Variety (March 1922)

rriday* March 31, IMS LEGITIMATE 17 RINGUNG-BARNUM CIRCUS and better There When the Ringling Brothers com- bined their biff top outnt with the Bariium &- Bailey circus, also owned bv them, several years ago, the show was in a general way built around Tn array of star performers. Last season saw the re-entry of wild animal turns, which this season ia Iven more prominent. There was a time when a circus was not a circus unless it had a wild animal act. In reverting to the animal features the RinKlings have pyramided them with the probable objective of a "biggpi" than ever" impression upon audiences. They have this season used the "intensive" idea for hereto- fore neglected performers* groups, those acts are brought out to advantage than before. •e 21 new turns in this v^ars line-up. That takes in the fresh wild animal acts. The .secur- ing of th'^ latter was made easy fol- lowing the European depression after the war, the Hinglings making whole.'iale purchases of the llagen- back mart at Hamburg. Some of the newer animals this year were secured from fe S<yitos ^i Artigas c reus in Cuba. There may not be a considerable additional number of wild beasts this season over hist. for not a few were lost during the cross-iountry tour of the big show after leaving Madi.son Square CJar- den hist April. However, it takes a whole raroajs of a horse to feed them rtuilv. The "liberty hor.-es' which fhare the featuring with the jungle cats also suffered los.ses and replacements. They, likewis,. a fresh display last season, arc given more i>rominence. The show publicly opened nt the Garden Saturday afternoon. March 25 U will remain just fivo weeks and a day. I'Yiday night's dress re- hearsal took four hours. Saturday night the show was cut to two hours and three-quarters, the fmale coming just at 11. That bespeaks of crack .showmanship. The King- lings" smartness in having smart people to direct the show is an open secret of their leadership. The polished Fred Hradna, programmed as general equestrian director, i^hlch really means the boss of the performance, ran off the first night's show with admirable skill. There were Tiumeroim changes from the dress performance, and there were but two general rehearsals which all the more emphasized the excel- lence of the management. Bradna ran the works. John Agec being out, 111. Dressed like a dancing master. Bradna's easy, yet decisive, direc- tion counts as a skilled periormance in it.self. Three t-ntlre displays were out of the show Saturday night. Some of the other sections lopped off will not be used until the outfit gets under canvas. One of the displays cut was a three-arena wild animal feature. That was forced out after the dress rehearsal when Thomas Wilmoth was savagely bitten and clawed by a lion. His thigh was terribly lacerated, but he was a^ble to save himself by falling Into the safety cage, but was in serious con- dition at Bellevue hospital, with danger of infection. The wild animal actg are the **jab" of the show. It Is necessary to put them on immediately after the pageant because of the tirno to rig the cages. The Garden again had three steel arenas in position when the doors opened. There were two animal displays. Instead of the three listed, and held all at- tention, all arenas going in both. Christian Shroder and K. Shroder, the latter new this season, put the beasts through their paces at the opening, with Rudolph Matthies probably using the center arena, which held tive lions, though it is possible M. Thomaso or Peter Radke handled whip and steel fork, they being listed in another display that was pulled out. The secoiid display held Mabel Stark in the first arena. A alight woman, with remarkable nerve, formerly with the Al. ('.. l*.arnes show. The manner in which she made seven l)ig tigers and a black panther "jump through" thrilled the crowd, and she walked oft with ringing plaudiis. easily the star of the animal displays. It is acknowl- edged by circus men Miss Stark is the greatest woman trainer in the world, and it is doubted if she has an e(|ual among the male animal trainers. Her "cats" are magnili- cent beasts, quite the biggest in the cntirr outfit. The presence of the startling t)la( k i>:inther was a sur- prise. The beast bad airived here a Week before the show opened. None of the men trainers could get near it. Hut Miss Stark went into an arena. lashe<l him with whip and pole find soon had the black streak roUif.p: over rtnd .sifting v.