New York Clipper (May 1923)

May 16, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 13 Poka^ad br tta CUPPER CORPORATION Orland W. Vansfau PreddeDt and Sccntaiy Frederick C Holler..- Treuoicr I6SS Bnudwmr, New York Telephone drcle 9U2-91U WALTER VAUCUAN. EOITOS New York Wednesday, May 16. 1923 Eatcicd Jsne 24, lOT, at the Fbet Office at Nev York, N. Y., aeccnd cimu maurr, tnular the act of Hatch 3, lOT. THE CLIPPER to toned cvot WEDNESDAY Forma dooe on Hondax at 5 P. U. SUBSCRIPTION One year in advance, (Si lix -"♦'■^ |U0: Ikxce moolhi, $1.2$. Cuada and (oieigB poalBtc •atra. Sincle copie* will be acnt, poat paid an i«ealpt of 15 centa. ADVERTUDia RATES FURNISHED ON . APPUCATICMI Chlcaso OfEo—Solte 626, Stats Lake BIdc. Fheae D eai be ra 1776 RoBXB D. BoMUL, Hanagcr Saa Fraactooo OSee—Solte Ca, GOlctte BU(. SB Harket St. Phou Kcanr 32Q Km CoaiB, Hanaier Addrcm an comnmilnrtnni to IHB NEW TORK CUPPU Raaaa m im Blirfm. Nav Yarit RtfUttTtd CmtU AdSnu: "Aurmtmm.' Tu Cuma out u aiTAinB wHOLaaus an aaraiL at our afota, Gmiaaa Aaarleaa Nan Astncy, 17 Gicea SM«^ Ckarins Ovm Sgad, T<wdnn, W. C, Knaland; Daw*, 1 Basia Plaoa, PieeadUIr Qreoa, Leadaa, 8. W.. Boslaadt ■nnlana'i Newa Dcpe^ O Avanne de I'Opan. ftria, Fcuce; Gordon ft Cotch. IS Pitt Sbvat, Sydney, N. & W., Anttnlia. PROTEST U. S. PLAYS Another grairfuc illustration of Britain's soobbi^ess is sensed in the recent pow- wow among the English actors over the influx of American productions which have scored on their shoresi 'Not content with the Paul Whiteman inddent, when the British Musical Union, jealous of the or- chestra king's triuinph, attempted to pre- vent him from playing in any of tiie ^es or any place other than the production for which he was imported. iNow the &iglish actors seem highly per- turbed because a dozen of American pla^s have prospered on their shores. They alibi their conqylaints with the lamentation that it has been a bad season. That may be true. But a bad season !s generally pre- cqMtated by bad plays. When the plays are good the season is good also. British managers,, however, had evident- ly beta convinced ^t the native dramatists were not supplying the sort of material that ooukl "pull" audiences in a season ad- mittedly none too good and immediately entered negotiations with American pro- ducers for productions which had estab- lidied themselves on this side of the pond. In nany inctotwc ^ productioos had got- ten over, in a sense, by the fine acting of its cast Omsectuently, the London managers wanted that cast as <weU as the play and demanded that the entire American produc- tion intact should be imported. The British actor, however, has viewed proceedings from a distorted angle. He has seen only the selfish viewpoint, *he one that directly hits at his indcetbook. Re- gardless of vibat jeopardy 'die established American hit might hazard, he cannot understand why the cast was not replaced wiA native actors. From his line of argu- ment it would seem that he would be more content to have Ae theatres "dark" rather than have thou prosper 'with American plays. Tlie incredibility of such an' arrange- ment is illustrated in Arthur Hopkins* production of "Anna Christie," perhaps the most recent American invader. It is dotdit- ful if England could contribute an actress who would do for the title role what Pauline Lord has dooe. Even in America we know of no odier mctress who could hold a candle to Miss Lord's interpreta- tion of this difficult role. And if the role iwas not played with the same great power the play itsdf would mean notfailig. And when one is considering bad sea- sons, the British actor shonld remember that there has been many a bad season in America. While lamentable to the Amer- ican actors, none of the latter ever set up a howl about a foreign artist coming over and stealing their thunder. Many foreign artists have come and conquered in good and bad seasons and the American actor was the first, last and always the one to applaud his triumph as vigorously and sincerely