Variety (May 1928)

VARIETY'S LONDON OFFICE 8 Sh Martin's Place, Traftlgar Square 4^ n 17 I r" M CABLE ADDRESS, VARIETY. LONDON „ ^ ^ r U K C* 1 VI ri 7870-2096-3199 Regent Wednesday, May 2, 1928 AUSTRALIA By Eric H. Gorrick Sydney, March 31 Cooler weather has brought much to the various theatres. "Rose-Marie" will be revived at Her Majesty's early this month with "The Girl Friend" (a big hit), trarisferrihg to the Royal. LieOn Gordon will take "Trial of Mary Dugan" to Melbourne, after enjoying a splendid run In this clty, for W-T. "Caroline," at the Criterion, will go out shortly to make way for the Australian premiere of "The High Road," with. Dion Boucicault and Irene Vanbrugh featured. This at tractipn will run under W-T man agement. . FuUer-Gonsalez opera season, at the St. James, is regarded as a suc- cess. The Usual lineup of operas have been produced with the sing- ing by the Italian principals a fea-, ture. Splendid orchestra, conducted by Signor Gonsalez, a big factor 4,n the success: The Fuller .people are playing the operas at popular prices. Stock company, at the Opera House, . is playing "Fun on the Bristol," a piece remembered by our gx*ariddads. "Donovan Affali-" is a success at the Palace. Cast,-however, is Just so-so. Muriel Starr, Harvey Adams and ]VIay;no Lynton are featured. W-T has spent a large amount on publicity for this attraction. The citcus is in town, Wlrth Brothers always make of point of being in- Sydney • for Easter. Only | one ring is. used, and this year, the attraction is playing under canvas. Nice routine of acts this. year. Bijou featuring Stilty And Mo revue. ■. Filmf Capitol playing "Camille" as spe- cial feature; Paramount featuring "The Gorilla" and "The Open Range"; Majestic has "Alias the Lorie Wolf" and. "Silk Stockings." Around the Continent Maurice MOsoovitch's next will be "The Silent House" under the W-T management. Janette dilmour, John Valentine and Dave Mallen have arrived under contract to the Fullers, for "Rio Rita." Ann Siater is still the big noise at the Tivoli. This American per- former has been tremendous over here and could play several weeks' longer. She will have to return to England to take up contracts.. Max, Moritz and Akka, monkey act, mak- ing reappearance and going over well. Has Improved 100 per cent. Bincei first appearing here. Ten Loonies, billed as freaJc Jazz band, show nothing startlijrg^. Snell and Vernon,, over with acrobatic offer- ing. Phil Bros! and Young Sisters pleased with good act. Fordam Biros, also did well. Business good; Jack Musgrove booked. the -present bill. Will Qulntreil (the Whlteman of Australia) conducted. New tab revue at Fullers with Mike Connors and Queenie Paul featured. Show should do well for] > few weeks. Rufe Naylor presented "Take the Air" at the Empire last week and It looks good. Bobby Jarvis is a corking comic; Mamie Souter rather a disappoint- iheiit in a comedy role, and Audrey Lewis very cute. Chorus Is the Dmartest buncli. seen around in years. Maurice Diamond trained them. Harry Hall produced with Willy Redstone conducting. Pictures Hoyt's Regent has opened and Is regarded as the show plaCe of thie city. New theatre Is on a par with the best in New York. Corking orchestra, uhdef diijec- tlon of Signor Kost, a feature. Roy Devaney does a short bit at the or- gan. "Flesh and the Devil" (M-G), the picture, has met with fine re- ception. Rest of bill includes a splendid stage prolog,- arranged . by . Byron Bidwell, a smart scerilc nov- elty and the "Collegians" short (U). "Chang" doing nicely at the Prince Edward; '.'Sorrell and Son" big .at the Cryi5tal Palace (Union Theatres) with Alfred Cunningham . .In a> good prolog; "Monte Cristo" is be'lng revived at the Piccadilly; Hoyts and Strand presented "Gate- way of the Moon"; Haymarket fea- turing "Her Wild Oat" and "The Open Range" with Bradford and Russb as feature act; Lyceum re- ports good business with "Alias the Lone Wolf" and "Surrender"; Hal Rale appearing twice dally on stage; Lyric doing nicely with "Surrender" and "Alias the Ivone Wolf" plus Hazell and Day vaude- ville offering, and Empress running "Cruise of the Hellion," "Her Wild C)at" and "Vanity." Melbourne W-T reviving Gilbert and Sulli- van operas at His Majesty's. —-L€On-GQrdon-lnto-the-lloyal=wlth. •Trial of Mary Dugan." "Thark" Hnished at the King's and will be followed by a revival of "On Our Selection," Australian comedy. Palace closing "Three Live Ghosts" and theatre goes dark. Double bill at the Athenaeum with •The Joker" and "The Peacemaker." Percy Hutchinson is the star under Frank Talbot