Variety (July 1922)

\ 18 "111 ^'j'.'IN rwsr (.■ SPICE OF 1922 Writtrn by Jack LaH; eluc«-«l hy Allan K. FO«t«r and (Ttvcnted by Arman Kaltz. Opened *t Winter Garden. New York, #uly %. Principals—Vul< ska Suratt. Adnle Row- Und, Midg(«; Miller, Evan BurrowH Fon- taln, Jane liK-hurdvon, Helen O'Hhea, Lu- cille BallMitlne, Flavia Ar<-aro. Jimmy Humey, Arman Kaliz, James Watto, James C. Morton, Georsie Trlnce, Fam iloarn. Jack Trainer, Rex Storey, Will Oakland. Oattison J'nen, Ruth Drothera, Marion and Randall, Jame* Gaylor. ••The Spioe of 1922" is known as "Jack L.ait'8 show" along Broadway. It was to have opened last night (Thursday) at the Winter Garden, New York, succeeding the Eddie Cantor show, "Make It Snappy," that had a successful run into the numnu'r ut that Shubert house. The "Spice" piece was selected for • midsummer stay at the Cardon owing to the immen.«e drawing power it evidenced in its out-of- town dates, doing |1C,000 on its week at Atlantic City, a record for the season there, and $18,000 last week at the Walnut Street, Phila- delphia, at $2.50 top, the Walnut's record for gross for several years. No one will take one mite of credit away from Mr. Lait after seeing the performance, but they will also be- stow lavish praise upon Allan K. Foster, who staged the show. Lait wrote in laughs, that most valuable commodity a revue can possess, and made this revue look more like a genuine one as the general impres- Bion of Buch a performance exists than anything Broadway has had Bince Geo. M. Cohan's Kevue. Mr. Foster, with a free hand, has done wonders, considering this show does not pretend to enter the "produc- tion" class of "The Follies" or the usual Garden - Shubert - produced musical attractions. The chances are the Garden's cli- entele will take to "Spice" whole- heartedly, fur they will see an enter- tainment vastly different from the set routine of all Garden attractions. The previous deviation was the Cantor show that went in heavily Xor comedy, in scenes and business, which held that attraction in there for a run. "Spice"' goes in for com- edy, and Lait more often gets it through his dialog than any other way. That is what excited the ad- miration for this show out of town, that its dialog made them laugh, be- sides the snappy staging always in evidence. "Spice of 1922" is a smart revue. It starts smart, with a laugh almost at the opening, and the laughs are kept up as the story develops of a troupe about to give a performance with a censor and a policeman warning them not to use "bedroom Bcenes," and at once time cutting out all dialog or "gags" in the script until nothing is left. This is clev- erly handled for the opportunity of •working in those very "gags.'' The climax of the censoring is a •'bedroom scene" ("All Night Long') that should make New York talk, lender its satirical comedy is a dar- ing bit of ^tage busines.s. While the laugh may make an audience forget it for the moment, the thought will afterward occur that of all the bedroom bits ever put on in legit farces along the main alley, none even commenced to approach this one. Another skit Is "Help," all com- edy. It was formerly a vaudeville playlet written by Lait and had Jack Tralnor in the lead, Mr. Trainor again leads in it in the show. Cast with the principals of the produc- tion, this skit, acknowledged as a valuable comedy turn for vaude- ville, is a production scream. It runs about 11 minutes. In numbers two are so sightly they atone for the somewhat slim production otherwise, although this latter will hardly be noticed by the lays. Robert Law, who built the production, did it so well the effects loom up as almost extravagant, al- though the actual cost has been un- questionably held down. For that matter, there is so much inside stuff on how this show, 9tarte<l on a Fhoestring and an idea, jumped from a gamble to a Winter (iardten run (selected by Lee Shubert himself) that when it is firmly set at the Garden that portion will be worth telling. The first act finale. "Two Little Wooden Shoes,'' built around a song and a good one, with a delft plate background, has been so deftly put on by Mr. Foster it sends the song Into the hU column and will make the delft scene one the most talked about staging hits of the season. producers