Variety (November 1918)

12 LEGITIMATE RAISES HOPES OF PRODUCERS ■ Managers Look for Good Business in Reopened Territories. Boston Taken as an Indication. General Passing of Quarantine from New York to Chicago. Producing managers of Broadway attractions, perked up a bit through the increase in business Monday slight ! as it was, but following a fairly good Saturday, looked on as a sign of emerg- ence from the influenza scare. Re- .'. port of a gradual lifting of quarantine > from many quarters was another hope- .' ful sign even though the opening dates ill some of the important cities other than Philadelphia and Chicago (which reopened Thursday) were indefinite. Among the new crop of shows, a hit is claime<f for A. H. Woods' "The Big Chance," not so highly regarded out of • town, but since changed by W. H. Gil- more, who also staged "The Riddle: "Woman" (Bertha Kalich), a drama even more strongly touted as an ex- • ceptional piece of property. It pos- sesses a noveL character, that of a : "male vampire" (Robert Edeson), and , if a hit will be the first the Harris has housed in several seasons. A booking switch sent "The Big Chance" into the 48th Street instead of the Fulton, where "A Stitch in Time" remains, while "Peter's Mother," originally billed for the 48th, was sent into the Playhouse. "Glorianna" started at the Liberty Monday, with a rather good chance for a moderate '. run. "Be Calm Camilla" again failed to start at the Booth last week, because of the illness of Lola Fisher, that premiere being listed for Thursday (Oct. 31). New attractions for next week are "Little Simplicity," succeeding "Keep Her Smiling" at the Astor; "The Canary" at the Globe (both shows are musical); Remnant," with Florence ■ Nash, at the Morosco; "Stop That Man," due*for some Shubert house, and Robert B. Mantell. who opens in a dramatic repertory at the 44th Street, which emerges from a long season in pictures. "Hearts of the World" finally bows of! Broadway at the Knicker- bocker Saturday, with no definite at- traction scheduled to follow. Several attractions are changing houses, the first switch being "Daddies" .from the Bela^sco to the Lyceum (the former theatre soon taking in "Tiger, Tiger," the Edward Knoblock play, with Frances Starr). "The Passing • Show of 1918" will vacate the Winter Garden next week, goin^ to Phila- delphia, while Al- Jolson in "Sinbad" will again move, leaving the Casino for a Garden repeat that should last until the holidays. "Sometime" shifts over to the Casino from the Shubert, and the latter will house Winthrop Ames' "The Betrothal," a sequel to "The Blue- bird." Managers look forward to the open- y; ing of. <iuarAatined.4f,rritaty,,for, a rush , of good businesai, basing the Tiope oh the continued good draws in Boston. In that city "Chu Chin Chow" at- tracted over $19,000 last week in five days, and opened this week with a $2,300 house. In the several cities where the time of performance has been set by the authorities such limi- tations may tend to hold down attend- ance, but the time rules are expected to be off next week. Chicago and Baltimore are under such regulations. In the former city shows must be over by 10 p. m., while in the latter night performances only are permitted until further notice. ^ Rehearsals of shows laying off in New York were ordered Tuesday, with a possibility of going out next Monday. Nov. 11 looked on as practically settled for all territory east of the Rockies to be reopened. An example of how the epidemic hit Times square is noted from the drop in business of "The Unknown Purple." It had advanced to a pace better than $12,000, but fell off SO per cent. This attraction now has tenancjr of the Lyric, the rental arrangement hav- ing started this week. The arrange- ment is for 10 weeks at $2,500 weekly. BOOKING OUTLYING CHICAGO. Chicago, Oct. 30. The Shuberts have taken over the bookings of three outlying Chicago theatres—National, Victoria and Im- perial—the remnants of the Interna- tional Circuit, and will institute $2 shows at one dollar top prices, sim- ilar to the Subway Circuit plan in New York, as soon as the houses re- open. This will be the first experiment here with downtown shoves outside the "loop," and marks the latest turn in the affairs of these houses which have had a spasmodic career for years be- tween Stair & Havlin shows, stock, pictures, melodramas, vaudeville, tur- key