Variety (March 1923)

'tV-, LEGITIMATE Thursday, March 15, 1923 with Clayton doinp nicely with his ■teppln£r, iioiwithatanding some clever work in this line precedirp thorn. Edwards lias several good comedy linos mid sliould tUminale thto "KOt damp quick" expression used Tuesday night. The act pos- sesses sulHriont I'omndy to mako re- marks of that calibre unnocessaiy. They walked away easily with one of the hits of the bill. Paul Kpcchi'M orche.stra closed the Taudevlllo section. The Spc«'ht or- ganization plays with vim, has plenty of volume, a nicely selected routine of pop numhera and novelty jdeas. For dance music the aggre- .gation 1« hard to beat, being well ■easonod musicians. The downtown audiendc was all attention, calling tor several encores. Hart. 58TH ST. Six acta delivering llrst-rate small time variety entertainment, with emphasie on production flash and rough comedy, hooked up with lirst run on Charlie Chaplin's new pic- ture, was an Irresistible proposition for the Third avenue clientele. The bouse was packed before 8 o'clock Tuesday night in spite of villainous ■weather. Apparently there isn't much new material offering at the booking office. Last week the final liaJf at the I'ad St. hadn't a new- comer, and the material for this week'* first half Is all well known Jf not standard for the time. A bill for these two establishments with- out a new act is (he exception. Valdarr and Cook, man and •woman, furnished a quiet opener. The pair have a rather nondescript routine. The woman works like an acrobat who took up dancing as an ftfterthought, and her style is con- sequently a bit rough. The man .is a better stepper, but he breake into the specialty with several speeches, one a long description of the Apache dance in the form of an announce- ment. Altogether unnecessary. The woman doea a bit of trick bike rid- ing and they finish with a Howery dance. Allen and C.nnfield are the f.Tmiliar tyi>e of boy and girl talking and tinging pairs, although the girl in this case has a tir«t-r«te knack of low clowning such as the small time audiences devour. Her form is a trifle coarse for th^" better grade of time, but for the SSth St. type of audience it is immense, and any comedy woman whose stuff gels over ought to be in pretty constant demand for this intermediate level of bills. So many of them overdo riasa uTul refinement, it la a pleasure to find an exception. Arthur Whitelaw was a veritable riot. This type of story telling monolog man is fast disappearing, but ten years ago there was a small army of them. Whitelaw doee. 14 minutes and probably half that stretch was taken up with repeti- tion of topical comedy verse.s of a Jingle to the refrain "It's a Won- •icrful Place" of "Come On Over Here." They simply couldn't get enough. Everybody know him, for he got a noisier reception on en- trance than stramgers on their get- away. Stories are new and pointed and his delivery vigorous. Straight In getup.with neat cutaway coat and i^triped troueers. Benelovent look- ing, portly man with a good deal of smooth unction. Deals mostly In Irish storit^ with a touch of brogue. "The Wishing Rug" is a silly bit of a burlesque bit framed around a girl act. I'our good-looking danc- ing girls and a Turkish harem set- ting with a lot of splashing color in the drapes, a lot of noisy dialog, but no real humor. However, the loud- ness Of a bellowing comedian makes up for the absence of genuine fun and the turn gets over. H»ur neat dancing and singing girls and three men who.se monkeyshines are more energetic than clever. Just a cros«- •ection lifted out of an ordinary burlesque show. There was more suggestion of burlesque In the sideshow faker bit elaborated Into a 15-minuto routine ©f laughable talk by Tom Howard (formerly of the Wheel shows) and Jo© Lyons. Lyone' admission to Joint billing ia recent. U used to be Tom Howard and Co. Tho .situa- tion of a rube sap and a wise guy ia the surest thing possible for cdmedy. It's almost fool proof even In incompetent hands, but the«e two get a lot of Juice out of it. Howard has toned down In his makeup and works more quietly, to the vast im- provement of the offering. The talk Is rich in honest laughs and the Burprise flnish gets them away aplendidly. It ought to be duo for ©tandard claesification. Down next to closing It was the laughing hit. Lbng Tack Sam with his troup of Oriental acrobat« and jugglers made a splendid flash closing item. An offer h«s been tendered the