as the rank and file. The American actor welcomes competi- tion. To him it is tiie variety that nokes the life worth while. When his 'British brother begins to appreciate this it will alleviate much of his present self-inflicted mental anguish. As matters stand one would be inclined to believe that the English actor is promul- gating a boycott of American plays and players. A BIGGER SHAKESPEAREAN MENU (Reprinted from the N. Y. Sun) Not long ago a prominent theatrical producer said the present wave of inter- est in Sh.ikespeare's plays would die with the close of the present season. But announcements during the week which marked the tercentenary of. the publication of the first folio of the plays indicate that this producer's guess was wrong. It is evident that Shake- spearean drama will be acted to as great an extent this year, and perhaps greater, next season. A play long a stranger to Broadway came to grief, it is true, recently in "Much Ado About Nothing." The pub- lic's apparent rejection of this uqfamiliar offering gives no indication of any lack of liking for the old favorites. "Macbeth," "Hamlet," "The Mer- chant of Venice," "Romeo and Juliet," "The Taming of the Shrew*' and "Twelfth Night" perhaps, are of this number. But of late years producers have hurried to cover when the other plays have been mentioned. "King Richard HI" was produced quite re- cently and extreme age is not requisite to a memory of a New York per- formance of "The Merry Wives of Windsor;" but of late years, until the current production of "As You Like It," the Shakespearean menu has been strictly limited. One reason for this restriction, it is said, is the superstition common amonir theatrical people, actors and managers alike, concerning certain of the plays. "King Lear" has a bad reputation. Many actors aspire to play the 'role, but there is a saying that productions of the play always have been financial failures. The same notion applies to a few of the others. Still others, of course, are considered unactable. New York audiences today have changed tastes. There has apparently grown up a more eager demand for novelty. As like as not the novelty of seeing a performance of "Cymbehne," for instance, will insure the attendance of many theatregoers who would not trouble themselves to see one of the bet- ter known plays. Quite possibly the public is read:^ to welcome a few of the plays which for many yearb have ap- peared only between book covers. Some of these have demonstrated their popular appeal in times past. It is hard to understand what has become of "The Comedy of Errors" since Rob- son and Crane were twin "riots" as the brothers Dromio. Still others, which apparently have lacked recent vogue are "King Henty VIII," "Julius Caesar," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "The Tempest," "Othdio" and "Antony and Cleopatra." At Stratford-on-Avon, to celebrate the publishing tercentenary, English companies have started a one-month Shakespearean season, during which all of the plays will be acted. A true lover of Shakespeare, probably would ^ve much to have the same opportunity in this country that American tourists enjoy in England. Answers to Qnerics B. R.—Richard Mansfield produced "Ju- lius Caesar," with Arthur Greenaway in the title role, at the Herald Square Theatre, Dec. 1, 1902. Gray—"The Altar of Friendship" was produced by Nat C Goodwin and Maxine Elliott at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York. Stock—Etta Reed Pavton appeared in a stock production of "The Shaughraun" at Payton's Theatre, Brooklyn. M. S.—"The Bird in the Cage" was adapted from the German and was pro- duced at the Boston Museum, with Charles Mackey, Edward Harrigan and Sandol MiUiken m the cast. Tully—Adele Purvis Onri played the Orpheum Circuit during that seas<m. French—Caswell and Arnold played at the Nouveau Grque, Paris. France. Karr—Barry Johnstone shot and killed Kate Hassett of the Keith Stodc CamfRiiy. „L. O.—Irene Betitley was with "The Wild Rose" company. R. G.