Variety (April 1920)

'''!''''-'^.'!'>'1'"-^^'-"^^ .•* ".j>*tt*vai^': ^■««.;:c:*ff.^»^;..:A^ ^v- P te:-'^. i^ LEGITIMATE *.'■'■■■ \ SHOWS J[ N. ¥. AND COMMENT m: M.'''-'-- mk mi;::' 'Abraham LincoJn," Cort (16th •week). Held to around $15,600 la8t' iveek, takings tetngr about JSOO from regular gait. Tube service to Jersey still an uncertain quantity, ■which feature la blamed for failure of shows to att?.ln : former pace for weather has not Interfered. 'Adam and Eva," liOngaore (33d week). Stilt playing to profit and ought to continue until. Juno, Classes with the season's best , coznedlea. • •At You Were," Central (14th week). Partially made up for falling off during railroad strike, . getting around $17,000 last week, Which tfl about $1,200 under fonner piace. Matinee business has been off, the night draw re- maining big. "Appie Blotsomt," Olobe (25th week). Final week. Show could 'hcLve remained until hot weather, but no other house wa» available tor C. B. Dillingham's new niusical Jlay, "The Girl From .Home," which opens Monday. 'Biiyond the Horizon," Little (13th week). Ought to remain until the mlWle of May and longer if wetCther remains cool. Has been getting around $8,000 weekly. "Buddies," Selwyn (27th week). Tlolding on to pace 'which pro- vides a fine margin of profit. No time has been set for this atfrac- tion to atop, although the house il^as been mentioned to berth a Miiey/. musical show for the «um- '.mer. ,■. ■ "Ctairence," Hudson (33d week). Picked up somewhat last week with about $7,400 drawn. At this figure show can continue until hot '.weather; for a profit Is made. "Deolast^e," Empire (30tb week). Is' now running along between $10,000 and $11,000 weekly and is . .approaching the end of-its run. Has but.a few wc6ks more. "East Is West," Astor (llsC week). Again went over $12,000. No in- tention of taking this show off - while It turns In a good profit as at present, Oood until hot wekther and perhaps longer. . "Ed Wynn Carnival," New Amster- dam (4th week). Is going along "- at a ^at pace, drawing class •audienccifl. Business better than $22,000 weekly. Attraction looks good enough to continue after '•^PolUea is ready and if draw con- tinues another house will be pro- vided. •Famous Mrt. Fair," Miller (19th ' -week). Several performances lost "last week through illness of Henry ■ Miller.- Holbrook Blinn went Into ;the role for the latter part of the week and torly this week, the ■ -'Star returning to. the show. Wednesday night of this week. "Florodori/' Century (4th week). H^a done sensational business for a revival thus far, with over $30,- OOO drawn last week. Counting Sunday concerts house gross for week pushed to around $35,000. "Gold Diggers," Lyceum (31st week). . Indications point to a ing even, not easy task In this small house, which it has under rental until May 22. • ,^„^ "My Lady Friends," Comedy (^2d week). Due to continue through- out the month and may run well Into June. Figures with the best of the season's comedies. "My Golden Girl," Casino (13th week), Pinal week, show stop- ping until August, when It opens on the road. "Betty Be Good" Is the succeeding attraction, opening Tuesday night, ; "Night Boat," Liberty (13th week). No let-up in the smash business of this attraction, which Is listed to continue through the summer, "Ouija Board," BIJou (6th week). One of the most Interesting plays offered In months. Is doing fairly good business, the gross being a little under J8,O0O.. "Pasting Show of IfllS,'* Winter Garden (28th week),. CaU has «,|>een issued tor new Garden show, which la due In June. "Ruddigore," Park (16th week). Has two more weeks to go, the comic opera season here then being closed. Chauncey Olcott in "Ma- cushla" win finish out the month. A summer attraction may keep the house open, _ *'8aered and Profane Love," mo- rosco (lOth week). Is down to around $10,500 and will probably continue until late In May. ^ "Scandal," 39th Street Theatre (33d week). Has been going along at a weekly gross of around $9,000. Mid-week mattoees naw priced from SO cents to $2. Still keeping a $3 top nightly. ^,.