Variety (August 1925)

Wednesday, August 5, 1925 LEGITIMATE VARIETY 17 1 - ! PRODUCERS DODGING EARLY BlAY OPENINGS FOR SHOWS Pozen Attractions Slated for Late September and Early October—"A. & M/' Leads Town at ' $41,000—July's Last Week Holds Up Th* opMilns lineup for Broad- ^nv'm new season is talrly deAntte. trhera will be some ohansee from the premiere U»t as now laid out, •rnd there are several houses (or wbkdi attractions have not been •elected. The tendency appears to hold off early debuts In New York, «f Indicated by a dosen attractions carded (or late September and early October. That accounts (or at least IS current shows holding over until that time, although some o( the latter group will do so by virtue o( boz-offlce draw. 0( the 40 new productions In bight there are IS musicals with only six due be(ore October. Seven foreign plays are in the first flight. The current w«ek has "Spring J^^ver" at Maxlne Blliott's. and ^June Days" at the Aator. Added to tliat is the little theatre pre- sentation at the Princess o( "The Uttle Poor Man." Four arrivals are listed (or next week when "Oay Paree" opens at the Shubert. 'It All Depends" at the Vanderbilt, "Something To Brag About" at the Booth and "A Lucky Break" < Broke), at the Cort. There- a(ter the new show roster includes Wrho Family Upstairs."^ Gaiety; '•The Dagger." Liongaore; "Oh Mama." Playhouse; "The Jasz Binger," Fulton; "Cradle Snatchers," Music Box (annual revue off until ■pring): "The Vortex." Henry Miller <"The Poor Nut" moving to the 48th Street); "The Pelican." Times Square; "Bnchanted April," Morosco; "The Mud Turtle.'* Bijou; '•The Advocate." Belaaco; "Canary ^utch." Lyceum; "The Fall of Eve." Broadhurst; "The Green Hat," Bl- tinge; "The Five O'clock Man." Ritx; "Applesauce.'^ 4»th Street; '•Arms and the Man," Guild; "Old Hickory." Plymouth; "Mr. Pie Bye." raberty (with •'A Night Out" to foUow): "The S^ Woman," Little. Early Muijoals Among the earlier musicals are. fVo, No. Nanette." Globe: "Captain Jinks." Beck; "Sunny." New Amster- 4am "Gay Pareo." "June Days," and ••Merry Merry" Vanderbilt. The l&ter musicals wiU Include "Cocoanuts," Music Box (probable): "Greenwich VHIage Follies," Shubert (prob- able); •'The City Chap," mentioned (or the Knickerbocker;. "How's the King." Carroll: "LoUU;" "Chariot's Bevue," Selwyn (November). 0( the later non-musicals there will be ••American Born," Hudson; "Bdgar Allen Poe," Sam H. Harris; ^•These Charming People." Gaiety; "Marge," National; Walter Hamp- 'den. Colonial. Also "The Enemy" and "Butter and Egg Maitf* neither o( which have been euwigned houses as yet. 4 Shows Resugiing Four attractions will resume. "The Dove" relighting the Empire Aug. 17, Indeflnite, "Ladles of the Bvening" starting a three weeks date at the Lycuem on the same date, Al Jotson in "Big Boy" re- •Urting at the 44th St., Aug. 84, and "Love (or Love" going into ' Daly's next month. "Artists and (Continued on paf;e 38) THROUGH DEATH OF SON BEUE BENNETT ADHTTS Had Passed as Her Brother—, Actress 34 or More, Not 24 Elevator Boy and Porter Have Play for Production Emulating the ambition o( Gar- land Anderson, the Frisco bell hop, to playwright hla way to Broadway attention, two colored boys resid- ing in Harlem have submitted (or production a drama called "The Ball," designed (or regular presen- tation with white players. The au- thors are J. Bddle Bdwards, em- ployed ii\ the New Amsterdam Theatre building, and O. U Perdue, a porter. They previously wrote and presented several plays (or charitable purposes. Garland's •'Judge Not, According to Appearance," wlU be tried here next season and also on the Coast, according to reports. HA GOOD FOR ROADSHOWS r Los Angeles, Aug. 4. With the production o( "Stella Dallas," with Belle Bennett playing the title role. Universal (news) Ser- vice printed a story showing the star as having sacrificed her son (or her ambition. The story says Miss Bennett mar- ried William Macy. showman. o( La Crosse, Wis., 17 years ago, and luuA a son, William H. Macy. II, whose identity she hid by Inlyoduclng him about as her younger brother. Bll- lle Bennett. Miss Bennett separated ft cm Macy li years ago and ob- tained a divorce about a year ago, after which she married the plo- ture director, Fred W ndermere. The reason (or M^ss Bennett mak- ing known Billle was her son and not her brother camo about through the remorse a(t0r the boy's death In the Hollywood Hospital (ollowing an injury he sustained In the rear seat o( Miss Bennett's automobile at a studio while skylarking with anuther boy. The boy's death took place on the day Miss Bennett was scheduled to go to work in "Stella Dallas.'