New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

6 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 14, 1923 AMUSEMENT STOCKS SHOWING SIGNS OF RENEW ED ACTIVITY Orpheum FoUowing Election of New President Hits New High For Year—Famous Mayers Active and Others Show Improvement Famous PUycrs last week, after a slow start, woke up and went better than it has for some weeks. It is highly probable that the amusement stocks were,. generally, swept upward with the bull influence throughout the mailcet, and, while the higher prices for the amusement securities arc, in no case, up to the high for the year, these prices are, nevertheless, encouraging, and are not far off from the year's top prices. One of the securities, Orpheum, made a new high for the year when it touched 20. This was in all probability due to the advance dope about the meeting held in Chicago on Friday, at which the difGcuIties existing in the Orpheum con- trol were smoothed out and Marcus Hei- man, who had been acquiring stock ever since he had entered the organization some years ago, bringing with him a number of houses that he controlled through the mid- dle west, was elected president, following the resignation of Martin Beck, who wished to retire. The report of trouble emanating from Chicago had caused the stock to do some funny things, but the meeting cleared op any thoughts of impending warfare and the stock reacted promptly. Famous as predicted several weeks ago, continued its steady climb, those who had acquired the stock around 82 and 83 hold- ing on and the others trying to get in on the rise, helping it along. Goldwyn, which has come to be regarded as normal around 6, showed very little change during the week, and Loew's showed a slight increase. During last week 17,700 shares of the Famous Players stock were sold, bettering by about 6,000 the marks of the last few weeks. The stock opened on Monday, a week ago, at 86^ and, falling off but H of a point during the week, kept rising in fractions, at one time reaching S9^. This |>oint saw a slight selling flurry, and the price could not be sustained, the stock selling off again and closing on Saturday at 88^. This is a two point gain and shows that the slump this security suffered early in the year was not based on any real knowledge, and, .to an unbiased observer, would savor vary much of so-called pool manipulation. Goldwyn, with but 3,600 shares traded, stuck around the 6 mark all week. At one time it slipped down to 5H but quickly re- covered, closing the week at 6%, where it held firm in spite of week-end profit taking. Loew's was another stock to show im- provement, although, in this case, as with the others, the improvement was slight The stock opened on (Monday at IS'A, the low after that being 18^, and from this point on the improvement was gradual but steady. When the closing bell rang on Saturday the board showed Loew standing at 19^, registering a gain of of a point for the week, with 8,900 shares changing hands. This is a fair showing for this stock, as its 1923 high was only 19?^. As mentioned above, the settling of the management in Chicago worked to the ad- vantage of Orpheum. This security reached a new high point for 1923 when it hit 20, which, alt things being considered, is a line showing for Orpheum. Of course, it could not hold this point for long, as there are a good many people who hold shares which they bought at a considerably lower ligurc and who wished to take advantage of the fractional profits. This caused the stock to sell off slightly, but it closed at 19}^, which was % above the point at which bidding had started the previous Monday. During the week 5,400 shares wore sold, not indicating any special activ- ity but general strength on a stock which has varied but little. The talk on the street about these amuse- ment stocks is all of pool movement and inside buying, and from the fact that it is much easier to dispose of any of these securities than it is to buy them at the i|UOtcd price it looks as if there were some truth in the rumors. PHILA. SHOWS HOLD UP WELL Philadelphia, Feb. 12.