Variety (November 1917)

— . •■- —- — - LEG I T IMATE, .— 15 THEATRES DROPPING 75c r SEATS J TO AVOID HANDLING PENNIES Second Balconies to be Scaled at Fifty Cents and a Dollar. Wednesday Matinees at 75 Cents Only, Doing Away With Eight Cent Tax Levy. DROPPING 75C. SEATS. The War Tax on Admissions is re- sponsible for the dropping of the 75c. theatre ticket into the discard at prac- tically all of the legitimate ($2) thea- tres in New York. It is the question of handling the 8c. tax on those seats that is causing the theatre managers for the greater part to pass up the 75c. admission price. The majority are making a $1 charge for the front rows of the second balconies which formerly sold at 75c. A couple of years ago the Globe theatre switched its second balcony price from 50c and 75c to $1, while "Chin Chin" was the attraction. With "Jack o' Lantern" they have again scaled the upper tier at that price. The Eltinge theatre was the first to announce the passing of the six bits seats with the coming of the tax and already several other houses have fallen in line. The Longacre announced its change this week. Hereafter 75c. seats at that house will only be available at Wed- nesday matinee performances. SHOWS OPENING. Gus Hill's newly organized minstrel show, with two bands, George Wilson as one of its principal burntcork artists, Charles Williams managing and carrying 50 people, according to present claims, will open Nov. 12, the place yet to be definitely selected. Richard Lambert's new show, featur- ing Eleanore Painter, opens its season Nov. 9 in Portland, Me. Lambert plans to bring the show into New York if it shows Broadway strength. "For The Love O' Mike," direction LefTler Bratton, Inc.. opened Saturday in Binghamton, N. Y. J. D. Jameson is handling the advance. The Creatore Grand Opera Co., which opened a road tour two weeks ago and to all appearances, is doing exceptionally well, opens an indefinite engagement in Boston, Nov. 5. An arrangement was made within the past few days whereby all of the road territory, with the exception of certain "big city" time, will be played by two "Mary's Ankle" companies under the direction of Sam H. Blair. The former New York company of the May Tully piece has extended engage- ments underlined for Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. Blair's companies are now being formed and both are expected to get under way in nearby towns on Thanksgiving Day. Blair recently returned to New York after having personally directed the tour of "Good Night, Boys," which was backed bv William Sherry, the picture man. 'Tis understood that Sherry, who dropped something like $30 v 000 on his theatrical plunge, is also in on the "Mary's Ankle" proposition. "Barbara," produced by Arthur Hop- kins and starring Marie Doro, opened at the Playhouse, Wilmington, Del., last night. The cast in support was John Miltern, Frank Bacon, Margaret Fealy, Helen Tracey, Lillian Dix, Rob- ert Hudson, Walter Greene and Eva Bake. This play by Florence Lincoln, lias its Manhattan premiere at the Plymouth next week. "Why Marry?" opens tomorrow (Saturday) night at Hartman's opera house, Columbus. An all-star cast is announced including Nat Goodwin, Arnold Daly, Edmund Brecse, Beatrice Beckley and Estelle Windward. The show goes into Chicago, playing Cohan's Grand. "Losing Eloise" with Charles Cherry and Lucille Watson was presented by the Selwyns in Wilmington, Del., Mon- day. This show may come into the Harris theatre, New York, succeeding "Romance and Arabella." Arrangements have been set for "Princess Pat," under the direction of Fred Mayer and William Sweskinds, with Mayer personally managing and Sam M. Dawson in advance, to open a road tour Nov. 7 in Somer/ilJe, N, J. Some of the principals are Annette Ford, Geneveve Vernard, William H. Sloan, Neil Moore, John Reinhard. 