New York Clipper (Jul 1923)

14 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER July 4, 1923 VSICML NEW DnXINGHAM SHOWS Cbarles B. Dillinf^ham, returning last week from Europe on the AquUania, made announcement of his plans for the com- ing season. The first production will be another starring vehicle for Fred Stone entitled "Stepping Stones." Anne Caldwell and R. H. Bumside are responsible for the book' and lyrics and Jerome Kern furnished the music for this new musical comedy in which Dorothy Stone, the comedian's daughter, will make her first New York appearance. . The next to see Broadway will be the "Nifties of 1923" which will be produced at Bernard and Collier's Fun Shop, form- erly the Fulton Theatre. The cast, besides Sam Bernard and William Collier will in- clule Ray Dooley, Harry Watson, Van and Schenck, Ullian Broderick, Prank Crumit, and Cortez and Peggy. Early in September, Florence Reed will be starred In Edward Knobloch's new play "Lnll^y." Dillingham made special mention of the Italian marionettes which have been run- ning in London for some time and which he brought over with hinL These are from the Teatro del Piccoli in Rome and present a repertoire of twenty-five operas and any number of shorter pieces, with mnsic by Italy's best known composers. They will protebly be seen at the Dresden Theatre. Other Dillingham importations include a number of musical pieces among which is "Pompadour" with music by Leo Fall, which has been running successfully in Berlin and Vienna and which will be pro- duced here earljr in the fall. "Katja. the Dancing Girl," is scheduled for later on, also a musical piece with book and lyrics by Frederick Lonsdale and music by Jean Gilbert. An American cast will support Maurice Chevah'er in "Dede" and "Ta Bouche" which has been a sensation in Paris, has been adapted by Clare Kunmier andj will be presented by a cast that includes many members of the "Good Morning Dearie" company. "Lillies of the Field," a comedy by J. Hastings Turner. "Hassan," a spectacle, and a return of the "Loyalties" company are also on the schedule, and Jerome Kem and Anne Caldwell will musicalize "The Fortune Hunter" and "Merely Mary Ann." MRS. REID SPEAKS IN CHURCH Mrs. Wallace Reid, wife of the late Wal- lace Seid and star of "Human Wreckage" spoke from the pulpit of the Chelsea Methr odist Episcopal Church, 178th street and Broadway on Sunday at the invitation of the Rev. Dr. Christian F. Reisner. pastor of the cfanrch. She gave a digni6ed ad- dress on "Drug Addiction," but refrained from any personal touchK, treating the subject with logical reasoning and seeking to point out a remedy. Mrs. Reid was formerly Dorothy Daven- port, niece of Fanny Davenport, and is the mother of two diildren. She claimed that drug addicts should not be ostracized as "dope fiends," but should be sym- pathized with and helped as sufferers from some malignant disease. The church was crowded and himdreds on the sidewalk had to be refused admittance. PLAY FOR WALSKA Mme. Gana Walska may be starred next Fall in a musical play put out by the Thomas Egan Prodnctions, en- titled "The Minstrel Boy," negotiations to that effect being now carried on. Before finally closing such a deal, ac- cording to Thomas Egan, who is a singer himself, Mme. Walska wants to await the resnlt of her recent concert in. Paris. The prima donna will sail for America on the Olympic, Jtily 11, and in the meantime, tiie £gah company 3s going ahead with its plans. DAVID BELASCO OBJECTS David Belasco, in a letter to the New York Clippes last week^ strongly pro- tested against one of the bits in the "Follies," wherein he claims that he is so realistically impersonated as to make audiences believe that be is present at every performance of the Ziegfeld show. Brandon Tynan has been performing the impersonation of the theatrical pro- ducer for over a year. He is made up in typical Belasco garb, white wig, high clerical collar and dark clothes, and is seated in the first row of the audience. Andrew Tombes introduces him as the Breatest figure in the American theatre today, after which Tynan, as BelaSCO makes a short speech, in which he faith- fully reproduces the voice and manper of Belasco. He then goes upon the stage and talks^ about going in for musi- cal comedy himself, the girls, in the meanwhile, flocking about him. A Belasco bit of similar nature appeared in one of the Midnight prolics in 1919, and later in the road show of the Frolic which Will Rogers