Variety (May 1926)

VARIETY VAUDEVILLE LOEFS 25 FULL SALARIED WEEKS IN VAUDEVILLE, PICTURES, EXTRA More Consecutive Bookings Than Any Other Circuit Next Season—Going After "Names" and Attrac- tions—More Weeks in Metropolis COMMONWEALTH OPERA FOR VAUDEVILLE HOUSE Something New in Summer Running—Employee's Suggestion The Loew Circuit will have 25 full salaried weeks next season, ac- cording to present plans, which call for a further expansion in the south and other houses. The Loew road shows will travel Intact from Baltimore south and re- turn to Providence where the shows will break up. The metropolitan time will also be increased by sev- eral additional weeks through deals now pending. The circuit will be In a position to offer acts more consecutive book- ing than any vaudeville circuit In the country, without including the Loew picture houses, a separate booking altogether. Plans call for the playing of "names" and attractions and as a result the Loew bookers will be ne- gotiating for the best in vaudeville. IKE ROSE'S BREAK; MIDGETS GET MONEY Rose's Midgets, who experienced considerably difficulty in securing bookings on independent time for $2.1250 weekly, have realized over that figure by playing some of the better class large seating capacity vaudeville and picture houses on a percentage. The midget turn has been getting $3,500 to $4,000 weekly, playing these dates on a 60-40 basis where no guarantee obtains. With guar- antees the turn plays a straight 60-50 arrangement, with the guar- antee money deducted from the turn's share. The midget act carries 22 peo- ple and trained animals. In most towns parades are given, also re- ceptions for the Juvenile trade on the stage after the matinee per- formances. The act will continue the independent dates Indefinitely or as long as the good spots hold OU't. VAUDE AGENCY CLAIMS PERSONAL SERVICE TAX Chicago, May 4. The U. S. Board of Appeals sitting in Chicago will consider the appli- cation of the Simons Agency to have its income tax cut from 12 to 8 percent on the grounds that it is not a corporation but a personal service bureau. Should the Simons Agency claim be allowed it is understood all other vaudeville agencies will automatic- ally benefit by the reduction in the rate of returnable taxes. Silber Did Booking The Pantages bookings of James J. Corbett and Bobby Barry also Jim McWilllams were arranged by Arthur Silber and not by another agent as first reported. The Corbett and Barry contract calls for an opening date at $1,500 weekly with 13 additional weeks optional. Silber has been booking principal features for the Pan houses for some years. COLORED ARTISTES RETURN Lottie Gee, colored songstress, after playing In London" and Paris, returned April 27. Emma Maltland and Aurella Wheedlin, who have been abroad two years, are returning to the States in August. De Wolf Hopper and Co. In Condensed "Pirates" The Alf Wilton office has added to its staff H. S. Kraft, who will handlo attractions tor picture houses; John Harrington and Thomas E. Jackson. Harrington will do field work in lining up houses for Wilton and Jackson will have charge of the production de- partment. The Wilton office is offering Dc Wolf Hopper to ihe picture houses In a number from "The Pirates of Penzance," with five people. Pugilist at $500 "Bushy" Graham, bantamweight pugilist* made his vaude debut this week at the State, Utica, N. Y. Graham has been booked for sev- eral weeks of independent dates at $500 a week. Utica was selected as the starting point, since it is the boxer's home town. Graham's act consists of an ath- letic routine and an exhibition of shadow boxing. Same Old V. M. P. A. Dinner—Same Old Staff Monday night at the Hotel Plaza, New York, the Vaude- ville Managers' Protective As- sociation held its annual din- ner, the same old dinner at- tended by the same old crowd who listened to the same old speeches, but without the gin- ger of former free lunches in the same old place. Thought waves coming out of the banquet hall sounded as though they were groaning over the grosses and wonder- ing if the speech-makers knew how to remedy that same old complaint. Syracuse, N. Y., May 4. Business is off in local theatres. Keith's, a gold mine this season with the combination policy, is feel- ing the slump. The Strand flopped heavily with the 10-day run of "For Heaven's Sake" (film). The Temple, having lost about $26,000 this season, according to Rial to gossip, changed policy Mon- day, following the example of Keith's. Hereafter, the