Variety (August 1923)

Thunday, August 80, 1928 : ^.•siywvaL'u,'-"^:?"^?;'^; legitTmate ■^.T^'J^—Vi ■'-^^'t-a it 68 STOCKS START WriE NEW SEASON Smallest Number for Labor Day Opening in Years— Ten New Ones Th« opening ot 10 permanent flocks lAbor Day will make the to- tal of rep companies ojieratlng next week tt. .This Is the smallest num-' ber of companlea operating during the first week of the season for sev- : eral years. The companies opening Monday ' are: Brooklyn, Fifth Avenue (Bla- neys); Park, (B. V. Phelan, man- ager), Manchester, N. H.; I-.y- ceui.i, Memphis (Lewis-Worth Co.); , '^henley, I^ttsburgh; Star. Paw- tucket, R. I. (Carle-Davis Players); ■ 'W'arlturton, Yonkers (Sam Taylor, manager); President, Washington (Arling-Alcine Co.); Strand, Ever- ett, Mass.; Alhambra, Brooklyn (AI- hambra Playera); Auditorium, Kan- sas City (Frank Hawkins' stock company). BOSTON STOCKS OPEN All Stocks Starting Actlvitiss Labor Day STOCK FOR SAN DIEGO Broadway-Strand U Opaning with New Company San Diego, Calif., Aug. It. Under the direction ot Raymond Wells, former director for Universal films, and L. B. Taylor, lioa An- geles business man, the Broadway theatre will open with dramatic stock Sept. S. The house, known last season as the Broadway-Strand, haul been dark for several weeks. Alterations have been made on the orchestra floor whereby the seating capacity will be Increased by about 100. It seaU too at present. A company of players new to San Diego has been assembled by Wells and will Include Clyde Fill- more, leading man; Bessie Kyton, leading woman: Wilbur Hlgby. characters: Lillian Lewis, ingenue; M.irgaret Nugent, characters; How- ard Nugent, Norman Fields, Rex Chcrryman ad Grace Lord. FAVORS "GOEST STARS" AND Wni PLAY THEM James Thatcher Expresses His Opinion—One Every Six Weelcs Boston, Aug. 29. Labor Day an of the ktock houses In the city will open for the n<w season. The Copley will have the Jewett rep company In "The Charity That Begaq at Home." The com- pany remains practically unchanged. It Is interesting~to note it was this company which performed for the first time on any stage "The Likes ot 'Eir," and that the play is to be produced In London this season, ar rangements to that end having been completed. The Boston Stock Company began Its third season at the St. James with "The Mountain Man." The house is scaled at(l top, as was the case last season, with a matinee every week day except Tuesday and Thursday. George A. Giles is again managing the house, with Charles R. Hector and his orchestra also being featured. The company re- maloa about the same as last sea- aon. George Holland, a former Boston newspaperman, who has taken the Fine Arts Theatre, located in the State Theatre building, on a straight rental basis for the season, also plans to open up on Labor Day night. He has been getting plenty of publicity and his subway adver- .* tising, in which he humorously boasts of being on the way to put David Belasco and George Cohan I out of business, has been attracting much attention. Regardless of the attitude ot others towards the "guest star" idea, James Thatcher, general man- ager of the Poll stock circuit, says he is much in favor of visiting stars and wtll play at least one every six weeks in the Poll houses. Thatcher claims the stock "star" system Is not commercial entirely, as a great many so-called stars haven't any drawing qualities hi stock but that the visiting star is a benefit for the companies. "A visiting star," says Thatcher, ''works as a stimulant and some- times a rest for your companies." JKAMNKm HARBT Qarrr MoOarry, manager of the MeOamr UaieMic Players, for t200. MoOmtx formerly operated a stock conpaay la Washington. Carl 811- vernail, a native Buffalonlar, is ap- pearing this week in the McOarry Playera production of "Six Cylin- der Love." Bernard Blving will open a Yid- dish stock Friday night at the Met- ropolitan, Newark, N. J, with Sam- uel Cohn's "A Night of Love." So far Klvtng has announced no names (he will play leads). The Metro- politan is In the hlU section of the city, and has so far been a hoodoo house. . . The Albee. Providence, closes Its stock