Variety (August 1913)

10 VARIETY "UNDERWORLD" PLAYS AND FILM PREPARIN G FOR THE MARKET New York Seems to be the Place Where Big Majority Will Hail From. Many "Social Evil" Dramas Preparing in Eastern Metropolis. Moving Picture Makers Say Strong Demand for This Character of Movie. There is a pretty general impression i'bout the theatrical business that "un- der world" plays will be in the as- cendant for the current season, but that the bottom will drop out of the craze for plays on that subject as <,uickly as it sprang up. Those having successful pieces of that calibre pro- pose to get all out of them possible as (.uickly as they can, by the organiza- tion of duplicate organizations to "grab off'' all the easy money in sight before the "blow off." The Shuberts will send out several companies of "The Lure," A. H. Woods is going right after "Within the Law," George Broadhurst is work- ing assiduously to complete his "white slave" piece for William A. Brady (who always duplicates successes with facility). In addition, "The Traffic" is headed for New York, "The Fight" opens Monday at the Hudson, "The Double Cross" is on its way, Wee & Lambert have out "The Girl of the Underworld" and Joseph Byron Totten has com- pleted a dramatization of Reginald Wright Kaufman's novel, "The House of Bondage," which will probably be produced by Lee Morrison. Looks like the feature film market would be inundated with white slave films. The Diggs-Caminetti trial, the Thaw story with promised intimate revelations of the salacious phases of that nasty tale, plans of film makers to copy the theme and spirit of the season's two white slave plays on reg- ular stages, "The Lure," and "The Traffic" and the announcement of the Universal Company that they will shortly release "A Fight Against Evil," with a white slave plot are but a few signs of the coming influx. A canvass of the exchanges by Variety indicates an early epidemic of films with the vicious trade of sex the para- mount element of the scenarios. The film men say their exhibitors are clam- oring for the material, while the ex- hibitor says their patrons are demand- ing it. Most of the manufacturers will follow the tide of least resistance and make hay while the sun shines. The Henry French play bureau reports the arrival of requests by mail at their New York and Paris office for "lively" scripts, no matter how old. Even Robert Campbell, owner of "The White Slave" play of a former generation which deals not with the city phase of the evil, has been offered a handsome sum for the film rights to the old- time piece. The offices of Smart Set. Young's Magazine, Spicy Stories and other pub- lications given to the occasional use of spicy material have been asked to help out the demand of the market by indicating stories of their files that would make features of the sort in de- mand. The Universal'* feature is the work of D. F. Whitcomb, a police re- porter. In the main it echoes the bus- iness and situations of "The Lure." Film men who refuse to make or handle features pandering to a low taste of patron or exhibitor say the c ming flood of white slave films must eventuate in police surveillance and interference, and, perhaps, be the im- petus to the passage of a general sweeping censorship directed by the Fedc-al department at Washington. Chicago, Aug. 27. Chicago and the middle west do not seem to be taking to the white slave play or the white slave picture to any great extent. "Little Lost Sister" made from a series of newspaper stories by Virginia Brooks Washburne, produced during the summer has been rewritten and is to have its premiere at South Chicago next week. It is produced by Rickson & Gazzolo. Another show along the same lines i: "The Cost of Living" by William Anthony McGuire, a Chicago writer. This will be offered next week at the National by Rowland & Clifford. Jack Lait, dramatic editor of the Chi- cago American had a play produced by Oliver Morosco this week in Los An- geles called "Help Wanted." It is the story of the stenographer, but has some bearing on the white slave traffic. Chicago motion picture producers say they are fighting shy of the subject in their productions, and do not intend to put anything of that sort on the market. CORT'S MAIN OFFICES HERE. When asked Wednesday by a JVarietv representative whether there was any truth in the report that Fd. V. Giroux would sever immediate connec- tions with him, John Cort laughingly replied that that was the first he had heard of the rumor. He made an em- phatic denial and said he would as soon think of parting with his right arm as losing Giroux. Cort said that the removal of his Seattle offices and main standbys to New York had been completed. Henry Schroeder, auditor of the Northwestern Theatrical Association, is here and in charge of the financial and accounting department of the Cort attractions. Dick Maney, with one of the Seattle houses, will be placed in the Cort press department although Richard Lam- bert, general press man, will retain the services of his present assistant Will- iam Muller, of Lakewood, N. J. Carl Reed, former manager of the Moore theatre, Seattle, is here to handle the Lillian Russell show. Frank Newman, the Moore treasurer, will hereafter manage the Colonial, Salt