Evening star., 1913-11-23

system-to any extent. In English speaking
countries the practice of extensive advertising
in shop windows, paid for in seats, really
the origin of deadheadism large scale
Formerly billboard men received compensa-
ton merely free admission tickets to the theaters
for certain performances. These they sold to the
public or to theater ticket agents. This
reasonable scheme SO long as the country had
comparatively few theaters. 1t relieved the
manager of large expense in advertising, and
seemed to be mutually beneficial But as the
number of theaters grew and competition spread
"a it was found that a vast army OF men were
M making claims for admission to the shows In
81 fact, it had come to such pass that in many
cases where PLAYS were successful and required
extensive advertising, the manager found that
this method costing him than if he
had paid cash for every bit of publicity he got
In the large cities there sometimes
4 many as hundred small agencies doing business
in theater tickets Many of these were cigar or
stationery stores or paper stands that had made
arrangements with the owners of blllboards
with the merchants that had larger places of
business with extensive show windows While the
business they did not strictly deadhead it was
that order and had the essential effect the
public and on the theater. Going into such places as
these find what sort of theater tickets could be
secured in such unpromsing surroundings, one would
find that he could get seat in first class show for
dollar that would cost him twice much in the regu
lar way. Not understanding why tickets 1OT Ine
plav should be pedded in this way, he would have
suspicion that the tickets not good. This sort
thing operated against the great OF the plan
and so the managers took drastic action regarding
new arrangements with the billboard owners, and the
condition eliminated.
RUT deadheadsm to thrive never before.
1t is curious that powerful body of managing
business involving many millions OF dollars cannot
to evolve scheme to check feature of the
ttaty yphi he hap1n has
developed into extensive evil The principal
IS think that many of the managers have to rely
upon the deadheads in certain emergencies to help
them out The deadhead is in abso-
lutte necessity in the scheme of things dramatic.
Here's an instance: There is play which the
manager has expended great deal OF money. The
tracts with the actors require certain IN New
York The length of New York does not indicate
the popular Of play. But it necessary, in
order to back in the many cities and towns of the
tire country, that it have metropolitan Endorsement
Nothing short of six weeks three months will do. If
the manager has faith in his play, if it has not
scored with the average New Yorker he will for busi-
push it in one of the Broadway houses.
This the immediate outlay of great deal of
money! since this is cash business. Now, in order to
keep up in New York the semblance of popular bill,
the manager is forced to depend upon the deadhead.
At such a time the so-caled Legitimate deadhead of
whom have been speaking becomes friend and
helper to the manager, instead OF a parasite and a
nuisance. This is one of the why he has not
been eliminated.
But sometimes even this great number of people is
enough to carry out the scheme of apparently
successful run in New York. There may be many
PLAYS at one time that be exploited in this way.
And the manager is put at his wits end to keep
enough persons coming to and going from his theater
give the impression of business without betraying
the real facts of the to the public If should
sit down and calculate the number of deadheads who