Variety (February 1922)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE CABLES 26 HANWAY ST^ OXFORD ST., W. L k: Friday, February 3, 1922 AMERICANS MAY BUILD MONSM PLEASURE PALACE IN WEST END Alexander Smith Cochran Main Backer with C. B. Cochran as Managing Director—To House Big Athletic Meets—Kinema and Music Hall ' London, Feb. 1. A big site has bctn purchased In the West KnU for the erection of a monster pleasure palace, Includ- ini: an exhibition arena, a kinema, «nd a mnsio hall large enough to hold 3,000. The purchase price Is understood to have exceeded $4,500,- •00. Alexander Smith Cochran, the Kew York multi-millionaire carpet king, whohe matrimonial squabble With Mme. Ganna Walska has been much exploited, and another wealthy American are understood to be behind the scheme financially. C. B. Coohran will probably be named managing director. The main building will probably be used for big tights and athletic meetings. Clive McKce, general manager for Cochran, and in charge during his absence, said all he knew was what he had heard from outsiders. This would Indicate nothing as Cochran's own negotiations unques- tionably would have been direct with the principals concerned. MISS KERSHAW IS • MENACED IN LONDON Composer Caught in Actress's Flat — Counsers Statement I AMERICANS IN £UEOP£ Bherwin Finch Kelly, who has )>e€n business manager ol the An- glo-American Little theatre, in Paris, has boug^it the ranch of Jess Wlllard, near Lawrence, Kan., where he Is going to reside with his wife, formerly Alice Dale Douglas, of Providence, R. I. S. F. Kelly is a son of Florence Finch Kelly, the novelist. Jack Joyce, cowboy, formerly with Buffalo Bill, is In Paris, and re- cently appeared at a charity per- formance organized at the Cirque de Paris. Arthur Kraeckmann, baritone, Is taking up a residence in Paris, where he hos just been Joinecjf by his mother. Mrs. Tryphosa Bates-Eatcheller, singer, who has been in Italy, has arrived in Paris for a concert. RoUln "VVeber Van Horn, after a tour through Holland, Belgium, dormany. Franco and England, with his mother, sailed for home. Ho Is a member of Van Horn & Son, the- atrical custumiers, of Philadelphia. William Bellamy, of Bogton, au- thor of Bellamy's Charades, who lost half of his fortime when a bank manager absconded recently at Montpelier, Is remaining in France, In fipite of his altered position. He came abroad in 1920 and was so charmed by Montpelier that he de- cided to spend the rest of his life there. Ho divided his fortune into five parts, giving his four children each one part; half of the remain- der ho deposited in bonds valued at MO.000 francs with Joullie bank In a strong box, which the manager has taken away with him. POLAIRE IN LEGITIMATE Paris, Feb. 1. With Polaire In the leading role, "La Flamme," by Charles Mere, was presented by Hertz and Coqnelln at the Ambigu Jan. 19. The star was Been as a demlmondaine niother. The play Is a.^ slightly exaggerated but excellent raelodrania. The st6ry cbn(?crns an. English lord who hps a son in Franco, legitimizes the.child and takes the boy to Ills home for e<lnoat|on; f\ie young man later comes into the property and title," rrturuK to France to aid his mother. He is 'engaged to nwrry into an aristocratic Fr<^nch family, but the antecedents of his mother are an obstadr; the youm? fellow, however, drterminos to Ftick to his mother, but she decides to dlsa])pear so as not to l.iterfere with the care<'r of her son. Latham in London Buying London, Feb. 1. Frederick Latham is here seeing and buyin»ir plays for production in Kew York by his employer, Charles UUiingliam. Sybil Vane for London V. P. Sybil Vano has been liookod to /)ren June 5, in Ljv.1on, at the Vic- toria Palace, tshe 1? booked to sail thj Olympic Uay X London. Feb. 1. . Frank Sturgess, described as an American compo.'