Variety (December 1923)

VARIETY LEGITIMATE "c-''°-<r?'''*''*"'""?'^*"^^i^'''*i'?'^^''* Thursday, December 6» 1823 VARIETY'S 2D CRI1ICALB0XSC0RE ON 41 PLAYS VACATING ON BmY Craig of "Mail" Remains in Lead, Closely Followed by Dale of "American"—Most Rights, Dale With 21—Most Wrongs, Woollcott, "Herald," With 18 The box score of percentages on the New York critics of the <lallie8 as kept by Variety and printed this week on the front page, reveals that James Craig of "The Evening Uall" Is again In the lead, in his opinion on the 41 shows the sub- ject of the present score. Craig le<l Oct. 25 when Variety published its first box score on the 20 playa that had failed and moved out up to that date. Craig Improved his score, from .638 on the first 20 to .680 on the present total of 41. Alan Dale did likewise, making considerable of a leap and landing In second place with .667. Burns Mantle ("News") was another to move up from the sixth to the third position, and Stephen' Rathbun ("SUn") also shifted positions, moving Into the fourth spot after having bcon sev- enth on the first score. , Alexander Woollcott ("Herald") with the mpst wrongs (with Dale the most rights) slides Into next to last after having been fifWi; Hey- wood Br^un ("World") dropped from the second place held by him on the first score to the fifth place in the present box, and John Corbln ("Times") from third to sixth, with Percy Hammond ("Tribune") again bottoming the list, although with an increased percentage. Plays Out—N«t Failures Two of the plays moving out are recorded as not failures. They are "Red Light Annie" and Mrs. Flske's pl.iy. "Mary. Mary." "Red Light Annie" was forced out of tlie Moro.<<co througli Charles L. VVaKner holding a coiitrart for that house \»ith "Scaramouche." The "Annie" play was building up and mlKht have rcmiiliied at the Morosco until l''eb. 1 If it had not been fori'od out, to the KItinge and then to the road. "Mary, Mary," was handed show- manly by the Belasco offices. Evi- dently the liclasco people knew they didn't have a heavyweight In the l'"l!?I<e play and protected its New York appearance with an Initial an- nounrement of a "limited engage- ment" (seven weeks). Afterward that wa.i extended to 11 weeks, al- lowing I he show to go to the road as a New York success on that manoui'voring. It was wily handling, something that somehow marks the BeiM!-co executive offices. "In Love With lM\e" was another forced out of the Rltz where It was doing $12,000 weekly to make room fcr "Robert E. Lee" that Immedi- ately flopped. "In Love" entered before the averages were started. The Kleonora Duse ami Sir John .Martin Har%'ey were si)Oclal en- gagements, passing without classi- fication, and the same might have been said for the Sothcrn-Marlowe stay had they not opened with "Cymbeiine,".' an ancient revival and denting their sojourn at the 59th Street. Another example of placement Is (Continued on paRC 34) "SPICrS" LOW GROSS ATINDIANAPOUS, $4,000 DANCING AT WHITE HOUSE stag* Childrsn'a Contest, Winnari Going to Washington Odd Record of Revue on Road—Closes Next -•juisville, Deo. 5. ".Spice" played to record low re- ceipts for a big revue at the Shu- bert-Murat, Indianapolis, drawing i less than $4,000 on the week. The definite closing order Is up, ending the tour at the end of next week In Cincinnati. "Spice" will have completed a run of 80 weeks, i from coast to coast, during which no I line seems to have profited except ' the actors and the railroad.s. ', liiceted everywhere as a clever Bi.il classy show, it broke records In »( me places and played to incredibly bad biisiness in others. It did five engagements in Phila- delphia, all profitable, hung up high marks on the coast, passed all pre- vious receipts at the Winter Gar- den In New York, failfd miserably in Chicago and drew more in one performance in Los Angeles than on the week In Indianapolis. Trade here has been light. BARTHINES BANKRUPTCY Llabilitiat $23,709—Dixie Hints and Jas D. Barton interested The Barthlnes Co, Inc., MOi; Broadway, New Yoik, theatrical en- terprises, filed a. vohiiitary petition in bankruptry last week, listing no Assets, and liatiiiitifjs of $2.1,709.13. The conil)any was enn.iKed in man- aging musical soIoi.«ts. Dixie Hines, the publicity purveyor, signed the bankruptcy petition as secretary- treasurer of tlic corporation. James D. Barton was the otiier managins director. Both are the prineip.il creditors for, respectively, $6,000 and $12,000. Willy Burmester. the concert vlo- llnist, who ««as under the Barthlnes Co.'8 management, is scheduled s a creditor for an unknown amount Other creditors in.'lude advertising- fn musical puliiicationK, h II rentals. • tc N Washington, Dec. 5. The winners of the national stage children's dancing contest, held re- cently at the Apollo. New York, will arrive in Washington on Saturday, and will lie met by 1.500 pupils of the local dancing schools and ac- companied by them to the White House, where the winners will dance for President Coolidge. Arriving at 12.45 o'clock, the chil- dren \.'lll i)roceed to the Capitol, where the.v will be welcomed by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roo.sevelt. They will dance at the White House in the afternoon, and on Sund.