Variety (July 1919)

■■" if,', w& LMS yS?**''tfi*Si'> !;i, -K''-'U' i?/fifR--:'rlli:-''^¥,;■'•'•■• ■•.."ft\ ; '"' : ' ■? ,:,>,. jsrs; , si v,.,:i .;,.!.; ,> ;■ i.rp ...v-« 14 ; • '*''■■.- T ,1 8$'" w'. r '' ■'■ •■ > •■(<■,!' ■",■■ :-,-./-:;:,: : , "..'■ ■,.:'..".-■ i.\;:. «.-.:.'■ . — .—-.- r ; V#,''.*.V''..' fcfc-A-."- • S££%,..-: .... J. ■:-i:"''.' ; ; : :"' «■•»?&■ v.-. ■■■• ',.'■:.";■ i>> • ■' .-:''■..' .. ? > i U-&sm...'*.*U . •: .•■■■.:•--. ■ -. -I?;-.-- mt is?* m LEGIT IMAtE SHOWS IN NEW YORK AND COMMENT AT 9.45. "At 6AB," Playhouse (1st week). Opened Saturday last. First play of new sea- son. «A Lonely Home©,* Shubert (4th week). •I Holds ta very good business and fig- ured one of tlie summer successes. "Century Midnight Whirl" (26th week). Is set for the summer from present Indications; a new revue not to be offered until fall. mutt U Went," Astor (28th week). Strongest demand on Broadway with the exception of the "Follies." «Follles," New Amsterdam (8d week). Went to a $28,700 SfoaatoritMmemOr week Is the class of the summer shows and Is about doubling the busi- ness of any other attraction. "Friendly BnenUes." HudBon (60th wk.). Has two more weeks to go, stopping July 18. ,■ . "Gaieties ot -1»MV 4<th Street. Post- poned until July 7. Many changes in CBBt. ' Jg« "Greenwich villa** Wights," Greenwich Village (1st week). Also postponed again; scheduled to Btart next Tues- day. \ "Listen Lester." Knickerbocker (28th week). Only legitimate show in Times Square district open south of 42d street Is still prospering. Around $12,000 last week. Remarkable record for this show. "LiffhtnlnV Gaiety (46th week). Will CresBy in cast for two weeks. Busi- ness continues at excellent profit. "Little Journey." Vanderbllt (26th wk.). Now slated to continue throughout July. "Officers' Mess" listed for this house In August. "John Ferguson," Garrlck (8th week). Wanted for an uptown house. Prob- ably will stick at Garrlck because of easy rental arrangement. "La La Lucille," Miller (6th week). Is drawing good business with lower floor sales claimed big. May last through summer. "Monte Crist©, Jr„ Winter Garden (21st week). A moneymaker; weekly gross aided considerably by Sunday night concerts. "Peek-a-Boo," Columbia (9th week). One of the best of the Columbia's sum- "mer attractions; continuing strongly. Nearly 18,000 last^week, at jl top. "Royal Vagabond." Cohan & Harris (20th week). Getting ,a strong play with night business close to capacity for best part of the week. "8he>a a Good Fellow/ 1 Globe (9th wk.). Will probably fool critics by making a good summer run. "Scandal* «f 1MB," Liberty (6th week). Has picked up excellently. Takings better than 11,700 nightly and reach- ing capacity late in the week. Is bene- fited by turnaway from "Follies." "8© Bast," Broadhurst (14th week). Like the Rachel Crothers play, "A Lit- tle Journey," It Is making a fine sum- mer showing and still earning real profits. "Tunti* In." Selwyn (16th week). Last week's business $1,000 ahead of prev- r ious week. Still holding to a profit, but will stop when weather becomes hot "The Better 'Ole," Booth. (88th week). Stay at the Booth is problematic al- though good business 1b claimed. "Three Wise Fools," Criterion (41st week). Another attraction that quietly continues to good business. "U» In Mabel'* Room," Bltlnge (24th week). Drawing nicely. Is the sole remaining bedroom farce. "Elegfeld Frolle," Amsterdam Roof (31st week). Dry edlot is not expected to affect good business. For the present both performances will continue. >-;."/ SHOWS IN CHICAGO. Chicago, July 1. Blaekstone. — "Tlllle" , closes Its 19- week run July 6. House then dark. Colonial.—George Lederer's comeback seems* assured. "Angel Face" got 810,- 000 on the week, and Beems good for the summer run. (!d week.) Oort.—"I Love You," finally recasted; fair. (7th week.) Garrlek.—"Scandal" now running on momentum more than anything else. No show is booked to follow until Au- gust. About $7,000. (19th week.) Grande—Grant Mitchell In "A Prince There Was" doing good business. (8th week.) Illinois. — "Broken Blossoms" (film) took a sharp drop and will probably be taken out soon. With heavy papering the house 1b well filled, but business last week didn't exceed $5,000. (5th week.) Stadebaker.