Variety (May 1923)

14 LEGITIMATE Thursday, May 3, 1923 -^e.v. sk: STOCKS THE GOLD DIGGERS Washington, May 2. Belasco's "The Gold Diggers*' was put over Sunday by Duffy & Smith's President Players with a "wallop," literally and figuratively. The cast with but few exceptions Is practi- cally a new one in its entirety, and entered into the spirit of the pie<e In such a manner another of those remarkably smooth first perform- ances for which Harry Manners, the director, has been responsible for on so many occasions was repeated. The casting was a. stroke of genius. Duffy and Smith are jointly respon- sible. The girls were true to indi- vidual type, and each gave a splen- did account of herself. Kay Ham- mond, the new leading lady, Is an acquisition, possessing a most infec- tious chuckle, and gave to the part that which it just needed. Viola Peach created a havoc. Before the end of the evening the laughs would come before she had the opportunity to finish her lines. The balance of the feminine con- tingent consists of Winifred Barry as Violet Day no, Madeline O'Brien as Sadie, Maude Franklyn as Trixie Andrews, Else Gray as Dolly Bax- ter, Helen Eby Rock as Gypsy Mont- rose, Eula White as Cissie Gray, Anne Douglas as Eleanor Montgom- ery and Anne Sutherland as Mrs. La marl All scored. Of the men, the leads, George Barnes and Robert Lowe, surely did do extremely well. Mrs. Barnes is fast establishing himself, and al- though the Bruce McRae part is sec- ondary to that of '•Jerry," Mr. Barnes scored again. Mr. Lowe is very well known in Washington, and ho gave another of his always con- sistently good performances. Of the others Guy D'Ennery, although a. little miscast, did very well, and Harry Shutan in his brief moment also got over. "The production of George Bosel was splendid. SOMERVILLE PLAYERS Boston. May 2. Clyde E. MeArdle's Somerville Players ore rapidly gaining a repu- tation as a real play nursery. The draw that these productions bring has been a surprise, especially where there Is direct metropolitan publicity resulting from plays writ- ten by men, of the type of Edward H. Crosby, dramatic editor of the Boston "Post," or William H. Mc- Masters, a local publicity exploiter. * MeArdle's latest move came In the form of a rural comedy in three acts written by Philip Sheffield, one of his company, giving him the lead and putting Harry Bond in a minor role for psychological reasons. It worked admirably, with a capacity floor opening night despite the ab- sence from the cast of Ann Hamil- ton, his leading woman. Shetlkld's play, which rejoices In the title of "Very Bright Green," was written under tho stress of a stock season, a handicap which he did not entirely overcome. The title refers to a young yokel named Green who has the reputation of being very bright, but a perpetual procrastinator who procrastinates to the extent of never having found time to look the word up in the dic- tionary. The plot revolves around a boot- legging brother of the yokel's sweet- heart, a chance to make a fortune with a preserve jar metal seal and the ultimate transition of the yokel into a dynamo of energy and suc- cess. The comedy \ H remarkably sound along conventional lines, In- cluding the accidentally intoxicated spinster, and the substitution of va- rious characters in *a locked room supposed to contain the bootlegger. The outstanding fault of the pro- duction is Its lack of a theme that could bring it to Broadway even if rewritten. McArdle gave it a reaj production, with some thickness stuff in his two sets, and as it stands it should prove an inexpensive buy for an alternate week in average stock companies and an ideal vehicle for pretentious amateurs, as it tarries in its nine characters no heavy dramatic ri - quirements. Sheffield should kei p at the game. Libbc varied nature backed up by attract- ive productions, for which he Is re- sponsible In conjunction with Harry Payton, the scenic artist. The Keeney company presented 'The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" last week. A standard stock bilk it served in good stead. The well-or- ganized aggregation, with all mem- bers experienced in their line, found little difficulty with the piece. A satisfactory production was built to back the