Variety (December 1922)

.l^'T'riday, December 29» 1922 y ARIET Y ►rail -.i*.wii •■.•_ - :^'lcht Cap*V she was called upon to play the lead with half an hour's re- jbearsal and the part h£^d seventy- Ave sides. She played "Marie" in *Xlliom" for three weeks at one time and at the same time was yn- derstudy of Eva Le Oallienne in an- other role in that play. Miss Learn was relieved from her Iwork In "LUlom" on a'Saturday J^ight and opened Sunday, follow- Irtg in "Lilies of the Field' at Pow- •rs', taking Elsie Pllcer's plaoe and appearing on the opening night of the show's run in Chicago. There was no need of "taking into con- sideration" or making anything like ap apolog^y in t^onnection with this appearance in a play new to Chi- g cago. for Miss Learn received mar- I'elous notices and was generally credited with one of the most suc- ' cessful portrayals of that sp'erdid. production, artistically one of th? most delightful seen In Chicago in •Recent years. She undersudied Helen Hayes in "To the Ladies" nt Cohan's (Jrund Oiul at the : ame time understudied four parts ir "Th? Cat and tho Ca- tiriry" ar the Princess'. , .. •;• To sirm UM. Phe ha:< appeared in ;eleven,'.I'ays in a jieriod cf tv.o und a half yecrs an«l has under- studied over llfcy roles. . .r Miss Learn's uork haf? b*»'^n ap- prctinted to the extent that she has 'been offered many propcsitiona to go on the road, amont; tBem: 1. An ofiVr t» *fO'low Pc^jgy O'Xeil in "Pej o' .Aly Heart." 2..An offei" tj grj to Aus'ralia in ''Scandal. • • 3. An cff«'r ot tho icr.d In "Tho ■ Morpter," which.Is no'.v running In New York. ♦ . ^_ The firnrclM roinurerjition ha:; 'Vpricd v/,th tl^c ur;Jinsemont she has ^had with TO? company jnarag?ri:-. 'Scm<? have paid ^r Certain suifts :^and provided^ur wiHr costumes. \whl'e other.s h.i\o paid her lump sums for r.nderstudylnsr parts and the thoatr^ have agr'eed to provide costumes., • Miss Learn has urdersiudied all kinds of parts, ranging from emo- '^tional leads to "Mammy ' characters, jiier biggest v.'ork at one time was to have six parts mastered with 175 sdes in all. Her favorite play has beeen "Peg o' My Heart." and her favorite role that of "Marie" in "Lilloip.* ; vvV. V ::.' Miss Learn would have seemed to attain about all that there is in real charces in the theatre, but she la not "Satisfied. After talking to her •'note was sent as part of a "story' about her for Variety's Anniversary, and she answered: ,- Dear Varietj': When we wsre talking that day about my work you asked me what part I would like to play. I don't want to play any established part. I don't want to be a star ' on Broadway. But I would love to create a part here In Chicago— something I could do well—so that the peojile would like me. I have always followed some one ^ and In most cases I have gone Into the show after Its run had prac- tically ended. I would love to do something In a new play ard have a part that no one had ever es- sayed, before and have a chance to create that part and play it here In Chicago. Charlotte Learn Garrity. By way of meeting a thought, cer- •^ tain to arise with readers who will envy Miss Learn (Mrs. Garrity) it should be stated that having a hus- band who Is general manager out .here for the Shuberts is a hindrance, rather than assistance to her. That her husband Is in authority and that his interests lie in seeing attrac- tions i>laylng Shubert theatres in Chicago run to the best advantage make him look to his employer's , Interests rather than to an under- study whose chances come when things go wrong, to the extent of annoyirg her husband. Miss Learn plays parts at critical times in the run of plays when the 'applause would be confined almost exclusively to ihose "in»the know" and Mr. GatYity. instead of en- •^thusirg as he ^should, wouid be con- gratiilat ng himself that hi.'' firm had "ffotten out of a liole." When this was dollcately approached to Mi.«s Lo.irn lu-r e'vnrive reply was* that rlK' felt tiiiU th»^re were fifty men prominent Hi theatni''al life In Chicago \r1jo jyonld j;o furtlv-*r for her \n a sa;^* way thuii her hus- band. An.i vet to th e in lie i) terviev.er fitr \'arieiy. who obtained tho al)0\'e fa«ts. he CDuld not o'.'orlcok thit in this Kr«rU unb rstudy. pr bably unicjue in theafrien! annaln. there stood before him a niiK'h Kr»'ater thi-alriral character. ii.>' niak«' be- lieve, but real, and th*» most lovable .In all of the world—a great mother. . • ,. , . Loop* — ■ '■■■■■' ■ ' I ' fj \ ■ ^.