\'. At tb'^ netlier ;n-»«na M. IMiIladelpliia (a son <^'f tiu> old i'orepaiigb trainer) ^vorked a v. bole tlock of young lions I'ect-ntly arrived, .and amused the <ro\vd v.beii he had to chase the lust b.-ist to leavt' around llie rir.g I'air .1 dozen tiint-s. \\lieii il fin illy |**a|»"d iiito the rage wagon, i\'.* fei- st,irled r!i;i«;tiv,ing il. ainl tlio Was closed on its t.iil. The tnnnel was tised only for one '•'in. wagons being « mployerl J^ Ihini; on and take off tbo otlier beasts. That permitted more spe««d dismantling the aretias. AnutluM- new animal ui I was li- lows door steel ti>?.T ui Shroder's polar bears, something of a novelty. Olga Celeste, who i)ulled leopards by their tails, was out with the di.scarded display, but will go back when the show takes to the road. Between the two animal displays was a flying and iron jaw iPxhibit, the Latell Sisters, Seafords. Tybell Sisters and Miss Kayden working. In this display also was Do Markos, whose contortionistic stunts on a high trapeze won him extra time after the others liad descended. Hillary I^ong's head slide down a wire was doubled up, Bernard Dooley doing the stunt on one side of the ring, while Long worked the other. The slides were worked in Immediately after the flyers and the elephant.s were brought in. rather early for them, but a good spot. J. L. B. Clarke and Charles llam])- ton in the end rings and Clare Hlldegarde in the center. The latter looked very well. The entire ele- phant display is again under tieorge Denman's direction. When he lined 24 bulls the lenpth of the Ciarden to "take a bow" it was impressive. The pachyderms rose on hind legs, each lofting a man on its head. Intensive high trapeze work made up the next display. The Rooneys ami Les Zeraldos did the team work. Miss Booney. a, sweet looking lass, caught the fancy of the audience. This disjday, however, was featured by five high trapeze head balancers, all doing similar stunts. The line- up iiad Bernard Dooley. Hillary Long. IiM Millette. Kdwaid Millettc and one other. One of the Mlllettes with a wing swing head balance was given the extra minute. The worker on the extreme east of the CJardefi iihould liave been given a better spot. hi.s upside down "shimmy" head balatu e drawing the house despite his position. The first of the riding acts then trotted on. it being listed the tenth display. The Tarneffs and SerilIor< were listed as new. also the lOr- nestos. But in (he center ring the pretty sight act of Mme. Uradna drew all eyes. She has been work- ing in the center ring for 110 >ears and still makes .a corking appear- ance. She was not marked for the center, but the Hinglings switr.hed her in. as they have done before. Ena Claren again featineU the posing acts, wbicli counted six in number, the sight stuff being done quickly. Cy Compton then rushed his wild west on, his bunch of rop- ers and riders including Hank Dur- nell. Art Boden. Madeline Dupree. Bud Hurlin. .Tack Neilson. .Toe Flint and Lottie Shaw. The Pallenberg bear acts were to have been the next display, but Mme. Pallenberg failed to arrive. She had been in a Mexican circus and failed to gain admittance at the border, the au- thorities requiring her to return via Cuba as originally arranged. High school horses took the ring next. Two lady riders, Minnie Tay- lor and Lillian Compton, looked ex- ceptionally well. The men