Variety (August 1925)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 8 SL Martin's Place, Trafalgar Square FOREIGN CABLE ADDRESS, VARIETY, LONDON 2096-3199 Regent Wednesday. August 86, 1985 SWAFFER TALKS ON COWARD (Continued frond pagv 1) «lon in New Yoric of Noei Coward'a play, "The Vortex." 1% 'a will take up your challenge with pleasure," he aald. After all, Basil and I Uke each other; we are Interested in the same things, and although we differ at times, especially over matters like this, we are both frank to our friendship, caring more for the ul- timate end than what the otbor may, for the moment think. I declare without equivocation that the production of "The Vortex" on Broadway Is an insult to the English people. I mean that In ex- actly the same way that I consid- ered the production of "Lawful Lar- ceny" and "Silence" In London an affront to the great American na- tion. Plays like this, which drama- tize defects in a few people, give when they are sent abroad, an ut- terly wrong impression of the coun- try they misrepresent. "Lawful Larceny" made me writhe when I saw it at the Savoy theatre on the Strand. I gloried In its failure. I knew America well enough to know that such people composed of phut He tells me he knows people like this every time I ask him about It I don't, but then, on the other band, I shouldn't The consequences la that Cowiard's work, sent abroad, utterly misrepre- sents English life and BngUsh character. The truth about Bngland !• that we are all a Mttle slack. The dis- illusionment of peace has made us wonder whether It la all worth while. The old appeals of Ehnpire, flag, "Ood Save the King," and the Albert Memorial no longer make our hearts throb, as they did. But, apart from that tOO,OM British dead atlU lie on the battle- fields of the last great war, and we are suffering under a debt which la leaving us poor, but which we are paying quietly and without pro- test Our best families are bankrupt. The young flower of our aristocracy perished in the first few months of war. To a degree, which no other nation understands, the British na- Uon did Its Job. The Trench still charge us rent for our war graves. Just aa in tiie war, they charged DESCRIBING HENNEN SWAFFER No theatrical newspaper man In America stands in hia loeaJlty comparable to the standing of Henne Swaffer in London. The nearest simile would be when Percy Hammond was •■ the Chicago "Trlbune.- Mr. Swaffer is the best known dramatic critic, paragraphist and is (to an American) the 11 vest newspaperman in L6ndon. Mr. Swaffer has no ulterior motive in his letter in this week'a Variety on Noel Coward and Coward'a play "The Vortex." There is no suggestion of press work or publicity in It; the Tory tenor of Swaffer's letter will remove any suspicion of that. Swaffer's reputation in New Tork as a critic on tlie "Dally Express" and newspaper man Is of the highest. Perhaps the state- ment that it is known Swaffer has never read nor recommended a play will be sufficient nor has he ever written a play. Mr. Swaffer is the eritic Charles B. Cochran refused admission to at the London Pavilion two years ago. Swaffer Is still on Cochran'a "dark" Hat. Mr. Coward with 6asll Deaa arrived last week in New Tork. Mr. Dean will supervise the production of '^he Vortex" with Mr. Coward awaiting its Broadway premiere. Mr. Coward is hardly beyond a college boy in years but with a remarkable succession of West End play successes in London. He occupies much the same position in the literati of E^ngland as does Eugene O'Neil over here. But whereas Mr. (^Nell is wholly vis- ionary in his playwrighting, turning his day dreams into symbolic drama. Coward leans more to what be believes is the materialistic underside, commonly called on this edge of the ocean, "dirty plays." KELLY-DE COURVILLE FRANK VAN HOVEN Tears and years ago grandpa Barry used to take me to dacotaclty to the old settlers' picnic and we waited in front of the old Mon- daroion Hotel in Sioux City to see the horseless carrifige come up the streets. I'hat's going back some. Well, what I want to say is I am here In the last word as far as hotels are concerned and in the elevator were a couple of humpty