Variety (August 1921)

_i'y,r^iT.'K/* M ■ fK-rff ■»1J]r I': '- (}»y'" ■\^\ V^t^VV^,'\^ ■ r^- -- •>■» ^ :iQ^^w^':M;::v^3in."r^ ir^'. prid»y, Anyiist l», T>g1 r EGITIM ATE ^^if^ "^'^"""^l^^r^m^ \, ,^„f'5^^^' -jmr^fff^- 15 STARTED TfflS WEEK IXhree Legit Houses Open _"0*Bricn QivV at I Jremont Still Leads f- _ Boston. An;;. 17. Although three other leadiof lioueea iu this citj fell into line Mon- day and officially started the reason, ♦^he O'Brien Girl" at the Trcmont led the rest Th> house did a gross of $2,100 Monday night, practicallj capacity, and the advance sale for the romaining three Tveeks the show U to stay bits a figure now of $17,- 000. There inn't any douht but the abow will go out of town playing to rapacity and a "Mimaway" is looked for the final week. With the exception of the HoUIh and the Boston opera house, all of the IcKitimnto hoi ^vlll be open here next week. So far nothing has been dt'tinilely achcduled for tbo Hol- lis and the opera houae ih due to I open later in the &f;aM>n with a big musical ^how. The top for nhows lilayiug lieri^ thi^ aeanon will be about the same as that whirji eiislisl to- ward the fag end of lasi season, $2.50 for every night except Saturday, with reduced prices for the Wednesday niatiuee. Kstiinates for the week arc: "The O'Brien Girl" (Tremont). Last throe week?. Show grubsed about $18,000 lant week and during the long run here, n record for sum- iner 9how in city, has seldom fallen below $IG,0()0. ♦'Enter Madame" (Selw/n, Ist week). Opened strong, getting good play from fashi'>"<i>io 8#»f. Show in for indcfinitp engagetnont. "Irish JEyes'' (IMyinouth. 1st week), tlreatly to surpriNe of some, Walter Scanlan did 4r!g bi!«!i!io8H ot opener. House sold out at prc- T niiero. U^^ual Shubert policy of deal- Ting with new nhow witlioiit estab- X liohod hit in way of star wa< used s for oprncr, the house boin;; sold ou I tw»> for one basi.s. "A Wise Child" y(rolonial. l.st week). Metropolitan proincii-re . which has Vivienne Sefal for st.-r. Show got over very well with audi- ence that attended first iiorf'irinnnce with future rather doubtful. May develoj). "The Four Horsemen" ((JI.Voo. 10th week). One of the biggest hits for a photoplay hinro t'Way Down . Fast," htili runniug to good weekly '^ groRg. The hHows that are in the offorine ^for Boston r.rp the Dunibclls in 'IWff! *Bing! Bnn}f!" at the Wilbur, and Alice Brady in "Drifling" .at the Shubert. I'.oth ^'hows are booked for two weeks. MANAGERS CONVENE (Continued from page 13) Ing the convention indicates the coun- try-wide interest aroused: W. T. Wjntt, Mason O. II.. T.os :, Angoli-i: Calvin lleilig. rortlnnd I (also San Fnincisj-o, 'J'jiporna nul ' Oaklsnd iiouaes); T. B. Lotlii:m. Bo.slon: V,. I>. Kldrige, Now llnveu; J Morris Iloso, Now York; C. S. .loli.i- uon. V>\\ Van. N. Y.; lIoriii:ia Cliw- M>n, Fitriiliir;?, Mas.-i.; .1. S. I'i-in- hnin, Cord.ind. N. Y.: L. Solomon, lioyol Alrx-.ndilu. Toronto; .hilo. Mn:r:«v. New York; Alfred i:. Aarou.s. N<\v York; .lulos F. Ma.st- bjtuni. rirl.ulolphia; M.n.rk A. I.uo^- rb(»r. NtMV V«Mk: IjIw^ii .1. Cohn. <'Oorse Ni'l.;ilai, Ni>\v York; .1. A. (linns, Now York; (loor^je T. lloixl. Sfvftin;, ChM VorU Suok.TTio: C. n. l.rwiM, M.'jlio F.olls: MoIvIUp Stoltz. Sf. i.oiiis; M. .1. O'Toolc. I'>i.. Harry lI««!i!vol, ^\^!^ilMoro; Cluulov I^ Cobuvn. Now Vo:lc; (J(,>oij;>» (i. A. Bookor, Ne\vi)ort N'.«'.\s; llarrN C;. Som'M•^ (;rnii'l Knpids; W. M". C.r.^y, Kui.sn.vr Citv: Tliomas M. iiO\e, Pliiladolpliia; Frod D. .lohn- ^on. Wiiooliii;; .folin B. Uo.vnolds. I'MtsburgJ!: llarrv Brown. IMn.s- hiirgh: C. II, i;ro\vn. //^no^vil^'; Fred F. Moore, Atlatiti'- City: I.co M. B.),li. Columbus an I Irwlij'inpo- lis; Uob«'rt I'. Boiia. Cohimhns: A. F. Miller, Iiulianapoli.