Lake. If you don't advertise In VABIETY, don't ad vert Im at all. JOHN DREW GROWING GAY. Whatever has happened to John Drew? The society columns of a New York daily had him giving a dinner party at Delmonico's Monday evening. If so he must have appeared in a com- mon sack suit for that was the way he was attired as he sat in a'box at the Globe witnessing the opening of "The Doll Girl." Then, to prove he was a regular human being he followed Eddie Foy into the lobby after the second act and gave an imitation of Foy right to his face—or rather he tried to—and everybody laughed as much as if he had really succeeded. After he had given up the effort Willie Collier showed Drew how easy it really was to imitate the much-caricatured come- dian. MISSION PLAY STOPPED. San Francisco, Aug. 27. The Mission Play, which opened at the Columbia Monday was brought to a sudden stop, on the ground its sub- ject matter would give offense. "DREAMS" DOING BUSINESS. While some of the "wise" folks about town have not taken kindly to "When Dreams Come True" at the Lyric, the management feels it will be able to bear up under their adverse opinion so long as the show continues to draw profit- able receipts in the warm weather. Last week it did over $9,200 at the Lyric, after getting a bad break for a start. If it holds up with other open- ings crowding in the next two weeks, the Bartholomae show will be in for a run. PLAY SAME SHOW FOR YEARS. In "The Old Homestead," which opens at the Manhattan Opera House next Monday for three weeks, are a number of players with the same show for years, some advanced since their term from the juvenile to the old char- acter roles. Annie Hopkins has been with the Josh Whitcomb piece for 27 years; George Patch is second only by a year oi so; Fred Clare has a record of 22 years with the New England story; Charles H. Clarke* has been with it for 23 years; Maggie Breyer is just about beginning with only 12 years to her credit, and there are others in the cast that have a longevity record worth recording. After the Manhattan engagement, the annual revival goes on the road. REFUSING THE MUSICIANS. Chicago, Aug. 27. There is talk among some of the managers that the demands of the musicians for more pay will be met with a flat refusal. One prominent manager, who has several houses, says if the union will sign a rigid contract this will be the very last raise de- manded, he may agree to the new schedule as proposed some time since, which is an increase of at least 33% per cent. Another manager with several vaude- ville houses, and employing numerous musicians, avers it the worst comes he will install women orchestras in all his houses. "CANDY SHOP" DRAWS. Cleveland, Aug. 27. The Anderson Gaiety Company opened Sunday night at the Euclid avenue opera house in "The Candy Shop" before an audience that filled the theatre to its last inch. The newspapers testified to the ex- cellence of the impressive line up of principals and declared the organiza- tion created a mild sensation. The cast includes William Rock and Maud Fulton, Al Shean, Tom Waters, Will Philbrick, Oscar Ragland, Andrew Branigan, Franklyn Farnum, Robert Nolan, Jene Luneska, Catherine Hayes, Hazel Cox, Bessie Franklin. Cecilia Novasio, Peggy Lundeen, Kittie Don- er, Maizie Kimball. The organization introduced high class musical comedy at a dollar to Cleveland, besides opening the season in the Ohio city. Jake Rosenthal is manager and director (as was evi- denced by the showing in the advance press work). The financial backing is supplied by "Broncho Billy" Anderson, of the Essanay Co. The show was put together in New Vork and goes to a permanent home ir San Francisco. Across the conti- nent it will stop at various points. It is much too costly to bear the expense of transportation at the dollar scale. 8 CITIES SETTLED. Eight cities have been "settled" by virtue of the recent "deal" between the Shuberts and Klaw & Erlanger. The "settled" towns are Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia. St. Paul. Minneapolis. Milwaukee, Louisville, St. Louis. In some of the cities no disposition has been made of the discarded theatre for the legit attraction, although the "pooling" arrangement entered into by the two "syndicates" protects the left- out houses. The Shubert, Milwaukee goes into stock, under Saxe Bros. REVISED RING SHOW OPENS. Asbury Park, Aug. 27. "Claudia" smiled upon an apprecia- tive audience Monday night at the Savoy. Blanche Ring's musical comedy, "When Claudia Smiles," re- vised from last season's version, is pretty and tuneful. Miss Ring acquitted herself well and cleverly acted the role of the fickle ;_i 1 , . ^u... ji nicujuy, enough suffering wan a cold. Assisting Miss Ring are Harry Con- or, Tempest (late of Tempest and Sunshine), John J. Scannell, Florence Fdney. Chas. J. Winninger, R. M. Dol- livcr, Richard Carrington, Bertha Mann, Nellie Fillmore. There is a chorus of 14 pretty girls. LONG FOR THE SHUBERT. When the new Shubert theatre on West 44th street (and 45th) gets into action Oct. 6 with Sir Forbes-Robert- son, Ralph W. Long will be found in charge. The house has a seating capacity of 1,400. Its exterior is one of the hand- somest in New York. The theatre will be called "The Shu- bert."