Variety (February 1914)

VARIBTY 13 SUPERSTITION HOLDS GOOD. Pittsburgh, Feb. 25. There is an ancient and slightly frayed stage superstition that when the "tag," the last line in a play, is spoken prior to the first performance, bad luck will follow. Last week Wilson Day of the Pitt stock company, in rehearsing "Gadias" in "Herod," spoke the line, and the result was about the worst string of hard luck the company ever had. First Norah Lamison broke her foot in rehearsing "Salome" in the same play. Robert Gleckler, leading man, was thrown against the wind shield of an automobile and cut his arm severely. Allan Reese was bowled over by a fractious horse and painfully bruised. Dorothy West fell several flights in an elevator and was badly shaken up. P. E. McCoy, stage manager, was knocked down and his leg bruised when a heavy weight fell from the flies. Some members of the company re- ported nothing unusual. BOOMING STOCK BUSINESS. Cleveland, Feb. 25. To put life into a failing business the two local stock houses have re- sorted to "cabaret" means. The Metropolitan, where the Glaser company has been playing to good business for most of the season, tango dancing has been introduced between two of the acts. It has proved a draw, especially at the matinee perform- ances, when the womei) of the city pack the lower floor. Percy Haswell, at the Duchess, has resorted to songs between the acts. Outside talent has been brought in, and with good i-esults. 50-50 IN BROOKLYN. The Lee avenue (the former Corse Payton stock house in Brooklyn) tried to do a successful come-back with stock under the direction of Edwin W. Riley, but the returns were not there and Riley closed Saturday night. Conditions are just the reverse at the Gotham, Brooklyn, where stock under Kyrle MacCurdy's directorship is doing a corking big business. The Lee Avenue is to play straight pictures and no further attempt made to put stock over. Engagements with Duquesne Co. Pittsburgh, Feb. 25. Harry L. Frazer, who played juve- nile leads with the Davis Players at the Duquesne, has quit the company to go to New York. Mortimer Weldon takes his place. Helen Davis, second leading woman with the company, also left. Gilberta Pause has been engaged by Harry Da- vis to replace her. Quite a sensation was caused Mon- day night by the sudden announce- ment that Irene Oshier, leading wom- an of the Davis Players, leaves the company next week. Miss Oshier won a large following here and it was not expected that changes in the company would include her. Star Her Own Playwright Westbrook, Me., Feb. 25. The Ethel May Shorey Stock Com- pany opens at the Star Monday for a week, presenting plays written by the young playwright-actress. STOCK MAE DESMOND JUMPS. Mae Desmond, who has been play- ing leads with the Rowden Hall stock at the Prospect, left that organization Saturday night and opened Monday with the Metropolis theatre, where she was formerly appearing. Miss Desmond's jump to the Met. when she was under contract to re- port to Poli's stock, Worcester, March 2, may result in some sort of court proceedings as the Poli representatives contend that Miss Desmond can be held under a prior contract. ROW ENDS IN A DRAW. C. Wilson Hummel, stage director of the dramatic stock at the Gotham, Brooklyn, and Kyrle McCurdy, man- ager, became involved in a wordy dispute which ended in fisticuffs and an exchange of articles near at hand. Ac- cording to eye witnesses, the battle was a draw, with Hummel leaving the theatre and company. LYNN AUDITORIUM LEASED. The day following the announcement of the closing of the Lynn Theatre Stock Company, Green & Abrams, les- sees of the Auditorium, took a five- years' lease of that playhouse. Manager Al. Jones has met with great success with a capable company headed by Wilmer Walter and Brenda Fow- ler. SOCCOLA BREAKS HIS ARM. Milwaukee, Feb. 25. A wire was received this week from New York saying that Guinio Soccola, engaged to replace H. Percy Meldon as stage director of the Shubert stock here, had fallen and broken his arm and would be unable to join. A western stock actor was engaged to take up the directorship. Meldon is going to Bermuda on a vacation. Blames Pictures for Business. Cincinnati, Feb. 25. In an interview, former Manager Herman Thuman, of the Orpheum, which went back to pictures last week, blames the movies for bad business in stock throughout the country. The Orpheum is featuring the "Lion and Mouse" pictures this week and having fine business. Stage Director Karl Dietz may take a chance on running a stock company at the Orpheum next winter, but Thuman evidently is done and will keep at pro- moting grand opera singers at Music Hall. Closing, But Will Resume. Taunton, Mass., Feb. 25. Although the Malley-Denison stock is closing at the Park here next Satur- day nip:ht, William Malley has taken a lease on the house for next year when stock will be resumed. The Park Co. is scheduled