Variety (April 1924)

12 VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday, April 30, 1924 INSIDE STUFF ON LEGIT A j)I;..v i'.i'nti j^• -miU 1 srwr. f-titin}.- J ) r rcn:. of thr tioM of Titp- fi.r ti". ]I<':>t i'.ii li, ' li.iiu^li 111. lM.iit.iit ti.i iif.).!" frf in a C'tntinf ntiil i,.i!i.o!- fcr i'i);.v l-'it'O. Tli<: lunkM- loM I.< v Sliiit.prt d 11.<: liKa, thf hittpr turning ;t over ;o AViii!lu(.p Ainc^. liut n t;.ii)inp TO jxr coiit. of lli'- sliow. 'B. f:v:ni" is ftlajiiin to f-i'-.a l-m-iiuiss i-t tlio l'.i't.iii]!iur.s;, last week's flt'-it*^ .'i^ain poiiij; tu lUiirly JJO.OOO. Cecvp© t-. K.uifiiian nrnl ,\I;u'. c<'Mh11.v, i\ lio actually wrtto the i>lay. are li.il'ry i" "'<■ possis-ion of a :<>:. alty rcntia.t that nUta thciii 15 jc- cfiit. on all ovei- JlO.cOO pros'. Willi tlie apent petting ,i peicrntape f.lf-o the attraftioii probalily has the I.ipgcst overhead or any like show on rir.,laway ami n.ust play to more tl;..n av'ri;t;e ^llsine^^s to turn a jirolit. On top of the otlurs pani'ipatinp, Kolanil Younp, the lead, is said 10 ha\e a percen'ape ananpcinfnt of ccme kind. "Bcppar," however. f< rtin.icv to top the non-nuisioal attra< liop.o. not imhiding "Tl'.e Miracle." ](•■ .eiicce."?' is t" l.c larprly credited to KaufinAn and Connelly. They lifted only tl;e id^a of ilif oripin.il play, .«t.'irtinp re.-i'.ly from a simple axiom or Situation. They i-efii^ed to < \en rci.d a tian'-l.Mion of the play, going on their ou r. .ill tlie way. J-(si;e II. w.ud, a . .'iiior wtili a kxii fcnse of humor, wl;o is appearing 1,1 'Outwaid Bound." leocntly contributed a y.'irn to one of the dailies>, kMUUng the style o.' certain stape Ulrectore, hut without mentioning jianus. liobort Miltcn wa? one of the diretiors nuant. Milton has a way of sug- ge'^tinp proportions in the direitinp players. One- of h'g favoilte points is: "i'lta.se make tliat word round—round like a pear.' One actor asked Milton wliich end he nieriiit. Starke Younp, i^ne of the Theatre Guild's di- je ti'rs, uses colors this w.sc: "A lit'.h: more purjile in lliat word please' or "D.at'i odd, i)U* a little more red in the txrrefsion." The yarn also mentioned Arthur Ccastr, referred to as 'a loud speaker.' C»r.sCr iS a friend of William Harris, jr. Formerly he practiced law, and It was one of hi^ hoM'ies to attend ni.glit ri^iirt and defend unfortunates ■who were down arid out, unalle to retain oo'.insel. Ceaser's most notorious < 'if nt was Tannenbaum, who slept al! nlglit in church to test the theory of Christianity. Ceaser dal'bles in jiiitiire siiip't sales and when getting a l.'.nk roll invprJably gives a party. He arrnngod the picture that Al J(l--on never oomplet'd for P. W. Cntlith. He also write 'Out of the fc'fvi.n .St.','-,' produced rt t!io Frazee e.-.r;y t!i:s veason. T;:e .>-toiy of "Of'bra," .Martin Kn'.vns new dr.inia at the Hudson, is hasei! on a real incident tiiat ttirrtd Neiv Yorii. Tliat was the destruc- tion ly fire of a hotel, reputed to have teen "played' hy men In the upper strata and tlu ir pai.imour'--. Anionp- the victim.s were a number of I • rsf r.s who could not be identified. Accordinp to the origin,!! yarn, a man who was in the hotel with a wom.'iJi mariaped to escape. He knew the viii.an's husb.ind, hut ncvtr could nerve himself to explain the wife's filsenic, she beinp reported as a ir.is'ir.s; jcr^cn. It preyed o.'