The New York Clipper (February 1919)

TttE NEW YORK CLIPPER February 19, 1919 STOCKHOLDERS FIGHT OVER DRURY LANE SALE OF THEATRE HELD UP Loicdom, Rug,, Jan. 23.—There is a fight on between the big shareholders and the little shareholders and directors of the Drory Lane Theatre over the sale of "Old Drury," which is no nearer to consumma- tion now than, it was but November. The shareholders were called in extra- ordinary, general meeting last Friday to consider the conditional contract of sale to Sir Alfred Butt, and, if it met with their approval, to ratify K. But, after'a stormy session with the directors they dis- persed without acting upon the Butt con- tract. During the meeting it .transpired that the board possessed sufficient proxies to accept or reject Sir Alfred's offer, but hesitated because of the hostile attitude of the shareholders. At the outset of the session the meeting had before it two offers from Sir Alfred Butt, the first of 1548,100 and the second of $626,266; Charles Gilliver'g second offer of $775,000, and an offer from O. Hamilton Balnea, on behalf of a syndicate, $800,000. The chairman, A. R. Stephenson, pointed out that Butt*a offer of $548,100 was a cash equivalent to $4.37 per $3.75 share, ac«i $3.62 per $5 share, and that the pur- chaser assumed responsibility for all debts, liabilities and engagements of the company. Sir Alfred was also to pay the following sums to the directors: T. H. Birch (regu- lar chairman), $64250; Lord George Lof- tus, $3425; Sidney Smith, $3,125; and A. R. Stephenson, $3,125. Also, the staff was not to be dismissed without receiving adequate compensation. Mr. Stephenson also pointed out that a separate agreement was concluded between Arthur Collins and Sir Alfred Butt on Nov. 25 last, by the terms of which, if the purchase was completed, they should jointly produce a pantomime at their own risk, and run it for their own benefit. In addition to this, Sir Alfred was to pay Collins a sum equivalent to that he was to have received from the directors. March 8 was the date set for the comple- tion of the contract and, to retain its valid- ity, it had to be ratified by the share- holders within five weeks from Jan. 5. The chairman called attention to the fact that there were sufficient proxies in favor of the board's action to carry the original resolution to sell and suggested that the amended agreement wtih Sir Al- fred Butt be ratified. E. Dagnall. a shareholder, objected. He said that if the board's agreement with Butt were ratified they would make a gift to him of $150,000, as they were trans- ferring to him, without consideration, the profits of their pantomime, which ex- ceeded $10,000 per week. W. H. Devenish followed with the state- ment that the agreement with Sir Alfred Butt gave him half the profits of the pan- tomime produced by the shareholders' money. Charles Gulliver's offer of $775.- 000 cash down, he said, was a dean offer. It was $150,000 more than that offered by Sir Alfred, and the shareholders were en- titled to get the best prije they could. The chairman reminded Mr. Devenish that, on the advice of lawyers, the share- holders could only accept or reject the offer made by Butt and had no power to accept the offer of anyone else. George Dance then advised the board of directors to be careful, as the day had passed when the rights of the small share- holders could be Ignored by the big share- holders. By this time the meeting was in as up- roar and all the efforts of the chairman to pacify the shareholders present seemed to have the opposite effect. He then appealed to Mr. Dagnall to use his proxies in favor of the board's action, which the latter ab- solutely refused to do. The chairman, at this point, consented to an adjournment, which he had pre- viously -refused. , The shareholders then immediately called a meeting and elected Mr. Devenish chair- man and appointed' a Committee of In- quiry which included: Messrs. Devenish, Dagnall, William Johnson, A. B. Tansley, A. E. Abrahams and Weedon Grosamith. This committee was instructed to take means to protect the rights of .the small shareholders. BELASCO OPENS NEW PLAY Tobosto, Can., Feb. 14.—"Dark Bon- leen," a four-act Irish comedy by W. D. Hepenstall and Whitford Kane, scored an unqualified success last night at the Prin- cess Theatre where it was produced by David Belasco. It is no disrespect to the late Dion Boucicault and his stage Irishmen to say that the Irish people in "Dark Bosaleen" are the "real thing," made more effective by players who talk as they do in Tip- perary. It is doubtful If any but real Irish folk will fully appreciate all the humor of this play, but there is plain unadulterated fun enough in it to amuse the dullest Saxon, even if the essential fragrance of the dia- logue drifts by. There. win be. complaints about the length from some,- though the only passage that should be omitted is the scene at the gate of the race course, obviously