FLORENZ "FLO" ZIEGFELD JR. - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 10/12/1914 - HFSID 29115

FLORENZ "FLO" ZIEGFELD
Competes with Shubert brothers to feature historically important dance team, The Castles.
TLS: "Flo", 3p, 6x8. New York, N.Y., 1914 October 12. On Ziegfeld Follies letterhead to C.B. Dillingham, Globe Theatre, New York. In full: "I called you up two or three times to-day and talked to Bruce, expecting to be able to see you before I left for Cleveland. I will be back in four or five days. As you no doubt know, the Castles were going to sign a contract with me to appear at my place and their Manager spoke to me about a clause which they had in their contract with you, that I would positive you would have no objections to their playing at my place, as long as they had it stipulated that they be allowed to dance in any restaurant in New York. Their Manager went to see Bruce and he notified him that you positively objected to their appearing for me, and seemed to find some kind of fault with the place. They, however, were very positive you had no right to do so, that is, object under the conditions of your contract, as my place was run under the Reisenweber Restaurant license, and they agreed to sign. I told them, however, to be positive about the matter, and that they had better consult you before doing anything, so there would be no possible mistake as to their rights in the matter. I then had several more conversations with the Manager and finally received a telegram from Mr. Castle that another proposition had been made which prevented them from closing with me at present; their Manager then called on me, and informed me that you had offered them the same conditions and guarantee I was to give them on the Roof, and that you positively refused to grant your permission to dance for the Shuberts, under the same conditions and arrangement that they were to appear for me. I do not know whether you have ever been to my place or not, Charlie, but it speaks for itself, and as long as the Castles were to dance in New York City, I wanted to leave nothing undone to, at all times, have the dancing restaurant of the world, and was positive I could rely on you in preference to anything you would do for the Shuberts. Of course I fully appreciate what might be said one way or another by people under the conditions, but I do not take any stock in the stories about your attitude towards me. I certainly would not do anything that would be detrimental to your interests as far as the Castles were concerned, and as long as they are going to dance, I want you to fix it so they will dance for me and no one else, but if not, why all right. When I learned that Frank Tinney had, behind my back, after closing with me, gone to you and boosted his salary $50.00, and accepted the same kind of conditions I made him, I immediately wired him to Freeport, that all arrangements with me were off, and I released him from my written option as well as his agreement that Max Hart had accepted, and told him I would not consider him as long as you were in the field. I have a copy of the telegram which speaks for itself and Tinney has the original. Very glad to hear the Montgomery & Stone show is a big hit. Don't let Bruce forget to save me four seats, two and two for next Monday night. With best regards and wishes, that I do not get the worst of it as far as the Castles are concerned, and I hoe a definite decision can be made at once, and I certainly feel I can rely on you not to be instrumental in having the Shuberts open with the Castles. Sincerely, Your friend". FLORENZ ZIEGFELD, JR. (1867-1932) was a theatrical manager whose promotion of a French beauty, Anna Held, using press releases about her milk baths (1896), brought her fame and set a pattern of star-making through publicity. Held and Ziegfeld were married from 1897 until they divorced in 1913. In 1907, Ziegfeld produced his first revue, The Follies of 1907, modeled on the Folies-Bergère of Paris but less risqué. The New York revue's combination of semi-nudity, pageantry and comedy was repeated successfully for 23 more years in the Ziegfeld Follies until the Great Depression ended the annual spectacles. CHARLES DILLINGHAM (1868-1934) managed the Globe Theatre (1910-1934), the Hippodrome (1914-1923) and owned the Century Theatre with Ziegfeld. The Polish-born SHUBERTS, including brothers Sam, Lee and J.J., were theatrical rivals of Flo Ziegfeld. The Shubert Organization, growing from 19th century origins, now owns sixteen theatres in New York alone. Naturally, Ziegfeld was eager not to lose major acts to these formidable rivals. THE CASTLES, Vernon and Irene, were a very popular brother-sister dance team who began performing together in 1914. They popularized several dances, including the foxtrot, the tango, and creations of their own, and they did much to promote the new craze for what came to be called ballroom dancing, filling dance halls and restaurants with dance enthusiasts. The dance craze, in turn, created a big demand for dance bands, thus greatly influencing American musical history. Fine condition.