manngement of Locw a State, Eos- ton, by the Boston Conservatory of Mualc to supply the entire enst for the amntrnr production of "H. ^T. B. Pinafor*-'," j)lMTiii'd for the work ©f April 16. The Loew Interests declined, preferrippj to continue with thefr publicity campaign In con- Junction with local dailies to f^eruro amateurs for the production, Tho theatre has purchased a schalarship In th© conservatory for the most successful amateur with one al!»o donated by the vocal school. DEADLOCKED (Continueil from page 12) papers before Thomaa actually took olhce. Hia answer was quickly forthcoming, it also reaching the press In part. The Thomas answer api>eurs to have put a stop to Equity's tactics, for It never was replied to. The latter treated the matter lightly. It read: New York, Auc. !•• My dear Mr. Gilmore: I have received your open letter ,of AJigust 14th after first reading It In the morning papers. I r^cr to that to emphasize the purpose of an open letter, which la, of course, an appeal to public opinion. I cannot let your generosity In that matter go unacknowledged, because, with your strong organiza- • tion, capable at a single command of paralyzing the theatre, you are not so-dependent upon public opin- ion as is this association of man- agers, who have only public opinion to which they may appeal. Most of the morning papers cut out the recital In your letter of the fine things Etiuity has done for the theatre. I regret this deletion because it la of a record of which the actors are to be proud. In ad- mitting those benefits I also would enumerate them If I believed that the editorial desire for brevity would, pay any more attention to my repetition thi^n they did to your first display. The purpose of your letter Is the wish to avoid a conflict that seems possible when the contract be- tween- the Equity Association and the Producing Managers' Associa- tion terminates in June. 1924. The instrument that you propose for evading this possible trouble is what you call Equity Shop, and what the public calls Closed Shop, and which you deflne as a condi- tion In which "Equity members will not play with non-members." Tou fortify that deflnition by say- ing. 'Surely that is their right, or the right of any one, to make as a condition of acceptance of en- gagement that every member of the company shall belong to their association." I think with you that that is an individual right. I think, however, that as far as the public is concerned. It becomes a questionable right whenever you endeavor to make It general and concerted by a conspiracy, however benevolent. This policy of Equity Shop, which was adopted by the Equity A.«sociation after much debate and full consideration, you say was put Into effect In a^ perfectly demo- cr.'itic and constitutional way. I assume that you mean by that, democratic as far aa j'our organ- ization is concerned, and consti- tutional in relation to your rulea. and that you do not mean to claim that It was democratic from the American point of view nor In- contestably constitutional accord- ing to our supreme laws. You remind me that as a mem- ber of the Dramatists Guild was one of a comjnittee that Issued a statement condemning the policy of Equity Shop that the actors no doubt roijd this statement, and notwithstanding the dramatists' wish in the matter >-oted In actual figures "3,398 for Equity Shop against 115" who agreed with the dramatists. Considering the ap- peal to personal Interest, I ajn sure I that the dramatists will regard that 116 fkA encouraging because they, the dramatists, at the time were careful to state that*they en- tered their protest against Equity Shop only because they felt the time would come when they would perhaps liave to do more and they didn't wish to be'opeoi to the very Just rebuke of not having spoken when the matter was In debate. I note that you propose now at this time and far in advance of the termination of the existing contract to put this (luestion again to the vote of your membership upon the condition that if a major- ity of \o\\T association feel now aa they did then, "the managers will accept the actors' verdict without further cavil." In question© of right. I ajn not especially over- borne by the presentation of num- bers. I think it was Carlyle who said that to refu^^e a wrong opin- ion and then to accept It because many favored it was like refusing a piece of count eifelt money but agreoing to ta ke It If they could get enough of