We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
Wrtlnrfday, Dfc.onilior 13, 1939 LEGITIMATE VARIETY 49 Barrymore s B. 0. Tippling After hearing any number of reports about the conduct and «d lib- ting of John Barrymore in 'My Dear Children,* which has played 30 weeks at the Selwyn, Chicago, the N. Y. Daily News assigned John Chapman to cover the actor, who is called 'the great lover' in the Loop. As a result a double-truck story, headed 'Chicago Wants Its Barry- more Drunk,' appeaired in Sunday's (10) edition of the tabloid. Chapman spent an evening or two with the star, visiting backstage and going the rounds of night spots with him. It is revealed that Bar- rymore imbibes very sparingly. While there is no doubt that playgoers have been attending in the hope that he is stewed, fact is that he con- sumes but two highballs of Scotch during the performance, u.sing just enough booze to flavor the water. Same goes when he visits the clubs later, for the 57-year-old actor knows that hard stuff is not good lor him ■nd his health has been rather delicate. Audiences insist on believing that liquor Inspires Barrymore's asides, which are sometimes ribald, but the long run in Chicago is directly at- tributed to the ad libbing. 'Children' was in such doubttul status be- fore opening in Chicago that Aldrich & Myers had virtually decided to close the show. According to the News story, Capt. Pierce Power- Waterj put up $1,500 of his own coin to move the show from Daven- port, la., to the Selwyn. Waters is the show's company manager and he is credited with doing much to ke6p the star and attraction going. Broadway is due to get Barrymore and 'Children' shortly after the flrst of the year and show circles are guessing whether New Yorkers will take to the star's stunts, referred to by Ashton Stevens, dean of the Loop's critics, as 'hamming and hawing. Becker May Do 'Mulatto' Just Over Philly City Line After Pennsy Tour Philadelphia, Dec. 13. Philadelphians may be able to see •Mulatto' after all, If they are willing to travel a bit to reach It. The road rights to. the Langston Hughes drama of miscegnation, which was drama of miscegenation, which was been acquired by Joseph Becker, who was to have presented the piece at the Walnut. Becker plans to take 'Mulatto' on tour through the upstate cities of Pennsylvania'. He is also hoping— although this hasn't been otTicially arranged—to present the show in the near vicinity of Philly, where, it can reap the advance of all the publicity on the banning. Camden, although. It hasn't played legit in a long time, Is, of course, an ideal possibility, with Norristown also considered, but farther away and having no house entirely suitable. It has also been sugge.sted that •Mulatto' might ba booked in one of the larger film houses in the 69th ■treet (Southwest) section, which is across the city line. Several of them/ have, at one time or another, had' ■tage show policies. Mr. Becker, who is in the real estate business but has also been lessee and manngcr of the .Walnut for a number of years, paid the en- tire 'Mulatto' company two weeks' salaries although they only gave the one 'preview,' invitation per- formance. Judge Curtis Bok. after upholding the ban la.st week (12), openly stated after the stormy hearing that he did not agree with Mayor Connell. The Judge, who had previously granted an injunction against the continu- ance of the ban by the late Mayor S. Davis Wilson, expre.s.<!ed the personal opinion that he 'disagreed with Mayor Connell.' Equity Orders Extra Coin Second ban atuiinst 'Mulatto' by Philadelphia authorities caused .some- thing of a mix-up oyer the amoiihts due the ciist. Although no public performance was plHyed, the play- ers will receive two weeks' salary, plus' other money. Half of the salaries due were sent to Philly by Equity so that Hie c;ist could pay their hotel bills. Cast went there for the final week's rehear.sal and, iiUhough the first tvyo days were free, were en- titled io subsistence pay at $5 per •lay, plus reheari^al coin at the rate of $20 weekly or pro rata. Majestic, Ft. Worth, Getting a Face-Lift Fort Worth, Dec. 12. Majestic theatre, oldest" deluxe house in Fort Worth, will close down for remodeling the middle of Febru- ary. For sentiment's sake, architec- ture and interior finishing will re- main the same as when the theatre opened on Labor Day, 1910. Haven of vaudeville in its heydey, the Majestic has been a