Variety (December 1922)

■1^ ._s- .^f-wrv^ /!f!jv^ ::«■■ Friday, December 15, 1922 -V"-' VAUDEVILLE • ■;, ?.,'>-v?:7R!*>^;'^-*v 7- .•'^.' ■l^!^' Wm-'. FAMOUS UP ON POOL BUYING; ^ ORPHEUM SAGS, MEETING NEAR 4^ Amusement Leader Advances 5 Points in Two Brief Spurts—Loew Gets Into Move in Minor Way— r Technicolor Cra5he8 10 Points to IS :»* • Famous Players was the c^ut- •tanding performer of the amuse- ment group this week. It got up within a fraction Of 95 on Wodnea- day afternoon under the influence of bu>lng juppcsed to be on ac- count of pool interests, although the Identity of the clique did not conie out. AVhHe Famous wa.s movinj from rs to 85 in half an hour, Loew showed tome signs cf life. It came out four times on the ticker, scor- ing nn improvement cf mor? thin half a point, buying probaby being I Inspired ty the £:ho.,:r.3 cf tl:? li amusement 'eader. Orphcum acted l; contrnry-wice. Up to 2:30 AV-odncs- i, day the Orphcum s: mbol hud not ?;• appeared and the previous close within a fraction of 19. its lov.' since f laat rpring. The Orphcum board is f due to mtet this month and rumoi^ i are in the air that many matters I, will n.'.ve to be thrashed ouf at the " session. Technicolor Drops I that the bond issue for the Astoria theatre has been handled by the Em- pire Trust Co. Instead of the Liberty National is prwumed to have some- thing to do with the retirement from the board of Harvey D. CJlbson, who is In the Llbertj-. Orpheum Dividend It was a year ago al the Decem- ber meeting that -the dividend was passed, and tlic trade does not look for a resumption of payments at this time.* While box-olflce returns dur- ing the first two months of th«' 1922- 23 season v.-ere declared to be big. reports in the trade since mi<l- October have not put so favj;a'ilo an acpcct o:i the situation. Oi'i)heum is compelled to maintain a number of unprofitable stands like Omaha in order to provide for jumps, and losses in such points cut into^the profits of such houses as the* State- Lake and Majestic, Chicago, and tiie Milwaukee house. The factional troubles within the company, al- though they appeared to have been smoothed away some months ago, are now said to hang over the forth- coming meeting, intensified by the The only other development of 1 probability that the dividends will continue in abeyance. No forecast of the dividend vote h:»s been made. b\it the ticker record of the stoclc during the past month indicates pretty clearly that no disbursement will be ordered at this time. Universal Meeting The picture industry thi.i week got into the vogue of capital read- justment which has been running wild In American industry. An- nouncement was made that a sj>o- cial. meeting of stockholders in the Universal Pictures Corporation would be held Dec. 26 to vote on the proposed increase of capital from 10,000 shares of |100 par to 70,000 shares of th^ same par, or /in in- crease in capital stock from $1,000,- 000 to $7,000,000. In other cases of capital increase this year it has been assumed that the new stock would be distributed, at least in part, as stock dividends, the general purpose being to avoid heavy tax penalties on accumulated surpluses. What the Universal Intention is was not made plain in the bare announcement. Universal Is practically a closed cor- poration and there is verjr little stock in outside hands. In the trade the possibility was .^discussed of an effort lo dispose of stock to the piiblic and make application for list- ing, but there was no basis for sup- posing this was in view. The aummary of transactiona Dec. 7 to 13 inclusive: . STOCK EXCHANGE Thursday— Sales.High.I«ow. T.a«t Chr. Fam. Play.-I... 800 \n\<i 90% DOS Do. pfd SOO 07 SMt 06 .— U Goldwyn 1,200 OVa 6H 6% I.r^w, Inc 1,200 \n\ 18"i4 18»i Orphcum 200 lJ)Vi lO'* 19>4 noflton said 110 Orpheum at l.'>4. Friday— Fam. Play.-L... 1.000 OlU OOli 90K GoMwyn 400 6Vi 0 « I.oow. Inc COO 18«,» 18'4 18^4 on)»ipum r.