Variety (November 1922)

■■•n. : , ..-.. V PRICE 20 CENTS o;; t ■ V J. ,.••-'.1 • v;,, ,!*'. ^OL. LXES. No. I Published Weekly at 114 W«aC 4Cth St.. New York. N. T.. by Varietr. Inc. Annual subacrlptioa |7. Single eopiea 10 wttXm. -*^" Bntered aa second cIsjm matUr Deceoaber It, 190S. at the Post Office at New York, N. Y.. voder the Act of March X. \%1%, ■ ' ■ I ' ., , I. ■ NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24,1922 40 PAGES . M.1 PLAN TO CURB SPECS i;OFFEE AND CAKE dRCinr I PAYS $4 PER DAY SALARY Vaudeville'' Around New York With Maximum Per CapiU Wage—$3 First Offer—About 10 Coffee and Cakers >," Several small time houses in and liround Jersey City booked by New Tork agencies htive established a limit of $4 a day for actors. This means |4 per person. If two people compose an act. the tariff is a bit lower, ranging from 16 to $7 for the team. Among the H a day places, which the small time acts have niclcnamed th« "coffee and cake circuit," are (Continued on page 3) MAGIC MYSTERY j^pMince Expose in Play by Commis* sion Merchant ¥ The last word in mystery dramas Is promised for the Christmas hol- Mays. Its Utle Is "Zeno." by Jo- Mph Rlnn, a New Tork commission merchant, who is also producing it The play will be sprinkled with Irlcks and feats of magic, accom- ptlshed by recognized masters of the A^ of illusion and the necessary •<iulpment will be made by them. Riim's hobby outside of hl^busl- fiess Is the expose of spiritualistic faklBff. In "2eno" there will be an •Kpose of a seance, though the mag- ical llluHioan will not be so treated. lUnn Is a member of the Society of ibnerjrjin Magicians. One of the unusual features of the new m3'iitery piece is that tliere will be no atage hands on the stage it- self, the entire crew being stationed la the flies. Lee Kugel will be business man- iC^r for Rinn. The production will •• made by P. Dodd Ackerman. EQim'S NEW PLAY DOES POOREST TRADE BOX-OFFICE SALE TO m PUBLIC T Lowest Business on 48th St. Last Week—TOO People in Saturday Night "Hospitality," the second produc- tion by Equity Players at the 48th Street theatre, opened last week weaker than did "Malvaloca," the Equity's first attempt, which failed. The latter attraction was kept on at <i loss for six weeks, it being announced the play lost $10,000, but the production is reported having made it 127,000 additional. It Is doubtful if "Hospitality" wlU be able to remain as long as the Spanish drama. Equity Players, an arm of Equity, has announced the next production^ a comedy, by Jesse Lynch Williams. Business for the first week of "Hospitality" was quoted at $4,700. (Continued on page %) Success of "Hamlet" and "Fool" Without Agencies Shows People Will Sup- port Managers -— Move Likely to Modify or End "Buy" System JAM IN CHICAGO MILLIONAIRE PARTNER Mrs. Douglas Crane Returning to the Stage 1pord*s % INDORSEMENT FLOPS Chicago. Nov. 22. William Hodge, who made his 4ebut in Chicago in "For All of Us." is using a line in his advertising: -- "Best show I ever saw."—Henry Pord. The line meant nothing in the Ufs of Chicago. San Francisco. Nov. 22. With I^^ewls H. Martin, a million- aire clubman, as her dancing part- ner. Mrs. Douglas Crane is return- ing to the stage. Some years ago Mrs. Crane danced professionally with her hus- band during the craze for the ball- room stepping. Managerial regulation of ticket agencies, those dealing in tickets on a premium basis and at cut rates, by concerted action is one of the matters being conHidered by the Producing Managers' Association, whose members operate virtually all of Broadway's legit show shops. Limitation of "buy-outs," which concern the premium brokers, and the possible elimination of the buy system altogether is contemplated. Good business enjoyed by the successes appears to have stimu- lated the producers In their consid- eration of the problem. They know that business is to be had, but that the success of the few does not solve the question of whether all the more than two score and ten theatres are getting a rightful share of patron- age. That neither federal nor State laws appear workable to the extent (Continued on page 14) '^CE," COSTING $ilSI)0 WEEKLY. DID $M73 IN CLEVELAND SUrtling Flop at Hanna Theatre—Stager with Show to Whip It Back Into Shape for Chicago—Had Set High Marks in Philly