The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-11
SIX MEN CONTROL
BelsacO's Statement Concerning
the Theatrical Trust
Every First Glass Playhouse in
the Country in Their Strip.

New York, April 1.-THE charge that
half a dozen men in this city n Phil
adelphia control every hFst class the
alter in the United States dictate to
managers as to where their stars shall
appear or whether they shall appear at
all, and arbitrarily demand and nearly
always receive a large percentage Of
the profits from every play produced in
those theaters, a been made by wit
nesses during the progress Of the trial
of the suit OF David Belasco. the play
wright, against Klaw & Erlanger, the
atr1cal agents, still in progress.
I think Abraham H. Erlanger is the
most abhofred man in h whole coun-
try" said Mr.. BelascO as evidence in
his suit against Joseph Brooks and
klaW q Erlanger who, he says, threat
ened to drive him out of the theatrical
business unle& he should allow them
one-half the profits from the play, The
Auctioneer."
Abe Gruber, Changers counsel, took
Belasco in hand for cross examination,
but he failed to shake the witness tes-
timony.
Twitted about his memory with refer
ence to his version of the interview with
Erlanger, when the latter told him he
would either get half the profits of Be
lascos enterprise or drive him out of
business, BeIasco replied with some
heat:
Il have a pretty good memory for
strong interviews when I am cursed and
damned and forced to do things I don't
want to do. Erlanger said to me then:
I am a mogul and a king. I will crush
you if you don't do what I want
Il replied I knew it, but I wanted a
route. 1 don't care so much for the
money as for artistic success. I would
have struck him there and then but I
was at his mercy in the matter of
booking. I wanted business for my
star, and I either had to go to him or
| do without.
"ErIanger said to me also: You
have been doing business with Charles
Frohman. You have had enough of
him. He robbed you right and left
and treated you like a dog. Keep our
agreement secret or there'Il be hell
to pay
Be1asco, half my profits to Charles
Frohman for booking Mrs. Carter and
Miss Bates. When it came to booking
Miss Crosman 1 had to hire halls or
| other places wherever I could for the
syndicate would give me no route. The
same difficulties confront me in all my
! present ventures. I have four COM
panies bottled up in New York because
I cannot get theatres outside in which
to play"
Mr.. BeIasco's purpose in the suit is tc
re-establish bis contention that Klaw &
Erlanger entered into a secret partner
ship with him in regard to the starring
of David Warfield in The A~uctioneer. .
Mr.. Belasco testified that in carrying
out what Abraham Erlanger termed 8
good joke" on his associates in the al
legged theatrical combination, Klaw &
Erlanger had Joseph Brooks sign a co
partnership agreement after exactine
from Mr.. Belasco a secret agreement t.
pay to them one-half of the profits from
''The A-uctioneer."
The secret agreement was made il
consideration of Klaw & Erlanger con
senting to o the play at hrst-cias'
theater.
Belasco also told Of similar expert.
ences which he claimed to have hat
with Charles Frohman. He paid Froh'
man, he said, more than $100, 600 from
the profits of "Zaza,'' in which Mrs
Leslie Carter appeared under Mr.. Belas
co.'s management.
BeIasco said IN the course Of his ex
animation that these cases were onll
two of many-that every manager haC
the same experience as himself and wal
Obliged to make similar agreement
with the booking agents The name
of the members of the combination
which is alleged u control the theater
of the United States as given by San
uel E. Nixon Of Nixon & zimmerman
theatrical agents, when he was on tn
stand, are Al Hayman, Charles From
man, Kiaw & Erlanger Of this city AM
Nixon & Zimmerman of Philadelphia
Baltimore and Pittsburg.