Variety (August 1923)

•IMMMMAAH^4A'yf (l*<A'«»<'A«.^>(VA«/l«A^,t (iWA'M'tit'rt •r ,,w.»..v.^*n-/i<A-A.A.,w.v..M^,^^^^^^4,;,A*,,,»^^^,^^^^,„y..,,,.„ LEGITIMATE Thursdf y. August 16, 1924 SHOWS IN N. Y. AND COMMENT $27,000 LAST WEEK IN FRISCO FOR JANE COWL » I I Fiourct estimated and commant point to soma attractions being successful, while the same gross accredited to others might suggest mediocrity or loss. The variance is explained in the difference in hoyse capacities, with the varying overhead. Also the size of cast, with consequent difference in necessary gross for profit. Variance in business neceesary for musical attraction as against dramatic play U al^o considered. > ., , Marjorie Rambeau's New Piece Ditf $8,500—Duncan Sisters in 5th Week eot $12,500 •*Ab«e's Irish Rose," Republic (65th week). AVith.one pcvformanoo out Friday night this aitrartlon got slightly under $8,000. ♦'Adrianne,'* Cohan (12(h week). In on stop limit of $14,000 for two He<»ks hand running. Last week, with one performance shy. ran lit-. tie over $12,000, which made it av- ♦^rage over ihe stop limit, although lowest receiptB show has had to date. Cool weather believed will luring this one back into real money . class with a rush. , v •Artists and Models,'* Shubert (Ist week). Was to have opened to- night. The brokers haven't made a buy In advance as yet. •Aren't We Ail," Gaiety (18th week). - House Full" sign on door every mght. Last week bufiines.s ran in neighborhood of $10,000. ♦•Children of the Moon," Comedy (let week). Was to have opened -Tue.sday night, but postponed. •Dew Drop Inn," A.stor <3d week). On final lap before starting for road. Last week under $S.500. •Follies," New Amsterdam (63d week). With five weeks to go .-ifter record run slill playing to . standing room. Trifle l>etter than $31,000. ''Good Old Days," Broadhorst (1st week). Opened Tuesday. **M«»e- of Troy. N. Y.," Selwyn (9th wtk). Going to stick, according 10 those most vitally interested.. Thpy feel certain that cool weather will send the offering over as win- ner of proportions. Little under 11 1.000 last week. "in Love With Love," Ritz (2a week). Looks like one of most liromisin^ offerings of early crop. With anything like weather break Mhould land. I^st week $7,000. ^Little Jesse Jan^s." Longacre (1st week). Opened last night, with .advance reports from out of town favorable. •Merton of the Movies," Cort (40th \reek). Droppe<l little last week, J,'ottln^f around $8,000, but look real Itr'.Tce this week and right back in running again. Looks like It will go along with best of new ones when season gets (inder way. "Newcomers," Ambassador (2d week). Everyone said this might have been real show if about an hour had bef n cut out of o|)fning performance. Started weak, and outlook is that it will hardly remain over three or four weeks longer. •Not So Fast," MoroBco (13th week). Final week. Weather worst of Ninnmer, only to be forced out now going looks to be getting good again. Around $6,100. W^oods' "Red Light Annie" next Monday. •Passing Show," Winter Garden < 10th week). One doesn't quite get real line on this "Passing Show" ezc^t brokers have to push their allotment of seats to get rid of them. About $16,500 last week. ''Rain," Maxine EMliott (41st week). Still one of "demand" shows of town. Last week three perform- ances out. which left but live on week. Little over $7,200. •Seventh Heaven," Booth (42d week). Going along without sign of drooping; almost $10,000 last week. "Scandals," Globe (9th week). Lit- tle over $24,000. **The Breaking Point," Klaw (Ist w*H»k). Opens tonight (Thursday), with ticket stampe<t to effect that if It i5 not presented prior to 8.30 it will be void. "The Devil's Disciple." CaiTick (17th week). Hidden away off beaten iwth of theatre this piece of Shaw's still getting fair play, with rut rates lending great aid. "The Fool," Times Square (43d