Variety (Oct 1927)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 8 St Martin'* Place, Trafalgar Square FOREIGN CABLE ADDRESS, VARIETY, LONDON 7870-2096-3199 Regent Wednesday, October 5. 1927 ) JOYS AND GLOOMS OF BROADWAY By N. T. G. Several months ago printed a letter in our columns from a little Broadway gill, famous as a beauty, seriously 111 of tuberculosis in a Philadelphia hospital. She asked help of her former friends to send her out to Alborquerque, New Mexico, as a last resort to recover her health. Doctors said it was her. only chance. A fund was subscribed and she left for the southwest. Then rumors came floating in. We heard that she was dead. Those of us who knew her mourned, for a sweeter girl never lived. She was very pretty, had a wonderful figure, was straight and clean. We knew her best of all and warned her several times that overwork, appearing in the Guinan Club and the "Greonwlck Village Follies" simultaneously, and having nd warm •oat during bitter winter weather, would break down her health. It did. Here's the sequel: She was "Miss New Mexico" In the Atlantic City Beauty Pageant. Fully recovered, she's prettier than ever. Perhaps that stuff about "Virtue is its own reward" la on the level after About Chorus Girls—Bad and Good We attended a chorus call the other day with a friend of ours who is about to produce a big musical comedy. Again a condition which exists in show business was forcibly brought home to us and that is the ex- treme scarcity of pretty chorus girls, and the super-abundance of ter- rible looking females who have nd place whatever on the stage. We also discovered that the real girls never go to chorus calls. Producers waste plenty of time looking for girls and holding calls, and rarely, if ever get anything out of it. Hundreds of girls are milling about New York looking for work, going from call to call, and seldom getting a Job. They're a real nuisance in show business. On the other hand there isn't a producer in New York who wouldn't like to get pretty, clever, talented girls. We have often spoken of the tough breaks of show business, the long layoffs between shows, the difficulty chorus girls have In barely living. That doesn't go for the good ones. They can work all the time. But the others! We wonder how they live, whd feeds them, and what their heartaches are. We never saw one get a regular Job, except in cluck shows which open and close the same month. It is getting so that an unknown, independent producer can't get good girls. The smart ones gd to the recognized producer of hit shows and pass up the gamble of fly-by-nlghta and turkeya. The kids are getting cleverer every day. Years ago it was wonderful If a girl could do a cartwheel or aplit Today one dance master we know requires that every girl can do buck, a split and a cartwheel. And somehow he finds enough to do It But we won't aay what they look Clearing House Suggested There are thousands of stunning girls in New York who would like to go on the stage but don't know how to go about it. Some day some agent with a vision will open a clearing house for chorus girls, establish a free dance school to teach the best of them and charge managers for furnishing choruses. It would be worth $1,000 to say the least, for any manager to have a great chorus delivered to him Intact. It Is to avoid picking girls that managers engage groups of gii-ls already trained but these are deteriorating because there aren't enough good ones to gd around. And then the salaries paid are less than pretty- girls get, and no on can get enough pretty girls who are also great dancers for (35 a week. Helen Morgan Lands It looks as If the Helen Morgan Club is a hit. Helen creates a spirit of Intimacy which the regulars like. The show doesn't matter there. They can wander about from place to place, and table td table, and the club utmosphere prevails. Jay Flippen and Bert Wheeler arc doing busi- ness at the Deauville. Fllppen's spirit of fun and many friends put him over. Tommy Guinan will open the 48th Street Club soon with a Paris Importation. Bill Norvlns, whd controls Woodmansten Inn, will open the 300 Club, probably with Jack Osterman and a girl show. Sam Weiss Is readying up his Alabam and will call it the Little Club. It did plenty of business under this name years ago. He's getting names. Texas Guinan opens at the Century Friday with a big show In a novel way. Clayton, Jackson and Durante are preparing their show. Van and Schenck open at the Silver Slipper next Sunday. How many will be open through Christmas week? ONE PERSON'S OPINION The "PERFORMER," London, said recently, speaking of the bill at the Metropolitan: "Klmberly and Page were a positive riot of laughter, and Impressed me even more——" Why continue? It's one person's opin- ion—the audience sure voiced theirs, not 'alf. The International Artists LEON HELEN KIMBERLEY and PAGE The World la Our Market RITZY Olcotta on Riviera Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey Olcott plan to apeid the winter on the Riviera, near Monte Carlo, to be exact, after their socially active season at Saratoga, where they maintain a fine estate. Of recent years Chauncey has frequently fig- ured In the society columns. His fame and fortune were derived from a long aeries of melodramas In which he, the singing Irish hero, always thwarted a British villain. At the old 14th Street theatre he was hailed as "the servant girl's delight," and later filled profitable engagements at the Academy of Music and the Grand opera house. (Continued on page 41) Jolson Sanding Friends Along It's a great thing to have friends. Jay Flippen and Bert Wheeler have found that out in the Jay Flippen