Variety (May 1926)

AMUSEMENTS TIMES SQUARE Or 1 J Published Weekly at 1*4 WmI 4«t* St.. New Tork, N. Y„ by VarUtr. Inc. Annual subscription |7. Singl* copies to cent*. Bntered us second clan matter Deosmbar It, IMS. at ths P>rt Offlca at New York. N. Y- under the act of March a. 1179. ||©L. LXXXJI. No. 12 NEW YORK CITY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1926 64 PAGES LONDON HOUSES MAY CLOSE KW NIGHT LIFE' NEH SEASON; CHEAPER AND DECORUM BEST BET Properly Conducted Restaurants Eventually Out- drawing Rip-Rarin' Horde of Night Clubs—Too Many Have Spoiled Profitable Business ,<A tow "night life" via the hotels If predicted for next season. With Iks StvYtrlnff of the much too many might slabs and possible I a. m SOrfew edict the cabaret men admit ta* Influx of the many night clubs ftps hti the business no good. But a tore few In the strictly night club ctess are making money. The out- ef-towners and the natives only eta* for exhibition purposes, either af exhibits or audience as the case . a*y be, with the tabloid newspaper bnb coloring matters with exagger- ated reports of fisticuff encounters, innuendo t'd-bits of scandal, etc., so that this has come to figure as an attraction, with the hope of an un- expected fight and an unlooked for tkrfll. Straight restaurants alone or to hotels with a moderate after-the- atre cafe tinge have done well. That ]• the whyfoi- of the prediction that *• hotels will create a new night «• this fall and winter. The moderate $1 couvert charges. t» selling/ sane deportment of all •oncerned. reasonable food scale, ■wderate 50 cent charges for water *» against the night clubs' |2 gyp, «tc., are beginning to figure impor- tantly. The overhead weekly expense of ■"J Present night club, scaled with ti .** or 15,000 attraction, plus a •1.200 to $1,500 band, also rent, etc., «ake the exorbitant night c'.ub scale * necessity. That's why even sometimes the of Intentions are broken on the *»uor Beliing end. The rent is also «W aa the landlord wants to get a somewhere and before the Padlock. SWANS0N DIRECTING FINAL F. P. PICTURE Series of Illnesses Places Megaphone in Her Hands— Offers to Purchase Script "Mo" Not Satisfactory, When Made, to Hays tW^"!! 5 ,™ s ay the Hays organlza- ■ will either order radical changes J*oar the Cecil B. DeMille produc- ts , of w "Gigolo" from tho screen. Tk ■ cheJu,e d for early release. *ou!! 0 WOnl "^^olo" refers to a Won™ man befrIpr, ded by an older throuK The thcme ia to run Ud„ the Picture, which has Rod «*«ocque a arred. hae hS° U8h the Hays organization Proda^* many pIays from screen *ould the barrln B of "Olerolo" *here , mark tho flr »t instance to . fl , 1 had refused the screens own mftr " e by a mft n» l »«>r of *ts featur^* 11 ' 2 ^ 11011, aH tno D *Mllle ur «a release trough P. D. C. Gloria Swanson is the director of her own and final picture for Fa- mous Flayers, "Fine Manners." Top- ping the additional work, Miss Swanson is reported scanning the script and proffering suggestions also on the continuity. Shouting through the megaphone is giving the star's voice a strident tone, say those who have listened in on Miss Swanson's double duty. Her directorial adjunct came through a series of illnesses with the directors assigned to the new picture. Frank Tuttle first held the berth. Upon his sudden illness I^ewis Milestone stepped in and also was taken ill. He was followed by David Rosson. another sick-room candidate shortly ar'er starting. Since it became known that Miss Swanson intended to associate with United Artists for future pictures her Famous Players output has not enthused audiences or exhibitors. Miss Swanson's latest finished F. P. film, "The Untamed Lady," has been held up solely l>y her personal popu- larity on the screen. Miss Swanson is said to have of- fered to purchase the "Fine Matters" story from F. P. or the picture, but nor oiTer wa.s declined. Spanish Troupe Imported; Will Tour U. S. in Rep Walter O. Lindsay is Importing the Princes* Players. Spanish legit troupe from the Princess, Madrid, for an American tour in a repertoire of Spanish plays. Mario Guerrara and Fernando Dia.7. Mendaza heads tho company. The company opens at the Man- hattan opera house. New York. May 17 for a ilnirle week, with a tour of principal cities to follow. The troupe is up in seven plays and will change bills at each performance. Listed among the repertoire i. 1 * "La Malquerada" previously done In legit by Nance O Xeill under title of "The passion Flower." WEST END MGRS MEET AND TALK OF Salaries of Actors Would Be Saved by Official Closing of Theatres During Strike —Too Early to Predict Effect Upon Show Busi- ness If It Continues— Picture House Receipts Ghastly Monday Night in London—New York Ship- ping Men Assert Great Britain May Ban Foreign- ers From Entering Coun- try if Strike Prolonged ONLY ONE NON-COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION LEFT IN N. Y. C. Commercial Broadcasting Big Thing of Future, and Will Work to Advantage of Stage Talent— National Advertisers Buy Summer "Time" LONDON'S "BUYS" London, May 4. Last night (Monday) the theatres felt the first Impulse of the general strike which called out R,000,000 workers and directly nffects 20,000.