New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

14 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER July 11, 1923 "VANTITES OF 1923" EARL CARROLL REVUE GORGEOUS AND BRIGHT -VANITIES OF 1923," prnentcd by Earl Caimll at Uie Eail Carroll Tbcatre, Tlmraday crcning July 5, 1923. Music and lyrics by the producer, dialosnc writ- ten and staffed by WiUiam Collier, and dancea atased hy Sammy Lee. Dcfigna by R. Rcid Ma^niere; costnnes by Paul AdlxBQton. PRINCIPALS Hopkina Joyce; Joe Cook, Jimmy Harrr Bums, Joe Marx, Fred 7, J. Frank Leslie, Sam Hermann, d29.. Roninff, . Cbarlea Senna. Fred Rekoma. Al Thomaa, Dorothea Neville, Irene Ricardo, Blarsaret Edwards. Dorothy Knapp. Loratta Marks^ Maiiant Dayies, Geitnide La Hoiu and Oaire Bgin. Earl Carroll is a persistent youoe man and when he sets out to do a thing be usnally does it He showed this during the -war and he showed it later when a show of his was farced out of a New York Theatre and he made up his mind to have a jplay- bonse of his on. At this theatre of his, on Thtirsday, Jnly 5, he again showed what persistence would do. He had announced that be was going to put on a revue and immediately trouble started. Equity had its say, scenery and costumes proved diffi- colt to obtain in time for the opening and the annoimccd opening date had to be changed. But this didn't daunt the young producer. He opened up oo Tbursday night and gave the jaded first-nighters a show thqr will remember for some time to come. A show that incorporates in its >« « iiwi « all the love of line and color that the producer acquired in his youth while touring the Orient plus an infectious nerve that gave the spectator an impression of bemg suddenly bathed in the gfoiT of a June morning. And the people •ma were present at the opening were siKctators and not andienc& for the performance has more appeal to the visual than to the a oral senses. Scenes are handled delicately, yet surely, the garish lavisliness of some of oor other Broadway revues being superseded by com- b^tions of grouping and color that soothe rather than startle. One scenes showing a massive fliglit of steps limited with the different colors of the spectrum, is a per- fect example of taste and artistic know- ledge. ^TToll has ^one in, a good deal, for Uie pTcraloit fashion in choristers and prin- ci|^ on Broadway, the ^Is in the revue bemg as decollete as any m the dty. How- ever these young women have been chosen with an artist's eye and any lack of apparel is more than compensated by a charming symm e try of form and beauty of face. It qxaks well for the American girl and her natural beauty when Carroll can as- semUe such a be^ of pulchritudinous fe- males after the "Follies," "Passing Show," "Scandals," and other musical shows have had their jmck. Peggy Hopldns Joyce is the central fig- ure among the principals and displays a fortune in jewels and raiment effectively. She is given a song or two which she does indifferently well but as a whole shoidd prove a drawing card, as many want a look at the former "Follies" girl. She takes good natnrcdly the drolleries that are aimed at her the various male members of the cast including Joe Cbok and the male mem- bers of the chorus. Joe Cook injects into the proceedings the same wise talent that made him a vaude- ville favorite and Jinnny Duffy, witii his penchant for low corned/, is allotted sev- eral fanny scenes indudmg the "Insanities of 1923" in which he burlesques a fashion dist^y that las just preceded him. Irene Ricardo scored distinctly with her Hebrew brand of himor, her song about her horse, "Oh, Pagliacd" being well re- ceived bat somewhat marred in execution by Ore efforts of (be stage crew to set the ne^ scene. She has several fmmy scenes with Harry Bums and Charles Senna. The bulk of the singing is carried on by Miss Dorothy Neville, a soprano with a long range but limited volume, and Roy Guisti, ■ a typical European tenor. Among the host of other principals Gertrude Lemmon dances gracefully and J. Frank Leslie is given a few moments before the curtain in which he sings snatches of old favorites in a melancholy voice until yanked off by the manager. MORE SEATS FOR OPERA HOUSE The Metropolitan Opera and Real Estate Company, owners of the Metropolitan Op- era House, plan to rearrange tiie orchestra so as to add 200 chairs to the seating ca- padty of this floor. The change will prob- ably be made before next season. At the same time that a vote was passed to change the seating arrangement, the company which owns the Metropolitan voted that all brolcers and syndicates should be told