New York Clipper (Mar 1923)

4 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER March 14, 1923 SIX NEW PLAYS ADDED TO BROAD WATTS LIST THIS WEEK Five Dramatic and One Masical Piece Open During Week— l /n**fn Sump Ha* Little Effect on Demand for Broadway Theatres PREACHERS RAP "NOW AND THEN" FOUR NEW SHOWS FOR CHICAGO Even Lent seems no fearsome deterent to producers anxious to display their wares to metropolitan audiences. This is evi- denced by the unusual activity of the cur- rent wedc, when six new productions are scheduled to make their metropolitan bow and ttaos provide an active session for the first nigfaMrs. Despite the waits of bad season and so forth new pieces glide in and out with great profusion. No less than four pieces chose_ Monday evening as their bowing in occasion. The list included: "Pasteur," at the Empire; "Bamum Was Right," at the Ftazee; "Go-Go," at Daly's Sixty-third Street The- atre, and "The Lower Depths," by the BIoscow Art Flayers at Jolson's Fifty- nintfa Street Theatre. "Pasteur" followed in the wake of Billie Bnrkc's depaitnre in "Rose Briar." The production is anique in that it is presented with an all male oet It is an American adaptation of Lnden 00111/5 Paris suc- cess by Arthur Honiblow, Jr. It treats of the life of Pasteur in five episodes and was offered by an exceptionally well selected cast healed by Henry Miller. "Bamum Was Right," the new comedy by Philip Baitholomae and John Meehan, which has heen headed for Broadway on at least three previous occasions, finally settled down at the Frazee on Monday night. The comedy is based upon an "it gqn to advertise" theme and is interpreted by a cast headed by Donald Brian and Marion Coakley and also includes Den- man Maley, Lilyian Tashman and Neil The third premiere of the evening was "G0-G6," the new musical comedy by Harry Cbrt, George Stoddard, Alex Rogers and Lucy Rogers, produced by John Cort at Daly's Sixty-third Street Theatre. It is a fast monng show, de- pending piacticilly entirely npon the speed of its ntimhera to get it across for a hit. WEBER WINS ERROL TROPHY CeiCAGOk Mar. 10.—The final match round m Ine city indoor Putting Champion- ship for the Leoo Errol Trophy was played ai Henrici Indoor Golf Qab today and was •ma. hy Dewey W^er of the Edge- brook Golf ad>, who defeated John Mc- Ksnley in a very interesting 36-holc match, 3 tq» and 1 to play. Leon Errol, who had been ill during tiie prdiminary matches, vras present for the mal. The 32 entrants qnali^g with the lowest scores will meet at match play in the Western Indoor FnttinK Gbampiaa- sliip for a prize donated fey Frank Ciaven, author and star of "The nrst Year." Manager Larry OTooIe has a host of foltowcrs m the profession and eadi wedc stnvng for the course record. FINANCE COMPANY GETS PLAY The first play to be finanrrd and pro- dnced by the Theatrical Prodoctng and Fma&dng Corporation -will be "Wh^r the Subway EndsT a comeify by James B. Auditore 'and Joseph NoelL The show was originally presented oa the one-oigb: stands by the asthors and closed after a brief career in Pdmsylvania. With it being taken over by the Financing Cor- pontian it is being re-cast and will go mto rehearsal this wedc tmder the direc- tiiai of Priestly Morrisom. Between lines one can read a valiant at- tempt upon the part of the producers to accomplish a white "Shuffle Along" in this new musical production. The piece is equipped with a splendid cast that includes Bernard Granville. Don Barclay, Lora Sanderson and May Boley. The incoming of "Go-Go" caused "Liza." the all-negro show which has been hold- ing forth at this theatre for several months, to be shifted to the Nora Bayes Theatre for a continuation of its metropolitan run. The Moscow Art Plajrers also selected Monday evening for their perfonnance of "The Lower Depths." Although a repeat the performance took on a semblance of a premiere with the followers of Rus- sian drama and attracted a fairly repre- sentative audience to Jolson's Fifty-mnth Street Theatre, where they are playing an extoided seasoiL The much-waited-for appeararce of Lionell Atwill in Gnitry's "llie Comedian'' materialized at the Lyceum Theatre on Tuesday evening and brought out the usual fashionable assemblage that follows the Belasco attractions. Mr. Belasco is cred- ited with having made the American adaptation of the play and has given it a lavish mounting and a splendid cast.. Ap- pearing in snpport of Atwill are H. Cooper Qiffe, A. P. Kaye, Albert Gran and Elsie Maiekay. The final premiere of the week was "The Love Habit," an American adapta- tion of Louis Vemeuil's Froich farce by Gladys Uoger, which came to the Bijou on Wednesday evening. The cast includes James Ramie, Florence Eldridge, Ernest Coassrt, Dwigbt Ftye, Fanio Marinoff and Mary Kenne^. In addition to these