Variety (January 1918)

12 LEGITIMATE, if EIGHT "BUYS" RUNNING NOW DESP ITE AG ENCIES' HOWL Entrance of 1918 Finds Premium Men Still Buying in Face of Recent "Burnings." Revue and "Going Up" Buys for Four Weeks Only. Despite that the greater part of the hotel agencies let out a groan several weeks ago that there were to be no more "buys" in the future, there are buys running for eight theatres with the advent of 1918. For the greater part the "buys" are not "buys" in the sense that they were some few months ago, but nevertheless the agencies arc tak- ing seats in quantity for some produc- tions with the proviso a certain per- centage of returns is permitted. The Astor has a buy for four weeks, with the brokers taking 275 seats a night with return privileges, but there are but two other new productions that have had seats en block taken by the agency men. They are "Going Up" at the Liberty and "The Cohen Revue of 1918" at the Amsterdam. For both of these attractions seats for four weeks to the number of 300 a night have been bought at the flat box office price with a return privilege of one-third lying with the agencies. $ The other buys running are the Globe (Fred Stone show), five weeks to run. This show took more or less of a tumble in the agencies for the New Year's Eve performance, which was $5 at the box office. It brought the price with the tax to $5.50 and on the outside the brokers were forced to ask for $6.50 for the seats. All the other houses were sold out long before the Globe, although the demand for that house was strong, the majority of prospective purchasers changing to another attraction when the price was quoted. After the othei houses had cleaned out the Globe tick- ets were finally disposed of, with the rack cleaned for the performance. The buy for "The King" at the Cohan has three additional weeks to run; "A Tailor Made Man" at the C. & H. and "Doing Our Bit" at the Winter Garden, two weeks each, and "Miss 1917" at the Century, which runs out this week with the production itself. The latter buy was but for one additional week over the first eight weeks, in order the agencymen could have the house on hand for the New Year's Eve perform- ance. One of the strange insights on how the prices fluctuate for certain nights was brought to light when prices were asked for two seats for New Year's Eve for "Polly With A Past." Louis Cohen's agency asked $4.50 each for two in the 13th row; the United wanted $4 each for two in the 12th row, and Alexander asked $3.80 apiece for two in the 11th row. Along the street late on New Year'a Eve Globe seats were quoted by Ty- son's at $6, the regular 50-cent advance over the box office and war tax com- bined for that house. WEBER VS. K. & E. Jos. Weber and Klaw & Erlanger have had a clash, the reason the abrupt ending of the run of "Her Regiment" at the Knickerbocker Saturday. According to a story current Weber was asked to visit the K. & E. offices last week and declare himself regard- ing the future bookings of "Her Regi- ment" after it left New York. Weber informed them he had arranged with the Shuberts when he first brought the show to New York and would have to stand by the route given, especially so as it gave him more desirable time in both Philadelphia and Boston than offered by K. & E. He had hardly returned to his office when told the engagement of "Her Regiment" would end at the Knicker- bocker Saturday night. STANDARD "INDEPENDENT." The Standard is to remain "inde- pendent." There has been talk it would become a Shubert house and that again it might ally itself with Klaw & Erlanger. All this is denied and assurance given the house will continue its present policy of playing attractions independently of any one booking center. The Standard is controlled by New York men, with Joe LeBlang, the local ticket broker, one of the stockholders. While its "independence" is asserted it is be- lieved the house will go on record favor- ing one side or the other by next season. The Standard is now well booked up into spring. Harry Cort is no longer personally managing, having recently turned over the reins to Clarence Jacobson, former treas- urer of the house. SEEKING NEWARK HOUSE. Newark, N. J., Jan. 2. It's rumored Klaw & Erlanger want a house here. One story says they are after the old Newark, best known as the Hyd? & Fehmart house here. Another rumor is the firm sent after Frank A. Keeney's theatre, through a local real estate agent, but the Keeney people say there's nothing to that though admitting the real estate man approached them. The Shuberts are located here. TITLE GIVEN AWAY. Chicago, Jan. 2. Maude Fulton, through an unusual and gratuitous act of courtesy, has enabled Ashton Stevens, critic and re- cent playwright, to realize a pet wish. His new play is called "Mary's Way Out." This title he reluctantly gave it when informed that his original and desired title, "Mary," belonged to someone else, identity forgotten, who had produced a failure years ago in Los Angeles. He was relating this to Miss Fulton. She told him it was she who had written "Mary." She then gave him, in writing, permission to have and