Variety (November 1922)

'■ ■ > ? Friday, November 17, 1922 ■_. ■* - — LEGITIMATE *•'• VV'TT ••FolUea" .nterest over "The Music Box," yet Harris-Berlin attraction Is sure to strike eight big weeks. ODenIng Wednesday night to capacity. "The Music Box" will give ."specs" test of the year. *The Clrolo" (Selwyn, Sth—flnal week). Carter-Drew combination outlived its "sure-thing" draw after first six weeks, and with society demand completely "off" attraction slipped to $7,300. Whole engage- ment, however, made big money for both house and show. This engage- ment will teach booking offlces good lesson for Chicago's "draw" for lit- erary plays of Jilghbrow value. *'Kempy" opened Monday for limited stay. "The French Doir (Powers. 3d— flnal week). Bordcnl departed with good profit. Wise handling of whole engagement and star's return good any time for loop's classiest pre- jpiere assemblage, particularly so if French actress offers musical show. Bid farewell on $9,500. Nance O'Neil opened Monday in "Field of Brmine." ''Under False Pretenses" (La Salle, 6th week). Still fighting for safety of positive Broadway Kuccesa, with more attention being paid to whipping show into shape than for buRin^ss. Dltrichstein's poi)uiarity will bring show over rough shoals early part of Broadway premiere. Keported at $7,100. ''Greatness" (Olympic. SU—final week). Lofs aplenty for both show and house on experimental process. After what local critics said. New York premiere will be watched here. Not much hope entertained for dialog as now presented. Skipped away on $4,800. "Shuffle Along- opened Monday. 15 "Cat -nd Canary" (Princess, 10th week). Withdrew trifle on average, but merely affected by early week election slump. Will soon swing Into positive holiday capacity. On figures already gained will easily reach March 1. Estimated at $14,100. "Thank-U' (Cort. 11th week). Can put In matinee like Election Day and get away with It at small expense. Held Us own through slump, and again brought smiles with $12,200. Next few weeks will tell whether or not "The First Year" will hurt. •*Tha Qreen Goddess" (Great Northern. 6th week). Made a big play Sunday on prices in all adver- tisements. Listed to go out Nov. 24 with successor now unknown. "Goddess" couldn't overcome bad houses Monday and Tuesday, held at $11,400 on week. **The Perfect Fool" (Illinois, llth —flnal week). Wynn's attraction made big clean-up on engagement. Farewell week held average at win- ning figure. Count gave flnal week $21,400. Griffith's "One Exciting Night" opened Monday. "Lightnin"* (IJlackatone. 62d week). What effect l<Yank Bacons withdrawal from cast will have re- maining weeks will tell. Accurate guess when it was stated $15,000 would hold as average for final weeks. Wednesdaj* matinee con- tinues close to cai)acity. "The Hairy Ape" (Studebaker. 2d week). Booked just long enough to hold profits of first and second weeks. Is on decline, but should hold until Nov. 2.'^. Expensive ad- vance campaign is wluit "put over" this show in Chicago. EstiiiKited at $14,800. $36,000 AT BOSTON OPERA HOUSE DRAWN BY SAN CARLO OPERA CO. May Repeat Gross This Week—Boaton Now Back With Other Cities—Cantor Did $23,000 at the Shubert—''Nellie l^elly's" Last Week, $25,500 Boston, Nov. 15. Over night the complexion of the theatrical situation in Boston has undergone a comiilete change. From a city that had for attractions sure fire hits that ran to practically ca- pacity for many weeks and wtr.i big moneymakers during their en- tire stay, the town has become one Where the engagements are limited. where big grosses are no longer looked for and has Joined with 6ther cities in being content to do a pay- lag business without hitting any box office records. "The Bat" is the only one of the so-called old timers left. It is liable to remain for some time and will not run up against anything like real opposition until "Lightnln*" comes into the Hollls in December. The- "Kelly" show In the last week did $25,500. This was with an extra matinee performance Friday, and means that the house was sold out completely with the full quota of standees at every show. In the 15 weeks It was here It grossed some- thing like $330,000. "Shuffle Along" is another big money maker that left Saturday. The cause of this show departing was that it had run out its strength, but It took 