Variety (November 1917)

la LEGITIMATE K. & E.'S COAST STOCK VENTURE CLOSED, A FTER ST EADY LOSSES Klaw & Erlanger's Western Stock Company Wound Up in Sacramento, with "Sick Abed/' Only One Winning Week. Firm Expected to Supplant Morosco as Coast's Leading Legitimate Producer. ERRATIC ONE-NIGHT BUSINESS. "STAR MANGLED" INSISTED WON, Los Angeles, Oct. 31. Following instructions from Klaw & Erlanger's office in New York, Joseph Montrose in Sacramento Sunday closed Klaw & Erlanger's western stock com- pany playing "Sick Abed." The reason announced for disband- ing is continued poor business. It is known that the circuit has not been making money since its inception and it it said the company has had but one winning week—the opening one in San Francisco. The players will return to Los An- geles and general manager Montrose will leave shortly for New York to dis- cuss affairs with K. & E. The K. & E. Coast stock was organ- ized according to reports at the time to combat this territory with Oliver Morosco, the largest Coast producer of legitimate attractions. Members of the K. & E. firm trav- eled over this section making elabor- ate announcements of their intentions and engaged Mr. Montrose from the Morosco forces. AMERICAN SPECTACLE IN LONDON. Boccaccio's "Decameron" written by an American is to be produced in Lon- don for the first time on any stage by an American, also. A combination of fix of the stories of the "Decameron" have been evolved into a stage spec- tacle by Robert McLaughlin, who wrote -The Eternal Magdalen." William J. Wilson, the stage director and producer, is taking the script abroad in the near future for pro- duction at the Drury Lane next spring in association with Arthur Collins and the J. L. Sachs Syndicate. The London Syndicate with the suc- cess of "Chu Chin Chow" in mind has been casting about for a spectacle along similar lines and during the cur- rent week decided the work of the Cleveland author was just what was wanted. Mr. Wilson will sail for London early next month and take with him a revue to be produced at the Alhambra by the Sachs people. He will carry with him the rights for "In Shanghai," a comic opera fantasy by Isador Witmark and Ernest Duncan. Cohan & Harris' "Go- ing Up" and "The Lilac Domino." The latter is to be placed in rehearsal dur- ing November. The production of an American piece al the Drury Lane will be a most she returned to America, her home being in Oakland ,Cal. Letters to "Iba," as she called the Prince, brought no succor, and she re- sorted to legal recourse. Letters through her lawyer to the royal family finally brought about an agreement. and in the spring of 1914 she prepared to go abroad with her attorney, Her- man L. Roth. They were to go to Cai- ro, where, it had been agreed, she was to be given $250,000 in settlement. With Mr. Roth she was then to go to Paris and arrange for a divorce. The war broke out on the eve of their departure, and the trip was never started. Prince Hassan was arrested in Paris at the beginning of hostili- ties, since it was known that the house of Ottoman was favorable to Germany. Hassan was accused of being a spv and is at present held in an English de- tention camp. It is known, too, that the prince, when acting in the British consular service, was really working against England, and made many trips to Berlin long before the war broke out. His estate in Paris was confis- cated. Miss Hirmphrey, who had a Paris mansion in her own name, turned it over to the French Government for hospital purposes. Lately she has been working in pictures. DIED FROM WEIGHT REDUCING. Marjorie Lane, a chorus girl with "Doing Our Bit" at the Winter Gar- den, died Oct. 31 at the Flower Hos- pital, New York. The cause of her sudden death was attributed to a patent medicine in pill form which she took to reduce weight, the medicine turning her blood to water and eventually resulting in death. The remains were shipped to her home in St. Louis. "HITCHY KOO" CLOSING SET. The closing date for "Hitchy Koo" at the 44th Street Theatre has been set for Dec. 16, through Raymond Hitchcock, the star of the attraction, assuming the lead in the new revue Mr. Hitchcock and Ray Goetz will present at the same theatre for the first time Christmas Eve. "Hitchy Koo" is the first of the Hitchcock & Goetz joint productions. It opened in the summer and has been phenomenally successful. Among those already engaged for the new revue are Sam Bernard, Wel- radical departure in policy for that^ljngton (Duke) Cross and the Dolly theatre. For almost two score of years ^Sisters, all of the big productions for the Drury Lane have been written by Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton Vincent Sullivan, the American tenor, has been specially engaged for 'The Lilac Domino," and will sail in a few weeks. Robert Emmett Keane has been placed under contract for "Going Up" when it is produced in London. OLA HUMPHREY STILL MINUS. An insignificant suit involving $26 begun by Elsie Ulmann against Ola Hassan, brings to light some data re- garding the defendant,, who is really the beautiful Ola Humphrey. Miss Humphrey, who at times, supported Sir Henry Irving and more latterly for Beerbohm-Tree. was married in Lon- don in 1911 to Prince Ibrahim Hassan, nephew to the Khedive of Egypt and hejreapparent to the throne. A year later the royal mate deserted her, and STUDEBAKER 6PENING. Chicago, Oct. 31. The Studebaker, entirely redecorated and invested with dignity and beauty, will open Nov. 5. Louis Juda, now auditor of the Princess and Garrick theatres, was appointed manager of the Studebaker, notwithstanding the tid- ings from the Shubert offices that Charles Greneker would officiate. Juda will also continue his auditing activi- ties. The maiden production of the re- born Studebaker will be William Gil- lette in Clare Kummer's "A Success- ful Calamity." It is reported that after seven weeks of Gillette, the Studebaker will go in for musical comedy, and will be de- voted to that branch of theatricals thereafter. The first of the musical attractions will be "Maytime," ex- pected to remain through the winter, when the Raymond Hitchcock show will come in for the summer. Chicago, Oct. Ji. There is an erratic brilliancy to the one-night stand business in the mid- western territory that defies analysis. Those that are going are going in a record-breaking style. Those that are not are dying suddenly. The strange feature is that some city hits are being neglected and some that never saw a city are strong. Sunday, Octcber 21, at the Orpheum, Sioux Falls, "My Soldier GirP hung up a mark when it drew $1,632. At the Metropolitan, two days previous, the show got $1,187. It plays $1.50 top. • Fiske O'Hara. with his r 'Man from Wicklow's," received with comparative apathy at the Olympic, Chicago, some weeks ago, is playing capacity at $1.50 top in the one-n:ght stands at Green Bay, Appleton, Qshkosh and other Wisconsin points. At La Crosse one night last week the show got $2200. Bernhardt has been selling out «at the Illinois stands—at Springfield, Jacksonville, Peoria and Galesburg; in Iowa, at Danville, Iowa City and Clinton. In two towns—Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, October 26-27 respec- tively, the vaudeville houses gave up their regular bills to accommodate her, and in each instance the house was sold out. Gaskell & McVitty't "End of a Per- fect Day" has been playing capacity at Sterling, Savannah, Janesville, Mon- roe. Waukesha and Kenosha. "Soldier's Bride" is having the same kind of business in such stands as Neenah, New London and Two Rivers. Two companies of Ralph Ketter- ing's "The Marriage Question" are now rehearsing in Chicago, prepara- tory to taking to the road. The one destined for the east will open in South Bend and the company which will play the International Circuit in Mil- waukee. On the other hand, Stern's No. 2 "Good Gracious Annabelle" closed November 1 in Joliet, the company dis- banding. The No. 1 company is play- ing eastern city time. Harry Segall's "Make Yourself at Home" is finding the going very rough after four weeks. The show opened at Michigan City. Last week five members of the com- pany came back to Chicago with very discouraging reports. John Bonero's "Going Straight" closed Saturday after, a seven-week run on Interna- tional time. The title didn't seem to draw. SELECTION FOR BLANCHE BATES. With the choice of her next starring vehicle narrowed down to two manu- scripts, Blanche Bates will not make a final selection before December. Miss Bates will again appear under the direction of Joseph