Variety (May 1923)

Thursday, May 24, 192S LEGITIMATE 11 ONE-NIGHT STAND INCREASE 'O OF 50 PEE CENT. PREDICTED ! '•■ Booking Sources Contradict Claim Small Stand Man- *+ agers Indifferent Because of Regular Picture Op- position—New York Endorsement Not Necessary .' ' Controverting: the claims of com- pany managers and agents attached to Broadway which tried one-night- ers, who stated small stand man- agers are indifferent about playing attractions because they hurt the regular picture patronage, booking sources say there will be at least 50 per cent. Increase in the number of Shows booked for the sticks over the season Just ending. The book- ing men believe a new era is due In the small stands or what is vir- tually a return to conditions before ''Broadway shows" were considered the neceasary thing. . It was conclusively proven this season that a New York endorse- ment is not necessary and if an entertaining show is offered it will get consistently profitable business. The "honky-tonk" days are passed. The road caljs for sho\Cmanship in any class of stand, but not for "old Clothes" or "dog" shows. , Some of the most .successful at- tractions in the one-nighters are never heard of in New York. Sev- eral are known to have averaged $1,000 nightly and the records prove they went to as high as $2,000 and over. A newspaper in a prominent industrial southern city commented on the fact that one of these lively winners never mentioned Broadway nor claimed to have come from there, but was a good entertain- ment, which was all that is re- quired. Small stand managerial opinion is. veering in that direction. Shows of the revue type are recognized to depend on the players and audi- ences even in the one-nighters were prone to draw comparisons to the substitutes. There is no such handi- cap attendant on the attraction Without a Broadway rep. From the show without the New York stamp the small stand does not demand too much, but $1.50 top can be gotten regularly and some stands .will support a $2 top. The advantages of attractions es- pecially designed for one-nght pres- entation over those with a metro- politan name are several and im- portant. The salary list is less; so are the royalties, and the attrac- tion can afford to play terms which erive the house a better precentage than usual and the attraction still make money. Also the general costs are such that any stand in sight can be played, even though not of big population. Complaints are now being regis- tered by small stand managers that patrons are "picking" the pictures they want to see, discriminating against those not widely exploited. That .condition is expected to crop tip all along the line and should make bookings of the new one-night ■hows welcome. The bookers state plenty of dates are available, with the exception of Sunday nights, when anything will draw in the one- night theatres whether second-class films or anything else. The rise of the specially made small stand productions has noth- ing to do with the proposal of a group of one-rtight managers to produce or direct their own shows. If that plan becomes operative it is likely the idea of presenting attrac- tions without big city reputations will be followed instead of buying Broadway titles. FOKINE STAGING "HASSAN" Malone & Grosssmith. the Lon- don managers, have engaged Fo- kine to stage for "Hassan" in the English metropolis early In Sep- tember. The Russian dance star has been here for several years, having been originally retained to direct the dances for Comstock and Gcst's "Aphrodite." DIXEY'S FRENCH PLAY "La Feme de Mon Ami" ("The Wife of My Friend"), by Mirende and Gerou*. Is to be produced this summer with Henry K. Dixey in the 1(1 "I Dixey will be financially in- terested in the venture. He is to appear In the benefit revival of "A B "ool f or Scandal." with the ' !, h coined) claimed to be 1 1 u"'- due ihortly afterw »rd. GEO. MARSHALL ROUGH TO VARIETY CRITIC Orders Washington Corre- spondent Out of Belasco Theatre, Washington Washington, May "23. George Marshall, manager of a couple of local stocks, assumed the airs of a metropolitan producer Sun- day evening at the Belasco, when he ordered Hardie Meakin, Variety's Washington correspondent, out of the theatre, following the second act of "The Bad Man" which the Marshall stock opened with that evening. Meakin visited the theatre in the usual course of his Variety work to review the stock performance. Two weeks ago he had ^witnessed