Variety (Oct 1926)

= VARIETY LEGITIMATE Wednesday, October 20, 1926 )26 "much* redtt"" " r , OU '£ r be k b £' t ' d ' en tw his staging*"* the book. This haa a legitimate tone, and the story squeezes more sympathy and nor- malcy out o( the events told than la usual with musical comedy hap- acters seem more differentiated than usual. Harry Archer's score is most di.s appointing. About the best nun ber is the opening, "You Know. I Know," which Is never used as n reprise. Two that are plumed "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Find a Girl." are only so-so, and there are some others which die on their feet. Thompson's lyrics are rather good. Outside of the two'comedians, the cast has several high-lights. Little Nancy Welford gives evincnce of having studied painstakingly for her voice culture. She is cute, sin- cere and in every way up to the requirements of her role of the little honors are taken by Frances Upton, who should bo given more chance to shine in this line. oseph Lertora has the best voice. Me is also In several "hoofing" num- bers. Alan Edwards is acceptable as. the Juvenile lead, and Flo Lewis makes an excellent foil for Brown in several of his numbers. The chorus is attractive but not notable for dancing ability. The show is nicely staged and tastefully costumed. What "Twinkle, Twinkle" needs are a couple of song hits and more comedy for Brown. It's getting the latter. Water*. greater burden. It is too much a preachment. On one side Is the past y ration facing youth on the other, with a sort of a "Sen-ant in the Houso" character, only this time it is a poet, acting as the mediator to bring about an understanding between age and youth. This without much action prove? rather dull stuff. Two exceptions to lack of action are spotted one in the second act when the father discov- ers his daughter with the boy. the gli l he had trusted and idolized so implicitly: and the other the final or the closing act with lather and daughter brldginK the gap between them. Two scenes have been known to make plays, but not this one. Charles Waldroll as the father gives' an excellent performance. This, too, is true of Sylvia Siilney as the daughter. Last season with the Theatre Guild this ingenue, but for a blur at times in her enuncla tlon. promises something worth w hile. or the remainder of the short cast each was a happy choice. it was rather evident that the producers had their doubts, too, as the one interior set was a tilVlM* looking affair. Looked as it It had seen much service. There will have to be some laQ fixing to put this one .->cross. 14,000. Challenge of Youth Washington. Oct. 1?. Boothr, Clleaaon * TmeK pmratlnn a now play by Ashley Mlllrr. Stated t>7 Priestly Morrison. PdU'b, Wuhtnftan. D. C. Stephen Adams .'Charles Waldroa Daajlre Adams Srtrla Sidney Joanna Uermya 8ue Van Du/.-r Horace ("Hod") Bronsoa. .William Leonard Phyllis Tyler lox-ph Moran I ...............Edwin Stanley Evidently meant for a shocker, or something near to it, this Ashley Miller play, produced by two actors and a manager, Is anything but that. Possibly a few years ago a frank statement from a lT-year-old girl, after being discovered In a room with a boy, to the effect that all of the boys and girls were breaking the conventions (only she did not call It "conventions") might have started something, but it certainly did not at Poll's. Time Is net the only equation. The play Itself must share the 'Sandalwood' in Storage The $3 60S salary list for Robert Milton's "Sandalwood." plus heavy operating expenses, figured in send- ing the Fulton Oursler-Owen Davis play to Cain's, without any other attempt for forcing or sending to re show picked up in its last two weeks, the $9,000 "stop" at the Gaiety forced it out, with no available houses, not even the sub- way circuit stands open for It." Milton will do W. Somerset Maugham's 'The Letter" after that author gets through with F,thel Farrymore's "Contented Woman." Hit* Get Money (Continued from page 95) tury. where It came in for a spe- cial two-week repeat date; "The Green Hat" was almost as big. sell- ing out at all times at the Klveria for a gross of nearly 1 10,000; "The Winged Messenger." which closed at the Bronx oper:< house and won't got only Buys and Three Hits "Y'are. there are 25 buys and three of cm hits" is the way that the agency men describe the slttia tlon in their offices this week. The 'hits'' they mean are "Broadway, "The Captive" and "An American Tragedy." which does not Include the musicals still getting top money. Even so the agencies added three of the new attractions of the cur rent week to their list. They are "Katja." which opened at the 44th Street Monday night. 300 a night or lour weeks with 25 percent re- urn; "We Americans" at the Har- ris for 150 a night for four weeks with 25 percent, and 'The Wild Rose" opening; tonight at the Beck. 300 a night for four weeks, with J5 percent. Two buys ran out last week and were not renewed— 'Naughty Rtquette" and '.Two Girls Wanted." The complete list of buys com- prises "Queen High" Ambassador), "White's Scandals" Apollo), '"Lulu Belle" (Belasco), "Americana" (Bel- mont), "Broadway" (Broadhurst), Vanities" (Carroll). 