Variety (February 1922)

GTTIMATr Friday, February 24, 1922 INSIDE STUFF ON LEGIT Considerable new burlesque money Is likely to be found Invested In legitimate theatrical productions next season. It's a familiar story that not even the panic year Ioss^m of "93 remotely approached the cut-Ins on burlesque bankrolls the passing season is witnessing. A hundred- thousand-dollar loss among the leaders In the festive foolery of tights and gags is conceded now to be the rule rather than th« exception. Variously ascribing the losses to business conditions, changing tastes of public, film opposition and other causes, none of the founders or pillars of burlesque concede that the cause may be due to the possibly poor quality of the entertainments offered. \'otoriou8ly economic in their ■et practice of throwing their shows together slap-bang, following a g.eneral plan thought out by the producer or the comedians, with plot and story of less consequence than comic acting talent and feminine pulchritude, the men at the helm of burlesque generally believe their wares best meet popular desire when they are fabricated In the give- and-take manner that has always been a part of the business. The leaders are convinced that to bring standard writers cf comic matter for the stage to the business of burlesque would be to destroy the very thing that the burlesque public wants to see. A too much plot to too much story these leaders belijve would sink their ship. But leaders facing their present enormous losses confess themselves stumped. Next season's ventures will closely adhere to the standard methods, stars and production manner, but loss possibilities will be anticipated with a finer lens so that no such debacle as that now confronting burlesque recurs In the same distributing measures. With an eye to the future, several of the leaders of burlesque who have not hitherto ventured far afield from their own domains are listening in on opportunities to become more or less silent Investors In new legiti- mate play productions and ventures now being prospected along Main •treet for next season's consumption. The "Daily News,** a New York arm of the Chicago "Tribune/* on Tuesday started a series of articles designed as an expose o.. theatrical managerial methods, and aimed directly at Lee and J. J. Shubert. The articles are written and signed by James "Whlttaker, the critio for the "News." The first was headed "How These Theatre Promoters Try to Hide Truth from Public." It Is understood that the Shuberts took ex- ception to one of Whittaker's reviews and ordered Its advertising from the "News" columns. The "News'" campaign Is believed to have been supplied with certain data "dug up" by the Chicago "Post," which was sued for libel by the Shuberts. MacGregor Bond, formerly with the "Post," and assigned to Investigate the Shuberts, Is now with che Chi- cago "Tribune." It Is denied Bond was engaged with a view to attack the Shuberts, and it was stated this week that Bond had been with the Chicago "Tribune" for six months, having been employed In the regular course of events. The Chicago "Tribune" Is not carrying the "News" articles, as first reported. Stepping In quietly with "Chauve-Sourls," with virtually no advance hurrahs, Morris Gest has put over the biggest surprise hit of the season. The manage? has been credited with being one of the most adroit press agents In the country. In other hands the Russian specialty company from the Bat theatre, Moscow, might have been ordinary in its premiere. Nikita BaliefC waa clever in picking Gest and Gest was bright In "putting over" Nikita. Gest kqew that if he put a buy up to the ticket brokers at $5 a smash, he tempted a turn-down. So he kept away from the brokers, fig^uring that they would come to him. A smart crowd for the private showing the night before the premiere started the ball rollmg. The rest seems to have been easy. Tickets are on sale In the agencies, which are selling all they can get. It looks like the five-dollar thing was the wallop. The answer is the novelty show is turning 'em away at the 49th street. It ha.9 already put the new house on the map, and it is the silver lining amid the dark clouds of a bad season for the manager. Nikita BaliefP was a sure enough hit among the Parisian professionals, and before he left the French capital they tendered him a dinner, said to have attracted 600 artists In the metropolis. He is getting just as popular among American actors. The Tuesday matineo permits any number of players to attend the performance, and Nikita doesn't miss a chance to spot them if he can. Last week Al iolson was In the house. BaliefC humorously invited the blackface star to say aomethlng. Al did that little thing, mentioning many things Kussian, including caviar, and complimenting Nikita. The latter's reply was short but according to his regular batting average. Jolson talked for about two minutes. Nikita rejoined: "Caviar. That was one word I understood, anyhow." The closing of nine Washington theatres Saturday by order of the city authorities as a result of the Knickerbocker disaster