Club. Scores of stars come up there and help to put It over. Their Sunday nights are marvelous. Last Sun- day their impromptu show lasted two and a half hours. Al Jolson topped It off, and the customers, mainly theatrical people, stood on the chairs and cheered for Al. Only once before, in the Texas Guinan £1 Fey Club, have we ever heard of Jolson offering a song. Incidentally, Flippen and Wheeler got plenty of cafe experience before they opened their own Joint. Night after night they'd go down to the Pavilion Royal, or to the Frivolity Club, or the Texas Gulnan's or the Silver Slipper, always willing to step up and do their stuff when called upon. That was gathering experience. What they learned then stands them In good stead now. They were breaking in stuff and getting new material under perfect conditions, and making themselves known to cafe audiences as a couple of clowns. The bread they tossed on the water of Broadway night life Is certainly returning In loaves. College Boys Dumb? Are chorus girls dumb? A flock of them were out to our place in the country some weeks ago, at a party given by the better three-quarters. We pointed up the lake and mentioned there were some lagoons up there. Ono kid instantly proposed that they go hunting lagoons, and wanted to know if they were good to eat. We could write a book on chdrus girls' funny cracks. And yet, they're smarter than college boys. Katherine Ray, Dramatic Another one of our Broadway girls, formerly in tho chorus, is going In for drama. Katherine Ray, once of the "Vanities" chorus, later, beauty queen, told us a few nights ago she has a part In "Funny Face." Per- haps she'll make good dramatically. It hns always been our belief that some chorus girls would make better dramatic actresses than the school-taught, hot-house ingenues of no real experience In life who are appearing in our current Fuller Bays N. Y. Plays While In New York the past month John Fuller, with the Ful- lers' general producer, Ernest Rolls, co-operating, purchased the Aus- tralian play rights to "Good News," "Merry Malones" and "Bahy Cy- clone." The two latter are the re- cent productions by George M. Co- han. Schwab ft Mandei has the "News" show. Previously, Fuller bought the rights for his country to Zlegfeld's "Bio Rita." "Rio Rita" will be produced In Australia in November, with "Good News," "Malones" and "Cyclone' following In that order. Fuller and Rolls sailed Saturday on the 'Tie de France." Fuller will continue homeward without again touching America, reaching Sydney In February, next Rolls will return to New Yorti, preparing to send the show and people from here to Australia. The Fullers have been playing "Abies Irish Rose" In Australia, under a, royalty agreement with Anne Nichols. Mr. Fuller stated that one of the purposes for bis New York visit was an adjustment of disputed matters with the Nich- ols office over that engagement, still running. Fuller did the adjusting with M. L. Malevlnsky of O'Brien, Malevlnsky ft Drlscoll, Miss Nich ols' attorneys. Dsmpsoy'a Popularity Jack Dempsey drifted Into the Silver Slipper the night after he got In town following the Tunney fight. He came in to see Bill Duffy. We had the pleasure of presenting him and were astounded by the tremend- ous reception he received. That audience Just got up and yelled. Demp- sey has been Introduced at the Slipper before, while he was champion, but never reoelved such a welcome. Whloh leads us to wonder at a physychology which makes of a beaten champion a greater hero In defeat than in victory, and Infinitely gr.ni.er successful opponent Jewish Guild Meeting The first fall meeting of the Jew lsh Theatrical Guild will take place Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the Bijou the atre with the time set at 11:15 p. m. A special memorial service will be held for Marcus Locw, at which Rev. Dr. Elscman will de- liver a short eulogy. At this meeting George Jessel will be Installed as first vice-presi- dent, to succeed the late Sam Bex nard. SAILINGS Oct. 7 (London to Australia) Cook and Vernon (Comoran), Oct t (New York to Paris) John S. Robertson (Aquitania). Oct. 4 (London to New York) Beverley Nichols (Majestic). Oct 1 (London to New York) Lyn Harding, Carl Laemmle and family (Berengarla). Oct 1 (New York to London) John Fuller, Ernest Rolls, Mrs. H Harold Cumin (He de France), LONDON AS IT LOOKS By Hannen Swaffer London, Sept. Oh Kay" did not repeat, dn Its first night, Its New York triumph. It sftuck me as exceedingly funny that two Englishmen called Guy iSolton and P. G. Wodehouse could be clever enough to sell your countrymen so many dull and stupid Jokes about drink, a thing in which Englishman do not take the slightest interest. This silly story about a bootlegging duke annoyed lots of people in the audience. Indeed, at the end, several voices shouted "Rot" and things like that. The first act was very very dull and the loudest laughter In the second act was obtained by a silly low comedy scene in which they dropped salad on people! The Personality of Gertie Lawrence Gertie Lawrence saved the show and that was more by the interest she aroused In her than her actual achievements. She got her applause with her personality, not with anything particular that she did. »' • Although I thought her charming, some London experts are still won- dering why New York made such a fuss. Whenever we Import an American actress like Louise Brown, we are told, "Oh, there are dozens, like that in America" and New Yorkers ex- press surprise at our eulogy. This time, the reverse has happened—not that we havo any more Gertie Lawrences, but we cannot see why all the fuss Is made. That strange word, "personality," is