Variety (December 1923)

^ Thtirsday, December If, iWdS .'■■^Tt^CTiygrv'VFiT^ y ^Tv^^cA "■■-*-■; ■ ;''TP>^J*^f^^l)«l,/» Wi-TFWS ■".-r- iV*t.. -C*Wft'.-T«».-v'^Bnf" VARIETY $70,000,000 FROM ADMISSION TAX h- IN METROPOUTAN DISTRUI ^^ Internal Revenue Department Report on Last FUcal Year—IllinoU Second with ,$60,500,000—Ticket Brokers Paid Tax, Too ./ ;/ Variety-Clipper Buraau, Evana BIdg., Waihington December 5. Amuaement seekers la New York City paid through the box offices over 170,000.000 from Juir 1. 1922. through June 30, 1923, the flscal year of the Government, according to the annual report of the C«i»; mlssloner of Internal Revenue, while the entire nation expended approxi- mately $890.000.000/for Us amuse- ment. O'tie ten per cent, tax collected in the second and third New York district.'. which comprlste ihc downtown portion of New York ANOTHEK FOB BUSTER L.o« Angeles. Dec. 5. Another member Is due soon In the hoiiseholil of Bu.<iter Kcaloii the anticipating father admitl('<l yesterday. This will be two lii: wife, Natalie Talmadge, has prc- aentod to him. Buster, Jr.. Iiavin;; arrived fomcthlng over a yetir ago. . CHAS. PURCELL IN ACT Cha^. Purcell who stepped out of the Shuberts "Town Topics" returnM to vaudeville this week with a new act. opening at Proctor's. Yonkers. N. Y., the last half. Blanch* Morgan Starts Suit I-eslie B. Morgan (Morxati and "nniy) Is being sued for a separation by Blanche O. ^Morsan, his wife and former vaudeville partner. The ' charges of cruelty and deserlion arn denie<l by Morgan. He is being r*r>resented by Anton Slegal. Blanche Morgan is rehearsing qcw act. • City totaled^ in "exact figures 17,235,785.26. ,The first New York district, which takes in Brooklyn, ,pald Uncle Sam from the source of the tax on admissions 12,783,370.53, while the fourteenth district, which runs tiom the Bronx up to Syra- cuse, paid »1,702.074.88. Still two other dliitricts In Now York State, the twenty-llr.st and twenty-eighth, remitted from the first name.l $731.892.as. while the twcnty-cishth forwarded $J.2Sl.5'14.:6. The ticket broUcis in paying theii .') per ccift. lax on tickets sold other than at the bo.r olllces In cxce.-e of the estahiished j); ice pjiid J79.3«r.31 ■)n that excpfs in the second and ihird districts. Illinois runs second on paid nd- mieslons to amusements, over $60,- nOO.OOO bavins gone Into the colters of thH theatres in that State, of whirl! the Government colloiteil $6,506,95!;.61. TlcUct brokers piid In ininuis tn,5U9..-!S. I'ncle Sam's revenue collectors alHo found that the theatres in New York were charging at the box o."- Ilce prices Itl e.-:ce.sa of ^hojc estab- lished and from thl.'< sofirrc v.us collected |27,39:i.4S. In Illinois it 1."! evident that such ppacUi(-s arc not ;,'one into, at IcbfI to the s;itni' e.<- tent. the Covernment coilcctin'; but »40.92 under Ihi.s head In tliit State Cabarets paid In t:i.\(v, foi the downtown New York district $'J00.