we«'k). Only this and next week remaining at house. Business helped during warm weather by fut ratt's. Firtal wt-tk sees nov- elty In presentation of each of road casts from nijrlu to night tiilinf^r out wrek. •The Mad Honeymoon,*' riayhous«» i:ii\ wiek). hoKis up ^^af^l^(iny and Kn*'aks to sto^t•holl^p, to make )0om for "We Mu«>t Have Money" next Monday. "Thwmbs Down," 49ili Street (2d we*k). Another one of new rrop afready doomed to retirement. Shuberts are looking for new at- traction for house. "Tweedles," Frazce (1st week). Opened Monday. Robert Mac- J^Tiighlln's first metiopoHt.-ln effort • .«9 producer. '•Two Fellows and a Girl," Vander- hi!t ifiih week). 'lebrge M. (?ohan s^'cniKt to have delivered another hit in this; around $10,500 last, week. '•Vanities," Ei»rl (^;»rn«:i (Hh w*ek> * C*tWh' h.T* l>ton ^J<iins t'orking f business with piece, and last week no exception, gross hitting Just under usual average. . "W»ldflower," Casino (28th week). Between $17,000 and $18,000 last week. Looks like it will run well into season. •Woman on the Jury," Eltinge (Ist week). Opened last night. "Zander the Great," Empire (19th week). Final two weeks, followed by Lowell Sherman in "Casanova" Aug. 27. Got around $5,000. •2eno," 48th Street (Ist week). Slip- pinj? in on gum whoes. No one knows whether it's here or it's coming. "Sun Up," Proylncetown. Pulling people dowli town from Broadway, and if little house had greater ca- pacity could do more business. Gets strong cut-rate play. CHICAGO mmm see ^T 1 y.«- M •/^■i;r \ •/ <'. v-' SIGNS OF GOOD NEW SEASON San Francisco, Aug. 15. Last week at the Curran Jane Cowl in "Romeo and Juliet" did $27,000. This huge gross was early indicated through t^ :> immense ad- vance sale for the Selwyns* star. Last week also the Duncan Sis- ters In "Topsy an*-Eva" at the Al- carar in their fifth week did $12,£00. "The Valley of Contempt," Mar- Jorio Rambeau'a newest, in its sec- ond week at the Capitol, did $8,500; 'If Winter Comes," the Fox film at the Columbia, did $7,200: stock at the Casino play'ng "Paid In Full' drew $5,000. Current attractions are holdovers, excepting at the Capitol, vhere Nance O'Neill Is playing in her first ^k: "The White Villa" and the Casino stock doing "George Wash- ington, Jr." N MUFFING MANY COHANS HOSIE '..T'r.-'^.-t:- r..: . •<;■ v.. :<' . 1-' U ••! Everything Did Business Last Week at the Hub— Plenty of Boston Money for Night Shows— "Rosie'' Pulled $245,000 in Past 12 Weeks Boston. Aug. 15. Plenty of money is available in Boston for the right show, and unless the balance >f August tnrhs hotter than July, those who had courage enough to come in will win. Cohan's "Rosie O'Reilly" has pulled $245,000 in the past 12 weeks at the Trcmont and "The Covered W4gon," at the Majestic, is credited ^ith close to $125,000 in the same period. The Ted Lewis "Frolic," which opened cold at the Shubert, Satur- day, Aug. 4. got around $12,400 last week, and "Sally, Irene and Mary," at the Wilbur, opening Aug. 6, did around $15,700, a whale of a busi- ness at a $2.50 week-night top for Boston raid-summer. The Erlangcr interests seem con- tent to leave the Cohan show with a clear field, planning to open the Colonial, Sept. 3, with "Lullaby" with Florence Reed, and to keep the Ilollis dark until the end of Septem- ber. The Selywn opens Sept 3 with "Running Wild." The Shuberts will open their fourth house, Plymouth, nexf Monday with Walter Scanlan In "The Blarney Stone" and expect that "Sally, Irene and Mary" will play at least through Thanksgiv- ing. The Lewis show will Jump from here to Baltimore. Cohan, for the first time In' the Itist four years, will have opien time ahead of him for fall with his sum- mer show and there Is no thought of moving Into New York until Oc- tober. Burlesque broke into its season Monday at the Old Howard (Mu- tual) with a glorified tab and the Casino and Gayety (Columbia) open