^er, was charged this week in Westminster Police Court with having been in the apartment of Wilette Kershaw for an unlawful pur^o.se. Miss Ker- shaw is the American actress now playing the lead in "The Bird of Paradise" revival at the Gan-lck. Counsel for Miss Kershaw stated she had received news fiom Amer- ica the prisoner was on the way to London for the purpose of doing her an injury Ho arrived-at the I FRANK VAN HOVEN Hotel Savoy January 29 The magistrate remanded for a week for examination. him "AUTHE rUS" FAIR Paris, reb. 1. Fronson migrated to the Antoine with "Le Cousin de Valparaiso" to make room at the Arts for a melo, "L'Autre Fils," signed by Pierre Deeourcelles, produced by Darzans, Jan. 3L Andre Dubosc, Louis Maurel. Etchepaie and Charles Boyer, Mme.s. Andreo ^ legard and Simon Frevalles appeared. The drama, of the order of "Two Little Vagabonds," of Deeourcelles, is fair. The plof* concerns two sons during the war. The elder Is ille- gitimate. A year ago this week I was at the Palace, New York. If anybody ever tells me that you get over stage fright 111 laugh straiight In their face. The night before I opened, after being gone six years, I walked up and down Broadway till day- light, drank 60 cups of coffee, and knocked on the door of a certain place in 49th street every half hour. To tell the truth. I don't remember anpearing that afternoon at all, but my manager, Ben Shaffer, said: "Say, kid, I gueee you didn't knock 'em for a goal. Kid, you're made. Dear Ben, write me at once. Im- portant!" Feb. 5, my birthday, Orpheum. "Puluth; Feb. 12, Orpheum, St. Paul; Feb. 19, Orpheum, Winni- peg. WITHDRAWING OPERA Entertainment Tax Blamed by Man- ager—Means More Unemployed London, Feb. 1. BUSINESS IN WEST END BETTER WITH AMERICAN I^MYS AS HITS Success for "Nightcap" and "Bat" with "Enter Madame'' Soon Due—Teddy Gerard Welcomed at Prince of Wales—^Transfers and Prospects "BAT" IN LONDON SMASHING RECORDS All St. James Figures for Sec- ond Nights Broken London, Feb. 1. "The Bat," the American melo- dramatic success by Avery Hop- wood and Mary Roberts RInehardt, opened at the St. James last week to a big" success, and since then has been smashing records for business done. It broke all the house rec- ords for a second night after open- ing, and started off this week with $1,600 In the house Monday. It Is splendidly produced and acted. Drusilla Wells was a notable success as Lizzie. It should have a long run. No such records were ever reached during the time of Sir George Alexander or Gilbert Miller. AN ENGLISH DEPARTURE Londtn, Feb. 1. English stage censorship is broad- ening, at least In regard to re- ligious plays. For the first time In history, an English girl of 14 was One of the Carl Rosa company s j P^^-^^'^^^ to impersonate Christ on the stage. She appeared In "Ad- princlpal opera tours Is being with- drawn. General Manager Van Xoordan says he was forced to take the step because of increased costs, lie mentioned salaries and railway fares, but in particular greatly blamed thd entertainment tax. This move means many more un- employed, with little chance of finding work for them. vent," produced by Strindberg. Author of "Funiculi" Dead ^ London, I'eb. 1. Chevalier Luigi Denza. composer, and director of the Royal Academy of Music, died here this week, aged 1 75. He composed "Funiculi, Funi- ' cula" and many other popular songs. LONDON London, Jan.* 21. "Tbe Rattlesnake,'* the new ro- mantic drama by liaphael Sabatini and J. Harold Tarry, which C. B. Cochran and Fercy Hutchison pro- duced at the Shaftesbury on Jan. 10 had an exceedingly good reception. The play deals with the days of the American War of Independence, and espionage has much to do with the plot. It Is full of excitement anu strong situations. In the first act, which takes place "before the out- break of hostilities, we have a se- cret marriage, one duel fought on the etage and three "off." The act takes place in the Assembly Hall of Charleston, and In the same room four years later the f^ame charac- ters are seen under wartime condi- tions. In this act the Revolutionary hero, married to a Royalist wife, is faced with the problem of discover- ing how the British are obtaining their inside Information of American plans. Suspecting his wife of boing in h'ugue with her fath«r and a cousin who is a kno-vn spy. he "sencis her off with fal.so news. Then he is s' .ggered to heaf his own general unfold the very plan as his secret scherrte for the relief of the city. In the end the fAther is proved to be not only the spy but a