The Billboard 1924-06-14: Vol 36 Iss 24 (1924-06-14)

ee peer e me ree, a litical ee DASH The Billboard JUNE 1+, 1924 JarceComedy-Iragedy A Department. ee WS &£OPINIONSY Conducted by GORDON WHYTE “ (COMMUNICATIONS TO THE BILLBOARD, 1493 BROADWAY, “Fight Is All Over’? Says Emerson Managers Expected To Accept Equity’s Terms Within Short Time—Meanwhile Situation Remains Quiet New York, June 6.—After watching the events of last Monday, when none of the shows which closed the previous Saturday reopened, Broadway was willing to agree with John Emerson, president of Equity, that ‘‘the fight is all over, except for a little mopping up.” . This was said by Mr. Emerson shortly before he sailed for Europe Wednesday aboard the sjerengaria. The fact that Emerson thought the situation warranted his leaving the country was accepted by must interested observers as an indication that everything was all right. The ‘‘die-hards’? have only won one victory since they started all the trouble with Equity and that was last Monday, When Justice Tierney denied Lee Shubert an injunction to prevent William Harris, Jr., from closing ‘The Outsider’. Shubert owned an interest in the show and the Ritz Theater, in which it was playing, and claimed he would suffer irreparable damage if the show l The judge was closed. held that Harris had the right to close the piece and vacated tle temporary injunction which had been oltuimd by Shubert the preceding Friday. it was a tossup @&s io W Alimeost up until curtain time hether there would be a show on Munday or not. At five o'clock, Lionel Atwill, the star of the piece, told a Billboard reporter that he expected to play, and the box-office informed o'clock that the performance would take place. However, news of ihe decision was received shortly after that and the sale of tickets stopped. Just what Harris gained by stopping his show and losing the revenue from it, is not known. sroadway thinks it a left-handed victory, to say the least. Since the closing down of ‘‘The Outsider’’, nothing has occurred which would alter the belief on sroac that the ‘‘die-hard’’ managers will gradually drift inte an agreement with Equity, either on the same basis as the M, P. A. or as “‘independents’’, It is expected that they will be in no hurry to do this, but will hold off until the season is nearly ready to start. In the meantime the P. M. A. is ready to take an appeal from the decision of Justice McCook, who denied it an injunction restraining Equity and the M. P. A. from carrying out the provisions of their agreement. The argument on the heard next wjuirers up to eight lway appeal will be Friday before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. In the meantime the new contracts are being issued by the members of the M. P. A. operation Just before he sailed on the his wife, Anita Loos, and the agreement is in full 3erengaria with to arrange for a London production of their play, *“‘The Whole Town’s Talking’, John Emerson said: “The fight is all over, except for a little mopping up. The standpatters have succeeded -n closing only seven theaters nine, and their action has out of fortyresulted in welding There has our members more closely together. not been one single defection from our ranks, contrary, many members of the #ague, including David Warfield, aversham, Billie Burke, Helen Hayes Florence Nash, Lester Lonergon, and others have shown their approval of Equity’s le by joining the association. Most of the plays which were closed have g runs, so their closing will not create r r al distress for the actors, except aller members of the casts, and t E 1 find is for relieving that. If x t the x gers of these attract ry few weeks, to accep E 5 been declared just and f the o r t Manager Asso"a n by ft tandpatters the “ “My chief ot t in going to England, aside from the production of our play, i« ry to have repealed certain diser reg t of the British Government against Arm n America has always Britieh actor and extended to jim every courtesy, and we feel that the same conside fae actors welromed ¢ tion should be accorded the American actor by Great Britain.” WINGFIELD BOOKINGS Chicago, June 6.—#ames Wingfield has sharpened the qu'll pen and squared himself in anticipation of a rush of one-night booking in the Midwest as soon as the final chapter in the Equity-P. M. A. diplomatic exchanges is written, signed and sealed. Heretofore when no such emotional storm was in the air the Wingfield books were practically completed in sofar as one-n ght stands were concerned by the firs: of March. This season, with strike clouds threatening, everybody putting New York shows into the tall-grass country on one-night bookings has been sitting tight and waiting until the actors and managers got ready to smoke from the same pipe. To the man out here on the prairies it looks like that time is approaching. A few Wingtield bookings follow; LeComt & Flesher’s ““My China Doll’’, phenomenally successful on its first season, will open the new tour in Sheboygan, Wis., August 24. This firm’s other show, ‘‘Listen To Me’’, will open its fourth season in Wausau, Wis., August 34. Stetson’s ‘“‘Tom’’ will open in Bay City, Mich., August 4. The Georgia Minstrels will open on Butterfield Time August 3, ‘*Somewhere in France’’, an overseas revue, with Billy Maine, will open in Danville, Ill Avgust 31. BEURY RUSHING NEW PLAY New York, June 6.—James P. Beury, producer of “I'll Say She Is’ at the Caisno Theater, has accepted a new play by John Meehan called *“‘A Man’s Job’’. In the short span of two days Beury read the script, assembled a complete cast, engaged a director, issued instructions to bis scenic artist, instituted rehearsals and then booked the play ‘o open at his Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia June 23. The cast will Edward Robins, who has the leading role; Roy Gordon, Philip Lord, James Seeley, Ray Hackett, Walter Armin, Olive Todd, Reina Carruthers and William Phinney. The last-named has comprise been appointed s age manager. Meehan, formerly director for George M. Cohan, has contracted with A. L. Jones and Morris Green to supervise the staging of “Good fer Nothin’ Jones’’, the Aaron Hoffman musical comedy, and “The Politicians”, the new Gallagher and Shean show. ACTING TECHNICAL DIRECTOR New York, June 6.—Carolyn Hancock, who is the Theater Guild‘’s technical director, is also general understudy for femin ne roles of ‘Fata Morgana” at the Lyceum Theater At present she is substituting for Aline Berry, who is visiting ber invalid mother. While acting in the capacity of Lee Simonson’s assis'ant, Miss season at the Garrick Midnight’. She last Morn to Hancock Theater in appeared “From designed -the costumes for ‘“‘The Devil's Disciple’, the settings and costumes of “The Race With a Shadow’’ and the settings and *“Windows’’. CAST OF “WAY OF THE WORLD” 6.—The Cherry Lane Players restoration comedy, New York, will revive June Congreve’s The W of the World”, which is to be their first produtcion of the coming season. Among t < .ged for the principal roles are Lennox Pawle, Tom Nesbit, Evelyn Vaughin, William S$. Rain Katherine Stuart, Vera Tompkins, Reg 4 Travers, Jose Reyes, Kathleen Hart -Hughston end King Kennedy. Dennis Clough, who played in the London production of the Congreve drama a number of years ago, will direct the play. Peon cst 2 LOUIS CALHERN NEW YORK, N.Y The personable young actor, who has made a lasting impression on the public with his manly bearing, fine voice and sympathetic handling of a difficult role in ‘‘Cobra’’, at the Hudson Theater, New York. ACCEPTS NEW WEAVER PLAY New York, June 6.—Herman J. Mankiewicz, who was associated with S, Jay Kaufman in the presen‘ation of ‘’Round the Town"’, gone but not forgotten, will play a lone hand in offering John Weaver's new comedy, ‘“‘Love "Em and Leave ‘Em’. The play is due to open in Asbury Park June 30 with Gertrude Bryan in the leading feminine Following a series of trial performances in Long Branch and Stamford, Mankiewicz will close his proe duction for the summer and then reopen in New York early in September. In the course of the coming season he will also offer two plays from his own pen, role. BEACH WRITING NEW PLAY New York, June 6.—Lewis Beach, author of “The Clod’’, ‘“‘The Square Peg’’ and ‘The Goose Hangs High", now current at the Bijou Theater, has left for his home in Saginaw, Mich., where he hopes to complete the script of a new play. The dawn of the new will see the presentation of ‘Ann of Beach's efforts which has run in its prin‘ted form thru several manue season Vroom”, one already editions, CAST OF “THE DELUGE” New York, June 6.—Guy Bates Post will open his revival production of “‘The Delnuge’’ at the Cort Theater in Chicago on Sunday night. In addition to himself the cast will be composed of Emilie Polini, who will play the role originally created by Pauline Lord; Mitchell Harris, James Spottswood, Howard Paden and Edna Lindon, “MIRACLE” TO GO ON TOUR New York, to present “The Nego tations ate now production taken to June 6.