. his niir.d iar.d he .''hot himseif a year later. Tlie h.otel was not the W.nds-or. ilestroi.ed about 25 year.s ago. It caught fic about 2 o'clock in the afternoc n, peopje j.'-imtiiing the windows watch- jnp a St. Fatrick's Pay par.-.de. Th;.t was the cau.'e of the heavy death hst, ni.'.ny of t!.fc vi>.tin-.s b< ing .bxirnc d teyorid recognition. Wiieiher C. B D.Ilinphani is hookfd up in the round robin managerial prfjp along with A. 1^. F.rlanper and 1 lo Ziepfild -.h a quesllcr. Recently (.n item was sciit the d..il;es to the effect that the lower floor for "Tlie .^te].pirg Stone>^" had been sold to certain political powers during the < onv( iitioii pcricd. Lated tliat was said not to have been prec.sely iiiiitct, but was sent out as a sipnal to otiier managers that Dillingham wi uld n(t shut down June 1, regardless of th.e Kquity situation, "The .Stei'idng Stones ' will, however, shut down for five 'fceeks starling .Tuiy 5 and reopen August ]j. There was .1 summer reH also for Fred Stone when ho played the Olobc similarly in "Chin C'r.in." The attrac- ticn wiil be continued at t)-.e Olole next season. ■\\1.,;; awful chan'fs son-.'' pcopie I'c tal.e. i:i I.^. Davidow offers to bet any cne Jl OOP. money to te posted witli tiio Kdiii.r of the "Times Square liar.>-," that Irving Sherman, qn attache of his .jflii e, was net in the crap game m the Futnam building, last weel:. when bandits held up the player^ Sherman, at the time, was actmp as assistant stage manager to Alex- ander Lfftwjh at the dinner given ly tlie King Feiitures Syndicate to visiting re WSJ).", per men. ■ ■ • . , . Iiavidow's f'ffir is made in pcoi'. faith But if the 'World's Worst' ever got its hand" c.n the "cne grand," all roinn.uni'ations for that publiv alien miglit h;.vfc to be addressed to some lsi'l;,!'r. Island in tiie I'Jciti'.. 1,ast >car a newspaper columnist o! New Tc rk went abroad and struck I'lida-Fest in the < ourse of hi.s tra\<l=. Coinp ;o the Writers' Club there iit boosteii his sto'k considerab',1 and n.ade liimself out as a big figure in Anwri.'an journalism, according to a IlLingr.rian now In New Y'ork who was th'.re at the t<me. After Using the club for some tir.ie he left tut not until promising them a donation of JI 000 to lielp tilings along. The }1 000 hasn't arrived >it b'Ut t!;e columnist is now takirp .nnotlier trip abi-oad with Buda I'est 1.1 ; ii.eii'.ioned in his itinerary. That playv.vlpli's are bfginninp tc appreciate the value of publicity iii.ii :,;e f'in..,' in for it on a largo scale is glc.ned from the fact that three ct therr., credited witli current successes have emi'loyed press agents. The pla:. niaktr>; "'.id* i-.tly .ire of a mind that tiiey r<'-eive lltMr publii it> l-.cn, Ti-..'.n.-iP(i>- producing their shc^', the i.itter pteferring to devote the • leigies or l;i^ press ."eprfstti'a'ive to selling the play and players and s .-■"•ely pivin. ' :,n> ni.ii'b n wV.;,tKe\er to the playwright. T.'-.e pi.'-s.i.l'^ .\ -i-i'M :c •:.,': .'.ijcvf :•■ 'ifcri-f. Kellv. nuth.or of "The Si."V, (.iff." T'..- j.ie.'.s woii; .'or The Ve.'.t,.s Wi'. k" is new being handled cut of in' I.''