Variety (October 1922)

u LEGITIMATE Friday, October 27, 1922 -'a SVC SHOWS IN N. Y. AND COMMENT Figures estimated and comment point to come attractions being successful, while the same gross accredited to others might suggest mediocrity or loss. The variance is explained in the difference in house capacities, with the varying overhead. Also the size of cast, with consequent difference in necessary gross for profit. Variance in business necessary for musical attraction as against dramatic play is also considered. «Abie's Irish Rose," Republic (23d i week). Would not exceed expec- tations if "Abie" remained through winter. Never has had losing I week and one of least expensive companies In town. Last week takings about |8,600. "Banco," llitz (6th week). Business fair, gross between |6,100 and $6,- 600 weekly, with draw mostly down stairs. Should stay until new Fay Bainter show Is ready. "Better Times," Hippodrome (8th week). Hips biggest show in years, getting good play. Will run through season with little or no changes. ''Blossom Time," Century (52d week)# Third house for operetta hit that completes year of playing this we»k. Will be cut rated here and ought to draw real business, with very good chance of It re- maining through fall. Got $12,500 last week at Jolson's. Opened big at Century, $2.50 top. "Captain Applejack," Cort (44th week). No doubt this holdover could play out fall, but bigger money for It on tour, due In Bos- * ton after two weeks more. "Mer- ton of the Movies," which suc- ceeds, reported sure fire. "Cat and Canary," National (38th week). Mystery play holdover has made good promise of continua- tion and will likely stick until hol- idays. Satisfactory takings last week, nearly $8,500. "Chauve-Souris," Century Roof (39th week). No stopping Russian at- traction. Third program la finest and attracting smart audiences as did first two. Indications are Comstock & Cest will run novelty through this season. Still $5 top. "East of Suez," Eltinge (6th week). Woods' drama of English author- ship counts with dramatic suc- cesses. $14,500 last week, equal- ing gross of Galsworthy's "Loyal- ties," though not In same demand. "East Side, West Side," Nora Bayes (11th week). Business never over mediocre, takings mostly attained through cut rating. Final week. with succeeding attraction not nominated. Last week around $3,000. "Evergreen Lady," Punch and Judy. Stopped Saturday after having remained week and half. House now offers "Persons Unknown." "Follies," New Amsterdam (21st week). Sale for Ziegfcld show ex- tend.s into middJe of January. Get- ' ting biggest gross on Broadway, and'last week again went over $37,000. Record business ajid run for "Follies" In New York. "Greenwich Village Follies," Shu- bert (7th week). Expectation for run to extend through winter In- stead of first of year, as last sea- son. Strength of show calls for long run and gross ahead of pre- vious revues of series. Last week $26,500. "Her Temporary Husband," Frazeo (9th week). Going along at $r),000 and under, with house seeking a .other attractiu .. "K. U. R." succeeds N^v. 20. "It's a Boy," Sam Harris (6th week). Clever comedy, but has not at- tained volume expected. Listed for Boston after two weeks more. •Hamlet," with John Barrymore, to succeed Nov. 13. "Kempy," Belmont (24th week). An- other two weeks for this excellent small-town comedy. Business around $6,500 and little more af- fords small profit, but on road attraction looks sure for real grosses. Goes to Selwyn, Chicago, with "A Clean Town" probable successor. "Kiki," Belasco (48th week). Long- est run to credit of any show on Broadway list except "Blossom ^ Time," which discontinued for five weeks during summer. "Kiki" holds tt) remarkable business and is close to leaders in weekly tak- ings. Aroun<l $!.'»,000. "La Tendresse," Kn^iire (5th week). Doing better than first indications and will likely remain through fall. I..ast week's business close to $11,000. "Lady in Ermine," Ambassador (4th week). No reason why operetta should not have season's stay. Business strong, with lower floor big. Improvement can come in balcnnv. Last week $1.5,TOO. "Last Warning," Klaw (1st week). New mystrry play, maiden Broadway effort of Mindlin ' & Goldreyer. Opened Tue.sday night, coming" in