Variety (December 1921)

1« LEGITIMATE Friday, December 9, 1921 BROADWAY REVIEWS VARYING SHORE rnoLocuB T<aura Sylvia Hough Mario • Margot Hieman Roger Harris Gllmore Tom Donald Rcthunc l.*rry Sturgn Charles Francis Tbc Ghost of Mddar.-.o Lcind Miss Ferguson aot t Ma.Urn* T.> -irv* s >u.:e. Far;*. Time-1870. Garrvih T—»a<J ■•%.*} lhiul Evcrton An Kng' *hrtt-ic H<»rb«*rt Kvans Hester. Gtraidtno O'Brien Richard Ro'.lo Peters I-arry j?;urg * « har'.es Francis Madame L-'a.-.i \J-j, - Vr-..tMf) M.33 Ferguson • —i- » r -a « ««. Joe LeLarr* ■.'■»«-"rr ri.ve Near New Y.'*.. T.m* !N"-y. Vt-rrton Ba ri Clyde North Hes:rr Geraldlne O'Biien I-arry S:ur^ s Charles Francis Kitty BIylho Daly- Jo* I.-elaii James Crane Tom Charles Baldwin Jul.e Miss Ferguson ACT III. Governor Vo-abte's Home. Richmond, Va. Time—1SI7. Governor Vcnahle Wright Kramer Heater Geraldlne O'Brien John Harrison Hollo Peters Mrs. Vcnable Maldc) Turner William Rlevin* Norman Houston I^arry Sturgls Charles Francis Julie Vcnable Miss Ferguson Elsie Ferguson returned to the speaking stage at the Hudson, New York, Dec. 6, in "The Varying Shore," by Zoe Akins. Presented by Sam H. Harris and given an elaborately satisfactory production by him, it gained still further value from the meticulously careful di- rection of Sam Forrest, who shared a deserved curtain call with Miss Akins. Miss Akins by her work here has stepped forward ^nto the unoccupied niche of pre-eminence. Such is the state of the national literature! But slighting references to the low state of artistic imagin- ing hereabouts, do not dispose of this author by any means. They merely emphasize the fact that what is important is not her accomplish- ments, but her limitations. For those who seek they are dis- coverable without too great diffi- culty in this current offering, though these limitations do not ob- scure or lessen its simple, moving power, its haunting climaxes. It is a very charming « nd beautiful con- ception borne into the heart on ac- cumulating waves of sentiment, and sensitive men will like it and charm- ing women will cry over it, feeling their general kinship, as charming women all do, with its heroine, say- ing to themselves: "There, but for the grace of God, I go instead of Julie Vcnable." Julie's story Is simple enough. The directing influence of her life took hold of her in her teens when in her Southern grandfather's home —he was a Governor of Virgin" i and an aristocrat—she was betrayed and rather than marry her betrayer, whom she realized did not love her, stole away, a carefully bred girl, to face the world alone. Again, later on, she abandons the lover of her maturity rather than hold him solely because her generosity has rescued him from trouble. Her life touches its climax, working from cause to effect, when her record stands between her son and happi- ness, and the man who has been responsible for her support finds, after all, lie cannot face the facts of "Tier past and save her son for her by marrying her. Thus at last, be- cause there is nothing else to Co, she comes to the arms of the one who has always loved her through the years. Together they find happi- ness as prologue and epilogue show. What is true of science is true of drama. Cause is more interesting than effect, and by proceeding from effect to cause Miss Akins managed a climax unusually moving. Act by act she guided as from ago paying the bitterest penalty through inter- mediate maturity to youth with tragedy before it. Thus it was as if she placed before ail of us a child who cried out to us to be saved— a child whom we lOuld not aid. That appeal is beyond description. It was tremendous! High praise, but Miss Akins deserves it for 11 the way the technical skill of her arrangements, her characterizations, the incisive curtains prepared an acceptable base for that towering t\ /.■sfcri-ty. L\<..; "tii ii«<_ iiiAt" act jmTO was busy briefly, but sufficiently showing the lack of real sympathy between mother and child so often the cause of these, tragic happen- ings. If all this Is true of Miss Akins. what, then, are her limit.it ions? They arc merely part of the fact that sho is a woman, and hence, naturally, to the fore in a feminist civilization. She sees too clearly. Acute angles edge every one of her conceptions. She is fooled by none of this sentiment. She merely states it whereas a man and a poef enam- ored of an ideal would loose such billowing emotion as to toss minds And imaginations high into the empyrean of romance, conquering. as Bcnelll did in "The Jest. 1 ' A woman, wisely, perhaps, remains wedded to the facts. Facts