The New York Clipper (January 1920)

'■vr^; THE NEW YORK CLIPPER January 7, 1920 LED BY HIPPODROME'S $103,020 LAST WEEK BROKE ALL RECORDS Including Midnight Shows and Special Matinees, Surpasses Former Mark for Holiday or Any Other Season of Year With a record business of $103,020 for a week's taking!, an unprecedented amount for any show house in America, the Hippodrome last week led all theatres in what will go down in history as the greatest seven days' receipts ever recorded in the theatrical business of this country. The extraordinary fl™««"-i«1 results the week achieved were due, in large measure, -. to the' general boosting of the prices of tickets that prevailed during the week and the double prices, in particular, charged at most of the first-class theatres on New Year's Eve. In connection with the Hippodrome's business it is worthy of note that the i highest previous week's grows recorded at that playhouse was $79,000, taken in dur- ing the week of Oct. 13 last,'the Jewish holiday week, and the highest week's , .gross before that was New Year's week of last year, when $68,000 was realized. The house has 6,274 seats and the scale ranges from 25 cents to $2 afternoons, and from 50 cents to $250 at night. And when It is considered that it plays twelve ehows weekly and that $12,000 was realized from the New Year's Eve performance, with a $4 top price prevailing, some idea .of how the total was achieved may be gleaned. However, Comstock and Gest's produc- tion at the Century, "Aphrodite," also < played to a gross business last week that will probably go down in theatrical annals as a record business for that house. It took in $51,644. with $10,08$ as the New Yoar'fl Eve receipts. And up on the Cen- - ' tury Roof, where the third edition of the "Midnight Whirl" opened a week ago last Saturday, the week's receipts, including those of the opening night, totaled $21,000. Nor did Ray Comstock arid Morris Gest : overlook anything last week when it came to garnering money at the box office, for, at the Fokinc dance recital, which they presented at the Metropolitan Opers House, the receipts totaled $17,400, a rec- ord night's receipts at the Met. on other than benefit and gala performances. Every seat in the house, including the boxes, was sold, the top price being $7, and, in addi- tion, there were 514 standees, each of whom paid $1.80, exclusive of the. war tax, for the uncomfortable privilege of standing. . • Next came the Capitol, where the gross receipts totaled $84,000, thus establishing its leadership as a motion picture bouse on the biggest film theatre street in the world. The Rialto, Rivoli, Strand and B. S. Moss' Broadway,' theatres, each of which played a,special midnight performance on New Year's Eve. garnered respectively on the week $30,000. $32,500. $25,050 and $20,000. • "The Passing Show," at ( tke Winter Garden, with double prices prevailing for the New Year's Eve performance, took in a total of $36,100 on the week. Follow- ing closely on the heels of this total are the receipts of "Apple Blossoms" at the Globe, which totaled $32,500, and, incident- ally, established a new record for a week's receipts at that house. "Monsieur Beaucnire," at the New Am- sterdam, played to $22,700, and atop the same theatre Ziegfeld's "Midnight Frolic" - gathered in $20,400, with a $10 top being • charged for front row chains on the roof" New Year's Eve. Ina Claire, in "The Gold Diggers," at the Lyceum, played to $21310. and "Clarence," at the- Hudson, to $21,750. Ethel Benymore, in "Declasse," at the Empire, played to $21,240, and Frank Bacon, in ^Lightnin'," at the Gaiety, did $20,112. "The Royal Vaga- bond," at. the Cohan and Harris, which closed last Saturday night after a year's run, took in $20,030. "Irene," at the VanderbOt, established a record for that house when the receipts totaled $20,080. "East Is West," at the Astor, one of the season's biggest dra- matic hits, totaled $19,000. "The Little Whopper," at the Casino, garnered $17,200. . "Abraham Lincoln," at the Cort, did $18,700; Elsie Janig and Her Gang, at the George M. Cohan, got $18,135, and iAtrr- ette Taylor, in "One Night in Rome," at the Criterion, played to $17,640. Lenore Ulrieh, in "The Son-Daughter," at the Belasco, did $18,135; Billie Burke in "Caesar's Wife," at the Liberty, got $17,100 and Victor Herbert's "Angel Face," at the Knickerbocker, where it opened a week ago Monday night, played to $17,000. Henry Miller and Blanche Bates, in "The Famous Mrs. Fair," at the Henry Miller, an accredited dramatic hit, got $18,800. John Barrymore, in "The Jest," at the Plymouth, played to $18,020, and the matinee performances of "Night's Lodg- ing," the grim Russian play, swelled Ar- thur Hopkins' coffers to the extent of $2,300. "Scandal," at the