Variety (February 1921)

ITIMATE Friday, February 11, 1921 r.: ,1'j,. yr sc rr ■ an j» SHOWS IN N. Y. AND COMMENT : •Afgar," Central (14t.li week). Set to ma vimil April. Call steady at little oVer $14,000. Downstairs trade has featured attendance since opening, ••Bad Man," Comedy (23rd week). "With several Dtheri this show ran); * with the class of the sea- son's comedies. Constant virtual capacity at $12,000 weekly augurs well for worth of property for road next season. "Broken Wing," 48th St. (10th week). Holding up consistently at $11,000 weekly with the balance of season here practically assured. Should have considerable road worth also. "Cornered," Astor (10th week). This drama appears to have set- tled down to pace of little over $15,000 weekly and should run well Into spring. "Dear Me," Republic (4th week). Pace for third week not quite as strong as first two. Box offlqe grossed nearly $10,000 last week. Management confident show has good chance. "Deburau," Belasco (8th week). Be- lasco achievement certainly fooled wise ones, Including several brok- ers. Capacity right along at $3 with nearly $18,000 last week. Had It started season it could easily have spanned September to May period or longer. "Emperor Jones," Princess (6th week). Tragedy of fear. Call surprising with the first week here getting $5,000. Another Eu- gene ONell play started special matinees this week, moving over from Times Square, where it was playing afternoon performances. "Enter Madame," Fulton (26th week). Extra matinee has proven a good draw and will be continued through this month. With that extra performance this success again beat $16,000. "Erminie," Park (6th week). An- other two or three weeks; then for road, where big money is ex- pected. Takings here havj been very good but management pre- fers touring rather than risking long revival try. "First Year," Little (17th week). Comedy hit with excellent chance of running through the summer. Getting all the house will hold With the weekly gross better than $12,500. "Gold Diggers," Lyceum (71st week). No let up in the capital pace of best comedy offered by Belasco in years. Hot weather before this run will ease up. $11,500 weekly wiih regularity; $2.50 top. "Good Times," Hippodrome (27th week). Big house is traveling along at big money pace with the takings averaging about the same a's last season. Some weeks a little under and some over last year. Shaded $6.1,000 last week. "Greenwich Village Follies," Shu- bert (-4th week). While this revue has been playing to good business?, management figures bet- ter takings on road, judged from success there of )a*t season's "Greenwich Follies," now pointed for coast. Leaves in three weeks. "Her Family Tree," Lyric (7th week). St'.p limit $12,000. Tak- ings last week went to $13,400. Holidays this month should give it a lease of life. "Honeydew," Casino (28rd week). Going to road after next week. Business very good but manage- ment claiming better picking! on tour. "I'lue Eyes' succeeds Feb. 21. Last week "Iionoydew" plaved to $17.68075. "In the Night Watch," Century (3rd week). Imported melodrama get- ting heavy support in cut rates; but is doing well in all ticket agencies. Drew around $16,000 last week, which permits an even break. "Irene," Vanderbilt (64th week). Road shows standing up to fine business and original company 8tiTl getting a great play. Drew $15,700 last week, which means standing room. Good until hot weather. "Ladies' Night," Eltlnge (27th week). A. H. Woods' mo>t suc- cessful offering in New York this season. Drawing around $14,000 weekly and looks good for all season. "Lady Billy," Liberty <mh week). Looks stronger than ever. Last week the gross went ov< r $ La).000, jumping better than $1,600 over previous week. Rales with the musical leaders. "Little Old New York," Plymouth (23d week). Little off early in week but came back, with mati- nees especially big. Continues to get around $12,000 weekly. Should stick Until May. "LightninV Gaiety (126th week). Remarkable business of Broad- way'! run-record breaker keep up, with th© gross varying but slightly from week to week. Last week with extra matinee, $15 805. "Mary," Knickerbocker (17th week). Getting $20,000 and better right along with the pace rating it first followihg the musical smashes ("Sally" ajid "Tip Top"; also "Passing Show"). "Mary Rose," Empire (8th week). Slipped to around $11,000 last week. This house is practically sure of getting a new attraction around Easter or shortly after- wards. •Meane.t Man in the World," Hud- son (18th week). AVithdfawal of Geo. M. Cohan figured to dent business. Went off about $1,000 but has held steady for last two weeks around $15,000. "Miss Lulu Bett." (Belmont (7th week). Business has picked up within last month consistently. Last week the takings were better than $7,000. Looks like this comedy would land. "Mixed Marriage," 63rd st. (2d week). Rather good business for this St. John Ervine piece. Irish Players added as matinee attrac- tion this week offering 'Keeper of the Lights." "Near Santa Barbara," Greenwich