'The Captive' (Empire), "The Woman Disputed (Forrest), "The Judge's Husband" (49th St.), "The Donovan Affair" (Fulton). "Criss Cross" (Globe), "We Americans" (Harris). "Deep River" (Imperial). "Honeymoon Lane" (Knickerbocker), "Happy Go Lucky" (Liberty "An American Tragedy" (Long-acre). "Fanny". (Lyceum). "The Ramblers" (Lyt-icl. The Wild Rose" (Beck), "The Shelf (Morosco), "Sunny" (New Amsterdam). "Castles In the Air" (Selwyn). "Countess Marltlsa" (Shubert). "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (Times Sq.). and "The Great Temptations" (Winter Gar- den). There was a question Monday whether or not "Sure Fire." due to open at the new Waldorf theatre en 50th street tonight, would receive buy. Cut Rata* Swell Monday the list of attractions available in LeBlang's Public Serv- ice Ticket Office was swelled to 31 in number. In LeBlang's they still double stamp tickets to prevent other agencies from "digging"' seats from their office and selling them' to the public as their own allot- ment of tickets. The shows listed on the "down- stairs" board Included "Henry Be hare" (Bayes). "What Every Woman Knows" (Bljuo), "Loose Ankles" (Blltmore), "Rain" (Can tury). "Black Boy" (Comedy), "The Little Spitfire" (Cort), "Naughty Rtquette" (Cosmopolitan), "Sea" (Daly's). "If I Was Rich" (Kl- tiuge), "The Woman Disputed" (Forrest). "Katja" (44th St.) "The Shanghai Gesture" (46th St.), 'The Jeweled Tree" (48th St.). "The Judge's Husband" (49th St.). "The Blonde Sinner" (Frolic). "At Mrs. Beam's" (Gar-rick). "We Ameri- cans" (Harris). "Tragic 1»" (Hop- kins). "Deep River" (Imperial). "A Night in Paris" (Jolson's) 'Treat Rm Rough" (Klaw), "Happy-Go- Lucky" (Liberty), "2 Girls Wanted" (Little), 'The House of Ussher" (Mayfalr), "Just Life" (Miller), The Shelf" (Morosco). "Yellow" (National). "She Couldn't Say No" (Ritz), "The Girl Friend" (Vander- bilt). "They All Want Something" (Wallack's), and "The Great Temp- tations" (Winter Garden). The seat* for "Katja" were for the opening performance Monday night only with it a question whether the cut rates would get them for last night's or following performances. (Copyrig ht. HB«, by Vari ety, Ine.) SHOWS and COMMENT »s> business (Continued from feminine lead again; *«,000 to $9,000. The Noose," Hudson (1st week) (D-I.094-SS.S0). Mrs. H. B. Har- ris offering this drama In associa- tion with Martin Sampler: wil- ls rd Mack, author; well regarded out of town; opens tonight (Wed- nesday). "The Ramblers," Lyric (Sth week) IM-1.406-15.50). Last week's holi- day sent the gross to almost $37.- 000; average business for new mu- sical success around $34,000. "The Shanghai Gesture," Chanln's 4«Ui St. (23d week) (1)- 1.39t>- $3.85). Goltrys here in November, "Gesture" probably moving to an- other house; excellent agency trade, with trade profitable at $16,000 last week. "The Shelf," Morosco (4th week) (D-893-$3.30>. Final week; would not do on Broadway: good trade out of town, for which reason Frances Starr show will go on tour; "Just Life" moves over from Miller's. "The Vagabond King," Casino (57th week) (0-l.«47-$J.86>. Scale re- duced from $6.50. with idea of riding at moderate prices until holidays; estimated at $15,000. •The Wild Ross," Martin Beck (1st week) (M-1.089-$5.60). Arthur Hammerstoln offers new musical comedy. Required plenty of fixing when out of town; opens tonight (Wednesday). The Woman (Disputed," Forrest (4th week) (D-l.0o0-$3.30>. Good enough drama not among real winners; business last week quot- ed at $13,000. "They All Want Something," Wal- lack's (3d week) (C-770-$3.30t. Probably guaranteeing; appears to have little chance to land, but may stick around because of lusty bank roil. •Treat'Em Rough," Klaw (3d weak) (C-830-$$.S0). Final week; with grosses under $S,Q00. management reached quick decision and right one; "Autumn Fire," an Irish play, next week. "Two Girls Wanted," Llttlo (7th week) (C-530-$3.30. Business Im- proved last week and will stick around Instead of closing, as planned; average takings $5,000. "Vanities," Earl Carroll (9th week) (R998-I8.60). Earl Carroll went abroad with nothing to worry about so far as his revue Is con- cerned; weekly trade estimated at $28,000. We Americans," Sam H. Harris (C-1.05l.$3.30). Developed surpris- ing business after opening, and might get across; got over $7,000 in seven performances, with $2,100 Saturday night; splash advertising J ■ el |>t*ti "What Every Woman Knows," Bijou (28th week) (C-C06-$3.30). Extra holiday matinee last week sent gross close to $10,000 mark; revival might stay around through fall. White Wings," Booth (2d week) (CD-707-$3.30). Opened Friday, critics voting it something of nov- elty. Rated Between comedy and fantasy. "Yellow " National (5th week) (D- l,164-$3.30). Stiff dramatic com- petition but credited with fairly good trade at between $10,000 and $11,000, with agency call improv- ing. Outside Times Sq.—Little "The House of Ussher" in seventh month at Mayfair and may go until first of year; "Tragic 18" stopped suddenly last week at the Charles Hopkins; "The Humble" created fa- vorable Impression at Greenwich Village; "Secret Sands" was only tried at the Edith Tot ten. and is re- ported going on again with a new cast: "The Straw Hat," Laboratory. "The Lion Tamer," Neighborhood Playhouse; "Buy, Buy, Baby," closed ■abruptly at Princess, playing one week to no money. fCopyright, 1928, by Variety, Inc.) GRACE ELINE Formerly of Weston and Eline Now Comedienne with AL J0LS0N in "BIG BOY" Vaudeville HARRY FITZGERALD and DANNY COLLINS Production HARRY