piece, tho production end making a strong bid for favor. All the sets were built by the house staff under the direction of Rigal! and his assistant, Thomas V. Mor- rison, who joined tho company a few weeks ago and recently was appointed assistant director. Marie Louise Walker and Jack Roselcigh shared honors with the leading roles. Miss Walker is a titian-haired miss with a wealth of feeling in her work. Roseleigh has proved himself an asset to the com- pany nil season. His ability as a local drawing card has been para- mount in the success of the stock. The remaining members of the reg- ular company carried the other ably. Edward Farrell, a second man, who is making a bid to do leads, brought the Bob Berkeley role up to one of genuine impor- tance. Tom Morrison and Director Rigali gave full value in their mountaineer characters. Capable character work was also done* by Bernard Craney and Maxine Flood. The Keeney company, is- consid- ered a permanent feature of the Bay Ridge section. The companv has been kept intact and has won many friends'. The policy of late has been to present the newer pieces one week and standard stock bills the next. This has brought down the general average for. roy- alties and - appears to have ap- pealed to the clientele. ♦ Hart. around $7,100. The house closes Saturday. Academy dropped a little from last week and only did $4,000 on the week. The Smith Duffy players at the Academy of Music, Baltimore*-will close their Baltimore season Satur- day. After trying for eight years with excellent productions they have abandoned the hope of getting any money in Baltimore, for the summer at least. Following the run of "Abie's Irish Rose" for 12 weeks, they put on "East Is West," "Bird of. Paradise," "Clarence" and "Gold Diggers." The first show did fairly well, hut patronage fell off until the "Gold Diggers" opened. The first week It did about $6,500, but patronage is off this week, and the determination to close Saturday was made early in the week s Kay Hammond, the lead- ing woman, gbes to the President, Washington, to play leads there, while David Herblin, leading man, was also taken to the Capital City. "ABIE'S" BEC0RD Pittsburgh, Pa., May 2. After a bad week, less than $2,500. Marguerite Bryant Stock Players closed Saturday at the Lyceum. Originally billing "The Sign on the Alan Pollock at the Alcazar, San Francisco, has not lived up to the expectations t of the management of that house and his six weeks' en- gagement was cut short to .four. Pollock opened in "A Bill of Divorce- ment" and pulled an average busi- ness for three weeks. Then he put on "The Pinch Hitter which it was thought wodld go the remaining three. The comedy failed to hit and was takfn off after one week. Louis Bennisbh, who had be^en readying himself to follow Pollock a couple of weeks hence, was called to speed up and he opened Sunday in "Lawful Larceny.** • Bennison is an old Al- cazar favorite, having played there for years in stock prior to invading Broadway-. George Marshall is switching his players fibout from house to house in Washington. This week one may be at the Belasco and the next pro- duction at the Garrick will find this particular player in the cast. Marshall has a new leading man u- KEENEY PLAYERS "Trail of the Lonesome Pine' 1 June Tolllver Marie I,oui«e Walker John Hale Hick Ro«H« l»,'h JU-b B*Tkil. y hMwanl Farrell l ntle Hilly JU-an Uornnnl Crane) <"e Hon Maxine Flood .Tu«ld Tolllver Tih.iu;ih V. Morrison Dave Tolllv.r tlfred I.. Kigali IjorHiy Tolliver Margaret Ifawkina Cal Hefl'.on Anhur U< II • Tho Keeney Players at tho Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, are terminating their season within a few weeks. Tho stock has been playing foi several months, creating a favor- able Impression in one of Brook- lyn's foremost residential sections The company recently changed di- rectors, Alfnd L. Kigali, a regular member since the start of the sen son, taking over the direction Bigali has done well with the or- ganization, presenting plays of a mar. Last summer, when Jessie Bonstelle who has maintained a company here for 16 summer*, took occasion to lampoon the locals) for their Jack of patronage, and threat- ened to quit the town, most Buf- falonlans failed to ha alarmed. It appears