Variety (September 1921)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFK jl 26 HANWAY 8T>, OXFORD ST., W. I. GABLES i . ^ J " ^^ ■ »i^ t > I ii r fjr Friday, September 30, 1921 CANADA EMBARGO ON LEADER PUT DP TO BRITISH PREMIER Dominion Musicians Notify Dc Coun^llf-JEixglish Conductor Woji't Be Permitted to Pky—^Allege German-Americans Rule Union* LONDON ADMISSIONS SHOW LITTLE CHANGE West End Prices Mostly Remain Same—Public R«esentment 1 17 REMAUS IN 26 SHOWS AT PARIS SEASON'S OPENING Great indigiiAti«n it nanifest here »ver the action of th« American Fed- eration of MniiciaBS forbidding Charles Cowlrick to contluit ii DeCourville revue dnrinff Its forth- coming Canodian toar. Protesta have been cabled to the Canadian Premier; also Driscoll, president of tho Trans- Cauada Theatres. DriatoU has al- rcndy replied that every U'fl"«''i " >^ being eierted on behalf of Cowlrick. The press and Governuitnt are being premised for aid. Ocnnan-Aniericans, it la charged, control the Federation of Muaicians. DeCourville has sent a meaaage to the Premier of England, ealttng his atten- tion to tM> matter .saying that dicta, tion on the part of tb« American Federation is being directed against a British musical director, that he is forbidden to work io Canada and that DaCourviDe is advised to engage a director in New York and put an Englishman out of empU>yment, Uo considers the matter one of Imperial issue. DeCoorville threatens ^ take Cowl- rick with him and will peraonaUj se« that bo conducts every pofformaiice. If any orchestra refufes tor play wiih Cowlrick, at the dictation oi tiM Amorkan trades onian, he says ha will give no show. Yoor correspondent is informed tt the Gaiety theatre that a' farther cable has been received from DdscoU, transferring tiie opening date from Quebec to Ottawa, ^adtlMig that many American and Canadian newspapers are siding with DeCourville. Answers have not yet been re c eived from the English or Ctanadian premiera. - Although aiding with Cowlric^ there is no trath in a mmor belnji circulated that the company will re- f uae to Bail - anleaa the - embargo against the director ia lifted. They wfll stand by DeConrviUe'a decifion. WHITE-SMITH AOT Aaarlaans ia London SlMikart Circnlt Ovtr Hnm Enongti ftr London* Sept. 28. Lee White and Clay Smith, Ameri- cans, who do an act over here in vaudeville or play in productku^ have been eontracted through Jenie Jacobs of New York, to start a 16- wcek contract over the Shubert vaude- ville circuit, commencing Nov. 7. The contract calls for an option ol 20 ad. ditional weeka. Miss White and Mr. Smith formed their professional partnei^p aome aeaaiHia ago, while in London. Later they were married. Miaa White left New York several yeara ago and has grown to be an English favorite. Mr. Smith was a vaadevillian In this coon- try before going abroad. The team has never appeared together on an American stage. OHAPtm INBERLnr Paris, eSpt 2ft Charlie Chaplin left for Berlin Sept. 22. In an interview he declared he found the French capital less gay than when he played here 14 years ago. He has spent most of his time here quietly sightseeing with Dudley Field Malone, th^ American attorney. One of ChoplLs'a few public ap- pearances was a half hour of clowning on the balcony of the Claridge with .Qeorgea.Carpentier for the benefit of the film camerameji and the crowd on the Champa IilyseeB. MUSICAL OBJECnOK London, SepL 2& Albert de Courville complaina that the Canadian musicana* union, affili- ated with the American, refuses to allow his English musical director to play for his new production in Canada and has appealed to the Can- adian Prime Minister. De Courville produced "Harlaquin'* here in November. EDITH KELLY WILL SUE London, Sept. 28. Edith Kelly leaves the Gaiety and sails for America Oct 5, to institute suit for divorce against Frank Gould. She denies the validity of the Frendti divorce already by Gould, and says she hopes to return in six or eight weeks. "^OISEAUX" LIKED Paris, Sept. 28. Another revival is "Oiaeaux de Pasago" at tho Ambign, opening Sept. 20. It was well received and picely done. Business remains fair. . The new offering Is successor to "The Iron Master.