■, < I f <<SPIC£ STUFP** : . '(Continued from page 7) den on July 6 with a crash, to 15,900 the opening: night, $17,000 the flrst half week. The next week we got $31,000—the next I2S.000. For the time of year and the general condi- tions it was phenomenal buelneae. We had^some troubles with our players—one always does with u success. There was a general scram- ble for billing. The flrst under- standing was that no one was to be ' featured. Within a week hal' ^ dozen had demanded It—and when we had to put them on salary (in- cluding Kallz) after they had be- gun counting their percentage^ on their fingers, predicated on the Win- ter Garden cross, It was everyone for himself and the blood flowed fr<?ely. But we survived our dilflcul- ties. kept the company pretty much intact, paid off thousands and thou- ciands of dollars of our Indebted- ness, and played all summer. I, personally, never receiveif one dlme^from "Spice." nor wa.s I con- 3ult«ni in the management or book- ings after I turned the company over to Stanley Shari)e. nominal partiv^r (holding the Shubert share), and appointed by Lee Shubert a^ manager - treasurer. He handlea finances a.s he saw fit, never render- ing any accounting to me at aiy time, and never giving me even a hex ofllce statement unle?s I asked for It. The bills kept piling in. It i^eemed impc8rlf>!e to get from i:i\- dcr, no matte.- hov.* much we took in. So 1 put the whol? thing dov.ii tj i)roftt and loss—though I had worked for months on It exclusively, had put irto it my most desirable \audevllle material and royalty pny- cr3, "my own money f3r_ expense?, etc.—and thereafter I confined my- telf to giving advice only v/hen it v.as asked of me. ^ , My attorneys Informed me that I could have^stoppcd the show at a.iy time because I had moneys due be- ginning witli th? flrst perfcrmunce. This 1 wa.s loath to attempt, since I win ted to see it go along and everyone—Lee Shubert. Ed Davidow. the costumers and the others who had trusted tho company, get their money. However, When all or most* of these had been paid. I learned that no moneys had beon paid Shu- bert or Davidow, and that any claim I might make for royalties would be resisted on that ground, since I had waived until they were paid. Of course, the same agt^ement stip- ulated that they were to get first money. Since they hadn't, mine was palpably due as soon as moneys equal to the sum of theirs had been paid out, as I had waived only until 15,000 had been paid back—and we paid l^ack In all many ^imes that aptount. When the show went on the road -I refused to sign contracts for the B<^8ton opera house, Boston; for theatres in Buffalo and Newark—In all of which It was at, foregone cer- taintjr that we could not break even. These dates were played without contracts. Sharpe had no authority to sign any. buChe assumed the au- thority of playing without any. All those dates were sorry losses. So was Cleveland, for no reason that I know of except that by then the per- formance had deteriorated miser- ably. I am Informed. St. Louis was Photo by Fieldinss, London. Enf. FRED DUPREZ Season'a Greetings to All Doing Pretty Good in Englaitd. I>oor* because of the approaching holidays plus the run-down condi- tions. In tne meantime num»'ro'.is princii)uls l.ac^ been replaced an J "Substitutes cent or from the Snu- bert oiflce, which had no more au- thority to engage people for "Siiko" than a stranger. The entire j«how was Juggled about until its own father didn't know It when he read the out-of-to\yn notices. And thus it staggered into Chicago, my town. It Be?m3 pretty well established, and I am not afraid of being called a braggart when I say that the Chi- cago r.e'vspapcrs. thinking I was heavily interested, gave "Spice" ex- traordinary publicity in advance and charitable notices. Business r.'a« brisk. Some salaries were be- hind, a.s the troupe had weathered three uit-aslrous weeks. But the holiday.s loomed ahead and the sale was splendid. When "Spice" shut down snddftn- ly. returning the box office receipts to a teated Audience (a foolhardy and always unjustifiable action by people who depend on the theatre for a livelihood) there was no more reason for closing than exists in two-tliirds of the companies on tour at this moment, and In the face of better 'prospects than nine-tenths of them can hope to see. At the remote Studebaker* the show was doing business second only to Jol- son and the 'Music Box" In the town. The company had agreed to be patient. But Sharpe left town with- out a word and the panic spread. Ea Bloom came on and had things rather smooth and