Variety (Jun 1927)

Wednesday, June 1, 1927 LEGITIMATE VARIETY HIGH EOP AVERAGE LAID TO mUTE cur PRODUCERS Actori' Willingness to Play Commonwealth Helps Shoestring Game—Need for Material in Stock Releases Encourages Gambling SmaJl profit producers and shoe itring promoters are rated for the Siajority of legit flops during: the past season. Greater hazard on production cost and weekly payroll would prompt mor« cartful pieklng. showmen declare. These newcomers to producing, ranging from former office boys in producer's ofllMS to outsiders angling for personal glory and small return are easily satisfied as to material so long as it resembles a play. The •crlt>t Is the asset to promote a few thousand dollars, gather a commonwealth cast, get a bouse on first money basis and shoot tho shdw depending upon Joe Liblang. Promoter Gets His No matter how slim the intake nay be for the couple of weeks the ' '^p" lasts the producer has made a contract with his playwriglit whereby he gains 50 per cent con- trol of stock and picturo rights, a salary while the show la In prepa- ration and while running. Theatre, cast and playwright are all gambling, but not the producer, mie worst ho can break Is a few thousand to the good and sometimes sufllcient publicity to make him Ini6ini ail « manager, making it oasier to promote the next one. One manager who previously went in for the art side of tlie theatre and succeeded on that angle If not financially has done im about face this season. He has produced a trio of out and out flops, but has made from 1400 to |600 weekly profit by forcing thorn through cheap rental and small salaried casts to make both stock and pic- turo rights worth a fair price when toady to release. Condition in atook The stock revenue Is the main profit for the producers of "flops." With the increujsed number of Slodu operating and attendant In- creased demand for releases the htid ones are snapped up imme- diately and more often than not competed for by the play agencies supplying the stocks. The condition described is prompted through hits running a •«ason or two at least before be- coming available for the stocks and with the winners demanding heavy royalty while the flops can be farmed out at much more reason- mblo figure and keep the play brok- Orage doing business. Some of the play agencies thorn- •elves. overOtookod with product that would have little value with- out New York presentation, no matter how brief, have been en- oouragiiig production by newcomers, waiving the usual advanco and in some cases advancing reasonable •ums on production cost. In the latter case tho producer figures ■lightly better than an employe With the play company owning the ■how outright and getting the gravy when ready for stock and -Piotitre release. Actors Get Short End Actors have been the heaviest losers In time and money on such propositions yet have not dis- couraged commonwealth casts which has long since been a bone of con- tontion with Equity. Even In cases whprc plays have proven sufficiently promising to be taken over after the original production, all that has hoen necessary to dodire the com- monwealth obligation has been to suspend production for oi^ht weeks Jator taking over which absolves the producer from any obligation to retain the original cast. These small profit nnd cut-rate producers are Increasing from sea- son to season. They aro little cr*^(\lt to Bhow buslnesn. but they collect regularly and keep tho flop wrage at a peak. T"""""^^"-"——————————■ FUTURE PLAYS **Tho Qreen Rabbit," mystery melodrama by Howard Darling, is being cast for a summer tryout with the author also figuring as producer. Jos. Lawrence and Lawrence More, rehearsing revue to go into the Greenwich Village Theatre. This Is a new partnership. "The Badger Qamo," by E. G. Goldsmith, was given a stock trial by the Palace Players at the Palace, Trenton, N. J., last week as its closing bill. The piece has been ac- quired by A. E. and R. R. Riskin, who will give it a legit reprodu«|to|| next season. • "Singing Jailbirds,*' by Upton Bin- clair. is listed as the opening at- traction next season of the New Playwrights Theatre. Inc. Edward Masney hnd been added to the di- rectorial staff of the group^ and will stage tho Sinclair piooo. > ''Buenos Noches** is the first of the new productions to be staged by the Pollack, Inc.. Ernest Pollack managing director. Cast headed by Charles A. Matson, negro actor. Watly Product ions, Inon hoadod by Walter (Wally) Glick, has been formed In New York to produce plays. The first will be "Half a Widowt** a musical comedy, book by Shep Camp and lyrics by Alex. Sullivan, newspaper man and sonj? writer. This is expected to be staged In August. JOE TO LEW Joe Weber and Lew PlrMs walked out of the Hunting Room at the Astor the otlier day. Fields, back from a va- cation at the seashore, looked In fine condition. Someone piped to the smaller W»i.er: "Ij«->oks llko you are afr iid cf that guy Fields and you al- ways wero.