-vis A: (Jord'in office. That film p: oiiu'-cd tlit 0"en Davis comedy, iij w) .. h ,Sani H. Harris and Tli'imii^ W.liirs arc interested. Dast week t),e "VXieik'.s" businesj Jump<<l J j 000 '.viuch tojiped any pre portionate i...s:er improvement (.f other shows cn, tiie li< t. The "Mu'lc Bov Revae" ; liip.d e<i.i..;iy . s i,iUch. J.euis Clin'. ..s !.;Mdi.np the publicity for Lewis A < lOi'd'.'M. 'i'i'.cro r;.ay i.e s,.;iie ■ ..i;'usii>r, ails.ng if .. ':rike ocr.irs over tutside Utia-tio;..-- ;.laylr.g in I:r<'adway iieUses tiel ;.l.pned with tne Producing Jlai.ap'ers' Assn iation. or the reverse. Casual discussicn « f ;'..s po-'-ibility has nri'-cn with nothing (ietern.intd It fi.ay be that a coii.'ei eri'.e will be neee^s;,rj to straighten up tliat angle 1)1 'i:e event of ti,.- •.■onl.i.geney arising. ALL OFFICERS SEPT. 1 42d Street C. C. Gives Bill McBride Send-Off ' Irene P'hoy of Vogues' is contf mphating giving a ),!rthd;iy parly for ),i: p>' t J ' o h i'i ' .i i Hui i ill h t f i p'^ ' n ient- in the H>'<<! Alrimnr. 3t .sounded like pre.-s stuff until learned lolh Ch.ul.e Morrison and Bill M'.C.ffcrcy will bt iirestnt, although M'lr'lsoii Is iijipearing under M, - Cafffciey s protect, ' . Memliers of the 4L'd Street Coun- try Club tendered a dinner .Satur- day Light to Bill Ml Bride, the globc-enciiciing ticket mogul, short- ly gi'ing abroad. The banfi'i't w.is held in the club's "town house," the loft over Jack Oilman's whulesale meat market on lower Ninth avcnu.\ i!cBiide was presented with a trave'Iin r cioik and a folding leatlicr case. In thanking the members, .McBride lianded the treasurers present a number of good hiuglis. Satuiday's event was the linal parly tliis season for the club, which is unhiue i.'i that al! its members are ollicers. The exception is Kddic I'iolin (they are trying to dig up a title for him), wlio at present is the only pl.iin member. The officers of the club are: Leon- ard Erlanger Bergman, president; William McBride, vice-president; Thomas C. Naughton, treasurer; Julius Scheifstein, financial secre- tary; John IMcXaniec, recording sec- retary; Clarence Jaeobson and Louis Ohms, entertainment commit- tee; Louis Cohen and Harry Martin, greens committee. There are half a dozen other members, all of whom arc olflce liolders. CHORISTER PLEADS GUILTY Wilmer Woodward Arrested as She Returns Clothes to Betty Gray "Clofilnp on r.r.'oiivr ft th.e strike" <fl the fiiitl doped out by .S. Jay K.nifh'.an .ind IB nry Markiewle/. m case their revu«, "Manhattan M«d- ritsi!,' e-'tsigntU for th'. Ctntuij- UcoT, Ccee not land, , , Charged with grand I.irceny, pre- ferred I'y Belly Gray of "Kid Boots," Wilmer Woodward, choris- ter in a I'Uilesiiue show at the Bi- jou, I'iiiladelphia, pleaded guiily in the West Side Court, last week, and was held fi>v tlie (Jr;u;d Jury. Miss Wocilward was accused of stealing rlolhing. v.ilued at $1,800, from Miss Uray's home April 14. Following tlic theft, the case was reported to Peteclive Hannigan of Hie West 47th street station. Miss Wooduard was arrested at 42d street and Broadway as she was en route to return the ciothes. The girl said she just wanted to wear them over Faster, as she had no new clothing and no money to purcliasc any. SHOWS IN NEW YORK (Continued from page 10) week). Opened Thursday of hist week, drawing mixed notices. .Melodrama and stands chance of getting money for time. "The Goose Hangs High,"' Bijou (14th week). Has consistently played to fine business on lower floor. Last