next week and the following week respectively with every expec- tation of an exceptional year, due to tho exceptional prosperity of the skilled trades all through New Eng- land. ' A number of New York managers .and professionals have made Bos- ton during the past couple of weeks and have made the Cohan show the subject of much spe^nilation. Their angle Is that New Yorl; will howl over some of Colian's stuff that Boston apparently is muffing. There is a satirical vein running through the oroduction In which one character in a role that Cohan miRht well have written with him- .s«.'lf in mind, consistently and pro- gressively kids the plot along and foinj)liiiicnts the author on the silu.itlons. Brooklyn is al^o kjd0.^d to death in several places, stuff th.'it Is lost In Boston, but ap- parently will please .New York. Tv.o profe.Hsionalf, ono i picture actress, laughed f^o loud at stuff that Bof^ton wa?: p;.>.-ir 5 up that an ush^r had to reinlr.u them that the natives didn't ktiow 'vliy they were 'aiifthlng. "The Rise of Roeie O'Reilly," Jirmont (13th wce^>., Vi;«ippeitl to ,uuun«l, ,$IMOO hic^ ivcrk.due W> no Friday performance. Has been bit- ing above $20,000 in a house scaled at around $24,000 full w^ek ca- pacity. Apparently good for another two months, and a sister to "Mary," "The O'Brien Girl" and "Littlo Nellie Kelly." Ted Lewis' "Frolic," Shubert (2nd week). Opened to a $2,700 Sat- urday night premiere without even a dress rehearsal and did around $12,400 last week while still In ragged shape (out-of-town reviews). Advance sale promising and a fair Monday night this week with an excellent weather break. 8ally, Irene and Mary,*' Wilbur (2nd week). $15,700 last week, its draw being 9, surprise even to the optimistic. No particular exploita- tion. Predicted as good until after Thanksgiving. NANCE O'NEILL OPENS m% PUY IN FRISCO Plays Neurotic Woman With- out Strong Emotional Scene —Disappoints Coast City San Francisco, Aug. 15. Nance O'Neill opened her season here this week at the Capitol, play- ing "The White Villa," new to the coast. Its theme is rather daring, buirt around the vagaries of a neurotic woman, and the treatment is exceedingly frank. The piece Is talky with little ac- tion. Miss O'Neill has a fine play- ing role, but disappointing, inas- much as it has no cyclonic, emo- tional scenes, with which the name .f Nance O'Neill has been identified. Alfred Hickman Is a husband with some assurance, but other than Ann McNaughton and Nan Harper, the remainder of the support Is mediocre. Miss O'Neill Is Elsie LIndtncr. who, after 20 years of married life, suddenly divorces her husband to live alone in an isolated villa on an island. The youthful architect who de- signed the villa falls in violent love with the divorcee, but she sends him away for eight months, re- maining alone in the house with only two female servants. The awful loneliness gets to her and Elsie finally sends for the architect. The youth returns, but with a dead passion. In all eager- ness Klsio throws herself at him, as his wife or mistress. The youth languidly ?eaves the choice to her, Heallzing he no longer loves her, Elsio .ig-iin eends him away, and her thoughts revert to the husband sho hs.lv»rt .'».'?lrte. He ha»d told her at V Last Week Had Surprising Jump in Business fnon Natives—Premieres Laid Out with Very """ " Conniction ■.... .;..».