management, by ar- rangement with the Carrolls. Betty Ross Clarke, playing In 'The Bride," at the Princess, under her own management. Tlvoli has Flo LeVere. Davoy Jamieson, Emperors of Harmony, Lamplnos, Wylle W.atsoii. Jark Lumsdaino and Stella Laniond. Fred Scoll will have charge of the organ at the Capitol. Sydney, which opens at Easter for Union Theatres, Ltd. Organ is th«i big- gest in the. British.Empire. Kelso Bros, open In their "Crazy Quilt" revue at the Tlvoli, Sydney, at an • early date. Boys are Aus- tralians and will be revisiting here after many years absence. Van Lowe, American dancer, will do a three act over the Tivoli. cir- cuit. He has been released by Rufe Naylor to play the date. "The Student Prince," with James Liddy and Beppie De Vrles, playing 1 successfully in Adelaide for W-T.. Melbourne, stage hands bbject to working Sundays and have asked that all theatres In the Buburbs be closed on the Sahhath. : By the death of the sole surviving daughter of the late Harry Rick- ards, founder of the Tlvoli theatre, both properties In Sydney and Mel- bourne can now be thrown on the market. \i V ■ ,■■ , The late Harry Rlckarda left an estate valued at $1,000,000. William- son-Tait took over the lease of the theatres k few years ago and have been paying about $20,000 per an- num In rentals. It is possible that this flrna may purchase the prop erties outright and rebuild the Syd hey Tivoli, an old fashioned house. . . Pictures It Is now certain that 'The King of Kings" will come into the Prince Edward, Sydney, around Easter. Picture will be given a premiere In other states next month. ^The Circus" will he the next big attraction at Hoyt's .Regent This attraction will follow "Flesh and the Devil" and will be the. Easter at traction. W-T has been supplying Union Theatres with vaudeville acts; for its chain of . movie houses for .some time. It is now reported that a break will take place at an early date, the picture people importing their own acts; W-T's acts will go over to Hoyt's, opposition to Union Theatres. M-G'B trackless train will arrive in Australia this month. John McCormick, dramatic critic of the "Jewish Tageblatt," says: "Ah finer bol—aza yor olf kolom- bus'n" of HARRY ROSE THE BROADWAY JESTER STILL PARAMOUNTOURING Portland, Portland, Ore (May 8) NOBHrrY CLUB 2 Girls in Same Role, on Same Stage, at Same Time Paris, April 28. Two artistes appearing In the same role and on the same stage were seen at the Folles Wagram, new Paris music hall, last week. Owing to an inside squabble, Vic- tor de Cottens Informed ,Mlle. Flor- elle, star on the bill, she could con- sider herself as having resigned. He then engaged .another for the part. However, Florelle declined to be thus ousted. When the cue for Florelle'e first entrance .was reached the substitute appeared, but. Florelle, supported by her part- ner, Henry Garat, also stepfied on the stage and proceeded to play the part. The two rivals thus held each side of the stage and both spoke the lines with usual bilslness simultaneously, niuch to the amuse- ment of the audience.. Management called in the police and had Florelle with Henry Garat expelled from the theatre. Dispute is to be threshed put in the courts. THIS IN PARIS (3y DAVID STURGIS Paris, April tl. The gigolo is a Paris , dan<;ln(ff man. A police ordinance bow makes him a worker. . He earriea a special card, attesting his moral, perfection, from the ministry of labpr. This stamped ' honor came frOm his ca.relessness wltli the at- fectlons and property of lonely ladies. He Is now with the wield*; ers of the pick and shovel. Tet thla flamboyant species of male , is tb* hope of Manhattan. He win Bome day make Fifth avenue the most- agreeable, street in the world. Paris Sees Sex Play By American Writer •A picture has been made here, with the sanction of the Australian Navy, showing the destruction of the German warship Emden by H. M. A. S. Sydney. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" will be re- leased here by Universal as a road show. "BeniHur" Is still making money over here. Picture regarded as one of best b. o. attraetlons of the season. Vaude acts playing Union The- atres Include Tom Katz and Band, Carmena and Carlos, Loma, Lance and I..eslie. Campbell Boys, Rene Maxwell, John Prlora, Big Four, Hector St. Clair and Henri FYench. ''WHISPERS'' STICKING London, May 1 T; D. Kemp, manager for Jack Smith, denies the. report that"Will 6' the Whispers" will shortly dose at the Shaftsbury. Komp states the attraction has rental of the house until August, with an option for continuance {Continued from pa^e 1) Ward McAllisters, and they always had a fialr for visiting iiobilily. and for dramatics. Late in the evening Mrs. Smith succumbed to the en treaties of her friends and recited a profoundly moving bit of verse about "Oh, H only ono of my ships comes in.