Variety (October 1923)

10 LEGITIMATE 'Thursday, October 4, 1923 COHAN AS'SONG ANDDANCE MM; MARRY IN OWN WORLD-THEME WTCHCOCK TALiONG FOR "m OLD SOAK" Cincinnati Likes Play Author Appears In—George M. • Alleged Stage Fright—One Cinncy Critic Pans Piece, but Its Chances Are Optimistic Cincinnati, Oct. ». Oeorge M. Cohan returned to the ■tage Monday night at the Grand Ib "The Song and Uance Man," written originally for Lynn Over- ■oan. Cohan learned the exacting leading part from Friday and ad- mitted he had a real ease of itage fright when he went on for the flret act. In a curtain speech he told the audience )>e was doing his best. The crowded house liked It It was Cohan's first stage appearance here bi 15 years. . "The Song and Dance Man" was written to the beat of the wonderful heart In the breast of every real performer. Stagey though It may be It holds and thrills. At times It ap- proaches real drama. Cohan Is working hard to revise It When be finishes It should be a hit on Broadway, even though Rus- Ml Wilson, "Times-Star" critic, didn't like It and said eo. The other three critics praised the story, that of a song and dance man down and out himself who "sticks up" a rich artist to get money for a poor little song and dance girl. Starting In a New Tork boardtnt; house, no wonder Cohan couldn't re Bist the temptation to play the rol« of the cheap artist from Wllkesbarre who had never seen New Tork. "Haf« you played many ports," asked the great theatrical producer. "I've played every part In the Mld- dlewest," replied the song and dance man: There is humor and pathos and a somewhat problematical ending when the girl, after being elevated to stardom and retiring from the stage to mari-y the rich young artist, sees the song and dance man again. He has been successful since decid- ing he was a bum actor. A mining company paid him )1S.000 a year, but he quit the Job. "What are you doing now?" asks the theatrical producer, with the re- ply, "I'm a song and dance man." It has a conjectural ending, but th^ big point Cohan tries to drive home is that people of the stage can never be happy by marrylnp those not of their world, no matter how wealthy." "They all come back," observes ■ the little stage director. The play Is theatrical, but Is a theatrlcnl play. Cohan does some genuine emo- tional playing, while Frederick Perry, as the producer; Xiouls Cal- hern, the artist; May Mcthot, the girl; Will Demlng. tlio stage di- rector; Eleanor Woodruff, theatrical boarding house keeper, and Hobert CummlngB, detective chief, are very good. Martin. 'GERTIE'S GARTER' WINS POPULARITY CONTEST Tops the List of Sixty Plays with Total of 5,840 Votes Minne<apoli8, Oct. S. , "Getting Gertie'ci Garter" received the most votes in a play-voting con- test held by Managing Director A. G. Bainbridge, Jr. at the Shubert (stock) here the same time the local papers were pulilishlng stories re- garding the *rr»flt of a Loa Angele.s manager for presenting the piece there. It was one of some 60 pluys named on slips passed out to patrons at every performance last week. The patrons were requested to vole for six In order of preference. so as to aid Mr. Kainbridge In his selection of offerings this season. A blanlf space also wan left for the insertion of "desired plays not on the list. "Getting Gertie's Garter" received 5.S40 voteH. while "11* IJ. R.," also on the list, got only 47. "Eiaet Lynne" and "The Rosary" ran far ahead of "Anna Christie" and "Llllom," while among the inserted playf "Abie's Irish Rose" led. The 8urprl.sl.ig thing is that the Shubert caters to 4he beet class of Minne- apolis theatregoers. Mr. Bainbridge has promised to present the six pUys receiving the most votes and others for which a demand la Indicated, If they are available for stock presentation here and their production is deemed feasible. The other winners. In addition to "Getting Gertie's 3arter," were "Lightnin'," "If Winter Comes." "Ilumoresque." "Du1cy"and "Buddies." Likes Comedy, Wears Beavef* Hat and Feels Gay "HELUVA NIGHT" SOLD "The Old Soak" may be presented again on Broadway this season with Raymond Hitchcock In the titto role. Hitchy Is on tour Ir a company of- fering the Don Marquis comedy and is accredited giving a much differ- ent performance than that seen here last season whei»^tTie play scored a hit at the riymouth with Harry Beresford Jn the lead. The latter show is also on the road. The fact that Broadway knows Hitchcock oni} as a musical comedy star is believed to afford enough novelty and Interest for the "Old Soak" to play a repeat. Hitchy has been motoring between stands In upstate New Tork. He Is sporting a tall white hat which has drawn attention everywhere, and to add to the ballyhoo the comedian stopped over at several fairs and gave Impromptu speeches. It Is said his success ill the show has brought about a change In llitehcuck who Is full of pep during the performance and it also accounts for his gratui- tous speech muklnji—aimed to help business. ,. From every stand played come re- ports of an earned speech at the end of the seiond act. Hitchy is telling the Ufistulers how it felt to be suddenly iiluying in a show of ftlne people, whereas he had al- ways been used to having a com- pany of Hbout 50 iilayer.