Variety (September 1924)

Wednesday, September 3, ISM FOREIGN VARIETY ENGLISH VAUDL BOOM REVIVES BARRING CLAUSE TWIXT CIRCUITS „.;.-#•-.. American Artist*, Therefore, Should Be- Careful of Bookings—Wcit End Houses Reverting to Old Regime 1 London, Aug. M. After all Ilaquel Meller and her assorted Continental company will not be seen at the New Oxford un- der the Cochran management and a search is being made for another house. The Oxford la being engulfed by the present vaudeville boom, and will return to something like lte old glory shortly.. This .will mean that practically everyone of the famous West End houses are going back to the regime of 20- years ago, with the excep- tion of yie Tlvoll and Pavilion. The Pavilion wilt almost certainly revert at:the end of the eighteenth months' Famoua-Laaky picture lease, while (Continued on page 6X GOOD TRADE AT WEST END HOUSES Two Weeks of Continu- ous Rain Make It Fine for Theatres London, Sept. 2. Steady rain for -two weeks has given the West End theatres a great business break. This business has been enormous. Several attractions listed as about to close are being carried along, and the rainy spell may be the cause of their Indefinite continuance. Just at present, though, the gen- eral prediction Is for a hot Septem- ber. ADVISES OF SHUBERT BUY "USON" BY VERNEUIL Romantic Comedy of Mistress—Jane . , Renouardt, Producer Paris, Sept. 2. Jane Renouardt commenced the Daunou season Aug. SO with "LI- son," by Louis VerneutI, whose name will be seen frequently during the next few months. The place Is a romantic comedy telling of a young duke' who mar- ries his servant and», former mis- tress. It was averagely received. The cast gave a neat Interpreta- tion. It Includes F. Gallpaux, Andre Letaur, Degungand, Mme. Marcelle Pralnce and the manageress herself. INDEX of classifications In this issue • *~ Pages Miscellaneous 1 Foreign. 2-3 Vaudeville ..... k 4-8 Burlesque 10 Disk Reviews 38 Editorial .'. 9 Legitimate .>.11-15 Legitimate Reviews 15-44 8ports ........ 9 Stocks 15 Little Theatres ....» 15 Pictures 19r26 Picture Reviews 25 Outdoor Amusements 27-35 Circus 30 Inside 8tuff—Legit 14 * —Vaude ..... 6 " " —Pictures ... 26 " ■ —On Outside. 32 Opera and Concert 18 Music 36-39 Cabarets 39 New Act Reviews.. 40 Vaudeville Reviews 41 Bills Next Week 42-43 0bituary 18 Correspondence .......\.. 45 Letter List 54 THE TILLER SCHOOLS OF DANCING 143 Charing Cross Road LONDON Director, JOHN TILLER Notifies Booking Office to Make No Further Con- tracts, Leaving Open Books for Purchasers for Next Season London, Sept. 2., Charles Gulliver Is reported to have Informed the executives of the Gulliver Circuit that the purchase of the circuit by the Shuberts, of New York, has been practically con- summated. Gulliver's Instructions are that'no further bookings be entered, as the books are to be left open for the Shuberts tor next season. REVUE STOCK TRIAL Everything Good About It But the Company at Victoria-Palace London, Sept. I. A trial was given for this week starting yesterday at the Victoria- Palace of a permanent revue stock for that house. It occupies the sec- ond half of the bill, running an hour. There is good material, and the tab Is neatly staged but with a second rate company that only the Tiller group of dancers redeems. They stood out brilliantly. Is the fir st part Harry Thurston exhibited a hew act of character songs and did splendidly. OXFORD'S FAST START Reopened Monday as Musie Hall With Two Capacity Houses London, Sept. 2. Two capacity houses last night saw the reopening of the Oxford as a music hall under the management of the Gulliver Circuit Nora Bayes was the big card, closing the show, with Herschel Meniere (American) the big hit of the bill. V0LTERRA REVIVES COMEDY Paris, Sept. 2. The Theatre de Paris reopens with a revival of "Ecole des Co- cottes" with Mme. Spinelly, await- ing Chas. Mere's new melodrama, "Tentatlon." This will be produced about the same time as the hew work by Henry Bernstein at the Gymnase, to be entitled "La Galerle des Glaces" with C. Boyer, Jacques Baumer, Jean Worms, Suzanne Dantes and Madeleine Lely. There Is also due Nozler's "Le Marl d'Allne," at the Theatre Michel, with Slgnoret and Suxy Prim, postponed from last season. ANOTHER OUTBYTNG THEATRE London, Sept 2. The craze for developing outlying theatres continues. Kenneth Barnes, principal of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art has taken over the house known as the Pulham Grand on behalf of the Partnership Play- ers. He will produce a play of his own with the far from original title of "The Letter of the Law." Violet Vanbrugh, Prudence Van- brugh and Athole Stewart head the company. Managerial Courtesy London, Sept. 