Variety (January 1925)

Wednesday, January 28, 1925 LEGITIMATE VARIETY 23 NEW PLAYS PRODUCED OUTSIDE NEW TORK CITY '»•. COMIC SUPPLEMENT Washington, Jan. 21. Styled^ as a 'Tubllc Drens Kfh>'ar»«l." thU UlMit production of Flurenx '/Aegteld. W. C. Plelda atarred, carried the followInK credit lines: Booka and lyrics, J. P. Mc- Broy: mualc, Con Conrad and Henry 8ou- vaue; dances, i^ullan MHchell; tiook, Au- cuatln Duncan; scenery, Norman-Bel Oeddes: coatumen, John Held, Jr. First pc«Bentatlon National Theatre, Waablns- ton, D. C, Jan. 20. This one comes closer to being a * complete flop than anything Zleg- M Xeld has ever sponsored. p Don't let the thought become too ^^flrmly set, however, that there Isn't . .a chance for this one, because there ^^iB- But U Zlegfeld brings It into ', New York before the entire book "can be rewritten and some of the "burden taken off the shoulders of * Fields and Rae Dooley, It would be •altis "death" Just as effeectlvely as If <"• 4t had been the "public dress re- ':liearsal." If ever a man labored loyally and ^ faithfully It was Fields. But Fields " tor a solid three and one-half hours ^ Is too much Fields. 'That goes for '*'Bae Dooley, too, who trailed along »' with the star throughout the show. The affair starts with an honest * laugh In "The City Dwellers," which } tells of the "old man" of the family t,.trying to sleep on the back porch , of a third floor apartment. This .,gets Rae Dooley on In her baby carriage for the next number, which, ■ 'through inadequate rehearsals, flopped. Next was a gasp with the maidens In very sheer one-piece '.■■' bathing suits. The scene was "The ft: Beaches," with Con Conrad supply- -^^ iBg the song, promptly forgotten. , "Kissing," by Conrad, followed, and f, has possibilities. After Clarence Nordstrom, who works and sings very pleasantly through It all, and idartha Bryan-Allen had vocalized It the number was picked up by ■ Brooke Johns and another pint-size K partner, Pauline Mason. "The Drug Store" struggled man- _ fully, but In vain, with nothing new . ifi It. The "Cafeteria," Including a inarch number by Con Conrad, was '* a "wow" and steadied a fast sinking '^•hlp. "Goo, Goo, Goo," Another '^'Conrad, wasn't worth the time It must have taken to get it ready. The "Lodge Room" was Fields' old pool table act. This was followed by "City Park," having two lovers J oblivious to a couple of murders. The song" Lovln* You," by Henry ■ Souvaine, is a good number. The finale. "City Street," was the i -worth-while kick of the night. Done ■ in futuristic style, and all in panto- i mime, a view of a city's Ife was ; presented on a busy corner (Times I Square). This was excellently ' staged and executed by everybody ', from principal to chorus. j, Act two opened with a scrub woman' number that was novel and I scored. Elevator scene (Fields' old •ubway idea) next, then the mar- : tt&ge license number by Souvaine, which was but fair. Living In a . piano, which contained everything I from the Ironing board to the bed, '; When properly rehearsed and set should go over. This was followed by another Fields old-timer dls- f Kulsed as "Joyrlde." "The House ■ by the Side of the Road" is already ; forgrotten, but the "Riverside Bus," Con Conrad's, scored as emphat- f Ically as the next/number, "On the Xladio," flopped. ! The "Cily Cabaret" finale held, ' and after the evening had brought ' Rae Dooley from babyhood to a ! maturity the blow-off comes with { her doing a burlesque ballet num- ; ber with Hansford Wilson that f stopped everything cold. Outside of Fields being over- { Worked he scored solidly. Hansford I Wilson, a big fellow who dances I excellently, went over well. Brooke . Johns was okay, and Martha Bryan- i Allen looks good. Clarence Nord- i Strom sings nicely and walks j through everything else. ! L<et Conrad and Souvaine write I something worth while, other than ! the two nuntJbers mentioned, have Zlegfeld stick to either the futurist • stuff or throw it out altogether: ^t a couple of more comedians and : let Fields at least have time for one clgaret during the proceedings, then rewrite until Faber will have to open another factory to manufac- • ture pencils and "Zleggy" will have another show. It opened to absolute capacity j here, but dwindled considerably. I Mcakin. THE DEVIL WITHIN Atlantic City. Jan. 24. "The Devil Within" was a howl- ing failure. The howl was supplied by the piny, and the failure regis- tered at the boXj office. The play by Charle.H T. Horan presented at the Apollo theatre hereby Rock and Horan. Inc., is a mystery play, con- cocted