(X) 19'/; io>; lovi Boston aold 2i0 Orpheum at 10@19>,l. Saturday- Fam. riay.-L.. 7,100 OS^i 9P Goldwyn 000 6 JB I^rw, Inc 1.8«H» IS'i iRi. Orpheum 500 10 10 Mnndny— Fam. IMay.-T... 4,400 Ofl'i J>2 Do. pfd 100 w\ vn\ Goldwyn 8tW 0 5*4 Ixjew, Inc 00<l 18"j 18',i On'henm 700 lOVi 10 HoRton Bold 200 Orpheum at 19 Tuesday— Fam. Play.-L.. 1,000 O.l'i O.n Goldwyn 100 C « I.oew. Inc 200 IS'i 18 Ort.heum fl<¥) 10 10 Hoston K'M 10 Orpheum at 10 AVednesdav— ' Fam. P;ay.-I... ."..100 04% O.*? note was the collai)re of Techni- color on the Curb. This! newcomer was nursed along fcr several month.i while a price of 23 to 26 was maintained. Two weeks ago thei^e were evidences that a cam- paign cf distribution wa.i Impend- ing and the quotation tapered off to 19. Then trading stopped for four cpnsecutive sessions and the next Appearance was at a difference of 4 points. ,_ What has happened is probably the old story of ftimilar notations. The stock is offered on a "when issued" bK^is and a speculative in- terest looking for a quick profit gets In. When the fledgling falls to take wing they^ become discouraged and retire for what they can get. As far as surface indications go Tech- nicolor is in the same position as when it made its debut, but It has gone through the usual experlent:e of debutantes on the Curb. It never was anything but a wide-open ^ST»«culatlon. It's an uphill job to put colored films over, as testified by the record of Klnemacolor, which went further with the art than any other process, but finally was pretty_ completely allandoned. Business in the amusement Issues has been at low ebb. Famous Players got over the 5,000 mark only twice, last Saturday when It was moved up from 90 to 93 In half an hour of trading and again Wednesday when another 2 points was added in a similar swift bull drive. Dealings In the other securi- ties have been extremely small. On Tuesday, otherwise a busy session, only 200 shares of Loew changed hands. The surrounding marlcet ought to inspire some kind of ehergy in the amusements, for business has been moderately large in the general list and prices have been consistently strong. With an eye upon the promised bull market scheduled for January, present per- formances are being watched care- fully for a line on the Issues that are likely to get on the band wagon. If the theatre stocks remain dull and weak until Jan. 1. it may be diflrtcult to attract a following to them when the big move gets under way. For that reason wonder is cxprcsseil in some quarters that the reputed pools remain idle. .• The week's budget of gossip in- cluded the report that the V»lock of I..oew stock which has hci-n in the hands of one of the bani - 'miI been taken up by company i i^ at a l>rico variou.siy estimatvil ». .m 19 to 21, and this stock prelum.ntiy had been addfd Ui »yndlcat»» li-jldings. What bearing this «lo\ olnptncnt inlBlit have oil the f Jit mo of tho i!ecurit\ did ftot ^appear. Tl'.e fact P 7/if 'los- oU'dirhibh /n^tfu':f;oirff- e WfifBliii STUDIOS OF SIAfiE DAMOM 229Vl^t4Sl!!StllewYork 18T4 19 OS 00^ 18',i 19 0 18 19 - \t + H - *i. -- V« -f-2U 4- H — >i a. a^ - \ - % Ui)ldwyn I.OCW, Inc. op; 18'i Thurrday-- No pale. Ft (day- No rale. S;iturdny— No Kale. Monday- No nale. Tut"!»da.\ — Tci h:ilr<l.. v.i. Urimth 1». \\,.. ^^>d^f•»'d.n; — Tfohnicol.. w.l. .. 4.1»'>0 r.*» ., .'00 IS'j IS THE CURB Pn!?.■>.High.!,(..••. I.irt dig Sim imt ^'■.^ r .. 