second-run picture house since 1932 except on the special occasion of road shows. Stars of road shows vastly prefer it to the bigger, newer Municipal Audi- torium. They've been gradually weaned over to the Auditorium, though, since Helen Hayes played '■Victoria Regina' and gave "the big, mike-equipped house the recom- mendation of big takings. Katherine Cornell still - holds out for the Majestic, though, and will (■play there in 'No Time for Comedy,' Feb. 1. The Lunts who specified the Majestic last winter have consented to play Taming of the Shrew' in the Auditorium Christmas Day. Engagements Onslow Stevens, 'The Uncon- quered.' Vincent Donehue, John Gage, 'Christmas Eve.' Morris Carnovsky, Elia Kazan, Night Music' Erskine Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, Young Man With a Horn.' Shirley Ross, Marta Eggert, Leif Erickson (untitled Wiman-Rogers- Hart musical). Luther Adier, Frank Kelly, Martha Hodge, Earl MacDonald, Whitner Bissell,. Howard daSilva, Fred ller- yck, Clara Lang.sner. Mary Michael, Ann Thomas, Adele Loiigmire, 'Two on an Island.' ARMITAGE BANKRUPTCY HOOKS LTC FOR $6,000 The Legitimate Theatre Corp. con- tinues to find IjOs Angeles its most troublous booking spot. Outfit was informed that Merle Armitage, Coast showman with whom there was a jam over 'Golden Boy,' has filed e voluntary petition of bankruptcy, listing liabilities of $12,000. Under- stood that a major item is money due LTC. Latter claims that $2,900 is owed on that .<;how, Armitage pay- ing but $250. Eva LeGallienne, who was booked into the Philharmonic, which Arm- itage ha.t under a rental, failed to give a performance Friday and Sat- urday (8-9) because the manager was unable to pay the show's share, which was a guarantee, most of the tickets having been sold in advance. There was but one performance of 'Boy' two weeks previous. Lo.>«.lo LTC on the two attractions Is slight- ly more than $6,000. Bea Kanfman, Friedman Form New Prod. Firm Beatrice Kaufman, wife of the playwright, is entering legit produc- tion in association with Charles Friedman and they have already se- lected a starting attraction. Fried- man wrote sketches for 'Sing Out the News,' in which Geo^e S. Kaufman was interested, and the duo were again associated in fashioning 'From ■Vienna,' the refugee revue which played the Music Box last summer. Incoirporation papers filed for them by Howard E. Reinheimer indicates their activities will also include radio. TMAT Ys. Treasurers Battle Looms; N.Y. Suit Seen Setting Off Spark A battle impends between the Theatrical Managers, Agents and Treasurers union and the Treasurers and Ticket Sellers union. Latter is the boxoffice group which withdrew in a body from TMAT last summer and secured a charter from the In- ternational Alliance of Stage Em- ployees, the stagehands' organization. First sign of the contest came after Jerome Flynn applied to the courts last week for an injunction .against TMAT from barring'him from mem- bership rights, also asking for dam- ages because of employment denied him. Louis F. Werba, secretary and treasurer of "TMAT, was personally named. Flynn is a company manager and treasurer, about SO in either TMAT or the treasurers union having the same rating. 'He was to have han- dled 'Herself Mrs. Patrick Crowley,' a legiter which tried out recently, but found him.self not in good standing with TMAT. When he of- fered to pay back dues to qualify for the job, his money was not ac- cepted and he could not accept the job. He figured that cost him at least three weeks' work at $125 weekly. TMAT leaders said that Flynn, like others in the lA affiliate, had been suspended because of' 'unde- cided jurisdictional disputes' be- tween the two unions. That means that around 300 boxoffice people, in- cluding out-of-towners, are similarly regarded by TMAT, which has ap- pealed to the American Federation of Labor, charging that lA invaded its jurisdiction. Matter may be de- cided next month by the executive council of the AFL. Gustav A. Gerber, attorney for TMAT, said that the walk-out of treasurers la regarded as 'treason- able,' and that whether they paid dues or not they would not be rec- ognized as qualified to accept com- pany managerships. Feeling be- tween the two unions has been smoldering for some time and the court action was the spark that fired TMAT people to speak their mind about the boxoftice group. Pro- ceedings by TMAT may not await the ruling on jurisdictional