—"Sunshine" lost Sunday on account of the defection of Richard Carle, and business was draggy through the week, but the pleoe is ambling along. Carlo's following may keep it alive a while longer. (6th week.) Wilson Avenue.—"Bought and Paid For." La Salle.—"Honeymoon Town" got $7,- 000. Show is gaining and should pick up. (3d week.) Palace.—"Passing Show," best bet In town; $20,000. (6th week.) SHOWSlfTPHILLY. Philadelphia, July 1. Business remained at about the aver- age for Monday this week, despite that the streets were more crowded than usual. The opening of the,,"dry" sea- son brought many people to the cen-' ter of the city, they evidentally expect- ing some excitement, but things were normal and there were few if any demonstrations of any kind on the streets while the theatres reported all quiet. • - Only thre or four of the more impor- tant pop time vaudeville houses re- main open and all the legitimate the- atres except the Forrest and Garrick, which offer feature pictures, have closed for the season. "Mickey" is re- ported to have done about $8,000 on last week, its first at the Forrest, busi- ness picking up steadily during the latter part of the week and standing them up Saturday night. It was ex- pected that this would.be the final week for "Mickey" but with the pickup in business it is likely to be held over. This is the last week for "Broken Blossoms" at the Garrick. The pic- ture was beginning to show some good business until "Mickey" opened around the corner and then the Griffith film took a slump. "The End of the Road," preceded by circus and scare-head bill- ing announcing it as "the greatest praised and most abused picture ever screened," due at the Garrick July 7. The Stanley and other picture houses about town are reported as doing very well and the closing of more of the neighborhood pop vaudeville theatres will help. This week the Stanley has the first showing of Anita Stewart in "Mary Regan." Charlie Ray in "Hay- foot; Strawfoot". with Chaplin's "Sun- nyside" as an extra feature give the Victoria a strong card. "Bolshevism on Trial" is at the Palace and Elsie Ferguson in "The Avalanche" is the feature film at the Arcadia. The Strand is featuring W. S. Hart in "Square Deal Sanderson," the first half and Shirley Mason in "The Final Close-Up" the last half, with the "Chap- lin "Sunnyside" as an added special all week. Enid Bennett in "Haunted Bed- room" and Wallace Reid in 'Toii're Fired" is the split-week bill at the Locust. Norma Talmadge in "The New Moon;" Sessue Hayakawa in "His Debt" and Vivian Martin in "Inno- cent Adventuress" are shown two days each at the Rivoli. The split-week bill at the Regent has Emmy Whelen in "Fools and Their Money" and Lila Lee in "Daughter of the Wolf" with "Sun- nyside" all week, and the Belmont'bill includes Pauline Frederick in "Daugh- ter of the Old South," Marguerite Clark in "Still Waters" and Mary Pickford in "Behind the. Scenes." With many of the town houses closed for the summer, business is picking up at the parks and dancing academies. Victor Herbert and his orchestra are at Willow Grove and Woodside has Ro- dia's Concert Band. SHOWS IN FRISCO. San Francisco, July 1. Alcazar—"A Temperance Town" (stock) with Walter P. Richardson and Belle Bennett. Casino—Will King Co. (stock) and A. H. and W. V. A. Vaudeville. Columbia—Ruth Chatterton in "The Merrie Month of May." Curran—Marjorie Rambeau in "Eyes of Youth." Majestic—Del Lawrence Company (stock). Princess—Bert Levey vaudeville. Wigwam—A. H. and W. V. A. vaude- ville. Judge Robert Clayton.... Howard Jim Everett Jack Grover '.,•, Captain Dixon ,.... 1JOQT1C ......,««....«•«.. Doyle JV1UCK *••..«•«• ■ '»........ Dr. Norton.,., Oltlalnl .....i....,.-.... Mrs. Clayton Molly ,' , Ruth Jordan••'.....»•.»