The New York herald., 1922-12-05
Theater Managers
Plan to Establish
Central Box Office
Ticket Clearing House With
LEBLANC in Control
Suggested.

Lee Shubert said yesterday that the
proposition for central theater ticket
agency. which 1t was announced some
tfne ago was under consideration by
ths Producing Managers Association as
an improved means of marketing tickets
and getting the public to attend thea
tEs in larger numbers. was still in q
( tentative state. He said that Joe Le-
blang. cut rate ticket agent. had been
mentioned s the possible head for this
clearing house. and that the managers
had approached him on the matter but
that the enterprise would be entirely
sepsrate from Mr.. Leblang's own
agency. Nothing definite has been set
tied as to Leblang's status In the mat
ter. the manager said.
Mr.. Shubert said that the special COM
mittee named by Augustus Thomas to
consider the proposed plan would report
at the next meeting of the P. NJ. A. Mr..
Shubert could not tell how soon this
would be. The committee. besides Mr.
Shubert. includes a. L. Eria.nger, Arch
Selwyn and John Golden.
Mr.. LEBLANC declared likewise that the
plan. which he said he would finance
himself. would not include cut rate
agencies. He said that the object would
be TO eliminate the ticket brokers who
3yp the public" and who charge such
heavy advances on tickets that they
have deferred patrons from going to the
theater. and have become. as he put IL.
"a cancerous growth
"The managers he said, want to
bring the people into the theaters In
larger numbers. and the way to do that
IL to make tickets accessible TO every
one. whether you are Mr.. Astorbilt or
Mr.. Bum. They want to make 1t possi
Ia For 20 GOT 20 in 10
third or fourth row. not the fifteenth
I'm this plan they will nos charge a
80 cents advance on the tickets. Tick
cts will be sold at this central bureau
a. box office prices. They will simply
ask an extra 10 cents on each ticket to
cover tho overhead expense. II the
patron prefers. ne can buy for 81
service card. good for a year. enabling
him at any time to get tickets without
paying the 10 cents. This will be the
only additional charge.
THE aim will be TO establish branch
service stations throughout the city and
even In adjoining cities like Newark. II
the plan goes into effect. in my opinion.
II will eliminate from the business all
the agencies where high prices are
charged and may eventually be extended
TO Philadelphia. Boston. Chicago and
other large Cities
The other Broadway ticket agencies,
however. looked with coldness and
skepticism on the plan. Representatives
OF several pointed out that at least twice
before such a plan had been started.
Once a leading ticket broker was Of
fered the virtual monopoly OF tickets
brt declined II. Previously the expert
iaent had been tried of intrusting one
agency with the sale OF tickets for a
leading producing firm, but this had been
given up eventually.
Certain independent producers were
said TO be aligned against the PROPOSE
tion and prepared TO fight IL at the next
meeting Of he Producing Managers AS
sociation. on the ground that IL an ad-
vance Is charged on tickets the agency
and the owner OF the theater would
split the Increase while the producer OF
the attraction playing at the house
would get nothing