—The premiere of a new comedy and the repeat engage- ment of George Arliss in "The Green God- dess" are the only changes in the theatrical map here for the current week. With five additional "hold-overs," Quaker Cty play- goers have a selected list of attractions to draw from and in roost instances are tak- ing advantage of the situation. Musical shows, which have been enjoying a neW era of prosperity here, continue to be great- ly in demand, with "Molly Dolly" and "Blossom Time" running neck and neck for first honors. "Six Cylinder Love," the new comedy by William Anthony McGuire, had its pre- miere at the Garrick Theatre tonight. Ernest Truex, previously seen here in "Very Good, Eddie," and divers other at- tractions, was' again seen to advantage in the leading role of the comedy and was supported by practically the same cast which appeared with him in the original New York production. George Arliss began a return engage- ment in "The Green Goddess" at the Wal- nut Both star and play proved as equally interesting as when previously offered here, and from all indications the return engage- ment will be a profitable one. "Molly Darling," with Jack Donahue and Mary Milburn heading the army of fun- makers and singers, has settled down for an indefinite run at the Forrest. "Blossom Time" continues to hold its own at the Lyric, while the revival of "Maylime.".at the Shubert, also figured in the money class last week. "The Cat and Canary," the only mystery play in town, is having things all its own way at the .\delphi, where it bids fair to remain in- definitely. Laurette Taylor has entered upon her final week in "Humoresque" at the Broad, where Otis Skinner will follow on next Monday in "Mister Antonio." LEW HELDS SHOW OUT AGAIN Lew Fields began his second trip over the Shubert vaudevile circuit at the Shu- bert Theatre, Newark, last -Monday at the head of Lew Fields' "Snap ShoU" com- pany, which is a combination of his "Ritz Girls" and the "Snap Shots" show which both played the Shubert Circuit this sea- son. Following Newark the show will play the Harlem Opera House next week and come to the Central Theatre the following week. After this latter date. Fields may take the show off the circuit and play it over the week and one-night stands booked through the Shubert office at a $2 top in- stead of a $1 top as is charged by the vaudeville theatres. Among some of the forty people appear- ing in "Snap Shots" are, Norwood's Mel- ody Charmers, the Six Saxophonists, The Leightons and Baby Josephine, James Cagney, Gladys James, Alice Rcmsen, Har- old Thompson, Lew Hardy and Charles Chase. George Sofranski, who managed the "Ritz Girl" show this season, will be company manager. SPECIAL SHOW OF "HAIRY APE" Arthur Hopkins will give a special per- formance of Eugene. O'Ncil's play, "The Hairy Ape." at the Plymouth Theatre, in honor of the members of the Moscow Art "Theatre on Sunday night. Besides the members of the Gest organization, people with Broadway attractions who.were un- able to sec the play when it ran in the Plymouth last season will also be invited. "CLOAK OF SCIENCE" COMING "Tlie Cloak .of Sdence." an anti-vivi- section play by James H. O'Brien, a play- wright from San Francisco, will be shortly produced by Oliver Morosco. The play will be of' especial interest to sdentiats and those who are fovoring viviscctioo in- stead of capital punishment for murderers and habitual criminals, instead of hanging and electrocution. Its basic theme is the transfer of a dog's brain into the head of a man, and the placing of the human brain in the head of the animal. "WILL SHAKESPEARE" TO STAY The stay of Winthrop.Ames' production of "Wilt Shakespeare" bas been extended nidefinitely at the National Theatre. The show was to have closed tJns Saturday n^ht bat Ames made new arrangements with Robert Campbell whereby the attrac- tion will remain. Ames guarantees the national $3,500 a week for its share of die gross receipts. DRAMA LEAGUE MEETS APRIL 19 The Drama League of America will hold their thirteenth annual assembly in Iowa City, la., on April 19, 20 and 21. They will be the guests of the Iowa City centre of the league, the University Theatre of the University of Iowa, and the Iowa City Commercial Oub. Men and women of prominence in the professional and amateur theatrical fields will be in attendance. Sessions of the lea|pie will be devoted particularly to discussion and study of the children's theatre, educational dtamatic work and community theatre circuits, methods of production and stage craft in smalt theatres and the professional and na- tional theatre. Francis Nielson, actor, director and play- wright of Chicago, is president of the league. "FIRST YEAR" LEAVING CHICAGO Chicago, Feb. 10.