Variety (November 1917)

: LEGITIMATE, u SHOWS AT THE BOX OFFICE IN THE FOUR BI GGEST CITIES Reports on Current Attractions in New York, Chicago, Phila- delphia and Boston. Broadway Attractions Hurt by Pre-Election Slump. Few Big Hits, But Busi- • ness Generally Reported Good. Out-of- Town Receipts Holding Up. Where are the hits? That is the question buzzing in the bonnets of the New York theatre managers at the present moment. There are really no hits in the legitimate drama outside of the two Belasco successes now in town, and as for the musical shows, "Jack o' Lantern" is the only big bet. The two spectacles "Chu Chin Chow" at the Manhattan and the show at the Hip- podrome are big money getters, but it is looked for the Century, which opens next week, to top them all. Since Variety's last box office esti- mate (Oct. 12), Broadway has been cluttered from end to end with fail- ures. Seven shows have been laid to rest in that time, out of 12 new ar- rivals, including the half dozen open- ings this week. Among the failures, that of Henry Miller in "Anthony in Wonderland" stands out as the most spectacular, although a great many admire that ac- tor-manager for his nerve in closing less than a week after his opening. It was believed that no matter how bad the play was Miller's name would have sufficient strength to attract for at least four weeks, but this theory was exploded. Another star who has failed to attract any great business is Billie Burke in "The Rescuing Angel." The other failures include "The Claim," "The Barton Mystery," "Land of the Free," "The Scrap of Paper," Saturday to Monday" and "Furs and Frills." The latter was to have gone to the storehouse lart Saturday, but it was bought by outsiders whom the au- thor interested and will be sent on the road. Last week witnessed a falling off at every house around town, the drop be- ing anywhere from $100 to $300 nightly. The managements figure that the usual pre-election depression, coupled with the fact that it was the last few days of the second Liberty Loan drive, caused the falling off in receipts. The cut rate market this week re- flected the slump the New York houses suffered. On the list posted in the Pub- lic Service Ticket Office where the house "regulars" are to be had were "Hitchy-Koo," "The Rescuing Angel," "Here Comes the Bride," "The Very Idea," "A Successful Calamity," "Eve's Daughter," "Misalliance," "Romance and Arabella," "Lombardi, Ltd," "Leave It to Jane," "Maytime," "De Luxe An- nie," "The Torches," "Broken Threads," "On With the Dance," "The Old Coun- try." Of the shows that closed last week "Furs and Frills," which was at the Casino, played to about $4,500 and "The Land of the Free" at the 48th street got $3,500. Variety's estimated returns at the box offices for the current attractions are as follows: M A Successful Calamity" (William Gillette, Plymouth, 3d week). Last week of this revival, playing to about $4,200. Leaves Saturday to make room for Marie Doro. "A Tailor Made .Man" (Cohan and Harris, 9th week). Nights and. Satur- day nights practically capacity. Wed- nesday matinees off. $12,000. "Broken Threads" (Fulton, 1st week). Opened Tuesday night. Notices fair. "Business Before Pleasure" (Eltinge, 12th week). Getting almost $12,650. weekly at $2.50 scale. Had been play- ing to $2 top and doing capacity. "Ch eer U»" (Hip pod rome, Uth wee k). Dropped to $51,000 last week after show had averaged $55,000 right along, with occasionally $57,000 and $58,000 weeks and one of almost $70,000. The corre- sponding week last year the house played to $34,000. The continued big business accounted for by management because of local interest in show, they figuring New Yorkers as two-thirds of their audience, basing figures on straw vote on election. "Chu Chin Chow" (Manhattan O. H., 2d week). Titanic spectacle brought to New York by Elliott, Comstock & Gest after two years' run in London. Opened strong to glowing notices, with- business the first week almost touch- ing $36,000; will do better this week. Indications are that it will run into the warm weather. "De Luxe Annie" (Cort, 8th week). Now playing its third theatre in New York, having opened at the Booth, played a week at the 39th Street and moving into the Cort Monday. Guar- anteeing the house $3,000, playing to about $4,200; $3,600 at the 39th last week. "Doing Our Bit" Winter Garden, 3d week). Show