-i around him. He mentioned th : opening at Har- risburg. where when he last played there he didn't know when tJ. train left town but all tha' was necessary was to look out the window and if ^e saw a crowd going toward the ktation It was time fur him to de- part But now with only a few fel- low players be has to carry an alarm clock. PRODUOING "WALL ST.' Glass-Carter Play Deals ' Money Center . With MRS. FISKE'S HIT Eelatco Extends Run of "Mary" Doing $14,000 Weekly Mrs. Fiske, in "Mary, Mary. Quite Contrary," will remain at the Bol- •sco for 11 weeks, an additional four weeks having been added to the originally announced engagement of seven weeks. The attraction is now In its fourth week. The play ap- pears to have caught on better than expected, takings for last week hold- ing up to the opening week, buf* reaching close to $14,000. The n.-lasco will get "Laugh, Fool, Laugh," with Lionel iiarrymoro and Irene Fen wick, the date for which has been sot bncit until around ThaiikHfiviiiK, iiuoSKii Uie scOrliiK Of Mrs. Fiske. Whether "Mary. Mary," will remain lonRer than the extended date now given the attrac- tion is not certain, because of (llin- eulty In cancelling time out of town. It Mrs. Fiske does remain beyoiul the 11-week period another house will be selected for the St. John Irvine piny. Mclsaac Reported Buying Holland's "Mystery Play" « "One Helu*a Night," a mystery play in rhyme end of mysterious origin, wiiich opened three weeks ago In Boston, is reported having been bought by Fred J. Mclsaac, former Boston dramatic critic, who kiims to present the show on Brdad- way. George Holland produced "Heluva Night" at the Fine Arts theatre, described as being In "the heart of cosmopolla," in the Hub. Holland attracted attention to the vei^re by clever publicity, modestly cinlming the author to be "the great- est playwright since Shakespeare." In addition, to keeping the author under cover, Hollnnfl i! ri'ed a bill- ing idea by saying the company Is "an all star cost of comic trage- dians," but the names of the players were unannounced. ■ Opinion of "Ono Heluva Night" appeared to rate the performance a mild mystery drama, but Holland thought it "out-bats 'The Bat,' out- George M's 'Tlie Tovern' and out- meows 'The Cat and the Canary..' " Along with tha reference to Shakespeare, Holland frankly Invites scripts from those who think they can write plays and offers to inter- view persons ambitious to go onto the stage. "Wall Street," a new play by Montague Glass and Oscar M. Carter, may see production this fall. This Is a piece the author of "Potash and Perlmutter" and Car- ter, a Yiddish playwright, wrote be- fore Glass became seriously ill. The tatter's Illness halted aVy pro- duction negotiations. It deals with a Jewish character In Wall Street although the F. & P. characters are absent. -J CONCERT MANAGEIS COMBINE ^ . TO REGDLATI ALL "PAPER" Agreement Between 20 Not to Cut Rates and Curtail Distribution of Complimentaries—Penalties Co!-, lected to Be Paid to National Managers' Ass'n i^OLUES" GIRLS ASKED FOR SECRECY PROMISE Ziegfeld Secures Verbal As- surances — New Dance , Numbers Rehearsing Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., walked Into a rehearsal of the "Follies" Friday mf>mlng last, and after calling for attention, said he wanted every girl rehearsing numbers at the time to promise not to divulge the steps or tricks of any of the ensembles. The request sounded a little unusual, but every girl promised. As soon ais Ziegfeld received the verbal assuranoes he informed t)le girls all of the three or four num- bers that had been rehearsed to Friday last were out of the show, with another request by Ziggy fol- lowing that the choristers keep se- cret the steps of the new numbers that would replace the ones taken out, or in- fact anything about the show. Advance information regarding past Ziegfeld show's numbers, and a hint that another producer had "copped" some of the' stuff of the numbers taken out, and intended to beat Ziegfeld's new "Follies" to it, is understood to have actuated Ziegfeld'g odd requests. WANTS MISS SEGAL For New "Folliss"—Was to Have Gone Into Vaudevill* Florenx Zelgfeld, Jr.; is trying to place Vlvlenne Segal under contract for the new "Follies." Last week It was stated that Miss 8e«al, who lately became Mrs. Robert Ames, was considering vaudeville in parl- nershlp with Wellington Cross. This week she was known to have the proposed Zcigfeld contract under advisement. ''CAMEL'S BACK" EEHEARSING The Sclwyns will open .Snmer.sct Maugham's new drama. "The Camel's Back," In Now Tork Oct. 29. The new play was placed in rehearsal to-day, with Edgar Selwyn und the author directing. In the cast are Violet Kemble Coo- per,. Charges C^e^•ry. Louis, .Clossqr Hale, Arthur I^ew(,i!