^ There was no publicity q( Um death at the time, as (ear by MJss Bennett that it would reach his (ather's rel- atives. V ho might not "^Ike the (act that the youngster was passing as his mother's brother Instead o( son. A/ter her work in the picture pro- Kressed the matter preyed on Miss Bennett's mind until she decided to make a clean breast o( the situation. Her excuse (or secreting the Iden- tity o( the boy was that she was passing as a woman of 24 when she sJmiUi to S4 or more. A cheok-up of hosp*' -1 and health depar.ment records sustained Miss Bennett's declarations as to the Identity o( the boy, removing the suggestion o( a press agent's plant. As "Stella Dallas" In the ptay Miss Bennett as the mother Is oblged to make sacrifices (or her daug*iter. Enthusiasts Claim Good Show Cotdd Make Run The boom state o( Florida Is re- garded (ertlle territory (or legiti- mate road shows but the staads 4here appear to be closed to road shows. Most houses are tied up by Famous Players In association with the Lynch Enterprises. Two days are apparently the most a house will book a •">. <l attraction, though persons who nave been In Florida during the spring and sum- mer state' first class attractions could remain several weeks in some spots. The increasing numl>er o( visitors, realty Investors and traders has even crowded the resort during the hot season, the climate on the east coast being reported better than the northern cities. Possibilities o( excellent business for attractions are olalmeC (or A|7est Palm Becu^h. .^iaml; St Petersburg, and Orlando. Sarasota has not a theatre at preaent, but the west coast will have a 1,700 seat house at Davis Islands at Tampa Bookers say it would be quite (easible to Jump attractions (rom Atlanta to the Florida points. Some managers expressed wil- ingness to tranaport attracUona di- rect to the boom state by bolit 1( given the proper booking. • To bear out the oonteation Florida Is progressing as a year round resort Is the (aet that Los Angeles halt- ingly admits the guU state has se- riously Impaired the ptoture olty'a summer visitors. GEO. KAUfHAirS W&ITINOS George 8. Kaufman has returned *6 his desk as dramatic editor of the New York "Times" after a sev- eral months' leave of absence. Dur- ing that time he completed the writing ot "The Butter and Egg Man," due on BroiUlway In October. and collaborated with Irving Berlin «n the writing o( "Cocoanuts," a musical comedy which will feature the Fojr Marx Brothers. KATHBTM Arlington, Inc. 233 We»t S2nd St. WKw TORK orrr rhoa* Columbna 4MS-4M6 COSTUMES AimiHN SHUFFUNG OF THREE ilOSE41ARIES Chorus Girl» Married at 18, Repents 4 Years Later Chicago, Aug. 4. In September. 19S1, Mabel msd- er. 18. chorus girl with "Bloiftom Time." motored from Chicago one night after the show to Crown Point. Ind.. a nearby Gretna Green, and married Adolph Henningsen, 20, heir to a butcher shop on Chi- cago's North Side. The girl, now 22. and the mother of a three-year- old boy. has gone to law for a di- vorce charging the youthful butch- er with unreasonable Jealousy, too much alcohol and wife-beating. July • Henningsen is alleged to have evicted his wife and child from their home and to have re- fused to allow them to take theta- clothing and other personal posses- sions. William F. Ader, the wife's attor- ney, has appealed to the courts (or a writ to obtain this property. Meanwhile divorce proceedings have been started. DON MABaniS' 'TIE "ETEf* Philip Goodman's first production this seeuson wiU be a farce called "Mr. Pie Eye," by Don Marquia the columnist, who wrote "The Old Soak." which was produced by Ar- thur Hopkins and Goodman. The new piece calls (or aa un- usual lead character, who is sup- posed to be stewed virtually throughout the play, and has but four speeches, the lines all coming within the final two minutea "Mr. Pie Bye" Is listed to open next month at the Ubertjr. N. Y. Company to Continue at Imperial—<:hi. Troupe Bound West % Tho original compeuiy o( Itose- Marle" will continue into the new season at the Imperial, but both the Boston and Chicago companies will move next month. The Chicago uhlt will leave the Woods Sept. 26 at which time It will have made a run o( >S weeks. The "kick-out" clause calls (or takings under $20,000 weekly, but the gross has not yet dropped to that figure. However, through an arrangement made with Jonea Llnick and Scheaf- (er early in