14 i;j •J -4'.J CAPTIVATINQ THE CAPTAIN The "off-stage" experiences of show folk as screened by "Starland Revue" Includes In a recent Issue the piquant "Janet of France" aboard the "La France" returning from a visit to her native country. The above view shows Janet and the Captain. FILL CHI BALCONIES (Continued from page IJ Ticket Club has dealings, and to provide these tickets through the welfare organization. The buyers cclect the atttactione from those submitted and get entirely away from the go-In-a-body idea or the exchanging of coupons or especially printed tickets, whlclf has become such a nuisance to box oflftces. The Community Ticket Club makes outright buys of a certain number of tickets for the firii fo^ir or five nights of the week and thus promotes attendance on nights which are often off. It buj's the $2.20 balcony ticket for $1.10 and disposes of it at $1.35, making 23 cents profit. It buys the $1.50 bal- cony ticket at 83 cents and disposes of tt at $1.08. making the same profit. There.is no return asked of the box offlce and no exchange of tickets of any kind. The tickets are sold to the organization, which delivers them to the welfare oflf^cers of the big companies. There is no possibility of the tickets being presented for refund for the theatres are permitted to stamp on the tickets "no refund" and there Is no chance of a pos- sible patron coming to the box of- fice asking for a scat, having a good one handed out and then proffering "hardwood" In place of cash for the ticket, which has been one of the great drawbacks to previous efforts along this same general line. The scheme results in splendid advertising for the theatres, inas- much as the selling representatives arc constantly talking at gatherings of employees. Another advantage Is that the representatives make it their busi- ness to secure tickets from the same theatres on the main floor at box offlce prices for the executive heads of the corfcerns. as evidence of appreciation of the permit to serve the empkjyees through the welfare department. It Is known that the Community Ticket Club has arrangement^ by which the balcony seats of three tjieatres are disposed of. The pro- moters, who are not known, avoid advertising of every kind and con- duct their business privately, with- out conveying the idea of a cut rate ticket. SPIEGEL'S BREAKDOWN " t (,'(»;. liiiUfd from im;. • !• (f till- late Mltol'.c'il L. M:iru. w:»o?ej bmiher. Moe Miirk. is now at the' head of the fc'trand I": terprine?', in- ' « ludlag Strand, New Yorii. 8pi"Rel fornieri\- was cxt'^nsively interested in the Columbia I'Uii'—que circuit. V V U. S. PAPER FOR SAFETY The United States Government Is making r campaign urging holders of war saving stamps to convert their sa^ngs from th» -matured stamps 4o United States Treasury saving certificates. A total of $625,000,000 In stamps matures Jan. 1 and the campaign is undertaken to protect this huge sum from care- less spending or attacks of schem- ing sharpers. Cash will be paid for the maturing paper which may be presented at banks and postofflces. where a receipt will be issued and the cash mailed by check. The W. S. S. may^e exchanged for the new obligation Immediately at , banks and postofflce.s. The merits of the transfer are: The new certificates are abso- lutely safe, being a direct obliga- tion of the government. They ruu five years, but may be redeemed at any time. Denominaticns. $25. $100, $1,000 sold on discount basis for $20.50. $82 and $810. They are protected at the Treasury I^epartment, Wash- ington, and are protected against loss or theft and are free from «> ttt(o . o ounty a.nd Innl t.iy flnJ from normal P'ederal Income tax, and finally tluy are not subject to mar- ket fluctuations. IN LONDON London, Dec. 4. lgingered up for Its last weekn, and Charles Fawcett, one of our best Harry Tate is now doing «ne of his character actors, died in ^he Charing Cross Hospital Nov. 23. we was playing at the Lyceum with Albert Chevalier In "My Old Dutch" as recently as the previous Monday. He was 70 years of age. In his early days ♦le was a popular come- dian with John Hqjlingshead at the old Gaiety, and later with Willie Bdouln at the old Strand. Another death, Nov. 21. was that of Austin Brereton. He was the biographer of Sir Henry Irving, of H. B., and of Laurence Irving, and the author of