it together. I don't want to question the generosity of your proposal, but I have ©ome- ihlng simpler to offer. The last total vote of the Actors Equity As^♦.1clation in Its Annual ele«ctlon of 1920 was 3.7o5. a large number, e<?])ocl.n:ily when on© coraidera t^n you ask me to remember that most of your people were constantly on tho move and dUBcult to reach. Th© Producing Manager© Aawocia- tlon which numbers but 53 and the American Drarnallata Society which nombers but few more are not 80 Itinerant, and can b© more quickly reached. They voted with equal unanimity against your I»licy of Equity* Shop. I »ugge©t that w© re-»ubmlt the question to them and If they are ©till against it that the actors acce.pt the de- cision without further cavil, and both aide© get together for co-op- erative agreement. Thla idea is not original with me. Many years ago wh,en Mr. Bill Nj© was editing a paper In Wyoming, he received a letter from a lady with 10 tickets for a church festival inclosed and a bill of 110. After operating his hand pre«s for a while he re- sponded by sending the laidy 20 tickets to the picnic of th© Typo- graphic Union at 60 cents a piece and told her "no* money neod change hands." In supporting yooir proposition j-Qii say "no one wiH deny, I think, that part of the art and industry of the theatre belongs by right to t*ie actors" That poeltlon ia so aecurely taken that I haven't the slightest wish to question it, hut I belieV© a great many will deny tha^ all of the art of the theatre and th© industry belongs to them— which Is a different question. My own idea of the theatre—and of course all of this is- only my own Idea; your proposal is of sulflcient Ln^portajice to call a meeting of ^ this organization and to h^ave It fuWy discussed before replying \n> you, but as your letter is addrefsod to me I feared that such delay would indicate a perpexity that as yet I do not feel—my own idea about the theatre, my dear Frank, is that It doesn't belong to the actor, nor to the manager, nor the drajnatlst. nor to all of them com- bined. It is a great public institu- tion, a temple, the foundation which was laid by Ac^chylu.". and the omameiital minarets of which dach of us in his little per.-'omtl way 1© endeavoring to shape and effect. If all of the hs gentlemen that I reprerent, and all of tho dramatists with whom I am a.sFo- ciated, and all of th© actors whom you speak for and for whom I have genuine admiration and affection, were to be wiped from the face of the earth, the theatre living hi the hearts of the peK>ple would go on to rebuild, reconstruct and re- establish itself. I have an Idea that the pubic will take that view of It. that they will regiird It as an Important institution, and that Chey . would regard a© unwar- ranted the as.'jumnKion by the actors, by our little ephemeral band that now happens to be pass- ing: through It© ooiTidor©, that they had a title to it In fee aim pie. My opinion i© that on the insrtitu- tional side, the dramatists may set up an even greater claim than, the a<ctor. I read in the Equity Mag- azine which your ofllce ©ent me, th© alatement that the great days of the theatre were when it wa© in the handa of the actor© ©xclu- ©ively. a© for eraniple. In the days of Shakespeare and Moliere. Of course both thiose men were actors, but they are remembered a© dram- atists, and. If ©ome ma^c could strike from the record th© fact that ©ither had ever played they would •till be Shakeapeare and Moliere, and I think with their lustre but little dimmed. It is the actor's conrkpensatlon, and perhapa his tragedy, that he receives his pay In the applause of the generation to which he plays. The tradition and tho literature of the theatre as an Institution are in the hands of tho dramatists. There is one other consideration that I think the public is going to ponder, and that is the sanctity of individual contract. I am not now losing sight of the value of col- lective bargaining nor of the groat reform.s that it works in i>ractice, but after all, and especially In the theatre, the individual contract v^ the basis of prosperity. By indi- vidual contract I mean a docu- ment that records a "Ineeting of tw^o minds and doea ao in order that in tho event of any forg«^tful- ness or more elnister departure, the record shall be there in that contract subject to review and ad- judication by the properly con- stituted co\irts of the State. I don't believe the public will favor the Soviet control