Variety (July 1923)

Thursdayi July 18, 1923 LEGITIMATE S-" 15 REP SHOWS Wni BE WATCHED; P. M. A. AFTER REP PKATES ,^y>^ ..f*i '-.#V /^ JFifteen High ClaM Rep Companies Out of Hi^idredt in All—''Big Four'' Average About $20,000 Profit ^' Each During Season S n, .4 . Repertory companies will be watched closely this season fdr piracy, according to the plans of the Producing Managers' Association .^mmittee assigned to that matter. It is claimed the most flagrant lift- fng and use of material and plays Iflthout payment of royalty occurs iu the rep fleld. but it appears a natural law for rep pirates to circle ■It season with no proflts on hand. > There arc about 15 high class Repertory companies . listed, they paying from $300 to $1,&00 royalty for each play for the season. Of that group are four leading reps getting the pick of the releases and paying'"belwe6n $4,000 and |5,000 royalty for their complete programs. The average rep, however, expends less than liulf that. A program of seven plays Is necessary, for, al- though performances are generally confined to six evenings weekly, an additional attraction is needed fbr special matinee p-irposes, or for sub- slltution when local authorities may cen.sor a proposed play, i No actual count of the ^cftal num- ber of rep companies has been made, but there are hundreds of such or- ganlzationH. The "big four" are the Merkyle-Harder Co., Charles Ros- ham, Charles Champlin and Joseph Payton. For organizations of that kind the seasonal pcoflt will run as high as 120.000, while the average tor others is around $5,00(1. . ^ Last year v/as claimed to have been a losing one for a number. The better known reps In addition to the leaders include the three Wlnnlger Brothers. All operate shows In the same territory (middle west), but offer a different style of attraction. A fourth brother Is Charles Wln- nlger, actor and husband of Blanche Ring. Also listed as flrst grade reps are the Beach-Jones Co., E. O. Gifford, Clint and Bessie Robblns, Julie O'Brecht, Ralph Emmerson's boat show and Hilda Morgan, a coast company. The rep ason prope; la closed, but reopens In August, extending from 20 to 40 weeks, according to the organization and territory. The "big four" play preliminary seasons by securing houses for a month and pves>ntlng their programs the same as stocks. Most reps use the- atres throughout the season, the ex- ceptions being In the west and south, where tents are frequently employed. It Is there most of the plracj Is lilleged.to occur. H. B. HERTS, LEGATEE Left Ons-Third Life Interest in Mother's Estate *.•"•_■ V»^,! REPS FRAMING ROUTES Four Organizations Get Underway Around Labor Day—Allen Forming Four recognized ropai'toire com- panies playing week stands are hav- ing their routes arranged for next season. The Charle.s Champlin Co. will open at Freehold, N. J., August 27; Merkle-Harder, Hudson, N. T., September 3. The Chicago Stock Co., under the^ management of Charles Rosskam, at present ap- pearing at Liewiston, Me., as a per- manent stock, opens a New England road tour Labor Day (September 8) with the Joseph W. Payton rep show starting its season In Penn- sylvania on the same date. Billy Allen is organizing two mu- sical comedy stocks fo^ the road next season, the company headed ^y himself oi>ening a week stand tour in Minnesota Septemlor 3. The second company presenting musical tabs will have Hal Kitcr as it.s featured member. The Bob Ott Musical Comody Co. will lak** to the road in Now l''nt;land Soptom- ber 3. ■^XIGKT WINES" COMPANY "The fJoo.l old ixi.vs," whiih A. H. Wo;).l.s will present at tlio Uio.ul- bur.st, New York, Aiy^usl C. will • I'vc Charlie Wiwnin^cr, (Icoriro I'.ickel ;»nl Mathildf Coltr.lli foat- " ured. Others are Charles Malhor.s. Thomas Fee. Stuart Wilson. .Tohn Junior and Ch.uU'.s Unviran. The ploc*» playod In Chicago as ' lii«ht Wine.H and Itoer." The will and two codlclli left.by Flora Stiner Herts, widow of Isaac H. Herts, and mother of Henry