15 weeks for It to do that and It has-^stabllshed a record not only for the box office of the Selwyn but also for an all colored show in this city. Of the new shows In Monday, George White's "Scandals" and "He Who Gets Slapped" seemed to get the biggest draw. The word had gone around that White qji this visit was offering a much better show than on his last trip here, when he ran Into a nice frost after his open- ing week, with the show being gen- erally knocked. As a result there was a big fir«t night at the Colonial. A slsable advance sale was also re- corded at the Hollls, where "He Who Gets Slapped" opened. Boston's record number of pre- mieres Monday held down the tak- ings for Aomo of/the new arrivals. George White's "Scandals" drew $2,800 at the Colonial. The balance of the openings were non-muaical. "Captain Applejack" pulled $1,180 at the Tremont, but "The Bat" boat out the new dramatic field by get- ting nearly $1,300 on Its llth Mon- •day. "He Who Gets Slap!>ed" opened to $700 at the Hollis; "It's a Boy" did $450 at the Selwyn, and "Anna Christie" played to over $900 at the I'lymouth. The sorohd Mon- day for the Eddie Cantor show was $1,800. Nora Hayes, appearing at the Majestic as a Shubort unit .show icature, drew $1,100 on the two performances Mond^'. The fensation of la.st week from -^ box ofili'o .standpoint—outside of the "Kelly" whow—wa.s the l)iisiiie:-.s done at iho IJnston 0|)e:a House by _Lhe Sua Cailu Dpera Co. The oi>«im was fUuiied as good hii.\, hut ii w.is not ihonglit l)V even tiie most oi»li- mistic that it would hit $36,000, which was just wiiat it did. Tlie opera hou«o was jammed all the time, and for this week the advance sale was so big that it wa.s liujured conservatively that after Tuesday the house would be sold out for the balance of the week. It will equal the figure of last week c.^.slly. Eddie Cantor and "Make It Snap- py" did $23,000 fhe first week of his stay. He has them coming and will keep the gross well above the $20,00t mark as long as he remains. Cantor always went big In this city. Playing downtown at the Shubert. centrally located, he has the going easy and will give th^ "Scandals" a fine fight for the business in the town. Cantor's show collected most of the extra money in town Friday and Saturday from the football crowd. The advance sell out for the "Kelly" show prevented that attraction from getting any advan- tage out of this crowd, and the "Music Box Revue" did not seeiu to have to get them. I^ the final week Doris Keane In "The Czarina" and Nance O'Neil In "Field of Ermine" did equal busi- ness. Both houses registered $7,000, and this can undoubtedly be consid- ered a flop for bdth of them. The first show was playing the Hollls, a syndicate house, and "Field of Er- mine" the Plymouth. "Captain Applejack," at the Tre- mont, Is liable to find the going rather tough for a time. Follow- ing on the heels of such a hit as the Cohan show It will suffer somewhat from the reaction. It Is booked In for four or five weeks and undoubt- edly after it gets going will do busl- T1GS8 "Make It Snsppy" (Shubert, 2d week). Did $23,000^for first week, about what theatre will hold at pre- vailing prices and exceptionally good business. Three weeks more. "He Who Gets Slapped" (Hollls, Ist week). Good opening, much bet- ter than expected. In last of two weeks' engagement "'The Czarina" only did $7,000. \ /"Anna Christie" (Plymouth. 1st week). Figured by Shuberts As one of their best bets of season. It is in for but three weeks, with censor sitting In at opening show. Wa^ passed without difficulty. In final week of "Field of Ermine" Nance O'Neii did but $7,t00. San Carlo Opera Co. (Boston Opera House. 