riders were Adolph Hess, Manuel Herzog. John Foley, William Klliston and Frank Miller. Miller copped the honors with a jazz stepping beauty. It Is probably the same horse used last year, but now the bit is given special attention and it landed rightly. Jazz stepping so far as horses are concerned is a freak stunt. ,., , Comedy acrobatics and equilibrls- tic stunts ha<l the next display, with Joe Boganghi taking the center rmg for his "mechanician" horse comedy bit, which lapped the display as last year. The Jung Brothers. Rice Trio, H. Rittely. Arena Brothers. Four Comrades and Hart Brothers con- tributed to the melange of s'unts. Buck Baker with his nut automo- biles, explosive and self-steering, amused, and the (larden was dark- ened for spotlight concentration upon Lilian Leitzel, the only single star of the show. The daintv Mme. Leitzel in white and gold mounted the webbing for her ring work. One of the rings was slightly higher, and she had to climb to the bar above to pinch the swivel into position. Some defect caused her to curtail at the dress rehearsal, but she was bound to go through Saturday night. Leitzel held the cream spot, appear.ince at 10 o'clock. She was lofted again af- ter the ring work for her "disloea- tioif performance, the feature that won the diminutive gymnast atten- tion in vaudeville and now circus featuring. . . , ^ Mark and Frank Ihding wiib two trained seal acts, both woiking the platforms. on<l A If Loyal and bf.-* doKS in the center made the next display The seal turns w«'nt over exrell.Mitlv. with the ball playiu; bit .T highlight. Loy.ils "Toque" add.d ., new s'oof lo the routin-- for the nnis4i. The other dogs with lluro- pean flairs circle the top (»f I be ring, while "Torim-" vi.lli an America n i]:\K runs lie" opposite w.iy, hurdling the pa«-K'. live perch acts. \irfn.ii;y nil forri'^n .-.crubats. followed the Til' \ v.-erc tb<' .\!Kln'S<*n wr s. Three .labn'*. Three I'iii!- Wise TrotiiK- and White F;ini- Tlnie ;ire four in tb.e I'hillips ael. but .i youtli un-br si\t«'i.n w.is excluded bv tlu- imniigral iMi aii- tln.ritirs Tint pr<.b.il)"y took the feafin-e.fiorn tli«' torn Adolph IIe«s and hi-^ tbrco giowte- (.f 'liberty hor.'«es" v\ "r-- gi\eti the Garden alone, taking the center rincr with three sets of matched cquines. It Is spotted close to the end of the show, whereas last year the Hess performance was eight or nine dis- plays earlier. There were six dap- pled i^raya for the start and the same number of sorrels next. They looked smart and a stable door stunt was well applauded. J?ut the closing bit. done by twelve black stallions, again landed the honors. Rudolph Mayer and Manuel Herzog were listed to use the end rings, also with formation performing horses. Con- fusion at dress reiiearsal led to Hess going it alone. The other horses are fresh from the other side and kept jumping out of the ring, being unused to It. They will be used under canvas. The last riding display had the Reifenraths in the center ring, with the Torvelles and Rooney-Mears at the ends. The Reifenraths are ;i sister team reviving the pad sys- tem of riding. But they succeeded in landing with an extra peiio»l stunt and made a good flash. Tumblers and acrobats supplied a fast display late in the show. The Sle Tahar troupe. Syrians, worked in the center. A girl of the bunch, announced as the fastest female tumbler, made good the claim and traversed the lengtli of the ring. It is a newlv-imported act. The Bo;s- ton Brothers accomplished clever hand-to-hand work, one leaping over nine men t^) a handstand catch. The Loretta Sisters flashed an un- usual performance on the bars. The Joe Oekoe troupe worked in the flrst ring and won plenty of attention On the opposite end were grouped Ave contortionists, all doing indi- vidual stunts. They were the De Marios, M. Fowell, R. Ritter and I' Carof. The aerial 1sts closed the show, a ; always, and similarly held the