El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-13

r
field, Augustus Pitou. Charles B. Dill
bingham. Joseph VI. Gates, Wagenhals
& kemper, Frederic Thomson. Al H
Woods, Joseph Weber, Henry Miller
Daniel Frohman, William Harris and
others. These managers, who own and
control 200 Of the leading travelling
combinations in the country. TO say
nothing Of their individual ownership
OF theaters or leases of theaters in the
big cities. have placed the booking Of
their various combinations and inter
ests exclusively in the hands Of KIaw
Erlanger. with instructions TO Dlav
only in such territory and in such
theaters as viii give the producing
'agers the support 10 which they
are entitled for the vast outlay in
VOWED in making their productions.
The significance Of this combine
ton can best be told by the statement
that heretofore all alliances that have
been formed in the theatrical business
have been made by owners or Iessees
OF theaters. but this combination is OF
worldwide interest, as il supplies the
stars, plays and productions to the
various theaters throughout the coun-
try
Trusts Clever Move
1t would appear that the trust has
this time got the better of some Of
the circuits in the country While
the managers Of the circuits were talk
Ing OF going over to the Shuberts or
opening their houses to shows of All
cIasses-against- their agreement with
hIaw & Erlanger TO book only ernst
shows-Messrs- Klaw & Erlanger have
ued up the majority of the big pro-
cucers 50 that the managers can only
get the shows by coming to the trust
as they are called in the profession.
controlled things by organizing the cir
cult chiefs and forcing the producers
10 come TO terms; when the circuit
managers began to kick. * b F~
turned around and organized the pro-
ducers so that the house managers will
nave to come to terms. 1t still looks
as If the trust had the upper hand
While the ShubeFts have lots of good
attractions, they have net nearly the
number that the trust controls. Meth
er have they been able TO link up their
circuits so that they can handle the
shows probably
Merely "Open Houses.
Contrary 10 the general belief the
circuits reported as having gone over
10 the Shuberts-such as the Wells cir
cult in Texas and the Cort circuit in
the northwest-have not really done
so; they have merely opened their
houses and declared that they will plav
shows Of either the trust" or the
Snuberts- L. NJ Crawford, of the Crav-
ford circuit in Illinois, Missouri and
III PaSo, tried this last year. bur was
soon glad 10 get back with TX & E.
lnasmuch as the latter refused TO book
any shows on such an arrangement and
the Shuberts were not able to furnish
enough SHOWS to keep the circuit 90
Ing Cort tried the same thing this
year and Klaw & Granger at once
all his time, leaving him
either to come back and BE good
DIT 10 take what the ShubertS can give
him.
Arizona With Trust
Not all Of COrt's theaters viii stick
with him, however. in his fight on
the trust" Already all the Arizona
houses are said to have pulled out
II his booking management. 1t is re-
ported here that Frank Rich. of e.
PasO. will now book * & E" shows
Tor his FL Paso house and the Arizona
houses Rich has already obtained
control of the Douglas. Arizona. house
Ind has made arrangement with the
DhoeniX and Tucson houses to book
.or them Bisbee viii have TO come
n, for the Shuberts cannot send shows
here for that particular town with no
'ther place TO play in the territory.
Should the Weis circuit in Arkansas
md Texas remain out Of the TX & E."
,ircuit- however, this might have the
fleet OF curtailing the attractions in
81 Paso. as it would make Ions
ump "fOrSthe trust" shows into that
lily from Louisiana, unless they were
Outed down from Kansas. which is
'Ossible.