Variety (June 1917)

VOL. XLVII, No. 1 NEW YORK CITY, SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1917 PRICE TEN CENTS $1,000,000 CHARITY SHOW; AIDI NG RED CROSS FUND Walter F. Wanger Proposes to Present "Once Upon a Time" Under Auspices of Red Cross Organization. All Profits to Go to Charity. Mazfield Parrish Painting = = Scene. Models. Plans are underway next season of a trei tion of the fairy tale "! der the direction of Wl which will 1}e one of juncts to the Red Crol of which, it is hoped tj annually for that soci is to be entitled "Onc( Each season it will ret a new fairy tale. Eugene Walter is tol fairy tales and adapt] productions. Each ol to be done on a scalf the outlay of over $l{ initial curtain goes ui melodrama, ballet, in< a large chorus. It producer to carry a Maxfield Parrish is] last two sets to com; five for the products be nine tremendous Four are to be drot painted by Mr. Pai models alone will hai 000. Those already d able master works carried out to the uti Parrish, who has pail on wood, instead of I painting on paper ui models. One of the set pleted took six weeks they have been used completed, Mr. Parrii them. He has placed] of $10,000 each upon designs will also be Mr. Wanger has Marion Davies and appear in the piece. "Jack and the Beai tale that is under coi second season, musical extravagant title was produced at] At present the plinl tion are being helcf the big Capitol theaj and 51st street is coi ured "Once Upon ■ opening attraction at. AMERICANS th The Chicago, for American music abandoned by the 1 ung luc- lun- fer, ad- ins .000 icce le." rith inal lese are lean the be [and the the II of to told, {also mic 50,- jrit- tist, Mr. oil rash tenic torn- Lfter sets le of trice |drop to in to Fairy the \o a lame Iduc- intil iway fig- the 11. the leen led back to its owner, Charles Herman. When the house was converted from a cafe and dance hall, William Morris took charge and made it a money maker. However since the Shuberts took it over four or five years ago, the theatre has proven a loadstone and its managers have lost a small fortune try- ing to put it on a paying basis. The last attraction to play the house was "Very Goo4 Eddie." WOODS RELEASES ELTINCE. The agreement between Julian El- tinge and A. H. Woods, expiring Nov. 15 next was canceled by mutual con- sent Tuesday, with Mr. Eltingc re- ported to be taking up picture playing over the summer. Thia it the sixth year of Eltinge's phenomenally successful tours under the Woods management, the Woods of- fice having been the first to present the famous impersonator as an individual star in a legitimate attraction. While Eltinge somehow never con- nected in New York for a marked run, out of town he was a box office furore and often had to give extra and morn- ing matinees to accommodate the rush. SAWYER AND BARRIE AGAIN. The dancing act of Joan Sawyer and Nisei Barrie has again been formed, and will be placed for immediate time in vaudeville by Arthur Klein. Mr. Barrie was Miss Sawyer's first dancing partner on the stage. Of late he has been playing in pictures. Be- fore taking up dancing Mr. Barrie was quite well known as a player on the legit stage. CIRCUS LOTS CULTIVATED. An advance agent for a circus who has just been through the Illinois and Indiana territory reports that there is extreme difficulty in obtaining lots for the shows to play, because local com- munities have placed all of the available ground under cultivation. SIR GILBERT PARKER'S DRAMA. While in Arizona the past winter for his health, Sir Gilbert Parker, who has returned t east, finished a new drama, which will probably be produced by the Charles Frohman Co. SOLDIERS DRAWING SHOWS. Chicago, May 31. A possible reason why several east- ern managers have suddenly decided to send shows to the coast this summer, lies in the fact that at a number of cities there are now army and navy concentration points. A showman in discussing the situa- tion pointed out the recent army order making it illegal to serve or sell alco- holic liquors to men in uniform is good for theatricals since the average pay per month Is $42, figuring the of- ficers' pay with that of his men. The latest addition to the shows go- ing coastward is "Very Good Eddie." which leaves the Garrick here this week, breaking its two-week Journey with one-nighters. Ernest • Truex re- mains with the show, but there are to be a number of cast changes, the No. 2 "Eddie" filling the places of those not making the trip. Oscar Shaw returns to New York to start rehearsals for the musical version of "The College Widow." WAR NOT A JOKE. Fred Hildebrand, formerly appearing in vaudeville with Boland and Hilde- brand. called the other day at the Avia- tion Corps to enlist. Mr. Hildebrand stands over six feet and is quite thin. Prepared to undergo the physical ex- amination, a sergeant standing near-by looked him over, then felt of his arm, and remarked, "Say, young fellow, do you know that this war is on the level?" CRITIC AND P. A. MARRYING. Hey wood Broun, until a few weeks ago the dramatic critic of the •Tribune," andRuth Hale, press representative for Arthur Hopkins, are to be married shortly according to intimate friends. Mr. Broun has left "the Trib." to be- come the chief of staff of the press cen- sorship bureau in Washington. DENVER UNION PROVIDING. Denver, May 31. The Denver Stage Employes Union, No. 7, will pay $1 a day to every single and $2 a day to every married member who enlists or is drafted, during the entire term of his enlistment. The union has also subscribed for $1,000 worth of Liberty loan bonds and has provided the entire equipment of a room for a Red Cross base hos- pital. MOOSER PRODUCING. George Mooser, formerly general manager for the Oliver Morosco Of- fices, is arranging to produce at least two new shows under his own man- agement next season. Mooser plans to remain on Broad- way and already has started in on his new production plans. FAIRS EXEMPT? Cincinnati, May 31. Congressman A. W. Overmyer, of the Committee on Agriculture { has notified Myers Y. Cooper, of this city, president of the Ohio Fair Managers' Associa- tion, consisting of 80 agricultural so- cieties, that in his opinion Ohio fairs will be exempt from having their ad- mission fees taxed during the war. Cooper stated that the fairs will prove valuable to the government's proposed food increased food produc- tion campaign. Liberal prizes are be- ing offered by fair boards to stimulate interest in vegetable and stock raising. PASS TAX BOTHERSOME. Call it a "broad," "ducket," "skull" or just plain pass, for no matter what you call it, it is the wherewith to crash" past the door keeper, but the same wherewith is to carry a burden from this time forth. It has been writ- ten down and set forth in the new War Tax measure that each free ticket to a place of amusement must carry a stamp and the stamp must be paid tor by the user of the ticket who must cancel it by writing his name across the fact of the stamp. The management of the Orpheum, Brooklyn (ore of the Keith houses) is the first to send a notification to the daily papers regularly receiving passes that in the future none would be sent out, but that those authorized may call for the seats at the box office. In a measure the idea of cancelling free pass stamps will undoubtedly do away with the misuse of courtesies the theatre managers extend rather too freely. ORPHEUM PRODUCED SKETCHES. Next season in vaudeville may see a few playlets produced under the per- sonal direction of the Orpheum cir- cuit heads. Martin Beck is reported to hsve fav- orably passed upon three or four sketches which will be staged before the new season starts. The Orpheum's general manager. Harry Singer, has also a couple of ■ketches selected from several read, which he will order placed in stage form. EMMT WEHLEN TO RETURN. Emmy Wehlen has announced her intention to desert the picture field next season and according to her pres- ent plans will return to musical com- edy. "FOLLIES" AT $5 FOR OPENING. Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., has decided the opening night prices for the "Follies" at the Amsterdam will be $5 per seat This will give the house a capacity of $6.000 for that -performan ce.