- 598.03. ' The followini; exreipi from the Commissioner's report will gi\e a clearer Insight on (lie busIne:-M done l.y anujsemeni** throughout the country than anj thing else pos(iibl.v could: MOSCOW ART CALLED BOLSHEVISTS IN CANADA Dates Cancelled at Toronto and Montreal — Professor Publicly Assails Russians Montreal, Dec. (. The Moacow Art Theatre, booked here for later In the season at Her Majesty'a, haa been cancellfd and in Toronto. A(»:ordlnK to Toronto, the cancel- lation was largely due to the re- marks made publicly by a Toronto professor, who stated the aggrega- tion was purely Bolshevist and for tlje purpose of spreading Bolshe- vistic propaganda throughout the countury. It Is probable • the cancellStion proved advisable for the local the- atre, ns it would have been impos- sible to cover expenses here. The Montreal public, always apa- thetic, is more so wl^en any at- tempt is made to introduce foreign art. Montreal audiences like good musical shows. PAUL ALLEN PLEADS OUILTY Paul Allen, the agent and brother of ICdgar Allen, the Vox booker, pleaded guilty to petty larceny In (Jeneral Seeslons yesterday fVVed- nesday), the court remanding him to jail for sentence on Dec. 17. Allen has already si>erit 37 days in !he hoosegow on the complaint of At)raham Bush, who charged Allen urauthorl^edly obtained money ad- vances from himTor booking his act. Allen set forth he was connected v.ith the A. A B. Dow agency, which the latter denied. Kendler & Goldstein. Allen'w co'.ir- ?el. interposed a plea of giiiitv on !>elly larceny Instead of thg grand larceny charge. Jamat F. Powers Is managing lolls. New fjaven. Conn. Ke wjs for^ierly manager for the Schine people in Oswego. SjIOW BUSINESS IN BERMUDA By BEN H. ATWEL^^ Ilbmtlton, Bermuda, Dec. 1. The new Importance this commu- nity Is asssuming is a reflex of pro- hibition conditions In the United States is causing American show- men to cast longing eyes upon the beautiful island, precisely as has been tbe case for some time at Ha- vana, This fact, coupled with an- nouncement of a project to build a new opera housie at Hamilton, makes a survey of amusement conditio .i timoKKand a note of warning equal- ly seasonah'c. It appears to be the ^consensus of opinion of tlicse in a position to speak advisedly thaf American amusen>ent promoters un<lertaking a flyer here will be kept busy writ- ing loss cliecks. On first thought lliia ai>p«'.'irs strnnge tor IV.-rmuda l« prorpcrin;; mi.-jhtlly,. the numerous cstablislinl liotels are thriving, and large r.i v.- liostelrles are springing up with I \ iiy prospect ot.u capacity busincFv. Thoiraiuls of well-to-do Ameri- cans u'lio br.-ilnariiv seek California or Florida at this time of year, have disccivered that Bermuda affords nil' the advantages of those states v.'llli the additionui altrnction of un- limited piTsonal liberty in the choice of what one will eat or drink. Emu- lating the e;;ample of New Yo'k'^ police commissioner, they are en- joying their brief winter vacations In this ncirliy playground under the Rritl.tii ting. Vast sums ^t money have p.i.-.8ed into circii'al'on. and similar sums are p.i?s;;ii-r dally through I lie ac- tivities cT the Nova 8coti:i llshlnfi fleet, wb ih/hnn ubandnncHl th.it iin- romantic lielrl n^d Is now eiij,'ne<J»' ;n rum ru»ni''ig. j.-vr.<o^ie V. ho wisles to wotk car Hnd rTi-;i'oym<nt at comp.irntlvely good Wii^.-C!'. The demand for Inbor Is so great t! at xvorkmen have been Imiior.rd in lar're numbers h'on; Canrd I .