investigation, was viewed with concern on Broadway, and bookings for the two legitimate houses were jammed as a result. The order to close cam«j at 6 p. m., that affecting Poll's and the New National (both legitimate theatres), Loow's and the Cosmos (vaudeville), and five picture houses Including Loew's Columbia, "The Squaw Man," playing Poll's, was compelled to refund $1,600, which was the advance sale up to that time, and the National, playing "William Gillette In "The Dream Maker," was equally as big a loser. Attractions booked Into both houses for this week arc laying off. Poll's was to have had the "Greenwich Village Follies" this week, and a gross as much as $20,000 was anticipated. The house is on government property. The New National Is one of the oldest attrac- tion houses In the capital. With the forcing dark of the other legitimate houses the Shnbert- Carrlck has leaped to high demand. Last season the Garrick was the least desirable of Washington's houses, but since then around $60,000 has been spent on remodeling It It Is said to have one of the cheapest rents in the country, the sum mentioned being $7.GOO per annum. Last week Variety anticipated the closing of the Wa.shington theatres. After the coroner's findings it was believed that all houses would be ordered shut until thoroughly inspected. The closing order affecting nine houses came so suddenly that the managements were totally unprepared. blow, this sroar the ahewman la adding another. This la an Information aheet ahowing the living Income per capita for each aectlon. In his researchea along these linea the modern ahowman, planning road eam- pal^rna for next aeason, has discovered aome interesting data. For one thing, the U. 8. did not enrich itself during the war. The physical wealth of the country In 1916 was $268,000,000,000, and at the end of 1920 it was atill $268,000,000,000, with a sliding scale Jump in between to $272,000,000,000, aettllng down at the end of 1920 to the original wealth possession of 1916. The $17,800,000,000 gained by the country through external relations In due bills, on balance, etc., ia regarded as a doubtful asset at best One of the striking revelations elicited by the modern scientific showman is that the average Income of an average family living at an average degree of pomfort, estimated recently to be from $2,000 to $2,500, is instead but an average of $85$ to each worker. Finer and finer has become the analysis of the current showman as to possibilities of surces.q or failure in any venture ho is considering for projection. The showman of today is a living example of the truism once uttered by the late circuseer, John Robinson. Robinson, met by a layman while the circus man was trying to corral his livestock and canvases blown willy nlUy by a tornado, waived aside the layman's proffered sympathy with the remark: "Yes, the show business Is a hard business to understand, and it's a good thing it Is, for that's what keeps a lot of damn fools out of It!" In the old days of showdom, a manager could assemble play, company, booking time and rehearse all in a single day. The first rehearsal sfiw his itinerary pretty well set, and his profits in part estimated. With the changing status of things duo to the alterations in all lines of the busi- ness, a more drliberate version was demanded. With films Intrusion, the producer with several books of routes found his railroad knowledge taxed. Also, he was forced to look with greater caro at the industrial conditions In dlffer.nt parts of the country. Crops which had hitherto not be*"n considered as a fuiulampntal of his failure or success now be- came a consideration. Unemployment, always a factor of his anticipa- tion, bcfamo more so as the country's territoriog narrbwed. The moral st.itus of comnuinitiea had never really been geographied until the present decade. But what this section of the country, this city or that, will taboo or welcome, is now a fixed Ingredient of the showman's barometer. To thefce vanes, showing vnlch way the money winds may The power of reviews to attract patronage to a legitimate offering was shown to be almost negative in the case of "The Wild Cat," a John Cort production withdrawn Saturday in Cincinnati. The dailies there greeted the opening performance Sundt^y night of last week with exceptional praise. One paper went so far as to say It was the finest musical attrac- tion offered in Cincinnati in a decade, and the local management pre- dicted capacity for the balance»of the week. The opening night's gross was $400. and Monday night's takings, following the reviews, dropped to $250, with the week finding a gross hardly above $5,000. The press similarly praised "The Wild Cat" in Pittsburgh, but similar business marked the engagement. Baltimore was the biggest week since leaving New York, the gross there being $7,500. It Is said the losses for the three weeks the show was out mounted to over $20,000. The new E^arl Carroll theatre, to open Saturday night, will not have Its orchestra rows alphabetically numbered. Instead they will be numer- ically. The tickets read 1st, 2d, 8d