*' Jean Coquelin, co-director with Herts, heads the cast. In support are Louis Gauthier, Marthe Mellot and Mile. Dermoz. London, 8opt Sk The price of aonts in the West End remains a voaed qneation. , Before the war prices wero more or loss nnl- form, ranging from half-gninon stsUs to shimng galleries. Today only 10 theatrea^have retomed to the akilK ing gallery and nine to half-a-crown pits, the rest charging three ahilUngs for the pit and two for the gallery, ploz tax in both cases. There ia alao a leaning on the part of boom man- agers, notably those with aoccosRca. to put their prices up for Satntday nights. At the Winter Garden, where ''Sally", was an instantaneons suc- cess, prices ass np nbonl kalf n crown sll sronnd. The lowest price at the Playhonao la throe shUUngK, snd that gtoemDy for 'Standing room,** while 17 shSUinga and 14 and sixpence are diarged for the front rows of stalls at the Oxford and the PaviUon. With pricea aa they are, the pnbllc ia inclined to ahow ita reaentment when provided with a mediocre or bad show. The cooler weather has brought a revival of busfners. large audiences being the rule at the Gaiety, Hsymar- ket. Ambassadora, St. Martina, Globe* Playhooae, Wyndhams snd Winter Garden. The Oxford and the Hippodrome have managed to keep pretty dose to their standard alt through. The PavtHon with the Chaove-Souris ahow ia not doing so wen as might be expected. l%e snbnrban honses also report * noticeable change for the better. Skdk JEhisinew Brings Back SocoessesoF Past'Xut Few Draw—Summer Season Very jBad—Present Pros- pect Not Hppefol—Broad Faroe Wanted. ^ 80VIR DRAMA OOV 'Ttitssts^ Dons at Tbontrt do Paris Under Volterm. <i CHALIAPIN IN BENEFIT London, Sept. 28. Chnliapin has been allowed to come into the country to sing for the bene- fit of the Itnssian Famine Relief, and opens in Birmingham. Oct. 3, com- ing to Albert Hall, London, Oct. 6. SAPHO" WELL RECEIVED Paris, Sept. 28. Aa a novelty the management of the Porte Saint-Martin (Hertz A Coque- lin) presented "Sapho*' Sfpt. 22 which was well received by the friendly critics. It adds another to the many revivals with which the new season starts off. Principal role? are p^T-^^-^J-Jc!i3 Lorrain, Lermann and Daragon, Mme. Gabriclle Dorziot in the title part, Moreno and Andree Pascal. COCHRAN CLOSING TWO London, Sept 28. Chnuve-Soiiria, the roinpany from the Hat Theatre of Moscow, nt the Pavilion, and "I'he Knave of Dio- monds" at Prinoe's, both Cochran attractions, clogc Oct. 1. Cowles' Revue People Unpaid Chicago, Sept. 28. Sfcmbera of the cnst of a revue nrmcd by .Jnsopli Stf^idel. which played all Riimmcr at Brljshton Reach, mo- nasha. Wis., returned here statiiM they were closed Sept. 17 without inlaries. Bad business was given as the cnnse. The revue, produced by Hal Cowles. had five principals and eight choristers. PRINCESS SOLD London, Sept. 28. The Princess has been sold for the extension of big stores adjoining. It ia understood the purchase price was 350,000 pounds. It was at that house Ellen Terry made her debut under the manage- ment of Kean, and Wilson Barrett made and lost fortunes there. AMERICANS IN FRANCE Paris, Sept 28. Hubert Stowitts, after visiting Cze- cho-Slovakia, is on his way to Spain to peas a few weeks in Seville prior to sailing for New York with the Pavlowa ballet company. Siegfried Strakosch, of New York, is travelling here. GiuUo Gatti-Casazza; of the Metro- politan opera (now in Milan, sails for New York by the President Wil- son from Trieste, Sept 20. Joseph PLzsarello, professor of Carnegie Hall, has taken up tempor- ary residence in Paris. Ruth Brad- ley, Chicago pianist, will remain here some months longer. Mme. Frances Alda, of the Metro- politan, New York, ia a'iortly return- ing to New York. Luden Muratore and his wife Lina Cavallieri are still sojooming in the South of France. Mary Garden is now at Hotel Ritz, London. Stewart