Variety (Sep 1946)

We<1ne84lay, September 11, 1946 PiSSilETY LECilTIMATE 59 'Dream Girl' Nifty 15G in 1st 5 Days At Chi;'Bloomer'42G,'Harvey'$24,300 Chicago^ Sept. 10. t Siunmei' legit lull seems to toe over in Chi, with the four shows on tap doing good biz and giving every in^ dication that they ,will be in town for some time, to come. "Dream Girl" opened Tuesday (3) at the Sel- wyn and did okay, $15,500 for five days. Firiit full week of "Bloomer Girl" saw the -show pull .sma.sh $42,000 while "Harvey" continued with near-capacity $24,300. "State of the Union" still going strong but Slipped a bit to ,$24,000. Number of shows iti town will hit a summer high of six when "Okla- homa!" and "Lute Song", bow Sept. 16 at the Erlanger , and Studebaker, respectivel.y. . Estimates for Last Week "Bloomer Girl," Shubert Vind wt>ck) (2,163; $4.80). First full week did very good $42,000. ■'Dream Girl," Selwyn (1,000: $4.20). Opened Tue.sday (3), doing fine $15,500 for five days. "Harvey," Harris t4th week) (1,000; $4.20). Turning thenfi awaj' with smash $24,300. • "State of the Union," Blackstone (19th week) (1,360; $4.20). Slipped 8 bit but still healthy at $24,000. m.' Terrif 45G In Mpls. Repeat Minneapolis, Sept. 10; j Playing a .return engagement at i the 2,100-seat Lyceum and scaled at- $4,40 top. "Oklahoma" pulled a' ter^' | rific $45,200 for six nights and two matinees last week. Coming in la.st season, on two days' notice, same attraction grcssed $45,000 for the week. In St: Paul, mu.slcal smash also was a sellout for all seven perform- ances, including three matinees, for $40,000. Show was first of New York Theatre Guild subscription season offerings in both cities. Ahgna Enters Play In Houston Preem Houston, Sept. 10. Angn.a Enters; the "niime.^ has. agreed to hold the premiere showing of her four-act play, "Love Pos- sessed Juana," here. The prod uctior^ will be directed by Ralph Mead, di- rector of the local little theatre group, and it will be the initial opening of the local little theatre fall season. Miss Enters will arrive here a week prior to the play's opening, Oct. 15, to assist in prepirations. Blackstone Magically PuUs 17G Out of Wash. Washington, Sept. 10. : Record holiday crowds and 10 shows last week—including matinees on Sunday and Labor Day—chalked up a fine .$17,000 take for Blackstone's magic show in its .second and fare- well week at the National theatre hore. Meanwhile, "The Magnificent Heel," new play by Constance O'Hara, moved jri at the National yesterday t9), after debut in Buffalo. B'way Picks Up Strongly at Midweek; Tront Page Gets Fine Notices, 12G In 1st 5; Icetime Record 65G in 12 Lord-lenagerie' ZZi/zGinPittBow Pittsburgh. Sept. 10. Nixon got new season off to smash- ing start last week, rolling up around $22,500 with "Gla.ss Menagerie" at $3 top. Earliest start for local legiter in years, but it got a break all around. The weather was cool, it had a show with a terrific Broad- way rep and the critics really went to town for the touring duplicate starring Pauline Lord. Got away a little slowly but by mid-week had built to near-capacity and stayed that, way down the stretch. Currently Nixon has Blackstone's masic; show and then gets Gertrude Niesen .in "Follow the Girls" and Mady Christians in "I Remember Mama," both for two-week stretches. That's unusual for a town that gen- erally has to be satisfied with a single stanza. "Menagerie" could have.easily stayed another week. 'Windermere's Fan' !