shows and what not. The National is an old but capacious and well-located house, being in the heart of the residence district of the stockyards workers. The Victoria is a beautiful theatre, rather remotely located in a Scandinavian settlement, and the Imperial is on. West Madison street, in a populous but cheap terri- tory. The proposed initial bookings, sub- ject to "flu" conditions, are: National, Nov. 3, "The Thirteenth Chair"; Nov. 10, "Seven Days' Leave"; Nov. 17 (for two weeks), "Hearts of the World." Victoria, Nov. 3, "Over There"; Nov. 10, "Thirteenth Chair"; Nov. 17, "Seven days* Leave." Imperial, Nov. 10, "Over There"; Nov. 17, "Thirteenth Chair"; Nov. 24, "Seven Days' Leave." If the venture is a success all Shu- bert bookings will circulate around this three-week circuit after finishing downtown in Chicago. Musical shows, it is planned, will go at $1.50 top, in- cluding the bi^ Winter Garden spec- tacles. The big stars, however, will probably not play around. Bookings will be filled in with se- lected shows from other sources at lower prices occasionally. "The Girl He Left Behind," by Ralph Ketter- ing, is one of these. The local pro- ducers, who also control these thea- tres, will now and then set up pro- ductions for three-week tours also. Nancy Fair, the youthful imperson- ator from vaudeville and formerly in a coast stock, is in "The Passing Show" at the Winter Garden, replacing Isabel Lowe. The latter has joined "The Melting of Molly." According to advices, Albert DeCour- ville, the London producer, is on the water, due to arrive within the next few days. He comes in search of American attractions ioi England. J. L. Sachs, another London producer, has been here for several wee^cs, and returns shortly, stating he has been unable to make satisfactory arrange- ments for any American shows. There are indications the English ■ inanagers will encounter considerable difficulty in securing American ma- terial for their market. American managers claiming they are not re- ceiving satisfactory adjustments when turning their foreign rights over to others. When DeCourville was here last, A. H. Woods informed a Varietv repre- sentative he proposed to make his own English productions, and would spend six months of each year in London to that end. A day or two later he sold DeCourville the English rights to "Cheating Cheaters" . and "Fair and Warmer," not being over-sanguine of their European value. -The result proved his judgment. It is understood Woods is at present making plans to seriously invade' the English theatrical market when the war is over, taking with him a score of American successes produced by himself, Cohan & Harris and the Selwyns. Sir Alfred Butt apparently has the ' first call on the Klaw & Erlanger pro- ductions through a working alliance with Charles Dillingham, whereby Dillingham has the American rights for all of Butt's London presentations. The chances of DeCourville, Sachs or otRier English managers securing desirable plays from the American market would, therefore, seem to be somewhat remote. "Tho PaBBlng Show of 1018" wlU eiod its run at the Winter Garden Nov. 0.~ N0V.-14 instead of Nov. 11 baa been set (or the opening ot "The Betrothal." George Hassell has returned to "The Passing Show -of 1018" after an absence of two weeks. Patricia Burke Zlegfeld celebrated her sec- ond anniversary, Oct. 23, at the home ot her parents, Burliley Crest, Hastlngs-on-Hudson. "Tiger, Tiger," with .Frances Starr, la to come to the Belasco Nov. 4. "Daddies" may be transterced to the Lyceum. Since tho opening night ot his crook play, "Not With My Money," Edward Clark has written a new last act. , Enrico Caruso is to appear with 1,000 sailors i in a bonoflt.for the Navy Relief Society, at the Hippodrome, Nov. 3. The Bramhall Players have postponed the opening of "The Comforts of Ignorance" to a. date to be announced later. Joseph H. Worden, Jr., formerly press rep- resentative tor Chamberlain Brown, has Joined the advertising department ot the Spanish edi- tion ot Vogue. George V. Hobart's farce, "Stop That Maef," will bo produced in Providence on Nov. 7, and will be brought to a New York Shubert house a week later. Robert Edeson will' play the leading role in "The Long DoBh," the new play by Robert Mears Mackay and Victor Mapea, which will open early no/t month. Manager Oliver D. Bailey has arranged with the Stage Women's War Relief for a special performance of "A Stitch In Time" at the Fulton Nov. 3. The horses which were formerly used in the chariot race in "Ben Hur" were eold at pub- lic auction Oct, 24. Eight were purchased by the Hippodrome. "Sometime," now at the Shubert, will move to the Casino Nov. 11. On the same night "Tho Betrothal" will be presented at the Shubert. - PRESS AGENT FOR PENN. Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 30. B. Franklin Royer, head of the state health commission, has named Wil- liam Williams, for many seasons pub- licity man for the Ringling Brothers circus, as the press rcpresetrtative of the commission, although his position under Mr. Royer is technically stated to be that of secretary. The appoint-* ment carries an annual salary of $4,- OOO. The berth of secretary has been open for some time, when J. O. Houser, the past incumbent, resigned to act as political reporter for the Philadelphia "Press." Because of the influenza epi- demic and extra pressure placed, the State Health Commission found it was necessary to All the position that the Commission's quarantine instruc- tions niight be thoroughly dissemin- ated. Prior to Mr. Williams' association with the Ringlings he was on the edi- torial staffs of several New York and Chicago dailies. TRYING OUT "OLD SWEETHEART." William A. Brady has in rehearsal the play by Robert McLoughlin, of Cleveland, called "An Old Sweetheart of Mine," which will have its try-out at Wilmington tonight (Friday). In the cast are Maclyn Arbuckle, Tim Murphy, Madeline Delmar, Fred Irwin, Helen Weir, Saxon Kling. This is ^the piece which Mr. Mc- Laughlin dramatized from James Whitcomb Reilly's poem of same title and which he tried out in St. Louis last season. Henry W. Savage, who sustained a broken rib and abrasions of the head lost week In Virginia, when his horse fell witb him, Is rapidly recovering and expects to be back io New York In two weeks. The Drama League's meeting arranged for the discussion of "Redemption," in the Ply- mouth for last Sunday, was again postponed Indefinitely, because of the prevalence of in- fluensa. Lillian Russell explains her reason .for re- turning to vaudeville she is "broke.'* Miss Russell j^s she has plenty of valuables, but Is shy of ready cash with which to pay for hor many Liberty Bonds. Henri Rabaud. the French conductor se- lected to head the Boston Symphony Orches- tra, In placo of Dr. Karl Muck, interned as an enemy alien, arrived in this country Oct. 27. The second New York regular season of the Chicago Opera Association will begin Jan. 27, 1010, and continue for tour weeks. The association has leased for a number, of years the Lexington Theatre for the operatic season. Sarah Bernhardt celebrated her 74th anni- versary Oct. 28. Mme. Bernhardt spent the day before a Supreme Court Commission in an action for flOO.OOO her manager has brought against the Pullman Co.. Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew celebrated their 100th performance of "Keep Her Smiling" at the Astor Wendesday afternoon. This is the last week of tho play on Broadway, It starting for a tour of the "subway" circuit. A wire haired fox terrier puppy, born re- cently at the Hippodrome, was presented by Charles Dillingham as a mascot to 350 sailors from the U. S. S. Iowa at the performance ot "Everything" at the Hippodrome Tuesday night. Barney Gilmore in "Rocky Road."- "The Rocky Road to Dublin" is to start out again, this time Nov. 11, first opening at the 14th Street Thpatre. Harry Linton is reproducing it and Barney Gilmore will be the star. George V. Hobart's new farce, "Stop That Man," had Its flrst performance at Providence Oct. 31. The complete cast includes Edwin NIcander, Sylvia Jason, Gonsuelo Bailey, Bran- don Hurst, Harry Ingram, William Caryl, Paul Dletz, Joseph Brennan and Alice Wilson. Justice Lehman has decided that George W. Monroe, the comedian, is for the second time the husband of Anna R, Munroe, who divorced hltn several years ago. In giving his decision Oct; 23," JQcttcd-Lebman"allowed'the- w!ftf^?46 a week alimony. George H. Brennan haa acquired from Ada Sterling the rights to her English translation of tho Italian play "La Cena Delle BefTe," by Senior Benelli. Miss Sterling's version is edited "The Supper of Practical Jokers." It will be presented In Now York next month.