Variety (Dec 1927)

VAMUnVS LONDON <»f iqi F OR EICM LONDON AS IT LOOKS By HMHIEII SWAFFER London, Ko1^ It. The only joke In *«81roeo6,'* Noel C6ir«rd*8 ^ildish and Inane play, which was booed off the sta^e by almost universal derision last nlsllV When It followed "Peggy Ann" at Daly's was a vulgar remark^ _^ We must have reached, at last, the end of Noel Coward. B^J^piiMiii^ V>Md «|(K tb« liBind^ ata^ twlo» In four weeks and two or tifip* dayal rHMt'ClM^ •CMM off tomorrow, after five fatuoy« yn^HtM* Lonsdalo Criey With Grief ^. ' ^ When I saw Freddy Lionsdale In tli# ••^Nu^i «>P»ctIy altor the end •€ •Vlr^bto,^ and I told him what bad happened at Daly's, he looked very glum and iftld. ''Qood Qodl N^W ? l»vt f ot to ge home and flntah the "*Hl»° muelcal eomady la planned to follow **Sirocco." Lonsdala ^vaii aorry for Coward but he was sorrier fot himself. He hates work. You have no conception of the scenes that took place at Daly'e Jast night. I have, for nearly four years now, been pointing ©nt taaj liaal CMtfd Ha* no mind, that It ia aU a lot of blather and buitfc, that he bap no knowledge of the world, that he has ho vision and 9ft Now. ftW eak auUiara^^^^^ abdut life when fliay only cotasort with each other's flapdoodlelshness. Wah-blah and bleat at each oth^'e blather and. «ay, "Ob Ivor, you're wonderful!" and "Oh, Noel, bow funny you ^^'poor old Malt Cain^l Poor efld Henry Arthur Jones! Poor old Pinero! Tbcree thtee mop would have felt ashamed to write "^cb ^,"S22.?2 haa been paradad lately as "Ue latest thing tn wit/' "^^S!^^^^ signed bla^ami la lli^ Hata jiai* bl^ttar and ^ blunk! H« ;b«t7|it>>- Yf^\i^-^r'^ .-MBayy/for he is a very nice young na|^ / ' / ■ r| 8neere At the English ^Wocco" is another anaev at the Englifb p^ple—tha poor ^aople. wiidaa m iMMmI dM lay aoattavad aeroaa tba battlefields of tba world, and wb* «ra paiiit'-A^™^^^^^ every day even more tribute than America has paid Noel Oi>Ward. The war was not won to make Engltfbd a land nt for Coward% whatever LJoyd QeoVge may say. Ivor'a.ftriia Pajamas Well, the gallery hae found It out at last. Poor Ivor Novello "had to come on in the last act in pale blue pajamas, carry a nice litUe dog under his genUe arm, and go aat ta buy aoma milk! Brailr tli»* Ivot QUna an lir llla pale blue pajamaa the gallery screamed with laughter. What tbar wviOd bava dona U ba b^ Worn j^nk a&ai» H^yra^ only Act l-An Englidi bvibaMI laanraa bb Saittah wtfa on the Rtvlfera. Xct 'II—A dago kisses her and «ays •'Come away with me, whi le a lot of other dagoes shriek drunkenly. Act III—Dear me, *»ow artjy abe to! 8ba rolled on the.floor with the dago. Ha ahaaed baf 'MMHW ^ lable. Ba pMad bar an a aadiib'' ^ ^ ^ . „. Then the curtain came ^wi^ IM Vm$ fabad iVawMa Pobla forward to talia all ttia blama, ^ . ^ ' . . Tha Actrata Who Criad • Franeaa Bobia eriad and aaid **It la the bappleat night of my life" while Ivor NoVello, Noel Coward, Basil Dean and over 50 unfortunate aupers of all kinds stood around and painfully thought of tbo morrow. "Peggy Ana** >aa a yulgarlty tba^ brobgbt'IMTa'«aim'M public aatlmation. '*Sirocco" has made it worse. If they go on like this tbar iNtt Maifr ba aalUMr it Daly's because they bafa dtaa pla^ * day. •r T^^: • 'ov'';'Wa Get Our Own Back -^K^ Tea, wa flnglMK-^-^^MddTtk>ward M m m m 'b b ^ . i a rtaa you Amerteaba badly this week. The other night a man stood up at "The Girl From Cook'a," aald be represented the New York Purity League and ba objected to » dana#r'a togif ^%ianage«iaitt did M% bH aaM. I bftpa tta MMNbi Mtft CABLE ADDRESS, VAWITY. LONDON that they knew It. (But why blame that girl's legs on America? She ahould not bave been blamed for showing legs. Sba rtioul4 bairb baaii blaw ad iitrv rtHWtag •nab tbteflaga. Tbay wara Uka bop-poles. '.v ^ ■ ■ ENGLAND CRAiv TO BUY (Continued from page 1) ish Fllmcraft, British Lion, British Controlled. And so to bed. When tba Mtttb tntarnational Issue was being prepared, John Maxwell went to the City (flnanclal district) to see about underwriting. Mbswail'la a Yary riiraivd Scot. When he found the City wanted higher thaa the 2^ per cent he of- fered and in addition wantad Iba • par'aMit preference stock to take 25 per cent of the proflts, he re- plied he would underwrite the is- 1^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^yi^^^^^A^^A^^^R^jMA^ lO UiUI^Vni Wl ^VntW^^-^^^lr^mm^tmm As details and Information of the asHetR percolated into the gold plated piind of the City, the flnan alaiw bagaii t6*atfk boi^ .un derwrltlng he could.*i^tva them. So he let them have |2M0O worth. Meantime be was nursing the baby. Tbte llM^r aiMBa after aoine more, but he wouldn't go higher than 2% per cent for his underwritinf. >Uid he'd only let them bay# bMillker m,«H at that Qratvally he let them have little bits more until he had placed |800,000. The rest he held. : . ' J ltd Ml tllH mori^ng of the Issue ba was still being flooded with of- fara to unCarwrite and sub-under- write on alnoat any tarma^ "Estimated Profits" Examining the British Fllmcraft Productions prospectus, issued this wadk, tba ^rbdviaar'a and, far iba British Empire alone, on four feature films, is estimated at |400.- 000. These four films are to cost all-in |276,0M. Tbat la an avaraga of $68,760 each. And the producers' end is estimated to avernpo $100,000 per feature in the l^itiah islmplre alone, witb |7l,m aa ppoQt fkvm foreign rentals of these IbBT faa* turea and six two-reelers. Now amr fellow who can get more ittiii $ld.ooo 'for. iba wbola '^af the Britiah Bmplre^outside the United Kingdom for a home-made feature voatlMr. bgound $70,000 to make (H^/dN^Hwitaa 19. tbia prol- 9^(1^ UlciiBdd ii ii WILL MAHONEY Mr. Karl Kitchen In the N. Y. "E}venlng World." isaue of ^av. 28, l»a7, said: "The funniest comedian on Broadway at the present time —to my way of tfainking—ia Will Mahonay. Hera is a comedian who does not bava to depend upon a gTt>teeque make-up, baggy trousers or even risque aongs or situations. He is funny la a aack auit. wtiidh, to my mind, is a real test. Inci- dentally, ba can outetap and out- smart all bla rivals." Direction RALPH G. FARNUM 1560 Broadway tablishment charges) ia aomethlng mora than a wliard; Ha'a a ganlua WW Aualtalasia $2.«00 la vatting a good price, and the same goes for Canada. India won't bring more than $1,000, and ttta iMMi «*ure would be a good sell for South Africa. That's a total of $7,000; not reckoning cost of copies, agents c^wmtapl^a dad dg jbc dibar In aidaiitili id these iaiad* Figures But give them the $7,000 net for the Colonies and Doinlnipns, am they sell every territory. Out of their esthnated $400,000 for four features they get $28,000 from over- aOaa,*laaWiig tban «lfb Mn.Md la get from the U. K. market—aa the pk-oducara' and* mind, not as the gross. That's $91,0^ from aadb dbn, which meana a grosa rabtal at at least $186,000 a picture. It's going to be some picture which grosses that much, costing updar 9yt^> lb ikH id' BMka» Aad they estimate to get $76,000 profit from the foreign rentals on these four features and six two-reelers. Wallace, Napoleon» and Lion WHb^a W»ii d l df ^;f>o,W, of which the public is to be asked for $840,000 shortly, the British Lion Film Corporation la coming into bafiig. Wbnaaa^ #ovallat* is to be chairman (president), and the company acquires the George Clark Studios at Beaconsfleld. as well as Kapolaon FUnia, s diatrtbutlag hou.se. Studios arc valued at $187,500; lh«> rights of all Wallace's olgys and said lap aona ai ing tbdBgbllo for cash. Sucker Money But thaaa ara only the Arst spate of tba aidilf «aad. . iMl tha att and a lot of new fakers,' peddlevs and blue-sky oellers are preparing their aong-and-danca. The City is futll af aaaa wpifta b IHiia fffodiiaara I7ing to get achemes underwritten, thougb many of them are already ovar-rottan. Shady brokera are inblbg <aa flMHor w^mtif^ and professional promoters are buying Rolls Royces and getting tbeir pass- ports andorsad,- la aaaa^ Idaantima^ tba fellow wHh a good to middling-honest proposition Is finding it not so easy, with the real City folk getting cautious. Further promotions in the offing include a $500,000 and a $10,000,000 company for tau theatre combines, $2.i0d,«t# far. -BHIMI Cantfollad Films, designed to buy and sell for the home and foreign markets and Imperial Picturaa Corporation, lAd.. wblHb^ bi ta M » margar dC Hd^Art Films (producers) and the W. P. Film Company (distributors), ac- Suiring tbs studios at St. Margaret's I ■<mmkr ^nfM ^CNryii^" '«inytd#s," 'Carnival** and several other 'iNratty lar|;e ones have been made. ' This Vahiation Business / Tbafa ought to bit ilaatr law about Taluatlon statements In a prospectus. British Instructional (tba ftnady flotation) and British Intematlapbl <ilftmell's company) took the precaution of using a firm of valuers whose reputation is above susplalaua. J(>tiiara ai« bat aa dM^ ful. One prospectus appeared !flWk studios and plant valued at over $160,000, though in the open mar- ket,. M« witti tMa baom an. It woiiiSI lldtdly Idtd^ ana-balf tbat sum. Another property is deaqribed as is In-the most notoriously flat dis- tract of LiOndon, and close to marshes and 'flat waste-lands of avary aaatl If tbIa ipaa aii wnda- v«)loped country, some of these fel- lows would make wondarful faal estate fakersl AUSTRALIA gf ERIC a GORRICK '4s '{■. Summer season Nov. I. responsible for falling off in matinees, with night business normal. Platura bouaaa not badly affected by present heat wave. "Castles in the Air," at Her Ma- jesty's, is brigbt in spots and dull in others. Rowena Rbnald. taken from the chorus and given the lead, lacks experienoe, but ia charming, with a sweet voice. Qus Bluett overdoes his comedy, and Roy Russell is weak on voice. WiUiamson-Tait lavish with mountings, the second act being a genv Byrl Walkely the best among the women folk, and Frad BlaGbman staged the show. Jeanne E^agel's role in«**Rain" is splendidly^played by Margaret Law- rence at the Criterion under W-T management. Liouia Bennison as tba mlaalonary aniir^y overacted, and rest of cast Just so-so, with exception of Jessie Page and Ijeslie Victor. "Rain" has been panned by the critics, who stated it was a dirty pUy. This w» ^ dddb »di y aiaMst the box office. "Raln'^^ld not last one week in Melbourne when preseatad tbifd by the late Fuller-Ward management. It stayed five weeks to poor busi- ness. W-T praaanting current pro- duction by MaiifiaMt witb l|ia Fullers. ^ ■ ' Business still strong at the Empire with "Tweekie." , Looks like this one will stay at least 15 weeks. Bobby Jarvia, ]>>ring Smith. Edna Dare and Bileen Poa feafurOd *Tba Rlagar** baa paased IdOth performance at the*lloyal for W-T. Ftank Neil has a winner in *^e Gtorma** at tha Opatfm KmM Ml- Ing splendid busineaa at adkbbor- hood prices. nbviala wrlttan a*d to ba written In tbc next seven years have been taken in as a.««setK, and Sidney Olcott has been engaged to direct two Alms. Party Nash, asso al a t ad wHh the commercial film department of the Federation of Krltlsh Indus- tries, is to be production manager. At any rata tbay have * relaaae mtm dis lid Jim Gerald and revue big feature at Fullers. This Australian come- dian is a favorite with pafi^tliba audiences, and regarded as mia. df biggest draws In Australia. ''Outward Bound" wlU flnish at Palace this week, followed by "The Broken Wing," W-T direction. A Mexican orchestra will ba a feature. A great bill at Tlvoir this week. Hetty King featured. Every act claaaad up nicely, with special inan- tlon for George Hurd. De Gataneos. Bemt and Partner, Russo and Brad ford, dad XMii ' "Lady Be Good" finishing splendid run at St. James. **Ar^la'* iMKt, handled by FuUara. Pictures For the first time a British-made picture is the attraction at the Prince Edward. This thaatab :daly scraana pictures for runs. "Saventfi Heaven" looks very big at the Crystal Palace Critics rated" It one of best picturaa acraanad bare thia4M»«» y Straight vauda at tba Throli this week, with George Carney, Brown and Willa, Lock wood and Smith. Emperora of Harmony, Jjamiaia da Verabdbu^ dad Our OaarKlSir^^ stirry aa4 for FiiUayg. dd Ika "The Fla« Lieutenant^ (glii) attraction at Capitol. Majestic showing "Millionaire^ and "The Claw." Paramount offering "The Mid- night Sun" and "Drums of the Desert." German-made picture dealing witb rejuvenation is showing twice daily at the Playhouse. Separate sessions for men women is the rule. All ttataa Olsen «and Johnson leave for America today .after a auocfaa^ul vaude season. ^ W-T may do "The DesM-t Song.*^ * Bobby Jarvis, wtto played In tha * New York show. Is at pre.sent in aa opposition bouse in .**Tweekie." " HA Fullers are raadylag tbair varakMi ot •^Rio Rita." W-T making preparatlohs fo^ their opera season to open here In March. Some ${i0.000 will transport ttm. • artists, aeattery^ abd aodtuldag dorlat «lf «d«i^ llatnrica liNamond. who stages tha ballets for the Empire theatre, has opened a dancing school In Syidoey* ^ Diamand ^fid^'dbi ^K^^'Wmm^^-^m tba TivaU dbrcuit. < "Pradla Snatobers" baa scored a hit in Adelaide for W-T. Company will leave for extended tour of New Long Tack Sam has b een booked for anothier tour tC tta IflfWll dbr* cult 4iicli« IMS. Fullers will Jiave a pantomime in Melbourne this year at the Princess. Frank Neil will stage panto at the Opera House for day sessions only. ' It is unlikely that W-T will run pantos in either Syvjney or Mel- bourne, probably figuring this type of entertainmant la too ald-faah« ioned. is in its 11th week at a raoord for the Opening at Savoy London. Dec. 0. *Totlphar's Wife" leaves the Savoy this SaturdaaT la be folMad Dec. 12 by "The Caveman." farce. The latter show toured under the title of HbBpla StiadP.*' Caabran'a ,|tavue's Next Stand London, Dec. 6. C. B. Cochran's revue, current at tba Favfllflp, win dioaa. Dec. 10 to reopen Dec. 19 M Qaldar's (Ic^ for a fortnight, aamsaMahmBMHBi^ Vd lidi» lli a lianagers' Conference Paris, Nov. 28. Arrangements are being made for a canfaraaoa of Suropean vaudeville difibiadg da ba bald bara Daa. tfc "CamiUe tba hodbi^.:.^' •Falsa Shame" still playing ca- pacity at Adyar Hall twice daily. Hnymarket pulHnpr big with "Fire- men. Save My Child" and "Drums of Deseitto^ ^ MHaata Boym vaude offering. Empress rims straight pictures without vaudc. Thi.s week s "bill features "The Jade Cup." "Beyond the*Border" and "Tumbling River." Tbaatta a raelghborhood.