promising. Then Sharpe came back, and when some principals asiced for money to afford Christmas shopping he called the company together and made a speech, saying the Arman Produc- ing Co. was bankrupt. It was not bankrupt. If It Is true that the Shul/erts advanced as much money as I am told they did, it was en- tirely, absolutely and unequivocally of the Shuberts' own volition and for their own purposes and reasons —what those may be, I do not know. No formal demand had been made for any part of It; in fact, nothing formal was ever done on the show— it had become a confidential matter between Sharpe and Shubert. Kaliz was Induced to sign some attach- ments. I am told, or dome notes— but whatever he may have signed is not binding, since the original by-laws pf the corporation, of which Shar|)e Is a director and officer, specify 4hat no obligation can be binding unless Kallz and I both sign. With inestimable potential asset-s, a title established and worth a greitt deal, an advance sale of thousands and a running business, how could "Spice" hav% been bankrupt? A bankrupt is one who has been kg declared by a federal court—no in- dividual may adjudicate another a bankrui)t. Sharpe's statement, if he made it. was slanderous and un- true. "Spice of 1922" may owe a great deal—how much I have never been informed, though I am an offi- cer and as large an owner as any- one—but it is far from bankrupt. It, may amaze those who know the J*»«^incs.< to learn that this show, floated on a total investment of less than t'iiSO. played In 25 weeks to grosj receipts of beyond $400,000, and iiald out tO performers (In cash!) more than $200,000. If any salaries fire owing, they cannot total $3,000. and that Is leqs than the cost of the "Jump" Sharpe arranged from Detroit to St. Louis to Qhl- cago..' "Spice" owes me between $18,000 and $20,000. I never made a demand for a dollar of this. Surely the principals, not one of whom was gcttiixn less than the biggest sal- ary he ( r she had ever known any- where, who had been employed through an entire Kummer—the wor;t In fhow history—and some of wliom were getting two and three times \that they had .ever drawn before, lesidcs billing and other ad- v«niages—surely tliey had no need to close the show on a Friday night and raise a lot of sensationcTl talk, when by playing two days more they would have shared in receipts of not less' than $7,000 more and could have left In an orderly and respectable manner. "Spice" owes H. Hcbert Law ex- actly the same as it owes me—yet he never murmured or raised one hand against It. We talked It over many times and decided not to be dogs in the manger—some 100 peo- I»le were going along and existln&J off it. and we hadn't the heart to stop It. as we could have at any time, through pique or because we had "rlght.«i." But there was no such consideration shown us and our interests. / ^ .When I first movetl to New York I wrote a Christmas story in Vari- ety, a facetious one, stating that I was in training to become a hard- boiled Simon Legree in order to ac- climate myself to Broadway. I wish I had meant It. (»' BUYS" jv (Continued from page 9) admission scale was $7.70, the brokers agreed to handle the lower floor and part of>the balcony for eight weeks. Shortly after the pre- miere, "Folliejl" tickets were found being sold after eight o'clock In the cut rates. The scale was considered too heavy for the show, which was under the standard. But the man- agement claimed the brokers were holding the tickets for a price, and being unable to gyp, were force a to take a loss by dumping. II wn«* said at the time the agencies t^rer^ privileged to return 10 per c^'t. ot the allotments. Within a feir ^yfli orders were sent out to the asren^iaii stating that all tickets unsold iti*>^ be turned back to the box otH^f: In other words, there was no liml*. to the returns, and the bu^' actVP^If became '"regulars." That meat*? W*- tie difference than if the tlcl'.