^^ "Shavings," Knickerbocker (11th week). Picked up again with sub- urban traffic conditions improvr ing. Show went over $13,000 last week and sUll looks strong. "Sophie," Greenwich Village (9th week). Will be taken off after next week, the same cast opening May 10 in "Foot-Loose,;* a vertlon ■ of "Forget Me Not." ' "Sign on the Door," Republic (20th week). Pace bettered last week, with grogs going to $9,900. At- traction may continue into sum- mer "Smilin' Throufih," Broadhurst, (21st week). Still doing good business, with takings around $11,000 last week. Show has about three weeks more to run. Southern-Mario we, Shubert (Ist week). Opened a four-week en- • gagement. a repeat date for this season. First offering is "Twelfth Night" Demand strong "Son • Daughter," Belasco (24th week). Drew close to $11,000 last week and will continue well Into June, with the takings a little better than t|je other dramatic offerings. . ., , "The Acquittal," Cohan and Harris (17th week). Final week. Sam H. Harris' musical show, "My Honey Girl," opens Monday night, "The Bonehead," Fulton (3d week), Pinal week, show never having a chance. Succeeding attraction is "Oh, Henry," a comedy; opens next week. continuance .thro'Ugh summer and I "The Hottentot,* Cohan (9th week) I- f'r'C- Into next season. Business always I capacity .with more than $15,700 J drawn weekly. ' "Happy Daya," Hippodrome (37th week). Picked up a peg over the previous week. Last week's tak- ings were $57,800, hut unless cool weather continues show not scheduled . to continue much loager. Can equal last year's run record by playing all of May, "Hole in the Wall," Harris (6th week). Switched over from Punch atid Judy, leaving that house the only dark theatre to date, Hfis a two-weeks' booking. Due to be succeeded May 8 by "The Respect of Riches." •Jane Clogg/* Garrlck (10th week). This attraction has been doing a profitable business for the The- . atre Guild and Is their strongest production since, last season's "John Ferguson," "Irene/' Vanderbilt (24th week). There has been no slackening in the V demand for this musical smash. Present Indications are that It Is good for another season oii Broadway. "Lassie," Nora Bayes Theatre (4th week). Has been doing excellent business, the pace being ' over $15,000 weekly. la pulling smart audiences. "Letter of the .Law," Maslne Elliott (10th week). Attention command- ed by this adapted Brieux tragedy has waned. Clever work of the star, Lionel Barrymore, has con- tinued draw in fair quantity. "LlghtninV Gaiety (85th week). Business continues fine and no change has been made In plan to continue through summer and Into a third season on Broadway. Holds the run record for New York. "Look Who's. Hare," 44th Street Theatre (9th week). Slipped dur- ing the ralh-oad strike and failed to recover last week, when tak- ings were about $10,800. Partial Intenuption of suburban travel may hurt this attraction more than ethers, but will continue as long as $10,000 gross is attained. "Martinique," Eltlngo (Ist week). > Opened Monday night, drawing mixed comment from revlewen, but has a chance. fMrs. Jimmta Thompson," Princess (Dth week). Business here has been growing better steadily In I the last two wceUs. Sitow brcok- Maklng a'igroaV box ofllce record for a farce. Show may, continue through surhmec-lf Btar,«Wllll8(m Collier, electa to appear In hot weather. A musical show, how^ ever, la mentioned. ■ _ . "The Pataion Flower," Belmont (16th week). Better than $7,200 last week, not much under house capacity. Show leaving for the road in two weeks; going to coast after several Canadian dates. "The Purple Mask," Booth (17th week). I^inal week; recent slump accounts for its withdrawal after a good run. "JMot So Long Ago" the succeeding attraction, openitig next week. "The Storm," 48th Street Theatre (31st week). Picked up again last week with around $0,000 drawn—a figure which permits a good profit here. Show listed to continue through summer. "The Wonderful Thing," Playhouse (11th week). Is about breaking fsvcn with $6,600 weekly the pace. Has two or three weeks more to go. "3 Showers," Plymouth (4th week). Moved over from Harris on Mon- day, taking Plymouth under a guarantee. Show Is playing to $3 top. 9 "What's in a Name/' Lyric (7th week). First week In this house (moved from the Elliott last week) marked by a big Jump In takings, with over $18,000 drawn. Ziegfeld Shows, New Amsterdam Roof (8th week). Doing fine busi- ness the continued cool weather aiding, as with regular attrac- tions. the Held «&»« took tho leatf ever everything, aa predicted; passed $23,900, easily the top business lor the town and tho biggest on record, perhansi here, for a musical comedy not of the revue order and without featured players,' Harry K. Morton ttjid Esther Howard are gittlng as much attention and publicity as any stara Tho advance sale la enor- mous, and America will ring with this Patch-McGregor success. ^ "Howdy, Folks," (Olympic. 