Variety (September 1917)

12 LEGITIMATE X X' CHICAGO TICKET AGENCIES BEING EDUCATED IN "BUY OUTS" Westerners Started In on ^'Oh, Boy/' Other Managements Insisting on Big Purchases. Agencies Taking 325 Seats Nightly for "Canary Cottage"; 300 for **13th Chair/' Chicago, Sept. 19. Since the eight weeks' buy of tickets on "Oh, Boy" by the local ticket agencies, which was the first deal of the kind here, there appears to be a tendency on the part of producers to insist on similar arrangements for at- tractions stamped as a metropolitan success. •The Thirteenth Chair" has the sup- port of the brokers, they taking 300 seats each performance. Early this week a deal was made by Jay Barnes, of the Morosco staff, for the agencies to take over 325 seats each performance for eight weeks on "Canary Cottage," opening at the Olympic, Sept. 30. Ernie Young, Wa- terfall and Oppenheimer will handle 150 tickets, the rest going to the Couthoui agency. It was first planned to present "Ca- nary Cottage" here at a $1.50 top, but the general prosperity enjoyed by the legitimate attractions thus far and the willingness of the brokers to accept the buy, led to the top being set at $2. The agencies are paying a premium of 25 cents per ticket. All the agen- cies are handling "Oh, Boy" tickets and have been doing so since the sec- ond week of the show's opening. HOLDING BACK ON ''BUY OUTS/' The New York theatre managers and the hotel ticket agencies are in a quandary at present regarding the steps the Government is going to take in collection of the War Tax. That there has been no definite settlement as to what the law is to finally be is causing the hotelmen at least to hold back on making "outright buys" for shows at least beyond the Nov. 1 date wheh the Tax Law as finally passed is to become eflfective. The result is that the buy for "The Riviera Girl," opening at the Amster- dam next week, the new Fred Stone show, for the Globe late next month, and several of the other new shows on their way with early New York openings assured, are all being held up at present. The hotels and Klaw & Erlanger finally got together Tuesday and a buy for the first eight weeks of the production was arranged, the gross reaching within $300 of $80,000. ADVERTISING GRAND OPERA. Chicago, Sept. 19. Something new in efforts at popu- larizing grand opera has been mapped out by the Chicago Opera Association management, which, it seems, is solely in the hands of Campanini. The latter has been so busily en- grossed up to now arranging for his four-week season at the Lexington Ave. opera house, New York, this win- ter, that he gave little attention to subscriptions here. It has been virtually decided on to enter into large advertising campaign in the Chicago dailies. Between $.^0,- (1()0 ;m(1 S.'^O.OOO will he cpcnt so, the idea being to force business into the s« nts srlliTip from ^^ cents to $3 at the Auditorium. The reason for the move is found in the discovery sub- scriptions for the lower priced seats was not up to expectations. Last year cut rates for clubs and parties were not very successful. Up to now concert and operatic managers have pinned their faith to blue book and social register mailing lists. This popular advertising campaign, therefore, will be watched with inter- est, for it is "new stuff" for grand opera managers. Subscriptions to the higher priced seats is, as reported in Variety sometime ago, considerably ahead of last year. TYLER'S 17-YEAR-OLD "FIND." Rochester, N. Y., Sept. 19. George Tyler, here for the opening of "Pollyanna" (Coast company), at the Empire Monday, is enthusiastic over his discovery who is playing the lead in the production. The girl, 17 years old, is Helen Hayes, who was a child actress with Lew Fields in several productions, and her present manager proclaims her as one of the stars within a very few seasons. The next production that George Tyler is to make is entitled "The Dancer," to go in rehearsal in about a fortnight. "POST" SHOW CALLED OFF. Charles 6. Dillingham called off the production of "General Post" after witnessing a full dress rehearsal of the piece at the Century Sunday night. Mr. Dillingham and his wife were the only ones present in the auditorium. The piece has been in rehearsal for a number of weeks under the direc- tion of Frederick Latham. An entire English company had been engaged, a noted English actor by the name of Alderson having been brought from England for the titular role under an eight weeks' contract. HOW FLO AND HITCHY SETTLED. The row on between Charles Dilling- ham and Florenz Ziegfeld on one side and Raymond Hitchcock on the other has finally been thrashed out to the satisfaction of all concerned. As a result, Hitchy has promised to appear in the Cocoanut Grove show atop of the Century, after he finishes with his own show further downtown. WIDOW MURPHY MARRYING? Dame Rumor has it the widow of the late Joseph (Kerry Gov/) Murphy is to remarry and that a certain Irish actor is mentioned as being the prospective groom. When Murphy died he bequeathed considerable money and real estate to his widow. CARTER DE HAVEN, PRODUCER. Carter De Haven and Fred Jackson have formed a partnership to produce. They have oflRces in the Amsterdam Theatr^ Building and already have two productions under consideration. The first will be called "Ba, Ba, Black Sheep.