the summer, Arthur Hammerstela agreed to terminate the engagement next month when the house will get "Kid Boots." The Boston "Rose-Marie" will leave after a IS weeks' run at the Wilbur, Sept. II. Bookings (or the Chicago com- pany call (or three weeks in SL Louia two weeks in Denver, eight weeks In Los Angeles and (our weeks in San Francisco. UHDErSuDY a "DOUBLB*' LeyU Oeorgle Is out o( "What Price Glory" through Illness. Jean- ette Fox-Lee replacing. The latter is a "double" (or Miss Georgle, and K not (or the namea it is averred nobody would be the wiser as to the substitution. An understudy stepped Into the only (eminlne role in the "cuss" play Monday night. Miss Fox-Lee Join- las the show tonight (Wednesday). FLORIDA DOLLARS GROW aUICKLY George Mooser, who is devoting his energies to the derelopment of Hygeia Subdivision on the West Coast of Florida, and which, through his efforts, promises to become the summer home and playground of many of the best known people in the theatrical world, has received the following letter from Wallace Ford, one of the most popular of the younger leading men of the legitimate i Cleveland, July 29, 1925. My Dear George:— > Bead your ad in the "Variety" and the story of my trip to Florida to see the lots in Hygeia Sub- division that I bought of yon, with muoh amuse- ment and pleasure, but, George, you haven't told the half of it. • I know that you will be glad toliear that I was pleased with my investment, and only wish that I oonld buy about 20 more lots. I viewed every bit of the land that surrounds beaiktifnl Lemon Bay, and tried to buy a lot right on tiht bay, for which they are asking four and five thousand dollars, but oonsi#lfk*ed the very low prioH^ in comparison, that I paid you for the two lots and came back without investing further. My only disappointment was in not seeing yon ia Sarasota, but I saw what I went to see and and am frank in telling you that I am ver/ pleased with my investment, uid'believe me, after seeing some of the deals that were put through in real estate during my stay there, I knof that I wavnt by any means stung in my investment. AiA now that I am in tite torrid Horth again, how I long foF-ihe cool, balmy, pine-perfumed air of those Sontfaem pines. Florida^ the West Ooast in particular, is the most ideal (dimate. I know^e people of Hew York won't be- | lieve me when I tell them tiiat, no matter how hot it may be there in the daytime, you must have quilts over you to sleep in oooiort when tiie night comes. I am going down there again next Summer, aiid will probably build a bungalow (one of those beautiful littie Spanish stnoco covered houses) on . one of my lots in Hygeia. Hoping to se^on real soon in Hew Tork, and with kindest personal regards, I am Tomzs very sincerely, WALLACE FORD ^ ■» I NUFFSAID!!! *~ Bay Now, AU Lola Suhj^ei to Advane* S^pt. ItH other holders o( lots in thiif subdivision are LENORE ULRIC, JAMES W. THATCHElt THOMA8 F. KANE. JOSEPH W. CONE, ANNA C. POWERS and PAULINE SEtTZER (o( the Century PUy Company); MARTIN HERMAN (General Manager (or A. H. Woods): SAMUEL SHIPMAN. the well known playwright; JACK LAIT, agthor and Journalist; SIME and SID SILVERMAN, NELLIE REVELL, whose wonderful fighting spirit carried her through (our years o( agony when given up by a hal( docen doctors; HAL and MAX HALPERIN (o( Chicago); ARTHUR C. CLARKE (Managing Director o( the Ban Francisco "Chronicle"); MARY B. TOWNS, MILTON BLUMBERQ and many others. Arrangements are now being made (or the transplanting of palms and Howering plants upon the three parka o( the subdivision, and several o( the buyers at lots have signified their Intention of erect- ing bungalows ;on their property this autumn and spending their summer vacations In the enjoyment o( the wonder(ul fishing and bathing offered by that district. QEORQE M008ER, who has been prominent In the motion pic- ture and theatrical world (or more than two decades, intends to devote all his time and energies to the development o( this sub- division, and has opened an office in the GUARANTY TRUST BUILDINQ, 522 Fifth Avenue, New York City Rach lot Is about three times as large as a city lot, being 12S (eet by 60, and a few run 12S by 78. The present prices on the loU will be Inoreased 30 per cent after SepV let, when Mr. Mooser plans to retura to Florida. i^'^v The prices run from |3S0 to |600, depending upon loestien. A request to Mr. Mooser, at 522 6th Avenue, will bring full in- formation as to property with easy terms for psyment if required. ■ 1 -^