Variety (April 1925)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 17 H R P T C N CABL£ ADDRESS, VARIETY, LO^NTON tin'a PUca. Tnfalcar S<iuAra '^ VT X\ £« 1 ^a. i^ 2096^199 Recent W«dne«(1i 8 SL Martia's Place, Trafalgar Square Wednesday, April 1,1025 LONDONCAPAaTIESANDGROSSESUSTED; ONLY TWO $30,000 WEEKS POSSIBLE iUJ;^ U >.htV^ \ Hippoctrome anci Palladium; OutetfoijKng, lyot Cao Only Reach That Figure by t>oing Two ^owt Daily—London Box Offices Limited—^Few Big Productions Have Qiance—41 Legitimate Tbea- . tres Can Seat Around 55,410 ^Xjondon.' Marob M. IVom tim* to timfl ther* ar« ni> mon ot tb« comlni^ to iMuiMBf ot New Tork producUona ot more or lesa magnitnde. However, it may be accepted as reasonably certain . tbat tbefe la smaB likeUbood of such ■bowa aver being broogbt to tble country, for tbe reason tbat it would be impossible (or sucb iex- pensive produetlobs to live on tbe limited box office takings in tbia Britisb metropolis. , Tbe only possibility of a 130,000 : week would be eitlier at tbe Hlppo- ' drome or Palladiimi, and tbat would necessitate practlcaJly oapacity au- diences at every performai\ce, and two sbowa dally. From this sit- uation it may be readily accounted as to tbe wby and wberafore et ex- tra vacant producers sncb as 6. B. y. Cocbran and Albert de OonrviUe be- MoK driven to tbe Bankruptcy pou^t American mai^agers wbo eobtem- • plate a Britlah Invasion at any ttme wltb tbeir native successes may gleaa some pinMiibly Interesting In- ^ formation by looking, over tbe flg- .. ares berewitb set down regardln,; ^^tti* seating and money capacities I et Ix>ndon tbeatHs. Accuracy, as ;;far aa possible, bas been adbered " to In flvtng, these flgurts and, at tbe IcMt, tbet are approximate wltb ,:<Jlttle variation either way. > Tabic bf TfMatrcc ( Tbe key to tbe listing Is the the- ^'atre, seating cditNu:ity, possible gross per perfoftbanceV exchlslve Af tbe •ntertatemeut tea: aikd -price si^al^ .^hlch- groasetf'are hased vpcli:.' -' ; Ailelph|»i^l,4«*it«,«M.<tt IjO^-ia. top scale.' ■ ■ ■ . ■ ' ■' 7 Aldwych-^1.17g; i|l,7S0 at lid, <d. Alhambrt—l^MO; playing vaude- TlUe at pop prices. Ambassador*—«90: f 1,000 at lis. •d. Apollo—l,ilM (possible); |l,iM at 12a. «d. ' / ., , Comedy—850; tl.tSir/'' " ^ . \ Court—042: »750- • Court—«42: t7IQ. Criterion-^7i7: |1,000. - Daly'e— 1,226; |876. Drury Lane—2.610; IS.500 at 10s Prinoec—2,000, |2.(00 at ISs. «d. < Queens—1,120; |l,7f0 at 10s. M. Royslty—«6f; $1,000 at 12s. «d. St. James'—1.208; 11,600 at 10s. Od. (Large galleryO at Martin's—«00) $1,260 at lOs. «d. savoy—986; $1,350 at 10a «d. Shafttbury-1,190; $1,<00 at 12s. 6d. Strand—1,210; $1,760 at 10s. Od. Vaudeville—740; $1,000 at 12a «d. Winter GardeiVr-2,000: $2,600 at 12a. 6d. . M> Wyndhams—StO; fl^S* at 10s. td. Considering "Pits" These flgwres vary with tbe amount of business done. Ip almost every London theatre there ia a"pit'' back of the orchestra stalls, €md When buelnesa is flourishing, espe- cially on Sati^rday nights, the stalls are moved back and encroached upon the "pit." which makes a iha- terlal dllfereflce.' •'- VITERBO 111 i$PAIN . r—, -f / French Takec^Ovcr Mammoth Music Hall at Barcelena $1,000 for A<;tors' Fund The laks. Na 1. of New Tork, nave donated $1.IM to the Aetors' Fund of Aiaerioa, with the donation made wtthr out solicitation from tbe Ftaad. S-r Barcelona, March 21. Max Viterbo, director of the Cig- ala (music hall) Paris, and Inter- eated In several cabarets, baa as- sumed control of the Olympic here, which Is one of the largest music hal|a In Spain. It bas a capacity of f ,000. ijhe building., whlph cost 6,000,000 pesetas.'can be usM as a circus or vaudeville theatre, there also being a ihebile tank'In the ring available for atuatlo sbow8< Viterbo proposes