Village (2d week). Wllard Mack melodrama that has a chance. Business picked up steadily throughout initial week. "Prince and the Pauper," Apollo (15th week). Moves over to Solwyn Monday making way for Lionel Barrymore in "Macbeth." The "Prince" show holding to its $12,000 pace. "Passing Show of 1921," Winter Garden (7th week). Strong comedy In this revue aiding in the strong support by agencies. Has a fine chance too with the list holding comparatively few usicval offerings. Over $30,000 weekly claimed. "Hollo's Wild Oats," Punch and Judy (12th week). Attendance drawn here indicates continuance until warm weather with manage- ment predicting a longer stay; around $6,000 weekly, nearly all house can hold. "Rose Girl," Ambassador (1st week). New Shubert theatre opens with new Shubert musical show "The Rose Girl" Friday night Pre- miere postponed from Monday "Sally," New Amsterdam (8th week). Demand marvel of Broad- way, getting first call in agencies. $32,000—all house will hold. Gross has been quoted at $35,000, probably including war tax. "Skin Game," Bijou (17th week). Should run until after Easter. Business holding on to around $8,000 weekly. "Samson and Delilah," 39th St. (13th week). Has shown strength ever since it was brought up from the- Village. Over $10,000 last week. "Spanish Love," Maxlne Elliott (27th week). Paee of $11,000 weekly has been the gait with this drama for past month. Should make a season's run of it. lasting until April or longer. "The Bat," Morosco (25th week). Season's outstanding mystery play.- Playing to better than $18,- 000 right along for eight per- formance weeks. Standing room the rule. "The Green Goddess/* Booth (4th week). Melodramatic smash, skillfully produced and played. $14,000 last week, capacity hav- ing been increased through re- arrangement of scale. "The Tavern," (Cohan (20th week). Return of Arnold Daly reflected in jump in takings of over $"»00. lifting gross to little over $12,000 last week. Will run until spring. "The Mirage," Times Square (20th week). May pick up road route laid out for It after Easter but safe until then with the paee around $11,000. "Thy Name in Woman," Playhouse (13th week). With extra matinee dropped to make way for special performances of "The New Moral- ity," business last week around $8,000. Good profit for this show with a cast of four. "Tip Top," Globe (19th week). Every week like the proceeding one. with the house clean at all performances and standing room evident. Over $27,000. "Three Live Ghoste," Bayes (20th week). Management figured this real hit had it been given chance In downstairs house. Is getting very good trade in roof theatre with over $8,000 weekly and a neat profit earned. "Tickle Me," Selywn <2»Jlh week). Going cut Saturday, opening Shubert, Phila., Monday. 'The Prince and the Pauper'' moves in from Apollo on that date. "The Champion," Longacre (6th WflCk). 0" n , Of f )>e b^Ljof. the new comedies and sure to run ;n:o hot weather. Pace around $13,000 Which at $2.o0 top is not far from capacity. "Transplanting Jean," Cort (6th week). Going out Saturday with Philadelphia first road stand. Laurette Taylor in revival of 'Peg O' My Heart," Monday. "Wake Up. Jonathan," Henry Miller (4th week). Played to $10,600 last week. A little under pace of first three Weeks. Matinees are Capacity with $l,i'00 in last Satur- day and nearly as much for Wed- nesday afternoon. "Woman of Bronze," PrS*ee (23d week). Management confident that run of this drama Will con- tinue well Into spring. Good figure for house g( $ 11,000 weekly. "Welcome Stranger,** Cohan & Harris (22d week). Advance sale ' shows more strength now than month ago. Pace still up to big money at $16,000 weekly. Claims of continuance to hot weather made. "Way Down East," 44th Street (24th "Over the Hill," Broadhurst,* (l»th week). 'THE BAT" BREAKING CHICAGO RECORDS Auto Show Week Harvest for Attractions. j*-* NEWS OF THE DAILIES ^r laying down a barrage of milk bottles, Chinese drove a company of Japanese iilm actors out of China- town as part of their New Year's celebration in New York. They re- sented the fact that Japanese actors, garbed as Chinamen, were dragging white girls into hallways and otherwise mishandling them. . declined the madam, s offer %*• I bring her live, lions into court sj sj show they were not ill-treated. Richard Bennett opened in Louis K. Anspacher's new play, "The House Between," at Baltimore dur- ing the week. Chicago, Feb. $. With the help of Automobile Show week and ideal weather the legit shows continued to mak.e hay. The Princess, harboring "The Bat," smashed all records since the house opened. This was with the aid of a special .natlnee. the total gross run- ning up to $22,852 60. March will see many new shows battling for the windy city dollar. New .shows underlined are for Powers, Olympic. Colonal, Cort. Ea Salle, Illinois, Blackstone and Audi- torium. Some advertising the com- ing attractions, while others still in doubt. Estimates for the week: "The Son-Daughter" (Powers, 6th week), ?30.000. High-water mark since show opened. Two more weeks. No announcement coming attraction. "Fanchon and Marco Satires". (Olympic. 