New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

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Sliitmur?. 1923 THE HE# YOftK CLIPPER' ROAD SHOW SHORTAGE CHANGES POUCY OF FHTY THEATRES VAudeville and Pktuica, Stock and Other Attractions Now in Theatres Which F«»inefly Played Tra^ding Shaw — Entire Sections Closed to Touring Plroductions Want of <irst-class road attractions has thrown more than fifty one-night and three-night stand theatres into playing otter types of attractions this season. The two latest theatres which were compelled to adopt a dramatic stock policy this sea- son were the Orpheum Theatre. Reading, and the Orpheum Theatre, Harrisburs, Pa., which are operated by Wilmer & Vincent Walter Vincent of that firm stated early in December that if sufficient attractioos could not be procured to play his theatres be would change the policy of his houses with the beginning of the new year. This he was compelled to do, placing the Read- ing house in stock four weeks ago, and the Harrisburg house in stock two weeks ago. Another house OMttroUed by tMs firm which bad to abandon playing road shows this season was the Orpheum Theatre^ in Yoi*. Due to the lack of attractions Trenton has been without any road shows this sea- son. Walter Reade, who took over this house last season for the purpose of play- ing Intimate attractions, was unable to open it in September due to the fact that he could not be assured of more than one attraction a week. This house prior to last season under the management of Ben A. Lcvine. played American Burlesque at- tractions for three days of each week and legitimate attractions for the balance of the week. The Opera House, New Brunswick, N. J., which is controlled by Feiber & Shea, due to the lack of attractions is playing a small time vaudeville policy under another management. Counihan & Shannon this year have turned their Majestic Theatre in Perth Amboy and their Platnlield Theatre, Plain- field, into vaudeville houses dtK to a lack of attractions. The Broadway Theatre, Camden, is dark as a result of the short- age. The Van Curler Theatre, Schenec- tady, which was considered one of the blue ribbon houses of the one and two-night stands, is now playing a dramatic stock policy, Icavinfif that city of 90,000 without a theatre to house road shows. The Grand Theatre. Fairmont, W. Va., was sold to the I. O. O. F., due to the fact that it could not be operated on a paying basis, and the city is without a theatre to house visiting shows. The Strand Theatre, Morgantown, also fell by the wayside and is operating with a vaude- ville and motion picture policy. Chester, Pa., which has always been considered a good onc-n!ght stand town, is another of the places which had to get along without road attractions due to the fact that the Washburn Theatre has had its policy changed to vaudeville and mo- tion pictures. This house is now being operated by Frank Wolfe of Philadelphia. With probably two or three exceptions there are not three theatres in the entire State of Oklahoma that are playing road attractions. The Orpheum.Oklahotna City, which has always played them, is now de- voted to a vaiidevtlte and motion picture policy. 'With the exception of Detroit and Giand Rapids there are only three other cities in Michigan that are playing road shows. This state with Wisconsin was always good for one-night stand attrac- tions. Among some of the otiier places that are not open to attractions thb season due to a change of policy which was caused by a dearth of shows are: The Grand Opera 'House, Westchester, Pa.; Ceramic Thea- tre, East Liverpool, Ohio; Opera House, New Castle. Pa.; Academy of Music. New- burgh, N. Y.; Playhouse, Hudson, N. Y.; Stratton Theatre, Middletown. N. Y.; Grand Opera House, South Bethlehem, Pa.; Chestnut Street Opera House, Sun- bury, Pa.; Strand Theatre, Shenandoah, Pa.; Majestic Theatre, Williamsport, Pa., which is now playing musical comedy stock and feature pictures; the Sun Thea- tre, Portsmouth, Ohio; the Opera House, Wooster. Ohio; Columbia Theatre, Alli- ance, Ohio; Strand Theatre, EvansviUe, III.: Temple Theatre, Alton, 111.; Palace Theatre, Danville, HI.; Lincoln Square Theatre, Decatur, and the Majestic Thea- tre, Kankakee, IlL A producer who has had a number of at- tractions touting, over the one and three- night route stated that few producers are inclined to send attractions over the one- night stands due to terms that they are confronted with in the booking offices. He says the railroad rates of course arc a big factor of expense, but that other extras which are added to shows traveling augment the heavy traffic expense and make it impossible for a show to operate in the sraaJler cities at a profit This man states that one problem they arc confronted with is jumping their attractions around in a "circle." They are compelled to dou- ble back at frequent intervals with the re- sult that any small margin of profit they mifdK show is eaten up through transpor- tation expense. Should the booking of- fices eliminate these tactics and route shows in better fashion this producer feels that more attractions would be sent out over the onc-niirht route and theatres would again reopen. EJECTED FROM OPERA—SUES Eduardo Mecchi has instituted suit for $10,000 damages to test the rights of a theatre corporation to eject a patron whose ticket was innocently purchased from a speculator who acquired it wrongfully. The suit has been brought in the Supreme Court and was filed against the Metro- politan Opera Company. Mecchi alleges that after his ticket had been accepted and he had taken his seat in March. 