row, ets., a Carroll idea to savtf his patrons the trouble of counting on their fingers or mentally aow far K or It may be from the footlights. The opening night scale ia $5. Max Marcln returned from abroad last jnreek. He was present at the premiere of "The Night Cap" in London, then hopped to the Continent, visiting Paris and Berlin. Regarding "The Night Cap," he stated the L6ndon theatre could only be secured for five weeks, but he took chances for another house In order to open on the same night as "The Bat." He waa in Germany during the railroad strike, and in making the journey to Berlin claims to have helped nurse a motor car 500 miles, part of the trip being made through snow. He went to the Relchbank to secure 60,000 marks, and had to wait until they were printed. That sum rep- resents $200 in American money. Prices are ridiculously small If one had American money to spend. For Instance, a room and bath at the Adlon hotel costs 300 marks per day, which means $1.50 in our money. A photographer stationed In Berlin, representing an American news syn- dicate lives like a king, and In addition saves most of his salary of $75 a week. The George White "Scandals" has been playing the road this season at $3 top aa against the show's $4 top last season. The difference in that scale ia 25 per cent. Mr. White says he has found the show's gross haa lessened 33 per cent, this season, without cost of playing the show having dwindled. Instead, it is Increased over last year, with the cur- rent production also costing much more than his former show did. White merely made It a commentary upon conditions as he has found them. In making a Jump the "Scandals" sold for the day at Dayton, O., charging $3,600 and thinking it was getting a little the best of it. The house played to $7,000, and with Dayton notoriously bad for any kind of an attraction this season. •The Cat and the Canary," the new thriller at the National, New York, that la listed as a new dramatic hit. was produced by Kilburn Gordon, Inc. Edward Chllds Carpenter, the author, is Gordon's principal partner. Together they hold 51 per cent, or more of the stock. A number of others, not within the select circle of recognized producers, bought a piece of the show. One had one share, but sold it before the play opened at a profit of 250 per cent., and now admits he pulled a bone. The company formed to put on the John Wlllard piece was incorporated for $20,000. Less than half that sum waa used up. the show being out but two days before coming in. So sure was one of the little fellows who bought in that "The Cat and Canary" would land he put his entire bankroll of a couple of "grand" into the pot. Another matrimonial mix-up of complex angles will soon break. A certain legitimate actor identified with farces, and recently in films, has separated from his wife and will soon marry a former stage beauty and theatrical widow who has since remarried a male picture star, separated, sued for divorce and been counter-sued, has been sued for alienating the affections of a husband beside the husband whom she will marry when she gets rid of her own husband and the husband she intends to marry gets % divorce from his wife. And as soon as she divorces her present husband—or he divorces her—he will marry a aoclety girl who recently divorced her husband, who divorced his wife to marry her. Alfred de Courville, the English manager, got his first flash of the cut rate agencies last week. A friend escorted him to the basement lay- out about the time the crowds were gathering to buy. The British showman was literally carried down by the swirl of patrons and bodily lifted up the stairs with the upward crush. "My word," he exclaimed, "it's remarkable. This place sells more tickets than all the theatres In New York. And there Is no collateral—and nothing 'on the cuff.' " Described as a Yiddish "Mutt and Jeff" cartoon play, "Yente Telebente" is In Its 11th week at the Lenox theatre, New York, the piece being given Friday nights with two performances Saturday and Sunday. Other at- tractions are played earlier In the week. "Yente Telebente" is said to be a feature cartoon in one of the Jewish dailies, with a heroine's oaths humorously regarded in the jargon. The feature of the perform- ance is a colored "chazan" or cantor, said to be the only one In the world. Th3 cantor is said to have an exceptio lal voice and is credited with drawing In many repeaters. Frank Fay's "Fables" gave its fiiSt midnight performance at the Park last Wednesday night. Harry L. Cort started the midnight racket with "Shuffle Along" at the 63d Street, where the late trick Is still a weekly event The "Fables" first "g m" performance drew an audience made up largely of professionals now showing in current attractions and ther<j was nearly as much fun this side of the footlights as on the stage. Rather a smart idea, the midnight performance thing. It takes the place of the Wednesday matinee, so there Is little extra expense to the show and It commands a draw from ajl classes of professionals who are appearing In other houses and persons partial to