New York Clipper (Feb 1923)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 21, 1923 BIG ACTIVITY IN LOEWS STARTS STOR Y OF COMIN G DIVIDEND Biggest Tradiiig In the Year on Amuaement Stock Which Has Ijong Moved Slowly—^Reaches 21New High for the Year. The big feature of last week's market was the sudden activity in Loew, giving color to the oft-rcpcatcd rumor' of pool operatiofi. The issue, which had been practicaJlx dormant for several months woke up with a start Monday a week ago and the shares were bid- up, the turnover being greater by several thousand shares than all the other securities combined and reaching 21^. Famous Players, which had reached around 88f$ the week before last, .settled about the' same point last week; vacillating between that point and 90^. Strange as it may seem, the fact that a dividend, declared ort- February 13 was announced on Monday of this week payable April 2 to holders of record on March 15, 1923, did not cause a rise in this issue. The dividend is $2 per share on the common stock for the quarter, equivalent to over nine per cent yield with the stock at the present level. It b possi- ble that the slight depression suffered on Monday is due to a bear movement seek- ing to buy in at a low level in order_ to take advantage of the sharp rise antici- pated during the first week in March, but It is more than likely, on the other hand, that the decline was in line with the gen- eral market trend for the day, as profit- taking through the entire. list caused a slight falling off in prices and the amuse- ment stocks were no exception to the rule. There was little activity in Famous last wedc. The stock opened on Tuesday at {tB^ moving up the line and going to 90^2 only to fall back and close the week at 89}4. At one time the stock went down to {IS tMit this was only for a short while. The week showed a gam of ^ of a point with 16,400 shares exchanged. Monday of this week showed practically th> buyers, only three htmdred shares changing hands. the price dropping to 9&Vi and never go- ing higher than 88^, closing the day at 88^^ or % of a point lower than Satur^ day. . GoldwA'n also lay dormant last week, the price fluctuating, in small transactions, be- tween 6^ and 5^ closing the week at 6. Monday of this week, however, the stock .showed unusual activity with 6,200 shares .sold, the price declining'under the selling from 6 to 5^. As mentioned above Loew's attracted m<ist of the attention last week. There lias been_ talk of a coming dividend, and, in ^anticipation thereof and possibly be- cause of the pool operations 38.300 shares were traded, the price advancing from 19^ to 21^ and closing at 20^ or a gain of 1^ for the week. This is a good price for these shares and shows the wisdom of those who bought all they could around the 17 mark. On Monday of this week the shares declined along with most of the other securities on the market moving from 20^ to Hy/t at which point it closed. Diuing the day 3,000 shares were sold, showing that the period of activity in this issue is not yet over. Orpheum, with none of the fireworks attendant upon the Loew showing, made an even greater gain than that issue going from IPpJ to 21 }4 and closing at 20.)4 or I'.vactly ihe same jwint as Loew. The gain was l-5i with only 7,S00 shares sold. A pood many shares of this stock were liquidated by the former insiders and found their way into outside hands and it is possible that these outside interests thus found the way opened to them for a little quiet manipulation. Monday of this week saw 1.500 shares on the exchange with a slide from 207'^ to 20X>, >n line with the action of the others. "CLOAK OF SCIENCE" FOR ARLISS "The Qoak of Science," a new play by James Henry O'Brien, which is said to take a drastic slap at vivisectionists, will probably be the next starring vehicle for George Arliss. Arliss read the play last -week and was sufficiently impressed by its possibilities that he has recommended it to Winthrop Ames as the most promising ve^ hide to succeed ^The Green Goddess," .