The Billboard 1924-03-22: Vol 36 Iss 12 (1924-03-22)

OA ATT 2 MARCH 22, 1924 2 The Billboard Sere se SSIS. a re POWERS AND COLONIAL HOUSING LAST SHOWS “Sancho Panza” and White’s “Scandals” To Toll Knell for Chicago Theaters HICAGO, March 15.—Taps is about to sound for two famous playhouses, the Powers Skinner, in in the Colonial, are to be the farewell Roth are so-called syndicate houses, controlled by Harry J. Powers, of Chicago, and A. L. Erlanger, of New York, whe also have the Blackstone and lllinois The Colonial was formerly known as the Ir ols and some twenty years ago more than six Iftindred lives were lost in a fire in the theater when Eddie Foy'’s company wis playing. Son seenery became ignited and the heavy drop curtain, which was hastily lowered, caught on one end, The panic that followed was one of the horrors of theater history It is said that :imeost every death resulted from trampling and suffocation. The Colonial has long housed the biggest musical attractions ‘ ug to Chicago. Jones, Linick & Schaefer formerly had the house and offered vaudeville there rhe new Masonic Temple will be erected on the site of the Colonial. The keys of the Powers Theater will be turned over to a wrecking crew May 1. The Hotel Sherman has acquired the lease and will build a gigantic annex on part? of the half block covered by the theater. It is said the hots management paid Powers and Erlanger $150,000 sh to lapse the remainder of the lease which had three years to run, The Powers Theater was built by Richard Hooley and opened October 21, 1872, as Hooley's Opera House. The dedicatory attraction was “The Three Hunchbacks” with the Abbot Kira'fy Troupe. Harry J. Powers acquired the house some years after Mr. Hooley’s death and changed the name to Powers in 1898 ae rededicated the house Angust 22, 1898, wit “The Moth and the Flame’ the theater ever attractions. THEATRICAL EMPLOYEES FORM NEW SOCIAL CLUB Clyde Fitch's play, He has conducted bome of first-class Since as & New York, March 15.—Prooklyn theatrics employees have organized s oc'a ub to t known as the Panners’ Mutual Club At a meeting held tn the Montink Theater § this week {ff was decided to open club rooms in down-town Brooklyn within a <hert time Officers chosen at the recent «ess'on were InStalled by Walter S§. Clapp, president of the Theatrical Mutual Assoc’ation. Brooklyn Lodge No, 30 They were: Pre«ident, Albert Bezer vice-president, Richard Walsh: financial secretary, Linford Risley: recording secretary, William = = Curren: serzeant-at-arms, Herbert Bartlett; board of directors, Fred C. DeLappe, Edward Brady, William Pe'rano, Louis Greene, Edward Gowan, Alfred Malone. William Loomis, Joseph MePartland and Albert Linde. REVUE GIVEN YALE TRYOUT Haven, Conn., March Shubert Century Roof revue,@was given a tryout this week at the Theater The revue is directd by George B. Mewith Odette Myrtil and J. Harold Murbeing featured in a large company The east includes Fred Allen, Irene Delroy, Charles Judels, May Boley, Joseph Toner, Annette Bady, Marcella and Beatrice Swanson, Jimmy Savo, Hal Van Rennsselaer, George Anderson, Katherine Van Pelt, Betty Compton, Alce Manning, Thomas and Corvera and James Alderman. New Dew Yak here Lellan, ra 15.—"'Vornes", Shubert The mus'e was composed by Herbert Stothart, composer of “‘Wildflower’’ and ‘‘Mary Jane MeKar The book and lyrics are by Fred Thompson and Clifferd Grey. The production £ to Atlantic City next week and will In New York the week of March 24 CARUSO’S SECRETARY BANKRUPT New York, March 15.—The late Enrico Carus & “ecretary, Brung Zirate, dled a voluntary Petition in bankruptey this week, Listing bis Habilities as $3,010 and bis assets as $404, of Which $100 representing wearing apparel and hecessary belong ngs is exempt. The princtpal ered'tor named je Mrs. Dorothy Ingram who wae the widow of Caruse and to i" Zirate says he owes $1,000, representing money advanced lis other debts are of com paratively small amounts, including his Federal aud State income taxes, The $804 he has In the Dank, it fg’ said, ts subject to a claim by ‘is. Ingram. and the Colonial, which are soon to be r “Sancho Panza”, in the Powers, and George White's “Scandals”, attractions. zed, It is said Otis — “THE FARMER'S WIFE” LOOKS LIKE SUCCESS London, March 16 (Special Cable to The Billboard).