9th week). Fading away, departing May 1 to let in "June" ("Nothing But Lovo"); $e.70O with the aid of cut rates. "Nightie Night" (La, Salle, first week). Mildly received and luke- warmly reviewed; $9,0«0,. "Golden Days" (Blackstone, 2d week after reijfioval from Powers'). This comedy, with Patricia CoUinge, suffered from the. change of climate, and took about $7,000. some of it chopped. "Genius and the Crowd" (Powers'. 2d week). The most closely watched and inherently Interesting show venture In town because ot (Jeorge ,M. Cohan aiid his new star, jRena- vent; last week'a repprts were that the verdict waa still in doubt, the verdict seems to l^e in now—It te not a big 'success and the star Is a flop; drew about $14,000 on top of. huge pabllcity and extraordinary open- ing enthusiasm, and nay go to Bos- ton soon, as it is^^egarded aa hav- ing a highbrow appearand should thrive letter than elsewhere in the Intellectual metrop. . . ._ . "Rose of Chlna'^ (Auditorium, 1st week after leaving the.La.Salle) Despite the utter unfitness of- the largest house la town for the most petite musical revue anywhere, the interest created during thd great, La Salle run followed It here and busl-. ness Is snappy; exact figures unob- tahiable. prot>ab]y In excess of $12,- 000, however. "Dear Me" (Cort, 12th week). Business still healthy with this La Rue-Hamilton comedy; over $9,000, with good demand at brokers and out rates scorned by managemejii; this one appeals to better element as well as amusing common people, and has a chance to go over big in New York, especially if handled with the finesse that markiBd the local promotion. "The Girl in the. Limousine" (Woods, 1st week). Rapped by critics in that manner that seems to help box offices for Woods, drew about $17,000, corking business. This, one also cannily advertised^ "The Royal Vagabond" (Colonial, 3d week). Pulling up steadily In a theatrical week^marked largely by drops, this wholesome success is coming into its oWn as a leader; $19,000. - "Somatimo" (Studebaker. lOth week>. Entering on Its .farewell forti «ht, the Tlnney show still clung around $20,000; It:la claimed. "The Ruined Lady" (Princess. 6tli week). Grace George and het fine hit. which broke some records here, not doing capacity but still far above what was expected; $11,300,. and here Indef, . . . "Waloome Strangers^ (Cohan's Grand. 18th week). Still the pre- vailing legit hit. of the town, solid demand and plenty of tumaways; $16,600, "Forever After" (Garrlck, 2d week). The Alice: Brady piece, after a hearty get-off, stopped abruptly and the housb was diEurk all week; press statements were that the star was ill; reopened Sunday night to sell.*out ■^■"^"^^^ PROVIDENCE LIKES BARAINVFLAMEf' will Gross $25,000 In That City. ■ ~ Providence, April 28. Providence Is engaged this week In glvttig New York the raspberry as far as the latter town'a decision goes in things theatrical. Tbeda Bora's advent at the Majestic hers is the occasion. / . The bidlcatlons are. that the Bara engagement in "The Blue Flame" here wfil gross about $25,000. There was an advance-sale of $16,000 for her by Monday noon. Tbo sale opened on.Thursday of last week, and In the first two hours more than $2,600 waa taken for this week's en- gagement., >. "FOLLIES" DKAW 437,000. 'Baltimore, April 28.. The Ziegfetdt '.'Follies/' at the Academy ot Music here last week, smashed all records at the house by drawing $37;000. The scale was $1, $2, $3, and $4. The show Is In Washington this week, the. advance having beeii dis- appointing, but early this week the indications pointed to (record busi- ness. The company plays Philadel- phia for two weeks, beginning next Monday and then goes to Boston for A run at the Colonial. SHOWS IN CHICAGO. Chicago. April 28. Several houses are using cut rates heavily, two because they were dis- possessed of hits that moved else- where, the same hits not being so good where they moved to, making four. "Golden Days" went from Powers' to the Blackstone, where it Is not flourishing; "Rose of China" went out of the Illinois to $13,000, followed by "Nightie Night/' which got under $9,000. the China show taking the huge Auditorium, where there Is plenty of room. , "The Sweetheart Shop" (Illinois, 2a wecit). This snappy baby, after one .