en- tire house.' The maze of flying and swinging wc»rk was in the expert hands of the Charles Siegrlst troupe, the Clarkonians and the Siegrist- Silbon troupe. A number of-young lady aerialists provided fresh in- terest. Frnest Clark worked, though handicapt»cd by a badly bruised foot caused when a lu)rse stepped on him during a riding act at dress re hearsal. There are some new freaks, lull nothing exceptional. A baby hippo and mother is the animal addition There are two gigantic Hollanders Captain Auger is there just the same, so are the little folk, the three-legged boy. and so Is Zi|>. Barnum's famous "What Is It." Zip looks funny this year. They've got him dolled up in boiled shirt, swal low-tail coat and patent leather shoes. And a half-pint, conical shaped silk hat covers his pointed dome. Merle F.vans is again conductiri-.^ the band. He has framed a corkiiiK progi^m. with Broadway show hit numbers livening up the big tops musical cf»ntribut4on. Ibcc. ries weight with the biulesque .slow moving picture idea in the first act. a corking comedy and dan«*e novelty, llowland with no valuable assistance offered by the authors Idants his comedy, taklnft what lie has at hand and making it staml up. Miss Ricliardson figures strongly with the ''Just Because" number nt the finale of the flrst act. and with •Daisy Tell Mo Truly" in the second. A mechanical doll number holds value due to novelty. 'i he chorus conslstN uC l.l girls and se\ til boys. Ten of the girls appear as orphans with the remaining live among the d.iughters. The former are of the pony type and the latter mediums. Th«» show is not hooked up to demand the regulation chorus routine work by the girls. The ma- jority are comely and all energetic workers. ".lust Because" has not been ad- vantageously placed in the new Car- roll house. The piece is not big enough to put tli » house over and will suffer accordingly. Its chancer of a run ttre me.igie where situated. Jiart. Sliubi-l: "Shuffle Street; and 'Tlie Times Square. Along." 63 I 1..U.W Ureaker," at JUST BECAUSE Ctierry Darlk-U, M<iUon rrlncllla I'iiul lUuebrll Itutli WilliaiiiHOM Svriiigra Qupenle Smitli \Vistr>ri.i ' Jean Mero«l.- Mr. CuinmlnKS Frank Moul;»ti Mrs llpnnelt Nellie Gnihain-DoMt nau<l»» W'pllington Charles Trowbri<lKo Mignonette Jane lllctiardwin Su-san, Rwkw.'xrd orphan Mary Hotchkls^ Siirali. littlo.st orphan Ann Dale Foster rhilllt>s OUn llowlan.l r.ftonard AVall Kdffnr N<'l.soii Uev. Dr. Itombiff Charlci rruom .•'Cals Brot lil>s. ••Just Because" ,a musical produc- tion operated by a corporation of the same name, opened March L'L' at the Earl Carroll, the sec- ond attraction to be Installed in the new liouse. With no mention made as lo the actual backers of the production, it was reported the Brokaw Interests furnished the necessary funds having been secured by Anna Wynne O'Ryan and Helen S. Woodruff the authors. Programed as "a melody comedy" the piece develops into an amusing two-act musical comedy with a light story and several novelty num- bers which lyrically have value. The book Is credited jointly to the Mi.sses O'Ryan and Woodruff and the lyrics to the latter, with music by Madelyn Sheppard. Oscar Kagle did the staging with the dances by Bert French. The story Is based upon the life of a widower with nine beautiful daughters. His country place b(M'ders on that of a woman hater whose ambition in life is to st.art girl orphans along the proper path of life. The hitter's place is given over as a home for 10 orphans. The two i)I.ice» are divided by a low wall with the woman h.ater conlinu.ally annoyed at the sl«ht of his neigh- bor's handsome girls. The youngest determiticH to ca|)ture him. This she aciomplishe.