-*; Nathan .\p- ppl. Waltor >'iu(OMr. Syduoy Wili!i(>r. •1. Sau'los-yon >»ionp: (ioor^o S. Ch il- lin. MiMU'io. Ina.; NVintlirop Amos. Now York: llnrrv Davis, IMts- biirirb: .low. I». BiokorloM. Now York: liouis F. Worba. .\i'\v York: Coo. W. Bai.'oy. X. ('.: Wilii.im C. Snoll. Mil- waukee; II. Saxon. Tolodo; F. F. Shea. Buffalo: U. Crawford. Topoka; Thomas C. Campbell, Now Orloms; ^V. T. Fansle, Portland. .Mo.; W. S. < anumg. Manohester. N. II.; Frod ;>. Aloon. .1. ,T. Donovan. Taunton, Mass.; II. J, Stoinberg. Mas.i.; Ed- ward F. Lyons. Now York; John A. ninunoloin, Sandusky, ().; Sam S. Kosonberjr. Syranuso; A. \,. Er- l^ingir. Now York; fi. A. Crosy. Battlo Crook; C. E. Cady. Lnnslng; >J. A. Keys. I>»yton; U;ili»li Long. Now York; M. M. (;utMndt. Ithaca; '•. B. Ci'ilstadt. (Jeneva; Cioo. Bro.id- hnrst. Now York: B. F. Uoder. Now J<'rk; Frod M. Taylor. Now York; I'. Hothouhorg. Aforidan, Miss.; A. Iitou, Augusttif:; Harry ,1. Mnrlin. '''Miisvijlo; Ilnrrv BopHon. Fnion- Jown; CJoo. W. Ledoror. New York: i>. tJiiRgiMjlioim. I'atorson; II, .T. .Iack.<*on. Kjusas Citv; .lulos Ilurti?. rso-v York: B(»l)oit MoLauRlilin. ' leyoland; M. II. Brown. Coliimbln. 'V C.; A, \\ Ilyman. lItintiii?:ton. W. ^ •' : Cli.irlpM F. I'ord. B;iMimore: A. It. Nobol AuiiMon. Ala.: Max W. ';«yant. Book hill. S, ('.; Uosooe '•'I'^o. New York: R, C. Cracrin. ^Niishin-tou; M. J. Lawlor Croon field, Msss.; Jos. Kiaw. jos. Weber, li. O. Whitney, Detroit; A. R. I^n don. Toronto: Gilbert MUer, New York^ Raymond Payton, New Tort; R. H. Walsh, Mobile; H. V. Vamer, Lexington, N. C; 0. C. Wanamaker. rhilsdelpbU; Ned Waybura. New Vork: A. G. Monroe, iitvannah; W. H. Rapley, Washington; Ilarry J. Uidings^ Chicago: Harry Powers, (Chicago; Fred G. Nizon-Xirlinger. Philadelphia; I. C. Mi^hler, Altoona: James 8hesgreen, New York; Henry Taylor, Uoston; O. 8. Uatbaway, Bingbamton; Abe Levy, New York-, James Thatcher. New Haven: War- ren O'liara, New Bedford; Nelson Trowbridge. Indlanspolis; Arthur Hammerstein. Gus Hill. F. P. Mel- linger, Oumberland, Md.; W. A. Brady, Dwight Gilmore. HpringSeld, Mass.; Lee ShubAct. Sam Scrllkuer, Philip Klein, I. H. Herk, B. F. Al- bee, Jos. M. Gaites, Earl Lewis, O. HoQsc, Npw York; F. P. Comstock, New York: MHton Aboun, New York; Fortune Gallo. APPOINT LOTHIAN GEN. BOSTON REP. Local Managers Named— Shubert Houses Make Changes Boston, Aug. 17. Thomas B. Lothian, for many years manager of the Colonial, his officially a.Hsumed control of all the Erianger, Dillingham and Ziegfeld intercats here, including the Colonial, HoUis Street and Treniuut. Following his appointment of Al Sheehan as manager of the Tremont replacing David E. Dow, (who has gouo into oil exploitation). Jvothian has named Joseph Cook as manager of the HoUis to take over the duties of the late Charle.s J. Kich. Lothian will continue to handle the Colonial personally. While there have been no mana- gerial changes in the Shubert inter- e.st.H, there had been a preliminary shake-np in some of the treaNurer- ship.s by A. Toxen Worm, general Shubert rcpre.««entatire, prior to his departure from the city last week for an indefinite period to rest. Man- ager Frank Hoyt of the Wilbur is tomporarily acting for Worm until tho lattor's return. Bertram Sullivan, treasuttj: of the Shubert has been demoted to the Shu- bort general ticket office as an t\^- si.