Variety (December 1913)

VARIETY 11 FIVE NEW SHOWS OPENING; FAIR A VERAG E OF SUCCESS •Mole/' ''Omar/' Eleanor Gates' Comedy, and Willie Collier's New Play Produced Within the Week. One New Show Not So Qood. All Headed for New York. Boston, Dec. 10. "A Thousand Years Ago," the spec- tacular romance which was given its grst metropolitan performance at the Shubert, is very blue and closes Satur- day night for either an indefinite lay- off or for a permanent shelving. Written by Percy Mackaye and staged by J. C. Huffman, the produc- tion as it stands is neither a credit to them nor a possible moneymaker for William A. Brady. It is billed as an original comedy and yet since it opened there has not been a laugh from the audience. De- spite all this, "A Thousand Years Ago," which is best described as a cross be- tween "Sumurun" and "Kismet," has possibilities of being a genuine winner and the gossip in the company this week is that another attempt is to be made in a month with at most six changes in the cast and a complete change in the body of the production to enter more humor, less stilted ver- biage and more drastic action. H. Cooper Cliffe saves the production from falling flat, Rita Jolivet's per- formance is probably as fair as may be obtained for the leading feminine role and Jerome Patrick as the handsome hero will probably remain- The rest of the cast is not there. Montreal, Dec. 10. "Omar, the Tentmaker," by Richard Walton Tully, had its premiere here last night. The popular opinion seems to be that it is pleasing, but the story is obscured. The piece must be abridged. Beautiful stage pictures form one of the features, but the action is too pro- tracted to sustain interest. The lead- ing and supporting actors good. "Omar, the Tentmaker," the new Richard Tully play founded on the Kyam poem, goes to Toronto next week, after its present week here at the Princess. After Toronto it will be offered at one of the Shubert houses in New York. The premiere was postponed 24 hours to give the players a chance to recover from an all-night rehearsal Monday. Atlantic City, Dec. 10. Monday night at the Apollo, H. H. Frazee presented "lole," a comedy with music, and plenty of it, too, with Frank Lalor featured. The play is taken from the story of that name by Robert VV. Chambers. William Fred- erick Peters supplied the musical score. There are 20 numbers in the two acts. Though there was a mass of songs, but two voices stood out. Fern Rodp- ers, as lole, sang well, as did Carl Gant- voort, but neither displayed anything vocally brilliant. Ben Teal said Tuesday the produc- tion would be taken back to New York this week, a new -'ist engaged and rehearsals started imn.'ediately. it being planned to replace "A^cle" with "lole." Atlantic City, Dec. 10. When Arthur Hopkins presented the new Eleanor Gates comedy, entitled "We Are Seven," at the Apollo last week, he uncovered a novel idea, bril- liantly treated, splendidly acted and right up to the minute. In this thor- oughly enjoyable piece the doctrine of eugenics, so forcefully forwarded late- ly, was delicately and humorously treated. The play is plentifully sprinkled with genuine laughs. Several situations need strengthening, notably the finish of the second act (there are three). "We Are Seven" is distinctly differ- ent and very good entertainment. Baltimore, Dec. 10. The event of the week here was the production Monday night at Ford's opera house of William Collier's new play, "A Little Water on the Side," which he wrote in conjunction with Grant Stewart, who also appears in the cast. While the play will not likely add greatly to the author's fame, it serves as a good vehicle for the exploitation of Collier's characteristic artistry. The comedy is in three acts. It needs pruning, running the opening night until close to 11.45. Besides Collier and Stewart, others are Willia n Collier, Jr., Charles Dow Clark, Henry Weaver, Nicholas Judels, John Adam, Edward Moore, William Ward, James Sheeran, Paula Marr, Jessie Glendenning, Dorothy Unger,^ Hazel Sexton, Beatrice James, Eleanor Goodspeed. Gertie Reynolds was added to the cast of "The Red Canary" which went into rehearsal in New York this week. The show is now slated to open Dec. 20 in Boston for a two weeks' en- gagement at the Tremont before tak- ing up a New York date. Phil Ryley was added to the cast this week. A dancer named Hoffman also joined. Harold Orlob has written some new numbers for the second act. Every seat in the Bronx Opera house was occupied Monday evening, even the boxes being filled with first-night- ers. It was a gala occasion for the "baby county," as it marked its first premiere. The cause of all the excite- ment was the opening of a new play. "The Prodigal Judge." Wm. Wood, recently manager of the Palace theatre, will produce "Macaria," a play adapted from Augusta J. Evans* novel of the same ipme, by C. M. Jeliffe. Vigorously pro-southern in spirit, the production will be kept below the Mason and Dixon lin e by Wood. If you don't adv^rtlM In VARIETY. don't advertlac mi all. ROW TANGLES BOOKINGS. Danville, 111., Dec. 10. "September Morn" is playing at the Coliseum this week instead of at the Fischer