lifted from Synge's "Rising of the Moon," where Bory Coghlan, the blind fiddler, appeals to James Welsh, the policeman, as a Wex- ford man, while the "Boys of Wexford" is played on a tin whistle, off stage: But the authors surely knew a good thing when they saw it The action occurs on the 16th and 17th of March, 1914, the first, second and fourth acts in Donagh's public house and grocery shop in Glenmullct. Corney Donagh, the second son of Joe Donagh, is keeping the bar, but the shutters are up, and Joe and his eldest boy, Martin, who has just returned from six yean in Chicago, come in from the funeral of old Donagh, Joe's dad and Corney' B grand- dad. The funeral becomes the subject of con- versation in perfect Irish style. It was a glorious funeral. There were ninety-three cars, one for every year of the old man's life, and a fight occurs when Jimmy Duffey takes offense, for the sake of the memory of his Aunt Judy, whose obsequies, he as- serts, were more highly honored. This may sound bald in the telling, but the atmosphere, the characterization, the absolute realism and truth to Irinh char- acter, are a folk study of the most pleas- ing kind. Walter Edwin, Henry Duffey, Thomas Mitchell, Robert Cummings, P. J. Kelly and John Daly Murphy play this scene to perfection. Beryl Mercer, as Katy McCabe, gives another study which is.a classic Another excellent study is that of the blind fiddler, by John Carniody, .quite wonderful in its way. With genuine singing of the Irish type, no notice can do justice to the fidelity as well as the art of the whole presentation. The scenery is faultless and the third act is a lovely set. PULL GOOD PRESS AGENT STUNT . Fobt Wobth, Texas, Feb. 14.—A novel press agent scheme was tried here last week by the "Flo Flo" company playing this city under the management of Abe Levy of New York, and" if the attention attracted is any criterion, the returns should be big. Four girls appearing with the show—Trixy Richards, Marion Ed- wards, Helen La Mont and Dorothy Lock- wood—put on a fashion show in the dis- play windows of the M/mnlng department store and appeared in the newest Spring gowns. Enormous crowds of men and women blocked the sidewalk for several hours watching them. ASHEVILLE LIFTS BAN Ashevtllb, N. C Feb. 16.—The ban upon the city that has been in force since Jan. IS because of the "flu" situation, was lifted to-day. All the motion picture houses and other forms of amusement are now open. The auditorium win open on Feb. 17 with Gus Hill's Minstrels. THREE TICKETS FACE SHOWMEN CONVENTION ELECTION CONTEST TO BE HOT Chioam, IU., Feb. 17.—One of the most hotly contested elections ever held by an amusement organization is being fought in Chicago this week, with the scenes laid in the club rooms of the Showman's -League of. America. There are three tickets; the first, the regular ticket, is headed by Edward C Talbott, as president; Fred M. Barnes, first vice-president; Lew D. Nichols, Becond .vice-president; Jerry Mugivan, third vice-president; Walter D. HUdreth,, secretary; Edward P. Newman, treasurer. On the board of directors running with this ticket are William H. Donaldson, James Patterson, Con T. Kennedy, Felice Bernard!, Charles McCurran, Mr 8. Bod- kins, W. H ("BUI") Bice, Arthur Davis, William L. Wyatt, Baba Delgarian, Sam Frankenstein, Edward F. Cummings, Thomas Rankine, Charles G. Browning, Bert Earle, John Miller, Clarence A. Wortham, Charles H. Duffield, William A. Lavelle, Edward F. Carruthers, W. C Hug- gins, Ed, ward A. Hock, A. H Berkley, John A. PoUitt, Fred L. Clarke, Walter F. Driver, Al. H. Hodge, Charles H. Arm- strong, George A. Schmidt, Herbert A. Kline, Harry G. Melville, W. Fred Mc- Guire, Rhoda Royal, Johnny J. Jones, Hor- ton W. Campbell, Guy Dodson, W. J. Mc- Gmley, Thomas J. Johnson and Warren B. Irons. The wiseacres in club affairs predict this ballot wUl be carried. However, in the field are two more tickets, one marked the "Independent Ticket No. 1," and the other the "Independent Ticket No. 2." Ticket No. 1 carries the foUowing names: Edward C. Talbott, president; Fred M. Barnes, first vice-president; Her- bert A. Kline, second vice-president; Steven A. Wood, third vice-president; Walter D. HUdreth, secretary, and Ed-* ward P. Neuman, treasurer. On the board of directors are William H. Donaldson, James Patterson, Con T. Kennedy, Felice Bernard!, Charles McCurran, M S, Bod- kins, W. H. ("BUI") Rise, Arthur Davis, William L. Wyatt, Baba Delgarian, Sam Frankenstein, Edward F. Summings, Thomas Rankine, Charles G. Browning/ Bert Earle, John Miller, Clarence A. Wortham, Charles E. Duffield, William A. Lavelle, Edward F. Carruthers, W. C. Huggins, Edward A. Heck, A. H Barkley, John A. Pollitt, Fred L. Clarke, George H. Coleman, Mart B. Westcott, AL Lotto, Jerry Mugivan, Omar Sand, Harry 8. Noyes, M. S. Barnes, Charles Sparks, Wal- ter Shannon, Lew D. Nichols, Fred Wag- ner, George 0. Moyer, John Agee and W. H Godfrey. Ticket