from tryout, with favor- able reports. "Loyalties," Gaiety (Hth weok). Eng- lish drama leads field in agency demand and assured of running through season. Business capacity nil performances, with weekly draw around $14,500. "Molly Darling," Liberty fOth w«>ek) Business around.fX4rOou .Ltuil week, fair pace for this musical. May get another house after two weeks, "Little Nellie Kelly," at $3 top, succeeding Nov. 13. "Music Box Revue," Music Box (1st week). Opened Monday, original premiere date of Thursday last week being set back. First-night scale $11 and regular night top $5.50. Enormous call prior and following opening. Capacity at $29,000 indicated steadily. "On the Stairs," Dalys 63d St. (5th week). Drama moved from PIa,y- house on two weeks' arrangement, which concludes this Saturday. Got $4,700 for first week and man- agement hoping for run here. Col- ored show was reported being booked, "Orange Blossoms," Fulton (6th week). Royce's musical comedy drew unexpected attention m dailies last week, when Pat Som- erset was summoned to Ellts Island on charges. Will hardly affect pace. Around $18,000 week- ly, figured excellent. "Partners Again," Selwyn (25th week). Laugh show. Business climbed during month and attrac- tion is remaining until holidays. Making good profit; gross around $12,500 last week. "Passing Show of 1922," Winter Garden (6th week). Management may strengthen Garden revue. Scale is now $3.30 top, having been revised downward twice; started at $4.40. "Persons Unknown," Punch and Judy (1st week). Brought in sud- denly and opened Wednesday, with idea of getting another house if lands. First called "The Star Sapphire." Produced by E. I^y Goetz. "Queen of Hearts," Cohan (3d week) Scale reduction may aid here also. Business last week around $11,000, considerably under normal in this house for musical show; Nora Bayes starred. "Revue Russe," Booth. Taken off after two weeks and half. Re- opens in Chicago next week. House gets "Seventh Heaven" next Monday. "Rose Bernd," Longacre (5th week). Hauptmann tragedy counted on for good business during limited run. working out as exported; $3 top and netting good profit3. Last week little over $13,000. Matinees big. • R. U. R.," Garrlck (3d week). Im- ported novelty will do good busi- ness for eight weeks here. Hou.sc can do $8,000 at capacity, sub- scriptions lopping off $1,000 week- ly from actual capacity. Will move to Frazee in three weeks. "Sally, Irene and Mary," Casino (8th week). I'opular priced musical comedy perfectly spotted in house. Title worth lot of money on Broadway, also on road. Last week gross about $17,000. "Scandals," Globe (flth week). Tv.o weeks more for White show. Bal- cony and upper floor seats in cut rates to get advantage during end of stay. Big attendance early this week. Gross over $20,0(M). "Shore Leave," Lyceum (12th week). Belasco show making money from opening and continues to good business for attraction of kind. Around $11,000 weekly. **So This Is London," Hudson (9th week). Biggest money draw on liroadway among non-musicals. Set for the season. Nothing at Hudson so good since "Clarence." First George M. Cohan show this season. $16,000 last week. "Spite Corner," Little (5th week). Showed life last week, each per- formance running ahead of pre- vious week and about $1,000 bet- ter on total, around $8,000. Hou.so can only do $9,500 at $2.50 scale. "Springtime of Youth," liroadhurst (l.'jt week). Newest operetta to arrive; Shuliert production; open- ed Thursday night with excelleiU out-of-town reports. "Swifty," IMayhouse (2d week). New comedy drew mixed comment, with critics not backward in i>an- nlng. Shoit run indi.-atrd, with rut rates helping. A little undir $4,000 last week. , "The Awful Truth," Henry Milllrr (0th week). One of smart»>si draws on list and one of brij^lit- est plays. I^ooks best house has had since "Famous Mrs. Fair." Close to cajiarity at nearly $14,000. "The Gingham Girl," Eail CarruU (Dttt week). Siltlnd down at prof- itable pace, rated one of list's succesf^es. We»'!