<< by ma.sqiu'radiriL^ as as orphan with her real identity «lisclosed after seeming the atten- tion of the man. The book rompaies f.ivor.ibly with the average musirii comedy script. Its win^omcness is the r>iil.'taniling feature. Tl.r flr:-t act Is played In ore set. .1 i.astily devised exterior for which no I'lainis of pretentiouane«?s (an be mad'". The second is Ifi thr<c scene?:, including two full stage sets with a gar<len wall effect In "one*' use<l during the change. The out- lay ffu' the pioduction could not have run into l>ig money. Thiee of the principals carry away the lionfus; Qiieenie Smith and Olio Iloul.itirl in the dance and comedy division, uitd Jane Richardson vocally. Miss Smith and llowland are the real applause winn'-rs. I'.ach of iheii- dance niimbers car- BROADWAY STORY t('t)ntinued from pug* 13> Is in(li<*ated because of lack of tractions. "Ilombo," the Al .fcdson show, will c!os(» after another week at .lolson's and go to the roa 1. The succeed- ii>g attraction there willbc a com- monwealth revue now called "Hop- fKM s I'^unmakers " The week of .\pril 10 Eddie Cantor will arrive .It the Winter Garden to "Make It Snappy," while the N'anderbilt will receive "Lelty Pepper," al'o n mu- sical attraction. The house will be dark next week, the current "Anna <;bristie" jvinding ur» its run this Saturday to strong business. This wveU also "The I.,:iw Ureaker" will leave the Times Square, and is an- nounced for another house; the sin-ceeding attractiofi at the 42d street house will be Harry Iloudini in film and person. "Liliom" will ag.iin go on tour after Khr: week, tlu> 44lh Sttcet going dark for two weeks, but imder n three-week lenlal to~ private entertainment. oiJier withdrawals urv likely. "The Hairy Ape" is the outstand- ing production in downtown co-op- erative circles. It is playing t3 all the tiny Provincet.»wn Play .louse will hold, and is re|)orted sure for Ibd.idway at Kastcr time, the Plym- outh probably getting the O'Neil jilay as the successor to "Voltaire." The latter play opeiud last week, but stands no ch.ince. "The l-'irst .Man" at the Neighborhood Play- house will be taken off :it the end o( the week. "T.iboo," lirst called "Vooduo," will be offered for spe- cial matinees at the S.im Harris. starling next Tuesday. This show was lirst booked for ;;f'.i-.r.Toons .at the Times Square, also the Selwyn. 'I'he latter's off aflernoivs are being used by Ruth Dr.aper Im character studies. Shows Flock to Cut Rates The cut rates were swamped this week with attractions, there being L'S shows listed on Tuesday, with api)roximatcly $.">t).000 worth of tickets (figured at cut rate quota- tituis) on hand for the week at the advance sale counter. This Is prac- tically a record for the cut rate of- fice In New York. At the same time, the number of shows that are on "buy.s" with the advance price brokers dropped to 14 in number. The demand in the cut rate was strong during the week, and with the number of attractions that there were on sale the boys had their liands full forcing ^ome of the weaker sisters. Tlie buys that are continuing at present are "Ki Ki," Bel.i.sco; 'The Dover Road," Bijou; "The Rose (.f Stamboul." Century; "Perfect Too!," Cohan; "The Hindu," Com- edy; "Capt. Apph'j.-tck." Cort; Cbauve Sourls," 49tli Street; "Mad- eleine and the Movies," fJalety; "(;ood Morning. Dearie." (Jlobe; To the Ladies," Liberty; ".Music CO-OPERATIVE PLAN t('t»ntiuued from l)at;e J •'•» in;r to draw, especially iipstdr*. and it is claimed the box tdlic«< is de\tloping a cjill for balcony seats. The lower IbMir sbow.s im- provement, too. SoTiw nij-!bts dur- ing the lirst two wci-ks otdy IS o«- *J0 seals were sold for tiiat portion of the house. The eight i)l:iyer.s who agreed to g.amble with the (drawing account — the agreement is that they may ilraw if the money comes in—are also lo participate in the picture .and stock rights. Ivugel cl.iims a number of manu- scripts have been turne<l over to him by authors and over 100 actors have asked him to expand his ac- tivity of co-operative production for next season. The present system in that the players are in complete charge back of the