Variety (May 1918)

14 LEGITIMATE. NEWS FROM THE DAILIES (Below is news matter not collected by Vajuety but rewritten m condensed firm from the items relating to theatricals appearing in the New York dmiiy ' -—> Roberts rummiDRs replaced Clarence Handy- side Hiia week in the "Nancy Ix>e" at the Hud- sou. "Rook-a-Nyo Uaby" will have it* New York premiere ou May '21. Tho theatre to be announced later. Selwyn & Co. will star Adele Rowland next aeasou In a musical comedy for which Je- rome Kern will write the score. Cyril Harcourt will start casting next week for '"A Place in the Sun," to be pro- duced by the Shuberts. W. C. Thompson, recently connected with the William Fox press department, la going "ahead" of the Hagenback-Wallace show. At the benefit last week, at the Morocco ("Lombardi. Ltd."). the entire nrocecda went to the Women'« Motor Corps of America. Anna Held, who has been ill alnc2 Jan- uary, has been brought to New York from Milwaukee, she la confined to ber rooms at the Hotel Savoy. Five thousand persona attended the bene- fit performance at the Amsterdam O. II., for the Catholic Seamen's Mission. April 28. one of Father Magruth's charities. Dorothy Donnelly is the latest addition to the all-star cast which is to present "Out There" on tour and in this city, for the benefit of the Red Cross. Daniel Frohman, president of the Actors' Fund, ha» >ub.-cribed $t><»0 to the fund be- ing raised for aiding American, French and Italian actor-soldiers. George iiroadhurst placed In rehearsal this week a farce called "His Wife Believed Him." Tho cast includes Ernest Truex, Alpnonse Bthler, William Ferguson and other*. Formal notice has been Bent to the Ger- man and Austrian artists of the Metropoli- tan O. H. that their services cannot be uaed next season. Mrs. Geome Kaufman la doing press work with Edith Day of "tJoiug Up" and Ro^hanara In the current Winter Garden attraction, two of her present clients. Her husband la on ,: The Times.'" Supreme Court Justice Pendleton set aside a verdict last week of $:i,0o0 found by a Jury In favor of Norrls W. brown In his $150,000 breach of coutruct suit against the Actors' Fund of America. Ned Wayburn has been served with a sum- mons to appear In court to show why he should not be cited for contempt for failure to pay alimony arrears amounting to $2,000 to his former wife. Cyril Harcourt received a cable message from Queen Alexandra last week thanking him for his efforts in behalf of Sir Arthur Pearson's fund for the children of blind soldiers, for whle.h a benefit matinee was given at the llijou. Captain Charles D. Dillingham haa placed the Hippodrome at the disposal of the Canadian Club May 5 for a performance the proceeds of which will be used for the relief of the American soldiers serving in the Canadian Army. Davis Bclasco has become associated with Charles Frohman. Inc., in the management of the Empire on a similar basis to which th« two concern.* are interested in tho Lyceum. All'. Dayman, general manager for Charles Frohman, brought the deal about. Arthur Klein and William D. Frledlander have formed a partner -hip to produce a play by Victor Mapes in which Robert Edison is to be featured. It is scheduled to go on la August. Thi y have applied ior time at tho Shubert ollio -. The New York Theatre Club will meet May 7 at the Astnr to listen to a review of "Yes or No," by iJutl. i" Riveiijn.it. The chairman of the day w:ll be- Mrs. Frances 11. Ahrahull. The dub ar.ii'ial dime r tliis* year will be held at the 1 lot i 1 \'a ••Hi, laiiK Island, June 4. "The Niw Word." cue of the rhree one-act plays by Sir .lame- liariie which were irn- duced at the Empire !., t ><ar, will be a air- tain raiser to 'Tit• 1111.! i. t'.c thr. •■-ai , t conn dy by A. A. Milne, win, u u:,! }v put «.u at the Empire next Monday. A request for mu>ical i:. fi nnent.s of any kind for the betn lit of .-.olda-r- and sailor-* has been made by .Mr. and Mr--. Orlano Kouland of i;;»» We.-t .">Tth street New York. C. 11. Int.-on >v Co. have ottered to repair all old or broken Instruments free of charge. The weekly Saturday night dances for the soldiers and sailors who are on furlough, known as the "Khaki and Blue" dances, have been withdrawn from the Grand Cen- tral Palace and In future will be held In the armory of the 0th Coast Command In 14th street, near Sixth avenue. Ex-Ambassador James W. Gerard was the speaker at the dinner given at the Friars on Sunday night in honor of William Morris. Among those present were: Francis M. Hugo, secretary of State of New York ; Daniel Froh- man, Al Jolson, Chauncey Olcott and United States Marshal Thomas D. McCarthy. Hugh C. Weir, of New Rochrtle. 19 suing Billy Sunday for $100,000 for an alleged breach of contract by which ie was em- ployed by the evangelist to write a series of books on the Bible to which Sunday's name was to appear. One of these volumes have already been published. It bears the title of "Great Love Stories of the Bible." Nat C Goodwin has been sued by Klaw & Erlanger for $5,818. The complaints allege that in 1010 a contract was entered Into whereby In addition to a salary Goodwin was to get 75 per cent, of the profits of a certain production. If the play failed he was to share In the losses. His share of losses Is amount for which the suit has been entered. The Friars have decided to provide a large automobile In which convalescent soldiers re- turned here to the base hospitals may be taken for rides to get fresh air and a change of scenery. While the vehicle will be de- scribed as an ambulance. It will be more In the nature of a carry-all. In which several soldiers may be accommodated. CRITICISM. MIDNIGHT FROLIC. On the roof of the New Amsterdam, last week. In every respect the new Zlegfeld bill, the sewnth of the series, is well up to the stand- ard set by Its predecessors.