoy the bookers with the latter figuring the little fellows will gradually take a tumble. Some have noticed it, and are squawking, but not loud enough to be heard by the bookers of which tliey com- plain. They resent the atti- tude recently adopted and claim they were handy little fellows around the bookers when they could bridge a flop for them, but now when no longer useful they are getting the air. N. V. A. TIRADE AGAINST STAGE HANDS AND UNION Frank Gould Speaks to Club Audience; Says Stage Hands Look Down on Actors Chicago, Feb. S. The N. V. A- club In Chicago is getting themselves Into the hottest water. At the last Frolic, Frank Gould, acting as mooter of cere- monies, apparently under Instruc- tions from someone hlglier u,., ue- livered ^ rather lengthy address tli.'it sounded like self-pity more than anything else. lie said the actor is always the goat; always being "taken" by someone. He said that for all time, the actor has played the come on for stage hands and their union. He stated the vaudeville performers are looked down upon by the I. A. T. S. E., forgetting that were It not for the actors that organization would be unable to exist. He said the union of stage em- ployes is'very unfriendly toward the actor. In every way Gould at- tempted to cast the Impression that tho stage employes were living on the poor, helpless actor. The speaker did not cake Into account that the stage hands buy tickets for an N. V. A. fund or that they often gave their services for a benefit, also that the stage hands had a full page of advertising in the N. V. A. program. Gould went on to admonish the artists to re- fuse to purchase any tlcltets for the coming Stage Hands Ball. The ball, given annually by tho stage employes, Is one of the yearly big affairs of the theatrical world of Chicago. All the lositimato peeplc attend and most of the vaudeville artists. They offer a magnificent bill of entertainment and tlio pro- ceeds go toward a worthy cause. An investigation is being launched by those higher up in the organiza- tion of sta^e hands to see wliat re- dress they will be able to make as a reply to the rash statements made by the representative of tho N. V. A- Steward with Film Firm New Orleans. I'Vb. 2. Karl Steward, manager of the I'alare, Chicago, and tho Orpheum in tills city for several years, has a'eejited the post of speeiai repre- sentalivo with Saenger Theatres (I'icturos). NEW PARIS FEB. 15 .San I''ranciseo, I''eb. 2. The new I'antages at the Civic Center is scheduled to open Keb. 15. On orders from Alex [*,arit.'i;:;es, direct, tlio "Songalogue," whieli has been an added attr'actlon at the Pan houses and costing up lo $1,000 a week, Ii;ls been cut out Carol U'esl'.n, orchestra leader, has hand- ed in In r notlrc and will he replaced before the opening of the now houso. GERSIAN PERFORMERS' LOW PAY; 9 TIMES TOO MANY FOR DEMMID Paying Variety Artists by Appearance—Smaller Actors $1.25 Per Person Per Show—Standard Acts, $12—Americans Highest Paid Since War "OPPOSITIOr IN MID-WESTERN BOOKINGS \ LoewV Western Agency Expanding — New Or- ganization Forming Chicago, Feb. 2. With a fertile field Just now In the Middle West for added book- ings. It is reported Loew's Western agency, located here, under the guidance of Johnny Jones, will go after new business. Another report is that an organi- zation is forming for general -act bookings that looks upon the cur- rent conditions In much the same way. With the Balaban and Katz with- drawal of their down-state (III.) picture theatres from the Orpheum Circuit's local booking institute. Western Vaudeville Managers' As- sociation, it seems to have left an open market for the attachment of house.s. Association's Poor 8«rvic« The Association had been attempt- ing to supply acts, extra attractions and presentations to the B. & K. houses. Poor service Is the reported cause fcfl: the picture firms' with- drawals. Acts formerly standing In dread of the Association or Orpheum Cir- cuit apparently no longer consider cither. The growth of act booking hereabouts and the many new ave- nues acts have found they are available for, leave them virtually