dumptys with some kind of we are here for the day hats on that would make grandpa turn in his grave and grandpa lost his right arm long before he died but at that I thin>< these birds would have made grand- pee, for that's what I called him, turn over and say Simon Legree was innocent FRANK VAN HOVEN Direction EDW. 8. KELLER were typical in no way of the New Tork which I have studied at close quarters. I knew that English people, who had not been to New Tork, would get quite a wrong idea. Thank heaven the play lost money and the company went home. On the night after the production «t "Silence" at the Queen's, I told Crosby Oalge, who financed the play In London that I did not beMeve any district attorney in the United States would behave In the abhor- rent way that Max Marcin had made one of the characters behave In his play. "Oh, it's only a;ihow." replied Mr. Galge. "Unfortunately." I said, "you people regard thinga like that with- out knowing the consequences. Tou do not understand that especially as most of the news which oomes from America deals with crime, mil- lions of Europeans have an idea that all Americans are tike Harry Thaw, Leopold and Loeb or Charles Becker. London playgoers will come away thinking this rank melo- drama Is a true picture of Ameri- can life." My friend saw the point So did the public. "Silence" made n« noise at all. Noel Coward's Acquaintances Now, my friend, Noel Coward, seems to know a small set of people in I^iondon, who, to Judge from the stage characters he portrays l.i most of his plays, are vicious, soul- less, flabby, footling, fatuous and Est IMC WILLIAM MORRIS AUKNCY. Inc. MfM MORKIS fVM. MOKRI8. JR. Vutimiii HIilK.. 1493 nrmidway, New York THE TILLER SCHOOLS OF DANCING 143 Charing Cross Road LONDON Director, JOHN TILLER our troops for water and rent for the trenchea In which they died. We aeem, aometlmea a rather aorry, hopeless kind of peoirie. It is all puzsllng, and we acarce know where the changes that strike us every day are driving us; but with a calm which no other nation could ever show, we saw come into power last year a Socialistic govarnment which your race would have thought was the end of all things. Our working classes want more than wo,can afford; and yet we do not deny them. We are pusxled, amax- ed. but damn it all, w« rae paying our way. English Not Decadont Now, this play "The Vortex" will glvA you an idea. If you endure its fatuity, that we are a decadent I>eople, engaged, all of us, in asin- inlties which, believe me. seldom come my way; and I live In the same sort of world that Noel Coward does. I see htm nearly every day at lunch, and, someitmea, at supper, several times a week. Tet I see an England, which, however blund- eringly, la doing ita Job. He sees an England'which waa not worthy of being saved, fi damnable, ter- rible thing; and he is going to show It to you. I hope you will laugh, for his sake. I hope you won't believe it, for mine and that of all of the rest of us. His hero Is a decadent who blames It on his mama. "Hush-a-bye bftby." Then he takes dope, or did, or will, or thinks he should leave off, or something. Now, dope in England is almost unknown. 1 challenge Mr. Coward to deny that. Cnnadiiins brought here "snow," aa thoy called It, In the first months of the war; and so little was dope known then, that what a fow Can- .'idianH did, shocked us. One nlj^ht, Chnrles B. Cochran told ine that niMlo Carlton was tak- ing it. Sho wan In a revue at the Knit>lre, which he was mannglng. I hroii|,-ht cert.'iln fac*a, In cdnxe- qiM^niM'. to the notice of the aiithor- ltle.M, (ind n law was passe*! wlilch riiaile cocaine an illcKal thing. lOvery olher year, n. Chinaman goes to p.-inl .