Variety (January 1922)

26 V A R I £ t Y Friday, Jahitiry 27, 1022 WARNING SOUNDED (Continued from page 13) ever have before for any single cause if they are to ward off the new impending Albany bludgeon. Testimony was adduced at the meeting proving the activity and determination of the reforming forces to prevail in the regular play- house as they recently entered scrcendom. Proof was furnished that any attempt by any body of biased individuals to attempt to judge the decency of a play from their own standards must be ruin- ous to effort. Facts were presented to convince that all the tumult made by screen objectors against censorship had bulked enormous cost of money and effort without effecting prevention. And as the Belasco theatre hear- ing closed, the audience that Hied out typified a cortege and the speakers an the stage the near rel- atives of the deceased, the personal liberty of the American playhouse, because despite what hopeful things had been voiced that censorship of the stage wouldn't come in New York pretty much everybody who had listened and heard felt that so .far as restriction of stage fare in the state was concerned, the act only needed Albany's jugglery of politics to make it an early law. One of the livest of the country's play producers who was present said, at the close of the meeting: "Prohibition was whipped over be- cause the consumers and purveyors didn't know what was coming off until the Volstead bill had become a law. Screen censorship in New York State was passed by wily an- tagonists of the screen, and when the f.lm world's advocates for non- interference appeared at Albany to protest, the discovery was made that the objection was without 'Order and too late. Precisely the same situation prevails in regard to the stage censorship bill. The other side, working guerilla fashion as in its other pronounced Instances, has massed evidence accumulated dur- ing the past three years, with no less than 70 reform societies of one sort and another, bonded in a com- mon cause for stage censorship. The Albany representative of the people gets and holdj his job by votes. The legislator asked to vote for stage censorship is up against a solid fighting machine when he looks the censorship bill makers in the face, disposed to exercise his own judgment. .That's what hap- pened with the film censor bill. That's what's going to happen to this unless there is a five-alarm sounded throughout the entire pro- fession and the est minds and the strongest fighters, legal and guerilla, are brought into solid array. "The effect upon the theatre of America is incalculable if the bill for staga censorship becomes a law. Staggering already under a dis- heartening load created by economic and other conditions, only the worst can happen. The theatre is com- posed in its producing elements largely of business men. The thea- tro will no longer be a business, for investors will not be found willing to undertake the losses of enter- prise; tha any Tom, Dick or Harry of any other line of 'mslness salaried k ;is a censorship official may restrict. m The.buffer mea^ re proposed by the W Producing Manager**' Association is W crass, folly. It simmers down,to a public censor board, volunteered, without pay. Didn't the films have such a Boprd of Review, composed of representative men and women, wives, motl.ers, church allies, and did that stop the censorship of the lilmsT Easily the outstanding figure of the Tuesday conclave was Augustus Thomas for the things he said and the way he said them. Ellis Parker Butler, speaking for the lieague of Authors and opposing any form of censorship, and Owen Davis, speak- ing for the American Dramatists, were the group's best reporters of censorship doings upstate. George v , Arliss added accounts of England's censorship situation, past and pres- ent; S. M. Tucker, for the Drami League, contributed the decision of the League to oppose restriction" of any sort, and John Emerson ap- peared for the Equity. "David Wark Griffith." said But- ler, "made an able and impassioned speech before the lawmakers at A1-. baity in the mass meeting of Mm men who jumped in front of the film censorship juggernaut. It was ureat stuff. And as soon a* Mr. Griffith sat down the legislators passed the bill." 'So group represented here is more concerned than the play- wrights,' recorded Owen Davis "The men behind the stage censor- ship bill are the same two men and two women who captained the cru- sade against film censorship. There have been too many dirty plays produced in New York this season. This is sure to bring censorship unless some action is taken. The people who brought film censorship and would now bring about stage censorship are not mere cranks. They have been moved to their cru- sade by the license certain pro- ducers are taking and have been taking for the past several years in the presentation of salacious plays. I am permitted to say officially as president of the American Drama- tists that we no longer cure to re- tain in our membership any man or woman who is not willing to co- operate in the matter of giving to the stage and its patrons better