Variety (July 1922)

r 19 VA RIETY ij™wj»i^». y-.r'r XwyvX IKT Friday, July 7, 1923 I CHI'S THEATRICAL JllBLE STM CONVERSATJONE TOPIC EQUmr GOING AFTER CABAKETS AND TABS Great Cuts in Expense of 'Tor Goodness Sake"— "Angel" Wised Up—"Liliom" Goes Out—$4,003 Gross Enough for 'Xilies of Field" to Break Chicago, July 5. 'Theatrical management in the foremost of the loop's legitimate ac- tivities these days Is not for wealc- liearted executives. Wrinkles are covering the brows (Df the greater share of the man- agers. Leaving Chicago with but four shows, along comes a restora- tive furnished by the peculiarities of the summer playgoers until now it isn't certain what shows are in town and what shows have silently paclced up and departed until after a visit to all the playhouses. The theatrical calendars in the news- papers are a guide to the puzzled playgoer no longer. Jumbled financial affairs poured more uncertainties into the career of "Lilies of the Field" and "For Goodness Sake." With the former, despite newspaper announcements, the Powers is still open, holding the feminine-appealing show for another week. Who knows but what "Lilies of the Field" will remain at the Powers until July 23. when another contract brings the Arnold Daly- Jos. Gaites new vehicle into town? "For Goodness Sake" somewhat (Continued on i)age 58) Reported Meeting Called of Tab Producers July 19-21 in Cincinnati during August by another Butter- Held stock at Kalamazoo. Mr. Mor- < daunt is the general director of all of the Butterfield (W. S.) stocks. LONDON THEATRE The London, on the Bowery near Houston street, opened Nov. 27, 1876. For a number of years it played variety shows, changing to burlesque around 1890. In 1909 it changed again to pictures and vaudeville, and ihc following year, 1910, became a Yiddish stock house under the manage- ment of Lipzin. Since then it has played Italian dramatic and operatic uhows, and Yiddish stock, -with periodical changes. During the twenty odd years that it played burlesque, the London figured as the training school for hundreds of artists who later became famous star.s, James Donaldson built the house and was its first manager. James Curtin, now manager of the Empire, Brooklyn, was resident manager during the period burlesque occupied, the house. The advance that burlesque has made since the days of the London and Miners Eighth Avenue, in the matter of theatre construction, may be seen by comparing the modern type of burlesque house as represented by the Columbia-built theatres shown opposite. It is reported Equity is attempt- ing to line up producers of tabloid musical shows, including cabaret revues, for the Equity fold. A meeting of tabloid producers is said to have been called July 19-21 at the Hotel Slnton, Cincinnati. Equity proposes to have its repre- sentatives present. It ill said the move of Equity may force several tab and cabaret pro- ducers into the Producing Managers' Association. The P. M. A. has four classes, legit producers, repertoire, touring and stock. The tabs and cabarets might be admitted to P. M. A. mcribership under the stock or touring classification. Each calls for a small week4y sum for each tab or show played, with an initiation fee. Equity, according to those claim- ing familiarity with its inner work- ings, is aiming through tabs and floor revues, to secure an opening wedge to gain membership away from the vaudeville branch. Tabs and restaurant revues have been likened to vaudeville performances, of which they are a part If not in their entirety. A tab often travels with a vaudeville show or plays in a vaudeville theatre. A floor revue, when leaving a cabaret, goes into vaudeville or beiomes a tabloid musical show. Any variety performance : is claimec! by the Vaudeville Branch as under its jurisdiction. It is said the Equity has been making its moves in the tab and floor revue field without the knowledge of the Vaudeville Branch. In one inst.ince an Equity repre- sentative claimed to have the back- ing of the musicians in a restau- rant. He informed the revue pro- ducer unless the people of his floor show Joined the Equity the musi- cians would walk out. This struck the producer as peculiar in view of the reports from Cincinnati during the A. F. of L. convention recently, which said the international musi- cians' heads in that city at the time "walked