Variety (December 1922)

is EDITORIALS Friday, December 1, 1^22 SK niETY Trad* Mark R«Klat«r«i] PBbli«h«d WMkly bj VA&IBTT. Im. Sim* BllTMrnan, Pr«Bldent 2S4 Waat 4Cai etra«t Naw York City •UBBCRIPTION: Ane«al |7 i Forslva.... ft Sincla Coi>l«« >• Caata VOLi. LJCIX- Na. t Variety w«nt to prees Tuesday nli^ht of tbla WMk, owing to the holiday. Th« N«w York "Evonififl WoHd" conducts ft "What Did You B^T' dopartment, with Its readers in- vited to forward otorioc. I'rizet are given weeJcIy. and last week the first prixe of a Dort car was won by 18-year-oId Etiiel M. Vitoch of Say- vlllo. It. I., who turned in the fol- lowing story, published in the "JCvening World": The Goat Bayville now has two moving picture establishments. One of them, the No%'elty, has been with Its for years and is under the management of Mr. G . Not long ago, Mr. 8 , proprietor of a retail clothing store, leased the opara house and announced that lio too would show pictures. In the beginning his prices were •omewhat lower. He showed good pictiu«a. • • • The crowd be- gan coming, prices went up and Mr. B Introdurced the "coun- try store" Idea. Every Wednesday night he gave away coats, suits. dresses, rugs, furs, etc. This brought immense crowds. • • • Well, the enterprising manager of the Novelty wasn't going to be left behind, and he began giving us the "country store" also on Wednesday nights. TMs week his offerings included a live goat, two live geofse, a barrel of flour, a ton eC coal, and the like of that. • • • All well and good. Wednesday night cama^ I was at the Noveltyi Tb«-e waa a big crowd. A boy won the goat. • • • Thursday morning I went to th« villago and saw Mr. Goat In the show window of Mr. 8 's clothing store! Mr. S had bought the goat from tho lucky boy. There was nothing else ia the window except the announce- ment pasted on the glass, "I Got a •» Goat," • • • More later. Harry Wooten, vaudeville and picture editor of the "Times-Des- patch," Richmond. Va., visited his home town, Leland. Fla., last week, after an absence of several years. The landlord of the only local hotel recognized Wooten, but refused to acknowledge he was the original Jlenry, since, as the hotel man in- formed the visitor, the original Henry Wooten had been burled with appropriate ceremonies several months ago, and they weren't going to have all of their first fuss marred. The next morning Mr. Wooten •walked out to his grave, read the Inscription and admitted everything had been done in proper form, but insisted his name be removed from the slab that denoted he had died doing his duty with four companions of tho same town, In the infantry regiment he was with in France. The landlord, assuming his office as the constable of the village, would not permit the removal, stating the parson said Henry Wooten was dead when they buried him and as far as Deland was concerned, Henry was just as dead as the others around him. As the town had several wit- nesses to the fact that he was dead, said the offlcer, and Wooten was the only one to speak for himself, the constable ordered Henry off the lot. Henry, now back In Richmond, does not know what the outcome will be, for in Deland he's still dead by official inscription. FINESSE—AND THE COO-CLUCKS Tha stag* and the church aro Interested in aach othar. always have been and probably always will be. For the last several seasons the pulpit took exception to the tide of risqut dialog and situations that washed in on a wave of bedroom farces and things from the Franch. What the clergy had to aay about Broadway was not complimentary. The aasoci- ations for the advancement of the dranxa formed a sort of liaison with the church, and stage cansorship waa proposed. There Is said to ba * volun- taxy censorship machine with a panel of SOO or so civilian jurors to alt la Judgment of Broadway's "bad things." but there have already been produced between 10 and 70 new plays this season and nothing heard from the censorship machine, though all the returns aren't in. This aaaaon it looks like a reversal of tiie usual procedure of bon mots between tha pulpit and tha footlighU. At least three plays have drawn so much favorabla mention from the cleigy, the praise from that source constitutes a novel angla to the season's activities. Sunday night tha Rev. Dr. W. John Murray of the CUiurch of the Healing Christ delivered a lecture on "The Fool." and the Selwyns, who produced the play, sup- plied the minister 2,000 specially prepared