** It was so moving Bally moved out. . Such Entertainment Bea Neeregaard was there, too, wearing that same. ecstatic ekpres slon she uses In her appearances with Eva LeGalliene's Fourttaeenth Street Players. Bea Is letting her hair grow and when she throws her head back In a soulful gesture it looks like a halo. None of tbis modernistic high - art lor Bea, though. When she was called on for her portion of the dramatic en- tertainment she sulTered a most un fortunate embarrassmdnt. The strains of the repertoire on youth ful memory must be severe. She forgot her piece and ran Into hldlnK under a palna. tree. But she was cokxed but by slavos of brave ap- plause from the finger-tip kissers, and this Is what she recited^ with expression and feeling: '*Up the airy mountain, DotDn the rushing glen, We dare not go a hunting For fear of UttJe mfi. Wee folk, good folic. Trooping all together. Oreen jacket, red cap and . White ou)V$ feather/* There was singing, too, by a lum ber Jack tenor and an extremel.v fervid young woman, but Bally's ear is not accustomed to foreign names and titles so he is remiss in his duty. But She was at least a Countess, little enough all things consider''! One guest, (6onspicuous for bis snining black eyes and small stat ure—five foot no inches in his high heels—was igitrodiiced, with appro prlate cersmbhy as tKe ^fiig of Chaldea and Assyria. A modest lit tie king, but, despite his lack of height, he was every Inch the sov erelgn. At least four of the middle aged cultured ii.mericans, dressed in Satins and sequins, who sat about against the walls and glowed all evening, were Just too thrilled for words when he kissed their finger tips and let his hereinbefore men- tioned brilliant black eyes wander along the backs of their hands and up theic. bare arms. Paris, April 23. A new three-act . play,: "Eve's Complaint," by Hubert Osborne, of Tale University, co-author of ''Hit the peck," Is being created .at the Theatre Albert I, Paris, by the .Eng- lish Players, headed by Edward Stirllhg and Frank Reynolds. It is a story of a girl married to a man 30 years older than herself arid of her consequent repression. This is Eve's complaint, "the de sire for love," until circumstances bring her to face realities, and she understands'life for the ttrst time Celebrated Newsboy Ike, the newsboy of the Cafe 4« la Paix terrace, claims he was the first to sell Variety in Paris. Irving Mark« taught him this frenzied finance, ike gels from . 60 to 80 cents per copy. He now has a . box at the Grand Guignpl, a meer- shaum pipe that doesn't sting iand . an English suit made in Marseilles. He begs for more copies. Horatio Alger was a prophet.. Ike is th«i most celebrated Yank in France-^ next to Elsa Maxwell. Good Old Names Mrs. Phil Plant,, nee. Constai^CA' Bennett, lovely daughter . of that rare, thesplc deity, Richard Ben>- nett, is visiting Gloria Vanderbllt- on the Avenue Charles DPloquet.- Constance signed the check f« •! CIro dinner recently. Among those' present, bajsking in the elegancsl of a Vanderbllt, were Prince Adam Krasnpborskivitch, Count Kreuk*; burg Tarnowetz DrohobyczeSrow and Grand Duke Ustyuk Byesbetslf- Solvy tchegod ska. Chorus Girls' Envy iParls, April 23. Patricia Storm, wbo knows her I stuff when it comes to terpsichory, is the envy of all the little French chor- ines as she dally trips the light fan- tastic on'the boards of the Moulin Rouge in Paris. The French can't dance and they know it all the more I as they watch Patricia, She has a run of play contract as the lead dancer but Is worried over the contemplation that the revue [■will last for .five or six months. It seenis that the stepper is suffering from an acute attack of wander- lust ai»d wants to see the world. So Long, Leslie Stuart The composer of "Plorodpra," wlW died last month, was one of wgr. best friends. We were roamen^ from the Thames to the Seine. Ra-: conteur, heart of a vagabond, creflhi tor of lovely tunes, he was far to* rare a playboy to have a happiy^ end. His last visit to New York WMi a horror; ho hawked his openi "Nina" for over ten years. I w'ouldn't be a few i know who went stone deaf when Stuart was in mis*, ery. He had the whole world dani^i* ing to the famous sexteL EU! moaned "Louisiana Lou" to me «■( the Brittany coast. Well, no more managers, no movH civilization. Hail and Farewell. 