Variety (January 1917)

10 LEGITIMATE. The entry Into the field of theatrical pro- ducing managers of Hoi brook Bllnji and Jamea Shaegreen as a firm, looks like one of the beat beta of tbe New Year. Both hate long been associated In the field of the theatre and both hare been equally successful In their chosen branches. Mr. Bllnn long ago achieved star- dom on ons slds of the footlights and Mr. Shesgreen has made his msrk in the business end of ths profession. He was long asso- ciated with Henry W* Savage and Prederlc Thompson and for the last four years directed the tours of Margaret Anglln. The first production of ths nsw combination will be a play In four acta by Mark Swan, the initial Crformance of which will take place) at At- Dtle City on Jan. 22 and come to Broadway shortly aftsrwarda. Two weeks after the "Actors of America" presented Mme. Bernhardt with a bronse Statue of herself, the presentation speech being made on the stage of the Empire theatre by John Drew, Mme. Bernhardt was also pre- sented with a bill for S8B0 by Mrs. B. Kltson. widow of the sculptor. So she returned the -atatae, which came to her aa a "tribute" to her art. Mra. Kltson doesn't seem to know who ordered the statue. Mme. Bernhardt doesn't and William F. Connor, Mme. Bsrn- hardt's manager, doesn't either. He under- stood that it was to be paid for by popular subscription. Al. DstIs, former advance man, who drop- ped out of sight after haying exploited an ex- hibition flight tour of the south for Glenn Curtlss some years ago. hit Broadway this week, oomlng direct from the wilds of Texas, where he Is the ▼toe-presidant and general manager of a sixty-mile railroad and trans- Etrtatlon manager for a big sulphur mine, e will remain in New York for a couple of weeks before returning to the Siberia of America. Robert Bdgar Long, who announced himself as a special writer attached to the press de- partment of the Century theatre. Just isn't at all what he said he was, for he la no longer attach ed to the Century In any capacity. Nellie ReveU Isn't In need of any special writers, etteched or unattached, for she seems to havs demonstrate in the past that she can do all the writing that there Is necessary on a two-handed press agent Job. Lieut Lloyd Faulkner. Royal British Fly- ing Corps, on furlough after being wounded, reached New York Monday with a lively tale of Vernon Castle's exploits as an English air pilot at ths front. M I must say Vernon Castle, now Lieut Vernon Blythe," declared Lieut Faulkner, "is a daring and skilful aviator. Hs has done brilliant work and Is in line for promotion." NSW York Is to havs a community drama. Ths first stsp Is ths opening of two schools to teach dramatlo expression, dancing and pa- Seantry. They are In public schools in Bast A street and Bast 119th street They are not designed to train pupils for the professional stags, but to provide recreation. City offi- cials and notables In New York financial and social Ufa are behind the movement A new concern tft the' Bmplre Producing Co., which will offer "In for the Night," at the Fulton Jan. 11. It Is heeded by Jamea Savary, formerly of Sanger A Jordan's play department William Bartlett Reynolds will retire from the position of press representstive for the firm of Corey A Rlter and become the busi- ness manager for John Drew, under the John D. Wllltams management, after the middle of the current month. He baa been handling the advance for the tour of Mrs. Flake for yie former firm. The Actors' Fund snnusl bacaar, dealgned to found a $1,000,000 endowment fund to carry on the work, will open In Grand Central Pal- ace May 12. The management will Include Daniel Frohman, prealdent of tbe Fund; Marc Klaw and Charlea Burnham, of the Finance Committee. Sam Meyers, for many years traveling man- ager of Maude Adams, hae been elected secre- tary of Charles Frohman, Inc. At their last meeting Friday tbe board voted a apodal divi- dend of 112.50 a share. William Seymour returned to the stage at the Punch and Judy this week, after an ab- aence of 12 years. Jane Cowl has begun rehearsals In "Lilac Time," which will open out of town early next month. It has none of tbe characteristics of a an'a play,.and It la built on a formula enjoyed popularity with both Bngllab American theatregoers about a quarter of a centur/ ago.—World. Play In. four acts and seven scenes by Will- lam Lindsay, who is said to have financed and produced his own work. At ths Criterion Jan. 1. A respectable and Interesting but quite un- inspired attempt to restore the poetle romantlo drama of another day and sanaratlon^^UBse. "Seremonda" brought that popular aotrsss Miss Julia Arthur to the stage to Nsw York once more, and also brought a vtsld silos* of ths twelfth oentury as tt baa beoosae know* tn song and legend.