-nd ixewfiiundland, and 200 Portiiviicr' families are now belnp brought in by the co!i ii i! srovcin- ment as an experiment aimed to re> Vive agricultural activity. Pictures Only Yet In the face of these condittona the only amusement enterprises In operation are pictures. Two com- panies monopolize this business, piishlng It with Intensive aggres- siveness and giving good progrnma with poor or Indifferent presenta- tlotis. Rigid economy governs the operations of both, yet there Is no Indication that either Is becoming rich. Surface Indications seem to any neither la receiving a return cotnmenaurate with the effort de- Voted to'the business. tTnder the most favorable circum- stances It would be ho simple mat- ter to bolly hoo the easy going, and possibly laxy public. Into aprlnginir into the saddle and pedaling madly for the movie emporium. But the circumstances are not favoroble. Billing Is prohibited. The printing requirements are one three-sheet and three ones. Mitchell and TiUp^ Carthy could never piuw a happy hour h^re. All manner of stunta are offlclally ta boo. Finding that the scattered public, spread over 25 miles of Island, could not be stampeded to the picture pal- ace, the astute local Impresario has reversed the process and carried the movie to the public. San Tuccl'a system and schedule la typical of both concerns. Monday ond Wed- nesday of f^Qh week he operates at the Colonial opera house, a very complete little theatre of SOO capac- ity, located In the negro residential section of Hamilton, yet the finest (Vnjutement Institution In the colony. Tuesday and Thursday he playa the Town Hall, St. Qeorgea; also on TuesdR> at the Whitney Inatituta in South Pariah, In the canter of the terralne; Monday and Friday, Odd Fellows' Hall, Somerset, and on Fri- day and Saturday the Victory the- atre In the heart of the business dis- trict of HiMnllton. He uses t<ro complete programs a week, atartlns fContinued on page 46} % -.• .\ilm1ii.^<o:'ia III ihempf.*. etc A!a ::.a ^.... Ari-.-cna Ai'Kan.'ias iist Uaiifornia 6th California Coioraclo Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho let Illinoia Sth Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Masflachtisetts l»t Michigan 4th Michigan Mlnnoaola Mississippi 1st Missouri 6th Missouri Montan,'^ Nebraska Nevada ., New Hampshire..;. Ist New Jersey..... Bth New Jersey.!*.., New Mexi"o 1st New York ; 2d New York 3d New York 14th New York 2 J St New York 28th New Y'ork North- Cirnlina North Dakota 1st Ohib leth Ohio 11th Ohio ?.. 18th Ohii) Oklahoma Oregon 1st rennsyivfinla . .. IJth I'ennsylvauia . . 2.td I'cnnsylvanirf. . Rhode IslaTul South Carolina South Dnkoliv ~Tcniin!?"!Pn n 1st T.-xas 2d Te.<a3 I'tah Vcrnicinl \'irKlnla Wa.sliingiiin AVest A'irijiiiia Wisconsin Wyoming Theatre^. e»nc«rt« Ktr., for escti 10 centa or frac- tion ttior^ftf wtlprt over tO rentii. 1 rent. 1316.092.25 121,878.58 224,742?i» 2,481,881.63 2,621,644.52 678,629.43 976.363.85 92,697.07 506.148.69 502.526.06 113,456.09 176,068.86 5,667.617.61 898.9.<I8.03 1.826,182.98 1,101.504.44 697,431.07 738.055.64 708,478.37 493.470.94 1,764,711.51 3,761.735.02 2,214,326.75 522.412.25 ;,238.382.79 176.211.94 1,144,932.43 87G.8:'5.G3 293.891.S5 691.060.60 70.305.07 2L'3,L'97.3G 809.929.74 l,7'.»1.93a,J8 7i».677.88 2,783.370.58 5.879.3-'1.49 1.356,403.77 1,702.074.88 721 K9:.28 1,';61.644.16 421.1f>2S7 17G.093.97 1,008.676.06 491.773.30 B91.0Sfl.2r. 1.935,476.79 02".71.-.. 17 r)S.^>.i54.3l» 3.on'J.fl5.'i.S8 7'il),8:i7.i;rt i,«m,39s..-,r, SS.",!!?;!.!!;) luo,l-i.04 2on.iL's,cri —4»»4Ai7Uil_ HoM at Sultl at plxcwa other I till n placea of amusement, 5 per cent. of the ex- ceaa of eatab- llMbed'prli-e. itolil hy ll<«- at'ea. eU' . In «»XCr*!t iif ttie regular •aiHl>IiKhc<l price of audi exfCFe 00 per cent'. I,eanea of t>oi(ea or sMitn in tl)-atr(^^. ftc, 10 per rent, of ())<» usual price. flnJ (#it> flusa.