(,i ,(^!avin Mulr, .Innn MacLean ami Laura liurt. CIVIC OPERA PROMISES San Francisco. Oct. 3. San Francisco's season of muni ^•Ipal opera was launched , last' WeilncHd.iy night in the Civic Audi- torium with "La Bohemo" and the vcniure spells eucces* both arti-sti- rally .ind nnanrlaily. In "Lft rtohemo" the singers wcr. Giovanni MartincUl. Qucena Mario, Alfred f'.andold, Anna YounK Adanio DiUur, Louis d'Angelo, I'aol'j Ananian. The s'.nge of the Civic Auililoriiini was entirely remodeled for the oper.'i enL,-:ifTeiiioiit ;uid special boxc^ constpiicti'j. Tho opening nighi turnout w:>» a very fa.Khionabie one. The rei"'i:olre of the 8ea^on will Iqciude ,"-^'' listofeie," "Tosea," "Ro- meo ct' ,luli.>t." ''ril.i'nti'i Sehlochl," •p.iKliarci' a:ul ."Hlgo\(}t't6.'' WILLIAM LEVEY an oM-tlme professional, wlio is now tlic proprietor cf The Golden Pheasant Restaurant in Dallas, Texas. Mr, ,I<9vey )s afftn-tionately known to all performer^ visiting Dallas, and his raataut-ant'.is lh6'reViQe«vOi(s of AH thnt i>( f:Yrti\rt in-Dallas society as wclllJ oT all tMo' Vlsitllhg fhbJitricul stuis. . ' ■ Curtailment of indiscriminate di8> tribution of seats for concerts at Aeolian, Carnegie and Town halls Is planned through the adoption of tti- agreement among 20 maiuiKsrs of concert artists which remains ia effect until July 1, 1924. This agree- ment binds the managers not to issue passes or compli-nentary or- ders for tiokets to their eonferts under a penaltjr af $35o fo- the first violation and $500 for.each subse- quent violation. For debut concerts, according to the agreement, the managers can Ufse their own Judgment a.s to how many tickets they will distribute without charge among students and their clients. In no case will any- thing but the actual punched ticket, be given. For other conceits 250" contplimcntary ticket.s, in addition to the boxes and the usual press tickets (the latter not to exceed 130) are the limit. The agreement deflne.t the first appearance of any artist in recital, irrespective ot any previou_ appear- ance in opera, oratorio or with symphony societies, as a debut con- cert. It also prescribes that those who .signed the agreement will not sell any tiokets for any conaert at less than the nominal price ot 50 cents. E^ach manager is pledged to deposit .11 of the tickets for a concert at ths bo:: office as soon as they ars printed and that every ticket taken from the box office 'a to be signed for, whether complimentary or for sale. In case there is any violation of this rule the box office is to re- port it to a committee which wiU be appointed to handle these com- plaints. The penalties collected are to b* paid to the Nations' M.inagers' as* soclatioii tit the United States, with, the latter organization acting as trustee of the fund. The agreement provides that the tickets in ths . boxes and all "deadwood" are to bS' counted at the time ot checking up statements with the treasurers a< the three hails. Tt is said that in the pa a num- be. of managers so as to have full attendance at concerts have been selling tickets at cut prices and distributing them among sources ot no benefit to the concert field. Among the managers who hav* signed the agreement are: R. li, Johnston, C. C. Coppicus, Evelyn Hopper, Qeorge Engle^, Charkd Wagner, Ralph J. MacFadyn, & Hurok, Charles N. Drake, Antonla Sawyer, M. H. Hanson and Lucf D. Boyne. V. CHIC SAJLEJO STAR "The Wrong Way" To Open Oul Of Town Nov. B. "The Wrong Way," Charles (ChlcT Sale's initial legit starring vehlclsv sponsored by United Production* Inc., will go into rehearsal next week under the direceion of Oscar Bagle. The supporting companT will include Virginia Sale, youn«sf sister of "Chick"; Betty Weiton, Lillian Ross, Florence Earle, Joseph M. Hollicky, Ggorge Drury Hart, William Lynn, William Martin, Thomas A. Roife, Harry English, William J. Brady, Geneva HarrlsoB and Eugene Revere. The piece will open out of towB Nov. 6. I "GINGEE" REOPENING "Take a Chance," the musical show which closed af the HoUis, Bostan, TSept. IB, after a two weeks' engagement has been renamed "Ginger," and Is to reopen In one Ot the Broadway houses in a couple ot weeks. Hartild Orlob wrote the music and H. I. Phillips tho book. Orlob W presenting the show himself. B#* sides re-titling the show has bes* generally revised. Tho cast will W""" elude Tom Swift. .'Jybilla Hohaa. Nellie Brcen and Joe Mack. Wal* tcr Brooks staged it. RAIN INSURANCE j Stories in the Clipper weekly i*| lating to fairs and outdoor amuse* nients are explaining a o'"^^* , about roin insurance, its puix'** and problems. , i t