are facts, all important, like chains upon us, but romance in conquering them, freeing us though only temporarily, wins every prize in tho theatre. The question here at Issue is not whether woman's realism is supe- rior In tbt world at large. That may or may not be. In the theatre it is demonstrably inferior. In New York there are perhaps half a dozen actresses who could have handled two-thirds of this play as well as Miss Ferguson, but who else could have managed all of it? The star did the first two acts only fairly. She did the last act. and its last line, superbly. Her lower register, which sho has de- veloped until it resembles Miss Barrymore's, was too much with us, liko Wordsworth's world, but the important fact Is not the inade- quacies of Miss Ferguson's comedy method, but the reality this actress leant to that sensitive generosity in Julie's character which Miss Akins conceived to be her controlling aristocratic fundamental. It re- quired an all around bodying forth of the part to make that charac- teristic pervadingly acceptable as true. In another place, in his novel. "Susan Lennox," the late David Graham Phillips only partially suc- ceeded in a more difficult medium, but Miss Ferguson did succeed. In carrying the play she was ably seconded, first, by Charles Francis, and secondly, by Hollo Peters. In the first act Herbert Evans made an intrusive and drunken English- man singularly effective. More im- pressive from fhe very nature of the part was Wright Kramer's old Governor, while Maldel Turner seemed truly the child's mother. Geraldlne O'Brien made a negro maid servant most acceptable. Less Important parts were compe- tently handled by Paul Everton and James Crane, while Blythe Daly made an appcalingly pretty appear- ance in the second act. I^ecd. BLANEY'S STOCK Rochfort Fred Ormond Pouchet Grant Ervln Ronlface Fhll Bishop IVArtagnan Victor Sutherland Taidy Do Winter Grace Hayle De Treville John M. Washburne Forthos T/*o Curley Athos Benedict MacQuarrle Aramls Billy Phelps Captain Thomas H. Clarke Constance Ann Hamilton Queen Ann Ada Dalton King XIII Howard Nugent Cardinal Richlieu Mario Majeronl I«ord Buckingham Walter Jones Seadrlft John James Page Reglna Brown Page Margaret Correy Marie Evelyn Cornell Jeanne Alice Lake- Cclest Mary Stewart I>ady Beatrice Elsa Carroll £ady Cecile Gladys Reynolds Lord Angou David Burns Lord Et lenne John Powers Ixml Brissac W. F. 8mlth John .• Billy Dalley Albert Fred Comb* Henri Harry \\ alsh Last week the Blaney Players at the Yorkville, New York, presented "The Three Musketeers," founded on the Dumas novel and revised by Hal Briggs, the director for the com- pany. Of the 29 players in the cast there were 20 who were jobbing at the house, the regular organization comprising Victor Sutherland and Ann Hamilton as the leads and Grant Ervln, Benedict MacQuarrle, Billy Phelps, Thomas H. Clarke. Ada Dalton, David Burns and Walter Jones as the support players. Tho Yorkville Is one of a circuit of six stock houses that are being operated under the Blaney manage- ment. The others are Prospect, In the Bronx; the Stelnway Ave., As- toria; Gotham, Brooklyn; Orpheum, Newark and the Nesbit, Wilkes- barre. The Yorkville has a weekly subscription list of almost 2.000 at present, and business last Friday night was so big, In spite of a nasty storm, that it showed that the house was getting a strong advance play. It was hard to judge the calibre of the performance of the regular com- pany because of the bill being a cos- tume production, but their work wag such that they outshone the jobbers. The regulars trouped fast and kept the show moving, giving an excep- tional performance for having put on the pieco with but four rehear- sals. Victor Sutherland as D'Artagnan proved a likable hero and Ann Ham- ilton gave the role of Constance a clever Interpretation. Grant Ervln, In a comedy role, managed to score in a couple of_ scenes, whj.je the "iJordT'lTuckingham of Walter Jones passed nicely. The production, while not elabo- rate, was most adequate for stock, and fulfilled its purpose nicely. The local theatregoers in the Yorkville section are especially strong for tho regular members of the company, and each of them was accorded a reception. This was especially true in the case of the leads and Ada Dalton, who played the Queen. Elmer J. Walters, who was for- merly on the road back with attrac- tions, Is managing the house, having been there for three seasons. The price scale Is 8f> and f>5 cents for the orchestra floor, with the boxes and the front of the balcony loges at $1.10 for all of the evening per- formances except Saturday, when the whnM' floor \* $1 10. Three mat- iness are played -Tuesday. Thurs- day and Saturday-- the two former at 35 and ."