from ancient ingredients. There Is one fl.ire In the three acts and that at the end of the play, when the murder is cleared up. There Is nothing novel about the "Devil." John Blackwood, who made a fortune in the African diamond fields. Is hated by everybody. He is scheduled to marry the following day. But the affair never ma- terializes, for he is found murdered at the opening of the second act. Everybody in the house is accused until finally the man least suspected turns out to be the murderer. There is plenty of hokum, such as guns belns fired, lights switched off, screams, shrieks and groans. The acting is fair. Henry W. Pemberton as Black- wood does some good work. Helen Holmes and Mary Hampton also contribute a few inspired bits, but for the most part the cast is lost in a whirl of action. Others Included in the cast are Coates Gwynne, Wil- liam Ingersoll, Leonore Sorsby, Walter Petri, Edward Poynter and Dorothy Walters. The comedy relief was poor. "The Devil Within" will have to have lots of fixing before it can qualify as theatre enterta'nnnent. Eiaeman. THE DUTCH GIRL Boston, Jan. 23. Two acts and four scenes: score by Em- merich Kalman: lyrics by l,eo Stein, Joe Burrowea and Belm Jenbach; book by Guy Brafdon; musical numbera staged by Carl Hcmmer. Colonel Pfair Detraar H. Popptn The Klnc of Luxbourc Frank Gardiner The Klnc of Sylvanla Wayne Nunn Jan Kay Blolse...; Wynne Gibson Gloria Phoebe Crosby Count Bomba Percy Hemua Karl Van Damm George Rogers Paul Walter McNally John Henry Smith John E. HennlnKs Klaus Klaas Max Stamm The Tokel Qua Alexander Whatever merit "The Dutch Girl" may have displayed as a Hun- garian operetta was certainly miss- ing at Its metropolitan premiere at the Majestic Thursday night to a well-filled cut-rate house. The Ameriban production Is backed by Raymond O. Brackett, local hotel man. Brackett saw the operetta in Europe and brought it back much the way he might have brought back a cook book for bis chef. He sank much money into the venture, much of it lU-advlsed, and then opened It "cold" after a couple of New Haven dress rehearsals, which revealed conclusively that it is hopelessly miscast. The pity of the experiment comes In that It will probably put the curse on this Kal- man operetta Irrsvocably. Although booked in by the Shuberts against open time, "The Dutch Girl" closed at the end of the week inside of its Equity contractual limit. Brackett is said to still have faith in it. which means that he must have seen a good perforpaance In Eu- rope. There certainly is nothing about the production, as shown here, to Justify faith enough to try it once, to say nothing of twice. Phoebe Crosby, formerly with Aborn in American operas, holds little promise of repeating her con- cert platform success in the mu- sical comedy or operetta field as a star, despite an exceptional voice. A chorus of 24 girls and 12 men were carried, and proved to be much better trained than the principals. In addition, four featured show girls were used, doing a modest little dancing bit that was well re- ceived. The costumes were selected wTBb more fidelity than showman- ship, and while they may have been Dutch In theme, the chorus was cer- tainly at a disadvantage in looks and in grace. Scenlcally, the produc- tion was well staged, although look- ing a bit warehousey. In fairness to the principals, little may be said except that they were hopelessly miscast, and obviously knew it. There was only one audible laugh In the entire perform- ance on either Thursday or Friday nights, and this was a rare gem, consisting of a girl principal wal- loping a man over the head with a loaf of French bread for no particu- lar reason whatsoever unless it may have been a grim determination that the evening should have one laugh to prove that the audience was willing to thaw out with provocation so to do. The plot as translated concerns the son of one king and the daughter of another king who re- fuse to wed each other or even meet each other. At a tulip festival in Holland they meet and fall in love. There Is a proxy marriage between the prince's envoy and the princess, and the prince Is then told he is wedded to the princess. He leaves hl.s little Dutch girl and re- turns to the parental castles', where he finds the two are one and the same. The usual villagers, dra- goons. Hussars, country girls, inn- keeper and daughter, etc., are used. The score of "The Dutch Girl" Is really good. Harold Levey, con- ducting, nearly ripped both sleeves out of his d*"""' -'" In trying to get a full orchestra effect out of 20 