The New York Clipper (March 1919)

THE NEW YOltK CLIPPER March .5, 1919 BEDROOM SCENE PLAYS ARE NUMEROUS DE FOE RAPS "SLEEPLESS NIGHT" Forces witb bed room scenes axe nirmer- oni this season. Managers, seemingly, are of the opinion that aa Oitennoor scene, ia necessary to the success of play*. But it ia a question whether the limit in production of plays of this type haa not been reached. The production of "A Sleepless Night," the latest addition to the list, drew forth the condemnation of several critics, which might be taken as the forerunner of a revulsion of public sentiment against any more of this type of play. Louis De Foe, the dramatic critic of the Nev> York World, in commenting upon thia play, now running successfully under the Shubert management at the Bijou Theatre said recently: "By any ordinary process of discrimi- nation outside the theatre, snch an at- tempt at nasty suggestion aa 'A Sleepless Night' would find the shortest possible route to the waste paper basket. Even if its impropriety made it enticing for commercial purposes, its utter banality would disqualify it. Its three acts sug- gest—in point of palatableaeas—nothing so much as a layer of rancid meat be- tween two slices of mouldy bread." ., It k more than likely that the manage* rial appetite was whetted for thia kind of dramatic fan by the success a few seasons ago of "Twin Beds," a work writ* ten by Margaret Mayo and produced by Selwyn and Company, a production that really "set" this firm of managers in the producing field. From the start this Mayo play was phenomenally successful, and after hav- ing a long run in New York waa seat on the road with equal success, and then to England. Even today, and the play it several season's old, it is a veritable gold mine for A S. Stern, who has the road rights to it. The appetite born of "Twin Beds" was probably fully developed last season by A. H. Woods production of "Parlor, Bed- room and Bath," which came from the pens of C. W. Bell and Mark Swan. It is claimed that on this play Woods cleaned up $40,000 on the season, and this sum, together with the royalties paid to Bell, Swan and George Broadhurst, who also gets a percentage, gives some idea of the amount of business the play did in. New York. This season there are three "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath" companies on the road, the first and second companies being headed by Florence Moore and Flavia Arcaro, respectively. All of these com- panies were playing to packed houses last fall when the country waa suffering from the after effects of. the Spanish inflnwnra and when other shows were closed. The first manager to be bitten by the "Bedroom Play" .bug thia. season . waa George Broadhurst, who, with the: knowl- edge of Woods' success on- Aug. 12 last Sreduced at the Playhouse "She Walked i Her Sleep," written by Mark Swan without the aid of his former collaborator. This play enjoyed a lengthy run,, but did not attain the success of its predecessor. The next to feel the "bug's?' bite waa John D. Williams, who, on OeL" 5, at the Bijou Theatre, presented "Sleeping Part- ners," a work taken from the French of Sacha Guitry, in which H. B Warner and Irene Bordoni played the leading roles. Success perched on the Williams banner, which was interrupted by a misunder- standing between him and Warner, which caused the withdrawal of the play. On December 30 the "bug" took another nip at George Broadhurst, and on that date, at the 30th Street Theatre he pro- duced "Keep It to Yourself," also from the pen of Mark Swan, who, thia time, found his inspiration in a French comedy by Keroul and Bane. On Jan. Iff, A, H. Woods, with the memory of the fall coffers resulting from "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath," presented at the Elting-. Theatre "Up in Mabel's Boom," written for him by Wilson Colli- son and Otto Harbach. Then, on Feb. 10, Oliver Moroseo fell into line atd, at the Little Theatre, pro- duced a play written by James Cullen and Lewis Allen Browne, entitled "Please Get Married," in which Ernest Trues and Edith Taliaferro are featured. Thia play has proved so successful that it is to be moved to the Fulton, a more commodious theatre. ■ • - '- —--.