rights. Add: What's Wrong With Legit Disturbing noises by the house staff, always a potential source of irritation in legit theatres, are currently so annoying at the Ethel Bar- rymore, N. Y., that they actually mar the effectiveness of the play. Such a condition would be true at any. kind of a show, but are par- ticuls^rly so in the case of an intellectual drama of such quiet intensity as Maxwell Anderson's 'Key Largo.' Talking by the usher.s, running up and downstairs and kicking the iron railings by the coatroom attendants, noisy opening and closing of doors into the lobby or boxoftice (incidentally letting light shine into the darkened auditorium) are all distracting to the audience, especially during the intense moments of the second act. 'Largo' is not only a serious drama about a subject of vital timely interest, but it is ari expression of the deepest convictions of one of the leading playwrights of this generation. Anderson probably has been turning the play over in his rnind for years, and doubtless he was at least six months completing it. The Playwrights' Co. must have spent from $25,000 to $36,000 on the production and Paul Muni was brought from Hollywood to play the leading part. Yet with all the thought, sacrifice, work and money that have gone into the effort, its effective- ness is being ruined by the callousness or, at the least, thoughtlessness of the house staff. That more or less similar .conditions exist in jnany .other theatres magnifies rather than lessens the evil. League Putting Up $2,S00 to 'Organize Audiences Per Paul Turner s Idea Wallsten, Geiger Bow With Plays in Cleveland Cleveland, Dec. 12. Robert Wallsten, New York actor- playwright, and Milton Geiger, radio dramatist, dropped in to take bows at pfeems of their new plays here this week. Wallsten is co-author of 'Eight o'clock Tuesday',' new m.urder mys- tery play, which had tryout opening at Play House yesterday (12). Melo- drama is based on 'Fair Weather,' novel by Mignon Eberhart, who col- labed on stage version. Actor-author was last seen here a couple of months ago in Ruth Chatterton'.s 'Tonight We Dance,' at which time he got direc- tor Frederic McConnell of Play House interested in manuscript. Geiger, a home-towner, is having four of his radio playlets staged lor first time tomorow (14) by Ida E. Caldwell's rep company at their Stage' Door theatre. 'Mr. Jonas Changes His Mind' is one which he and Gilbert Seldes prepared for n television program. Other three arc tagged 'Sentence for Life,' 'Qualily of Mercy' and 'A Skull in Flanders,' done before on air. Yiddish Play for London 'Clinton Street,' Artef Players' Yid- dish production at the Mercury, New York, will be done by Joseph L. Sachs, English producer, in London this season, in Yiddish. Play is an adaptation by Louis Miller from Chaver Paver's novel. Deal with Sachs was set through Charles H. All€n. Shuberts vs. Gilbert Dispute Cues Agitation for Tougher Basic Pact New Union Threat? If it isn't one thing, it's another between the managers and the vari- ous stage unions. Latest of the lat- ter groups to contact the showmen is that representing the stationary engineer!!. Latter are recognized individually, but now desire group recognition. Whether this preludea demands for changed pay scales and working conditions was not in- dicated. There are around a dozen thea- tres which operate their own heating plants and some make their own electric current for lighting, with most theatres being supplied with heat from a steam services plant. Those with individual plants are re- quired to employ an engineer and fireman, former being paid $55.50 weekly and the latter gelling $49. Di.spute between the Shuberts and Edwin Gilbert regarding ownership o£ the Jatter's play, 'Soothe the Sav- age Beast,' will probably result in agitation by the Dramatists Guild for new teeth in the minimum basic agreement when the pact comes up for renewal in February, 1941. Au- ' thors will undoubtedly seek to have the agreement extended to cover plays by writers employed under sal- ary. Present pact doesn't effect .^uch instances. The firm of Carly Wharton and Martin Gubel has expre?.scd an in- terest in doing 'Beast.', but the rights could not be cleared. Recent court decision ruled that the con- troversy doesn't come under the minimum basic agreement, so it will have to go to the courts for settle- ment. That will*take several months at least, so the script probably can't be produced this season. It the mat- ter had been ruled as coming under the minimum basic agreement a de- cision could have been obtained in a few weeks, as the pact calls for com- pul.