2. Though Herfchel Henlere is booked to appear at the AI- hambra next week, the Stoll ©Alee granted permission for the, American artist to appear the current week on the open- ing program at Gulliver's (cir- cuit) Oxford. New London Season Holds Some Promise London, Aug. 22. Arrangements are being set- tled tor the autumn rush. In spite of the outcry that there would be a lack of new plays, the season promises to be In- teresting enough. Some proph- ets. In fact predict a series of sensations. They point out that Channing Pollock's "The Fool,*' which comes to the Apollo shortly, deals with one or two matters not exactly suited to juvenile minds. Then Freder- ick . Lonsdale's sophisticated "Spring Cleaning" is still await- ing production, and that Is daring enough for any taste. Likewise. "Rain" is not unlikely to arrive before Christmas. No one, of course, can feel very excited at the news of a , new play by that arch-aentl- mehtaltst. Ian Hay. Still, one never knows. "The Sport of Kings" may not be as bad as Its title, however strongly this suggests blue eyes, faith, hope and charity and country house parties. It Is due to be put on at the Savoy Sept ». Before that date, however, there will be a revival of "The Bells" at this theatre. Nor does Matheson Lang's latest acquisition arouse much expectation. "The Hour and the Man," by Frank Stayton, which he brings to the New Theatre late In October, Is the usual story of a democratic politician in love with a Tory damsel who is out to ruin his party's prospects. Very much the same title was presented at the Globe by Marie Lohr a few years ago and proved a dismal failure. Matheson Lang, how- ever. Is doing well with the play In the provinces, where he Is worshipped wholeheartedly. One df the signs Is a para- graph that Felix Aylmer haa been released from his engage- ment at the Haymarket, most aristocratic of London theatres, to appear In the Shaw revivals at the Everyman, the theatre that was once a drill hall! Of course,, the meaning of this paragraph is that the revival of Arnold Bennett's "The Great Adventure" at the Haymarket cannot last forever. It will be replaced by a new Galsworthy play. This Is founded On his story called "The Stole." CHEAP ACTORS, PLAYS, SCENERY BRING ROTTERS INTO DISREPUTE Bill Introduced Against Their Berlin Theatre Control Into Prussian Legislature—Alleged Rotters Are Theatrical Trust—Huge Profits on Rentals TINNEY BREAKS BAYES RECORD Empire Engagement Ex- tended and Cabaret Date Permitted MAX DEARLY PLAYING HEBREW COMEDY ROLE Appearing in Sketch at Em- pire, Paris—Will Decide Sketch Policy of House Paris, Sept. 2. Max Dearly, a versatile come- dian, is booked for a sketch, "High Life Tailor," by Fordyce and Ma- trat, at the Empire here during the autumn. Dearly played a similar role when a debutant at the Con- cert Parislen (now Concert Mayol). He will Impersonate a fashionable tailor and tell yarns about Jews. The sketch bills with local stars provided by Dufrenne and Varna at this large music hall have been somewhat lukewarm of late. It re- mains to be seen whether Dearly will change the situation. The appearance of Marguerite DeVal earlier this month in an ef- fusion by Rip was a flop, the vehicle provided by the popular revue author being of the weak tea and strong butter calibre. "Green Goddess" Closing; "Nervous Wreck" Opens London, Sept. 2. "The Green Goddess" will close at the St. James Saturday with "The Nervous Wreck" succeeding It. 'The Wreck" comedy Is being produced over here by Gilbert Mil- ler and Lewis & Gordon. The firm Is also interested in "Six Cylinder Love," produced by Sam H. Harris in New York. Julian Frank has the British rights to It. DeCOURVILLE AFTER ACTS Paris, Sept. 2. Alfred DeCourvilie, the London producer, has been here looking for numbers to be introduced Into the forthcoming revue at the vaudeville theatre, London, \ hich he will pre- sent for the season Instead of Andre Chariot. . London, Sept 2. " Frank Tinney In his first week as the draw at the Empire (vaudeville) beat the gross drawn by Nora Bayes during her first week there. Tinney's engagement has been ex- tended at the Empire (be came here for six weeks). Permission has been granted htm by the management to appear at the Metropole cabaret, meanwhile. The Metropole will open Sept. 16. Not only la Tinney drawing record business, but he Is drawing back the old Empire crowd and restoring Its former music hall atmosphere. CARROLL'S "RAT* Producing Drama in New York with Teddie Garrard London, Sept 2. Earl Carroll has secured the American rights to "The Rat," an English drama. It will be produced la New Tork with Teddie Oerrard featured. MISTINQUETTE'S REVTTE Paris, Sept, 2. It is now