Variety (Sep 1933)

VARIETY LEGITIMATE Tuesday,' September 5, 1933 London Show World — t hou san ds* Date, Place Sept. 26 and Music Box (Continued from page 12) more months. 'The DlstafC Sign,' hy John Van Druten/ starring Sybil Thorndylte at the Apollo, should do well for quite a while, due to the popularity of the author and return of Thorndyke. Miller is also getting ready two new productions on a very elaborate scale. One, dealing with the Shakes- pearean period, will have a cast of moi'e than 50 and will star Leslie Howard; while the other will have a cast of more than 30. Shows will be cast as soon as Miller has fin- ished producing Columbia's first picture over here. Coddling the Boys The furnishing of refreshment at trade and press shows reached a point where one morning this week cocktails and snacks were served before the showing, even to the ex- tent of having waiters pass down the aisle with trays. At the conclu- NEW. NON-SMARTING TEARPROOF ^ayhelline Here's what you've beenj wanting — for off s\ag& and on. A real isyelash darkenef: one tfijit goes -^^ on right the first time and f that won't run, smear or smart with tears or per- spiration. Positively non-smartlngl The most popular inascdra with the profession. Perfectly harmless. Try the NEW Maybeltine. Black or Bro>Vn, 75c at any toilet igoods counter. .EYELASH BEAUTIFIER slon, those who wished to, repaired to a room where champagne was served. The only press showings that can be relied upon to start on time, and without any preliminary alfalfa, ate those at the Tlvoli In the mornings, handled by Palmer Newbould. 'Bean' Buy Ends A library buy of $70,000 for 'The Late Christopher Bean' at St. James' has expired, the ticket ageVicies are now out. They were asked to duplicate their original deal, but declined to go that deep again, figuring that, with the Impending crop of open- ings, the complete consistent sell- out might not continue. Stanley Scott will present Werner Krauss in the Hauptmann play, 'Before Sunset,' at the Shaftesbury latter part of September. Doug Goes English Douglas Fairbanks is going na- tive. According to the 'Dally Ex- press,' he has decided to apply for naturalization here and settle in this country with his son. In conjunction with Alexander Korda of London Film Productions, he proposes to make a series of pic tures here. Conflicting reports as to what stars will also be utilized include the names of Charles Lauehton, Ronald Colman, Clive Brook, Leslie Howard and Doug, Jr. It seems to be definitely decided that the first production will be a feature founded on the life of Cath- erine the Great with Elizabeth Bergner In the title role and Junior as her Tsar. The second will be 'Exit Don Juan' with Senior starred, directed by Korda. This in October United Artists Is heavily Inter- ested and win handle distribution. Production of 'As Thousands Cheer,' the new Sam H. Harris- Irving Berlin revue, was sent to Phila. Monday. The company continues rehearsals here until Wednesday. There will be dress rehearsals at the Forrest, Phlla., Thursday and Friday, the show opening Saturday night. 'Cheer' will remain there for two weeks and one night, opening on Broadway at the Music Box Sept. 26. ELITCH'S FIRST PROFIT IN 6 YEARS Shows in Rehearsal 'As Thousands Cheei^ (Sam H. Harris), Forrest, Phila. ♦Jezebel'(Guthrie McCllntIc), Beck. 'Kultur' (J. J. Vincent), Mansfield. - 'Undesirable Uady' (Leon Gordon), National. 'Inspector' (Sigourney Thay- er), Masque. 'Fit as a Fiddle' (Courtney Burr), Harris. 'Amourette' (Peters & Spll- ler), 48th Street. 'Ah, Wilderness' (Theatre Guild), Guild. 'Gaily I Sing' (Wiman & Weatherly), Westport, Conn. 'Man in White' ('-Crisis') (Harmon & UUniah), Plym- outh. FIGURE PUUTZER PLAY TOO WEAK FOR TOURING SEASON 1933-34 JOHN GOLDEN Announces 'WOCDEH SUPPER' By iSAMSON RAPHAELSON 'DIVINE DRUDGE' By VICKI BAUM and JOHN GOLDEN With MADY CHRISTIAN, MINOR WATSON, WALTER ABEL 'OCTAGON' By BELA ZSALT With SAM JAFFE '2 CAN'T BE HAPPY' By JOHN GOLDEN and CHARLOTTE ARMSTRONG LEWI o>oo By RACHEL CROTHERS (In Association with RAYMOND MOORE) TOURISTS ACCOMMODATED' By CHARLES DEVINE Denver, Sept. 4. EUtch theatre, with summer stock the past ten weeks, broke records this year. The theatre was out of the red for the first time -in six years, and the crowds are the big- gest In 10 years. The slash in prices was the fac- tor that started the crowds, but the popularity of the cast and the plays kept them coming. Top was cut from $1.25 to 75 cents. Low was 25 c^nts. The year started with a sellout, the first packed opening house for nine years. In the ten weeks there have be^n close to 20 sellouts. 'Counsellor at Law,' next to the last week, had the big gross of thie season, with 'Candle Light,' the closing play, running within a few dollars of it. 