things." "Napoleon III. made censorship in France a law. A dance" was for- bidden to show bare legs. This condition obtains in Boston today. Pavlova must betigh*. herself when playing there." said Charles Co- burn. Personally, this speaker said he saw nothing indecent in nudity. But a single play of the admit- tedly censurable . lass was named at the meeting. This was 'The Demi-Virgin," now In the courts, with the piece continuing while the lawyers pro and con fight the case out. "I have seen 'The Demi-Virgin,' said Augustus Thomas," and I have met its author. admire Avery Hopwood's technical skill. A play requiring the inclusion of a certain scene for the furtherance of its plot would he weakened by the modifica- tion of such scene, but in 'The Demi -Virgin' there are objectionable scenes in many spots that are not necessary for the development of the plot. The strip-poker scene in particular, showing a group of girls playing poker, where the loser di- vests herself of an article of rai- ment, it seemed to me was not in any way essential to the true se- quence of the story." A. H. Woods wasn't presen.t nor was Engene O'Neil, whose "Anna Christie" is among the season's Camelias being looked askance at by some of the reform societies re- gardless of the concession by the in- formed that in its story of sjffering, struggle and final uplift it is besides a work of fine art and an effective deterrent against the kind of gi:l sex life it reflects. David Belasco, whose production of the Paris playglrl "Kiki." is running at the theatre used for the anti-stage censorship meeting was also among producing managers not present. f fused to join, each claiming to be of good standing in his home or- ganization and under no require- ment to become an Equity mem- ber. After threatening to close the show unless they did join, Equity suspended immediate judgment when the players remained un- yielding, Equity saying it would write to England to ascertain whether they were In good stand- ing in the A. A. 4 STOCKS (Continued from page IS) cinnati, and believes he can still make stock go. Rowland says two other managers arc after the Shubert for the same purpose. Leona Powers, last season's lead- ing woman with the Baker Stock. Portland, Ore., is returning to re- sume her work with the company, replacing Frances Woodbury, who will close hens Feb. 4. Miss Powers recently suffered loss when the the- atre in which she was playing with the Broadway Stock company at Dallas, Tex., was burned. FIRST NIGHTS The Supreme, Brooklyn, discon- tinued its dramatic stock policy this week, reverting to straight pictures. The house played stock for two weeks, the Payton Stock and the Ethel Kosemon Players occupying the house one week each. The Su- preme will play Sunday vaudeville booked by Jack Linder. The Blaney Players, at the York- ville, New York, will appear in a new play next week, entitled "Back to Home and Mother.' The piece is a rural drama which has never been presented on the stage before. SHITBERTS AND SYNDICATE (Continued from page 15) house would be Frances Starr in "The Easiest Way" week of Feb. 12. The New York story also said "One person who knows the Kansas City situation says, 'that the Shu- berts have been planning a new theatre there for some time,* and that they probably will go ahead with it now and rent the present playhouse to the now friendly 'op- position.' " The Shuberts expended some $40,000 on their house here last summer and there appears but little likelihood of their giving it up to any one, at least for several years. The Grand is still dark and there is but slight chance of it getting open again this season. SPORTS (Continued from page 12) sibility. Football is the only logical means, with its stadiums of enorm- out seating capacity which are in- adequate at that It's pie for the small college that plays a larger in- stitution in a stadium and is strong enough to attract around thirty or forty thousand people "Under an equal split guarantee. Minus the numerous minor sport teams that are a total financial loss, the small college can make a handsome profit from a single gridiron contest year- ly with enough surplus to go out and offer a desirable coach a large sum and still be on "veh-et," Imt the larger seat of learning continues to be up against it and actually operates its teams at a financial loss year after year—football or no foot- ball. If arranging football schedules is becoming a business proposition with America's colleges and through that the undergraduate athlete is learning to capitalize his ability, it seems from where we sit that about the only remedy would be for the colleges to cut down on their t>port programs to the point where the financial gains of football aren't so necessary to permit the lesser teams to thrive. WONT JOIN EQUITY (Continued from page 15) should say so. The answer that the girls needed work would stick, also that Equity would do nothing for them if they walked out. was end Foreign Affiliation Equity has an affiliation with the Actors' Association of England. That affiliation amounts to mem- bers of either society being obli- gated through