Variety (February 1923)

Thursday, February 1, 1928 LEGITIMATE ' ONE DRAMATIC IN PH1LLY LAST WEEK; SIX MUSICALS BAT" POSTS NOTICE; 25 WEEKS IN BOSTON .»» "Monster" Cleaned and Left—"Blossom Time" in 14th Week, Hit of Musical Field—'Teaches 99 Picks Up— Wynn's Show Falls Philadelphia, Jan. 11. With six legitimate houses exhib- iting' musical attractions the lone dramatic show hit the bull's-eye with a bang. That was "The Monster," In its fourth and final week at the Walnut, where It had climbed steadily. It is understood an attempt was made to buy- off the succeeding attraction for $500 for each of two weeks, but negotiations fell through. Of the musical attractions "Blos- some Time," 14th week at the Lyric, was still the outstanding hit. This Schubert operetta has been getting an especially big play at matinees recently. Last week the' advance sale was p'uny for Wednesday^ mati- nee, but shortly before show time (despite heavy rain) the crowds be- gan coming, and a complete sellout was recorded. "In Springtime of Youth" had apparently no effect on the "Blossom Time" business. George Lcderer's "Peaches," at the Garrick, in Its first week, showed a considerable boost at the week-end. The opening Monday was made into something of a gala occasion In celebration of Mr. I<ederer's 40 years In managerial ranks. The Mayor and other dignitaries were present. By Thursday a gain was observable. The dailies, though none enthusias- tic, went out of their way to be as kind as possible to Mr. Lederer. The Garrick all season has been a house which developed business slowly after the opening, and it may happen with "Peaches" as it did with "Rain," with "Merton of the Movies" and with "Orange Blos- soms," that in its second and third weeks improved grosses will be turned In. "The Naughty Diana." at the Lyric, considerably changed and al- tered while here, did little- business of any kind. Report has It that this Woods farce, Is now far more risque than it was at the opening night here; in fact, some say the strong- est the producer has put on the market yet. Surprise was expressed that, despite the comments of the dalles on its rawness, liUle business developed. Ed Wynn's "Perfect Fool" dropped considerably early in the week at the Forrest .and all thought of keep- ing this show in for another two weeks, after the three first an- nounced, were given up. Later in the week a comeback was staged, but the gross was off from the pre- vious week by at least $3,500. This week's openings were "Kern- py." at the Walnut, and "The Cat and the Canary" at the Adelphl. Much interest is expressed in the business here of the latter in view of the knockout established by "The Monster," at the Walnut Some claim this will hurt "The Cat" very much, while others say it will be a help. An extended run is planned for this mystery thriller, while "Kempy" is in for only two weeks, with "The Green Goddess" to follow for two more. Next week there will be three changes in the legit theatres, but only one new show comes In—"Hu- moresque," with Laurette Taylor, at the Broad, which was announced to have, first, "Shore Leave," then ILonel Atwill and then "Barnum was Right," before the present book- ing was arranged. The Shubert will have a return engagement of "May- time," and the announcement that Marion Green and Nancy Gibbs are featured has aroused more Interest than was expected in the engage- ment, which Is for two weeks only. The Forrest win have "Molly Dar- ling." It played just before Christ- mas, doing creditable business at the Garrick, and picked up each of its four weeks, with practical sell- outs its last two or three perform- ances. The run at the Forrest will probably be limited to two weeks, though there is a gap of four as yet unaccounted for before the arrival of "The Music Box Revue." Rumor has it that a big new musical show will have its tryout there beginning Feb. 19. Feb. 12 will also see two openings —"Six Cylinder Love," in for a run jat the Garrick, and "The Green Goddess," for a two weeks' stay at the Walnut. The only other definite booking is "Red Pepper." for the slnffte week of Feb. 19 at the Shu- bert. Estimates for'last week: "The French Doll" (Broad. 2d week). Society draw, with weak- nesses upstairs, but gross of $i2.r>oo claimed. "Humoresque" Monday. "In Springtime of Youth" (Shu- bert. ,°d week). Fair business re- ported, with tome improvement not- ed earlier in week. Operetta canno: compete with "Blossom Time." «bout $12,000. "Maytime" Monday. The Perfect Fool" (Forrest, 4th week). Distinct slackening regis- tered first part of last week, but with pickup Friday and Saturday gross claimed to have squeezed past $20,000. This week's business prob- lematical. "Molly Darling." Monday, return for city within 60 days. "Peaches* (Garrick, 2d week). In- dications were this new Lederer musical comedy has caugM on this week, but last week's gross was low, the upstairs trade being weak. Not until Friday any substantial grosses were recorded. "Kempy" (Walnut, 1st week). Opened to enthusiastic house and won fine notices, which may mean big business for two weeks' stay. "The Monster" did $17,900. said to be a house record for a straight show, last week with two extra matinees. "Blossom Time" (Lyric. 