The New York Clipper (October 1916)

10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER October 7, 1916 GOOD SHOWS PREDOMINATE BUT AT TENDA NCE IS POOR Lack of Business Shelves Good Productions, but New York Managers Are Optimistic and Look for Big Attendance with Normal Condition* Later in the Season Ne«v York's producing managers have every reason to be proud of their output so far this season, artistically speaking. From a financial standpoint they have every reason to be dissatisfied. From a manager's viewpoint last season wis considered a banner one, but a com- parison between the attractions of a year* ago and those already produced this season is difficult because of connections. There have been more plays produced so far this season on the Xew York stage than were last year in the same length of time, and still the comparative merit of this season's work is higher than that of iaRt season's. Again, while this season's productions are of better average calibre, the attend- nnce this season has been the worst on record, while last season's was among the best. This season's slump in theatrical busi- ness, so far as New York is concerned, is entirely due to existing conditions! well calculated to make a stay-at-home of the most confirmed theatregoer, and it is like- ly to be some time before he returns to bis normal theatregoing state. There was no infantile paralysis last senson. August of 1915 gave New York some good indoor amusement weather and there was no strike. Any one of these three would, in itself, work a hardship, but the three combined have been a calam- ity. Of the forty odd productions of this sea- son up to now, twenty-five are still with us, showing that more than fifteen shows of the current season have been forced by the first week in October to either take to the road or go to the storage house. In other words, about thirty-Sve per cent, have failed to attract New Yorkers. The New York manager has been placed in the peculiar position this season, owing to the absence of his balcony and gallery attendance, of not being able to tell, with any degree of certainty, whether or not he has a play with earmarks of success. An emphatic success is, in the majority of cases, as easy to detect as an emphatic failure, but the medium success, which is by far the more prevalent of all the plays that are not failures, is under present con- ditions, difficult of determination. The manager's thermometer of the suc- cess or failure of a play is the attendance of the balcony and gallery. Filled seats in those parts of the bonse spells success; empty ones, under normal conditions, in- variably mean failure. Hence the poor bal- cony and gallery attendance that has ob- tained so far this season confuses the man- ager. If that role held good at the pres- ent time New York could scarcely boast of a single success. There have been but four real failures, and of these "Yvette" lasted for one per- formance. "A Little Bit of Fluff" was with US for a week, and "The Happy Ending" lasted for the same length of time. Bnt a number of those which have either been sent on the road or taken off entirely, gave every evidence of having the elements of a New York success if they were given half a chance. In this class can be men- tioned "Coat Tales," written by Edward Clark, and produced by Arthur Ham- merstein; "Broadway and Buttermilk," Blanche Ring's present vehicle; "Some- body's Luggage," in which James T. Powers is starring; "A Pair of Queens," a Frazee production; "The Silent Witness" and "The Guilty Man." Of the August productions those still with us are, "Seven Chances," at the Cohan; "Cheating Cheaters," at the El- tinge; "Turn to the Right," at the Gai- ety ; "His Bridal Night," at the Republic: "The Girl from Brazil," it the Forty-fourth Street, and "The Big Show," at the Hip- podrome. Of those produced during September there remain "The Man Who Came Back," Playhouse; "Mr. Lazarus," with Henry E. Dizey, Shubert; "Pierrot, the Prodigal," Booth; "Flora Bella," with Lina Abarba- nell, Casino; "Mister Antonio," with Otis Skinner, Lyceum; "Pollyanna," Hudson; "Pag anirri, " with George Arliss, Criterion; "Nothing But the Truth," with Wra. Col- lier, Longacre; "Caroline," with Margaret Anglin, Empire: "Miss Springtime," New Amsterdam; "Upstairs and Down," Cort; "The Intruder," Cohan & Harris.: and "Arms and the Girl," Fulton. This brings the season up to Oct. 1, and is as formidable a list of shows, ranging from light opera to melodrama, as one could hope to see. Prominent among those which have found favor is "Miss Springtime," which scored one of those instantaneous hits managers so like to see. Of revivals there were two, "The Great Lover" and "Sybil," last year's successes, while "Fair and Warmer," "Very Good, Eddie" and "The Boomerang" were hold- overs from last season, the two last men- tioned being still with us. For the first week in October we have "Rich Man, Poor Man," at the Forty- eighth Street; "His Majesty Bunker Bean" at the Astor: the Washington Players in new one act plays at the Comedy; "Betty," with Raymond Hitchcock, at the Globe, "Back Fire," at the Thirty-ninth Street; "Fixing Sister," at the Marine Elliott, and "Hush," at the little Theatre. The managers take an optimistic view of the situation and there are many shows jnst waiting the opportunity to get on Broadway. Just as soon as the city settles down to normal conditions there is no question that the theatrical attendance will pick np. and some of the shows which have been slighted by the public will