-iy will a- j two perform- ances at the Hotel Willard, HOUSE RECORD $3,200 "Sun Up" Made It In Final Week At Lenox Hill In its la^t week at the Lenox Hill. Lulu Vollmer's "Sun I'p" broke the house record by playing to figures accordin;; to accurate soruces, well ui^to $3,200. With a small stage ci^w and an lne::pen.-iive cast this Rupplieil a neat niargjn of profit, al- though the players^itliont excep- tion are getting considerably more money than when the pi.iy made its debut. Its chances for a sound run at the Princess are considered bright as It has caught on much more securely than Its predecessor, "The Shame Woman." OHKOW'S two PIAYS "Imoine I'litimilcd." « liii'li Win- chell Smith tried out on the road some lime ago. is belns; rewritten by the .lU! ir, Ben II:.nison Orkow, for A P.roadvN'.'iy showing. Orkow h.is also placed a new play, as yet untitled, with David Reiasco. who uiU utilize one ot liis female stars In it. HAMMEESTEIN'S L. I. HOUSE An all-year-aroiind home for Ar- thur H.immersleiii will be built at Whiteslone. L. I., ready for occu- pancy by next summer. H.tmmer- stein h.is pun based from (iranviilt .Ames Reals a tract of land with a water frunluije of 400 f»et, valued at $■•0,000. The 41 Plays Following ia a list of the 4J Idaya used by Variety as It's l>a8e for the percentage* ;ef New York critics in this issue. None of the showi listed Is at present playing In the Times square section; all opened there, since the present season opened: "TvKeedlee." "The Woman on the Jury." "The Gold Old Days" (first named "Light Winea and Bf- ■"'■ "The Breaking Point." "Cni.oi'cn of the Moon." -Brook." "We've Got to Have Money." "Homa Fires." "Red Light Annie." "Zeno." "Magnolia." "The Jolly Roger." •Four In Hand." • "Connie Goea Home." "The Crooked Square." Marionette Playera. "Peter Weeton." "A Lesson in Love." "Nifties." "Casanova." "Floriani'a Wife." "What a Wife" (first named •What's Your Wife Doing?"). "Forbidden." "Mary, Mary, Quite Con- trary." "Cymbeiine." "Nine O'clock Revue." "WindovKB." "Launzi." Grand Guignol Players. "Ginger." "White Desert." "Nobody'e Business." •Steadfast." ^ "Deep Tangled Wildwood" "A Love Scandal." "A Royal Fandango." "The Cup." "The Camel's Back." "Out of the Seven Seas." "Robert E. Lee." "Dumb-Bell." G. & S. STORY Shuberts Fighting It—Want "Mis- ter" Team for New Show. The Court of Appeals granted a stay of execution last Friday to Attorney Tobias A. Keppler acting for Gallagher and Shean, on the decision of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York which upheld the Shuberts' contract with the comedians last month. Monday attorneys for the Shuberts argued to vacate the stay and a decision on that argument Is ex- pected late this week. If the stay Is sustained the Court of Appeals will review the case at Albany, which win be the final dispositint of the matter. The cropping up of the Gallagh.r and Shean case again came as a surprise, but Is one angle of the team's professed determination not to play for the Shuberts regardless of their contract The principal bone of contention so far as Gal- lagher and Shean are concerned is the difference In salary. The Shu- bert contract calls for $1,000 weekly this season. The team was getting $2,500 weekly on tour with the "Follies." The Shuberts are anxious to use the team In the new "Pa->i8ing Show of 1924" due into the Winter Garden next month, which explain.'^ their opposition to the slay which might drag the final decision be- yond the opening date of the show. "FOOL" PLAYS WHEELING WhceJlng, W. Va., Dec. 5. "The Fool," which was to have been barred from West Virginia under the plana of Phil Conley, of the American Constitutional Asso- ciation, appeared at the Court at the same time thatthe West Vir- ginia ICditorlal A.ssociation wet here. A. R. T.. reviewing the show in the Wheeling News, said: "Everyone who holds a brief for or against labor should see It, however, for our own Industrial problems are brought beneath tb« microscope on the Court stast. PRE-HOLIDAY SLUMP PASSED UFBY VETERANS Don't Want to Work for Rail- roads—Allow Nowcomers to Carry Burden WANDA LYON CHAMBERLAIN BROWN STAR No. 3 Miss Lyon has just closed with In Love with Love" and will be seen In n couple of weeks on Broad- way again with L. Lawrence Weber's "Moonlight." Miss Lyon's past succes.