•. i .,--■' (Chicago, Aug. 15. It happened because—guess the folks are really hungry for legit en- tertainment. The incident was the suddenness with which gross re- ceipts jumped the first part of last week. Wednesday's matinee and night trado was the banner figure of the summer season. Not a house of the four now opened escaped the surprise rush. Playgoers, easily dis- tinguished, as the loop's "regulars," came out of hiding and made the lobbies appear as If everybody had returned from summer vacations at the same time. Managers claimed tho scenes were a good omen in trusting that the '"regulars" will all be back for the big Influx of shows in another fortnight. The sorrowful period nationally indulged in on Thursday and Friday nights because of President Har- ding's funeral alone kept the four grosses in town from reaching sum- mer record figures. It doesn't take exceedingly high figures to gain this year's summer records, but In the increased -business over tho other weeks this sunuper the managers found excuse to become somewhat gleeful. "Whispering Wires" made a fine start at the Princeiv^. It's got the local field to Itself for dramatic honors^ for several weeks to come. After floating around for a number of weeks "Up the Ladder" finally reached a haven of definite decision as to when to depart from the Cen- tral. It goes to Milwaukee to open the Davidson Sept. 2. This will give "Up the Ladder" 23 weeks in Chi- cago, something that wouldn't have been believed after the piece was In its second week at the Playhouse prior to the transfer to the Central. The skillful manner which the finances for the Central play were manipulated is easily the theatrical managerial gem of the whole season here. "The Dancing Girl" has also picked Sept. 1 for Its farewell date. By the time this report is in print there is apt to be an attraction picked for the September weeks at the Co- lonial. Negotiations are now going on. but owners of musical shows which are the trademark for the Colonial are a trifle skeptical about moving in around Labor Day be- cause of the already extended list of musical attractions now scheduled for September bookings around town. If the flnal decision keeps the Colonial dark the first show for that house will be "The Music Box Re- vue." Quite an Impetus was given "The Dancing Girls' trade by the week's first half turnout. ''Abia's Irish Rom" Due "Dangerous People" weut close to its best week at the Cort after ex- periencing some meagre box-office buslne.ss. It's now certain that the Cort will hold "Dangerous People" desire to pW Cort is obUt£ -4 r" la noWTKI nci»T the parting that when she grew tired of living alone he would be waiting for her. The husband is ne*t to arrive when sent for. But the months have chilled him also. Ha tells his former wife of the girl of 19 he is engaged to marry. So Elsie advises him to slip away, too, leaving her to face a desolate future with some con- solation through lavishing her affec- tion upon a child she rescues from the gutter. $12,000 AT HASON, L. A. Los Angeles, Aug. 15. Margaret*Anglin» in "A Woman of No Impcytance," is playing her second week at the Mason, with the outlook for decidedly wholesome business. On the first week the at- traction drew better than $12,000. The star will remain for a third week. Business in the stock houses is uniformly good, while a Mexican musical comedy playing a relmn at tho Auditorium is proving a poor draw. Was* Scale Keeping Houee Dark ?:rie, Pa.. Aug. J 5. The Park, which has been play- ing legitimate attractions, will not operate this season unless the own- ers can lease the houso. N. C. Wagner, one of the owners, states that on account of a higher wage «»cale put In by ?5(ago hands for the ••omlng .*enson. ho and his avsori.xtes consider it fu-ile to oper- ate, «s they see no iv^iy of maMi^v en»ls meet. . , •,.•>■,..•'.■ ', ' ■ 1. ■' '; • ''1 1' I » t' ' ' \ for at least two weeks after labur Day. thereby keeping "Spiie Comer* away from the Labor Day ouenlng* Managers of "Abie's Irish RMe** are in town and they want to house tho Republic hit there. There ^WH have to be a vast change in the reading of the contract under which the owners of "Abie" desire u Chicago before the Cort able. "Spite Comer' Cort'B solid protection for' a new attraction following "Dangerous People." " The manner in whic'i i^a magnates are separating tie moAy premieres is helping the dram^Efo critics, "Up She Goes" has a cHar field Sunday with its opening at the i' 8tudebaM|r. "The Gingham GlJtr has no opposition for its Aug. 21 opening at the Qarrlck. "The Fool" . marches in for the unusj.