—Herald. Mr. Lindsay's wore, aa the svsalag pro- gressed and as Its beautiful seance ware un- folded, grow In Interest sad eaded by com- manding Its beams' thorough respect Its success will depend upon whether there still survives a tests for this formal kind of dra- matic eni-erUtnment—-World. ENGAlsEMENTS. Tbos. J.Keogh ('Tiluussj Pat"). Jack Du Frans ("Pedro the Italian"). HELPING T. HAMILTON'S WIDOW. There were two meeting! held this week in the theatrical profession to devise means of raising money to as- sist the widow of the late dean of the press agents, "Tody" Hamilton. The first meeting was an informal one which took place in The Friars on Tuesday night Letters were sent out by a committee, which included Ren- tiold Wolf, Henry Lowenthal and Geornje L. MacFarland, for a general meeting which took place at the Hotel Astor yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Hamilton is 60 years of age, ill and in actual need and the committee expects to raise a substantial sum for her. SHOWS CLOSING. "Some Baby" playing the middle west under the direction of Ed. Davidson closed Christmas Day in Canton, O. The piece played to $900 on its last day and is reported as having made money during its time on the road. "Made to Order," a musical piece, with John Lawlor playing the Southern one-night stands, booked by K. & E., closed Dec. 15 in Greensboro, N. C. MANAGERS MEET IN MAT. The general convention of the the- atre managers of the country on the question of a nation wide organization is to be held in New York sometime in May instead of next month as first planned. "MASTER" IN STORAGE. The Arnold Daly comoany in "The Master," which closes at the Fulton Saturday night, will not take to the road, the piece being sent to the store- house. PRESS OPINIONS. GaaaMsTS) AIL Play In four* acta by May Martlndale. Pro- U.4C1.U ill *•!.*.» i"«.<_ f'iiKK " vj * '■■£ n\. •• " Jan. 1. Mildly Interesting throughout, but etale In matter and outmoded In manner.—Tlmee. Dut not even the accidents of an uncertain first performance detracted from Mlaa Starr's convincing portrayal of the young wife.— Herald. STOCKS OPENING. Fort Wayne, Ind., Jan. 3. Maude Grafton has taken over the Temple theatre and will continue its stock organization. New leading people include Jane Allbrey and Frank Gallagher. Manayunk, Pa., Jan. 3. Severin DeDeyn has undertaken the task of putting Manayunk, Pa., on the theatrical map. He opened an engage- ment with dramatic stock at the re- juvenated Dixie, Christmas, presenting "Within the Law," "Bought and Paid For" is this week's bill and "Under Cover" is underlined. _ The company sBaniel Hamilton, Charles Foster, George MacEntee, Forrest Zimmer, Charles Seel, Allie Aubrey, Carl Nor- man, Virginia Elwood, Verona Albert- son and Beverly Bruce. INTERNATIONAL'S LATEST PLAN. There has bean a revision of the con- templated pUtt* lot the rtorgauixation o( the international Circuit of popular priced theatres.* As announced in Vjuuktt a few weeks ago, it was de- signed to reduce the circuit to some 12 or 15 weeks, with as many shows, play- ing the houses twice a season, and re- taining only the theatres that yielded enough returns to the traveling combi- nations. Since t^en there has been a meeting 3i the house managers and the pro- uccrs, at which it waa determined that not enough of the houses could stand repeats for all shows the same season. It was finally decided to enlarge the list oi houses to be retained and these, with the additton % of Montreal and To- rqato, maybe another house in New York City and also a theatre in Roches- ter; »N. Y., to have enough time, by re- peating such towns as can stand it, to round out close to 30 weeks next sea- son. Meanwhile all the theatres at present included in the circuit will' continue as at present until the tail end of March when all the shows will either dose or play one-night stands, and devote the entire 30 houses to stock for the follow- ing eight weeks, when producers will be encouraged to try out their prospec- tive material for the following season, so that-the promoters of the circuit can have a definite line on the value of the respective attractions offered. Included in the plan will be the establishment of some half dozen or more musical stock organizations. The International people claim they had but 12 really bad weeks on their books and say that next season they will include only the houses that yield- ed a satisfactory weekly gross. Among the managers who will pro- duce for International next season are S. Z. Poli. "How Hearts Are Broken" closes Saturday in Indianapolis. "The