-^es include "Getting "Gertie's Garter," "East of Suez." "Lonely Wives," "Mike Angelo" and "Ladle*' Night." Miss L.von has also played leads in stock In Wash- ington and Rochester, has appeared on the screen both here and In Paris, played successful engage- ments in London revues and bung "Madama Butterfly" and "La Tosca" In France. TWO STAGE CREWS FOR "M. J. McKANE" Union Rule Applicable—Roaiil Crew Held for Over Four Weeks "When Mary Jane McKane," the Arthur Hammerstcin musical show, opens in New York at the new Roosevelt, December 20, the show will have to carry a double crew of stage hands. This is in accordance with the stage hands' union rule to the effect that if a show breaks in for more than four weeks the road crew as well as the regular house crew must be employed. It win mark the first instance of the application of the stage hands' i'ule In s^eral months, but one or two previous shows opening in New York this season having played more than the four weeks break-in out of town. The pre-hOllday slump and the congested theatre sltuatioh particu- larly prevalent in cosmopolitan ' cities aeems to have conspired suc- cessfully to bring legit producing in a standstill. From all accounts things will re- main quiet In the producing line un- til after the Christmas holidaya. .Many who have promised attrac- tions will go ahead with them mainly because they have already gone into rehearsal. Others plan- n'.ig to brlag out new productions have side-tracked them until the New Year. The latter prefer to sit tight and permit .elimination to Iron out the theatre scarcity an.^Ie. The->< atrlcal Broadway-is in for a sur-i vlval of the fittest contest, whether: unintentionally or premedltatlvely. With excessive railroad transpor- tation rates and general bad con- dltlon» throughout the country, pro- ducers are none too sanguine to take a long" shot gamble of railroading ^their attractions around the coun- try until a metropolitan opening presents Itself. Mo.«t have preferred to close rather than keep them going for the raij^-oads No less than 20 have brought In Inst month solely on ac- count of this coTOlition. Despite this attitude on the part of the wise producers njany new- comers are sparring with activity and going ahead with producinj. VVheti^er their output will ever reach liroadway will depend upin the broadness of the bankroll. Veteran managers have taken the attitude of let the other fellow break the spell If he wants to. SAM H. HARRIS COAST-BOUND Sam H. Harris will leave for the coast next Thursday to look over "Topsy and Eva," which is playing Los Angeles with the Duncan Sis- ters featured. The coast-produced musical which has attracted much attention will succeed "The Fool" at the Selwyn, Chicago, during the holidays. WILL OF BROWNIE WELLS Husband, William C Masson, Gets ' Virtually Entire Estate The wl'.l of Brownie Wells, who died at her home in Jamaica, L. L, Nov. 5, was admitted to probate last week. By Its terms her husband,.^ William C. Masson, theatrical man-I ager and producer, inherits the bulk of her estate. The value is set at "over $5,000" In rcaJty and "over $100" in personal property. Mr. Masson is made executor without bond. Miss Wells, who formerly played with Marie Tempest, Henry E. Dlxey and other stars, made only two spe- cific bequests. One was a gold and platinum diner ring with 46 dia- monds to Rose Anna Coughtry, grandnlece; the other was a piece of Jewelry or Its equivalent In money to I«ila Stevens of Sydney, Aus- tralia, another grandnlece. SPECIAL MATINEE PLAYS ECONOMICAL AND POSSIBLE Brings Direct Attention—Advantageous for Short Bankrolls—Salary for Players Pro Rata—Carrie* Hope Besides Producers have found the special matinee idea an Inexpensive method in getting their production wares before a public. Although few. If any, ever realize a profit on the special showings, many have found It an excellent avenue in which to Interest addi- tional capital providing they have a s.alnble article. Several new firms with limited capital are planning to bring out their productions in this fashion rather than jaunt them around the country. -They take the angle that If the piece is as good as they be- lieve it to be, it will catch on at the matinees and that they can later throw H Into a night bill. One producer In particular who has but $0,000 to gamble with has pointed out that theatres can be rented for the special performances for from $200 to $300 a perform- ance, according to the location of the theatre. Tlie five can at least set his show for two weeks and either go over or convince him the piece Isn't there. , If accomplishing nothing else the producers stata that the Broadway showing and at- tendant publicity will help th« stock and picture rights possibili- ties. On the other hand if the produc- tion had been taken out, the bank roll would be deleted In one bad week and the show perforce shelved without even a fair chance. The matinee showings <iave an additional angle that appeals to the short roll producers In that It prac- tically absolves them from any l->iulty Interference. The players are generally engaged at pro rat»- salifries. three or four performances constltutlng-their week and even if Equity should demand a bond the latter would cost little or nothing to carry. In most ln.>^tnnces of the special"* matinees Equity waives the neces- sity of a bond so long as the com- pany does not leave New York and providing Its members are agree- able to the waiving.