considered concluded, although price Is still an object of dlscuss'.on, that Mme. Mlstlnguett will play In the new revue at the Casino de Paris, to be produced by Leon Volterra this winter. Dutard a local comedian, will also be In the oast Yvette Gullbert will try her hand r.t legitimate, appearing In a com- edy at one of the houses directed by A. Franck (Etolle or Edouard vn.). DANCERS COMING 0VE&7 Paris, Sept t. Mitty and Tllllo, the French acrobatic dancers, have -quitted the show at the Casino de Paris, with Vronska and Alperoff replac- ing, to enable them to sail about Sept. 18 for the Ray Goets show In New York. , Moss and Fontana, dancers, have also been booked for America through Goets, who has been tak- ing a cure at Carlsbad, Austria DANCERS FOB GERMANY Paris, Sept 2. Serge de Dlaghllew's Monte Carlo Russian ballets have been hooked for a tour In Germany, beginning next month. Berlin, Sept 2. The press and publlo of Berlin,. Infuriated at the alleged depreda- tions the Rotters have made upon the artistic Ufe in the theatrical world here, are responsible for a bill wheh has been introduced in the Prussian Legislature, directed against any Increase of their activi- ties on the .ground that they consti- tute a theatrical trust The real kick is that the Rotters have taken the six most popular houses In Berlin and. Instead of of- fering traditional German drama, they are staging stuff to suit the war profiteer and working classes, and are also disregarding the famous en- semble system of the German stage. They are engaging one or two stars for each show and a flock of cheap actors for the other roles. Tracing their control of the six houses, it Is found that immediately following the close of the war, they obtained control of the Trianon, Residens and Klelnes theatres dur- ing the unsettled condition which followed. Then they made clear their policy—cheap plays, cheap scenery and cheap actors. The critics Immediately arose la arms; but this was not sufficient The. ac- . tors' union arose, because this policy kept people out of work. But that didn't hurt ' During the '21'22 Inflation years the Rotters hsd got control of the Lesslng, Central sad Theatre des Westens. The Central was bought so favorably It aow costs them f 1 a day to run, and It is rented to the People's Theatre Association for (Continued on page* 24) AMERICANS ABROAD Paris, Aug. 25. la Paris 1st week: Marshal Nle- lan, picture producer, <nd Ms wife, Blanche Sweet screen actress;' Forest Halaey, scenario writer; Ben All Haggln, New Tork scene designer: O. O. Mclntyre, Mrs. David Belasco, William Krelnlck, New York dress designer; Paul Block (Pictorial Review); Dr. John Harries (N. Y. Police Dept), Ruth Donnelly, David WarfletO sad wife. CHEVALIER IT PALACE BEYUE Paris. Sept. 2. Maurice Chevalier, with Yvonne VaUe, Is to head the cast 'In the winter revue, "Vive les Ftmraei," at the Palace here. He is under contract with Dufrenne and Varna for six months, which will poet- pone his visit to New York. The Irvln sisters (aow at Vichy), will dance In this Palace produc- tion. GAUNT'S "WTLDFLOWER" London, Sept. 2. William Gaunt has secured "WUdflower" tor England. Annie Croft, opening In "Poppy" this Thursday, Is scheduled for the Edith Day role. NOVELTIES FOB EMPIRE London, Sept 2. lack Hayman will sail from here next month oa a tour which haa the purpose of securing novelties for the local Empire. Where Are the Irish Players? London, Aug. 22. To those capable of seeing beneath the surface, there Is pathos in the engagement of Malre O'Neill sad other Irish Players to set "The Shadow of the Glen" at the Coliseum. This was Synge'a flrst play—It may he the last to be acted In London for some time to coma Caa you remember the glorious enthusiasm mingled with frensled riots, when the Irish Players acted his plays throughout the world In the years before the war? Where are those players now! If ever there was a case of "united we stand, divided we fall" here It Is. To see Sara Ailgood, Malre O'Neill or Arthur Sin- clair acting In knockabout muslo-hall sketches—as they have been doing In the past few years—Is almost tragic, when one thinks of their popular triumphs In dramatic masterpieces. It all began in the quarrels at the Abbey theatre, Dublin. Some of the Irish Players blame St. John Irvine, who was then the producer. Whatever the truth, a great Institution that rose before Ireland had home rule, is dead now Ireland Is free. Is there no hope of a revival? -"\ Unless Dublin can reinstate Sara Ailgood, Malre O'Neill, Arthnr Sinclair and the other members of the company at the Abbey theatre, that tradition will be broken forever. It will not only be a loss to the stage— bart a loss to Ireland. -»