Variety (January 1920)

■crTr'"~:.-~;:- •->■■•-'-• -.--.■"—••'"•-lirrr;."--.--,;■■«".-. ..>— -..-— — -,-,..,,,., -.-„..-. .pr-r:,-..,. — - < ---,, . ... - .•■"...-!••'■: .•,'.■•■:: ■.-•;',.. i, /■'••'.• . --■ - ■ -i ■■■■■■■r; , ■ ".'• ' '' .••' -at: . .''•.;"••'■•.■■;;-;:.' ' . . ■ r. . . '; '..:•■: '•....-' .•■'.-:■ ■': '■■;■■:'• :■■■■. ■ ■ Si IFniTIMATF. t; J. k *=:■■ ■ signed and cleverly carried out The third act set, that of a hotel lounge, la brightly colored and lighted. The set* tings looked fresh and so did the cos- tumes which probably were all provided new for N*w York. Harry B. Smith did the book; Robert B Smith provided the lyrics and Julian Alfred staged "Angel Face.' There haB been a lapse of years since George Lederer offered anything Tin the legiti- mate. During his spell in pictures he hasn't lost anything In ability to produce as proven by "Angel Face." lose. THE WHlEwiND. Dona Fernandez;.... Helen Tracy Padre Antonio ...Frank Andrews Dick Yankton ....John C. King Don Felipe Ramirez John Davidson Chlqulta Mlml Aguglia Captain Forest Orrln Johnson Bessie Van Aahton Vivlenne Osborne Mrs. Forest ..Rose Coghlan Colonel Van Ashton Oswald Yorke Blanche Lennox .....Paul Shay Bob Carlton. Joseph .Sweeney Jim Blake John Harrington Juana. Jessie Vlllars Marlqulta.., Miriam SatUsta Mlml Aguglia, the Sicilian tragedienne, made her bow to Broadway as an Eng- lish-speaking actress at the Standard Dec. 23 In a play by RUter Brown and George C. Hailetine. John Cort made the production. What may be said at once is In praise of the clear diction, the admirably spoken English of the star. Properly handled she has a fu- ture In the American commercial the- eatre, but less judgment baa gone Into this f presentation than the eminent ac- complishments of the star demanded. She should have been brought to us In a hell-raising Zaza sort of part. In- stead she appears in a melodrama that creaks In every limb. Is full of old situ- ations and never once gets close to the heart of an audience. Nowhere la an opportunity given the little Sicilian fo unloose her savage command of emotional invective. While any. rich flow of utterance might clog her delivery, there are many good plays waiting production. Why, then, waste good money on hack work for "The Whirlwind" is obviously that It tells of a native Indian girl in Mexico who loves a rich mining engi- neer, an American, and is loved by the local Mexican man of means, a role picturesquely * Impersonated by John Davidson.' The villain In "Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl," however, had nothing on the tricks this fellow had to play. In the last act he Is shown up as the father of the child of a girl he deserted. The motherhood of this child he had sought falsely to fasten on the heroine. Old stuff and tiresome. But give Mme. Aguglia, who has played John Barrymore's role in "The Jest" with rich abandon,—give her some- thing commensurate with her needs and Mr. Cort will clean up on his Investment. 4 Leei. MIDNIGHT WHIRL The "Midnight Whirl" atop the Cen- tury debuted into renewed after-theatre existance Saturday night It was a de- layed start, the premiere having been set for Friday night A rearrangement at the last minute caused an all night dress rehearsal It is the third of the Morris Oest roof revues at the Century but it isn't the best In fact both of its predecessors shaped up as better enteralnmena. Per- haps all roof shows are much alike. In his case there was a supposed try at something materially different The net result found no such success. In the matter of the oorphyees there was the* usual alluring bunch. But with the 'principals there was much to. be desired. None registered as they should and more than half of the short cast emulated the picturesque Steve Brodle. The main trouble lies in the fact that the show offered no laughs, or only those pushed across by James Watts, the "dame" comedian out of the "Green- wich Village Follies." Watts Is only funny to some people and he had noth- ing new to get the others. Bessie McCoy Davis, also from the "Village Follies," did stand up in her class. ' She flashed that beautiful high kick of hers and actually out-danced Bernard Granville, who either didn't try very hard or didn't have the stuff to work with. Miss McCoy really should have been given more to do. On the other hand Helen Shlpman, who was with "Merry Mary Brown,'* a show which tried out in the burgs and then stopped recently, was allotted too much. Miss Shlpman and Granville opened the show with the number "I'll Show You a Wonderful World," this giving way to a full stage picture and a fashion show with Granville singing "The League of Nations Depends on Beautiful Clothes," There was considerable bare, skin pro- vided for in the costume designs and (he gals who graced those duds drew action from the little table hammers. Several