anything that dates from 12 mid- night on. In addition to his stellar appearances with "Sally," Leon Errol Is now a full-fledged business man. He has purchased the rights to a secret formula for repainting automobiles. The process Is such the job can be done in 24 hours or less, whereas the ordinary method usually requires three weeks. A large paint shop on West Sixty-third street is working to day and night capacity turning out orders. One of the younger women legitimate stars who enjoyed a long run in a hit Is reported back with her first admirer, a millionaire eon of a famous family. The pair were frknds somu years ago. Since then both have married. The wealthy youth has Just purchased a yacht for the artist, and ordered the decorator to furnish it as near as possible like the yacht that his wife owns. WASHINOTOH HOUSES CLOSED (Continued from page 15) any performance In aaid theatres during the period of atispension." In further pursuance of the order^ Commissioner Keeler stated that the houses closed presented inunU nent danger. The original report recommended closing but five the- atres, but the others were brought to their attention during the meet* Ing, with the result that the two additional houses were added. In referring to Crandall's Metro- politan, owned lay the same com- pany that operated the ill-fated Knickerbocker, and which was de- signed by R. W. Geare, the archi- tect of the Knickerbocker and built by Frank L, Wagner, who also con- structed the latter house, both of' whom are now at liberty under heavy bond awaiting the action of the Grand Jury for their part in the disaster of a few weeks ago, the commissioners said that the Metro-i politan will not be repoened until every detail of the roof structure has been carefully gone over and such changes made as shall be found necessary. This may mean that an entire new roof will be necessary. As to the National, the commis- sioners pointed out that It would require a great amount of time and the expenditure of a vast sum of money to put the building into shape for opening. This house haa been standing for a number of yeara and it was pointed out that due to wooden steps and general condi- tions that the house has long been a great risk from the danger of fire. During the past summer con- siderable money was expended in redecorating the house and for thia week alone In addition to the reg- ular attraction, the Iri^h Playera in "The White-Headed Boy," two afternocn performances were scheduled, the New York Symphony Orchestra for the 21st and the Washington Opera company in "Samson and Delliah" for Friday afternoon, the 24th. Both the orchestra and the opera company havo transferred their appearances to the auditorium of the Central High School. Poli'a Owned by U. 8. Poll's, which ia ownea by the government and leased to S. Z. Poll and which Is now playing Shubert attractions, with the "Greenwich Village Follies" booked for thia week, the commissioners pointed out, has a gallery and balcony the construction of which, to quote the engineer-commissioner, was very suspicious. He added that the fire risk of this theatre was very great, there being a vast amount of paper documents of the Treasury Depart* ment stored under the stage and the first fioor of the theatre. Al« though no statement could be ae« cured from Mr. Craerin at the the- atre today, it was pointed out by competent authority that there waa but a bare possibility of this house reopening, due to the fact that the government could be looked to for no money to briner this house into the requirements of the new build« Ing code, and for Mr. Poll to make the expenditure was hardly thought possible. Although the details under which he ia operating the theatre are not known, it Is gen- erally understood there is a clause therein which would permit the tak- ing over of the house with practic- ally nothing more than two weeki^ notice. This.leaves the Shuberts with th«{ Garrick theatre, of sm<all stage and seating capacity, for the presenta- tion of their attractions. There ia considerable conjecture as to what their future plans here will be. The Belasco, now presenting Shubert vaudeville, was last season used for legitimate attractions. A. Julian Brylawski, manager of the Cosmos, heard of the order of the commissioner before the notice of closing was served on him and was awaiting the appearance of In- spector Grant, and although the or- der demanded Immediate closing, at the suggestion of Mr. Brylawski the supper show at his house was per- mitted to run to Its close to avoid any possibilities of panic because of an announcement from the stage. This was also carried out at the Metropolitan, where F. Broche, manager for Harry Crandall, re- quested that the show be permitted to finish. Managers Ask Hearing The managers affected immedi- ately took steps requesting an audi- ence with the commissioners, which was granted Monday, and in each individual case the sealed report was handed to the house manager, setting forth in detail what would be required before his house could be reopened. These reports were (Continued on page 28)