regulation premieres a revival of "The School for Scandal" has been launched for .a series of matinees at the National Theatre. The pcrfomiance of this are given by an all-star cast. GALLAGHER FACES ALIMONY SUIT Ed Gallagher, of GalladKr and Shean, will be sued for divorce shoitly according to Bernard F. Deutch who was substituted .last week, for I. T. Flatto, as counsd for Mrs. Gallagher. Mr. Deutcb would not re- veal the name of the co-respondent, but in- timated that the alimony sought is $15,000 per year. Altfaou^ mudi has been printed regard- ing the impending divorce, the order of substitution is the first papers filed in con- nection with the Gallagher £unily a£hirs. The couple were married three years ago, at which time the comedian was anxious to settle down to a "homey life." Mrs. Gal- lagher, a former actress, estimates her hustmid's income at $100,000 a year. Santa Rosa, CaU Mar. IZ—It is pos- sible that Kolb and Dill, producers and principal comedians of "Now and Then," a play dralin g with the prohibition situation now being given here, will start damage suits against several local ministers. Dur- ing last Sunday's sermon in several of the churches the theatrical men bad stenog- raphers making reports of the sermons de- livered by seven of the ministers, these ministers being those who had met on Fri- day afternoon and {dedged themselves to deliver sermons against the play on the following Sunday. ' This action follows the attempt of the Santa Rosa W. C T. U. to take out an injunction against the play and Uieir be- ing advised that the courts would probably refuse to grant the writ Tlie women allege that the play contains "wet" propa- ganda. The principal lines in the play_ to which exception is taken by the ministers and the W. C T. U. are those in which CUr- ence Kolb, as Dominick Schloss, a re- formed saloon man, says: "If everybody would stop drinking today they would aU be dry tomorrow.' "To which Dill, as Albert Wagner, a saloon keeper for thirty years, replies, "^he dryer you make them the more they drink." Other lines ob- jected to are Kolb's, "I've found out what prohibition is now. All it has done is to make the price of whiskey higher and the whiskey worse." Kolb and Dill claim their play is not "wet" propaganda. When the play was produced in San Francisco in Decetmier it drew a full house nightly. In Seattle, Grant's Pass and Medford, Ore., the Anti- Saloon League and similar organizations tried to stop it without success. "The comedians assert that their play is not Tmanced by any "wet" interests. PAULINE WANTS EARLY TRIAL That Pauline Lord had received much unfavorable critidsm and is entitled to vin- dication, was the plea of Arthur F. Dris- . ooU, attorney for the actress who petitioned the Supreine Court last wedc for an early trial of the divorce suit brought by Mrs. Ruth Harris against Mitchell Harris, an actor, in which case Miss Lord has been named. Miss Lord, who is starrtn;; in "Anna Qiristie," now on tour, is bemg sued by Mrs. Ruth Hanis, for $50,000 for alien- ation of the affections of her husb^od. Mr. Harris has made no defense to the divorce action of his wife, and basis of his wife's suit against Pauline Lore are some letters alleged to have been written by the actress. "The Harris divorce action was placed on the March calmder, as far back as Septem- ber, 1922, but when it was called for tiiis month, only Mr. Driscoll, representing Miss Lord, made an appearance. "BRASS RAIL" NEW DICKEY SHOW Paul Dickey has completed a new play. "Tfae BtaM Rail," which will be produced in the earif spring. Several managers have an option on the piece, bat no con- tracts have adnally beat signed as ycc SHFTS FOR ntOADWAY SHOWS "Lady Butterfly," Oliver Morosco's mu- sical comedy, will vacate the Globe on Satnrday night to make way for John Mnrray Anderson's ninsical comedy, "Jack and Jill," which opens there next Monday night The Morosco piece will move into the Astor Theatre, supplanting "Stm Show- ers," which wUI he shifted to another hoose. Lew Cantor was in conference with Lee Sbubert early this wedc to secure an- other theatre for the Harry Delf musical play. "GABETTE" REHEARSING "Gabette," the new comedy with music by Sydney Lazarus and Frank Martens, was pbc«d in rehearsal last week by the Comrntmity Players. Inc. George Byron Totten. managing director of the Players, is directing rehearsals. It is planned to open the piece in AUentown, Pa., on Mon- 4by evemng; April 2, with a New York showing scheduled, for the following week. HILL TO SEND OUT MIDGET SHOW Gus Hill signed a contract with Ike Rose last week for the presentation of Rose's Royal Midgets as a road attraction play- ing the first class theatres next season. The Midgets are now touring the Loew Circuit and during the summer will appear with various