Variety (May 1919)

S^^fWW^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^j^^^B Vf*55 IIGI THE PASSING OF WILL DAVIS Chicago, May 21. The grand old man of, Chicago's show world has passed. Will J. Davis is dead. His Hie represented three- quarters of a century of adventure. He rubbed elbows with most of'the great theatrical ventures in the past generation) and shook hands with most of the great people of the stage. Davis was of the old school He was riot the flashy, loud showman popularly miscaricatured as typical, but a gentle- man and a student who won respect and affection in circles which rarely took show people into their regard and confidence. He was a militant battler—A. Toxin Worm, if he can re- member back a score or so of years, can testify to that—and made ene- mies, but he had-a thousand friends for every enemy, and those who didn't like him at least respected him Davis was the central figure in one of the greatest calamities of the age —the terrible Iroquois Theatre fire in 1903—and came out of it with clean hands and a clean bill of health. Davis was one of the owners and manager of the theatre. It was not incumbent upon him to assume the responsibility for the investigation which followed the~fire. But he did. He was always more of an artist than a business man. Of late years he had withdrawn from active participa- tion in the field which was part of him, body and soul, and the new generation, filled with v the doings of the day and plans of the future, had almost for- gotten him. It took his passing to bring Davis, back, to public memory. Hundreds attended his funeral. Thou- sands sent messages of condolence to the widow and son. The Associated Press flashed news of his death all over the country and the Chicago pa- pers noted the event only as it notes the passing of the great. Mr. Davis'died/Friday night at his Chicago home., after an illness of three Theatre. After this theatre burned' down, he became active in the build- ing of the Illinois Theatre, in which he was part owner until the time of his death, The late years of his life were spent mostly on his farm near Crown Point. Ind., with his cattle and "his blooded horses and dogs. In 1907 he married Mary Ellen O'Hagen, who, with a son, Will J. Davis, Jr., survives him. The funeral took place Sunday. The pallbearers were Will J. Davis, Jr., George J. Charlton of the Chicago & Alton rail- road, Harry J. Powers, Edward Meyer, James Demery and Edward Miller. TYLER'S PLATS AND PLAYERS. The players arid writers who will contribute to the special program of stock performances' to be given at the National, Washington, during June and July have been announced by George C. Tyler. Five plays will be given, "Clarence," a comedy by Booth Tarkington; "On the Firing Line," by Harvey CHig- gins and Harriet Ford; "Made of Money," by Porter Emerson Browne and Richard Washburn Child; "A Young Man's Fancy," by John T. Mc- Intyre, and "The Golden Age," by Sidney Toler and Marion Short. Reg- ular $2 prices will prevail. . The purpose of these try-outs is.to fit stars and actors with parts for next season, and to test them in the parts for which they are c«st. Frederick Stanhope will do the directing. The list of players includes Emily Stevens, Lynn' Fontaine, Helen Hayes, Fania Marinoff, Josephine Hall, Susanne Westford, Jane Corcoran, Helen Col- lier, Adelaide Phillips, Alfred Lunt, George Howell, Harry Mestayer, Sid- ney Toler, Glenn Hunter, Frank Con- nor, William Norton, William 81318/ dell and Frederick Webber. Other ac- SELWYN'S THEATRE PLANS 0. K.'D Plans have been passed by the Build- ing - Department for the two Selwyn theatres located on West 42d street, running through to 43d street, seating respectively 1,100 and 1,200, at an esti- mated cost of $500,800, and construc- tion will start immediately.. When completed it will make all theatres on one block, more than on any single block^ in the world. " • It is conservatively estimated that more than $7,000,000 will be invested in new theatres in Greater New York during the current year. Plans call- ing for over $5,000,000 of this amount have already been fled and that houses requiring an expenditure of an addi- tional $2,000,000 is a reasonable figure. Four large theatres in Manhattan are now under way, including the Capi- tol, seating 5200, and