producing Fr^ch revues here for the preient. ■JA U •d. Duke of York'»-l.ll»; $1,050 at 10s. «d: Empira—2.000; $2,600 at lis. «d. Fortune—860; $1,000 at 12s. 4d. Qaiety—1.264; $2,126 at 12a. 6d. Qarrick-800; $1,260 at 10s. «d. Qleb»—1,000; $1,760 at 12s. td. Qeldcrs' Qreen—S.OOO; $».600 at 10s. «d. Haymariiet—1,076: $M76 at 10s. •d. Hippodroma^$S0,000 at las. «d. ki 12 performances. • His Majesty's—1,720; $2,000 at 12s. Od. Kingwaya—604: $1.00« at ISs. 6d. Little—460; $1,000 at 12a «d. London Pavilion—1,200; $2,876 at 12s. <d. Lyric—1.400; $2,000 at 12s. Id. New Oxford—1,276; $1,876 at 12s. #d. New—1,250: $1,600 at 10s. 6d. Palace—1.460; $2,500 at 12s. 6d. (Large standing room.) Psiladium—2,^00; $8,000 at 12s. Id. Playhouse—640: $1,260 at lOa. <d. (No pjt.) Prinee cf Wales'—1,062; $1,860 (record),"^normal. $1,660. PRATT BEFORE COORT ON VARIOUS CHARGES Film Producer's Wife AppKes for lffa\ntenaf)pe and Law Alleges Fraud - LoBdon, Mareh 21v Doxatt Pratt, flhn produce^, who w»s said to have earned $16,000 a year and deserted his wife and cbil- drea. was brought up at Westmin- ster Police Court charged with ob- taining money by fraud and false pretense. Pratt denied the chargea and aald he was under important contracts Which would be Jeopardized by the proceedings. He asked for. bail, which the police * opi>osed, saying there would be other charges. Eventually, the magistrate fixed ball in two sureties of |5X)0 each. Pratt askedJf be could see bia wife aa ahe might help him to raise it. Mra. Pratt applied for a sum- mons for maintenance a fortnight ago. but the names in the case were mysteriously suppressed In the newapapera. She aald ahe had met him when 1$.'waa the c^use of his divorce^ and had lived with him In luxury. M INCOME TAX UST OF NAMES 'SHUTOFF^ K.' C. G>lIector Opened . Books—^Washington ! i CloMd Them ; FORORE CAUSED BY VAUDE ACT Cuhftn' Consul Protests 0!Haiilon & ^ambuni HOUSE POU< ANNOfSMME.' iWALSKA :.j 1 1 Interested with de Mi in Champs Elysees ai May Go to Court W^ 18M WILLIAM MORRIS A0KNCT. Inc. rsla*— BMg.. 14M BnM4w«7. M«w Tack VMmi Hwrta. »« •Mmt Mr twmt Atrfl t2 TBEmLER SCHOOIJ OF DANCING <. VIS CKeripg Cross Road LONDON DirMtor, JOHN TILLER A Blansas City, March 81. For the past week tbe books of the internal revenue collector have been, open aad the .loeal papers have been printing the names of thousands of payers of income tax. Friday the books were suddenly cipsed upon wired instructions from Washington. It wai; announced the hooka should Qot have been opened to the pttes and pnbHe at this time. Among-the names'Of these printed with the amount of Income t^ea p4id fpr the year 1924 are the fol- lowing asaoclated with the amuse- ment profession T Newman Theatre Co........ $1,886 Royal Picture Theatre Co... 1.864 Milton H. Peld.'..»(;'........ 86 Louis Forbsteia...;.'....Hi.^ 103 Leo Forbstein ..;.....■ K. C. Mona>-cta B. B. aad Amuaeijient ASan. ,,,,,^, Globe Theatre Co....^'.«v..«. Louis W. Shouse.. Fraak L. Newman John J. Kling Bonn le Allen Leon A. Kellar. >..../, Harry Brewer ,..,..... Jobn Savage ... Qabrial Kaufman Barney Dubinsky Zack Wheat (Brooklyn B. B. James Zinn !•»•«•• I • e e * • sjc • tees *-• ••ea«*«fl »«ees«e4 >•••••< fl 100 838 226 1.376 4 262 82 25 6 26 20 161 19 ■;i,'i- .<v 4-;.v^t^H*;-?^ ^^jr■ ;i;ill jj.rA».*;*i> ■J--. * ■ LONDON =•<.