folders distributed to the congregation. "Loyalties" has drawn uniforro praise from tho pulpits of several denominations. "The Merchant of Venice" Interested the clergy of Baltimore, with arguments pro and con, which will likely obtain h«re when the Belftsco presentation arrives. Along eomas "Haln,^ one of the most vivid dramas In years. One of the leads is a man of the cloth, a missionary to the far corners of the earth. It looks like a bit of finesse on the manager's part, changing the usual situation by winning plaudits instead of pannings from the church. From a manager's standpoint he'd take it either way from the clergy. Perhaps it is more to be desired to have the clergy using the hammer. That is surer of publicity, and public attention Is the healthiest thing for the box office. But if there is nothing to "steam up" the clergy, the second cbolcs of praise from it is welcomed. Looks like finesse. And tho reversal In favor of Broadway now crops up unexpectedly. Th«-e is Dr. John Roach Straton. Last season he was frequently in the reformers' line-up, in fact, often at the top so far as the theatres were concerned. Dr. Straton has a little situation of his own to contend with. It's about the Ku Klux Klan, or the "Coo-Clucks," more properly. The evangelist of the doctor's church was disclosed as the general representa- tive of the Coo-Clucks, and admits It. Dr. Straton said it wasn't so. But the clerical gent who admitted his Klan connection has his name on Dr. Straton's "call board" at the church and right under the doctor's own name. But Dr. Straton must know what he is talking about. draped to one hip. Ona Ions ball >!••▼• waa adgad with grey fox. Thlg was followed by a Spanish drass of black lace, having no lining. Th# hem was wired. A red mantilla was draped over a high comb. The chorus throughout tho show waa well dressed in all the numbers. The first act opened with the girls in short dresses of all colors and doslgns. The seoond curtain found tha girls divided in two sets of oos« tumao—^half in black and white and others in white dresses draped t^ yellow. The romper numt>er remains the same as last season. Margie Barron was her bast in silk rompers. Also nioe was a short dancing drass of mauve made entirely of tiny ruffles. From the waist line huotf narrow rose ribbons. Miss Barron'a first red soubrette dress was spoils^ by orange under-dressing. Georgia Eknmett wore a peach colored dress made entirely af tint; tucka A black net dreas had silTer-embroidered panels faced in red. EOla Corbett shimmied her way through the ahow ia a gold dress maM with a broad panel at the hack facad in green. "banned fuel** sounds like a recommendation for itself. Sterno Canned Heat comes in a compact little can with instructions. It Is claimed for It that the canned fuel will furnish heat at a moment's notice, in or ooti of doors. Its manufacturers say it may be used for cooking, boiling, ironing, heating make-up. for ironing or obtaining hot water quickly^ and that It is smokeless, odorless and clean, always ready for usSk Canned heat might be a long-looked-for comiianlon to traveling people. , Coo-Clucks certainly describes the "invisible empire," charged with terrorizing the Southland. Strictly a coin-getting scheme, a fact disc-osed by one of the metropolitan dailies months ago, "solicitors" getting mem- bers get commi.sslon. The more members, the more dough and cooing for Cluck membership right in New York's churches; cooing for initiation fees and dues, and the new members permitted to cluck under a white robe. Perhaps the under-minlster of Dr. Straton's church has been proselytizing for the Coo-Clucks for altruistic ends. Then who gets the commish? Slips passed around among the congregation suggesting Joining in with the Clucks. Candidates to attend a meeting In a funeral parlor and if they pass muster, kick in with the coin. Nice little idea. Anyhow, the doctor has something within his own house to attend to and will probably have little chance to notice the theatres for a time. Raformers thrive on agitation backed by some authority^. The authority that favored the reformers for two years up in Albany was voted out of office early this month. Al Smith, the re-elected governor of New Tork, had no time for the long-haired crowd when in office before. He isn't built that way, and the reformers will have to play die or at least go it soft pedal. Without Albany's smile the civic leaguers will not have the