** — MELBOURNE City crowded with visitors to wit- ness 'struggle for the Melbourne Cup. Race is a classic here similar to tba Kentucky Derby. *^me. Pompadcmr**, IMahed tbls week at His Majesty's, to be fol- lowed by "The Student Prince." Op- eretta purchased ffwn' Rufe Naylor bj^ W-T by arranprement with the Shuberts. Cast incfludes Peppe de Vries, James Liddyi V^Hiik and Artblir Stlgant. wirth's Cbreda la te at the c^m^ pia.. W-T presenting "The Whole Town's Talking" at the Royal with Marie Burke and Barrett Leonard. SAILINGS Dec. IB (London to New York), Hamilton Sistara dad Fordyca (Le- viathan). Dec. 7 (London la New Tdffe), Flora Lebret on (Berengarla). Dec. • (New York to London), James (Carroll (Laviatban)* Nov. SO (PaHs tO Mdir tdi%)9:|Miar Louise Lovely playing In "The Last Warning" at the Athenaeum for Frank Talbot Productions. Ltd., independent company, leasing the theatre from the Carrols. ■ Dinn RnunirauU irnmpany appenr Ing in ••Caroline** at the King's for W-T. Cast Includes Irene Vanbrugh, Dion Bouclcaylt, Norman McKinnelL Prudence Vanbmgb. Amila Sakk«r. Hugh Williams and Peppry Carter. A cycle Of fi^gllsh plays will ba Popular opera season in vogue at Prlncesa. House laaatd firom Ful« IliW by Itatd-AnabraliMi Opara Go Dog Racing ^ Tin Hare (dog) racing Is a boom t here at preaent. Although there ia only one company In the city at the , moment operating a race trade ' mai^ smaller companies bai^ sprung up aw >b|gbt In eaualry ^ j towns. ' '' Picture managers ai% feeling tha strain very badly. Saturday night, ^ netead? of being tJ|ie boom night of the week, Is now Regarded aa aOM of the weakest. 40,000 people attend the coursing | meeting Saturday nights at the city tnu:k. Shares are . booming oh Slodk Bxehange and an enormoua amount of coin changes handa weekly. The mechanical hare was introduced Into Aostratia bir aa American sporting man. To show the hold the craze has here tba Stadium fflyittday% maia ^ boxing arena) rhanped Its main fight night from Saturday to Friday ^ night. Boxing at the preaent time* Is really dead and has viot mucb.i chance of picking up again unlesf u patrons of the *i>tmny*' tire of tha sport quickly. For a time betting was Illegal on the tracks but the Supreme Court of New South Wales sanctioned bookmakers operating on licensed courpos. This #ava i^-n^M ther impetus. Rufe Naylor, big bookmaker add! also managing director of the Em- pire theatre, formed a coursing com- pany with its (derations in a North- t.1 em country town. Tlnfortunatoiy I for the promoter the hare refused to work on^dlMmMiriii^ht and an ug situation was avert<*d by police in* tervention. A funny angle was that In an endeaiHMF W fatlsfy patrons.a stuffed hare was tied to the back of an automobile wlilrh raced around the track at terrlflc speed. Tba dogs on being released failed to ina the hare and snapping and snarling at one another fell to fi>?ht# Ing Instead of racing. 19,000 peopld had their money refunded and thd meeting wae called off. The affair has banded the laugh of the year to sportinir Aien In general. Just hoff long the crajsc will Inst remain.*? to be seen. It has a stranglehold on SaMtt^ dpmM^Mi Union Trowbla . - Beoauaa the Comnmnwe&lth mddj was refu.«»ed datos in America dur- ing their recent tour of that country, on^ acctf^W'^^^w^^^^^g ffawlaat lon. trouble may ^^^^m-JB^St, three American dance orchestrad playing here at present time and the Australian mualclans' union, despitej that members of the foreign orches* tras have become members of the union. So serious may be the develop- ments that manaprements rrtntroning| orchestras mav be asked to one**! contracts and ff^rra the musicians tO| ratum to. dymwrl^Mit "I