now that Miss Bonstelle was in earnest, Inasmuch as de- spite overtures she has passed up Buffalo for other engagements. It is understood that several stock managers have been making in- quiries, hut nothing definite has ma- terialized. ' The company under the manage- ment of William O Neil, opening Friday at the Playhouse, Wilming- ton, Del., recruited by Pauline Boyle, includes Ann McDonald, William Townsend, Jessica Paige, Hamilton Christy, Russell Brice, Prank Kirk, EJeanor Du Bois, Helen McLane, William Little and Frank Blondell. O'Neil will manage and direct the company the opening bill being "Wedding Bells." Gladys George, leading woman of the Wilkes Players, scored a real triumph at the Denham, Denver, last week as Angy Rose In "Old Lady 31." Miss George has here- tofore played only comparatively lighter parts. As Angy Rose she re- vealed unsuspected powers and depths of feeling from a dramatic standpoint. Local critics com- mented on her fine acting. The play was well received. The Lyceum Players will open at the Lyceum, Rochester, N. Y., May 14. Wanda Lyon will be leading Woman. Louis Salhern will be lead- ing man. Others include Leonard Mudie, Ann Andrews, Gavin Muir, Jean Ford, Cecil Yapp. Harry Plimmer will be director and % play roles, as will Mabel Colcord. George Cukor will assist Mr. Plimmer and Ascar Maine, scenic artist, for the past four years, will return. Henry Hull, engaged to play the lead in "The Man Who CaipeJJack" with the Alhambra Players, Brdok- lyn, is to play the engagement on a percentage, the stock star receiv- ing 10 per cent, of the gross. He requested the percentage arrange- ment In preference to a salary for the one w£ek. HARRY L. KNAPP DRAMATIC EDITOR PHILADELPHIA •INQUIRER" The dean of the dramatic editors of the entire country, who has occupied that desk on the Philadelphia "Inquirer,"'for more than thirty years. Trior to that. Mr. Kn.ipp had been on the road with an opera company, acting as stage manager. For the past four years, he lias been chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Motion Picture Censors, but Isn't '"'agging particularly about that. Despite Knapp Is of th«> Censor Board, he still claims the friendship of every man on Vine Street (the film row of Phllly). Mr. Kn*app will \<> : sixty' \« ,ii s of .Ige May 22, and is still going good. (The fburteenth picfiih 6hd Irtif shctcli of the dramatic editors of tho country.) •' Two summer shows, one under canvass and the other to play in halls through Maine, will be put out by Frank Cosgrove. The tent show managed by Leonard T. Meehan will have Jerry Sullivan, Coley Car- roll, Emily Seymour, Bower Sisters, Len Meance, with Sunklst Jazz Boys and eight chorus girls. De Wolf Hopper's company is leaving the Shubert, Newark, this week. They did well at first, but business has fallen off badly. The attraction was advertised for six weeks and has run five. Next week "Liza" will play the colored show. The Shuherts intend to pfft musical stock in later. Jack W. Lewis and Mabel Has- tings, who have been with the Maude Feeley Stock company in Newark all season, closed last week. Mr. Lewis will spend the summer at his mother's home in Canton, Ohio. Miss Hastings will be In one of Al H. Woods' New York companies next season. The E. F. Albee slock, which opens at the Alhambra, New York, May 7, will be directed by Thomas Coffin Cook. The cast for the open- ing, "Lawful Larceny," has Wilmer Walter, Paula Shay, Ralph Sprague, Laura Gade, Lorraine Bernard and Homer Miles. The Brockton Players City, Brockton, Mass., are ing "The Merchant of with Kdward Waldmann engaged for this week. Ruth Amos and Robert Gleckner are also mem- bers of the Casj.. at the present- Venice" specially Door." the show opened with "liruthrr Against Brother" without changing the billing. On Thursday, with business very poor, it was de- elded to close the show. "Planta- tion Days," a colored show, waf hurnrledly booked for a return en- gagement. "Abie's Irish Rose." at the Pitt Is still doing capacity, $15.coo. Th< billed for next week all Pittsburgh rec- show is already tnd will break .: ds for a run. Gayety, with Lena Dab's "Broad way Brevities," did good business, this week in Frank Conray. Eileen Wilson, former leading woman for the President Players, in return- ing to Washington, but this time With a Marshall company (Garrick). She is being featured in the advance billing with John Cumberland Jov •The Wh«»lc Xown's Talking,"* next week. < For the first time in 16 years, Buf- falo will probably be without a stock company during the coming sum- Walter Plimmer, Jr., has closed with the Theatre Guild of Freeport, L. I., as hading man. He will play a one week special engagement ii "East is West" at the Lyceum, EI- mira and may go into pictures after that. .