\rliss' present vehicle. The play is said to have been inspired by the heated controversy now in session between the vivisectionists and the anti- vivisectionists. The ■vivisectionists arc at- tempting to introduce a bill in the legisla- ture whereby condemned convicts wotild be tamed over to the mcdicat research society for scientific experiments instead of being put to death by electrocution. Sena- tor Salvatore Cottillo. of New York, has sponsored an anti-vivisection bill that would offset the other proposed legulation and would prohibit the sacrificing of both humaos and animals to, scientific experi- ments. While the O'Brien play is an expose along these lines, it has been emphaticaUy denied that it would have anything other than the moral support of the anti-vivisec-. tionists and is not being rushed to the stage as a matter of propaganda. PRICE DIDN'T APPEAR Georgie Price, although promincntty billed to appear at the Central Theatre in conjunction with the Shubert unit running there last Monday, failed to take his place on the program, giving, as his cxcu-sc, the statement that the bnling accorded him was not commensurate with his standing as an artist. Price was in the nature of a last minute addition to the bill and had not been mentioned in the newspaper ad- vertising nor advance publicity. On Mon- day morning a sign, painted on oil-cloth, about five feet by three in size, was dis- played in the outer lobby of ^e theatre .-ituiouncing that Georgie Price would be featured as a "Special Added Attraction." flis name was not up in lights nor was his picture displayed. Shortly before show- time Price looked the billing over and in- formed the management he would not go on. U was too late at that time to find a substitute for him so that his place on the bill 'was not filled. Arthur Klein, general manager for the Shuberts, did not state what disposition would be made of Price's case, but inas- mtich as several photographs were taken of the lobby and Price's billing it is pos- sible that legal complications may ensue. «THE EXILE" OPENS ON MARCH 9 The initial performance of "The Exile," a play by Sidney Toter.- which is being financed by half of the bo.x-office men in the Broadway Theatres will, take place at the Stamford Theatre. Stamford. Gbim.. on March 9th.: The following week the show wiH tie brongfat to the ° Shnbert-TcUer Theatre. Brooklyii. wBe^{^ it .will be readied foe. a New York engaKanent. Eleanor Painter and Jtfse.EtibiPiiW.fll Ijsad.the cast. SPIEGEL'S INSANITY DOUBTED At a hearing in the bankruptcy proceed- ings brought against Max Spiegel, who failed for over $1,000,000 and who since December last - has . been confined in a sanitarium in Stamford, Conn., held on Friday at the office of the U. S. Referee, Harold P. Coffin, at No. 217 Broadway, Maurice Fleischman testified. Fleischman, who acted as general man- ager for several of the theatres in which Spiegel was interested, told of seeing Spie- gel in Hartford, Conn., on December 4 and said he "didn't act crazy," but said he was despondent. After this date, and on December 9, Fleischman said he visited Spiegel at the latter's apartment on West End avenue, where Spiegel, he said, told him that he would not get out of bed alive and requested Fleischman to look after his a'£Fairs after his death. Spiegel was co- herent at the time, Fleischman said, and signed four checks while they were con- versing. The hearing will be continued at Referee Coffin's offices on February 26 and 27. Fleischman will be examined further and Mrs. Mark, widow of Mitehel H. Mark, fathcr-in-law of Spiegel, will be called as a witness. Spiegel's assets arc unknown as to actual value, a large portion being in the form of stock in various corporations, much of which is pledged for loans. RHEBA CRAWFORD TO STAR Rheba Crawford, the Salvation lassie who is alleged to have lost her blue bon- net on account of the widespread publicity she received in a tilt with the police, grow- ing ont of her conducting Salvation Army meetings on the steps of the Gaiety- The- atre, is to embrace a stage career after alt. According to an annotmcemcnt she is to be starred in a three act' drama, "My Gal Snl." which is said to be a dramatizatiorr of her own experience as "Angel of Broad- way,*^ and-: is. to be sponsored by a nen- 'producing firm.. ■• •■ ' "DEMI VIRGIN" CLOSED A. H. Woods' production of "The Demi- Virgin," in which Hazel Dawn was fea- tured, closed at the Bronx Opera House last Saturday night. The play had round- ed out two seasons and had played to big takings in every territory where it was pre- sented. The fact that it had played the entire circuit of legit theatres and had re- peated in most of the big towns convinced -Vlanagvr Woods that it had outlived its usefulness as a traveling attraction. It will shortly be released for stock. "The Demi-Virgin" was a satirical slam at the movie colony of Hollywood. Its