."i cents top. with the lat- ter at the re^ulir weel:-nn:ht se.-ile A four-piece orchestra i.-s also used. This week 'Three Live Chests'' is the attraction /'red HAND OF POTTER Aaron Bercbanakjr NathanlsliFrejrer Rebecca . .Dosha Rubinstein Masha Dorothy Sawyer line Esther Stockton Joe Lutha J. Adlsr I sadore J. Psul Jones Esther (Mrs. Gieenbaum) Jane March Tlllic Oreenbaum Mary Stephens Kittle Nenflc Millie Beland Mrs. John Neafle — ..Amelte Barleon George Grcrnbaum Milton J. Bernd Mrs. L'-rsch 'Sarah Fishman Mrs. McHugh Conway Sawyer Kdrile Mcllugh Beatrix Loughran Rutgtr B. Miller. District Attorney Harold McGee Emil Daub»n>peck Alexander Bolje Foreman of the Grand Jury..H. B. Kroeger ' Merit pf the Grand J' y.Francis H. Valtalr Thomas Bush, an ^ressma i Harry Gottlieb Samuel Elka«, a la. jlord... .Lutha J. Adler Hagar Elkas Blllie Rudell Reporters— Ed. Armnby James Melghan Stephen Leach Ernest Freeman Dennis Quinn F. S. Merlin Officer Thomas McKagg John Ferris Detectives— McGr.vnahar. Patrick Barnum Wallsttln Lulgio Balestro With the production Dec. 5 by the Provincetown Players at their play- house on Macdougal street. New York, of "The Hand of the Potter," by Theodore Dreiser, some real ex- citement was loosed on the placid stream of life. Mr. Dreiser is not only America's foremost novelist. He knows also how to write a play. Furthermore, the Greenwich Vil- lagers, under the direction of Charles O'Brien Kennedy, have put on a first-class production. Why. then, the noise? Simply be- cause of the subject. The play deals with a Jack the Ripper. His mania 1(9 attacking little girls. He is caught. The family's fear that their abnormal son has run loose again, the tracking down by neighbors, newspaper men, detectives and the District Attorney of the criminal and this criminal, Isadore's (J. Paul Jones) impassioned final soliloquy in which he complains that the hand of the great potter slipped in mak- ing him, is the play. It ends in suicide. It is typical of Mr. Dreiser that it records facts and lets them speak for themselves. The final ex- culpation is not a philosophic state- ment by the author, but a natural reaction by the character. So there yon are. According to wild-eyed newspaper men contribut- ing their impassioned thoughts to print in the dailies, it should never have been produced. Granted, but not for the reasons theV offer. This is a democracy and it is theoretical- ly correct to appeal to the mass in- telligence through the stage or other mediums on all subjects. It was done, for example, in "Damaged Goods'' and in "Mrs. Warren's Pro- fession." To the dlspassloncd, re- garding the prevailing regimenta- tion without prejudice, all this seems a mistake. Facts should be covered, the world ordered from the seats of power, with escape from the world's misery provided by romance. Meanwhile, the acting of the Provincetown Players was very good. The best of it in a minor way was provided by Harold Mc- Gee as the District Attorney and Esther Stockton as Rae. The suave work of Mr. McGee and Miss Stock- ton's edged comedy are difficult qualities and rare. As Mr. and Mrs. Berchansky, Nathaniel Freyer and Dosha Rubinstein sketched pathetic characterizations, but the kind, af- ter all, that are a little irritating. The major role of Isadore was in- trusted to J. Paul Jones, an uptown actor, who gave so good a perform- ance it was generally ^declared _ne v cailiti from "Broadway, using an as- sumed name. He is from Broadway, where his abilities have been over- looked, for in this part with its raging rebellion, he left an unforget- table picture of horror—his virtue, the play's fault. Lccd. NEWS OF THE DAILIES John J. Dillon, manager of the "Mecca" company, charged there was too much bootleg whiskey float- ing around the Federal capital after Rita Hall, playing Isis In that show, had been taken to the hospital after attempting suicide by swallowing poison. Mr. Dillon declared a num- ber of members of the company had been taken to the hospital or were suffering from booze served at wild parties. Judgment for six cents rendered in favor of Forbes Robertson, the English actor, against Charles Froh- man, Inc., in a suit alleging breach of contract was reversed by the Ap- pellate Division, New York, and a new trial ordered. This is, in effect, a victory for Robertson, as so small a verdict meant nothing. It is now announced that Edith King as well as George Schiller will