Saturday. Keith's vaudeville opens Monday. HACKEH and DELMAR Present their new 1924 Revue, "DANCB MADNESS," assisted by Madeline Lane, Jean Carroll, Irene Griffith, Mildred Anders, Helen War- ren, Florence Barry, Alice Nace, >Iargle HalUck, Catherine Smith, I>ew Winthrope, Harry Dnxke and Jules Shankman. , Next week (Sept. 3) Keith's Palace, New York Direction RALPb PARNUM . (Eklw. S. Keller Office) PUY WITHOUT REHEARSAL Jack Lewis' Emergency Call to Re- place Disappointment Bayonne has so fallen in love with Its stock company that Keiser stine & Hockstine, owners of the Strand theatre and the new De Witt th^trc, which is Just being finished, have decided to retain the stock company there for the winter^ LEGIT ITEMS John Golden has resumed re- hearsals ot Guy Bolton's new come- dy, "Chicken Feed." It will open at the Irwin, Wilkes-Barre. Sept, «, coming to New York two weeka later. Roberta Arnold heads the cast "The Lieft Over." the new masical comedy by Zelda Sears, Walter De Leon and Vincent Youmans, in which Ada May will b« starred by Henry W. Savage, will open at the Stamford, Stamford, Conn, Sept. 10. The supporting company Includes Aline McGllI, Irene Dunn, Cianelli, Eddie Nelson, Fiavla Arcaro, Harry Welford, Nick Long, Jr. The Gotham, Brooklyn, leased by Charles B. Blaney from (he Keith Interests and to have continued un- der the Blaney manageiQcnt for nine years at a rental of $7,SO0, will be turned over to the Keith office this season. Joe Oarrity, brother of John J. '■}, Oarrity, general manager or the Shvbert Chicago theatres, is not '; manager of the Bijou, New Tork. ,' this season. Max Wllner, who man- ager the Bayes last aaaaoa hM ra- : placed him. $ George M. Cohan wiU send only two "Little Nellie KeU/' companias on tour this season. One will pUgr the city or week stands openini^at the Forrest, Philadelphia, on Labor Day, and the other the one-night stands through the Blast and Cen- tral states. NEW STOCK COMPANY Opens at President, Washington, on Labor Day Washington. Aug. 29. The new stock company at the l»resident Theatre opens Labor Day and under the management of Arline Alcine and Harry Manners. The opening bill is to be "Nice People." . The cast will have Edith King as leading woman and John Litel lead- ing man. Litel is the man who re- cently participated^ in a squabble with his leading woman on the stage of the Forsyth in Atlanta. Kathleen Moore Is the Ingenue, she being a protege of Stuart Walker. Helen Travers, character woman; Oeorgle Prentice, second woman; J. Irving White, character man, and Burton Rossler will do the juveniles. Harry Manners is the director, while Arline Alcine will t.ike care of the front ot the house, with Jack Garrison, for the past five ye.irs manager of the house, looking out for the Interests of the Columbia Amusement Co., owners ot the theatre. "Listening In" will be the second oftering of the stock company. ANOTHEB TRT AT K. C. Kansas City, Aug. 29. Dramatic stock is to be given an- other try at the Auditorium, Kansas City, where the Hawkins-Ball com- pany will open Sept. 2 In "East is West." The company Is composed of George Whitaker, Florence Lewin, Earl Ross, Eva Sargent. Alo^: Mac- intosh, Craig Nelson, Francis Haw- kins, Jack Ball and Harry Bill. Al C. Wilson is the director. Adrian Morgan, engaged last week as juvenile for the Harder-Hall company in New Brunswick, N. J., failed to report for rehearsal Sun- day and Monday after having re- hearsed for "Getting Gertie's Gar- ter" all of last week. He offered the excuse he had missed train connec- tions, but the compimy manager did not feel inclined to believe him. Blqulty was appealed to. It re- fused to take action. The Harder- Hall executives appealed at the last moment to the stock agent through whom, they had engaged Morgan and secured a juvenile familiar with the part. Jack Lewis. He reported at six Monday evening, and stepped into the part that night without re- hearsal. It had been expected that because of Morgan's last minute disappoint- ment that the Monday performance would have to be vailed off. The Bralnbridge Playem opened at the Shubert, Minneapolis, with "Lawful Larceny." Members ot last year's company to return include Arthur Behrens, MoUte Fisher, Johnnie Dilson and John Todd. New players are Willis Clair, Margaret Knight, William C. Walsh and Dora Clement. ' The Amphion, Brooklyn, is being entirely renovated and will open Labor Day with a Yiddish stock under the management ot Charles Adler, son of Jacob Adler, Yiddish legit star. The Amphion played in- dependent Fally Markua vaudeville and pictures last season. Managing Director A. O. Bain- bridge, Jr.