B. S. Moss', at Broadway and 181st street. The Keith interests are building a 2.500 seat house in the Bronx (the Fordham), located at Fordham road and Valentine avenue, and Moss* house at Prospect avenue and 161st street is to be a 3,500 ca- pacity structure. Over in Brooklyn, John Manheimer is to build a 3,000 seater at Flatbush avenue and Albemarle road; Louis Gold is erecting a 1,900 seat house, with a roof garden seating 1,500 at Kings Highway arid East 12th street; A. H. Schwartz, new house at Flatbush avenue and Rogers avenue will seat 1,200; Herman Weingarten is erecting one to seat 2,100 at Fulton and How- ard avenue; Washington Amusement Co. at Washington avenue and Pros- pect place to seat 1,500; St. Marks Amusement Co. will shortly build a 1,500 seater at 285 Flatbush avenue; the Chauncey Marshall Estate plans a structure at Saratoga avenue and Ma- con street, and more than a score of others are on the tapis. months. In quest of his failing health J n " K* "JS 8 * 8 ^&tSSSFfi£ tht- Qfacr* vAt.ran u*A ZTi. w«* N *? e le " er _ f roIes ' among these being Cornelia Skinner, daughter of Otis Skinner, Bessie Owens, sister of Laur- the stage veteran had gone to Hot Springs with his old cronies, William A. Pinkerton, Lou M. Houseman and Ashton Stevens. From Hot Springs came sad reports that Davis was going. He returned to Chicago some weeks ago/ and went to his home. He took to his bed a day or two later and never left it again. Death was inevitable. Will Davis was a theatrical Colum- bus. He was given credit for discover- ing Grace Kennicott, Grace' Von Stud- diford, and Mary Garden. He also dis- covered Jessie Bartlett—and married her. He was born on a Michigan farm near Ann Arbo^, son of a prominent railroad man of the state. /In the civil war he enlisted as a sailor—he was re- jected in the army because of his youth—and after the war, following a brief connection in the railroad busi- ness, came to Chicago. His first theatrical connection was as box office man with Glover & Dale's Adelphi Theatre. From that point on his theatrical connections were nu- merous and important, and he began to be a history maker in the theatrical business. He toured the famous original Georgia Minstrels, managed the American tour of Her Majesty's Grand Opera Company, the Lester Wallack tour, the triumphal trip of the Chicago Choir "Pinslfore." He was the impor- tant figure in the opening of the Grand Opera House. Later he became manager of.Hav- erly's Theatre, which became the Co- lumbia. Then he went out as manager with the ill-fated American Opera Company, directed by the late Theo- dore Thomas. Upon his return he became asso- ciated with Al Hayman and Harry J. Powers in.the conduct of the Columbia ctte Taylor, and Amy Leah Dennis, now in "Come On Charley." "The Golden Age," is a comedy of youth and in playing it, Helen Hayes- will have in her support Claire Mer- sereau, Viola Harper and Genevieve Tobin. The Tarkington comedy is of a new and whimsical type. "On the Hiring Line" deals satirically with the servant ^problem. "Made of Money" deals with conditions in this country today. "A Young Man's Fancy" is * .quaint and Barrie-esque. These pro- ductions will return to the stage Jo- sephine Hall, after eight years' ab- sence, and of Frank O' Connor, Kyrle. Bellew's heir. "LITTLE SHEEP" TO BE SHELVED. The Selwyns have decided to shelve Eugene Walter's "Poor Little Sheep" for the summer, opening it for an early metropolitan premiere in the fall, in this city. x. At the conclusion of the local run, it will see Chicago, which means that it will not open at the Studebaker in the Windy City on June 2, as previously planned. The ^iece is > enjoying a one-week's stand in Washington this week. HAS BRIEUX'S "RED ROBE." Henry Neagle has secured the fights to Eugene Brieux's "The Red Robe" and is arranging to produce the piece early next fall. It was originally given at the Theatre du Vaudeville, Paris, and later was placed in the repertoire of the Theatre Francaise. This is the play which brought about the election of the author as a member of the French Academy. At.one time John D. Williams an- nounced that he was going to present the piece and then George C. Tyler tried to secure it. He became inter- ested when it was presented here in French by Mme. Rejane on the occas- ion of