The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-15
THEATRICAL WAR IS
LOOMING LARGER
Syndicate Is Said to Be Losing
Ground in South
JAKE WELLS GETS BUSY
I<Iaw and Erlanger Declare That Wells
Cannot Carry Out the Proposed
Plans for Controlling the
Southern Theatres

New York May 14-(Special. 1.-THE ma
tional theatrical war. with the klaw and
Erlanger syndicate lined up on one side
and the Cort-Wells-C ahn-Shubert coali-
ton on the other, has passed beyond the
possibility of truce.
For the present both sides are busily en-
gagged in attempting to weaken each other
by depicting the camp of the enemy and
from the northwest the scene of active
conflict has centered for a time in the
SOUTH
Jake" Wells, the new elected president
of the new Independent Southern Man
ayers association, sent a telegram to
John Cort, saying he would arrive In New
York before next Tuesday from Allan
ia, Ca. bringing glad tidings of the sun
dering of the theatrical bonds in the
south.
According to the adherents of the syn
dictate, Mr.. Wells has assumed role of
dictatorship In the south which he cannot
very we'll carry out. The Klaw and Err
LANCER followers declare that Wells Is in
no position to turn over the independent
southern Leath circuits to the independ-
ents. Leath houses are located in Rich
mond, Roanoke and Lynchburg. Va.
While Mr. Wells admittedly has the sit
uation In hand in Atlanta, Klaw and Err
LANCER have announced that they will
build new playhouse there to be opened
next fall
Benjamin Stevens of the Klaw and Err
LANCER forces, is In Atlanta now, arrang-
Ing for the new house. From Atlanta
Mr.. Stevens will go to Macon, where the
syndicate threatens to open new thea
tire.
New Plans of Wells
Statements have been given out by the
syndicate that they are in control In
Nashville and Mobile, although Mr.. Wells
has a plan to unfold to the national indie
pendents which will, he says, GUST the
syndicate from its southern power.
There was a great deal of opposi-
ton to the plan to have John Cort
confer with the National Association of
Theatrical Producers, some fearing that
Mr.. Cort, acting on behalf of the fnde-
rendents, would enter into some sort
of agreement which would work
h ardship upon the one-night mana
gers and the members of National AS
ISOLATION of Independents. According
to Mr. Cort this fear is groundless. To-
day Mr.. Cort said:
This action does not mean that the
have receded from the
position originally taken. We shall in
sist upon strict freedom and no in
reference in the way of booking by
49, 49, x-
our object that all the theatres In the
United States shall be kept open to
all attractions -notwith standing the
ownership or the affiliations of the
managers. The dominancy Of Klaw
a Erlanger has been ended A mtet.s
ing has been arranged for next week
All that the new National Theatre
Owners association wished to present
IS their side of the case and leave
1t to the National Producing Managers
association to decide whether they want
to be with free men or not"
Board of Directors
The board of directors of the National
Associat ion of Producing Managers is
made up of Henry Is. Harris, Charles
Fl. Yale, Joseph Brooks, Sam Serb
ner. william A. Brady, Henry w. Saw
age Marc Klaw, Jules Murphy, w.
I OihCit ID. t l. vi ACotCis AA0ity -. di
ker and Hollis Cooley.
OF these Marc Klaw, Joseph Brooks
and Henry B. Harris represent the
syndicate, although the directorate Is
presumed to be strictly neutral body
The millions involved in this fight for
the universal open door give 1t a finan-
cial position not guessed at by the
casual personal interest in theatri-
Gals.
Independent Circuit
The Independents claim to hold 1905
houses, representing the following cir
cults: The North western Theatrical as
ISOLATION of Montana, oregon, Washing
ton, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Cali
fornia and British Columbia: Walkers
Winnipeg circuit. MarsbalPs Copper and
Iron circuit of Michigan; the Cham
berlin, Harrington and Kindt circuit;
the Crawford Pihilley and Zehrung cir
cult; j. J. Colemans circuit; the Jake
Wells and Henry L. Deceive theatres,
the Mostreis circuit; the o. T. Hath
away circuit. and the New England
circuit of julius Calm.
In addition to the states mentioned.
the circuits extend through the follow
ing cities and states:
Butte, Spokane. Tacoma, Victoria, Van
ccuver, Seattle. Portland. San Francisco
Los Angeles, Salt Lake, Denver, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Manitoba. Win
nipeg. Grand Forks, Fargo, Jamestown;
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Duluth
st. Paul, Minneapolis, Nebraska, Texas
lincoln. St. Joseph. Topeka. Wichita, Ell
Paso. Kentucky. Tennessee, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Oklahoma. Arkansas, Atlanta,
Mobile. New Orleans, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
West Virginia and New York state towns.
The members Of the syndicate are tacti-
turn over the outloo.,
Mr.. Klaw today said:
I'VE have no fear of the outcome of
this movement against U.S. We have de-
livered the goods In the past; the public
believes In u.s.
Alignment of Stars
The war will necessarily cause a new
alignment Of stars Among those who
have contracted with managers identified
with the Independent movement are E. X j.
Sothern. Julia Marlowe. Maxine Elliott,
Mary Mannering, John Mason. Dustin
Fsrnum, Walker Whiteside, William Fav-
ershan. Mrs. Fiske. George Arliss, Doug
las Fairbanks. Cyril Scott. Wright Lori
ner, Marie Cahill. Devote Hopper, Ma
RE Dressler, Jefferson De Angels, Eddie
Foy, Blanche Ring. James T. Powers,
Sam Bernard, Lew Fields, Lulu Clazer,
Mabel Barrison. Robert Mantell, Irving
Hackney and Florence Roberts
Those with the syndicate are Maude
Adams. Mabel Taliaferro, Hattie Will
liams, Otis Skinner. Elsie Janis, Mont
gomery and stone Victor Moore. George
M Conan, Josephine Cohan, Jerry Cohan.
Marie Tempest. Billy Burke. Francis Will
son. William H. Crane. Ethel Barrymore.
John Barrymore. John Drew. Blanche
Bates. Francis Starr, Rose Stahl and Rob-
ert Edeson.
The dramatic hostilities have ramified
into every branch Of theatricals from the
drama to burlesoue. An indication of the
bitterness of feeling is seen in the accu-
sations of the Shuberts that Klaw and