American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1913-01-23
BOOKING PLAYS.
some Inside History ON How IL Is
Done-wih Pertinent Sug-
g~estions on How to
Get the Hest.

OF the Auditorium by the Press Ii
responsible for this story. which Ii
NOT only interesting as showing how
attractions are brought to a theatre
but also shows how the better
class OF attractions a DO secured,
Question: is Mutt and jeff
coming To the Auditorium
Answer: Yes"
q. Then why Ia 1t the report
has been circulated that this big
attraction had been cancelled?"
A.. ITO make this clear, 1t will
necessary for me to tell you some
thing OF the inside history of book
ing attractions" said manager Ell
linger.
To begin at the start; when
the Auditorium was completed, l
arranged with the Northwestern
Theatrical association Of Seattle, to
iist u house and book our attrac-
lions. This association. Of which
John Court is the head, Is the
largest booking house In the north
west: they book the best attractions
and have on their circuit practic-
ally all the best western theatres.
An attraction wishing to tour the
west applies TO Court for a line OF
booking covering the season, desi-
gnating the route they wish to
cover. and Court books them along
such line of theatres as are
represented by him. The class of
attractions allotted to a theatre
depends entirely upon the patron
age accorded a house and the big
Q the box office receipts the bet
ter attractions the house gets. To
Illustrate. III the average patronage
OF a house rs $3.50 IA performance
that house Will rot receive, nor
a II expect to receive an attrac-
ton whose running expenses aver
age 5000 q day. or even $50 Il
day. and 1t Is therefore entirely
up to the people of a town. and
not TO the management, whether
they get the best attractions.
Mutt and jeff we're booked on
November Is to play the Auditorium
March 8. but on December 26
We played The NJ lssouri Girl to
II much smaller house than that
play deserved. and the booking as
ISOLATION decided that 1t could not
TO permit Mutt and Jeff to
come here as this company carries
over thirty people and have an ex-
pense account of $3.50 a day; on
January srd Court cancelled Mutt
aud jeff and | gave out this infor-
nation. Knowing, however. that
Mutt and jeff were by far the big
gest and best musical comedy ever
booked to American Falls. and de-
10 give the people of this
town something unusually good, /
wrote a personal letter to Gus Hill.
owner OF the attraction, at the
Theatre Building, New
York, making a request that he
play our town and guaranteeing him
4 good house. with the following re-
suit:
C. S. Ellinger, Mgr. Auditor
.um, American Falls. Idaho.
Dear Sir: Yours at hand.
arranged with Courts office
o play you March 4, as | insisted
ipon this. So yoN can go ahead
md bin show for March 4. No
ioubt the Court office has written
upon this.
Yours truly,
Gus HILL
Now 1t Is up to the Press and
'ublic to help me make good my
promise TO Mr.. Hill to give this at
a big boost. not alone by
boosting for the attraction, which
but also in giving their IL
support by attending the
performance and increasing the box
'ffice receipts.
sThn-N O.. n~} tu-- ,o.-
he size of American Falls which
had a better class of attrac-
ions than has the Auditorium this
and If the public will pat
the house to the extent
hat they should, we will soon have
Is good a line of attractions com
ng here as visit Boise" {
Eyes examined and glasses fitted
~ G. e. Widsteen, the optician at ,
h. IKffS--- T~---