Vaudeville Managers Protective Organization - Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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.vl7l'l ,ldf'll'd by Ihr lp-Ll A pru,lrnn Ihr- UU'-.iIlf Hf. In he HH- lgg-.l -.turd In 'hlulluu Vu lun- Ping'-c Ii- n. .-I 4 lf l A , , i W iw l N , l l l l ,, E illl lui U . WHAT NEW YORK MANAGERS SAYI The machine has given entire satisfaction, and we will w-sn nm-d more nmrhincs for vm other theaters. ART!! l ' ' ' ' ' -' A Y A Lk 5. hhlHll..iNi.Hl.l11CI Mm-x llllj llclurr IM-1-arlmcnl A X Percy ll. NYilli.1ms L'iu'uil vt Thr-QAICIS. I am so pleased with the result tl t I I .- ia s wall install am--thc: Simplex Iilllfilllll' in plan- of one Of another make. XX M. I. UANI-f, Ai.'ll1il.lllQlI'l Thcxxlrr. We consider' it far ahead of any other machine. :mtl lmvc since put lhrm in our other U1eHtBrS-- up-xl.'1'l-:R ROS!-fNlll-TRU, an.-t 'rrmn-1. It is the best WC have ever used and we have ordered lwn more for our ulhri llmlxzll-sts. I-'OX Xhll bl-flitl-'N I' UO. , , Clnirngn, Mas .'.'d, l'1l.'. Precision Machine Company, 381 E. 34-th Street, New York City. . GentlemenfhWe have installed your Simplex all our new S200,lKXl,l70 U15-lmcnun 'l'l:c:1Zu- .ml Racine. Wi1SC0IlSll1- The Simblex is certainly the larsl word in motion I-iclurr 1-mircl-us. XX c CXPCUI dllflfli the next Season t0 cfllllll Our entire Circuit of tlnvalrvs wilh the lllifxllldlfui SIIHPICK. 'l'Hl-Y .'Kl.l.,rXRIl'l' k'lRx'l'. li. Pr: I.. F. ,Kll.xnil. Manufactured ' ' 1 ' , , by The Precision Machine Co., Inc., 3'7'223wE:5',,2423,i ' 12

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Vaudeville Managers' Protective Organization Its object and its officers . li.-XLlZlNG the vast need of closer relationship between managers who were receiving their programs from the XVestern Yaudeville Managers' Association each week, a need of more friendly support for each other and in that way being able to work in harmony for the general improvement of the vaudeville and amusement field, The XVestern Vaud eville Managers' Association called together the many managers af- filiated with the organization about two years ago and perfected the Yaudeville Managers' Protective Organization. This marked an epoch in the history of the vaudeville busi- ness. for it was the first time a representative body combined for their mutual welfare and protection. lt is the Hrst time they ever became solidified into an operative body and took upon themselves the safe guarding of each others interests. XYith its objective point, the promotion of closer relationship between the managers and the theatres of the United States and Canada, the uplifting of conditions and the promotion of all that is good in a business way, this organization has Grown with 6 Q v . such rapidity that it is the foremost body of representative man- agers in the country today. Managers who are working toward a common end, the improvement of vaudeville conditions, not only from their own standpoint, but also the standpoint of the patron and the performer. lt is not so very long ago that the vaudeville theatres, were known as the Variety houses and were frowned on by all sell respecting people of the better classes, who not only withheld their patronage but was a powerful factor in keeping others from attendance. The organization of which this is being written has been one of the most powerful influences in changing this condr- ' ' - - -1 tion till now, on the dawn of a new era 111 the Show woilri. when vaudeville will take its rank as the foremost amusement ll

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of the country, they wield a power for good in shaping the future dCSt1Il1CS of this immense amusement proposition, now hardly out of its infancy. Since the inception of the plan, several years ago, there have come many radical changes in the vaudeville situation, in the relationship of the manager to the ,patron and also in his relation- slnp with the performers who play on his programs. Perhaps the most important of these changes was-the deci- sion arrived at during a recent meeting of the Organization, that a new form of contract would be adopted as soon as the com-- mittee, with the aid of competent attorneys could draw it up. This contract now in the course of construction will be one which is fully equitable for both parties, the manager and the actor receiving equal protection, a thing never possible in the past. i Here-to-fore the managers have been at the mercy of the performers in many instances, for while the performer has in- sisted on a so-called play or pay contract which if violategl by the managers, has been the cause of untold troubles, the manager had absolutely no redress when the performer failed to live up to his share of the bargain which he entered into.. i Should the manager violate the contract to the smallest degree, the actor did not hesitate to plunge them into legal actions which were, to say the least, expensive or else cause untold trouble in the theatres when the manager, rather than stand on his rights, would submit to demands which were notoriously unfair. l Un the other hand, illness real or imagined, or an offer of more pay elsewhere and infsome cases pure laziness, would cause a performer to break every section of the contract which he had signed for the manager in apparent' good faith. ln fact an in- stance is known Where a performer refused to get out of bed to make a train, thereby causing the manager considerable loss as it was impossible to get another act on such short notice to appear in time. In many cases absolutely no regard was shown 13