girls were corlally greeted on entrance, with May Leslie ana Margaret Morris about tied in that score. The next number had Annette Bade out as a doughnut girl, a la Salvation Army and a flock of little doughnut sell- ers. The goodies were In antiseptic paper wrappings and there were little boxes In which the girls allowed front table occupants to deposit coins. Gran- ville then went into a dance specialty, munching a doughnut which was all out of order. Watts followed with a comedy song. He was attired in a flannel nightie. For attendants were four dolls who looked the goods in silken combina- tions and bare legs. Watts sons was "Won't You Take Me Home With You" and the lyric said something about knowing chicks who would do most any kind of tricks, if there was no trick about the bills. "Poppyland," a number lead by Gran- ville and Miss Shlpman showed the first full stage picture that was typically the Btyle of Joseph Urban. Miss McCoy then made her first appearance as a China- man, with trousers and que, in a number programed "Lime House Nights." It was by far the prettiest melody of the show and could have been fashioned into a theme number. There was a dance accompanying. It was a sort of inter- pretation of the "lay-out with four girls frisking about waving opium pipes. - Watts closed Intermission as "Aphro- nightie" singing "You Have to Put a Nightie on Aphrodite" and finishing with a burlesque dance on the bacchanal from "Aphrodite." , t „, The second section started with Miss Badle and girls in a manlcirlng number. This provided the usual front row table contact, the cutles bluffing at cutting the cuticle of the guests. George and Dick Rath, stars of the last Century Roof show- and now In "The Passing Show," followed and without contest scored the hit of the night. The masters of leverage acrobatics Just toyed their way to a bunch of encores, never chang- ing their routine even down to the music. Miss Shlpman had her best number with the "Baby Dolls," a revival of the me- chanical doll idea. There is a shop win- dow; and the dolls come to life, step- ping out and finally reaching the dance floor.- All looked pretty, the contrast being supplied by. May Hennesy as "Top- Bie." The doll bit seemed to please the house better than any of the others. Bennett and RlchardB then had six minutes with fair success and after a profiteer number, the final full stage urban scene dubbed "Carnival" made way for the climax, which was none too strong. A switch In the cues lead to the carnival section becoming tangled. The music played an played. Finally the curtain was drawn and another bit sub- stituted. It wasn't until the third try that Miss McEvoy appeared for her sec- ond and last dance. In the scene Gran- ville danced with a clever girl, Kathryn Hatfield; Miss Shlpman had her best vocal try, bare-legsed on a pedestal as a fairy and Watts did a snake dance. Counting a liberal • Intermission for dancing, when the floor was a collec- tion of bobbed-hair heads, the show ran two hours. Julian Mitchell .staged,-it but Dave Bennett was called In for the chorus work and with the time allotted he did very good work. Bennett is now In full charge of the show from the stage and improvement is bound to come. The music was by George Gershwin and the lyrics by Bud De Sylva and John Henry Mears, who is still on the Century roof despite the report he had resigned as manager. nee. NIGHT LODGING. (From the Russian In English.) Michael Ivanov Kostlliov, keeper of the lodging. ......William E. Hallman Vasslllsa Karpovna, his wife, ■ Gllda Varesl Natasha, her sister Eva MaoDonald Medladev, their unole.,Charles Kennedy Vaska Pepel .... Alan Dlnehart Kletsch Andray Nitrich, a locksmith, \ Hans Robert Anna, his wife....: Rosalind Ivan Bubnov, a cap maker Cecil Yapp Kvashnia, a market woman, .. «.»«» », » Lillian Kingsbury Nastla .Pauline Lord Satin -Edward G. Robinson Actor Edwin Nlcander Baron * • • .Cecil Clovelly Luka, a wanderer W. H. Thompson Aloyshka, a shoemaker..B. J. Ballantlne Krivoi Zob, a porter ...Louis Alter Tartar, a porter Alexis M. Pollanov Arthur Hopkins has again stepped to the front with something different, if not altogether unique. That manager elected to open his season with Maxim Gorki's "Night Lodging," or "The Night Asylum" (a more fitting title), as Continental Eu- rope knew the drama, or "Submerged," as the title 1b literally translated from the Russian. This preference of Russian drama to standard works by writers of any other nationality must seem highly inspired by the well deserved and former success of a Russian piece also engi- neered on the American stage by the same producer. So that where John BarrymCre sallied forth as Fedya Pro- tasovltch In the late Count Lao Tol- stoy's "The Living Corpse" (for some reason called "Redemption"), hurling anathema on the heads of Russian offi- cials