15th week). Not much weakening ob- served and gross claimed over $16.- 000. Immense matinee trade devel- oping for this long-run hit. Claims it will run to Easter or even throughout season have been made. "The. Cat and the Canary" (Adel- phl. 1st week). Opened to capacity house, with little paper, manage- ment c'aimed. i "The Naughty Diana" said to have shown pickup over first week by a few hundred dollars. SHOWS IN CHICAGO (Continued from page 16) jump immediately, but shows little prospects. Sallied around $6,000. Looks to be Fame trouble here as In New York. Town too big. This is play for medium sized and smaller cities. "For All Of Us" (Studebaker, 11th week in Chicago). Opinions of prominent ministers being made great "play* 'on. Outfought dram- atic critics' "thoughts" and making personal achievement for William Hodge. Easily reached $13,000. "Wheal of Life" (Blackstone, 3d week). Like all former movie film celebrities Elsie Ferguson drawing big matinee business. Midweek matinee hit $2,076. Night business help up for piece to approach $13,000. "8ally" (Colonial, 3d week). Ad- vance sale now claimed to be $110,000. Town's riot. Another $40,000 marker. "Captain Applejack" (Harris, Sd week). Failed to sell-out at either Sunday or Saturday night perform- ances, which, despite good matinees, held gross to $12,000. Engagement ends Feb. 24 making seven weeks stay. "Partners Again" (Selwyn, 6th week). Was off trifle on previous week's gross, yet holding $17,000 swing. Should be one of few shows expected to draw auto week bus- iness. "So This Is London" (Cohan's Grand, 10th week). Felt effects of J early week slump on week's gross as strong as other shows in town, thus holding trade around $13,000. "Shuffle Along" (Olympic. 11th week). First attraction to announce Lincoln Birthday matinee, not con- sidered good matinee date here al- though should prove profitable to colored entertainment with other shows on town passing it up. Just squeezed out $13,000. "Make It Snappy" (Apollo. 3d week). Tripped somewhat on early weeks pull but hit $27,475. Should ascend again this week. "Zeno" (Great Northern, 3d week) No exaggerations to claim piece would settle into hit class. Cam- paigning strong to outdo $14,000 only falling around $400 short last week. "Cat and Cansry" (Princess. 28th week). Had to bow on certain nights to "Zeno's" opposition, but pulled remarkably well considering length of stay. Good $14,000. "He Who Gets Slapped" (Play- house, 8th and final week). Aver- aged around $8,000 for engagement featured with many mishaps, hurt- ing well-directed campaign. Gract (loorge opened Monday in "To Love." ^^ "Thank-U" (Coft. 22d and final week). Two extra matinees brought final gross around $i.".400. capacity at week-end Indicating show lefi with many people wanting to see it Could have remained longer. Big profits for house and company. Mrs Fiske opened Monday. "The First Year" (Wnods. 12th week). Did little over $12,000. with play getting renewed billing around town. ^ "Molly Darling" Showed Gain La*t Week—"Llghtnin' " Holding Up Well Boston, Jan. tl. Last week was Just an ordinary week as far as the theatrical busi- ness was concerned, none of the shows In town hitting any excep- tionally high spots, and, as a result of the weather, all did a very fair business. No changes in attractions at the local houses Monday night. but a few openings are scheduled for the coming week. "Molly Darling," at the Tremont, now on the last week, forged ahead considerably last week and got bet- ter than $20,000, a gain* of close to $2,000 from the week before. "Llghtnin*" looks strong enough to last the season at the Hollls. Lit- tle attention was given by local the- atre patrpns to the change In the cast, and the show last week grossed almost $20,000. exactly the aanu as the week before. Going along at this figure, or even with business $5,000 less a week, the show is a money maker and can stay at the Hollls for the rest of the season. The Hollls Is made to order for shows of this type and does not fare well when It gets plays of the ex- perimental sort. "The Bunch and Judy" on the first week at the Colonial ran in'o quite a snag and did Only $13,000. This is less than any musical show has done at the house so far tb season. The house will be tak.n over next week by Ed Wynn In "..he Perfect ^Fool." "The Fool" is due at the Selwyn Feb. 12 and is being exploited here by advertising and publicity. It will replace Pauline Frederick In "The Guilty One," a play which has not been doing any great business since it opened. On the first week It did $11,000, but there was a sharp' drop last week and the gross was just a bit better than $7,000. No pick up Is looked for in the final two weeks. After a stay of months "The Bat" has finally posted a departure no- tice. It will leave the Wilbur Feb. 17 and by that time will have made a stay of 25 weeks here. During that period the business has ranged from $17,000 to $12,000 weekly, with only a couple of Isolated instances where the gross dropped below $12,- 000. Now that the closing notice has been given, It is expected the show will get a play from many who have not seen It. and some repeats. Estimates for last week: "The Bunch and Judy" (Colonial, 2d week). About $13,000 first week, below par.. "The Guilty One" (Selwyn. 