2d week). $36,000 the first week hero, and this a whale of a business for anything in this city. Here for one week longer and then house will have Mile. Cecile Sorel for week. "Seven-Eleven" (Arlington). Last week. SHOWS IN PHILi". . (Continued from page 14j starting out with some real oppo- sition in the opening across the street at the .Shuh<»rt of "Tan- ^'erine." and the |»;)H.sible openii g of "Molly l):irliii«" at the Ciarnck. Xmiu' iif tii'S'' iiiu ir il sh')\v.3 vrlli l^ft tljc critics. huucv«'r, as .Millers "La Tendre.s.ser ' opens at the llroad for a limited engaK^-ment. Marjorie Uamheau and her i^tar- rlng vehicle, "The Goldfish." met some opposition among thy critics. ar:d the first week's gross wa.s not «o high as azpecteOL though more than breaking even. This show is In for four weeks. This week is ex- pected to tell the tale. If a building power Is noted—as has been the case with aU the Walnut's shows this year—some real money may be taken in. but if things don't start to pick up, It is hard to see how the show can stand the four weeka Monday's house was pretty good. The fourth of last week's open- ings, "Daffy Dill- has been by no means a sell-out at the Shubert. but It has lifted this house out of the doldrums. Encouraging signs of pick-up began In the middle of last week, and this w^k looks even bet- ter, all of which is going to give "Tangerine'-' better than an even break when It comes in Monday "The Passing Show of 1922" is an underliner. "Nice People" faded last week and no regrets were felt at curtail- ing its expected five-week stay Into three, and the booking of "Ten- dresse" at the Broad Monday. The Franclne Larrlmore comedy got some of the regular class clientele o< the house, but lost others to "Bloiisom Time" and "The Gold- fish." It was first understood that "Abraham Lincoln" was booked for a return date at the Broad Dec. 4. but now It has not been announced whether that booking will stand (thus giving Miller only two weeks) or whether It will be shoved back to give "Tendrcsse" three or four weeks. •The Bunch and Judy" at the Garrick is admittedly in an uncer- tain state. Changes are being made rapidly, but whether it will be ready for New York on the ex- pected date (the 20th) or not is now uncertain. Notices were sent to all the papers last Friday that "Molly Darling" comes to this hou.'^e on that date, and its ad ap- peared in the Saturday and Sunday papers, but since that time no men- tion of the new show is made In the ads, and nothing Is said about "The Bunch and Judy's" final week. Some of the papers were very kind, but others roasted the show in every department. . /'Estimates for idftt w^ek: "Nice People" (Broad. Sd week). Piay ha? been a disappointment; I'rancine Larrimore not well known ht re. Show panned In dailies. Would have lost a lot of money In live weeks originally Intended. "Tendresse" Monday. Last week's gross below $8,000. "Daffy Dill" (Shubert. 2d week). Frank Tinney show not sell-out. but Improved as week went on. Limited two-week stay now believed wise move. Over J$12,000. "Tangerine" Monday. "Sally" (Forrest. 7th week). Final week for this Ziegfeld triumph, which resumed stride with Miss Miller's return, and Is getting last- minute rush. Is likely to come close to $30,000 this week,. after dropping several thousand last week due to star's Illness. "Good Morn- ing. Dearie" Monday. "Bunch and Judy" (Garrick. 2d week). Still In formative stage. Crowd seems to sense that, as busi- ness has not been up to standard set by most Dillingham shows here. May have grazed $13,000. Doubt as to whether "Molly Darling" comes In Monday or "Bunch" stays an- other week. "The Goldfish'* (Walnut. 2d week). Success of this comedy In four- week stay win be decided this week. Last week's gross missed $10,000, which was even break, but disappointment. "Anna Christie" Dec. 4. "Blossom Time" (Lyric, 4th week). Schubert operetta has caught on with a bang and, although big grosses may not last, must be ac- counted one of season's big bits ^to date. Almost $18,000 last week, with Indications this week's gross will not reach that mark by at least $1,500. May stay six or seven weeks. "Just Married" (A d e 1 p h 1. 2d week). Did between $7,000 and $7,500. which was disappointment, for show expected to make long stay. Two underlines now men- tioned. BIG MONEY FOR aWAY SHOWS HITZI BID $20,0e0 IN L. A. I Los Angeles, Nov. 15. Mltzi Hajos In "Lady Billy" was the attraction fit the MaHuti O. H. last week and did the biggest week's business that the house has had In some time, topping all of the more recent attractions that have played here. The gross was something over $20,000. This week "Take It from Me" opened rather well but slumped off last night with the prospects being only fair for the balance of the en- g.agement. The reason is laid to the fact that the show is mediocre and the c;u*t is lacking in names of box cfilce value. "CZARINA," $3,130 AT ALBANY Albany. N. Y.. Nov. 15. Business