Mitchell, author, is enter- ing the Montpelier University to study French literature during the next six months. Leo TektoiuusV tbe piamsCT* in Normandy. Otokar Bartik, baAct master of the N. Y. Metropolitain, now in Paris, is sailing next week for the United States. George MiddTeton, the playwright, after a motor tour, has returned to Paris for a further residence of some weeks, before Hailing home. Ijonia Sherry, of New York, will remain in Paris until the end of Oc. tober. The Dolly Sisters passed through Paris last week on their way to Paris, Sept 28. Leon Volterra reopened the Theatre de Paris, Sept 2S with "La Pasaanie", three-act drama by Henry Kists- maeckers, nicely presented by an ex- cellent cnat including Alerme, Pierre Renoir, Vera Serguie, Clarel and Renee Ld< HngueUe Daatry waa originally cast for the piece bnt did not appear. The atory baa to do with s Rnaslan princess who escapes from the cuuu. try nnder the Bolshevist regime by pretending to be the wife of Latenac, a pretending Bnglislunan. The first act mnkea sensational dlaclosuros of Soviet government Arriving in Psris Lstensc marries s former sweetheart while the princess continaea her friendahip with him on a Platonic baiAs and sven aids him in his political csreor. She secures documents for him proTing that his political rivals are concomed in Bol- shevist plots snd are receiving bribes. The jealona wife betraya the princesi^ to her hnaband'a opponents who send a confederate to the pri n ces s * home to steal the docaments. The princess confronts tile thief and refuses to deliver the papers. She threatens to shoot the intmder and is stabl>ed by a faithless servant. Latenac arrives in time to hear the princess* deathbed declaration of love. Mile. Sergine aa the princess and Renoir aa Latcnae are cxcdlent Pt.^ in Pari Paris, Sept. Among the 26 plays listed in Paris thaatrea for the opening of the the- atrical season, 17 are revivals. Managera balked at trying new play a. The tommer season did not warrant it, they thought. Their sur- mise baa proven wise, since the tested auccessea of former times are not drawing just now. The summer seaaon was very b^d for the theatres. T- .>, man- agers who have sasumed theatres during the past three months, in the majority sl-them hove met with dis* astrous results. Others Just about broke even. The prospect here for the future is not brilliant Neither la it accepted as diseonraging. The producers-sro merely waiting for '^•^•^•>pmenta. At present the French appear to wont only broad farce. That seema to be the tnimp jnst now for indoor entertainment *'{tP£CKLED RAND" A HIT ; London, Sept 28. A revival of 'mie Speckled Band* ^atiSt Jamoo' Bi:yu 22 met with n grfat reception, due to magnificent acting by a well nigh perfect- conk* pany. 7,000 HUAR TETRAZZINI London, Sept 28. Tetraxzini sang at Albert HsD Septa^ 25 to an audience of over 7,0TO : BEECHAM ASSETS BOUGHT London, Sept 28. The British National Opera Oo. has bought the assets of the Beech- am Opera Co. from the liquidators of the Beecham estate for 15,000 poimds. The property includes scen- ery, wardrobe, instnimeats, musl^. library, properties and rights to 48 operas. The British National Co. has only one-third its required capital of 00,- 000 pounds and is appealing to small Investors. 8CALA OPERA REOPENING Milan, Sept 28. The famous opera house here, which has been closed for two years for repaira, will reopen this winter. Verdi's "FalstaT' is chosen for the inangural ceremony. "CROOKED USAGE" BAD London, Sept 28. ''Crooked Usage,'* produced at tht Apollo Sept 21. proved to be a verj bad play, indifferently acted. The author was **booed." 'A TO Z* FOR TRIX SISTERS London, Sept 28L The title of the new Prince of Wales' retne, with the Trix ffitsers. is •*AtdX.