^ "No, I never was afraid of him," replied Joe. "but he is Uie best choker in the world." At the Pox studio last week Lew and Joe were making a Movietone. The director in- structed them to keep ihv choking up until the bell rang. But the man In the booth for- got to ring the bell and they were almost all in when told to quit. On the coast some time mgo they went through the famous bit for Mack Bennett. The lat- ter ordered the camera man to stop grinding and explained to the boys how the choking should be done. Weber and Fields looked at each other, then at Sonnott. Joo ex- claiming: "We have only been doing this for 2S years,** and they walked out. EQUITY'S $300,000 SURPLUS Hahdlod^ll^WoiodMOno Ysar-$23,. for Return Faros "Headlines of 1927," latest entrant of the crop of summer revues, Is In process of casting and is due for rehearsal next month. Ralph Mur- phy will stage the skit. "It Takes s Thief." announced as the initial production of Harry Bar- ton, is now being oast and duo for rehearsal in two weeks. The piece is scheduled to come into the Prin- cess, New York, early in July. "Another galome.*' by Paul Bld- redge, will be brought out next sea- son by Edward Sargent Brown, marking the latter's initial fling as a prdoucer on his own.» Brown has previously been managing director of the Mlmers Theatre, New York, directing most of the group's pro- ductions as well as handling the business management; ' Equity's annual meeting and election of officers and council was held last Friday. The ballot was elected on the first vote, the of- ficers and new council members being thiO tamo as named hereto- fore. The treasurer announced that K guity had Incroased its surplus $4(Mlflh-wt^ltt tho past year, the total surplus now being nearly $.'^00,000. That sum Includes the building on 47th street which hOuMeo Equity's executive offices. There was a total of $1,200,000 handled during the year, the sum taking in all money collected and paid out for salaries collected through bonds filed. About 123,000 was put out for return transporta- tion of shows which closed on the road. Bomo of that money was partial salaries paid from money (lepoHited but there was little actual loss, most of the money sent for Tottip^ tmm boliig fofunded through bond^. i/: The new producing firm sponsored •'KatyDld.- "Kiss Me." new musical which J. Levlnson Is sponsoring, will bow in In Atlantic City. N. J.. June 20. fol- lowing into New York two weeks later, with no house set as yet. CuHt includes Desiree Kllllnger, James Marshal, Adrian Kosely, Ar- thur Campbell, William )9ellery. All Yousoff and others. -—O'Hara Slock Emh— T>ramatic stock has failed at the *''nbas8y, Portchester. N. Y. The «o>npAny Installed by Fiske O Jlara ^ound up last week after three ^eeks of dlpcourngfng business. The house previously tried wnido- with Indifferent returns. Straight pictures are now being trjptl. "Mother Knows." farce by Mark Swan, produced 26 years ago. is to be converted into a musical for next season. Swan adapting the book and Jay Ooumey composing the iBiisic. **Vm Sitting Pretty," comedy by Ruth Helen Davis, which was given a stock trial in Ix>s Anpeles this season, ia to be produced for legit by a new producing organl^Mton next season. "Cover Charge," melodrama of New York's night life by Semuel Shipman, has been acquired for production next season by Horace Liverigbt. Horace Liverigbt has acquired the musical com' dy rights of "The Firebrand." produced last season by Schwab & Mandel. Liverlght will set the adapters to work within the next few weeks with the produc- tion srhedub'd for next seaaon. Schwab & Mand^^l have begun casting their next production, "Hold 'Em Helm" dti© for re- hearsal In two wefks. The mu.