several widely read and (scholarly books on theatrical matters. He had also been business manager of West End houses, In- cluding the Shaftesbury and the Queens. For a long time he had been chief dramatic critic to the "Stage." as well as a contributor to the Observer. He was 60 years of age. Lord Cromer has been, appointed the Lord Chamberlain in place of, the Du".e of Athol. , , > * FILMING TRILBY" IN FRANCE London. J>ec. 13. FilmiTipr of "Trilby" in Paris ,and the south of France will be done , by llichard Walton Tilly. Nina t Boucicault, daughter of Dion Boucicault and fhe original Peter I'an, was married secretly Nov. JJ5 to Donald Innes-Smlth. She was the wklow of Edward H. Kelly, an actor, who achieved some dis- tinction in eccentric parts. She is 55 years of age while the bride- groom, who has not been married before, Is 45. C. B. Cochran has acquired three new plajs by Eugene O'Xell— "Anna COrlstle." "The Hairy Ape," and "Emp)(ror Jones." It Is said he will produce them in April. Of the three "Emperor Jones" has been promised for some time, but its production was postponed owing to the illness of the original leading man who was to have appeared in London. He has also secured Brieuxs "L'Avocat." -.v. Sir Alfred Butt will produce "Blossom Time." the Schubert piece, at the Lyric, Dec. 18. Clara Butterworth will have an Important place in the cast. Percy Homing and Courtice Pounds will also be in the cast. - Sylvia Leslie, leading lady in the Buchanan "Battling Butler" pro- duction at the New Oxford, is to be married to Evan Thoma«, who is playing in "T-he Cat and the Canary" at the Shaftesbury. After the ceremony. Lady Ward, the bride's mother, will hold a recep- tion on the st^^e of the Shaftes- bury. ' old motor car burlesques, while the skit on broadcasting, which was a dull affair when the show opened, has now arrived at the accepted standard of this comedian's work. Harry Weldon, who has been top* ping the bill at the Alhambra for the past two weeks, will play- George Itobey's part In "Round In 50" when the revue goes from the Hippodrome tq Liverpool for its Christmas run of eight weeks. Afterwards, the show goes on tour. "Passion," the first German film shown here since 1914. opened at the Scala Nov. 27 before a packed audience. consisting mainly of pressmen and aiembres o( the trade. It had an excellent recep- tion. The picture Is undoubtedly a great production .but there have been as great from other sources. The first half seemed to drag, main- ly composed of the rise, througli kissef. of the courtesan, but the second half, with its wonderfully stage-managed crowd and revolu- tionary scenes, gripped the audi- ence as few pictures have Ixad the power to do. ; v ,: i Edmund Gwenn will play the part in "Blossom Time" for which Cour- tice Pounds was originally cast. Pounds will now play the part of Schubert, the composer. Leslie Faber will take up Godfrey Tearle's part in "The Laughing Lady" at the Globe when the latter leaves to play the leading part in "Arlequin" at the Empire. The cast for "Through the Crack," the Christmas matinee attraction at the Apollo, is somewhat remarkable considering that the production .Is a children^i show. It Includes Far- ren Soutar, Eric Lewis, Frank Cel- ller, Hilary St. Barbe West, Leslie Frith. Clara Greet and Muriel Pratt. Edith Craig. Ellen Terry's daughter, will produce. • Bombardier'Wells has again re- turned to the stage, and Is appear- ing at the Holbom, which has re- verted to vaudeville, in an American police sketch, "The Star Witness." A second version of "Snap" at the Vaudeville is due. This coincides with the retirement from the cast of several favorites who are wanted for pantomime. Joyce'Oaymon, in "Deae" at the Garick, will take up Cicely Debenham's part. Joe Night- ingale that of A. W. Baskcomb, and. Malsie Gay in -place of Clarice Mayne. The program for the Royal per- formance