to open a summer engagement in Newport, R. I., April 20. TO SAVOY, A. C7 Reading, Pa., Feb. 25. The Cal Smith company, which has been running stock in the Grand the- atre since last August, will close Satur- day night and the company move to Atlantic City, probably going into the Savoy there. CHANGES IN DETOIT. Detroit, Feb. 25. Marion Birney has been engaged as the new leading woman of the Wash- ington theatre stock. Julia Manchester has been engaged to replace Eva Vincent. '^IGER" AS A CURTAIN RAISER. Pittsburgh, Feb. 25. "Tiger," the one-act blank verse white slave play by Witter Bynne, which caused some red hot sensation when it was published, has been announced by the Pitt theatre next week as a curtain raiser to Stanley Houghton's "The Younger Generation." STOCK PUSHING PICTURES. Philadelphia, Feb. 25. The Liberty, on Columbia avenue west of Broad, now showing pictures, will be made the home of a resident stock company and will open under its new policy March 9. This announcement has been made by General Manager M. W. Taylor of the J. Fred Zimmerman theatres. Em- ily Smiley will be the leading woman of the Emily Smiley Players. It is expected that the initial offering will be "The Girl of the Golden West," and it is stated this will be followed by higher-priced plays now being re- leased for presentation by stock com- panies. Maurice Stanford has been selected as stage director. Popular prices will prevail. RUNNING UNTIL JUNE. New Orleans, Feb. 25. The Emma Bunting Stock Company will remain in Memphis until the early part of June, according to Manager Ed Schiller, who was in New Orleans Sunday. Kolb and Dill Held Out. Cincinnati, Feb. 25. Kolb and Dill, in "A Peck of Pickles," are not at the Lyric . this week, as announced. It is said that Shuberts did not want to bring the show in against "The Sunshine Girl" at the Grand. Margaret Anglin, presenting a Shake- spearean repertoire, is the counter at- traction. Philadelphia, Feb. 25. The Kolh & Dill show will open its season at the Shuhcrt-Muratt tomorrow (Thursday) nipht, for a three-day stand. If joo don't advertise In VARIKTY, don't ndvortlM at all. THAT READING SCANDAL Reading, Pa., Feb. 25. A sequel to the Hyman-Mann $10»000 damage suit last week made it's appear- ance in the local courts Monday, when Walter G. Marshall, of Kansas City, a member of the road company of "The Man from Home," who says he is the husband of Virginia Mann,' turned up on the scene and, throtigh his attorney, instituted a suit against "Robert Hyman, the leading man of the Orpheum Play- ers, for $10,000 damages on the charge of having alienated his wife's affections. The former case in which Mrs. Hy- man sued Miss Mann for the alienation of her husband's affections ended in an immediate separation last week, in which Mr. Hyman paid his wife $1,200 and signed an agreement that when Mrs. Hyman reached her home town in Cincinnati she would apply immediately for a divorce. Mrs. Hyman, before leaving, issued a statement, publicly vindicating Miss Mann. In the latter suit Mr. Marshall sets forth he married Miss Mann in Kansas City July 20, 1906. and that they lived together up to four months ago, when coming to Reading on one occasion to see his wife she stated she preferred to be known as single. The statement also says that he noticed certain evi- dence that led him to believe that his wife's attachment and affection for him were not of that genuine and true char- acter that is becoming to marriage re- lations. Mr. Hyman entered bail in the sum of $500. Miss Mann states that she has a divorce suit against Mr. Marshall pend- ing in the Kansas courts. A dispatch from Miss Mann's brother at Kansas denies the latter divorce action. Marshall withdrew the suit against Hyman last night, stating that he could not believe his wife would do anything that would have the slightest tendency to reflect upon her character. MAYER CO. NOW CLOSING. Haverhill, Mass., Feb. 25. For the second time within a month closing notices have been posted at the Orpheum, the local stock house, under the management of Louis B. Mayer. It is now publicly announced the May- er Stock will close with the production of "The Woman in the Case," Feb. 28. Feature pictures will be installed, it is understood. Thr* Mayer stock company is in its s^colnd season and includes Valerie Vclaire, leading woman, and William Morse, leading man; Charles Stevens, Chris. Chrisholm, Cecil Lugrin. May B. Hurst, Marione Francis and A. A. Bushee. OBJECTING TO DINGLE. Chicago, Feb. 25. Charles W. Dingle, who is appearing in "The Littlest Rebel," has been re- ceiving some unpleasant publicity in Oak Park, where he formerly played in stock. Several ministers and some of the members of wonien's clubs have been liolflinii inrlijiiiation nuctings and tried to prevent liis appenrancc. Tlieir ohjections were on account oi his alleged Rallantries while a member of the stock company a year or so ago.