^l*. were merely placed on sale. The buy system In cramping bust' ness at the theatre by havln,igr th»5 tickets in the agencies and nf^ available for the box office sain c»» haiulicap the bulk of trade fof an^ particular attraction In a big ca\ia<k' ity agency. That sounds llk^ aA inversion, but may be explained; II one of the moderate capacity hAUset there is a current attraction o' fair success. One of the big ageficie^ when the attraction allotted tii*ketf on sale, eold as high as 240 ieat* a night for it, or about half the lower floor, the agency being i 6^ cent premium office. The manlge^ ment recently forced a buy and th« agency in question was allottel' about 60 scats, which It is seDlnf. The buy has made no dirferencd ig the weekly gfoss of the show: IS fact, the takings are a bit less t1&a« formerly. The big agency must limit Its sales to tho allotment, since the box office cannot suppi? the nmount of tickets the agency can dispone of—the tickets helnfi in tlv? hands of other agencies. Natur- ally the amount of returns Is u^ to the limit. It Isn't all the brokers' fault, this buy matter. Managers with sevtral. attractions force the agencies to buy for all, though one or two only rtt«y be successes. There Is no question of the theatregoing public's abfllty to pick the good shows. Forcing agency trade to take the less prefei;- able;)>attractlons Is a tough task. But the broker with "dead ones" is going to push such tickets In prtf- erenoe to tickets placed with blm on saie. That Is the- disadvantage of "regulars" from the nAnagers' standpoint, and until buys are done away with, attractions placing tick- ets on regular sale will always be at a disadvantage. Forcing the brokers to buy for a show doesn't "make" the show, and never will unless the show is there. Thero can be no mdre pointed example than that of the recently presented "It's a Boy," for whioh the agencies were required to hity for 16 weeks. That buy was couplM with the new "Music Box RevleWt'* Brokers unwilling to take ''It's •, Boy " didn't get "Music Box.'* Nat- urally all acceeded but almost from the Jump tickets for "It's a Boy" were- dumped Into cut rates. The management sent for the brok(.rs and voluntarily cut <lhe buy for "It'« a Boy" In' half, stating it did not desire the tickets to be placed In cut rates. Even that didn't help, and the show was sent out of New York after four or five weeks, closing a couple of weeks after that in Boston. A Broadway success will develop regardless of all ticket manipulation attendant to the buy system. That a show wanted can turn the trick was Illustrated by "Ir««e," which remained for 83 weeks at the Vpn- derbllt—and never had a buy. Its tickets were on sale in the agencies but its box office had a chance to function properly, and that must have aided In putting over one of the biggest musical hits In a decade. Perhaps "Irene" was a turning point in tho ticket question, which now seems t» demand elimination of the buys system. Ibee. '/■■ ' V BEDSIDE CHATS .'^:^ .../z*- ' (Continued from ps^ge 2) according to program, began to harmonize In the wings, off the entrance. He had let out several notes when suddenly a heavy hand clamped over his mouth. "You blamed Idlptl" It was the stage manager's excited voice. "They can hear you out in front!" CLYDE DOERR AND HIS ORCHESTRA At t h*' <^'ont;r«'v^ Ilo»ol. ('Iii(rip;i> EXTEND THE SEASON'S GREETINGS Before Charles Kenmore Ulrlch was a successful novelist he was a newspaper man. He row has charge of the press books of the Famous Piayers-Lasky. Tears ago, out west, he drew a handsome salary Cor throwing my copy On the floor when he was the city editor and I was the reporter. We had a chance to become reminiscent over those good old limes the other day when he came down to present me with a copy of his latest novel, "The Wolf of Purple Canyon." This book, by the way, is in its 'steenth edition in America and is being published tn ftre countries. All of the dramas have not b^en written. Away out "whqre the west begins," and pretty nearly ends, there's a good slice from tho Joint of life going on behind prison bars. A Pri.son Welfare Association not so lot g ago received from the in- mates of one of the State Institutions a request for nursery stories and Mother Goose rhymoH. This being somewhat a deviation from the kind of literature usually asked for. It aroused curiosity among members of the :i5soclation. and they started inquiries'. Th(\ leajneU one of tlie paying gutbts tliere (meaning that he la paying for having Inspired too mivch conlldendt? In i tt^$mmwrru^y has a wife and b.-iby outside. Every day he writer jind receives a letter fiom I in in. Th(\ child thinks her daijdy is Jn a hospital. Every letter froiii him Includes a fairy f^iory for her. .Vficr a while the father ran out ©f stories, and now e%'ery fellow paH^*eni4'r on l»oard that train to "Straightvtlle." who has any imagina- tion M can weave a >aij» is busy rewriiinjc "Ptitg in Boots." "Cinder- ell.i." 'Hed llidlng-Hocd," "Jack ntid the I'.-m .si.dk," "Little M^M MuffvL and all the other cutiea fur "Three Uarii 5Sam#" littl* girl.