— World. The seventh Zlegfeld "Midnight Frolic" Is a good show.— Times. JUDGMENTS. Judgments filed In the County Clerk's office. The first name Is that of the Judgment deb- tor, the second the judgment creditor, and the amount of Judgment. Bav Amusement Co. and Albert Hergenhan —L Folgelman, $105.07. Hammersteln Opera Co.—Man. Llfo Ins. Co $70,427.35. Raver Film Corp.—L. S. Barrett, ex'r. $744.SO. Sydney Rosenfeld Production Co.. Inc.—P. Lord. $300.20. Herbert Brenon Film Corp.—H. Naftal. $250.24. SHOWS IN PHILLY. Philadelphia, May 1. A slight falling off in business all over town, attributed to the Barnum & Bailey circus, which opened to capacity house Monday and has been doing big ever since. Had particular effect «>n matinee business, but rain last night hurt tent business and promised to drive it back to the house shows. No new openings. "The Cohan Review" is drawing strong at Forrest, playing virtually to capacity each performance. Weber and Fields doing good busi- ness at Chestnut Street opera house, though not capacity. Show creating little talk around town. Business at "Oh Boy," Lyric, and "Man Who Came Back" al Adelphi about fair. Rita Jolivct, starring in "Lest Wc Forget" film, appeared at Stanley when picture shown there Monday night, was given an ovation. She has been speaking at various places for Liberty Loan. The Broad, which closed its season last week is to reopen next Monday for showing of "Three Faces Fast," the Secret Service melodrama. Flay, under direction of Cohan eV Harris, has notable cast. The new Sam S. Shubert Memorial theatre, directly opposite the Broad, announces its opening lor May 10. ONCE UPON A TIME. BUI Thomas Williams Terry Mr. Olcott Annie Elsie Lydlng LUzie Jessie Ralph Patsy Bonnie Marie The Boy George Brennan Mary Ethel Wilson Jnck Edward Fielding Lenox W. L. Romaine Rachel Crothers has concocted "a story In four chapters" as a starring vehicle for Chauncey Olcott, and done her work well. It Is a very human story, melodramatic In the literal sense of the word, but not In the gen- erally conceived Idea of dramatic sensa- tionalism. It might Just as well be utilized by a Hebrew star, or one of any nationality excepting a German at this time. And right at the start let It be set down that to those of you who haven't seen Chaun- cey Olcott In a number of years, there is a stnrtling surprise in store. He has developed into an actor of more than ordinary merit. On second thought, he may have been an artist nil the time but lacked the right kind of plays in which to show his histrionic worth. Those old-fashioned "glve-me-the- papers" things in which he was wont to es- cape from the clutches of the English red- coats nnd so on. could hardly be expected to inspire good acting. Tn the Crothers play—or rather story— Olcott is a youngish mlddle-nged man who hnd lived In a small town In the copper dis- trict In the far west for ten yw»r«. He had gone there to try to foriret a woman who had given him up for another more blessed with worldly goods. He has invented a machine that he thinks will revolutionize the copper Industry, and his old cronv. the mavor. also Irish, has 'naned him $1000 to take it to New York for sale. Just before the train starts, enter an elderly woman with a six-year-old child, together with a note written br the child's mother, the dvlng request of the mother asking him to forgive hl« brother, now dead, and imploring him to take care of the child, being Its sole surviving relative rienty of comedy, in which the little glri throws her arms about him and wins her way to his heart. But he must go to New York, nnd tells the woman to take charge of the child until his return. But no the little one refuses to let him go nnd demands he f»lng her.to sleep, as her mother was wont to do— n lep-iHmate excu«e for Introducing a pong. Having apparently done so. he starts oT. whereupon the child races nftrr him the train Is due and. Impulsively, he crabs the child In his arms, drags the old woman along and all three K o east. "I'll take her with me. Pure New York Is big enough for all of us." Tn the second act they are domiciled at a hotel and through the "henvv." who under- takes to promote the Invention. Mary fthe woman who passed him up ten years pre- viously) learns he ir, seeking a governness for the child. Mary's husband has con- veniently passed awav. but she doesn't tell Ml" ?