out" on the Equity group, also attending, when the Equities submitted a plan for co-operation among all theatrical unions. STOCKS Leslie Adams, leading man with the Westchester Players, now play- ing at the Wieting opera house, Syracuse, N. Y., stepped out of the company Saturday, his withdrawal following a disagreement with the management. The Westchester Players are operated by B. L. Fein- blatt of Mt. Vernon, N. Y. Petty annoyances, starting dur- ing the WeJ^lchester l*layer8* run at Mt. Vernon and continuing after the company came to this city for a summer engafrement, are blamed for his resignation from the troupe by Mr. Adams. According to Mr. Adams, it was understood when he Joined the players the productions alternately should feature the roles of the leading man and leading woman. Since the company has been in Syracuse, Mr. Adams points * out he has had but one real part, that in "The Copperhead," given tho second week of the Wieting engngement. The failure of the Players mnn- agemeVit to give Mr. Adams an ©pportunUy to fe.'iture has attract- ed no little comment in theatrical cirrli's ' hfio, • Syracuse dr.tmatic writers agreed such action would ^Tstrcngthrn^ tiHrfompanyr———:—: A special .^tock company is being f)r'-:.iniz«(l by George Kby f«-r occu- inilion of the Columbia, San Fran- cisco. iMabel Lowe and Creighton XimiM iUiHu l^we'H brother-in-law) will co-star, appearing in "Little Old New York" and "Just Suppose." Elach play will be given for two weeks, the former opening July 31. Adhiission will be |2 top. The sup- port is being recruited in the East. Following the Columbia date, the company will move to the Fulton, Oakland, repeating both plays. Fol- lowing will be a short season of repertoire. Miss Lowe recently closed with the Academy Players at Richmond. The stock opened during Lent and continued for 16 weeks. A new comedy drama called "Down in the Lehigh Valley" was tried out for the first time Monday by tho Broadway Players, a stock company appearing at the Kurlzt Bethlehem, Pa. The play is by William C. Stone, associated with Max Marcin, Stone is credited with collaborating in the writing of sev- eral Broadway Kuccc»sses though^tie was not given billing. John E. Iloparty and Barry MoCormnok are jointly Interested in the Broadway Players management. Dick Wilbur ami his stock com- pany at the ()rph«uin, Oakland, Cal., clo.sed last week. "The .Stranger or WomaiLJiL ihc Balance," a drama in throe acts and a prolog by Harry (Ir.aves Miller an<l Hal Mordajint. was produced for the fir.st time on any stage by the stock at the Jeffers, Saginaw. Mich. The play will be lepeated \ Herbert Heyes, the new leading man at the Alcazar, opened his spe- cial engagement last week in "Blind Youth" and made a fine impression, although the opinion of the pfess was divided as to his ability as a leading man. Because of Heyes' long playing in pictures his voice suffered. He apparently had diffi- culty in handling his yoice properly the opei^ing week. The Strand, Newark, N. J., play- ing pictures, closed Saturday. It is announced to reopen with the same policy and by the Centre Amuse- ment Co., but it is thought in New- ark the Centre people may allow the house to revert to the Drake in- terests, with the possibility of Maude Fealy playing stock in it next season. Her choice for Newark for stock lies between the Strand and 6rpheum. The Orpheum is larger, ^with the Strand's location preferable. The Centre people lately started a "Sunday" agitation in Newark against other picture theatres. It has led to many complications with a Sunday viola- tion against the Centre people now pending. Next week at the Royal Alexan- dria, Toronto, the stock will play for the first time on any stage "When Tonrmy Comes to Town." The Proc or Players at Proctor's, Troy, N. 1 , have been given two weeks' noti e, but with the proviso it shall noi become, effective if the controversy with the musicians' union ovei the number of men to play in th* house orchestra is set- tled. The union insists on seven men, while the Proctor people stand lirm for five. With the situation ap- parently deadlocked, the musicians' union notified the stage hands that ih.ey would have to come out In two weeks, and the notice to mem- bers of the stock company followed. The the.itre Is without music at present. Business is reported to have picked up