that the opera house is absolutely not for sale and that there is no use to name a price. George G. Haven, presidoit of the company, said: "The Metropolitan Opera House is not for sale. We have had offers but have not considered them and are not anxious that any more be made." Persistent rumors that the house was for sale arose when it was noised about that the site would be changed to Seventh avenue and Fifty-first street, now occupied by the car bams, in connection with which proj- ect Tex Rickard was mentioned. EXPLAINS PARIS PLAY PLANS Qatlce Silvemail, who had contracted with the 'Theatre Femina of Paris to jire- sent a series of American plays in French with casts of American actors and who was subsequently sued by the directors of the Paris playhouse, has entered a denial that several of the stars he had announced knew nothing about the project as inti- mated by the theatre directors. "I mentioned the names of Miss Peggy Wood, Miss Beverly Sitgreaves, Miss Kay Laurel, Miss Heloi TiTden and others,^ said Mr. Silvemail. "The only one not appearing in my company of those I named was Miss Wood, who expressed regret at not being able to play on account of the condition of her voice. I substituted for Miss Wood, Eva La Gallienne, an equally well known name. I mentionnl no others in connection with my venture at any time." BARON PLAYS FOR LONDON Henry Baron intends migrating to Eng- land shortly, for the purpose of producing two plays which he originally produced in New York. He contemplates producing in London "The Tyranny of Love," by Borto-Riche which' he originally presented at the Cbrt Theatre and "The Rubicon," by Edouard Bourdet of which Baron made the American adaptation which was pre- sented at the Hndson Theatre. Charles Cherry who was co-starred with Estelle Winwood in "The Tyranny of Love" who is now playing in London will be used for his original role in the English presenta- tion. Baron does not anticipate having any difficulty with the stage censors of London in stagmg these two plays as he has al- ready furnished them with a copy of the manuscript and they have informed him that there was "nothing" objectionable in the plays. GEO. M. COHAN RETURNING George M. Cohan who went to London several weeks ago to attend the opening of "Little Nellie Kelly" and to look over his production of "So This Is London" which is the biggest "smash" of American plays this season in the English metropolis will sail for New York (today) Wednesday, on the S. S. Majestic, landing here next Tues- day. Eddie Dunn, Cohan's personal rep- resentative, who was called upon at the last minute to go abroad, will return with li«m "NEWCOMERS" OPENED MONDAY Will Morrisey's Summer revue, "The Newcomers," opened at Atlantic City on Monday evening, July 9. The piece will jday engagements in Long Branch and At- lantic City prior to making its Broadway bow at the Apollo Theatre. The cast includes Al Fields, Frank Gaby, Jim and Betty Morgan, Minta, Durfee, Jack Richardson, Dave Mallon, Mason and Shaw, Jean Granese, Florence Stone; Charles Granese, Helen Spring, Ethelyn Gibson, Irving Fisher, Paisley Noon, Heer and Martin and Tito Flores and Will Morrisey. The tatter's individual part in the revue will be that of "compere." The book and lyrics of "The New- comers" is the joint efforts of Will Mor- risey and Joe Burrows, while the music has been composed by Morrisey, Burrows and Irving Fisher. Morrisey has staged the book and Paisley Noon has done the musical numbers. LASKA COMEDY REHEARSING "We've Got to Have Money," the new American comedy by Edward Laska, which the Bohemians, Inc. are producing, went into rehearsal this week under the direc- tion of Certram Harrison. The piece will open in Long Branch, August 6. The cast is headed by Robert Ames and includes Vivian Tobin, Flora Finch, Louise Segal, Charlotte Osgood, J. E. Walsh, Milton Nobles, Jr., Doris Marquette, R. M. D'Angelo, Emanuel Alexander, and Joseph Gramby. After a short preliminary road tour the piece will be brought in for a njn on Broadway. EXPLCHTING "THE FOOL" Miss Helen McVicker has been placed in charge of the National Exploitation De- partment which was recently formed by Qianning Pollock and Arch Selwyn for the purpose of giving nation-wide publicity to Pollock's play "The Fool." Jliss Mc- Vicker is said to have a mailing list of more than 10,000 newspapers in the United States and Canada and m addition to this work she is carrying on an appeal to the public through the circulation of the churches and schools. PEMBERTON WITH WM. HARRIS Murdock Pemberton, formerly press jgent of the