the Marshall stock at the Garrick play the Emerson-Loos piece, "The Whole Town's Talking" as a try out for A. II. Woods. In his review of that play, published May 10 in Variety, Meakin handled it fairly but stated, much to Marshall's displeasure, that Gerald Oliver Smith had been mis- cast for It. Sunday evening Marshall started by addressing Meakin in,, the the- atre, demanding to know why he had stated Smith was miscast. Meakin courteously told Marshall why he had made the statement, Meakin not appreciating that Mar- shall thinks he is a metropolitan producer. Marshall replied he did not like Meakln's tact. Although Meakin could have objected to that opinion by Marshall as easily as Marshall objected to comment upon his crud- ities of production, Meakin obeyed Marshall when the latter ordered him out of the theatre, Meakin thereby suffering the loss of the re- mainder of "The Bad Man" per- formance by the Marshall stock. Opinion around is that operating two stocks simultaneously has gotten upon Marshall's nerves. Often one stock is sufficient to do that HELEN GILL'S SUITS Wants $5,000 from S. 3. Krellberg on Notes Helen Gill, picture and legit ac- tress, last in "Zeno" (Chicago), Is suing Sherman S. Krellberg through Samuel Schwartzberg, to recover $1,000 and $4,000 In two different suits filed In the City and New York Supreme courts. The money claimed due on notes arises from a $6,500 investment by Miss Gill in one of Krellberg's enterprises whereby she was to receive 20 per cent, of the proceeds of a film titled "Green Jade," which Krellberg contem- plated producing. The picture was never produced and Miss Gill had Krellberg indicted for grand lar- ceny. The jury was Impanelled and the trial was about to begin when Krellberg effected a settlement with Miss Gill, promising to pay back her money. The notes were issued, but never satisfied. Krellberg has been dab- bling in pictures for some time. Latterly he is reported to be a silent partner in "For Value Received" at the Longacre, New York, acting through his wife, Minnie. Miss Gill in private life is the wife of Dr. William F. Broadhead. EQUITY'S LAY-OFF PERIODS Equity has advised the Producing Managers' Association that for next season the Council has agreed to waive the "play <>r pay" obtuse in the contract for the week prior to Christmas and Kister, providing two weeks' work or the salary equivalent be guaranteed Immedi- ately following those holidays. The two lay-off week! attained this sea- son and last under similar condi- tions, but notice is given at this time, it is explained, so that book- ings for the coming season may be arranged accordingly. NO COLORED SHOWS FOR THIS SUMMER "How Come" Rolls Up Record Loss of $80,000—Ethiopian Art Did $3,500 in 2 Weeks Broadway will be minus coiored attractions this summer from pres- ent indications. Late spring found two sable "contenders, but both failed. The Ethiopian Art Thtatre, latest colored attempt, stopped at the Frazee Saturday, after two weeks of zero business. With "Salome" the first week, and "A Comedy of Errors" the second, the colored dramatic players did man- age to furnish copy for Sunday columns of the critics, but the total gross on the engagement was hardly over 13,500. with $1,800 of that the first week. "How Come" departed from the Apollo Saturday also, at that time having been here five weeks. The engagement was only by viriite of the attraction guaranteeing the house $4,000 weekly. "How ComeV business was never able to top $5,000, the gross weekly being a hundred or two less than that fig- ure. The show came in with a "nut" of over $60,000, to which was added extra expenditure for new costumes and other outlays. Although .sal- aries were cut, the lose leaves the show on the wrong side of the ledger to the tune of approximately $80,000, the largest investment In a colored show ever known. Last week the gross dropped to $3,800 and Ben Harris, the Newark man- ager, who backed the show, decided he had lost enough. The Ethiopian Art attempt to at- tract white patronage was never in- tended at inception. All of the col- ored attractions which have ven- tured away from the colored show shops have been under white man- agement, but the Frazee experiment, appears to have been the result of over-calculation or egotism. Last summer's colored tries on Broadway were all failures. The only attraction of the class which has been able to stick for a run this season is "Liza," which started at Daly's 63rd Street in the winter. It made some money uptown, but when it moved to the Bayes failed to draw, and was consistently un- der $5,000 weekly. On tour "Liza" is pulling excellent trade, mostly white patronage, though none of the colored attempts has been able to equal "Shuffle Along." "Liza" played two weelis, ending last Sat- urday, and averaged better than $12,500 for each. REINHARDT'S SPECTACLES AT MORRIS GEST'S CENTURY Hippodrome Lease Cancelled —Gest Again Hat Cen- tury— "Chauve-Souris" Profits $290,000—Moscow Art Theatre Quarter Million Ahead TREASURER NOT INSURER OF BOX OFFICE DEFICIT Higher Court Upholds Dis- missal of Arthur Hopkins' Complaint 7 BEST IN SYRACUSE Bahn on "American" Print* Hit Preferences of Season Syracuse, May 2$. With the current theatrical sea- son one week from its- termination Chester B. Bahn, dramatic editor of the Syracuse "American" has se- lected what he considers the seven best pjays locally presented. His selections include a production of each style, starting with the classic "Othello," presented by Walter Hampden, tragedy, "The Hurricane" by and with Olga Petrova; comedy, "The Circle" with five stars; mu- sical, "Blossom Time"; farce-com- edy, "The Goldfish"; comedy-drama, "Mister Antonio" with Otis Skinner, and melodrama, "The Green God- dess" with George Arliss. In commenting on the season's productions the reviewer's principal complaint Is against the usually large number of plays of a sordid nature. The foremost in this class were "The Field of Ermine," Mrs. Fiske's "Paddy" and "Ladies for Sale." TWO-SYLLABLE PLAY "Sun-t'p," a new play tried out in stock at White Plains, N. Y., opened at the Provinoetown Play- house last Wednesday night under the direction of the Flayer*. Inc.. In association with I#ee Kugel. The piece was written by Lulu Volltner, treasurer of the Garrick, who at- tempted something In the way of a novelty by confining all dialog to words of one and two syllable!. The affirming by the New York Appellate Division of the dismissal of Arthur Hopkins' suit against Nan Murphy who was in the box office of the Plymouth theatre, New York, during the run of "The Jest" clears ufl the question whether a box office treasurer is "an insurer" against financial loss of a show's receipts. . Hopkins held that Miss Murphy was responsible for the loss of over $3,900 during the runs of ''The Jest" and "Richard III" in 1919-1920. Miss Murphy's counsel brought out there were seven people handling the tickets and receipts of the theatre under the general super- vision of Brock Pemberton, then general manager for Hopkins. The lower court suBtained Miss Murphy's contention that there was no cause for action with the higher court up- holding the dismissal of the com- plaint. WARWICK WITHDRAWS Not Enough Publicity on Greek Theatre Engagement San Francisco. May 23. Robert Warwick has cancelled his engagement to appear with Mar- garet Anglin in her production of "Hippolytus" in the University of California Greek Theatre. War- wick had been engaged as Miss An- glin's chief support. He has been filling a limited starring engage- ment at the Fulton stock, Oakland, and the Anglin engagement was to follow his closing at the Oakland house. It is reported that lack of pub- Morris Gest is reported to have secured the Century, New York, again, this time under lease from the Shuberts and he intends stag- ing the Max Reinhardt productions there Instead of the Hippodrome, which was first selected. Gest actu- ally signed a lease for the Hip but changed his mind overnight, advis- ing an attorney who represent* downtown Interests associated with Gest to hold up the deal. Gest's return to the Century is something of a triumph. He with- drew from the big house on Central Park^ West after extremely un- pleasant exchanges with the Shu- berts. In offering the Century to Gest the Shuberts are said to have inti- mated they would like to see the Hip torn down, figuring the big house as opposition to all Broadway theatres because the house Is able to accommodate 10,000 persona a day In two performances. Under their own direction for the past two years the Shuberts have been unable to turn an appreciable profit with It and a probable loss exists. Gest and the Shuberts have since patched up their differences and it 1« understood the Shuberts* suggestion he take the Century brought about the shelving of the Hip lease. The latter called for a rental of $250,000 a year, plus taxes and the