New York Clipper (Mar 1923)

March 14.1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 5 SHUBERT VAUDEVILLE CIRCUIT ENDIN G DISASTRO US SEASON End of Month WiU See Passing of Circuit—Surviving Units WiU Attempt Runs in Legitimate Houses—Lee Shubert May Make Another Try with Strai^t Vaudeville— Herk Reported Head of Negro Circuit Unless there is an eleventh hour shift in plans, the Shubert unit and vaudeville circuit will cease to function after the end of this month. Although the "opposition" vaudeville will pass out for the current season, it has b«en learned from an au- thoritative source that Lcc Shubert has not entirely abandoned the idea of an oppo- sition vaudeville circuit. It is stated with more or less authority that Shubert may revive the circuit next season, when be will operate it as a straight vaudeville proposition. Those who have been close to Mr. Shubert in his recent combination venture would neither deny nor affirm that such a plan is under way. At any rate, the current season of vaudeville will be "cold turkey" at the end of this month. Several of the surviving units will be routed over the Shubert legit circuit and will attempt runs in cities where they have not already been shown. -Among those ten- tatively selected for this new experiment are George Jessell's "Troubles of 1923," Lew Fields' "Snapshots," "Spices of 1923," "Whirl of New York," "Gaieties of 1923," "The Midnight Rounders," and Gertrude Hoffman in "Hello, Everybody." The latr ter show has already tried the experiment and is now running at the Majestic Thea- tre, Boston, book^ in on a four weeks' run at $2 top and has met with sufficient encouragement to warrant the others to make a similar try. The shows will oper- ate under an eight-performance weekly policy, instead of the fourteen perform- ances required under the unit contracts. As far as could be ascertained the per- formers have not as yet been asked to take a pro rata cut in face of the decrease in the number of performances. The theatre crisis precipitated by the abolition of the unit shows seems to have partly solved itself by several of the unit houses being sub-leased to stock com- panies. Four theatres were farmed out this week. The entire details of the trans- action appear elsewhere in the news pages of this issue. The remaining theatres will be converted into run houses, with the ex- ception of the Central, New York and Chestnut Opera House, Philadelphia, which may attempt to round out the sea- son with straight vaudeville bills. The new policy entirely obliterates the Affiliated Circuit from the picture. .-Ml bookings are being handled direct from the Shubert offices, thus leaving the Herk venture high and dry so far as revenue from cither the units or the vaudeville bills are concerned. Edward Bloom is routing the shows for the Shubcrts, while Arthur Klein is assembling the straight vaudeville bills. The Affiliated Circuit, however, contin- ues to maintain its palatial suite of offices on the fourth floor of the Robcrtson-Colc building. Rumors have been persistent that Herk would relinquish the office."! and toss up the sponge. This rumor was dis- pelled last week, however, when it was learned that overtures had been made to Herk to become general manager of a new circuit recently formed to route nepro musical attractions. The venture will be fostered by the newly incorporated Syndicate Attractions Circuit, Inc., which has been incorporated for $100,000 to organize and promote negro musical shows of the "Shuffle Along" and "Liza" type. The new circuit plans to pro- vide a season of forty weeks, with twenty shows playing week stands. They have al- ready acquired*a nuQjber of theatres and at the present plan will play the shows for repeat dates in each theatre, allotting two weeks to each show over the circuit, but not to be played consecutively. Robert Levey, who has been identified with the Lafayette Theatre and with a number of negro musical productions which started out from there, is the main spoke in this new wheeL Levey and the others inter- ested in the venture want Herk as general manager of the new enterprise. Negotia- tions have been temporarily delayed through the illness of Herk, but it is ex- pected that the deal will be closed this week. With the acquisition of Herk the new syndicate will take over the former headquarters of the Affiliated and will route the shows from the Robertson-Cole building. New York. Among the houses already lined up for the new circuit are the Howard. VVash- ington; Howard, Richmond; Douglas, Baltimore; Attucks, Norfolk; Lincoln, Newport News; Lafayette, New York; Avenue, Chicago; Supreme, Brooklyn; Kappin, Detroit; Dunbar, Philadelphia. Others are being negotiated for in Boston, St. Louis and in a number of cities in the South. The booking office will charge a fee to the shows and houses booked and will operate on a plan similar to that of the .