Variety (December 1912)

VARIETY 13 SHOWS AT THE BOX OFFICE IN NEW YORK A ND CHICAGO Several Theatres Drawing Profitable Patronage, With Three of the Early Season's Successes Still the Big Hits of the Town. Chicago Attractions Doing Fairly Well, With City Full of Repeaters The holiday last week gave show business a boost all over the country. It will run in desultory fashion from bow until Christmas time, excepting the big and popular attractions that draw any time. In New York several shows have been doing business steadily and will continue to keep the box office on its tip-toes for weeks to come. Other houses have had their ups and downs the past month, with the universal ex- case for unsatisfactory patronage, "Too many theatres in town." The condition of business in New York at present, as reported, is about as follows: "Bella Donna" (Nazimova) (Empire) (4th week)—Doing very well, much more so than was anticipated. Due to remain at Empire only until Xmas. will move to Wallacks. "Broadway Jones" (Geo. M. Cohan) (Cohan's) (11th week)—Not drawing to the full capacity as in the earlier weeks of its run, but doing what is considered big business, with the show universally pleasing. "Broadway to Paris" (Gertrude Hoff- mann) (Winter Garden) (3d week)— Good average business, with upstairs often light. Production liked. Sun- day night concerts drawing capacity without billing. "Fanny's First Play" (Comedy) (12th v week) —Still using up the limit of the box office, getting close to $9,000 weekly. "Hawthorne, U. S. A." (Douglas Fairbanks) (Astor) (5th week)—Fair- ly good patronage. "Little Women" (Playhouse) (8th week)—Capacity matinees. Not full evenings but very strong showing on week's total. "Milestones" (Liberty) (12th week) —Business Suddenly braced up two weeks ago. Piece seems to be draw- ing better just now than at any time since start of engagement. Looks now like an all-season run. Top of house very light for quite a while. "Mind the Paint Girl" (Billie Burke) (Lyceum) (13th week)—Going along at very fast gait. Run extended until early in January. "Never Say Die" (Willie Collier) (48th Street) (4th week)—Doing very well with Mr. Collier personally the chief attraction. "Oh, Oh, Delphine" .(Knickerbocker) (10th week)—One of Broadway's big- gest hits. Has fallen off a little this week, but still very good. "Our Wives" (Gaiety) (4th we k)— Closes this week. "Ready Money" (Elliott) (16th week)—Leaving Saturday. "Hindle Wakes," an English play with English players, next week. "Ready Money" has good record for its stay of four months. Annie Russell in Repertoire (39th Street) (4th week)—Drawing litt'e be- yond seats subscribed for during the nine weeks' engagement. Repertoire of classics. Miss Russell's playing fa- vorably commented upon with each change of play. 'The Affairs of Anatol" (Little) (8th week)—Though theatre of but 299 ca- pacity, not filling house nightly. Mat- inees ("Snow White") stronger than evening attendance. Public of belief house sold out far ahead may injure patronage. Theatre lightly advertised and little attention apparently paid to attracting general attention to it. "Anatol" pronounced a hit and well spoken of. "The Attack" (John Mason) (Gar- rick) (12th week)—Going along about the same, causing no commotion. One more week. 'The Case of Becky" (Frances Starr) (Belasco) (10th week)—Dropping off somewhat as date approaches for re- moval of play, as announced upon the opening. "The Count of Luxembourg" (Am- sterdam) (10th week)—Not holding up as well as expected. Being well ad- vertised helps greatly. "The Daughter of Heaven" (Cen- tury) (8th week)—Returns not com- mensurate with size of house or pro- duction, or cost of operation. One of the season's costly failures. 'The Governor's Lady" (Republic) (13th week)—Another Belasco show carded to leave town on a previously given date. Doing steady business. "The High Road" (Mrs. Fiske) (Hudson) (3d week)—Not considered successful, though receiving benefit of Mrs. Fiske's following. Doing very light. "The Lady of the Slipper" (Mont- gomery and Stone and Elsie Janis) (Globe) (6th week) —Proclamied by many to be the best musical show in town. Capacity every show. Orches- tra seals $2.50. 