to hold the one-word title. COLLABORATING. Samuel Shipman is to collaborate with Fannie Hurst on a play which is to be based on her original story, "Power and Horsepower." The Ship- man-Hurst combination will be a new one in the field of the theatre, although both have had plays produced in the past. Shipman heretofore has usually been co-author with Clara Lipman. The arrangement will not preclude his continuing to write in conjunction with Miss Lipman. Miss Hurst is regarded as one of the most prolific writers of entertaining fiction regarding life on the East Side and Ghetto. "Say When" Changed. The title of "Say When" for the Bol- ton-Wodehouse-Kern piece Comstock & Gcst are to produce has been changed to "Oh Lady, Lady I" Carroll McComas who intended to go into vaudeville, has been engaged for the principal role. THE COHAN REVUE, 1918. "Opeatne; cold" it always chancing It for a new production In New York, and about all the fault of the new Cohan ft Harrla show Monday night at the Amsterdam seemed due to that. "The Cohan Revue of 1018" needed more attention than could be given It at rehearsal. It has probably received alnos opening whet It needed before. Selecting New Year'a eve for a musical production that would run late was likely another error of Judgment, unforseen. The crowd got to the Amsterdam late and wanted to leave early. Instead of the curtain going up at 8:10 It lifted at 8:50, and when It grew after 11 the people with New Year'a Eve table reservations grew restless. Most were out of the house before 11:30 although the ahow, with its big patriotic finale did not end until midnight. Sometime some Broadway managers will regulate the first-night bunch, that thinks nothing of hanging around the rear of the orchestra mil to find out who's there with who or arrive late so that everyone may see them. It's the same crowd that always breaks up a performance on lta premiere by applauding the principals on their first en- trance. Half the wise ones tell the other half what they have heard about the ahow and most of them have settled the verdict before the action starts. Everything combined at the premiere to keep enthusiasm down and everyone expected to see the best show Broadway baa had this season. 3etween George Cohan'a book and music and Irving Berlin's words and melodies. It looked ull set. But tne show bad not been trimmed down nor shaped about. It com- menced brightly with a David Belasco scene but this rap long, and the first act, barring the Spanish dauce uumbvr (*the best-staged of the evening), sort of backed up until the finale. "The Wedding of Words and Music" (Berlin), with all In black and whko that was quite the best thing In the ahow, also the beat of all the many big musical arrange- ments Mr. Ferlin has done. The second act started with a heavy "Chu Chin Chow" ucene that confined afterward tho second beBt hit, tbe syncopated talking union skit from "A Tailor-Made Man," and It then ran on to No rub Bayes' single or double (Irving Fisher) specialty In "one." Just preceding the Red Cross number for tbe finale of the performance, with Cohan's new song, "Their Hearts are Over Here" (as a com- panion p'.ec■■• to "Over There"), the number for the Red Ciosa nurses. It It tbe song Mr. Cohan has given tbe proceeds of to tbe Red Cross. Several of the Broadway hits are given a moment or longer during the running. The story Is carried along through Belasco. being advised by tbe crystal gazer of "The Eyes of Youth" that there Is a young woman named Polly Claire In Ziegfeld "follies'' he could make a star: sending for Polly (Norah Buyes). Belasco, upon seeing her, wants to know If she has a past, and Polly, after tell- Iiik Belasco what she has heard about him, bow he enn make any woman a star, says, "I am awfully glad to meet you, Mr. Morosco." Cohan took a sharp tlli.g at the critics in the Frank Tlnney-.lames J. Corbctt talking scene from the Winter Clarden. Corbett (Paul Nicholson) addressing Tlnney (Bert Dunlop), said, "Frank, I see they have your name In lights at tne Winter Garden." "Yes," an- swered Tlnney, "that's because I made good for the Snuberts." "Your name," said Cor- bett, "Is ?n letters Just as large as Charlie Darnton's." "Well, he made good for the Shuberts, too," replied Tlnney. Following, Corbett said It was a mistake to mentlcn the names of critics and during some crossfire they mentioned other reviewers by name, Cor- bett finally saying. "Let's stop thla. The people out there (front) are not Interested in the critics." "But the critics think they are," answered Tlnney. "Every critic out there believes everyone In the house knows of him, but two-thirds of tbe sudience never heard of any of them. Cohan, to relieve any Indi- vidual of responsibility for this dialog, had Dunlop remark early It was only Cohan's lines he was speaking. It was almost a pity the men on the dallies had to leave before thla conversation occurred. It might make them sit down In their seats In the next theatre they visit Instead of posing around the aisles. This was Nicholson's best Impersonation. He had Corbett's voice without a miss. Miss Bayea waa the bright