-inil we c.tII him "The Dope King," but it is all such a triviality of Ufis In London that I was almost surprlaed Mr. Coward took the troublo to write a play about It One, at least of hia male char- acters la a pervert Another one I am not sure about Now. homoaexuality Is a problem, in these modem times. In your country, aa it is in ours. But at the worst In England, it la a little troth. Don't get the Idea, when you ace "The Vortex." that the propor- tion of people like that Is as high as you would think, if I hadn't t^ld you. Looking for "Clever Lines" They say "The Vortex" is clever. "Oh, It'a full of brilliant dia- logue," I was told, aft^ the first night After going to the third per- formance. I bought a copy of the play. In order to find, for reproduc- tion, some of the "clever lines." As I have told Noel Coward personally, I could not find a word. There was nothing worth reproducing. There wasn't one lino that would stand print \ "Ob. I dont write io epigram," Coward told me. Perhaps he knows, aa I do, the real meaning of the word epigram. Newapaper critica uae It nowadays, if a comedian says, "Ki^s me, Charlie," or something like that Np, "The Vortex" Is not the sort of play which £ as an EngL.j)d-lov- ing Englishman, would like to see played anywhere. American films have long since given millions of people all oyer the world the Idea that Americans are all dope fiends, or wlfe-beatlng drunkards, or blackmailers, or crooks, or grafters, a thing whloh I know Is not true. Plays like "The Vortex" will give yon an utterly wrong opinion about OS. The characters in it would bore m« to tears, If I met them in real life. In fact under my withering sarcasm, they would all remain si- lent until I had gone home. So why, if they would bore me to tears if they really lived, should In- telligent people like myself have to endure them when they don't? I wish the American newspapers would ask Mr. Coward If he really thinks '"The Vortex" Is true of the country that gave him birth, and whether he has rendered anybody a service in taking abroad a thing which common sense should have stopped at home. Hannen Swaffer. Edith May Appear in Husband's Show Following Marriage Next ' -^ ': l^rW. Aug. 16. Following the marriage of Albert de CourvlUe and Edith Kelly, former wife of Frank Jay Qould, to take place In September, It Is possible the couple will vlait this city. According to reports do Courville will produce a play he has written. In collaboration with local authors, in which his wUo will hold a leading part Ethel Bairymore'g London Opening:—^Play Unknown London, Aug. 26. Ethel Barrymore will open at the Lyric In October, although the name of the piece she has selected Is an- knowil. Ethel Barrymore may not play in the UnlteB States this season. From Octol>er on, for about six months, she will give a repertoire seaAon at the Lyric, London. Miss Barrymore's last appearance in London was in "Mid Channel" about 10 years ago. <<Cobra" in Doubt London, Aug. 26. "teobra" opened to a warm recep- tion at the Garrlck Aug 18, prin- cipally due to splendid acting. T^ere is a dlyersity of opinion regarding the show's future. It looks aa If chances were against the piece joining the "hit" class. To date the play has succeeded in filling the cheaper aeata to capacity, but orchestra jMttronage has been light SEmOE ACTEES8 DIES London, Aug. 26. Rose Edouin, senior English ac- tress in point of age, died yester- day. She was SI years old. Gilbert-Sullivan Troupe Preparing for Australia London, Aug. 26. A troupe of Ollbert and Sullivan singers is now being organized here to go to Australia next year and stay there for two seasons, playing the complete repertoire with one exception ("The Sorcerer"), and touring to New Zealand at the con- chiBlon of the Australian stay. .lesse Williamson Is arranging the troupe. ARTHUR SHIRLEY DEAD T..ondon. Atig. 25. Arthur Shirley, veteran Drury 1/ane melodrama author, died Aug. i 22 »t tho ago of U, LADT OORDON'S FASHION ACT London, Aug. 26. Lady Duff Gordon will shortly produce a vaudeville act consisting of mannequins displaying the latest fashions. A. C'S CONTEST 'WORKS' (Continued from page 1) tied upon in the total of 16 Judges to decide the winner is Earl Car- roll, Broadway musical comedy pro- ducer and theatrical manager. Other Judges who have accepted are Wil- liam Krighoss, Philadelphia; Ed Williams, New York; Frank Tuttle, New York; McClelland Barclay, Chicago; Bdmond Davenport, Roch- ester, N. T.; Haskill Coffin, New York; W. B. Stevens, New Tork; Andrew Loomln, Chicago. Others who have been asked to sit in judgment on the beauties without expressing assent up to date are Joseph Cahese, Charles