>, Mary Doane Margaret Clancy , Tom Daly ......George Backus Noel Tearle ..Edward Langford Walter Lewis ....John Cromwell Frank Hatch ......Frank Hilton ....Peter Lang Robert Thome ....... Alfred Hesse Edith Bhayne EJIsd Bartlett Marie Oofl ....Madeleine King Idalene Cotton ...John Harrington In the rush to be the first on the scene with a mystery melodrama, Wm. A. Brady stepped right in at the finish of the season with "At 6.45," by Owen Davis, and William A., In announcing the piece, stated that It waB "the first gun of the new season." That was for the opening performance of the piece June 28. Monday night he sat in the box office and watched the dollars roll Into the Playhouse. Of course Monday night was touted as the New Year's of 1019 B. P., and that the merry villagers of'Manhattan decided to cele- brate did not give him the thought that that might be In a large measure responsible for the Influx of money to see "At 0.45," and, therefore, he and Owen Davis held forth on the curb ot 48th street and congratulated each other. Brady recalled the turnaway for "East Is West," a little over a year ago on the second night, and Davis recited the fact that from a box office standpoint it was the biggest second night that any of his plays ever had In-New York. It was nearer 8.45 when "At 9.45" got under way and also 10.45 when It finished. The piece is purely and simply the mellowest form of melodrama. The plot is a variation of "Who Killed Cock Robin?" only In this ease there are three little sparrows who step up and claim the crime as their own, and at the finish the author has utilised the ruined serv- ant girl as the guilty one. It Is old stuff, to be sure, hut the mystery and the comedy are what really take away the old melodramatic thrill that one was. wont to find In the Davis stage writings before he hit Broadway. , The play starts with the speed gear In high at the getaway. The first act Is all action and mystery. The Bon of the household is missing; there has been a shot fired and the police have been called In. The coppers open a closet door and the boy falls into 'their arms. He is unconscious from a bullet wound. His mother Is the only one In the house other than the servants. The father, a former district attorney and now a judge, and the young daughter are at the Rite at a ball. The Rite is only about six blocks away. Father Is phoned for and dashes to the scene of the erlme. The captain of police also arrives, and then the elfting down of the matter begins. Who was It that fired the shot that wounded the son? What was the motive behind the crime? A revolver is found In the room. It Is a service gun that carries the Initial of Jim Everett, lately discharged from service where he held the rank of captain. Both he and young Howard Clayton, the wounded boy, .had loved the same girl before the war started. 'She was Ruth Jordan, and she favored Clayton, the two becoming engaged just before Everett left for Plattsburg. While he was In France, young Clayton broke off his engagement to the girl, with the result that when the news had been carried overseas Everett wrote back that he would thrash Clayton on his return. A few nights previous to the erlme Clayton and Everett had a row In their club and both were suspended. There was one motive and some evidence. Later, a policeman discovered a piece of blue Victory satin on one of the Iron bars leading to a window of the room in which the crime was committed. When It was learned that MIbs Jordan is wearing a gown of that hue at the ball suspicion Is cast on her. Both she and Everett are taken Into custody, and botb likewise make a confession of the crime, each believing that the other Is guilty. Then the aged butler of the Claytons steps In and confesses he did It, and the police are all up in the air. There are several other suspects, each with sufficient reason to take a shot at young Clayton. One Is the chauffeur and the other Is the husband of a girl who had been ruined by the youngster some time before, and this girl was still seeing Clayton occasionally. Finally, the deathbed statement of the victim clears up the matter and shows that it was Mary, the daughter of the butler and who was loved by the chauffeur, really responsible for the shooting. On the Saturday night provlous to the shooting she was at Coney island with the chauffeur. There they met the son of the house with the married woman. The latter had become 111, and the chauffeur had under- taken to take her home for the boss' son. The latter, In the meantime,'' was to see the maid safely home. This he failed to do and kept her out all night. When he refused to marry ber she shot him. The piece is in three acts and five scenes. Three of these are the same, showing the library of the Judge's