3d week). Last week, $7,000, way off from $11,000, week before. Two more weeks to go, then "The Foot" "The Passing Show" (Shubert. 3d week). Final week; replaced next week with "The Naughty Diana." "Molly Darling" (Tremont, 4th week). Picked up considerably last week and gross over $20,000. Only show in town that did better than "Llghtnin'." "The Bat" (Wilbur, 22d week). Final weeks announced. Show baa been running to splendid business and will go down as one of the big money makers of the season. "Just Married" (Plymouth, 3d week). Bit better than $1,000 last W66k "Lightnin'" (Hollls, 6th week). Figure of last week same as that of the week previous, $20,000. Looks very strong. INSIDE STUFF OH VAUDEVILLE — (Continued from page 10) "Midnight Rounders" inaugurated the custom, calling Itself a "Cameo Revue." "Gaieties" also classifies as a "revue", according to the paper, * without "Shubert Vaudeville" appearing. It's unusual for big time vaudeville agents in New York to attract attention to themselvee for unpaid debts; much more so than several of the small time agents who seem as Intent on not paying what they owe as in booking acts. But the Incident did come up within the past fort- night of a big time vaudeville agent nearly losing his office furniture through neglecting to pay an advertising bill to a theatrical paper which took Judgment against 4iim for the amount due, $121. The agent pre* vented his office being stripped at the final moment through an adjusted settlement. It was but lately that Judgment was recorded against a small time agent in favor of an employe for salary. It was only recently the same agent was reported to have purchased property In his wife's name to the value of $35,000, while at the same time the agent took pains to explain how he had lost $15,000 since the fall started in a venture outside of his agency business. Still the employe and other creditors in connection with his agency business remain unpaid. If there were no other reason (and there are hundreds) why Variety started its crusade against the wrong agents, the fait of so many of them being out and out dead beats would be sufficient in itself. With booking offices makinj an intermittent try to regulate agents in their theatrical business dealings, no attempt has been ever made to regulate their moral business operations. The dead beats among agents reflect as much on the reputable agents as the dead beats among actors have given the entire acting profession a bad name for credit. Credit is about the mos. desirable thing in any business. It is often more sought for than money. Merchants seek to raise their credit to the highest rating. It brings them more and the. best in every way. A busi- ness man may encounter difficulties, reverses and be obliged to ask for an extension of time for payment or forced into Insolvency. He cre- ates no enemies through that. If a hard working conscientious business man he instead receiver the sympathy of his associates and commercial acquaintances. But an agent or an actor who plays cards and shoots crap for money or throws his money away "down the line" and then at- tempts to defraud creditors will never receive sympathy because his excuses (if he makes r.ny which frequently he* does not) are known to be false. In theatricals credit should be as valuable to the business or profes- sional departments . s in any other business. Professionals can not ex- pect to defraud trade papers and remain in their good graces. The theatrical paper (not Variety) that secured a Judgment against the big time agent did exactly right in enforcing its execution and settlement All trade papers should proceed in the 'same manner. Variety does. It holds' nothing for the dead beat of the show' business. Like other papers it accepts a. reasonable reason for delaying settlement of any account, but the debtor who continuously refuses to acknowledge hie account, don't and won't pay, should not expect to receive more than he gets from any paper. And yet some dead beats who have allowed their accounts to stand so long they apparently have forgotten them still look for publicity, perhaps believing Variety also has forgotten. But book- keeping doesn't forget. Last week a vaudevlllian came into Variety's office, stating he had re- ceived a bad notice in Variety; that he owed Variety nothing but did owe another paper and thought that perhaps the theatrical papers had an understanding to "pan" anyone who didn't settle. It was not so. He was so informed, but also that it was a fine idea. Variety has a list of dead beats in the show business accumulated and tabulated during its 17 years. * NEWS OF THE DAIIJES Cortland (N. Y.) Theatres Sold