for the one-day engage- ment of Doris Keane in "The Czarina" at Harmanus Bleecker Hnilmr Monday f«»ll $1,000 Ut-low the- ♦'Xpectations, the "take" for the matinee and night totallinj, $3,130. The matinee was light, the re- ceipts ak'gregating only $H00, whilf $2..1.10 was paid in at the nigiit sliow. (Continued from' page 1) the second flight of productions started arriving and to date the new offerings have developed three real smashes. Showmen were of the opinion that if Broadway were given more strength In the way of unquestioned successes, a good proportion of the list would be buoyed up. That ap- pears to have worked out to a cer- tain extent, the turn coming within the last 10 days. Of an approximate score of at- tractions getting money, there are eight doing virtually capacity busi- ness. Three entrants Included In last and this week's premiere card lead the hits. "Little Nellie Kelly," which was a turnaway In Boston for 15 weeks, got oft to a stirring start at the Liberty Monday, and even In the ticket agencies was conceded a whale cf a hit. "Merton of the Mo- vies" connected for a goal at the Cort on the same night. Both at- tractions went clean on their second performance. "Rain," which opened at the Maxlne Elliott last week, leaped upward nightly and went into the non-musical lead for demand in the agencies. • "Little Nellie Kelly" added to "So This Is London" gives George M. Cohan two of the best things on. Broadway. "London" Is one of the capacity octet. It got clore to $20,- 000 in nine performances at the Hudson last week, that figure being a record for the attraction, and probably for the house in a similar period. "Kelly' closed with whirl- wind speed in Boston last week, plaj ing an extra matinee Friday at the Tremont and beating $25,000 on the week. The icale there was $2.50 top. At the Liberty it is $3 and on a normal week the show can better •^ain," coupled with the new "Music Box Revue." gives Sam H. Harris also two of Broadway's big things. "Rain" in five days drew about $11,500. but this week will go to capacity, which is over $14,000. T|ie Music Box again beat $32,000 and grossed that last week by means of an extr.a matinee. In addition, Harris is housing ♦Merton of the Movies" at the Cort, which he con- trols this season aif^ at Lis own Harris there Is much expected of "Hamlet," with John Barrymore, the attraction opening last (Thursday) night. The other big gross attractions" Ziegfelds "Follies," "Loyalties' and "Kiki." the latter being last sea- son's dramatic wallop. It completes a year at the end of next week-and ought to ride through the season. Other attractions also getting big money are the "Greenwich Vlllagt Follies," which Is at the Shubert. and Is an easy third to the "Follies' and "Music Box Revue." with "The Gingham Girl" and "Sally. Irene and Mary" also musical money makers. "The Lady In Ermine" Is the leader of the operetta crop, which cannot cpmpeto with the native mu- sical attractions. "Orange Blos- soms" at the Fulton again revised Its scale and is now $3.50 top In the evenings. The other revisions con- cerned the matinee prices. Among the dramatic money draws "The Fool" at the Times Square has come to the fore and In Its first three weeks duplicated the upward leap of "A Bill of Divorcement" last season. "The Kool" drew over $14,- 000 last week. "The Last Warning" tops the mystery dramas and In nine performances last week played to $14,600. "The Awful Truth" was cldSe behind ^wlth $14,400 at the Henry Miller and V'The Old Soak" got as much at the Plymouth. "Seventh Heaven" perked up during its second week at the Booth and ought to land for fairly good busi- ness. Chauvc-Sourls" continues a marvel among the Broadway offer- ings and has a rich average fo rits stay which Is nine months' long to date. The opening of "Hamlet" this week gives Broadway two Barry- mores, Ethel continuing to profit at the Longacre in "Rose Bernd." The "Hamlet" sales was not made a matter of an agency buy-cut and the H.irrls box olllce was busy with steady sales and offered good loca- tions via the direct sale route. Although tliere is a buy for "The Fool," the box olliee at the Times .Square .iImo is holiUng a lihcr.il fjuantity of good loration.s for sale there. In that way .vome re-^rulation oC excess premiums Is being .shown U» Im praL-Ural., The $.'