steadily since the I'roctor players opened last week. AHEAD AND BACK John Hogarty will be back and A. M. ("Musty") Miller* will be ahead /of Jane Cowl's new play to be produced by the Selwyns. It is as yet unnamed. Mlsa Cowl re- turned from abroad this week. Frank Matthews will be ahead land Lou Payne hack with the No. 1 "Circle," which closed in San Fran- cisco as planned Saturday. Charles Hunt will bw back, with Howard Gale and Howard Robey ahead of the southern company of "The Circle." Al LaMar will ^ ahead of "The Master Woman," May Robson's new play. Wally Decker will be ahead and Gene Shutz back with "Land o' Ro- mance," the new Fiske O'Hara play. John Curran will go in advance of "The Emperor Jones," which will have Ernest Ely aa its manager. Dayton Stoddard will agent "The Charlatan," with Jim Palzer back. Injured During ''Romeo and Juliet" Cincinnati, July 5. During a performance of "Romeo and Juliet" at the Zoo, Clifford Cun- ard, tenor, accidentally wounded Mario Valle, baritone, in the duel scene. LITTLE THEATRE Houston will again have its week of grand opera, timed for late Octo- ber. That city's grand opera so* ciety is an organization made up of prominent citizens and much preparation is given the annual event, since that is about the only way the city can insure opera. Something like $40,000 will be spent for the opera festival this year, Singers from the operatic world have been engaged, but there iu to be local talent, also. Preparations are going ahead for the opening of the Ban Francisco Theatre Guild, which has secured the Savoy and will rename it the Plaza. Sam Hume, of the Uni- versity of California, is securing new plays and attending to the plans of redecorating the old Savoy. The company will be engaged by Aug. 16 and rehearsals start early in September. Among those re« ported to have been secured are O, P. Heggie, Alexandra Carlisle, Ferdinand Gottschalk and others. Hame states that he has secured "The Truth About Blayds" for pro- duction. MINER'S 8th AVENUE Miner's Eighth Avenue was built by the late Harry C. Miner in 1881. It was destroyed by fire in 1902, but was reconstructed a few months later. Like the London and Miner's Bowery, the Eighth Avenue at first played variety Tjhows, swiiching to burlesque around 1890. it dropped out of burlesque in 1915, adopting a picture policy. Miner's Eighth Avenue graduated more stars than could possibly be coumed, and Is famous for being the birthplace of the "hook," the im- plem>nt used by stage crews ever since to remove amateurs who over- stayed their time. In 1903, while an "amateur nightC' session was in progress, Tom Miner had exhausted every means at his command to coax an aspiring vocalist from the stage. He was about to order the lights turned off, when Chas. Outhingcr, the property man, hit upon the l?.^^.^ lashing a cane on a long pole, thereby lassoing the singer. Th© Eighth Avenue crowd immediately caught on to the Idea, and labeled the lengthy cane arrangement "the hook." HARRIS ROUTING **HE" "He Who Gets .Slapped," the Russian tragedy adapted from Andreyev which the Theatre Guild produced and its loading play of the season, will be sent on tour in the fall by Sam H. Harris In associa- tion 'with Jos^'im GaitcH. Hichard Bennett will appear In the male lead. Ri.nnelt recently withdrew from "He" to try out a new play or the coast, where Thomas Wilkes, the .stock mart.JKcr, Is preparinK several plays lor inroad way buldiiiK ne,\t season. ~\t h.is n5e7'n ~ tlTe~pc7Ttcy^ of Ihi- Guild to dlrpo.vc of Its .«ucce.«s«'.s to managerial firms. On tour, thouKh the (Juikl's name is used, it Is con- cerned only in a percentage of tlu' gross. RENE RIANO HURT Rene Itlano was out of the "Music Box Revue" this week because of Injuries about the face sustained In a peculiar Occident at Rye. r^\ Y., Monday. An automobile tire Ex- ploded. thr«>wing stones at persons nearby. Mi.s.s Rianos vision was reported affected. Kmni.i HaiK .substituted for Mi»8 Rlano at the Music Bex. where she is expected back late this week. Elsie Mackny Going to Australia Baltimore, July f). Mrs. Lionel Atwill (Elsio Mac- kay). who has been appearin;; in ■\Tiir{r«7vnTe—WTHT ~lT7nr ~ mi.'<b;nid tn- "Th.- White' Face Fool." is leaving for San Kranci.sco, preparatory to a ten week.s' trip to Austialia. Flor'.nce Kvolyn Maryin will f-iic- cecd Miss Mackay in the sketch.