Syracuse, N. Y., Jan. 81. John S. Gray, shoe manufacturer of this city, and his business as- sociates have acquired the Temple and the Cortland theatres from James S. Btfrnham of that town. About $100,000 is involved. The Polllon Sisters, Katherine and Charlotte, also known as the ."trouble sisters" by the police for their connection with several esca- pades during the past 20 years, were arraigned Wednesday before Judge Mclntyre in the Court of General Sessions, New York, on a charge of grand larceny brought by Charles H. Dusenbury. The complainant, who is 73 years old, alleges he was engaged to one of the sisters, know- ing them under the name of Smith, and turned over to them several valuable securities, after which they disappeared. The sisters requested they be granted ten days to engage counsel, but were given until Fri- day and were lodged In the Tombs, no bail having been mentioned by the court. The Poillons first came Into the public eye several years ago when Katherine sued W. Gould Brokaw for breach of promise. She secured $17,000 In settlement before the case went to the Jury. .The sis- ters were mixed up in several es- capades and were at one time sent to Blackwell's Island. Upon com- pleting their sentence there they appeared in vaudeville at Hammer- stein's. the screen version of Martin Brown's comedy, "The Exciters." Bebe Daniels and Antonio Morene will have the principal roles. Nathan Burkan, attorney for Jules Dalber, manager for Mm*. Ganna Walska-McCormlck, In an effort to restrain further legal pro- ceedings by Mme. Meluls. a concert singer, against Dalber, charged she instituted the suit to gain news- paper publicity. Mme. Meluls is seeking to prevent Dalber from managing Mme. Walska-McCormlck. Mrs. Claudia Car is ted t-Wheeler, once known as "The Girl in the Red Tights," has started suit for a di- vorce in the Superior Court, Chi- cago, against Albert Gallatin Wheeler, Jr. The action is one of a series of sensational suits by her. Including a $1,000,000 damage suit against her father-in-law, now de- ceased, and a separation suit in New York, in which she was award- ed $10,000 a year alimony instead of $1,000,000 cash. Her husband is al- leged to have deserted her in 1910. ENGAGEMENTS Emily Ann Wcllman for "The, Wasp." Bertha Broad, "Peer nynt." Platov and Natalie, "Sun Show- ers." — II. B. Warner, Lucille Watson, Frieda Inesoourt, Beatrice Miles, Geoffrey Kerr, I'Yrdinand«G<»i tsrhalk and Reginald Mason. "You and I." N<>ru Ityan. "Secrets." Lulu Berlin, With Harry Mason and Co. (vaudeville). Fred 'ui has replaced Eddie (Bozo) Fox In the "Beauty Review* Mile. Delecluse, a member of the traveling stars of the Paris Opera Comique In Canada, almost caused the death of M. Peraldi, playing the role of Baron Scarpla in "'La Tos- ca." Instead of the usual stage dag- gers. Mile. Delecluse insisted that inspiration could best be aroused by the use of real weapons. In the scene where she tries to thrust a dagger into the heart of the Baron, Peraldi, alarmed at the fury shown in the actress' eyes, caught the blade In his hand, badly lacerating it. The wound was dressed and the p'ay continued until the final scene, when the wound burst open. • Amsterdam. N. Y., picked up a story by itself when Helen Collins of 194 Grove street in that up-state town, after advertising in a Ne v York paper for a "good time by a girl who never had one," received two invitations to try it in New York. Tho first invite, by the Keith organization, w.is accepted; the paper carrying tho advertisement Kent its representative Just too late to make a "serial" out of the ad. A Jury in the Superior Court. Norwich, Conn., upheld the will of Richard O. Libby in an action brought by his daughter, Pauline Frederick, pictures, who appealed from the Probate Court decision. Libby left his entire estate to rela- tives of his second wife and nothing to his daughter. Prohibition.Commissioner Haynes and Colonel L. O. Nutt, chief of the narcotic forces, after a rough sur- vey of the movie colony at Holly- wood, came to the conclusion that stories about widespread use of narcotics and bootleg; liquor there had\been overdone. They also said that there Is little foundation for the magnified reports of violations of the Volstead and Harrison ac' . German music dealers have can- celed all orders with French pub- lishers, expressing regret that pol- itics should interfere with their business. (Columbia Richard Ordynski, Continental stage director of the Metropolitan Op< ra, has joined tho ranks of the Famous Players as n director. He has beet] in Hollywood for- two months, studying under Cecil 1). 1'. Mill*i. His lis at production will be Grace George has been accumulat- ing plays with a view to establish- ing «. repertory company here ne, season. '■■■- Eddie Cantor appealed to Wash- ington In an effort to save his aunt, Mrs. Tiskah Tobias from deporta- tion. She came to this country from Warsaw, Poland, and was held at : Ills Island for deportation Jan.- ' Of the company of 200 members belonging to the Wagnerian Opera (Continued op page 8«) . r I