B. Herts, known In theatrical circles, who died June 26 at'her late home after a short Illness, fllM for pro- bate this week In the Surrogate's Court. New York, directs her es- tate of "over 110,000" In personalty, after all debts are paid, to be di- vided as follows: Edwin A. Gruntal, son-in-law, "in consideration of the love and affec- tion I bear for him, and as a mark of my ap2>reciation of the service he has rendered me in the manage- ment of my property and affairs," and Barbara and Peter Herts Grun- tal, grandchildren, nil three of Hnrtsdale, N. Y., each |500. Temple Kmanuel, Fiftii avenue and 43d street, |500, In trust, for the care, of the plot of herself and late husband at tke Salem Fields Cemetery, and an additional $300, In trust, for the care of the plots of "her parents and the little children in the seme cemetery. She next said: "I give and bequeth certain ar- ticles of my jewelry contained in packages'in my safe deposit vault to each respectively of the per- sons whose namey are written upon the said packages." • The remainder of her property she divided equally between her three children, Florine H. Gruntal, of Hartsdale, N. Y., Henry B. Herts, of 137 West 74th street, and Edwin Jay Herts, of 2345 Broadway. The daughter's share is to be given to her, absolutely, and that of the sons are to be held In trust during their lifetime and when they die the principal of each fund la to go to their sister, Mrs. Gruntal. ab- solutely. Although the share intended for Edwin Jay Herts was left in trust for him for life, Mrs. Herte made also a special provision for him. She said: "But If my said son, Edwin, shall marry a person of respectability, according to the opinion of my e&Id daughter, Florine, then and there- upon the trust as to said last men- tioned third of my salU property shall cease and determine and the princij;)al of said third share there- upon be paid over to my said son, Edwin, outright." This son, together with his sister, Mrs. Gruntal, and the Farmers' Loan A Trust Company, without bonds, are named as the executors, and the Farmers* Loan A Trust Company as trustees of the es- tate, under the documents which will come up for probate August t. Isaac H. Herts, who was 70 years old. died January 11, 1»18. WOODS'NINE ProdwoM' Hm Good Looking OpMtlna LM A. H. Wooda' prodaetloa program will be led aff with nine productions, six spotted OB Broadwar, etartlnff early next month and extending to mid-September The flrat to open Is "The Good Old Day«~ (formerly "Light Wines and Beers"), at the Broadhurst. Aug. t; "Tha Whole Town's Talking^ opens at the Bijou Aur f; "Red Ught Annie" will go into the Morosoo Aug. Sd; Bltinge will light up Labor Day with "The Woman on the Jury"; "The Next Cor^r" Is slated tor the Empire (though there is a question to the booking, at present dated for Sept. 4). That also applies to "Cavanova'' tentatively set for the Selwyn Sept. 17, but dependent on the run of the current "Helen of Troy, N. Y.** There are three Woods plays which have not been assigned thea> tres. They are "Roads Together," with Marjorle Rambeau; "As the Clouds Roll By," with Jlelen Mac- Kellar. and an untitled piece for Pauline Frederick. / PITOU'S STARS Eleanor Robson, Elsa Ryan and Fiske O'Hara for Next Season Eleanor Robson in "The Rejuve- nation of Aunt Mary" is in the cards again for the coming seasoi^. Augustus t^Hiou will agaUn manage her. .'