week, with extra mat- inee, about $9,500. Average, $0,000, good pace in house. "The Miracle," Century >15th week). Last week saw best gross since opening weeks, with count claimed around $aO.OOO. Big figure gotten bci au-^e of two extra matinees for total of 10 performances. "The Nervous Wreck." Sam H. Har- ris (30th week). Betterment last week one of best proportionate increases of entire list. Gross nearly $13.,^00. $5,000 over Holy Week's count. "The Outsider," Ambassador (9th week). Affected Holy Week, but came back with bang I.ist week and drew $1<1.000. Only one non- musical petting bigger grosses. "Outsider' has strong prospect for summer continuance. "The Potters," I'lymouth (21st week). Been making mom y right along and ought to be sweet on road. Also leaped upward last week; with extra matinee played, gross was nearly $14,000. "The Shame Woman," Comedv i29th week). Dramatic sticker. One of several attractinns rf kin'i that can operate at small gmsses, be- ing (o-operative. (.Jot $,5,r,00 last wcel:: has slipi.-ed under $4,00(1. "The Show-Off," l'layi,ouse c I3th week). I'la.Ncd extra matinee Kaslcr, which ptave gross best mark to date, takings going to $15,000. j\Il ,iidir;i(ions point to this hit going thro'.igh summer into new S(ns(,iii. "The Swan," Cort (2Mli week). Off rceiitiy. like most of other long ranrung slu'Cs. Last wci k (luoted o\er $10,000, nboijt same. i..-ire as previous week. "Two Strangers From Nowhere," I'liia li \: .liicly i4lli wicl.i. .M.iy r(m,-iin another w(i|(, liiais' being rented for fiv(:-week p( i iod. Cast ( h;inpes made to reduce net, but atlraction has no chanee. M:nb'- $2.,")an. "Vogues of 1924," Sliuh(:t (C,\h we»l\j. Working on this (pn( to iand f( r run tliroiigli summer. with new [leople probably being added. Biisiiiiss pood to dale, but nbt blp'. Las! ^^'ik tdrunt \] !.'•{''>, tnj) ti-ii^ Dal.N's (lP,d .Street Claim' d bi .--t wei k la«-t W'lk, when ted .'it betteT thnn $10,000, Will sfiik through May and has 'hancej fo- June coniu.u- ftlK.C. FUR AND PETS Lola Stewart Gets Pinched for Hav- ing Both San Francisco, April 29. Lola Stewart, an actress from Sacramento, was arrested last week at the Oakland depot on .1 warrant charging her with the theft of a $100 fur coat. The arri St was made by Detec- tives Tim Flynn and B. A. Wallinan. The prisoner informed lliem, "If you arrest me, you'll have to take my family." To this they agreed, and she led them to the baggage car. The family consisted of live pet snakes, 20 trained caterpillars^one goat, three Persian cats, two bull terriers and three guinea pigs. The snakes got loose from their card- board box and only after a lot of excitement were they recaptured. Then the police bundled Miss Stewart and Iier menagerie into the patrol wagon and took the outfit to the city prison. At the jail it was discovered Miss Stewart had violated the hoof and mouth disease regulation of Sacra- mento by transporting her pets from the capital city to Oakland. The pets were ordered to be kept in the jail and Miss Stewart was taken back to Sacramento and will now have lo face two charges. SUES HANNA ESTATE June Evans Asks $1,200 Monthly for Breach of Promise Washington, April 29. In an interview granted one of the local dailies Elizabeth Hanna, heir- ess to the millions of Dan It. Hanna. describes the friendship