and New York MRS. CASTLE QUITS UNTT; ON ORPHEUM TIME NOW ^ \ PRE-HOLIDAY DROP EARLY Bankers Cannot Explain Slowed Merchandising—Slack in West First Bia Shubert Act Booked By Bia Time—At Palace, Chicago, This Week / '" ■ Chicago, Nov. 22. Irene Castle Is at the Palace here this week, the featured attraction for the local Orpheum circuit's big time house. Next week Miss Castle Is due to play the Orpheum, St. Louis. Her further Orpheum en- gagements are dependent upon her convenience at present. It's the first instance of a name act appearing on the big time after having played for the Shubert vaudeville circuit. Miss Castle was at the Central. New Tork, two weeks ago as an added attraction to a unit show. Following that engagement the dancer was booked to play a concert (Continued on page 2) MISLEADING ADVS. Actor Has Manager Arrested Up- State . Cleveland, Nov. It. The most startling flop In the season's history wan disclosed here when It became known that "Spice of 1922'' played to $5,478 last week at the Hanna theatre. This im- posing revue, headed by Valpska Suratt, which was on record fot having broken a few high marks In New York and Philadelphia, took the most spectacular skid in the memory of the oldest inhabitant here for a show of its pretensions and magnitude. Opening to less than $600. It closed Saturday night to less than $1,200. The reviews were not so bad. despite the ragged condition o^ the performance. r, Ji'V'H Allan K. Foster, who staged the show originally, arrived In the mid- (Continued on page 7) i( Leading Man; New Assistant Trees. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Nov. 22. Paul Donah, after three years as leading man in stock at the Nes- bttt. Is now acting as assistant treasirrer m the box office of that theatre. $1.45, WEEK'S PAY Chicago, Nov. 22. The principals of "For (loodness Sake." playing one-nlghtcrs in Iowa on the co-operative plan, are said to have got $1.4B each for their work a recent week. The show is angeled by a couple of millionaires in Poughkeepsle and the chief of police of that city, it is said, but has boon playing recently on the co-operative basis, with the chorus getting salaries before prin- cipals began to divide returns. Bankers in New York were puz- zled this week over a drop in mer- chandisinp. particularly in the fash- ionable Fifth avenue shops. They reported to showmen that retail buying yras going on at a reduced scale over the past ten days. Business men look for a drop In public expenditures Tale In the fall as the public begins to prepare for Christmas, but this year the condi- tion comes earlier than ever before. GOVT SEIZES THEATRE Chicago, Nov. 22. The Federal CJovernment has seized the Grand, Cedar Ilapids. la., for the non-payment of admission taxes. Louis Jacobs, manager of a trav- eling theatrical company, was ar- rested here on a warrant charging him with violation of that section of the penal code relating to mis- leading advertising. The complainant was Herman Jaqubowitz, an actor. He claims that after leaving the troupe Jacobs continued to use posters In towns which he had booked featuring Jaqubowitz as the star. SOCIETY" BEHIH]) AOE UMIT A number of leglt theatrical man- agers have been visited by a rep- resentative of Mayor Hylan regard* inff the proposed ban on all stage appearances by minors under 10 years of age. Currently a number of attractions, such as the Hlppo- dronte. "Rain," "La, Tendresse" et aL, have stage kiddles. The general opinion Is that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Is behind this move. DISTRIBIJTINO COMBINATION A film distributing combination was on »he verge of becoming effec- tive the middle of this week. I was to bring toKcthcr a strung dl.;- trlbutor with u producer of mucl: influence. The combination, if effected, la apt to surprise a number of the higher up picture people, many of whom are now in the cast. ONLY THEATRE 0028 Portland, Me, Nov. 21. The Jefferson may close its doors forever. The rapid increase In pic- ture theatres here is thought re- sponsible for the decline in Interest In the old legit stage. The Jertcrson is the only theatre In the city where road shows may be prod uced. This year It has been closed. "EVEnYTUlVO' t'orAinoat Mftkem of Rtase \> ire for Women and Men BROOKS-MAHIEU 5 1187 n'wnr N. T. city