New York Clipper (Apr 1923)

April 25, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 7^ MATINEE SHOWINGS ON BROADWAY REPLACE OUT OF TOW N BREAK-IN New Idea Introduced by A. H. Wood* with "Morphia," Has Encouraged Others to Follow Suit—Far Leas Expensive Than Out-of-Town ISiowings wiiich Generally Lose A number of managers are utilizlns the special madnee idea for preliminary show- ings of plays that have a doubtful aspect. This idea has grown from a spasmodic stage into a cut and dried business propMi- tion and is found to be far less expensive than the usual ont-of-town '^reak-in" showings; which more often than not are a loser and bring the production into town heavily burdened by a loss of several thou- sand dollars. If it gets across all is well, but' if there should be a drain on the re- serve, it often forces a piece to the store- house before it has been given a fair chance to get going. ' A. H. Woods is credited with being the £ioneer in this new angle on show busuiess, aving experimented with "Mori^" in a ' series of special matinees at the Eltinge and finding the public response sufficient to warrant his putting it in for a night bilL Since Woods turned the trick successfully several other producers have followed his lead. The most recent case is that of "Uptown West," which was brought out at matinees at the Earl Carroll Theatre and which since has been shifted into the Bijou as a night bill. Richard Hemdon, who directs the des- tinies of the Belmont Theatre Company, and who has made several attempts to es- tablish a French Theatre in Npw York, has long since harbored an idea to bring out several pieces in the original foreign tongue. He has hesitated in investing an enormous production expenditure to test his judgment in the matter, but now h^ decided upon a series of special matinees of these pieces at the Beknont Theatre. He will offer several of than with im- provised scenic equipment and if any should catch on he will build special pro- duaions for them. The_Meltx>umc Arden Productions is an- other firm who will utilize the special matinee idea to test the drawing power of a play called "Greater Than Law," which is an adaptation of Han Allins famous Swedish plajr, "A Mother," which ran for three' years m Sweden and which has been adapted for the American stage by Arvid Paulson, who will also create one of the principal roles in the piece. The matinee "try-out" idea has been hailed with open arms by the newer ele- ment of producers, whose limited capital makes them necessarily frugal. At least a dozen have plays in which they have great faith, but nave been wary about tying up ten or fifteen thoosand dollars on a production, which at best they can only look at this Spring and have to put away until autumn. Also the idea is proving a boon to thea- tre owners ia that anything in the way of receipts brought in by these special per- formances is considered "velvet," The regular attraction is contracted into a house for eight performances weekly and is thus not durupted by the special mati- nees, inasmuch as the^ are given on days that do not conflict with those of the cur- rent attraction. While a few of the thea- tre owners have taken a percentage gam- ble, most of them are holding out for flat rentals, which range from $350 to $400 for each eerfoimance. Although some of the more seasoned producers frown upon this method of "showing," arguing that it detracts from the regular premiere when it is sent into a night bill, there is an equal number for it. The latter claim that the matinee audi- ences are not as critical as those who at- tend the night performances and that if there should be a few ragged edges dis- cerning at the matinees, two weeks' play- ing would iron this out and at the same time keep money coming in. TICKET OFHCE PLAN READY A complete plan for the operation of a Central Theatre Ticket Agency at Broad- way and Forty-third street, under the di- rection of Joe Leblang, will be submitted to the members of the Producing Man- agers' Association at their annual meeting on Friday, May 4. The plan was worked out by a special committee of which Lee Shubert is chair- man and calls for the sale of all choice seats at a charge of 10 per cent premium to the purchaser. It is constructed in such a manner that it will eliminate the sale of tickets to and by the so-called "gyp" brokers who have been charging from 50 to 200 per cent premium on the sale of tickets. It, however, is said to make pro- visions for the apportionment of tidcets to the hotel stands and to the ticket agen- cies which .have been distributing tickets at a fifty cent advance. According to the present ideas of the committee the office will be established in the store now occupied by the Gr^ Drug Company, at 1490 Broadway, which is above the basement ticket office of the Public Service Ticket Office, which is op- erated by T jhiang and dispenses tickets at cut rate prices. It is expected that the matter will be en- tirely threshed out at the meeting so that arrangements can be made, if it is ap- proved, for the opening up of the office on Sept 1. It is understood that the plan calls for the formation of a corporation with stock to be hekl by Leblang and members of the Producing BAanagers Association and Le- blang to receive a salary of $25AX)0 a year as supervising director. Tickets are to te sold at this oiiicc for all Broadway theatres in advance of performances with the. tidc- ets being available at the box office only at the time of the performance. Besides the Central Office the plan calls for the es- tablishment of twenty branch offices in New York, Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey. STATE TAX ON SHOWS A fifteen per cent taxation on the face value of the admission ticket is being charged for all amusements in the State of Connecticut. Ten per cent of the tax is required by the Government, with the other five going to the State. WOODS TO DO FOUR According to Al. H. Woods' plans for next season four attractions will be pro- duced in New York during August and September. The first wUl be "Light Wines and Beer" which will open at the Ehinge Theatre early in August Then will come "The Next Comer" a new play by Kate Jordan, which will be followed ■ early in Septen^r with "Casanova," an adaptation of a Spanish play, in which Lowell Sherman will be starred under the joint management of Woods and Gil- bert Miller at the Selwyn Theatre. The fourth play, which will open late in Sep- tember, will be the latest of the "PoUsh and Perlmutter," with Barney Bernard and Alex Carr at the Cohan Theatre. STOCK IN MICHIGAN THEATRES Two Butterfield houses in Michigan will go into stock for the summer. The Regent, Kalamazoo^ opened on - Sunday of this week and wiU play two shows a week. The shows will be under the di- rection of Hal Mordaunt with Gertrude Bondhill as leading woman and James Carroll, stage director. The Regent, Lansing, will open on May 20 and others will probably follow. BIG ADVANCE FOR ART PLAYERS Prior to the arrival of the Moscow Art Theatre Players at the Lyric Theatre, Philadelphia, for a two weeks' engage- ment last Monday an advance sale of $60,000 was reported. A $5 top is being charged and Morris Gest anticipates grossing $90,000 on the engagement "GINGHAM GIRL" FOR CENTRAL "The' Gingham Girl," which has been running at tiie Earl Carroll Theatre since August 2 of last year, will move to the Central Theatre next Monday night to re- main there over the summer. With the moving of the play there will be five of the original members of the ast mfs^ing. This was all brought about when Schwab and Kussell, the producers, early last ireek decided that as the show had lost maaef the two preceding weeks and they had made arrangements to move the show to another house^ that they would ask six of the principals who had been with the show thirty-three weeks to accept a 25 per cent cut in salary. The first to be apmacfaed, according to Schwab, was Amelia Summer- ville. Miss Summerville after thtnUnj tJie matter over informed the producera that she could not think of acoeptinff any cut as she had plenty of picture work to keep her busy and that the most dignified thing the producers could do would be to dose the show. That evening 'Miss Summer- ville was tendered her notice. In the mean- time iScfawab asserts Rossdl Mack Gn> vassed the company and after tltt show brought out the notices of Louise Alien, Allan Edwards and himself. Hden Ford, another principal, tendered her notice as she had been engaged to appear in "Hden of Troy" at an. increased salary. The members of the chorus which hdped to make the show the hit it is and persons playmg minor roles were not asked to take a cut and will remain with the attraction. Julia Ral^h will replace Miss .Sommer- ville, Midgie Miller will replace Aliss Allen, Donald Carroll will take the place of Allan Edwards, Rita BeU wiU replace Helen Ford and William Frawlcy will re- plate Russell Made Eddie Buzzell, prindpal comedian of the show, is scheduled to leave the attraction at the expiration of his contract, June 1. The new members of the cast will join the show at the Central. JUAfOTA HANSEN BANKRUPT Jnanita Hansen, fbnner screen actress, now in vaudeville^ last wedc filed a petitioa in bankruptcy. It shows liabilities of $11,- 057 and no assets. Tliepcindpal cxeditors are: United States, $1,930 for iaoome tax 1919-20: N. Y. State, $7^ for income taxes for 1920; dark Taxicab Co. $2,aD0^tem Bros., $1,128; Morning- Tdegiapli, $8D5. Miss Hansen, recemly was arrested in New York on a charge of having dmgs in her possession and shortly afterward broke into jprint with a story of the drug habit and her efforts to core hersdi She is now in vaudeville «loing a mooo- logue called "A Page From Life^^ in which she tdls of the drug cnrse, of which evi- dence offered by hersdf and several physi- cians proved she had been cored. 'When in p i Uuie s she was paid a large salary said to have been $2;S0O wcddy. '•ELSI^' TO REMAIN "Elsie," the musical comedy produced by John Jay SchoU, will remain at the Van- derbilt Theatre after negotiating to move to the Earl Carroll Theatre to replace "The Gingham GirL" "Elsie" had Ulcn below its stop Umit for two weeks when Lyle Andrews gave the attraction notice to vacate. After the notice had been given Andrews agreed to permit the attraction to continue at a guarantee of $3,500 a week to the theatre for its share of the gross. It is reported that one of the younger Gng- genbeims of the copper iuteresls and a representative of the Knglish family of Rothchilds are financially sponsoring the attraction. HUlis Bntterfield who closed recently with "Johannes Kreisler," has been en- g[aged for Lawrence Weber's produc- tion, "Fires of Spring." VIOLET BARNEY "HOME AGAIN" BACK FROM A LONG VAUDEVILLE TOUR-GOING INTO STOCK THIS SUMMER Thin \Ve*k: Kcith'n RiverniHe, New York "THE WASP" MOVING "The Wasp," a mystery play by Thomas Fallon, author of "The Last Warning," will vacate the Morosco Theatre on Sattir- day night and. move to the Sdwyn The- atre on Monday, where it will rqHace "Within Four Walls," Mack HHliard's production, w)udi wUl oondnde a two weeks' engagement on Saturday. On Wed- nesday night of next week Oliver. Morosco will present Thoomsoo BndtananTs nnr play Pride" at the Morosco for a smnmer engagement. %