• top idea appears to have hypnotized some managers. That scale uiil attain for the Mo.'^»h)w Art Theatre, hut tin re is prohahly good ean.sp and a liiriit»'d run. The '45ers." an Atncncan 'Chauve- Sourls," started off at $$ top last week at the Punch and Judy, but dropped back to $$ Monday, the at- traction getting so slow a start It Is doubtful If It can last. The house Is a 299-seater, and the manage- ment claims It cannot break even at the lower scale. In another house the show would have landed. The Comedle Francals opened Monday for a two-week engage- ment at the 39th Street, and the deinand proved it sure of virtual capacity during Its date. ".Up She Goes." the musical version of "Too Many Cooks." \&t the Playhouse started off rather well, and that, too, is to be counted among the new pro- ductions of promise. "To Love," at the Bijou, went to nearly $9,000 last week with an extra matinee. The afternoon draw Is so strong for the three-person play that three mati- nees will be given weekly from now on. "Six Characters In Search of an Author" better *. its first week at the Princess by about $1,700 and grossed $4,500 last week In the 320- seater. The management claims an even break at the pac«; the house capacity Is hardly over $6,000 at $2.50 top. *> " ■ " The other new presentations this week were "The Love Child" at the Cohan and. early reports were promising. "The Romantic Age" at the Comedy was also accorded hav- ing a good chance. "Virtue" was" carded for last night (Thursday) at the Bayes. but may have been again postponed. "Hospitality." the second attempt of the Equity Players, was offered at the 48th Street Monday night, with reports not as good as for "Mavaloca," which was a speedy failure. • ■ '• ••*■"■ "La Tendfessc" takes to the road at the end of the week. Its successor at the Empire next week being "A Texas Nightingale." which was known as "Greatness" In Chicago. Leaving at the ^d of the week also Is "Her Temporary Husband." which will be succeeded at the Frazee Monday by "R. U. R.." mov- ing up from the Garrick. The lat- ter will hohse "The Lucky One." the Theatre Guild's second production of the season. "Molly Darling.** - which moved from the Liberty to the Globe Monday, will remain an- other week. Dillingham's "The Bunch and Judy" coming In Nov. 27. At the same time "The Boot- leggers" Is at the 39th Street. ^ The freshened Interest In Broad* '. way accompanies the opening of the Metropolitan's grand opera season, which started brilliantly Monday. On. that night the horse show got under way at one of the troop armories. "The Bat" continues a sensation along the subway circuit Last week with an extra matinee played, it grossed $14,300 at the Bronx opera house. The scale remained at $1.50 top. No drama has come within $6,000 of the figure this sea- son there. "The Rose of Stam- boul" got about $11,900 at the Ri- viera, then went to the storehouse. "The Hotel Mous^ drew $12,000 at the Majestic, Brooklyn, and "He" at the Montauk In the same bor- ough played to about $8,600. "Mar- jolalno" had an $11,000 week at the Broad Street, Newark. Buys Mount to Total of 2S THe buys In the agencies mounted to a total of 25 this week with the addition of seven new attractions to the list. They are "The Love Child" at the Coban for which they are taking 250 a night for ^our "The Romatic Age," 200 a night; "Merton of the Movies," 350; "lUIn." 200 a night which Is practically the entire lower floor at the Elliott; John Barrymore In "Hamlet" $50 k night, "Little Nellie Kelly" 450 and "Up She Goes" 250 a night. All are for four weeks with a return of 25 per cent. The bl0^demand in the agencies In the new attractions go- ing to "Rain" and "Merton of the Movies." Two buys drop this week. One Is 'Whispering Wires" at the 49th Street and the other 'Jtose Bernd" at the Ijongacre. The buy for the latter will not b« rertewed as, the ageneifs are now dumping their out- right holdings on this attraction Into the cut rates. Others of the buys among the dumps are "Springtime of Youth" at thi* Broadhurst and "The Yankee l»rincess' at the Kni(k»>rbock«T. The complete li.st of buys are: "The T.afTy ITT Ermine" fAmba ssa * • dor). "Kiki" (lUdasco). "Aimer" (I'.ijou), "Springtime of Youth" (I'.roadrtay) "The (;inpham Girl' (Carroll). "Sally, Ir ne an<l Mary' , (Continued on page 2->