<lv business now around $16,000, virtual capacity at $2.50. "The Faithful Heart," Maxine Elli(.tt (3d week). Moved over from Brojidhurst Monday, guarante«'itig Elliott to continue. On form tlii.M English drama ought to build. Low takings of first week au4 buU Uijs- tinct disappointment. Around $4,000. "The Fool," Times Square (1st week). Channing Pollock's drama, tried out on coast during sum- mer. Produced here by Selwyns. Opened- Monday. "The Exciters" withdrew, though business had climbed. "The Insect Comedy," 69th Street (Ist week). Most ambitious pror duction by W. A. Brady In years. Is of Czecho-Slovakian author- ship. Opening Saturday, premiere set back from Tuesday. "The Monster," 89th Street (12th week). This early arrival mak-. Ing money, though not reaching big gros:^es. Last week about $5,500 and better. Elxpected to pick up again. "The Old Soak," Plymouth (lOih week). Looks like cinch for season and classes with leading money getters on Broadway. If maRnees held up as well as evening per- formances would top list. Little under $14,000 last week. "The Torch Bearers," VanderbiK (9th week). Amusing satire, doing fair business t.. profit. Will likely get strong support on road, but ^expepted to remain until holidays. Around $7,500 weekly. "Thin Ice," Comedy (4th week). Well spoken of, though takings have not attained class as yot. Weekly gross around $5,000. Will be thor- oughly tried and may land. "To Love," Bijou (2d week). Three- person play, with Grace George starred. First week encouraging, takings for five days being little under $8,000. Indicating weekly pace of $9,000. Strong business in this house. "Whispering Wires," 49th Street (12th wtkk). Interesting my^ery play with clever title, settled for a run. Big business not iDOked for in house of this size, but box of- fice holding up nicely; 18,000 last week. "Why Men Leave Home," Morosco (7th week). One of most amusing of new season's productions. A wonder it has not pullvd bigger gros.ses and title (suggests a pic- ture) may be why. List week around $8,000, which affords profit. "Vankee Princess," Knickerbocker '(4tli week). Getting between $13,- 000 and $14,000. considerably un- der expectations for operetta w'hich was accorded excellent re- ception by reviewers. SUICIDE LEFT $600 Vera d'Artelle's Death Was Followed by Another HIT SHOWS' SELLING OUT BENEHTS SECOND STRING PLAYS Overflow^ Patronage Tilts Mediocre Attractions* Gate—Chi Neglecting Literary Plays for Mellers —Allan Pollock's Second Try Vera L. H. Lehmann, the young dancer of "Aphrodite" whose deat.i Aug. 14 from an overdose of veronal caused Louis Koemmenich, musical composer and orchestra leader to commit suicide by gas 12 hours later, left an estate not exceeding $600 in personalty and no will, ac- cording* to her mother, Marietta Lehmann of 249 .Vest 42d street," New York, in her application for letters of administration upon the property, which was granted to her by the Surrogates' Court this week. In addition to her mother. Miss Lehmann is survived by a brother, Walter Lehmann of 302 West 103d .street. ', ' ^ ■■^' . . '■"':■■. Mr. Koemmenich, who lived at 257 West 91st street, had been director of the "Aphrodite" produption for two years. His reason for ending his life he made bare In a note which read: "Just received word that Vera committed suicide. This being a great loss to me. there is nothing el.se for me to do." Mr. Koemmenich was 65 years old. He had been married 36 years and he had a son and two daughters, one of whom is married. The dancer (Vera Lehmann), whose name of the stage was Vera d'Artelle, was 22. Miss Lehmann was talented, spoke several languages and showed much local promise. She took the fatal draught of veronal In her mother's costume shop aBout a week before and was taken to Flower Hospital. Efforts of physicians to save her life proved futile because she did not have the will to live. Wh^^n the wap-camo Mr. Koemmo- nii'h lived up to his sincere convic- tions and did not conceal the fact that his sympathlos were v/lth the Fatherland. The result was that ho soon found himself without funds or \r urk. ■; *, • Going out on the road with an "Aphrodite " company as director did not serve to arouse the old musician fr«m his dejection, but one day Mrs. Kormmenlch received a letter from him telling of a beautiful dancing girl in the comp.iny who showed nun 'i luomise and in whom he was muiii interested. La.