Hippodrome has been ap- pointed general press ageit for the William Harris, Jr., enterprises and will remain in New York this season to handle the exploitation of John Drinkwater's play "Robert E. Lee" and "In Love With Love," which Harris will produce early next season. Arba Blodgett who handled the Harris publicity in New York this season will go on tour ahead of one of the Harris road shows. "TIN GODS" NEW M'GUIRE PLAY The first of the three plays by William Anthony McGuire which Sam H. Harris will produce this season is entitled "Tin Gods" and will receive its initial perform- ance at Asbury park on August 6th. The second to be produced will be the comedy "Jack in the Pulpit" which will go into rehearsal about Oct 1st. The third play which is also a comedy tinnamed will bie produced early in January. POLLOCK TO LECTURE Chicago, July 7.—Chaning Pollock vnll boost the engagement of "The Fool" at the Selwyn opening Labor Day by making a personal appearance out this way lecturing in and around Chicago. His topics will have have to do mainly with the drama. SELWYN TO SEE "SUCCESS" Edgar Selwyn sailed on Saturday on the Hmnfric for London to witness the pro- duction of "Success" at the Haymarket theatre, which the Selwyns have acquired for American production. LYN HARDING TELLS OF LONDON SLUMP A readjustment of economic conditions is responsible for the dismal theatrical season in London, according to Lyn Hard- ing, the English actor, who arrived from abroad last week to appear in a new Cos- mopolitan film production in which Marion Davies is to be featured. Mr. Harding continued: "The lack of support from regular pa- trons, I believe, has been the cause of the great losses by producers of legitimate drama. The old patrons do not stay away from lack of interest but because they no longer have the income they formerly enjoyed. The attendance at first nights is but a fraction of what it formerly was. First nighters these days come to first night performances more to be seen than to see. They attend because the flippant younger generation considers it the "toffy" thing to do. "I have noticed with great interest the growth^ of the little theatre movement in the United States and feel that members of tliese groups are accomph'shing much more in the development of a proper sense in theatrical values than all the drama leagues combined, whose only apparent purpose is to usurp the power of the critics." "LADY OF THE ROSE" TOURING London, July 9.—"The Lady of the Rose" opens its tour at the Hippodrome, Golders Green, next Mmiday night and will then continue on an itinerary which includes Belfast, Dublin, Blackpool, Glas- gow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sunderland, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Mandbester, Liverpool, Bradford, Sheffield and Stratford. In the cast are Huntley Wright, Harry Welchraan, Leonard Mackay, George Vol- laire, Eileen Evelyn, Joan Lodcton and Wynne Bronte. Lewis Oliver is general manager of the company and G. W. Barnes advance manager. "TANCRED" FOR KINGSWAY London, July 9.—"Tancred" an adapta- tion by Edith Millbank of Disraeli's book by the same name will be produced at the Kingsway theatre by Mr. Paul Davidson on July 16. The play is in a prologue and three acts, the scene of the prologue being White's Qub in London and the other three acts being located in Jerusalem. In the cast will be Charles Carson, Orlando Harnett, Miss Joy CKatwyn and Miss Hen-, sil Raebum. M. J. Landa will assist Da- vidson in making the production. David- son was responsible for the season of the Yiddish players at the Scala theatre. "POPPY" REHEARSALS START "Poppy," . the new musical comedy in which Madge Kennedy is to be starred by Philip Goodman, went into rehearsal this week. The piece will open in Long Branch, August 6 and after playing en- gagements in Asbury Park and Atlantic City, will settle down at the Apollo Theatre, New York, for a run. "JANE" NEW MUSICAL SHOW "Jane," a new musical comedy, with book and lyrics by Harry C. Greene and music by Charles Smith, will be given an early fall presentation by a newly incor- porated producing firm of which the au- thors _ are the managing directors. The piece is an elaborated version of the vaude- ville act, "Reel Dreams." CASTING AT A STANDSTILL Casting for dramatic and musical comedy productions was at an absolute standstill last week due to the holiday. Chamberlain Brown who operates a casting department at 227 West 4Sth Street has closed that office for a two week period on account of the dearth of business and will not reopen it until next Monday.