K. Chambers, Harrison Fisher, James Montgomery Flagg, Charles Dana Qibeon, Lorado Taft, Tony Sarge and Nom^an Rockwell. Of the nine judges enlisted, five are New Yorkers with the same pro- portion held to in the remaining six, giving New Tork nine of the 16 judges to select the winner. It la reported that if New York ia given the "Mlas America" title next month Che aelectlon next year will be made of a Chicago girl. Katherlne Ray, of Carroll'a "Van- ities," current on Broadway, is the only rouaical comedy ^rirl eligible for the grand competition. Miss Ray is the beautified "Miss Coney Island." Politicians Have Their Say In the past competitions, accord- ing to report ■ politicians of differ- ent cities have made themselves evident for the final choice. A re- cent "beauty" winner selected from an eastern city brought loud and angry squawks when announced. The girl declared the winner is said to have had no visible claims to championship beauty of face or form. That the hand-picking of "Miss America" is advantagoous to At- lantic City la firmly believed by the hotel men of that town, with the annual parade of the feminine con- testants the big Inducement to the citizens of towns without builosquc Hhl(VV.S. ENGLISH GIRLS ARE i ''GLORIFIED" BY ZtEGGI May Bring Some Sampit Beauts Back with Him-« Paper Building in London London, Aug. Vt, Ho SUegfold will glorify anythiaf once. Now It's the English ghl Zieggy aaya ahe'a the moat boo-ta« fool of any. He wanta to tako Ms local froayts back with him to lVt« York aa aamples. That wound up the Interview wtt| a hurrah red fire for Zleggy. Ovh here the girls wear long skirts, ■# ZSleggy on this trip has been wateta ing them from the chin up only. Before reaching the productte department Zieggy went into uS building branch. While the report* ers were wondering how an Amola can could handle so many glortfleC girls in his shows and still be abll to make a trip to Europe Zleggjr told the boys about a theatre seat* ing 1,900 situated within one mlnutV of Piccadilly, in which, after K It built he will show London the (Continued on page 61) Du Manner Without Pfi|| Leases London Theat^ London, Aug. 2S, Oerald DaMaurier has been ■ able to secure a spltable play al aa a result sublet his theatre ti "The Offense," opening tomortfV (Aug. 2<) night. DaMaurier will join Glaial Cooper fai the cast of LonsdaM "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" at tkf Saint Jwmee when it opens, Bept Murrjr't English Play London, Aug. 21, Jules Murry has secured tf4 American rights for "Mixed Do»< bles." Al Woods negotiated for piece, but refused to pay the 4tt manded advance sum. Stanton's Big Hit London, Aug. 26. Val and Ernie Stanton scored thj biggest hit at the Coliseum yest day (Monday) that has been regi* tered in that house in years. Th< actually stopped the show. Williams and Taylor were anothfll American team to be warmly r« cetved. Their success was estaft< lished at the Victoria Palace. EMPmE CONTRACT SIGISD London, Aug. 26. Before sailing on the "Levlatl|Mf today, J. Robert Rubin, Igal sentative of Marcus Loew, firmed the purchase of the Bnplr theatre by Loew with the statei that the contract has been slgnad. SAILINGS Aug. 26 (London to New Teit Morris Gest (Homeric). Aug. 26 (London to New T«ft)l Belle Baker, Mr. ana Mrs. ThoaM Melghan, Mr. and Mrs Flo Zi (Blllle Burke). Patricia Zle^aM Lois Wilson, Charlotte Greenwo* Virginia Valll, Mr. and Mrs. RoM Rubin, Archibald Forbes, V. T. Sweeney. Victor Herman (■ athan). Aug. 22 (New York to Lom Edna Purviance (Majestic). Aug. 22 (London to New T< Cyril Maade, Nina D em are (Mauretahia). Agg. 22 (London to New Toi* Louis Dreyfus, Mile. Petrova, Mrt Levy Mayer (Majestic). Aug. 22 (London to Quebec) JanW Oliver (3urwood (Empress of Scot land). Aug. 19 (Paris to New York) and Mrs. O. M. Samuel (DeOri ARRIVALS Aug. 18*sJfrom London) I*' Hope Crews, Joseph Santley < Ivy Sawyer (Majestic). ^ Aug. 16 (from Italy) Tulllo minatl, Hljda Vaughan and Homer (Conte Rosso). .^ Aug, 21 (from London) <>ft^J?^ Cohan, Ada May and Zella (Bciengarla). A Message from Shore or Ship will guarantee a Room THE PICCADILLY WHERE ALL THE SHOW FOLK STOP Cable Address: PIQUDILLO. LONDON