- RtM»f (far- dene. cnlMl- rets, etc.. Of the 20 per cent, chflieed t'.'t cent a for each 10 centu or frac- tion thereof. $1,264.73 2,38«.2» 1255.56 $3,86».62 2.00 11.599.38 40.92 25.:i0 242.53 5,027.89 154,203.22 65,570.57 32.50 1,454.45 74.54 2,495.32 1.20 70,284.27 167.50 6.639.60 7,604.01 35.76 8,157,36 1.037.26 170.28 3,331.19 352.71 6,951.88 4,-fi80.56 77.00 42.58 17.10 6.08 6.»5«.76 48,387.27 7,907.87 8,886.40 »,2'7'7.78 352.59 1,287.88 10.00 T>UM. so- cial, alhlcilc or rffori- Inff club over $10 annually, 10 par cent. $37,390.77 18,823.04 12,757.43 227,754.99 331,208.21 45,984.68 146,<I00.R5 9.652.95 S2.465.06 67,984.62 11.096.04 1,344.14 684,505419 38,656.04 84,156.72 66.115.61 47,374.77 46.064.73 62,310.08 23,279.60 172,257.88 414,816.94 246,404.66 37,999.33 165.079.53 6,379.08 145,655.3B 82,152.17 10,630.42 48,478.93 mmi PUYS IN BERLIN 4,466.71 (686.29 16.042.31 3,875.22 63.553.18 10,814.13 27,393.48 5,739.58 261.74 95.55 73.38 3.fiS9.r>4 IPl.liO 39.85 281.33 2.011.60 31.25 20.70 52.252.43 158.0'J9.60 42.66X43 16.791.08 1.127.26 1.763.16 , 682.097.14 1,171. 0:14.:i0 2'>'i.9!U.4L' I3.s..-,.i.n.'i 66,'i.32'.Mi4 1 nS4.tSl.'J2 r.'o.wo.iis 1.4L'.'i,-:ls.::n 1 11,023.07 44.8S 666.119 ' 31.51 15,664.38 84,315.74 259,233.04 2,313.86 407,856.74 792,101.53 167,201.58 273,279.92 76.775.61 121.055.9S 43,368.48 2,697.20 1.224. 40 64.50 430.6^ i:!6.n9 1.T1.S5 ■:.vr, 516.37 5.128.30 108.136.63 46,191.11 42.814.20 211.190.27 52,309.40 35.448.19 379.891.82 41,335.37 239,017.57 53.911.69 14,014.44 2,523.90 46.458.38 65.726.14 81.161.96 11,768.87 7,509.75 4,669.48 77.988.73 24,459.19 74,325.35 1,631.39 Tulal. $353,483.02 140.701.62 237,500.12 2,769,289.ID 2,9;0,812.6ft 724,671.71 1,123,463.617 102.424.66 538.913.75 560,510.67 127,046.45 177,414.20 6.439,076.06 937.594.07 .1.910.339.70 1,168,860.55 744,805.84 793.229.56 775,469.01 616,750.54 1,952,267.21 4,232,895.95 2,468,639.27 560,411.58 1,402,425.72 182,591.00 1,299,908.14 958,977.80 304,874.86 741,727.41 70.315.07 238,961.74 915,457.89 2,055,052.72 81,991.73 3,213,479.75 6,931,138.86 1.577.299.65 1,992,145.88 799,795.15 1,374,463.25 464.501.35 176,093.97 1,117,920.58 537.964.41 63,';,0!fl.65 2,157,902.64 673,024.57 721.150.49 3,467,143.03 751,162.97 2,199.039.40 592,307.54 191.185.48 202.952.55 54.').0«7.10 750,243.80 1,253.916.45 267.950.38 146.220.63 672,902.07 1,162,986.32 S.IS.629.57 1 ,'.07 669.24 149,$54.46 I..V \l.ir-i K'ipliie::. behind carr.vini dcvelo l;-i'lin. Nov. Tj. . i. .Viglit," a new far.-e i'.a. Ir.^ilx, piudui;rd ut the lin ijulte an orlglnul Idea It. bnl unfortimately In It out the author failed to cnouc'h wit or humor. iss i!an the Totals , ..$69.340,;s.-..:i2 $115,325.37 $34,667.13 $24,70.3.09 $6,19.8G.-).70 $7,170,730.61 $77,345,877.72 To a young girl of good family comes a my.sterlous man, an an- archist wear'liefl for by the police. He must escaix^ their watchfi'.! eye until morning, when a forg"! will be ready for blm and he nee lb" fouiilry. To be safe he must go In hotel whr>re the arlstocr.icy is wont to stage It.M little matrlmtmiul eilde- steps. nut he must have a girl with him, and he has come with a re- volver and a few bombs to Insist that it be the heroine. The second act finds them to- gether in the hotel. The girl, after several glasses of champagne, de- cides that she docs not want to have her lionor respected any longer. However, the hero Is an honor- able onarchlst. and refuses her. When, next