at the Hippodrome. whlcH has received their Majesties' ap- proval, consists of: Harry Weldon, the Trix Sisters, Du Callon. "Saw- ing Through a Woman." the Flem- ings, an animated cartoon, "Tlshy," by Tom Webster, Will FyfiTe. Muriel George and Ernest Butcher, Arthur Prince, Kharum. the. Jovers, and Lorna and Toots I'ounds. The Channel Islands have nev'tr produced anything of much value to the stage and literature beyond Victor Hugo andK Mrs. Langtry, but the Plya Actort are about to pro- duce a play by a Guernsey drama- tist, Edgar Wilford. This is en- titled 'Widow's Weeds," and the leading parts will be played by Margueret Watson and Sybil Arun- dale. Bidding for the Melville Brothers' house. th«'. JPrlncess, started at (Continued on page W) CABARET TRYOmra (Continued from page 1) Broadway cabarets being of the impression they dan have artists go on their floors to determine If they are suitable for a cabaret. It's somewhat after the vaudeville fash- Ion of a new act "trying out" be- fore securing a regular date. Blame Is mostly placed upon the agents who book for cabarets, since it is acknowledged that though some,restaurant men know no more now about the show business^han Jthey did before mixing up with it. ^e restaurateurs gauge their cab- aret performance by the amount of their coveur charge and the gross of the gat# through the coveur, hoping to break even on the cost of the performance in the super- fluous charge per person, and trusting that with good busine«8 there will still be a profit left from the coveur gross to add ^n to the net from the enormous clrccks sad- dled upon patrons of Broadway cabarets. The restaurants, although having the same scaled menu card, as a rule, with all prices up to the skies, 'differentiate between the $2 coveur and the $1.50 or less coveur res- taurant by calling those under |3 "the popular price places." The places with the smaller coveur do not go In for as extensive entertaioment. as the high{>r-gated ones. One of the $2 coveur cab- arets Is now playing a show re- ported costing $4,000 weekly. Other cabarets are looking for one. two or three performers,- offering a small weekly guarantee with a per- centage of the coveur as salary. Following the Christmas run of "Th(« Blue Bird" at the Duke of York's, Marie Tempest will be seen there In "Good Gracious, Anna- belle," supported by her husband, Grahame Browne. She has not ap- peared in London since 1914. The Shake.'^peare ^Memorialists, who arc ke^n on a national theatre and ha\<' some £60,000 to play with, held^ono of their meetings at Kings College last week. Many chaotic suggestions were made : nent the l»etterment of the British stage and their i»et scheme, but only one tangible thin.f? materialized from the tangle of peecji and fuggestion. Thi.« was thr %otif><{ of i; 1,000 to llli.' "Old VIL ' ." —^—^——^— fGodfrey T<'arl<.- has handed in his Il »iice to terminate hi.i engagement Willi Marie I..obr in "The Laughing Lady" at the Globe. He will ap- pear in "Arlequin" at the Empire whrn that fantasy follows "The Sniilli Family." which flnishes somnwb'ie about Christmas. The prcseiit piece has been considerably "THE BAT'S" RECORD (Continued from page 1) the peer of all dramatic productions in America theatrical annals. Its total takings top all by reason of the number of companies success- fully toured, as against "Lightnln's" two companies last year and three this season. The Bopton company of ''The Ba^** in its 15ih week at the Wilbur, aimed for the record run of that stand. Through a years stay, as in Chicago, is not predicted, the boo king extf-nd^* Miitll April. Tbe gro.ss there lia.s fallen under $15.00* but twice since opening last LabM» Day and has never been under $12,300. The authors* royalties continue to enrich th<>^wo authors, Avery Hf»p- vvood and Mary Roberts Rlnehart. Th«y receive at present from $2,20* to $3,500, each, weekly.