^ of the Balnbrldge Players at the Shubert, Minne- apolis, is trying to make arrange- ments with leading New York pro- ducing managers to obtain the local stock rights of Gotham hits while they are still running on Broad- way. GOTHAM, mm TURNED BACK BY BLANEY TO KEITH INTERESTS 30 STOCKS SOUTH Will Be Strongest Center far Next ■ Season The south will be the strong cen- ter tor .stock during the coming «eat,on with over 30 comp.inie» scheduled to open during the com- ing month. Greater Now York City, with a population ot 7,000.000, >vhich cqii.ilh thiit ot almost tin- entire south, will I1.IV0 but tliroe comiianies in con- r:»»t. Director O. D. Woodward an- nounced that the Woodward Play- ers will reopen the Empress, St. Louis, Sept. 1, with "Why Men Leave Hom'o." Hazel Whitemore has been re-engaged as leading woman. Other members of last year's stock who will appear are J. Raymond Brown, Bobby Reed, Edward Shilling and Sherold Page. The new leading man is Alexis B. Luce. Other new members are Ann Austin, Alice Baker, Sylva Farnese, Claire Gentry, Frank McNeills, William <.ynda. Edward L. Butler will be business manager, and James Martin will again have charge of the box offlce. The Princess at Wichita. Kans., capacity 9&0, until last year vaude- ville, will open Oct. 1 with North Brothers Princess stock. The de- layed opening Is due to a Gypsy Smith revival beginning Sept. 2. Wichita has passed through a Billy Sunday revival and from experience a slump in theatrical attendance is likely.. The North Brothers, "Sport" Harry and Franit, played at the Princess last tall and winter. "Sports" North featured in ch.irac- ter roles, Genevieve Russell leading woman. Company will rca.sscmble for rehearsals Sept. 16. revert to attractions starting Labor Day, but last week "Uncle Tom's Cabin" drew $6,000, and the season was extended eight weeks. Consent to the extension was received Mon- day by telegraph from Harry Som- ers, who controls the house. The surprising gross of "Uncle Tom" is credited to the company's drawing strength. Stuart Walker will conclude his slock «ea?on at the Cnx, Cincinnati, week of Sept. 24, with the prescnt.i- tion ot "Time," a comedy by Artliur Henry. Following the week Iryout. Walker intend.i bringing the play to New York. The William Wriglit stock, pl.iy- ing at the rower.". Grand Uapids. this summer, will continue until the end ot October. The house was lo The summer stock season In Troy comes to a cloee this week with a presentation ot "Fair and Warmer" by the Proctor Players. Good busi- ness, at a low scale ot admission prices, has been done during the 14 weeks the company has been ap- pearing at Proctor's New theatre. The theatre returns to Its custom- ary vaudeville policy Labor Day. Georgie Knowlton has rejoined the Wilkes Players at the Dcnham stock, Denver, Colo., after an ab- sence ot two seasons. Mlaa Knowl- ton played character parts, and is popular locally. She makes her first appearance in "Before and After," current. She was to have joined the first of thi.s season, but was prevented by sudden Illness. Eugene Lane, of Rochester, N. Y., playing with the Gardlnier stock company at Siou ; City, has sprung Into prominence there by reason of ills saving a girl from drowning. The girl had gone down the second timo at Sherman Park when Lane leaped into the water and swam to the spot where she disappeared. He dove and in a few seconds brought her up. .She quickly re- vived. The Casey and Hayden City The atre stock, Brockton, Mass., opens Labor Day with "Honors Are Even." James Hayden, manager and di- rector, has engaged Carl Jackson, Henry Crosscn, Walter Bedell, Vin- cent Coleman, Nancy Duncan, Jean Arden; Herbert