Variety (Jan 1936)

208 VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday, January 1, 1936 The Day Before Yesterday By John C. Fli Walking' up Broadway of a spring Wght you started from down below. S7th street, in the Afadlson Square flection, presided over by the Flatiron building and St. Qauden's Diana atop the old Garden. Proctor'a ]?ifth Avenue, playing big time, to popular, and' the billing out front lcad3 > of£ with Truly Sliattuck, Jack Norwortii and Nora Bayes are billed for next week. There Is a one-sheet In this lobby which an-nounces, 'Ccrnilng— E\a Tanguay— Cyclonic' On the op^»osIte side of the street at Wallack's, George' Arliss Is finishing an all season engagement in •Disraeli.' Charlte Burnharii is in that little office off the lobby talklrtg a,bout the good old A. M. Palnier days; when Broadway was roadWay.' The Weber & Fields Music. Hall is strugglliig with uncertain motion pictures, mostly, foreign made one-reeiers. The EtIJou Is dark, but the sign stlir carries the name, 'Nazlmova,' although the. pale Incandescerits have been taken down. At Daly's Is a; summer muBlcal, Helen Lowieil in 'The Red' Petticoat.' tlbn . of the newly discovered Max Relnhardt's 'Sumurun'^ne after another, they came, played to piroflt, eind left for the road. A 'short block west on Sixth avenue the Haymarket .Is open, and college boyis in timid groups are watching the girls. In big picture hats and dragging skirts, dancing on the floor. Beer is a dime at the Haymarket; hard drinks a quarter. It was Hsrald Square in those days and every out-of-town rube whistled the melodies from 'Little johnny Jones.' Thie Herald was still a great paper, housed in a Stanford 'White Btructure. John G^. Logan was dramatic editor, and the best in town. Hourly the gaunt bronze 'figures on top of the building and f^lng the Square moved awkardly and struck the bell on the Herald clock, while the eyes of the gargoyle owls, spaiced' around the facade, blinked off the quarters. People lined the Broadway side and watched the whirling presses through large! plate glass windows. In front of the Empire you tisually coiild find, jUst before curtain tl , Alf Hayman, John D. ■Williams a.hd! .W41Uam Seymoar, key men in the Charles Frohman organization, engaged in conference which usually moyed by nnanlmous consent int < Browne's Chop House, next door. The' Empire was ffte : 6.Utsta,natng legltlmaite theatre of New York arid small wonder, considering the Froh-: man maiiagenient and stars. John Drew opened each theatrical season on Labor Day. After he left for the road, just before Chrlstntias, he was followed by Ethel Barrymore; or Billie Burke, or WllliaTA. Gillette, 01^ Maude Adams. Sometimes the Frohman stains played at the Lyceum or the Criterion and other syndicate theatres. Charles Frohman, . whose name was known to thousainds, was neyer seen In public. He lived at the Hotel. Knickerbocker, seldom gave newspaper Interviews, was only occasionally photographed upon his re-, turn from frequent European trips. "When the' Lusitania went down Frohman was aboard, and Broadway lost siomething If has . never regained; Broadway lost illusion. The .Maxine Elliott theatre in 39th street has recently opened, and A. Toxen Worm's press story about the plasterer who was discharged for bathing in the star's porcelain tub, Is still being reprlntec. In the press. ris Is usually there with Walter Moore and A. H. Woods. It Is also a meeting place for the motion picture pioneers — ^AdOlph Zukor, Sam Goldfish; Jesse L. Lasky and Arthur S. Friend, -of the Bdon to be organized Paramount company; Carl Laemmie, P. A. Powers and R. H. Cochrane.' 42nd iStreet Is clean and attra.ctive. 'Zlegfeld Follies,' laitely moved from the New York theatre roof lEjarden, played the New Amsterdam year after year. The casts iriciude'd all the best musical comedy stars and comedians of the period. Leon Errol, Bert "Williams, Frank Tinney, the. Dolly Sisters, Lillian Lorraine, Ina Claire, Fanny Brice appeared in a succession of revues, several of them written by Clianning Pollock and Rerinold Wolf. Everyone went to the' 'Follleis.' Diamond Jim was a constant repeater. Bo was 'Willlatn R. Hearst. Sam Harrisoii and Malcolm Douglais were always in the lobby until counting up time. Jack Francis and Gene BucI^ were there too. The Ziegfeld Roof, above the New Amsterdam, had just opened with Bernard Granville and "Will Rogers who told jokes about President Taft. A new' bltick-face comic named Eiddie Cantor makes a hit. The cusr tomers, sitting at small square tables, have little wooden hammers (revolutlonairy Innovation) , for apr plaudlng, and the big girl' number, is on a glass floor with changing lights from underneath. Julian Mitchell staged the show, WhereDoCriticsComeFtQin] By Wolfe Kaufman Tiie managers have been, pretty quiet about the New York critics of late. When business is bad there are. always a lot of squawks, and th critics are one of the easiest phases of show business to squawk about. But business just now, pn Broadway; is pretty good. So the critics; for the time being, have not got their noggins through the ca,nvas with the managers trying to locate the. pate. 