costs of alterations. Bern- hardt told Gest the proscenium arch would have to be moved back to its original position for the staging of "The Miracle," which was proposed as the first attraction. When the Century was taken over by the Comstock & Gest (the latter having direction of the house and productions) the lease called for $40,000 a year rent with half the profits going to the holding com- pany. The spectacle produced by Comstock & Gest are said to have hardly returned the cost of produc- tion and there were no actual prof- "Chu Chin Chow." the most its. successful in the big time shows mi moved to the Century from the liclty for Warwick precipitated the Manhattan. Then "Aphrodite" and t t- TT1_ ...l_. • »«HTrt^««»» .... _i . .r. „ _. break. His name was omitted on the paper put out to announce the production. Warwick Is said to have hurried to a telegraph office and dispatched a curt wire to Miss Anglin In Los Angeles* withdrawing from the pro- posed production. Later Warwick gave out a state- ment in which he said: "The contract into which I en- tered with Miss Anglin through her husband and manager, Howard Hull, provided that I should be fea- tured at all times except In what- ever natural publicity was secured from special writers during the time preceding the production. "Until Monday that clause was fulfilled. Since Monday, however, there has been nothing. I saw the manager today. He admitted my right to the feature position, but said he had omitted my name to save $400 or $500." Elwyn Harvey, lately In "The Demi Virgin," has been engaged for the Margaret Anglin company in the Greek theatre. MISS STONE'S LEGIT DEBUT Dorothy Stone, daughter of Fred Stone, will make her professional debut as a featured player with her famous father, in a new play now being wriften by Jerome Kern and Anna Caldwell, for Broadway pres- entation next season. Miss Stone obtained some experience this sea- son through appearing at intervals in "Tip Top" while on the road. Charles Dillingham wiil produce. Kern and Miss Caldwell ar- also making- musical ver*fonq of "The Fortune Hunter," "Merely Mary Ann." and "The Life of the Pari fur the Dillingham oi'i Mecca" were staged. Gest also staged midnight revues on the Cen- tury roof and his activities while not financially winners established the house. The Shuberts bought the Century in 1920. but under a rental arrange- ment "Mecca" was staged the fol- lowing year. The purchase price was quoted at $2,000,000. Most of the investment is said to have been made by outsiders, the Shubert* putting in $100,000 of their own money. The holding company then leased tho structure to the Shuberts. They have practically used the Cen- tury for cut rating of attractions moved there after Broadway run* Gest was really not long away from the park house. Last summer he moved the sensational "Chauve- Souris" from the 49th street to the Century Roof. It ran through the summer and was closed three weeks ago after playing 65 weeks. The roof house was rented on the basis of $500 weekly, though Lee Shubert Is credited with having a 25 per cent, interest "Chauve-Souris" is quoted making a profit of $290,000. The Moscow Art Theatre, also a Gest venture, which winds up its American engagements at Jolson'w 59th street next week (return two week date), is reported having made almost as much money. The profit* for the first four weeks were $lft.t.- 000 and to dato the attraction is a quarter of a million to the goo.l The Russian dramatic show estab- lish^! a new high gross record for non-musical attractions by pulling over $45,000 the first week. T'.ie scale of V> obtained throughout in- cluding, the Chicago. Philadelphia and isoston rt.'ites. LEWIS-PEARSONS REVUE Sam Lewis and Sam Dody have signed contracts with Arthur Pear- ion and Ted Lewis to lu-.id a sum- mer revue which they will produce it go<»s Into rehearsal June i« "Why Not?" Left After Three Weeks Chicago May S3. "Why Nol '" Bqultj th >w en I I iI \'<>w .-i ,' Satui i iy. The Show W J.s here tin.- \\ .•>■!.<• w II li x .;< •! • >rapan-y, w pll like l tmf in ould noi u ■ m i ' Relnhardl Is due back here in the f ill. though definite production plan* <!•• not made "The Miracle" is the most likely candidate. Rcinh trdt may undertake the direction .->f A ' md :md One Nights." the I'Veneh -[».•. tact* which Gest h ■# !>.-.-M desirous of doing frtr come time It is i v u: itlon of the Blu • ■ i tor) With i ih'im ir j .% h i ii mid ire ?i >uped.