will Immediately note what Mr. Foster has accomplished in this setting (and probably at one- sixth of the cost other Broadway productions would have paid). An- other Bong hit scene, with the num- ber Bung by Adele Kowland, "On a Little Side Street in Parcc," is made to stand up and out from the show's Bcore through the staged illustra- tions of the lyric. It is something new in number staging and very ef- fective, while the song Itself Is —tiicre. A simple little setting called *'A "Wheat Field" and set in "two" be- fore a back drop has all the appear- ance of a full stage set, through the perspective and the staging. This Is probably the best bit of magnified ' '^loplo Staging the Wlnt«r (J^arden has ever seen. Only the eight chbrus men with a number leader are em- ployed. One of the prettiest stage pictures in years is the entrance for Valeska Suratt in "The Lilies of the Field" scene. The dialog here so aptly fits and is so well delivered by Miss Surratt this scene becomes very im- pressive in each of its several angles. For the finale of the show there is a cake-walk finish (or "strut") with Miss Suratt strutting or cake-walking among the other principals that should be interesting to tho.se who don't know all of Miss Surratt's versatile repertoire. It may have been done in blackface at the Garden. A big laugh is won by her in the "help" skit when she ap- plies for the position of a stenogra- pher. The boss of the office (Mr. Trainor) asks if she has had any experience. "My God, I should I had," answers Miss Suratt. "Spice" is carrying 27 principals and 36 choristers. A secret of its success is the way the principals are utilized. Ihere are many bits in "one" for stage settings. These run from three to five minutes each. The longest full stage stretch is 12 minutes. Some of the principals appear but once during the evening. The stage is kaleidoscopic in persons through this and with the chorus not too frequently brought on, gives a zest of changing personalities that helps to make it. Miss Suratt looms up very im- portantly and well in whatever she does. Miss Rowland scored with the "Paree" song, while in her spe- cialty she does but two numbers. The surprise of the cast though is little Midgie Miller, a cute in- genue-soubret who found her op- portunity in this piece. Miss Miller can literally "dance her head off' as all vaudeville knows, but that she could deliver dialog with naivette. act like an ingeni.e of experience and make herself delightfully droll upon occasions became a most pleasant revelation. Miss Miller looks like a find for musical comedy. Among the men Jimmy Hussey ran away with the applause hit for his songs, using them for a "one" specialty and doing a character bit of "The Sheik" in a skit. Georgie Price also did three minutes, sing- ing two .songs and scoring, while James Watts thoroughly cleaned up in every particular, got some big and legitimate laughs with his dif- ferent travesties, assisted by Rex Storey, who had a sihgle turn of his own in "one" that meant little. Sam Hearn was the rube censor and got everything over but couldn't re- sist playing the violin during his spetffalty, and James C. Morton was properly aggressive as the cop throughout the evening, finally chasing the entire company pre- sumably to the booby hatch when they "pulled" that bedroom scene. Mr. Morton also led a dance with the Eight Pony Pepper Pots girls (made up out of the chorus) be- hind him. Will Oakland had a couple of songs, with a girl each time in the scene with him, once Evans Bur- rows Fontaine and again another young woman, the latter participat- ing with Oakland In a "shadow" bit that becomes somewhat of an illu- sion through a radium process. As either or both of the principals leave their position in front of a .screen, the shadow remain.s. The process holds the shadows for about five minutes if necessary until the full lights go on. There are several little bits like this through the per- formance without either being made much of more than in the ordinary running. One is where a young woman dances with her entire body painted in several colors, the color- ings prettily blending but leaving some perplexity whether it is paint or fleshings. Mr. Kaliz Is often on the stage, playing a role or singing. His