'Whldh makes it as good-a time asany to route 'em put. What makes critics, anyway? Where do they come from? Arid how do they get that' way? Taking them alphabetically," the facts are these: John Anderson. Born in 1896 in Pensacola, Pla. A private school edu^ cation, ending with a spell at the University of "Virginia. When he got through with that, carine to New York, hit the New York Post for a job and connected. Reporter, rewrites, feature writer and isolu.mrilst. In 1929 the Post's drama critic spot was open and Anderson was nothing loath. Four years later Hearst offered hirii the same spot oh the Journal. He moved over and is still there. In bet>yeen reporting on the new shows, he translated three foreign plays .('Thie Inspector General' was the most proriiihent, though, a flop) and knocked off two books— which were published. J. Brooks Atkinson (maybe he doesn't spell out the front name because it's Justine). : Comes from Melrose, Mass.; where he was born, he says, 'about 40 years ago.' Went to college in another Boston suburb, Cambridge, getting a B.A. Without a Harvard accent. That was '17. 'The next year, still sticking close to home, set himself as assistiant to the dramatic critic on the Boston Transcript. That dramatic critic was.H. T. (Hellto:-Pay) P'arker, who died about i year ago, and was one of the ablest legit conriblsseurs In the country. He taught Atkinson plenty. In 1922 Atkinson figured he had had enough of Boston, so New York got him. No drama, job around but he talked himself into the post of literary editor of the New York Times. 'A gbod paper, he thoughti and figured he'd done enough wa,ndering anyway. He's still there, but In '26 the Times drama spot was open, it h^^sn't since even been ajar. Plenty of night action around the West 30th street police station (named the Tenderloin by Captain 'Williams because the district was the choicest In town), and Bill Reitmeyer, of the World; Dan MaLrkel and Manny ' Levine, of the Hearst papers; Wally Hamm,' of the Sun, and all the top notch police reporters made their headquarters there. John J. McGraw was operatinjg a billiard room in the Marbridgo building. Torii Gallagher, one ■ of New York's most widely known sporting figures Who "never drank, smoked or wore an overcoat and lived to a ripe bid age, was usually there. A new sensational caromlst itrom Chicago, named (3alvin. Dema rest, had lately arrived. Members of the Giants and visiting ball play ers were frequently present. Rube Marqu^d had just run his string of consecutive victories to 19, still the record. Mike Donlln played a good gaine of Kelly-pool. The Yankees were then known, as the Highlanders and played 'way up town at Broadway and 168th street. 'The Herald Square theatre had lately, turned to films after a long and honorable legltiniate career, Recently there had appeared Bessie McCoy in 'Three Twins' with her Yama-Yama girls, the Henry W Savage production of 'Everywoman, and Eddie Foy in 'Mr. .Hamlet of Broadway.' Billy Rock and Maude Fulton had closed in a show. They dknced to the tune of 'Glow-worm. Elisabeth Marbury had her o ces In 40th street, and she has just launched in the thea.tre, and upon society, two sensational ballroom dancers, "Vernon and Irene Castle, who made their stage debut with Julia. Sanderson in 'The Sunshine Girl.' "Vernon: previously had appeared as an eccentric comedian with Lew Fields at the Broadway. Mrs. Castle came from New Rochelle. They have, opened a high price night dub called the Sans Sbuci, downstairs on 42nd street, opposite the Times building. Miss Marbury was a dominant figure then, and for many years afterwards, in New: York. Her versatility was amazing; her friendship lasting. At the Liberty where Christine MacDonald has finished In "The Spring Maid,' la a $2 motion pic^ ture called 'Birth of a Nation,' produced by D. "W. Griflath, who used to direct for Biograph. J. J. McCarthy and Theodore Mitchell handle the management. The wiseacres say the public never will pay $2 for a film. The 'Nation* = runs 3? weeks, and few who see It realize that from this ehowlng Is to spring a new amusement Industry which: In time Is to take ovei Broadway, rip it wide open and erebt giant theatres. Broadway's metamorphosis starts with this memorable engagement at the Liberty. Old theatries have given place to new ones on favored sites. The. Liberty, a monument to % former era, still stands. The etropolitan Opera House is In Its hey-dey. Peace has been made with Oscar Hammsrstcin and his Manhattan competitiori. Gatti-Casazza is In charge and Toscaninl Is conducting, A summer threesheet carries the names of the principal singers — Cariisp, Scotti, Farrar, Destinn, Gadski arid Fremstad. Bill Guard