<ibort week of doubt, hurdled Stanley Forde Sues Directors, Stanley Forde Has started an ac- tion in the Municipal Court for $400 against Raymond Hltchcoclt. John Philip Soui^, Silvio Heln .and Wm. d. Stewart, the five named as direc- tors of tho Commonwealth Opera Co.. which tried opera at pop-prices for a few weeks last season. Forde's claim arises from services alleged to have b.een performed and not paid for at the Academy of Music Brooklyn, last September. A. B. Woods stated that he felt that the Providence engagement was but an indication of what Miss Bara would do on the read next season despite tb(^ "panning" that the show received at the Shtil^rt theatre when tt'opened In New York seven ^weeks ago. The show cam* to ^ew York after having broken records in Wiashlngton,, Pittsbhrgh and Boston.' In the tatter town the star's advent on the streets after the ipatlnee per- formances was the signal for a veritable riot, ' In a measuire tlie Providence suc- cess this week may be the result of tho tremendous vogue that the at- traction and star had in Boston, but Woods'docs not think so, pointing to the fact that Leo C. Teller, of the Shubert-Teller, Brooklyn, waa will- ing to guarantee the attraction $16,- O0(^ for a week following the New York run. • The belief is that Miss Bara will clean up in all of.the week stands next season. A check up of the audiences at the Shubert during the latter weeks of the engagement in New York showed that j>ractl<»illy four-fifths of those attending ^e perforniances were out and out movie fans iand did not attend the. theatre, outside of the picture houses, regularly. , There are sufficient Bara fans in every town and hamlet in the coun- try to jam any theatre for a week when the star appears there. This iB iconceded by all managers and It Is looked upon as a certainty,that the famous vamp of the screen will gross $1,000,000 on tour during the coming season for the Woods oflSce. During the summer months Miss Bara is to retire from the stage and devote herself to the filming of t^o super-specials' by ber own company. The releasing o/ganlzatlon for the pictures bais not been set as yet SHOWS Hr BOSTON. Boston, ^prll 28. There are three new shows booked to come into this town next week, and oho due the week after that. This is a bit of a surprise for It was generally believed that at the finish of the runs qf the present at- tractions the houses would close down for the season. This city has been generally aidoptcd this year as a trycut town, and evidently (hose behind the four shows want tq give them a bit of a spring airing for a line. The shows due qext week are "Qui Madame," a new musical show .for which Victor Herbert is respon- sible and which comes Into the Wil- bur; "The Charm School," a comedy With a few incidental musical pieces which comes into the Plymouth, and "Howdy Folks" which comes Into the Majestic. The following week "Mary" a new Cohan show will come Into the Tremont. On that date, also, Robert Mantell will come into the Hollls Street Theatre and stay twq weeks. This will make two .Actors doing the heavy stuff here at the same time, as Walter Hamp- den, who comes into the Boston opera house, Monday night, is due to stay two weeks. v "Bab" goes out for a short spring tour through New England when she finishes up at the Hollls. "Not So Long Ago" goes to New York. "Civilian Clothes" at the Park Square and "Fifty-fifty at the Shubert are booked to remain for a time. BENEFIT SHOW FOR 1 RUSSIAN COMPANS Eimiria Affair May Help ^ Tide Them Over. '—^ ^ ■ ^ Elmira, N. T., April 28j j Berg^ Bero<nraky'a band of Rua<4 stain singers and dancers stage |( benefit performance at the Lyceuna tonight. The company Is In dlra drcumataaces; The-troubles of the troupe dati» from thehr arrival it America. It was Induced to com* here from Switzerland tinder a con« tract, it Is said, which compelled V;^^ them to finance themselves.' ■ Jj After a series of mistakes in busl* .. i;'^ ness management, too great to be 1 offset by the company's .success in New York, the money fuciile^ed foe titie toiir and the profits of tie six weeks in New York were exhausted. Facing a precarioiis financial condI« tlon, the benefit was arranged to tide them'over until it reached other fields. ' ' ( ^ SHOWS IN PHILLY. . Philadelphia. April 28 , Most' of the leglQmate shows held up to a very go>od average of bUBl« ness this week. There was only one new