«<tant, being replaced by Bert Cul- lender from the IMymouth who in (urn has been replaced by (Jeorge Mc- Carthy, formerly at (he genertil ticket oflice. A further shake-up is expect- ed, and there is a vacancy as treas- itrer of the Majestic due to the resig- nation of Ernest Grenier who has boon n4»poirited as treasurer of the Colonial replacing (Jrover Burkhordt y\\o is apparently idanning to devote his time to his interests inMhe new Boston Arena, an indoor sport hippo- d'.omo featuring ice skating and box- ing. BEOADWAY STORY (Coiitluiiod from pa;:o VI) listod tor a sl;i!t this Sr.t!ir(l;\v. Tlio llilj.odt omo will o;>on St'pt. -J. 'I'lirt'O (»f >';r' :!o"* .{(•"■((••.•oiioMs woro ad;!o.l to tlio 1st of hwjA briii^'in^ llic I'lhil t.) <':>;lit. The brokers have t;»kon allot:I -"h) a niRht for * Tan- goriiio" at tlio Casino for four wooks with a '2Xt por cfiit return; th-' oiitiro lower floor f;>r •♦Dulcy' at the I'ra- zoe for four wo*'ks. about .'UK) scats, and obotit 'J-IM for 'Tho Xijrlit Cap" at tlio \VM\\ SI root uudor a like ar- rangomont. Aftor tlio o|>('nin;» on Wrdnosdny i)i}:l>t of •'Nohodys Money" at tlio f.onuacro tlioro was every indioatio:! that that attraofioti would aloO bo i\il<!<"l (o tlio list. 'I'lio l)i(iko:s for tlio greater part alfriltiilo llio sfjf»ng demand for "Tangoriiio" to the faof that tho :nnna>?om<'nt ♦nt the price to $2..~»0 top instead of %?*. which was or'j;- inally to have l»eon the soale. Tlio .S2.r»0 lO|, j;li.-,\v thoy think is go- ing to pot the ptiblio demand from this time on. .\monR the buys at present aro "Tangerine" (Casino): ''The I-nst Wait/." (Century): "Dulcy" (I'ra- /.oo) : '•F(dliov'* (({lobe): "Scandals" (liihortyJ: "Sally" (Now Amstor- dam): "fJettin? Certio's flartor" (Bopublic). and 'The Night Cap" (r^nth Street*. At cut rato.q llirre wore nine at trac^!oMs ll^fod oti AVodnosdny aftor- noio) but orehf»slra seats were ava'l- ahlo for l)ut one of those. This was tho '-r.roadway Whirl" (Selv.yn). Tho othors were ''MMrrh Ilarox" (Bijou): "Tho Tast Walt?." (Con- tiirv): "Sonny" (Cort I : 'Nice I'oo- olo" (Klaw): "The Toasov" (Play h'»Mso): ".lust M.irriod" (Shnb'^rt): "The Nii:Ut<rii»" (.T^th Street >. and "The Whirl of .Vow York" (Winter CJardon'- SHOP ARBITRATION (Continaed From Page 1) the ftgreement cofers only members of the P. M. A. Failure to com- plete the arbitration is cUimed to show weakness on the"^ part of Equities belief in its side of the ques • tioB and it is claimed the arbitration has been "stalled" by Equity from week to week. Last week Jo«eph Dickerton and Pau>, attorneys for Arthur Hopkins and Frank Gillmore respectively^ the Utter being the ar- bitrator, called on Federill Judge Hand to act at the judge in the the arbitration. The jurist had planned a vacation and was forced to decline. It was stated that 48 hours had been set for the time of appoHrtinf a new ludge but up to Saturday last none bad been chosen. Moagars* Contaatloas Tbe managers' contention in the arbitration is that actors ore the third pai4y to the basic agreement, because the two mooted clauses in the agreement name both members and non-members of the Equity As- sociation. That closed shop as an- nounced against independents is co- ercion. That coercion itself makes a dosed shop. That cause 6 refers to actors alone, not managers, actors in general, regardless of athliation and therefore that actors are the third party to the agreement The ferment over the closed shop continues outside the critically Im- pending arbitration decision. The appeal for loyalty by FiQuity is losing its sap, with fresh indications daily. Bhuubers \vho doolare their loya ty for Kquity as au organization, at the the name time say that they will practice their profession and that if it comes to a matter of accepting lan oiK'u shop contract or engage- ment, a line ou loyalty must be draVi'o. Tho closed shop policy was en- tered into with ^hc knowledge