Variety (May 1925)

■^ r -^ '-• J -i Jtt IM. 1> t .-V-" ' '^^^^-f'^'i^r^a^Tr-.i^^^'** M VARIETY LEGITIMATE ''^'?'-^'^:^<WJfi^S^~''^'7^'^fT^''^^ ' Wednesday, May 18, 1925' NEW PLAYS PRODUCED OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK THE CINEMA CRIME Oakland, Cal., May •. "The Cinema Crime," the third new play written, produced and enacted by Crane Wilbur durins his special ro-starring season with Susanne i'aubet at the Fulton, was revealed here this week as one of the most daring and interesting documents of the season. Wilbur has taken as the basis for his theme the wantonness of the "traders" who adiieve stardom in the movies by trading their beauty for success, and, as the motif, the murder of a famous philandering , picture director. It requires no trick to see through , the cbu-acters of the author and to . observe in Norman Keane, a chap amaxingly similar to William Des- i: mohd Tayloir, and in Mrs. iCildare t and her da^igbters. Sheila and Tes- k aie. another famous picture combl- f. nation.- - . "The Cinema Crime", .tells the ^, story, of krone's murder by niyste- . rlouq means while the. "I^&gan • ^Revel," a party arranged for a new • ; thrin, is being given outside his ' study door. The solution of the . crime Is arrived at in a thrilling third-degree scene used as a last act. The play opens in the KiMare home with a scene of the sort con- trived by Frederick .Lonsdale, alive • with sparkling dialog that will be- . come more interesting and scintil- . lant when played by actors who can . get more than the six days of stock . rehearsing. Into t^le setting comes Sheila Kiidare, the one star in all ifolly- ' wood'who is admitted by friend and , foe to be absolutely pure and whose friendship for Norman Keane, who "discovered" her, is known to be , strictly Platonic. Sheila is to marry . an "outsider," a young writer. • This engagement is ai)nounced at the "Revel" staged by Keane. In this act the revelers gather round a dining table which has concealed In the center a huge swimming pool. The diners are clad In bath- ing suiti and the scene terminates with most of the half - drOnken / girls in the tub. This is the spectacular feature, but, singularly enough, it is not the important dramatic moment in the play. That comes during this act when Mrs. Kildare, unwilling to ,, have Sl)eila marry and leave the V movies, unwilling to have her own V Income thus cut off, exposes her daughter to the fiance. In plain language she tells.him that Sheila has bartered her soul for fame, has done It willingly, and. If it has been a source of ultimate • regret. It might, none the less, re- cur. It Is a tremendous scene and . handled in excellent fashion by Wil- bur. Even In thin first draught it has smoothness of texture that in- dicates profound thought on the subject. From this on "The Cinema Crime" becomes popular melodrama, with a bit of effective novelty in the mur- der scene. In this Keane dies with the electric bulb which controlled the electrical piano he used for his Inspirations and which played when- ever he squeered the bqlb. He is shot as he stands with the switch In his hand. Severkl moments after he falls, death contracting the mus- cles of the hand, starts the piano. It is eerie and breath-taking, for the natives. In the production Wilbur is par- ticularly happy. Th'e Fulton equipped .. with a revolving stage was able to give a really handsome mounting ' to the several settings. And as in the production so in the playing was the evening: notable. "The Cinema Crime" Is a tricky thing for stock because It demands types, ftnd that Is frequently impos- sible. But with Wilbur giving a polished performance to K'eane and Suzanne Caubet giving a delightful reading, vivacious", romlc. tragic and personable to Sheila, and Barbara Lee and John Ivan making much of the roles of the mother and the flance, the affair took on some of the aspects of a metropolitan open- . Ing despite the unavoidable draw- "The Cinema Crime" looks like a winner. It Is easily the best of the plays Wilbur has offered this season for popular appeal, as well as tech- nical skill.. Wood Soanei. lets his famUy and the family chiropractor liid him into uylng an automobile and then Into buying a house, both on the "easy terms" plan. Once he signs on the dotted line he finds the terms a j anything but easy to meet. As seen In stock the .Irst act Is In dire need of trimming, although It possesses much brilliant dialog. It is in this act, during the "house- warming party." that hokc comes into Us own. Wilbur has a scene In