attraction on Monday, "Tlie Maglo Melody" getting started at the Lyrlo where Sotbern and Mar- lowe hung up a mark of $26,O0|O for their second and final week o£' Shakespearean plays. '"The Maglo Melody" Is only of lalr calibre^ , opened to fair business and was only] fairly well treated by the reviewers* The three shows at the other Shu- bert houses are winding up their stay here. "Betty Be Good" finishes its two weeks "at the Chiestnut Street : Opera House'Saturday night, mov- ing to the Casino, N. Y. The piece has been, doing around $15,000 a week Charlotte Greenwood In '.'Ling- er Longer Letty" comes In next Weelc and wlU fitay until the house closes Its regular season the latter part ot next month and goes Into pictures. ''Ttike It from Me", has had a fine run at the Shubert and will stay 'oner more week. "The Century Mid- night Whh-l" follows May 10. "Up In Mabel's Room" will continue at the Adelpht, where it hka been do- ing very good business for several weeks. George Cohan's show. "Mary"' which has been packing the Garricle at every performance since it opened, is forced to move this week owing to Thurston having a contract to come in for four weeks. Every efw fort has been made to buy ofC- Thurston, but the magician refused. It Is said he was offered three weeks In another house and a bonus 6% $2,500 to permit "Mary" to stay over, but this was declined. "Mary"- has been doing over $20,000 a week and will reach the top this weelc with a special Friday matinee." "The Ghrl fron) Home" has been doing i&ltly well at the Forrest The management ■ has been building up the pl^e for a New York showing. The Canslnos. Spanish damsers for- merly with the Bessie Clayton act in vaudeville . Joined the show Mda« day night The piece has been get- ting about $18,000 weekly. Bushiess has been very light at the Broad. Where George Arllss is showing "Pol-, dekin." Chauncey Olcott comes nexit week with "Macushia," -* .if ■3 NELLIE REVELL RECOVERING Nellie Rovell, the Pollyana in real Hfe of St. Vincent's Hospital; where she has been a patient for the past seven months, has the promise of her physicians that she will be fully recovered. in about another four months. Her case Is a remarkable one, ac- cording to specialists In spinal troubles, and her- great fortitude ih subjecting herself to the rigorous treatments, necessary to bring\a.bout a cure have won the admiration of all ifho hav« been acquainted wjth hep Illhess rOR PRESS AGENTS. la. CRITICISM. Mcrttnique. (Franco-American romance ._. three acts, by Lawrence Eyre, Eh. tinge, April 26.) AU In all, "Martinique" held tb« attention of Its first audience closer ly. If it failed to stir the emotions very deeply at any point the reason may be found In^ its rather too ob-H vioua thealricallsm and in the inex^ pert lapses Into which the authon strayed In his manner of telling his story.—World. . i < "Martinique," which Is a melon: drama of the French West Indies' in the '40s, works itself up into a state. 6f excitement In so charming. and unexpected a way that when the curtain fell at the end of the first act the delighted audience wondered If another "Romance" had not found its way to town. But af- ter that the plebe grew stagier and stagier until it established itself as a throwback to the late. "Octorooa" or> early "St. Elmo" period. It never became uninteresting, hown ever, and much of it was kept thor^ oughly enjoyable by the exceptional playing of Josephine Victor.— Timea, — Syracuse, N. Y., April 28. Higher . education in America reached the ultimate today when Syracuse University announced the °^l}' y^^'l '» n establishment of a course to train "®ver nas Juiia press ageiits, theatrical and other- wise. The course Is camouflaged under the designation "co-operative news gathering." Syracuse has had a department of journalism for some time. Under the new scheme the department takes on>the.dignity.of a college, and will offef a .full. f0V5 .yearp* couirs»"' ■ * ' ■ ' ■'." ■ * ■■' Twelfth Night. (Sothern-Marlowe return, . Shu^ Marlowe madei more lovely appeal to eye and ea? than when she renewed her Impern sonatlon of Viola before a most ap-t preclatlve audience. The performs anco was delightful In every partlc-4 ular. Even the spell seema to have grown of thO' simple stage hangings which replace the cumbersome scene of earlier Shokepearlan occasions. Mr. Sothern was In capital humor, ^ils Malvollo taking on new richness of character.— World,