Variety (February 1920)

.'"• £ / i ^. m& ■■■-. •. ■ _. •■■■ ' c ■ ■ •■ te\; , g< WITHERS AND CATLETT FIGHT TWO MEN OUTSIDE THEATRE m^ * c One Was a Baggage Mover, Said to Be Relative of Agent Withers Has Had Trouble and Legal Difficulties in London. His New Sketch Goes Well at Palace. His Assailant Remanded. ^ London, Feb. 4. Charles Withers and Walter Catlett were assaulted by two men outside the Shaftesbury Theatre. They held their own and succeeded in capturing one man, who proved to be a baggage mover named Cavalho, supposed to be the brother of a well known agent. Catlett was slightly injured, but his assailant required the services of a po- lice surgeon. The case was brought before a magistrate^ and the prisoner remanded. The affair is believed to be a frame- up to "get" Withers, arising out of Withers' recent legal difficulties. Some time ago Withers had an en- counter in his dressing room at the Palladium with a representative of a vaudeville agency, who is alleged to have threatened him for refusing to book through a certain booking agency. It is understood he is being sued for damages. • ?> / Withers has just introduced a new sketch into "The Whirligig," a revue at the Palace. It went very welL He "is now practically the wholeshow and one of the few remaining members of the original cast. Emma Trentini fin- ished with it Jan. 31 and Daisy Lyon now plays her part. Don Barclay is out of the show and has returned to vaudeville over here. NICE LEGAL POINT. London, Feb. 4- Will Marion Cook, owner of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra,, is seeking an injunction to prevent Al- bert de Courville breaking his contract and at the same time re-engaging four of the orchestra. A nice legal point is involved. De Courville brought the orchestra over here to play for a club at the Philharmonic, but after a few weeks repudiated the contract. He retained four leading member of the orchestra, however. The case was adjourned for the pe- riod of Mr. De Courville's absence from town'. [ :■■ CLOSINGS AND MOVINGS. London, Feb. 4. "Tiger Rose" at the Savoy, "Little Women" at the Holborn Empire and "Pompey" at St. Martins finished Jan. * 31. "Arms and the Man" closes at the Duke of York's Feb. 7, and after the holiday Robert Lorraine will produce "Henry V." "Sylvia's Lovers" moves from the^ Ambassador's t;o the Duke of York's Feb. 9. "Three Wise Fools" goes from the Comedy to the Ambassador's. Andre Chariot's tenancy at the Com- edy will cease early in/February. BARRIE WRITING SEQUEL London, Feb. 4. J. M. Barrie is writing a sequel to "The Admirable Chrichton," it was an- nounced when that comedy, was suc- cessfully revived this week. Sir James said he hoped it would be played by the same cast. rr- BERNHARDT AGAIN. Paris, Feb. 4. Mme. Sarah Bernhardt returned to her native stage in "Rossini" by Rene Fauchois at the Theatre des Celestins in Lyons, Jan. 27. She was so inter- ested after reading the role she offered her services to the author. The play describes three incidents in the, life of a musician. The scene? are in Rome, Boulogne and at • the Lago di Como. The author' played the part of the musician, Mme. Bernhardt the in- valid wife. ).... "INNOVATIONS" IN "HAMLET." London, Feb. 4. Edward Benson produced "Hamlet" at St. Martin's Feb 2 with only mod- erate success. He was severely criti- cised for introducing innovations in the text. » DENIES CARPENTIER ENGAGEMENT London, Feb. 4. ■-. The daughter of Fanny Ward de- nies the rumor of her reported en- gagement to marry Georges Carpen- *-tier. GROCK BACK AT COLISEUM. - London, Feb. 4. Grock, back from his American tour, opened at the Coliseum Feb. 2. OPERA AT SURREY. London, Feb. 4. The Surrey opera .season opened Feb. 2 with "Faust." "Red Mill" Finishing at Empire. London, Feb. 4. "The Red Mill" finishes at the Em- pire, Feb. 14. FRANK VAN HO\ All alone in a wonderful cafe In the Latin Quarters. I'm writing on tbe back of the menu and the music Is simply heavenly. onded up '•no letting the old knife and fork hang all ovir There's a big hick all diamond the plate and~ calling the garcon, George. Everyone near is smothering a laugh. When she first tried to break me of the knife stuff I thought she was kidding and when I saw the waiter smite and notice her blush when I ordered "Rockford" cheese I didn't get them at all, but it's as plain at day now and I must have been a lno. That hundred and a quarter the first tour of the Orpheum Circuit certainly was a lesson to me. % / I love to sit here alone and dream and listen to the music, and It's really so wonder- ful; and now there's a couple of Apaches dancing. The hick thinks Irs funny. Just think—bell dJe and never know. THE CAPTIVE, Paris, Feb. 4. 