the kitchen of the new house where the patient Is given a chlro- pi-actic ti»atment on the kitchen table that is t. wow. And again, in a subsequent scene, a boy orator of the village does a recitation that even the burning of the town doesn't interrupt. The third ■ act serves, in three scenes, to wind up the plot, having to do with the bilking of Mrs. Dunn out of the family savings by the slick chiropractor and the conclu- sion of the love iheme. Here again Wilbur will have to do some tight- ening up and brightening. But the faults of "Easy Terms" were nassed up by the customers, who howled at the hokum and wept at the plight of Mrs. Dunn and the forgiveness scene with her husband, despite the fact that neither V. Talbot Hender- soti, a stalwart fellow used to "heavies," nor Barbara Lee, a rather hard-toned character woman, were sympathetic as the two principals. Thus the chief attention went to the harum-scarum "Pet," baby flap- per of the Dunn household, and her love affair with the handsome truck driver. Miss Caubet was,not the type for the part, but she possessed sufficient artistry, to play it and make them like It. while Wilbur was competent as the moving man. An.< other good part fell to John Ivan as the fake chiropractor, and he got all the role contained. "Easy Terms" has n : the ear- marks of a John Golden bucolic comedy, and, incidentally, this con- cludes the Wilbur-Caubet season at the Fulton, during which his four new plays, "Sea Born," to be done by A. H. Woods next season; "The Stolen Lady." designed as a star vehicle for Miss Caubft; "The Cinema Crime" and "Easy Terms'^^; were tried out. Soanea. nnO. rioreaet Itaaoa la pleuaat in the lead. Leila Hyame. from vaude- ville, enacted wHh conviction a will- ful and fraak-spoken flapper. She Is pursued by an adoring, but Inar- Uculate, gilded youth (William Noyes), who makes several en- trances, but doesn't «ay a word un- til the last act when he becomes suddenly rough, thereby winning her heart. There are two valets in th^^how. Ward's valet is one of those chummy servant* who wears his boss' clothes and professes un- dying affection. Joseph Allen made much of the charaoter. Frank lion- roe, a* the detwrtlT*. combined nicely with Collier. There !• nothing In "TJOlng Crooked" to offend and plenty to entertain. Chicago usually fancies that combination and while It to not a smash there should be subetantlal sales, both at the box office and through the agencies. It might be noted In passing that the first name of each of the actors has been made the first name of the characters they impersonate. There are three acts, but only .'ne set !• employed. - NEW PLAYS PRODUCED WITHIN WEEK ON BROADWAY «■•■* THE BIG MOGUL IM PiWttctleaa. Inc., pfMcat* « foar- ■creoaM«y 4i««a ky D« WHt Nawlng. •tarrlac nak* CBar*, fMtarlnc Mir* Pat Qujr.iUqa, CfHaoO: stMM tor T. Danlal Aswicjr. At Daly's «U EtrMt tkeatr*. CMtea Bvr Alien Tork aacratarr Alaia BlaJce Vaa Oartlan^ Tee>> Camaraa Mathewa Maria Laaak Pat Clarjr Pater Qalwi QuDt FUka O'Hara Mlaa Dalnra*»la ChartMta Kant J. WaM Belt John DrtacoU Mrai Lamk A4* I^ytton Barbour Dr. Fan»B<. Jamaa E. Millar JlmnT Randolph Gilbert Cartland Mlaa Kcamay............ .OUberlna Downey Sslth.....,,•••*•••.•.•••••.■ Jamaa Nelaon Diogef...•.•..«••*.•«•*.*•• .M-vaiotay sa^sar EASY TERMS Oakland, Cal.. May 3. "Easy Terms," a new comedy by Crane Wilbur, founded on the slogan, "A small payment down and the balance on easy terms," was given its premiere at the Fulton last night and scored despite obvl- oun misrnAting. That the piece kept t.iem laugh- ing from curtain to curtain was due almost solely to the work of the author who contrived a series of novel and hilarloue scenes, wrote actor proof lines and situations and had the benefit of his own popu- larity and that of Bueanne Caubet ta keep "Pet" In the foreground. The story concerns Ed Dunn, who GOING CROOKED Chicago, May 9. Comic-drama itarrlnc William CoUiar. From a story by Aaron Hoffman, rewritten by Winohcll Smith and William Collier. Presented by John Golden «t the Cort The- atre. Phlrloy B..Tnh«m Shirley Grey John Bartach John Marvin I^ila UelKb I/ella Hyman* William Noyei Wllilam Klrk'and Charles Bumbam Charles Lalte Emil Jake Emil Nelaon Flor<'nc« Osborne Klorenca Mason Jof»>ph Prske Joseph Allen William Ward William Collier Frank I>UKan Frank Monro* Karl Olaen Karl Nellaen Gcorg* Flint 3e'i-ee Sc^'.l'er "Going CrooHed" was reviewed in Variety about two months ago when- It was known as "Re: Ward." Since then It has completed its travels In- the luovinces and has