(27,500 in Frisco San Francisco, Sept. 10. "Ltidy ■Windermcre:s Fan." now in its second week at the Curran, hit a strong $27,500 in its first week. Show stars Cornelias Otis Skinner and Henry Daniell. "Hasty Heart," jvith Erin O'Brien- Moore and Dean Harens, now in its ' 21) .second week at the Geary, last week i "Follow the Girls' 'Oris'Resumes In Pliy for Big^^^2^^ ■ Philadelphia, Sept. 10. There' were nq particular- causes for complaint after the weekend checkup following Philly's first fiill week of legit activity of the current season... ■ • ■ Easily in the lead despite, some spotty attendance, including a sur^ prisingly poor house Tuesday, was "Follow the Girls," the Gertrude Niesen musical which resumed at the Forrest after having been burn- ed out there as a result of an after- pertormahce blaze ; in July, Musical chose to open With a Monday (Labor Day) matinee and that proved -a cr.ackerjack idea , as performance wa.s nearly sold 'out; evening was big, too, then, after sharp drop, show came back late in the vi^eefc id. snare over $28,000.. Despite rumors it positively leaves ihis. Week- givinife it two weeks iipw plus three in the summer. Especial interest developed around first Week's biz of "The Voice of the Turtle," at the Locust. With no niarquee names but plenty of Broad way prestige since It paused here for twoi sellout try out weeks three sea* sons ago, "Turtle'' whammed away to a rousing first week's biz of close to $17,000. _ Management, while an- nouncing limited stay, is avowedly hoping for between 10 and 12. with general local consensus seeming to be eight to 10. "Obse.ssion." the season opener the previous \veeis (Aug. 26), collected about $'7,800 in its second and final I session at the Shubert, with cool notices. ''Tobacco Road" got $8,500 in its first two weeks at. the. Wal- nut, okay for this many-times re- I peater. Incidentally. "Road" and i "Obsession." like "Girls." gave Labor Day matinees, with "Turtle" only show ppenihg at night. Other three omitted midweek matinees. This was unusual situation as Labor Day afternoon used to be considered poison for legit biz. They were all good this, year, however. This week's only opening comes _ Thursday (12). It is Katherine Dun- Northampton (11); Aud., Hartford I ham's new dance revue, "Bal Negre," 112-14); Forrest, Phila. (16-21). a preem at the Shubert, where it "Cyrano De Bergerac."—Erlanger. i stays nine dayS: Current Road Shows (Period Couering Sept. 9-21) Amer. Rep. C«. McCarterv Princeton (20-21). "Bal Nesre" — Shubert, Philly (9-21), "Barnaby and Mr. 0'M»Hey"— Ford's Balto. (9-14); Wilbur, Bost. (16-21). "Blackouts of 1916"—El Capjtan, Hollywood (9-21). "Blackst-onc"—Nixon, Pitt. (9-14); Royal Alexandra, Toronto U6-21). "Bloomer Girl" — Shubert, Chi, (9-21)- „. , "Born Yesterday''—Lyric, B port I (20-21). "Carmen Jones" — Court Sq., Springfield (9-10); Aud„ Worcester (11); Shubert, New Haven (12-14); Lawler, Greenfield (16); City Aud., Burlington (17); (Sapitol. Ottawa (18-19); Capitol. Quebec (20-21). "Come on Up"—Shubert, Bost. (9-21). "Cordelia"—Met., Providence (9); Palace, Manchester (10); Academy Broadway's usual post-Labor Day slump was of brief duration. Mati-, nee biz last. Monday (Labor Day) was good, and evening spotty. Biz dropped next couple of days,'to pick up midweek generally: and - stay strong balance, of week. Hits, of course, were unaffected, with sev- eralothers ; showing surprising strength. Three shows opened, with the first, "Front Page," getting all favor- able notices and looking like it's in With approximate .$i2,0()0: grnss in five performances:v . the second, Yours Is My Heart." got a bad ipressv and the third, "Flag Is Born," being in a special category as a { definite propaganda play, came in for'a limited four-week run. "Song of Norway.!' bowed out Saturday (7). 'Icetime.'' two extra Labor Day per- ] formances ' sent' gro.ss to record 1: $65,000, i: Estimates for Last Week | Keys: C (.Co'iHed.y|,.' p ■ (Drama) , | CD (Comedy-Droma), R (Rei'iue); ! M (iV-fiufical), O (OperKitiii. i ' "A Fiagr Is Born," Alvin list week) i (D-:l,331; .$4.80). Ben Hecht's props approximately $21,000, however, with large advance and $6: top.