°' v Phe *ants to help him. and feels this is the way she can make amends She persuades him she needs the emnlovment Just a^ he is about to leave for the financier's office to dispose of his Invention for n huge fortune the child meets with an accident and he refuses to leave her. Third act. ten days later. _ghow1ng the woman teachlne tho child the finer thlnes with such speeches as 'The beautiful things are in our hearts." Terry has once more come to love Mary, but believing her still a wife speaks to her only of "friendship built on faith and understanding." Act four, the villain has secured title to the Invention for $10,000 bv pretending the financier has turned it down. Meantime Mary had called on the financier nnd learned otherwise. You expect that at the conclusion she will work some smart trick and recover it for Terry. Not so. Terry wants to take $'.',000 of the $10.1H»0 and give it to the man who loaded him the |1,(hju, leave the remainder with Mary to rear the child and he will go back and work on another invention he has in mind. Mary tells him she is free and loves, and the play ends. There is nothing however, to have the transfer of title set aside on the ground of fraud, and you can plan that for yourself if you like. The star sings four songs, all consistently interpolated, and when you leave the Fulton theatre you feel sathdied that you have speut ;i viiy pleasant evening. Without a single exception, the cast Is ex- cellent. Bonnie Marie, tho child, runs the star close for first honors. sjho Is an ex- ceptionally lovable youngster, consistently childish and never anuoyingly precocious. Kthel Wilson as Mary is sweetly womanly and womanly sweet, a well drawn and norm- ally drawn Individual, and played so. Jessie Ralph as the old character woman, who loves rne child devotedly and resents at flrsU the intrusion of the finer woman who is hired to make a lady of the child, plays her role without the usual Mage exaggerations. From * every angle It Is a pleasing story, well played. It you go to see it with a precon- ceived prejudice against Irish stars In Irish plays you will be agreeably disappointed. Jolo. SUMMErTsTOCK. Erie, Pa., May 1. The management of the Park O. H. announces, starting next Tuesday, they will open a stock engagement at popular prices with the Pauline Mac- Lean Company. They open in "Peggy O'Moore." The personnel of the com- pany will be announced later. GREEN ROOM ELECTION. An election of officers is about to take place in the Green Room Club that will be hotly contested. Edwards Davis, the present "Promptor," or president, is a candidate for re-elec- tion after having served two terms. His opponent is Donald MacKenzie. MacKenzie is the picture director who did the early Pathe "Pauline" serials, and his nomination came after being made chairman of the house com- mittee, which put in a satisfactory administration. Undoubtedly the most impressive night ever given by the Green Room Club was that of the dinner last Sun- day night to Congressman Kahn. He was and still is one of the members of the club, and at the dinner Joseph Grismer, F. F. Mackay, William A. Brady and others made brilliant ad- dresses on the place the theatre deserved in the nation. Mr. Brady was vitriolic in his attitude toward the public's considering the theatre one of the lighter branches of the country's industries. He said that $60,000,000 was brought to the second Liberty Loan by means of the theatre and therefore it was more than a tenth of the coun- try's income. He included every form of entertainment in the use of the ex- pression of the theatre, and paid tribute to what Kahn, who was once an actor in a theatre in California where Brady said he had been an usher, had accomplished. Kahn held the large audience for Dver an hour, beginning with a resume of the strides the theatre had made during his time and gradually going into the connection of the theatre to the war, and ending by explaining the work and the results of the draft bill, of which he is called the "father." Edwards Davis, the president of the club, who is now a picture actor, and was once a preacher, after making a stirring address, closed the meeting with a prayer. This is the first time this has happened in the history of the club. WILNER BUYS KESSLER OUT. David Kessler has disposed of his holdings in the Kessler theatre, on the East Side. He owned a 50 per cent, interest, bought by Max R. Wilner, who has been the manager and is his stepson. Friday (tonight) Mine. Bertha Kal- isch opens at the Kessler for an unlim- ited engagement in Yiddish plays. Producing Jack Lait's Play. Los Angeles, May 1. The completed play Oliver Morosco has received from lack Lait will be produced here by Morosco about May 25, to determine its future. SHOWS IN LOS ANGELES. Los Angeles, May 1. Theatrical business has fallen off since the Bond campaign. Kolb and Dill are just getting by at the Majestic and "Mary's Ankle" is doing poorly at the Mason. The picture business has been cut about one-third. The estimates of business are as follows: Auditorium, "Hearts of the World," $11,000; Grauman's "His Ma- jesty Bunker Bean," with Jack Pick- ford, $6,500. SHOWS IN 'FRISCO. San Francisco, May 1. Business holding up at the Cort for the "Oh Boy" (Joseph Santley) show. The Alcazar's receipts are falling off. The current bill is "Common Clay," with Evelyn Vaughan featured. The Will King musical company is not doing as well as heretofore, the decrease in attendance now being marked over previous weeks. The Columbia, dark, reopens May 5 with "Mary's Ankle." Act Will Dissolve. (jiuran and Xcwcll will dissolve part nership in about a month.