her last tour in this country under his management. "Head Over Heoli." Long S«uon. "Head Over Heels" (Henry W. Sav- age), with Mhzi Hajes, closed May 17, after a season of 48 weeks. Mitzi will go out again with the piece next season. CHAMBERLAIN BROWN STARS No. 0-JULIA KELETY Now featured with Clifton Crawford's "They Loved a Lnsslc" by Crawford and Brwin Connelly. Miss Kelety with Crawford and May Vokcs scored In New Haven with her live numbers and her specialty. Miss Kelety, like Bessie McCoy, Grace La Rue, Roy Barnes, Lucille Mnnlon, Jim Barton, Louise Groody. Helen Bolton, Iliclinrd Pyle, Inn Hay ward ana others, Is exclusively represented by CHAM- BERLAIN BROWN. Next -week—No. 10—LOUISE GROODY, THEATRE GUILD ESTABLISHED. The Theatre Guild, now financially ' established by the success of "John Ferguson," the St. John Ervine drama current at the Garrick theatre, is an example of how things theatrical can be put across on a shoe string if only men and women of sincerity, vision and good sense are holding that same string taut. Five weeks ago, on $500 : advanced by Lawrence Langner, S50O put up by Justus Sheffield, and Otto H. Kahn'a rental of the Garrick theatre: on very generous terms, the Guild pro- . duced "Bonds of Interest," and put "John Ferguson" into rehearsal. Various loans by Langner, and a J friend, Maurice Wertheim, brought the ; total of money on tap* for making these two productions up to $2,500, a small sum to tide over the four weeks before the second play proved one of the hits, financial and artistic, of the season, but enough. It was enough because the actors were working on a co-operative basis, as were others connected with the enterprise. By this arrangement the money, as it came in. was divided pro rata. As an instance i of the interest shown, it may be fur- ther mentioned that Rollo Peters, ther*' director, Lee Simonson, Michael Carr and Adams Rice worked night and day on the costumes and scenery—so con- stantly, in fact, that they even slept in the theatre. The Guild was founded last winter when Lawrence Langner, Rolo Peters. Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and :; Josephine A. Meyers met at the home ' of the last named and discussed the , idea of an organization to succeed the Washington Square Players. , The founders had the experience [of the Players to guide them, and decided to produce full length dramas rather than one-act plays. In making this deci- sion their Judgment was good, if the fact that the Guild is the first* art theatre in the United States to suc- ceed financially is any proof. - In the list of those connectednvith, this enterprise one encounters with, pleasant infrequency the names of pro- fessional Greenwich Villager*. The Board of Managers includes Langner, Moeller, Sheffield, Simonson and Helen Freeman and Helen Westley. In the Advisory Group are Djuna Barnes, Ed- win Bjorkman, Hey wood Broun, Padriac Colum, Alice Kauser, Edna Kemx.il, Iden Payne, Ridgley Torrence, Rit*. Wellman, Percival Wilde. Estelle Win- wood and Margaret Wycherley. - . < ■■ v > }: ■-. BELASCO'SBIG PLAY. ' The story published in Vambtt a fortnight ago that David Belasco has been working for the past 18 months on the production of a play which is intended to be the zenith of his life's work in legitimate staging, created considerable stir in the amusement world. Additional facts in addition to the meagre details are gradually coming to light. Besides the three male stars referred to in the original story. Frances Starr will have the principal female role and is the only member of the cast who knows anything of the story thus far. The piece was written by Maurice V. Samuels, author of "The Wanderer," and the dialogue is in blank verse.; The theme is allegorical and the pro- duction is stupendously spectacular to the utmost degree. .»'■. ' Although the name of Belasco's son- in-law, Morris Gest, will not appear on the program, it will not be a mat- ter of surprise to those in the know ) to learn he is financially interested in the venture, or that the presentation, will be made at the Century theatre* in the late fall. vC*' m Hill Buy. "Honey Boy Minstrel.." & Gus Hill has bought the title to the "Honey Boy Minstrels," originally cre- ated by the late George Evans. • 5*^Tn^V'\:^t:^/.,'. ''• y.:..\:-: ■"'(._- •'..'•/' •/ J