of the theatre. I don't believe that betjveen parties to Individurl contracts and llie State which ia to review them It will look with favor upon the in- terposition of a third organized irresponsible entity, however bene- volent, whether that newrom'»r he a !nbor union, n Masonic Lodp**. ]>ague, or an Actors Equity As- sociation. Now all of th© abovofclooka a lit- tle inflexible .and unyielding, es- pecially In the face of your offer to have the actors again vote upon the question of Equity Shop, but I think It la esaentlal that It should look ao. In order that neither of ua misleads the public. In conclusion and In the fullest spirit of the fine wish that is evi- dent In your offer to reopen the question, permit me to say that I regard the present status as a fine thing for the theatre. I like the Equity Shop where it la applied to th© "bogua managers and stranded companies" which aa you say, "atiil aveiUK* one a week," and I like ita present status as It exempts tho Prodlicing Managers Association from the rigor of the Equity Shop because it enables this association to say to that kind of "bogus" mapager when he de- velops his Irresponsibility within their ranks, "We will make good your shortcoming in this instance, but henceforth we cast you into the outer darkness of Equity's dis- approval." I don't think we need a referendum to do this. I don't think the Producing Managers As- sociation or the Equity or the Dramatists need to vote on this matter again. If your four thou- sand members will delegate to you, FYank Gillmore, the power, I be- lieve I can por.suade these fifty- three men to delegate to me an equal power that you and I can get together long before 1924, and extend this contract profitably to every branch of this great art In which we are so mutually Inter- ested. I have an Idea that public opinion will almost demand some- thing of that kind. My mon may mistrust me a little bit at first be- cau.«e they will remember that I have been a master workman of organized labor and that I am a strong union man. Their confi- dence If I qan Inspire It will come from the fact that I don't believe in a federation to the degree in which federation seems to be going. That is to say I do not think" that we are ready for a time when every man who gets any money as a wage shall be allied In a class against everybody who pays any money as a wage. That of course Is class warfare and contrary to the epirlfof this country of ours* and I hope, Frank, that you will tell Equity that I said all of this to you many months ago before the question of Equity Shop was raised, and when you personally dis<Missed it with me, and that I repeat it now because it Is my be- lief and not because I am retained by the Producing Managers Asso- ciation which as yet I have not had time to consult. With best wishe.9, Fratea-nally your©, Augustus Thomas. she would guarantee the $500. Misa Fealy haa what ahe wants and the Acme Theatr© people hav© acted generoualy in retiring mxxil accepting th© small los© they hav© incurred without complaint. Wlmt- ever may be the truth beneath th© various contradictory atatementa. all sides agree that there Is no sens© In having a controversy with a woman. A report In New York late last week said 'Morris Schlesinger of the Broad, Newark, had secured th© Shubert (unit house), Newark, for his own stock, to forestall Maude Fealy moving to that downtown house from her neighborhood stand. T^ter this was denied. A Shubert man in New York stated Miss Fealy wanted the Shubert, but that the Shuberts demanded that four weeks' rental be deposited in advance. It is now understood the De Wolf Hopper comic opera company will take the Shubert, Newark, for a run of six weeks, to be followed by a regular stock organization under tho management of Henry Duffy, who will rent th© house. fea;.y stock returned ^Continued from page 13) over the Fealy ad In the souvenir program used at the Contemporary benefit at the Broad occurred after and not before the. benefit. He in- sists that h© merely called attention to the fact that \n using this sou- venir program without having the copy read and approved by Schles- inger Contemporary violated its contract. He added in his interview with BIrs. Lee Davis, who represent- ed Contemporary in the matter, that he never allowed another theatre to advertise In his program, and had even rejected an ad from the W'ln- ter Garden, New York. But no harm had been done and Contoml)orary