The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-28
Selwyns, Harris
and Hopkins in
Nev association
Managers Announce Working
Agreement to Form Big
Cities Circuit.

Announcement was made yesterday
OF the actual formation Of working
combination between the Selwyns. Sam
III. Harris and Arthur Hopkins, for the
purpose OF establishing n circuit where
they can present their own plays on
their own terms. This neutrality-suspicious.
association is the third in the theatrical
field. the others being the Shuberts and
Klaw and Erlanser.
Arch Sclwyn said the first step that
brought the new alignment into being
had Just been taken in Chicago when
Mr.. Harris took over the management
OF one OF two theatres 10 be built for
the Selwyns this spring. Arrangements
were then made for a close working
agreement at a meeting at which Ar
thur Hopkins was represented by at
torney
The new combination places under its
banner twelve theatres built or build
ing in the big cities. There are six IN
New York-the Conan and Harris, Sell
wyn, Times Square. Apollo, Plymouth
ana the Music Box, now building. Chi
cago has two impending for the Sell
WINS. The latter also have a house.
the Hanna. being erected II. Cleveland
and the Park square in Boston. one
house each is planned for Philadelphia
and Detroit The players under the
three nagements include:
Misses Jane Cowl. Florence Reed.
Peggy Wood. Donald Brian Mrs. tiske'
John Barrymore. Grant Mitchell. MISS
Margaret Lawrence. Alan Dinchart'
George sidney. Miss Gencvieve Tobin'
william Collier. Miss Franeine Larri-
more and Jacob Ben-Ami.
Each manager is TO maintain ms
separate identity. producing independ-
emily as before Mr. Harris said II is
defensive alliance. declaring that they
would wage war on nobody but simply
want TO assure themselves of big city
circuit in New York. Chicago and Bos-
tom. so that they could be certain OF
place 10 put worthy productions of their
own. Far from seeking TO establish
booking office. he said the comDinatlon
would be willing to book with hlaw ana
Erlanger or the Shuberts outside the DIE
cities He stated that his own contract
with X. and Il. had three years to run
and that it allowed him TO book else
where whenever that firm. with whom
he was 10 do preferential booking had
no house TO offer. Arch Selwyn said
that his firms ten year contract with inc
Shuberts allowed them the same leeway,
and added
This association is due TO the con-
gestion In theatres Because OF the
great prosperity in the theatrical bust
ness last season outsiders have entered
In with their capital, have given big
ger weekly guarantee foS house than
we could offer, even when their attrac-
ton had little merit. and have been able
to keep out meritorious attractions
which regular producers who have been
all their lives in the game had spent
much time and money in making worthy
Lee Shubert was undisturbed by the
new combination.
"A new circuit is not probable nor
possible, though so far as | am com
cerned I would welcome it," said he,
THE Selwyns for the next eight years
cannot play any attractions in theatres
except those named by us. Hopkins
cannot produce any plays here without
presenting them later in the Shubert
theatres throughout the country. Har-
ris is under similar agreement with
Klaw and Erlanger.'