forte here appears to be kissing. The business calls for much o.sculation, and on the male end Klaiz does it all. With one of the girls he has invented what might be called a front forward bending kiss that is a bear. Other nice bits are contributed by Helen O'Shea, Jane Richardson, Flavia Arcaro, Gattlson Jones (Mr. Jones and Miss Miller do a corking double dance in one), and Marion and Randall in d<ancing moments also, with the Rath Brothers in their lift specialty. The program states the songs were written "By Everybody,' with thj names of the writers listed op- posite th(? title. Jimmy Hanley seems to have been the most liberal contributor. This show will draw a lot of at- tention to Mr. I^alt as a revue writer. He has ideas but has hitherto been looked upon a stage writer of under- world plays or straight comedies. If this Is his first revue attempt, it promises a great deal from him. Mr. Foster is a stager of repute, of course, known all over, but this per- formance certainly does say that F'oster must have been held down previously, for here he has outdone himself, probably taking a deep in- terest through being left alone. Foster is another with ideas, l^it and Foster look to be a great rwvue team. "Spice" will easily run out Its distance at the (Jarden. It likely won't want tJ remain there after Labor Pay. Its title "Spicc"^ Is apt to become- standard, and the show's promoters for that reason prol»abIy will quickly send this entertainment over the eastern theatrical ma|», preparatory to an annual "SV)lce" event. *' i»*»»e. • LEGIT ITEMS France* Brooker, the wife of Charles C. Brooker, the scenic artist, left an estate not exceeding $5,000 in perBonalty when ehe died at the St. Vincent Hospital June 4, according to her husband, residing at 233 Ekist 89th street. New York,* in his application for letters of ad- ministration upon the property, which was granted to him last week by the Surrogate's Court. In ad- dition to her husband, Mrs. Brooker is survived by a daughter, Vivian B. White of Valley Falls, N. Y., both, because of her failure to leave a will, are entitled to share in the property. Mahicu A Co., Inc., Is suing Lee Morrison, L. Lawrence Weber, Frand Theatres Co., Inc., and the Hudson Producing Co., Inc., to recover $1,585.15 worth of costumes loaned for the "Go Easy Mabel" (Ethel Levey starred) production at the Longacre theatre. New York, or the equivalent in money. .*' Bernard Sobel, formerly occupied in speciiil picture publicity, who has been attached to the Earl Carroil as press agent, has had a con- siderable range in promotion work in the last month. He took on the agenting of "Strut Miss Lizzie" when it opened at the Winter Gar- den in the East Side, and continued when it reached the Times Square. At the same time he handled pub- licity for "Pin Wheel" at the Car- roll. As that show is leaving the Carroll Saturday and the colored troupe is moving in, he'll just have a low brow attraction to handle. He's satisfied. Another theatre is to be added to the Times Square section and with its arrival will pass about the only available plot left directly fac- ing the square for a playhouse site Within the week plans are to be filed for the house, located on the northeast corner of 46th street and Broadway and running back into the side street for approximately 175 feet. The house is to have a seating capacity of 2,800. It is said to be the Stanley company (of Philadel- phia) venture, as reported several months ago in Variety. It's policy Is to be pictures, unless changed in the future. There will be two companies of "Irene'' for next season, which will be the fourth for that attraction. They will play virgin territory only, routed into one nighters. A city comi>any was to h.ave been sent out, but the failure of a special company to repeat in Chicago recenly caused a cancellation of the route.' "Irene" has played repeats in every major stand in the last several seasons. The Treasurers Club assigned six Broadway box oflRce men to the Mineola Fair Grounds to handle the ticket sale for Fred Stone's wild west show, given for charity. The event was slated for Saturday, but the deluge forced postponement un- til Monday. A full dress rehearsal was held last night (Thursday) at the Long- acre, New York, of "Under Your Hat," a farce by Paul Porter. P. Dodd Ackerman issued the invita- tions. Wells Hawkes was officially re- leased from the navy last week and is definitely general press repre- sentative for the Sam H. Harris attractions. When he stepped into the berth following the sudden death of Thomas Oliphant he was on a month's leave of absence from the navy. He was in the service over five years, entering as a junior lieutenant and leaving with the rank of lieutenant commander. During the war he was attached to the Intelligence Department, more recently having charge of the bureau of information. Recently he was elected a life honorary member of the Friars, which organization he helped found. He was the first Abbott of the Friars. FRANCHISES AND TITLES There will be 88 shows on the Columbia wheel next season, with 24 producers represented, the latter a larger number than in aeveral seasons past. Hurtig A Seamon will have four shows; Irons A Clamage and James £. Coope^ three each, and Jacobs A Jermon, two, operated by the firm, and a thhrd in conjunction with Fred Clark. Those with two shows in- clude Jean Bedlni, Albert de Cour- ville (whose Columbia shows will be handled by M. S. Bentliam), Dave Marion with his own show, and an- other the same as last season, pro- duced in conjunction with Drew & Campbell. Those with one show each are Rube Bernstein, Sim Williams, Ed. Dailey, Maurice Cain and Danny Davenport, Joe Maxwell, Jimmie Cooper, Billy K. Wells. Lew Talbot, Sara Howe, George Jaffe, Wm. S. Campbell, Al Reeves, Harry Hast- ings, Charles Waldron, Mollie Wil- liams, W. B. (Beeftrust) Watson, J. Herbert Mack, Miner-Gerard. Rube Bernstein and Sim Williams are operating on the two Herman Fehr franchises; Billy K. Wells, Lew Talbot and Jimmie Cooper are operating shows for R. K. Hynicka; Mollie Williams and Billy (Beef- trust) Watson operate on George Rife franchises; the de Courville shows replace the Max Spiegel and Jack Singer shows (both Spiegel and Singer having turned in their Columbia franchises, each having two years- to run). The show oper- ated jointly by Jacobs & Jermon and Fred Clark represents the franchise under which Jack Singer operated the .Lew Kelly show, and in which John G. Jermon held an interest with Singer. Sam Howe, Al Reeves, W. S. Campbell, Harry Hastings, J. Her- bert Mack and Charles Waldron each has individual franchises. Two of the francljises on which Hurtig & Seamon operate are controlled by Gus Hill. Phil Sheridan, Harry Bryant, the Robie Estate, P. S. Clark Estate, all control franchises represented by producers operating shows on leas- ing arrangements. The George Jaffe show represents the P. S. Clark franchise, the latter leased to Arthur Pearson, who sub-leased to Jaffe. Sam Scribner Is understood to be interested in the James E. Cooj)er shows. The official list of titles and those operating them next season follows: "Broadway Flappers' (Rub« Bernstein). "Radio Girls" (Sim Williams). "Broadway Brevities" (Ed Daley), "Mimic World" (Cain A Daven- port). "Varieties of 1922'' (Joe Maxwell). "Bubble B\ibble" (Billy K. Wells). "Sara Sidman Show" (George Jaffe). "Wine, Woman and Song" (Lew Talbot). •yimmy Cooper's Beauty Revue'*. (Jimmie Cooper). "Chuckles of 1922" (Jean Bedlni). Title to be selected (Jean Bedlni). Title to be selected (Albert de Courville). Title to be selected (Albert de Courville). Dave Marion's Show (Davt Marion). "American Girls" (Dave Marion and Drew & Campbell). "Joys of Life" (Sam Howe). Al Reeves* Big Show (Al Reeves). "Knick Knacks" (Harry Hast- ings). Mollie Williams 'Show (Mollie Williams). Billy Watson's Show (Billy Wat- son). "Youthful Follies" (W. S. Camp- bell). Frank Finney's Revue (Charles Waldron). "Follies of the Day" (Gerard- Miner). "Maids of America" (J. Herbert Mack). "Bowery Burlesquers" (Hurtig 4| Seamon). ; "Greenwich Village Revue" (Hut* tig & Seamon). I "Step on It" (Hurtig A SeaxnonyL "Social Maids" (Hurtig A BesJ mon). I "Bon Tons" (Jacobs A Jermony. i "Flashlights of 1922" (Jacobs M Jermon). "Let's Go" (Jacobs A Jermon and Clark). "Keep Smiling" (James E. Cooper). "Folly Town" (James E. Cooper). "Big Jamboree" (James K Cooper). "Town Scandals" (Irons & Clara- age). "Talk of the Town" (Irons A Clamage). "Temptations of 1922" (Irons A