- 000 people, more or leas, or their families. With the hour set at midnight for the general walkout and the country concerned about little else, a meeting of West End managers was called. Its outcorr* will prob- ably be to urge the Government to order the closing of theatres. In that event the managers will not be obligated for salaries. It ia too early at this time to pre- dict what may happen as regards the theatres here through the strike. If the Government and the Labor factions do not soon reach on agree- ment there is every possibility that all establishments housing enter- tainment will elose. Ghastly Receipts On the eve of the strike last night, loeal film theatre receipts were ghastly. I^git houses pos- sessed of advance bookings did well enough but those theatres not ho fortunately situated fared poorly. Apprehension that the strike will deaJ a heavy blow to tho theatres (Continued on page 3) Millions for Films 'BLACK AND TAN' DRIVE URGED BY JUSTICES One Harlem Dance Hall Keeper Sent Away for 3 Months —Races Intermingle The catering of colored cabarets to white patrons must be stopped, and the only way to do so Is to send the managers of such places to Jail If convicted of an offense In the conduct of such places. This was the ultimatum handed down by the justices of Special Sessions when they sentenced Hiram Williams of 30S West 136th street, manager of the Sea Gull Inn at 26 West 133d street, to three months In the work- house. Williams had been convicted of operating a dance hall without a license. The conviction and sentence are the start of a drive against "black and tan" places operating in large numbers In Harlem. According to reports of probation officers, Will- iams' plane was only one of a num- ber where whlto persons Intermin- gled and danced with blacks. Williams was arrested In January, when officers of the Special Squad visited the place and found several couples dancing on a small floor In the rear of th« cafe. They said Williams admitted conducting the (Continued on page 35) Los Angeles. May 4. Famous Players-I^asky will spend $21',000.000 for pictures the coming year, with 70 per cent, used for West Coast pro- ductions. Mrs. Carter Depressed Chicago, May 4. Mrs. Leslie Carter en route to her home In San Francisco stopped ia Chicago last week and was (juoted as saying that she felt she was Koing to die. Commenting on the modern the- atre Mrs. Carter said: "There's nothing to the stage any more, nothing but dollars and cents—no real acting. The real talent be- longed to the old days. I shall never appear on the st.-ige again." Radio broadcasting In New Tork has developed to the extent tnat tnere Is only one non-commercial broadcasting station In the metro- politan district This la WAHG. operated by A. H. Grebe A Son, Richmond Hill, L. I., manufacturers of the Grebe radio products which in Itself Is a commercial proposi- tion. All the other stations chargs for 'time" at one time or another In the course of the week. Commercial radio broadcasting will be a big thing of the near fu- ture for the show business. There- in lies the performer's salvation for remuneration for his efforts. Its value has been proven as re- gards stimulating sales. One bat- tery company In the midwest, through the medlur.. of a team of male entertainers routed through- out the country, states it has trebled Its business since "Interested in broadcasting and now Is work- ing a 24-hour* shift with 800 em- ployes In each shift. Radio circulation through the medium of a 14-station hook-up like WEAF reaches a vast number of people as was pointed out before in Variety's estimate of 20,000,000 people which the broadcasters them- selves have since stated Ih conserv- ative. Thin is also used as a salos argument In selling ' time." Com- pared to the "Saturday Evening l'ost" with its 2,TOO,000 circulation, the expenditure is nominal for a national advertiser which pays at the rate of $000 per station per hour, but brings that down to half the amount of a chain hook-up and a yearly contract. Thus, a $4,000 (Continued on page 3S) Player.' "Henry IV" Commencing May 31 and for a week at a Hroadway theatre as yet unselo'ted, the liayers Club will present an elaborately mounted "Henry IV." Preparations for the production are fully under way. Typewriters Barred on Trains—In Rooms Only Los Angeles, May 4. Tho Pullman Company has Issued an order prohibiting the use of typewriters in sleeping and pullman e-ars excepting In rooms or com- part ments. A number of complaints had bssn made by passengers traveling la pullman cars, annoyed by peopls using machines. i r it'i COSTOM GOWNS o* UNIFORMS IIARN TO SAY BROOKS 1437 BROADWAY* - TEL 5560 PEN. ft