Evening star., 1925-01-04
THEATER STRIKES
:. At RADIO PERIL
Producers to Ban Use of
Music and Keep Stars
Off Air.
Special dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 3.-Roused
by the acclaim with which the radio
broadcasting performances of John
Mccormack and Nine Bori were
hailed, the theatrical producers and
managers comprising the Managers
Protective Association are planning
steps to prevent their musical comedy
scores being broadcast by making
the composers retain the copyrights
10 their compositions.
The most dangerous element the
theatrical managers have to face IN
connection with the radio broadcast
ing craze" Arthur Hamm erstein
president Of the Managers Protective
Association, Eaid tonight, 'ts the fact
that, in the past musical authors
have turned over their rights in the
copyright on their compositions to
the publishers. This practice must be
reformed at once. and aur association
will take the necessary steps to see
that It Is done.
About SO out of every 100 COM
posers have contracts with their pub
fishers by which the latter control
che copyrights. These publishers
now turn the music over to the big
radio stations and they broadcast the
scores of our shows at the same
time the shows are being produced
throughout the country
VIII Guard Contracts.
Mr.. Hanmerstein predicted that
Sis association would take the stand
that no contract would be made with
a composer unless he retained the
copyright so that radio companies
could be prohibited from broadcast
ing his tunes.
l. Lawrence Weber, another official
of the Managers Protective Associa-
tlon also said that all future con-
tracts with actors and actresses
would contain a clause prohibiting
them from broadcasting without per-
mission.
"The present scare can be likened
TO the furry caused by the introouc-
tion of the first moving pictures, and
will soon pass" Mr.. Hammerstein
said I'VE still have a commodity
that the public wants and neither
the moving pictures or the radio can
replace the theater, where you can
both see and hear the artist"
AS an instance of the situation
created by the development OF the
radio, 1t was said today that at
tempts of the Keith Vaudeville Circui'
10 get Vincent Lopez and his or
chestra back had failed, because
Lopez refused to give up his contract
for broadcasting his concerts from
the Pennsylvania Hotel.
Demands Compromise.
II would not give up radio broad
casting for anything" said Lopez
tonight, mot even to go back with
Keith's If they want me they vii
have to make a compromise.
Mr. Lopez also declared that the
radio will he the means of developing
40 rouSjcal education of America anC
that he had already started schoo.
to teach piano playing and broadcast
a lesson to his pupils once month.
In a letter which he sent to vii.
liam Brady, theatrical manager. con-
cerning Mr.. Brady's remark thai
radio was causing the death of the
rheater, William c. Alley, associate
editor OF Radio Retailing, asks Mr.
Brady to stop and think moment
and you will realize that theatrfca
managers are cutting their owr
throats."
He then cites the present-day
prices of theater admission, SO to IS
a seat and declares they are pro-
hibitive- Secondly, he states thai
nine out of ten times when he does
want to go to the theater he can
not get tickets at the box Office, but
must pay an agency still further
increase over the already high box
Office price, or IL the box Office
does happen, to have tickets, he says
they are always the back rows oil
balcony seats and he has to go tc
the agencies again for the choice
locations.
Theatrical managers took to high
prices and the ticket agencies com
rnitted suicide with them," he writes
Radio is not to blame, Mr.. Brady