generally reported as weak. The opening at $5 a seat was pretty much a flop. Now playing at a $3 top scale without any great demand. Gross at this scale about $24,000. "Eyes of Youth" (Elliott, 10th week). Show plugging along and getting about $8,750 with outside aid through cut rates. "Hamilton" (George Arliss, Knicker- bocker, 6th week). Getting ready to move, having about exhausted the stars following. Reported at $9,800 gross last week. "Here Comes the Bride" (Cohan, 6th week). Holding on with week end business very big. Around $4,700. "Hitchy-Koo" (Raymond Hitchcock, 44th Street, 22d week). With the clos- ing in New York set for the middle of December, show is going along at a $11,000 gait. A drop of about $4,000. "Jack o' Lantern" (Fred Stone, Globe, 3rd week.) capacity. $23,000. "Leave It to Jane" (Longacre, 10th week.) With the show somewhat revamped since opening, it is running about $7,300, dropped a little below that figure last week. "The Land of Joy" (Park, 1st week). A combination Spanish and American operetta opened last night. Portion of company brought from Spain, played three weeks in Havana before coming to New York and touted as a novelty hit. "Lombardi, Ltd" (Morosco. 6th week). Show picked up steadily until it is al- most playing capacity on nights late in the week. With a little outside aid, the show is doing about $8,885. "The Love Drive" (Criterion, 1st week). Played under title of "Under Pressure" out of town. -Opened Tues- day night with the notices light. "Eve'. Daughter" (Playhouse, 4th week). Here is another star, Grace George, not attracting unusual busi- ness. Show getting about $4200. "The Masquerader" (Booth, 8th week). Moved over from the Lyric, now in its second week at this house. Played to about $7,400 last week; $600 off previous week. "Mitellance" (Broadhurst, 6th week). Leaving next week, business down to practically nothing; $6,400 last week. "Maytime" (Shubert, 11th week). Hanging on in the hope a suddent spurt may place it in the big hit class: $ , 1,- 500' last week. "Ok Boy" (Princess, 33d week). $6,100 last week and still going strong. The Old Country* (William Faver- sham, 39th Street. 1st week). Opened Tuesday night. Notices not strong. "On With the Dance" (Republic, 1st week). Opened Monday, receiving bad notices. Cast exceedingly strong. *Out There" (Laurette Taylor, Lib- erty, 6th week). Has but another fort- night; will be followed by "The Wooing of Eve"; $4,400 last week. "Peter Ibbetson" (48th Street, 9th week). Show moved from the Repub- lic this'week. Hotel buy at that house expired. With this the business held up to $8,580, but at the new house this week the business will drop way below that figure. "Polly With a Past" (Belasco, 9th week). Doing capacity, getting $12,800 a week; demand so big a series of ex- tra Tuesday matinees are to be given during this month. "Rambler Rose" (Empire, 9th week). About $11,000. "Riviera Girl" (New Amsterdam, 6th week). Down to $14,500. Outlook is that "The Rainbow Girl" will follow later. Current show is charging $250 and paying the tax to the Government. "Romance and Arabella" (Harris, 3d week).- In for four weeks, guarantee- ing the house $2,500 weekly. Notice up for closing Nov. 10. Played to $1,640 last week. "The Rescuing Angel" (Billie Burke, Hudson,' 4th week). Closing in New York Saturday. Will be sent on the road. Miss Burke has failed to at- tract. Last week the show got $4,900. "Pipes of Pan" follows in. "The Tiger Rose" (Lyceum, 5th week). Playing to the house capacity, $10,680 last week. "The Torches" (Bijou, 2d week). Opened last week and on four days got $3,100. Looked upon as a hit. "The Very Idea" (Astor, Uth week). Running a little over $9,000. "The Country Cousin" (Gaiety, 9th week). $7,400 last week. Chicago, Oct. 31. There are five hits in Chicago at present. Three are dramas and the other two musical comedies. The lat- ter are "Miss Springtime" at the Il- linois, and "Oh, Boy," at the La Salle. The drama hits are "Mr. Antonio," "The Man Who Came Back," and "Seventeen." The estimated takings at the local box offices for last week are: "Canary Cottage" (Olympic, 5th week.) With the war tax going into effect tomorrow this house is going to cnt admission to $1.50. The show got $6,900 last week. "The Judge of Zalamea" (Leo Dit- richstein, Cohan's Grand, 5th week.) Closes Saturday. Played to $5,800 last