madman, the young wife is exonerated and all is „ „ .. rick toward the end of the month. well. The acting is very fine, Fish«r*J-ater it is hoped that London will White being exceptionally good as thfe hate-maddened old man. Milton Rosriier is excellent as the liero ana Franklyn Dyall as the villain is al- most heroic. The production Is beautifully staged and should do good business for weeks to come. A revised version of the othor Cochran revue, "The Fun of the Fiiyre," has made Its appearance at til" I'avilion. The new features .ii- nludo an excellent problem play skit, •'Does It I'ay to lie Cood?" in wnirn Alfred Lrstcr, Morris Harvey and Iro'if^ JJrowne aj-pear. In this a hus- band is persuailed to forgive a Utne moral barksliding on the part of his wife only to fall into hot watt-r be- cause the lady Is piqued at his ap- parent lack of inlorrst in Ik.t naughtiness; a ballet, "The Wouiid- pd Rlrd," which l3 merely an tx'use for more sensational dancing from Germaine Mitty and Tillio, and an exceo * M! ly find Lakst-like B]>ec- tacular finale ai)tly called "An Ara- bian Nightmare." This finish is a distinct miprovement on the original rirc^us act, which used to bring the "tabo" down. Phyllis Ntilson Terry is the lat- est reeruit to the ranks of West End managcres.ses. She has taken the Apollo for the production of a new play by James Bernard Fagan, en- titled "The Wheel.' This is drama with a etrong love Interest, ana tne action Uikes place in a Buddhist monastery on the Indian Northwest frontier. The native parts In the play will be taken by Indian actors. "Welcome Stranger" reached Its 100th performance at the Lyric on Jan. 11. To commemorate the event Harry Green gave a dance on the stage at which most of the stage celebrities In London were present. During the following w'cek end he flew over to Holland to make the final arrangements for the Dutch I»roduction of the play and to engage an actoL' for his own part. It is more than likely that the new A. A. Milne play, "The Dover Road." will be seen at the Haymarket with Henry Alaley In the leading role. Wilette Ker.shaw, whose perform- an-e in "Woman to Woman" at the Globe was one of the outstanding events of last year, will be seen in a revival of Richard Walton Tully's "The Bird of Paradise" at the Gar- Komanamba Opent at Alhambrn Paris, Feb. 1. Tak^ Komanamba opened at the Alhambra, Jan. 27, and got a good reception. Robert McLaughlin. The original version,' which J. L. Sacks Intended producing, has been revised by Boyle Lawrence. Of the hundred stories which comprise the work ten only have been taken and, being woven together In coherent form, will be known as "Decameron Night.«»," "a play with music." Ar- thur Collins will produce and Her- man Flack will be responsible for the music. Somewhere in the near future the Scala, the only theatre In London which did not try during the holi- days, will reopen with a presenta- tion of the Griinth's picture, "The Two*Orphans." The dramatic Ver- sion of this French melodrama was produced at the Olympic In 1874, and has been a standing "stock" at- traction ever since. Following this It is more than likely that the long promised German Invasion will commence. The most optimistic become pessimists when the Scala opens its mausoleum-like vaults for entertainment purposes, but the German project may attract some sort of a public if it Is only out oi sheer curiosity. One of the best known figures In theatrical Londoi, and probably the last of the old Bohemians, nas passed away in the person of Edwin J^rew, who died on the mth. A have a chance of seeing her in sonw friend of Charles Dickens, he fre- of the chief plays she app-ared in in Ameriea. Cronin Wilson will play his old part. A great boom Is bein,^ made wMi the announeement that Elenora, the 17-year-old tight ropy walker at the Crystal l'ala"4?, will attempt JMon- dlns feat of erO.Hsing Niagara ills in the coming summer. Sev«'ral In- surance companies have offered the child insurance at a special rate, manufacturers arc vi<ing with each other in their efforts to gain the or<ler for the necep.-«ary i opes, luna- ties are volunteorlng to be wheeled or carrird a^^ross, and the usual offers of marri »ge are pouring in by every po.