lor their interference wtth the "spiritual conflict" of three people. Gorki's Incoherent and only drama Is now enacted. However, John Barrymore still continues to sally forth, on the same stage, but by night and the customary matinees in "The JeBt." In the mean- time preparations are being made for him to essay the role of "Richard III" the very near future. The program credits Mr. Hopkins, him- self, with staging the play. This is taken to mean he was the director. If so, he failed to achieve a faithful in- terpretation, primarily because the play* ers he has assembled are never steeped enough in their individual character roles to convey the Intensity of the piece, But this is hardly their fault since the Anglo-Saxon Is less able of-any artists the world over to faithfully delineate the Russian on the stage. Throughout the performance there seemed to be a vigoro:i attempt, ambitious, too, but un- fortunately it seemed helpless. In one instance, it was thought this verdict might be shattered with the enactment of a role by. an artist bearing a Russian name. But neither did qualify. A mix- ture of accents, noticeably English, French, Italian and Yiddish, seemed to give the performance a jarring tone, from which it never recovered. - The piece offers no consistent plot of the customary architect, but is rather an engrossing study of 16 characters who .find their destinies linked by prox- imity as they seek refuge for the night. It represents a study of the dreary, dull, monotone, misery of unfortunates sod- . den and saturated with alcohol. It is. the Russian dehumanized: the Russian fallen from grace, represented principal- ly in a baron whose fate Is paresis; a woman dying of consumption before the audience: a thief who will find resur- rection (If he will) after the gallows have closed hla eyes; an actor who re- calls a physician's diagnosis and repeats the phrase: "organic alcoholism,' as though those words were his solo legacy from a pro-state of respectability, also two sisters, one fighting for her lover and tempting him to kill her husband; while the latter, who is the thief, is enamored with the younger, and police officials and supernumararles. It Is Gorki at his worst and his best. The same Gorki who invites you to go slumming with him and as a guide tells you that life Is a disease. His dominat- ing character and perhaps influenced by Tolstoy. Is Luka, the pilgrim. The lat- ter is ever imminent and walks and talks among the characters gently inculcating the light where that light is acceptable. The moral of his entire play and in his own words is "to aid man to understand himself; to rouse in htm faith in him- self, to kindle the soul In his existence by Infusing into it the holy spirit of beauty." Mr. Hopkins has given the piece In four acts, a background with his cus- tomary lavlshness, altno he has departed from the many English versions of the Russian text. Three of these soeneB are enacted in the lodge, with the other (third) outside of the lodging. They have been well executed from designs by Fania Mlndell. The principal role, that Is the put which seamed to have the most "sloes," was entrusted to W. H. Thompson as the Wanderer. It Is not unlike in its essence to the Stranger in Jerome's "Passing of the Third Floor Back." The role offered a wide oppor- tunity for acting honors, but in his hands failed to evoke any superior re- sponse, albeit Its handling was gentle and la voice conveyed a calmness of enviable tonal quality. William B. Hall- man as the keeper of the lodge might have wished for a stronger diaphragm. . In one of his scenes presenting a fren- zied state of mind, he choked on his syllables until his words* became nothing but forced head tones. Gllda Varesl, while more convincing than any other of the players, could have wished that her accent and enunciation were more In keeping with the others. Alan Dlnehart as the thief found himself out of the picture infrequently by falling to grasp the details of a part that might have given him an opportunity to dis- tinguish himself. In Justice to him. he was pleasing, but never did seem able to roach the possibilities. Edward G. Robinson, in Satan, might have refrained from looking so boyish by the applica- tion of a beard and all that goes with It The role calls for a man Of 40. m The applause honors went to Edwin Nlcander as the actor, although his make-up was top youthful to suggest a faithful picture of the actor, slowly fading into nothingness while the eter- nal sipping of vodka offers him no solace except T>y hanging. Step. nightTodging (From the Russian In Yiddish.) Michael Ivanov Kostlliov , ■ ..Max Wlsenfrelnd Vasslllsa Karpovna Liza Zllbert Natasha Bertha Qsrstln Medvladev , Louis Manne Vaska Pepel.... v Alex Te.nnenholts Klestch Andray Nitrich Max Scurnk Anna Sarah Kutner Buvnov •' Mr. Samalof Kvashnia .....Mme. Ferkouf