leave the cast of "Thank You" be- cause of pressure brought to bear by the Methodist Church, to which they belong. John Golden, the pro- ducer, announces he will take legal means to hold them to their con- tract. war. Sergeant York has a mort, I gage on his farm-to meeu Billle Shaw, headlining on the Keith time, it not tha Billle sha* named as co-respondent in the dj vorce suit brought by his wi| against ^oy Cummings, actor. Com stock A G?8t propose to cast their revival of "Experience" from picture stars, conducting a popular voting contest to decife which one shall play Passion. Before Justice Wagner this week Geraldlne Farrer asked that coun- ter-claims put in by Lou Teliegen in answer to his divorce suit be stricken sout as frivolous and a sham. James II. Dalton, manager for Marie Dressier, died Nov. 29 in Chi- cago, revealing he had a wife Jiving in Boston. In a statement Miss Dressier said she and Dalton both had begged Mrs. Dalton to divorce him, but she had refused. Miss Dressier accompanied the body to Corning, N. Y., for burial. Shanley's, at 117 West 42d street, was raided this week by prohibition agents,' who seized liquor valued at $3,000 and arrested James F. Row- ley, manager; Hugh McLoughlin, head waiter, and John McMurrayj steward. The sons of the late Colonel Colt have withdrawn their suit contest- ing his will. Russell O., the elder, is husband of Ethel Barrymore. Equity announces it elected 45 new members and seven chorus members Nov. 29, and in its bulletin reproaches members of a certain cast for accepting a one-eighth de- duction asked by a manager over the protest of an Equity deputy. Fred K. Beauvals, named in the Stillman divorce suit as co-respond- ent, wants to write books and pict- ure scenarios. He is also busy on a scheme for establishing a series of country clubs in Quebec for the benefit of dry Americans. THE FAIR CIRCASSIAN His Excellency, Prince Mlrza Fatou'lah Khlan, the Persian Ambassador Claude King Mnu*sa Beg, his astrologer. John H Brewer Ismacl Beg, his secretary Berkley Huntington Jonlde?, his Interpreter Robert Fischer Lala, a Negro slave John Smith 11. It. If. the Prince Regent.Louis Wolheim Lord Ripley, equerry to II. R. II Stanley llowlett l/ord Ottery Henry Carvill The Hon. Claude Fuulconhurst. his son Dennis King Mr. Fitzjames Eihlln Gayer Tho Hon. Charles Hill Harry Green Capt. Richard \YIngham. .Messenger Bellls Portleight, a butler Roy Cochran James ..... William Nelson J n . h . n ...»..»».._ _..,'.:i! , '£it..V.-.«iv.>*h. ""The Duchess of Darlington Kathleen M*>lony I.ady Ottery Ethel Dane The Hon. Gvor^ina FaulcnhurPt.Kay West I.ady Blandish Nellie Graham-Dent Miss Priscilla Hart Helone Slnnott Zora, a slave Margaret Mowor Joe Leblang walked out on this one after tho third act; ho was smacking his lips. "The Fair Circassian"' is a gram- mar-school effort at an Oriental costume play, written by Gladys linger, produced by Gertrude New- ell. Miss Newell is an interior doc- orator with a Fifth avenue follow- ing. This venture must have set her hack some $50,000. Sho rented the Republic theatre with a guarantee of three weeks, for which she paid $10,000 (real money) in advance. For the three weeks before Christ- mas that isn't such a rough deal for the house. The play "broke in" in Washing- ton, where It got something like $1,200 on the week. It will be in luck hero if it lives Its three weeks and plays to the rent. Of all the tragic staggers at bur- Lydia Lipkowska has sued the Henry Savage Co. for $26,125, al- leging breach of contract. She se- cured an attachment in Pittsburgh against the receipts of "The Merry- Widow," in which she had been ap- pearing. William A. Brady has offered to give a benefit with the help of the- atrical friends for Sergeant Alvin York, whom Marshall Foch described as the greatest single hero of the lesque Belascolsm seen here this year or any other year, "The Fair Circassian" has the ingredients of the lot. It wouldn't be so awful were it not so ambitious. But the author and the producer have striven for a classic—and turned out a weird chop suey of Omar Khay- yam, "The Bird of Paradise," "Mecca," "East Is West," "The Queen of Sheba," "The King" and "A peck of Pickles." It is just another instance of ama- teurs—too highbrow or too lowbrow —monkeying wi th an art _and__a_ *DTreinesV3o*TfiIncate and* so" elusive and so technical that it baffles ge- niuses especially gifted, who devote their lives to them. "Costume plays" are the terror of these. And an in- terior decorator with what she re- gards as a bankroll, leaps blithely in where the Shuberts and