'Forsaking All Others,* the opener, copped third place. Last year the park and theatre spent over $6,000 on billboards, but with a loss on the books for the fifth consecutive year, decided to pass them up, concentrate their ad- vertising In the dailies and pass the saving to the patrons. The cast was of the building type. The-company, headed by Margalo Gilmore and Donald Woods, In- cluded Averlll Harris, Helen Brooks, J. Arthur Young, Dorothy Black- burn, Joseph Hollcky, James Todd and Sarah Edwards. Addison Pitt directed, assisted by Joseph Hol- icky, while G. Bradford Ashworth was back again painting and de- signing the sfeenery. Publicity has been under the di- rection of Marshall G. Robertson, who has turned out an unusually large amount, and of a class that produced results. This is his sec- ond year with the park. Gen. Mgr. Arnold Gurtler indi- cated he would continue the popu- lar prices next year. 'Both Tour Houses/ Pulitzer prize winner for 1932-33 season, will not be sent to the road. Although it played but two out-of-town stands the Theatre Guild decided that be- cause It was an ordinary grosser, its chances on tour were slim de- spite the prize rating. Prize award came three days be- fore the show closed a nine-week date at the Royate, N» Y. 'Houses' went to Phila. for one week and came back for a repeat which gave It 16 weeks In all on Broadway. It had one try-out week in Pittsburgh. Most notable Instance of a flop getting the Pulitzer laurel was 'Alison's House.' It was presented as one of the Civic Repertory bills. On the strength of the prize the Shuberts brought it from 14th Street to the Bijou and thence to the road last season. After a few weeks In the red 'Alison's' was shelved. The cast was guaranteed six weeks on the road and salary claims were filed with Equ'ty. Case led to the scrapping of the basic mini- mum agreement. The M.P.A. was ordered to make payment but de- faulted, Equity thereupon declaring the agreement voided, such priv- ilege being provided for In the award. TIDDLE' LEADS OPERAS IN ST. LOWS '33 UST St. Louis, Sept. 4 A new attendance record was en tablished by the fifteenth season of St. Louis Municipal Opera. The 82 performances given In an open air theatre In Forest Park were wit- nessed by 713,307 persons, 43128 more than the number that saw the same number of performances last year and 26,121 more than In 1931, the previous best year. No announcement of receipts and expenditures will be made until the books of the Municipal Theater Aa-^ soclatlon have been checked by cer- tified public accountants, but it has been determined that the season has resulted in a small profit Reserved seats were occupied by 574,407 at this years performances Another 139,400, or 1,700 a night, saw the presentations from the free seats In the rear of the auditorium, which seats nearly 10,000. No es- timate is made of those who occu- pied standing room on many nights. The most popular attraction was !The Cat and the Fiddle, with an attendance of 67,768. The revival of 'The Student Prince was second with 67,637. 'The Desert Song, wit- nessed by 66,728, was third. At- tendance for other weelcs was us follows: 'Rip Van Winkle,' 66,941;' 'Naughty Marietta,' 63,224; Bitter Sweet,' 62,365; 'Florodora,' 61,582;. 'White Lilacs,' 67,385; 'Beau Brum-; mel,' 63,675; 'My Maryland,' 53,011;i 'Nina Rosa,' 61,038 (six perform-: ances); and 'The Nightingale,' 43.- 463 (six performances). MGM STUDIOS CULVER CITY, CALIF. O'Shea Alumnae Leads Jain in Cast of 'Jury' Milwaukee, Sept. 4. Local stock production had three leading women In the cast. Frances Jean Robertson, regular lead of the O'Shea Flayers at the Davidson, had as aids in 'Ladies of the Jury' Lillian Dushell and Beatrice Leiblee, both formerly lead women for O'Shea. Miss Dushell, who has just closed in 'Peggy, Behave,' at the Black stone, Chicago, and Miss Leiblee, recently in 'Hired Husbands,' at the Cort, Chicago, were visiting Mil- waukee and remained for the show Another addition to the cast was Ruth Peterson, slater of Mrs. Mark Ostrer, wife of the English picture magnate. Like her sister, Ruth Peterson made her debut In Mil- waukee stock with a company that had in lis cast James Gleason, Robert Armstrong, Lucille Webster and Elisabeth Risdon. 'Curtain' Due Oct. 2 'The Curtain Rises' is regarded as the best of the try-outs in the series staged at Jackson Heights by Morris Green and Frank Mc- Coy. Jean Arthur, Kenneth Har- lan and Doliald Foster have been re-engaged for the Broadway pros ontation, four additional parts be ing cast. 'Curtain' is due to debut about Oct. 2, house not yot selected. APPEARED ON OPENINQ BILL OF THE STANLEY, PHILADELPHIA, WEEKS OF AUGUST 25 AND SEPTEMBER 1, A TWO WEEKS' ENGAGEMENT. THE CENTRAL PARK CASINO, NEW YORK, IN- DEFINITELY, BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 8. JUST CLOSED FIFTEEN SUCCESSFUL WEEKS AT BEN MARDEN'S RIVIERA. Infernationally Famous GOMEZ AND WINONA