their respective as- sociations' affiliations not to en- gags as a strike breaker in the other's country; in other words, an Equity member in England would be obligated not to take the place of a member on strike of the Actors. Association; the reverse in America. Other than that the affiliation agreement or Understanding affords a visiting member no w. tection from either society unless joining such society while the foreigner is in its country. Equity r^eoiitly attempted to force two English players, both members of the Actors' Associ..ti< * Eng- land and now playing in a Broad- way dramatic piece, into Equity as members. Doth Englishmen re- Troy and Albany were admitted to membership In the New York State Basketball League at a meet- ing in Schenectady. The two teams decided that they would take a week in which to consider the mat- ter and then announce their de- cision. In the meantime they arc permitted to dicker for players in the league, but this must be through the managers and not direct. In case the two cities decide to Join the league, their teams will not play until the second half of the pen- nant race begins. This is slated to get under way about Feb. 1. Troy dropped out of the circuit about three weeks ago, following a Change In management and a dispute over unpaid salaries of players. Attend- ance was away off and quite a little money was lost Glens Falls will remain in the league, according to present plans. "Snooks" Dowd and Tommy Sheehan, members of the Springfield Interstate League club, havo been signed and Manager Fairman is making further efforts to strengthen the team. George II. Mains, president of the Hamilton Baseball Club, of the Michigan-Ontario League, was mar- ried this week to Maxine Brown, professional, formerly with 'Floro- dora," and at one time a partner to Jack Norworth. She was born in Denver, Colo. George M. Cohan was recently mentioned in a deal with Mains for the purchase of a certain club in the Ontario League. —i . The amphitheatre proposed at Dyckman street ai d Broadway, two blocks north of th* Dyckman ■tree! subway station, by a ■yndloatC A Broadway first night Is at once a sideshow, circus and New York's prlxo who's who congress. Any Im- portant gathering will Include the town's best and worst elements. Conspicuously, the body will repre- sent most of the urban folk who are alive—human chop suey. A call from the stage as the cur- tain is about to go up for anyone well known In the going ranks of art, the theatre, the press, big busi- ness, politics, socle*.: or Its shadowy, less chaste parallel strata, bohemla, and someone would be found present who could get in swift touch with the summoned, if not bow to the call in person. A plainclothes man seeking a distinguished member of the moded fingerprint family, too, might go to a less hop ,-ful place for his quarry. Prizefight promoters of- ten chance expectation of commun- ion with their fellows at the same mart. The social shrimps or under fry of all the other arteries, while less conspicuous, are surely on hand. And the playwrights, players and general hangers-on of showdom! Bless you, no first night would be complete without them any more than it could be without the rival r*onagers present at tlieir compeers' ventures. And, oh. yes, the ticket speculator. Forget him, and forget the show, for It's what he will think and do after the exposition that will determine in large measure what's to happen to the whole. First nights in New York haven't changed much In charact .* during a generation. The Individuals that go change, but tho mass and its char- acters remain pretty much the same. New York in the making would have been i good title for the first night of a generation since, or, for that matter, two generations back. New Generation When the comparatively recent "Black Crook" spectaclo obtained, the Academy of Music, that housed its premiere, entertained as first nlghters the brains, brawn and beauty of the town. Today the sons and daughters of those first nighters are represented in the premieres of now, the Goulds, tho Vanderbilts, the Astora, the others of varying equality. The law Is one of the most certain of first night components. Relaxa- tion following the strains of litiga- tion is the lure, In the old days it was the Roscoe Conk lings, the Jo- seph Choates, the Howe and Hum- mel a. Now It Is—btit the list is too long, Just as are the name lists of well known figures in the other channels of the town's activities that now help to make a Broadway first night a thing of beauty, life and color. No one has ever dramatised a first night, but some day someone will. A collodioned eye at the door, and drama after drama would fight for a place on the shifting iris. Balzac would suffer from fatigue trying to pile up his ideas as the file goes by the ticket gate. O. Henry gives us a glimpse now and then that he sensed the rich mines of the exhibition. Wives who aren't, millionaires who ain't, playwrights who would be, brokers broke, beggars rich, girls adventuring, girls through with the problem of treasure trovinr. brush by one another—Camilles and Joans of Arc, Jimmy