could forget it. Mrs. Davis' version of this agrees with Schleslnger'h ex- cept she says he was very nasty In the matter and showed personal an- Imo.sity against Mi-ss Fealy and Con- temporary. During last week the controversy went on with vigor and no little bit- terness. Among the hlgU lights are Schlesinger's avowal that he would cut the salaries of both Miss Foaly and her loading man, Milton Byron. The former was receiving, ho said, $300 and the latter $200. Byron re- taliated in a curtain speech In which he stated Miss Fealy had never re- ceived less than $300 In summer stock and In winter stock as hiph as $700 for herself, while now slio Is also directing, managing, etc. He said that ho had received an offer to play with tho Strand stock people here for double bin present salary. Ho a^j.verted that for managing the Broad Schlesinger pets $250. v.hich is very high for a hou<^o manager. Sihlesinger had alwj off trod to sell the shares for $1,000 and $500 for the hv)me for cri))pled children. Byron said Miss Fealy would nenept ih\n by holding n benefit for the the Ku Klux Klan, the Iid'lit> I home, whieh i^liould yifUl $1,000, and BROADWAY STORY ~ (Continued from page 13) for by American managers and its failure to hold up is a disappoint- ment. Easter may find It in another house or on tour with the musical "Cinders," Its likely successor. Tho failure of "Roger Bloomer" was foregone. It was taken off at the 48th St., after a week and two days, but bobs up Thursday (to- night) at the muchly abused Green- wich VilLigii theatre on a co-opera- tirc basl.s. "Rita Coventry' was another sudden withdr.iwal. It re- mained three weeks at the Bijou and was succeeded Wednesday by "The Love Habit." "Tho God of A'engeanoe" Jumped In takings as expected following the publicity attendant to the ar- rest of its players. The gross went upv.ard about $2,500 and the takings last week totaled $12,200. Of tho new entrants on Broadway ' liarnum Was Right." which opened at the Fruzee, looks the most prom- jrinfT non-musical since the first of tho year. Louis F. Werba produced it, in fact put it on four times. It c.^mo !n after three times out of town and heavily in the box. Tues- day night the Frazec sold out and tho .igencj' call was one of the most bris-k of the li.st. "Pasteur," with ' Herry Miller, opened at the Empire Monday, winning personal praise but the play is in great doubt as a box ofllce attraction. "The Come- dian,'* with Lionel Atwlll. opened Tuesday at the Lyceum, being the sov^ond Guitry adaptation for th© week. It was accorded mixed com- menf. "Go Go," a musical plec© which entered Daly's 63rd St., was regarded having a good chance. "Dagmar" leaves the Selwyn Saturday, with Pauline Frederick* In "The Guilty One," succeeding at $2 top. "Sun Showers" Is listed to stop at the Astor, though a dark house was offered It for next week. "Lady Butterfly" moves from th© Globe to the Astor,.with "Jack and Jill' scheduled to come into th© Globe, though there may be a de- lay in the premiere. "Why Not?* in moving from the National back to the 48th Street, chases out "Th© Chastening," put in as a stop-gap. "The Adding Machln©" will relight the Garrick rdark this week) Monday, and ""rHe Love Set" Is mentioned to enter the Punch and Judy. It Is the same show known as "Jobe and the Job." The pre- miere' list^for next week holds be- tween two and four attractions. The specikl matinee shows hav© not started anything, though "Mor-. phia" contlnees on off afternoons at the Eltinge. This week "The School^ for Scandal" is on at the National,* and next week a play called "Up Town West" will try ."ipecial show- ings at the Earl Carroll. "The Bat" headed the subway list, getting $13,200 for the first of a two-week date at the Majestic, Brooklyn. "The Exile." a new play at the Montahk. drew $9,000, re- garded as very good for a play minus a Broadway reputation. "The Coaudian" got nearly $11,000 at the Broad Street. Newark, that b\i£ineps also making an impression. "11'^ Who Cfts Slapped" drew nearly $S.(i00 at tho Bronx Opera House, I he show stopping for sevfral weeks, V)Ut duo to reopen at East»-r out of i (own. Only One New Buy ^ The agencies are fighting shy Of buys f«>r the final two weeks of Lent. That was witnessed this week w1k!i they did not offer to buy ill advance for the new P.ela.sco show, "The Comedian." with Lionel Atwill, ft star that, coupled with tlio Be-aseo name at the I<yceum, is always sure of a certain society