Thirty-ninth Street Theatre, took in $10,500. "Adam and Eva," at the Longacre, got $16,246, the Greenwich Village Follies, at the Nora Baycs, played to $14550, and "Wedding Bells," at the Harris, played to $15,250. "Buddies," at the Selwyn, with the«I>on- ald Brian, Marjorie Wood, Roland Young combination to attract patronage, gath- ered in $16,500. "The Magic Melody," at the Shubert, took in $15,070; Richard Ben- nett, in "For the Defense," at the Play- house, got $14,120, and "The Rose of China," at the Lyric, played to $14,050. "Linger Longer, Letty," at the Fulton, which it is going to vacate on the 17th of this month, has been playing to about $0,000 a week, but last week it did $13,000. "Civilian Clothes,"'at the Mo- rosco, got $11,500. "The Little Blue Devil," at the Central, which closed last Saturday night, got $12,000 on its last week. 'The Storm," at the Forty-eighth Street Theatre, played to $12,200, and Clifton Crawford, in "My Lady Friends," at the Comedy, got $12,000. Jane Cowl, in "Smilin' Through," at the Broadhurst, took in $12,400. The Ameri- can Opera Company, at the Park, where it presented "The Geisha" last week, took in $12,235. Mimi Aguglia, in "The Whirlwind," which opened the previous week at the Standard, ordinarily a one-week house, played to $12,026. "Carnival," at the Forty-fourth Street Theatre, with God- frey Tearle, the London matinee idol, brought here to entire patronage, as. it was hoped, did very little business since the opening, but managed to play to $5,500 hist week, its closing one. "Nightie Night," at the little Princess, got $8,000. "The Sign on the Door," at the Republic, played to $14,000; "The Girl in the Limousine," at the Eltinge, got £14,300, Barney Bernard in "His Honor Abe Potash," at the Bijou, played to $11,450, "Too Many Husbands," at the Booth, got $10,300, Marjorie Rambeau in "The Unknown Woman," at the Maxine Elliott, where it closed last Saturday night, got $10,000 during its last week. "Forbidden," at the Manhattan, played to $9,200, and James K. Hackett, in "The Rise of Silas Laphain," at the Garrick, got $4,000. The Theatre Parisian did a business of $4,500 on the week, and "Curi- osity," at the little Greenwich Village Theatre, did $4,300. An of the vaudeville houses did excep- tionally good business last week. The Royal did $16,150, the Colonial $16300 and the Riverside $15,000v ■ Over in Brooklyn, At' Jolson finished a two-week engagement in "Sinhad" last Saturday night with receipts of $29,060 for the closing one.' BARRYMORE REHEARSING Lionel Barrymore and his new company went into rehearsal this week in "La Robe Rouge," by Eugene Brieux. The play has. been retitled "The Letter of the Law," and is being produced by John D. Williams. / In the cast with Barrymore are Rubs Whytal, Doria Rankin, Clarence Derwent, ZeffiC Tilbury, Frank Arundel, Harry Gibbs, James Hagen, Charles Coghlan, L. K. Wolheim, Wallace Jackson,. Lionel Hogarth, Ada Boahell, Leona Hogarth. Maude Hosford and Josephine Wehn, i STEAL SAFE BUT NOT COIN A much-battered and dented safe, bear- ing the name of the Criterion Theatre, of Newark, was found by the police of that city - in an open lot last Monday, where it had been abandoned by thieves after a fruitless effort to pry it open. When the officials returned the strong box to Philip Bomstein, manager of the theatre, it was. found that it contained exactly $3. Sev- eral thousand dollars were removed from the safe the night .previous by tile man- ager. WfNCHEIX SMITH GOING WEST Hartford, Jan. 1.—Winchell Smith, playwright, who will direct Douglas Fair- banks in bis motion picture version of "The New-Henrietta," win leave here for the coast on January 5. Fairbanks la to sup- ply the studio, actors and picture costs and take one-third of the profits, while Smith win get the remainder. Smith will .return East in the Summer, when his new play, "The Wheel," will be produced in Atlantic City. "CHU CHIN CHOW" DOES $34,000 Inwanapolih, Jan. 1.—With a gate- receipt of more than $9,000, "Ohu Chin Chow" broke all previous business records at the Mnrat theatre on Christmas day. Receipts for the holiday week totaled nearly $84,000, exceeding by far any previous week's takings in the history of the theatre and establishing a record - for any attraction in any local theatre. MANAGERS WANT TEARLE Now that "Carnival" has been com- fortably housed In the store-house, man- agers along Broadway, headed by David Belasco, are trying to sign Godfrey Tearle, but it is doubtful that he will remain In America. However, at the present time, he is negotiating with a film company which wants to feature him in the screen version of Chambers' "Passerby." "BETTY" CHANGES HOUSES Boston, Jan. 5.