'TOPSY-EVA" FOR PARIS Paris, May 1. Vivian Duncan, accompanied by her . sister, Mrs.. Evelyn McCeilland, arrived on the "Aqultanla.'' The blonde member of the famous sis- ter duo said she hoped to complete arrangements for doing "Topsy and Eva" li> Paris and Londbn. London, May 1. T. D. Kemp goes to Paris tomor- row (Wednesday) to negotiate with Vivienne Duncan to produce "Topsy and Eva" here in conjunction with a well-known London management. SAILINGS May 19 (New York to Paris) April 29 (London to New York) ^angean Troupe (Columbus) April 28 (New York to HartibUr';), Mr. and Mrs. M. L Malcvins\v (New York). April 28 (New York to Paris) Lew Herman' (He de France). April 28 (New York to Rio de Janeiro) Martin and Martinez Ran- dall (Voltaire). April 28 (New York to Paris) Joan . Carter Wardell (lie , de Franco). April 28 (Iyondon to New York) Maria Corda (Aquilania). Life of the Party A Son of the Prophet—and a Prophet himself in his own right- came late. He kissed no finger-tips. He may not have been doing an act, as they say, but if he were It was an imitation of Edgar Alan Poe. Bally wasn't permitted to meet him, but he certainly unlimbered for the^gitlS. ^ Say what you Uke — a Long Haired Prophet And when his.eyes have the expression of a lamb awaiting slaughter—ah, Would you? But the life of the party was German Duke, at least they called him Duke, although, there's a bunch of Dukes down South who make clgarets. Promise not to breathe It—^he rented his dress suit. Per hapV it shbuldh'r be:i^^ nilght be misinterpreted as a symp- tom of America's crass materialism. But he was so busy and blithe. And did he kiss every female hand in the place? More than once. His back collar button was so big and shiny that every time he ducked to kiss a hand something with a spring in it at the back of his neck popped out. None of the girls went with- out a dance so long as his energy lasted. He seemed to have a pen-, chant for tall and broad ones he couldn't see over or around. Janitor's Thirsty Patrons Bally would like to tell you about the Lieutenant in the Egyp- tian Navy who was there In Uni- form, and about a Baroness who danced like a statuesque reproduc- tion of Frltlzl Schefli and about tlie janitor of the building and his Ger- roan-wife y h o op ened their little apartment for the benefit of the thirsty, They were dear simple peo- ple, and Bally will remember them always with fondness and gratitude, A collation was served consisting of lettuce and tomato sandwiches on rye bread and non-alcoholic punch. But Bally must not run on SO—or he'll never be Invited again. ChariotI Ramon Novarro is a beautHfil boy to the French girl. And "Ben^. Hur" goes on and on at the M ad ^ i leine. But Charlie Chaplin H something more to the Gallic raoe. He is a poet of their smiles and tears. France Is often gay to hWe 4 sorrow. Chariot Is the elixir of such Mi attitude. Sometime ago he received the "blessing" of the American Philistine. The French press broko out in sympathy and indignation; "Chariot! " it exclaimed, "tie ham everybody laughing. He Is sacred* Let them leave him alone!" I am( glad they did not. I saw "The Ctr- .cu_C_J^st nlg^ older, and ten years greater,, in • short time. Hail to the humdnmi hammering! Chariot's sparka Mgl flying to the stars! Pleasure Economy George White was in the Frenisfi capital last weeki He came for rest. Aniericans should See VbA "Folles Bergere" on 42d street ttalA summer. —— '■ — Foodless Dinner Raquel Mellor andi Jo«epbfBi Baker, tip top. The Spanish mari vel flies. toward birdllngs. Joso^ phine prefers racoons. A friend In^. terviewed the "soul that sings." He couldn't use the pencil at all, the humming birds were drumming on his tympanum. I had a tea party with the body that dances. Josephine treated me wonderfully on the Rue Henri Rochefort Her maids dropped de- "liclpus'Scones-on =my-plat^r--^But^ther racoons got there first. When I left the palace I went acro.ss the street and got something to eat. GUILD'S CARDINAL DINNER A lunchoen to Cardinal Hayes win be given by the Catholic Actors' Guild at the Hotel Astor May 8 (Tuesday) at 1 p. m. I^i ll/II A I'Hrni/l'i 11 kirllirib CTAIII? Proprlotorff, R. C. Winia & go.. Telephone iTeo.GnY '6742,' Always t]io I Alllil.ll-AIllfc.Kll.All Nr.W^ i^lllKrii ^oat Up-to^the-Mlnute Stock of American Publicatlon.i, Bureau dc nnULiU iUniilUVXUl llLilfU UlVlUi change, KngUsh, American and Centlnental New.sdcalor.s. Spficlal Dlatrlbutor* for ••Variety" and the World's Btage and Screen Publloatlona. 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