- . REVIVALS "Show Boat," Ziegfeld (35th week) (M-l;623; $6). Musical continues at excellent pace, with week's take i nearly $42,000. "The Front Page," Royale 11st week) (C-1,084; $4.20). Show looks in, with all o.k. notices, b.o. for five performances approximating $12,000. "The Red Mill," 46th Street (45th week) (M-1,319; $4.80). Longsfayer hitting a good stride with $28,000 . gross. Now'running Sunday shows.; VFWHitsHubBi ;'■.■.' Boston. Sept. 10. "Obsession," with a ,good advance •arid "Song of Norway," with . a tJig advance, are added to the legit sea-, ganda . pageant, a plea for entrance i son this week, the former beginning . of Jews into Palestine, opened at the Colonial last night (9) and the Thursday (5) With unusual press ' latter reopening the Opera Hou.sc to- and comp ticket demands, because I .night, of play's nature,-Thyrs, and Friday. I "Come On ' Up" was last week's With Sunday performances,, gross ! opener, the show going into ihe Shu- for tive performances, including albert and doing a fairly good v.tek. preview, w-as $14.600,, . ; though all the legit offerings in town ".■\nna Liicasta." Mansfield (10.7t|-i ] as well as the nightclubs, movies and week) (D-1.041; $3.60). Vet Negro- ! everything else, took a terrific pa.st BUff." (12-14); Cass, Detroit (16-21) "Dear .Ruth" — Plymouth, Bost. (9-21). "Ureain Girl"—Selwyn, Chi, (9- did fair $11,500. -Forrest, Philly (9-14); Nixon. Pittsburgh (16-21). "Harvey"—Harris, Chi. (9-21). j "Hastv Heart"—Geary, Frisco (9- 21).' "Lady Windermere's Fan"—Cur- I ran. Frisco (9-21). I "Legend of Loii"~Cass, Det. (9- , 14). "Life With Father"—Royal Alex, i (9-14); Erlanger, Buffalo I (16-17-18); Hartman, Columbus (19- ] 20-21). - I Song"—StUdebaker. Chi, N. Y. City Center Sets Less liCgit, More Concert There will be less legit at the N."V. City Center this. season than la.st, due to heavier concert bookings there. Where ,over J5 weeks were ! Toronto devoted to stage attractions at the city-dwncd playhouse last year, the , „, . only legit.booked thus far this year ! (jg^V) IS six weeks of Shake.sjearean reper-I "Ma,'y Had a Little"—Shuberl- . lory from Jan. 6 to Feb. 15,'47, pre- i Lafayette, Del. (9-14); American. Si. senled by the Theatre Guild. With ( Louis (16-21). the Center booked .solidly till next I "Merry Wives of Windsor"—His .spring, only possibility'of'more legit Ma,iesty's, Monfl (9-14). ... exists at tail-end of the season, "W' ""^^ ,.Last season the Center presented I P'S'?°:"^^'„^''S^"v*^^ (0 ;;The Tempest" for three w eeks: 1 2j j^'"'"'''"" ^^°"""'''' Desert Song," .six; "Han. ,3'l." (wo: | "6klahoma"-Aud.". Des Moines Larmen Jones,"'four, and ■ "Little ! (S-l4); Erlanger. Chi, (16-21). . Women" for two weeks ot matinees : "Park Avenue"Shubert, New plus a few evenings. This year the Haven (19-20-21). Center has rearranged its setup, of- ' "Song of Norway"—Opera House, fering 10 consecutive weeks of opera ; Bost, (10-21), «nd .symphony on a new ioint ,sched- L »' Union'-Billmo. e. T.?;Jiv ■'•y'T'Phony o" Monday and , ^ ^iate of the Unio„"-Black.<rtone, luesaay nights, and opera balance I/-'Vii ifi-9i > of week. : ■ - ■ '. Season opened Sept. 4 with 11 days of Ballet Russe, to be followed by N.y. City Opera Co, and N.Y. City Symph with the Jobss Ballet booked in Dec. 3-22. Paul Draper and Larry Adler are in Dec. 25 to "Ian. 5, to be followed by the Guild's repertory, which will include "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and "The 1 Wmter'-s Tale." Then the Ballet | Russe returns for ,';ix wcek.s,' fol-i lowed by more opera. 'Merry Wives' Not So Merry 6G in Toronto ,,T^ Toronto. .Sept, 10, With the public up here appar- ently not interested. Theatre Guild's prociuctlon of "Merry Wives of Windsor," with Alan Reed, brodied to a bad $6,200 at the Royal Alex- andra, with l.,')25-seateT scaled at $2.50 top, 'Jones' 24G, Hartford Hartford. Sept. 10. An a p p r 0 X i m a te .$24,000 was i gro.ssed bv "Carmen .lones" in three davs (four performances) at Bu.sh- nell Memorial here :Thursday-.Sat- urdav (7-9). In two earlier performances at Providence the road .show gro.