-^T"^'". —'"-■ Under the Pitou management next season there are to be two new pro- ductions which will be utilised for the presentation of Fiske O'Hara and Elsa Ryan. The former is to be presented Ir a distinct Innovation In the form of a modern play for it singing Irish star. DeWitt Newlng, who wrote "The Love of Shoeshong," probably the most successful 3tock play ever penned, has written the new O'Hara vehicle, which Is to be entitled "The Jack of Hearts." The prolog and epilog are laid in Ireland with the three acts of the piece tak- ing place in Greenwich Village, New York. The songs for/ the star are to be the worlf of Florence Fink and George H. Gartlan. Elsa Ryan's new vehicle Is as yet unnamed. Last season she scored lA "Intimate Strangers" and the new play is to get under w&y soi^e time In October. >r. LEGIT ITEMS "The Broken Wing" set to music is more apt to open in the east than west as nrst Intended. Ballard MacDonald and Harry Carrall will give It the lyrics : nd music. * Garrett Cupp has opened a free lance publicity bureau at 140 West 42nd street. New York. ELMER F. ABBOTT MlSSma Boston, July 11. The police* are trying to And sonve trace of Elmer Frankel Abbott. 18- year-old actor, missing from his home in Reading for three weeks. The search for him has been con- ducted through the radio. Abbott had been with ihe Knick- erbocker Stock, and the early part of the summer started out with an original venture with a troupe of wandering players, visiting popular resorts to play at carnivals and so- ciety events. The company had an elaborate automobile truck for tran.sportinp the p'aycrs, props, i^tage and scen- ery, but wont bad at Colebrook. N. H.. three weeks ac;o. Some of the memb?rs have returned, but they arc not known to the boy'.«i parents, and all their effort.*! to n;«*t some trace of Iboir son have failed. . "EABTHQUAKE" CLOSED William A. Hrady. .Irs flfst legit i-^ rnito i»rodii(tion. "The lOarthquake."' by TlK'odore Licbler, clo.««ed la.st week at Asbury Park, after having boon fuit t'l''"*' w.-r-lcH. It i.s reported tliat it i.s to be re- written and Kent out again In th/* Xall ',..,. > / "Cuddle Me," a musical piece un- der the management of O. B. \V'ee, Is being routed over the one-night- ers. The company will ihclud« 3S people. • ...:.» a--jv^i;->:-*>■, ,;:■ The single company of "Good Morning, Dearie," being organised for the road next season will play a route taking Ir. from one-nighters to week stands. The show will >j carry 62 people. Including a chorus of 20 girls and six men. William A. Brady will x>rganis#: three companies of "Up She Goes'* ^ for the coming season. An effort will be made to secure as many members of the original company 4 for the Chicago engagement Ktart-j, ing in September.* One road com- pany o fthe piece will^ be placed in rehearsal during Octot>er and a one- night stand organisation started around the holidays. ^ Harry D. Kline who managed "Polly Preferred' last season left town Monday for & month's vaca- tion. "Walker Whiteside who closed his tour to the coast in "The Hindoo" returned to New York this week and is to leave shortly for BJtirope. Fred Mayer, formerly manager for A. H. Woods attractions Is now located at Fresno, Cal., where he has purchased and is managing the St. Francis Hotel. Clarence e. boyrin Dramatio EditOTr Richmond, Va. ''Evening Dispatch* Clarence ISL Boykin is probably the youngstot dramatks crltlo on. a regular dally paper in the country. He is only twenty-four years of age. and already has nine years of newspaper experience to his credit. He slnrted as a ^reporter on the Richmond ."Ehrening Journal" in 191G, with Col.'A. B. Williams as editor, and being appointed dramatic critic In August of 1918. remaining in that capacity when the "Evening Journal" was purchased by the "Tlmels-Dispatch" in 1920. Hs then handled the dramaUe theatrical pages ott the "Times-Dispatch" and the "Bvnlng Dispatch." . * % Later he was a reporter on the "News Leader" from May. 1921. to January of last year, returning to the "Dispatch" as critic and reporter. • He has dabbled in all lines of newspaper work from cartoons to editorials, but claims to be one of the few that have refrained from writing a play or a novel and has survived the circumstance. Boykin admits to a penchant for musical comedy and a falling for a personable chorus; also that he has never discovered a decadence of the drame^ adding that be does not contemplate any investigation along that line. (Thi§ it the ttoenty-ttUrd of the teriea of pictures