men ill the pit. There are some attempt.s at popularization of numbers. "The Little Dutch Qlrl/' "Love in a Cot- tage" and "By the Silver Sea" might all be made popular. "The Dutch Girl" could be a gor>.! production If lavishly staged nt\- with at least two comedians w', would write their own parts. TI." book Is certainly hopeless. And it will take more than 20 men in the pit and more than a dozen chorus men in the chorus to put over Kal- man as he should be put over. Libbey. THE RAT Washington, Jan. 27. First American t>resentatlon of a Ix>ndon ■access. Written by I>avld L,eatran(e. Pro- duced and directed by B:arl Carroll. Opened at Poll's theatre. Jan. 2S. Zelle de Chaumet Taddy Qerard Therese. her maid L«ulae Poe Madeline Soroay Diana Desboro Baron Herman Btets.. .CiMrlea Croker-Klps I>etectlve Inspector Calllard. ..Ralph Stuart Paul Wallace MoCutcheon Gendarmea: Franoo Cyrua Staehle Bar*aa C. Barry Kenton Mme. Oolllne. Proprtetraaa of "The White Cotnn" Florence Oerald Habltuea of '-TlM White Coffin": Uoa Mou Grace Stafford Rose Jeanne Wardley America Francea Naplne Andre Elizabeth Howard }>aulette Roberta Pierre Oaby Ruth Chandler Uarcelle Nanette Kutner Blondr Jeanne Dare Babatte Hilda Ijippner A Flower Olrl llH-lam Battlsta Alphonae. • waiter Jack de Kay Jean, a pianist Oeonte D. McKay MIml. a alocer Suzanne Bennett Chicot, an artlat Chris Scalfe Pierre Boucberon, "The Kat" * Horace Braham Odlle Katherlne Reyner It would appear that this Impor- tation of Earl Carroll's would click. It is a tale of the "lower region.s" of Paris that holds interest through- out with only an occasional lapse. There is nothing new In the story, but it is well told, the atmosphere created holds, and Carroll has pro- duced it well. The biggest fault Is the cast. Considerable Interest was centered In Teddy Gerard. She was very bad. Running her a close second was the imported male lead, Horace Braham. He had but one or two convincing moments, but the rest of the time he fioundered. The part needs a fin- ished performer; it calls for the playing upon all of the emotions of man, and Braham misses. Charles Croker-Klng also missed. In Katherlne Revner Carroll has a find. Just a little more experience and there will be no limit to what she will accomplish. In the lighter moments she rather failed to ring true, but when her two big mo- ments arrived she rose to them magnificently. Florence Gerald as Mme. CoUlne gave a performance worthy of men- tion, while the dance of Jack De Fay and Frances Nanine, in the first act, not only worked wonders In creating atmosphere for the "dive" but was also "there" from every angle. Reverting to the piece, as stated, It holds. Joto in London has cov- ered the story and It is imagined that In the "AnierlcaniziBg" not many changes Had to be made. It tells of the usual French male of shady habits with numerous women seeking him, taken, and then as promptly dropped. One little mite he rescues keeps house for him In their room garret and loves him sil- ently. She Is seen* by the "man about town" who uses his own mis- tress to ensnare our hero, getting rid of the mistress and hoping to land the girl at the same time. The plant doesn't work out and "The Rat" returns in time to- save the "movie heroine" and kills the "seeker after a change." The girl takes the blame. "The Rat" falls before such a love, she is released, and the cur- tain falls with "the Rat," a changed man, on his knees before her. When whipped into shape, cast changes made, and with a general tightening up all around, this should finish the season out in the big town. ifeakin. THE DARK ANGEL Philadelphia, Jan. 27. As caught In the final day of its short stay here, "Tlie Dark Angel," Robert Milton's latest production, written by H. B. Trevelyan, an Englishman, looked very promising. On its opening, the general con- sensus was that the play had a corking prolog, aaJ one of the best last acts seen here this year. How- ever, the two intermediate acts are rather Jerky. More sharpening of dialog, plus a few deletions and the fact win work the necessary changes. There Is not much of the sensa- tional order about "The Dark Angel." As plays yo this ecasoii that may count against It, but it would seem to have Just enough sexy stuff, plus nn Interesting story, fine atmosphere and the punchiest ending i>o88il.