Blindness of Youth," with Harry K. Blaney, is reported as clos- ing. The piece was originally known as "In Walked Jimmy." Chas. H. Brooke has assumed the managership o* 'The Hour of Tempta- tion." "Jerry" with Nancy Boyer opened Monday at the Orpheum, Philadelphia. The piece played a few weeks on the one-ni£ht stands preparatory to the In- ternational Circuit opening. NEW THEATRE OPENS OCT. 1. The new theatre fpr which Rush & Andrews are to break ground March 1 is to be in readiness for occupancy on Oct. 1. The house will have a seating capacity of a little under 900, with a weekly gross money capacity of $12,000. Plans are being considered for a co- starring engagement of Arnold Daly and Mme. Nazimova as an opening at- traction. The plav under considera- tion is one of the Napoleonic period by the author of "The Master," with Mr. Daly in the role of the Emperor of France and Mme. Nazimova as Jose- phine. ALCAZAR STOCK CLOSING. San Francisco. Jan. 3. Eva Lang and Jack Halhday, who returned to the Alcazar, after a short vacation, will bring their engagement to a close next week, when the house will change its policy to pictures. These two with a few others from the company will head their own stock to be inaugurated at the Grand, Sacra- mento. Miss Lang and Mr. Halliday have been re-engaged to head the Alcazar company, probably around Easter, when the present policy will again be in vogue. The management claims a shortage of successful stock releases the cause for disbanding the company at this time. Nazimova in."War Brides" will be the opening feature at the Alcazar, at prices up to 50 cents. INFRINGEMENT CASE HEARD. William Harris, Jr., Grant Stewart and Robert M. Baker have been made defendants in an action brought by Bur- ton E. Stevenson for alleged pirating of his copyright story, "Little Comrade," (which appeared in Munaey's Magazine in January. 1915) in their play Arms and the Girl," produced at the Fulton and now on the road.. The play was written by Stewart and Baker and pro- duced-by Harris. The case was argued Saturday be- fore Judge Mayer. Nathan Burkan, at- torney tor the defendants, contended the play and the story were based upon historical events and no infringement of the copyright law had been made. A decision will be handed down in a few days. Hip Show Gets $40,000 In Cincy. Cincinnati, Jan. 3. The rftoss receipts of "Hip, Hip, Hooray, at Music Hall last week, it is announced, were $40,000, a record for Cincinnati. Matinees were given every day. "Love Thought," Belasco's Next Another David Belasco play that is slated to reach the boards after the SPORT HERMAN CUTS LOOSE. Chicago, Jan. 3. U. J. ..(Sport) Herman wound up his New Years celebration with his name in the papers. Herman had not planned it the way/it turned out, but as he came out of a fistic encounter at the. Hotel Sherman the victor he has no general complaint to make. * According to the stories, Herman and his wife went into the Sherman and were entering the College Inn when a young man is reported having ad- dressed them in a manner which Her- man took as an insult Herman swung a right and also a left or two. The police were called and the Cort theatre manager persuaded that his fisticuffs had done enough damage for one. evening. The papers colored the affair con- siderably and had Sport knocking sev- eral of the department sleuths out of commission. CORT 8HOW OPENS. Pittsburgh, Jan. 3. The new John Cort production of "Johnny Get Your Gun," a farce written by Edmund Laurence Burke and Doro- thy Donnelly, was presented for tho first time at the~Duquesne Monday. It is in a prolog and three acts and has a long cast In the company are M. A. Meyer, Harry Cuscedon, Bart Williams, John Ivan, Robert Homans, Louis Bennison, Everett Butterfield, Billie Scott, Adel- aide Rodriquez, Carl Massy, Tom K. Carliss, Roy Cochrane, Lorraine Frost, Ralph Nairn, Kate Mayhew, Rose Win- ter, Grace Valentine, Echlin Gayer, Edward Poland, Edwin Mordant. •VT5r-*i)ekIai " l a 1 , u ffre- I^vir—^- Thought," by Henry Irving Dodge. This piece was tried out about a year aao, but it since has been rewritten by Mr. Belasco, who reduced it from four to three acts. "Flora Bella" Following Into Chicago. Chicago, Jan. 3. The next attraction at the Chicago according to report now that "Go To It" will close its stay here next Satur- day night will be 'Tlora Bella." Its Chicago premiere is not set, but it will be shortly. "Ragtime a la Carte" Rehearsing. Jesse Weil, who controlled "Dingbat ■F»ir*i!/ :: Yu»t ocastfti, wtfraUrt'rGi&u*" sals next week with a new musical comedy entitled "Ragtime a la Carte," headed by Maudie Phillips. It will o?>en in the New England ter- ritory, bound for New York.