independent of any booking agency. Of recent weeks the Association's bookers h.ave been remaining In their offices late at night, burning up phone wires and other means to secure acts needed for next week's bill.i. They only found In the main that everybody and his wife are playing on what is known as "inde- pendent" time. Week-end agents last week had clean slates, every act on their books working, with nothing looked upon as too poor to play. Berlin, Jan. 23. The salaries of vaudeville pep- formers in Germany is very low, much less than before the war. This Is partially due to the fact that during Inflation times, without foreign competition, many totally untalented people went into the show business. Now they can't or wont take up any other line with the present demand lor acts only about one-tenth of the supply. The little cafes, during tha Infla- tion, had cabaret performers. Now they have either cut the shows out or are paying very little. The aver- age Is about $1 to |2 an appearance a per.son, with 50 percent additional if they repeat. Many of the performers help out by selling postcards of themselves, on which they can average about $1 nightly. In these cafes the bad practice of unpaid trial appearances is also still customary. Picture houses, even In outlying sections, pay fairly welL The small acts get only about $1.25 a head per show but usually manage to double, thus averaging about 15 an evening. In the larger houses standard acts get about $12 a head per show. This is considered good. Although these same performers got at least half as much again before the war. Tlra record salaries* given act4 In Germany since the war wer« gotten by two American troupes. Hoffmann Girls and Winston's Sealik The girls received $22,000 for a month at the Scala, Berlin, and th* seals $10,000. BURT BOOKING HOUSES Formsr Ksith Booker Striking Out for Himself. Chicago, Feb. 2. Glen Burt, former member of the Keith booking forces. Is going to start a circuit of his own. He Is said to have docllne(V offers from Alexander Pantages and from Bert Levey In his decision to strike out for himself. Burt Intends to book vaudcvlll* houses but will specialize In picture house engagements. His offices will be In the Woods Theatre building hero. Bushwick Small Time Keith's Bushwick, Brooklyn, wll change to a small time policy short* ly. It Is reported. The house is a big time stand, but has been losing patronage steadily. VAUDL BOOKERS HOPEFUL FILM SHOWS WILL UY OFF COMEDY Only Three Full Salary Weeks Left in Metropolis Straight Vaudeville—Acts Playing Anywhere for Full Salary—Increasing "Name" Shortage Only tluee full salary weeks re- main in KeUh-AIbee booked met- ropolitan house.s. Tliey are liie Palace, New York, Kiver: iile. New York, and Albee, IJrooklyn. It may explain why acts art anxious and willing to play any niiniher of performances daily if receivinK full salary. It also ex- Ii.iiiis why anf uet Is currently at the I'.ilii e, .\cw York, a single man, who played an independent vaude- ville and picture house at half the scale one block below less than three week's ago. Tlio riieiropolll.an bookers make no hones of the ever incroasinu >hoit;ii,'e of "names," "attrarUons" and "coinedy arts" and are dnading the day tho jri:tuie h'luses p: ivin;^' units w'll be-^in to use vaudevilh- comedy acts In addition. The scarcity of stiindard come<ly turns on tho local Htralght vaude- ville bills Is noticeable, with the hookers' hands tied as far as reme- dial measures arc concerned. Mean- while the grade of shows being played in the cut-salaried weeks, locally. Is slowly but 8ur<Iy driving away steady customers. A.l sorts of "contests," "clown" and ".sp< cial nights" are being resorted to by the local house mann(5«rs lu an cffuit ttf dl.sgul.so the lack of real ent-rtaia- menl in the vaudevillo poitions. fc GIRLIE ACT TOURING I.ila (Jirlle and .Senia, standard •hinco act, whiih sailed Jan. 'l^ on the "Cleveland" for (J^rmaiiy will lour thu continent under the co- ilii'cli'.n of Alex Ilyde. the Ameri- ean band leader, and Aitliur i;e(irgej, Hyde's partner In foreiga ii'.oKiiigs of Ameiican U'ls.