Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-10
The Weeks Bills

BELASCO-"Besde the Bonnie Brier
Bush"
MASON-"Forty-F Five Minutes from
Broadway"
AUDITORIUM-"The Holy City"
BURBANK-"The Henrietta"
ORPHEUM-Vaudevil
J GRAND-"Black Patti"
FISCHER'S-"On Broadway"
,EMIPRE-Vaudeville
UNIQUE-Vaudeville.
MISSION-"A Virginia Romance"
TT THE people in this city who order
seats by telephone from the various
a theaters would show average cour-
tesy and common honesty they would
save the managers and treasurers
many worry and themselves many
an uncomplimentary allusion. Incl
dentally, they would enable a goodly
humber to see plays who are now
barred all too often for no reason what
ever save selfishness.
1t is the habit of many theater goers
here to reserve their seats some days
In advance by telephone. To be ac-
commodating, most of the theaters-
the Mason being the only exception
accept OT~eTS anu ldy dSll.e luc
seats asked for, holding Them until
shortly before curtain time, even with
out a deposit on them. This Is merely
q courtesy; every house could sell those
seats time and again for cash in hand
over the counter and not cent is
gained by the telepho1ic reservations.
STILL the managers would gladly con-
tinue the custom, even at considerable
trouble and eXpenSt IL it were not so
t.. 4.
Managers association thinks seriously
of abolishing the entire scheme and re-
fusing reservations except on actual
sale.
r The entire fault and complaint lies
with the public, too. 1t is the custom
Of hundreds to call up and reserve seats
-always the best-merely on the possi-
Bile chance that they may happen to
be wanted. AT the time, If everything
Is propitious, no rain falling, the strets
dry and the air balmy they walk calm
~ in at the last moment and claim the
seats-which is perfectly right and
proper on both sides. But let the slight
asst thing happen to make their going
Undesirable in the least degree and
pouf! The seats are forvotten, the
common courtesy of telephoning that
they will not be required S litted and
the pledged purchasers stay calmly at
uOIle, Wllllo tilo DOA OliACe illdI lIetS
and the long line fumes; and, after the
lour expires, the late comers quickly
snter the playhous- with the very best
seat checks, while earlier patrons sit
iisgustedly H. the\ 'steenth row or go
5ut and cuss the ticket seller.
Now, the person who telephones and
las seats reserved at a theater, though
le may not be aware OF it, has actually
entered into a contract to buy hose
seats, and IL the point were forced he
,ould be held for them in law. OF
,ourse, no one is going to be sued for
such a cause, but this is merely cited
10 show persons to what they commit
themselves. They agree to take cer-
Jain seats by certain time; 1t Is their
iuty as we'll as an obligation of COM
mon courtesy, either that they do SO
pr notify the other contracting party
IN ample season that they will be un-
lble to do so. And "ample time" doesn't
mean late that same evening, either.
In one sense, ,elephon- orders are a
rank injustice to the cash customer,
because they take out he cream of
he house for the mere whim of con-
Yenience of tentative patrons Man
lgers appreciate this, but the custom
has so firm a hold here that they hesi-
late to abolish it. STILL it's evils must
pc eliminated; they have become too
great to be tolerated longer 1t rests
With the people who habitually give
these orders without either taking the
tickets they contract for or notifying
he theater accordingly.