—David Belasco presented Blanche' Bates in "The Darling of the Gods" at the Belasco Theatre. New York. George Ar- liss, Robert T. Haines and J. H. Benrimo were among die cast 2S YEARS AGO Amelia Bingham was with the Mordatmt and Blade Stock Company, alternating be- tween the Herald Square Theatre and the Columbus Theatre. New York. Harry Elwood. Johnson and Harvey, Cyrcne, and Rand and Ordway idayed at the Chutes, San Francisco. "The Chorus Girl" was produced at the Boston Museum, with Mem Osborne, Wil- liam Norris, and Eddie Garvey in the cast Heniy V. Donnelly leased the Murray Hill Theatre, New York, for stock. The Royal Italian Grand Opera Com- pany opened at Wallack's Theatre, New York. Ned Waybum was in the cast of May Irwin's company, playing Buttons in "Kate Kip, Buyer." James W. Collier died at New York City. Edouard Remenyi, violinist died on the stage of the Orpheum Theatre, San Fran- cisco. Thomas O'Brien, of O'Brien and Read- ing, died at London, England, The Bamum & Bailey Grcus played a three weeks' engagement at Manchester, England. Bert Willison's Great Work! Circus was at Honolulu, Hawaii. Joe Goddard knocked out Peter Maber at Philadelphia. The American Biograph supplied moving pictures of the North Atlantic sqnadroo. "It's Not What You Were, Ifs What You Are Ttiday." by Dan Marion, was published by J. W. Stem & Cx Rialto Rattles A DRABIATIC SCENE It was a dark night Two sh^ies were seen to slink along the beach to a nearby pier. Then noises were heard. "Oh." "Ah," "Why didn't I meet yon before." Then the sound of smacking lips, a laag-draafq sigh and then—a crash of breaking riaaa as the two men tiirew away the bottle of "private stock." CHEERIO. OLD DEARl There have been many stories illustrat- ing Qiglish cold-bloodedness and in differ- ence^ and perhaps the followtnff will be funny if the reader binuelf pots the proDcr dialect It is well Imown that if an EnffJah audience doesn't care for an act, tht7 let him know very quiddy and cuceuirely. While a certain English single -was doing his routine, a rowdy in the first raw looked up and gave him the norberrj, yeUinp; "Get off I" The Englishman kept on with his song, and soon the old bei^ came again. The performer Indeed o*er to the rowdy and said. "I beg your pardon?". "I said you—(razz)—get offl" pointinc to the exit "Well," said the Engliihinaii. wilUng towards it "Perhaps yon'rc right" EXCEPT WHEN REPCHCIS ARE GO<H> Although "B^ys' Week" is over, book actors insist tint as far as ^tideville cem ed, "Boys* Week" lasts all year 'round. THAT CERTAIN BUSINESS A sign in a store at the Strand Theatre Building states "Remodeling Business Go- fag On.* NEW WAY TO GET HONOR "P. M. A.'s Natkwal Theatre Flop Most of Distinctive of Season." News- paper headline. Killing thcnuelves with gloiy, so to speak. ANOTHER "WEEK" FOR NEW YORK Now comes "Clean-Up Week," which is in progress during the auTcnt seven days. This IS called to the attention of bhck- face comics, tramp make-up eomfdiani^ and chorus girls. The latter, according to some people, are always deaning-np. HERE IS THE RECORD Aspiring contesUnts for marathon dance records arc hereby referred to the mark made - by a penitent sinner, one Sinxm Sonbacn who back in the days of 1023, as a penance danced for 365 days without stoppmg. NO PLACE TO GO A movie theatre in Moira, N. Y., homed down and hundreds were confined to thdr homes, havmg no place to go. , , HOW DO THEY DO IT7 ~' The real mystery of the maiathan dances b to be able to explain how the men get away from work that long. NO TAILOR'S DUMMY A headline said that Louis WoQieim was wed in his ^riiiskers. You couldn't call him a tailor's dummy. DARE YOU TO USE THIS Puns are all ri^it in their ptaee^ but ' what ptmishment would yon suggest to be given to Dan Cumnmigs, who tSis ta tlie sad story of a ^1 he saw in a restsuiau t with her sweetheart "Her sweetie was treating her terribly.'* says Dan, "he called her names and beat her up. Honestly, the poor girl was leading a dog's life. So I called her over."