presides for the press. Nightly in t"he critics' room. Off the grand tl-r, you meet Henry Krehbiel, of the Tribune; W. B. Henderson, of the Sun; Ed Ziegler, of the Herald; Algernon St. John Brenon, of t'le Morning Telegraph; Pitts Sanborn of the (ilobe, and Pierre S. Key, of the World. The brothers Meyer, who publish Theatre magazine and print the house program, are nightly visitors Irt the press room. John Brown and Earl Lewis are in charge of the front of the house. John Bull, who knew by name niore prominent society, business and professional people in N6w York than anyone except Frank Baker, takes the tickets. CJharlle Foley handles librettos. Around the corner in 40th street, near Seventh Avenue, was the German 'Village. And the women who walked at night in the shadows. Rose Stahl Is playing a return engagement In James Forbes' 'The Chorus Lady" at the Harris, arid David BelascC^s production of William DeMille's, 'The Woman,' with Mary Nash, is at the Republic. A new playhouse, the Eltlnge, has opened on 42nd street and Al Woods, Martin Herman .and Jack Welsh have moyed their offices from the Putnam building. The opening is a smash hit, "Within the Law,' by Bayard "Velller, the most popular melodrama since Eugene Walters' 'The Easiest Way.' Jane Cowl arid Florence Nash have , the big parts; It's on a new theatrical theme, police persecution, and an actor for the first time! uses a Maxim silencer. There is tiriiellriess to the story because earlier in the summer a gambler named Rosenthal, who boasted he intended to go 'down town' and tell all he knew, was shot down one morning In front of the Metropole, and the newspapers are full of stories about 'Gyp the Blood,' Jack Rose^ '"Wliltey* Lewis, 'Sam Schepps and his white hoise, and a police lieutenant named Becker. Charles S. "Whitman Is district attorney and the iSecker case commands almost as much local newspaper space as the Thaw case which preceded It. by 10 years. Out-of-towners, standing in front of the Herald Square, theatre and looking skyward, watched the great charlbt-race sign, 'Rice Leaders of ther World,' atop the Normandie, at 41st street f Fritizi Scheff had finished at the Knickerbocker in 'Victor Herbert's 'Mile. Modiste,' and Montgomery and Stone, were playing in 'The Red Mill.' Bveryoiie wa,s whistling 'In Old New York.' Harry Somers was In charge at the Knickerbocker, which had a long:: series of successes. Otis Skinher played there in 'Kismet,' with Rita Jplivet, produced by arrison Gl-ey FIske. Later came the Julia SandersonDonald Brian -Joseph Cawthoi-n musicals. You pass Kid McCoy's place, and the Metropole. Jack Johnsori was heavyweight champ then. At the Hermitage bar Sandy Dingwall. Joseph M. Brooks, Theodore Mitchell, Jack Murray and the K & E agents' and managers always are found in that gplden hour between 6 .and 7 p.m. Jim Shesgreri, from the Savage office) and Walter Kingsley drop In frequently. The Casino was nevei" dark In those days. Louise Gunnmg and Itobei't Warwick In 'Balkan PrlricesH," the 'VVinthrop Ames Inipprta Regan's Hotel Knickerbocker reigns supreme. The Maxflcld Parrlsh painting of Old King Cole stretches the length of tho bar, and th«i centrifil flgiiro of the monarch himself sniilcs delightfully on the customers. Only the in.slders know the legend about his mirth. Irvln Cobb and Martin Green drop in via the subway froni Park Row. Sam Bernard, Louis Mann; Arthur Voegtlin and Well.s Hawkg there too. Also Harry Relchenbaok and Sam Freedman. in. the wlilto tliiilng room at tho Knickerbocker mo.'it managei-a meet for lunch. ,Sam Itar The George M. Cohan theatre has another hit , in 'Get Rich Quick Wallingford,' based on the George Randolph Chester Saturday Evening Post stories. Hale Hamilton has the title role, and the cast Includes .the excellent Edward Ellis and Frances Ring, wife of Tpmmy Meighan. Cohan & Harris occupy offices on the fifth fioor of the Fitzgerald building, adjoining the theatre. Eddie Dunn is in charge of the press department. Bert Felble man. and Dan McCiarthy are busy handling the booking of the dozen corapanlea .which are on tour. The New York Times is published in the^ flat-Iron building on the tri angle. Alexander Woollcott and Brock Pembertpn are cub reporters on the staff. Adolph Klauber is dramatic critic and editor. Other critics on the dailies are Louis De foe, of. tiie World; Lawrence Rea-^ mei% Acton Davies, of the Evening Sun; Charles Darnton, pf the Eve rilng 'World; AJan Dale of the American; Louis Sherwin, of the Globe; John G. Logan, of the Her (Continued on page 224) John Mason Brown is the youngest of the Manhattan critics. Born in Louisville, Ky., class of '00, he was educated there and In Morristown, N. J. Then to Harvard (that makes two of 'em) class of '23, Home to Louisville for a While, wherei he did some cubbing for the CourierJournal, but wanted to see Europe. There for a year, sendirig in pieces to his Louisville paper and the Boston