1920, employees of the opera house "without just cause or provocation, in the presence of many persons and with great and tmnecessary force and violence" ex- pelled him from the opera house. The Metropolitan company, through its attorneys. Wise & Seligsberg, No. IS Wil- liam street, answers that the ticket on t^ieh he gained admission was lost or stolen from its lawful owner, who so noti- fied them. According to the company, the ticket was acquired by a speculator operating in front of the opera house, who sold it to Mecchi. Its employees requested Mecchi to vacate the seat and. offered, in the interests of peace, it says, to give him another seat. "WHERE SUBWAY ENDS" AMUSING Wilmington, Del., Feb. 5.—Some very amusing stunts iwere shown here last Thursday night in "Where the Subway Ends." a new comedy written by James V. Auditore. a millionaire contractor of New York City, and Joseph Noel. The rule that two given bodies cannot occupy the same given space at one and the same time was overlooked by the two families who are the central figures in this play,' in their decision to share the same apartment out "Where the Subway Ends." High rents in New York drove them to the agreement to cohabit parlor, dining room and bath, in a furnished apartment. In the goings on in the place the audi- ence is shown frowsy, unshaven, pajamed husbands and untidy wives, and unmade beds in a dining room. The quarrels that result between the two couples, between the husbands, between the wives, between one husband and another wife, mike a con- stant strife and a wearing evening. Arthur Alysworth furnished a clever In- terpretation of an absent minded profes- sor, with Marie Chambers as the niece doing well in her role. PROTEST SYMPHONT .COIfCanS Bauuiou, Feb. 5.—SyniiMiay coneotl on Supdays, where an ■dnritrion is cfaarjged, bids fair to be placed npoo the pFohibitive Hst here, if the local cleigymen nave their way. The ministers argiK that permissioa for performances of this kind would estab- lish a precedent for other forms of enter- tainment. Including inotiaa pictures and vaudeville, which would entirely disrupt the prevalent "blue Sunday law." Two symphony coocerts were given heie last Sunday to which an admission was charged. This precipitated the committee of clergyrocn forwarding a oomplaiot to the Mayor, The ministers take the stand that tbey are in favor of any uplifting entertainment or art exhibition on Sunday, providing that no admission fee is charged. Accordmg to Dr. Watson, their spokesman, they are dead set against any attempt to oommercializc the Sabbath. Hertiofore the symjAony concerts held on Sundays had been given free. The deci- sion this year to chaiige an admissioa fee has met widi opposition from the clergy and other reform organizations of this city. Nixon's Vkrtoria Theatre, operalmg under a straight motion picture policy, gives a performance at midnight on Sun- days, thus evading dashing with the authorities. AGREE ON EQUITY FILM CONTRACT John Emerson, president of the Actors' E<^uity Association, who recently made a flying trip to the Pacific Coast to confer with the leading motion picture producers on the proposed Equity motion pictnre contract, has returned and reports that all is harmony between the motion pictnre men and his association. The Equity con- tract will merely regulate the worMng hours of picture folk. A. tentative draft of the contract was thoroughly gone into by Emerson, repre- senting the A. E. A. and Will Hays, rep- resenting the . motion picture interests. From an accounts both are agreed upon the substance of the contract and therefore it is expected to be accepted without any hindrance just as soon_ as the council have drafteil it and passed it on. Thb puts to rout all rumors of trouble that some had anticipated when Ae Equity first announced their intention of draiting a contract to cover the motion picture actor. FIELDS BACK Di .SHUBERT VAUDE. Lew Fields is again returning to play Shubert vaudeville and will head a com- pany that will open on Feb. 12tfa at the Shubert Theatre, Newark. Fidds has been rehearsing a company for the past week at the National and Nora Bayes Theatre and is to use parts of bis "Ritz Girls" and "Snap Shots" for his production which is to be known as Lew Field's Own Show. The fact that FieMs will head a Shubert show again does not affect his plans as far as he and Joe Weber are ooncemed. 