«icaJ will bo given a tr.Vout early in July and brought direct to New York for a summer run. A re viv al nf ■l...mbardi. Ltd." witii Leo Carillo as star, Is con- by Murray Phillips to '•The Colonel's Lsdiet," by Fan- nie Lea. has been acquired fur pro- duction next season by Brock I'em- berton. The piece may be given a summer tryout ' Strike Up the Band." next on Kdgar Selwyn's production list Is in proooso of casting for tryout next moiith. "Murray Hill," by Leslie Howard iifti^Jbeen JMfiUrfid for production next season by tho Shuberts. Miller and Lyies' "Jungles," with the colored comedians starred, will open in Washington June 15. and. following a brief road tour, wiU come into a New York theatre for a summer run. It Is expected the house will be the Lyric "Jungles" will have choriM of browns, none of them advertised "near whites" engaged, ten of them coming frotn a reme In Chicago and all strangers to New York. All of the company will carry Equity con- tracts. Evelyn Pree>r and Zaldee Jackson, former principals of "Lulu Belle." will be tho principal women. Snippy Mason has also signed. "Kiss Me." originally announced {or riroduction by Lapane Produc- tions, Inc., has been tak'^n over by J. J. Levenson. The operetta will star Desiree Elllnger and goes into rehearsal this week with i>os- ."Ibllity of settling for a summer run at Daly's, New York, when ready. Levenpon. a member of "UTilteley rrc.<l actions. Inc., which recently sponsored **Katy Did," will make this mimical production on his own "Never Again" has gone Into re- SHOP TALKS By J. C. NUGENT •7 do prefer o certain austerity unto an exccsi of fellowship ror without chrckK and rules, all alidei into cheapness and confusion,** In ponie hilMi w-.rds Kaipli WaMo Emerson said what I always thought. After 1 read it. and often before. In the nineties, as I remember, the old formality of manner started lo slip away. And th.^ inf..:-:)!.!! :lI^p^^^i( li b^ 'an to be a.bnired in the gro.u. Tnfor- ni.iliiy hud always in vn ihe proroijative of the .snjail. So the line < f ib niarcation faded and passed. Statesmen be^an to make huniur aiid w it. not tbe embroidery, but the web. of thOir^ tMPnfiindities. .^tatrly adverti«'«'rs b. ^itn to use the cafcb phrases of the mob. t^Iood lanpuat^e and uood Kraiiiinar bef:ran to be known as ".stilted " Gratefully one louliiiea, however, that Kood manners, In what*»ver gulse^ are as effective as eVeiv^perhaps because lOss uottal. Losses Hut in the loss of the olden dignity I think America loat something. Certainly the stage lost much. To the essential and Inherent theatregoer the theatre must always have the Klamour or romance, of dignity, of dreamland. True. tiUs does not take In many New York theatregoers, but the New York theatreguer hardly comes to the theatre in a mood which makes him capable of enjoying illusion. He does not come a.v a legitimate auditor, but as a stage sophisticate. He admires, more than any other auditor III tho world* " a fine per* formance." , Admires it consciously,'critically. seml-professionaUy. Ke is a "Wlso Guy." But for his wisdom he has lost the old joy of stirred emotions^ He never foif^. ts the proKcenium, tho prlOff, tljio H|»tS,; the direction, OT what each actor has done before. : \ • >' He does not laugh and cry and yell iad^ the old un- conscious surrender to the illusion of the i^lsiy» ; . Cheap and Common He has been .^ipoiled by the informality of actors, producers, itdvertisers. who wanted to shake hands with him direr tho ^ootlli^ts, atid in so doihg have broken the spell. ^ This Informal, pc! sonal pap has survived to a depree. But It has hur€ In New York. Outside of New Yorli it has pretty well dune for the Uieatre. 'V/•'v ^- It has all become too cheap and common. "Why have Sothern and Skinner remained as paylnp road stars? For no reason, 1 take it, but ^lat they brinp back to the dreamers who remember a stage that was, the old chivalry of mantt^. "Trelawny," with its east, succeeds f0#-tho'Malo t^asow. tllii fnallty renwins in New York it still attracts the finest clientele* ftAd WhOII It #»thos tho real poods it attracts in paying quantity. Dignity and Illusion are vague words unless expressed in terms which the layman cannot only understand, but count In terins of dbflirs and^ cents. And that meauB that this cheap. Informal thing has brokOB <lown the bulwark of tbe preat theatre, namely. The Prices, "r' - When we read advertisements like this: : eiMirloo Frohman Preoofitt ■ in •THE LITTLE MINIgTEH" ..;:>. ■ ■•: ■ai;^'-• The Empire And kindred annovmopments of a