support of officialdom and-that may make it tough to get dough, for the reformer has to have the coin to operate, just like any other agitators. The clergy may be lying low until some of their own brethren who done gone wrong are forgotten by the newspapers. This may have been so far a good season for the theatre recommendations, but it has been a bad one for the ministers. Too many have had their names on the front page for one reason or another. That glass house quotation (Doc Steincr knows it—letter perfect) is Just about hitting the clergy right In the center of their publicity seeking. Now they want to hide instead of glow. PLAYING SHAKESPEARE ON MARGIN Managers do love authors and authors do love manaRers—each of them before rehearsals start. After that what they think of one another never could be published. Which may or may not be the rea-son for the Shakespearean ru»ih that looks due for this season. It is a well known fact that Shakespeare died some time ago. Even the managers know that. And they have been rewriting this plays ever since. Some say they don't dare to play the original script of some of them and some didn't dare to play any of them until someone else did. -^^ But it isn't that Will would have interfered even if he had not died, that is Inducing the producers thia season to read Shakespeare's lines over again. Maybe Warfield and Barrymore are the incentive, but there is only one Warfield and but a few Barrymores. • Edmond Jarrett, American, was recently condemned to one month's imprisonment in the Paris police court. During the performance of a clown at the Nouveau Cirque, whose net consisted of Juggling with lighted torches, Jarrett seated in the bal- cony, after having broken the dry law, attempted to Juggle with matches. They fell on people boJow and caused protestn. Whon the 'lice tried to e.xpe« Janett he re*- elstcd and it v.as for "lebcllion" and violence towards the oJficers of the X>caco that h"- r."*".!-. td fici.cCi.ce of a month on t'.i'? water ua;;on. Tommy Mead, formerly a Jockey and also on the et.ige, has saHed for Bumanla. ^Lure ho win train and ^id«> hoiAGS, Unless you arc a producer you can't appreciate what it means to figure up at the bottom of the statement that 5 per cent., 7^ per cent, and often 10 per cent., Just for the author, the guy who wrote the play. It's like buying an auto on the Installment plan, having the machine stolen without insurance and being obliged to keep up the Installment payments. What doe* an author do? Only writes the play. And the manager only produces it; always wrong, too, says the author. With Sharkespeare dead, there is no royalty due, and hasn't been for several years. In the»e days of large and small grosses, 5 per cent, or 10 par cent, on a run of four years means something. Every play before it opens is to run four years. Some don't, and the author blames it on the manager, with the manager blaming it on the backer. Playing Shakeepeare on a margin of 10 per cent, saved Is not a bad scheme, maj't^e, to the manager, though it may be called a dirty idea. And with no author around to tell the manager to tell tho director to tell the actors how tg play their parts, the manager naturally believes he has a chance to get it over, remembering Mantell and others have been get- ting along quite nicely for years without sending any statement to the author. The authors may retaliate—like Equity—and go Into the show pro- ducing business on thoir own. Just to teach the nianngci-.s a)id leUuce their bank balances in the same way. WITH THE WOMEN "The Pride of Palomar," at the Rivoli, was such a good book It waa disappointing to have it prove a poor picture. Forrest Stanley should never have been cast for Don Mike; he is too pretty. And Marjorie Daw .wasn't the Ray of the book.* Miss Daw wore several simple dresses not of the new models. More applause than George Dilworth, Edgar Falrchild and Herbert Clark, at grand pianos, received has never been heard in a picture house. (Continued from Page 8) ' ' ' ' — specialties for MolUe. A sketch went in for the mysterious and was badly done by Mlsi^ Williams' support. The grey drees and cape and small hat worn by the star wero very smart. For her second act ppeclalty sho appeared In rcdOghtg and velvet tops to matrh, A Rtove-plpe hat n^so was In red. The girls backed this number in black tights and satin roat«, faced In wlilto with white oollars and rovers and red tlca They also wore white stove-pipe