*^ Of course, Klenora may have a genuine desire to uiKbrtake the feiit, but the whole tiling smaeKs pfroTigly of the Circus' i)ul>lieity man. Biv inewi at the Crystal Pal- ace i i none tut good. When "Old Drury"' reopens as the New Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, It will be with a big spectacular show adapted from the "Decameron' of Boccacio which was dramatized by quently lectured on Dlckensian sub- jects and was a popular guide. He was also by turn actor, elocutionist, concert i)romoter, tutor, agent and editor. One of his great "side lines" was the writing of doggerel verses on subjects of national importance. These he had printed and hawked about the streets at one penny each. He tised to tell how an ode on me death of Queen \ietoria brought him £15, but he lost 35 shillings over Gladstone. The "British Opera Co.," which has risen from the wreek of the Sir Thomas Beech.am Opera Co.. starts ofierations in February. Apparently it is hoped to run the enterprise on a sort of subscription basis, the big towns ajO'l leities each guaianteeing so much bufintss. Bradford, where the tour opens, promised to raise £3.000. of which £2,648 has alreadv been ec^ured. There Is also £1.500 worth of booking for the fortnights run. London, Feb. 1. American plays are meeting with success In London, "The Bat" la particular hitting a swift pace at th% St. Jajnes, and "The Nightcap^* opening the same day, Jan. 23, alao did welU, proving a riot of mirth; The "Enter Madame" company it also here to open at the Royalty la February. The revival of "The Bird of Para- dise" at the Garrlck, Jan. 30, was also an unqualified success. -Wilette Kershaw achieved a big triumph and had many calls. Before she was allowed to retire she had to make a speech. Joining "A to Z" at the Prince of Wales, Teddy Gerard gQt a big re- ception. The new series at the Grand Gulgnol Is as usual a collection of weak comedies, plays about prosti* tutes and horrors. The chief piece tells how a recruit In a Prussian regiment Inoculated the whole regi- ment with hydrophobia in revengs for bullying. Nelson Keys will protluce his new revue at the Ambassadeurs, March 20. The Russian Ballet finished at the Alhambra, Jan. 29. and was followed by the American film, *'The Hlgn on the Door." The musical version ot "David Garrick" Is due at the Queen's shortly, and Sacks brlns* his "Jenny" to the Empire, Feb. 8. "When Knights W^ere Bold" wa« transferred suddenly to the Queen^a, Jan. 30, and a revue founded pa Jules Verne's "Around the World la 80 Days," with Robey as the stai*, will follow the pantomime at Hip- podrome when required. C. B. Cochran's production, "Ths Rattlesnake," finished at ih# Shaftesbury, Jan. 28. TAX AS LIABILITY Nat D. Ayer, Going Bankrupt, In* eludes Tax Ovved on Income London, Feb. 1. Nat D. Ayer, the American son^ writer who has been over here for the last 10 year.«», has not only gon* bankrupt, but has included amoDit hia liabilities some thousands du4 the government for Income tax and so far the claim has been allowed by the Inland revenue authorities. His assets Include a motor ca^ and a little Jewelrj*. STAGE DibECTOR WALKS OUT London, Feb. 1. Robert Hale, director for Tonl Reynolds, the producer, walked out of the rehearsals of "Jenny," afte^ a disagreement with Harry Grattan, the author. DENIES DELYSIA FOR OXFORD London, Feb. 1. Cllve, McKee, general manager tot C. B. Cochran, denied this week there was anything in the widely circulated story that Alice Delysia was returning to London to head the new Oxford revue. MOPE DESMOND KILLED London, Feb. 1. Mope Desmond, the colored drum- mer originally over here with the Southern Syncopated Orchestra and more recently with Murray's Club, was killed In a railway accident here January 27. "The Eleventh Commandment," CContinusU on pa|;e 24) Harvey's C ndition Serious London, Feb. 1. As a result of lils second opera- tion, the condition of Sir Martin I Harvey is serious, but ho is pro- I gressing as well as could be ex- ' pccted. James '/ate in also seri- ously ill with pneumonia, but nc- cordlng to the latest bulletin ho is out of danger. Wilette KERSHAW GLOBE THEATRE ).ONDON ,