New York Clipper (May 1923)

6 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER May 16, 1923 AMUSEMENT STOCKS CONTINUE TO DECL INE—UTTL E ACTIVITY Famous Players Falls to 81During Week But Picks Up Two Points on Monday—GoMwyn Gains of a Point and Loew Shows Little Improvonent The entire list of amusement stocks last week was on the decline, the losses going from in, by Orpheum to % by Goldwyn. However trading was not particularly ac- tive in any of the issues and the losses were mostly suffered early in the week when the entire market sagged heavily under a bear attack, following the rumors attendant upon the Schwab-Hayes matter. The various amusement stocks spent the rest of the week trying to recover the ground thty had lost aod succeeded more «>r less effectively. The Federal Inquiry cootinaes to be a factor in the price of the Famous Players-La^ issue amd it will be somq time before this handicap is removed to any extent. The block of S. A. Lynch stock also looms in the ofiSng and inter- feres WTth the buoyancy of this issue.. • Rumors have been current for sometime that amusement stocks were in a precarious position but their action during last week's flurry did not seem to point in that direc- tion. Wliile all of them sagged, such ac- tioo was to be expected and the fact that they cune bock later in the week showed a strong technical position even if a loss was shown on the weekly trading. It is more than probable that following (he un- certain movements recently most of the weak holdings have been shaken out and that practically all the amusement stocks are Iield by interests that have fixed plans which -they will put into operation when they see fit. FasKHis, which fell from 82 to to SV/i during the week for a yi point loss with 7,900 shares sold at one time went as low as 80!^ close to its low for the year. On Monday of this week the issue staged a come-back, 1,300 shares being traded, the issue closing at 83yi for a gain of two points. Other stocks along the line showed a gain, on Monday, probably due to short covering. Goldwyn, which had sold off last week to 5 and at one time had gone to 4% gained ^ of a point on Monday of this week, with 700 shares sold, the issue closing at S%, H of a point above its opening the previous Monday. Loew's, with a rumor out that the divi- dend in June will be passed, held up fairly well nevertheless and showed that this news had already been discounted. With 9,800 shares sold the issue slid off from 17^ to 17^', a small loss under the drcmnstances. On Monday of this week the issue staged a comeback, 1,700 shares being sold and the stock going from 17^ to 17^, a pretty good showing for the day. Dunng last week Orpheum showed the biggest loss, probably due to the fact that it had shown a gain during the past few weeks without any apparent reason. Dur- ing the week 4,600 shares were sold, the issue declining from 19^ to 18^ for a loss of 1^ points. This mark of 18^ is about the point at which the issue stood several weeks ago when Judicious buying emanating from' Chicago sent the price up to above 21. ACTORS' FUND HOU>S MEETING The annual meeting and election of offi- cers of die Actors' Fund of America was hdd (Tuesday) yesterday afternoon in the Hndsoa Theatre. There were more than 500 persons present when the annual re- port oS the Actors' Fund was read. Reso- tntions were passed in m«mory of the late F. F. Mackey, who was first vice-president of tl» Fund since die establishment of the Fmd Home' in Staten Island, and who was active in the cqierating of the institutitm. >Daniel Frohmn, who has been president of the Fund nnce 1904, was re-elected {resident. E. F. Albee was chosen 3S first Tiee^esident to su ccee d F. F. Mackey. Mr. Mackey was a candidate for re-elec- tion but his death brought about the substi- tntion of Albee for the office. Charles B. Wells was elected second vice-president; Pa^tul Scrftoer, treasurer, and Walter Vinoent, secretary. Elected to serve as trustees for three years were: Jesse L. Lasky, Hairy Dazian, John Cope, Walter C Jordan, Robert T. Haines and Edmund Breeze. Those elected to serve two years as tmstees are Joseph Herbert and R. H. Banaide. KALIZ FILES ALIENATION SUIT > Arman Kaliz, vaudeville and production actor, who last season had an up and down career with his show, "Spice of 1922," which started ont as a big Broadway pro- duction'and ended up as a Shubert Unit, has filed an action against Louis L. Laut- man, Brooklyn dentist, in which he asks for damages amoimting to $50,000 for al- leged alienation of the affections of his wife and former vandeville partner, Amelia Stone Kaliz. Kaliz, who for years worked in vaudeville with Amelia Stone, had a disagreement with her last season which ended with Um being k)cked up for a short period in Ludlow street jail on an alimony charge. MILLER PLAYS IN OMAHA 1 Henry Miller, with his all-star stock company en route to the Columbia Theatre, San Francisco, for a summer engagement, broke the jump last week in Omaha and played three performances at the Brandeis Theatre in "The Changeling" at a $3 top to a gross business of $7,212. THE VIOORS UVING APART Los Amceles, May 14.