week. Selwyn's "Why Marry" with Goodwin, Daly and Breese due here Monday. "The Man Who Came Back" (Prin- cess, 6th week.) With a limited ca- pacity, getting $2.50 Saturday night, played to $13*400 last week. "Miss Springtime" (Illinois, 3rd week.) Show is getting $2.50 Satur- day nights and a flat 50-cent advance on all tickets to agencies and hotels. $16,800 last week. "Mister Antonio" (Powers, 8th week) $2 scale and not giving Sunday per- formances. Otis Skinner is a hit. Last week's gross hit $10,600. "Oh Boy" (La Salle, Uth week.) $2.50 Saturday and Sunday. Doing heavy billing out of town. $12,895 last week. "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath" (Colon- ial, 10th week.) One of the shows that seems to be slumping. $7,800 last week at a $1.50 scale with $2 Saturdays. "Seventeen" (Tiny Playhouse, 5th week.) Stuart Walker's company got $5,800 last week; considered phenom- enal, considering size of house. "The Thirteenth Chair" (Garrick, 9th week.) About $8,000. "Upstairs and Down" (Cort, 10th weeV) Included in the slump; $7,000 last week. ,«.. - « * The WUlow Tree" (Blackstone, 1st week.) Playing Sundays is against the usual policy of this house. Sltow won't do over $6,500. k . PhiTadelphia, Oct. 31. The opening of the "Follies" at the Forrest here Monday night knocked the business at all the other houses into a cocked hat. The "Follies" pulled $2300 the opening night. "Eileen" at the Lyric was second best with $1,- 585, while Ruth Chatterton in "Come Out of the Kitchen," got $600 and "The Boomerang" drew $8p0. "Mary's Ankle" in its third week got $480. Several of the shows here for a run last week passed away ^Saturday night. Of those remaining* the box office reports are based on last week's business while the new attractions are figured on possible business for the current week. "The Boomerang* (Garrick, 1st week). Opened to $800 Monday night "Cheating Cheaters, which closed last Saturday, played to about $7,000 on the week. "Come Out of the Kitchen" (Ruth Chatterton, Broad, 1st week). Opened to $600 Monday night. Maude Adams, in "A Kiss for Cinderella," closed here Saturday to $7,000 on the week. Con- sidered light for that star. "Eileen^ (Lyric, 1st week). Was the second best in point of receipts, open- ing Monday night. Looks like its in for a run. "The Brat," which closed, played to $6,000 the last week.' "FoHles" (Forrest 1st week. Show opened to $1,100 better on the first night than it did a year ago. Is in for two weeks only. Looks like the Forrest record will fall this week. "The Grass Widow." closing last Saturday after two weeks, played to $6,900. "Lonely Soldiers" (Margaret Anglin, Little, 3d week). . Miss Anglin, in a series of short plays, is attracting business. Show warmly praised and playing to-about $6,800. . "Mary's Ankle" (Adelphi, 3d week). Played to $8,100 last week. "So Long, Letty" (Walnut, 1st week). Didn't open strong. "The Wanderer" (Opera House, 7th week). The engagement has been ex- tended two weeks, which will bring the stay here to nine and one-half weeks, a record for a legitimate attrac- tion at this house. Last week the show played to $19,500, but looks like $24,000 this week. Leaves November 17. Boston, Oct. 31. "Captain Kldd" (Park Sq., 2nd week.) A little less than $5,000 last week. Leaves Saturday to make room for "The Grass Widow." "The Gay Lord Quex" fjohn Drew- Margaret Illington, Hollis Street^ 1st week.) Notices great; big week's busi- ness looked for. "Come Out of the Kitchen" closed last Saturday to a $6,- 000 week. "Kitty Darlin'" (Majestic, 1st week.) In for one week only; notices fair. Business should go over $9,000 on the week. "Seven Days' Leave," the new Daniel Frohman show which closed Saturday got $4,500 on the week. "The Star Gazer," a new Shubert production, opens at the house "cold" next week. -Love o' Mike" (Wilbur, 2nd week.) Holding its own at about $6,000. "The Music Master" (David Warfield, Colonial, 1st week.) The "Follies" closed here Saturday after an average business of $23,000 for each week. The advance for Warfield not as strong as expected. "Oh, Boy" (Plymouth) on its last two weeks here. Captured about $6,500 last week. "Passing Show" (Shubert.) Last week here. Played to $16,500 last week. "The Show of Wonders" next Mon- day. "Turn to the Right" (Tremont.) The run of this piece has been extended until Christmas. About $11,000 last week.