'The Three Bears," by Edwards Childs Carpenter and staged by B. Iden Payne, opened at Detroit Monday night. Ann Murdock is starred,*this being her first stage appearance since "Please Help Emily," which failed early last season. The Charles Frohman office is producing the new show, Miss Mur- doch's main support being Jerome Pat- rick and Rex McDougal. "The Pipes of Pan," by Edward Childs Carpenter, produced by the Sel- wyns, opened at the Playhouse, Wil- mington, last week. The show has Norman Trevor and Janet Beecher featured. The same firm has two addi- tional openings within the next week. "Mme. Cecile* opens in Wilmington next week and "Why Marry" is sched- uled to open in Columbus Nov. 1, jump- ing from there to Chicago. UNITED MANAGERS PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION Standard Box Office Statement City State Theater Attraction Theater Management Date Weather Performance Totals Total Tax Certified Correct Theatre Manager. Company Manager. OFFICIALLY APPROVED ROX OFFICE STATEMENT A hove is a reprint of the form of statement approved hy the Treasury and Internal Ih'venue Departments. The form wns drown hy I,I(iON JOHNSON, itttornev for the Inited Managers' Protective Association, and submitted hy him and PAT CASEY (of the Vaudeville Managers' Protective Association) to the heads of the departments In Washing- ton last week. WAR TAX EFFECTIVE. (Continued from page .9.) daring it wai not a time when picture' men should seek to gain profit through a war measure by raising the admission a nickel and paying the tax from their receipts. On a motion "to make the war tax a separate item collected from the individual purchaser on the basis of the price of the ticket purchased," the vote was unanimous. FOUR WRITERS COMPETING. The first production this season by Winchell Smith and John L. Golden will be from one of four authors who are supplying the producers with as many plays, and as the firm intends to present the first piece finished, there has developed a sort of race for that honor. All four are playwrights of note, and each has promised delivery of manuscript by Nov. 7th or 11th. Sal- isbury Field is writing "Love and Let Love ; Langdon Mitchell is doing a play called "The Picnic"; Austin Strong is calling his piece "Three Wise Men," and Winchell Smith is complet- ing "You'd Never Believe It.". That Mr. Smith is interested in the produc- ing end of the firm is no reason why his newest effort will be given pre- cedence in production. A larger suite of offices is being taken by Smith and Golden, the top (third) floor of the Hudson theatre building. This space has up until now been a living apartment occupied by Howard Schnebbe, general manager of the estate of Henry B. Harris, and has a separate outside entrance. The firm would not move elsewhere through superstition, admitted by one member. "PAUL" STOPS. "Good Night Paul" closed in Albany Saturday, after bucking the onc- nighters for a week. Ralph Herz pre- ceded the company to this city. The show which opened in Chicago as "Oh So Happy" was also ki\own as "Thin Ice," lias reverted to its author, Charles Dickson. Negotiations to pro- duce it as originally written were on early this week, the author having received several offers. Originally "Paul" had musical num- bers, composed by H. B. Olson, but only a few were employed in the Herz Cresentation. When, the piece was rought to the Hudson, New York, it was awarded good newspaper notices and for a time, the prospects were that it would develop into a success. H. H. Frazee first had "Paul" for pro- duction. Jack Welch was concerned with Herz when it was first put on, but lost interest following Herz's methods. "ODDS AND ENDS" DELAY. It is stated that despite all official reports to the contrary the new Nor- worth theatre will not be ready for occupancy November 19; in fact, won't be completed before December 15. It is understood all financial diffi- culties, supposed to be responsible for the delay in completing both the Rush & Andrews playhouses in West 48th street, have now been cleared away. A "downtown" man named Moran has interested himself in the enterprises. "Odds and Ends," the Norworth show, continues to do excellent busi- ness on the road, and could come into another New York house if not wait- ing for its own theatre to be finished. Mrs. Foster Krake Divorce Bent. Milwaukee, Oct. 31. Mrs. Viola Ellis Krake, of this city, has filed suit in Grand Rapids, Mich., for divorce from Foster Krake, whom she married in 1 ( 'M5 while both were in musical comedy in San Francisco. After the wedding the couple en- gaged in concert work, but later be- came estranged. The husband is said to he in the officers' training camp at Fort Sheridan, 111.