—At the Court Theater, Tuesday, “‘The Farmer's Wife’’, by Eden Philpotts, was presented by the Birmingham Repertory Theater. It is a light village comedy with droll situations and characters, and deft observation of the romantic side of rustic psychology. The play was fairly well received It. deserves success if only for Cedric Hardwicke’s brilliant assumption of the character of the rural philosopherplot nan, Churdles Ash. Hardwicke’s creation I ‘d the very spir.t of the Devonshire countryman. He has extraord’nary resource of voice and business Eileen Beldon was clever as the attractive daughter of Meiville Cooper's cordial farmer, GRIFFITH MAY MAKE FILM FOR ITALIAN INTERESTS 1h—D. W. Griffith wil to confer with a group th regard to the making March April 2 ital'st=s w New York, sail for Italy of Italian ca of an elaborate motion picture in that country. The grou; 1S as its leader and spokesman G. Andrea Serrao, Roman politician and attorney, and asked Griffith to make a picture there with the idea that Italian film indnstry will revived. Negotiations with the great American director have earried on in New York by A. Serrao, nephew of the leader of the financial who has interested Griffith to the point has agreed to go to Rome ta consult upon the project. It 's reported that the Italian capitalists are prepared to invest as much as $1,000,000 in the Gritlith production solely for the altruistic purof restoring the prestige of Italian picthruonut the world. A statement issued by A. Serrao mentioned that be and Griffith would return to America soon after the conference in Rome and assemble a staff of technical men and a few American actors to play the leading parts in the picture to be made. FILM OWNERS SCORE VICTORY Chicago, March 14.—Pending litigation in the case of the City against the ‘Birth of a Nation’ film management, there developed at least one victory for the defense yesterday. A jury, trying an employee of the Griffith interests who aided in projecting the picture, found him not guilty of violating an ordinance prohibiting the showing of lynching scenes. thee he heen group, where he Dose te tures THOROBRED PUBLICITY When George E. Wintz’s “Shuffle. Alon-”’ business mancger of the show, arranged for ‘Shuffle Along Handicap” of the Washington Birthday racing card at the fair grounds in the Crescent City. ——— 4 played New Orleans Clem T. Schaefer, as an added feature A silver cup and a floral horseshoe were presented the winning combination, King O'Neill, with Jockey H. Stutts up. Hogenmi'ler, stage carpenter, Milam, owner of King O'Neill. Schaefer, and Wm. standi-g closest to the horse, Reighert, is seen with Joe electrician, of the show, and J. C. NEW FILM COMPANY Drake Comedies To Present Ex-Clown and Vaudeartistes in One-Reelers Norfolk, Va., Mareh 1 \ new company or ganized here to preduece ne-reel comedics will be known as Drake Comed-es, it was announced this wee Bob Drake, for many years with John Ro 'nson’s Creus as a clown, will be featured Ile “Oo bas been connected wi h the Oscar Tawandis Fight Bra an Acrobats and was a partner of Harry Jordan in a revolVing ladder act Rill Dooley, we known ino Vaudeville, and Jimmy Fletcher. Enrlsh comedian, will be connected with Drake Comed es. Work, ‘t is reported, has started on the studio and several bundred feet of film “shot’’ ca the first reel. The studio wll be located at Ocean View, near Norfolk, and the trade mark of the company will be a drak« ACTORS ESCAPE INJURY IN RAILWAY SMASHUP London, March 16 (Spectal Cable te The Billboaurd).—Heath Thateber aud Leslie Mensen fer tunately escaped unhurt from the Riviera ExPress smashup and sent home some vivid narratives of the disaster Thatcher was for seventy-five minutes pinned between sleeper berths in the wreekage in his night clothes, in freezing cold Henson carried m out and lent him one of his suits Constance Worth and Folly Field also were in the disaster, but were only bruised, altho many fellow passengers in the same coaches were terribly injured and some killed, LONDON SEES “THE FAKE” London, March 16 (Special Cable to The Billboard).—Thursday Godfrey Tearle presented Lonsdale’s “‘The Fake'’, himself playing the part of the noblest murderer that even poisoned a trusting compan on Franklyn Bellamy made a sensational jump to fame with h's remarkably good performance as the diplomaniac. Una O'Connor's low comedy hotel maid was effectively handled. The play was accorded a moderate reception. The public is still waiting to see in full-blooded romantic stuff! worth his rebust style and attractive physique, ITALIAN BALLET CO. GIVES CHARMING PERFORMANCE Tearle London, March 16 (Special Cable to The Billboard).—Signora Ileana Leonidof’ Massera with the Italian Ballet Company are giving a short season at the Covent Garden Opera House. While in nowise comparable to the Diagilev Russian Ballet they provide a charming, enjoyable show, including one-act operas and dancing. Massera is the prima ballerina of the Theatro Constanazi, Kome. The principal dancer is Vincenzo Celli, from the Seala, Milan. There is an excellent orchestra under Attilio Parelli, TURNER EDITOR OF “ENCORE” London, March 15 (Special Calle to The Billboard).