2d week). $14,000. Show- ing speed; dropped about $1,000 un- der its first week, getting play from the middle class. Thurston to fol- low, with rumor "Linger Longer Letty" to come in around April and try for summer run. "Irene" (Garrick, 10th week), $29.- 032. Still absolute capacity, with unbroken line and tremendous ad- vance sale. The original contract called for 14 weeks, but this no doubt will be extended, as it has a great chance of running through summer. "Way Down East" (Woods. Rth Week), $17.. r >00. Slipped about $500 from preceding week. "Follies" (Colonial, 7th week), (Continued on page 26.) Louis Mann will be featured on tour in Earl Carroll's "Daddy Dumplins," the name of which will be changed to "The Pinal Decision" on the road. Claire Karnes has been succeeded in the role of Princess Elizabeth in "The Prince and the Pauper." by Diana Bourbon, an American descendant of the royal house of Prance. She, like Miss Eames, is a protegee of William Paversham, and was discovered by him In Lon- don. The mother of Leon Platow, who idied Christmas Day, left an estate of $10,880. His brother. Ralph, has been appointed administrator. In announcing an Increase in the price of its papers from 1 to 2 cents, the Buffalo Commercial declared "publication costs have been mate- rially increased and at this time seem to be pegged at their highest known altitude for an indefinite period."' Following his second appearance in a Washington theatre, when he and his family saw "The Girl in the Spotlight," President Wilson let it be known he will devote the first six months after he leaves office to recreation. Two performances in Philadelphia theatres — Forrest and Garrick— netted about $10,000 for the Actors' Fund. Holding that a packing case was no place to park a lion, a New York magistrate fined Mmc. Adgies Cas- tillo, animal trainer, $25. The court INSIDE STUFF ON LEGIT The 63d Street theatre, known as the 63d Street Music Hall, will retain its present name, although when John Cort took it over recently it was I planned to call it Daly's theatre. During the spring the house will be remodeled and will be open for regular bookings next season. The stage will be made of workable size by moving the proscenium arch forward. This will eliminate one or two boxes on either side of the house. The smallness of the stage has kept this house dark as far as legitimate attractions go. Tlfc 63d Street seats* 1,154 persons, placing It with many Broadway dramatic houses In point of capacity. Enlarging the stage will not ma- terially decrease the capacity. "Mixed Marriage," a St. John Ervine play, If now being offered there. The Irish Players who were to take the house will come in for matinee performances starting this week. Elizabeth Marbury comes forward with a scheme for reducing the coat of play production through efficiency methods. She would have all scenery, costumes, props and furni- ture purchased on a competitive bidding basis. A net estate of $13,659.98 was left by Anson Phelps Pond, author ot "Her Atonement" and other plays, when he died in January, 1920. Closely following announcement by Morris Gest of his intention to press his $5,000,000 libel suit against Henry Ford and his "Dearborn in- dependent," a bill was introduced for N. Y. Legislature providing for amendment of the Libel Law so as to permit recovery of damages by persons attacked "because of religi- ous, racial or political affiliations." Fritzi Scheff has filed suit for di- vorce from George Anderson, in the court at West Haven. Conn. She accuses him of intempeia nee and "intolerable cruelty." In additioa to Francine Larrimore, the cast of "Nice People," which will open the Klaw Theatre Feb- ruary 21, includes Bob Ames, Merle Maddern, Frederick Perry, Tallulah Bankhead, Hugh Huntley, Katherine Connell, Guy Milhan, Ed Henslcy and Fred Maynaid. Charles Purcell and Lvdia I.upo- kova head "The Rose Girl," initial attraction at the Ambassador to have opened Thursday night. • The White Villa," by Edith Ellis, and "The Dangerous Ae^." by Karen Michaelis, are to be presented by the Players Fellowship In conjunc- tion with A. H. Woods at the Eltlnge at matinees. Wilson C. Dexter, artist, ended his life by leaping In front of a.n L» train at the 33rd street station Saturday night, a short time after his wife and children had started from New York on a vacation. An appraiser has been named to audit the estate of Johnny White, famous referee, who died about a year ago. His wife is sole legatee of the estate, said to include hold* Ings in several theatres. Turning aside from play writing for a while, Maeterlinck is writing; "The Great Secret," a philosophical work dealing with occultism and spiritualism. There is a still further inside angle to the procurement of K. & E. book- ing of two Shubert-allied producing firms. The period of unusual pro- duction activity and theatrical prosperity following the war led to a booking congestion and gradually