>le, to put it across. The play openb In the bedroom ot a little hotel, rather questionable in some of its guests, on the English channel coast In the spring of 1918. It Is called the Vinery Inn and a young girl and an English soldier, whose leave has suddenly been cut short, have spent the night there together. AVhen the curtain rises it is daybreak, and time for him to return to France. The lovers pan. NEW PLAYS PRESENTED ; WITHIN WEEK ON B WAY HELL'S BELLS A throe-act comedy by Harry Cunners. Produced by >Ierman Oantvoort at Wal- <ack'», Jan. l>fl. StaReil by John Hayden. Setttnsa by Wiurd Ihnen. Mrs. Buck Olive May Nan Winchester Shirley Booth Jimmy Tudhunler Humphrey Bocart "Jap" SUIlBon Tom II. Walsh D. O. 0'IV>nnell KdJte (Jarvle Horace K. PItklns Joseph Greene Mrs. Amon Todhunter Camilla <°rume Abigail .Slillaon Virslnia Howell Gladys Todhunter Violet Duim Chief PItklns Kmest Pollock Dr. Bushell Fletcher Harvey This Is the play formerly labeled "Fool's Gold," which tried out at the Garrlck, Philly, during Christ- mas and New Year's week. At the time Gantvoort, its producer, threw a sweet press stunt over and the show at that time drew generally commendatory notices without drawing much business. It is a simple, home-spun com- edy with the plot laid around two codgers from Arizona, "Jap" Still- son and D. O. O'Donnell, who come back east as the tools of a promoter for a gold mine. For the satisfac- tion of giving Stlllson's relatives a "runaround/' they pose as very rich men when they hit the home town. A love affair between the daughter of Stlllson's old swee'.heart and a young man of the town, the son of Stlllson's sister, develops and when th6 mother refuses to give the hoy money with which to purchase a newspaper, trouble develops. The relatives, finding Stillson cold to them, decide to have him put into an insane asylum to get his money. All of that is pretty good 1890 dramatic writing and no mis- take, and the trick ending of that situation is the actual saving gratJe of the whole proposition. "Hell's Bells" Is a clean, funny play, but Barry Conners has over- written it and its direction hasn't improved matters a great deal. Often the means of getting one per- son offstage and another person aren't so well concealed, while lit- tle defects like this are more than made up for by several charming love scenes between the Juveniles. Conners' comedy Is very fine In spots, particularly that doled out to Eddie Garvey and Tom Walsh, who carry the show on their shoulders as the boys from Arizona, but there is a second act stretch that sounds fearfully labored. This stretch, which has to do with the "register- ing of movie emotions," has been making the usual pledges of ever- lasting devotion. After this prolog, acts one and two are laid in the home of the girl six years later. The lover Is believed dead, and another man has asked to marry her. bilt she, faith- ful to her pledge, refuses. Among the week-end guests at-her father's house is one particular rotter who has in his possession the knowl- edge the supposedly dead war hero spent a night In the Vinery Inn with a girl. Her Identity he does not know, but he taunts the heroint with his proof of her lover's ap- parent unfaithfulness. She bursts out with a full cor.fesslon of her indiscretion. Her father has Just managed to gently blackmail some of the guests to keep the story quiet when news comes that Captain Trent is-n't dead after all but living under an as.sumed name, quite blind, in a town not far away. The girl, not told of his blindness, In- sists on going to hlin but her father gets there first and gives Trent warning. This Is the situation of the last act. Trent cleverly conceals his blindness, knowing that she will In- sist on coming to Ills aid, and by a number of pre-arranged ma- neouvers gives no Inkling of his condition. The girl goes, but, ac- cidentally, returns and discovers not only his plight but also that he loves her. She Insists on being faithful to her pledge, but Instead of accepting he turns on her, and, bluntly put. asks her Just who've phe gets off. In fact, he gives her a vigorous, although kindly, tongue lashing and she goes on her wa> with the other man. The acting Is. almost without ex- ception, first rate. Patricia Col- llngc is corking. Leglnald Mason appears only in the prolog and la^t act, but In the latter he d()es a piece of work which alone will go a long way to holding up the play. His simulation of blindness is very untheatrlcal. Claudo King, as tlie father, has a i>.irt not entirely suited to his talent.