'They since the closing of the Weber and Fields imit on the Shubert Circuit ^ have been working on plans for the erection of thdr own music hall, restaurant and dance balL Wd)er will retnain in New York and de- vote his time to the details retrardhig the buikiing of this ^3,500,000 project where they will head tiiar own dww next season. Prior to deciding to head a tmit over the Shubert Circuit, Fidds had received an offer from George C. Tyler to appear in the father role in "Humoresque." WANTS SUNDAY HUMS BANNED Okuboua City, Feb. S.—A drastic motion picture bill was last week intro- duced in the Oklahoma Legislature. By its terms, it is declared unlawful for any pic- ture house, theatre or other place of amuse- ment to show pictures, lantern slides, or anything in the picture line where an ad- mission fee is charged. Violation of the act is to be deemed a misdemeanor. BIG RECEIPTS FOR "MERRY WIDOW" San Francisco, Feb. S.—Harry W. Savage's revival of the famous "Merry Widow" at the Columbia Theatre, here, did a wonderful business during its two wedcs stay. «ia>C«K>M WITH PUJJNGHAPt Johh Murray Anderson's ecaiptatj of ' the former offices of Fred Latham in the GMx Theatre Building has givoi riae to a mmbr that Anderson has severed all ooo- nections with Bohemians, Inc., and has ac- c«ted the post of general stage director ^ with Charles B. DDIingham. It was An- derson who conceived the idea of prodnc- ing. the original "Greenwich Village Follies" and it was he who produced the three succeeding productions, mduding the current edition at the Shubert Theatre. Two years ago Dillingham is said to have made overtures to Anderson, but at the time the producer was tied up with a . three-year contract with the Bohemians. This contract terminated with the current production. The Bohemians wcre_ a^ee- able to a renewal until Anderson insisted upon a tilt in the percentage arrangement When they talked, Anderson immediately set plans to enter the prodndng field on his own. He is at present buiying him- self with plans for a new musical comedy, "The Cherry Chair," which is the col- laborative effort of himsdf, the late Fred Isham and AoKUStos Banatt, which is schedolcd to foUow "Lady Butterfly" into the Gkibe Theatre on March 19. Anderson's production venture is said to have the backing of several Wall Street men. Last Friday Anderson's name re- . placed that of Fred Latham .on the dgn hoard oattide the Globe Theatre, which gave rise to die rumor that he had ac- cepted the post of general stage director with the Dillingfaam interests. Neither the Dillingham office or Mr. Anderioo woaM connim the report Anderson was occupied the earl^ port of the week compktiog the cast tor bis fortbooming productkm. He has already signed Ann Pennington, JRoger Imhoff, Virginia O'Brien and Brooke Johns. WHITE LOST 980.000 ON RACES The extent of Georg^ White's plunging at the race tracks during the summer of 1921 was revealed in a suit hroo^t in Sprin^eld, Mass., last week, when it was established that the dancer and. producer of the "Scandals" has dropped ^,000 in pur- suit of "the ponies." Theatriol wiseacres had known White had been a constant visitor to the local tracks and knew he was bdng taken for plenty, but none knew the exact amount of his losses until last week, when Russell D. SUrt began legal proceedings to force payment on a check for $2,'MX>, which is said to have been part of the gciuid total. Start began proceedings against White last December and White in his answer said that the check was illegal, in that it purported to pay a gambling Obligation, a bet on a race horse at Belmont Park. He said he had given it to "Sandy" McNangfa- ton, who, he said, was a somewhat noted character on the tracks around New York. There was no mooey to meet the cheek. White said, because of bis heavy losses. McNaugfaton gave the check to Start in payment of a debt. Start testified in the Springfield court. He deposited it last De- conber, when White was playing in Spring- fietd. Payment was refused. Start says, because oi lack of funds. CYRIL MAUDE COMING OVER Cyril Maude, the English actor-play- wright, is expected to arrive in America late this month. He has notified the Charles Dillingham office that upon his ar- rival he would be prepared to begin re- hearsal in Mark Sabre's play, "If Winter Cotnes," for which DilUngham has pro- cured the American prodactioo rights. "If Wbter Comes" is now playing in London, with Owen Naies playing the title role which Maude will assume here. "PINK SLIP" come OUT AGAIN James Barton has been cast for the prin> cipal role in "The Piidc Slip." which the Sonberts will put into rdiearsal next week. Bert WiOiams was playing in this show at the time of his death with the title of the play at that time being "Under the Bamboo Tree," hatving been changed to that from "The Pink fifip." The play is again being done under its origiml tiUe by the Shu- bcrts in association with AL H. Woods.