--. The three last mentioned productions, together with "A Sleepless Night," are playing to big business, at least two of them turning people away. WILL BE SENTENCED FRIDAY Frederick - Wolfram, the erstwhile Shubert trea-urer-accountant-bookkeeper, who pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with forgery in the second -degree, will be arraigned for sentence next Friday "before Judge Grain in the Court of General Sessions. Wolfram is twenty-nine years old, mar- ried, and lived with his wife and two children in an apartment in Brooklyn, for which he paid $37 a month. During the three years he was employed by the Shn- berts at (50 a week he maintained an apartment at the Claridge, where he was arrested, had a machine, and is reported to have entertained* his friends at the Claridge with expensive dinners. Follow- ing his arrest, a receipted bin was found on Wolfram showing that he had bought and paid for a diamond ring valued at (885, which he is reported to have given to a young woman employed in the Equit- able building, at ISO Broadway. The young woman has disappeared since Wol- fram's arrest, it is reported. Wolfram's peculations, it ia alleged, ex- tended over the entire period he waa em- ployed by the Shuberts. The latter did not discover his defalcations because, after issuing vouchers to himself and rais- ing cheeks from small amounts to huge ones. Wolfram destroyed the checks and vouchers. The specific charge on which Wolfram was indicted and to which-he'pleaded guilty is for raising a small cheek drawn on the Columbia Trust Company' for (800. This act was committed December 2S, 1018, and the original amount of the cheek . is not known, because Wolfram destroyed it after it came back from the hank. LEAVES TO BOOST BENEFITS Daniel Frohman left on Tuesday of this week to supervise the six remaining ben- efit performances to be given in as many different cities within the next six weeks for the Actors' Fund of America. The next performance is to be given in. Cincinnati on Friday of this week. Per- formances will also be given on the next five successive Fridays in the following cities: Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Boston. Thus far, benefit performances have been given in New York, Philadelphia, Wash- ington and Pittsburgh, the receipts total- ing $26,500, divided aa follows: The New York benefit at the Century January 24 netted (15,000; Philadelphia, February 7, (5,000; Washington. February 21, (3,500. and Pittsburgh, February 28, (3,000. FUND TO GET 10% Ten per cent of the funds raised at the benefit to be given next Sunday night for the relatives of the late Rudolph Aronson, will go to the Actor's Fund, in accord- ance with' the recent pun agreed upon that the percentage of all benefits should be turned over to help provide for aged Thespians. This will be the first benefit in New York City at which the percentage waa collected. WOODS WINS IN ENGLISH SUIT OVERPLAY HE CONTROLS "WITHIN THE LAW" London, Feb. 28.—A H. Woods, the American, producer who is in this country at present, having come to I<ondon to supervise the presentation of "Uncle Sam," known in America aa "Friendly Enemies," was successful last week in his suit against Faraday and otters, which has been pend- ing in the courts here since 1914, over the rights of "Within the Law.": Woods brought action to restrain Far- aday, the Estate of the late Sir Herbert Tree, F. Manville Perm, A Wimperia, and Horsfield and Woodward,- from presenting "Within the Law" in the provinces- Woods claimed he acquired rights to the play in 1912 from Selwyn and Company in America, afterward leasing the English producing rights to Faraday. . The latter, in turn, leased the provincial rights to the other defendants. After the play had run a year in London it waa pre- sented in several of the provinces. Woods objected to the provincial presentation, claiming that he leased the rights for Lon- don only. Mr. Justice Bailhache, in the court be- low, dismissed the complaint. In the Court of Appeals, last week, the plaintiff's contention was upheld and the judges or- dered an inquiry to ascertain the amount of damages sustained by Woods. V PRESS CLUB DINES STARS Boston, Mass., Feb. 28.—At the annual reception of the Boston Press Club to the theatrical visitors to the city held here last week, Grace Valentine was unanimously voted the . most popular young lady pres- ent. The dancing and entertainment waa all given under the direction of Herbert D. Vittum, president of the club. Major Car- roll J. Swan, of the 101st Engineers, told some thrilling stories about the war, and then introduced the guests. • Miss Ina Rork, who is appearing with Miss Valentine in "Lombard! Ltd.," de- livered herself of a talk on "Women in the Recent War." Roger DePisa rendered a monologue of jokes and stories. Lao Carrillo, of "Lombard; Ltd.," rendered a few impersonations and stories, and Vera Michelana, some members of the Meln- tyre and Heath company, and Hilda Brand made a very pleasant evening's entertain- ment. WEBER SUES AUDREY MAPLE Joe Weber, through House, Grossman and Vorhaus, has sued Audrey Maple in the Municipal Court to recover $330 which, he claims, he advanced her while she was playing in "Her Regiment." .... In his complaint, Weber alleges that, between Sept 1, 1917, and June 1,-1918, he