'The Merry Countess" (Casino) (16th week)—Leaving Dec. 21, suc- ceeded by Harry Lauder show for one week. "Countess" has had big takings, but will make more money on road than could be had by holding it longer in New York. "The Paper Chase" (Simone) (Wal- laces) (2d week)—Will be withdrawn Christmas week. Has done very lit- tle. "The Red Petticoat" (Daly's) (4th week)—Show doing fairly well, even at Daly's, which is in "The Morgue" the- atrical section of Broadway. Show liked and termed a pleasant evening's entertainment. "The Whip" (Manhattan) (2d week) Drawing like house afire. Manhattan Opera House has seating capacity nearly 3,200. Top price, $1.50. Played to around $6,000 Thanksgiving. Big advance sale. Expensive show. Can play to $30,000 on week at Manhattan. "The Yellow Jacket" (Fulton) (5th week)—The artistic success of the season, with the most favorable news- paper reviews, it has failed to draw big business. Doing around $600 nightly, and now picking up. "Under Two Flags" (Hippodrome) (14th week)—Going through its usual off spell until Christmas, when revived interest will carry it along for remain- der of season. Held terrific matinees Thanksgiving, Friday and Saturday. No school Friday in New York, ap- parently overlooked by many houses. Weber and Fields ("Roly Poly") (3d week)—Big business downstairs, somewhat lighter in balcony. Popu- larity of stars overcame unfavorable reports of first performance. Smoking allowed in balcony only. "What Ails You?" (Criterion) (3d week)—Closing this week. Not doing anything of account. "Within the Law" (Eltinge) (13th week)—The final one of the three big hits ("Delphine," "Lady of the Slipper" and "Within the Law"). House packed at every performance. Ziegfeld's "Follies" (Moulin Rouge) TILFORD Considered by press and public the Caruso of all ventriloquism. (7th week)—Doing nothing like "Th- Follies" would draw in the summer. Expected to leave latter part of this month. Chicago, Nov. 30. Several new attractions have opened within the week. It is difficult to pro- phesy what they will do. The opera season opened last week. This may tend to decrease the business in the other theatres. During the month there have been several changes. The Lyric became the Great Northern Hippodrome with vaudeville and circus acts. The Globe, so long dark is once more open. The Whitney is also showing signs of life with a series of special matinees. All the first class houses are open. While the attendance has not been phenome- nal in any case, there has been satis- factory business in some instances. Grand Opera (Auditorium)—Opened Nov. 26 with "Manon Lescaut." Large receipts. "The Return of Peter Grimm" (Blackstone)—Second time in the house. David Warfield big favorite. Show probably doing from $9,000 to $10,000. "The Little Millionaire" (Grand Op- era House)—Doing healthful business, something around $7,000 or $8,000. "The Siren" (Chicago Opera House) —Second time here. Receipts meagre. Indications for return engagement of "The Man from Home" not promising. "Ben-Hur" (Colonial)—An old show that makes its appeal to a clientele outside of the regular. Played to $7,- 000 to $8,000 last week. "Fine Feathers" (Cort)—One of the solid successes. Attendance has kept up remarkably well. Playing to $7,000, or over. "Miss Princess" (Garrick)—Lina Ab- arbanell meeting with some little suc- cess in a show that gives her good op- portunities. Receipts run from $7,000 to $9,000. "The Grain of Dust" (Illinois)— James K. Hackett in a piece he played at the Blackstone last season. En- gagement not a big success. Receipts light. Blanche Ring in "The Wall Street Girl," another repeater, now cur- rent. "The Girl at the Gate" (La Salle)— Musical piece of home make doing a steady business. "Way Down East" (McVicker's)— Did a satisfactory business. Fourteenth time here. "Little Women" now cur- rent, with indications of large attend- ance. "The Million" (Olympic)—Opened big with good notices. Slump later. Playing to moderate houses. "Years of Discretion" (Power's)— Play by local playwrights. Much in- terest in the play. Doing about $11,- 000. "Bought and Paid For" (Princess) — Little falling away of interest. Getting from $8,500 to $9,000, and perhaps did $11,000 last week. "Two Little Brides" (American)— (James T. Powers). Drawing from $5,000 to $6,000. "The Blindness of Virtue" (Studeba- ker)—Got great notices. Played to around $5,000 on the week.