greater day* there wao no question at prices. ' ■ ' No adjectives in tho aiilibliMhMim no "cut- rating." No begging and bellowing for buslilMi oiPor radios. No giving away to millions part of the play over the air, In the fool hope that thO stay-at-homes would then pay money to hear the rest of It. I hear that Gene Buck closed "Yours Truly" rather than cut prices. If so. he is a hMivo auui and m sound buoineos man oo ni i d or than moot of us. I regret to say, but at leaHt some of us know it. Not that prices Hhould be the same for all entertainment at the outset. But the Just standard of each should be maintained. It is the foundation of show business and all dthof Iwisl n sis 6f act and trade, national and interna- tional. With almost every show in New York at present on the racks lor almost any price It can pet. why wonder that business is bad. No one ever did. or ever will, value what they can get for nothing, even though some once paid full prlcO for ft. * How are we going to get back tho old standards? Certainly not by a sudden arbitrary raising of prices. But by a slow and' sincere and patriotic recovery of better and fewer plays, better and fewer actors, better directors and a ipecovery of the old dignity and merit; prlfiotlialiy ttorlt. Of the theatre at the fountain beads, a.s an Inspiration to the lesser tliinps to be at least, the best, eacb of its kind. Then stability pf prices, "with all other grades, will follow in their proper places." tern plated follow In "Kf-m py" York. l iMmral und<^ diree tion of John — viiU bring tho «iieen« womrifv which only ability a nd the right \ bis '"utr< nt revival of at the Hudson, New "The Dusk." by P. D AVliitney, Is ne.xt on production list of \Vhite- side and Levenson. who will give the piece an immediate production. « Prr-mwell with William A. Brady "^•pon.^orlnp. It will be piven a two- w»'ek tryout the latter part of the month and camphored until next s'-f-on. r'ast lrt«"7udes Frank Allen- worth. Howard Rt. John, Harry Tyler, ^lerald Homer. Mary Tjsw. iMrn r;ray. June L«slie and Puritan Town^end. I am not writing these talks, primarily, to be funnjr, Nor for publicity, nor to be considered literary^ I am writing partly to please myself, but mostly to help. If I can, tho peoplo of tbe Ht.iK<'. And particularly tbe younp and struupllnp. The old and successful know as much as I do. Most of them more. I always think of my Variety audlonco ag llif arifty of young actors and performers who have not as yell /Yimg tlli bon,** but who have neverth<lpss tbe well known goods. With perciiHtcnce and the aforesaid goods, their time will come. It may be a long time in arriving but what lo the dlfforenOot The boy who starU as a dentist a physlcfon. A lawyer, a newspaper man or as a disciple of any other art. trade or profession must expect to starve for some years, or else make a couple of false starts of meteoric success and then drop back and retrace the same ground as the slower, surer plodder, before either of them get «MI tho right side of the ledger. And why shouldn't he? Those Ktrup^llnp yearn are tbe healiblest and happiest. In those fighting years he acquires the stamina and forms the character wiiich take him safely through the awful, disintegrating and, in oases, soul destroying period of success. At 24 In those battling years he learns whatever he may have to contribute later. Few actors ever do more than realize on what they have learned before they were 24. Tbey may polish and refine what thdy have in the later years, but mo.«jt of our present day success had ail they have now years before they became Itnown. And becoming known dws not for a minute guarantee any jet \ip in constant strugple to advance or even to hold the new found peaks of pron)lnence. .Noti inL' tr. . fi„. place (.f ability. And all the panaceas and short cuts mean nothing. And yet the common danger Is to imapine tliaf some sort at short, ut slonnl ethics An a'tor wiif >ro' f-un eruiipel. I eAprcts his oi ranizadon to do anytliinp for him to which his ability as an actor do< h not entlto him, or who expects liiat publicity which does not tell th** truth, wlH advance him, or that iiull and Infiij. nee and Infrodtictions and hol.iu.hl.inp wjth "i/ifiuential" a;.'ente manapr rs or press agents will get him anythlnp. Is due for Some blffer dli^arT»olntrn''nf5». His organisation hait Is true, glvpn him a statuo In law. It can (Continued on page 48>