•■> V •J--5« •^nr. London, Maroh 81: Tatnoia" baa been put to aleep at the Strand. Buaineas was fairly good when at Hia Majesty's, but the falling out of Cecily Debenham, and then the transfer to the other house finished its career. fU'.K theatres, the New Oxford and the Garrlclc Another musical comedy to finish is "The Street Singer." at the Lyric. It has made money fpr the Daniel Mayer Co., and enabled that firm to extend their activities to two other ARRIVALS April 1 (New Tork from London). W. J. Wilson, Desires inilnger, Jane Novak (Homeric). March 27 (London to New Tork), Arthur Hammerstetn. Dorothy Dal- ton (Berengarla). GOING EAST (L. A. to N. T.) Bam Rork. <L. A. to N. T.) Blmer Pearson. WlUtnm R Fraser. (. A. to N. T.) Frank vlncent. (U A. to N. T.) Frank Vincent. Harry Singer. GOING WEST (N. T. to Chicago). U. J. "Sport* .Herman and Frank Oaxxalo. 8.- y. .Lucas, the eseayitt, has written a play. "Tbe Same Star." receatly publiahed and none too well reviewed. It is to be dorte at Leeds Art Theafre. one of the ex- perimental liomee of the drama in Bngland. : j ,i..,: liondon, March 24. A; bona-flde diplomatic sensation was caused In. London, Mar*^ 17, wh«|n the sueceissful variety crea- tion "A Cabaret in Cuba" was prd- duced by Kathleen O'Hanlon aiid Ttaeo Zambunl. This is the time- table: March 17, 8 p. m. Cuban Consul visits Holbom Empire to see the show. March 17, 3 p. m. Cuban Consul protests to British Forelgq Ofllce. although admitting in print, "This is the cleverest entertainment of its kind I have ever seen." March 18. 10 p. m. Billpoatera blotting out the worda. "In Cuba," in spbway and on billboards. The facts of this mysterious con- troverey. so suddenly huahed up, are that' Raoul Mejer. Cuban Consul, as wen ds Mr. Melas, actitier Oreek minister, were guests of the man- agement on the opening night when O'Hanlon and Zambunl were enthu- slsmtically applauded. Mr. MeJer went, after the performance, to the dressing rooms of these artists and objected with the utmost politeness to the dramatic finish, a murder and a dance of death. He said it mis- represented the Cuban people. O'Hanlon and a^mbuni replied that it was merely artistic' faatasy and disclaimed any ifij»h to offend the sertslbilities of anjr nation. Tney Also said, "The Ckbaret iTn Cuba" had been seen thr<nigbeiit America for two years without any com* plaint, offlclal or individual, haying been made. They also pleaded the difflculty of changing the billing in a City of seven million inhabitants. But the Cuban Conaul was obdurate. Papers "Spread^ Story The Aext morning the machinery of international relations began to grind. The London newspapers were full of the story. Conferences be- tween the principals were held So- cretly and "the rest wis silence." Only billposters appeared to put strips over the word "Cuba." The Holbom' EUiplre had a record week and the act Is given with more thrills than ever. It ia the general opinion O'Han- lon and Zambunl acted with digni- fied modesty In at once agreeing to cut out the word "Cul>a" for the British Isles. But a general observer of things theatrical wonders where this prece- dent win lead. If diplomats can stop so suddenly reference to their countries, isn't it possible for the Italian Ambassador to bar "Caval- leria Rustlcana," the Spanish to choke off "Carmen," and tile Daiies to kin "Hamlet, Prince of Den- mark"? They all contain passionate murders as does "The Cabaret (not) in Cuba." Cut O'Halon and Zambunl cer- tainly fluttered the diplomatic dove- cotes in this town. The Carnegie Trust Fund baa put some cash into the coffers of the British Drama League. The result is the buying of books for a new dramatic library to be opened at 8 Adelphi Terrace, with due ceremony and speeches, March 84. At the conclusion of "Saint Joan." Sybil Tbomdike will give up the Regent. It Is not the sort of house she wanta and negotiationa are pehding for her to reign at a thea- tre nearer the center of thinga. "Exodua." adapted from the Bible by Halcott Olover and H. F. Ruben- stein, is to be done at Glasgow at Hengler'a Circus. The piece is too big to be given in an ordinary thea- tre and ia to be treated more upon