<§ed .$13,000, making a healthy take of $37,000 on the first le.g of an ex- tended ,road tour that will take the companv to California this winter. Shows in Rehearsal Iceman Cometh"—Theatre -Max Gordon, of MalB"—Paul Libby to Tour Musical 'Best of Friend.s," new miislcal ! "The .Guild. i "Park Avenue" "The Oiichess Czinher, I "Hidden Horizon"—;Shuberfs. •Temporary Mrs. Smith"-Plav- ! "The Bees and the Flowers"-Mort house; Wilmington ' (13-14); National, , Singer and John Shubert. . Washington, D. C, (16-21). I "Wh.it Every Woman Knows," "The Duchess of Malfi''—Meiro- ".lohn Gabriel BOrkman," "Henry politan. Providence (20-21). j VIH"—American Repertory The- "The Glass Menagerie" Cox. j aire ■ ■ ' ,'„^"^t'' ,^^2''*t'"2'1: Columba^i Peebles and Mr. Hooker"— (16- 7-18); Enghsh, IndiMapol.s, (19-, j^^^pj^ "Thi Magnificenlf Meel"-Natl., i ^ "»««•» Yes<*'-«>».v" (road) - Max Wa.sh. (9-14). .Gordon "Tobacco Road"—Walnut. Phillv I "Loco"—Jed Harris. (9-14); Savoy, Hamilton (16); Grand, | "Hear That Tril'mpet"—Arthur London (17-18); Erlanger. Buffalo : Hopkin.s, (19-20-21), . ^ i "The Unborn Child" (road)—Jules "Voice of the Turtle"—Locust. | i^gventhal. Philly (9-21), _ „ „ ■ "Present Laughter"—John C. WiJ- '.^son,' :"- i "Happy Birthday"—Richard Rod- ' ger.s-.Oscar .'JIammerstein, 2d. i ".Sweet Bye and Bye"—Nat Kar- cast comedy drama continues excel lent pace, with gross almost $13,000, | "Annie Get Your Gun." Imperial | (17th week) (M-1,427; $6.60), Ethel Merman musical starrer still ca- ! pacity $45,000. . '. '^Born Yesterday," Lvceum i32d ! week) (C-993; ,$4,80). Hit comedy hampered only by lack of standee \ space. Gross unvarying at $21,000. . ■ "dail Me Mister,"- National .(21sf i: week) (R-1.142; $6), Steady musical!, hit, with constant SRO, grossing 1 about $33,000 w:eek!y. "Carousel," Majestic (73d week) (M-1,667; $6). In active spurt last week, musical jumped more than $3,000 over previous, .stanza, to ap- proximately $48,J)00. "Deep .\rt the Roots," Fulton (40th week) (D-968; $3.60). Mixed- ca.st drama dropped a little to $10,,500. still quite satisfactory. Inaugurated. Sunday performances last weekend, "Dream Girl," Coronet (30th week) (CD-I,037; $4,20). . Resuming Monday (2) after .■jummer layoff, with Betty Field back as lead, show hit satisfactory $18,000. about $6,000 under capacity. Never fell under $20,000 when. Miss Field originally headed ca.st and is due to rise, "Harvey.'' 48lh Street (97lh week) -((3^925;- $4.20i——Long-run - comedy- continues at capacity $19,000, "Icetiirie," Center (12th week) (R- 2,994; $2,40). Skate revrfe continues to lead town's gro.s.sers. 12 perfoi m- ance.s la.st week (two extra on Labor Day) pushing urr.'iS to reported rec- ord-brerilrlnff $6,5.000, "Life With F.K'/!cr." Bijou iS.'^Sd week) ((j-614: S.'i.GO). Long,st.ay record-holder held it,';' psce wi'.K $9,500 gross, plenty good. "Maid in Vak Ozarks," Belasco i8th week) (C-l.OV": S-ieO). Labor Dnv boff biz kept this freak attraction well up, . hick comedy holding to well above $8,000, "O Mistress Mine," Empire (24th week) (CD-1,082; $4,80;). Another surefire attraction here, with the Lunts. La.st week's lake, totaled $24,,500. "Oklahoma!". St. James ilS.'jth week) (M-1.509: $4.801. Unique musi- cal continues at c-. pacity pace with .$30,800. "On Whitman Av.-nuc," Coit 118tb week) (D-1,064: $3,601. Claimed big- .gest Sunday d) of run. with over $3,000 that day, week's;, gros,'; holding at !l!a,500. "Song of Norway," Broadway (104th week) (O-I.900: .$4.80). Wind- Up for IbnirUn Gripg operetta; bow- ing out Saltirdav (7l 'with ahotit .