—Florence Vidor, film actress, and her husband. King Vidor, director of motion pictures, are seeking married happiness by living apart and meeting only in pid>lic places. Vidor is not living at his home in Fairfax avenue, Hollywood, but is often seen with Mrs. Vidor in public places. This is in keeping with the Fannie Hurst idea of having two days a week together, and possibly only a breakfast or so. Mrs. Vidor, who returned last week from Honolulu -with her small daughter, after a five weeks' ^isence, said that there was not the slightest possSiility of a divorce, nor one contemplated at any time. She said that she and her husband had decided on the'two-breakfasts-a-wcek^ourse as an ex- periment because they sonriit permanent happiness and did not wish to interfere with each others conceptions and certain ideals. Both of them' being engage d in creative woric she pbfaited out, bodi wanted to work out their respective destinies with- out infringing on the freedom of each other. FRISCO "FRCHJC" CLOSES San Franqsco, May 14.—The Frolic Tlieatre closed last week, after being op- erated for the past three years by Carl Laenunle as a first run motion picture house featuring Universal pictures. The theatre was among the first to be opened on Market street over twelve years ago, and at that time was operated as a vaude- ville house, plus a picture, at popular prices. Later a Pantages house opened across the street and the Frolic did poor business while it changed hands several times. Finally the Universal film com- pany took it over. The theatre is to be rebuilt according to report and a new Universal house put up, the film company having acquired the ad- joining property also. "FIRST YEAR** FOR HLMS The film rights to Frank Craven's com- edy, "The First Year," were reported as having '>«°' week to Preferred Pictures. The purchase price is said to have been $100,000. BROKER SUES PLAYWRIGHT Doim Byrne, playwright, is made de- fendant in an action started last week in the Supreme Court by Laura Wilck, play- broker, who is suing for the sum of $800 alleged to be the balance due on commis- sions for having disposed of the motion picture rights of the Byrne play, "Foolish Matrons." In the complaint filed by her attorney, Chas. L. Kahn, Miss Wilck sets forth that on January 3, 1921, Mr. Byrne agreed to pay her ten per cent, commission if she sold the movie rights of his play, "Foolish iMatrons." On February 1, 1921, she claims, negotiations were concluded by her with Maurice Toumeur for the purd^se of the rights to the play for the sum of $10,000. At the time the contract was made, $2,000 was paid down by Toumeur to Byrne, ten per cent of the amount, $200, was m him paid to Miss Wilck as com- missions. Since that time, she further al- leges, the producer paid the balance of the $10,000 to Byrne,- who has failed to pay her the balance of the commissions due, $^. On May 2, 1923, Miss Wilck's attorney attached money due Donn Byrne, from the Century Magazine Company, which amount will be tied up until the suit is de- cided by the court. "CAT AND CANARY" CO.'S CLOSE Two more of the "Cat and Canary" com- panies closed on tour last Saturday. "The Chicago company, which had been running there since September 1 at the Princess and La Salle Theatres respectively, and the Northern company which concluded its engagement at Franklin, Pa., were the last of the three road companies to re- turn to New York. The first company, which is playing a return engagement at the National Theatre, will remain at that house on a week to week basis as long as the business holds up. The first of the four "Cat and Canary" companies to begin its season will be the New York company, which will get its start in Boston on Labor Day. The other three companies will open shortly after- ward. STOCK REOPENS ON LABOR DAY Ai3ANY, N. Y., May 14.—Following the closing of the Proctor Players at Har- manus Bleecker Hall last Saturday night, scheduled to re-open on Labor Day, Ed- ward M. Hart announced that he had or- ganized a new company for F. F. Proctor, which will open for the summer at Proc- tor's Troy Theatre on May 28. The opening attraction will be "Why Men Leave Home." The new leading woman in the com- pany that will be seen in Troy is Ruth Rickaby who has played leads with Wil- liam Faversham. Russell Hicks will be the leading man and Virginia Holland, the second woman. The second man will be Dillon I>^sy. Others in the new company included Lola Mayne, ing^ne, formerly in "The Gold Diggers;" Harry Gilmore, juvenile; Jean- ctte Connors of Hudson, characters; Har- rison Hoy, characters and Massena Gark and Lew Harris. William Amsdell will be stage manager and Jack Edwards will direct all productions. Professor Elan has been re-engaged as scenic artist. NEWS REELS TO BE CENSORED AuANY, May 14.