hata The afCcct was most striking. Miss WUliamB (as of yore) changed on tlit ptn^e to a long silver frock. There are 38 men on the Palace program this week—and five women. Another ungsual occurrence is there are two sketches. Holbrook Blinn's might have been an added chapter to that remarkable bofk. "Through the Shadows," by O. Henry. Whyi doesn't Mr. Blinn give vaudeville a real thrill by putting on 'The Black Mask," the one-acter he did at tha Princess a few years back? It is one of those things, once seen, you can never forget. And Wellington Cross has in "Wives" a playlet that will live long In vaudeville. In less clever hands what a mess could have been made of itti With Mr. Cross are Gretchen Sherman, Loila Brooks and Elaine Ivans. Miss Sherman was in an evening gown of turquoise blue trimmed at the belt with rhinestones. Miss Brooks' gown was all silver with no trimming. Miss Ivans was girlish in a white chiffon dress. Ona Munson displayed a nice wardrobe. Her first dress of ooral brocade velvet waa very oddly made inasmuch as it was a dress and coat combined. Th« trinuning was squirrel. A Quaker dress was the inevitable gray very prettily trimmed with white lawn. A patriotic dress had the skirt in bluei tulle, silver bodice and a white cape lined in red. Then there was a black dancing frock trimmed in silver. Miss Munson changed her foot« wear with each costume. Blanche Klaiss (with Ed Presaler) appeared first In a messy velvet cape trimmed with white fur. Underneath was a dress of yellow heavily embroidered in pearls. A peach colored chillon embroideured in violet followed. Catherine Dale Owen, as the daughter in 'Tha Bootleggers." at tMI S9th Street, has four very good looking dresses. A gray cloth three-piec« dress and coat had orange trimmings on the sleeves and had summer ermine at the collar and cuffs. An afternoon dress was of green with aa embroidered girdle. A hat was of brown velvet. Underneath a wrap of yellow chiffon and chinchilla was an evening gown of pale green chiOoa. Rust color was the last act dreas, made in the now familiar lines, lonif and full. TOMMY'S TATTLES By THOMAS J. GRAY Woman w^s a United States Senator for one day. If they can booV Senators for one day only, actors should not worry about playing split weeks. It Is hardly worth while for her to study the part for such a shorl engagement. You have to furnish your own wardrobe also. r Next time she will probably ask for a **run of the play^ contract. ■' It's funny. The day after one of France's greatest statesmen arrived. In America somebody started to advertise a "French Students'" balL Standing in tha Photograph League * Prince of Wales 964 Lloyd George 952 Clemenceau 95% Babe Ruth , 333* •Time off for vaudeville foul. Sultan of Turkey wired to English general to find out how his wivei were doing. Ouess the old ruler heard some moving picture actors wer^ in town, and he didn't want to take any chances. Out-of-town vaudeville theatre has a novelty bill this week. Theri Isn't any band on It. Newest theatre has a play room for the children of the artists on th4 bill. It's going to be tough to make the baby get off a hobby horse to gdi out and take that bow. It's all right If it's an animal act; they can take the horse right oul with them. Friars gave a dinner to the three czar.*;—Thomas, Landls and HaysL Rival clubs may try to top this by giving a dinner to 'The Four Horse- men." "What the Acts Say to Their Agents" (SugKcsted by Pete Mack. 'Tho Layoffs' Friend") Casting Act: "How high is the stage there. Can we get all the llnoi up?" Animal Act: "Is there a good animal room there fur 'he dogs? Is It damp?" Comedy Talking Act: "How Is the 'one' there? Deep? Has the 6tag« a wide apron, or can we get right down to thrm?" Full .Staf^e Sketch; "Our act calls for a lot of sofa pillowa Is there a good projxu ly man there?" Jazz Kond: "What band played there \nn* wf^k?" SiRiei- Act: "Is that nice niiinager still at that tlicatre?" Dancr.i- Act: ♦'Is there a good stage tho: e. or will we bring the mat?* Posinir Art: •'Don't forget to tell them that we want the stage boxed ■In While we're on." Magic Act: *as there any way for me to got out Into the audienceT^ Any Act: "See what you can do about the week following." Shakespeare Is back on Broadway, and seems to be er.joying hlmsel& Co*s been on the road ^•HPk >>• hardly knew the old places For the first time In a long time he's getting acquainted with t^t tic speculator* .■,<>■