Variety (Feb 1928)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 8 St. Martinis Place, Trafalgar Square FOR E1G N CABLE ADDRESS* VARIETY, LONDON 7870-2096-3199 Regent Wednesday, February 8, 1928 LONDON AS IT LOOKS By HANNEN SWAFFER Tjondon, Jan. 20. Gertie LaWoncc's-mrtr-piagP. '-divorce -and- re-ehgagement :i.s. on« of the niost sticking c.uriositios trf my joiirnnlistio experience. • For years, scores of people knew that her husband, a man she had married years before, was still an obscure stage manager on tour, while she bathed in . the light of—well; you know how, when, on a. stage, you make noises 'with your mouth and grimaces with your eyes, yo"u are more talked of than Madame Curie or the Pope of Rome. The Great and the Obscure In. America, particularly. Gertie blazed In a sea^of ^lory.; Tet,^time after time, 1 have known city editors try: to find her husband in some Unknown revue, in some obscure town, to ask if the divorce was coming off. Usually, they could not find him.^ . .. „ —-t^^.^„f. Then, one day, there appeared in the evening papers. a. mysterious divorce . case^the sordid Story ot-a young actress who had niarned a man in a position of authority over her In the theatre, a man by. whom she had a child, but who had failed to support her. It was obvious to anyone who knew the, theatre tliat it was Gert e Lawrence. for, although the husband's surname was given as Francis Xavier Howley. kno^wn as Gordon,", this was obviously a xjleyer way of using the words "Francis Xavier Gordon-Howley," as the husband s name was given in "Who's Who In the Theatre." . It was said in court that the woman asking for a divorce was an actress, but her stage naine was not mentioned. , ; The-Olean-t^ Now. in order to clean up the divorce reports of the "News o< the Woiid" and the "Empire News," two. newspapers given to frankness concerning judicial proceedings which have shocked every stage visitor to London—"You talk about our -jrellow Press," they have said, "but what about yours?"—a:-law was . passed last.year restricting the evidence puhlished in divorce cases. • "What Its exact meaning is still puzzles Fleet Street. Newspaper editors wondered whether they would offend the court or hot if Gertie X,awreno'e's name was nientIoned, sQ they all left it out, although it seemed to me obvious, that no English Judge, would Insist, on the suppression of a stage name, the publication of which might be essential to the. admihistratloli. of justice. London News From New York . . Then, three days ago, the London .representative of a famous New York paper called me up and said, "Do you know. Bertrand Taylor, who is said to be marrying Gertie Lawrence?'.' . "Yes," r replied, "she introduced me to him. But you understand she cannot very well, be fengaged to him because she will not be free from iier previous marriage for Ave months. We should not publish such a story over here. Ther6 Is a rumor tjiat Marie Lohr Is going to marry Edmund Gwenn, but her divorce is not through either. However, if you publish the Gertie Lawrence stoty in. New York,. It will be cabled over here, and then the London papers will publish It." How the Divorce Became Known •Exactly what I prophesied, happened—and more than that. Under the story of the engagement, as cabled from New York, both the -"Daily Mail" and the "Daily News" published an abbreviated version of the divorce case, the real meaning of which they had both suppressed exactly a month before! . Now the extraoVdinary thing Is that both Bertrand- Taylor and Gertie Lawrence were in London, not in N^w York and that the story told by Taylor about his engagement was. catjled froni London to' New -York, and then from New York to London, before a fact whicli I had kncfwn for weeks could isee the light of day. When They Hate Publicity Then, the next morning. In interviews with the London evening's news- papers, Miss Lawrence was indignant that people were enquiring. into lier private affairs! Stage stars do not understand that they cannot be private people one minute and public people—if there are such peo^jle—the next. If they like it to be known that they were at Giro's Club last night, they cannot very well mind if a reporter says who they were with. Franicly, why all this fuss Is made about revue actresses, I catinot understand. Most of . them'are quite plain, when you see-them in the street. Nearly all of them possess little more than the rudiments of con- versation. Personally, except for o'ne or two, I always keep out of their way. Lonsdale's Abandoned Play Well, Freddie Lonsdale has done it again, Alfred Butt has abandoned his scheme to produce "Foreigners," the" new Lonsdale play,, because "Foreigners," the new Lonsdale play, is not ready. Tallulja,h was. to have been in It, and all that sort o* thing—you Itnow, hectic wolnen screeching on the first night, and "Dear me, how wond.erful she is!" I met Freddie and Tallulah last Friday, when he was going off to finish the end, where I suppose a man. said,. "I love you," and Tallulah replied, "I shall love you always." But Freddie could hot do it, "Foreigners" will not be staged. Butt's Second Disaplsoihtment Tlho last time I had a long talk with Alfred Butt, he was just recover- ing from the fact that Freddie Lonsdale; after, promising to write for iilm a musical play -to -follow ''Jlose-Marie,'^ at. Drjiry/Lane^^^^ c^ find the end. Alfred was very angry. V "I cannot sue hirhi" he said, "because the jury would, take the author's side." Freddle's.repiy, of course, was "If an author cannot finish a play to' please himself; what is the good Of It to a mahagdr?" This is true, but why dp managers contract to produce plays that are '. not written? It saved AI Woods Money. _ Al Woods was :qulte cynical, when I spoke to him .about It. ■ "Lonsdale once promised nve 'Oh. Approval'," hie" said. "As he could not finish It, i did riot get the piiay. Then; when he finished It, Charles Dillingham got It/ So I saved $50,000. . Perhaps Alfred Butt has saved $50,000 again this time. Perhaps not. The N6yv Kine-Variety Boom - When I had lunch with. Sir Walter Gibbons yesterday, he was full of his rfew scheme, which Is nearly completed, by which, in a few months, he .will control 100 kine-variety theatres, stretching frohi Edinburgh to Paris, Sixty have, already been bought and a vast Invasion of American dollars has been forestalled. Walter always amaze.s me. He is ia quiet slow-thinking man, at whom many people laugh behind his back. Yet every now and then he co'mes but with some extraordinary scheme, "which he was thought out for months, and then complolos In a few days. He started life humbly. Now, he dinrs with the Kiiig of Spain. Two More Critics Barred Robert Loraine barred both Jame.'i Agate and Hubert Griffith from the first night of "The Dance of Death," Strindbcrg's glo'omy play. "Why didn't he bar nie Instead of you?" I asited Grillith yestei-day, "Oh, he'd be afraid to bar you," said Grimth, "No, he wouldn't,'.' I said. "I slated 'Cyrano' more than you did. Perhaps I deserved it. Two to one bar one." "Oh, but you praised his acting and slated the play," replied Griffith. "I praised the play and slated his acting. That's dif- ferent." Of course, If I were Robert Loraine, I would bar everybody, especially myself. Now Robert is one of our fincvt Jir-tfirs, but, like mo, he loses .his 'temper when other people are .fouls. 1 like him. RITZY •I'U have my e^gs hard holled,'^ said ALAN DALE (above) Dean of American dramatic critics, probably thinking of HARRY ROSE "The Broadway Jester" Buffalo, Buffalo (Feb. 11) POLITICS IN FIRST RAID ON PJUJn BEAGH CLUB Palm Beach, Feb. 7. Venetian Gardens, the only nijght club in Palm Beach that is making, money, i^as raided Saturday evening while It was holding a' capacity crowd, all spending freely. Sixteen employees were arrested on prohi- bition charges.. All the. liquor found on the premises was In possession of patrons who were not disturbed except that their drinks were In- spected. This is the first ;time a night.dub has been raided here. There is a political angle to the pinch since local and county elections are being bitterly contested. John and Chrlsto operate the place. After the raid Murry Smith's musicians were pressed into service as waiters and continued to serve w.ater to the crowd after the regular waiters were lodged In jail awaiting bail. The Gardens has announced its intention to go right on oper- ating for the remainder of the sea- son. Americans Apply for English Naturalization London, Feb. 7. . Layton and Johnstone, vaude act, have applied for naturalization pa- pers, which necessitates a residence of five years here. . The report that the act : would be on the Royal Comniand, progT^a?ii4s- iirroneous, as they are not-yet Brit- ish subjects. • Some Paris Bookings Paris, Feb. 7. A group of bookings Just reported Includes Haram and Jyrtll, dancers, now at the Casino, for the Picca- dilly, London, for the summer. Glenn Ellyn, dancer at the Perro- quet, Paris, goes to the Ambassa- deurs, Cannes, with Budapest to follow. Max Wall opens at the Empire. Paris, In May. Hal Sherman goes to Italy In March. . ■ Quinault and Iris Rowe have re- suniM ^tiieir^'^^p^^ booked as a team' for German dates starting in Aprils Beth Beri of 'Tpllies'' fame has been engagied to sing the role of Wanda In the French production of "Rose-Marle." Falladinm Only Affected London, Feb. 7. Palladium ' Is the only Gulliver house to feel the effect of the change In management, the Sir Walter Gibbons' group having taken oyer the circuit. Chris Mamer, house manager, and Horace Sheldon, muslqal direc- tor, have received notice that they withdraw. Feb. 11. SAILINGS Feb. 11. (New York to London), Ronald Colman (Berengarla). ^^-Pebr-^11' ( New^ York - to -London) Robert Keane and Claire Whitney (Mrs..Keane); Cecil Lear and Cleo Mayfield (Mrs. Lean) (Berengaria). Feb. 11 (New York to London) Castieton and Mack (Leviathan). Feb. 11 (New York to London), Jack. Connolly (Leviathan). Feb. 8 (London to New York), S. N. Bchrman (Mauretanla). Feb. 3 (New York to Paris) Ed- mund Sayag, John T. Adams (Paris). Single Divorcees Louis Calhern, who Is in "Pos- seiased"-' by Vincent Lawrence, was to have, acted vaudeville .with*hls society .bridci Julia . Hoyt, but she will go it alone in "Every Half' Hour."^ So far Julia has not im- pressed the public with her his- trionic ability, nor yet with her pul- chritude. Perhaps ■ she has been over-exploited! She is better look- ing, at any rate, than her sister, Mrs. William La.'wrence Mia.rch, 'wl'ho divorced two husbands before ac^p quiring a third. Julia has only di- vorced Lydig Hoyt, arid Calhern ha's only had one other wife. . Julia IS: a grandda\ighter of the late Hugh J.. Jewett, president of the Erie ipailroad. Hope Wlllams' Family Few recruits from society to the stage have acquitted themselves, as creditably as. has Hope Williams, who Is playing her first professional role in "Paris Bourid," with Madge Kennedy. As a daughter of the late Waldron Williams and the late Mrs. W. Eugene Kimball, she Is of the elect, and has two fashionable sis- ters, Mrs. William Ross Proctor, Jr., and AlrB, John T. Terry, Jr. Her husband, R. Bartow Read, is a son of; the exclusive Mrs. William A. tieed, but It Is edifying tp note that Hope Willlariis is not at all up-stage or hlgh-hatl Mary Hone's Ancestors No name in the Social Register Is more esteemed than that of Hone, the fa.mily having been socially prominent for many generations. In the. early days of "Little Old New York," Philip Honie was not only a mayor, he was a leader of fashion, and his "Diary" Is a work of refer- ence. He is an ancestor of Mary Hone, now on tour with "The Cradle Song." This daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus C. Hone went on the stage with the entire approval of her parents. In Palm Beach Palnl Beach has .b,een diverted by the presence of Mr. and Mrs. John Charles Thomas, who havei so- journed with her mother, Mrs. George A. Dobyne, at her villa. The singer, who gained, his first notice in musical comedy, is now a concert artist and takes himself very se- riously. In observing this really fine vocalist, who is decidedly hand- some, one instinctively recalls the amusing imitation of Mr. Thomas, announced as such, by Frarik Fay. Another member of the Palm Beach colony —ig Arthur Somers Roche, the novelist, and he also, though. Jn.. a different way, takes himself^^eripusly. Each winter, he and. his wife; figure Tlri'the society. colxrmJis. and'^ apparently enjoy It. Still another ritzing it at Palm Beach is EJric . Zardo, known in vaudeville and iri concert as a pian- ist. He is spending six weeks with the fashionable Mr. and Mrs. Philip Corbln. Another Soda! Recruit This winter Mrs. Henry E. Coe, who' was Eva Johnston, daughter of the! ultra-fashionable late Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Johnston, made her professional debut in a costume recital, along the lines of those ren- dered famous by her teacher, Yve.tte Guilbertr -A-sister of -Mrs. Robert W.