$22,000. Opened in Bo.':ton last night (Tues.) from the fact the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention was in town. . ^ v ': ^,'''i" ■ ;'■ Last week saw windup of summer .stock in the city, the Boston Summer Theatre holding over with "Late George Apley" at-Mutual 1-iall but lailing to do as expected with the VEW in town, going only to -sti- mated $4,500. EsUmatcs for Last Week, "Come On Up," Shubert (1,500: I $3.60). Opened Sept. 2 as VFW came to town to crowd biz off the slref.t, which resulted in estimated $1(\500, well under normal expectations. Holds, and should' build this week. Shov/ got so-so notices but ha,sn t been hit by censOr, yet. "Cordelia," Wilbur (1.200: .$:r). Sec- , ond and final week hurt by conven- tion, v^ith estimated $4,000. "Dear Riilh," Plymouth (1.300; .$3). Still best in town despite conven-, tion crowding, biz off stre.ets at night { with estimated $10,000,on third week; ' fine, Sidney Blackmer has taken , over role of father, replacing How- ard S'Tiith. "Life With Father," Colonial ' 1.500; $3). Second week tapered ofl'. hurt; by VFW convention; estimated $9)' o6o,"0b.session" here now. . "Voice, of tlie Turtle"—Town Hall starring Libby Holman, debuted in j'foledo (9-14); Cox, Cincinnati (16 a Boston strawhat, will make a 10- j21). week road tour before coming- into i — ——— New York. It's being produced by I 'Play's' Mild ST.IO, Mont i John Huntington and Ju.e.s J. Leven- -.^^'^T^^r^^.. , ' A J , ; Ames Philip Huston . and Herbert , ^ Andrew Rosentl-ial who. did book.,j got meagre $7!50_ for five- •"■ (road) Michael .'yrjcs and.music, js slated to do .some , fjay ■run, at His Majesty s theatre ! . V;*' revampinfi.during,the tour. ■ ■ j,(1,7-50-seater) at $3.50 top. • iLight. Lysislrata"—Max J. Jelin-James B'WAY PUBLICISTS GET YEN FOR PRODUCING Broadway pressagents arc eon- ■tinuing to manifest the producing bU.g, with four of them planning shows this season. James D, Proctor, coproducing "Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley," has his play already in tryout stage (in Baltimore tliis week), Tom Weatherly, on. the pro- ducing end before, will co-spon.sor "The iourth'- Little Show" with Dwight Deere Wiman. Barry Hyamsj of the Si Hurok Office, has a play, "Inherit the Wind," in mind for pro- duction this sea.son, and Bernard Simon has "Clarissa" .(formerly: titled "Strange Bedfellpw.s" 1. which; he'll do in association with another producer (as yet undecided),. Two other p.a.s figured as straw- hat producers this pa.st summer, Lewis Harmon at Guilford. Conn., and Al Tamarin as associate pro- ducer at Branford, Conn, Jean Dalrymple, who produced •Hope For the Best" last soa.son. ha.* "State of the I'nion." Hudson (43d' \ P'^^^ ""'"^ y^''"'' week) (CD-I,057: $4.80). No chan.ge 1 a"<l Obey" and a "Green Pasture,';- in capacity pace here de-'oite re- revival. Theron Bamberger, who nlacement of Ruth Hu.ssev by Kay | quit pia. work three seasons ago to - Gross, as usual, topping I produce "Tomorrow the World." plans staging "Heaven Can Wait" Francis .$25,000. "Swan Sonir." Booth (17th week) (CD-712; .$4,20). ■ • Slight dip last week to $9,000; profitable at that fig- ure. Shuberts renort.ed considering keeping sho* in that house for some time. "The Voice of the Turtle." Min oscb (127th Week) (C-fl39; $3.60i. Held to approximatt'v Previous week's pace: with ..sturdv $14,500, "Three to Make Readv." BrO.Ttl- hurst. (27th week) iR.1,160: $4,80). Miisirsl hrs m?dr unusual comeback, being brck at JVf) enn after a July din to PS low fi<! $'8 000 "Vnur- T« Mv T»-..-.-t,» ShubPrtd.^t week) i?f-i ?a''' «fii, . Franz Lehar operetta noencri Thurs, i5) to bad notices. Four; n<>"ff>rmances sro.s.'seri this sea-son. He tried it out at Buck.i County Playhouse, New Hope. Pa., this summer. . Robert Reud, another ex-p.a. but more I'ecently, producer of "Ram- shackle Inn" and "The Two MrS. CatTolls," "las gone into production again, this time with an English p.«y- chological thriller, "Duet For Two Hands." Play opened at Lyric, Lon- don, June 2'7( '45, for a quick sucft .ss and subsequent run. Mary Hayley Bell, its author, is sailing from Eng- land shortly to be present at re- hearsals. Reud, meantime, is lining , up his.'cast. ■ ' ';