that tho Equi-ty Council has the right to declare it on or off at its discretion and to exempt from closed shop any independent manager or production. It is therefore claimed tho Council has full power to withdraw the cloacd shop. Reports are that four Kquity offi- cials constituting the Isiior faction are responsible for holding up the arbitration and in demanding closed shop at any cost. They are Frank fJillmore, (irant Stewart, John Cope and Paul Turner. The balaircc of the CoMiK-il is nnid to be divided ou the ipioMtion. It is Maid that, (he labor faction has swayed the CouU' cil and forestalled being voted down by argument to the others (hat dis- introgntion mi,';ht fol'ow an open re- cession from the closed shop and (.hut there would be much loss in unpaid dues, Additional pressure to bring the arbitration issue to a conclusion is now coming from tlie authors. De- mand for action from that quarter \n insistent, the authors stating the closed shop lias already nfTccUHl a stoppagv^ in production and royalties. The arbitrators finally chose .Judge .Tulian IMaok as the d<>ri<Iinf; third j.»Aoii)l>er.Tuos«lMv. Wednesday tiio^ar- bilrators and their attorneys ropiiio;! to .Indpe Mack's honu> at BoridK stcr, \. Y., to : rj?ue the cisso ooforo him. It was oxpect(>d th.at a docsion would ho s;'( nrcd late \\'r(lnosd;iy ov on Thursday. Ilop*""!^ wore current this wool: that a doloj»afii»n of Mpiity incmherH !iad submitted a plan to tlio Council wliToby all momhors now pla.\i?ii: on- KJigotp.'.'nts. womM be asses.-o(!, that a fund conld thoi'«'by bo pvoviled to (inanclally aid those players win* ari' boinj; kept out of work by the closed >diop oilict. It was pointed out tliat other labor bo«lies made assfssmonts in strosM times and that the same system should be omidjiyofl by I'.ipiity. No notion is kn(»wn to have boon talon on the suRgostion by tho Mcpiity officials. When Showmen .Become Clothiers ftica. N. y.. Aug. 17. .Took Coleman an<l Samuel L. Si- mon, long identifi'd with theatricals here, stepped out this week to be- eoiiie clothiers, handling men's v.onr. In tprn. they have been with Col<l- slotjo brothers, with the Kohbins Amusement Company and with Itar- noy Luiriberg. NEW ORLEANS STOCK? N'ow Orleans, Aug. 17. Xocfoti.it ioii'* f*»r a loa.se on the I.afiyette are being pushed by I-yle t'lemerM. He wants to jilaoe a Htook 'ompany iu the theatre, with Ivy Siu'pF>ard iu the load. Miss Sliep- pard was (he lead of the P.ob Sher- man stock at the old Orplieum last sprini& I JACK LAIT'S REVIEWS \ BROADWAY The last four acts put the show over and would put any show over. A feminine orchestra was working none too well, and, strangely, the final quartet of turns proved almost entirely independent of the band. What o relief that orchestra would have been a coup«e of years ago. when half tbe material-snatchers iu the business were referring to "the boys in tbe trenches." Bottom up, the four winners were Tarzan, Prcfsler and Klass. "A Dress Rehearsal" (New Acts), and Frank Gaby. Presslor and Klass got away with the whooping wow over all, with Gaby breathing hard behind. Tar- zan, closing, working faster and snappier than ever seen before by this vaudeville bloodhound, with all waste matter out and every wiuk counting, wound it up to a w|iIlop and a hurrah. "A Dress Rehear- sal" proved one of the surest laugh- ing travesties of the day. The Pressler ond Klass act is ar- ranged in astute running order to sell it at its best. The girl comes out first and does two ninnbers, giving her a chance to make food on her own, for after the man comes on nobody else could stand out. His entrance is a woof and everybody senses a great low