^. Claud Alli.'itei playK the cad Fplendidly and Auric/l Lee is good as his wife. A couple of joungsters from England, Joan Maclean and Harry O'Neill. ])la.v n pair of small town lovers with de- lightful artistry. Florence Kdney scores neatly In the prolog and last act. The staKlnn i i exceptionally good, especially In the j)rolog. "The Dark An>;"l" nhoul<l have every chance In the world of crash- ing through for a moderate suc- cess, Watera, pulled plenty of limes before .ind certainly is ki for no other than padding reasons. Garvey and Walsh are actually the show, although the rest of a long cast is thoroughly capable. The single set, an interior, was taste- fully done. But with all its good qualities, and "Hell's Bells," for a homely show of Its type, has them. It looks like a short run with nioet of the surtwrt coming from the cut rales. The picture outlook is fair, with the actual possibilities suggested rather than actually shown In the piece. For stock, however, this one should be ideal. Siak. / THE STORK Ju«"n Thomas Mucljimta Adolph Ralph Mh!r!ey Helolse Barbara Bennett Monel Deport Geufrrey Kerr Susanne Katherlne Alexander Morel Ferdinand Gottaohalk Duvert i.cp Uiuga Martin Monroe Chllda Baniou 8am Colt Marmot Wanda I.yon Sural Mnrsan Wal'aca Adrienne Mildred Brown Fanny ^ Cariotta Irwln Bandmaat^ Eugene Keith Advertised as a "startling com- edy," thLs adaptllng from the Hun- garian (NOT by Molnarl) Uvea up to Its billing; after that It skids into farce and skids considerably. Before the first curtain dropped It seemed New York had an6ther naughty comedy knockout. The naughty, the comedy and the Uftock- out alt dwindled as the piece zig- zagged along. Ben Hecht, the former Chicagoan, who is noted for h|s sophisticated spice, Is the adapter, and Laszlo Fo- dor comes from Buda-Pesth. Lau- rence Schwab and FFank Mandel, producers (with Liverigbt) of "The Firebrand," had already one sexy notch in their artillery. The Cort drew the first night cream as against two opposing premieres, and the wise ones were smacking their thin lips In anticipation, it looked like another of those Hungarian holidays. And when the asbestos rose and showed the familiar servants pre- paring the bachelor home of the master for the coming ot a fresh bride; and there was removal of other women's propq, hasty sending; of dismissal letters to the theatrical harem, etc., etc, according to form- ula, it was 10 to 1 the contract would be consummated. Sure enough—groom started edging rural bride toward that certain door; bride looked, acted and talked scared, and asked to wait until mid- night (then a few minutes past 11) and the "suspense" was on' for fair. Presto! The plot suddenly switched. In came some sort of a political French Mark Hanna and announced the husband had been appointed no less than premier of France (and he a Juvenile, too), end must away at once. Of course, by that time the bride had softened and came forth to cut the midnight deadline a few minutes; but, too late; husband must away. Meantime, one of the other wom- en "in his life" had come In, but went rather peacefully. And the curtain dropped on a lonely bride, without any prospect of his return- ing early, yet with every prospect of his returning nome time that night, so that old-time bridal night "complication" wasn't so hot. Never- theless, In all. the flnst act was a sizzler through Us midlle, and prom- ised possibilities. But that second act. Politics, platforms, pusillanimous ificlden- tal^f, a very weak subterfuge of the wife framing the opposition leader to make love to her and, then de- nouncing him and putting her hus- band between love and duty, along to a slipposedly "dramatic climax," which was neitlier, with Katherii>e Alexander as the bride, shrilly bleating offkey about what a wife demands. Third act: she Is packing. He comes home. She gives htm some more fireside ilrst stuff. He takes It, he Is more than a premiere, he Is a saint. There is a play In New York now, where a hitsband biffs his wife In the Jaw; It Isn't a success In that plot, but It might have saved this one. Instead, there Is the conven- tional "happy ending," when It is found the husband has dueled and wounded the Innocent, boinba.sfit; dupe who WiiH trapped Into the 8C'con<l-.a(t ".sitii.'itlon," and — The stiii|)i).\ Hungarian l^'odor- Ilecht 'startlir.p comedy" taper.s off Willi liii.'-I.:iiul and wife, legit- Imatel.v jollied in legal weillocli, n.'t- tliiiK down tr> a (lUiet evenin;^ at home. Mv'eii tlie jitroke of midnight Just tlu-n dof-.-n't kick hack. The hiisbatul'M career has been riiined, liut lie ilof^n't nilnil; he is Just ;i (Itinil) linsh.-Mid. and It probably serves him rigli'. The cnMtlrig is scarcely Inspired. Geoffrey Kerr, with a tliick Brltt,"!! accerit, arid far too young for the (Continued oa p.'»ge 50> . ^ ^