—Because of the de- mand for seats, arrangements have been completed whereby "Betty, Be Good," will remain here for a limited engagement of two more weeks. The play moved to- day from the Wilbur, where it has been for a month, to the Shubert. SOUTHERN TAKINGS BIG E. H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe are playing to good houses on their Shake- spearean tour, ma is evidenced by the fol- lowing figures. In Boston they played to $46,000 in two weeks. Toronto paid them $20,000 for one week, and Providence brought over $17,000. TAKE WORLD'S FAIR SPACE rnii-AUnjMiiA, Jan. 4.—The first appli- cation for space at the World's Fair to be held here in 1026, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was filed yes- terday by Charles Lathrop Pack. • ' NEW GATTS SHOW OPENS Bdoomington, HI., Jan. L—George M. Gatta* new musical revue, "The Eatzen- jammer Kids," opened here at the Grand last week. Following their engagement here the company will tour the southern time. SAVAGE'S "SHAVINGS" OPENS HAKrrOBD, Jan. L—Best described as a wholesome American play, "Shavings," a comedy dramatized by Pauline Phelps.and Marion Short,-from the story of the same name by Joseph Lincoln, was presented here, for the first time this week and bids fair to be a pleasant addition to the tem- porary theatrical fare. The authors have attained considerable success in dramatizing the piece, in that the story is told without leaving the neces- sity of reading the novel to fill in the gaps, which is by no means the rule in drama- tized novels. The story is that of a lonely man, "Shavings," termed "queer," and his love for his neighbor, who finally marries a young major. Amid the atmosphere of Cape Cod, with its sandhills and the way- aide windmill shop, the incidents connected with the working out of the piece take place. Edward Ellis, in the role of "Shavings," gives a creditable performance—clear-cut, human and sympathetic. James Bradbury and Charles Dow Clark are good in the roles of Oape Cod citizens and George Ne- ville and Percy Helton were excellent as nosey members of the community. Glare Moore and Vivian Tobin earned a share in the success of the performance. Others is the .cast were Stuart Sage and Clara Moores. MANAGER DINES COMPANY Sutton, Neb., Jan. 2.—The members of "Honolulu," a musical comedy company playing through this state, were the guest* of the manager of the company and his wife after their performance on Christmas night at a banquet William Wamsher, the manager, was Qm host, and Dottie Wam- sher, his wife, was hostess. The company, which left Chicago on August 28, has been playing to capacity business. After completing their tour ,of Nebraska and Kansas, they go South to play week stands. In the company are Dottie Wamsher, Dorothy Russell, Mildred' Davis, Virgil B. Siner, Bob Haasellman, Howard Turnball, Charles Salisbury, Arthur Searles and Ray Clifford as principals. In the chorus are the following: Peggy OTHmnell, Babe Marion, Margie MehL Bee Queen, Joyce Hammernack, Kate Mitchell, Gertrude Carey, Billie Billings, Eddie Wilson, Lucille Clayton, Violet Giles,.Helen Smith, Grace La Rose, Fay Calvert, May Howell, Marie Martin. The staff of the company is Wm. Wam- sher, manager; Arthur Searles, stage man- ager ; Col. BUI Phelps, business manager: Milton J. Mehl, musical director; Harry Tabor, electrician;. Ralph Baker, proper- ties ; Mr. T. It. Allen, wardrobe. TRYING' TO INTEREST SHUBERTS San Francisco, Jan. .2.—It Is reported that Will Morrisey is trying to interest the Shnberta in his idea for producing a yearly "Follies" on the Coast. POPE TO USE FILMS . Rome, Jan. 2.—Official sanction' has been granted by the Pope to a cinema en terprise called the "St. Mark's Cinema Institute," launched to present films de- signed to spread Catholic- propaganda throughout the world. They will present motion pictures with a healthy story, fit- ted for young people, as well as stories of a purely religious character. Mar. Grassi, the Abbot of Marino, will head the project. Among the prelates who are directly in- terested in this venture are: Cardinals PignatelU di Belmonte, Sbarretti, Legs, Gasquet, Vannutelli, Gagliero and Vigo, Mgrs. Mignone, Todoechfni, Cacciadomig- noni, members of the Pope's private households, and several heads of religious houses, including Father Rosa of the So- ciety of Jesus. All Catholic Bishops in America will soon he informed by the Pope of the en- terprise and win be asked to co-operate by presenting the films in their dioceses. , CATAUNA ISLAND SOLD Lob- Anoexbs, Jan. 1.—The-Island of C&taUria, widely'used by motion picture directors for barren locations, has been purchased by a chewing pim manufac- turer and will be turned into a Winter resort. He intends to open the place to sportsmen and tourists and will erect a number of amusement puces, including a theatre.*'