comedian. He proves mok*c than that, being also a hoofer, a contortionist, a pantomim- ist, a pianist and an accompaniat. and in each a star. His piano fooling is almost without a blemish for orig- inality, and that is going a lot. There aren't a funnier pair of dogs thia side of Chaplin's studio, aud his leg twisting is convulsing. It stopped everydiing and could have tied up the show scandalously. If the man will cut out that one false motion toward the piano on his fourth or fifth bow, it will be perfect ami without oven a i<uspicion of deliber- ate traffic blocking. Gaby has introduced for his start a nionolog on the Dempsey-Carpen- tier scrap. It isn't good copy and Caby doesn't do it well. The more ho doe.s it like Ed Wynn the less it hits. There was no resf.onse, thougk a few laughs came after retching and. repeating lead-in lines to feeble faga.' Then oama his silly aoa preUainary. somewhat cut since the Palace, wh^ was about the only thing In its favor. Then came his ventriloquy and It took the audience by surprise and by storm and stunt ofter stunt, raaater- = fully done, with good routine and amazing ventriloquy, recovered tho ground lost (or thrown away) and swept the specialty into a thunder- ous hit. ; Edward Ormsby and Co. (New Acts) went too long and did not do a great deal. Coogan and Casey, a comic with ability but poor judgment in selection, and a pretty girl with nothing heftier than an attractive exterior, fared so-so. Rernard and Garry and Theresa and Wiley gave and took all that the early positions allowed. Lait, SONYA Peter Ctiarlson SmUh Jftkov Jay FasMtr Prlnr* Paul Edward Bmerr Coui>t Dukaa France Bendtaen Prlnra Michael.. .William II. Thompaon Prince Alexander Otto Krugsr Sonya Violet Hemlaa Kins Stefan Joaeph Maoaulajf Th* Chamberlain Rnxford Kendr:«k Ambasaador Wallla Roberta Since the original and not entirely successful presentation in Chicago, "Sonya" had beeti considerably ana decisively rewritten. In Chicago it was a arcat play doomed to failure; at the Playhouse in New York it is claptrap and may be a success. That sounds cynical and.an attempt either to be clever or to roast New York. It may even iniply a sly dig at Chi- cago. None of any of that. It means that, though it was a great play os first Hhown, it had an unhappy end- ing to a romantic promise, and therefore, was poor box office. Now it ban a very "happy" curtain, irtiich might sell it. though profane hands have rumpled its poesy ond marred its honest beauty and jarred its tech- nical fidelity. It was originally a play by Gabrey- (Continued on page 20) SPORTS Ed. Walsh, the old White S>x pitohef. is not all in yet. Walsh re- cently went to the mound for a fai-t H?ml pro team iu Oneonta, N. Y., of whioh he xa manager, and turned in a three-hit game. Ed. lost the con- te.'Nt. however, through poor support. Medical exports say that Christy MattliowMon will finally be victorioun in his long and desperate Ktruggle with tubereuloais. For many month.s t!io dreaded disease had **Rix Six" on his back and it did not appear possible that he could stave off its doalhly knookout punch, but his in- dominable determination and wondor- Tul courage enabled him to wo.jtbor the storm and he is now rapidly ;;uin- injj the upper hand. (Mirisly goe.s for a short auto ride every (t.-iy /rid \'.\A^> I'l.rward with pleasure to a tish- i!:>; oi.ting in the not distant future. Tlio iiv^'iitor of the "fadaway" <o\'- br:! I .