where all the Rowland & Clif- ford productions have stopped. This i.s an incident in the local theatrical war that has been waged for some time between the two theatre manage- ments, and the result of which has been the cancellation of all Klaw &. Er- langer Bookings for this town. The Allardt Circuit owns the Fischer (playing legitimate attractions) be- sides a circuit of vaudeville theatres. O. J. Grunnell owns the Coliseum. The former manager of the Fischer became manager of the Coliseum and brought over to the new job all the legitimate contracts for the other house which had been made out in his name. Then the manager returned to the Fischer and with him the contracts. Grunnell's next move was to cause the arrest of the manager on the alle- gation that he had wrongfully used the contracts of which he (Grunnell) was part owner. This was settled by the return of the contracts to Grunnell. But Klaw & Erlanger continued to send their shows to the Fischer. The Coliseum manager thereupon sued out an injunction. In consequence the at- tractions have been sending on a two- weeks' cancellation to the Coliseum, and'Danville has been without enter- tainment at either house. The Allardts express their disgust of the situation and threaten to put vaude- ville into the Fischer and turn the Ly- ric, the variety house, into pictures. Grunnell comes back with the threat of turning his Coliseum into a garage, jnd leaving Danville flat. VERA MAXWELL, PRIZE BEAUTY. The New York American published Tuesday a special cable from Paris, reporting that Paul Helleu, the cele- brated artist, has selected Vera Max- well and Mrs. Leonard M. Thomas as the two most beautiful women in America. A Paris newspaper published a full page colored portrait of Miss Maxwell as the winner of a voting contest in which scores of European beauties fig- ured. The portrait was a copy of the painting of the musical comedy girl, the original of which hangs in Hel- leu's studio. MISS TAYLOR WON'T GO OUT. When the New York "Peg O' My Heart" takes to the road Laurette Tay- lor will not be the star of the original organization, but will immediately he- gin rehearsals of a new piece from the j)en of Hartley Manners. "CHAPKKON" IS NKW <:OMKI>V. The .Shuhcrts arc getting a cast to- gether for a new cotnedy entitled "The Chaperon." Among tlmse considered for one f)f the principal roles is Ann Miirdnck. CECIL SI*OONER ARRESTED. The Cecil Spooner theatre at 163rd street and Boulevard has been doing a big business all week, and the house was packed to capacity at 8 o'clock Tuesday evening, when Sergt. Quinn and two other detectives from Police Headquarters appeared and placed the Bronx favorite, Cecil Spooner, and her manager, Mr. Cone, under arrest, charged with producing an immoral play, "The House of Bondage." She was not permitted to go to the Mor- risania Court in her own auto, but had to travel in the regular police patrol auto. Her husband, Chas. Blaney, was permitted to accompany her, while her sister, Edna May, and her mother pro- ceeded to the court in their own cars. Cecil Spooner and Mr. Cone were re- manded by Magistrate Deuel in the custody of their attorney, Mayer C. Goldman, 5 Beekman street, to appear Wednesday at 3 p. m. at 300 Mulberry street before Chief Magistrate Mc- .\doo. Miss Spooner and Manager Cone ap- peared Wednesday before Magistrate Murphy and after a perfunctory hear- ing were held for General Sessions un- der 1500 bail. After the police court arraignment Deputy Commissioner Newberger and Miss Spooner were in conference. The police official agreed to go to the thea- tre Wednesday evening and witness the play without any attempt to in- terfere. Miss Spooner agreed on her part to abide by the decision of the deputy. If he still thinks the play of- fensive, Miss Spooner will take it off without further argument. Whether Newberger agreed to with- draw his case in the event he saw noth- ing wrong with the piece did not fig- ure in the announcement. NO INTERPOLATIONS. Monday night of last week a notice was posted on the call board of the Montauk, Brooklyn, where "The Mar- riage Market" was playing, which read about as follows: "To members of 'The Marriage Market' Co.—Nobody can interpolate in this show without permission of Charles Frohman, Alf. Hayman or Mr. Royce. This goes for everybody." The notice was especially directed at the star, Donald Brian, it is said who has been introducing his own ideas of comedy. THREE OPENINGS SUNDAY. Chicago, Dec 10. There were three openings Sunday, two of which attracted unusual at- tention. Ziegfeld's "Follies" arrived at the Illinois and called out an overflowing house. Local scribes gave the show good notices. "The Fight" opened at the Black- sionc. and it was also well attended. McTntyre and Heath opened Sun- day afternoon at the American Musical Hall on a return engagement to a big I! atinee. The night performance was il-o largely attended. Mrs. Alice Adams has joined the The U. S. District Court in Chicago Ifappy Family at the Actors' I'luui Ims disinisscd an involuntary petition Home in West New lirighton, Staten in Iiaiikriijtfcy. filed against the I'Vank Island. Cliiik \fiisi( F'ul.lishing Co.