Nastla Anna Hollander Satin Gustave Schacht Actor. .Abraham Teltelbaum Baron Mark Schweld Luka Maurice Schwartz Aloyshka. Jack Dublnsky Krivoi Zuz Mr. Flsbkind Tartar Mr. Ferkauf Concurrent with ""Night Lodging" as produced by Arthur Hopkins at the Ply- mouth, the same piece, but produced in Yiddish language at the Irving Place theatre with a resident Yiddish dramatic stock company Dec. 26. The production In Yiddish at this time la probably Influenced by the American offering, although It is not new by. any means to Yiddish audiences. It offers, undoubtedly, an opportunity for com- parisons, and as such the interpretation of this Incoherent drama is enacted with a greater degree of understanding in the bouse on the lower East Side. And perhaps this Is not to be wondered at Most of the participants in the cast are immigrants from Russia, and the inter- pretation of the Slav, irrespective of its authorship. Is a matter of longer* study and training which gives them more than a shade on the histronlc donors. But observing the production in Yid- dish and having seen it also enacted In the German tongue at the same play- house several years ago, offers another point in comparison, and strange as It may seem, the verdict Is unstintedly In favor of the offering In the German tongue. Step. 63D STREET MUSIC HALL This new theatre which passed into'the control Of the F. P.-L., and is being operated by the same management di- recting the RIalto-Rlvoll theatres,' opened Christmas Day with a picture and entertainment policy of the two-a- day type. ■■'■■■'■■-i. • The policy differs, however, from the other theatres In'that the afternoon per- formances are designed primarily for children rather than elders. There Is a ohanga of feature picture In the after- noon and evening dally. * '"■ .' It adjoins the Century Theatre and its architectural history Is traced back to the time it was built for Pastor Rus- sell. Then it was converted from' a "temple" Into a church, and from the church Into the 63d Street Music Ball. The" program Monday evening had for its feature Charles' Ray in ^'Crooked. Straight," a Paramount-Arbuckle com- edy, the Prisma release called "Memo- ries," and a Yuletlde entertainment In mimicry, staged especially for children. The various pictures have been formally reviewed In Vabibtt. . . . '■. c Its locale off Central Park West may bring it the desired patronage in the aft- ernoons, and it ma" also have a follow- ing for the evening's entertainment Though the audience Monday evening was a sparse one, there 1b room for a theatre of that type In the neighborhood.. It Beats approximately 1,100. When notice of the realty deal con- cerning this house was first submitted for publication, it was Inferred it was to be used for high-claes musical attrac- tions to meet the overflow bookings of. -the two prevailing halls in New York, Evidently this has been altered.. j'.^-u > FORBIDDEN. Brigadier General Slocura . __ . .: William K. Harcourt Major Richard Flint..... fleorge Connor Major Alexander Osgood...Ben Taggart. Captain Tottenham Knowlss^. * ". • John Rutharford Captain William Bryant. .John McBIonna First Lieutenant John Booth Lawrence '. Richard Barbee First Lieutenant Edwin Brl.ce „ Henry George Second Lieutenant Luke O'Koofo Nolan Loary Second Lieutenant Vincent MoreUI Walter Abell Private Isaac Levy Harry Bhutan Private Darwin Bone Harold Slater Humboldt Feather Joseph Dunn Anton FoonJ e Dayl? Proctor Couift Robert Von Eckdorf r J,, \ William Bailey Kurt Schwartz John Burkoll An Orderly ..j.. • ArdenPage Josef. Herman Qecpld CountesB Hlldegarde Schoenweg von' der Verde Martha Hedznan Countess ErmIntrude..Claire Mersereau Countess Wanda. .Georgia Lucille Moot/er Carmen' Flanagan.....'.. .Hermile 'Shone Katchen Annette Weatbay George Mooser's production of "For-, bidden," by Dorothy Donnelly, should in- terest Americans Intensely. Brought-to .the Manhattan Opera Houbo Dec. 19. with Martha Hedman In the leading role. It is as~entertaining, as Juicy with a new point of view as a timely article in the Saturday Evening Post, for the) public is new to the situations and circum- stances surrounding the American occu- pation of German territory. "Fraterniz- ing" occurred- There were love affairs- Staging one of them Miss Donnelly works out a problem full of local color, army slang, American prejudice, heart interest and tragedy. The love of a young American officer for a, well born German countess naturally must have all these qualities. The officer Is of the General's staff quartered at the castle of the countess. A Luxemburg banker visits the es- tablishment, conspires In favor of the Crown Prince with the cousin of the Countess, a German officer In hiding there. The countess, touched by the kindness of the Americans, peaohes on (Continued on page 26) 1 1 « - ■■a 4 ■■■'*! V - : ? Q <>% ■: ■. -.'- :,:.