(i "fiiH 11 St birtiidH y "^A>J v. ro'u »nd wn:; lis biijij^y and rnrofi-eo as n Iou-\onr-ol<| boy. Anollu-r suninior diversion ims gone Deinooiatio. The gambling housox at Long Ilranrh which had been going wide (ipon Hince May, welroining jirotiy nniob all comers together with their wivoH and women frienfls. are finrk this week, while there ix a larne .v:'/,od l)attlo on between Mayor Haus- UKin. brother of the textile mini and veteran (irst nighter, and two fac- tions among the five city comniisxion- eiK. They are even talking about oir<'ulatin.sr a petition for the rooall of the .M.ijor. IWit while the free for-nll Hituation was on li'Mig Hranch took on some- tliing of the rolor of the grand old iV.xyii w'lon Phil Daly's club was the Monte Carlo of the East and the old Ciuttenburg track was running. I'ntil the houKes were closed there wore fi'Of|uent motor i)artieH fr<»in TiujOH sipiare and it i.s reported the play wns hi;;h. One tale that circulated along the north .Tersey shore was that Wil iam A. iJrady had weathered a *J(Mw»ur session at th(f wheel, run- ning .5-~>.0(lO behind the game at one time, but recouping all but $0,000 be- fore he railed it a day. Itiit it's all over now. The newspaper in the near by town of Asbury Park got wind of the situ.tti(Mi and sent an invefitigatiug party to f/ong Branch to find out If the soiindnl in Monmouth county was true. As it was, the bright young As- bury rejiortern hadn't the Rlightest difficulty getting in and playing (heir game. Apparently they didn't need an introduction. The Phil Ualy plaoe was visited, so was a new erttabliuli- ment about 100 feet behind Price's (^asino. Pleasure Day. It was said New York men. sailed their yachts right up to the Plea.ture Bay land- ing and left them there for daya while the play went on. Up to Aug. 8 men and women were admitted to all the places, but that day some- one passed the word that "women talk too much" and they were barred. Immediately trade went flat and never did recover. The publication of the story in the biggest newspai)er of the county blew the top off the political situation. The voting citizens of Ijong Branch and thereabouts want to know how gambling could go on so openly with- out the knowledge of the authorities and a tine Jam is on. Meanwhile not :i wheel is turning. .Ttidgp Landis* ruling that the ac- •fiim^d- \Vfiin»"l"<Tfi- buih pliiyoi h vonlJ n«»t re-«**)ter organixed baseball was no surprise. It was a foregone coii- clusion that none of ^he accused play- ers would cot back into the foW. The action of Judge Landis is uni- versally commended. Individual sym- pathy may extend to Joe Jackson and TJuck Weaver with many of the opin- ion Weaver shoidd be given the bene- fit of the doubt, considering the testi- mony, but the gHme itK««lf \% more i»nrM»rtant than any personality. With the ganiblorH still infesting the ball park.'^, baseball fwxds doing a flourish- ing business and the layers making book openly at most grounds, it be- hr»ves the extreme arbiter of baseball to take the notion he did. The gen- eral public always on the lookout for •crookedness' and the enemies of baseball would make much capital put of the rpinstatenient of tbe Black Hox. The moral effect on the rest of the rank and file of honeat players, who seo their mates restored to equal privilege after their dastardly throw- ing of world aiivlta games, would be distinctly bad. Mike ftibbons has advanced to a stage with his "come back" where he can not be sidestepped any longer by cither Downey or Wilson and must bo the next opponent of either after their I/abor I)ay setto. Mike has diS' posed of all the leading middleweight contenders, his last two eliminations being Augie ICatner and Jeff Smith. He is b'lxing in rare form and would he an even money choice were he to erifer the ring with Downey tomor- row. Against Wilson, Mike should b4 hold favorite at about 2 to L -...^. ^