home, where the crime was committed. In the rush to get the play staged Mr. Brady evidently did not have any heavy-built stuff, all of the scenes being painted. The cast Is practically headed by John Crom- well, as the captain of detectives. He at least has the most work to do and handled the role 'very cleverly. Edward Langford plays Jim NEW PLAY MISSES NO ONE. '■'■' Chicago, July 1. "The Commoner," a new play by Ralph T. Kettering, saw its premier at the Wilson Avenue Theatre last week. It is a conscientious and sincere, but untimely and unsalable dramatization of Abraham Lincoln. Kettering had previously essayed the same subject in a vaudeville sketch. :.-•; O. L. Hall, critic of the Chicago Journal, referred to Harry Hollings- worth's characterization of Abraham Lincoln as an excellent likeness of Brigham Young, and he declared that the soldier who played General Grant looked uncommonly like the late Nat Wills in uniform. Concerning the lines, the author is said by Mr. Hall to have, faithfully recorded many of the famous sayings of Lincoln, as well as those of Woodrow Wilson, the Twelve Apostles, Moses, and Aaron Jones, of Jones, Linick & Schaefer, for which firm Mr. Kettering acts as publicity director. With malice for none, and with char- ily for all, it may nevertheless be said that "The Commoner" will not cause civil war among the producers nor emancipate the season from its pau- city of good plays. Other members of the cast were Frances Allen, Willis Hall, Richard Earle, Andrew Castle and Cecelia Jacques. t - PARISIAN BROAD FARCE. Paris, July 1. A three-act comedy, or rather broad farce, entitled "L'Ecole des Satyres" has just been presented at the Theatre Edouard VII, for the summer season, but will not last out the dog days. It is really a revival of "Les Deux Vesta: les" by Philippe Maquet, created at the Gymnase in 1915, when the playhouses of Paris reopened after the war. The new title is more attractive for a blase public. - ' A widower and a widow, both inconsolable, are brought together, but as they do not wish to be, unfaithful to the memory of the de r parted they contract an unconsum- mated marriage. Their delicate scru- ples are ultimately dispersed at the mutual awakening of a second love. There are some side situations which are amusing. Renee Varnitle is a de- licious widow, far from merry at first; Le Gallo, and Mile. Templey contrib- ute to the fun of the plot. , Alphonse Franck in October will mount at this comfortable little theatre, which was built by Urban for his col- ored pictures, a new comedy by Felix Gandera and Mouezy-Eon, in which Mile. Lagrange will • probably hold the principal role. SHOWS OPENING. "Look Who's Here" (Max Spiegel) opens at the National Washington, Aug. 24. Everett, the lately returned army officer, but seems rather forced. Marie Qott did the heroine of the adventure rather capably, al- though she seemed strained at times. The mother was the work of Edythe Shayne, who had her principal task set for her In the first act with the discovery ot the body of her' son, Molly, the Bister, is played In a charming Ingenue manner by Elsie Bartlett, who looked very pretty. The ruined maid was Madeleine King, who was permitted to weep and emote in the final scene. Othewlse she was held In the background. Idalene Cotton was a 'comedy character and secured considerable In. the way of laughs. George Backus, as the Judge, and Frank Hatch, as the butler, car- ried tbe roles fairly well. Several of the minor members seemed uncertain in the lines during the second performance. The others were Noel Tearle, Walter Lewis, Frank Hilton. Peter Lang, Robert Thome, Alfred Hesse and John Harrington. The later played the chauf- feur. While the first couple of acts of "At 9.45" seem to hold, the finish falls rather flat. The author has held the interest right up to the curtain of the second act, but when, at tbe opening of the third, the twists and turns begin all over again, It looks as though the audience slips away. This was bo much in evidence Tuesday night that there were laughs at several of the moments Intended to be Berloua. It hardly looks as though "9.45" would last out the finish of the old season, let alone be the first gun of th e new one. Fred. Hlnnisnwu«ii««niBnM \ s