morning, however, he is beginning to weaken, the police break In, but, deceived by his fal^ passport. let him go. The ple<-e is rather amateurishly written, but. if well worked over, might be possible for America. At the Kleiner theatre it was well played by Carolia Toelle and TOrich Kalser-Tletz, and seemed to please the audience. New Productiona Sc'hillerthestar—A revival of Ilen- rlk Ibsen'ei "Rnemy of the People." The first production made in this hou^e since the state took It over. Unfortunately, not so good as was to be expected, as the play now seem«( deriiledly old-fashioned and the acting of Kugen Klopfer In the lending ro!e was very uneven. Kammerspiela — First (ierman production of Swinburne's poetic drama. "Ca.-telord." translated by Walter T'nus. The translation Is good, but the t>lay is unfortimately not well suited to the stige. And the direction of Paul Oiinther. the playing of .M.arla Kein and Waller Janssen wis most medifK're. A re- vival of Ilerminn Ilahr's pre-war faree. "DiB Kiii.kr'. well pl.iyed by Krika von Te'm.inn Hans Itraiise- wetlcr arwl Fritz K:iinp»rs. Hnlher amusing, but tyiileally (!erm:in. Volkshuhne—Revival of "Der ah- truniiine Z.ir" by Carl Hauplmann the broliier of the famous diam.n- tl«f, an ImtioHsHily unclear ami spineless iilav, and of Reaumar- ehals' 'Marriage of Figaro." In which the I. ailing role was ivliyeil by Paul Ileni UelH, and well played, loo, but. unfortunately, he alao di- rected the production, and there ha did not distinguish hlmsolf. , Raaidenx—Revival of "Profeasor Storlcyn," a dreary drama by the Russian T.>eOnld AndreJelT. now quite oid-fdshioned, but quite well played by Kriedrlch Kaysaler and his wife, Helene Fehdmer. Laaaing—A brilliant revival of "Rausch" ("Intoxication") by Strindl>erg, superlfitlvely played by Cierda Muller and Fritz Kortner. Staats—"Minna von Barnhe^m.' by Lesslng, charmingly ataged by Jurgen Fehllng, with the cast tn- eludJng Agnes Btraub, Brnst Oro- nau, Karl Kbert, Lucie Mannheim and Max Schreck. Ranaiaaanoa — "Studentenllebe" ("Student Love"), a half senti- mental, half tragic play by the Rus. slan author, Andrejeff. Fairly well played, and produced with a c-tat including Frau Unda, Otto Oebuiar, Rrwin Kaiser, Roma Bahn and Hans Sternbertt. „ij. Luatspialhaus—The premiere of K*: new play by Oeorg Kaiser, author of "From Morn to Mdnight," called "Neben elnander" ("Bide by Side"), It la an attempt to point the moral that weak idealistic people lyt nowhere in the world today, but that the strong unscrupulous hu«l- neaa man will come out on top. it .i^eema to be quite successful here and win pr(4>ably have a good run, but it is quite unthinkable for America. The production 1«, un- fortunately, not up to standard, but Rudolf Forster, as the business man, gives a brilliant performancv. Schauspieler — This organization, which Is on a oommuntntlc bswia and playn share and share alike, haa already had two openings. First »• revival of the Bngllsh play. "Kd- ward II," by Marlowe, wlilnh was a very bad failure, both as regard* the choice of play and as regards the acting, and secondly, "Eiga" and "Hnnnele." by Gerbaru Hauptmnnn, both in one evening, and with Kl!«v- beth Bergner playing rhe leading role In both. This was a personal triumiih for the actresa and will be surcensful. |Tlw kaal aWaiasHa laalraatlaa at 1 NED)MilfBlliiil STUDIOS or _ 1841 Broadway Ji^gf Siille F" T«Ie|>hi>Ii« C'otllnbsa : ...J