* t> "BUTTERFLIES" AGAIN. Smith & Golden are preparing to place a revised script of "Poor But- terflies" into rehearsal in about two weeks. Salisbury Field has romplrtpd re- writing and reconstructing the play. I'he same men have accepted a new play by Frank Beacon and will be ready to select the cast in about three weeks. NO CHORUSMEN AT CENTURY. The handsome, dashing, gayly prauc- :.Tg boys of tnc chorus received d crutl shock at the Century last week where a host of their ilk gathered for jobs in "Miss '17." They became so insistent Ned Way- burn finally permitted them on the stage, and after lining them up made a speech in which he expressed the sen- timents of Flo Ziegfeld anent chorus- men in general and those present in particular. The substance of the speech was that there were to be no chorusmen at the Century this season or any succeeding seasons during the war. Ziegfeld felt every chorusman should have a gun on his shoulder and be doing his bit for the country. As a further punch it was added that there would be no chorusmen in the "Follies" next season either. At the Empire, where the Frohman production of "The Rambler Rose" is playing, with a male chorus of 14, there is an announcement in the program re- garding the members of the organiza- tion that are subject to the draft, which states "The following members of the company are subject to draft and hold the 'red ink' numbers as given: Mal- colm Murray, No. 1575; Perry Higgins, No. 2656; Kenneth Tudo, No. 311; Jack Donnelly, No. 48; Bernard Fntze, No. 847; Garrett Carroll. No. 639; Alexan- der Morrissey, No. 2718, and Jack Bick, No. 435." Over 50 per cent of the chor- usmen in that one show are eligible for service. AUDITORIUM CLOSED. Des Moines, la., Sept. 19 Des Moines' oldest playhouse—Audi- torium—is dark after elaborate prep- arations had been made to reopen it as the city's headquarters for drama and light comedy. In its place, if negotiations are pro- mulgated, will rise a new half-million dollar theater. Two weeks ago "The Little Girl That God Forgot"—an International Circuit show—played a week at the house to the worst business in the history of local theatricals. The house was immediately closed, although almost an entire season's bookings had been contracted for. New York and Chicago theatrical men were here all last week looking for a site for a new legitimate house and there was talk of razing the old Auditorium and erecting a new play- house in its place. DITRICHSTEIN SHORT ON SUPERS. Chicago, Sept. 19. "The Judge of Zalamea," Leo Ditrich- stein's adaptation of a Spanish classic, started rehearsing here Monday and is due to open at Cohan's Grand Sept. 30. The show calls for an extraordinary number of supers—150. When specifi- cation*: regarding the supers were read it was found the types so varied the task of obtaining the full quota would be diflRcult of accomplishment and the number was cut to 75. Both George M. Cohan and Sam Har- ris will be on hand for the premiere. It is said that this will have been Mr. Cohan's first visit to Chicago in two years. PERSHING DRAMATIZED. Hal Reid has gone and done it. General Pershing, now leading the United States Army in France, is to be the hero of his next melodrama, placed in rehearsal Wednesday. The piece is entitled "Capt. Russell of the IT. S. A.." and it is to play the International Circuit. Rep Better Than Local Stocks. Stock companies adjacent to New York City are not doing as well as ex- pected, while traveling repertoire out- fits in eastern territory have done re- markably well so far. MISUSING ""OVER THERE." Chicago, Sept. 19. According to advtrtis'fe'mcnts'of thii show one Billy S. Clifford is touring, it is billed as "Billy S. Clifford, in 'Over There' by George M. Cohan." Mr. Cohan's New York attorneys have instructed their Chicago repre- sentatives to take immediate action against Clifford for the misuse of his name. George M. Cohan has never written a play called "Over There." The song of that title was written by him. There is a Billy Single Clifford, so called, who has toured the middle- west and south of recent seasons un- der his own management, in musical pieces. PRODUCERS WOMEN SHY. During the past week producers do- ing musical shows and revues for the coming winter sent out a cry for "name women." Klaw & Erlanger are looking for several women with names for the Gene Buck revue, the next production they are to stage; Cohan & Harris are after women for the Cohen Revue of 1917, to be produced about Christmas time; Hitchcock and Goetz are also after women for their new revue, and the Shuberts have sent their scouts out for new names and faces for several musical shows they have in prospect. HOUSE RECORD TOTTERING. Detroit, Sept. 19. The house record at the Detroit O. H. is now tottering with "Turn to the Right" as the attraction. The show opened to $1,533 Monday night and the advance indicates all previous gross re- ceipts are to be topped this week. The show is here for two weeks. George Kingsbury, the company manager, leaves for a three weeks' vacation to supervise the advent of a new American citizen. Eddie Cooke will come on from New York to re- place him during that time. CENTURY EXPECTS FOREIGNER. It seems the Century management is building up its faith for a "big name woman" for the new production in Al Levering fulfilling a mission which took him to Europe five wetcks ago. It is to secure the signature of the woman to a Century contract. The Century people are expecting daily to hear from Levering by cable. It is understood Ethel Levy is the woman abroad the Dillingham-Zieg- feld management wants. CORRIGAN'S LIFE INSURANCE It is related, distinct and apart from any press agency connected with the H. H. Frazee management, that Em- mett Corrigan has declined to accept the role proffered him in "Drafted" un- less Mr. Frazee insures his life. The story of the piece has to do with a German and a girl, with the foreigner made despicable, which through the German stage atmosphere placed about him in these times, Mr. Corrigan believes justifies his demand. The James Montgomery piece has been renamed "Drafted" and will be produced about Oct. 1. In the cast besides Mr. Corrigan art W. H. Thompson, Pauline Lord, Lizzie Hudson Collier, Harry Brown, Allan Dinehart. JOLSON'S "GOOD FRIDAY." "Robinson Crusoe. Jr.," with Al Jol- son, is due in this section shortly on its return from the coast. The show will actually close Nov. 24 at New Haven, which will be its third showing there. The company then immediately be- gins rehearsals for a new Winter Gar- den show, due around New Year's. The tentative title fo** the new Jolson show is "Good Fridav," with Jolson retain- ing the same role as now.