curtain line. There is ;i committee of three re- sponsible. The statements are ten- dered them by Kugel and the re- ceipted bills, also. Another feature of which "Your Woman was able to stick it help of the stage crew. The penter advised the manager the way In and Mine** out was the ear- that they would do their bit and after looking the show'over said it could be operated with two less men, who were dropped. The house is playing the show on regular sharing terms, with no litop limit handicap. "Shadow" Is listed to succeed In several weeks, the hou.se gambling with attraction whether it can pull a paying per- centage. SHAW'S JOKE (Continued from page Li) takings being |9,500. Ordinarily the CJarrlck would draw over $10,000 at $3 top for capacity. However the number of subscriptions sold at $2.GO (from which is deducted the tax, paid for the subscribers by the Ciiild) the actual capacity llgure was brought down. The Guild did not expect to make money with "Methuselah," and from present Indications will about break even on the production, which has ten sets of scenery costing IL'3,000. The chances of producing the long di.^tance play in England .ire not bright at this time and ".Methu.selah" may be done in Cler- rnany first. "Heartbreak House," the Shaw play put on by the (Uiild last season, w.is presented in Kngland and failed. The first and second performaneeii of the Culld are the most extensive to operate, the second calling for 17 stage h.inds. Because these parts run four houra and a h.ilf, extra time wages for the <rew attain. SHADOW" SHORT CAST ".^^liadow," a drama by Kden PhillpottH, an JCnglish author, is in roliear.«»al, the production being by | Marc Klaw and designed to follow "Your Woman and Mine" at tho Klaw about April 15. The play la not the same as "The Shadow," In which Kthel Barry- more appeared some years ago. The play is a short-cast piece and has seen production In England. Helen McKellar will be featured. Lester Lonergan is staging. Box; Sally. IJox Revue." Music Amsterdam; "I^awful L.arceny." Re- l.ublic; and "The Hotel Mouse," Slinbert. In the rut rates those listed were "The Blushing P.ride." Astor; •'.Moiitmartre," Belmont; "The Truth About Bl.iyds," Booth; "Marjolaine," Broadburst; "lust r.tc.-mse." Earl Carroll; "Tlu> 1 -ml- Virgin." Eltlnge; "The Ncft," 4Slh Street; "Liliom," 4tth Stre ♦; "The l'i;;eon," Erazee; "Candida," (Ireeu- wich Village; "Six Cylinder Love." Harris; "The National ..Tdhem." MiIIcih; "The Rubic/»n." Hudson; •Vour Woman and Mine," K'.aw; ' Bulldog Drummotul." Knicker- boclcer; "To the L.idies." Liberty; "I'ii.nd: You," Longacre; "The I'leneb Doll." I..yceum; "For Cood- T.e.ss Sake," Lyric; "The Mount.iin .Mm," Elliott; ".Tuj;t Married." l;a\es; "Up the I.,.adder," Playhouse; \oIlalre," IMymouth; "First Fifty Vears," Princi s; "The Blue Kil- LEGIT ITEMS "IlroKen Blossoms." which la.^.lcil one week as a Broa<lway attraction at the 3iMh St. theatre, is Ix'ing pre- sented in Yiddish at a downtown house. Clarke SHvernail retired from "Montmartre'' at the Belmont, New York, last week lo become the di- rector of a stock comp.iny In Har- risburg. Pa. Silvern.ail retains his <dli«e as vice-presblent of the Pla\ - er.s Assembly, pKuluceiH of "Mont- marlr«\ ' The Al Jolso/i will play Allanlic •and then go into three weeks. show. "JJfmjUo,'* City Holy Weok. PliiladelphU lor l.'f. Selwyn; "The Hotel Mouse. "Out to Win," a new dramatic ! bow .^tailing William I'aversbani iifMb-r the management of C B. Dillingham opens April 10 In Ibif- falo. Th«' piece will liave a brief joimI tour and will not be givn a Iboadvsay showing until the fall. fjtn' of "'j'he Bat" companies w.i.^ called in from the road last week by W.'igenh.'ils & Kemper. There wer© s<\en companies on tour at i»ne time. Thioe still lemain out. the original conliuuing at the Moro.sco, N. w Yoik. The management will attempt to continue the hhow into the siuntTi'-r on Broadway.