—Frank Craven and his "First Year" will soon leave the Woods. The 1,000th performance of the play will be reached on March 10. Craven is likdy to play the lead in his new com- edy, "Early to Bed," on completion of his present run. "EXTRA" CLOSES "Extra," the comedy on newspaper life which Jack Alicote wrote and he and Bus- ter Collier produced at the Longacre The- atre, as a fill in attraction during the ab- sence of Ethel Barrymore from that the- atre, .dosed last Saturday night and the company was disbanded. - - THREE CAST PLAY FOR 48tl> STREET "The Chastening," described as a mira- cle play, by Charles Rann Kennedy, au- thor of "The Servant in the House," w;ill be presented for the first time at a series of matinees by the Equity Players at the Equity-Forty-cighth Street Theatre. There will be two afternoon and two morning performances. The afternoon perform- ances will take place February 16 and 23. and the morning performances on Febru- ary 17 and 24. ABE LEVY IN CALIFORNIA Abe Lev^, general manager for Sam H: Harris, left last week for Palm Springs, California, to enjoy a rest and recover from a recent illness. During his absence Sam H. Harris is attending to Levy's dnties. "NIGHTtNGALE" OPENING "The Nightingale," a new restaurant and cabaret will be opened at Broadway and Forty-eighth street the latter part of the month by Sam Paul and William Perlman. Dolly Kay will head the revue and Joe Harrie's Society Orchestra will supply the music COUGHLIN & MERRITT Vincent Coughlh: and Florence Menitt who arc now doing a novelty double act, are going great at every United house they play. MONDAY MATINEE HARVEST {Continued from page 3) presented by the Theatre Guild, with To- sepli Shildkraudt in the leading role, at the Garrick, getting a fair reception from the daily press, got off to a fair start in busi- ness and koi>t along at a moderate pace UK the wctrk. "Mar>- the 3rd," though de- scribed as ihc best of iiachel Crother's ef- forts, which also got off that same night at the Thirty-ninth Street Theatre, did not get the response anticipaced from the pub- lic, with the result that tickets were avail- able at the cut-rate shops from the begin- ning. This attraction will probably re- main at this house for four weeks. "Sun Showers," a musical show, writ- ten by Harry Dclf, with Dclf in the lead- ing role, and also acting as co-producer with Lew Cantor, a .vaudeville agent and producer, was the musical attraction that faced the barrier on Monday night. The critics, though they did not approve of the vehicle in its entirety, paid a glowing tri- bute to the chorus and the musical num- bers. The show coming in cold had a poor opening, with the Tuesday business being only fair, but Wednesday it began to show life and by Saturday it was able to gross a little short of |8,000. However, with its expense, the attraction cannot ' break even under less than a $12,000 gross. This week, it is understood, some changes will be made in the cast, exploitation and publicity will be.endeavored with the hope that the show can pull its way out and be- come a paying proposition. On the Lin- coln Birthday matinee it managed to sell out, but on the evening business was fair, with its gross being on a par with the pre- ceding Monday. Wednesday night brought forth another musical comedy success in Arthur Ham- merstcin's production of "Wildflower," with Edith Day at the Casino. Glowing tributes were paid the piece by the daily press, with the music and staging coming in for a great deal of commendation. Seats for the opening were listed at $5.50 top with a regular $2.S0 scale, going into effect on Thursday. Business was good after the opening, with the indications being that Hammerstein will probably have a sure- fire attraction within a short time from the boxoHicc standpoint. Sam H. Harris had the field all to him- self Saturday night for his opening of "Ice Bound," a play by Owen Davis. It was well received by the press, but the Harris office seemed to feel they should play safe so Monday night they had a good number of tickets on hand at the cut-rate shop. EDNA LEEDOM Aiter five years in vaudeville with dif- ferent partners, Edna Leedom finally has come into her own by teaming with Dave Stamper who has changed her style of work, and now is a prima-doima, comedienne and beauty who does not have to take a back seat for clothes, style or, looks. Mr. Stamper claims he knows whereof he speaks, that in six months Edna Leedom will be the biggest woman in vaudeville or musical comedy.