—Morris Gest is planning Miracle’’ on next season. under have the Cleveland early in the fall at the Public Auditor'um for a period of five weeks. The last performance will be given at the Century Theater here, Saturday evening, June 25. SMITH AUTHOR OF DRAMA tour way to New York, June 6.—Paul Gerard Smith, author of ‘‘Keep Kool", the musical revue now current at the Theater, is writing a new drama, entitled ‘‘Souvenirs’’. He plans to present the production himself, Walter Iluston, recently as star in ‘‘Mr, Pitt’, will fill the stellar role. As for scenery, the author is not in the least worrled, as only the bare walls of the stage will be in evidence. Morosco seen Louis Calhern a Successful Matinee Idol Who Has No Recipe for Success a If you asked Louis Calbern, Cobra’? at the leading man of Hudson New York, Theater, for a recipe for success as a matinee {dol he would probably blush modestly and refer you to the Messrs. Henry Hull and Louis Jobn Bartels, former coplayers of his in stock. But, if you were an picked on him as a doubtedly looks interviewer subject, you decide that the Was good furnished by Nature, and then proceed o get his just as we did. Moved by the eager questions of admiring flappers, of the profession and out of it, concerning the place of his birth, we asked him. after splendid proportions, if he came out of the Great Northwest, “No,"’ replied Mr. Calbern indifferently, “J came from the prosaic city ef Brooklyn.” “Well, how did you manage to build up such a fine athletic appearance?’ *Oh,”’ lazily lighting a CASION ALLY do my daily “When you nonchalantly arrived in New York from the distant City of Brooklyn in what production did you calmly step?" who had would wunrecipe history appraising his cigaret, dozen.”" “IT O0 Into Grace George’s—as an extra.”’ And then? Stock.’’ With whom and where?’ Paul MeAllster, at Prospect Theater. Bronx Piaying juveniles?’ No Rits.*° What next?’ More stock n St Louis At the mention of St. Louis a boyish smile fused his face Then the reason came iH y Hull and Louis John Bartels (the ttter now with “The Show Off) Were with the ompany We ad one dress suit beween us and a wealth of fun We took turns same ¢ wearing it and when it happened that more than one of us was cast for a part requiring the dress suit, all of us had to scout about for others so that one of us might coveted dress “It's a wonder,” admiration of the matinee stripling of the drama, that the motion pictures haven't taken more of your time." “Well, they've taken a bit of it. Have been in four Paramount pictures. Played with Claire Windsor.”’ wear that with an easy conscience,”’ alling the girls for this suit We suggested, re “With what other feminine celebrities have you appeared?” “With Mme. Olga Petrova in ‘The White Peacock’, as leading man, and with Doris Keane in “‘The Czarina’ on tour.” (No wonder he is such an excellent stage lover!) “An engagement with ‘The Song and Dance Man’, which George M. Cohan produced, brings my history up to date,’’ volunteered Mr. Cal hern hopefully. ‘But that isn’t ALL we persisted. ‘Surely, even tho you are young, you've done to know,"’ We VERY life besides want something in “I told you I was indifferently. And yon've never even had an avocation?”’ reproachfully. “Oh, yes, a sort of sideline. Caricatures for amusement. Did some for the St. Louis Globe Demoerat."’ “What are your inclinations, toward comedy or drama?” “Toward VERSATILITY,” with “Ever have any hardships?’* uninteresting,”’ emphasis. “None. Everything pleasant. Managers have been kind to ms It was indeed flattering when Mr. Calhern asked us again who we were and what paper was enlightening, prov AT FIRST that he we represented, but it ng that he didn't realize was being Interviewed “Not an interesting subject chosen,’ com mented Mr. Calhern We were tempted to be polite and sar “Very’’, and add that femininity in genera felt the same way But we didn't, suspecting that it was stale news But at any rate ' closeup of Mr. Calhern proves that the matine girls have good reason for their interest in Louls Calhern. ELITA MILLER LENZ. ANNE SUTHERLAND WILL TAKE EXTENDED TRIP ABROAD Chicago, Inne & the long run of “The Cat and th will sail June 11 from Montreal on the 8. 8 Melita for Cherbourg, later going to Paris and from there to Vienna. Miss Sutherland will spend about three months on the continent be fore returning home. JOINS LEW FIELDS PLAY New York, June 6.—-Ida Mack has Just joined the cast of “The Melody Man", starring Lew Fields, at the Forty-Ninth Street Theater. Miss Mack formerly appeared in vaudeville as 4 member of the team of Regal and Mack, Anne Sutherland. late o Canary