presentation at the Eltinge Theatre, New York, precipitated a controversy between Woods and the city officials. IJpon com- plaint of the Police Department License Commissioner Gilchrist revoked the license of the Eltinge Theatre, but Woods won out on appeal. The main objection to the piece was basetl upon its risque dialogue and particu- larly a scene depicting a "strip poker" ses- sion. The publicity given the controversy between the manager and the city officials proved a bonanza for the attraction. Al- though no definite figures as to its earnings were given out, the piece is said to have piled up a tidy sum for both author and producer. DOROTHY JARDON Grand Opera soprano wbo is booked to ftioff six weeks in the Pacific Ctost letm bousn, openuifr March 15. Slie will sing "Love Sends A Little Gift of Rose*." MUSICAL UNION KMANDS (Continued- from page 3) at a time when unskilled labor was earn- ing more than they were. So when they got their increase, it might have seemed large, but it was not what they shoidd have had. Living conditions are higher than ever now, the men have their childroi running around without shoes on their feet, and have not been giving them the right nourishing food due to the fact that their incomes were not sufficient This was all brought about through politics in the A. F. of M. But Joseph Weber has no control over us now, he will not rule us with his iron hand any longer. We have local autonomy in our organization and are responsible for the acts of our members, while the other local is ruled by a liand-picked' few who are responsible to Weber and do as he tells them to do. . with the result that the organization he has placed in the field to take our place does not command the respect of the members or the managers. We do command the respect of our members and with that we will command it of the managers as well, regardless of what Weber may do. We are not going to let the grass grow_ under uur feet and will demand quick action on our demands from the managers, or will walk out on them, if we do not get what we coiuider fair." The ° Producing Managers' Association, the Vaudeville Managers' Protective Asso- ciation and other organizations of mana- gers which employ musicians have taken the stand that Weber will be able to cope with the situation and that they will only deal with htm or the recognized New York local on business pertaining to the theatres in the city. "SIX CHARACTERS" CLOSING Brock Pemberton's production of "Si.x Characters in Search of an Author" will close at the Princess Theatre, Saturday night after an eighteen weeks' sojourn in that house. Pembcrton announces the reason for closing being that the work was a bit strenuous 'for the members of the cast, and that several of them threatened to quit unless they would be able to get a vacation. Pemberton listened to their re- quest and told them that he would close the show for four weeks and then resume. In the meantime - the theatre was rented for four weeks to Richard Riccardi, actor- author-producer, who will present a com- edy he has written, entitled "Papa Joe," beginning ne.\t Monday nighL Should the new show remain at the house after the four weeks Pemberton will take his company on tour, otherwise he will have them return to the Princess and complete the season there. Pemberton is also planning to place in rehearsal shortly a French comedy by Louis Vcmeuil, son-in-law of Sarah Bern- hardt, entitled "To Get Adricnnc." Sey- mour Hicks is at present appearing in a London theatre in this play. JULIAN HALL AND KATHLEEN RED DEXTER JuUan Hall and Kathleen Red Dexter, whose pictures appear on the front cover of this week's issue of the Cliffer, just finished the Orphenm circuit and are meet- ing with success in the East with titar new act which was written by Will J. Harris. This young couple have everything in their favor, possessing talent, ability and youth. Miss Dexter is of a charming type pos- sessing personality which radiates to the last row. Julian Hall is an exceptional performer and does many things which would take too much space to mention. The act is playing exclusively for the B. F. Keith Drcuit. BROOKE FOR "WILOFLOWER" Tyler Brooke, who closed after a one- week engagement in "Peaches" at Balti- more, was engaged this week to replace James Doyle in the cast of "Wildflower" at the Casino Theatre. At the same time Gladys Doree was cast to replace Evelyn Cavanaueh. Both people go into the show next Mpnday night.