«t March Mr. Koemmenich at- trmpled suicide by swallowing vero- nal, hi.s wife said. Slic added: "They saw much of each other after that. I saw that it was useless to fry to end the affair. My husband and I had been m.irrird 36 years and I ho|H>d his reason would return to **"^ »■:♦••> -Ml (•y.-,::i »it .5.\ ? i. j Chicago, Oct. 25. Searching Into the depths of the loop situation the past week, and usicg a fair-minded vision of what was transpiring, nothing could be found that would rightly say the magnates had a kick coming. Sell-outs were chalked up at iill the hit shows Saturday and Sunday. So eager were the merriment seek- ers to go somewhere after tJ^ey found out their choice shows were sold out that plays not In the chan- nels of the week-end enthusiasm drew big "overflow" patronage. Traffic on the loop streets Satur- day and Sunday night was the big- gest of the season. Jolson at the Apollo was the mecca for theatregoers. This come- dian is making new Chicago history, surpassing hitherto known records for consecutive capacity audiences. It Is now hard to predict just how the booking office will handle the approaching "Sally" date if Jolson Is to be deprived of many weeks of more capacity business. Jolson's engagement is the outstanding fea- ture of the season thus far. Allan Pollock is not satisfied with what happened with "A Bill of Divorcement" at the Poweraf. His complaint was quoted by critics, featuring his disagreement with the magnates that the play isn't wanted in Chicago, after the scarce busi- ness of two weeks at the Powers. The star took the English play to Detroit this week, leaving behind scare-head advertisements that he will return Sunday at the Central for dli engagement that will prove Chicago does want the piece if given time to- realize its value. The Pol- lock move will add interest to the solving of many perj>Icxing mana- gerial problems that have arisen of late. "Six Cylinder Love" and "The Green Goddess'* are the two plays whioh made the best gains during the week, each giving signs they will climb higher this week. The Harris show sold out the week-end, and were it not for the weak busi- ness at the matinees would have^ gained the comedy record for the' town. There is every reason to be- lieve the Harris matinees will better themselves. The $2,900 hou.««e Sat- urday night at $3.85 was the best advertisement the show has received since arriving. "The Green Goddess" is quietly ascending into an important posi- tion down at the Great Northern. Placed along Randolph street the Arllss show would easily draw a terrific trade, for it now holds the atmosphere that convinces those who know. Chicago senses that the play kas "caught on" strongly. Some of the drawbacks of being booked at the Great Northern are being rapidly overcome, adding to the drawing strength of the piece. "The Circle" h^s exhausted its clientele, and it will be a hard fight to hold the big profit the play has made In the remaining three weeks, when "Kempy" comes with Grant Mitchell and the Nugents. The Sel- wyn has got away to a winning start, and if the limited business here for a play of "The Circle's" type can be overcome until Nov. 11 the new theatre Is heavily en- trenched with bright prospects with "Kempy" and "Partners Again." "Anna Christie" did as well as was expected on Its return, but "The Charlatan" fell faster than even the most enthusiastic ones imagined at the Playhouse. "Cat and Canary" will sidetrack all opposition mys- tery plays for Chicago for weeks to come. The Cort Is strongly forti- fied with mid-year profits, for "Thank-U" is now assured of a long run. The Independent public continues to ignore the "pushing" of certain shows at the ticket broker stands. The business around town proves these facts stronger than ever. Ija.'st week's estimates: "The Charlatan" (Playhouse, first week). Attempted to grab the mys- tery play popularity by fast book- ing, but missed. Opened Sunday night to JLOGO. averaging $500 thereafter for eight performances. Gross of $5,500 brought exit order for Saturday, with Mme. Maria Kousnezoff's "Revue Russe" to fol- low. "Anna Christie" (Studebaker, fir^'t week). Opened Sunday night be- tween $975 and $1,000 on n two weeks* return engagement, holding house f)r Hopkins oITlccs pendii.g arrival of "Hairy Ape" the coming Sunday night. More