and brief tketchea 0/ the dramatic edUore of the country.) GRAITJ, CmCT, HEEDS REPAIB Cincinnati, July 11. Alfred EL Aarons was here last week and arranged for renaodellng the Grand opera house, tak^n over last year by A- L. Erlanger. The old Havlin house Is In notoriously bad condition, which is blamed for keeping patronage away from the house. Actors-Salesmen. Summer Ides A number of stock actors have se- cured positions with a commercial concern as salesmen and canvas.sjrs to tide them over the summer. A «ood portion of the work Is in the smaller cities, many of whirh have «»tork rompanies. In addition to tlioir new duties the aVtors have found it quite easy to secure fobbing en- .q:aKemonts with the stock cor\n>an- ios. their stay In the different cities beinf; limited to about two weeks. allowing tb<rm-an opportunity to se- cure a one week engagement and ntjfnrient- time to take care of their other duties. Minnie Walsh Towne, comic opera and stage singer, left a net estate of $17,081.52 whe.i she died. April K, according to a transfer tax State appraisal of her property^ filed In the Kings County Surro- gate's Court, this week. Because of her failure to leave a will, this passes over equally between her two brothers and a ^ster, Alonso O. Walsh, of 419 Andover street. Lowell, Mass.; Lilian. A. Truslow, of 255 Penn street, and John T. Walsh, of 274 Hooper street, both 5f Brooklyn, the latter being the ad- ministrator of the estate. Ths gross value of the testate left by Mra Towne amounted to $18,258.35. "Gabette," a farce with music, produced several weeks by the Com- munity Players, Inc.. and shelved after two weeks on the road, has been taken over by new Interests which win put it Into rehearsal the latter part of this week. The piece has been revised and will Me staged by Stanley Royce. ZIEGFELD^S $57,000 SUIT Louis J. Cohen Issued Summons— Cisim Matter Settled. A summons on file In the New York Supreme Court diroloses a $57,000 claim by Louis J. Cohen against Florens Zlegfeld, Jr. No cause for action is stated and Cohen'fl attorney refused any Infor- mation, stating the matter has been settled. The summons asks for interest on the amount from Oct. 20, 1922. ''HORIZON'- BY FOREIGNER The tentative title of "Horizon" has been given to the play Lurlen I/chman, Its author, brought to New York from Paris A little hynflicate may produro the piece. Sam Shipman, Jack Curloy and Ceo. Mooser are talking It over, conferring with Mr. Lob- man. it was decided Mr. Shl|>man would have to adapt tbo play fur New York. LEPTWICH'S NEW REVUE Alexander Leftwlch, producing "Fashions of 1924" at the Lyceum, New York, opening next week, be- lieves that he is going to present something unusual In this per- formance, which is to have thirty scenes, and Is described as a "fore- cast revue." With manufacturing and smart tailoring and furrier as- sociates In the production It un- doubtedly will be a forecast of th4 modes of the coming year. Jimmie Hussey. who is under con- tract on a salary and percentage arrangement, is heading the cast of principals, while Arnold Daly, who has Just returned from Europe, and Marie Nordstrom are featured. Others of the principals are Edith Taliaferro, Carlotta Monterey. De Jarl, Florence Morrison, Ina Hay- ward, Manters and Kraft, Dlnarzade, John V. Lowe, Helen Levonne, Gene Delmont, Marlon Hamilton, and Evelyn Martin. With these Leftwlch is promising the "world's m(»st beautiful manne- quins" and "a super-speed young- Hter chorus." 8 YEARS PLAYING * FATHER" K. J. Carp««ntpr opens his "Bring- \nfi Up I'atbcr" company for a one- night stand tour Aug. 9 in Chicago. Walter \'crnon will be In his eighth season an "father with the hIiow. J. W. Clifford doing DInty. William K. Millftle will be in advance. The .show is rotited for 26 weeks « Chirrett Cupp, former advance man for the Shuberts and for a time . dramatic editor of "The Evening ■ Mail," has opened a free ance pub* llsity offlce In New York.