Clamage). LEGIT HOUSE IN DAVENPORT Chicago, July 5. Davenport, Iowa, which has been minus a legitimate theatre since the destruction of the Burt is theatre by fire more than a year ago, will next season have a legit house. This was accomplluhed through arrange- ments made this week by Asher Levy, of the Junior Orpheum cir- cuit, and their own theatre, the Columbia. It .seats 1,400. The arrangements entered into by r.evy call for the theatre playfng the Junior Orpheum vaudeville the last half and the legitimate attrac- tions the first half. • CCmiNAL LIBEL CHARGES (Continued from page 13) Philadelphia daily in publishing a report from New York stated that Mrs. Hirsh had found Relne Da- vies In the arms of her husband. The action of Marion Davies in starting criminal proceedings against dailies is the first instance in years of where a stage or screen luminary has legally resented libel- lous articles in that manner. The Grand Jury of Nassau county, sitting at Mineola, Long Island, last Thursday, after hearing witnesses in the people's action against Mrs. Hazel Hirsh, handed up an indictment Friday, charging Mrs. Hirsh with assault in the first degree against her husband, Oscar A. (Wally) Hirsh. The indictment charges the vrtmi- an with having shot her husband Saturday night, June 24, on the lawn of Renie Davies' home at Freeport, L. I. A lawn party given by Miss Davies that afternoon had dispersed some time before the shooting occurred. The New York dailies that had given malicious attention through stories of the shooting affray, in a. vain attempt to make a scandJilou?" affair of it, suddenly dropped their vicious efforts when it became known proceedings had been started on behalf of Marion Davies to bring charges of criminal libel against them. A theatrical weekly ("Bill- board") that published a false statement of the shooting, mention- ing Reine Davies ns the wife of Hirsh, and stating Miss Davies had shot him, ha.«? been sued through I'Yederick E. (loldsmith. Miss Davies' attorney, f(»r $200,000. The trial of Mrs. Hirsh on the assault charge is expected to rome up in the fall. Conviction carries a sentence of fmm five to 10 years. Her bail in $25,000, given when she was arralgrwd f<»r a preliminary hearing by Thomas Nelson of Free- port, nori-jHofessional, was coti- tinuedr"—~~— Neither of the Hjrshes afl men- tioned in Variety last week has evrr been connected with theatricals. Among the witnesses calltd be- fore the Grand Jury wore iicint Davies, her father. Magistrate Dou- ras; her brother-in-law, George B. Van Cleve, and Miss Davies' chauf- feur. Each repeated the story of the shooting they had previously made in a statement. The other witnesses were Chief of PoKce Hartman of Freeport and a couple of his men. None of the guests at the party was called, District At- torney Weeks and Assi^ant Dis* trict Attorney Edwards saying they did not require any other witnesses. From remarks made by the prose* cuting officers they appeared to have secured full information about the Hirsties and the shooting, which was told in detail in last week's Variety. RECREATION OFFICER, N. G. Major Griswold Appointed to Super- vise Camp Entertainments Albany, N. Y., July 5. Adjutant General J. Leslie Kincaid has appointed Major William C. Griswold, of the 104th Hospital Com- pany of New York City, recreation ofilcer of the New York State Na- tional Guard. General Kincaid is of the belief that members of the guard, during periods of intensive training and in the winter season, when the life about the armories is often dull, should have presented to them entertainments of the higher type. Hence the appointment of a recreation officer. It will be the duty of Major Cris- wold to supervise the theatrical events presented during the summer at the state cnmp at Peekskill. It is the further intention of (;« tieral Kineaid to have at least one niam- mouth entertainment in every state armoiy during the present year. Soldiers from the regiment nnd pro- fessionals from New York state will both take part in the entertainnunt. Major Griswold is the first.re<re- at If>n ofifloei' t^f -be ftpp«int*^4-i+4-tha National (luard of the l'nit<d ,'^iiteB. Pat Woods of the? Keith i-ffioe 1« vacationing. During his absence , Joljn AliuNaMy is handling bis book.