splendid notices for Pauline Lord. Grossed $o.r.oo. "Six-Cylinder Love" (Harris, third week). Sell-outs Sunday night at $3 and Saturday night at $3.85 raised the business on week to $l5,- llOO. ^uUvr tualinc<^ bU£^cs)9k will swing this comedy into regular hit class. Good until Christmas. "Thank U" (Cort, seventh we«k). At Saturday night prices can get $2,000 on sell-out, which happened, and with balance of week drawing healthy trade tho gross Jumpeil to $12,800. Satisfactory outlodk to hold show v^ell into the winter. "The Guilty One" (Woods, ninth week). Positively nil at the brokers* stands, but fulfillment of ticket con-* tract ho)d8 gross around $11,500. "The First Year" already under** lined for Nov. 5 premiere. "Under False Pretenses" (La Salle. ' third week). Will stick until Nov. 11, moving then to Maxine Elliott theatre, New York. Picked up a little, with final gross estimated at $10,300. William Hodge being Jug- gled to follow. "Bom bo" (Apollo, fifth week). Setting a pace that neither "The Music Box" nor "Sally" will touch unless all known records for con-^ secutive capacity business in Chi« cago are to be smashed to smlther* eens. Clipped off $37,400—phenom^ enal to say the least. "The Circle'* (Selwyn, 6th week). Started off week at an unlooked-for pace, but slipped Wednesday night, and with the $3 price for Saturday matinee again hurting, the week's gross netted $13,500. Has drawn its full share of the local public de- manding plays of this kind, g<Dlng out Nov. 11, with "Kempy" to fol- low. "The Green Goddess" (Great Northern, 3d week). Everything points to the Arliss play continuing its climb. Attracting a clientele never before patronizing this the- atre, with advance sale predicting better than the estimated gross ot $14,000. "Cat and Canary" (Princess, 7th week). No signs of abatement In interest for the mystery play. Has got the critics in town amazed over manner in which offering is out- doing the valued literary plays run- ning in competition. Packed away another gross of $16,000. "The Perfect Fool" (Illinois, 8tli week). The Ed Wynn demand con- tinues and but for the Jolson en- thusiasm would have easily slipped away with the fall record. The $2 matinees are a big hit. Punched the record board for $21,200. "Good morning, Dearie," (Colonial.- 8th week). Gained on the previous Sunday night and with a good Sat- urday night Increased over previous . week, registering $18,600. "The Music Box" is underlined for Tues- day night, Nov. 14. "A Bill of Divorcement" (Powers. 2d and last week). Never ascended from the throes of wretched busi- ness, but cheered on by ^hat tho critics wrote in second thought ar- ticles, Allan Pollock returns next Sunday night after one week at De- troit, reopening at the Central with all apparent intention of flghtinir Chicago conditions right now Itt matter of high literary plays not drawing. Drew $7,600. Irene Bor- doni opened Sunday night. "LightninV (Blackstone, SStK week). No Sunday night perf6rm- ance holds gross to $15,000, with last seven weeks now announced. Opens in Boston Xmas. Fritz Lieber (Olympic, 4th and final week). With the Shakespearian students having their fill with a full repertoire the demand disappeared. Departed Saturday with gross of $8,000. "Greatness," with Jobyna Howland, opened Monday night. TRANSFEBS TO HEAKST SHEETS V Syracuse, N. Y., Oct. 25. Chester B. Pahn, for several years with "Tho Journal" here aji dramatic and screen editor, re- signed late last week to assume charge of the dramatic department of "The Telegram" and the "Syra- cuse "American," the new Hearst papers. Mr. Bahn, who began his new duties Monday, succeeds Irene Murray. Franklin H. Chfisp, ar..«;ociate ed- itor of "The Journal," who has been abroad for more than a year, will add the dramatic worl^ to his labors when he returns late In November* ■■* ■i i 1 .',t t 1 •■i, T ff I 1 '•MERRY WIDOW" $15,000 New Orleans, Oct. 25. Savage's "Merry Widow" opened to tl e largest audience of the sea- son Sunday at the Tulane. The ad- vance by then had reached a sale for this week that should gross $15,000 for the show. It will be the season's record thus far fer the house. At the St. Charles and in Its sec- ond week the Metro film. "Prisoner pX 2i6ndA,"'wm do around $7,000.