Carnivals about the country. According to the arrangement made with Hill the size of the company is to be increased from 25 to 35 members and they are to appear in a Revue which will be conceived and produced by prominent writers and stage directors. The Midgets will carry a midget hand of twenty pieces which will be used for the street parades and they will be transported in a spedal railroad coach. A press agent and two second men will tour in advance of the attraction which • will play at a $2.50 top. NEW PETROVA PLAY OPENS Olga Pctrova opened in her hew play, "Hurricane," in New London, Conn., last Saturday night. The play was originally scheduled to open in Springfield, Mass., but was switched into Connecticut at the eleventh hour. The piece jumped to Toronto, Canada, this week, and from all indications it will be some time before it will be brought in for metropolitan perusal. This is the piece which was formerly called "The Hariot's House" Chicago, Mar. 12.—With four new at- tractions opening here this week there is promise of a renewed interest in the the- atre by the public, and a waning of the Lenten season. Only two shoivs are draw- ing at present while the other fourteen aie suffering from lack of attendance. George White, who attempted to come into the Apollo, which was drawing well un- til all houses took a slump, moved into the Illinois with his "Scandals," replacing "In the Springtime of Youth." "Blossom Time" went into the Apollo. The "Cat and the Canary" moved from the Princess to the La Salle and "The Crooked Square," a new play presented here for the first time, went mto the Princess. The "Cat and the Canary" is enjoying the longest run of any play here this season, having already played to good houses for twenty-dght weeks. "Two Fdlows and a Girl," George M. Cohan's latest opens at the Grand Theatre to-morrow night "Sally" continues to draw well at die Colonial and Frank Keenan, in "Peter Weston" has taken hold at the Harris and seems destined for a long run. Keenan does the best acting of his career in this new play and his supporting company is excdlent especially Judith Anderson, who is tnalfing a name for herself. William Hodge in "For All of Us" is sUll playing to fair houses at the Studebaker; '^he Twist" -will end its. engagement at the Playhouse next week to allow "Up the Ladder" to come into this house; 'Tart- ners Again," with Bernard and Cirr, has let down and may soon be supplanted by another production at the new Selwyn. "The Rear Car," with Taylor Holmes and Edna Hibbard, is going mto its third week at the Cort Miss Hibbard having only one more week with the show. Ina Claire is doine nicely at the Powers in "The Awful Truth;" "The Last Warn- ing" remains at the Blarkstone. Herbert Corthell in "Mr. Blimp" took a flop at the Olympic and closed on Saturday, as did Frank Craven in "The First Year" at the ■ Woods, which house ^vill remain dark tmtil "Light Wines and Beer" comes in . next week, "Zeno" continues to do wdl at the Great Northern. "PEACHES" TO TRY AGAIN George W. Lederer is planning to re- organize his musical comedy, "Peaches," and send it out for another showing the latter part of the month. The piece closed several wedcs ago after having played Philaddphia and Baltimore, when it was alleged that Lederer's backers had nm out on him. A number of claims for salary have been filed by members of the Actors' Equity Assiciation for salary due on the piece. The claims filed are against Lederer and the Pelham Produdng Company, which was the operating company that is sup- posed to have sponsored the show. The Equity legal department have the daims in hand and expect to exact a settlement with Lederer. "Peaches" drew 'down good notices in both cities. Upon the strength of this Lederer is said to have interested new capital for a fresh start When the piece reopens it will have prac> tically a complete new cast since most of those who appeared in the original produc- tion have made new connections since the piece closed. "ROGER BLOOMER" CLOSES Aiter playing one week and a day "Rog(r Bloomer," the fourth of the pres- ent serie.": of Equity productions at the Equity 48th Street Theatre, dosed last Sat- urday night. After the notices recdved at the hands of the daily newspaper critics on the opening and the fact Uiat business was poor, the Equity Players, under whose auspices the play was presented, figured it would be best to withdraw it "The Chastening," a play by Charles Rann Kennedy, author of "The Servant in the House," which is described as a Lenten play, and has been playing a series of spe- dal matinees at the tiieatre, replaced "Roger Bloomer" as the regular attraction last Monday night Kenney, his wife and another woman composed the cast of the play, which is expected to run over tfae Lenten period.