No. 2 carries the foUowing: A. R. Hodge, president; Charles H. Duf- field, first vice-president; Fred L. Clarke, second vice-president; Clarence A. Wor- tham, third vice-president; Walter D. HUdreth, secretary, and Edward P. Neu- man, treasurer. On the board of directors are William H. Donaldson, James Patter- son, Con T. Kennedy, Felice Beroardi, Charles'McCurran, M S. Bodkins, W. H. ("Bill") Rice, Arthur Davis, William L. Wyatt, Baba Delgarian, Sam Franken- stein, ' Edward F. Cummings, Thomas Rankine, Charles G. Browning, Bert Earle, John Miller, Harry McKay, Fred M. Barnes, Edward C. Talbott, J. J. Howard, E. J. KUpatrick, Ed. Ballard, 0. W. Parker, Fred Albert, Steven A. Wood, George H. Coleman, Mort B. Weacott, AL Latto, George A. Schmidt, Herbert A. Kline, Ed. A. Evans, H. Tyler, Max Klass, Johnny J. Jones, Horton W. Campbell, Nathan Miller, C B. ("Zebbie") Fisher, Charles Ban and Warren B. Irons. Thirty-nine names are to be voted upon to constitute the foil hoard of directors. On the New York Club No. 2 ticket are five candidates that are running without opposition. They are Joseph G. Ferari Harry F. McGarvie, Harry Raver, Edward C. White and James C. Tommy. The'election wUl be held in the club rooms of the Showman's League of Amer- ica on Wednesday afternoon. THE "DANCER" NEEDS FIXING Wilkes rakse, Pa., Feb. 13.—"The Dancer," a three-act drama by Edward Locke, was given its first production on any stage last night at the Grand and was somewhat Indifferently received. Perhaps, after the players, as a whole, are more sure of their lines, a more satisfactory performance will be given. But there is no doubt that the play needs blue-pencil- ing, speeding up and more vitality. The scenes are laid in Greenwich' Vil- lage, New York, and the story tells of the adventures of Lola, a Russian dancer, who is pursued by a young American from England to America. In New York he declares his love for her. After they are married and are living happily together, the young husband questions her about her previous life on the stage. The hus- band has been raised in Puritanical sur- roundings . and disapproves of much that his wife does. Finally, tho defense by the wife of her former friends brings about an estrangement and separation, which occurs at the end of act two. ' - _-, The last act is given over to a scene in which the husband demands - that his wife renounce her former associates. The arrogance' which the husband here shows, together with his refusal to believe her a good woman, which she is and has always been, causes resentment on her part, and, in spite of the fact that each loves the other, they separate and the cur- tain falls. There is a woeful lack of comedy in the play, but the work contains many bright speeches. Martha Hedman, who is featured with the show, played Lola with much skill, but lacked the fire one expects to find in the Russian temperament. John Holliday, as the husband, carried the final scene of the last act with such force that he received an ovation. Harry Mestayer, as the dancer's man- ager, did excellent work. The Shuberts, who made the production, have staged the play well and surrounded the principals with capable players. SUES MARIE CAimX FOR GOWNS A judgment for $845.60 was entered last week against Marie CahUl, by Lizzie Cum- mins, Inc., the dressmaking establishment. The judgment resulted from the purchase by Miss CahiU of a number of stage gowns during 1015. Failing to pay for them, the actress confessed judgment to Samuel Frank, attorney for the plaintiff, who has issued an order for the examination of Miss CahiU in supplementary proceedings. She wiU probably be examined this week. The same plaintiff, by its attorney, Sam- uel Frank, obtained a judgment for $165.05 against Bayard Vieller, the action growing out of the latter's wife, Margaret Wyche- rely, purchasing gowns from the plaintiff, which were never paid for. DARE DEVILS OPEN FEB. 28 After several postponements, caused by the illness of Scnreyer, who has now com- pletely recovered, the World's Congress of Dare Devils wUl take to the road on Feb. 28, opening at the Armory, Schenectady. Schreyer plans to take the Dare Devils on a lengthy tour that .wiU keep the aggre- gation busy for the next thirty or forty weeks. The Dare Devils will play in armories in the various cities booked until the warm weather arrives. During the summer the show may possibly be given in open air amphitheatres, such as ball parks, etc. Sidney Wire is handling the advance work for the troupe. BUKKAN MOVES UP-TOWN Nathan Burkan, the theatrical lawyer, has removed his offices from 165 Broadway to .the Commercial Trust Company Bond- ing, Broadway and Forty-first street. Mr. Burkan's offices. occupy half of the fifth floor of the bunding, and contain nine rooms besides the reception room. A spe- cial room for conferences, large' enough to seat twenty-five people, was . designed and decorated by CaUimore and Pounds. -