of her f.ither f(.r June Avis Kvans, the ac- tres.i, as "purely platonic." Miss Evans is suing for $1,200 monthly. At the same time Miss Hanna said that the publicity given the case by Miss Evans would not defer her m.arriage on May 3. Miss Hanna asserts she saw noth- ing of plans of her father to marry Miss Evans and thereby "take unto himself a fifth wife. Slie scoffed at the Idea that her father had ever agreed to give the actress a monthly allowance for life. The case, brought by Miss Evanr, will come up next month and ac- cording to the papers filed she is suing the Hann.a estate for $1,200 monthly for life, .asserting she was liromised that allowance in con- sideration for breaking her engage- men to Hannn. MOTHER LOVE WINS Marjorie Logan Gives Up Stage for Her Child Having been given two weeks to decide between the furtherance of her stage career or continued cus- tody of her five-year-old son, Mar- jorie Logan, actress, chose the lat- ter yesterday (Tuesday) when she reappeared before Supreme Court Justice Benedict in Brooklyn and convinced the jurist that she h.ad given up the stage. By way of cor- roboration she brought a letter from her manager, •whose name neither Mrs. Logan nor the court would give out. Mrs. Logan and her husband, Robert Logan, an advertising man, separated two year« ago through mutual agreement. 'When the wife returned to the stage some months ago the Iiusband brought an action to secure custody of his son unless she would retire to home life and take care of him. Logan claimed he was providing adeeiiiately for both and that Mrs. Logan was not compelled to ear i her living on the stage. The husband was in court yes- terday and all three left in an auto after the case was completed. 'White Cargo," i2Ct!i wck). Since winter PMOss was (|U< "VANITIES" CLOSING IN CHI. Chicago, April 29. Eail Carroll's "Vanities" will close here May 17 and the entire company of no persons shipjied to New Y'ork. "Vanities" came In for only four weeks. The show will probably be sent out again next season, going right to the co.-ist. Carroll has exerci.'»ed his yearly ojition cn Joe Cook. Ho has a con- trait for four years, with thc'option nnnu.dlj during the term. Cast Completed S. K. and B. s. Knauer have finally d nijileted the cast for their Iriilfil T'l'oduction venture, "The Blphi to Dream," due for an out- of-iown hearing the latter part ot M.Ty. It Includes Bertha Droad, Au- Kus'a Biirmester, Sardos Lawrence, •Marion Barney, James Hughes and Edw.Trd Colebrook. ROOD OF DRAMATICS (Continued from page 9) going lo $22,000; 'Th*! Kervou« Wreck" also with an upwar.l Im« of $5,000 led the fleM in propor? tionate hetternunt, "The I'otters" h.id an extra matino ea.id was not far from $14,000; ."Spring Cleanlnc'- jumped $3,000, with .-ibout $iioL gross. "Abie's Irish Ilos^e." a.^'ain topped Hie luildove rs with $13 000 in last week, while ' l{,i:u' beat $11, 000 and "Seventh lli.iven" »n» $9,500. "" Going out this wc :< are "Tar- nish," which will lie niiiieeded by "Catskill Dutch" at the Belnionf ".Mary Jane McKane," which leaves the Imperial, the house getting the Moscow Art Thc.itrc for a week- "Nancy Ann," which iialics vay at the 39th St. for "The Bride "; "Sweet Little Devil," which leaves the Cen- tral, that house getting "The Chif- fon Girl" (now at Jolson's 5ath