taken up resi- dence at the Cort theatre here, where It has every excuse for doing well. The piece bears witness of much re-wrltlng. The well-dove- tailed, if improbable plot, evidences the hand of the expert Winchell Smith, while the numerous wise- crack.s obviously originated with CoUler, always a reservoir of wit. Once the preliminaries of plot foundation are over, "Going Crooked" settles down to a breezy trot spurring now and then into a tTrisk gallop. Making the custo- mary allowances for farce liberties this comedy Is good entertainment. In many respects it is a wise show, but written so the children can un- derstand it. As movie material it has great possibilities for a light comedian. Briefiy, the story Is of William Ward, broke and urgently in need of coin. To raise money Ward takes lessons in crook lingo and conduct so he can get himself ar- rested as a thief for whom there Is a $50,000 reward. Ward's valet is to squeal, collect the reward and dis- pense the money in weekly install- ments to the wife and children, whom Ward feels responsible for • having incapacitated the father in an automobile accident). Ward's pal assures him he won't get more than two years. But try as he may Ward cannot make Dugan, the detective, believe he is a crook. Foiled In his effort to get himself arrested. Ward borrows a derby hat and decides to be a detective himself. So he gets the $&0,00d by catching the real thief and recovering the stolen painting from the Metropolitan Art Museum, which puts him in solid with his girl's male parent, an art enthusiast. The cast is good and the perform- ance consistently smooth. Collier, of course, carries the burden of the plot, dialog, comedy and is on the stage most of the time. His .skillful glossing over of unplausible situa- tions makes them seem almost nat- When this reviewer first saw Piske O'Hara. aomewhere back in 1912 or thereabotits, he was sup- ported by. three ghrte (O^^ara was, not Lalt!), a leading woman and two ingenues. The leading woman was Anne Nichols and the ingenues were Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Lil- lian playing "second business." That same season I^b saw a promising stock kid-actresa lupported by an- other, also promising. The support- ing one was named Smith, now Mary Pickford; the other was Pat Clary, now O'Hara's featiu-ed lead- ing woman and wife. Only a few years have intervened, as years are reckoned, since that season, so who knows anything aboat values? Anne Nichols was In the house at the premiere Monday. She has made her fortune. In a re- cent Interview she credited Fiske O'Hara with having given her the original story which suggested the plot of "Abie's Irish Rose." a true incident which took place in one of his companies when a Jewish boy loved and married an Irish girl. Maybe Lillian Qtoh will play that girl in the filming of Anne's play, and the strange circle may yet'l>e a spinning spiraL Poslsbly the Jew- ish boy and his Irish wife will be extras—or maybe they are already stars. It's all a strange whirligig. "The Big Mogul" seems strange, too. on Broadway—If Daly's <3d Street can be so classified. It surely isn't a New York show. Having told about the first time he ever saw Fiske O'Hara, the undersigned may add that it was in Iowa, where he also saw him last before the New York premiere. To be exact, the last time was in Fort Dodge, where O'Hara drew more Fords than a Chautauqua. New York has perhaps less Fords per population than any other white city on the globe, but there are still quite a few. And they will pull up at Daly's, where the cop will tell them they can't park. The show will not be a "New York success." But, what with cut-rates and the O'Hara following, which used to be Impos- ing of its sort at the old Standard and the Lexington Opera house, O'Hara may knock off eight weeks or so, and when he goes back to the sticks and the hicks they will flivver around even more thickly and hail him as the hero of a Broadway run. An engaging chap Is Fiske O'Hara. He has lost his romantic boyish figure, but he still has his illuminated smile and he manages to reach an audience, despite some villainous acting in his support, and despite a book which Is as tinny as the Fords he draws in Iowa. In Miss Clary he bas an actress of remark- able voice, personal attractiveness and the staccato style which goes with the sort of dramatics which go with an O'Hara play. The rest of the cast is very Fort Dodge, and so is the production. O'Hara manages himself and Is a money-maker. In Chicago recently he did several |8,00« weeks at the Central, which ranks somewhat like Daly's does here, and If he got 60 per cent of $8,000 for his share he probably nuide $4,000 net on the week; If he didn't, he was cheated. Daly's wasn't sold out for the opening, which was a $2.75 event. But Leblang will hear from it be- fore the week is out, and O'Hara will probably repeat his Chicago re- sults here, for he two-for-oned it out there. He sings some old and some new come-all-yes. and they can't miss drawing money entirely; not the way O'Hara sings them. He does an open-and-shut specialty in the second act, being no chump, for he knows what his forte Is. If he ever took the same line Into vaudeville, it would be a clean-up, for he Is n natural single, liavlng among other gifts n facvMj for getting across in- stantaneously and an easy aind inti- mate presence which ejiables hlpi "to step out of his char^c;,ter and talk to the audience across the footq with- out seeming absurd. -A new Ir*sh mammy sohg by Eddie DvwUok got a great plug, but J^ddle. Who '#as in front, didn't .sing a chorus from a box. " '. The stoi^. of ".Tbe Big Morur,«« scarcely worth a paragrapb. !H.e . is an ex-plumber from Triof, left dUI- lions by a pal he was kind to. i|rno runs against Wall sti-eet, is tritnined in a day, gets it back at the po^t of a gun and the girl bcslded, who Is hto secretary incog, - being . the daughter of the shark,who cleaned him. There Is ^n atrocious office'boy, a crippled mother, a scowling heavy and all the rest of the claptrap. Any usher, who couldn't write a better book should get her notice. But It is pleasant entertainment at that, being mosly a monolog and special- ties by O'Hara, who is beyond cavil, a star, and who needs no 8up;K>rt at all. and who can survive the support he supports. He even tells an out-and-Owt "Pat says.to Mike" story and.a gag start- ing with "My friend Chauncey Ol- cott told me this one "—and nobody throws a thing. It la quite.remark- able. A logical prediction here would be a few weeks of cut-rate patronage and a nice rest for the summer. Lait. FLESH Comedy-drama in four acts, by Arthur J. LjiBib. Produced by th' tjntted. Arcadaa, Inc., at Um Princes*. New York. May 7. Staccd by Charlet Hanna. Percy , Donald Leonard Fanny Batcher............. .Orayce OonneH Mrs. Stmkina. Joaephlnc Williams 8t«ve Dowllnc ;. «di»ln Gnhl Dr. GrabaiB I.i Qaorta Patton Dell Moreland Madellna DayldsoB Fred Carp WllllaBi BaUonr Ally .....Coaatle FaaMlna Officer Ryan Henry Kelly The much-rehearsed and much- postponed production' of "Flesh" sallied forth at the Princess last Thursday evening to a premiere audience that was more community than cosmopolitan. Yet, despite the unsophisticated, the house could not refrain from guying the play and players for the most colorless and Inexcusable dramatic opus that has hit the street since theatrical Broad- way moved up from South Ferry to Times Stfuare. Harry Hershfield, president of the Cheese Club, which organisation sponsored "One Helluva Night" at the Harris last summer, had to be forcibly restrained from passing -over the championship belt for the "world's worst play" to Arthur Lamb, author-producer of "Flesh." But Lamb took the oxone after the curtain fell on the first stanza. The attempt of the author to serve up his melodrama In revue style proved a miserable flop. Su- perfluous scenes were incorporated to put over the gags, and missed a mile. In fa(;t the whole show was superfiuoos and never should have happened. Lamb angled for a com- posite of "Ladies of the Evening," "A Good Bad Woman," "Ruint" and "The Easiest Way," serving it up in a Charley Blaney tempo In which even the players could not resist bursting out in guffaws during the tense moments. Despite 10 weeks of supposedly diligent rehearsals the company, with few exceptions, gave a performance indicative that they had never seen the script until Thursday afternoon. To attempt to decipher the plot would be a waste of paper and Ink. It was ohe of those affairs glorifying harlotry and entirely devoid of drama, or any other excuse, for transplanting Its story upon the stage. Grayce Council as Fanny Batcher, the lady of easy virtue, labored hard with stilted lines that no one Could have put across. The remaining players were horrlby miscast. Cain's Is yawning for this one. All It needs to make the Jump Is assurance that It can pay the stor- age fees. At that, Cain should ask four weeks' guarantee, and the // you don't advmrtite in VARIETY don't advertise. horse* that haal It ant af the Prii cess wlU hava nothing