headed. Belasco has not seemed to object in the past, ac- cording to representatives of the Zieg- feld office, and they have had no direct complaint from him at present, they say. In his letter to The Cuppes Belasco says, "Audiences at the Ziegfeld 'Fol- lies' are being led to believe that I am present at every performance through an impersonation of me that is not an- nounced as such. I will greatly ap- preciate the cooperation of The New York Clipper in correcting this impres- sion, which is embarrassing to me and to my friends." Ziegfeld representatives said that if Mr. Belasco objected the bit would be taken out, but up to the time of going to press it was still part of the show. nLM CENSORS LOSE IN COURT An order signed by Justices of the Appellate Decision, following the view- ing of the motion picture comedy, "Good Riddance," last week reversed a decision of the Motion Picture Commis- sion, which, in censoring the film, elim- inated certain sequences. The censors objected to a dog being taken up (sup- posedly) in an aeroplane and dropped overboard, landing in the back seat of his master's automobile. The commission insisted that the fol- lowing eliminations mast be made: Scene of throwing dog out of aero- plane. All view of man's leg exposed where trouser is pulled off by dog at dance. Episode of lighting fuse attached to dog's tail. _ "The reasons for the above elimina- tions," set forth the commission, "are that they are inhuman and would tend to incite to crime." The effect of the decision leaves the film practically as it was when it was submitted to the Motion Picture Com- mission. The Path6 organization, owner of the film, insisted that it was a burlesque and did not deal with realities. NEW BRADY OPENINGS Included in William A. Brady's list of attractions for next season will be the season's earliest production entitled "Simon Called Peter," a dramatization of the novel of that title by Jules Eckert Goodman. Another Goodman play now in Chicago will be put on by Brady here in the early part of the season with Helen Gahagan in the leading role, entitled "Chains." Another play to be done by Brady next season in association with WQmer & Vin- cent, will be "The Little Bigamist." by Barry Connors. This play had a road tour last' wiiiler. ' The title may be dianged when it comes' to New York. NAT'U MUSIC WEEK NEXT SPRING The Spring of 1924 has been chosen as the time in which the first National Music Week will be held according to the an- nouncement from the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music of which Otto H. Kahn, banker and music lover, is Hon- orary Chairman of the General Committee. C. M. Tremaine, Director of the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music is the secretary of the committee, the rest of which is composed of heads of twenty-six prominent labor, civic, educational and other organizations. The announcement is niade that the Honorary Committee of State Governors already has representation from twenty states. No attempt will be made to control the individual activities of the people in cele- brating the festival, genuine self-expres- sion being the aim of those who are behind the movement. Development is e.xpected to be natural and inevitable. The National Music Week is the out- growth of the many local music weeks held during the last three years in nearly ISO cities of the United States. This year New York celebrated its fourth annual music week, Washington, D. C, its third, and Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas and other cities two or three. Mr. Tremaine, who was the prime mover for national music, in order to confirm his opinion that the time was ripe for a na- tional week, sent out questionnaires to all cities in which local observances had been held. Approval was almost unanimous with May as the first choice and April as the second choice for the time it should be held. Men and women prominent in many, walks of life have expressed their willing- ness to serve on the various committees and sub-committees. The National Bureau for the Advance- ment of Music, with headquarters at 105 West Fortieth street, will, upon application, supply suggestions, information and ma- terial designed to facilitate the carrying out of local music week observances anywhere in the country. THEATRE GUILD PLAY PLANS The directors of the Theatre Guild have decided on the first two plays to be pre- sented next season. They will open late in September or early