^ Willis Jackson Gr. Northers Mgr. Chicago, Sept. 28. Willis Jnckson has been appointed manager of ShiibertV Great Northern. Jackson came here from Cincinnati, where he wag manager of the Walnut Street theatre for years. "MY NIECES" MOVING London, Sept 28. "My Nieces'* will be tranaferred from the Queens to the Aldwych Oct. 3. Violet LsralBo Is Married London, Sept 28. Violet Loraine was married to Edwari Mcey Sept. 22. An escort was prdvldii by the bridegroom's old regiment The police had to be re- inforced to control the crowds. Qrasvllio In *'Plaa and Needlss" London, Sept 2& Bernard Granville has Joined *i uii2 iuiu xMjL'jj-fy at lii\;"*G*iet/« ^trSBBor" at Lyrlo London, Sept 28. Harry Green produces "Welcomi Stranger" at the Lyric, Oct. 10. LONDON Cochran'8 "Fun at the Fair" London, Sept. 2S. Charles Cochran has placed in re- hearsal a now revenue, entitled "Fun at the Fair," to open at the London Pavilion Oct. 15. Parish and Peru will be in the cast. RIG SUCCESS IN EUROPE Elkins Fay and Elkins "MINSTREL SATIRISTS" PL..%TING MOS8, 8TOLL, Priaclpol CIremlts IMrectloa, W. 8. Hennessey Lady Tree Opens Oct. 3 London, Sept 28. Leon M. Lion produces "Araminta Arrives," with Lady Tree, Oct 5. Conrtneidoe for Plctsres London, Sept 28. Robert Conrtneldge is going in for pictures, producing all his stage suc- cesses, including •'The Arcadians." London, Sept. 15. At the Trade Union Congress at Biarritz, where they intend resting. Cardiff Sept 7, Alfre^i Lugg, secre- WiHiam Famum, now in Pranc«, tary of the A. A., m6ved a resolution has decided to remain in Ehirope urging that labor representatives on through the winter. Mrs. Famum ^o^l r>r«''"°« .•>°^'<^? ^^"^^^ «»^« *.*»* returned to Paris, from U. S. last, lijf'*^^*^***^ their fullest support in: . . . . . '. . I "Opposing the licenses of resident week to join her husband ^ I moMgers who engaged companies who Among thor,c sailing home lant week paid to their artists terms below the were Raymond Havens, pianist who standard union terms agreed to by gives his first recital in New York, the Asaociation of Touring Managers Nov. 7; Ruth Bradley, Sascha Ja- and the Actors' Asaodation." Mr. cobson, violinist; Mme. Djina Ostrow- I^« ^^^ ^•^ *? "»o*^ provincial eska. harpist of the Detroit gym, i theatres the conditions were snch as rhony orchestra (who has been study "^"^^ ~' ^ ^^^""^•** *° *^^ ''"^^^'^ ing with the American conservatory of music at Fontaineblean) with Har- riet Shaw, of Boston symphony or- chestra; Miss Margaret Widdemer (Mrs. Schnuffler) authoreaa, and her mother Mrs. Alice D. Widdemer; Lillian Walker, cinema atar, accom- panied by Mrs. Evelyn Bhwooe, after a' visit to Sweden. Albert Pe«ce, musical director for D. W. Griffith, who has been in Lon. don for the launching c ''Way down East^' passed through Paris on his way to Italy to visit hia family, prior to sailing for New York sboat Sep- tember 24^ or workshop. local bodies very con veniently closing their eyes to the ills from which the profession suffered. Other motions from the A. A. and Y. A. F. were carried supporting: "The introduction of legislation for the li- censing of all theatrical, kinema, va. riety, concert and circua managers and agents and pledging Congress to support the "unionising of every piece of entertainment in the United King- dom.' College, Osmbridge, after which h# spent some years on an American cattle ranch. Returning home he was attracted to the stage and was a player for eight years. In 1892 ha bevame manager of the okl Glebe where the late W. S. Pen ley was mak- ing theartical history with "Charlies Aunt" Later he joined Sir Herbert Beerbohn ^ee and remained the head of business matters at His Majesty's until the actor-knight died. Henry Dann was 00 years of age. His place at the Globe has been taken by Stan- ley Bell who was also c<mnected with hia Majeaty'a for some time. The death of Henry Dans which oc- corred with tragic snddenneaa cast a gloom over the final rehearaala for ^'Woman to Woman" at the Globe of wfaiclk theatre he was the general manager! He waa educated at Queens John Drinkwater is busy with tht finishing touches of his CromwcU phiy in which Henry Ainlcy will ap- pear. The life of the Lord Protect- tor, crowded with romance and ind- (Continued on page 12) PEGGY O'NEIL SAVOV THEATRE, LONDON fid YEAR