Cahlll- operated theatre will have four acts and a feature picture, running con- tinuously from 1 to 11 p. m. The matinee scale will be 15-20, with 20-26 at night The new policy is being tried via the commonwealth plan, It is said. After all fixed charges aro met, the house staff shares In the proceeds, if there's a profit. So far as is known, this is the first time that the common- wealth plan has been applied to vaudeville. The house staff assisted in the billing for the new policy, and the town is covered like a circus ad- vance. The plan was proposed to William Cahill, operator of the house, by the employes who did not take kindly to the announcement that the theatre would close sev- eral weeks in advance of the cus- tomary summer dark period. Botterfield Consolidation; 10,000 Shares at $100 Chicago, May 4. A new corporation to take over all the other companies making up the Butterfield Circuit in Michigan is being organized. It will be a closed corporation under the title W. 8. Butterfield Theatres, Inc., with 10,000 shares at a par of $100. Col. Butterfield will have full control under this new arrange- ment. Pantages' Application for Dissolution of 3 Corps. Seattle, May 4. A petition has been tiled in Su- perior court here seeking to disin- corporate three member companies of the Pantages Circuit chain. The corporations which Alex Pantages wants dissolved are the Pantages Memphis Amusement Co., Pantages Minneapolis Amusement Co., ard the Pantages, Salt Lake City. It is planned to have the assets of these companies turned over to the Pantages* Theatre Co.. a Califor nla corporation, which will operate them. Cartoon Tab Musicals Al Lewis will sponsor tabloid versions of several of the cartoon musicals held by Gus Hill, with Hill being in on each production for vaudeville. The tabloid versions will also be musical, carrying six principals nnd eight girls In each Unit. FANCHON-MARCO ACTS EAST Johnny Perkins, who was sent cast from the coast by Fanchon and Marco, opens a picture house tour May 10 at Reading, Pa. William Morris is handling Perkins. Noll Kelly, another Fanchon and Marco turn, is slated for the en«t In September. Glendinning's Sketch Ernest Glendlnnlng will enter vaudeville May 17 In a sketch, "The Publicity Hound," by Hoy Biiant. PALACE'S ONE WEEK SHIED AT BY ACTS The Sensational Dancing Harmonists Broadway's Cutest Duo THE O'BRIEN SISTERS Featured with CHARLES KING This Week (May 3)—B. F. Keith's Palace, New Y«rk One of the difficulties of modern booking is Illustrated by the Palace, New York, for- merly In a position to secure "names" without trouble. The shrinkage of big time to its present proportions and the inability of the bookers to play high priced acts but a few weeks has reacted on the Pal- ace. Recently a logit male star when approached with an offer of one week out of town and the following week at the Pal- ace at $2,600 refused to accept less than eight weeks at that figure. When pressed for a reason he explained It had been pointed out to him that the Palace waa the only house he was certain of and after ap- pearing there the circuit might not be interested In playing him further. The turn down of $3,000 weekly for two weeks at the Palace with no further time to follow was attributed to Anatole Friedland recently for the very same reason. Fried- land was wanted to bail the Palace out on a "name," but the salary is said to have stopped the other houses from playing him afterward. A few seasons ago a suc- cessful appearance at the Pal- ace was tantamount to a route. The experience of "The In- genues" following a Palace success this season reverses that supposition. The girl act had to accept picture house bookings following, or lay off. Slang of Hoboes Is Difficult for Women Cleveland, May 4. A wrathful protest against the tyranny of steady work and the dis- comforts of any but a fly-by-nlght existence is to be lodged in Cleve- land this week by an army of tat- tered delegates who call themselves the kpights and queens of the road, but are better known to the average housewife as the "gimme gang" or "handout hoboes." They are coming here In box cars deluxe, by friendly automobile, and on foot. Local officials are making preparations to accommodate over 700 in lodging houses and on the soft side of secluded benches in the city's public parks. Dominick Roachm, blue-eyed, soft spoken "bo," known to the frater- nity as "Wabash Speck," is in charge of the arrangements and ad- mits he's worried. "Wasn't at all hard to hold these •affairs in the old days," murmured Dominick, with a far away gaze. "Fact is, we didn't have any trouble to speak of. But now, with the 'gals' coming In it's different. Tou can't put 'em up any old place like a regular *bo* and sometimes we have to ask 'em to 'bum' a ticket at the Y. W. Leastwise that's what I'm thinkin' I'll have to do. "But that ain't all, though heaven knows that's enough," he continued, thoughtfully. "The 'gals' don't pick up our language like they ought to. Can't seem to get through their pretty heads that a 'willle poke out' Is a free dinner, that ^blanket stiffs' are walking hoboes and 'riding the gunnels' Is riding a freight train." Asked to define some of the more common hobo terms, Roachm ex- plained that a "minister's face" is a cheap pie^e of meat off the pig's head, a "gandy-dancer" a railroad construction worker, a "get-lt" a foreman, and a "spinner" a driver of mules. Most of the convention meetings are to be held In the local quarters of the International Brotherhood Welfare Association, 1247 East 20th street. But the principal gatherings will take place afternoons and eve- nings In the Goodrich House, 1420 East 31st street. William Montgomery Brown, de- posed bishop of the Protestant Epis- copal church, long a champion of the hobos' cause, is to deliver the main addresses. Others on the pro- gram are Gen. Coxey, of Massillon and Nicholas Klein of Cincinnati. STANLEY CO. TO DROP K-A SOON? Report Will Not Down, Philly Concern Through A runmor that will not down la that the Stanley Company of Amer- lea is about ready to withdraw its houses from the Keith-Albee book- ing agency. This report got out following an- other of the merger of the Stanley houses with other large picture in- terests, as reported in the plctura department of this Ibsuc A member of the Stanley firm in Nev York Monday would not go into the question. While the with- drawal of the Stanley houses may not be Immediate in view of the approaching end of the current sea- son, it is anticipated by next sea- son If not announced before that. That K-A holds a minor Interest In some of the Stanley theatres will not interfere with the Stanley peo- ple reaching any decision, it is said. GLENN BURT'S OWN CIRCUIT OF 6 WEEKS Chicago, May 4. Glenn C. Burt, for many years booking manager of the Keith- Albee Western Circuit, and who booked the better houses of that cir- cuit in this territory, has branched out with his own circuit of theatres. Burt had flattering offers but turned them down to open his own offices. He has had a vast experi- ence in booking vaudeville theatres and special attractions in moving picture houses. Burt made a per- sonal tour through Michigan. Illi- nois, Indiana and Ohio and has lined up six of the better week* ♦ hat he <s now giving his personal attention to. K-A-Keeney Now According to a report, a deal it pending whereby the Frank Keency houses In Brooklyn may be taken over by the Kelth-Alhee Circuit. The houses are Keeney's and tha Bedford, Brooklyn, both playing in- dependent vaudeville and pictures. The houses are now being booked out of the Sun-Keeney Vaudeville Exchange. It was reported last week the houses were to be taken over by the Loew Circuit. Simpson-Dean Dissolution Simpson and Dean have dissolved as a vaudeville team. Earl Dean has formed a new act with Henri- etta Lawrence with Lewis Warren F. Lawrence is associated with Al Lewis (Lewis & Gordon). Lawrence has an executive post In his new connection. He will have supervision under Lewis of the vaudeville and legit production out- put of the firm. Lawrence's new post will not con- flict with that of Ben Boyer, who remains as general director of the vaudeville producing branch of the Arm. "NAMES" AT NORFOLK Loew's Norfolk will play "names" for several weeks 1 . The house opens May 10 with Herman Timberg top- ping the vaudeville section. James J. Corbett and Bobby Barry will be the headllnors the following week. Both turns will continue on the southern Loew tbur, according to report. SALT AND PEPPER WITH BAUD Salt and Pepper, the banjo-song- sters from ".Gay Paree" and th« cabarets, and Willard Robinson'a orchestra are a new picture house combination, via Arthur Spizzi* The Robinson band is a P» ul Whlteman protege, brought east by the maestro from St. Louis. GENE KELLY AGENTTNO Gene Kelly, vaudeville actor, ha* temporarily retired from the stag* to enter the agency field. "Some Baby" Condensed "Some Baby." by Zellah Coving- ton and Max Simonson is beinl I condensed for vaudeville.