come into their own. START 24-HR. REHEARSALS Charles Dillingham and Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. started twenty-four hour rehearsals Thursday morning, Sept. 28, for the prin- cipals and chorus of their forthcoming production of "The Century Girl," at the Century Theatre. The rehearsals will be conducted in shifts of eight hours each, the innovation having been necessitated by reason of the very large number of stars, twenty-eight in number, employed in the cast. The first sub-division of eight hours will be devoted to the chorus, under the direc- tion of Irving Berlin, the second to the principals, including: Sam Bernard, Leon Erroll, Hazel Dawn, Elsie Janis, Doyle and Dixon, Harry Kelly, Gertrude Rut- land, the Barr Twins, Marie Dressier, Irv- ing Fisher, Harry Langdon, Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys, Gus Van and Joe Scbenk, Frank Tinney, Stan-Stanley, Law- rence Haynes, Marjorie Villis, and Helen Barnes, conducted by Frederick G. Latham, general director of the Century Theatre; the last eight hoars to the lyrics, topical songs and orchestral numbers, under the direction of Victor Herbert. VERNON CASTLE SAFE Reports which reached Broadway a few weeks ago to the effect that Vernon Castle had been killed in action in France, were evidently wrong, for Louis Bustanoby, the restaurateur, has received a letter and some pictures from the dancer himself. The letter gave an account of the expe- riences Castle has undergone since sailing from these shores, and the pictures showed various scenes of life in the training camps and the aviation schools. NEW MANAGER IN BROOKLYN Fletcher Billings has been made mana- ger of the Majestic Theatre, Brooklyn, this season, succeeding John R. Pierce. Mr. Billings was treasurer of the Majestic last season. The house opened Sept. 30 with "Just A Woman." NOW IT'S THE COHAN & HARRIS Messrs. Cohan & Harris have at last decided to name their recently purchased Candler Theatre after the firm, and there- fore it will hereafter be known as the Cohan & Harris Theatre. When the firm announced they intended to call the house the C. & H. they were swamped with letters of protest from their friends, who declared it sounded like the abbreviation of a railroad or a tea store advertise- ment. Hence the Cohan & Harris Theatre. NAME OF PLAY CHANGED Nancy Buyer has changed the title of her play from "The Little Lady from Lonesome Town" to "The Woman Who Paid." The new title goes into effect Oct 16 when the company plays Richmond, Va. COHAN AND HARRIS'S NEWEST PLAY IS GOOD MELODRAMA "HER SOLDIER BOY" PRESENTED Stamford, Conn., Sept. 29.—The Shu- berts presented "Her Soldier Boy" here last night, for the first time upon any stage. Clifton Crawford was seen in the leading role. The book is adapted by Rida John- son Young from the original of Victor Leon, and the score is by Emmerich Kalmen and Sigmund Romberg. "THB INTRUDES"—A three act play bT Cjrll Bareoart. presented Sept. 26. at the Cohan and Harris Tbcatre. THE CAST. x Pauline LeTardler Olive Tell George Goerand Vernon steel Bene Lerardier Frank Kemble Cooper Baptiste Lawrence White The Stntnser. H. Cooper Cliffe Natalie Dorle Sawyer Commisaaire of Police..Frederick Esraelton Agent of Police ....J. H. Greene Agent of Police a. B. Beno Francois George Barr First Clerk Kenneth Keith Second Clerk. P. O. Barley J "The Intruder" is one of those Cohan & Harris melodramatic plays that thrills without giving you the creeps, and inter- ests without nerve-trying tenseness. Its story, as revealed at the opening, Sept. 26, -leals with the eternal triangle, to which "ie average playwright turns when at a loss for a theme for a new play. Bnt all the Intruder has to do with it is to bring about the discovery of the de- ception of the man and woman by the hus- band. The Intruder is a thief, in the night who times his burglary when the husband is away and the wife and her lover are tak- ing advantage of his absence. The wife discovers the theft, a mere trifle of 200,000 francs, and calls the police by phone, which proves ber undoing. From then on it is merely a matter of time how soon the husband will denounce the sinners. When he does, he gets the man in his power only, as his final act, to let him go free. Olive Tell did good work" as Pauline, the wife, albeit at times she was not quite equal to the emotional demands of the role. Vernon Steel made George Gnerand, the lover, a manly chap wha^pbn your sym- pathy in spite of his misdoing. Frank Kemble Cooper had a difficult task to make the role of Rene Levardier, the husband, convincing. However, he sur- mounted all difficulties and gave a force- ful performance. H. Cooper Cliffe, as The Stranger, gave one of the best performances of his career in this country. Always a finished actor, he was never more artistic than he is in this play. The others without exception did good work. "The Intruder" is a well written, well acted, well staged melodrama. WHAT THE DAILIES SAY. Times— Well made play. Herald— Excitement in every move. Tribune— Fine Ml of work. Sun— Concentrated melodrama. World— Soggy melodrama. MUSIC MASTER REVIVED Wilmington, Del., Sept. 29.—The Mu- sic Master," with David Warfield, was re- vived here tonight, with a cast that in- cluded Marie Bates, Jane Cooper, Helen Weer, Eleanor Barry, Rose SaltonstaL Ger- trude Valentine, Charles Abbott, William Boag, Tony Bevan, Louis Hendricks, An- guste Arnmini, Francis Gaillard, Edward Holler, William H. Barwald, Pickering Brown, Griffith Lost, Thomas Gilbert and William Battista.