ail that can explain it. They Will Find Beds, Soon At odd times during recent years, nice kind actresses wanting their ' photographs in the papers have gone along to tho waiting first night queues and given tea away. This time, the "Oh Kay" management pro- : vided the waiting queues with breakfast, lunch and tea—everything, as a matter of fact, except beds. I do hope this fashion will spread and that beds will be Included soon, not outside the theatre but in the stalls. The truth la that one critic, praising something in "Oh Kay," said to another, who said he didn't hear it, "You must have been asleep." The other man replied, "I was." When I was in New York, 15 years ago, the "World" published a state- ment of mine that I often wondered why people dressed for the theatre. "If they undressed," I said, "they could then sleep so much mote com- fortably." It Is getting like that. Bourchier's Flamboyant End A lot of nonsense has been written in the English papers about Arthur Bourchler having a premonition of his death. The reason is that, before he left for Africa, he dictated a long obituary notice of himself and had it Bent to the papers. Bourchler had no premonition of any sort. He always did this sort of thing before he did anything. His great trouble In life was that, when Tree died, he thought he should be regarded as the leader of the stage. He could not understand that the stage hasn't got any leaders now. In, fact, we have scarcely got any stage. The World-Be Irving You become a man like Irving or Tree by splendid acts of giving, Vf supreme Indifference to money, by being born with an artist's soul. AH' that our actors think about today is making money. Bourchler was : like the others. Ho wanted a knighthood. After the farewell lunch he gave to himself before he sailed for Africa, Ramsay Macdonald drove away in a motor car with J. H. Thomas. 'What ddes that fellow want?" said Macdonald, knowing that Bour- chler was standing as Socialist candidate for Gloucester. "A knighthood," said Thomas. "He won't get one from me," said Macdonald. The Disgruntled Actor Bourchier did not become a Socialist to' get a knighthood. Some years ago, when I was dining with Kyrle Eellew, his second wife, in the Bourchler house in Berkeley square, I had a long talk with her about Socialism. Some years passed and then she told me that, in consequence of that conversation, she had studied the subject and Joined the So- cialist Party. She Joined from conviction. Bourchler followed her, I always thought, because ho was a disgruntled man. The Divorce That Did It The truth Is that Bourchier was the only actor manager of our time whd was seriously harmed by a divorce case. His first wife was Violet Vanbrugh, the daughter of Prebendary Barnes, and a most respected actress. When I lunched with Bourchier, after we had come Btraight from Tree's funeral, and he told me he was going to allow Violet to divorce him now that his daughter had grown up, I feared what wo'uld happen. The public took the wife's side. Royalty never went inside Bourchler'a theatre again. His first nights began to lack distinction. He grew more and more obstinate and he so resented what he thought was Indifference to him that he sent to Mervyn McPherson, his press manager, one day, , a note terminating their association and giving as the reason, "I am the most important actor manager in London. I do not sec this fact recorded sufficiently often in the columns of the dally press." "The First Gentleman" Bourchler was the king of the 'IBy arrangement with" managers. He loved to say that he was the first gentleman whd ever went on the stage and used his own name. He used to swank about having founded the Oxford University Dramatic Society and he carried this thing so far that, when he produced "Mrs. Warren's Profession" not long ago. he boasted that he was going to Insert a line In defiance of the Lord Chamberlain, forgetting, of course, that It was Shaw who wrote the play and not himself, and that he would havo lost the license of his theatre, had he done It Shaw Issued an immediate contradiction. In case these remarks about Bourchier put him wrong, let me hasten td add that he was a cheery friend and, in his best parts, really a fine actor. When he acted with his first wife, he got really good plays. They suited each other in many ways. In "The Arm of the Law" by Biieux, they were both magnificent. London's New American Stars I was surprised to hear the knockers busy after the first night of 'The Girl Friend," anglicized from "Kitty's Kisses." It seems they had had three or four weeks' hard work, pulling It together In the provinces. According td the funeral club, it still wanted more of it I thought the show excellent. Emma Halg was over here In an American vaudeville act. when Hassard Short, who had produced her In a "Music Box" revue, recommended her to Clayton & Waller. She was a riot the first night. Louise Brown, who also comes frohi your side, was, to my mind, a brilliant performer, beautiful, charming and clever. Emma Haig's dance with George Gee, a newly-found English come- dian, and Loulso Brown's dance, of a more classical type, to Tschaikov- ski's music, were both noisily received. Sdme of the papers sniffed this morning. I don't know what they want This is a better show than "Mercenary Mary," which ran over a year. EDGAR WALLACE'S PLAYS London, Oct. 4. Edgar Wallace Is writing a musi- cal melodrama entitled "The Yel- low Mask" for Julian Wylle. He Is also doing a musical play for C. B. Dillingham. LYN HARDING COMING BACK London, Oct. 4. Lyn Harding sailed on the "Her- engarla" from here Saturday (Oct. 1) for New York where ho will P> a * for George Tyler.