-' !FVlda^ night premiere for Chicago, AuJ. 31. The first competition com^ Sept. 3 when "You and I" at tS Playhouse, "The Dancing Hpney- - moon' at the Apollo, and "TJJs Clinging Vine" at the Illinois will ha bunched. Seldom do the loMl critics give a musical preml^ < preference over a dramatic wbieh means "You and 1" will draw the first notices. Alice Brady in "iaiv- der" will have the Labor Day njSSt premiere at the Powers. ' ■'{ • This accounts for all of ttta houses except the Harris. Cohsiffli * Grand, Blackstone and the new J Adelphj. The Harris goes into a^ movie regime ("When Winter Comes") Sept. 1; Geo. M. Cohan la; yet undecided wl ether to reopen^' Cohan's Grand Sept. 2 or 9; tJit* Blackstone is waiting for "The pidj Soak' while the Adelphf has plcl^i Sept. 10 for Its ofllcial opening wiS' "But For the Grace of God." XV^ list gives musical entertainment ^^ getaway preference for tl e loajM^ theatres. '" * Stronger Casts From ail outward appoaraiic Chicago will receive more consider-^ atlon from the New York managwra^ > this season relative to the strength" ' of casta. The personnels so far an- a nounced emphatically prove thif. ? i Some mighty expensive organlsa*' l tions are being sent to Chicago, ac-' ■} cording to the closest of Inside ^ figuring, for the premiere weeks of, the new season, and there proroisM'^ to be plenty of excitement for tha- dyed-in-the-wool play-goer vigt^ «t. the jun.. of the season. To have Chicago turn down what New York'. has already stamped as "bi^ suc- cesses" won't be bo much of & blow this season for last yeaif's ex- periences, which reached the peidt. of all previous strange happenings of this calibre, has taught ♦hose in- terested to be alert. For attractions really ' tvortb while" Chicago and New York ar» very much alike; in fact very much after the type of any American com- munity where the people wl ' flock to atti actions that are something the public really wants. Chicago won't tolerate a labelled "New York Hit" with an inferior cast—and Ifa been casts which made losses for many recognised Broadway hits when they visited Chicago—sub- stitute casts which failed in the ait of "playing a piece for all It'i worth." The i.asts Incidents have been noW soundly thrashed out, with the re- sult via the. wisdom of the pro- ducers Chicago promises to siftrt off, at least, the new season witk the finest array of recognized Broad- way ialcnt sent this way for a new , season noted in years, ' As the new season approaches tfte " oflflclal start the optlml.im of t^« managers here grows all tho higher, and this at least is considerable contrast to the gloomy atmosphere which jirevailed during the latter part of last season. ,^ ^ Last weeks' estimates: •* ^ "Whispering Wires" < Princess, Ist week). Drew capacity premier* audience. Reviews held right smack I for box oflflce cflBect. Planted In 1 house where long runs arc hobby. *i Figured between $12,000 and 113,000. ''Dangeroua People" «Cort, 6th week). Got a good WednesdAy matinfo and night pul', boosting weeks K'oas to around $7,000. This figure gives house excellent profit and makes fair money .'or all tM splits in the ownership of ;lic ooiD-^ panv. "The Dancing Girl" tCo!..niaI. lOth week). Decided to play out Augu»t final i>erformance coming Sept. 1« Figured htavy gains first , art of week over last five week."?, hittlnf around $16,000, someth'r - rlose to the average business it should be doing all summer un*l«r normal conditions. "Up the Ladder" (Cential. -0th wtfk). Wasn't left out 11 tli'-' ^^\ half of week's good Im uir><* au" u.i)» this hr]i}, jjej'KiM un :•• ♦'"*• to 16.000. . . , ' f. t'-'r:''. '■ ■ \ -i ■ ^■' K *rrr->.i ' ■