- de Forest, whose husband Is president :0f the Metropolitan Mu- seurii of Art, and of Mrs. Pierre Mall, widow of the Belgian consul In New York, she Is yet one more of the recruits from society to the stage. Mrs. Goe Is the mother <>f a grown-up family. PARIS By ED G. KENDREW Paris, Jan. 29. Anita de Caro, under the, name of Eleanor Pond, American comedienne, is appearing with the. English Play- ers In "A Woman of No Importance" at the Theatre Albert I. Company playing Henry Bern- stein's "Venln" at the Gymnase, headed by Gaby Morlay, Yolande Laffon, Yvonne de Bray, Chas, Boyer-and-^Marcol=A.ndEe, 4a^,&QlLedjv uled to open in Berlin during the winter. It is the ilrst time since the .war an important theatrical troupe has toured Germany. A revue signed by Salnt-Granler, A. Wlllometz and Jean le Seyeux and, perhaps, Jacqjes BOusquet, will follow the forthcoming revival of "Venlse" at the Marlgny- Raimu, Dranerii, Nina Myral and Jano.Mar- nac (latter not certain) will head the cast of the new Mari&ny. i-evue. AUSTRAUA By ERIC H. GORRICK Sydney, Jan. 20. Several ncNv shows opened l'a.st week, but until bu.sinegs settles down to normal again, hard to get a line oh staying power of any. ' Williantison-Tait presented "The Girl Friends" at . Her Majesty'«» with Annie Croft featured. 2ngilslv actress scored nicely despite , poor voice. Production lavish, with com- edy, falling on Leo Franklin. Cast eludes Gus Bluett, Loma Helms, Rowen'a Ronald,, Marie Le Varre, Reg. Shariand arid a .'corkirig ballet ■ Ted Clifford scored nicely in dance nuriibers. "Archie" Is at the St. James for the Fu" rs. Muriel Starr playing in "Cornered" at the Palace. . "Cuckoo In the Nest" at the CJrli terion; for Willllamson-Talt, with English cast successfully playing the comedy. Maulce Moscovltch finishing good run at the Royal in "The Terror." "Film Girl" Not Strong Rufe Naylor presented "The Film Girl" at the Empire last week." Ca.st features Bobby Jarvis and Van Lowe. Jarvis has not much of a role, the cohiedy being weak, likewise the book. Van Lowe did nicely In a speiak« Ing role* scoring mainly with hlg dancing. Audrey Lewiig Is a pert little actress, pleasing in everytlhng she does. . Show Is a flash', production and looks well. Naylor. has spent a lot and maybe he will get It back. Edna bare did nicely In a k -W bit. Harry Hall, staged .the production and did a good Job'. • Pantomime at the. Opera House and also at the Fuller's drawing In big business. Frank Neil is at the former hnuse, with Jim Gerald at the latter. Tivoll people presenting vaiade- vllle and condensed panto on the one bill. Big biislness being done at this house. Panto pl.Tvlng under title of "Babes in the Wood" hhs Crlssle and Daly, Rupert Hazell, Elsie Day, Stella Lamond, Fi-Jnk Graham and a host of clever kid- dles. Kwong Sing Wah featured vaudeville act. "What Price Glory" extended run at the Prince Edward. "Reisurrectlori" came into the Crystal Palace last week for a run. Screened four times daily, "Ben-Hur" Is hnv.inc: seoond long run at the Piccadilly. Lvreum IS playing "Hills of Ken- tucky" and "The Life of Riley."? Bfi-. Four featured act. . Haymarket ■ "Soft Cush- lon.s," "The Lost Limited." Chil- dren's panto featured stage attrao- tlont his week, . Lyric ,showing "Life of Riley,** "Hills/Of Kentuelrv" and "Cinder-, ella'.' panto on the stage twice dally. Empress featurinp: "Alias the Deacon.'}.- 'tpals in Paradise" and "Soft Cushion.^?.'' Hoyt'.s and Strand runnine "East Sides, We.st Side" and "The Bugle Call." MELBOURNE' "The Student Prince" still big hit at His Ma.iosty's. . "Queen High" successful at the Royal. Josephine Head. Hnpo and Rnmona added to show by W-T. Dion Boucicault in "All the KIne's Hor.ses" at the King's for W-T. Fullers have a. panto in at the Princess for a run. "Apples and Pairs'' at Palace on ruT). • ~ Carrolls ■- are; .prosontlng "The Alarm Clock" at, the Athenaeum. Tlvoll ' playing M.Tx. Morit?:, and Akka, Cavanaghs, Mario, Cooke and Vernon, DI Gatino revue. Fullers have Stlffy and Mo i*vue. taking up the entire show. Pictures Capitol—"7th Heaven." Auditorium—"Rpsufrectibri." Paramount—"Soft Giishlon.s" and 'The Bu'crle Cnll." ' Notes "Cradle Snatchors" will play , re- turn season at the Royal. Sydney, after doing welMri New Zealand. -Hans Shlstel's Wonderettes en- gaged for TIvoll circuit this year. Morpraret Barinerman will open Australian, tour In March at the Tjlttlo th^.atrp. Molhourno, in 'Our Retters. ''W-T. W-T. will probably revive "The Merry • Widow" In TVfellinurne with J|5I5i^-J^'Advj).m1^^B doVvIos. The."50 arfi'sts ISn vo~'^oHrKd" i"n"^'TTi'e" Rtnrlont Prince." Reports have it that "TweVie" (Gin.trham GirlV In^f r\v\}o a bii'i^'h of coin for Rufp NaT or. It wa."' fig- ured. tlTat the show would run .nlviut 20 weeks,, but it ran only a little over 10 aftor startinsr off woll. mat ohaneps montioned a'<? onn, of many cauppR for fallnrp. T-'^rnin'r Smi'h and tho .Oarltina c^^ntlp<^'•^■•1 re- turn f" ^mr.rir"^ o1->o"<l'- nvitiojiring (Continued on pnge -tl)