St); "Running Wild'" out ot the Colonial and "Sun t'i>'" out of the Princess." "Beg 'o My Dreams" will enter Jol- son's; Artists and Models'" Is duo to switch from the Winter (Jarden May 5 and "Innocent Eyes" Is the likely new entrant into ilie Garden at the time. Subway "For All of I's" V. .IS tho best draw on the subway riicuit last week, with a gross of $10,500 at the Majestic, Brooklyn; "Blossom Time* in a repeat date at the Kiveria drew about the same li;;ure; "Peg o' ily Dreams" got between $8,000 and $9,000 at the Shubirt, Newark, while "Th;ink You," re eating at the Broad Street, is eicdited at a little under $5,000; 'Til Say She Is" got around $S,500 at the Crescent; "The Moonftower" is crcdiled with $5,500 at the Bronx oinra house; "The H<irse Thief" pot .i little under $8,000 ir Jersey City; -I'ansy'" at the Montauk"' was removed for fixing, last week being Us first dale. Cuts 100 Per Cent. Ahead The cut rate market was about 100 per cent, aliead of tlic number of attractions on the street that are boast of buys. This in ;!ie face of general good businc.-s all along lh» line l.nst week. There are 30 shows in the cut rates while but 16 of th« current attractions are in the "buy" class in the agencies. But one of the shows is repr*" senled on both sides of the fence, and that is the Shubcrt production of "Vogues," which is at the Shu- bert theatre. The brokers are still holding a buy and getting "stuck" while the show is also in the cut rates. . The buys are "The Outsider" (Ambassador); "The (".oosc HiingS High' (Bijou); "Beggar On Horse- back'" (Broadhurst); "Kid Boots* (Carroll); "The Swan'" iCorl); "Ex- pressing Willie" (48tli S;reet); "Sit-- ting Pretty" (Fulton); "Stepping Stones'" (Globe); "Fata Morgana" (Lyceum) ; "Leah Kleschna" (Lyric): "Music Box Bevue'" (MusiO Box); "Ziegfeld Follies" (New Am^ sterdam); "The Show-Off' (Play- house); "Outward Bound" (Rlti);!' '"Chariot's Bevue of 1924" (Selwyn);' and "Vogues" (Shubert). In the cut rates there was BO great a list that there wasn't room for all of the attraetions on th0 regular board. The 30 shows of« fered at bargain prices are "Poppy^ (Apollo); "Tarnish' (Belmont)Sl "Sevei.th Heaven" (Booth); "Fara- diso AHey" (Casino); "Sweet Llttl* Devil" (Central); "Kunnin" 'Wild"- (Colonial); "The Shame Woman"- (Comedy); "White Cargo' (Daly'e):! "Spring Cleaning" (Eltlnge)}' "White AVaslied'" (52r,d Street)!' "Cheaper to Marry" (4yth Street);' "Hell-Bint-for-lIeaven" (Frazee)!' J'Swcet .Seventeen" (Frolic); "Gar- den of Weeds'" (Gaiety); "The Wan .ind tlie Masses'" (Garrbk); "'Fash- ion" (Greenwich \'illage); "Cobra" (Hudson); "Mary Jane McKane" (Imperial); "The Cliil'fon Girl" (Jol- son"s); "Lollipop"' ( Kni. k( rbocker); "Little Jessio JanK s" . Little); "Moonlight" (Longaerc i; "Helena's Coys' (.Vlilier); "Flame of Love" (iMoroseo); "Two Strar.gcrs from Nowhere" (I'unch ;ii:d Judy); "Vogues' (Shubert); ".\ancy Ann" (39tli Street); "Mr. Battling Bat- tler" (Times Siiuan); "T!io Duet Heap" (Vanilerbilt). and "Artists and .Models'" (Winter C.irden). MITZI GOING HOME Mitzi will close In r sa-on in "The Magic Bing" at flic a. X. V., May 24- She sails for London Jur.' (1 10 rpena the summer at her lionn- in Buda- pest, returning the latKr part Ci August to resume her t'ur In tn« Savage musical. , The actors' strike may alter the" plans. /