advanced Miss Maple various" sums amounting in all to $580. She was to use the money in purchasing gowns for her part in the show. However, Miss Maple paid back (250, Weber oUima, leaving the balance he has brought suit for. Miss Maple is at present in "Monte Cristo, Jr.," at the Winter Garden. ACTORS MUST KEEP MOVING An order to keep every one moving in the big hallway of the Loneacre banding was issued last' week by the owners of the. building. This will affect many the- atrical folk who have been in the habit of putting in long distance telephone calls at the pay station there and then standing about until the connection was obtained. SHUBERTS WIN TRIAL The Shuberts won the second trial, last week, of the suits brought against, them by the Tottles Theatre Company of St. Joseph, Mo., when, after a trial lasting four days, a Jury in the Supreme Court before Judge Hendricks, brought in a ver- dict in then* favor. The first trial, in 1915, resulted in a $14,000 verdict for the Tootle people. The Appellate Division reversed this verdict and ordered a new trial. . .*. The action was for rent which the Tootles claimed was due them from the Shuberts on a lease which the latter acid for the Tootles Theatre, St. Joseph. . The . term of the lease was five years from. 1910 at $8,000 a year. In 1913, however, the Shuberts abandoned the theatre and. re- fused to pay rent for the balance of the term. They contended that the theatre was unsanitary, unsafe, and in a decrepit condition, and that the .Tootles, who had promised to fix the hoUM »p, failed to do a* -. . .'* . William Klein was the attorney for the Shuberts, assisted by Max D. Steuer, and the Tootles attorneys were Guthrie, Bangs and Von Sinderer, Austin G. Fox being retained as counsel. SAY THEY OWE MONEY A list containing the names of a number of theatrical people who are alleged to owe sums of money to the management of Bryant Hall for use of the rehearsal rooms there, has been*posted up by.the management. Incidentally, there is an- other and larger announcement advising that, in the future, payments win have to 'be made in advance. The list, aa it is posted up, is as follows: ■ John Humphrey, (2; Mme. . Sartoria, $1.15; Willie Edelsten, (22.50; Carl Carl- ton, (12; Texas Gtrinan, $1.60; Miss Poll, ' $1.50; Dorothy Richmond, (3; Arthur Lamb (author), (26; Mrs. Erne Alsop, $»; Mr. Pope (producer), (8; Mr. Cues (opera company), (2.00; S. Piatov (Russian .' dancer), $7.50; Interstate Opera Company (Mrs. Butler), (3.75; Billy Thompson, (1.50; Claire Lorraine and Mrs. Johns Manville, (8; Max Ford (of Four Fords), $11.06; Robert. D. Conn, $22.50; Max Babinoff, $94.15; G. M. Anderson ("Bronco Billy"), $2.50; William P. On; late man- ager of "The Kiss Burglar" company, (35; and the Whitney Opera Company (Fred C. White), (37.50. WELCH LOSES SUIT The suit, for $1,000 brought in the Municipal Court by the Kiss Burglar Cor- poration (Jack Welch) against Contta A Tennis, was dismissed last Monday by Judge Lauer, who did not even permit the case to go to the jury. This action by the judge followed the testimony of Welch, who was the only witness in behalf of the plaintiff. O'Brien, Malevinsky and DriscoU represented the defendants, and William Klein came into '' court to represent the Shubert's interest in the litigation. Two more suits were started against the Kiss Burglar Corporation last week. Emil Plohn sued to .recover $547.50, al- leged to be due. for picture frames, and the White Studio, Inc., is seeking $264.42 alleged to be due for photographs. Leon Laski ia the attorney tor the plaintiff in each suit Laski stated last week that he win probably file a petition in bankruptcy against the Kiss Burglar Corporation if he could find another creditor to join' the two he now represents. WEBER * FIELDS WONT SAIL The engagement Which Joe Weber and Lew Fie.ds, reunited, made for a tour of England, has been called off, owing to the fact that Weber bas entered into plans for next season that will require his attention here. WILL STAR NEXT SEASON The plans of Date Weis to star Hen- rietta . Crosman through the South in "Erstwhile Susan" this season, have been called off, but he has a hew piece in preparation in which he will present Miss Crosman next season. OUT OF "PARLOR" CAST Fiis-dlay, Ohio, March 3.—Virginia Milliman. who had a part in "i'arlor. Bed- room and Bath," was taken ill here and had to leave the cast. The. A. H. Woods office was notified in New York and;Lillian Hearne, who recently d\-ed-in "Fair and Warmer," .was rnshed . here to "take her .piece. *;'-"' " . -.. ^;V~ .;'<:. A.E. A. CONTRACT . Elliott, Comstock and Ge-t have begun using the' contract approved by1 the United Managers'" Protective Association and the Actors* Equity Association. ■'.-'. "-.'