'The•Captive" was given on Jan. 29 at the Theatre Antoine following the successful * run of "Aux Jardins de Murcie," '. the presentation which achieved a success befng made by Fir- men Gemier. It is by Charles Mere and - is- a powerful piece dealing with the anguish caused a. mother by the war and showing the ultimate concilia- tion. The mother was first married to a Frenchman and then to a German and had children by both marriages, formance in "The Doll's House," took Susanne Despres, noted for her per- the leading role! -PRODUCING IN PARKS. , London, Feb. 4. " The^League of Arts will produce Shakespearean and Folk Lore Plays in the parks during the summer. Famous stars? will .be. supported by factory girls/ v REPLACES ADA REEVES. London, Feb. 4. Ada Reeves is ill and her part in "Medorah" has been taken by Kitty Fielder.: PRINTING "CAESAR'S WIFE." "* London, Feb. 4. - "Caesar's Wife," by W. Somerset Maughm, the play, in which Billie Burke has been appearing in America, will be issued this week in book form. :. SAILINGS. London, Feb. 4. Willie Edelsten and Charles Cohan sail on the Lapland, Feb. 9. Percy Standing on the Imperator, Feb. 21. t CHANGING MEDORAH CAST. ■ London, Feb. 4. Leslie Stiles finished in "Medorah" at the Alhambra Jan. 31. One other change, in the cast is expected. GROSSM1TH AND LAURILLARD. London, Feb. 4. Grossmith« and Laurillard have bought the Apollo for approximately $516,000. They will produce comedies' there. ENGAGES WOMAN MANAGER. , London, Feb. 4. Lady Forb'es Robertson (Gertrude Elliott) will have a woman business manager, Mis* Robinson. PRINCESS TO PRODUCE. London, Feb. 4. Princess Bariatinsky has escaped from Russia and will recommence producing here as soon as she finds a theatre. Grand Madrid, Burned. Madrid, Feb.- 4. The Grand Theatre here was destroy- ed by fire this week after the audience had left. Lowell Thomas Sails. London, Feb. 4. Lowell Thomas sailed on the "New Amsterdam" Jan. 31 to give a lecture course in America. ^IN LONDON. London, Jan. IS. - With " the -reduction^ of London's " floating population to something like its normal state the boom in theatrical entertainment ^seems to have reached its greatest height and business is slip- poing back to the usual. "The Dear Little Lady" failed to draw and h Once Upon A Time" which followed it comes out of the St - Martin's bill in a few days to make way for Sir Frank R. Benson who will re- turn for a London season after a good ' many year's absence in the provinces. He will produce John Masefield's play "Pompey the Great", fpr a short season. After'a brilliant opening the business - at the Surrey has not justified the high expectations of the new managers and Bromley' Challoner with "When Knights Were Bold" finished Jan. 10. Melville Bros.' Lyceum, melodrama, "The Female Hun" takes its place. Leo Dry den, a veteran of the vaude- ville stage sang "The Miner's Dream of Home" from the plinth of the Nelson Monument in Trafalgar square on New * Year's to an audience of several thou- sand roystcrers. A strong body of police kept the crowd a respectable . distance and the somewhat unique extempore performance has been fol- lowed iy a Royal Command. The revival of Shakespeare's "Julius . Caesar" at the St James on Jan. 9 by Henry. Ainely and Gilbert Miller was a truly excellenrperformance in which sound acting, elocution and dignity of staging are of more consideration than costly spectacle although neither scenic effects and the employment of "extras" were made the matters of rigid economy. Henry Ainley as Marc Antony gave a fine performance, his treatment of the Forum scene being a fine example of impassioned acting. Basil Gill played Brutus as well as ever which is saying much, Milton Rosner was excellent as Cassius, and the Portia •<» of Lillian Braithwaite delighted the distinguished audience. Another production which can claim big success is "Mr. Pim Passes By". by A. A Milne (a member of the "Punch" staff), produced by Dion Boucicault at the New Jan. 5, and served to bring Irene Vanbrugh back to the legitimate stage frbm which she has been absent too long. The comedy is delightfully fresh and never los.es its grip or slackens in interest. Miss Vanbrugh scored a big success as did Georgette Cohan (playing ''Peter Pan", at matinees on the same stage) and Ethel Griffes who had far too little to do. Among the men Ben Webster (also playing) matinees in another new production "His Happy Home" at the Comedy), in a part quite out of his usual line, played valiantly, and Leslie Howard made a hit as the young lover. "Mr. Pim" should remain for a long tithe. • j (Continued on Page 6) London Agents in Paris. , Paris, Feb. 4. George Barclay, the agent, together with Ernest Lepard and George Mit- chell from Moss, London, are visiting the shows here. Beatrice Fillie Lends. London, Feb. 4. Beatrice Fillie will play the leading part -in Leon Pollock's production "Sweethearts." TNI ASM 01 AT IB SPFItU ERNEST EDELSTEN T. F. DAWE PAUL MURRAY JULIAN WTLIE I LIK I ST., IIIOUTIN tl, LONDON CtUa •*< wfm: "IjWi». Wartruri, Lin**" NEW TOEK H.rrr X PltatenM. IMS Bnaiwar Rlf UINTtNl TNI WORirt SRIAT. OT ARTISTS AN* ATTRACTION! T i \ i