Clark. Percy Bollinger, Albert Moore and Ann Winslow are recently added members ot the Majestic Players at Utica, N. Y. A new production, "Four In Hand," sponsored by the Paul Pro- ducing Co, la being readied for Broadway, Gallna Kopernak, Rdb- ert Rendel and Victor Uorley ar« ,^ la the cast. Although Mrs. Ftske la already ra- ^ hearsing St. John Brvine'a "Mary, f, Mary, Quite Contrary," th* new ' Lionel Barrymore-Iren* Fenwick '; piece may ba the first Belaaco pr*- '■ ductlon to b« brought into New York this tall. Barrymora la ooa- sidering three scripts, an adaptatkm from the lullan appearing the ilMM : likely. ^'V.^~^ Walter Scanlan in "The Blarney Stone" will be the attraction al. Parsons' theatra. Hartford, Coiln., tor three days, commencing Labor Day. i;. Charles Dflllngham and the com- pany for "The Lullaby." which opens at Hartford, Conn., Thurs- day night, will play there th« ra-' malnder of the week, before going to Boston and then to New York. Mr. Dillingham la a former Hart- ford newspaper man. A new Grecian theatre has been opened at the Ozark colony at Sul- , phur Springs, Ark., and the first performance was a clanslcal recital, s the characters appearing in cos- tume. The Woodward Players, St. Louis, will open kbout S«pt. 2. Opening attraction not announced. The Proctor company at Tro^, N. Y., win close about Labor Day and the house will go back to vaudeville. E. V. Phelan Players open at the Park. Manchester, N. H., Aug, 27. Rita Coakley will play leada. Keeney's Day Ridge, Brooklyn, N. Y., will abandon its stock policy when the house reopens SepL J and will revert to vaudeville. It will play eight acts each half, booked through Fally Markus. The Marguerite Bryant stock will open at the Schenley, Pittsburgh, Labor Day. The Schenley is one of the city's largest theatres. In the residential district. The Sherman slock. Palace, Fort Wayne, Ind., has been extended. Karl Hackett is with it. Mr. and Mrs. Ean Jamison are in the Sher- man stock. Palace, Danville, III. Judirment by default was taken in City Court, Buffalo, by the Wash- ington (D, C.) "Dally News" against The Joe Payton Players are on their final week at Loew's Lyric, Hoboken, N. J. The house will re- sume pop vaudeville Labor Day. The Payton Players went Into the Lyric on a months lease and have done sufficiently well to warrant negotia- tions tor another theatre In the vi- cinity of the Lyric. The Broadway-Strand. San Diego, will reopen Sept. 2, as the Broad- way, with ll.iymond Wells, (former- ly director for the Universal films). .-IS manager, and L. B. Taylor, an ■ other Los Anceles man. associ.it'^il. The dramatic stocK policy Is to be continued with the new company headed by Bessie Kyton and Clyde I-"iilmcre. Nellie and Sara Kouns announced they are no (onger under the man- agement of Daniel Ma^-er, who has represented them for two yeara The Daniel Mayer company la' London Will continue to direct them, there, the new management betnC' appointed only tor this country. The sisters are to return to this country in the near future. S. J. ^arshawsky is co-authOr with John Hunter Booth of the new play "1932," which George M. C«- han is to produce. -.ff* -^4 Morris Gest was operated on this week for an eye ailment. He was at his desk next day. despite phy- sicians' frantic protests, and on the following day reported himself "normal." Oliver M. Baylor, general press rep- resentative for Morris Oest, will re- turn from Germany next week. Dur- ing hia stay abroad Baylor lived at the home of Max Relnhardt, in Salz- burg, where he obtained data tor a biography ot the lite of the producer which will he published in book form when "The Miracle" is pro- duced at the Century Theatra this winter. Glenn Hunter has begun work on "Stephen Steps Out." his Initial fea- ture for Famous Players, being filmed at the Astoria studio. Jobyna Ralston has signed a threa- year contract to play opposite Har- old Lloyd in the forthcoming Lloyd comedies. "Cjive .ind Take," with Louis Mann and George Sidney, will begin an indettnite engngoment at the Adel- I>hi, Philadelphia, on Sept. 10. The «how will open next Monday at the .Shubert-Teller, llrooklyn.