Tralnscript. In 1926 he became assistant editor of Theatre Arts Monthly, Two years later, when Kenneth Macgowan got ambitious, BrbWn succeeded^ him as assistant editor of the mag. Two more years and Anderson listened to Hearst, and Brown replaced him on the Post. The sariie year, bis first as a dramatic critic anywhere, he won 'Variety's box-^core for drama criticism. To date he has written four books, all about the theatre, and he also lectures at six or 20 paces, standing or sitting. Gilbert Gabriel Is the only New Yorker among the New York drama" men. He was boi'n In Brooklyn and is 46. Educated a,t Williams College, Poly Prep and. PeeksklU Milltaiy Academy. In '12 he started as a reporter on the New Yoi'k Sun. Three years later he became that paper's literary ieditor. Two years after that he switched to music criticism. In 1924 the New York Telegram needed a drama critic and Gabriel figuring he might as well try everything, took over. One year and the Sun asked him to coriie home. There was nothing to forgive, either. He did, and rema,ined with the Sun until 1929. when Hearst sent him a, letter. LP, an Invitation and a check. Gabriel is on the American and is the most prolific book writer of all the boys. Most .of his books are fiction, but some are about music and musicians they saiy. Robert Garland is from Baltimore, where he was born In 1896. He was raised, educated and got his first job there— the Ba.ltimo're News — as a reporter. He also chased fire engines for the Baltimore Sun. Then he moved over to the Baltimore Post, completing the round trip, which let him try his hand at columning and dramatic criticism. In '27 he. came to the New York Telegram as columnist. When Gabriel left that paper. Garland grabbed the drama reporting job and kept It when the paper merged with the World into the 'VVortd'-Telegram. He hasn't written any books but he's tossed off some one-act plays, and almost anyone Interested can have them for production. Percy Hammond. Some question as to whether Hammond or Burns Mantle is the Dean of the New York critics. They both started about the same time. Hammond was born in' Cadiz, Ohio, In 1873 and was graduated from Franklin College. When 25 he took an excursion train to Chicago, and by the time the train returned he was a reporter on the Chicago Post. That lasted 10 years, during which time he moved up the line to dramiitic criticism via. editorial wi'Itlng. In 1908 he moved to the Chicago Tribune and was the dramatic critic there for 13 years. In 1921, the New York Herald sent for him and he answered. He's been there, through the switch to the Herald Tribune, for 14 years. A restless soul. Richard Lockridge Is another mid-westerner. St.' Joseph, Mo., claims him as of 1898. An edusation In Kansas City schools and K. C. Junior College left him with a desire to see the world. So he took the easiest way — the navy. He took a look at the world, figured to hell with it, arid went back to school — the University of Missouri this time. That was In '19. When '20 came around he moved over to George Washington University for a; year. A hot man . for his schooUn'. Eligibility rules against 'tramp' students forced hi .to New York and newspaper work. The. Scrap Metal Reporter was his debut, but the Kansas flats were in his heart knd he returned there for a personal debate on whether to haunt any more professors. This switched to two years as reporter between the K. C, Journal and the K.. C. Stari Then New York again. After trying for a year landed with the New, York Sun. Having once gotten his name on that payroll, Lockridge finally dropped anchor. For five years he was a rewrite man, joining the drama savants in 1928; Burns Mantle can alriibst remember back to Born at Watertown, >I. Y. (his first stage wait), he attended school in both .Denver and San Diego. He would have commuted, but the Watertown trolley couldn't make it. A slight pause and then a job with the Denver "Times, starting right off as dramatic editor. The abtOrs must have loved him. lii 1901 he riioved oyer to the Denver Republican, but that lasted only a ievf months, and off to join thie Chicago Iriter-Ocean for six years. In 1906 the Chicago Tribune found a spot for him and in' 1907 he became Sunday editor of that paper. He held that. Job until 1910, th^ two last years of which coincided with Hammond's tenancy on the same paper. In 1910, the New York Evening Mail sent for Mantle and he hopped the first. train. There he remained for 12 years and in 1922 moved over to the New.s. So that's .the lot of 'em. The olde.st is , 62, the youngest 55. One got a Job as dralma prognosticator right off the bat, although mo.st had to work up to it through devious channels. Only two did any studying abroad to speik of., 'Almost all went to college somewhere, sometime. Two are Harvard, but therc'.s not a Yale or Princeton man on the team. It all ought to make it very easy as to how to become a dramatic crliic.