-iory arbitration of disputes. Whole situation Is a new wrinkle that was never thought of when the pie.sent minimum basic agreement was drawn up and signed by the Dramatists Guild and the producers. There's some question of what the Guild will do to meet the problem, a suggestion being a rule specifically giving playwrights ownership of all scripts turned out while they're em- ployed by a producer, \mle.ss they're hired especially to write that par- ticular play. Although the minimum ba.^ic agreement still has nearly 14 months to run, that question is one of a num- ber that have arisen for possible fu- ture consideration. Possible revision of the present regulations governing Hollywood financing will undoubt- edly come up for discussion. The film companies are figured sure to bring pressure through certain man- agers for modification of the rules; while a substantial group of drama- tists is known to favor making the regulations £ven more stringent than at present. Fact that the so-called Wharton-Wilk plan has apparently been tossed into the limbo virtually guarantees that the entiie film- financing question will come up for plenty of discussion. Producers are also expected Io try to obtain a bigger .slice of the slock (Continued on page 50) The basic agreement, in which Equity agrees not to change policy this season, which was the impelling reason why the.manageTs..sought the association's - participation In the ticket code, has a radical provision. It calls for the League of Niew York Theatres to set aside $2,500 for the purpose of 'organizing audiences,' an idea conceived by Paul M. Turner, Equity attorney. It was only when the showmen conceded the grant and inserted stringent rules to enforce ticket control, that Equity agreed to extend the code. Just how the organizing of audi- ences is to be accomplished has not been clearly outlined, but Turner's theory concerns the distribution ot tickets which are on sale 'dtfectly at the boxoffices. Rules call for at least 257o of the theatre's total capacity to be held in the boxoffice for di- rect sale. In the cases of hits there is no question about the possibility of selling most of the available tick- ets, but the problem is to keep them from diggers and the ultimate hands of gyp.s. Block Ticket Sale* It is proposed that. a bureau be formed to contact organizations in residential sections, suburban com- munities and large commercial estab- li.'hments. Offers of blocks of tick- ets to such groups will be made, it being argued that with this type of distribution, if arranged for in ad- vance, would eliminate diggers, .since the boxoffices would be cleaned out. Those not fully sold on the idea argue that such distribution would partially defeat the purpose of direct public sale. Plan would hardly bene- fit the succe.s.ses, but if block .sales for intermediate atractions are fo made, it is believed the syslem would be considerably exp'andcd. Under- stood that the coin for audience or- ganizing will be devoted in part to advertising the idea. Whether the money will come from the League's general fund, or be diverted from the levy of 3 cents per ticket paid by a.i^encies, is not definite. Code sets forth in detail (hat the ticket money is to be used for enforcement, the building of a reserve fund and establishment of a special fund which may be rebated to the agencies next fall. Should .euch money be used for the Turner plan, the brokers are sure to protest. Organizing of audiences emanates from the American Theatre Council. That rather nebulous body has not been heard from since the legit the- atre convention last year, but the manasers, in securing a continuation of the basic pact,- more or less as- ."•ented to furthering the aims of the council, general aim of which ir lor the welfare of the stage. MAY IRWIN LEFT J176,997 ESTATE Syracuse, Dec. 12. May Irwin, famed stage come- dienne, who died Oct. 2, 1938, left an estate which has been apprai.sed at $176,997 gross by Jefferson County Treasiu'cr Orsen S. Pickard. Deduc- tions bring the net down to $167,012: Her .son, Harry C. Irwin, will re- ceive half the residuary, and hus- band, Kurt Eisfeld, will receive the .same amount. The sum of $10,000 Koes to Mr.s. Ethel Irwin, a daughter- in-law.