t« brag aboi '■ll HIS QUEEN Vnusa In llaar acts by aohn Ilumlnc. Turosr, prMluoad by Oliver Morosco at tba Hudson May 11; Pranclne Ijirrlmora starred and Robert Warwick featured ^ Jane Ropar Minnie DuprM Stackla Marmot L«sUr Maria Avlkm Franclne I.arTlnM»« James Qaut Charles Browa Teenle Clawaaa Betty Neya Dick Coleby Harol.l wi» Hev. Walter Prandergaat; Frank Hubert Arthrihe TakarpouloA Lumsden Hara' Oonnteaa Pbryne Eumaros. .Marlon Vantina' TJialea R'*ert Warwick AdeinMin Edward Emen A TounK Man Francis x. Mallow The ending s^son has been ac^ companied by a collection of ht^i plays, and "His Queen" Is Just aa- . other. The first .nighters did not burst Into audible derision as did those who attended who saw "Fle^h;','' at the Princess, but the uncompii- mentary qommen^. between acl« and. after the parfornpance Jeft *a^ doubt of the impression left, otbct^J than the applauding friends. , ; ^ -.Oliver Mofosco produced this 9ell* ' ing plater,' with. It is understood^- tbe backittg of Anderson T. Hurdt^ Tha latter quite an operator in real- < ty. Is at presteBt in Florida engiaeer* ing the sale of }ots. Hurd will have. . to sell a lot nxore lot? if he believe*,- "His Queen" bad a chance on Broad-. , •way. . r>- When the show tried out of town \ a week or two ago it-was known eg .. "Queen Mab" and regarded as any- thing but the goods. Th« -producer decided otherwise and sought, through changing leads to present., as he likes to eaH It, "a typlcftl Mo.> rosco cast." Fyancine Larrhnpre was called in and starred, with Rob- ert Warwick, her c<»lef support, also added and featured. Miss Laril- more must have been a bit leary, as she demanded a guarantee of ■ at least four weeks. Warwick was not so insistent, but he is said to have regarded his role as the worst ever given him. "His Queen" Is billed as a "fan- ciful ronnance." It tells a story of a mythical kingdom whose envoy ex- traordinary is on the hunt for the • rightful heir to the throne. He finds her in Yonkers, newly married; in •• fact, the envoy walks In on the'.' wedding breakfast. Just a little fam- „•.' lly affair, though the bride is togged in nuptial finery. When the envoy recogniies her as the Queen, through family resemblance, perhap.«, the aunt, a rolling chair ca.se. recalls the ' girl's father used to babble about the palace, the -throne and such J when stewed. And then he'd go out ! and hock some household- article , and try to square himself with the wife with a phoney present. An- s^\ other slam against prohibition. .^ Scene switches to the palace, not Yonkers. No sooner is the Queen, coronated than the envoy tells her 4 of a pending revolution. The leader -> of the Bolsheviks is one Thales. The latter bursts in on the Queen, and it's soon apparent she falls for him. being a roughnev>k. Her husband is brushed aside as not counting. At Thales' headquarters a scene more tiresome than all the others finds the Queen visiting the tough party, who isn't so hard boiled when she is around. They clinch before she leaves to rush to the palace and listen to the attack. It looks like curtains for the royal party, but Thales stops the row. The Queen ' ventures onto the balcony and is shot. She dies listening to Thales* protestation of love and Is happy '-•' when he call* her "His Queen," even if she did have to die to bear It.- Miss Larrlmore was a very pale ' queen, a style of make-up not be- coming to her. The role is different from the fiapper type that lifted her to stardom. Warwick's contribution may be the best he could do with the role. If so It Just isn't there. Lumsden Hare tried as the envoy, but did not seem a real royal aide. ' That may be accounted for by the unrealty of the play. "His Queen" Is highly Improbabl* and old-fashioned stuff at best. It is not entertaining as drama nor interesting in story. Attempts at. humor are scarce and futile. May- be pictures can find some use for It as a costume film, rewritten, how- ever, . , Ibtf. AHEAD AND BACK Willis Goodhue, publicity for "His Queen," Hudson (O. Morosco). Harrry Sloane, back with "The Poor Nut,' Miller. Robert Newman, publicity tor "The Poor Nut,'" Miller. Julia Chandler, publicity for "Mlsmates," Times Square. Harry I..evey has resigned as treasurer of Jolson's, -OJew York, following a switch in box ofH-e complement which sent Lillian Pea- body. Kitty Love and Marie Dixon to Jolson's from the Shubert. Tom Kane Is handling both ends of "The Straight Shooter," the George Abbot and Winchell Smith play to be tried out for 10 days st Rlmlra May 21. with Atlantic City I 'uKowing.