—The Court of Ap- peals affirmed the right of the State Mo- tion Picture Commission to censor news reels in the review of an appeal brought by the Pathe News from a decision of the commission. The Pathe company ques- tioned the constitutionalit;^' of the Motion Picture Law insofar as it compelled the censorship of news reels. The court held that news reels are prop- erly censorable. Attorney General Sher- man defended the commission. VERA MEYERS FOR GARDEN SHOW Vera Meyers, who was understudy for Trini in "The Dancing Girl" at the Winter Garden, has been engaged by J. J. Shubert to appear in a principal role in the new Winter Garden show which goes into re- hearsal May 28. MGRS. ARGUE OVER EDITH DAY • The second row among producers over the services of an actor this season came to lie^t last week, when it became known that Arthur Hammerstein and Charles Bancroft Dillingham have been indulging in an interchange of communications re- garding the services of Edith Day, who is now appearing in "Wildflower." Several weeks ago the Dillingham office notified Hammerstein that they would shortly require the services of Miss Day for a new offering they were going to pro- duce this summer. Hammerstein took the matter as a joke and wrote Dillingham that he had a contract for Miss Day's services in "Wildflower" for the run of the play in New York, in the United States, Canada and England, and that she was going to Ihre up to the contract He also add^ that he could not see why Dillingham want- ed the services of Miss Day, as it was through his instigation that Edward Royce withdrew her from the cast of "Orange Blossoms" at the Fulton Theatre this sea- son, claiming that Dillingham did not like her work. Mr. Dillingham replied to Hammerstein that he had a contract with Miss Day which he would have carried out. He said he had two plays in mind for her. One that he would like to put on soon and an- other in September. He said he would defer the production of the first play if Hammerstem wanted Miss Day to api>ear in ;"Wildflower" dur- ing the summer in New' York, but that he wanted her for the 'production of bis show in the fall and that he would have her if he had to resort to the courts to do so. He stated that he had loaned Miss Day to Royce for the "Orange Blossoms" show and that he had later loaned her to Ham- merstein for "Wildflower," but would in- sist that she be returned to his manage- ment at the end of the summer. At the end of his letter to Hammerstein, Dilling- ham said: "At this early date I extend a cordial invitation to you to attend the opening of a new play, with Miss Day in one of the parts, at the Globe Theatre, New York City, in September. The play will be produceid by Charles B. Dillingham." Hammerstein has made no answer to the last Dillingham communication, and is said to be waiting for word from the latter's attorney on the matter. "NAUGHTY DIANA" FOR CHICAGO Chicago, May 12. — "The Naughty Diana" is expected to open the new Adel- phi Theatre late in August. That is the name under which the Columbia, burlesque house, will be known after remodeling. A. H. Woods now has the house and plans to make it an "intimate** theatre along the plan of the "<Music Box Revue" in New York. "The Naughty Diana" is a making over of a German farce "Lonely Wives 1 It has had a try-out in New England. The gallery will be torn out of die Columbia which will leave it with 1,000 seating capacity. The Woods interests are said to have paid $450,000 for the Columbia and it is reported that it is planned to spend $100,000 in remodeling. The Columbia wheel is now without a loop home and it is said it has eyes on the Olympic. "VILLAGE FOLLIES" AT MAJESTIC The third edition of the "Greenwich Village Follies," with Ted Lewis and Joe Brown heading the cast, is playing a sup- plementary engagement at the Majestic Theatre, Brooklyn, this week. The show closed its regular season on tour last week. Although no further dates have been booked following the Majestic there is a possibility that the show may play other houses of the "subway circuit" This, in- cidentally, is the first "Greenwich Village Follies" to have played the subway circuit houses. MARGARET LAWRENCE SAIUNG Margaret Lawrence, who will conclude her engagement in "Secrets" at the Fulton Theatre on Saturday night, will sail for a summer vacation in Europe on May 22nd. She will be accompanied by her two chil- dren and her mother and will remain abroad until August