—Bill Bayley has been succeeded in the editorial chair of The Encore by C. Claxton Turner, and will now give his attention to setting ten per cent from performers as en agent. FLUSHING HOLDS BIG CELEBRATION Century and a Half Has Transformed It From Straggling Village to Flourishing City Flushing, L. 1., March 13.—Today marks the beginning of the ‘30th anniversary celebration of the founding of the now-flourishing city of Flushing. On Mareb 13, the first store Was opened here by Alfred Smith. Today the big chief of the city is Ira L. Terry, chairman of the committee on arrangements for the celebration. _— dae, exercises began. pressed an electric Key in Washington, which was the signal for the ball on a flag staff here to fall, announ¢ the beginning of festivities. Then Wells Hawks, well-known publicity expert, arm in arm with Lew D. Graham, famous announcer of the Ring ling-Barnum Circus, as town crier’, left the Flushing Library at the heaa of a parade and ‘Colonial party"’ and marched to Flushing Park, where Mr. Hawks introduced *‘The Town Crier’’, whose reading of the proclamation was heard even above the continued roaring of auto Promptly at 2 President Coolidge p-m. the ng “ve horns. Next Ira L. Terry made a few remarks and was followed in speech by Acting Boro President Benjamin Marvin and the singing of the specially written song, ‘*‘Flushing”’, posed by Ted Barron, The participants then marched behind the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's Band to Town Hall, where a thirty-minute concert was rendered. At 4:30 in Flushing Park Great Alfreno, sensational high-wire walker, gave an exhibition of his skill and dexterity, which was greatly appreciated. Roping and other Wild West exhibitions followed, Walter P. O'Grote and Johnny Rufus, hands"’, appearing in frontier sports such as trick riding and roping, com “top much to the delight of the large gathering. Many oldtimers flocked to see how the younger generation carried out the immense program, and good words were heard from every angle regarding the way the celebration was started. New York and Jamaica officers in directing traffic reigned supreme during the entire afternoon. The weather was ideal and visiters from adjacent cities far exceeded the number expected by the committee in charge. police joined locai and good conduct Plenty of comedy was intermingled thruout the festivities by such well-known entertainers as George (Steamboat) Stewart, Alexander Campbell, acrobatic clown, for a number of seasons at the New York Hippodrome; Great Franz and the well-known Merry Clown. STAGE PUPILS GRADUATE New York, March 15.—The Lyceum Theater yesterday was the scene of graduation exerheld by the students of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Augustus Thomas presided and in an introductory address spoke of the great debt the academy owes to Daniel cises Frohman, David Belasco and the late Franklin H. Sargent, its founder. Other speakers were Jane Cowl and Hatcher Hughes, author of **Hell-Bent for Heaven"’. “A lot of nonsense has been written and talked," declared Hughes in a brief address, “about whether or not the playwright who writes for the actor is anything more than a theatrical tailor. A lot more, no doubt, will be written. The dramatists of the past, the great have always written for actors. If Shakespeare and many other dramatists had not known the people for whom they were writing the parts net have been as true or lived as vividly and long as they have.” “Above all else," spoke Miss Cowl, “‘it seems to me that you must know and love the thing that I can not call drama, but I can call only, somehow, the theater. It is a thing that is so lovely, wonderful, as to be held onto, to be worked not forgotten for ene moment.” INVESTIGATE TICKET AGENCIES of the becomes effective teen theater licenses to ones, would worth while for so so New York, March 15.—The anti-speculating law, which March 20, resulted in nine ticket agencies having taken operate on the basis of a S0-cent charge on each ticket sold above that of the box-office price. Twelve other agen have shown a willingness to comply with the provisions of the law, recently sustained by the Court of Appeals. Letters have been sent from the office of State Controller Fleming to all ticket agencies notifying them that a reasonable time would be allotted for filing bonds of $1,000 each and paying the fees as required by the law ‘in addition to furnishing references, The New York Hotelmen’s Association will prohibit stands in hotel lobbies which violate phe law, ; outcome has out es a ane Le aaa '