the booking contractual provisions were tightened by the Shubert booking offices. The number of musicians stipulated was dropped to four. It was provided that the house share on musicians thereafter up to the number of 15, the attraction to pay for all over that number without sharing. Furthermore, the number of stage hands allowed was lessened, and the payment for others fell mostly upon the attraction, as with musicians. This really meant the reducing of the usual sharing terms. Tt meant and means about 5 per cent, less on a $10,000 gross, the extra expense entailed for a musical show being around $500 weekly. Many rmall stand managers adopted the same form of contract on both sides of the fence, a.nd that made the one nighters as tough as possible to play. But while all contracts read the same the big firms were given a private understanding and the old contract provisions operated. Often company managers for such attractions had to wire New York, and the house management finally "officially" informed on the matter. But to the new- coriers the added burden was accepted as being uniform for everybody, and It -s one reason why so many shows have crashed on the rocks. It seems lately that some of the producers on the inside found it harder to recall to the booking office the fact that the "tough" clauses in the contracts didn't go for them. In at least two eases these firms declared j themselves independents, free to seek time wherever they wished. That, however, was not the first time either firm so declared, it is claimed the K. & E. booking provisions have not changed with the regulation 15 or 16 musicians applying for musical attractions and sharing thereafter, wi i similar arrangements on stage bands. David Belasco will be the guest of honor at a dinner to be given February 20 by the Society of American Dramatists and Com- posers at the Bitz. Gersten Sirota, cantor of the Mos- cow Synagogue, has arriva d In New York, whence he will start on a three months' concert tour. "Show Me," a three-act comedy by Sidney Toler, was a hit at the Friars' Frolic. Brooklyn is to be used as the try* out ground for "Cognac." Flo Ziegfeld has* signed Joha Clarke, English tenor, for a new production. He sang in "Monsieur Beaucaire." Silvio Hein has been a victim of "sleeping sickness' at his home in Connecticut, but is recovering. There have been a number of d< atbs in New York and In Europe recently from the disease. A flareback from the divorce ac- tion, which resulted in the separa- tion of Blossom See ley and Bubo Marquard, hit the Bubo this week when Joseph Bosenzwuig, his law- yer in the case, got a judgement for $300 against him for services rendered during the action. A general order to all bouse managers in New York and out was sent oik by the Shuherts late last week, providing for the payment of all house e tpJofHM by chock, it was reported (he new ruin followed the dis/covery of alleged padding of payrolls. This explains the dismissal of several managers of out-of-town houses by the Shuberts last week. No New York manager was implicated. One ot the men let out was on the Job for at least six years. Vhe payment by check plan is supposed to be a means of keeping tabs on every individual on the house payroll. The house manager may per- mit the checks to be cashed at the box office upon Indorsenu nt. In which case the checks need not go through the bank. If deposited, however, the system calls for having double the amount of the payroll available, and in any event, Where the box office cashes, the pay clocks, it calls tor a considerable amount to be kept in the box office. The unions may have a say In the pay check plan where the box office docs not cash the checks. Tin- idea was tried once before and it hap- pened frequently that men could not gel tho cash until Monday. A pro- test to the union resulted in a ruling that where the checks could not be cashed until Monday the bolder Was entitled to an extra day's pay. Saloons were open when the pay check scheme was effective first, and (.Continued on page 26.) From Eondon comes a d< nial that Peggy O'Neill, star of "Baddy, the Next Best Thing," is engaged to marry Frank Moran. The denial is taken as authentic, because Miss O'Neill wrote it herself. Answering her writer husband's declaration that she posed for "tho artist's sake," Mrs. Lawrence Gil- christ, a sculptor's model, who is suing for divorce in Chicago, con- tends she posed fof "art's sake One""pafn!'iftg, nf"T *he W«ts ?*•< model, "The Lady VVith the Scarlet Van," shows the fan as her entlro wardrobe. Mile, Paulmy and Mile. Bcnee Gaud in, two popular actresses of Purls, have been robtw tl of large sums of money and Jewels by "* mysterious monocled" gentleman, for whom the police are necking. An ex-army captain Is under arrest and is said to have confessed steal- ing Jewels valued at more than 100,- 000 francs from Mile. Gaudin. Charles Vidor, a young Hungarian actor who tried to create a Hungar- ian national theatre In New Vork, ended his lifo by Inhaling gas In (Continued on page 21.)