light of the show, she having much the test of every scene she entered, which may be a vaudeville head- line single's prerogative when going Into musical comedy. Fanny Stedman (AI and Fanny Stedman), unknown to the first-night- ers, did surprisingly well. Miss Stedman was working for what she got wbllo Miss Bayea' self-assurance seemed to be relied upon by her. Of tne two songs sung by Bsyes In her specialty, even the assurance could not help "The Old Maid's Blues" and a "Blues" number doesn't appear to be among those present n a Bayes rep. It seemed peculiar to many that Bayes !n the "Crystal" song that followed the Spanish number, took an encore with not sufficient applause to bring her back while the Spanlrh number was shut out abruptly after It had finished to Insistent applause. Miss Stelman led the Spanish, and In thla Mr. Cohan revived something Jimmy Russell (Russell Brothers) did when that act was f.imou* In the v^rl-tles Mr. Cohan In the lyric credited the Russeila with it. It's the "Span-lsh" Jimmy Russell sang or shouted with the emphasis upon the "Ish." Charles Wlnnlger no doubt could be said to have taken tbe Individual honors through his Impersonation of Dltrlchsteln, but this again, like the syncopated talk, was a repe- tition from the former "Cohan Revue," and therefore lacked novelty. Another number that seemed aimed for novelty was a "Knit- ting" (Berlin) song with a popular melody at least, and set In a seen*. Miss B*f*a ___ seated, knitting, and would mot be distort** by husband, family, burglars, polls* *r fir*, doing what might have beea expected after the first chorus. "When Zleffeld Follies Hit the Town" and "Our Acrobatic MeledramaU* Home," both by Cohan, war* Idea numbers that made tome Impression. The dressing Is lavish, requiring many clothes for the many scenes, with the pretty chorus girls doing bettor In look* than I* work, although they have be** kept 1* actio* nearly all tbe time. Among the male principals after wlnnlg*r, Frederick 8sntley came In first. He was con- sistent throughout and worked up * good total. Phil White and Paul ■. Bams did Potash and Perlmutter, without excitement Mr. Flaher made * paasable showing. Al Steadman atteuded to a couple of bits nloely, Lockett and Brown got away with their dano* Ing act when filling In a wait, 8ydney Jarvla had a couple of songs, Arthur Hill did **!-: mal Impersonations, J. Bernard Dyllyn played silent and speaking roles equally well, Charles Dow Clark waa but a middling Belasco, and Hans Wilson was third, among the men with hia Fred Stone Imitation. Eleanor Henry had one solo ah* could not handle or waa too nervous and otherwise marched through. Leila Rhodes made a* at- tractive picture whenever on the stage. There Is a great deal In the "Cobaa Revue" that will appeal to professionals, perhaps more so than In Cohans other abows of this type, but perhapa also what the "Cohan Revue 1019" moat needed waa Cohan. Sim*. TEMPLE CALLED IN. Edward P. Temple was called to Buffalo to take the Elizabeth Marbary production, "Girl O' Mine," in hand and whip it into shape. The piece opened in Schenectady last week. The piece is to close in Buffalo to- morrow night and will be brought to New York for repairs. "Unborn Child" Infringement Claimed. Brookline, Mass., Jan. 2. Judge Dodge in the United States District Court fixed Jan. 14 for a hear- ing on the application of Jane Sea- grave for an injunction against Gaz- zolo. Gatts & Clifford, who are present- ing "Her Unborn Child" at the Globe, Boston. The plaintiff sets forth she is the author and owner of the work in the form of a play entitled "Suffer Little Children to Come Unto Me," and that the production of "Her Unborn Child" is an infringement. Alderson Returning to England. Clifton Alderson, 'who came to this country to appear with the original Dillingham production of "General Post," sailed this week. He is return- ing to London for a new production. SHOWS OPENING. Arnold Daly is soon to produce "Josephine," which was originally writ- ten by Herman Bahr, who also did "The Master" in which Daly was starred last season. Like the latter piece, "Josephine" has been Anglicized. Ann Andrews will play the feminine lead. Syracuse, Jan. 2. Mary Ryan opened here Monday as a star under the direction of Cohan & Harris in a new comedy drama called "The Teacher of Goshen Hollow/* writ- ten by Harry James Smith, who wrote "A Tailor Made Man." The new play had its premiere at Buffalo last week with some critics saying that it has a "Way Down East" flavor. The rather large cast has Lil- lian Dix, Carolyn Lee, Marie Haynes, Nina Morris, Evely Carter Carrington, Viola Leach, Florence Curran, Maxine Mazanovich, {Catherine Brewster, James Gillen, Thomas Gillen, Paul Bryant, Curtis Cooksey, Edward Rob- inson, Ethan Allen, Harry Hubbard, Walter Whipple, Ed. L. Snader, Wil- liam Phinney, Horace James. Hartford, Jan. 2. "Four Queens," a new farce, was pro- duced here by H. H. Frazee Monday. This piece was originally titled "Oh James." It has been laying off while a production was being built. The p'ay may be presented in Chicago be- fore coming into New York.