\ffiliated in the unit venture. The shows are to play on percentage terms. The new circuit will begin operations June 1. "THE WASP"' FOR lUHtOSCO "The Wasp," a play by Thomas Fallon, will have its New York premiire at the Morosco theatre on March 26th, foUowiac Florence Reed in "Hail and FareweU," which will vacate on March 24th. "The Wasp" is now rdiearsing at the Morosco Theatre I'nder the direction of W. H. Gilmour, and has undergone sev- eral changes in its cast. Emily Ann Well- man and Otto Kreuger will head the cast, which includes Ben Hendricks, Leslie Aus- ten, Annie Mack Berlin, Galina Kopemak and Tammany Young. F^or to its New York presentation the attraction will play two days, March 23rd and 24th, at Easton, Pa. HITCHCOCK COMES BACK Raymond Hitchcock is reported to be "cleaning up" in the Middle West with his new version of "Hitchy Koo," being spon- sored by Boehiams, Inc., producers of "Greenwich Village Follies." Contrary to reports this is not a revamped edition of "The Spice of Life," which had played the Shubert unit circuit earlier in the sea- son, but an entirely new production in two acts and nineteen scenes. 'Hitchcock will continue to play short stands ranging from one to three nights throughout the mid- vvestem cities until May 1. after which the revue will be sent into Chicago for a Sum- mer run. REVIVING "BAMBOO TREE" Marion Vallou has been selected for the cast of the revival of "Under the Bamboo Tree," which the Shubcrts will shortly place in rehearsal. James Barton is slated for the leading role in this musical play, which was the last starring vehicle of Bert Williams. STOCK FOR UfOT SHOW HOUSES Henry DaBy, fausbaod of Anoe Nichols, the playwright and producer of "Abies Irish Rose, has aoiuircd four 9mbert theatres, in whidi he will operate dnmatic stock companies during the summer.. Two of the thiatres, the Crescoit, Brtnklyn. and the Detroit Opera House. Detroit, are now housing Shnbert unit vmodeville. The for- mer wul abanlon its vaudeville policy on March 17 and the latter on April 29lh. The other theartrcs are the Academy of Mnsic, Baltimore, and the Pitt Theatre, Pitts- burgh. On March 19th Duffy will present at the Crescent Theatre as his first offering, "East Is West,* with Regina Wallace in the role created by Fay Bainter. The foOowitiK week he will present "The Bird of Para- dise." The following week. March a6th. he wiB launch one at the Pitt Theatre, Pittsburgh. The initial attraction wiH be "Abie's Inah Rose." This play will have an indefinite run at the Pittsburgh house. Duffv pre- sented it at the President Theatre in Wash- ington, where it ran 12 weeks, and at the Academy of Music, Baltimore, where it ran for six weeks. On May 7th he will open the Detroit Theatre with "Abie's Irish Rose" as the first bill. Here as in Pittsburgh he fignics the play will rtm from sx to ten wcdcs. I>nffy has obtained two new plays which he intends having all of his companies try out. One of them, "The Rebound." br Thomas Robinson, was the Harvard prize play of two years ago. and was obtained at that time by Oliver Morosco. As tihe latter did nothing with it Duffy obtained the pro- duction rights from the author. The other play is "The Dust of Erin," by T. W. Gib- son. If this latter play is accepted in stock Duffy intends giving it a production in a New York theatre in September. "VILLAGE FOLLIES" GETS $650,000 The fourth edition of "Greenwich Vil- lage Follies" wound up its New York ron of twenty-six weeks at the Shubert The- atre and opened a four-week engagement at the Shubert Theatre, Boston, last Mon- day night. The current edition of the "Greenwidi Village Follies" grossed over $650,000 on its New York run, which is not only an enviable record, but is the first of the series to have bettered the production "nut*- on the metropolitan run. Although an expen- sive production it has not only alread>- paid for itself but has also yiekled a hand- some profit for Bohemians, Inc., its pro- <lucers and some heahhy royalty state- ments for John Murray Anderson, who staged it The piece couM have remained longer but the management was anxious to beat Al Jolson in "Bombo" to the Boston date. Had they remained they would have had to fellow Jolson into the Shubert on April 13, as had been originally planned. As it stands the Jolson show will follow the "Follies" at the Boston house. • The show is getting a $3.85 top in Boston, which is pretty steep for the Hub folk, but there were plenty of takers for the opening night and the piece was cred- ited with having sold out for the emire week before the curtain was raised. Al Jones and Morris Green, managing directors of 'The Bohemians," made the trip for the premiers and were more than pleased with the manner in which the show ;:ot over. Saul .Abrams. general manager .>f "The Bohemians" will travel with the piece for its road tour. Mr. Abiams statwl that the ?3.85 top established in Bos- Ion would prevail all along the line. SHUBERTS SUE VAUDEVILLE ACTOR .^s assignee of the claim from the Win- ter Garden Company, the Shubert The- atrical Company Med suit last week for the sum of $600.00, against Charles E. Mack of the team of Motan and Made In the complaint filed in the Municipal Court, the Shuberts claim that the money was due them for advance salary, etc., given to the act. Through his attorneys. Mack in his an- swer states that he is filing a counter claim against the Shttberts for $10,000 for an alleged breach of contract on their part. Katherine—BENNETT TWINS—Gladys WITH AL JOLSON IN "BOMBO" where these two adorable kiililics have heen aJI season, {eaturinjr their own sonirs in the «how. among which are "How'd You Like To lie a Kid Again" and "Pride ol i>aradise Alley." Thi« week, and week of Mamh 19ih, at the Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia; Hatch 2S-JI (Holy Week), visiting friends in New York; .-Xpril 1-7 .Auditorium. Baltimorv, April 8-14, Poli Theatre, Wash- ington; .^pril I5th, bcginninif .in iniletinite run at the Shubert Theatre, Boston, their home town.