in October, with "Windows." by John Galsworthy, a com- edy which the writer describes as for "idealists and others." Martha Bryan Al- lan now in the "Devil's Disciple," will be in the cast. "The Failures," a tragedy by H. R. Lenormand, French dramatist, will be next presented. In France the piece is known as "Les Rates." Jacob Ben Ami will have the leading role. On the-sched- ule, the presentation dates of which are not as yet set, are Molnar's comedy, "The Guardsman," "Caesar and Cleopatra," by Shaw, "Masse Mensch," by Ernest Toller, translated by Louis Untermeyer, and "King Lear" with Rudolph Schildkraut. An American play, not as yet selected, will also be produced, with the diance of several others now under consideration. "SUMMER FROLICS" TAB OPENS "Summer Frolics of 1923," a tabloid girl- and-muslc show, conceived and staged by Harry Walker, has opened at the Parisien, Monticcllo, for an indefinite run. The show carries nine principals and twelve girliv The cast includes Jim Buckley, 'Vera Audrey. Ruth Gcnesc Duo. Max Weber, Carmcncita and Hassan, Sophie Becker and Helen Marson. At the termination of its run here the show will be sent over the "cabaret circuit," controlled by Harry Walker, Inc., and which includes stands in twenty of the principal cities. McGUIRE HAS THREE NEW PLAYS Sam Harris will next _ season produce three new plays by ' William McGuire. They are "Tin Gods,*^ "Jadf in the Pulpit" and a comedy as yet unnamed. SEL.WYNS TO SHOW THRILLERS The newly organized Barthines Com- pany, early next Fall, will present the thriller type of melodrama, similar to those done by the Grand Guinol, which the Selwyns will offer. The Barthines productions will be in English, and the Grand Guinol offerings will be in French with the Parisian casts. The American company is planning to convert a site already chosen into a theatre as unusual as the plays they intend doing, so that there will be in reality an American Grand Guinol. Among the first group will be a cycle of stage adaptations of Edgar Allan Poc. Such stories as the "Telltale Heart" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," lend themselves readily to adaptation. A company will be as- sembled for each production, which will be changed monthly. Included in the plans of the company is a special mat- inee of Shelley's "Cenci," which was first produced in London last year, more than one hundred years after the poet's death. Previous to that produc- tion of the play the London play censoi forbid it. MUSICAL COMEDY FOR OAKLAND Oakland, Cal., July 2.—The Bay City Opera Assodation has been organized by Louis B. Jacobs, with a guaranteed popu- lar subscription for a ten-week season at the Auditorium, and the first performance will be given July 23. The opening bill will be Victor Herbert's "Naughty Mari- etta." Among the principals are Mabel Reigelman, prima donna; Jeff Dc Angelis, principal comedian; Evatta Grey, con- tralto; Rogers Grey, comedian; Charles Buckley, tenor; Carl Gensworth, baritone. A mixed chorus of twenty-four has been engaged. Admission prices have been scaled from SO cents to $1.S0. Among the operas to be offered are "Gypsy Love," PLAYWRIGHT BUYS A HOME Wilson CoUison, author and playwright has purchased "Ridgecrest," a nine-room brick residence and garage at Malba-on- thc-Sound, L. I., adjoining the residence of Charles A._ Timewell. The house is on a quarter acre plot and will be occupied by Mr. Collison as an all year home. "STEVE" CLOSING JULY 7 Chicago, June 30.—Eugene O'Brien in Steve" ends his stay at the Princess, July 7. which will end out his twelfth week. The play was seen at various points before coming into Chicago and will go on tour again, in ?pite of its being the off season. The play had a very successful engagement here. It is intended for presentation in New York during the coming season. POWELL CO. FOR DETROIT Chicago. June 30.—Halton Powell's musical comedy company which has been playing the Butterfield time in Michigan for several weeks following the closing of Halton Powell's one night stand season, opens at the Palace Theatre in Detroit, July 9. •IRISH ROSE" IN MONTREAL Montreal. July 2.—"Abie's Irish Rose," wliich opened at the Orpheum Theatre last week, has been packing the house to the doors since the first performance. The show will doiJbtless remain for many weeks. REGENT OPEHS AUGUST 10 The New Regent Theatre at Grand Rapids, Mich., will not open until August 10. The first picture will be "Within the Law."