the lines of a pageant. Another play on the aame llnea ia "Mosea," by Laurence Langer, re- cently published on thia aide. \ /■ Julia Neilson and Ferd TM-ry are still en routs with costume stuff. Their latest piece of romantical tuahery, "The Marlborougha." Jby B. F. W. Ryan, is showifig for the first time in London at a suburban week stand, the Wimbledon Thea- tre. The "Q" theatre at Kew is tebor- Ing on the production aide. The first English performance of Len- nox Robinson'a "The Round Table" baa been given, and on March 30 cornea the first showing here of "Adam and Eve," the Guy Bolton and George Mtddleton com- edy. Paris, March 24, The forthcommg vaudeville teriMTise of Rolf de Mare at the a(;rea dea Champa Elysees, due to commence, about > April with the program deacribed as ^ opera-music hall program. ' Rolf de Mare formerly ran tl Swedish balleta, and ia described a wealthy Norwegian interested art. Mme. Ganna Walska, wife of Harold McCormick, of Chicago, alae haa an Interest in the theatre and is reported as objecting to the houaa toebig run aa music hall. De Mare atates he has a 12-yi _ lease dl<-ector and will run i|^! as he thinks beat. Litigation ma; arise over the controversy. Andre L. Daven, secretary of tlieF^ present management, atates It to J probable Pavlova, Paderewsiti, Paig|^ Whiteman, Jean Rlchepln (as in- troducer eft the poetlc&l aectlon) and Joe Jackson will be among tl^*^ atars thia aeason. 'j- The opening bill will comprlaiL Dorville, in a sketch'for two weeHa:^ Robert Goldvand, pianist, aged 14^ Marion Ford and.band; Tamoya Sis-^^ ters, nlecea of Tortajada, famoua, Spaniah dancer; Darowski, and the: Hermanow dancers. Another big. headliner is promised, the name be-,] ing concealed. Mme. Hidalgo, oC^ the MetropoUtan. NeW: Tork, is mt^xi ttoned. ^!| JBilir Arnold aad blf hand wt%i discourse during the intervals an4« Blgpt, 'Who conducted the Swedlahg ballets, will be the musical dlreQ>t< ■tot 'J " ■; ' • ri: SAHJHGS -^«'/* April 4 (New Tork to London! Marlon and Martinea Randall (HO' theric.) ; : Apra, 4 (New Tol* tO Havanay PhU Shhin an4 haUd (Holna.) April 1 (New Tork to London),' M^e. Itercedes de AcosU. Eva Le^ Galllenne^ Norman Bel-Qeddee, < Richard HemdOiv Bruno, Walter, J (leorgaC. Tyler. Mr. and Mrs. Percy ^ Hammond (Mauretanla). ^.j. May t (New Tork to^Liondon)— Vincent Lopes and orchestra, JacK^ Robbins, Domenioo Savlno (Le^^ vlathiui). . . » April 1 (New Tork to LondonT* ^ Frank Bernard, Marten Web. fl^-. Tiller girls (Megantlc). ^ f. April 1 (New Tork to Londodf.M Robert Guinault (Arabic). '.^^ March 2« (New Tork to IxmiaiOt*'. William Harris, Jr, Karle W. Ham* ' mens (Olympic). March X (London to New Tork), Deslree BUlnger, WUIlam Wllad* (Homeric). '^ Animal Act Bfll, After Y^ars, 1*88^ in 10 ' i^'.-i' London, March 24.wMifl The long fight over performing t< anlmala is almost at an end. A-n standing committee of the Housed jj of Commons has approved the Per- j forming Anlmala (No. 2) Bill. bi»j^ troduced by Brigadier CockerIM, > which requires the registration ot^jj all persons tn^ntng or exhibiting^, performing animals and gives tb«(;^ authorities summary power to proiuf^ bibit any act causing or likely to .1 cauae cruelty. '4 Thia bill, which haa been before j Parliament for acme yeara and bae '^ been the battle ground of rival fac- 4 tiona, waa approved in less than 10 » minutes and comes into force Jan. 3 1, J»26. Another blU. for the pro- ,. tectlon^ot birds, was approved hi ji five minutes. 1 i 1 The Performing Animals Act ^°^^i not apply to any animal trained or. j exhibited for military, sporting or.g agricultural purposes. ^ A ]let|ag« from Shore or Ship wiU i^K^rantee a Room at THE PICCADILLY WHERE ALL THE SHOW FOLK 8T0P C>Me Addregs; PIQUDILLO, LONDON n 4