— / The Jessie BonSttllS stork at the Harlem opera house, opening Mon- day, will have Wilfred Lytell n« leading man, with others Marie Curtis, Pauline Krell and Claude Kimball. "The Second Mrs. T;.n- yueray" in the opening bill. Tin* Goldstein Brothers will open a summer stock in the Colonia Pittsfield, Mass., early this month Then again will be two companie: in the city. Lansing Earnest b TWO MUSICAL STOCKS ■ ■ 0 Shuberts Placing Them at Newark snd Brooklyn The Shubei-tu are entering the musical stock field this summer, Two houses In the metropolitan district will take on, tho warm weather policy, the Shubert, New- ark, and the Majestic, Brooklyn, the latter one of the subway cir- cuit houses. Newark will be the first to open, scheduled to debut May 21, with the Majestic a week later. Each house will play at $1 top. Lawrence J. Anhalt, former les- see and manager of the Park> New York, is in charge of the Shuberts musical stocks and is casting each company. Anhalt was manager of the Casino early this season, switching to the <*th Street when "Sally, Irene and Mary" moved there.' The shows to be given in the sub- way stock theatres are of the operetta division. Those chosen for presentation include "The Choco- late Soldier," "Firefly" and "Naughty Marietta." manager Of the Union Square Thea- tre Players, Pittsfield. The Charles K. Champlin travel- ing stock will end its season May 12 in Haxleton, Pa. The company will not appear as a permanent stock during the summer as orig- inally contemplated. • The new stock which opened at the Van Curler, Schenectady, N. Y., last week includes Ruth Robinson and Harry Hollingsworth, leads; Nan Crawford and Marie Hodkins. Marjorie Foster and Arthur Chat- terdon head the Poll stock to open May 7 in tho Court Square, Spring- field, Mass. Henry P. Menges is manager. "East is West" first show. Kenneth Fox, formerly a special writer on one of the New York dailies, has been signed as leading man for the Joe Payton stock, open- ing May 14 at the Lyceum, Elmira. Vaughan Glaser is booking a com- pany in New York for the Fay Courteney Stock Co.,"which will open at the Hanna, Cleveland, May 28. Charles W. Dingle, leading man with the Casino Players, St. John's, Newfoundland, has been confined to a hospital in that city for several weeks due to an attack of typhoid. Kendall Weston, director; Alma Powell and Fred Hargraves, left the Leonard Wood, Jr., stock at ths Palace, White Tlains, N. Y., this week. The Jeanne Lewis Stock Co., now playing the Lyric, Houston, Texas, will occupy the theatre in Cycle Park, Dallas, for the summer. Notice for the closing of the Keeney Players, at the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, was posted last week. The company may continue on a week-to-week basis. The Barry McCormack stock ends at the Fulton O. H., Lancaster, Pa., in two weeks. A possibility exists the engagement will be extended. The Williafn Augustin stock closed Saturday in Framingljam, Mass. The same company will re- open. May 14 in Taunton. The Poli Stock In Worcester, Mass., this week is presenting "Fit- ter "Patter" with a chorus of local girls. Will Gregoryi stock manager, operating in the west for several years, returned to Xew York last week for a visit. A dramatic stork is at the Re- gent, Muskegon, Mich. Htllman's sto<-k is at the Oliver,, South Kind, Indiana. The Stanley JameS stock in Man- chester, N. 11.. closes in two weekp. The "company .has been playing since the start of the season. The Aborn opera ■unpany opened .. stock engagement this week at he Majestic, Dallas. Texas, an In- .Mate vaudeville house. The stork at tho Freeport «I> 1 '• heatre, closed hist week. Powers, .Grand Rapid*, has d>. natic stock. It began Ai»ril 2'J.