Conoly, who expects to open the new Bites play about December 15. Conoly already has out "Pals First," with Tim Murphy and Glenn White f>laying the two pals. William L. Mal- ey is managing, with Henry Penny- packer in advance. COMMUNITY OPERA. At the Lambs Club Sunday is ex- pected to be a meeting for the placing afoot of a movement for opera along American lines. Attending the meet- ing are announced John Philip Sousa, Raymond Hitchcock. DeWolf Hopper, C. E. Le Massena. editor of "The Musi- cal Advance," and William G. Stewart, stage director of the Hippodrome. The plan is to promote a season of the better known light operas in a New York theatre, to be secured, with the venture made co-operative through community subscriptions, with any profits reverting to those subscribing. CLOSED IN YONKERS. "Leave It to Me" was short lived on its road tour, the show ending abruptly last Friday night in Yonkers, N. Y. The distance back to New York was short. Providence, R. I.. Oct. 31. The concert by the German-born prima donna, Frieda Hempel, booked for Fay's next Sunday night has been put under ban by the board of police commissioners of this city. Under one condition only will the noted soloist be allowed to appear here and that is that she sing "The Star Spangled Ban- ner" at some time during the evening. Frieda Hempel was booked to appear under the management of Albert M. Steinert, president of a big piano firm here. It was Mr. Steinert himself who brought to the attention of the police commissioners rumors of Mme. Hem- pel's indifference to patriotic American music. Mr. Steinert says: "I have sent Madame Hempel an ultimatum. I want to know definitely whether she will or will not sing The Star Spangled Ban- ner' I have told her manager in New York both by special delivery letter and day letter that there will be no concert unless the prima donna sings 'The Star Spangled Banner.'" The "Star Spangled Banner" was not played last night at Infantry Hall by Dr. Karl Muck s Boston Symphony Or- chestra, although its rendition had been requested by society women represent- ing eight club's in this city. The society women were refused ad- mission to the hall (where Geraldine Farrar also sang at last night's con- cert). They were informed all seats were sold, although several rows ( of seats in the hall remained empty during the evening. The orchestra members hurried from the city after the concert and it is^ be- lieved their hasty action avoided serious trouble for them. Major F. Lee Higginson of Boston and a prominent financier of that city is patron for the orchestra. He came here when the trouble started to brew. The Boston Orchestra is booked to reappear in Providence several times this winter. Unless the National an- them is played by it the next time, an outbreak is looked for. POLICE SHOW DOES $22,000. Chicago, Oct. 31. The first week of the Policemen's Benefit show, "Stop. Look, Listen," at the Auditorium, ending last Saturday, did a gross of $22,813. The Saturday nieht business was $3,146. Tfye production, belonging to Gus Hill and Martin Sampter, is said to have gone into the Auditorium on a $10,000 guarantee. Perrin Kelly is also interested, according to the account, he having been declared in through having secured the Police Benefit date. The latter is for two weeks, ending this Saturday. TWO SHOWS BIG ON ROAD. From different parts of the country- side come glowing reports of big busi- ness at the box office, with several companies laying claim to outdoing the other. Perhaps the biggest business done in nearby towns so far Tiave been registered bv Arthur Hammerstein's "Katinka" and Charles Dillingham's "Chin Chin" (with Doyle and Dixon). The exact takings of these two shows since opening are not known along Broadway, although both are away ahead on the season. CARLE THROUGH ON COAST. San Francisco, Oct. 31. Richard Carle completes his eight weeks' contract with the Alcazar Pro- ducing Co. this week and retires from the cast. According to reports Carle's engagement has not been a success- ful one from a financial standpoint so far as the management is concerned. In his final production, "Nobody Home." Carle's opportunities were limited. Though supposed to be starred his name was not used in the lights nor in the newspaper advertisements.