Valentines and North Polo explorers, clothing salesmen and Charles Dana Gibsons, scrib- blers and Heywood Brouns, arrived or gestative. And the critics! My word! Ignore their presence and shut up shop, even though you still have the co-operation of the ticket broker. Power of the Rounders The rounders of tho town revel in tint nights. They're good spots to swan ennui and cynicism. I May- ers hall them with eagerness. They're symposiums for the release of suppressed emotions. Play- wrights welcome them. Ths occa- sions furnish excitement greater than they may obtain in many other ways. Through them society keeps abreast of the things of the play- house. Through tticm the ticket broker survives. Through *em the (Continued on page 28) New York's leading sporting men, has been more or less speculation talk, according to the controlling in- terests of the property. Recently the papers were full of talk anent the contemplated structure, men- tioning the fact that it will house various collegiat skating and hockey matches, track contests, be- sides figuring very prominently in housing the proposed Leonard- Britton match. Following the an. nouncement of the Leonard-Britton affair, Billy Gibson, manager of the lightweight champion, was men- tioned as one of the leading men of the syndicate. The property in the past has been used by semi-pro- fessional baseball teams, and ac- cording to the owners it will con- tinue for that sport next summer for the site has already been leased by representative managers of sand- lot aggregations. As a result of the postponed match between Pinkey Mitchell and Benny Leonard, the Wisconsin State Boxing Commission suspended Pinkey Mitchell, his manager, and the Cream City Athletic Club of Milwaukee for a period of 30 days. Mitchell postponed the fight, claim- ing that he had hurt his arm while training, but the commission charged that the Mitchells were very negligent in reporting the fact and could have saved the champion go- ing into extensive training at his qwn expense and at the same time saved many fight fans their travel- ing expenses. Jules C. Formel, the only man who was sent to prison as a result of the Saratoga gambi:ng crusade, was released by the parole board last week after serving ten r.onths. Formel, who was convicted of being a common gambler, declares that he was kept in prison If days beyond the time he was eligible for parole because affidavits were filed that there wa.s fpar he might harm Dis- trict Attorney Wyman S. Baseom and Former Senator Edgar T. Braekett. who directed the Investi- gation, ar.d the United States Dis- trict Attorney Hiram ('. Todd, who v. as then associated with' Mr Braekett. A new racing policy was adopted at the convention of Maine Assoei.i- tion of Agricultural Fairs held in Bangor last week. The refunding of the entrance fee to all horses finish- l ll»§ in the event of the free-for-all, with a $2,000 purse. The fairs at Presque Isle, Houlton. Lewiston and Bangor will try this experiment, while the fairs at Gorham and Waterville will try it in the free- for-all for $1,000 purse. A uniformed entrance fee was adopted, and it was decided to' open stalls to all registe.ed stock instead of selected breeds, as in the past, with a provision of limiting premiums to a class where no com- petition results. Down in New Orleans, according to reports, horses are being run "hot" and "cold" this winter. The judges are doing their best to in- sure clean racing, but seem power- less to stop the practice. There are a hundred alibis to protect owners and trainers with enough handy witnesses to substantiate the charge or excuse. The condition has cleaned up a host of bookmakers, as they sense the trail of the "wise" coin usually too late. The horse slated to win can be any price. Of- ten a nag opens at 10 to 1, Is ham* mered down to 2-1 in five minutes, and trips down to win by many lengths Over a field of stake horses, where only several days before it had finished last behind a lot of platers. The other day a horse that was "in" before the barrier sprung was left flat at the post, but the other steeds were extremely polite, wait- ing for It to catch up and eventually pass them In the stretch. Some insist the hprses are educated and at times decide on the winner after leaving the post. Joe Melanson, of Dorchester, died at the Boston City hospital from a fracture of the skull received when he was knocked out by Joe St. Hilaire of Somersworth, N. H.. in the third round of a bout held here under the direction of the Carlisle A. C. Monday night. St. Hilaire was held by the police but a judg«» re- fused to grant a warrant for man- slaughter when the facts were P*0" sented by the police. This is the first occurrence of this nature » n this city since boxing has been legalized and 1» id been under the direction of the boxing commission. Melanson had substituted for an- other boxer who was overweight and could not go on. Melanson had been examined by the comrne -ion's physician before he went on to light and pronounced O. K. It is l.rlievod he sustained the mortal Injury when his head struck the mat, follow;'is I the knockdown