New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

July 4, 1923 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 7 SHOW OWNERS TRYING RADIO TO HELP STI MULATE T ICKET SALES Neariy All of Broadway Theatres Trying Broactcasting to Ke^ Up Interest in Shows—Ci^iitol Theatre Reports Big Gain After First Experiment Radio during the heat wave has been ac- cepted and taken advantage of as a first aid by the producers of musical and dra- matic attractions in New York. With two or three exceptions, all of the musical shows and revues now playing in New York have or are contemplating making use of the "ether waves" for the purpose of maintaining interest and attracting busi- ness for the attractions. That its use by musical shows was found useful was signified by the transmitting of the first act of "Wildflower" at the Casino Theatre several months ago. At the time the show was broadcasted it was announced to those listening in that they attended a performance of the show at the Casino Theatre and mentioned the fact that they had "listencd-in" on the radio they would be given an autographed picture of Edith Day, star of the show. • According to the Hammcrstcin office 552 pictures were dis- tributed within one week. It is also con- tended by the Hanunerstcin office that the broadcasting of the show was a stimulant for business and that as a result of the publicity the show received through the radio business held up through the hot wave better than was anticipated. Last Thursday night Earl Carroll spoke over the radio and informed the enthusiasts that he would broadcast the first act of "The Vanities of 1923" on Thursday night, which was scheduled to be opening night. Mr. Carroll declared that the reason he was doing the broadcasting was his faith in the support of his venture, providing it was good, from the radio fans. The broadcasting was not done as the oi>ening was postponed. In the dramatic field several months ago at a time business for "The Old Soak" at the Plymouth Theatre was on the wane, Edward J. Mayer, who was publicity man for Arthur Hopkins arranged to have the first act broadcasted with this procccdure being responsible for business picking up for more than a month when the second act was sent out and business again in- creased. The same idea was used by Mayer for Ethel Barrymorc in "Romeo and Juliet" at the Longacre Theatre and is said to have resulted profitably for the attrac- tion. Arrangements arc now on to have Louis F. Werba's musical show "Adricnne" at the George M. Cohan Theatre sent out over the radio this week. Last week the first and the second acts of "Go Go" at the Apollo Theatre were sent out and it is said that the public showed quick response. It is said that the value of the radio to the theatre in New York was brought out through the sending out every Sunday night by the Capitol Theatre over the "ether waves" its program. Sam L. Roth- afel declared that following the first ex- periment the business of the theatre in- creased greatly over the preceding week and that it has been holding up each week since the innovation of the Sunday night radio concerts. TICKET OFFICE ACTION UP MONDAY Definite action is anticipated next Mon- day afternoon at a meeting of the Pro- ducing Managers' Association on the es- tablishment of a Central Theatre Ticket Office to begin operation this fall. At the meeting held last week much opposition arose to the plan submitted by Joseph Leblang for the establishment aiid operation of the C. T. T. O. Many mem- bers in attendance declared that they would be opposed to the plan submitted as it gave indications of a small group of managers getting hold of the stock of the concern and in that way giving them an opportunity to pave tlie way for their controlling the agency. This opposition came from some of the independent thea- tre owners. Some of them argued that It would be useless to begin the operation of a Central Office unless Leblang agreed to abandon the operation of the cut-rate ticket office at 43rd street and Broadway. The plan which Leblang submitted called for the establishment of a Central Ticket office at an expense of $500,000. In this plan submitted to the Managers' Producing. Assodation woukj receive IS per cent, of the common stock of the C. T. T. O. corporation which would give their board of governors the right to de- cide the policy of the agency and to have it operated along lines laid out by them. The .other 49 per cent, of the stock would be divided between Leblang and those _ managers who would aid him in financing the ticket office. Leblang, for his services and the amount of money he would invest in the project, wants 25 per cent, of the stock, being willing to subscribe $260,000 of the underwritten amount of expenditures with those who, getting the other 24 per cent, supplving the clher $240,000 necessary. The plan also called for Leblang to operate the agency without any salary and only take for his share of the profits the income from the 25 per cent of the stock he would hold. Tt is said that several of the bigger managers arc prepared to support the Le- blang proposition at the next meeting and that they will try to show the managers who are opposed to it the advantage they would derive through the operation of the C. T. T. O. Leblang seems indifferent regarding the discussion that is taking place over the plan he has submitted. He dedares that he has turned the proposition over to the P. M. A., that it is their project and that they can do anything they see fit. He said if they choose they can se- lect anyone they may want to operate the central office. If they want him he is perfectly willing to serve but he will not do so if he finds that some of the interested persons in the project are an- tagonistic to him or the project. With reference to the operation of the cut-rate agency after the establishment of the central office, Leblang stated that this oGRce will continue to function as long as the managers supply him with tickets and when they refuse to do this it will go out of business automatically. MUSICAUZING "ROLLING HOME" Chicago, June 30.—When Donald Brian is seen in New York in "Rolling Home," which had only fairly successful engage- ments at the Selwyn and Cort Theatres here the show will be a musical one instead of a comedy with a couple of songs inter- polated. Gitz Rice was in Chicago the last days of the stay of the show at the Cort working out ideas for the remaking of the show. When "Bristol Glass," which had a sliort season at the Blackstone is seen in New York the title will be changed to "Tweedles" and Gregory Kelly and Rutn Gordon, who have the principal roles, will he starred as they should be. Out here T-'rank McGh'nn was featured in a role that does not justify such a course and a title was given which suggests nothing. ROSENBAUM RECOVERS Ed. Rosenbaum. Sr., manager of "Sal- ly," who returned from Milwaukee with the company seriously ill, has fully re- covered his health and returned to New York Monday from Atlantic City where he has been for the past month. Mr. Rosenbaum will manage the "ZicRfcld Fol- lies" when they leave the New Amster- dam Theatre to go on tour next Sep- tember. ANN MURDOCK INHERITS FORTUNE Miss Irene Coleman, known to the stage as Ann Murdock, who, by the. will of the late Alf Hayman was to receive a life interest in the residual estate of the the- atrical man who died May 14, 1921, has had that interest defined as $280,879 ac- cording to an appraisal' filed last week. The gross value of the estate is placed at $524,758 and the net $307,879. According to the will Hayman's wife, from whom he was separated, was to re- ceive $12,000 a year until she remarries, tliis by an agreement made before his death. She also was allowed $20,000 insur- ance. Mrs. Therese Coleman received $10,- 000 under the will and an equil amount went to deceased niece, Cbrine B. Bau- nian. Albert Lyons received $5,000 and Peter Mason and John Ryland, employees of Charles Frohman, Inc., each received $1,000. The estate was mostly in stock.1 and bonds the largest holdings being $100,000 in United States Treasury certificates. There were also 1,237 shares of Famous Playcrs-Lasky valued at $88,445. Ap- praisal of 250 shares of Famous Players- Lasky and 455 shares of the New York Theatre was suspended because the stock is in litigation. The debts of the estate were $184,027 of which $19,517 was the Federal Income Tax for 1921. SHOW FOR NAN HAU"ERIN "Little Jesse James" is the title selected for a musical comedy which L. Lawrence Wcbcr is placing in rehearsal for produc- tion ill Asbury park, on Aug 20. The book and lyrics for the attraction were written by Hariaii Thompson and the music by Harry Archer. Walter Brooks is staging the production. Nan Halpcrin will head the cast which will include Allan Kearns, Roger Gray, Winifred Harris. Miriam Hopkins and Clara Throop. After two weeks out of town Mr. Weber will bring the show into the Longacre Theatre open- ing it tlicre on Labor Day. WOODS STARTS WITH SIX Unless present plans miscarry A. H. Woods will be represented with no less than six metropolitan attractions before the end of next month. The list includes Mary Ryan in "Red Light Annie," Lowell Sher- man in "Casanova," Grant Mitchell in "The Whole Town's Talking," "The Next Corner." "The Jurywoman" and "The Good Old Days," the latter being the new title for "Light Wines and Hccr." The theatres and exact opening dates will be announced later. DEDIC VELDE In 1906 Dcflic VclHe came to America to play a season with the Ringling Drothers Circus. He then turned to the vaudeville staRC, touring the Orphcum Circuit with his funny pantominie and hazardous, ncck-hrcakinfr falls. After a tonr of the Southern Slates with a road show, he played the principal theatres over the D. F. Keith Cir- cuit, billed as Dedic Veldi & Co., in "Comic Capers in The Pat*." About this time Veld£ re- entered the motion picture field, having already made several photoplays in France. He will soon be seen in a series of two-reel comedies, the first of which is now in^ the eourve of prodaction at the Eastern atadics of the Lightning Film Coipotatioil. CORT-FeAlY DIVORCE REV<MCB> Bbidcepobt, July 2.—The divorce granted on July 22, to John Edward Cort, son of John Cort, the theatrical produ«%r, from Maude Fealy Cort was revoked last week by Judge Isaac Wolfe in the Superior Court. Cort according to his wife was last year manager of the Park Theatre, New York, and although he claimed in his papers for divorce that she deserted him threo years ago, she asserted that she had lived with him as recently as May 1, 1921 at Na 107 Riverside Drive. Three years' desertion is required by the divorce law of Connecticut under which Mr. Cort obtained his divorce decision. Mrs. Cort declares that the statement made by Mr. Cort that she deserted him five ilays after their marriage in 1920 is untrue, also he is wrong in saying that she refused to give up her theatrical career. Mrs. Cort made a trip to Bridgeport ac- companied by her secretary, Miss Harriet Murweis, and asked that the decision be revoked, refusing to consent to a continu- ance of the order until September. Mrs. Cort declared that she had received no ser- vice of notice that the divorce trial was to be held and in consequence thereof, did not appear personally or have counsel refH rcsait her. She said further that she had in her possession documentary evidence which upon its introduction into court would obtain for her a divorce from her husband with little delay. The first inti- mation that she had regarding Cort's <li- vorce, she said was when she read it in the newspapers. Personal service, she further declared would have been very easy if Mr. Cort had dcsired'it for she is prom- inent in theatricals, heading her own com- panies, notice of which has been printed in the dailies and theatrical newspapers as well and that her engagements are gener- ally known throughout the theatre world. The only reason for which she left Mr. Cort, she said, was because it was neces- sary to go to work to support herself and her grandmother. At present Miss Fealy is heading her own company which is play- ing at Proctor's, Elizabeth, N. J. MUSICAUZING "OLD HEIDELBERG" The Shuberts are having a musical adaptation made of Wilhelm Meyer Foers- tcKs play "In Old Heidelberg," which was originally presented by Hcinrich Conried at the Ir\'ing Place Theatre in German on October 21. 1902. This drama of student life was adapted into English for the Shn- brrts by -Aubrey Boudcault 'and entitled "Heidelberg" or "When the World Is Y'oung." It was presented with Boudcault in the role of "Karl Hcinrich" at the Princess Theatre, New York on December 18, 1902. Si^und Romberg has been delegated to furnish the musical score for the show which will be produced early next season. Howard Marsh and Olga Cook have al- ready been engaged to portray the leading roles in the attraction. SHEA TO DO "THE CUP" Joseph £. Shea has accepted from Wm. Hurlbut a sensational drama entitled "The Cup," which he will put into rehearsal on July 16. The story deals with the affairs of a crook and is said also to have a religious appeal. Shea will also produce three other Hurl- but plays next season, one in New York and two on the noacL The show intended for New York is "Chivalry," which will be put into rehearsal upon the return from Italy in September of Irene Fenwick and Richard Bcmictt, who will be co-starred. The first of the road productions to be put out will be "On the Stairs," which will go on tour early in Septendier and the other "Hail and Farewell," in which Florence Reed appeared at the Morosco Theatre, will be sent out during October. "THUMBS DOWN" REHEARSING "Thumbs Down," a new melodrama by Myron C. Fagan, went into rehearsal early this week, with a cast that indudes. Sue MacManamy, Howard Lang, Hany Min- tem and H. Dudley Hawley. Charles C Wanamjker is the producer of the piay which is expected to open on Broadway early next month.