Erlangers fear to tread. Four acts of infantile' piffle, couched in a conception of the far east such as one might glean from a trip on a rubberneck wagon through the lower east side, sur- round an obvious and puerile fairy story, repleto - with "Allah" and prodigal with princes, ambassadors, imperial klcagl'es, first lieutenants, duchesses, lords, soothsayers, slaves, butlers and other nobility, and maudlin and futilo raves from the fair Circassian herself. That central figure was wished on Margaret Mower. Miss Mower was a sane and effective brtmet in the jt:! ;.t*-. jrav'r*.,,-ivr/rrn; ,'0'h?T»r , ~'Welcome Stranger." Here she Is bedizened with a prodigious red wig, bare feet rouged and ungainly, pantaloons, a soul, words such as no human being ever uttered, a complexity of na- tures such as no human being ever possessed, and a naked tummy. Miss Mower is not without charm, and has proved before this that she can act more than a little. Nobody could act this role, and Miss Mower is among the last who should try. Tho shining acting light was Louis Wolheim, the big, policed "character" known and beloved to a few esoteric cognoscenti. He plays the notorious prince regent of England during the reign of his mad father. Wolheim Is delicious. He is so truly royal that it Is surpris- ing they let him play it as he doep. He hits the only honest keys in the whole delirious mess. The rest is too sad to detail. It is Just a misdirected effort by some of the many whe are called where so few are- chosen. Nobody chose these, and their Allah alone can say who called them. Lait, The players of the Lyric Stock Co., Asbury Park, refused to appear In "Our Little Wife." by Avery Hop- wood, last week, declaring it too risque. "Turn to the Right" was substituted. Mme. Marie Rappold and Wanda Lyon both reported robberies to the police last week. Miss Lyon's lost was $5,000 in Jewelry at least. Lillian Russell, in an interview, warned women against beauty surgery, saying time should be al- lowed to take its course. Par 18 actors have combined to war on the theatre cougher. Most coughs in Paris playhouses, they contend, aro intentional. Irving H. Stark, sales manager, last week started suit for divorce . against Edna Wheaton, naming George TJffner, film sales manager, as co-respondent. Dinty Moore's at 216 West 46th street waa visited by prohibition agents this week, who chargo they , were served liquor there. ILL AND INJURED Henry Bellit, producer,.is serious- ly ill at his home, 615 West 150th street. New York, from an ulcerated stomach, which condition may necessitate an operation. Jewell Barnett (Adams and Bar- nett) is at her home, 8828 Chestnut street, Kansas City, recovering from a: operation performed last week. Miss Barnett desires that her theat- rical friends call upon and com- municate with her at this address. She expects to be able to reopen in the act Jan. 1, when it opens on ths Orpheum Circuit at Winnipeg, .Gaped*, — Madge Major is in Stern's sani- torium undergoing t.catment. Vera Sablna, dancer, dislocated her knee while appearing last week at the Fifth avenue. She is recover- ing. Saharet, wife of Maxim Plowe, was operated on last week. Blanche McKay, of Ray and Blanche Earle, was so badly injured in an automobile accident at Mead- .ville, Pa., Nov. 29 the act had to cancel all bookings indefinitely. Tho wife of Harry Nelms, busi- ness manager of the Belmont, New York, Is recovering from an opera- tion for the removal of a needle from her foot. Physicians had at- tempted to extract the needle last June, but failed. The needle since then had worke" itself against an ankle bone. Miss Clco (Clco and Thomas) was operated upon last week at the ..3ga*hJA6&r!a. —-SiTtfkrcwd -ifTnrrm** Chicago. Leo Singer, proprietor of Si user's Midgets, is dangerously ill of pneu- monia at his homo In New York. Jero Grady, a retired actor and formerly owner of a stock company, Is critically Hi at his home in Lynn, Mass., having recently returned from New York City, where he was taken ill while at tho Friars' Club. For a number of years Mr. Grady, in company with his wife, appeared in a vaudeville sketch en- titled "At tho Old Toll Gate." Later he managed a stock company of his own, touring the country, in which enterprise he was very mi<*- cessful. MARRIAGES Hugo Hertz, former manager of the Orpheum, and Elinorc Daupi>i">*t non-professional, in San Fran<is< o. Herts Is now emploved In the An\'lo and London Paris Notional Bank. Phil E. Keoler, of "Hubctown 1 '"■- lies,*' and Thelma Ingle, non-: ■-■- fesslonal, of Danville, In r' v 'Castle, Ind.. Nov. 17: