Variety (September 1925)

'!>"'■. 1","*-rJ?*^^ TPWW^r^POPT^S^FWI^f^I^-' ^ • ■» VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday, S«pteinl>tr 16,1925 ri>«nt iniSBee fire. It never brings a t«ar to the eye or that lump in th<'' hc>art that accounted for much at the box offlce aucccsa of other Bhows of the tyj)e. Of tlie cast Miss Arcaro worl<s hardest anil most tffeotivfly, Neilhor the settinK n«>r costumitiK for uct one was notable. Act twi was a pleaninB interior, and .James Kcynold's costuminf,- effective. The. p!;iy need.s a lot of worit and more appealiii),' duets for IMIvn Kord aiiil .Ml. riir<'» II in act two. liiisliint; it into New York next week yvtuiH ill-advised anil juvt a sdiort cut to ihe Ntorelioube. "T." EASY TERMS Tipi'l'-'l cinidly ill nine mpnp.i l>y Cranr Wilbur. ires«-m'il at tlir i'lii,vht)U.«<' I'lii- (A^a. Pfi'l ■>. I>y l.tHtfr Hr.viinl hiiiI K. A. Well. siaj;f-il liy i''r.iiili .Mrt-'orinacli. F>( Suitannt.- Cautiet 1.<)U ...Matol MdiilKoiiiriy Keile EstliPi SomerM I)r Al'xiiinlir Ci. Torr.-\nic. I'ran.^ Wilbur fci.l Ui.nal.l Mffk Arthui B«iKK Homer Haiton I I'ler < I'Nell Wal(. r IIiivIh A Tuuk'i t'UV ^"rank Kaniiing AnclhtT TixiKh Cuy William t'ogt-irue .MotonyiV Oftiier KllHHorth Jones Haxlrr Tiilt WorthlnKton I>. Homaine Mrs, Tutt . .^ntllinettp Korhle M,b' Hi. (i; *;ieuiior .MarHluUl MfK. Srh. licit (effreyK Lewis WiUic Sohentk Arthur E. Seger the price she must pay to remain there. Evading the designH of Kame on her Pearl, the distracted Rirl, disregardlnK the old maid, Pru- dence, is cast into the Street of In- decision. Here .she meets Want, Hunger, Law, Pride and Despair. The latter leads her to a brothel, where she enters tlie Au?tlon Room of Shame. Any Man's Sister warns Iier that Lust will come seeking her "jewel," and when he comes she stabs him to free the other girls liom Pander and Shame. She la brought to the Cou;t of Hiiiiianity, accused by Prejudice and defended ly Truth. In a stir- ring scene in which "the memory of licr mother" is c.iUed to te.stify in Pilfjrim's behalf she is released by the jury. Slie then returns home to find Iiove and Happiness awaiting her. The play la lavishly staged and enhanced by the large cast of 97 players. Next to the principal role, portrayed by Dulcle Cooper, the performance of Harry Mestayer as idle Rich was practically flawless. Florence Gerald makes of Shame a character never to be forgotten by her concentrated artistry, al- though she has but a few lines to read. Love Is played by Horace Braham, who appears only in the opening and closing scenes. Sultry Luxury Is well done by Lorraine Bernard. In the courtroom scene Prejudice, the prosecutor, is played hy Leonard Ide and Truth, who de- fends Pilgrim, by Louis Kimball. Both psiria are well taken. NEW PLAYS PRODUCED WITHIN WEffi ON BlAY Chicago, Sept. 11. This piece jumped direct to Chi- •at,o fioiii its tryout in Stamford. ,'onn. It is presented by the "Kivsy ferrns Corporation" without dia- losing what that covers. The fun- liest tiling about the show is eati- ng the stanzas "instalments'" in- ite.'id of acts. Tlie guess Is that be- ore it gets out of town it will have o ask for easy terms. It is neither tish nor fowl, neither lourlshment for the legit theatre nor fare for the movies. It has al- nost nothing to recommend it, not •ven Donald Meek, ordinarily a good ictor. It bears a certain resem- lance in theme and construction to The I'otters," but apart from this ileeting siinil.irity ail comparisons must end. The writing is bad, the gagging smacks of small time vaudeville and the acting was con- listently fi'ully with all of the cast, •including the author, up in their lines. It Is about a poor head of a fam- ily who is browbeaten into buying H home in the country when he pre- fers a cheap apartment in the city. The scenes have no particular con- nection and one i especially unnec- essary to the plot. That is an au- tomobile hit, reminiscent of Tate's "Family Ford." Wilbur has .ilso written in the chiropractic bit orig- inally done by George LcMaire and Bildie Cantor. Meek stands for more physical abuse in this sce*»e than a first class legit actor has to tiike to earn .a living. The whole show is an indiscrimi- nate hdoge-podge of hokum bits from vaudeville and burlesque. Car- rying a carload of props, another of scenery and with a large cast it can't possibly click, and it is ex- tremely doubtful whether it will even last the four weeks assigned to it. Saturday was a sticky hot night and the house was far from tilled. Bryant and Weil have had the I'lay- house redecornled and reilluminated and it In greatly improved. The lobby and foyer have been bright- ened immeasurably and the plnk- toned chandeliers make a nice color scheme in contrast with the gray walls. The floors and aisles l•.a^•e been entirely recarpeted. Hal. THE JAZZ SINGER fomedy (Irainn in three arts by Samuel K.'il'haelmin hawed on hU story, "The Day (if Alonemeiif," a short story In I-lTiry- biiily'8 .MaKazine; produced by Lewis and iJdrdon in as!"ociati<.n with .''am H. Harris at the Fullnn. Sept. 14; George Ji-sgel fea- tured; ataged by Albert Lewis. Moey nanjamin Horn Cantor Habinowlts Jlowanl Lang Sara R.TblnoHlt* Dorohy fiaymond Yudelson Sum JafTe clarence Kahn Robert H«««ell Jack Robin George Je«Bej V'lene Ted Athey K<l<Me i-aiter Ttnrney faRan Mary Dale Vho. b« Foster Hurry Irf-e Arthur Stuart Hull Randolph Dilllngs Robert Hudson Miss Glynn Mildred Leaf Franlilyn Forbes Paul Byron Stage Doorman Tony Kennedy Sam Post Arthur I^an* Avery Jordan. «» Joseph llopUini Levy N'at Freyer Dr. O'.-ihaughMessy Jcrold Deaa THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE Cleveland, Sept. 2. ••The Pearl of Great Price," a modern morality piece, written and produced by Robert McLjuiglilin, Cleveland, had its premiere in the Ohio theatre here this week. The play in its present form is n bit confusing In that it prisents the Hge-old plot of dangers beset- ting the path of chastity with the ultia-modern back.Kiound of cliorns girls, much pink tea, confetti and sieiie shitting that retards action. The "Pearl," synibollcjil of virtue, is an unusual alle^'crical study not wholly but radically different from . "Kverywonian ' and •Kxperience ' I It Is yet in its adolescent stage and i falls Khort of n perrcctcd produc- tion Dull ie Cooper, as Pilgrim, main- tains the desired .ittitude of child- like simplicity and trust. If anythiiiK, slit !:■• a trifle colorie.ss in certain p.irts of the play which pro- vide ample opportunity lor dramatic displ.iy. Ilcr simpli.ity attains something a\in to sophistication in the scene of revelry in Idle Uicli s house. The spirit of the play is .admir- ably entered Into by meiiib<'is of the ojiening cast. The story Is the familiar one <.f Pilgrim, In this case rei>resented 1 y ftn orphan girl, who goes in <pi( Kf of Love and Happintss, little realis- ing they were to be found later in the lionie she left. She sends Love awa" with Ad- v<iituic, V.hile she remains to faie the terrors of Want, Loneliness and Death Armed with "The Pearl,"" the heri tngc of her mother, Pilgrim goes wllh Idle Rich to the Mouse of liuzuiy, where 8he begins to realize An unusual play. Whether it .tchieves commercial success, "The .lazz Singer" is to be classified as a laudable dr.imati" presentation. Its story of the son of a Jewish cantor who gives up the opi)ortnity of a Bro.'idway career by leaving the theatre on the night of the premiere to take the place of his dying father and sing in an East Side synagogue Yom Kippur eve is not true to the traditions of the stage. Its solemn finale is gripping—for Jews, and from that field the new play has its best if not only chance. "The J.izz Singer" ; not the life story or an ctu.al incident in the life of one of the leadln.^ bl;u'l<face entertainers as reported. It is true enough the lead Is a "mammy singer" and equally true that sev- eral leading funsters nd jilzz sing- ers are the sons of rabbis or can- tors. Rut Samuel Ranhaelson. a mid- western college professor, who wrote "The Jazz Sintrer," had no intent to weave a biographical tale. Listen- ing to Al Jolson a year or so ago, he was struck with the similarity in Jolson's sobbing rendition of Jazz with the manner of cantors deliver- ing religious themes. The result was a short magazine story which has been fashioned into a play. It fs no secret that Jews dominate the American theatre, certainly manageriully and to some extent on the stage side of the footlights. Their stage names, though not racial in sound or spelling, h.is not hidden that, and there are few if any Jews in the profession who are not proud of their birth. Patrons of the theatre attend to be entertained, and it is a question if the religious side of theatrical char.icter will be thtis accented. Good performance is not to be expected to overcome the religious handicap. "The Melt- ing Pot" unsuccessfully faced that difllculty, being 15 years ahead of its time if "The Jar^z Singer" lands. Though the blackface singer of .i.izz in returning to the Kast Side and resisting the ctill of the stage is not according to theatriial tr.idi- tion, there is no error with the man- ner in wh'';h the author sketcljed bis hero amid his home surround- ings. Orthodox Jewish father.-^ have violently resented their children go- ing on the stage. Th;it hasn't hap- pened In Isolated cases, but nearly all actors of Jewish birth will relate the same story— particularly those whose pater was actually of the synagogue. Jack Hobin is really Jacob Rabin- owitz, son <)f Cantnr Kabinowit?. of a family of cantors for five gener.i- tioiis. The Icjy h.id run aw.iy from home and jn the five years devel- <iped as a sint;el> of jazz soni,'S. "Dlvcovered" in a little Chicago pic- ture theatre, he is eng.Mtred for a Bro.'idway r(\ iie. R<'t in ning to N<'W York, he flr.st goes to Iu.m Kast Side home, to be welciimed by his mother, I'Ut ordered cut hy the f:ither. who never forM.ive the boy for dls.'ip- peaiing on the Y(.ni Kippur he w.is • upixised to y\w in the syii;ii.'()gur. The cantor h.id sclKi.Wd the son .n the language and uords of the llehi;ii<> h> rnris. and it wis that nn- drrlylng training that made ,lack KoMn a ermk siimer ot sn.-tppy ••ongs. This openin,' n erie in the .-iiior's lirnie i" di^tii Iv of .lew- ish atmosphere The l>«>y says he will live his own life and that the words of the hymns mean nothing to him. The second act is that of the final dress rehearsal of the revue. The manager is quite enthusiastic about the boy from Chicago, and when he sobbingly ends a mammy song the company is thrilled. But the boy is crying on the level. He has had news his father Is stricken and his mother has sent an appeal that he take the cantor's place in the syna- gogue. It is the eve of Yom Kippur. The boy is torn between duty to the manager and the love of his par- ents. He refuses the appeal only in the last act to turn up at home and sing In the synagogue. Jack had told "the" girl in the show, whom he too rejects, that "I am half a cantor and half a bum." Maybe It was the five generations of cantors that irresistibly drew him back to his father's deeply religious calling. Selecting George Jessel for the lend was a happy one. Jessel was of the East Side and knows his Hebrew though he went on the stage as a kid. He Is liked by every one in the company, doing little kindnesses for the others de- spite his sudden rise to a lead. One case: he tells a chorister who was never on the stage to tell "Mr. Lee" (the producer) that she was in the "Follies." In explaining it to the manager he says: "I knew you weren't speaking to Flo and wouldn't find out." Jessel's Jazz singing ability is known, and while the Jewish melodies are given now and then oft stage there is little doubt that he delivers them too. Sam Jaffee as Yudelson, a dia- mond merchant and head of the church board, supplied the lighter parts of the play. The characteri- zation was excellent and his lines and mannerisms supplied several hearty laughs. Dorothy Raymond as the cantor's wife too gave a fine bit of character work. Phoebe Foster played the actress who dis- covered Robin and nearly won his heart. There was a quiet sincerity in Miss Foster's playing that went well with the subdued religious un- dercurrent. The production was easy so far as the first and third acts went, but the rehearsal scene was a problem. Half a dozen show girls are used at the opening of the second act, but the real atmosphere of a Broad- way revue was not created. "The Jazz Singer" is sectarian, doubtful of appeal to non-Jews to any great extent. There are enough persons of the faith in New York to support the show for some time, but that depends on how the Jews will accept the play. Many profes- sionals nt the opening night were deeply Impressed, yet "The Jazz Singer" cannot count on a general draw, which mnitation also applies to its picture value. Ibte CANARY DUTCH David Belasco prrsenls a three-act drama by Wlllnnl Mark, adar'ted from a sicry by John A. Moriiso. starring Mack In Iht bilf- ing. This play precinted by RilaHco ««veral years aco ns "Alias H,Tnt.-i Clau!'," with David Warfleld. Current vorslon ronsnler- aWy rewritten. Openeil at Lyceum .N< w York, Sept. 8. John Weldon John Miltern ,'''.''£^'h-•. • ■ Alh..rt Crai, H:fr Bohnlle , Sl.lniy Tol^r Warden Henly George MncQu.irrl.' Merman Strauss Willanl Ma. k Dick Smith Charies McCarthy c.reek George Jolm HnrrinKKm Tho Snail H.-ilph .Si|.i..riv '■"y Anthony KnIIlinK Denver Red Hover Altr,,, Dr. nigby VVili.nni Iloair Toby Charl' « M„ian •^Irt n.in • Thoni,. - M<'fj;..n Mrs. Weldon Catherine I>aie owrn I'.wendiilyn Slnvin H<atr,ce Kanyar.l Mr< <;illii;an Annie .Mack lerlc-in Belasco's first presentntIon of the season usually clicks off the fir: t surefire success; if it isn't the fii 1. It seldoni failx to be .'imoni; the first. This time his ofiening gun is "Canary Dutch," in a sense a re, ival It is Impressively acted, and staged in the meticulous, canny, devotional manner of all Relasco products. Rut whether it will turn out to he a success a«< such thinL's are writtei, down In the big, passionlcic ledger of Broadway's ooin«dle«, drwnaa and tragedies, la dubious. In his curtain speech the author- star, Willard Mack, with choking voice., paid tribute to the Inexpres- sible faith which his impresario had in him. That is -exactly tbe point. Did Belasco have too much faith, too much trust, in the writing and play- ing genius of one man? Brilliant as Mack shows himself in both capaci- ties, it is a question whether or not Belasco has overestimated the popu- lar interest and reaction toward a piece of writing aimed almost en- tirely at bringing forth Mack as an actor ana a piece of acting returning the compliment. "Canary Dutch" is a drab, often dreary, usually actionless and never thrilling, not to say amusing, enter- taining or pleasant. Mack monolog, with the rest of the cast and the situations all playing straight in support of his dual accomplishments. When the other personalities and vicissitudes are not fitting in they are filling in. All else is Incidental. It is theatrical tradition that this is n burden that no stage Hercules has ever yet carried to the heights. The greatest of the stars—War- field, Barrymore, Arliss, Hampden. Sothern, Paversham—all have had their "flops" in Just such ventures, and these others did not write their own parts, either. If the true definition of a star is one who can succeed in a bad play, surely Belasco let Mack here put himself to a bitter test; and if they pull It out of the vortex of threaten- ing fate they will have written, di- rected and acted new theatrical destiny. Mack stars as an old conv^-t, 20 years entombed In the penitentiary, blinkingly returning to this world as the ward of well-meaning amateur settlement workers, who try to re- deem the lost and reconstruct the broken. The first scene, a prolog, is the release, with some pathos and the introduction of his cell canary pet as a bit of atmosphere, which does not ever affect the story. Thereafter it Is largely along the lines already started—more atmos- phere and incident, but little story progress and usually actionless put- tering, muttering, character delinea- tion, at times magnificent in its sheer art and the tremendous per- sonality of the artist, Mack, who is today as consummately ftne an actor as walks the boards. In "Gold," a dismal failure, he created a masterly character role; here he surpasses it. Employing an old-fashioned Ger- man accent throiighout. Mack keeps it within the barriers of fidelity, which Is the more amazing because he is in his own flesh an Irishman. His walk, his stoop, his getting about, the use of his hands, the dis- simulation of senility, the broken fibre of the ev-convict, the back bent with grief—all are faithfully and il- lustriously served, a truly extraor- dinary example of the munmmer's talents such as rare expositions in modern times have visloned. But, what story there is, runs into banal melodrama, with incredible conspiracy, hysterical gunplay, and the hundred-million-to-one coinci- dence (obviously planted and long anticipated) whereby the sweetly- sweet lady patroness turns out to be his long-lost child so that he may break down and weep in her .snug arms for t;he flnal curtain. Except for the work of Sidney Toler as a detective, such as has not been written or played since "Kindling," no one stands out be- side or besides the star. Toler, a Belasco standby, gives "Canary Dutch" «rhat sparkle of entertain- ment it gives forth. Mack's super- lative work, with all its virtues, can- not be included—it has perhaps every other element, but does not make entertainment, even tragic, bitter entertainment; It is devoid of suspense, surprise (except at its quality), dramatic color (except in the acting, though not in the char- acter acted), even sympathy. Strangely, old Strauss does not wring the heart, though he has "done" twenty years innocently, has been cheated of his child, is being framed again Into criminal life, is a shattered subject of charity yet kindly enough to fcive away every- thing he gets. Strauss misses lamentably. P i does the play. Were if dorc "almo^^- by anyone but Mack it would be iin-.-^it-through-able. The issue remaining, is—will tJi-^ peoiile flock and fiay to see a fliic actor do fine acting, highlighted tiy a marvelous directors splendid stag- ing, without any p.sychologic.al con- tacts of human emotions otherwise to stir^and agitate the brain, the he.'irt and the spirits? It is extremely doubtful whether this will i„. a tyidc.il Melasco hit. I' is too imiiortant, too truly and .sen<nisly artistic ti> fall flat. Th- esoteiie luinter.s after the imperson- ally meritorious things.- alone, will I..'! let if escape them N'o one con- nected with the fhe.itre should miss it, as a text-book in ac:ln^; and staging, it not as a romance or an adventure. Rut these are small clnsses oven In the big eity. And, out-ide their circles and a few in tune with them ■Canary Diifrh" will scnrcelv c.r >sw Into the anpe.il-.nr'"<s .,f the'moh. A revpectat'le run may be pre dieted, hut not a long one. I.nit. ALL DRESSED UP Oon«dy-druna la Uvm m«« ky Artkor Rtcbman; prodooad by A. H. Woods •! thj «llM« thit. »; dlrMted by Outhrte M^ 'VI ID tic. Raymond flteveu Norman Trevor S^ "'o.- Oeorge Kuldell Blle«ii Steven* Kay Jotuiaon Donald West j.^,, cra^S Jame* Collealer T. Wlgney Percyvat Wallace Htevena Loula liennlKon yirginu LiBcom Lillian Kemble Coouer Philip LI»eom Malcolm Ouncao Arthur Richman Is a smart play- wright and A. H. Woods is a shrewd picker of plays. In "All Dressed Up" Richman supplied and Woods recognhied an idea. So did the Hrst nighters, though "talent" is unde- cided as to its intrinsic worth as theatrical property, "All Dressed Up" is interesting and played cleverly with ihe aid of Guthrie McClintic's direction. It is not high drama nor winning com- edy, so it impressed as being in he- twfoen what might have been the autiior's puriKise. It is the contention of the author through his leading character—a man of refinement with u penchant for the scientific—that all people have dual selves, one with which they are born and that which they clothe themselves culturally. To prove the theory he has concocted a drug, a few drops of which taken In a cocktail will affect the drinker, when his or her real self will becomo uppermost. Hypocrisy is shed dur- ing the period the drug is effective (an hour), intellectual faculties are suspended, and the lower mentality overshadows the upper. And yet in the end it is asserted that hypocrisy is necessary to civil- ization. Without it everyone would be some sort of heathen. Memory is also suspended by the drug, or at least recollection of what hap- pened while under its influence. The scientific man decides to try his invention on his relatives wliom he has invited to dinner, also a youth enamored of his daughter. All are put under the Influence ex- cept the daughter and himself, and all speak and act as expected. His brother, an underwear niatuif.a.c- turer, goads a nephew into frenzy because the lad was not so success- ful, admits he craves money, and tells the cultured experimenter wtiere he gets off, since the experi- menter has been getting 50 percent of the profits in the underwear husi- ne.ss wiihout working for it While the potion uncoveis the ugly side of some characters, the author's artiflclal shell discloses the reverse in those normally "out of step " For instance, the manufac- turer's son, a sot, becomes a poet under the drug's influence, and a married cousin, instead being "dog- gy," is solicitous and charming. The heroine's lover, so reticeiK that there is no fire In his affection, bared with the potion,, is such a passionate chap he is for tearing her clothes off. B.nck in the normal he claims he is too civilized to be demonstrative. Norman Trevor hi the lead role m.ide his scientific man somewiiat interesting. But he was on the side as an observer, the others doing the heavy acting. Eliott Cabot as the .son made another good impres- sion, so did James Crane as the suitor. The good cast also has Louis Bennl.son as the manufac- turer, with the two feminine roles taken care of by Lillian Kemble- Cooper and Kay Johnson. It Is a one-set show designed by P. Dodd Ackerman. Not entailing much expense in a production way. it should not be a total loss because of the picture rights for the story, •which may be developed Into a fair program release. For Broadway the draw is quite apt to be limited and the engage- ment brief. Ibce- DON MARQUIS PLAYWRIGHT Don Marquis, columnist, has re- signed from the "Herald-Tribune' and will hereafter devote himself to writing plays. One will be on the stage this winter, called "Mr. I'le Eye," produced by Philip Good- man. Marquis also wrote "The Old Soak," which Arthur Hopkins put on last season. Edward Hope Coffey, who signs himself Edward Hope, will succeed Marquis on the paper. For the last montih he has been substituting while the regular columnist w.as on his vacation. REVIVING "RUNNIN' WILD" "Runnin' Wild" is going to take to the road again. Miller (Miller and Lyles) has turned the show over to his older brother, Irvin Miller. The latter is preparing it with an all-colored cast for tlje one- night stands. GANTVOORT PRODUCING JANE' Herman f;,'in»voorf will open "Jane, Or Stranger," onl of town early next month in either HuUi- more or Washington. Rehearsals are now on. with Wil- liam I'enry Adams staging the show. >•